When the Lights Go Out

[Lillian Gray]

"Attention, everyone! Dinner is almost ready, so we would request that you gather in the dining hall!" The voice of a cheery maid echoes through the lounge on the first floor, where a large majority of guests are gathered. She ushers them all to the great dining hall and waves her hand to the seats there.

"I will find the rest of the guests, and assure that no one misses a minute." The butler is the one to head upstairs and knock on every door, calling to those who had fallen asleep and yelling once upstairs into the attic when he couldn't find every person in his head count. Once everyone is gathered, the many servants of the manor begin to offer refreshments while the group waits.
​

Every guest is now in the dining hall.

A fair amount of time passes as the guests wait for food. Some leave to make use of the lavatory, or to freshen up their appearance one last time. It is worth noting that Annie Blake has a hard time moving too far without the use of her crutches. The accidental stubbing of a toe is met with an apology.​

In Lord Upton's place at the head of the long dining table is a small note, folded carefully into thirds to be propped up, noticeable to the common eye to those who looked. The maid takes it upon herself to examine the parchment. It is addressed simply to 'Guests' and has no other significant markings. She sets it back down on the plate and holds it flat to read the note aloud.
​

"To all my guests, I would like to greet you in my study, so you might receive a glimpse into your own future." The maids nose crumples in confusion. "This was not on the agenda, but, if you would all follow me!"
​

The group is moved to the hall outside Lord Upton's Chambers. The door is closed.
​

"Lord Upton, we've brought the guests as you requested, might I enter now?"
​

There is no immediate response from inside. The butler pushes on and a horrid sight awaits all the guests.

Sitting upright in his desk chair is the deceased body of Lord Taylor Upton. He has been stabbed multiple times. At his desk is a notebook with the same parchment the note was written on, a pen still in his hand. The weapon is not in plain sight, but is in the room.


Murder!​

 

[Zora18]

Dr. Sabina Konstantinova
Sabina had been feeling calm, rational, and cool. An uninterrupted sense of.. peace. After putting away her luggage in her room, she had explored the second floor and wandered into the third a bit. When coming back from the third floor, a- he seemed young, maybe 18? 20?- bumped into her going up the stairs. He seemed really taken aback, stumbling back a few steps, but maintained a small grin, looking her directly in the face with sharp, ice blue eyes. "Oh god! Sorry. I didn't see you there." He said. Sabina thought about telling him that there was nothing much up there except the attic, but she had been taken off guard by the encounter herself and they passed one another. After a while, dinner was called downstairs and Sabina went promptly. It took a while for everyone to gather and be seated. Then the unexpected note was read and they were escorted to Lord Upton's Study on the other side of the first floor. Sabina felt.. nothing initially..surprisingly.. about what she saw in that room, most likely from the pills, right? She felt a sense of fear and urgency to leave, yes, but no physical reaction came from it. In her more anxious states, she would have been running for the front door and vomiting from shock, disgust, and fear, but right now, not even a scream came out as she would usually expect from herself after seeing so much blood, oozing languidly from the deceased Lord's fresh wounds. Oozing as if it were simply wine flowing delicately from a bottle at dinner. She just shuddered uncontrollably, in disbelief of what was in front of her eyes and observed the chaotic reactions of the others around her. She looked for the young guy with the ice cold eyes in the crowd, where was he? Then she looked at the cursed pen dangling from the Lord's frozen right hand and at his matching frozen face. He looked.. peaceful.. to her, caught in thought, like a marble statue painted in red. Too caught up in the dreamy nature of thinking and writing to notice and attend to the imminent threats of the external reality. The intense shock and fear would come later in the night when Sabina would try to sleep. No, she doubted anyone would be sleeping tonight. No, the killer would be after them, it said so in the note, and the blizzard's a death trap as well, the newspaper said so, there will be blood on the walls, there's blood on the parchment on Lord Upton's desk, for christ sake's he's dead, dead dead dead, don't you understand?! and you're trapped Sabina, trapped! You and anybody else could be next---! She finally screamed.

Ricardo "Ricky" Serafim
"OH MY GOD!!!!" Ricky had to hold on to something in the study, the shelf of an adjacent bookcase, just to keep standing. He turned his head away, not willing to look back no matter what after the first view. He gripped the shelf tightly, his hands shaking violently causing some books to fall on his fingers. He left the room and sat down where he could, holding his head in his hands. What a nightmare. What is going to happen now? He couldn't even think of what could happen as he struggled to comprehend what just did and how. This is nuts. Absolutely nuts. How did this happen? I mean with all these nosy maids and butlers around, how could anyone go unnoticed long enough to get away with something like this?! I mean, while he was showering, he could of swore he heard a knock on his bedroom door 3, 4 times of maids and butlers asking if he needs anything and reminding when dinner is and bringing extra little things, some damn lotions or whatever; regardless, how the fck did this happen? He doubted it was any of the contestants. They want the money, why would they kill the source of it, he figured. The butler looked suspicious, with his cheesy grin and austere posture. No, they all looked like that. Maybe a psycho maid the Lord had an affair with and now this is some kind of revenge? He slightly laughed nervously, and then sighed deeply and closed his eyes as if to, when he opens them again, find himself in his bed upstairs, waking up and laughing off this crazy nightmare he had, rushing himself to get ready before dinner's called. Only there is nothing more lucid than reality, there is no escape without permanently severing the thin fragile cord we walk all our lives, balancing to not fall into the unknown dark depths of death. Therefore, when Ricky opened his eyes again, he remained stuck in the nightmare - shivering and sweating simultaneously, stomach aching from the trauma and hunger. "I guess there won't be dinner soon..." He shrugged, speaking softly. "I should have just stayed wrapped in that smog-soaked cardboard in L.A. I'd get a gig eventually to cover at least a few nights at a motel. I knew this was too good to be true."

 

[Rainjay]

Zena Rush

Zena placed her hand against the attic door, and held it there for a second while she thought. Attics were always kind of creepy, filled with old stuff and cobwebs and bugs. But, that old stuff, was also often valuable. Valuable meant money- and she wouldn't mind having a few extra bucks in her pocket. With this in mind, she gently pushed the door open, hearing the click as the door readily opened. Then she stepped inside, leaving the attic door slightly ajar so a beam of light flooded into the room.

She could only really see what the light was cast upon; the rest of darkness. A few things glistened in the light, but other than the slight musky scent and the dust strobes in the air, there was little she could note right away. She took a few steps in, passing an old end table and a pile of books that looked so old they were ready to crumble. A few things looked covered with tarps. Some chests were nearby as well, and caught her attention.

She knelt down next to a small box sitting on the floor- a jewelry box. "Bingo," she whispered to herself, lifting the lid gently and looking inside. A layer of heavy dust slid from the top and landed on the wooden floor behind the small box; inside, everything was clean, and shiny. Small rings, coiled necklaces. In the shadows, it was hard to tell what each item was composed of, but she found one small ring embedded with three small diamonds. It fit her finger perfectly- and so what else could she have done? She took it.

She heard a voice shouting from the second floor, near the attic. A call? Probably dinner, she thought. She closed the lid and shoved the jewelry box under a nearby tarp, waited until she was sure nobody was waiting outside for her, and then slid out the door and shut it with another resounding click. "I'll be back for you later," she mused, before stepping down the stairs. She made a pit stop in her room to wash the dust away from her hands and knees before joining the others in the hall. The ring sat in her pocket, a guilty secret.

Mariona Mauve Nighman

Osteosarcoma? Mariona instantly felt a pang of hurt for this stranger. She had a soft spot for all sick children- perhaps not an uncommon thing, but she was hell-bent on helping these kids receive education, and sometimes took it to heart as a personal quest. Of course, she was only a professor. It by no means meant she had the money to actually help, but the inheritance...

"There are plenty of scholarships and aid a bright girl like you could probably win," Mariona suggested. "I could always help you look, if you would like. I'm sure the library here has a computer or two. Some time and effort does pay off in that department. I always tell my stud-"

She cut herself off. "I'm sorry. Rambling again. But I can help you, if you'd like." she offered, feeling content. Then she smiled at the girls query. "Oh, yes! Honestly, I'm not completely sure. A few of the children in my family will be needing tuition money, but they are more than capable of getting the money for school themselves. I'll likely donate most of it, and maybe keep some for school equipment. I have a list of tech I want for my class, and some books- a lit professor, without any books of her own to give to students! It's a tad ridiculous, no?"

"We have the library, but when I taught- very briefly, mind you- high school, I always had a shelf of books in the corner for students to take. It greatly encouraged reading; helped expand student viewpoints. Great stuff." she went on to say. She quickly launched into another subject of conversation, effectively keeping busy until the maid emerged into the first floor again and announced that dinner was ready.

However, it wasn't quite as ready as it seemed. The maid seemed frazzled when she read the note, but the group followed her to the study obediently, excited perhaps to meet the Lord himself.

But what they found in the room was...

"Oh my lord," Zena hushed beside her, putting her hands over the nose and mouth. A smell had not yet taken hold of the now dead lord, but the girl looked too shocked to notice, her eyes wide in alarm. Mariona herself was shocked, but was stunned into silence, her eyes trained on the body. It was like reliving a book, she thought. Too real to be true. The effects of his murder- it was blatantly murder- was gruesome.

She put a hand over Zena's back, pulling the girl's attention away as somebody else screamed. "We have to go. We need to go, now."

Zena shook her head. "Haven't you seen the storm outside? It'd be suicide to drive out in that. You'd probably crash, or die of hypothermia, or something." she said, seemingly recovered from her momentary hysteria. "No. It's probably safer here. We're in numbers, yes? We stick together, and we'll be fine. We'll isolate the murderer."

Too bad it didn't always work like that, Mariona thought, shuddering. At least, in books, it never, ever did.

​

 

[Mr.Scales ⚖]

Damon
​

Damon wasn't a baseball fanatic so he didn't know the man was a baseball player, he didn't get to see many celebrities his whole life, so he found it pretty cool to meet one, but didn't get the whole fuss about them. "Hmm, a baseball player huh? You must get paid a lot of money" Damon nodded as he sat on the chair with his left leg on his right and his hands on the chairs arm rests. "The closest celebrity i met was a monster truck driver...If you count that as a celebrity. Damon chuckled, then put his hands in his dress pants pockets listening to the conversation unfold, some people he disliked, but he did find most tolerable.

Damon decided to see if Lord Upton was ready and hoped that the dinner was ready also, the man stood up and took his hands out of his pockets as he headed for the kitchen, he walked into the kitchen and greeted the butler and maid then went to the table and sat down, the man was very polite and rule enforcer. Damon then asked the man if he could use the washroom, so as Damon explored the mansion trying to find the washroom he saw something very bad, the girl known as Zena was exploring the attic, so Damon didn't get to close but close so he could see her in the attic, he saw her taking out jewelery but then heard a yell, he then saw her turn and Damon hid in the closest room he could find, as he heard steps walk down the stairs.

A few seconds later he came out of the room and headed down the stairs which it was probably time for dinner, he walked down the stairs and sat down, putting the white bib on his neck collar of his dress shirt. As Damon was ready to eat the butler told them to all come to the Study room where he was, so Damon stood up and took off the bib setting it on the large brown table. Damon glanced at Zena giving her a dirty look, he kept walking till he got to the door, the butler knocked but there was no answer, a minute later he still didn't answer and the butler opened the door, Damon's eyes almost pushed out of his head at the shock that he saw, Mr. Upton laid dead bleeding. Damon ran to the man and put his hand on his neck, but didn't feel a pulse. "Lord Upton's dead!?" Damon was pissed, why would someone kill him!? "Nobody leaves this house, someone here is a murderer and i will find out who it is."

​

​

Shawn
​

Shawn sighed as the others figured out who he was, he found it a very embarrassing that his career ended from a stupid skiing accident, Baseball was his favorite sport and a little bit of his heart broke when he got his arm broken, not being able to do the thing he loved most...It really did affect him badly. "Well..." He was about to tell them when he heard the maid and butler yell that it was dinner, well at least he didn't have to tell anyone, that he lost his damn career from breaking his stupid arm. Shawn stood up and walked out the room, since they were about to eat, he should wash his hands. Shawn passed everyone else and headed to the bathroom.

After washing his hands, Shawn walked over to the table, he was about to sit down for a few minutes, anxiously waiting for Mr. Lord Upton to make his introduction. He sat tapping his fingers waiting, till the butler asked them to all head to the study room where Mr.Upton was as Shawn made his way there he spoke to a few people, trying to get to know them. He then saw Gigi and decided to talk to her since he talked to everyone else but her, he walked over to Gigi when everyone was heading to the Study room. "Gigi right? So your father watches baseball?"

Shawn kept talking till they got to the closed room, the butler knocked on the door a few times, he began to wonder why he hadn't said anything, so his best conclusion was that he was asleep, so Shawn began walking back to the table when he heard a few screams, he ran to see what happened when he stopped and stood in shock. "Oh Shit!?" He shouted putting his hand over his mouth and nose, there he saw the cold lifeless deceased corpse sitting there, with his eyes wide open and several knife wounds to the chest.

 

[Justin]

Gigi Vanderpump: The Model With An Edge, purple

"You know no matter how much you starve yourself the agencies aren't gonna hire you, right?" Gigi looked at Casket or Casandra, whatever. "Listen...Casket, that whole comment was cute. You don't know me and I don't know you...but next time you say something like that I'll have your tongue in my hand. OK? Good." Screw the whole nicey, nicey, girl act. This bitc...girl was getting on Gigi's bad side and she needed to know not to mess with her.

Gigi walked to the bathroom to clean up before dinner. When Gigi was about to sit down, the maid told everyone to follow her to Lord Upton's chambers. "So we can't eat?" The maid ignored Gigi, she just huffed and kept walking. As she walked, Shawn the baseball player started to talk to her. At least someone in this place was giving her attention. "Yeah he does, it's his favorite thing to watch when he gets home from work." When they got to the door of Lord Upton's "chambers", Gigi was shocked at what she saw.

The man was brutally murdered, even Gigi was effected by this whole ordeal. "Oh...My...God, who could do something like this, what the fuck!" Gigi only shooked her head at the whole thing. Then she thought about something. "So...if he's dead who gets the money now?" If no one else was going to ask she would.

Leo Clooney: The Thief In The Night, lime

The whole cat fight going on in front of Leo, it made him excited. They weren't here for not even a day yet and already girls were cutting each other down. If only he had some popcorn. It was like clock work, the maid called everyone to the dinning room. "Finally!" Leo had to wash his hands, usually he didn't. He did it only to not stand out. Before he could even see the food, they were called to follow the maid.

Leo was hungry and aggravated now, this better be good. Leo couldn't respond to what he saw. The guy Lord Upton was dead, more like he was murdered. "Damnnnnnn, wow this is crazy." The cop told everyone to not leave the house, good job. Like the murderer was really going to listen to that. He started to laugh when he heard Gigi ask about the money. She had a good point but right now probably wasn't the best time to say it.

Leo made his way over to the corpse, he looked at him up close. "Whoever did this probably had a good reason. Maybe we should go downstairs and talk about this whole thing." Leo really could care less about what they would do, he just wanted them to leave so he could sneak back up here. He saw a lot of good "treasures" he could "gift" to himself. He would just have to sneak out like a Thief in the night.

 

[Krimp]

Cass, orange

"Oh, sweetie" - but there was nothing sweet about the way Cass said it - "with where that hand has probably been?" She looked the blonde up and down. "I'll have to give that a miss. Thanks for the offer though." Rolling her eyes, she turned back towards Leo. He may have been greasy, but there was no way she was going to be stuck in an argument with that bimbo any longer. Cass knew the type: rich family most likely, never a trouble in the world, always got everything she asked for - the type of girl who had no idea how tough real life was. The type of girl who thought they ruled the world.

Really, all Cass was doing was trying to show her the truth - that things didn't go her way all the time.

Soon enough they were escorted to the dining room to meet Lord Upton - and about time, Cass thought. What sort of person invited you to their mansion only to remain hidden when everyone turns up?

One who's offering you their entire fortune, that's who. The greedy little voice came unbidden to Cass' mind, and her curls bounced as she shook her head, trying to get it out.

Time passed. The group was invited upstairs, though it was clear that the maids were as confused as everyone else.

Devon, teal

It was the screams, the sudden loud noises, that made Devon jump. What could so quickly and so thoroughly spook such a large group of people?

Once he pushed past the crush of panicked people he found the answer - and wished he hadn't. The corpse was so grey, so wax-like, he could hardly believe it had once been a living thing. He ran a hand through his fair hair; his eyes roamed around the room as if he'd rather focus on anything than the dead man, but Devon did not make a noise.

"What do you mean, no one leaves the house?!" Devon was broken out of his reverie by Cass' outburst. Her eyes were crazed as she stared at the bearded man who claimed he'd find the killer. "One of you killed him - and why stop there, huh?? What's to say they won't do it again?"

"No, he's right." Damon's voice was under control - in stark contrast to Cassidy's - but there was still an audible tremor in it. "We run, we're as good as dead - if the storm doesn't get us, who's to say whoever did this" - his voice broke as he gestured towards the corpse - "thing won't just track us down?"

"We're all suspects in each others' eyes." Slowly, he looked over each face, seeing plain fear on most faces. "We play smart, we stay alive."

 

[Zora18]

Dr. Sabina Konstantinova
With the collective realization of the impossibility of escaping the house now and that anybody could be the killer, a noticeable heavy tension arose, hanging over them like ominous smoke. This hot panic contrasted with the frozen paralysis in the house, as they stood indecisive as to how to proceed next without Lord Upton and with the knowledge that if there's a killer, they may strike again at any unexpected moment. They viewed each other and the scene in front of them with suspicion. As an investigation was getting started, Sabina scanned around to quickly psychoanalyze everybody. Zena, typical spoiled brat, heightened sense of entitlement. A mere child with no motive to kill the Lord. Next, her caretaker Mariona, too preoccupied with taking care of Zena, scholarly woman, no motive to kill. Damon, police, taking charge of the situation, could take charge of situation to defer us from suspecting him, police experience could lead to preoccupation with control and brutality, possible suspect. Shawn, embarrassment from failure, insecurity, not confident or emotionless enough to kill in cold blood, no motive either. Gigi, histrionic personality disorder, for sure. Would be more likely to seduce for money then to kill right off the bat before trying that. Next, Leo, cocky personality, emotionless response to murder, responded to novelty of situation and rationalized it, possible suspect. Cass, friendly and social, seemed too busy partaking in interpersonal exchanges to execute murder. Annie, just a kid, on crutches, such stab wounds could not be done by her. Imogen, seductive and quiet so far, could fly under the radar and use looks to manipulate, possible suspect. Ricardo- Sabina smiled, harmless, but she could be biased. Devon.... Sabina stopped and held her head, she felt the hair on the back of her neck raising as if an icy wind blew through. She spotted him amidst the disappointed vultures, although he seemed like an eagle among them. Their previous encounter rapidly flashed in her mind, something about his expression then unnerved her. As she was subtly observing his reaction to the murder, for any sign of emotion, he suddenly looked at her sharply- eyes sharp as knives. She looked away and coughed. I-I think it's him.

Ricardo "Ricky" Serafim
Ricky was willing to help the investigation in any way possible. If there was no way out, they had to ensure that their stay would be safe. It all scared him so much, but at this point, he did not fear death. He felt his being to be a mere anomaly in the universe, a mere mistake, one more hungry mouth. Even if he managed to get out of here alive, what did he have to live for? Being a sad clown entertaining others on stage essentially, and that's if he could even get to a stage on a regular basis, which wasn't the case most often. He decided instead of sulking and panicking, he might as well take advantage of living in a great, big house as long as he can. While a discussion he couldn't contribute to was going on, he asked the maid if he could still have dinner. While her eyes widened, his stomach twisted in knots from hunger and the thought of what if she considered him suspicious now. "I know this may seem inappropriate now but- but I-I'm just really hungry, I haven't ate anything in- in a while and this is just a lot to deal with right now and- and I can't deal with it on an empty stomach" He smiled nervously, he felt like a hungry wolf and like he was making the maid uncomfortable. "Ok, um, well, there's roast duck with a mint sauce and a vegetable puree soup with wine." Drool visibly streamed from the left corner of his mouth as she talked. "Yes, all of that, thank you so much." He smiled as she escorted and seated him in the empty dining room. As the food was set in front of him, he felt like he was having a lucid, beautiful dream, in the middle of a nightmare. The colors of the warm food brightened his surroundings and the aroma waltzed around his nose to the point that he felt like he was hearing music in the background and all the frost was diffused. The butler eyed him strangely as he ate, but Ricky did not care. He would eat now and pitch into the investigation later.

 

[Rainjay]

Mariona Mauve Nighman

The people in the room collectively freaked out on sight of Lord Upton's body- rather, some lost it, and others looked cool and collected. She knew little of the backgrounds these people had and even less of their personality and character- Mariona was never one to try and read people like a book, knowing full well what a mistake it is to do so- but some of the people, based by their reactions and maybe, she thought guiltily, by mere appearances, unnerved her. It wasn't clear that the killer was in this room. Perhaps the killer was somebody else entirely, somebody who slipped into the house earlier, and has been hiding in the shadows of the mansion. None of them knew every nook and cranny of this building, and it very well could be that somebody else committed the murder. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling of distrust.

She kept Zena, who was still somewhat trembling, her eyes completely trained on the body of Lord Upton, close to her. She promised the girl's mother that she would keep her safe, and hopefully, return with the inheritance. No chance of that now. The girl who introduced herself as Gigi already asked about the inheritance- and quite frankly, Mariona didn't care if the brat found her way into it or not, so long as she and Zena lived. She'll likely die trying to get her greedy hands on it, though. She thought. I wouldn't doubt the killer wants that money.

"... Yes. We should go downstairs, and talk this through. Stick together," she spoke softly, looking around at each person, although some, she assumed, weren't listening. It went unsaid that if everyone stayed together, it'd be much harder for someone to be murdered. "We can go and eat... Sit together, and... out last whatever this is. We make it through the storm and we're golden."

Zena shook her head timidly, rubbing at her eyes. "You act like we're in a goddamn book. This is real."

"I know. But books are based on reality. We'll be safer together, and we should talk this through and make a plan." Mariona explained. Poor girl- what had she dragged her into? She hugged the girl by the shoulders, trying to be comforting.

"... Okay."

Zena Rush

Zena had no idea what the heck her aunt was on, but this nonsense about sticking together and safety was driving her up a wall. She just wanted to get out of here, but seeing as how it wasn't option, hiding seemed best. Sure, whoever did the killing might be hiding, maybe in some super secret hidden hallway system within the walls- Zena clearly had an overactive imagination, or simply seen too many horror movies- but something was drawing her back to that attic. It felt safe up there. Quiet. And since nobody was going to get this inheritance now... She might as well take what she could get.

A caught a dirty look or two from some of the other guests, but mostly ignored them. She was playing innocent, helpless girl the best she could, and it was damn convincing. She had tears coming on, and let her aunt hold her close. It was true that she was scared, but she wasn't too concerned for her own life. Who would want to kill a useless girl like her? She had all intention to run and hide and wait this out- and after wards, she wouldn't speak a word. If she could make a friend in this murderer.... all the better.

​

 

[Mundane Monster]

Annie Blake, white

Annie had remained at the tail end of the group because she disliked blocking and hindering people with the obstruction that was her crutches. It only occurred to her a bit later as she leaned around some of the other people in front of her that she should have perhaps moved to the front to be better seen by Lord Upton. The man most likely wasn't going to be impressed by a girl he couldn't even spot.

However, at the screams and gasps of the maids, and other guests, Annie was suddenly glad that she hadn't moved to the front of the pack. As some of the people shifted in front of her or left the room, she caught a glimpse of Lord Upton and promptly dropped to the ground. She had never seen a dead body. And she'd hoped that she would never see a dead body, or if she were to ever see a body that it would be a regular dead body without multiple stab wounds in its chest!

"Oh my god. Oh my god." She whispered frantically, completely oblivious to the fact that her crutches had yet to fall with her and one was now leaning against the door way while the other was teetering towards her. "Ohmygodohmygodohmygod." She spluttered, her eyes wide with horror. She wanted to go home, she wanted to call her mother and she wanted to be wrapped in her arms all at the same time. And then the guy with the beard--He must have been a cop or something.-said that no one was going to leave. A terrified little whimper squeezed its way out of Annie's throat, and suddenly the teetering crutch seemed to obey the laws of gravity and then it was falling down and smacking her right in the side of her head. The impact and flash of pain that came with it, startled the whimper right out of the teenager but it was soon replaced with a pitiful wail, as the girl began to cry.

"I want to go ho-ome!" She sobbed.

Imogen Whit, #F5A2EF

She'd seen dead bodies before. Her coworkers who had pissed Diego off or had the audacity to fight for better treatment from the customers and their boss.

She had come to work several times to stumble upon the lifeless body of one of her coworkers in an alley, slumped against a trash can or hanging halfway out of a dumpster. She had cried and puked each time, and this time was no different.

As soon as she caught an eyeful of the man's lifeless bloody body, Imogen stumbled out of the room with her hands pressed against her mouth. One of the maids quickly directed her to a bathroom, where she wretched into a toilet, and then got over it.

She wasn't heartless, she wasn't a sociopath, but she couldn't be weak right now. Someone had just gotten offed and she needed to look out for herself. Especially since some lawful do gooder was forcing them to stay in the damn mansion. Granted the storm outside was keeping them in anyway, but Imogen liked to have options.

Exiting the bathroom, Imogen stated to one of the maids, "I'm not staying up here, I'll be in the dining room." before doing just that. She sat herself at the opposite end of the table and stared at one of the other guests who was currently stuffing his face.

"What the hell," The blonde started, "is wrong with you?" How could he eat at a time like this? He had just seen a dead body and he was eating? Seriously? Who was he, Dexter?

 

[Zora18]

Ricardo "Ricky" Serafim
Ricky had been drifting in heaven until he heard "What the hell is wrong with you?" coming from the opposite end of the table, interrupting his meal. He put down his spoon and raised his head slowly, as if waking up from a dream and snapping back to reality. When his eyes lifted, they were met by a judgmental stare from across the table. At first he thought it was Gigi because of the blonde hair, but the voice did not sound as shrill as hers. He did not know who this girl was, and he would have carried on eating but her suspicion and presence made him highly uncomfortable. It angered him even, especially the judgmental tone of her voice and that stare. "Many things." He answered back, slightly laughing at her. He decided he would make her feel uncomfortable too. She gave him an odd look, the quintessential 'wtf' face. Ricky looked back at his meal, mostly finished, just the vegetable soup left. He definitely felt full already. A pleasant euphoria from the food spread throughout his previously aching stomach, swimming under his diminishing abs and lower abdomen. A gentle flow of wine swam throughout his system, slightly tampering with his judgement and relaxing his inhibitions. Feelings of anger and alarm boiling in his blood, making him feel like an animal. Then this silly blonde that disturbed him. This silly blonde with soft skin and soft hair and... He felt turned on- His concerns for these last months have just been getting enough money for food, clothes, and shelter, but now that that's been resolved, he asked himself when was the last time he- he had any kind of physical contact with a woman? He's never had much confidence, but currently he felt like a king after this feast and in his new clothes from Sabina with the cologne from their previous owner still fresh.. Suddenly, a risky idea came to Ricky's mind. Yes.. Lord Upton's death is the perfect opportunity, he realized. What did he have to lose even if they find out and suspect him after this? What, his life? Hahahahaha, what a joke. No, they won't find out about this. He decided he'll enjoy power while he has it at the moment. The girl was still sitting there and staring at him. He grinned slyly, getting up, and walking towards her; not an ounce of fear visible on him, as if he was on stage and not his timid, typical self. He leaned in to whisper "I'll kill you unless you make it up to me" He eyed her up and down to let her know what he means, "but don't dare tell anyone, or else."

 

[Mundane Monster]

Imogen Whit, #F5A2EF

"Get bent, dirtbag." Imogen hissed, grabbing a fork and pointing it in his direction. She then left the room and hurried back upstairs. No way was she sticking around with that creep running loose. How dare he think he could get her to 'make it up to him'?


Her skin was crawling and her stomach was churning so badly that she thought she would vomit again. She thought that coming here she would be away from asswipes like that. Freaks like Diego and Dennis, who always wanted her to do something for them. It was disgusting and no way was she going to bend to their will. Which was she had stashed that silver fork in her bra. If she was going to have to deal with slime balls like that douche, she was going to have protection.

Of course she had better things in her purse, but until she got back to her room, the fork would have to suffice.

 

[Mr.Scales ⚖]

The officer of many secrets, red

Damon watched everyone's reaction, some where in shock, some emotionless, even some where flat out crying. But was even more focused on the body laying on the desk, pale and must of been killed around the time they got there. He looked over at everyone, he hadn't spoke to much of them, but the ones he had spoke to was Shawn the athlete, Leo the mysterious man, Cassidy the waitress and Zena, the girl he saw lurking through the attic, but overall she was a young girl, which he can't see her motivations now, but will find out. He then looked back at the body looking around his suit trying to find anything, but after checking all the pockets, he found nothing.

Day then looked back at everyone, seeing what they though they should do, so Day nodded after Devon spoke. "This is what we do, we go down stairs close all the doors, stay in a room and talk this out, we don't have to resort to fighting and surviving, I am a police officer, officer Courtier and I will find out who have done this, now everyone go downstairs in the Dining room, i have to make a call." Damon walked away down the hall, going into an empty room. "Hello, it's officer Courtier, Mr. Lord Upton has been killed, most likely one of the guests h- Can anyone here me...Dammit" Damon spoke into the radio, but found that their was no signal only loud static, he then put it back on his belt and headed downstairs.

"Now I know that deep inside everyone is terrified, But we will find out who killed Mr.Upton, But the only way to do that is to search everybody, maybe their might be a patch of blood, who knows but the only way we can find out the who the killer is, is that we substitute more suspects." Damon walked over making sure that all the guests and workers were inside, he then closed off the doors and windows in the room. "Now that everyone is here, we discuss." Damon looked at everyone. "At this very moment...We Are All Suspects."

 

[Justin]

Gigi Vanderpump​

Gigi could barely hold herself together. She couldn't believe this was happening. All her bitchiness went away in that moment. Sure she wanted the money but she would never kill someone for it. Gigi stared at the cop guy as he talked. "What do you mean were all suspects! Most of us were with you! Who the hell would have had the time to just kill someone. Unless they did it before everyone got here. How do we not know one of those maids or butlers didn't do it. It would make sense. They're probably mad that the Upton guy isn't leaving them any money." Gigi couldn't handle this anymore she ran out of the room into a bathroom, tears were coming down her eyes.

Gigi wished that she was at home right now, maybe she didn't have the best life but at least no one was being killed. Gigi sat on the toilet holding her head in her hands. She was having a mental break down. Gigi took out her anxiety pills, she took one. She had to make sure she didn't have a mishap like that other pill popping girl. After taking one and calming down for a few minutes, Gigi stood up looking in the mirror. Her face was a mess she took a towel and cleaned off her face. Then she heard knock on the bathroom door. "Gigi are you ok?" It was Leo, out of all people why did he come to see? Gigi opened the door. "What Leo?"


​

Leo Clooney​

Leo knew that whoever did this was a sick bastard. He may be a thief and a low life but not even he would go around killing people. He saw all the faces and reaction of the other people. Being the guy he was he had some knowledge in reading people. So far everyone acted very different in ways. Leo listened to the cop, Damon speak into his radio. Of course that wouldn't work in this weather.

He watched as Gigi ranted about the maids and the butlers. She had a point with that. ~If I worked for someone for many years and I didn't get any money from them I would be pissed off. Maybe even pissed off enough to kill that said person.~ Leo thought it over, he then saw her run into a bathroom. He didn't want to see any girls alone and scared no matter how they acted. Leo knocked on the door. "Gigi are you ok?" He then heard her open the door. "What Leo?"

"I just wanted to know if you were ok, I know that whole thing was probably nerve racking." Gigi told Leo about how she felt. "I think your right about the whole butlers and maids idea. They probably would do it and blame one of us." Leo looked at Gigi's purse he saw a pill bottle in it. Gigi saw him looking she zipped up her purse. Leo let it go, he didn't want to make her even more mad right now. "How about we just go downstairs with the others and talk this out." Gigi and Leo walked down the stairs waiting for everyone else.
​

 

[Lillian Gray]

"This is an outrage!" The maid echoes her concern, sobbing deeply into the coat of her fellow butler. As the news spreads through the house, many sniffles and cries can be heard for the Lord Upton's passing.

While entirely possible a maid or butler could have killed Lord Upton, it's unlikely any of the servants had the motivation to off their only means of income.
​

"He was a kind man, a good soul, and one of you dares to spite him with a blade in his back." The butler is obviously angry, but his grief overwhelms the emotion. "We will not rest until the killer is found. I'm going to lock the doors and windows. The blizzard outside would be enough to deter anyone from leaving, but we here at the manor will not take any chances when there is a killer in the home. Sir Damon is right, it would be best we stay together until this is all sorted out."​

From this moment forward, the maids and butlers have locked each door leading outdoors. Every window is also locked, but the doors inside the house remain unlocked so the servants are free to roam, and prepare for a long night.

The weapon is still in the room, if only someone would look for it. The handle of the blade has been wiped clean of any prints, however, making it useless for attempting to lift some kind of identity from it. Maybe if it were found, one of the servants could say if they'd seen it before...
​

"We should do as the officer says, perhaps regroup somewhere less morbid?" The maid offers a suggestion. "This gruesome scene should be locked up."
​

The maid will wait for everyone to leave the room, but will not lock the door. Once everyone has left, the servants will move Lord Upton's body to a room just outside the library, on the Southern side of the home. It's tucked away so no one has to stumble upon his body again if they decide to examine the room for any evidence.








​

 

[Zora18]

Dr. Sabina Konstantinova
Amidst the panic of everything, Sabina almost did not notice poor Annie on the ground as she was heading out the door. Nobody else seemed to either as they were all rushing to the dining room at the officer's instructions. It was only as Sabina almost tripped on the crutches, that she saw her. "Oh, you poor thing!" She knelt down, gently helping Annie back on her feet. She could tell the girl was terrified. Silent tears streamed down her face from her dark eyes. There was a bump on her forehead too, perhaps she was hit as she fell. Sabina knew she wasn't okay, so that wasn't the right question to ask, but something along those lines came out of her mouth. "I'm- My head hurts, and I'm scared." The girl whimpered. Sabina hugged her, patting her hair, talking to her to comfort her about the death and reassure her that things will be okay. They didn't have much time to talk. Everybody was hurrying out the room while the maid and butler prepared to move the Lord's body out of the way in case someone would investigate the room later. Sabina and Annie walked out to the dining room. It struck Sabina odd that Ricky was already sitting there, at the head of the table, in Lord Upton's spot. Sabina sat in the chair to his left side, while Annie sat next to her. Sabina observed Ricky, who sat in a laidback candid way in the chair. An empty wine glass in front of him, the edges still marked with burgundy. She had to admit, the outfit she gave him looked really good on him, brought out the sharp thin angles of his lean body. He did not seem like the same Ricky he was when he came in. Seeing Ricky in that cool light blue shirt brought back memories of...of him. Who is this him, this previous owner of the outfit, only Sabina knew. Just the smell was gone, all gone. Ricky seemed content, a smirk on his face as if he were holding back a laugh. What could possibly be funny at a time like this? She gave him an inquisitive look that he caught and responded to, leaning in to whisper. "I know who the next victim will be."

 

[Rainjay]

Mariona Mauve Nighman

Listening to the butler, maid, and the strange police offer Damon, Mariona had made up her mind. Something bugged her about the police officer- simply having a police officer here, locked up in the mansion with them and the killer, made her feel less secure, rather than safer- but she decided his advice was just, even though his statements were bold and definitely not too thoroughly in the interest of the people. It was true that everyone was a suspect, but stating it aloud like that would only cause further panic, or perhaps give ideas to whomever the murderer may be.

"Yes- I agree. Perhaps adjourn into the dining hall? It seems some people have already fled there and around the house, though... Perhaps we should call together anyone who will come, and set up camp in a parlor after we eat. After all, it is best to think rationally and clearly as long as we can; having empty stomachs will not help us with either." she suggested. She kept her arm around Zena and began to head for the dining room, hoping that perhaps the food was laid out and prepared already. She already found herself moving warily, carefully looking around her and checking her back and periphery for sudden movement. She was already collapsing into fear.

The two found their way into the dining hall, along with a few other people who were heeding the words of the officer. Zena tugged at Mariona's arm, shifting away from her aunt. "I've got to use the bathroom," the girl mumbled, shrugging off the arm and leaving the room before Mariona could complain.

"Zena!" she called out, but the girl was already gone from sight. She moved towards the door of the room and looked up and down the hall, but no sign of the young girl was to be seen. Mariona's chest tightened, a lump forming in her throat. Oh god. What do I do? Her father would kill me...

Her mind was instantly filled with all the horrible things that could happen to Zena, and she struggled to clear them from her mind. She began into the hall, picking a random direction and walking along the empty path in search of Zena, although she didn't get very far before reason began to speak to her. No. Not with this murderer out there. A solitary woman would be easy pickings. Go find the officer. He'll surely help.

She moved back into the dining room, and leaned against the wall a moment to catch her breath, to calm down, before she sought out the officer.

Zena Rush

Zena just couldn't take it anymore. Her aunt's presence was crushing. She was a spoiled girl, but that didn't mean the possessiveness of her family was something she enjoyed. Combined with the feeling of her imminent death, the need to run and hide was driving her crazy. The moment she found weakness, she thrust off her aunt's shoulder and fled the room, under the guise of having a breakdown- tears falling from her eyes, complexion pallid. If need be, she might be able to convince herself to throw up for the act. But nobody stopped her on her way to the attic again, where she flung open the door and quickly shut herself inside. She gave a cursory look around- saw no one- before she began to search the room. It wasn't the best of hiding spots, but maybe she could find something- a chest, a trapdoor, if she were lucky- in which to further hide.

She didn't believe that the police officer could really help them. What did he plan on doing, cooping up a group of people in one room until the storm ended? Perhaps it could work- if everyone cooperated, something she doubted would happen. People panic in the face of death. Already people seemed to have disappeared from the crowd, for whatever reason. Whether or not it was the best of ideas, Zena found herself agreeing. She felt she would be much safer in a well hidden spot, without her helpless aunt and other bumbling idiots.

The room was just as dark and dusty as it was before, which little to find or see. Surely there was a light, but in her fumbling in the dark, she found nothing. She ripped sheets off of a few pieces of furniture, a painting, some boxes, but found nothing of interest that would help her hide from the murderer if need be. However, she still had yet to explore the full attic- she had only the light that crept from the edges of the door to guide her, and getting lost in an attic was potentially less appealing that staying with her aunt. She would need a light source if she planned on finding anything useful here, and she decided it would be better to find one now rather than later.

And, since the inheritance was all to hell anyway, she grabbed the jewelry box in it's entirety and after finding that searching the attic was useless in the dark, left with the box to the guest room she had claimed. She explored the room for anything of use, and managed to find a small emergency flashlight that she pocketed for use in the attic. In the spur of the moment, she also searched the guest room for any potential hiding spots; coming up with none, she began her return to the attic.

​

 

[Zora18]

Ricardo "Ricky" Serafim
He could see the blood drain from Sabina's face. From fear, he could sense. Her eyes wide in confusion and shock. Then she turned towards him laughing "Ricky, you must be joking! Didn't you mention you were a comedian by profession, right? You must be joking! This isn't funny, it isn't the time." She relaxed then as she believed what she said, but was still visibly unnerved. Ricky himself could not quite understand what had gotten into him. When on stage, he often felt like an entirely different person, like Ricky doesn't exist. And in a way, the luxurious environment, clothes, and food here, induced a feeling of being on stage playing a role with no trace of himself, like a completely different person. He struggled with taking life seriously, because he had such poor boundaries of self, that the atmosphere could seep in and contaminate his whole perception and behavior. Leading him to feel like a figment of imagination floating aimlessly, acting in accordance to the whims of some unknown puppeteer. Like a marionette essentially. Maybe all the world's a stage, as Shakespeare said. And this whole murderous scene, a scene for entertainment, but for who... And so to answer that the group discussion at the table led to the idea of conducting a search of everyone right now, and maybe a search of their rooms later if nothing was found on their person. Really it was Officer Courtier's idea, everybody seems to be following what he is doing just because he is a symbol of authority. Is Officer Courtier exempted from the search however if he's going to be the one conducting it? Ricardo vaguely contemplated. As they were about to start, a scholarly looking woman, Mariona Nighman apparently, approached the officer about her lost niece. The officer announced to the table "Change of plans. Ms. Mariona Nighman just told me that she can not find her niece Zena. With the murderer on the loose, it is very dangerous for a young girl like Zena to be lost. We must find her now. But since we're all suspects, we can not trust all of us to search on our own. And with an evidence search after this, some suspects may use the opportunity to discard evidence. So, we'll split into two big search groups. One all male group, and one all female group. That way, I will be able to keep an eye on all the men and the females can watch each other." Hmm, how utterly sexist..