ROSENBLUM HALL TDM

[facultwist]

WELCOME TO ROSENBLUM HALL
(‘S TEST DRIVE MEME)



Welcome to the Test Drive Meme for Rosenblum Hall, the first of (hopefully) many rounds of Murdergames… With A Twist! More information on the game can be found here, and more info on the setting can be found here! This is a space for trying out characters and seeing ways you can incorporate them into the setting and into CR with other players! Please do note, as a reminder, that you must be part of Lyndon (lovebelievesin)'s plurk friends list to join.

When leaving a toplevel, please try not to leave it at just starters! Instead, give people interested in responding whatever details you’re figured out or want to try out for your character that other students might know or want to engage with! Remember, ooc communication is the key to making this go smoothly, so make sure that you are in communication with other players as needed! But feel free to also use this as an avenue to try things out before you finalize your AU for the game itself!

Now, let’s talk prompts. While the map of Rosenblum Hall itself won’t exist for a little while yet, you can anticipate things like a greenhouse or a library - the rooms are going to start out simple. If it might be in a fancy old mansion house, it might just be in Rosenblum Hall!

1 - Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.

Welcome to your winter break! Sorry for the last-minute notice, but due to emergency weather damage to the usual hall for the break, you’ve all had to pack quick bags of personal items and head to Rosenblum Hall for the next couple weeks while this sudden storm of the century comes in! At least it’s supposed to quiet down in a day or two?

You have some time to get settled into your room now, at least, even if the halls are way creepier here than in the main dorms, all wood panels and antique carpets and whatever. The rooms themselves are actually pretty nice, with big canopy beds and old timey writing desks and… a portrait of the school’s founders watching over you while you sleep. Hm. That’s a problem for nighttime.

If you’re looking for warmth during the storm, though, that’s going to be the halls and the common area with its fireplace. So instead of hanging in your room, maybe go see who else was unlucky enough to get caught in this freak storm situation. After all, the new guidance counselor who’s supposed to watch over you guys is still apparently getting the move reported and settled, so until she arrives and you actually meet her, you’re all unsupervised!

2 - It must have been my weakness that made me hesitate.

So you’ve gotten settled, and then almost certainly immediately unsettled by the whole uh. Murder thing. And the fact that the same day is looping, which means the storm outside is unlikely to let up. But no one’s actually taking this murder thing seriously, so it’s probably fine? Yeah. Probably fine.

Anyway, now is the time for getting up to teenage shenanigans, or at least trying as best you can given the situation and the location. Good luck! And remember, going outside may not be forbidden, but for your own safety it’s best to stay inside, the storm gets wilder and stronger the further you stray from the Hall.

3 - I doubt. I fear. I think strange things, which I dare not confess to my own soul.

Hm. So the mysterious voice from the loudspeaker’s given you a motive. That’s not ideal in terms of interpersonal tension! How’s it going? How’re you holding up? Is it time to get into a fight about it?

4 - Wasn’t it just a story-book over which I had fallen a-doze and a-dream?

Uh-oh! Someone’s dead! That’s not ideal! Are you investigating it? Are you the one who did it? Is this your first time seeing- I mean it’s probably your first time seeing a dead body, but are you just gonna stand there are you gonna step in and handle it?

5 - If your dear heart is wounded, my wild heart bleeds with yours.

And, a trial later… for now, even though you’re a couple students lighter, the group is safe. Time to rest, recuperate, and maybe try to put some kind of gathering together? The only way forward is together, after all - unless, maybe, you’re already making plans for the future.

6 - Last night I dreamt I went to Rosenblum Hall again…

Or make your own fun! The game concept is your oyster.

Comments

Mio Hirahara | Blue Reflection Ray

[sisterlyduties]

AU Info

Mio is at the school on a (yet to be determined scholarship) with some influence from her aunt and uncle. She is an exchange student... and whether she's here with her sister, Hiori, or not hasn't been determined but unless someone wants to RP her, Hiori probably was left behind. I mean, happily staying with their relatives. Yes. For the sake of her starters, I'm assuming only one Hirahara is present but I'm open. Either way, she's very much a lot a more cheerful than current canon self. The epitome of an older sister type, she's more at ease when she's taking care of other people and probably ended up the president of some kind of club, probably garden or cooking. Elegant and a lot more attentive than she first appears, she might have been doing a little tutoring on the side to save up some money.

She definitely isn't nervous that she can't visit her family over the break now. What are you talking about? Either way, this senior is definitely going to try to keep her fellow students calm.

1. I take what's handed, I break what's demanded

[At first glance, it seems Mio's taken to this new situation quite well. She moved herself into her room without much complaint though now that she's unpacked she's waiting in the hall for the rest of the students to be done, too. She's moving from door to door, knocking if needed, or just talking if not.]

Pardon me, are you alright? I just wanted to get an idea of how everyone's doing... The storm was really sudden, after all.

[A pause then a shake of her head. The small smile she usually wears is back.] I'm sorry, I'm rambling!

2. It's pressure like a drip

[Mio's making her rounds again after it's clear that things are looping again. She's still smiling but her steps are more determined. Her eyes watch the other students carefully for a few seconds before moving on. Eventually she goes to the library. She grabs what seems to be a science fiction novel of some kind as she flips through the pages.]

This really has taken a turn...

[She sighs, leaning back on her chair before placing the novel down. Her fingers run through her hair. Is she talking about the book? Their situation? Who knows.

Judging by the fact that the smile has finally left her face? Probably not the book. Probably.]

3. Give her all the things we can't shoulder

[Izumi Himuro is dead. The tennis star was found in the library, one of the book shelves on top of her. It could have been an accident but Izumi's aggression and difficult personality in the last few days probably made her a target in the recent few days. If she weren't the victim it would be easy to assume she was the culprit...

But Mio is standing guard over the body. Admittedly, she's feeling a bit off by the entire ordeal but...]

We can handle this, if you need to leave you can... [A sigh.] I'm sure Miss Himuro probably just had an accident, you don't need to worry.

4. Wildcard

[Have any ideas? Hit me up.]

3

[hootheart]

[Tiera tilts her head, staring at Mio with her unblinking, owl-like gaze for a moment, before she slowly steps forward, shaking her head. Without speaking, she leans closer, tapping at the back of the book shelf to show handprints in the dust, specifically placed as if pushing against it.]

Tiera Finley | Original Character

[hootheart]

AU Info

Tiera is a senior here on an athletic scholarship, whose arrival was heralded by her adoptive father, Jann, moving into town and setting up a shop. She helps there over break often, and if you're a friend of hers she might offer discounts or samples. If you've snuck into the forest you've probably run into her there at some point-she certainly seems at home in the trees. She's mostly noverbal, and uses a communication app on her phone to communicate when necessary, although she also conveys a lot through body language and various other sounds. The app uses basic vocabulary and isn't quite grammatical, but she's been here long enough that anyone who's interacted with her will know how it works, and probably also that she has more complex thoughts she's only scratching the surface of. She can be stubborn and competitive, but also fiercely loyal. If you've managed to packbond with her she'll be your friend for life.

1. Bid the forest floor goodbye

[Tiera wasn't supposed to be here over break. But Jann got a call about a customer who wanted a delivery far enough to take a day or so, and she told him she could wait. Almost immediately after that, the storm blew in. She's very unhappy to be trapped, looking very much the proverbial caged bird as she alternates between gazing sadly out the window and curling up by the fireplace. Still, she's open to conversation. If you're close, she might even offer you a slice of jerky from the bag she's slowly nibbling from. And if you ask what she's worried about...]

Jann. Drive far. Not know safe, danger. [There's a pause as she considers, before finally and slowly pressing the last word.] Dead.

2. Chase the wind

[Tiera's not stupid. She knows the implications of the photograph she's been given, showing Jann sleeping in a hotel bed, the angle suggesting that it's been taken from quite close-up. She doesn't even need to listen to the loudspeaker babble on about "what a shame" it'd be if no one took the bait, and someone got hurt...

She turns and marches away as fast as she can, although people will hear an anguished screech and then the crash of something being pulled to the ground. If anyone goes after her, they'll find her standing over one of those creepy portraits, her fingers bleeding as she stomps on the frame and tries to rip the canvas apart.

Or you can find her later by the fireplace, fingers bandaged roughly, slowly throwing bits of frame and canvas into the flames.]

3. Take to the sky

[Well. Coriander Bliss was always fiercely protective of her family, and she always said the Bliss line was one of both the greatest blessings and the harshest curses. Tiera supposes it's a harsh blessing she decided to poison only one of the snacks she offered. Still, it's chilling to think that someone they all implicitly trusted, someone they took food from freely, could have betrayed their trust like that.

There's still a plate of snacks put out, that Cori must have prepared before going into trial. But Tiera is just sitting by them, not taking any but not moving away either. Finally, she takes out her phone to ask whoever's nearby a question.]

Think safe? Feel safe? [After all, even if intellectually there's no reason for further poison, that's not how the mind keeps you safe.]

3

[bluelightfilter]

I don't know...

[Rosetta did take one cookie, but she hasn't eaten it, instead just fidgeting with it. Crumbs start tumbling down onto the plate in front of her.]

I want to, but nothing feels safe right now. If she could do this, who else could?

Brinda Berger | Original Character

[loudvoiceloudbabybird]

AU Info

Brinda is a freshman, wide-eyed and curious and eager to learn. Their legal adoptive father, who age-wise is more like an older brother, lives in town and visits and calls often, just to make sure they're staying safe. They have a bit of a knack for art, but they aren't really ready to tie themself to any future path just yet. They participate in a lot of clubs and enjoy socializing, so if your character's not an introvert they've probably at least interacted. Brinda's not sure they can call anyone a friend yet, but they won't mind if your character refers to them as such.

1. Dare to take the journey

[Brinda wanted to try staying over break, just to see what it felt like. After all, their dad would be not too far away, and they could always move out later, right? They're regretting that decision now, as they're already pacing back and forth as they hold their cellphone up to their ear.]

Come on dad, pick up...the storm can't be that bad, can it?

2. And you give the wolf his due

[Well, if it keeps being the same day, maybe that means their dad won't miss them for more than one day? It's gotten them to calm down a bit, at least, and now they're carrying their set of paints over to one of the wall portraits.]

Hey, do you think if we scribble on these they'll be back to normal when the loop resets? [They hold out a paintbrush as an offering.] Wanna try it out?

3. A single blazing feather (cw: burnt body)

[Anyone passing close to the common room will probably be alerted by Brinda's yell. They've fallen back on the floor, scrambling backwards with their hands pressed over their face as they stare in horror at the body of Eliza Owens, sprawled on the ground with her head pressed into the fireplace. Who knows how long it's been, but she's definitely not getting up again.]

Wh-who-why? Was that much money really worth it?

D-ne (Rinne Saruwatari) | Bookmark of Demise Project

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

AU Info

D-ne, or Rinne as she's named in this AU, is a shy girl who seems sweet and polite but is actually really unstable. so my character type- Her family moved to America for business when she was very young, and she has no strong connections to...well, anyone, before getting to Rosenblum. She has one (1) girl she really likes, TBD based on who apps and whatnot, who she deems Perfect, who she doesn't know if she wants to date or be or both. In regards to how she interacts with school in general... She's that girl who's just kind of.....there? The only thing she gets really into and passionate about, besides her yandere crush, is the occult. Urban legends, ghosts...that's her jam. In her canon that's something she had in common with her crush but here I am up in the air about it. If there's no designated Occult Club then you can be she sits in on Spiritualism, waiting until everyone starts talking about whatever grisly murders were said to take place or something. Basically she's that kid who doesn't speak up like at all and something is Not Quite Right about her, but no one can put their finger on it.

She's got one of those Americanized names (Daphne), but she never uses it. It is absolutely on the roll call sheet, however. She's PROBABLY a sophomore, but I need to double-check if there's any official age given. For now just go with sophomore.

Despite her family living in America, she always stays at school over breaks, whenever she's allowed to.

(If you are, side-note, interested in being the person she wants to wear the skin of and/or marry, PLEASE let me know, because I am very very very down with toxic yuri, whether it's one-sided or not.)

i. D-etach
[ Rinne finds the new rooms fascinating. They really look like they're something out of one of her stories. Like pulling the right book will lead to a passageway full of skeletons. It's beautiful, somehow...even if it's ridiculously cold.

The cold is what brings her out to the common room. She knows no one will want to hang out with her—and, she's not exactly one to hang out with others, either. But she sits by the fire, reading a book she'd forgotten to return to the library before break. The Lady of the Barge, the title reads. A collection of short horror stories. How...delightful. ]

ii. D-istract
[ The initial wonder of staying in a new room for the break has worn off, and Rinne is now officially bored. Of course none of the furniture in her room did lead to a hidden passageway or rotting mummy of a corpse. She's not entirely sure she would've wanted that, anyway. But at least it'd be something. Something to bring up at the next club meeting, or murmur about in the halls. Maybe... Maybe it'd even draw the eye of—

Aah, silly daydreams and fantasies. Rinne will have to make her own fun. Especially since so many of the other girls seem unnerved and disturbed by the voice's announcements. Murder? No, that seems farfetched. While she does idly explore Rosenblum Hall, Rinne doesn't really think anything will come from it. Probably, this is a staff member's relative or something of the sort, putting on an elaborate hoax.

But a girl can still dream, can't she? That's what's lead her to the library, where she is not returning her book, but instead wandering through the stacks, calling out softly. ]

Hello, Miss Library Ghost. I've come to visit again. It's just me this time. No one else is here. You could come out, if you're so inclined? ...Aha, no, I thought not. [ She sits at a table, unfolding a hand-drawn Ouija board. An old, chipped guitar pick serves as her planchette. ] What do you make of all this? You know I'm pleased to listen.

[ Nothing's come of it so far. It never does. But if there is a ghost haunting the library... Rinne would like to talk to her. Maybe the two of them could find a sort of kinship. ]

iii. D-eath
[ Dead. Someone's dead. One of her classmates is dead. Rinne's heart pounds as she stares at the pool of blood surrounding Maxine Mayfield, a girl she had never really talked with but knew all the same. This isn't one of her legends, this is real, isn't it? ]

Aah... Aaahh... We really...really need to...?

[ Thud, thud, thud, her heart pumps blood so loud she can hear it in her ears. This is some sort of excitement she's never—

Hold on. Excitement? Is...that what she's feeling? Rinne can't tell. Like always, she's empty. ]

ii

[hootheart]

(OOC: I'm totally cool with Tiera being the target of a toxic yuri crush! She's very much the athletic sporty type, pretty strong and also very good at vanishing into the forest, as well as occasionally Intensely Protective over those she's bonded with.)

[Tiera doesn't believe in ghosts, but also she doesn't go out hunting when she hears strange creaking and she certainly doesn't step in fairy rings. Just because some things probably don't exist isn't any reason to disrespect them, is the lesson she's been taught. So she watches quietly for a while as Rinne walks along and beckons at the ghost, before stepping out of the stacks with her own silent padding. Instead of saying anything, she simply moves to hover her own hand over the planchette, tilting her head in a question.]

I

[sisterlyduties]

((If you want an elegant classic yuri trope of an older sister, Mio is here.))

[Mio is checking on everyone in the hall, even those she doesn't particularly know that well. Mio doesn't recognize the title at a glance but still she has appearances to uphold if nothing else. She clears her throat gently.]

At least being out here means there's plenty of time to catch up on reading, hm?

Penelope Eckhart | Villains Are Destined To Die

[favorability]

i;

[Some people here might wonder why Penelope decided to stay over winter break. A young woman from a rich family who seemingly has everything she could ask for back home choosing to stay here? Well, her reasons are her own, and aren't something she's been talking about. Instead, she's focusing on getting settled in. After getting her things settled in her temporary room (and debating on whether or not she should try to get that creepy portrait off the wall), Penelope makes her way to the common area. The fire is nice when it's already so cold out, but Penelope's never been one to sit still for long.

You'll probably find her sorting through packets of hot chocolate and tea, looking for something that suits her tastes. She looks up when she hears your approach, and though she doesn't smile, she holds up one of the little tea baggies in explanation.]

Would you like one? I was going to prepare something for myself.

[It's really just a simple microwaved drink, but she might as well offer since she's already over here.]

ii;

[So. We've been told that we're supposed to kill each other for a chance to escape and all that. That sure is a lot to deal with, and even though Penelope isn't taking it seriously, she's still a little more on-edge than usual. She'd been pretty vocal during the explanation of events, adamant that no one would be stupid enough to do something like that, but...

It really does come down to everyone else, doesn't it? She isn't willing to try to kill someone, but if even one person is... Well, she'd rather not think about it.

So that's why she's here in the library, combing through the fantasy section and picking up several novels that seem to appeal to her (rather questionable) taste. Is it a cheesy romance? A high fantasy story with magic and drama? Some sort of bizarre story where the villainess has to woo one of the male leads away from the heroine?? She's here for it. That last one in particular has her eye...

Feel free to stumble on her in here where she's collecting books, or as she's heading back to her room with a huge stack of them. Maybe don't take so many, Penelope...?? Regardless, she starts a little when she catches sight of you.]

I was lost in thought. How are you holding up?

[She's doing well. Obviously.]

iii;

[Everyone's been called to gather, which certainly doesn't bode well. What bodes even less well is the envelope they've been given. Penelope was really hoping it wouldn't come to this, but it seems that the whole murder school thing is very much happening, and now we're being coerced into participating with a proper motive.

She doesn't bother leaving the room before ripping her envelope open, eyes narrowing at the picture and brief description inside. It would appear that this motive is targeting our loved ones and threatening to place them in this exact situation somewhere else... unless someone kills, of course.

The picture in her envelope - if you're close enough to catch sight of it - is of an older man with graying hair. He's looking off at something in the distance and cuts quite the elegant figure. Penelope crumples the letter in one hand and scoffs.]

You can keep him.

[Despite that, she doesn't rip the picture, and her eyes linger on it for a moment longer before she shoves it in a pocket.]

iv;

[It wasn't enough for their loved ones to be threatened, someone actually acted on the motive. A harrowing investigation, trial, and execution later, Penelope's left sitting in her room staring at the wall without really seeing it.

Did all of that really just happen? Her hands are shaking at the thought of it. That poor girl... hell, both of them, really. No one should have been forced to play this stupid "game".

She's never been good at sitting still, so Penelope gets up and exits her room. She's not really sure where she's going until her feet take her to the dining hall. Right, it's been an all day affair and most of them hadn't eaten. So it would be smart for someone to make food. Someone who isn't Penelope, because she can only do the bare minimum with a microwave and that's about it.

With a renewed sense of purpose, she marches back down to the rooms and stops in front of the first one she comes across - your room. She knocks and takes a step back, waiting for an answer.]

wildcard;

( If you'd rather do something else with Penelope, I'm definitely open to writing up customized starters or working something else out! Hit me up at pokerap! Penelope's AU info will be in the comment below if you'd like to check that out - feel free to comment there if you'd like to OOCly work out connections before threading! )

[favorability]

au info;

❁ Penelope is the daughter of the rich and influential Eckhart family. You may be familiar with her father and his businesses, or her elder brothers (one's in law school, the other is out traveling and doing a bunch of dumb social media things like making shitty tiktoks or whatever idk what the kids these days do).
❁ Even if you are up-to-date on the overly-wealthy and their shenanigans, you may not know much about Penelope. She's the only daughter of the Eckhart family and yet they don't talk about her much. This is because she's an illegitimate child who was taken in by her father after her mother passed when Penelope was around 12ish.
❁ Penelope has not been treated well, by either her family or the house's staff. She's become cold, distant, and jaded because of it and generally tries to keep people from getting too close to her so she can't be hurt again.
❁ She's attended several private schools but never really had any close friends - I'm definitely open for making connections here! Her interests lie in literature, creative writing, and archaeology, of all things. She also has a huge soft spot for video games and fanfiction. She has and will continue to shell out real world money for her husbandos in her gachas.
❁ Definitely open for altering her background a bit to make other connections so feel free to hit me up if you want to work something else out!

Alisaie Leveilleur | Final Fantasy XIV

[verriposte]

[AU TL;DR: 16yr old rich girl from the UK, sophmore year. Got fed up with making a fuss about social status bullshit long before attending Burnbriar Academy and doesn't tolerate bullies or snobs. Excels in sports and outdoorsy activities, and particularly proud of her breakout performance in last year's Field Program - looking forward to this year's, absolutely. You'd think she's an Eagle but no, she's one of the Foxes - she's a jock-type with an excellent GPA and the cleverness to back it up. Absolutely loves fencing, big fencing nerd, big advocate of women having swords. Has an identical twin brother back home that may, you know, be a source of a large portion of the personal chip on her shoulder - something about "Oxford" and "teen prodigy"? You'd have to be a close friend to know the specifics. (I would be happy to pm you the specifics.)

Is skeptical of the whole murdergame scenario. Afraid? No, of course not! (Yes she's afraid but she isn't going to show it to everyone, that's foolish.) Has an "if there's no way up, down, around, or through, we make our own way" attitude. Might just keep her alive to tell the tale when it's over.]

1 - Common Room

[One of the girls here has decided that sitting upside-down on the couch in front of the roaring fireplace is a perfect way to introduce yourself to the people you'll be waiting out a blizzard with. Knees crooked to hang over the top portion of the seat and bundled up in a red hoodie, Alisaie keeps her eyes trained on the glow of the logs in the fire, though they flicker towards anyone entering who also might want some warmth. She'll upside-down raise a hand and wiggle her fingers in greeting before shoving the hand back in her hoodie pocket.]

Hello. I take it your holiday is off to a wonderful start as well?

[Just some casual teenage flat sarcasm before we get to the main event.]

2 - Let me Shenan Once, you bet I'll Shenan Again

[Considering the absolutely unfathomable circumstances which Alisaie finds herself - a day that's apparently repeating, a decree that murder was the only way out of what was supposed to be a quiet winter break away from - well, wouldn't you like to know - and a storm that literally will not ease, it's hopefully too soon for cabin fever to set in, right?]

There is no way this can be happening. There's no way! It's impossible. Improbable! Ridiculous at the very least. Why didn't I bring my bloody homework with me?

[You can tell she's holding back a stereotypical "My father will hear about this" rant, if only because she knows better than to indulge in something like that. She's at a window that looks out to the west, irritated and squinting, trying to make out the dorm halls through the blizzard. Is. Is she seriously worried about her homework, or is she just looking for something to occupy her brain?]

4 - Ding Dong, a Body's Been Discovered!

Get over yourself, Alisaie. What would Alphinaud do...?

[She hates that she has to tell herself that when staring down the cooled corpse of a girl she had, just yesterday, lived alongside with. She hates that she doesn't want to move, that her throat feels tight, that she'd rather go and beat down a door to whomever decided to set this all in motion and give them a piece of her mind, because now there really is spilled blood, there is a death, and there is a murderer, someone has been pushed to murder when, if things were as they should be, they likely wouldn't have. It's deeply, painfully wrong.

She squeezes her eyes shut. Breathes in, out, clenching and unclenching her fists. And Alisaie thinks back to Discord conversations with her brother, where he'd ramble on about the kind of lessons boys who study medicine at Oxford participate in.]

We - we need to cordon off the area. Determine what is and isn't part of the - the scene. A-and we need gloves if we're going to handle anything - does anyone know if there are gloves we can use? Plastic bags for evidence? We - we need to be careful about this; we can't just let her stay here but we can't overlook anything. For her sake.

[Someone wanted them to play a game, did they? Well, let's leave naught to chance, then.]

5 - Not the Comforting Type

...Sorry the cocoa is a bit shite.

[Alisaie had made An Attempt for the. The wake? Of two girls? One slaughtered, the other...also slaughtered? But apparently because it was a "punishment" it makes it okay?]

I was trying to replicate something my brother told me about. A friend of his friend made cocoa for them, and he mentioned it needed Nutella. I...I don't know how it's supposed to integrate itself when it won't melt properly...

[Oh is that why the cocoa just looks like vaguely brown milk with stuff floating in it]

5

[hootheart]

[Tiera's not one to waste food, so she gulps it down anyways, making weird noises when the Nutella gets stuck in her teeth. Still, she nods at Alisaie, her usual way of showing gratitude. After sipping a bit more, she sets it down, picking up a teaspoon to try and stir it. With her other hand, she picks up her phone.]

After debate, all tired. Solid food good. [Her expression doesn't belie if it's a joke or not.]

Aiko "Torako" Torasawa | Torako, Anmari Kowashicha Damedayo

[torako]

AU DETAILS: First of all, here's Torako's canon info! tl;dr: Stronk

I'm thinking this version of Torako (or Aiko, as her classmates here will know her) is basically post-canon, and that her life went down a lot like it did in canon proper, but with a strength level on the slightly less ridiculous side of Super Beef. After her year at Ooaoi, her family decided that she should move to the US to live with her big brother, Mashiro. However, Mashiro (who works for the president in an unspecified capacity, don't worry about it), was recently called away on an unavoidable mission, and pulled some strings to get his sister set up at a prestigious academy for young ladies. Aiko's only been at Burnbriar for a couple months at this point and, given that she's started late compounded with her general awkwardness, probably hasn't had a chance to get too close to anyone yet. She's excited about the friend-making opportunities this winter break will surely provide!!

---

a. move-in

[ Aiko's adjusted to the unexpected change of housing without complaint, packing up her next few weeks' worth of stuff and strolling in with a suitcase under each arm. Once she's settled into her new room, though, restlessness sets in - she can't just sit here in a building full of potential new friends! And so Aiko relocates to the common room with a deck of cards, making herself comfortable by the fire.

To anyone coming across her, she'll appear to be concentrating intently on a game of solitaire, though at least 50% of that concentration is directed at not ripping the cards. She looks up at the new presence and smiles brightly: ]

Hi! Do you want to play?

b. probably a bad idea

U- um, I was thinking...

[ Aiko is standing by the front door, bundled up in as many layers as she can fit on her 6'0" frame. She's been standing there for a while, apparently engaging in a prolonged internal debate, and seems relieved that someone's shown up she can run her idea by. ]

I was thinking - maybe I should take a look outside? See if anyone else is out there who needs help? I mean, it's been snowing so hard - what if someone's trapped in town?

[ Her face is beseeching. Give her a reason to go... or more likely, to sit her butt back down. It's weird out there. ]

c. motive

What do you mean, something could happen to them?!

[ Aiko stares around at the other pro tem Rosenblum residents, willing a more straightforward explanation out of any of them. She brandishes a photo of what appears to be a group of girls her age. The faces of the other four have been boldly X'ed out. ]

Are they in trouble? What's going on?

d. wildcard

[ Hell yeah wild card me babey ]

a

[loudvoiceloudbabybird]

[Brinda's paused in trying to contact their dad for now, and so now they're going around figuring out who else is stuck in here. So they pause when they come across Aiko and her game of solitaire.]

Oh, sure. But I thought solitaire was a one-person game?

Vanity vonAegis | OC

[sweetsynergy]

»AU Info«

• A junior-year student who's in entirely too many extracurriculars, chronic perfectionist and overachiever in the name of padding her metaphorical resume.
  
• Almost certainly involved in or aspiring to be in Skullbriar, absolutely and aggressively took leadership of the Mini Golf club, also going to tentatively say she's involved in Speech and Debate and the fencing team.
  
• One of those types who's up at an absurd hour every morning kicking off the day with tai chi and a highly regimented schedule. No, I don't actually understand how she manages it, I was a normal highschool student who had like one extracurricular, but there were definitely people like this. I fear them and waver between respect and pity.
  
• Legally and on paper the head of the Aegis Corporation, or AegisCo, after the unexpected death of her father the previous year. The company is helmed by a board of directors until she finishes her education, though anyone close enough to her has heard her talk as if she's already wielding a non-zero amount of influence on company decisions and policy.
  
• Publicly AegisCo is a medical research company, but enough digging will unearth rumors of things like chemical weapons dealing and at best only-technically-legal experiments and testing, but obviously nothing has been proved.
  
• Anyone who's gotten close or nosy enough may have heard mention of a pair of estranged older sisters, whom Vanity does not talk about unprompted and who are an obvious sore spot if brought up by anyone else.
  
• Generally, just a little too friendly and affable to anyone, only the people she lets get genuinely close get to hear her be salty or sassy.
  
• Highly fucking competitive. Not a bad loser, but absolutely will issue a rechallenge at the earliest opportune moment.
  
• Does not understand the experience of Not Having Money.

»Prompts«
»The Weather Outside is Frightful«
Hello!

[Settling in to your temporary digs? Too bad, you're being accosted by a chipper young woman with pink hair, a dark button-up shirt reminiscent of a 90's bowling alley carpet, and worst of all, a clipboard and checklist.]

Just checking in, seeing if everyone's getting settled in okay, needs help or anything. Unofficially, don't worry.

[And if you don't have prior, assumed CR.]

I'm Vanity, we'll probably be seeing a lot of each other over the next few weeks.

»But the Fire is So Delightful«
[The best thing to do when snowed in? Enjoy the ability to Not Be Outside in the frigid snow, and the luxury of being able to relegate snow to pretty scenery best viewed through a window.]

[And when faced with ultimatums to kill? Best to foster camaraderie and a peaceful atmosphere before anyone goes stir crazy.]

[As such, Vanity has blocked out several hours of her schedule and commandeered the kitchen to brew a large crock of steaming, slightly-too-sweet hot cocoa in the name of a group meeting.]

All right, I'm not going to pretend this isn't bad. But people know we're here, the snow has to let up sooner or later, and I do sincerely hope it takes more than some smoke and mirrors with the clocks to drive one of us to kill.

[She sips her own mug, reading "No Ifs Ands or Putts", almost more full of mini-marshmallows than cocoa.]

We've all read 'Lord of the Flies', right, that's still required reading isn't it. Let's be better than a bunch of guys written as a take-that against authors Bill Golding didn't like, okay?

»And Since We've No Place to Go«
((CW: mentions of pregnancy and complications))
[Well, the 'more than smoke and mirrors' has arrived. An ultimatum, in the form of a deadline, a wax-sealed envelope, and a few pointed words about the ease of wide-spread email blasts.]

[The smartest option would be to leave the envelope sealed, or outright destroy it.]

[But Vanity takes a breath, cracks the seal, and quickly scans the paper inside.]

..."Vanity vonAegis is responsible for her own mother's death." My mother died from complications in childbirth.

[She gives a flat, humorless grin and tosses the paper and envelope into the fire.]

That might be a low blow if you squint, I suppose, but honestly I'm mostly just annoyed at the blatant clickbait phrasing. Keep that in mind if you decide to look at your own, please, I'm sure they're JUST as substantive.

»Let It Snow, Let It Snow«
Well that's not good.

[The scene is relatively clear, but even with a lack of obvious blood the body is cold and pale enough to make it obvious. Pyrrha Nikos is dead.]

Shame, the invincible rugby champion going down first. She'd probably think that was kind of funny, right? ...No? Okay.

»Le tItS now«
[This is the wildcard option.]

And Since We've No Place to Go

[loudvoiceloudbabybird]

[Brinda's still holding their envelope, not opening it yet.] Yeah! I bet it's just something about my dad not being my "real" dad or something like that. But he's been a real dad in every way that counts! [Despite their attempt to be casual about it, their expression is still strained.]

Lumpy Space Princess | Adventure Time

[sugarlumps]

»AU Info«

• Princess Elise Paë, allegedly the heir apparent to the throne of the Pumalpysce Throne, a tiny island nation somewhere in the Caribbean absolutely none of you have heard of. The staff, at the very least, don't contradict her claims.
  
• A chronic underachiever academically, she's skating along with grades just good enough for her parents' money to keep her enrolled.
  
• Despite the above-mentioned financial dependence, she absolutely insists she's an independent, liberated young woman existing free of her parents' tyrannical shackles.
  
• Highly active in the school's theater program in both acting and production capacities, an absolute tyrant of a student director but unfortunately competent at producing shows.
  
• A frighteningly skilled member of the axe-throwing team.

»Prompts«
»Sudden Change«
Aaaaaauuuuugh-

[Elise is slumped at one of the windows, glaring out at the sudden snowfall like it's personally insulted her.]

This isn't FAIR. We're supposed to be on VAY-CAY-TION. That means NOT being stuck inside! Like poor people!

[She slaps half-heartedly at the frosting glass.]

A lady like me's only supposed to get snowed in when there's hot guys involved? WHERE ARE ALL THE HOT GUYS?

»Strange Things«
Nooooo, no no no no-

[The incentive they'd been handed this morning- the old classic, a hostage situation- had unsettled some people more than others. Elise hadn't seemed particularly bothered by the threats against her parents in particular, but the way some people had reacted?]

[Yeah, she's hauling various bits of furniture from their homes around the building and using them as barricade material for her dorm.]

I am NOT getting murderized in here! I'm too lumping pretty to die!

[She is picking up a small end-table and nailing it across her doorway.]

»My Wild Heart«
Okay, so.

[That. Had certainly been a trial.]

[Elise had been about as helpful as one might expect, though a few of her wild, knee-jerk accusations and theories had ultimately turned out to be technically correct. If only by sheer probability and numbers.]

So we're absolutely not doing that again, right? No one'd be lumping stupid enough to try anything after- that.

[She takes a long, calming gulp of something hot and steaming from a mug, trying not to think about the execution.]

No one's doing that again because MY DELICATE NERVES CANNOT FUCKING TAKE IT, okay?

»My Wild Card«
[Like it says.]

My Wild Heart

[strayingcanary]

You're being emotional again.

[Says the freshman who basically cut her hair after the first trial to show her determination to survive. (It grew back, yay looping.) She crosses her arms.]

We have to remain logical to survive this. Caring about something as inane as your nerves isn't going to help!

[Izumi, please, honey, you're not helping.]

Megumi Fujishima | Link! Like! Love Live!

[hellomegu]

AU Background

Megumi is a Japanese child actress whose family moved to America years ago. She is in her second to last year of high school and JUST celebrated her 17th birthday as all this starts to go down (December 20th babyyyy). She loves singing, dancing, video editing and streaming, so of course she has an entire youtube channel - where she mostly uploads covers of songs (usually j-pop or anime, but sometimes English stuff including songs from musicals) and vlogs about her life in America. She's also a member of the A/V Club, and is a big part of all those student news videos, both on and off camera.

Being a singer, dancer and actor she was heavily involved in the school's theatre productions, especially the musicals. However something changed last year - Megumi was cast in the lead role of an upcoming production but right before the show premiered she was suddenly replaced by an understudy and absent from school for a few months. Even after coming back to school, Megumi never returned to the stage and even took a hiatus from all her video activities, both school and hobby related. At the start of this school year she returned to the A/V Club and is slowly making vlogs again, but anything music or dance related seems abandoned... of course there are rumours, but only the other people in that production and those especially close to Megumi know the truth.

[hellomegu]

Prompts

1. Hello megu~

[ Moving into Rosenblum Hall is not... ideal, as far as Megumi is concerned, but she's going to make the most of it one way or another. She's got her bag under one arm and her phone in a selfie stick, holding it up as she makes her way into the hall, midway through casually talking to the tiny little people in her camera. ]

--So I mentioned it in a super old video - I'll link it down below if you haven't seen it - but there's a whole bunch of supposedly haunted spots around my school, and this one! This one's the big one! They say the family that used to live here still roams the halls at night. Pretty spooky right? Maybe we'll catch something on camera.... uhhhh on second thought, maybe it's better if we don't. Oh well, I'm sure it'll be fine.

[ She pauses and lowers the stick ]

Mmm, what else should I say... or do I want to just hard cut there...?

[ And then she notices someone else near by and gives them a warm smile. ]

Oh hey. Wanna be in the vlog? No pressure of course.



2. Hello... again megu?

This is all a joke... it has to be a joke, right...?

[ She's staring intently at her phone, still no signal and the date still stuck on yesterday ]

If I'm being punished for my grades slipping it's really not funny...!

[ "Slipping" she says, as if they weren't always actually kind of bad but she's trying to save face and hide that!!

Suddenly she stands ]

Hey! What are your test scores like? We gotta find the common denominator here and figure out why we're all being forced to endure this cruel prank!



3. Motive time

[ When the motives started, Megumi had been as horrified as everyone else but never tempted by any of them. Even when they threatened her childhood best friend, or dangled secrets over her head... she'd never been tempted. And it's not that she necessarily is now or anything but...

Well. It's just not something she expected.

A promise to fix anything. Heal anything. Make things right again.

It takes the wind right out of her sails. For someone who usually has such a big personality, she seems so uncharacteristically small in this moment. Her face is pale as a sheet and her fists tightly grip her skirt as she just. Stares down. Down at her body.

And then her voice is just. Bitter. Resentful. ]

...How annoying. I suppose next you'll say you can unclip a bird's wings or some bullshit.

[ She is so fucking done, man. She hates feeling targeted. ]

Rosetta | Lapis Re:LiGHTs

[bluelightfilter]

AU Info

Coming from an old family that's attended the school for generations, Rosetta Allenwick is English, tries to be very proper and stand on ceremony, and excels in school. However, for all her attempts to be perfect, she's easily flustered, very obvious about her feelings (especially if, as in canon, she's got a crush on a childhood friend), absent-minded, and trying her best to be entirely self-sufficient.

Also, her family only used to be rich, so while Rosetta will try to act like she still has money, she secretly works multiple part-time jobs to send money back home, likes free stuff and coupon clipping, and obsessively collects store loyalty points. She strives to be entirely self-sufficient and never burden anyone.

1) intro log

[As soon as Rosetta's brought her suitcase into her room, she steps out to check the halls and see who else is stuck in this hall. She spots you and politely walks over, stopping a few steps away.]

Do you need any help moving your things in? They certainly didn't give much notice.

2) downtime

[When you've been told you're stuck in a murdergame in a haunted dorm, doing your winter break homework is probably low on the priorities list. Yet here is Rosetta, working on calculus in the common room.]

Hmm, and then... Oh, hello! Are you here for schoolwork too?

3) body

[Rosetta has total control. Absolutely. She can't be a burden on everyone else, especially now. It's bad enough she can't go into work. So even in the unlikely scenario that somebody actually kills in here, she has to stay calm.

Unfortunately, all her determination can't stand up to that one bouncy delinquent girl turning up in the common room, stabbed in the back with a fireplace poker. Upon finding the body, Rosetta screamed loud enough to wake the entire dorm and promptly fainted.

She's stirring now, while you and your friends are poking around the body, and puts a hand to her forehead.]

What in the world...?

Isabela Madrigal | Encanto

[senoritaperfecta]

AU Info

Isabela Madrigal is the eldest daughter of a prominent and wealthy Colombian family who is here on exchange! She's the designated heir to the family business (business undecided) and is extremely focused on being absolutely perfect in her role. Isabela is perfectly pretty, has perfect grades, and participates in the exact socially appropriate extracurriculars - I don't quite know what these are yet, but certainly gardening and also probably like, student government or something if we have that. Fortunately, her family is extremely focused on philanthropy and doing good for the community, so she's also perfectly kind and sweet at all times!

...except that's a lot of pressure, so there may be one or two specific people who she's not all that nice to. Rip.

Also she has a long-term boyfriend back home? Some people may have heard her mention him to ward off advances from boys in town. Otherwise she basically never talks about the guy. She totally loves him though!!!! And also men in general!!!!!!!!

Going home is obviously quite an undertaking for her, so she does often remain at the school for shorter breaks. The winter holidays aren't usually one of these, but...well, whatever the reasoning might be, she's still here this year.

i. arrival

[Staying at the school this winter holiday was already part of Isabela's plan. Staying in Rosenblum Hall specifically, under these circumstances, was not. But she's unruffled, of course. She is making the best of it, and she's here to help everyone else make the best of it as well!

At present, she's tending to the fireplace. She's been attending school here for a couple of years now, but she's never really gotten used to the cold; she's wearing a pink coat that is almost certainly designer, if perhaps slightly out-of-place on a teenager. For a moment, it looks like she's frowning, but she quickly smooths it over into a gentle smile when she notices there's an audience. She's a Madrigal! She's supposed to step up and keep everyone happy in situations like this! Not that she was supposed to have to do something like that here, but - well, she knows what her job is all the same.]

Don't worry. I'm sure the storm will pass before too long. I've been here for years, and I've never seen one this bad! [A light, musical laugh. She angles herself so that the firelight hits her better.] Are you warm enough? I'm sure we can find some extra blankets if we need them.

ii. motive

[So things are not...great.

Isabela has very carefully not been cracking, even as they were locked in, even as some sort of psycho took over the building. She is entirely composed at all times! Her makeup and hair are always perfect even when we are all dragged to a motive announcement first thing in the morning! Supposedly, if they kill someone and get away with it, their greatest wish will be granted. That's the overview; the wishes themselves are private, handed out in little envelopes. Isabela reads hers. Her eyes go briefly wide, but then she snorts dismissively.]

Please. Of course none of us are going to fall for such a ridiculous threat! What could they have that we would possibly want?

[She tosses her hair and straightens her skirt, and somewhere in all of that the paper has disappeared.]

iii. friday friday gotta get down

[Morning comes, and no wishes have been granted yet. But Rachel Berry has been found lying in a pool of her own blood, several great holes rent in her ugly reindeer sweater. Isabela wasn't the first one to find her, but she was pretty close to it. She doesn't scream, just claps both hands over her mouth in a moment of quiet shock. She was never close to the younger girl - the idea had seemed laughable - but all the same...

She doesn't know what the right thing to do is in a situation like this. Something dangerous bubbles up instead.]

What is wrong with you people?

2

[bluelightfilter]

[Rosetta tenses and folds her motive letter back into her envelope.]

I hope you're right. Nobody's done anything yet, why would adding this change anything?

Kana Arima | Oshi no Ko

[bellpepperexercise]

AU INFO

Kana Arima is a high school junior at Rosenblum, here as a Japanese exchange student under a Fine Arts scholarship. During her single-digit years she was praised as a genius child actress (she was particularly known for crying on cue), but since then she’s fallen by the wayside in terms of stardom. Internationally she’s probably best known for that time a song and dance she recorded as a kid resurfaced as a meme for a few months.

She’s still acting though! Well enough to get into a boarding school on scholarship, which works out since her mom has basically left her to fend for herself in the US! It’s fine! Kana is fine!

During school life itself she’s a hard-working student and a member of the theater department who tends to focus more on playing off others’ performances with her acting instead of taking the spotlight. She’s also a lot better at singing than she’d want you to think, though she’s only willing to do so if put under peer pressure (should she be cast in a musical she would have no choice and would simply do it and die).

Overall Kana is a diligent and responsible girl who’s generally pleasant but shows glimmers of a gruff and blunt attitude if you’ve gotten close enough to her.

–

1. Snowed In

[Well, Kana is absolutely missing her flight home at this rate. She’s come to terms with that over time, and has been trying to send a message out to her mom letting her know about the storm despite the signal refusing to go through.]

Ugh…I give up…

[Not like it’ll matter much. Dejectedly pocketing her phone, Kana stands up from the couch she’s claimed and looks out the window.]

People usually have tea or cocoa in this kind of weather, right? You think they have a safe stove in the older buildings?

2.Inciting Incident

This isn’t funny.

[Upon being told that some…ghost or whatever expects them to start killing each other, of course Kana can only assume that it’s some kind of sick joke. It’s probably somebody in the house.]

What, are we already bored enough to start pulling lame pranks? Wouldn’t it be easier to, I don’t know, swap scary stories or something else people do at sleepovers? Come on, grow up!

[She folds her arms and grumbles as she walks off, acting as if she’s more annoyed than anything, but despite herself she can’t help muttering when she thinks she’s alone.]

Seriously, did the real guidance counselor just forget about us…?

3. Wait That’s Not Fake Blood

[Kana was hoping for just another boring day stuck in an increasingly drafty lodge, but when is anything truly easy? Never, so of course on the day she decides to get a book from the library, she finds herself witness to a toppled over bookshelf, and…wait, that’s a hand under there, isn’t it?

Oh no. That hand and the strands of hair Kana can see sprawled out sure look a lot like Heather Chandler. Against her better judgment she looks, only to be met by a lot of blood.]

Oh my god–

[Kana stumbles back, nearly falling over in her attempt to get away from the sight. Surely she didn't fully get what she saw, right? Heather couldn't be dead, could she?]

Help! Someone–get a first aid kit! [Kana hugs herself, pale and not wanting to think what she saw was actually the dead body of a classmate.] We have to…we have to get her out.

2

[bluelightfilter]

I don't understand it either. I know they say all those things about ghosts in here, but that's no excuse to try and scare us, is it?

Rosalind | This Way Madness Lies

[s1986u4]

AU Info

Rosalind McCrory, from a legacy family of the "lawyers and doctors" variety, works constantly to get the perfect grades her parents demand, but still has time for Drama Club, building weird inventions in the tech labs, and making snarky comments and somewhat paranoid theories about their situation. She loves big words, new discoveries, and concocting new special effects for Drama Club productions that may or may not actually be safe or sensible.

1) i show more mirth than i am mistress of

[So after the intro, overseer meet, and general freakout, Rosalind goes back to her room for a while! Clearly she's just trying to calm down through the shock and... wait, no, she's coming back out with an armful of paper, matches, and a bunch of random bits and bobs. Which she seems to be assembling while humming to herself.]

It would be much easier to build signal flares if we had access to the janitor's closet...

2) now hercules be thy speed

[The attempts to escape out into the snow have generally abated after too many frostbite and/or hypothermia incidents, so now what else is there to do between murders? Party games, of course.

Rosalind adjusts her glasses with a chuckle as everyone playing is sitting in a circle.]

Very well. Truth... or dare.

3) they say you are a melancholy fellow

[Motive day. The intercom's just announced that someone had better kill and get away with it "before someone else gets here first... because once they've seen what's gone on in here, they won't be too interested in rescuing you."

Rosalind brushed it off, but now she's sitting in the lounge, trying and failing to read her pre-calculus book.]

It's possible they just meant the police, but I'm certain condemning our peers would be easily dismissed as an act under duress. But we don't know much if anything about our host's motives or who they may be working for...

4) tell me who is it quickly, and speak apace

[They woke up to find all the doors chained from the inside, and once someone managed to get those open, they were faced with Anna Fugo frozen to death outside the main entrance. She died as she lived: with a face full of impotent rage.

Rosalind takes a deep breath and turns around.]

I believe this counts as another kill. We need to find who would have made sure she couldn't get back in.

Alena | Dragon Quest IV

[kickdownthatwall]

AU Info

Alena Santeemovna Zamoksvna is the 16-year-old daughter of an influential Russian businessman, and she was expected to grow up to be a normal socialite heiress. Unfortunately for her somewhat overprotective father, some introductory self-defense courses introduced Alena to the wonderful world of martial arts and she was hooked. It did help that she turned out to be something of a prodigy in the subject, but her enthusiasm for the subject and her desire to improve her skills caused her to seek out a wide variety of challenges, culminating in her breaking out of her room at night to attend some less-than-legal MMA tournaments.

In an attempt to at least try and keep her from getting involved with local organized crime, Alena's father sent her to Burnbriar Academy so she could at least... you know... get involved with a wrestling club in a reasonably controlled setting? Maybe? That'd be nice, right? It was something of a compromise, as Alena was pretty stubborn about the idea of going off to a foreign school until she realized it could allow her to pursue her dream of participating in tournaments all over the world. As such, she doesn't really apply herself in most of her classes except for the language courses she's been trying to take for the sake of her international dreams. She's been written up a few times for skipping class to hit up the gym...

If you're involved in sports she's probably challenged you to a sparring session. Even if it's a non-combat sport. She does accept "no" as an answer, at least.

1.

[The storm hasn't quieted down any, but that's not exactly a significant deterrence to Alena. After all, she is from Russia, which means she's used to cold and snow! It means that she should bundle up properly before heading outside for a run.

So she's in the entrance hall layering up in front of the door, and if anyone passes by she'll cheerfully wave them down.]

Very brisk morning, yes? Would you like to go for a jog as well? It will get your blood pumping!

[The last part is a little muffled because she's putting a scarf on... it's a little surprising she expects to move in all that cold weather gear.]

2.

[Time seems to be repeating, and while there may be several scientific explanations for what is happening, Alena is a simple woman and doesn't really care about the "hows" here. There is a problem, and it needs to be dealt with. Alena is going to wait until it seems like there are a decent number of people in the cafeteria, at which point she will get up on the least occupied table to address everyone.]

So. We have evil time wizard problem, I think. We must defeat evil time wizard instead of each other, so does anyone know where time wizard might be? Perhaps time witch or time scientist. I do not care about gender or job, I just care if I can punch them.

[She punches her palm for emphasis. She seems entirely serious...]

4.

[It seems as though the door to the library is locked or stuck this morning, which is odd, because it hasn't been locked for the rest of the week. It is doubly odd considering there is a trail of blood leading under the library door...

This is distressing, and time is running out! What if the person in there is still alive? Someone here is probably working on pre-med or something for college, right? Is that even how college prep works? Alena doesn't know because she hasn't bothered to look into it.

Regardless, though... this isn't an actual impediment. Regardless of what is barring the door, it cannot stop her! Alena steels herself and proceeds to... uh... kick through the door. It's probably not even that flimsy a door, but she kicks straight through it like it's one of those boards...]

Door is no longer problem. Now, it is time to see what is problem.

1

[s1986u4]

I'm fairly certain it will have the opposite effect. That is, going out there will freeze our blood. And the rest of us.

[Rosalind sits there, reading a textbook.]

mariko shinobu | oniisama e

[rednails]

ꔚ au info. ꔚ

[Mariko is doing her utmost to social climb at Burnbriar in spite of her upbringing; her father, an erotica author, abandoned the family after an affair with a b-list actress. This has given Mariko something of a complex about male authority in addition to an intense fear of abandonment. She would cling with an alarming vice-grip to the sides of her friends, if she had any... but she can't seem to manage keeping anyone around. In the hope of a fresh start from the unfortunate circumstances of her birth and her... violent tendencies, Mariko's mother enrolled her at Burnbriar Academy in the United States, a school that she studied abroad at in her youth. Mariko Shinobu is a freshman, but as a passionate feminist she's already a prominent member of the HERstory club. I would also REALLY like for her to be unhealthily obsessed with someone... could it be YOU??]

i. a great and sudden change

[While the rest of the class is chatting amongst themselves or peering out the windows into the storm, Mariko finds you at the fringes of the group, throwing her arms over your shoulder so suddenly it might be something of a scare!]

Oh, I'm so relieved that we'll have more time together! This storm is good or something after all! [She gets a wild look in her eyes as she steps back to look you full in the face.] Hey, let's go take a look around, huh? No one to tell us we can't now!

ii. just a story-book over

[Kumi Kawamura is dead and Mariko Shinobu is stirring milk into her tea at the cafeteria's corner table. It's no mystery that they didn't get along-- their arguments have been the background noise of their days... well... day at Burnbriar. Not to mention that Mariko isn't known to be the subtle type in anything she does. Whoever approaches her to talk about Kumi will get a simple response.]

Oh, Kumi? Dead? Well. [Taps her teaspoon against the side of a dainty little teacup, placing it in the saucer. Making a show of holding the cup right against her red-painted lips before continuing,] How sad.

[The deeply incriminating commentary of a murderer or an intentional lack of tact? You decide!]

iii. wildcard

[go wild, go crazy, "yes, and" the hell out of it-- i'm down!]

We're all story-books in the end

[sweetsynergy]

You're quite broken up about, I see

[Vanity sits across from Mariko, sipping at a cup of- not tea, something highly caffeinated and sugary that may have at one point been coffee. It's winter, winter is chocolate and peppermint and pumpkin season, fight her in the pit.]

Inconsolable, clearly. Whoever's trying to frame you must not have been counting on this display of raw emotion. Sloppy work, really.

Sayo Yasuda | Umineko: When They Cry

[forwantofahorse]

0. au info and miscellany
(Sayo is a new transfer student, arriving from some podunk archipelago near the Japan coastline in her junior year by American metrics. Everyone knows her as a polite, positive, grade-A student, flawless except for her meek personality and passivity. Her only real quirks that she has an abiding love of ghost stories and is a voracious mystery fan. Since her arrival at Briarburn, her dorm has played host to a number of strange, inexplicable phenomena, which only adds to the air of mystery that surrounds her thanks to her stark refusal to share anything about her background at all. There are even rumors that she's a witch...

As a heads up, threads with Sayo may involve heavy spoilers for her canon, which I am pact-bound to keep under wraps as much as possible since everyone everywhere needs to read Umineko and unravel its mysteries for themselves. Since Umineko is a mystery game with many layers, I'll grade possibility of spoilers by background spoiler radiation levels.)

1. white shadow (arrival)
My, this is quite spacious. [Sayo gawks at the opulence of the bedroom she's wandered into, from the canopy bed to the antique desks.]

[Then her eyes wander to the imposing portrait that looms over the rest of the room, and she can't suppress a small giggle.] Hehe. How nostalgic...

2. sukashiyuri (settling in, spoiler radiation risk: low)
[It's on the second day of the 21st of December, when the loop is discovered, that Sayo can be found perched on the sill of one of the windows facing the winter storm. She quietly stares out into the blizzard, expression unreadable, before breaking the silence by saying,]

This is a closed circle that would do Agatha Christie proud, you know.

3. voiceless (motive, spoiler radiation risk: high)
[The mastermind is taking no prisoners with the first motive: if there isn't a corpse by the end of the week, you and the person you love the most will forget each other. As soon as that particular bomb was dropped, Sayo ran out the room, sobbing(?).

But if someone follows her to the girl's bathroom, they'll realize that she was struggling to contain her hysterical laughter instead. From within the stall, between fits of broken giggles, a few words escape.]

Finally. Some closure.

4. three cheers for sweet revenge (wildcard, spoiler radiation risk: iykyk)
[Ever since Sayo transferred in, new ghost stories have trickled into Briarburn's gossiphere one by one, thanks in part to the odd supernatural occurrences that followed in her wake. A few have spread beyond her dorm and infected the rest of the campus; one of the most prominent examples being the ghost of the music room. They say that if you pass by the classroom at midnight, you can hear the tortured soul of a 00s emo playing MCR while crying.

It seems that this particular haunt has crept into Rosenblum Hall after the chaos of the first case. Aspiring ghost hunters (or anyone who needs a distraction) can follow the bass tab of "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" to a creaky attic, where they'll find Sayo strumming away with a look of stoic concentration on her face.]

You said you'd read me like a book, but the pages are all torn and frayed-

[Then it registers that someone is actually watching, and she stops, blinking at the onlookers like a deer in the headlights.] ...what can I do for you. [She sounds unusually stilted, voice rough and low from all the crying.]

2

[thanoptical]

[Satsuki is practically pacing the halls with the intensity of a caged tiger. This whole situation went from bad to worse. This—this wasn’t the sort of trouble she expected, prepared for. Falls, frostbite, angry stab wounds, or even allergies… among other troubles? That all seemed reasonable threats. Bandages, knowledge, sterilized thread, and antihistamines could all be gathered and hoarded.

But time loops? How to prepare for that?

Maybe it would appear to be just anger that’s fueling her prowl… but it’s not. The fear was more powerful. She stops at that, with a heavy frown.]

I don’t think making her proud is a good thing right now.

Dagr Thorne (Warrior of Light) | Final Fantasy XIV

[tomestones]

au info

🗡️ Dagr Thorne comes from a troubled home life that they're desperate to escape from. They spend as much time as they can at the school, always dragging their feet to avoid returning home. The important thing about their home life is that they internalized the idea that "money = happiness" and boy have they taken that lesson to heart.
🗡️ They are here at Burnbriar on a sports scholarship, specifically basketball! They are a huge jock who loves all sports, though, and they will gladly try their hand at anything! They are much more skilled at all things physical than their actual studies, though they try very hard in that regard as well... they're just not that naturally gifted with smarts.
🗡️ Dagr is 16-17, I'm undecided on that. Regardless, they've been at Burnbriar for at least a year and have been using they/them pronouns for most of that, as this was the first chance for them to truly live their own life away from their controlling parents.
🗡️ Definitely down to form pre-existing connections! Dagr is mostly focused on sports, but they're easy enough to drag into shenanigans! They have an interest in drama as well, though they don't have any real acting talent, but maybe they can do some behind-the-scenes work? Really, I'm open to whatever!

i.

[Between the sudden storm, the fact that the day is apparently looping, and the whole murdergame announcement, this sure is looking like it's going to be absolute hell. Dagr is currently in the library, going through several books and trying to find something that will keep their interest.]

It'd be pretty damn morbid to start reading murder mysteries now, wouldn't it?

[They chuckle to themselves and then start when they realize you're here and they've been overheard.]

Uh. I mean. I wasn't going to do that? I was just saying.

[Yeah. Nailed it.]

ii.

[Well. The relative peace was nice while it lasted, but now the mysterious voice has offered us a reward if we kill - namely, the person in a photograph given to each of us will no longer be an issue for us going forward.

Dagr doesn't even bother to hide their picture; you can catch a glimpse of a tall, broad woman with similar features and long, dark hair.]

So you'll... what? Kill them? Is that how we're supposed to interpret this?

[There's no response from our captor, though, and Dagr huffs a sigh in frustration.]

Not really a great motive, if you ask me. Too much left up to interpretation.

[Their grip on the photo is really tight despite the easy words.]

iii.

[It's Friday, and you know what that means! Murder time! Well actually, no one here knows that just yet since this is the first body, but something in the air is different today, and it's probably been pretty difficult to get that motive out of your head...

Oh, and there's a thin trail of blood heading further down the hallway. That might tip some people off.]

That's... Shit, okay, c'mon, someone might be hurt!

[That's addressed to you, buddy. You ready to go find a body?]

wildcard

( If you'd rather do something else with Dagr, let me know and I can write up a custom starter! Hit me up either through PM or at pokerap! I'm also down to work out pre-game connections if you wanna do that! )

i

[lifegoalsorwifegoals]

[ Well. This is awkward, because Rinne has in her hand a copy of good old Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.

She lacks the charisma to laugh it off or grin, so she just. Flushes slightly, swallowing down a lump in her throat. ]

I- I was... I just, I've already read through the horror section, twice, so...

uika "doloris" misumi ⚙️🌙 bang dream!

[goldendoll]

⚙️🌙 0. au info

[ her au workshop post is here for more details, but here's a short version. uika misumi was a rapidly rising star in the japanese music scene, an idol and gothic metal musician who abruptly retired this past spring following a long period of turbulence with her band Ave Mujica, with the only word on the matter coming from her agency. she appeared at burnbriar within a month, calling herself by her former stage name, Doloris, in lieu of her given name. while the administration is no-doubt aware of the circumstances of her transfer to burnbriar to some degree, and various rumors might circulate, it doesn't really make sense from the outside. her focus on her career led to slipping grades back home, and she has pointedly refused to participate in school programs related to music or theater at burnbriar, so a scholarship is unlikely at best. either way, she's 16 and a junior, and another for the toxic yuri girlie set.

doloris is nice enough if approached, typically, but has a reputation for keeping to herself outside of classes and the few extracurriculars she does participate in. as far as anyone can tell, she consistently stays at the school over breaks as much as she can, and leaves the grounds as little as possible. ]

⚙️🌙 1. arrival

[ well, it's frustrating, but she goes along with the news she has to relocate without complaint. it wouldn't be the first time. a backpack and a duffel bag, along with a rolling case for her guitars and a long rectangular bag slung onto it, and doloris is on her way. she glances about her surroundings in the entrance hall, the aged old-money decor of the place filling her simultaneously with revulsion and a sense of nostalgic longing. she clicks her tongue after a moment, grimacing behind the scarf wrapped around her lower mouth and neck, lowering her gaze and keeping on towards her room if not interrupted. ]

It can't be that bad.

[ ... that night, though, if anyone happens to wander near rosenblum hall's observatory, or has a room close enough, they may hear a mournful woman's voice, singing. distant at first, but the tune of a well-known song becomes more apparent as one approaches the observatory's door. ]

Alas, my love, you do me wrong to cast me off discourteously...

⚙️🌙 2. settling in

[ the loop is... difficult to believe, on some level. but on another... well, it makes perfect sense. what is her life but a carousel spiraling out of control, back in the same helpless position she started in, but worse and worse each time? doloris has settled onto a sofa with a cup of coffee, knees pulled up to her chest, speaking to no one in particular. like reciting familiar lines. ]

Come, Luna! I say to you, we'll be reborn again and again! And lo, the prelude and masquerade both go on forevermore. It ends, then begins again, the present is both the newest and oldest moment in time— [ once she realizes she isn't alone, though, she startles a bit, nearly spilling her coffee. ] Oh—sorry. What do you think about... all this?

⚙️🌙 3. wildcard

[ feeling something else? want to do something further into the Horrors? by all means. you can just wildcard me, message this journal, or reach me at hexennacht. ]

1

[protomartyr]

[ When Doloris finally reaches her dorm room, she'll find that there's someone already there. Lottie sits at her desk, chipping away at French homework. It's slow going. She's always sucked at French.

Lottie turns to look at the door as soon as she hears the hinges creak, but otherwise doesn't react to the new arrival, except to do a scan of the guitar case. That's actually pretty cool. But it feels a little much to admit that right off the bat. ]

Hi. Are you the new person?

[ Someone had taken Lottie aside to tell her she'd be getting a new roommate, although honestly, Lottie hadn't paid much attention to the details. ]

Kohaku | Tsukihime

[ergine]

i;

[ Kohaku hums: a meandering tune, cheerful and bright. The aimless melody of it blends together with the scrape of clay flowerpots over the aged windowsill; she drags them here and there, evidently quite fastidious about their arrangement. ]

Hm hmm~m... There!

[ She'd brought the plants with her—unremarkable flowers she claims will be transferred from these pots to the outdoor gardens in the spring—but rather than take them to her room, she's placed them here in the commons. After all, this old building is so dreary; it could use a little lightening up. ]

Doesn't this place look more welcoming already?

ii;

[ It doesn't take a master manipulator to notice the mood that has settled over their group here in Rosenblum Hall. It hangs over them like a black cloud waiting to break; even Kohaku seems a little more pensive than normal, and a little more subdued.

That is, until— ]

Oh — I know! Shouldn't we have a proper sleepover?

[ She beams, bright in defiance of the atmosphere. ]

It's already been a couple of days, and we haven't taken advantage of everyone being here at all. [ She giggles: a light and airy sound. ] We can stay up all night watching movies, and sleep together down here in the commons... It'll be fun!

ooc;

[ Kohaku's AU plotting comment can be found here. ]

ii

[banishedfromparadise]

A sleepover...?

[The darkness in Dorothy's eyes does not waver in the slightest at the suggestion, though her worries shift a little. She enjoyed her time together with Kohaku still, but it's been some time since she'd been part of a group like this. A group not entirely made up of girls she particularly cared to get along with.]

I don't know if we should-...

[Still, she falters in her resolution. Kohaku just seems so pleased with the idea. Can she really just shut her down about the whole thing?]

Chris Yukine | Senki Zesshou Symphogear

[trustheart]

[ AU Info ]

[ Here. ]

[ Arrival ]

[ Chris was no stranger to spending winters at Burnbriar Academy; she’d spent both Freshman and Sophomore Year’s breaks there, after all. It wasn’t like she had a real home to go home to–just court appointed guardians and the trust fund her parents had left her. As far as she was concerned, Burnbriar was her home.

That didn’t mean she claimed Rosenblum Hall, though.

This place rarely entered her mind aside from how she’d tried to get her fellow students to not pay attention to the innuendo and rumor surrounding it, and now? She’d been forced to come stay in it. That all added up to a very angry and very sweary white haired girl as she tried to carry a violin case and her many bags up to the sleeping quarters. ]

God f#@$&ing dammit! I didn’t ask for any of this! I’m gonna have the head of whatever #@$&head thought this was a good idea!

[ So you saw a dead body ]

cw: parental death, war, forced labor, human trafficking, ptsd

[ From the moment she’d seen the body, Chris been sent back to the day her parents died in front of her. The day an explosion took them from her forever, and her whole life changed.

She gasped for breath as the memories came flooding back. Memories of being stolen away even as she grieved over the memory of their dead and broken bodies. Of being forced to endure harsh labor for months, before being found. Of leaving behind people who had and would suffer worse. Of passing from one friend of the family to the next; one therapist after another. Never healing, covering it over with scab after scab.

It was all happening again. People were dying. SHE could die.

Chris couldn’t breathe. She clutched her chest and pounded her fist against the wall. Shit shit SHIT!

Shit… ]

Arrival

[re_verbed]

Probably the dean. Pretentious hopped-up richdick.

[There are probably girls here who just made multiple trips rather than trying to carry their entire dorm's worth of belongings in one go. Echo is not one of them, currently more luggage than human.]

It's snow, for what, they're predicting like two days, three? This can't be worth it.