Week 6: May 6th - 10th

[cartesio]

Sixth Week

Killers and victims, killers and victims. Three of your own have fallen prey to murderous intent last week. Your numbers keep shrinking. Azura has fallen prey to Franciscus in the same night that Olympia betrayed her friend Millium and killed Cian who wound up in the crossfire. At this rate, is there anyone you can trust?

The townspeople's anger burns hotter than ever. Wherever they go, must they live in fear of stumbling on a corpse? They can't live like this. More than ever, the visitors are being shown that they are unwelcome.

Walking outdoors, cold looks are the norm. Shouted profanity isn't unexpected. Barely anybody is willing to still hold a conversation with any visitors.

Even within the motel, there is no feeling of safety any longer. Not only have two people died in this very place, no, now the townspeople also lost their fear of coming inside. While they don't enter private rooms, the daring among them vent their hatred of you by vandalizing the common rooms.

Cartesio has become a menacing place.

In the lobby of the motel there's a few more brochures, and the maps have been updated once again. Don't mind that some of them have been damaged in one of the attacks on the motel.

Links

IC Rules
Guestbook
Room Assignments
Events
Locations
NPCs
Activity Check

Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday

[Welcome to the sixth week! If you want to contact the Sergeant, please post here!. Also please remember to submit your activity check!]

Comments

TUESDAY - May 8th

[cartesio]

NEWSPAPER

[cartesio]

[Weather: sunny during the day, clear skies during the night.

The fair to celebrate the foundation of our beloved town is fast approaching, and the attitude everyone has is of doubt: will the outsiders ruin such an important milestone? This celebration is done every decade since the foundation of our town, and is usually a time for joyful partying and positivity for the future. Now there's a dark cloud hovering over it.

Some suggested to not do it this year, to make it net year, but the overwhelming majority decided to continue the tradition no matter the cost. The local police got pleas to control the outsiders and arrest them preemptively if necessary, but agent Nanette Jones refused to do that, saying 'they need irrefutable evidence to prosecute the outsiders'. Is this hinting they're bulding a case, but are lacking vital proof? This reporter's opinion is that it's only matter of time before they obtain it.

In the meanwhile, we're gathering funds for the the celebration next week, as well as volunteers for the parade, the crown jewel of our fair. If you'd like to volunteer to take part in it, please come to the local charity group.

If any outsider is reading this, please keep in mind you're not welcome to be part of the parade.]

-----

[Anyone who is observant about their surroundings may notice the sky spotlights from the casino have gone missing]

MOTIVE

[cartesio]

[It's time for another meeting, another incentive for you. The Sergeant waited patiently for people to arrive after he summoned them, and this time he has a calendar with him]

Clock's ticking, everyone. You're running out of time, and the chances for you to do something and not stay in this town -- if you live -- are few. If your mind is set in doing nothing you'd do well in calling dibs for a bench in the park, because those motel rooms are paid only until the end of May.

[The calendars vanish]

Leaving that aside, I guess it's time to stop with the offers and go for the threats. Listen: I will take away what matters to you the most. [He pauses for a moment] Something came to mind, didn't it? There's something you can't imagine your life without.

I will take it away, no matter what it is. Trust me when I say I have the power to do so.

[He waves everyone away]

The deadline is as usual. If nobody takes action, I'll make sure to show you the results of your inaction. Dismissed.

------

[When Keith returns to his room later, he'll find giants letters spelling 'EET' carved onto the ceiling. The slashes are shallow but readable]

[robitussin]

...Stupid move. How are you going to top that later?

[It's meant to sound sarcastic, biting, but she can't really disguise the look of distress on her face or the way her voice shakes just a bit.]

[clearities]

[ Taking away what matters to her the most, huh? To Sakura, there's a lot of things that it could apply to, but the first thing that comes to mind is something that she's thought long and hard about before, back home. While she does worry about Syaoran-kun - a lot of the motives involved him, actually - what would rip her even more than that is... the potential of losing her emotions. Her feelings of love. But he says those first few words dealing with forcing them to stay if they don't do anything and she's — well. She still wants to believe that there has to be some other way. So she just doesn't say anything this time. ]

[amburere]

...was wondering when you'd get tired of being "generous". [ Deadpan as usual, but considerably less snark than last time. ]

[quickpersuader]

...Okay.

[Kino... continues to look unimpressed.]

[streetwolf]

[Wayne's taking this as seriously as he normally does.]

Oh shit, that mean I can get the cash for the room if I'm not staying right? It'd be more useful that these cards.

[In more ways than one. Different currencies and stuff. But then the old bastard continues and he grits his teeth.]

Like what? I got nothing for you to take...

[He's being literal, it's better than actually thinking about what the old bastard means.]

[pursuitofdeath]

[Today... he leaves his room. He doesn't look so very different-- not excluding his face itself.

Oh but he's glad he came. There's nothing better than hearing this.

He laughs. Not just a little either. It's... more than a little telling of how well he's doing right now; laughing until he has to stop to breathe.

And yet he stops so suddenly that it's jarring, and his expression is smug.]

There's nothing more you can do to me and you know it.

[You may have given it back to him-- but you took it away too. You made him do it with his own hands. Whatever you have coming, you've earned it.]

Which is why...

[He cracks his neck and stretches.]

...I won't hesitate to do everything in my power to see that you can't ruin these people's lives more than you have already.

[quickpersuader]

[That gets a silent, if approving look at least.]

[marmoron]

[Keith's quiet during this particular meeting. He's glaring at the Sergeant as always, but for once there isn't any angry commentary. Nonetheless, he's clearly tense, his hands clenched into tight fists as he gets up abruptly, knocking over his chair as he leaves.]

[icariot]

[Hawks stares flatly, his wings rustling behind him when he speaks.]

You're probably going to need some pretty big clippers if you want to ground me, Sarge.

[tuffguy]

I mean you already took my brother--

[relieable]

[this motive makes him wonder... could the Sergeant take away his family?

yes, he most definitely could, after all he's done.

Osomatsu looks as tense as a wound up coil, ready to spring. but he doesn't say anything. not now. he just leaves hurriedly]

[unfashionably]

[ Given the other motives, this makes sense. It's a natural escalation for someone like the Sergeant. Still, he can't help being angry. Visibly so, at that, though it's more of a subdued anger than a fierce one. ]

Are you seriously having fun toying with us? [ Obviously, yes. And The Sergeant even has the audacity to wave them away when he's done talking. This is way too much. ]

[robitussin]

[In the morning, shortly after the motive announcement, Natalie can be found in the motel hallway. She's near Millium's room, and she's holding one of the venus fly traps from the flower shop. There's a slight frown on her face, and she looks up at anyone who happens to pass by.]

...Do you know how to take care of plants? I'm pretty sure I'd get rotten fruit tossed at me if I ask one of the workers at the actual store.

[Later on in the day, she can be found in her room. The door is open, and the sound of music is coming out of the area. She has one of the CD players plugged in, and anyone who approaches will be able to tell it's classical music, unsurprisingly. She's laying on her bed, reading a book from the library, but she doesn't seem too adverse to company.

As the day winds to a close, she's giving another glance to the guestbook as part of her ongoing attempt to find some connection between the group as a whole. This time, though, she pauses when she gets to hers, frowning.]

...Holy shit, I completely forgot.

[It's not immediately clear what she's referring to, but the very observant might notice that her listed age has changed from sixteen to seventeen.]

motel hallway

[clearities]

I do! I took care of a lot of the plants in our backyard whenever it was my turn to do chores. You mostly need to make sure they get enough water, light and warmth, but you can't give it too much water or else they can die because of that, too. [ because of course the one who is named after a flower knows how to take care of plants ]

Room

[quickpersuader]

[Oh, it's music... Kino peers inside curiously.]

Ah. From the record store?

guestbook

[protectandselfserve]

...oh.

[he looks over her shoulder....]

Well, happy birthday to you!

[relieable]

[after the motive, Osomatsu returns to his room in the motel to play some pachinko, let off steam. because, wow, that's one motive he could possibly hurt someone for. though he doesn't think his brothers, or his parents, would approve if he did anything rash.

he can almost hear Choromatsu nagging him about it. ugh, he misses them so much.

for those who don't know, he now has a full-sized pachinko machine in his room, as well as that old television. both things are on right now, though, with the teevee, he's only getting static. come watch him play, ask questions about it, whatever.

later on, he heads to room 17, Franciscus' room. he doesn't particularly feel like going in there, but he needs to get the pokémon. he finds their balls lying on the bed, and he snatches them up as quickly as possible. being in the room for too long would upset him, so he gets out fast.

for the rest of the day, he's just wandering around town aimlessly, thinking about everything. feel free to choose a place to meet up with him, wherever you want]

room 17 (kinda)

[clearities]

Ho~e? [ of course Sakura winds up passing Osomatsu the moment that he gets out of that specific room, conflict obvious on her own features ] That room...

motel

[unfashionably]

[ The pachinko machine isn't too bad. It makes sense as a distraction, but the television? That's... tougher. It's been a while since he checked in with Osomatsu so when he spots him, he heads into the room. ]

Hey. How are you doing?

[marmoron]

Motel - before the motive
[Keith's still feeling kinda groggy in the morning, but he lets out a yelp as soon as he spots that "EET" carved onto his ceiling. It's fine though, the bloodstains that he still has not wiped off the walls needed new friends anyway.]

...Millium?! Hey! You still around? [...] I'm talking to you. Don't you dare pull a Gabe on me!

[Nothing, Getting up fast, he throws on some shoes, clears a path to the door and--]

Hey, come here and look at this.

still at the motel - afternoon
[Anyone passing by, Katsuki's old room (sorry Katsuki, all of Keith's dead neighbors got their rooms turned into storage units apparently) will find the door open and Keith inside playing that fighting game from the casino. He's playing the game with the most deadpan expression, you can just see the JOY he feels playing this dumb thing radiating from him, as he's working towards achieving a new high score. He also may or may not be launching a vicious combo attack against "Gabe" because what is maturity. He's muttering under his breath:]

Forcing me to play this crap. You're the worst ghosts.

[Once he does get to a high score screen, you can see the names he's chosen are: srgcanreviveu notolympiatho and TALKTOME]

afternoon

[clearities]

... You don't like playing that game?

[ just peering a little curiously ]

afternoon

[robitussin]

[She only approaches because she hears the noise of the game coming from a room she thinks should be empty, but she relaxes slightly when she sees Keith there. Poised in the doorway with a thoughtful look on her face:]

Are you winning?