WEEK ONE

[lesmodsalouette]

WEEK ONE

32 Guests

Maybe being swept away to a fancy castle isn't what you wanted (Hickey aside), but the fact of the matter is that you're stuck here, at least for now. Thankfully there's enough food even if hot chocolate for breakfast might be a bit rich for some palates. There's at least a stock of raw food in the kitchens, but your hapless kidnapper is a Witch, not a chef, so you'll have to perform your own, manual kitchen magic if the provided meals aren't to your liking.

Just try not to burn the place down before you get the chance to take your host at his word (that you'll be leaving in a week's time, certainly, trust).

If you do get the cabin fever immediately, the grounds are a beautiful reprieve from the great indoors -- and if nothing else, perhaps you can find time to get to know your fellow guests. The weather is gorgeous all week, cheerfully sunny, which lends something to the mood.

WEEKLY EFFECT

This week, characters will feel heightened emotions periodically. If they're very happy about something, it'll feel like the best thing in the world! If they'd usually brush off something mildly annoying, suddenly it'll grate on their nerves. This effect will last throughout the week until investigation and is completely optional.

[OOC: Welcome to Week 1! Despite the lack of any threatened murder (except in Witch's direction), there will be a case this week. We'll have a small optional event on Wednesday at 1PM EDT/10AM PDT, but it won't require real time threading and can be done over the course of the week. ]

MONDAY • TUESDAY • WEDNESDAY • THURSDAY

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Comments

[littlegentleman]

banquet hall

[Junior's never been one to turn his nose up at a meal, no matter what it looks like. Now that he's at least relatively convinced they won't be poisoned, he accepts his breakfast and takes a seat by himself. There's an odd look on his face as he considers the steaming mug topped off with whipped cream...but tentatively takes a sip. The second the hot chocolate hits his tongue his whole face lights up.]

This is hot chocolate...?

[He looks at once like he wants to down the entire drink and like he's guilty that he took that single taste in the first place.]

library

[After breakfast, it's time to get back to business. If his goal upon arrival was to secure means of protection, his goal today was to find more information on the place they'd found themselves in. He spends a decent amount of time in the library, scanning the bookshelves with the single-minded determination of someone who is looking for something specific. Occasionally, he pulls a volume free, but after quickly skimming the contents returns it to its space and moves on. Overall, he doesn't seem put off by anyone sharing the space with him, but anyone who gets too close will get a somewhat wary look.]

solarium

[Once he's determined that he's not going to find anything particularly helpful, Junior finds himself pausing in the solarium to admire the plants inside of it. Gravitating ultimately toward the chessboard, he picks up one of the pieces and turns it over in his hand with an idle sort of curiosity, but doesn't outright commit to sitting down or seeking out a partner to play a game with.]

solarium

[distain]

Do you play?

[The Norton boys are fond of idle games of wit and pretend war like this. Andrew can think of at least one person who could outplay them all.

He's a little young, she thinks, to be some boys' school freshman.]

I'm sure you could find someone who would entertain you.

[littlegentleman]

[Looking from the chess piece up to the woman who had spoken to him, Junior shakes his head.]

No...I don't play any games, really.

[Though he was sure he could imagine Mr. Carpenter and Ms. Wendy playing a match.]

I know it's a strategy game, but I don't know the rules.

[distain]

It's basically just war with fewer rules.

[Her explanation is reductive, both of chess and of war. Why should she have bothered learning the nuances? And besides...]

I find it a bit boring. [Such a sentiment might suggest that she knows how to play, though she isn't offering her tutelage.] I never played many games, either.

[littlegentleman]

It's like war?

[Junior frowns as his head fills with violent imagery, wondering just how chess was similar to such a thing. But if she said so...maybe he didn't really want to play, either. He puts the piece in his hand back to its position on the board.]

Do you know any that you don't find boring?

[distain]

[Oh, now she's given him the wrong idea. Is dealing with children... always this difficult?]

In that it's strategy, I mean to say. Taking and removing pieces off the field, planning moves that will disable your opponent... Perhaps that's why.

[She sounds a little removed from both - war and games. ]

I didn't know many other children. I liked to read or be read to.

[littlegentleman]

I see.

[It's hard to say whether Junior is more or less difficult than your average child. It's really a unique scenario all around.]

That's alright. I don't know many other children, either.

[With some clear awkwardness, he attempts to continue the conversation. Witch had said to try and get along with everyone!]

Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction books?

[distain]

Fiction for me. When it comes to historical texts, I'm not as good at studying them or memorizing their concepts, even if I try...

[Suppose she'd be a bit more useful if she was more acute in learning things like that.

Though he's abandoned the chess board, she twists a piece back and forth in her fingers.]

I know someone who loves mysteries, but she always guesses the culprit at the beginning. I've had so many spoiled for me.

banquet hall

[fourtuity]

[ Clover's walking around the hall, humming as she carefully holds her own cup while taking sips from it. But when she hears Junior say that close by, she automatically stops to pipe up at that. ]

Yup! I'm a fan of these fancier types of hot chocolate. Don't let it get cold now!

[littlegentleman]

There are different types?

[Well, if Clover is telling him to drink more, he won't let it go to waste! Junior brings up the mug for another sip, his face flushing as he realizes that whipped cream gets stuck to his upper lip. He quickly brings up a napkin to clean himself up, ducking his head.]

It's...really tasty.

[fourtuity]

Right? You should grab as much as you want.

[ She grins, pointing to the top of her cup with her free hand as she talks. ]

And there's too many types to count. Basically anything you can mix in with chocolate? Like peppermint, salted caramel, or marshmallows. It's probably harder to find something that wouldn't work.

[littlegentleman]

I think too much might hurt my stomach.

[He wasn't used to such rich drinks. When he did get a special treat, he was always careful to practice moderation. The way Junior watches Clover explain, it's like he's learning an overwhelming concept. So many flavor combinations--how could one possibly ever try them all?]

Marshmallows...I think I'd like to try that.

[fourtuity]

Oh, yeah, wouldn't wanna overdo it. You have way more restraint than I do. [ Says the girl who absolutely overdid it when she was younger.

Anyway, she starts going through her mental inventory of the kitchen. Which isn't going super well since it's not like she has photographic memory. ]

...Not sure if marshmallows are in the kitchen! But I'll grab some if I see them. Everyone should totally try hot chocolate with marshmallows at least once. It's like a classic. A sweet, sugary classic.

[littlegentleman]

You don't have to go out of your way.

[It was just a passing fancy--if she was in the kitchen for any other reason, he didn't want her to get distracted on his behalf. Setting the mug to the side for a moment, Junior fiddles with his croissant, distractedly tearing off a corner of the flaky bread.]

Thank you, though. That's really kind of you.

banquet

[coldseep]

It's yummy, right?

( he has a whipped cream mustache from sippin his, as you do )

I've never it like this before, either.

[littlegentleman]

[Junior nods in quiet affirmation, feeling a little less guilty knowing that he's not the only one enjoying such a delicious treat for the first time. Maybe his typically deadpan, bordering-sad expression actually cracks the slightest of smiles.]

Do you think...breakfast will be like this every morning?

[coldseep]

( He's so happy for the baby.... the castle is great and thankfully it will remain great!!! )

It might just. Or maybe there'll be a new surprise waiting for you tomorrow morning. Isn't it exciting to wonder?

( He wonders how often Junior gets to wonder about the unknown in a positive sense... given he was really set on the idea that someone could jump them at night, it seems like his experience with the unknown has been not great. )

[littlegentleman]

[He considers the question, and how he previously seemed uncertain when his friendly roommate had used the word exciting.]

Yes...I think maybe it is. Do you think there will be other exciting things that happen?

[coldseep]

Of course. We don't know how dinner's going to taste yet, right? And with a Witch in charge, I'm sure there's going to be all sorts of strange things that happen. They tend to be the capricious kind.

( They Sure Are, )

[littlegentleman]

Do you know a lot about magic?

[He is still Learning.]

Where I'm from...witches are only in storybooks.

Banquet

[caporegrimme]

[Scarlet is staring at his own cup of hot chocolate, thoughtful]

It is. Should we drinking this, though?

[You can be sure that Scarlet's concerns aren't the same as Junior's]

[littlegentleman]

[If he isn't worried about the nutritional value, Junior can only assume one thing.]

I think if we were being poisoned, it would have happened right away.

[caporegrimme]

...why do you all keep telling me that.

[Maybe because you're too cautious, Scarlet. I mean, not without reason, given the place he comes from, but yeah, he's being too cautious]

[littlegentleman]

I was...uncertain, about consuming anything provided, either. But then I was advised that there's no point in allowing ourselves to starve, so...

[He's not very good at reassuring people. Junior just fidgets with his mug.]

Right now, I think it might be fine.

[caporegrimme]

...fine. I'll give it a try because you're right.

[Scarlet lifts his mug and tries some. Oh, it tastes good! Scarlet puts the mug down]

I'm not nearly as difficult to sway as I thought.

[Because he already wants more and he knows it. Damn it]