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Scott stared up at the massive mansion as he approached, dark walls towering into the sky above him. Despite its clear age, it looked well maintained. He had to hand it to Grian, he always found amazing venues for their parties, and this one was particularly on theme.
He approached the front door, raising his hand to knock, only for it to sing open before he could. Grian himself beamed at him from inside, opening the door wider and welcoming him in. He was a little surprised to see he was the last one there, but he had gotten distracted helping Fwhip with the new season of Empires starting soon.
They stepped into a giant hall, then veered to the left into a giant living room of sorts. Cleo waved him over as he approached, patting a spot on the couch next to her that was still open. He took his seat, grinning at her, then turned his attention to where Grian stood at the head of the room.
“First of all, thank you all for coming,” Grian started, looking around the room. “As you all know, or maybe not, depending on how close attention you pay to my emails, Tim , tonight’s theme is murder mystery!”
Jimmy scowled, sticking out his tongue at Grian from his spot next to Joel. Everyone else gave a small cheer of clap as Grian announced the theme.
“So here’s how it’s going to work,” Grian explained once everyone settled again, “We’re each going to draw a role card that I had Mumbo write out for me. He apologizes by the way, he couldn’t make it tonight but was kind enough to help me set up. These roles include the victim, the killer, and twelve others to help you get on theme. The victim will reveal themselves right away, and will be the game master for the duration of play. If we have enough time, we’ll do multiple games.”
Scott nodded along as he spoke, and he could see most of the room doing the same. He wouldn’t necessarily mind if he was the victim—it would give him a chance to just hang out—but he was also interested in seeing what other roles there were.
He looked around at all the people who were here. It seemed a few more than just Mumbo were missing, though they still had plenty to make this a fun game. He could see Impulse, Tango, Etho, Bdubs, Martyn, Pearl, BigB, Joel, Jimmy, Ren, Scar, Cleo, and of course himself and Grian. It was a good group.
Grian explained a few more of the details, there were fake weapons and death methods hidden around the house for the killer to use to kill people while they were trying to figure it out, as well as some of the rules. Then he pulled out a bag, moving around the room and letting everyone take their role.
Scott felt around the folded paper for a second, deciding on one and pulling it out as Grian moved to the next couch. He looked down at it, raising an eyebrow at it, then folded it back up and put it in his pocket.
Across from him, Jimmy sighed as he took his role, standing up once Grian had pulled his own and showing the little piece of paper with the word ‘victim’ written on it. “Guess that’s just karma. Alright, what do I do now then Grian?”
Grian told him to go find the first death prompt he could, then turned to the rest of the group, “Everyone know their roles?” When he got a resounding yes, he nodded, “Right then, everyone split up, go find a room to yourself, then message Jimmy your role. Once he talks to the killer, we’ll reconvene here, he’ll ‘die’ and we’ll begin!”
There was a bit of a rush of people standing, Scar and Martyn among those who went upstairs to find a room ahead of the others. He stayed on the first floor, finding what ended up being a library behind a door towards the back of the house. There were huge, plush chairs by a window, so he sunk into one, pulling out his comm and messaging Jimmy.
The Victim
Congrats, you’re dead. Have fun messing with everyone else.
As annoyed as he was that he’d gotten victim first, Jimmy was still really excited to play. He’d found how he died, laughing to himself as he heard people running around to find their rooms. When his comm started to light up, he grinned, scrolling through his messages until he knew who the killer was and where they were.
He met up with them, having a quick chat about the game, then he headed back down to the living room. One quick message later and everyone came back, this time turning their attention to him. “Welcome everyone, to game 1! As you’ve all arrived here tonight, you were expecting a lovely party full of laughs and sillies, but instead, there’s been a murder!”
He grinned as some of his friends let out shocked gasps, looking around the room suspiciously.
“You’ve come into the living room to see your dear, very best friend, Jimmy Solidarity, dead on the floor.” He paused for dramatic effect, laughing when his friends obliged with another round of gasps. “And it appears he was stabbed in the back! The knife was found on the floor nearby, though there is no telling who the killer is. Good luck finding them before you all die!”
There was a smattering of applause as he ended his intro. Grian had texted him a basic intro speech, but he’d found the fake knife in the kitchen for his death method, along with a little note confirming it was one of their methods.
“Play dead!” Grian called, a goofy grin on his face.
Jimmy rolled his eyes, but pretended to fall to the ground anyway, landing near the fake knife.
“Alright, start!” Grian called again, and people began moving. People were gasping and whispering like there was an actual dead body, and out of the corner of his eye he could see Tango fake sobbing into Impulse’s chest.
Martyn grabbed a napkin from a side table, gingerly picking up the fake knife as if it were a real weapon and beginning to examine it, Pearl quickly joining him as the two discussed who could have potentially had access to such a tool.
After about 5 minutes, everyone was in the story enough that Jimmy got up off the floor, grinning and carefully making eye contact with the killer while the others weren’t looking. They gave him a small nod, then left with a group to begin exploring the house.
The Widow
You are the grieving widow of the victim, who cannot possibly fathom why someone has killed your beloved.
He had allowed himself to be led away by Impulse, still fake sobbing into his chest. He was probably having a little too much fun with this, but hey, he was just playing his role.
“Tango, man, let up on the sobs a little so I don’t make you hit a door frame,” Impulse said, a slight laugh to his voice. Bdubs, who had followed them from the living room, gave a slight chuckle from behind them.
Tango stopped, looking up at them with the most amount of betrayal he could manage, trying so hard not to laugh himself. “How dare you! My husband is dead!”
“Husband?” Impulse asked, tugging him by the arm into the room—another, smaller living room by the looks of it—and pushing him onto one of the couches.
“I loved him dearly,” Tango insisted, an idea popping into his head, “We own a ranch together, with cows, and sheep, oh he loved the sheep!” he started fake sobbing again.
Over his head Impulse and Bdubs shared a look, clearing questioning their decision to follow him. Well, that’s karma for you, Impy. Don’t steal a man’s pastry supply before a long night of building.
The Amateur Detective
You are a regular person who watches way too many true crime documentaries. Pretend you know way more about what’s going on than you do.
In reality this role was probably a little too accurate. The first thing he did when Grian said ‘go’ was to go pick up the murder weapon Jimmy had pointed out during his intro speech. Pearl joined him as he did, the two of them moving to a side table in the main room to inspect the weapon as others filtered out in groups.
“Hmm, I don’t know about you, but this looks like a kitchen knife to me,” Martyn deduced. At least, that’s what it looked like it was supposed to be. Clearly Grian had run out of money for props. This one was a little…round.
Pearl hummed beside him, nodding, “I think you’re right. We should check the kitchen in case the killer left something behind!”
He grinned, putting the knife back on the table. “Right you are! Lead the way!”
The Killer
Well, this would be interesting. They weren’t exactly expecting to draw killer on the first game, but here they were. Jimmy had come into their room earlier giggling, saying he bet they’d be able to get away with it.
They hadn’t done much in terms of set up, Jimmy just sharing what death he’d found, then they came up with a couple clues Jimmy could leave around. It was mostly a social deception game though, and while they’d played plenty of those before, it definitely wasn’t their strong suit. So far the group they’d gone with didn’t seem all that suspicious, of anyone really, but then again they were busy getting into character, rather than solving the murder.
Martyn had gone straight for the murder weapon. They’d have to keep an eye on him, and Pearl, to make sure they didn’t put the pieces together. The one thing they knew that the others didn’t, at least, is that they had a role beyond killer. They’d need it to avoid suspicion.
The Baron/Baroness
You are the owner of this lovely estate. The Family Friend convinced you to host the party, though neither of you would have expected such a disaster to happen. Hopefully this won’t sully your family name!
Cleo looked down at the wine glass they’d grabbed as a prop, half wishing there was actual wine in it at the moment. She was curious to find her supposed “family friend” was, though she doubted anyone would just come out and say their role. It wasn’t banned, per say, but it would certainly be frowned upon.
They’d followed Etho to what ended up being a little bar area, with actual drinks, though Scott had shot a message to Grian for them to check if they could actually have them. In the meantime, they were trying to get into the role of a Baroness. It was the more fun option of the two in their opinion, being a Baron sounded boring.
Scott’s comm pinged, and when he checked it, he looked back up at them with a grin. “Grian says we’re good to help ourselves, but don’t overdo it.”
“Makes sense,” Etho replied, turning in his spot behind the bar and grabbing a bottle at random to expect it. Cleo, to her luck, recognized it, so decided to play her part.
“You won’t like that one,” they said, smirking as Etho turned to them with an eyebrow raised. “It’s really bitter. Good bite, but not really what you want in this scenario.”
Etho tilted his head with a grin, “Oh really? And what would you suggest then?”
Eh, fuck not sharing roles. “Well, as the Baroness, I would suggest one of those wines on the left, preferably a white wine. And pour me a glass while you’re at it.”
Scott was laughing quietly, giving Etho a shrug when he turned to him for help. Etho gave them another look, then shrugged, turning to grab one of the bottles Cleo had mentioned. He grabbed two more glasses for him and Scott, then poured them each a small drink.
Cleo took a sip of her glass, sighing happily as she swallowed the liquid gold. “ Now this is a party!”
Scott shook his head at her, reaching out his glass to clink it with theirs, then with Etho’s, the three settling into comfortable conversation.
The Victim
This was fun so far. Jimmy had been walking through the rooms, poking into various groups and listening as they mostly just socialized. On one hand, he hoped his friends would care a little bit more if he died for real, but on the other, it was really funny to see them try and act out the roles they’d been given.
So far only Martyn and Pearl were actually on the case, and he’d had to hold back a laugh as the killer nervously slipped out with another group before they could turn their attention their way.
He’d also walked in on Tango fake sobbing on a couch, telling dramatic stories of his and Jimmy’s supposed life together. Jimmy blew him a kiss on the way out, making a note to ask him for the full story later. Tango winked at him as he left, immediately falling back into sobs as Impulse awkwardly patted his back.
Besides just generally wandering, he was also looking for more death methods. Partly out of curiosity, but also if he knew where they were, he could help the killer if they got a little stuck. He had a feeling they’d have a hard time slipping away from some of the groups, so it would help if they knew where they were going when they did.
His comm buzzed in his pocket, BigB’s messages lighting up when he pulled it out. Ah, right. He’d forgotten he had to speak to BigB about his role. Well now he had to think of what he was actually going to say.
The Witness
You saw the crime, though you didn’t get a good look at the killer. Ask the victim to cut the suspect pool in half for you.
BigB glanced nervously at his comm, relief filling him when Jimmy messaged him back. He looked up to where Ren was talking to Scar, Grian, and Joel, telling some story that, knowing Ren, could have easily been fake or real. Ren caught his eye, giving him a small nod before returning to his audience.
BigB slipped from the room, walking back towards the starting living room, where Jimmy was already waiting for him. Jimmy grinned at him, looking around to make sure no one else was nearby before leaning in and whispering something in BigB’s ear.
The Killer is not from the UK.
His eyes widened, quickly doing some mental math to figure out who in their group that applied to. And… it was half of them, huh. He’d kind of expected it to be like, 7 or 5, but it eliminated exactly 6 of them, if you included Ren and Scott. Technicalities, he supposed. It still left plenty of potential, and he’d have to wait and see who died next, but so far he was enjoying this role. He liked the puzzle.
The Lover
Make note of the person 3 people to your left. That is your lover. Do whatever you want for the first 15 minutes, then find them and stay with them as much as you can. If they die, latch onto the person closest to you when you find out.
She and Martyn were looking around the kitchen, pulling open every cupboard and drawer like their life depended on it. To be honest, she wasn’t super happy with her role, but hopefully they’d play again and she’d get a better one.
There was about 4 minutes left before she had to go try and find Scott, who had been sitting exactly 3 people over from her when they started. Of all the people she could have gotten, at least it was Scott. They were good friends, and hopefully he wouldn’t be weirded out by her following him around like a lost puppy.
Martyn called her attention back when he let out a successful cheer, turning around to show her a folded up note. He opened it up, both of them leaning in to read the words written in Jimmy’s slightly messy scrawl.
“The Killer is not The Lover or The Librarian.” Martyn read, frowning down at the page.
Pearl was thinking though. Wasn’t the Killer’s role just killer? Why would this be clearing two roles then? Unless…
“Does that mean the Killer has their own role then?” she asked, turning to Martyn.
He looked up at her in surprise, visibly thinking over her words for a moment before nodding. “I think it does. Damn, that’ll make it harder. Well, if we find either of these two we can clear them at least.”
Pearl sighed, “Well, the Librarian at least. I’m the Lover. Speaking of,” she checked the clock on her comm, finding it was time for her to go find Scott, “I’ve got to go. Good luck finding other clues!”
Martyn waved as she left, staring down at the note like it would reveal more if he stared at it longer. She got as far as the hall before realizing she’d paid absolutely no attention to where anyone had gone. Ah well, time to explore!
The Killer
It had taken them longer than they’d thought to slip away, though it had been worth it when they’d found a murder weapon in the first room they’d checked. It did say they needed to ‘kill’ in that room though, so now they just needed to lure a victim in.
Just as they thought that, Bdubs came down the hall, humming to himself. He stopped when he saw them, grinning brightly. “Hey! How’s your game going so far?”
“Good!” they replied, “Actually, I found something in here if you want to check it out.”
Bdubs nodded, happily following them into the room. When the door closed, they passed Bdubs the death card, receiving a dramatic sigh. “Dang it, I thought I’d live longer. Please tell me you’ve gotten someone else already?”
They shook their head. “Just Jimmy, I don’t think he counts though.”
Bdubs sighed again, then the two of them began setting up his death. The killer slipped from the room once they were done, moving down the hall on watch for others. Hopefully, they could find an alibi before Bdubs was discovered.
The Photographer
You were hired to photograph the party before things went south.
You are dead.
Dang it, he thought he’d at least be the third person out. At the very least, the room he died in was nice. It kinda looked like a library, with bookshelves lining two walls and a big bay window seat by a window across from the door.
The book that was used to kill him was on the floor near where he was sitting, some old heavy thing that probably could actually kill someone if they tried. He had been lying in a dead pose, but then he got tired so he sat up. He’d already messaged Jimmy to tell him he was also dead now, so he was basically just waiting for someone to find him so he could walk around.
As if summoned, Jimmy poked his head in the door, laughing as he spotted Bdubs sitting on the large rug that covered most of the floor. Bdubs scowled, making Jimmy laugh even more.
“How’d you die?” Jimmy asked, joining him on the floor. At least he had company now.
“Giant book to the head,” Bdubs replied, pointing to the book. Jimmy nodded, reaching for it and slipping a piece of paper in behind the cover, then putting it back where he and the killer had put it.
Bdubs raised an eyebrow at him, but all he got in response was a small smirk. Before he could try and push further, the door swung open, Impulse and Etho walking in with a gasp as they noticed Bdubs on the floor. He gave them a little salute.
The Sneak
Your one goal is to find as many family secrets as you can while here. Maybe see if you can pawn some secrets off the Baron/Baroness or the Widow, surely they know something!
Impulse ran a hand down his face, shaking his head as he finally escaped Tango’s endless sobs. His friend was doing an amazing job at his role, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a little exhausting to play along with. He’d barely been able to do his role! The only information he got was that this version of Jimmy had apparently really liked sheep.
Bdubs had left to go find them some water, Tango’s fake sobs causing real dehydration. Besides, this was still a party, they needed some sort of snack or refreshment!
When he still hadn’t come back after 10 minutes, Impulse decided to try and find him. Maybe he was the killer, and he could catch him in the act! He’d stepped into the hall, finding Grian and Etho talking by the staircase. Both turned to look at him, waving as he joined them.
“Have either of you seen Bdubs?” he asked.
“Not since we started,” Etho replied, looking at Grian, who also shook his head.
Impulse frowned. “That’s strange. Could one of you stay with Tango while I look for him? He’s recounting stories of his life with Jimmy.”
Grian raised an eyebrow at him, but nodded. “Yeah I can do that. Let me know if you find him.”
Impulse thanked him, making sure to point him to the right door, assuming Tango hadn’t snuck out in the minute he’d been gone, then turned to Etho. “Wanna come with?”
“Sure,” Etho shrugged.
They walked for a while, sticking their heads in various rooms. Impulse found Ren and BigB, but after confirming neither of them had seen Bdubs, continued his search. It wasn’t until he reached the library that Bdubs’ disappearance made sense.
Bdubs gave them a little salute from his spot on the floor as they entered. Looking to Jimmy for a second then falling dramatically backwards to lie on the floor.
Impulse rolled his eyes at his friend. He turned to Etho, “Can you let the others know someone else died? I’ll start looking for information.”
Etho nodded, pulling out his comm as Impulse moved towards Bdubs, who had sat up again. He noticed the book immediately, deciding not to touch it just yet and continuing around the room for other clues. Grian had said something about clues being hidden around murders, so hopefully he could find something.
He heard voices grow louder, and by the time he was done his initial look at the room, almost everyone else had arrived.
“Bdubs how’d you die?” Joel asked, his arms crossed over his chest.
Bdubs started to answer, only to be stopped by Jimmy slapping a hand over his mouth.
Impulse shook his head, turning to everyone else. “I think it was this book? It looks heavy, and it's on the floor.”
“Well it definitely wasn’t Tango,” Grian said, “Impulse was with him from the start, and then I was with him when Impulse wasn’t.”
Etho nodded, “I doubt it’s Impulse either, I was with him looking for Bdubs so he couldn’t have slipped away.”
“Well what about everyone else?” Ren asked, “BigB and I were hangin out, so it’s not us.”
Martyn shifted, “I was with Pearl for a while, I trust her.”
“How long ago did you see her, Martyn?” Scott asked, frowning slightly, “Because she just joined me and Cleo, so that leaves some time unaccounted for.”
They started going back and forth, both Cleo and Pearl joining both for and against Pearl. Impulse didn’t know what to think of that group, but there were still a few more people unaccounted for. Scar and Joel hadn't said anything, and BigB and Ren had been by the library, even if they were vouching for each other.
This was tough, he’d have to see if he could talk to more people before he could really narrow it down.
The Family Friend
You are the friend of the Baron/Baroness, and suggested this party. Suspicion may be on you, but you never expected all this!
Knowing Cleo was the Baroness made his role a little easier. Almost by accident, he’d hung out with them and Scott right away. He’d shared his role with her when Scott had gotten up to explore the bar area more, and he had gotten instantly into character, questioning why he’d even suggested this ‘blasted party’ as they called it.
They seemed more tense now, as they separated from the group that had gathered by the library. He recognized that look as her thinking, so he walked silently along with her. As they walked through the main hall, he noticed one of the chandeliers above them was actually just a cheap candlestick tied up with rope, making a mental note not to walk through here without checking if anyone was nearby.
He hung out with Cleo a bit longer, discussing suspicions, but then multiple people, including Scar, Scott, and Tango found them, so he slipped out.
The Victim
It was nice having a friend. Bdubs had practically pulled him into a side room after everyone dispersed, both of them laughing about the killer and speculating about how well they’d do. Being dead may be boring because he didn’t get to play, but it was almost more entertaining!
No one had found the note he’d planted in the book, though if they did, it would have cleared Cleo and Scott, assuming they knew their roles of course. All that to say, he did not expect to be pulled out of their little chat so quickly when he got a message from Ren saying he’d died.
Well, things were certainly getting interesting.
The Charmer
Oh what a flirt! You’re surrounded by rich people, maybe you can charm your way up the social ladder a little?
You are dead.
A freakin’ chandelier fell on him! Not a real one obviously, but a dramatic death nonetheless!
Jimmy came jogging down the hall towards him, Bdubs close behind. He waved as they got closer, then threw his hands up in the air dramatically. “A chandelier! Of all the ways to go!”
They both looked down at the candle stick by his feet, still attached to a rope that was looped on a hook over the balcony above, and had probably been tied off somewhere up there. Ren hadn’t even seen who did it! All he saw was the candlestick come down—slowly—towards him, with the little death card on it!
Jimmy shook his head, though he didn’t bother hiding his grin, then pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket, sticking it between two of the posts of the banister along the stairs. Then the three of them sat down, waiting for someone to come along and discover Ren’s death.
The Amateur Detective
Right. People were dropping like flies!
It had taken a bit for Bdubs to ‘die’ after Jimmy, but then Ren died max ten minutes later, with BigB following so soon after they didn’t even realize until he didn’t show up for Ren’s death. Well, that and the way Jimmy went sneaking off upstairs. He was many things, subtle was not one.
In the few minutes before Ren and BigB’s deaths, Martyn had managed to figure out that Scar was the Librarian. That meant he knew for sure that both Pearl and Scar were clear, even if Scott and Cleo refused to believe him about Pearl. It wasn’t like he was going to out her role for her.
He went back to the library, sure he must have missed something. He’d seen a group go upstairs to discuss what alibis everyone had, but he much preferred the evidence. He was a detective after all!
The book Impulse had pointed out as the murder weapon was sitting on a chair now, the little death method card sitting on top. Martyn picked it up, inspecting the cover. He went to flip it over, though his eyes caught on a piece of paper that fluttered to the floor. His eyes widened, grinning in triumph when he recognized Jimmy’s hand writing. Another clue!
The Killer
They’d gotten three more people since Bdubs, both Ren and BigB shortly after, then Impulse when he was trying to get away from Tango again. The ghost squad, as they’d dubbed themselves, kept sending them what they deemed “encouraging messages,” which were really just distracting if anything.
Martyn seemed like he might be onto them briefly, though it was more a brief, suspicious look as they reentered a room, than anything else. They’d been careful. It was terrifying, but they had been. They had decent alibis for most of the kills, as long as no one compared their timelines too closely.
The Librarian
You have full permission to geek out about whatever you’d like. The more you talk about random media, the more in character you are.
People were dropping like flies! He’d been following Grian around for a while, talking his ear off about whatever he could think of, which, admittedly, was mostly Star Wars related, but that was his role! Grian couldn’t be mad at him for it! …this time.
Grian was actually trying to solve the murders at least, though Scar didn’t think he was doing a very good job at it. People kept dying, and he kept losing track of Grian! On one such occasion, he ran into Pearl, who asked if he’d seen Scott. He hadn’t, but they’d decided to team up to find their people.
Pearl waved him over to a door he hadn’t been through before at the back of the house. She pushed open the door, revealing a gorgeous conservatory style room, filled wall to wall with plants, and a few chairs and couches set up in the middle. To his surprise, most of their friends were sitting inside, including Grian and Scott, as well as all of the currently dead players, who were sitting at another set of seats across the room.
He glanced at Pearl, then moved to sit next to Grian, who gave him a small smile as he did.
Scott glanced at Cleo, then at Pearl, who had claimed one of the chairs nearby. He’d paused his conversation with them when they came in, though they quickly resumed it, at a much lower volume than before.
Scar was about to resume his conversation with Grian from earlier about the Star Wars timeline, when Martyn came bursting through the door, seeming relieved to see so many of them.
The Lover
Right, this role was annoying. Or maybe Scott was just being annoying. He seemed to be purposefully trying to avoid her, no matter how hard she tried to stick by him! Even now, he was giving her a quizzical glance while he spoke with Cleo. She slumped in her chair, sighing deeply and about to give up on her role, when Martyn came in.
All eyes turned to him as he entered, conversations dying even amongst the ‘ghosts’ in the corner.
“Martyn, you alright?” she asked finally, annoyed by the silence.
He nodded, then shook his head, then shrugged, “Technically yeah, but I think we need to actually figure out who the killer is, and I think I have a solid lead.”
Tango shifted in his seat, speaking for the first time since Pearl and Scar had come in. “You know who killed my husband? How?”
Martyn raised an eyebrow at him, but began explaining nonetheless. “If any of you had actually bothered looking around, you’d realize there were clues about who did it. Or, more importantly, who didn’t .”
He paused, as if for dramatic effect, though when no one reacted he just sighed, continuing on. “Basically, whenever people have died, including Jimmy, there were pieces of paper that cleared a few people based on their roles. Based on the ones I’ve managed to match to people, and the people that are dead, it’s down to about 3 of us.”
“Being…?” Scott asked.
Martyn grinned, his eyes briefly locking with Pearls, though she had no idea why. She knew she wasn’t on his list. “Joel, Etho…, and Tango.”
This time a few gasps came from around the room, most people turning to look at Tango with wide eyes as the only suspect in the room. Tango himself was holding a hand dramatically to his chest, a shocked expression on his face. “How dare you! To think I murdered my dear husband, my rancher! ”
She heard Jimmy snigger from the corner, blowing Tango a kiss as the other ghosts whispered to each other. Of course they all knew who the killer was, and she couldn’t help but wonder just how close Martyn was.
The Widow
He was about a minute into a dramatic speech about his (platonic) love for Jimmy when the other two walked into the room. All eyes turned to them, and if he hadn’t known Etho as long as he had, he might have missed the pure panic that flashed in his eyes. Then again, Joel also looked nervous, so it could be either of them. That was assuming Martyn’s info was correct.
Actually, Martyn hadn’t shared his information yet, just sort of accused him, Joel, and Etho and left it at that.
“Right, which one of you is it?” Martyn said, cutting off Tango’s thoughts.
Joel and Etho exchanged a look, both frowning as they turned back to the group, though it was Joel who spoke. “Uh, neither of us? What’re you on about?”
Tango stood, playing his role up a little, “He’s saying that one of you murdered my beloved husband, and these other people, so which of you did it huh?”
“Woah, why is it just between us?” Joel asked, “I’ve been with Etho for a while, and I know I haven’t murdered. Why the heck can’t it be one of you?”
“Well I’ve been with Cleo the entire time,” Scott answered first, “So it’s not either of us. Someone’s been with Tango for most of the deaths, so it’s not him. And Martyn says he can clear everyone else.”
Martyn nodded along with his statement, eyes narrowing at Joel and Etho.
Joel frowned, crossing his arms over his chest, “Well how do we know it’s not Martyn then? He doesn’t seem to have any clears.”
Tango considered this. He had his own suspicions, which had narrowed with Martyn’s accusations, but Joel had a point. “Yeah Martyn, why can’t it be! After all, you came in here accusing me of murdering my own husband!”
Martyn sputtered, turning towards Tango to argue in his defence. Joel turned back to Scott, their own discussion becoming heated fairly quickly.
The irony of it all was that he was already dead, and they just didn’t know it yet.
The Lover
“Scott, wait up a moment!” Pearl called, catching him as he and Cleo were leaving the conservatory.
He turned to her, his usual friendly smile present, though it was mixed with a suspicion she hoped was just for the game. It was a little unnerving honestly. “Hey, how’s your game been?”
She huffed in frustration, “It would be better if you told me while you’re avoiding me!”
Scott raised an eyebrow at her. “I am? I mean, I’m just playing my role, so I’m sorry if it seems like I am.”
“Well, you’re making it very hard to play mine!” Pearl shot back, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s already hard enough being a lover to a gay man!”
Scott’s lips twitched up at the second half of her statement, clearly catching the sarcasm of it. “Fair enough. How about this, Cleo and I want to talk privately for a minute, then I’ll come find you and we can hang out for the rest of the game?”
Pearl nodded, a relieved smile on her face. It wouldn’t have been the end of the world if she’d tried and mostly failed at her role, but Scott was also just her friend. It was nice, even in the middle of a game, to know he could still be on her side.
The Killer
Oh boy, this was getting tense! After a bit, Jimmy had broken up the arguments in the conservatory, telling them all to leave and spread out so the game could continue. They’d wandered off with Scar and Grian, watching as Grian sent a mass message out to make sure everyone knew how to actually make an accusation. They made sure to pay attention to that, obviously they didn’t want to get caught.
“Well that’s that,” Grian said, putting his comm back in his pocket, “Who do you guys reckon it is?”
Scar shrugged beside them, “Honestly I thought it was Joel, but now I’m not sure.”
Grian nodded, turning to them, “And how about you? Any main suspects? The numbers are dropping.”
“Uh, Pearl maybe?” They offered, “She’s been alone a lot, and even when she’d been with someone, they’re sus of her.”
Grian stared at them for a second, then nodded, changing the topic as they continued walking around the first floor of the mansion.
They really needed to get another kill soon.
The Amateur Detective
He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, flopping on a seat next to Pearl. “You know, this game is harder than I thought it’d be. Then again, if the killer was like, Jimmy, or someone, it would probably be a lot easier.”
Pearl laughed, shaking her head, “Probably. What was the other clue you got, by the way? I know the me and the Librarian one.”
Martyn hummed, shifting so he could pull the pieces of paper out of his back pocket, unfolding them so he could find the one he needed. “Ah! Banker and Baron/Baroness. Cleo hasn’t been shy about their role, and I’m fairly certain Scott is the banker.”
Pearl nodded, considering for a moment. “Do you have any idea which of the two it might be? Of Joel and Etho, I mean.”
“Honestly no,” Martyn admitted, frowning slightly, “Maybe-” he was interrupted by both of their comms going off, a message coming through from Cleo that someone else had died.
The Banker
You’re the second richest person in this place, behind the lovely host of course. You know people will try and use you for your money, be extra suspicious of anyone who hangs out with you other than the Baron/Baroness.
At this point he was pretty sure he knew who it was. Tango sat on the floor of their starting living room, the many ghosts around him. He and Cleo had walked in there to see if they could find any of the so-called clues Martyn was going on about, and instead had found yet another dead body.
He sighed, walking over to say hi to Tango’s corpse while Cleo let everyone else know. There was a cup missing from one of the shelves, and as he got closer, he saw it on the ground next to Tango. Tango sighed dramatically as he approached, “Murdered in the same room as my husband! Together again, at last!”
Jimmy was laughing from his spot with the other ghosts, and Scott couldn’t help but smile at their antics. He just knew they’d be hearing marriage comments from these two for months .
Something white caught his attention out of the corner of his eye, crouching down to see a piece of white paper folded up in the cup. He grabbed it, expecting it to be the death method, but finding what looked like a clue instead. Huh, so maybe this is what Martyn was on about?
“Hey Cleo,” he called behind him as he read the page, “Any idea who the photographer or the distraction are?”
The Baroness
Cleo looked up from their comm, frowning at Scott. “Don’t think so, why?”
He held up a piece of paper towards them, the writing too small and messy to read from here. “Well according to this, neither of them are the killer. Think this is what Martyn was on about?”
“Probably,” she agreed, taking the paper from him as he walked back towards her. “He said he cleared everyone but Joel and Etho, right? So one of these could be one of them?”
“Only if it’s not two dead people,” Scott replied, causing her to frown at the truth to his statement.
They looked over to Jimmy, who was talking to Tango as he’d just joined them from his spot on the floor. “Hey Jim, any chance we get to know any dead roles?”
He looked up at her, then grinned that cheeky grin of his. “I’ll give you one! I’m the victim!”
She rolled her eyes at him, then turned back to Scott, just as the others arrived. Just over half of them were still alive, and yet 8 felt like so many less than 14, especially with 6 idiots huddled in the corner giggling at them.
Scott began explaining how they’d found Tango, pointing out the cup on the ground. Out of the corner of their eye, they saw Pearl move towards it, though she’d been doing almost as much investigation as Martyn, so they didn’t pay it much mind.
“Well it’s not Etho or Scar,” Grian said, “I’ve been with them both since we all split up, there’s no way either of them did it.”
“Aha!” Martyn yelled, “Then it’s Joel!”
“But Joel couldn’t have gotten the Bdubs kill,” Grian continued, frowning.
“So then who is it?” Cleo asked. They glanced at Pearl again, though they frowned slightly when they realized she was holding a piece of paper and frowning. Pearl looked up, meeting Cleo’s eye before standing and turning to Scott.
“Scott, do you know how Tango died?” she asked.
He looked at her, tilting his head slightly, “I mean, I assumed it was poison or something, why?”
She held up the note, “Well you’re partially right. This is the death method card. Says he was poisoned, but not a few minutes ago. Up to an hour ago.”
“What?” Martyn exclaimed, several others expressing similar shock. Cleo themself was kind of surprised. She’d sort of assumed all the death methods were immediate. Wait a second-
“Does that mean he was already poisoned when we were talking in the conservatory?” they asked.
Pearl nodded, passing the note to Scar, who immediately passed it to Grian to actually read. “Probably. Note says Tango could have chosen to die anywhere between half an hour to an hour after. He may have even technically been the third person dead and we didn’t know.”
“Gotcha!” Tango yelled from the corner, flashing them all a giant grin as the other ghosts cheered him on. Jimmy then smacked his arm, whispering something about not helping the living, though Cleo could see the grin clear on his face.
“So who was alone over half an hour ago?” Scar asked.
Cleo could see everyone doing some mental math, Grian, Etho, and Pearl all pulling out their comms to compare message time stamps. Scar was counting on his fingers, pointing to people as he leaned over Grian’s shoulder to read his comm, the two comparing notes as others did the same.
She didn’t have much to contribute, she’d been with Scott all game. It obviously wasn’t one of them, though she wished they had more information on the others- wait.
“Wait, Scott, what about the clue you found?” they asked.
Scott looked over at her, frowning for a second before remembering what they were talking about. He pulled the slip of paper out of his pocket, looking at Martyn as he spoke. “I almost forgot about this. Martyn, I think this is what you were on about, right? A paper that lists two roles that are innocent?”
Martyn nodded, pulling two identical pieces of paper from his own pocket. “Yeah! I mean, we can role call if we really want, we might have enough to figure it out then.”
The Killer
Oh no. The last thing they needed was a role call, especially if people had been getting roles cleared. Their kill on Tango had gone well, passing him the cup when they’d both been in the bar with a few others, though if people looked too closely they’d probably figure it out.
Scott made eye contact with them across the room, a questioning then almost knowing look on his face. They swallowed nervously, shifting to pretend to compare time stamps with Grian. They had a feeling this game would be over pretty soon though.
The Distraction
Distract, distract, distract! Don’t role claim, don’t give yourself an alibi, make yourself as sus as possible while being innocent. If you figure out the killer, don’t outright help them, but maybe take some heat off them?
“I dunno guys, role calling feels sort of scummy,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. At this point he was fairly certain he knew who the killer was, but it was in his role to help them out a little, even if it meant acting more sus.
Scott frowned, “I mean a little, but we’re so far into the game. Not doing it and spreading out would just be helping the killer at this point. Unless you are the killer, Joel.”
Joel just shrugged, staring silently back at Scott like he was daring him to accuse him further.
“Right!” Pearl said, drawing the attention of them and everyone else. “That’s it. I would like to formally accuse Etho of being the killer. He’s the one I’m most suspicious of, and it’s clear we’re not getting anywhere otherwise.”
Jimmy stepped forward, joining the group of the living to fulfill his role as first victim and game master. “Thank you, Pearl. Anyone second the accusation?”
Scott and Cleo both raised their hands, Jimmy nodding at them before continuing. Joel glanced at Etho out of the corner of his eye, trying to gauge his reaction to the accusation.
“The accusation is official,” Jimmy said, turning to Etho, “Anything you’d like to say in your defence Etho?”
Etho raised his hands, a slightly nervous glint to his eyes. “Come on guys, it's not me! I’ve been with people so much, and how do we even know Martyn’s telling the truth?”
Joel saw Scott and Cleo duck their heads together, Scott whispering something to them as Etho tried, and generally failed, to defend himself.
Jimmy nodded again as Etho finished talking. “Right, let's have a vote then. Raise your hand, if you think it’s Etho.”
Joel kept his hands firmly crossing over his chest, but he saw pretty much every other hand go up. Scar and Etho were the only other people not to vote, though as the accused Etho’s vote didn’t really count anyway. It was a majority.
The Family Friend
The Killer
Oh snappers.
Jimmy did a quick glance, confirming the votes, before splitting into a grin as he turned to him. “Well Etho, was it you?”
Etho took a deep breath, then hung his head, a slightly guilty smile on his face as he nodded, “Yeah it was. You guys are so hard to get alone!”
There was a small cheer from the remaining living players, followed by a much louder cheer from the dead players as everyone merged back into one group. Several hands whacked him on the back, his friends congratulating him on his game.
Bdubs came up to him, his arms crossed over his chest. Etho greeted him, bracing himself for the rant he knew was coming from his friend.
“ You! ” Bdubs cried, drawing the attention of a few others, “You knew I’d trust you to be alone. Gosh, I didn’t even think twice about following you! I can’t believe you killed me first!”
He couldn’t help but laugh, pulling his friend in for a side hug, Bdub’s own resolve melting into giggles. He looked around the group, finding Jimmy and Tango fully entranced in their fake marriage that had spawned from Tango’s role, Scar their captive audience.
Others were comparing roles and clues, laughing or groaning as they realized what had been happening the whole time.
He may not have been the best killer, but he had had fun with it. Hopefully if they played again, he’d get the chance to be a player. As fun as the killer was, he didn’t think he could handle it twice!
The Banker
Scott
He couldn’t help but grin at all of his friends as they reassembled in the living room, a variety of death methods in hand that would need to be spread out again before their next game. Pearl flopped next to him on the couch, a silent understanding passing between them as he took her hand, giving it a light squeeze that she returned.
Etho took up a couch opposite them, Bdubs and Joel by his side. Scott couldn’t help but smile at the relief on his face. He hadn’t wanted to say anything, but Scott had been fairly sure it was him since early on, just a few too many coincidences lining up.
Either way, it was fun, and he could hear Grian talking about pausing for dinner before playing again. His stomach growled in response to the mention of food, and he couldn’t help but agree that that was probably a good idea.
Grian collected everyone’s roles, putting them back into the hat and giving them a shuffle. Scott laughed as Jimmy drew the victim again, throwing his arms in the air dramatically before Grian suggested they redraw. When Tango announced himself as the victim next time, they all gave a collective sigh of relief before moving to the kitchen for food, Tango ‘sneaking’ to the hall to start putting the death methods back.
As they ate, Scott couldn’t help but feel extremely grateful for the people around them, his eyes landing on Grian specifically. Hopefully, his friend would continue hosting parties for them for some time. He already couldn’t wait for the next one.