interstellar5555 | ☆TRACK V: I WILL TWIST THE KNIFE PT. 1

Entry tags:

☆TRACK V: I WILL TWIST THE KNIFE PT. 1

Who: Everyone that isn't an opt out!
What: Naomi Rivers throws a terrible holiday party.
When: December 7th, 2054
Where: Naomi's ocean side mansion.
Warnings: Violence, poisoning, various murder attempts, mind control, general uncomfortable lack of consent. Also, probably drug use. Maybe sex? Who knows what you'll get up to.

“I will burn for you;
Feel pain for you.
I will twist the knife 
and bleed my aching heart,
And tear it apart.”

☆I WILL TWIST THE KNIFE

The first two hours of the solstice party are surprisingly normal. Members of both labels arrive by private sky shuttle, and are invited into the ballroom for food and drink. It’s even more surprising when both Lesedi Santiago and Edward Blanche arrive as well, and spent most of that first period speaking quietly in a nearby lounge area. Lesedi’s body guards and Juno watch the space around them, keeping anyone of lesser important from interrupting what looks to be quite the serious discussion.

After food, the ballroom stage is taken over by a number of increasingly impressive entertainment pieces. It seems to be obligatory for everyone to stay and watch (not that it’s a struggle – the talent involved is unmistakeable), but not long into it Lesedi and Edward can be seen disappearing outside together, and show no immediate signs of returning.

And that’s when Naomi Rivers takes the stage.

To the Virgo that have heard it before, the song is more viscerally familiar than anything you’ve only heard once should be, and it awakens the ideas that were implanted there the night before. You have a job to do here, tonight. One that is only fair – almost righteous. Lesedi Santiago and her ilk will suffer for her transgressions.

The performances end, and everyone is released out to the rest of the grounds, to mingle and celebrate at their leisure. While things may seem civil on the surface, beneath that something dark is brewing. You gradually begin to notice that almost none of the more veteran members of either label are present.

► BALLROOM: The central nexus of the party, the ballroom is the location of the buffet table, the stage, and the dance floor. There will be music available all night, even after the official “performances” have ended. There are tables set up around the edges of the room for eating and relaxing.

► LOUNGE: Where Lesedi and Edward were having their meeting earlier, the lounge is filled with comfortable chairs, classic art, and a large, ornate fireplace. If you figure out who to ask, there are a number of chemical vices available to all guests.

► BALCONIES: There is a generous series of balconies that line the exterior of the upper floor. The ocean can be seen from one side and the gardens can be seen from the other.

► GUEST ROOMS: Down the halls from the ballroom there are a few generous guest bedrooms that have been left open for use.

► GARDENS: Out towards the back there are a wide variety of plants, and a well kept stone path and manmade waterfall. The plant life is on the sedate side due to the winter, but it’s still green.

► OUTDOOR POOL: There’s a pool out front with a shallow and a deep end. The water is clear and artificially warmed.

☆OOC CONSIDERATIONS

Please remember that any attempted assassinations are meant to remain covert, and if your character is incapable of being stealthy then you must assume that any attempts you make are happening towards the end of the evening – let’s say around 11PM. The spell compelling people to do this does not want a riot or a bloodbath – what it wants is for people to die before the rest of the group can realize that anything is even going on. Of course, this isn’t exactly going to work out, but if you are finding yourself getting into the realm of intense physical violence you might want to stop and slow down a little.

Virgo members that didn’t hear the song the night before are free from any compulsions, and so are all members of Pride. If non-mind controlled characters start clueing in to what’s going on and start trying to evacuate in large numbers, that is where you’ll want to wrap up threads and wait for Part 2 of the log, which will contain the end results and will be triggered by any large amount of chaos.

If any characters attempt to escape earlier in the evening, they’ll find that the shuttles have all been grounded, and wandering in the woodland nearby just seems to result in them getting lost and ending up back at the mansion. It’s a real pickle.

If you’ve got any question about what’s going on please leave them on the original plot post and they’ll get answered! The opt out event will be posted ASAP.

“I will lie for you;
Beg and steal for you.
I will crawl on hands 
and knees until you see:
You're just like me.”

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[This entire party was awkward and dull and uncomfortable and Tsuna had been mostly wishing he didn't have to be there. Until Naomi's song. Now it all makes sense. This is the perfect chance to get rid of those horrible Pride musicians.

And Xanxus? Well... Tsuna isn't exactly fond of him. Of course, he's also not stupid. He can't take Xanxus head on. He needs help. And Nia is the perfect partner in crime. In that she was there and he's comfortable talking to her.

And look, Xanxus has presented them with the best opportunity. There he is, on the balcony, back turned. All that's needed is a little push. He gives Nia a nod before creeping up behind their unsuspecting victim....]

[To be fair no one is going to expect a sentient cloud to try to kill him.

She nods back with a serious frown--this was an important duty, and she couldn't let Tsuna do it alone!

She creeps with him. The two of them, even if they're tiny, should be able to knock him off balance at least, right?]

[Okay, he mimes a countdown from three. One....

Two....

Crouching behind their target now.... three!

Aaaaand he rushes forward, trying to knock Xanxus over the balcony to certain doom. ~~Yeah, this is the worst murder plan.~~ ]

[Nia rushes with him, shoving with all her might.

There is not a lot of might.]

[ He has to give credit where credit is due. They at least caught him off guard. He was a little distracted at the moment. He had been looking at the ocean view just past that balcony when the two tiny murderers came after him.

It's like trying to push a brick wall. He looks down at the two. He positively towers over them. The cupcake and the beer spiller. He raises an eyebrow and turns around, putting a hand against both of their heads and holds them away from him. ]

What the hell do you two think you're doing?

[Yeah, that was like pushing a brick wall. Crap. This is going to hurt. Possibly a lot. Unless they can come up with a good story right now. Quick, Tsuna, say something clever!]

Um....

[Nailed it. Ball is in your court, Nia.]

[MAN THIS IS A BALL AND A COURT NIA IS FAMILIAR WITH she panics for just a moment--she has to be covert. Clever. They can't let him know what they were doing, no matter how awful he must be. (Does she know he stole Tsuna's wallet? If she does then she knows he deserves this so much.

Tears well up in her eyes--he's touching her head she doesn't like being touched, and now there is a crying little girl.]

W-we tripped!

[She does not want to get hit.]

I was gonna show him the view and we were running over but I tripped and we fell.

[Notice how she doesn't apologize.]

[ Holy Snow Bear on a Stick...is she crying? Did he just make a little girl cry?.... He DID. And you know, a normal person might feel bad about it, might try to sooth her, tell her not to cry. That's it's okay and that accidents happen, there there. Xanxus is NOT NORMAL. So, he just shifts the hold on her head (and Tsuna's) so that his hand spans over the whole thing. He's smiling. It's not a nice smile. It's utterly evil.]

So, you wanted to show him the view? Well, I can help you with that.

[ He doesn't have his shonen bullshittery strength but he can bench twice his weight. Surely these kids can't be over 300lbs combined. SO if he gets his way, he's going to pick them both up by the heads and...maybe make like he's going to dangle them over the edge of the balcony. ]

[Wow, Nia! Tsuna is impressed. Quick thinking! Too bad Xanxus isn't exactly the sympathetic type. Based on that smile alone, Tsuna is pretty sure they're about to die.]

HIIIE!

[He squeaks almost instinctively as Xanxus lifts them up. And once their death is imminent, his panicked thoughts shift to Nia. She's his friend. His band mate. And this stupid plan was his fault. He has to at least try to protect her.]

W-wait! It's my fault! J-just let Nia go!

[Yeah, Nia is not yet the compassionate giving soul she is in canon.

She's just screaming in terror oh my god she's going to die.

Xanxus like sure you don't care that she's crying, but you'll probably care when any/all security at this party catches you fucking dangling two small children.]

[ Just holding them over the balcony like a couple of tiny pinatas. Lordy, Ryouta's going to be super mad at him when he finds out. But whatever. Mess with the bull, you get the horns.

So he's just going to dangle them a little more and sort of aim them towards the pool below. ]

God. Stop crying. That's annoying as fuck. I should just drop you right now. All I have to do is let go. Do you want me to let go? Then stop your fucking wailing. You did this to your damn self.

[ Yep...Security probably is going to love him so he might just bring them back to his side of the balcony. Maybe. But not before he let's go for a second and then catches them by their clothing ]

WHOOPS. MY HAND SLIPPED. HAHAHAHAHA!

HIIIIIIIIEEEEE!!!!

[He can't stop wailing. That's pretty much a reflex. But it's really impressive that he can make such high pitched sounds. Seriously though, that might have just taken years off Tsuna's life. He nearly faints with relief when they don't plunge to their doom.

And now he's staring helplessly downward, shaking with fear but afraid to move again until he's back on solid ground.]

[You know, this is probably the first time anyone's seen Nia actually crying. It's big ugly sobs as she scrambles to grab onto Xanxus's arm.

This was a terrible idea and Nia is terrified.]

[ It's going to get even more terrible and terrifying. Because obviously the sobbing brats haven't had enough yet. So, he grins at them both. It's got all the charm of a car crash. ]

Have you two seen the pool yet?

[ Then he's carrying them down to it. He manages to keep from getting caught this far. And then he's just tossing the two of them in. ]

Nice, isn't it? Stay in there and cool off a little.

[ Then Xanxus is limping away, laughing all the way. Of course he has no idea what's going to happen later in the night. What they're going to do to him as soon as he's alone in the kitchen. ]

HIIIEE!!!

[He squeals yet again as they get tossed into the cold water. Tsuna can barely swim, but even so his first thought is for Nia. Is she okay? Struggling to keep his head above water, he looks around for her frantically.]

Ni-! Ugh!

[And now he's coughing up the water he just inhaled. Way to go.]

[Nia squeals as she's thrown in. She can swim, really well, actually, but she's soaked now and her dress is soaked and her hair is soa--

Oh god her hair.

It's gonna be a disaster.

She makes her way to the side of the pool, coughing as she inhaled water when she dropped.]

I-I'm fine... [She coughs a few more times, and shivers in the cold air.

She offers a hand out to him, almost as if she hadn't thought about it at first. But the way he's splashing, can he even swim?]

Here. I'll help.

[Like as much as the poorly groomed equivalent of Cousin It can help.]

[Tsuna was going to help her, but let's face it, he's the one who needs help here. He can only swim just barely well enough to tread water, so her hand up is really appreciated.]

Th- thanks....

[At the very least, he manages to get out of the pool with her help and flop onto the ground.

Well... that didn't go well. They're not dead though. That's good. After he catches his breath, he turns his head in her direction.]

Sorry, Nia. I'm the one who got you caught up in this...

[Normally he'd be giving up by now. Tsuna has a naturally defeatist attitude that would serve him well right now if brainwashing music wasn't pushing that aside. But right now his mind is working on a plan B. He's not letting Xanxus get away with this.]

It isn't your fault. That was terrible of him.

[Nia you guys tried to push him off a balcony.

Nevertheless, she wrings out her hair and skirt, still kneeling at the poolside. Then she crosses her arms over her chest.] I wonder if there might be clothes that would fit us inside.

You should ask. I'm sure Miss Rivers must have something she could lend you.

[He glances back at the pool thoughtfully.]

And maybe we could ask for a bucket too....

[Tsuna has figured out his plan B.]

A bucket? [Her scowl fades as she tilts her head curiously.] For what?

That pool was cold. And I think Xanxus deserves a taste of his own medicine.

[And he's slowly putting together an idea that will dish out just that.]

The bucket will be a good start. Then all I need to do is figure out how to get him into the kitchen....

We should find towels first. You're going to get sick.

[Nia you're literally talking about murdering someone and that--you know what.

Okay. C'mon, she's tugging on Tsuna's hand to get him cleaned up.]

We'll get him when we're done.

Oh... right.

[He got so caught up in figuring out a way to get back at Xanxus that he forgot he was soaking wet and outdoors in the middle of December. Somehow, now that he does remember, it feels even colder. But he smiles as Nia leads him inside. She's really sweet to worry about him like this.]

Thanks, Nia.

[Towels are easy enough to find, and they even have the bucket Tsuna wanted. So convenient.]

[Dang what luck they have!]

What are we going to do? [Nia is still toweling off her hair. There's just... there's just so much of it...]

[He lowers his voice, in case anyone might be nearby.]

Back when we were setting up the party, I got lost in the house. I wandered through the kitchen on my way back and I noticed they have a walk in freezer. It's got a big heavy door with a pretty tough looking lock on the outside. If you got locked in there, it would be tough to get out...

[He pauses, to see if she can tell where he's going with this.]

III- I don't have appropriate icons for attempted murder. orz

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject