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

[interdimanagers]

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.”

Comments

[tigermillionaire]

[While he may be expecting a confrontation, he's not really expecting an active murder attempt from someone his own age. Adults have always been the scary thing - Nia, though. She seems like him. He doesn't lend trust easily, but he doesn't instinctively distrust her either.]

...Which one?

[He comes forward a little, tentatively.]

[loveconservative]

[She takes his hand--it's a soft grip! Gentle, but not letting him go. Nia's pretty sweet around kids her own age, if pushy. She points down the hall to one further away.]

That one. I was just there, and no one else has come by.

[tigermillionaire]

[He reflexively tries to pull away when she takes his hand, but not hard enough to actually break the contact. He stares at her uncertainly, but then nods a little. Yeah, okay.

It's probably worth it if he can get somewhere more private.]

Okay. Um...thanks.

[loveconservative]

You're welcome. My name's Nia. [She's going to be absolutely pleasant all the way along. She's good at sucking up.] What's yours?

[tigermillionaire]

Tiger Universe. You probably should have heard of me.

[The comment is pretty much reflexive at this point, as stressed as he sounds. System Crash is pretty huge, so...]

[loveconservative]

[... Tiger, Jesus. This is why you're about to get yourself killed. It doesn't take her a moment to recognize the name at least.]

I have! I'm very new to my band, but I've been following the news around the labels for a very long time, now. Where's the rest of your band?

[tigermillionaire]

...I dunno.

[Come to think of it, he hasn't actually seen Trucy all night. Weird. He hasn't seen Kido for a while either.]

...You're Virgo, right?

[loveconservative]

Yes. I'm with Surviving Friday. [Man yeah that's. So Weird. Nia hasn't seen a few people from her band, either... She's spent most of the night with Tsuna.]

[tigermillionaire]

Oh. Cool...

[He doesn't sound that enthusiastic about it.]

[loveconservative]

[Oh come on. Be more supportive of them, they're like extended family now.

On the bright side, Nia has gotten him to the empty room. She lets go of his hand to open the door for him.]

Do you need a drink or anything?

[tigermillionaire]

[Tiger takes his hand back and wraps his arms around himself. He looks distracted.]

No...I kind of just want to be alone right now.

[loveconservative]

[Oh, Tiger. It would have been so much easier if you'd just said yes. It would have been much more painless, that's for sure.

Nia offers him a warm smile, waiting for him to enter.]

I think this will work, then.

[tigermillionaire]

[He follows in after her, though his eyes linger on her and the door a bit awkwardly like he's waiting for her to leave. He's at the room now! He doesn't need her help anymore, thanks.]

Yeah...

[There's a lingering pause with them standing in the empty room.]

So...

[loveconservative]

[Nia's hand is still on the door, and she tilts her head to the side with a warm smile.

And she shuts the door, still on the inside, her hand hesitating on the lock, but stepping forward to her slightly smaller victim. She's had a knife on her all night--really it's so much more foolproof than the shoving she's been pulling tonight.

Sorry, Tiger. There's cotton candy between you and the door. Armed cotton candy, as she pulls the knife into her hand.]

Don't worry. I'll leave in just a minute.

[tigermillionaire]

[Tiger pulls back, shocked, his head swimming with a sudden burst of terror and adrenaline. Oh...oh no. No no no. He moves back far enough to bump into the bed, staring at her, stricken.]

No no no...Don't. Wh...Why? What did I do?

[loveconservative]

You're part of Pride aren't you? Did you really think you were welcome here?

[She gets closer, carefully making sure that even if he tries to get around her she can stop him.]

Don't worry. It won't hurt for long. [Really, she has no interest in hurting him, just killing him.] Just stay still and I'll make it fast. I don't want to get dirty.

[tigermillionaire]

[He feels cornered. He doesn't want to risk trying to run past her whens he's got that knife, but the room isn't that big and the bed is in his way. He scrambles back onto the mattress, grabbing at a pillow and trying to hold it between them.]

I don't even want to be here! I never did!

[loveconservative]

Well, you won't be here anymore after this. We didn't want you, either.

And that's why none of you will be leaving.

[Tiger a pillow isn't going to help you. Especially not when it's Nia you're against. She's a fast little thing with very long limbs--and she's striking out against him--she might not connect, thanks to the pillow, but he's certainly lost that shield.]

[tigermillionaire]

[Tiger screams as the knife bites into the fabric of the pillow and sheets, pulling as far back to the headboard as he can get. The pillow is bleeding feathers, and he has nowhere to go. For the second time he's facing his death, and he's no more prepared to deal. His cries mingle with sobs.]

Stop it! Please!

[He never thinks to call for help.]

[panspermia]

[ He gets to the hallway in time to see Nia close the door. Oh, right. The bedrooms. Maybe Tiger's taking a nap, or... something. That's why he isn't texting back. Between the drugs and alcohol available, Greg doesn't think it's that great an idea to go bursting through doors, but he should at least check around for--

That's when the yelling starts. ]

Tiger? [ It would be a bit callous to say this made finding him easier, but the point is Greg doesn't hesitate on throwing the door open. ] Tiger! Oh--oh man.

[ The girl--oh jeez, what's her name again--Greg rushes over to grab her. ] What do you think you're doing?!

[loveconservative]

[She's barely able to stop herself from lashing out when she turns around. Her eyes are wide and she blinks at him in confusion--

He's from Virgo, isn't he? Shouldn't he be on her side? It's dissonant, to her. She doesn't quite understand.]

He's from Pride. [Like that... explains everything. It does, to her. Of course it does?

Please take the knife away from her.]

[tigermillionaire]

[Tiger just crumbles the moment that Nia is pulled away, curling into a ball against the headboard, sobbing and shaking with absolute terror. He can barely process how Greg got here - he just knows that he is, and that there's nothing that Tiger can do so he's pretty much his only chance. He grabs the other pillow and holds it close to himself, white feathers scattered across the sheets.]

[panspermia]

[ Greg stares at her for a moment, mortified. It really is like this, huh? Even with kids. Oh man. This is super messed up. ]

It's... it's Nia, right?

[ Slowly, he takes the knife, keeping a firm hold on her. ]

Nia. Think about it. Please. This isn't you.

[loveconservative]

[Oh he took.... She was doing so well? She looks like she might be about to cry for a moment.]

I don't understand... what do you mean? [She was doing the right thing, wasn't she?]

[panspermia]

[Greg tries to make eye contact with Tiger, to reassure him in some way. Then he focuses on Nia, one hand firm but gentle on her shoulder as he keeps the knife out of her grasp. ]

You don't want to hurt him. Pride's our rival, but Tiger's just like us. You can't really think this is the way to do things, do you?