[September 2017 GM Event] Masque of the Red Death

[Amalea]

Amalea caught that look – the one that spoke something interesting to come. She wasn’t disappointed by the string of questions fired off at Mr. Faber. It just took all of her willpower to stifle the giggle that threatened to escape. She had to admit though that the questioning and observations were sound. After all, who the hell wore a white dress to a somber occasion?

She smiled at Doc, eyes dancing merrily in betrayal of her amusement. Sobering up, she glanced at the wife-less man as he questioned her use of the plural. “Our Prince said there were killers amongst us and that we had to find those that killed him. His very words suggest that more than one had a hand in his death.”

It was another reason she didn’t think Ripper was one of the killers. Her nose crinkled as the man spoke of his wife and her desire to be watched. It wasn’t an unusual request given the situation, but that she had strayed from her husband after such a request, was, at least assuming the request was based on her desire for protection from the killer. As he turned to glare at the woman in question, Amalea stole a glance at Doc, giving him a look conveying that something smelt fishy.

"She seems to have succeeded," she commented lightly. "She's captured their attention as well, it appears."

[Yvette Marie]

She hated the sudden dark that issued forth as the lights were turned off. It was her only thought until the lights were turned back on, revealing the 'newly deceased'. While it were one less in the room to accuse, it was also a chance for the killer (or multiple killers) to win. And the blonde rather wanted to win, for some strange reason.

Yvette listened to the words of the woman beside her, and shook her head. She didn't know the woman either- but then again, she knew so very few. "I'm afraid not, but I really haven't made the acquaintance of many. I do not venture out much, you see." The woman she saw earlier clad in all white began to approach, and her eyes grew curious. Were she not just recently with the others? Perhaps seeking out new victims? Or was she innocent and simply gathering information so as to stay alive? Yvette's eyes dulled as she stared off for a few minutes, and she barely caught the conversation posed to her.

The doctor of their group was gone, and it seemed she now was being interrogated. A ruse, perhaps? Her eyes glanced once at the redhead, and a ghost of a smile flitted across her face as she responded to her first. "It was the best I could do under the dreadful circumstances, I'm afraid, but thank you. Your ensemble is quite fetching as well," she said belatedly, before answering the question posed by the woman dressed in white. She winced as she spoke, her lips now curving into a frown.

"I hadn't seen the Prince for months, I'm afraid. I'm his ward, you see, and I was away at finishing school on the continent. I've been away for quite some time, but I came as soon as I heard that-," she stammered out, her lip quivering until she was no longer able to answer. Yvette's eyes began to lose focus, and she looked down at the floor for a few moments. She only hoped her character would be accepted, as it was the only thing she could come up with. She felt she needed a lot more practice at creating a persona.

Turning the conversation back towards the other woman, Yvette lifted her head to better look at her interrogator, the blonde's eyes becoming focused once more as she took in the details.
"Your dress is lovely, miss. Are you perhaps following the customs of the Netherlands? Given the recently deceased Prince, I could not fault you for ensuring the mourning was as special as he. I only wish I had been able to honor him as he deserved."

Her eyes followed the path towards the woman in white's 'husband', and she frowned again at the strange choice of words. This woman was using some version of divide and conquer then? Yvette couldn't help but be very suspicious. It may very well be she'd become too close to the killer in their midst.

(Edit and Note: Sorry this is rather long, I've been out all day and wanted to cover several pieces to catch up, rather than multiple posts.)

[Romeo]

“We must remember that it is not only in the Netherlands that white is an acceptable color of mourning. China as well has taken to the lighter side of what is considered considered fitting to wear. Perhaps, in this case it is not a death so much as a rebirth.”

I smile because there is no question in my mind why I wore what I had and the message it was to serve. In fact I have on enough white to reclothe a bride and at least four bridesmaids with knee length gowns. Which given the hit the ensemble I have on is seeming to be I just may repurpose the gown altogether and see what Ebay has to say.

“He was a special one indeed. One of a kind. Had we only had more time to speak with him and offer our protection he would be with us right now in much better standing. Shame it is. Pity really.” The rim of the glass in hand finds the surface of my lips once more but is retracted in sudden thought, or so it would appear to be. I keep my focus on my husband and his cohorts while I ask those I am in current company with. Neither is singled out for the answer in particular. “If you say a band of nefarious individuals appear to be thick as thieves what would be said to describe a cluster of red handed party goers?”

[Doc]

Doc was singularly disappointed that the Dude in the rather nice deep red Jacket hadn’t taken offence at his question. What did a guy have to to do to start a fight a around here?

Why did he want to start a fight? Because people’s true natures showed during a fight. And he didn’t know Mr. Faber. Nor did Doc know Mr. Faber’s wife. But watching her, she had attitude to burn.

And still no sight of Ripper. He had thought Ripper was the killer. But now.. Seeing those that are left, and not knowing them, Doc thought about Ripper. How many times had he successfully evaded hunters? Far too often. And why? Because he knew how to hide. And what was he doing now? Ripper wasn’t the killer.

#unvote:ripper

But the woman in White, the woman’s own husband was casting doubt her way. And then Doc overheard her expounding the virtues of white at a funeral. No. That had not been her original thought when she wore white. He could tell by the sanctimonious look on her face as she let the information roll far too glibly off her tongue.

Mr. Faber wasn’t out of the running either. But something about his stance, and the way he watched his wife, seemed, odd.

#vote:Romeo

[Yvette Marie]

A rebirth? Yvette looked at the woman clad in white once more, her eyes narrowing as her brows dipped low in a mix of disagreement and befuddlement. "A rebirth, as you say, is still the unmaking of one thing in order to acquire another. Someone has unmade two lives now, regardless of what they have now become. Quite against their own desires, I might add. The freedom of choice is such a delicate thing already," she mumbled. The conversation had left her feeling quite uncomfortable, her lips parted as if she were to say another thought, before she had decided it was better left unsaid. There was just too much left unanswered. The 'married couple' as it were. Were there reasons they chose not to remain together? Time was running out for Yvette to get her questions answered.

She had no kind way of asking, so she decided to be straightforward, and damn the consequences. "Why would your protection have been beneficial? Have you some resource the Prince had not previously considered?" She heard the other woman's question and grew still, her mind becoming derailed from her query. "A cult, perhaps? Or a pack?"

Yvette looked towards the trio where the white-clad woman's husband stood, and stopped frowning, though it remained in the look in her eyes. There had to be one that would have what she needed. Noting the trio, in fact, were also looking in their direction made her flush. She had recognized two, and though she wasn't familiar with their habits, the familiarity made her twitchy. "Miss? Are you quite alright?" she posed to the redhead, trying to get her thoughts together. "It'll be quite alright. I'm sure you'll be safe, miss," she tried reassuring her.

[Meara]

Who the hell sells Tupperware anymore, anyways? Was the thought that bubbled up to the top of Meara's mind as she listened to the Marie Antoinette look-a-like. There was something about the combination of smugness and the reassurance of the innocence that was starting to strike Meara as unnerving about the woman in white. Much like the wolf in sheep's clothing attempting to lure in their prey, she seemed to be trying to create a false sense of security with her and the blonde she was originally standing with.

But Meara herself was Dutch, so sh really didn't understand their goings on about white being a funeral color in the Netherlands. To her recollection it was not, and they certainly didn't believe in rebirth as they were a secular sort. So this woman in white was doing a very poor job of lying through her teeth - it just didn't add up at all. In fact the way she spoke made it sound like the dearly departed prince was reincarnated into some other place by a ritual or something.

The voice of the woman she originally stood with started speaking directly to her, snapping Meara back to reality and out of her wandering thoughts. "Me? Oh yes I'm alright. well as alright as I can be given the circumstances of course." She offered a fleeting smile. "Are you holding up alright, miss?" She commented in return, seeming to take a step closer to the blonde and away from the woman in white.


#vote: Romeo

[Urchin]

My 'wife' was making friends and waving at me. It wasn't those two things that made me suspicious, but the fact that she was looking so smug over there. Like she had something up her sleeve. Normally, I wouldn't mind, we had our thing, but she was pulling other people into our thing. I could tell because all three of them were looking my way. Was it possible there were three killers?

I look at the Doctor and then at Sophia Pond. "You see that?" I nudge my head in the direction of the trio. "Something isn't right. You said murderers." I pointed out, then hold up three fingers, implying multiples. My 'wife' was playing at something and it was dangerous. Either they were all in cahoots, or she was priming one of them up for her next kill.

#Vote:Romeo

[Amalea]

Amalea had kept one ear and eye on the menfolk as she observed the trio of women – particularly Mrs. Faber. She found it rather odd that Mr. Faber had gone to greet her after promising to return for an introduction only to come back alone. Then he says she wanted him to keep an eye on her. It was all rather peculiar.

She was rather taken aback by the lecture about white as a color of mourning in Asian countries. It was true; however this was neither the time nor the place for such a thing. Killers were on the loose and frivolities could wait. There was something more she couldn’t put her finger on that seemed amiss; she had long learnt to trust her instincts.

The proverbial nail in the coffin was the fact her husband seemed just as suspicious of his wife as she was. The red-head nodded slightly at his question, “I did.” She frowned slightly, “There’s at least two, though not likely more than three. Any more would be harder to conceal.”


#vote:Romeo

[Azraeth]

A majority vote has been reached! This means Romeo has been voted off the island out by her fellow participants. She may continue to observe from the gallery.

Romeo was an innocent. Meaning, in this case, justice totally did not work!

BLACK OUT PHASE BEGINS NOW
Please don't post until Lights On phase begins. Thank you!

Red Death members and Detective - please submit the names of your targets to me via PM. Black Out phase will end once I have that information (though you'll have to wait for morning for Light's On phase).

<3!

[Azraeth]

There is quite a lot of shuffling around during the blackout phase, and then a sound like a cap gun going off, with the telltale brief acrid scent of smoke along with the equally short flash of light.

When the lights turn back on, there's a firearm in the middle of the floor with what appears to be a bang flag sticking out of it, and Amalea has a little black hole painted on between her eyes (though the paint is slightly runny).

Unfortunately, Amalea was our Detective, which means our vigilant hero is gone, and it's just the foxes left in the chicken coop! But maybe the chickens are resourceful enough to save themselves.

Three votes required to reach majority for this round.

And, as always, Amalea may continue to observe from the gallery.

Lights On phase begins now!
Feel free to continue posting.