ROUND 4 DAY 4 - HAUNTED HOUSE PARTY

[snackcakeordeath]

[For some reason, you feel good today...stronger. Which is great, maybe you're just psyched up for the latest ~fabulous event~ cooking from the ConAgra-McKee Foods kitchens...

[The Newlydead Game^TM ✨Super-Special✨ 👻Spooktacular🎃! 🗡Murdermance💘 at the 💀Murder Manse🏚!

[The house is a huge, Victorian monstrosity straight out of the mental idea of an Edgar Allen Poe story--delicate wrought-iron chandeliers and candelabra hanging from vaulted ceilings; ornately carved molding and flocked wallpapers, mosaics and inlaid wood floors. Most of the rooms seem legitimately old, cobwebbed and musty, with dusty dropcloths laid over the faded furniture, and distressing shadows cast in the flickering candlelight that never fails to not light up every corner, no matter how many candles are set up. You're not sure how the cameras are picking all this up with how dark it is. You honestly wouldn't be surprised if some of the taps in the bathroom actually run blood. A few of the rooms are locked, in particular a few bedrooms on the upper floors, and a heavy door off the mud room that's chained and padlocked; presumably it leads to a cellar.

[The exception to this is the conservatory, the one large room in a building filled with tiny, closed off rooms. One wall is lined with massive paned windows, another a huge fireplace, the others covered in stern portraits and other random Victorian-area knick knacks. And sprinkled around all of that are Halloween decorations, the kind more Pottery Barn than Party City. It's set for a party, complete with games like bobbing for apples and a spread of fancy Halloween "finger" foods and drinks that glow under black light. A playlist of seasonal hits like Spooky or The Addams Family Groove toots along near a dance floor. Need an outfit for the costume contest? There's plenty. There's also a smoke machine and a photo booth. In the backyard is a corn maze.]

Hellooo contestants, guess what time it isss? Why, it's only the best time of the year for sweeties like us! Time for Pumpkin Delights and Black Cat Brownies, the perfect treats to give to your trick-or-treaters this year! Now, even though someone's given US a trick today, we've provided a treat for you--a Halloween ball! Play with your fellow Casanovas, make your best impressions, and grab your favorite Sexy Pizza Rat cosplay! At the end, you'll get to choose from all the remaining contestants for your Marry-Kiss-Kill. And remember what we talked about last night--this time, if you deal to make it even, you're all going to be punished!

[With murder, Swiss Miss adds. In case you weren't quite sure.]


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Comments

[the_macdonald]

No, it was one of you contestants who Frenched that particular fry. I'm here on cleanup duty.

Speaking of which, I have a message for everyone. If I give it to you, will you pass it on to the others?

[risetting]

[ That was really bad... almost Teddie level bad, actually. But she supposes she should thank whoever did that. That is, if they didn't die trying. ] I'll pass it on, but what is it?

[the_macdonald]

As you've probably figured out, we're having some technical difficulties right now. It's going to take us some time to fix things, but once we do, I'll take over and the game will be fair and fun, no more of Debbie and the Miss killing off all the girls that they're jealous of. Just a regular ol' dating game.

But in the meantime, we need all of you to stay calm and quiet. Can you do that for your pal, Ronald?

[risetting]

I can definitely do that.

[ Thank goodness she has Kouzeon right now, which will help out a lot. ]

But we will get sent back home afterwards, right?

[the_macdonald]

We always send people home afterwards! Ask Haru!

[a pause]

Come to think of it, I have a second message, for her in specific! This one is personal, but I'd really appreciate it if you told her... to get her Big Bang Burger Butt off my turf.

[wantsnudes]

[Yusuke just laughs, a low chuckle that's more threatening than amused.]

... Personally, I've had enough of games, and I've had enough of staying calm and quiet. One of my friends is dead because of the hosts here, and I will not play along with you just to be rid of them.

[Looks at Akechi.] Don't you agree, Crow?

[afailedmurder]

[Akechi mmmmight have been pulling a Black Condor Featherman toy out of his Happy Meal in the confusion, but he quickly shoves it back in and tosses the whole thing aside. THIS IS A COOL MOMENT, I CAN BE COOL.]

Wholeheartedly.

[risetting]

[ If that face wasn't concerning enough, she'd probably comply. She knows Yusuke's right, after all. ]

Wait. So Haru-chan was the one-- [ That's good, but at the same time, she should be relieved that she isn't dead. ] Anyway, I agree that we need to stop these games for good. You're in this building, aren't you? You say that you'll make this game without murder, but how do we know we can trust you?

I did hear someone talking about taking this game over the clown, after all. That clown he was talking about... it's you, isn't it?

[the_macdonald]

Guilty as charged!

Also, I never technically said it wouldn't be without murder. I said fair and fun, and it's not fun until somebody gets hurt. But obviously, you can't just have the hosts killing people willy-nilly for no good reason. That's not even a game.

By the way, if you know what's inside the building, do you know what's outside it? Because what's out there doesn't want to play with you. It wants to gobble you up like you're all on the dollar menu.

[wantsnudes]

So, it's just as I thought -- you're all the same. [Furious, his hands ball into fists.]

I'm going to avenge Ann. I'll avenge Haru for all that she's been forced to endure, and all of the other victims here. Each of you will be brought to justice. No one else can be allowed to suffer because of these games!

[risetting]

[ FIGURES.... ]

We can stop whatever is out there for sure. And if we have to stop you, too. We will. I'm sick of everyone dying. We've got to warn everyone that something's out there!

[ Not everyone's a fighter, after all. ]

[afailedmurder]

[A little quiet, a little hesitant, but unmistakably angry.]

...I'm not some tool that you can drag out and use however you please. If you want an errand boy to keep the others docile while you send them to the slaughter, you're going to have to find someone else.

[the_macdonald]

[Dragging his hands down his face.]

On and on with the speeches. You want to cause a ruckus and draw those things in? Go ahead. It's your funeral. I have bigger fish to fillet.

[And with that, the TV goes back to static.]

[wantsnudes]

[Yusuke relaxes only a fraction when the TV goes back to static, and he turns to the others.]

Well put. It seems you had it in you all along. [That part is addressed to Akechi; he's proud of him.] I think we should scope out the situation first before we alarm the others unnecessarily. If there's a way for us to safely sneak outside undetected, we can see what we're up against, and formulate a plan accordingly.

[risetting]

Alright. I know that whatever's outside seemed to ping me back while I was scanning, so if we find out what it is, I might be able to pinpoint its weakness.

[ It's one of the few things that she's good at, to say the least. ]

Unfortunately, I can't exactly stay close to the action...

[afailedmurder]

That won't be a problem. We can handle the fighting.

[Akechi is a little happy now, between being praised and the anticipation of getting to go kill some shit.]

[wantsnudes]

So you have a navigation-based Persona? [It sounds like Futaba's.] Yes, we'll be counting on you to guide us while we fight. If it picked up your signal, it's probably better you stay away from us while we battle it anyway, particularly if we want to have the element of surprise.

[Time to head back downstairs, and find a way to sneak outside.]

[kentucky_mcgiygas]

[There don't seem to be any intentional exits except in the conservatory, which is full of windows, one of which is broken, and... don't tell Wayne this, but there actually was a door as well. Out back, there's a field of corn.]

[wantsnudes]

[A Phantom Thief can never begin a stealth mission through the most direct route!!!

Just kidding. Yusuke totally uses the door, stepping outside into the field.]

Do you think you can direct us from here, Kujikawa-san, or will we have to conduct a full search of the area?

[risetting]

[ Rise's definitely going to be staying where she is, given her Persona. Nevertheless, she'll definitely be speaking up where she using Kouzeon. It's mental, though, so have fun with that. ] I might be able to! Let me try... [ IT'S NAVIGATION SEARCH TIME, will Rise be able to find anything in the corn field in terms of pings/mapping? ]

[kentucky_mcgiygas]

[The thing from before is out beyond the corn maze, but it's coming closer. There's a sort of static that emanates from it, and it's almost like it's trying to tell you something... or perhaps it's trying to tell you so many things, all at once, that no one idea can come through clearly. There's a sort of animalistic feeling that accompanies the pulse as well, somewhere between curiosity and hunger.]

[risetting]

[ Well, that's cool. Is the maze navigable or are we going to have to go in partially blind to it all? ]

[kentucky_mcgiygas]

[It's a mundane, if somewhat overly complex corn maze. There's absolutely nothing to prevent cheating of any sort.]

[risetting]

[ COOL ] It seems to be an ordinary maze. Apparently there doesn't seem to be anything out of the blue so you can definitely cut down the area if you can!

[wantsnudes]

[Hearing Rise communicate telepathically isn't all that weird, considering Futaba's Persona allows her to talk from a safe distance, too. So when they receive that information, Yusuke simply nods.]

If the maze becomes a hassle to navigate through ordinary means, Kamu Susano-o will cut us a path. Are you prepared, Crow?