( MINGLE - WEEK 3 )

[abhoth]

SURVIVORS: 36 The sun is shining, the air conditioner units hum as they always do, and a gentle morning breeze blows against the windows. The scent of pine cones and evergreen follow you wherever you go in the motel, save for the parking lot and outdoor pool. It seems like someone was very generous with the detergent while moping the floors. The two grandfather clocks (one on each floor) will ring with each passing hour, indicating the time of day without fail. With this knowledge — they'll note the motel will continue to be surrounded by fog until 8:00 AM on the dot. It is at that hour that the fog will begin to recede. Not enough to reveal the whole city, but enough to allow residents to explore some of the buildings surrounding the motel. And speaking of the motel, it doesn't seem like there's anything out of the ordinary on this lovely Monday morning. How quaint. As a reminder, we are now accepting murder proposals for Week 3! If you're interested in having your character commit a murder this week, be sure to send in your proposal before Tuesday, 9:00 PM EST. Without any murders we can't have a murdergame, so go forth and let the bodies hit the floor! As always, feel free to PM us or send us a PP over plurk if you have any questions! ( quick navigation ) ic rulebook | locations | statuses | room assignments private conversations | ic profiles | graveyard | full navigation

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[splinten]

MONDAY MORNING: GROCERY STORE

[An odd project in the local grocery store: someone has started collecting cans and started to set them up in a rough approximation of an arm and a leg. It isn't exactly the best effort, but it's there.]

Nothin' to weld with, hm...

[Prosthetics are difficult.]

MONDAY EVENING: POOL

[Might as well do laps while the water is still clear. Dirk can be spotted in the pool, with the ready grace of a longtime swimmer, frequently just diving down deep to swim along the bottom of the water. When he does that, he often stays down for several minutes, just drifting along the bottom. He probably isn't dead?

Nah, he isn't dead. One time when he breaks surface, he shakes the water out of his hair (somehow still pointy) and mutters,] Fuckin' suburban garbage. How were people okay with this.

[He goes under again. This time, he manages to stay down for a full six minutes, assuming no one tries to drag him out.]

TUESDAY; BIG BELLY DINER

[Anyway Dirk is sitting here at the diner. He is listening to the jukebox! It's a catchy remix. Cool!

He has already listened to that song ten times. When it stops, he hits to play it again.

Yeah he's been listening to that all day while holding Dave's broken shades in his hands. He's fine.]

THURSDAY; KITCHEN

[In one hand, he is reading a 1950s cooking book. He continues to check it as he goes through steps, getting flour, adding butter, folding the dough.

He's using apples. He keeps cutting them up and then stopping. Cuts them up, stops, tries to keep going. Freezes up and goes back to the pastry part of his efforts.

At one point, he just sits down on the kitchen floor and puts his face in his hands and doesn't move at all. But he's probably fine. You can probably leave him there.]

TUESDAY

[lohengrins]

[ they both look a bit different today for their own reasons.

percival slides into his booth, his expression soft -- softer than it has been by far. ]

What's on your mind?

[ he doesn't know him well, but he does know his pain. ]

[splinten]

Nothing.

[It's quiet and tired and certainly not true. What's on his mind is this: Dave is dead, and it is his fault. Dave is dead because Dirk made the wrong moves. Dirk failed. Dirk failed Dave again.

He barely registers what is different about Percival. It's there, he notes it, he's too observant not to and all the rest. But he can't seem to focus enough to think about it. The other thoughts are too heavy. They're like the press of the ocean, above and around you. There's no room for anything else.]

It's cool you can get this jukebox to play anything.

[Like the same song, forever.]

[lohengrins]

[ it's like looking into a mirror. he fights the urge to frown, not out of displeasure but empathy, rather. ]

Is this song important to you?

[ his eyes say 'it must be, right?' ]

thursday

[willremember]

[ Clementine comes in to join him, because she Senses Food and wants in on that. She hops up on a counter to watch him work, inviting herself into the space, but really wanting to interrupt him.

And just. Watches him for a while. Mostly just lets him take his breaks. Even when his face is in her hands, she's still quiet for a pretty long time.

She speaks softly. ]

Hey. Keep moving.

[splinten]

[He recognizes the voice. Registers it as an order. Obeys, automatically. Gets up, pushes the dish into the oven. Apple fritters without the apples are probably subpar, but you know, it could go worse?

He takes the apples and offers them to Clem. They shouldn't get wasted; both of them understand that principle. Dirk can't make himself try to eat them.]

[willremember]

[ she accepts the apples, but then just holds them in her hands over her lap. she's too used to the 'being-handed-things' game with AJ. ]

... How are you doing?

[ bad, obviously. ]

tuesday

[ungodly]

[ heather had been looking for dirk today. she hadn't really spoken to him, but there was something she wanted to tell him — or, really, maybe just give him. there weren't many words that could help in situations like this. she knew this. usually words were just bullshit, filler dialogue that people felt was necessary.

when she finds him, she slides a something down to him on the bar. she doesn't want to invade or anything. if dirk picks it up, he'll see it's a marker drawing on card paper. ]

I was gonna display it, but.. I thought you should have it instead.

[splinten]

[He takes the card and looks it over. Glances up, although behind his shades there isn't much to read in his face anything.]

Thank you. Energy and passion. Right? It's been a while since I studied anythin' about Tarot.

[ungodly]

Something like that, from what I know. I dunno where I learned about it, honestly. It just.. feels right to make these for some reason.

[ it's as much for herself as it is a tribute. ]

I can go if you want. Just wanted to give you that, honestly. Don't wanna waste your time with any BS.

monday evening

[thawedheart]

[Yukina doesn't notice him at first - he's underwater when she passes by.

But, she happens to catch sight of him out of the corner of her eye before she walks away, and... he's... been under there for awhile, hasn't he? There's no small amount of concern on her face as she approaches the pool's edge, but he hits the six-minute mark before she can jump in and try to pull him out, and her eyes widen in surprise.]

You're... really good at holding your breath.

[splinten]

Yeah. Asphyxiation would be a stupid way to try to kill me.

[In his defence: true? Also dumb fact, he wears his sunglasses when he swims.]

Yukina. Right?

[thawedheart]

[She wasn't planning to kill him by asphyxiation (or any other method), but she'll file that away regardless.]

Yes, that's right. And you're Dirk-san...?

Tuesday

[nowyouseeit]

[it probably comes as no surprise that Kaito seeks Dirk out the next day]

[he stands at the opening of the diner, hands in his pockets, watching Dirk just. listen to that song and stare sadly at his bro's sunglasses. it isn't until the song finishes that he speaks]

Oi. . .

[splinten]

[Kaito but are you ready for the song to pop up AGAIN because it's going to. Sorry, world. Love Dave's remixes.

The only real sign that Dirk has noticed it is the slight shift in his posture. There's barely any movement in his expression.]

Hey.

Thursday

[vitamin_a]

[Dave's death sucks. Apollo had thought of him as a strong kid with a weird life, and now he's gone, dead because he tried to find stuff from one of the locked rooms. Damn it...

...and now Dirk is here. He looks like this is hitting him very hard, and that's no surprise]

...come on, Dirk. Don't give up yet.

[It's a bit half-hearted because he fully understands how it feels to want to give up and just accept whatever comes, even if it's death, but he also feels he can't leave Dirk just sitting there with his face in his hands.

It also doesn't help that this is pretty much the first time Apollo talks to Dirk one-to-one, what's he supposed to say to Dirk...?]

[splinten]

[U tried, Apollo. ]

M'not. I'm fine.

[Clearly. This is a believable and valid statement.]

Thursday

[pinesforyou]

...... You can't stop mid-pie! Come on, Dirk!

[NUDGES HIS WAIST]

Re: Thursday

[splinten]

[Thanks Mabel. He stares dully into nothing for a few moments, then lets his hands drop.]

What's your favourite fruit?

[His voice still sounds completely dead but. At least he'll try to finish a pie??]

Re: monday

[splinten]

[Dirk rises up. He sees Andersen squatting there. He does not say anything, not even something rude.]

thor'sday

[empireofrats]

[A pair of small arms loop around Dirk's head and neck, followed by the weight of a girl leaning on his side, and then a cheek resting on the top of his head.]

[splinten]

[He reaches up for her arms, closing his fingers around them. He gives a gentle squeeze to let her know he appreciations it. He doesn't move immediately, though. He can't help but think he doesn't deserve this, that he deserves this least of anyone, from her not at all. He can't help but think....

Still, he doesn't pull away. He needs this too much.]

tuesday

[pinesfortruth]

[Dipper stands frozen in the doorway to the diner for an awkward second-- he hadn't expected to see Dirk here. The sight of Dave's broken shades also contributes to his deer in headlight state, but his hesitation doesn't last too long before he's hit with a surge of... something, and he goes and sits on the other side of Dirk's booth]

That's a pretty good song.

[he doesn't manage casual convo very well because he looks like a sympathetic child, but at least he didn't ask "are you okay"?]

[splinten]

Dave composed it. He did some other ones, too. [this one is cool??] Hey, Dipper.