15 STRANGERS ROUND 7 TEST DRIVE

[strangerpeople]

15 STRANGERS ROUND 7 TEST DRIVE There are 15 strangers (give or take a few, this time around) on the ship. Regardless, someone wants you all dead. Why? And what is a funyarinpa?... 1. ARRIVAL It's time to wake up in your berth on this not-so-fantastic voyage. Why are you here? What happened to your powers? Memories? Who are these other people that've also been abducted? And...what is that smell?... 2. POWER It turns out you have been...'gifted' a power. It's not something you asked for, but you've got it now. It might be best to figure out how they work. Or don't. It's up to you. From chaos comes order, after all! 3. HOME Well, may as well make yourself comfortable for the foreseeable future on this ship. It's not like Zero is letting you go anywhere they don't want you to go. But perhaps you can find something that can help you get out of this situation! Or...maybe you want to give up and just drink in the lounge. That's an option too! Either way, you and your fellow Strangers won't be bored, at least? 4. MINIGAME Apparently Zero has decided you're not entertaining enough on your own, so now you're being tasked with playing in this game. And why not? You're technically on a cruise ship, so why not have some games? You could put some effort into the game, or maybe you're just done with this [BLEEP] by now-it's your choice on what to do. 5. MOTIVE You knew this was coming. Zero has decided they've waited long enough to see some bloodshed, and have released a motive to incentivize you into killing someone else. How are you feeling about it? What motive has Zero come up with? And...are you thinking about doing it...? 6. DEATH It's happened. One of your number has passed on-killed by another Stranger left in your group. There they lay, clear as day. It's officially time to investigate. How will you do so? Look over the body? Look around the room for evidence? Find a room that you believe is suspicious and search there? Or maybe you aren't up for investigating and would rather mourn your loss or pass out. It's up to you. 7. TRIAL It's time to focus-either you solve this case, condemning someone to death for the murder they committed, or you vote incorrectly, executing an innocent person. You've got a limited time to figure out what happened, and if you get it wrong, everyone dies. Take a deep breath, look at the evidence, and do your best to nail down the guilty party before its too late! 8. GUILTY ...Oh. It turns out you were the one responsible for what happened-you are the murderer! Why did you do it? Was it the motive? Was it something else? Are you sorry? Or was everything that has happened between you and the survivors a means to an end? Now is the time to confess everything-you're not likely to get another chance before you're executed! 9. WILDCARD Have an idea that wasn't mentioned above? Do it! Go crazy!

Comments

[onychomance]

Frankly, I'm still hoping this is just a bad joke...

[he just feels the need to make this disclaimer before he opens it because the scene IS ludicrous enough to warrant the skepticism from him.

Anyway, there lies 'Masked Woman' positioned in the center of the weird bathroom ritual circle. No obvious wounds visible... yet. It simply evokes an image like her soul was ripped out of her body. The scene smells like candle wax and bleach.]

[not_a_lego_maniac]

Ha, nice. I was born in New York-ah, the state, not the city-but...my parents are British. Obviously.

[onychomance]

[he already does, in a sense]

The best I can offer is a pair of clippers.

[unpossibilities]

[That's...he arches his brows. His first thought is to be spooked, because that's the sort of shit that brings ghosts around, and he hates ghosts, but...]

Quartz?! [That was the name she'd given him, at least. He bolts in, looking around.] Shit, shit, shit...

[Ugh. It looks like some kind of...cult bullshit. He clenches his fist.]

It's not fair...it's not fair!!!

[He crouches down and tries to examine the body closer, but...damn.]

[not_a_lego_maniac]

Yeah, if you got them, I can. I'll use them.

[He can't even retract the nails. Whyyyyyy.]

[onychomance]

[Kira fishes the nail clippers out of his pockets]

You know, there happens to be a subset of palmistry in which the nails are used. Massive growth of the crown in a short period of time indicates the opening of one's third eye, better connecting your intuition with the movement of fate. Which, if you believe....

[He then proffers them rather insistently in the middle of this uchikoshi appropriate psuedoscience monologue]

...makes the upkeep particularly important. I'm certain you can imagine why that would be.

[not_a_lego_maniac]

. . .




















Right. Don't want to poke my third eye out, right?

Thanks, by the way.

[How does he--ok. Snip snip snip!]

[onychomance]

[What can I say, he's got an instinctive uncomfortableness when it comes to someone watching him use powers, even if these are not the usual. And she was making a face at him too.]

Please, it was a figure of speech. You know, it's not polite to stare.

[onychomance]

[Kira just nods at that and lets him do it. Clearly the man isn't interested in his fate so he's not going to bother furthering that line of discussion. He just thought it was interesting to see that sort of power granted to someone....]

Well, it wasn't mine to begin with. I'll just use my second pair. Though, if you find one that's shaped like a bowling pin, we can call it even.

[not_a_lego_maniac]

You lost a pair of clippers, then? And it's shaped like a bowling team?

I can see if I can find it.

motive

[onychomance]

[Here is Kira looking at the figma of his fail wife, the type that comes with a lot of interchangeable hand and face parts all lined up in a display box. His back was turned to the group as he held the box, but Makima's atypically childish murmurs draw his attention over his shoulder to stare a beat.]

I didn't think your profile would be so literal.

[Is this a Stand???]

[onychomance]

Quartz? Hm...

[poor Kaito, she must have thought you were like Lien if she gave you that name..... Then again Kira never spoke with her (short. cagey. gloved. not his type of woman) so all he had to go off was the very literal description on her rather barebones profile. So that name is as good to him as any. But drawing close with Kaito, it's now readily apparent that at least this corpse is stiff and unbreathing.]

She was a rather isolated sort, was she not? I suppose that would put a target on her back, but.... it certainly is not...

[Unfair the most mysterious person died first which will make the case more annoying to solve, anyway.]

Damn.

[onychomance]

That's right. Chances are it's gone, but it wouldn't hurt.

[That's about all he can think of to talk about on that topic, so he checks the furnace again to see if the spare arms finished burning up. They are already ash]

...This incinerator works surprisingly quickly.

[unpossibilities]

[Of course she thought he was like Lien. He's a himbo. Kaito looked over the corpse, looking for any particular wounds that might've done her in.]

She didn't tell me much, yeah. Just that her name was Quartz, and she was looking for her sister when she was taken here...I wanted to talk to her more. But now...

[He looks around.]

This isn't my first stupid occult ritual rodeo, but it's still creepy...ugh.

[unpossibilities]

...It's probably too optimistic to believe that for most people, I know. But, hey, I'm still here. I have to believe in everything turning out for the best for the people that aren't. I have to believe for the people who can't. If things are bad like this, there's only one way from rock bottom, and it's up.

And if you can't believe in that, believe in me believing in that. That's a little bit easier, I think.

[He smiles sincerely. Some things never change, and Kaito carrying on the hopes of others is one of them.]

[threwabone]

[Crossing her arms as she gets into a sitting pose. Or, well, the closest she can get to a sitting pose when she's only a few inches away from the ceiling.]

And it's also not every day you see someone with four arms, who then pops them off like it's literally nothing.

Plus, you haven't heard me complaining about people staring.

[She literally flying, or floating or whatever. If she saw this back home, she would've stared just as much.]

[yesorwoof]

Oh, dear. [Makima gently puts down the Chainsaw Man doll to stand firmly on its feet. She lifts Kaito's hand to her mouth to kiss it better and then sets about to wipe the area with a handkerchief and apply a little bandaid she has from the handy dandy infirmary. As she looks down at the area, she speaks.]

I can't blame you for being a little emotional right now.

[Funny that she says it in her incredibly calm voice, which has warmed up a bit in her act of attention. So she is accepting his apology for the bluntness of the question. Makima still hasn't answered the question but that's probably more because Kaito will freak out before she can get another word in edgewise.]

[yesorwoof]

Oh, did you think Chainsaw Man was a fictional character? A superhero, perhaps?

[She turns to Kira, still clutching the doll tightly. Although the high quality video showed a chibi scale, the actual doll is more of a bulky action figure. These dolls are all definitely a different make for humor value though making them all fit is a little tough.]

I've been protecting his secret identity. I'll be leaving him like this from now on. Perhaps I shouldn't have activated him in the first place, but I had to be sure that Zero knew as well.

Death

[yesorwoof]

[Makima has spent most of her time during the investigation in the second area where there was a lot of blood. Her soft-spoken, dutiful nature has not wavered in the face of this grim task. She stands in place some distance from Roland and the lifeless corpse.]

There aren't many men of faith among the Devil Hunters in Public Safety. Your abilities to console the deceased are appreciated.

[An awkward silence. It's really clear that left to her own devices, Makima wouldn't have seen what she could do by stopping here.]

Do you think God will forgive us as well? For the next step of the Inquisition.

[onychomance]

That was the bottom on my list of guesses. Surely a horror film or some manner of rock band would make more sense.

[A hero with a chainsaw is more subversive of the typical expectations, no? But the way she's clutching this action figure and calling it a secret identity, the shoe almost seems to fit now.]

If Zero's taken them hostage as said, something like that would be hard to miss.

[godspiousjasper]

[ Once he had finished his prayer, Roland opened his eyes and straightened up with a bittersweet smile on his face. It was never a pleasant thing, to have to witness souls taken from this world too soon and in this grim moment? Someone had to do what they could. ]

Thank you, miss. I do truly hope their soul is able to find peace after what has transpired.

[ This task never got any easier, after all. He then rose to his feet, turning to face her with a thoughtful look on his face. They were to find the person who had committed this sin of murdering someone and then they too were likely to be severely punished, if not killed themselves. ]

The Lord will see that we seek justice for the departed soul no longer with us. [ A pause. ] I believe as long as we find the one truly responsible, we shall be forgiven.

[ Though he mourns the dead, he would be remiss if he did not address his fellow captives all the same. To be lost in his own thoughts this entire time would not do. ]

How are you faring after everything today, Miss Makima?

[yesorwoof]

[Makima pauses for a long time as if she's trying to remember how to smile.]

...would you believe me if I said that this had actually been the longest period of time I've gone without witnessing any casualties since entering Public Safety?

And yet... [She sighs.] Our enemies were all Devils. No offense intended to Alastor. They were simply a group with quite a few traits in common. We could take solace in gathering information through each fight against them. Here... God willing, we face each opponent only once.

[She shrugs her shoulders in her big coat.]

Do you think you can sense the sins in the culprit's heart, Father?

[godspiousjasper]

[ From her words alone, there was a lot one could surmise about the world she lived in. A reality filled with dangerous beings known as Devils who on the regular caused many casualties, but she sounded truly fond of those people she worked with while also making a solid point. ]

I would. My own home is a land rife with vampires, some of which when cursed are truly capable of some horrific things and it is the job of myself and the other chasseurs to take care of them.

[ A soft laugh escaped him, fingers brushing along his rosary still hanging around his neck. ]

Perhaps it is because we are to face them only once that we need to take the most care in handling them. Find our necessary weapons and do what is needed for those whom we could not save.

[ Surprise flashed across his face minutely, though Roland couldn't help but soon smile softly even as he then crossed his arms over his chest. He no longer wore his armored gloves as they were not needed for the moment, but tomorrow... that was another matter. ]

I am but a humble servant of the Lord working for the church, doing what I can to save innocent souls. I do not feel that title necessarily applies to me. [ He shook his head. ] Though to answer your question, I do not possess such an ability but that will not stop me from doing everything in my power to bring the culprit to justice.

[yesorwoof]

Chainsaw Man works alone. Wouldn't a band be Chainsaw Men? I suppose technically the name of a band can take any form.

[Yes, bow down to Makima's superior knowledge of Chainsaw Man. No one knows more than her about him.]

You make an interesting point. If Zero only shows us these dolls, then the threat is not a fully substantiated one. [Does someone really want to go to the mat for a blue rabbit? Is that an abstract symbol of a threat or something?] Although kidnapping us at least is within their capabilities.

[not_a_lego_maniac]

...I hope this is all people use it for, honestly. For, you know, burning up extraneous arms.




[Because, you know. That's normal?

No. No it's not.]