trusthell | Week 3.

Week 3.

WEEK 3
Another week has passed; two more Survivors are gone. Pearl and Caren both had someone to fight for, someone worth killing for; perhaps it's for the best to hope that somehow they've found peace despite not being able to collect on the Kingmaker's incentive.

Saturday is given to regrouping and sleep; there aren't any bodies to be found on Sunday morning. That doesn't mean the night passed easily, though - it seems another piece of your personal puzzle may have fallen into place while you slept...

Following that spiral staircase up to the second floor will reveal something strange; those stairs definitely lead far higher than you remember, up to a previously inaccessible third floor. Go ahead and explore as much as you like; consider it your reward for a job well done.

SURVIVORS REMAINING: 23

SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY
[OOC: Welcome to week two of Trustfell! Save your threads for coins and the coming week's activity check; don't forget to check in to this week's activity check and submit your memory regains!

The text and calling posts are still active, for the sake of contacting the jerk who's keeping you here, to be used at your leisure!]

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["Mother! Oh God, Mother! Blood! Blood!"

it was all his fault, really. for thinking anything would be different. for thinking Mother would be different. he wakes up with a start, mind still reeling, trying to figure out how he'll hide this one-- until he remembers where he is, and that none of the murders so far have had anything to do with him. small favors.

he doesn't leave his room until early evening, when he decides to continue skipping all basic needs and check out whatever new area the last deaths opened up. he feels like he ought to be happy when he finds the music room-- finally, something he can enjoy-- but... well, maybe some music will clear his head. it never has before, never like this, but there's a first time for everything, right?

he hunches over the piano keys, trying to focus on playing a relatively simple tune-- but, his hands shake far too much to get anything more than a few lines at a time. eventually his frustration peaks, and he slams his elbows down on the keys, head in his hands.

how is he gonna get rid of her damned car?!]

Hello, Norman-kun.

[Mouri arrives just in time to see Norman despairing. It is...not the thing one wants to see after noticing somebody hasn't been around for the whole day. As far as Mouri knows there's only one thing that could be causing this]

Had a bad dream?

[he actually laughs a little bit at that-- a rather pathetic-sounding little giggle.]

That obvious, huh? [idly pokes at the keys] It's, well... I-I'm sure others got worse.

Maybe some do have it worse, but that doesn't make yours less important.

Sakura-san has shown talking about a dream helps, you could try the same. I'm not saying to do it with me if you don't want to, just do it with someone you trust.

[The best intentions! Too bad he knows nothing of Norman's dreams, otherwise he would be thinking something else]

I do. I've always wanted... [he chews his thumbnail a little, deep in thought.]

If you could just, just promise me something... It might seem a little, well, strange, but... When we leave here, you wouldn't, um, call the cops or anything? I-If I told you a crime happened.

[Well that's something Mouri never thought he'd hear from Norman. His instinctual reaction is to want to shout 'No! I won't promise that!' but he knows if he does Norman will shut down and say nothing.

He can't in good faith say he won't, so he'll try to look for a compromise]

Do you have a good reason for the cops to not to be notified of a crime?

[This is a delicate situation and to be frank Mouri was never good in negotiating. He fully expects Norman to back down at any point and say nothing else]

[nods sharply] The only good reason there is. Any other time, I, I'd call them right away, I swear.

[Well Norman sure looks sure about that. Mouri sighs]

Alright. I'll promise you I won't call the police when we're out of here.

Alright. [he pauses, thinking about the best way to say it. decides that just going and saying it would bet best.]

My mother killed someone. [... wow, that actually feels pretty great! like a weight off his shoulders. it's what makes him continue.] Again.

[It takes Mouri a moment to respond. He blinks owlishly a couple times before turning his head around.

No surprise Norman didn't want the police to be called. A momma's boy like him wouldn't want that mother to be locked away, even if she killed...more than once]

I see. Are you completely sure about what you just said? I mean, is there no possibility you are mistaken and she is actually innocent?

[nods again]

There's... We're alone, out there. It can't be anyone else.

...that is a problem.

[To say the least]

And you dreamed that. It's no wonder you are despairing.

Don't worry too much yet. These dreams may not be over yet, maybe in a future dream you'll know how this is going. Who knows, maybe she was judged innocent, if the case somehow already reached the police's attention.

... It won't. I'm, uh, I'm gonna make sure of that. I know I will. I always do. [it won't be any different than any of the other times. he knows that now.]

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... Norman-san? Are you alright?

[Because, uh... you don't seem to be doing okay in here.]

[good, literally one of the last people here he wants to see right now.

he could lie, of course. he's been getting pretty darn good at it, over the years. it'd be simple as anything.]

... J-Just a bad dream. [he's tired, though. very tired.]

I'm sorry. [There's a slight pause, before she then steps closer, reaching out to tentatively put a hand on Norman's arm in what is meant to be a calming gesture.]

We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but... would you like some tea? I could make some for you if you'd like...

[She's found that tea really does help here lately when it comes to these dreams they've been having here, so maybe it'll help Norman too?]

[it does the exact opposite of calm-- he full-body flinches away from the touch. he has, at least, the decency to look embarrassed by his reaction.]

I, uh... Yeah, I would.

[And of course, Megumi's automatic reaction to Norman flinching away from her is to flinch away a little herself, before bowing her head in a wordless apology. We're sorry Norman, she should have said something first before doing that...]

Okay. Do you want to accompany me to the kitchen, or would you like me to bring it to you here?

I'll come with. [he says, maybe a bit too quickly.

he stands, hands in his pockets, ready to follow her.]

[They head to the kitchen, and Megumi doesn't say much while preparing the tea until it's done, sliding a cup over for him to take.]

Here we go... I hope this helps you feel a little better, Norman-san.

[The quality of tea provided in murdervault might be debateable, but it should be alright to drink since she knows what she's doing when it comes to making tea.]

I-It does. Really. [more that someone's even considering his feelings at all than anything about the tea...]

... I'm just, well, I'm just letting things g-get to me. I shouldn't be so weak...

[At that, Megumi shakes her head.]

No, no, it's perfectly understandable to be upset when you have a bad dream.

[Heck, her own dreams here have been... pretty bad, let's just say.]

That doesn't make you weak, Norman-san, for feeling that way.

N-No, it's not...

[he pauses, staring down at the tea. he hasn't actually touched it yet.]

I'm weak, but for things back home. Things I let happen. Things I, I couldn't stop.

[well fuck, Megumi definitely sympathizes with that feeling, given what's happened back home for her...]

... Like I said before, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but... I'm willing to listen, if you think talking about it will help you feel better.

I don't know if it will, is all. I-I've never talked about this before, before here...

[how does one even go about explaining such things... at the beginning?]

... Father died, when I was little. Violently. After him, Mother... I-I was poor substitute for him. I mean, we were happy! Very happy. She just, uh... never really recovered.

When I got, um, older, she started going a little... mad, I guess. Stopped letting me go anywhere, except on the few errands we needed. Less people came by when they moved the highway, which pleased her, but we still had customers. And some locals. And if they, um, were... [girls...]

Long story short, she's, um... Killed five people. So far. [YEAH THAT'S THE PERFECT WAY TO END THAT STORY]