☆TRACK V: I WILL TWIST THE KNIFE

[interdimanagers]

☆I WILL TWIST THE KNIFE

Party planning will start out innocuously enough. Naomi Rivers is cheerful and dedicated to the task, though as the days go on it will seem as if the stress of organization is wearing on her more and more. She pays attention to everyone’s recommendations (even if they are stupid) and seems capable of distilling even relative chaos into coherent plan of action. Generous refreshments are offered at all the planning meetings, especially ones that involve actual decorating. She does a lot of this work herself, expressing that the holidays wouldn’t be quite the same if you had someone else do the legwork for you.

If you try to investigate the reasons that this unusual cross-label party is happening in the first place, Naomi will reply with competently masked discomfort, and say that the execs are currently negotiating something of considerable importance, and that she’d offered her home as something resembling neutral territory to help facilitate that. When it comes to the point of physical decorating and you’re all taken over to her place, you’ll find that the home in question is a luxurious beach-front mansion.

Two nights before the party, those that are vigilant will have the opportunity to come upon Naomi mid-argument with another Virgo musician, who some may recognize as the solo R&B artist Anansi. Though the exact nature of the argument is unclear, it looks like Anansi is arguing against some part of Naomi’s plans. Clearly noticing people nearby, it will end with Naomi loudly declaring that if Anansi doesn’t like it, she is no longer invited.

Anansi will leave shortly after, giving any other Virgo members she passes critical looks. This outburst seems out of character for Naomi in general, and soon after she will return to her usual flurry of activity.

☆THE NIGHT BEFORE

The end plans for the party are a lot less formal than other ones have been. While the evening is centered around the performance stage of the in-house ballroom, guests will be given nearly free range of Naomi’s mansion during the event. All manners of chemical vices will be offered, even if a lot of them aren’t mentioned explicitly. Alcohol from beer to fine wine will be available for some, while under the table pills and power will be available for others. It’s the luxury evolution of a house party.

Unsurprisingly, there are going to be musical performances. Pretty much all Virgo parties include them. Any of the Virgo bands will be allowed to perform if they want to, and people will also be allowed to do solo performances, sort of like upscale karaoke. The night before the party, Naomi will give everyone a preview of a single from her upcoming album.

"Garbage - #1 Crush" (Watch on YouTube)

For those familiar with magical music influence, that’s what is happening here. Except, instead of merely the empathic control some might be learning, this is the straight up mind control version. As Naomi performs, everyone present will find themselves enraptured, and will be compelled to obey the unspoken demands of her spell. What are those orders?

At the holiday party, they will follow her lead and attempt the assassination of as many members of Pride Records as possible.

☆OFFICE PARTIES, AMIRITE

Of course, the hold this spell will have will be highly variable, but even if your character doesn’t end up making a real attempt, they’re not going to be able to interfere. That much is guaranteed.

If you would like an excuse to get mind controlled but didn’t sign up as a volunteer, you can assume your character got dragged along for last minute preparations when they wouldn’t have been coming for the rest of it. The spell will cause a feeling of hatred or contempt for Pride and a sense of particular duty to Virgo. Following Naomi’s plans will feel natural – entirely sensible.

Whether this lasts through execution is another thing, but there is a pretty good chance of it working. Of course, this is entirely up to player discretion. I’m not assuming that any Pride people are going to want to get straight up murdered (though you certainly can if you want to and thirst for Drama) because death is permanent and all, but there will be the opportunity to be brought back from near death fatal wounds so long as your exec doesn’t hate you.

Beyond that, any level of non-fatal damage can be done, according to player choice. The spell command is going to emphasize a desire for subtlety and subterfuge – there will be a poison provided by Naomi that will simulate an overdose/contaminated drug effect that will be the ideal, though it can resort to more overt physical violence like pushing people off a balconies or old fashioned stabbing if necessary. They key is not letting people catch on before they’ve had enough time to take some Prides out.

Below are sign up forms for people who want to do murders and people who would like to have an attempt on their lives. MP rewards will be given out for completed murder attempt threads as follows:

► Completed thread as a Virgo assassin making a serious attempt: 4 MP
► Completed thread as a Pride victim resulting in serious damage: 3 MP
► Completed thread as a Virgo assassin making a half assed/failed attempt: 3 MP
► Completed thread as a Pride victim resulting in no major effects: 2 MP
► Completed thread as a Virgo or Pride witness stopping an attempt: 2 MP
► Completed thread where you die forever: 0 MP because you're dead, silly.

As previously mentioned, the event is ICly on December 7th but OOC it will probably start a couple days in advance to help with threading time. It will be a 2 part event with the first log containing general mingling + murder and the second containing a major NPC reaction.

You can use this post to find matches between assassins and victims or whatever else you feel like.

Comments

QUESTIONS/INVESTIGATION

[interdimanagers]

If you have any general questions about the plot or want to talk to an NPC about anything not specified, this is where you can ask about it.

[giglio_madonna]

So Anansi! Is there any way to follow after her and strike up conversation or inquire about what she's worked up about?

[faithfulflame]

Will there be memory regain opportunities during this event? There are some really significant canon parallels for Rei and I would love to play with them.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

So obviously most of these attempts are aiming for subterfuge and subtlety, but is it possible that eventually the evening would devolve into sheer chaos as the attempts get more and more violent/physical? Or is it going to be placid-murder all the way through due to the nature of the programming?

I mean... I imagine if someone starts screaming they were stabbed, general chaos would ensue. |D

[nandemonai]

this might be a stupid question, and i might have skipped over the answer. but can people in Pride Records be Virgo assassins? or at least, have an allegiance to Virgo while under the mind control?

Re: QUESTIONS/INVESTIGATION

[variaboss]

Is Xanxus still in the Preditor Love Dungeon?

[thelittlemerman]

Regarding memory regains, are they possible during the brainwashed state that Virgo people are in? For instance if I wanted to go for Maximum Drama and have Finnick regain a memory of being in the arena as he's attempting to kill someone at the party, would that be possible or does the mind control cancel that out?

Re: QUESTIONS/INVESTIGATION

[magic_to_do]

Just so I understand, Virgo people who aren't going to be brainwashed assassins still can't stop or interfere in an attempt someone else is making?

I'm just checking because this

'Of course, the hold this spell will have will be highly variable, but even if your character doesn’t end up making a real attempt, they’re not going to be able to interfere. That much is guaranteed.'

and this

► Completed thread as a Virgo or Pride witness stopping an attempt: 2 MP

seem to be saying different things? Or I could just be dumb.

Re: QUESTIONS/INVESTIGATION

[variaboss]

Another question. Can Pride members try to get in on the assassinations? Like turning the tables? Or are they also mind controlled as well? If so would they also get assassination MP? As in... Pride member commits "murder" gets 4 MP... Virgo member gets "killed" they get 3 MP. or is it only as stated above?

[giglio_madonna]

Coming back again, but while helping out at Naomi's house and being a meddler offering a shoulder to cry on and talk about her love life troubles, is there anything suspicious or interesting to stumble upon?

Mysterious letters, open browsers to weird shit, etc, etc.

[stylistic_disloyalty]

SO SECOND QUESTION-- (silly one...)

Given some players have opted for the Bus to Nowhere, are Pride people able to text anybody on the outside to relay what's happening at the party? Or will there be some kind of convenient cellphone service disruption happening?

Re: QUESTIONS/INVESTIGATION

[hanginginthere]

Is the MP bonus Per Completed Thread, or can you only get one type of bonus per event?

Eg- Shen's going to be making a total of three serious (although failed insomuch as the target survives) attempts. Assuming all three threads complete, will he get the bonus for each?

[blindfoldcode]

I have a really out there question that may or may not have been answered at another place in another time. I don't know if I asked it last night or dreamed asking it but now it's really bothering me.

When it comes to AC, right? There's bonus MP in this event. Would this raise the max MP you can gain in the month? Or can you still only get 30? So, with a successful nearly getting murdered under Kido's belt, does it mean that her MP limit is now raised to 33 for the month of December?

[hanginginthere]

One more!

Is there any chance that the mind control would reassert itself once shaken off- or is it broken once it's broken?

VOLUNTEER ASSASSINS

[interdimanagers]

<b>Character Name:</b> <b>Intensity of Attempt:</b> Trivial, half assed, potentially deadly, etc. <b>Methods:</b> How are they going to attempt to murder people? Will they use the poison?

[cherishthistag]

Character Name: Undyne
Intensity of Attempt: She is going to give it her all
Methods: Probably punching, unfortunately

[nibelungvalesti]

Character Name: Lenneth (Meril)
Intensity of Attempt:Potentially deadly. Goddesses of battle do not mess around.
Methods: Raw physical violence -- a sword if one happens to be hanging around, a knife, a fireplace poker, even just some blunt object.

[hanginginthere]

Character Name: Shen
Intensity of Attempt: POTENTIALLY DEADLY. Poor Shen is going to be completely overwhelmed by the influence, though he could definitely be shaken out of it.
Methods: KNIVES. Absolutely knives. Kidney stab, throat-slit, wound-he-thinks-is-mortal-but-isn't-and-you're-just-shoved-in-a-closet...
Right now my plan is for Lucifer to be his final 'attempt' that fully breaks the compulsion's hold on him, but I'm super down with him making attempts on others. What about trying to strangle someone with a makeshift noose and/or bag over their head how about that

[wickedlyable]

Character Name: Johanna Mason
Intensity of Attempt: Potentially deadly, for certain.
Methods: Literally.... anything she can get her hands on..... she might go for the poison at first, but if anything goes wrong, she'll use whatever's near her as a weapon.

[exhumerus]

Character Name: Sans
Intensity of Attempt: Like a quarter ass. Mild damage is the most he will be able to accomplish, or, like, maybe worse if he somehow gets lucky and you die after gently being love tapped into the pool.
Methods: MEET SANS, WORLD'S LAZIEST ASSASSIN. Honestly Sans's presence here is mostly just going to be comical (lol get it). He's going to be doing things like trying to push people off of things and giving up as soon as it doesn't work the first time and like...putting poison into people's drinks while they are actively looking at him, or like, handing people suspicious drinks and daring them to try them? He'll also probably stop as soon as someone noteworthy to him is like "Sans, chill out." He'll probably just be like "yeah chilling out seems like a good idea I'm gunna do that."

So if you wanna get struck by the smooth criminal here then let me know and we can work out some amazing way for him to totally fail to actually aid Naomi's plans.

Re: VOLUNTEER ASSASSINS

[tanteiotaku]

Character Name: Shotaro Hidari
Intensity of Attempt: Half-assed to potentially deadly
Methods: Lure pretty ladies to some balcony or the other to dump them off onto a conveniently squishy topiary or bush, slipping something into their drink and shoving them into a closet, that kind of thing.

[thelittlemerman]

Character Name: Finnick
Intensity of Attempt: SURPRISINGLY SKILLED AND NEARLY DEADLY, BUT SEE BELOW
Methods: Finnick will almost certainly use a sharp object but preferably something that is spear-shaped, like a fire-poker or something.

**NOTE** If you don't want your character hurt, only fairly traumatized he's a good one, because he'll be completely brainwashed until the point of impact and then have an ill-timed (for Virgo anyway) memory of his real life that will halt the entire thing. If you want to be party to my traumatizing Finnick as he traumatizes your character, step right up.

[loveconservative]

Character Name: Nia Teppelin
Intensity of Attempt: Nia is tiny and adorable but I really want her to try to make a serious attempt on somebody's life
Methods: SHE'S CUTE AND UNASSUMING probably poison but I could easily see her trying to push someone off a balcony or trying to stab someone she's short they'd never notice.

VOLUNTEER VICTIMS

[interdimanagers]

<b>Character Name:</b> <b>Intensity of Injury:</b> Mild, moderate, near death experience, PERMADEATH? <b>Details:</b> What would be a good way to try to kill your character? Any other specifications or limitations?

[wounds]

Character Name: Genos
Intensity of Injury: moderate/near death experience
Details:
- Push him off a balcony. He'll somehow survive it, but he'll break a few bones that way.
- Physical violence is pretty much my favorite when it comes to Genos.
- Try stabbing him!
- Poisoning might work but it's probably on the bottom of my favored Genos injuries.

I only have issues with slitting throats, so if we can avoid that I'm golden.

STATUS OF THE PRIDE

[iitrebel]

So it turns out when people try to murder one another, shit goes bad! Wow.

This is a body count- comment here with your band and, if anyone is injured, let the mods know in the appropriate place!

Crown of Thorns

[iitrebel]