week 0

[productions]

murder manor week zero



friday

[You wake in an unfamiliar bedroom, with no memory of how you came to be there and a sensation that something you once had is gone. The room you're in is luxurious and comfortable, but there is a musty feeling of disuse and decay in the air. Still, you've provided with new wardrobe perfectly tailored for you, a key ring that will unlock your bedroom door, so surely you're welcome to explore the manor?

Have a look around and make yourselves at home. You'll soon find you're not alone, but if any among you knows the secrets of this place, they aren't speaking.]

This is an open mingle log for arrival at the manor. Please put your character's name, location, and the time in the header of their comments. Characters are welcome to explore the manor and get to know one another; nothing else will be revealed to them today.

Setting
Cast

Comments

altman ; fence ; 1 pm

[reunified]

[ Once he'd taken stock of the inside of the building, Altman had been drawn outside to the grounds. There wasn't much, nothing besides plants, a pond, a few small buildings... and that fence. Altman followed it for what felt like forever, until he'd made a full circuit of the grounds. No openings. Trapped. Trapped all over again. No way out.

His heart started to hammer in his chest all over again, the faint, distant whine growing in his ears as anxiety creeps through him like a wash of hot-cold static. Despite the openness of the grounds, the wind chill against the sweat on the back of his neck reminding him of the relative freedom, claustrophobic sinks its teeth into him like a bear trap.

The fence. Frowning, and hand shaking slightly, Altman finally reaches out and touches it. He had half-expected it, but the shock still makes him yelp and jerk away, hand pulled close to his chest. Electrified.

They weren't getting out. Not all of them, anyways. ]

Fuck... Fuck fuck FUCK.

[inthebones]

Certainly the most succinct description of the situation I've heard so far.

[The voice carries the vague amusement of one who had similarly electrocuted themselves ten seconds ago and now condescended from the lofty seat of experience.]

I suppose it would be rather pointless to go to the trouble of bringing us here only to leave the exit door open.

[reunified]

[ Altman, master of his surroundings, jumped nearly a foot when he hears a voice nearby. He hadn't seen or heard her approach, so wrapped up in his own little brainspace. For a moment he just stares at her, wild eyed, before he gets himself under control. ]

I-- Y-yeah. Sorry, I didn't mean to swear like that. I just...

[ Absently he rubs his shocked hand, glancing warily at the fence. ]

I'm not a big fan of being locked up, even in a place this big.

[inthebones]

[The severe-looking young woman nods, her expression now grim.]

Nor I. It's a prison. A very elaborate prison with comfortable chairs - that's always important - but a prison nonetheless.

We appear to be fully at the means of our captors.

[reunified]

[ Captors. Those are the people, whoever they are, Altman is most curious and afraid of. ]

Do you know if anyone has found them yet? The people keeping us here?

[inthebones]

They haven't.

[Her response is simple and her voice carefully calm.]

I suppose they could be hiding, although the idea is a bit juvenile. They, no doubt, are free to exit and enter at their whims. If they need to exit and enter at all.

[reunified]

Then they're watching us.

[ He's sure of that, at least. There are probably cameras and microphones all around them even as they speak. Altman frowns again, hands drawn up close to his body once more, fingers fidgeting nervously. A moment later he stops and crosses his arms, as if becoming aware of his slip up. ]

They've given us too much space and too much junk. Prisons don't work that way.

[inthebones]

Perhaps prison isn't the most appropriate term.

[Susan, on the other hand, is unfamiliar with recording devices of any sort and has been thinking along a different tact. She agrees with the general gist of his words, though.]

But an illusion of freedom is likewise meaningless. They certainly want something out of us - and I doubt we'll attain much leverage without satisfying their desires.

[reunified]

What would you call it, then?

[ His tone is flat, but under that he's honestly curious. This seems pretty clear-cut to him. ]

We won't find out what they want until they reveal themselves somehow. For now we're stuck.

[inthebones]

...A closed space.

[The words emerge slowly, as if speaking them to herself.]

No one enters, no one leaves. An artificial construction of a familiar environment that rings false... A stage.

[Susan, apparently, could be poetic when she wanted to be.]

I wonder what act they'll have us play.

[reunified]

[ Altman stares at her, his gaze inward but alert. ]

Sounds like the kind of prisons I'm used to.

[ He looks over at the fence again. ]

Whatever they want out of us, leaving through the fence isn't involved. Even if we get over, I'm sure they'll have some way of hunting us down.

[inthebones]

Perhaps we ought to be obedient for the moment, then. I suspect there will be plenty of time for us to make escape plans. We'll be here quite a while - at least long enough to warrant keys.

[reunified]

[ Altman rubs his unharmed hand over his face, sighing. ]

Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Running without a solid plan doesn't work out well. They just find you and drag you back and then they're pissed and nothing works out well for anyone...

[inthebones]

I see you have experience with this sort of thing.

Perhaps you care to share some tips as we meander back to the house?

[reunified]

Unfortunately.

[ He pauses, then nods. ]

Yeah, sure. I-- I'm Altman, for the record. Michael Altman.

[inthebones]

Susan Sto Helit. ...I don't usually go by my surname - you prefer the use of your?

[reunified]

Ah... I don't care either way. Michael is fine. We just tended to go by our surnames at work. Guess it's a force of habit to introduce myself that way.

Nice to meet you, Susan. Situation aside, anyways.

[inthebones]

The situation being the only reason we're meeting each other in the first place, I shouldn't say it's very nice at all. I would much rather have never met you, all things considered.

[Susan manages to sound perfectly amiable while saying this.]

But since it's already happened, perhaps we can make the most of it.

[reunified]

[ He'd be offended, but what she says makes sense. He'd trade meeting her if it meant not being here at all. ]

I suppose that's all we can do.

[ He starts trudging slowly back toward the building, still squeezing his arms close to his chest. ]

Did you arrive here alone?

[inthebones]

I did. ...I think most of us did, save those with pets.

[A slight frown.]

I don't see how small animals could possibly enhance any situation that involves extradimensional kidnap, but I suppose I'm not very imaginative.

[reunified]

[ He looks at her, eyebrows knitting together. ]

Extradimensional?

Re: altman ; fence ; 1 pm

[scratched]

[has definitely not fucked with the fence]

Preach it, sister.

[reunified]

[ Altman startles sharply, spinning around to stare at... another kid? He stares, nervous and blank, for a moment or two before he frowns. ]

Yeah, do yourself a favor and don't be a moron and touch the fence.

[scratched]

[ the young millennial would be offended, as he is clearly the age of a man in many cultures, thank-you-very-much.]

Wasn't planning on it. Guess the fact that you're fondling the electro-fence like you've had three rum and cokes up in the club and its just given you the Look means there's definitely not a more logical, less shocking way out then, right?

[reunified]

[ Altman looks at him oddly. You hip young things and your wordy bullshit. ]

Not that I could find. I went all around the fence, and there aren't any openings.