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Isobel Penrose || 25/25 HP || making a game plan with Susan

She registered Susan's comment and for a moment, her brain completely short-circuited. Did an eminently pretty girl just tell her she liked her looks? That was... entirely unprecedented. And quite monumental. And really weird in a very nice way. Isobel felt the heat rising to her cheeks and was quite certain she resembled a human tomato at this point; at least the mask would, well, mask some of it but still. Her heartbeat was fluttering and gently she rested her hands on her stomach to quell the butterflies - she couldn't ever remember getting a compliment from someone who wasn't family, and especially from someone as gorgeous as Susan.

But before she could bumble into genuinely returning said compliment, the conversation had moved on to other subjects. "Åh! Um, yes, I think that'd be an eminently good idea." She smiled, trying to quell both their nerves by appearing calm and collected. She wasn't quite sure she succeeded. "If there's really going to be a murder..." Ghosting her hand along her arm at the chill the idea evoked, she continued; "if the cats were talking true and we're really the last, um, defense then we should probably at least try our best, right? But maybe we should start with someone not so-" her eyes flitted between the Spinel Lady and the Burning Man- "intimidating?"

There was something important before that, though; "åh but, ah, maybe-" she stopped, twisted her hands and tried to find her courage before continuing, "do you- do you maybe want me to take your picture first?" A quick breath and then she was rambling; "because you're eminently pretty like, beautiful and if you have all these pictures of what you like I think you should have one of yourself too because you're, um. Gorgeous."

Tibbie was not good at compliments.

alois scholz (masked) || 25/25 || looking for bennett and hux

“Thank you, Father.“ Alois departed from the table, leaving the two older men to chat with the Burning Man. It saddened him somewhat to walk from it; he used to prefer older men, as they were often seasoned and set in their ways. Stalwart felt like the right word. Yes, a reminder of bygone, better times. The world simply changed too much for his taste.

He paused then, in the middle of the long pathway, seemingly mid-step. He listened. He watched. He spotted Bennet speaking with the larger gentleman. Yes, they should have a chat, shouldn’t they? He wondered how his brother dealt with the local fare. He wondered if he was looking forward to tonight’s entertainment. He wondered a lot of things, including why he was kissing Adoelle’s child. Perhaps Alois should inform his father? Not yet - he would give the boy a chance to explain himself. Still, it bothered him to watch. Perhaps time away was time ill-spent?

When the wretched one neared, Alois turned his head. He watched the man with the three bottles of wine and the spiderweb on his head. Why must he always look so unpleasant? „Alois.“

„s**t!“ He started from his other self simply appearing into his path. „You want me to drop zese or what? ******** off wis’ zat.“

„Language please.“ He spared a glance down at the offerings in contempt. Raising a hand, he brushed Alois away like dust on an old canvas. „Father will need more than that. These guests have been partaking more than the last ones. Bring another six, with emphasis on the cabernet sauvignon. And don’t just pick the ones with the highest alcohol content - you were taught better than that.“

„Should I gif’ him a ******** b*****b, too? Maybe toss his salad after?“ Alois stared at the masked man with venom in his gaze.

He closed his eyes slowly at the wretched one. „There’s nothing to do for it now. It’s a pity that all your upbringing has come unraveled at the end. Have you thought about the tithe at all? Nevermind. You’re not worth the headache.“ He parted from present company in a vibrant flash of liquid gold and leaf green. It was time to find his brother.




alois scholz (unmasked) || 25/25 || bitching. leaving.

Alois crossed to the table by the Burning Man and brought the wine bottles down upon the table. A few empty ones remained, untouched by the other one of course, and Alois gritted his teeth at it. „Lazy-a** can’t take a few bottles with him…“ They were taken, regardless - each neck fit into the ring of thumb and forefinger until he could carry no more of the delicate bottles. He glanced toward the Burning Man, Father, he thought with disgust, and the company he carried. Jeremiah was here?

When he finished gathering bottles, Alois sidled over to the small grup. „Didn’t expect to see you here, Jeremiah.“ He propped the lone bottle in his other hand on his own shoulder. „Gaudy as hell with all this gossamer s**t on the walls and the overblown decorum. Who’s that with you? - Oh. I see. Well, you two should start pounding the wine before the night is over.“ He paused, and spared a look toward the Burning Man. „Don’t worry, Daddy,“ he spat, „I’ll excuse myself.“ Without pause for a response from the detective, he parted from the area.

[Alois Scholz (unmasked) is gone.]

25/25 Maskedloh is still talking to That Jame

"Oh Christ, them." Shiloh's lip curled slightly, but he let the scowl roll off his back. "I would be careful about Detective Mercer..." his voice dropped to a low whisper. "Probably all of them, he's got his hands wrung in them too deep."

His posture went blank at that moment, the venom from his stance melting. "Sorry, sorry, I shouldn't say that s**t about them." Shiloh worried his lip; had he come on too strongly there? "I just get this feeling from them you know? It wasn't like that at first, but..."

He waved his hand dismissively at his thoughts. "I'm over thinking. It's probably just a stupid adult thing. I guess it probably wouldn't hurt to see if they knew anything about the tithe..."

"Anyway, it'll be fine. Don't look at me that way, okay? You made it this far on your own." he gave Jamie a reassuring pat on the shoulder, "We'll meet up again in a bit, alright? Divide and conquer." he grinned again with those ivory white teeth. He reached up a gentle touch brushed against Jamie's cheek.

Susan Greer - 25/25 - talking blushing stuttering with Isobel

Susan almost wasn't sure she'd heard Isobel right. She stared at the woman for time long enough for it to be, well, slightly awkward. Her disposable camera was gripped firmly in both of her hands, held tight to her chest. The tips of her ears felt hot, a blush seemed to now be a permanent state of being across her cheek bones.

"Th- thank you, b-b-b-but I-" She glanced away, one hand leaving the camera to touch the intricate pattern of her mask. "I'd rather s-stay on this side of the camera, if that's al-alright with y-you. And bes-s-sides... I should probably focus on other th-things... I think I have e-enough for n-now..." She stowed the camera back in the small velvet bag still tied to her wrist, then- doing her best to avoid eye contact- she swiveled, looking at the otherbeings available to be questioned.

"Tho-those deer p-people don't l-look so bad..." She said. "And there are other r-rooms to go to, I'm p-pretty sure." She'd noticed people slipping down hallways and upstairs and returning all night. "Wh-where do you think we should s-start?"

Shun Kuroda 25/25 |Talking to Melany now

With the favor done, and having received a very interesting fact, it unfortunately only opened up avenues to further questions. Shun didn't walk away. Perhaps he should have. But he didn't.

"Six... There are a great deal of people here. Which six are the ones that are a part of the selection process? I imagine you may be, but there are still several unknowns," he asked, keeping a neutral tone. There were other things he wanted to ask her, but this came first. He knew some of the names, based on what the deer had said, but not the full list.

Jamie Delacroix | 25/25 | talking to the Masked Shitloh

Sure, Jamie knew Shiloh had an aversion to authority, but with everything that had happened it felt like he was beginning to grow past that. It felt like Shiloh was learning to trust and even if it was a slow process, Jamie was happy to see it. This, though... this made him figuratively double-take. In fact, he didn't even know quite what to say.

"I'll... be careful," was what he finally decided on, playing nervously with the lace that hung from his cuffs. The warning would stick with him. It would make him think. Jamie trusted Shiloh more than anyone.

"Maybe I'll, um, at least see if they learned anything. Since... we're supposed to be gathering info. Or something." Jamie fidgeted. Yeah okay, Shiloh was right that he'd made it this far on his own, but this whole confrontation had sorta flat tired his self-confidence. He tried hard not to show it, but his posture was stiff and his shoulders were droopy. At least they were, but then Shiloh touched his face.

Surprise lit Jamie's widening eyes as he looked up, a small, surprised breath escaping. The touch was gentle and, let's be real, it made him feel kinda funny. He definitely wasn't thinking about how strange Shiloh was acting anymore.

"I-I'll be okay..."

Jamie Delacroix | 25/25 | leaving the Ivory Hall

"Stronger, huh..." he mumbled, eyes never falling from Shiloh's face, even as the mask obscured it somewhat. "I... I'll try my best and... maybe we can prove we're not just kids." There was a twinge in his gut as he thought about it, but where it would've been sadness only moments ago, instead it was a touch of anger. They were trying so hard. They deserved to be taken seriously, too!

"I will be careful, thanks Shiloh." Jamie's smile was genuine, unblemished by the knowledge he didn't have, unbothered because he had no idea Shiloh was glad to be done with him. Had he known, it would've ruined him. "You be careful, too. See you soon..."

His own fingertips caught Shiloh's hand momentarily in a gentle touch before his hand dropped and he turned away. Where he'd go next, he wasn't sure yet, but if he could learn something, anything, it would make this difficult separation worth it.