Fandom The Night It Snowed || IC

[Satanic Nightjar]

THE NIGHT IT SNOWED



A Clue Roleplay​

s e v e n Ravenpaw draconicheart Heterological lvcid MePersonally SquishCat ​

The afternoon of December 18th was miserable. Alternating snow and hail falling from the sky, as if attempted to scare visitors away from the house, as if it knew of what was to come and was warning all who approached. No one seemed to heed the warning however, as the visitors filed one by one into the warmth of the Alistair Home. They were each met at the doorway by a young man who offered a polite smile and relieved them of their bags, giving each directions to their respective rooms. He pointed to the coat rack (an impressive thing, for a coat rack).

After they'd all been given time to unpack, he said, they'd been provided tea in the living room they could help themselves to. "Feel free to get to know one another. Mr. Alistair will be along for dinner, but you needn't wait that long to strike up a lovely conversation with your.." He looked about the mismatched group of individuals, struggling to find the right word. "With your new friends."

He then disappeared around the corner, somehow managing to carry all of the baggage at once, and began to haul it towards the bedrooms down the hall. As if on cue, a bolt of lightning erupted just as he left, lighting up the room, and from the sky another burst of hail came cascading down onto the roof. Clouds formed over the Alistair home, made invisible by the snow drifted towards the ground all around. The blizzard had begun in earnest - though then, not one of the guests quite understood the significance it would have on their lives.

 

[Ravenpaw]

Dr. Judzia Harris
​

Judzia let out a sigh as she walked into the Alistair residence. It was so much warmer here than out in the blizzard. A smiling young man greeted the group of people in the doorway, taking their bags and gesturing to a coat rack. She hung up her coat, and followed the man to the table, which was surrounded by antique chairs and set with expensive looking plates. She took a seat, looking around at the others, who were all also settling in.

"Feel free to get to know one another. Mr. Alistair will be along for dinner, but you needn't wait that long to strike up a lovely conversation with your.." the young man hesitated, glancing around the group, as if he didn't know how to refer to them. "With your new friends." Judzia gave a nod and a slight smile to the generous man, then shifted around, wanting to get comfortable while she waited for Mr. Alistair.

Dr. Harris wasn't exactly sure what she was supposed to do. She didn't want to be awkward, so she decided to try to engage in some small talk. But they're bound to get the idea sometime soon right? I don't want to have to be the first person to talk! I'm too nervous! And what would I say anyway? She decided to let other people start the conversation. So she waited for a few moments. A few seconds. A few minutes. Nobody said a word. It was obvious they were all probably feeling as awkward and out of place as she was. And she was getting very uncomfortable sitting here not saying anything. But she also really really didn't want to start. But she knew she needed to start some sort of conversation. So she took a deep breath, and summoned all of her people skills.

"Um, hi. My name is Judzia Harris. I'm a chemist. How about you guys? What are your names? What do you do?" she smiled shyly, hoping that nobody could tell that she was blushing. Now everybody was looking at her instead of studying their empty plates. Why did I do this to myself? If I'd waited a few more minutes I'm sure somebody would of said something! She thought miserably.

 

[draconicheart]

Henry watched the man leave with slight admiration at his ability to wrestle as many bags at once as he did. Even though he knew the contents in his own beat-up duffel bag were minimal, it was still an impressive feat to manage.

He spared a glance at the girl who attempted conversation and noticed her attempts to shirk away from the attention she called onto herself, so he obliged. He instead fixed his attention on the perimeter of the room, wandering over and looking for a liquor cabinet to pour himself something stronger than a cup of tea. He shoved his hands in his jean pockets and let out a sigh.

"A chemist, huh?" He didn't bother to look at the intended recipient, "I don't care much for science."

 

[SquishCat]

Marcel Emerson|Living room​

When Marcel looked up at the massive building for the first time, he knew that this night was going to be unpleasant. Stepping out of the vehicle, he pulled his hood down further when a sudden chilling breeze cut through him. He liked the winter, yes, but that didn't mean he was immune to the cold. He noticed as he walked, still shivering, that there were several other sets of shoe prints littering the snow-dusted pathway. He must have been one of the later to arrive, then. Suddenly struck with a wave of anxiety, he quickened his steps.

Finally entering the massive building, Marcel breathed a silent sigh of relief. The flood of warm air was a welcome change from the frigid winds, the change temporarily distracting him from his worries. Kicking the snow off his boots at the entrance, he hung his coat on the rack just as the guy had said. Following him deeper into the building, the guy left them in a massive and expensive looking living room. As he was leaving Marcel tried to tell him his thanks but probably went unheard. Turning back to the room, he glanced at the other visitors for a brief second before averting his gaze to his still-steaming cup. This is where the real challenge comes in.

Thankfully, though, a young woman, who introduced herself as Judzia spoke up first. Glancing at her through his hair, he realized that she was in a predicament similar to ones he's been in many times before, so he averted his gaze once again. Perhaps they might end up getting along. Or completely ignoring each other. Either option sounded good to him.

After another moment of grating silence another spoke up, this time a dude. Something about him off-put Marcel, though he wasn't sure what. Maybe it was the way he spoke, or how he held himself. He wasn't quite sure what, but he knew that he'd be sure to try and avoid him when he could. So, as the two spoke, he only glanced every now and then through his hair, no intention of adding to the conversation.

 

[lvcid]

beauty queen on a silver screen

joanna martinez

For the second time that night, Joanna wondered why she’d been invited as she stared up at the front of Alistair’s mansion. Sure, the man was a family friend, but why not ask her father to come instead? She was sure this was going to turn out to be one of those fancy dinner parties for old people, and already, she was prepared to be bored the entire night. Shivering in the night air, Joanna pulled her fur coat tighter about her frame as she trudged up the walk, her high heels sinking into the snow, leaving a trail of deep impressions behind her as she went.

Upon entering the large house, she was hit with a wave of warm air and a man standing ready to take her bags. Sure, it was to be a short stay, but Joanna had a habit of overpacking. She readily offered him her things and took off her coat to reveal a tight-fitting red dress that matched her platform heels. Joanna carelessly draped heels coat onto the coat stand before striding into the adjoining room where some of the others had already gathered, seated quietly at a table. “Well, isn’t this a lively group?” she muttered as she slumped into an empty chair.

Joanna took a moment to let her eyes wander around the table, taking in the other attendants. They weren’t nearly as old as she’d expected them to be—nowhere near her father’s age—but they were definitely older than her. One of them, a woman, said something about being a scientist. Oh, great, she thought. Old and smart. Everything I’m not. In reality, Joanna was starting to get nervous. Typically, she thrived in social situations, but these people weren’t giving her much to work with.

She glanced around the room disinterestedly until her gaze settled on the door. Joanna suddenly found herself wondering if it was too late to leave. Of course, she’d have to hunt down the man who’d taken her bags first, but she had no idea where to even begin looking for him. Again, she let out a sigh. She glanced over at the woman—Judzia. “I’m Joanna,” she said in reply to her question to the group, “and I don’t do anything. My father has people for that.” The Martinez family had a house much like the mansion they were in now, which required lots of upkeep, thus there were housekeepers and cooks among others that did everything for Joanna so that she didn’t have to lift a finger unless she really wanted to.

code by @fudgecakez

 

[s e v e n]

- Jem -​

.

Cold. That was the first thing he noticed when he came over the building. Was it really? Or was it just him? Rubbing his gloved hands together, Jem patted his face, in which he was overcome by an instantaneous sigh of relief. In his pocket, a single letter. Surely this was the right address, though it was not as though the immense manor caught him off guard or anything. The first time he had seen it, his jaw fell nearly too the floor. Hardly could the boy believe that such a building could still exist in this very time of century. A skyscraper, sure, Stark tower and all those. But something like this? Rich people are very odd indeed.

Stepping inside was a whole new story. Greeted by the luxury of the living room, it felt like he was reliving an ancient gothic tale. A writer at heart, a lover of stories and an avid reader himself, it was hard for him to prevent his head from running. What sort of ancient ghosts could linger around the corner? Would there be a murder mystery coming forth? Could Alistair Malcolm possibly be an ancient vampire and they were all walking right on his dinner plate?

Again, Jem patted himself on the face. Fiction is nice, he practically lives of it. But often there would be good in learning to distinguish them. Still, the young boy found himself eternally fascinated by the antiquity of it all, the endless ceiling, the chandeliers and the candles- what was so wrong with regular lighting? If only he was not taught so well by his late mother, Jem would have found himself stalking every corridor, admiring every painting. Suddenly he was reminded by that one Resident Evil game.

“Oh- hi!” He greeted in return, when one of the people spoke. She was a woman, a very pretty one he thought, and her being a chemist just made it cooler. Wonder what sort of alchemy she could stir up. “Er- I’m Jem- though you may know me as James Sturgess, especially if you read a lot. I’m an author, I was on New York Times’ best seller once- not because I’m great or anything, really, every book that passes the store is bound to get that stamp sooner or later,” he laughed, somewhat awkwardly.

The feeling of unsettlement slowly perished when he heard the woman talk. One that came from the obvious fact that he knew next to nothing about all these people. Why was he even invited in the first place? But the woman; she did not sound like such a bad person after all. Judzia, that was her name. “You have a pretty name, miss,” he commented before he could stop himself. “And I think scientists are pretty cool,” he clarified, taking a quick glance at the other male, whom he thought was rather rude for saying so, but was willing to give benefit of doubt.

It was the younger girl, Joanna, that he immediately felt dislike for. There was something about her attitude that he really could not stand. Rich kid, pompous, spoiled? She could be nice, though. “Joanna’s also a pretty name, nice to meet you- I suppose,” he smiled at her, though quickly he bit his lip, averting his gaze. When his eyes met the shorter Asian male, he smiled at him, too. Lots of different personalities, he supposed, and just because one is shy, they should not be taken away from all the fun!

 

[Heterological]

Winston
Living Room

Winston glanced at everyone else in the room, slightly uncomfortable. He wasn't a people person. Far from it. If he had his way he would be in his lab right now 3D-printing a part he needed. Instead, he was wasting time with Alistair, but it was an unspoken rule that when your boss tells you to do something you do it if it's not illegal.

Dr. Harris, as she introduced herself, explained that she was a chemist, and asked a few questions in quick succession. Soon after, some other guy commented on her job, while Winston stayed silent. He didn't like those people who scoffed at science, despite using all modern-day innovations. Hypocrites like those were less than ideal.

A different woman said, “I’m Joanna, and I don’t do anything. My father has people for that.” Winston narrowed his eyes slightly at her. He clenched his teeth but held off judgment for now. She seemed like a condescending spoiled brat, and she probably was, but it had only been five minutes. She might have layers. Or she might annoy him endlessly. Probably both.

He considered speaking then and chewing her out, but he held his tongue. They were having introductions, and first impressions were everything, especially with Alistair nearby.

A different guy spoke up and said, "Joanna’s also a pretty name, nice to meet you- I suppose." Winston glanced at him and then away, looking around at the room. A ton of people, all stuck in a mansion together. At least there'd be enough room for them to stay apart. Otherwise, he'd go crazy.

 

[MePersonally]

Alexis Mason​

Alexis had been here many times, which was why she didn’t even look up when she entered the mansion. Shaking off the rain, she hung her coat on the rack and nodded at the young man who greeted them. His face was familiar, but she couldn’t remember his name, which was probably not important. Still, she felt kind of annoyed by her lack of memory. This was unprofessional, she had been taught better than that.

Her heels clicking on the floor, she made her way to her room, keeping her luggage (a small, black trolley with a lock on it) by her side, not handing it to the young man. She just wanted to be sure it got to her room without being dropped. About 15 minutes later, she walked downstairs, her hair tied to a neat bun, now. She sat down at the table, alongside the other people that Malcom had invited, trying to recall if this table had ever hosted that many employees of NextG at once. Probably not, they usually weren’t allowed up here. Lexi was the only employee that Malcom treated like that, inviting her to his house and making sure that she was comfortable. Which brought up the question why exactly those people were here in the first place. What was he trying to reach, letting all those people into his home, seving them dinner and then, what? Did he have an announcement to make? Was he finally going to retire?
Shut up, she told herself internally, forcing her mind to focus on the people around her instead of the joy that thought sparked in her.

The first one to introduce herself was a woman. She had seen her around the cemistry department a few times, but she had never really interacted with her. Dr Harris, so that was her name. She shot the chemist a warm smile and waited for her to finish. The comment that the man on the opposite of the table made was uncalled for and just rude; Lexi made a face, but chose not to say something about it. Everyone was responsible fr how they held themselves and with that behavior, the guy surely didn't have many friends, or social leverage. It was also pretty apparent that he didn't care much for the way he was percieved; he was wearing baggy clothes, that looked like they were at least two numbers too big.

Next one to introduce herself was a woman in a dress that screamed rich. The way she was acting, even before she told them that she didn't have a job already made her unsympathetic. If she wasn't an employee, what was she doing here? What was Malcom up to?
Sighing, she noted that the writer- Jem- had developed a crush on Dr Harris already. It had been what? Ten minutes? And he was already embarassing himself trying to impress her. Truth was, she would rather be anywhere else than here, but if it was important to Mr Alistair, she would see this through.
"I'm Lexi", she introduced herself, a smile on her face and her eyes wandering between the attendants of the dinner party, "I'm a programmer."
That's what she usually told anyone at that company. Nothing about her special relationship with Malcom, nothing about the fact that she was going to be their boss, soon. She just found it better that way.
"I think if we want this to be a pleasant evening, we should all introduce ourselves...", she added and glanced at the three men who hadn't said a their name, yet, "We're all here for a reason... And I think that Dr Alistair would like us to get along."
Malcom usually said that, that he wanted the guests at his parties to become friends. Where was he?! This was all starting to get uncomfortably weird.

 

[Satanic Nightjar]

THE NIGHT IT SNOWED



A Clue Roleplay​

s e v e n Ravenpaw draconicheart Heterological lvcid MePersonally SquishCat ​

The young man, Charlie, who had taken all of their coats shuffled back into the room after taking their bags, but said nothing, seemingly just taking in their conversation. Once everyone had introduced themselves, he scurried off up the massive staircase to Malcom Alistair's office. He knocked gently on the door before a low voice called for him to enter, or rather grunted assent, as if he couldn't be bothered to do anything more than the bare minimum. Alistair was sitting at his desk, typing away at his computer. Whatever he was writing had a deep frown on his face, and he looked very distant. Charlie smiled politely at his boss, who offered him a quick nod in return.

"Sir. It would seem that all introductions have been made, they're getting along decently well for such a . . . wide variety of people. They are a tad restless though. Perhaps it's time for their host to make an appearance?"

The older man cast him a look of annoyance, then sighed. "Yes, I suppose it's time I greet them myself. After all, this was my idea. As much as I may end up regretting it." Though he couldn't have possibly known then just how much he would regret it. He rose from his desk, took a quick look around the room as if saying goodbye to a dear friend, then escorted Charlie out, locking the door behind the two of them as they left.

As he descended the stairs, he strained his ears for any sort of conversation down the hall, but either they had never made it past the "introductions" stage or he was too far away to catch anything. Or, quite possibly, both.

He cleared his throat as he strolled into the room of guests, chin tilted upwards, a businesslike manner about him. He straightened his tie before plastering on a smile and addressing the odd assortment of men and women gathered in his living room. "Hello, everyone. You all know me from various different circumstances, some are friends, some family, some mere acquaintances. However, regardless of where you came from or why you have found yourself here today, I must assume that all of you are positively starved after your journey. Would anyone enjoy some dinner?"

Most of them nodded assent, some just stared blankly, there was very little speaking, more just sheer confusion. Tough crowd. However, he did not let this faze him as he led them into the dining room, where a couple of his assistants were already loading a mouthwatering assortment of different foods onto the table. He thanked them each for what looked like a delicious meal, and they mumbled something about it being all the cooks doing, which he accepted.

"Have a seat," he said to his guests, gesturing at the several empty chairs scooted up to the expensive dark wood table. "And tell me, do any of you happen to know each other?"

 

[Ravenpaw]

Judzia Harris
​

To Judzia's relief, a few moments after she'd finished speaking, a young woman smiled warmly at her, one she'd seen a couple of times at work, and a man she didn't recognize started talking. Although her relief turned quickly to annoyance as the man spoke.

"A chemist, huh? I don't care much for science." he said, without introducing himself or even bothering to look up. Has he taken the time to think that most of the people in this room are scientists?! What's this guy even doing here?!? She thought angrily. She bit back a furious retort. She didn't want to pick a fight. It took a whole lot of self control not to glare at him. She glanced at the woman who'd smiled at her, and saw that she was making an annoyed face. The next person who spoke was a woman who looked to be a bit younger than Dr. Harris herself. She was wearing a fancy red dress that hugged her body tight. She said that her name was Joanna, and then basically said she was a spoiled rich kid. She doesn't understand, she thought. Judzia had grown up in a fairly poor family, and had remained that way her whole life. She wasn't getting exactly friendly vibes from Joanna.

Next to introduce themselves was... no way! Dr. Harris thought, not James Sturgess! He's my favorite author! And he's sitting at a table with me?! This might go better than I thought!

"Oh-hi!" he said, "Er, I'm Jem, though you might know me as James Sturgess, especially if you read a lot. I'm an author. I wan on New York Times Bestseller once- not because I'm great or anything, really, every book that passes the store is bound to get that stamp eventually." Jem said. Then, he turned to Judzia. "You have a pretty name miss," he blurted out. His face turned a bit red. Dr. Harris' heart beat faster. Did her favorite author just FLIRT with her?!? WHAT THE HECK?! She felt a pang of sympathy for Jem when he awkwardly turned and stuttered that Joanna had a pretty name too. Before she could say anything, the woman who'd smiled at her spoke up.

"I'm Lexi. I'm a programmer," she said. Cool job, she thought. She decided she should probably speak again.

"Nice to meet you, Lexi," Judzia said, then turned to Jem, "and, Jem, I believe you're wrong about something. I think that you are quite great. You're one of the best authors I've ever known about. I love your books." she shot him a warm smile. I hope saying that was the right thing to do, she thought, and I'm not just embarrassing myself again. Just then, the young man who'd taken their coats came back to the table.

"Hello, everyone. You all know me from various different circumstances, some are friends, some family, some mere acquaintances. However, regardless of where you came from or why you have found yourself here today, I must assume that all of you are positively starved after your journey. Would anyone enjoy some dinner?" He said. Dr. Harris nodded eagerly, and cooks started pouring in from the kitchen, carrying mouth watering meals. She smiled and thanked the chefs as they set the food down on the table. The young man asked the small crowd if any of them knew each other. Judzia glanced at Lexi, remembering that she'd seen her before.

"Well, um, I've seen Lexi around before. And, uh, Jem here is my favorite author." she shot a quick smile at Lexi, Jem, and the young man. Now that she got a good chance to look him over, she realized that she had seen him before. Charlie is his name, right? she thought. But she wasn't about to ask him, in case she was wrong. That would be super awkward.

 

[draconicheart]

To be frank, Henry couldn't care less about anyone else here; as others attempted to stumble their way through introductions, he was busy fixing himself a drink and trying to restrain himself from rolling his eyes.

It wasn't until that boy spoke - he introduced himself as "Jem", but clarified it as James Sturgess. A New York Times bestselling author. His hands stilled, eyebrows knitted together. He could remember when his own novel was on that list, however many years ago...

That chemist girl began heaping praise onto him. Evidently he was her favorite author. Knuckles white against the crystal glass, Henry took a heavy gulp of his drink.

Alistair's appearance snapped him out of this jealous stupor, shoulders nearly visibly relaxing and a smirk making its way onto his face. "Quite kind of you to grace us with your presence, Malcolm." His tone dripped in sarcasm with the barest hint of contempt, and he followed to the dining room.

"Do I know anyone here? Let's see..." Henry sat down heavily, choosing instead to recline into his chair of choice rather than eye the food placed before them. He gave a moment of mock contemplation and swirled the amber liquid about his glass for emphasis before saying with finality, "I do. First name Jack, last name Daniels. Perhaps you're familiar with him." He punctuated this comment by making eye contact with the host and taking a sip of the liquor in question.

 

[SquishCat]

Marcel watched with mild interest as the people around him introduced themselves. By now he'd realised that he should probably introduce himself as well, but he was struggling to find an opening to do so. He was never very good at reading conversations like that. So, for the first few minutes of his time at the mansion, he sat in silence while slowly growing more anxious and antsy, especially when it almost looked like an argument was about to break out between Judzia and that scary guy. Thankfully, it seems nothing came out of it. It was like high school all over again, waiting for his turn to present his sub-par slideshow in front of the entire class. Except in class he somewhat knew the people watching and could give a good guess what most of them were thinking of him. These people were strangers.

Why did he agree to come again?

His thoughts were interrupted when the cause of about eighty percent of his worries walked in. With his tie neatly in place and suit ironed to perfection, Mr. Alistair welcomed them with one of the better-crafted smiles he'd seen in a while and led them to a large dining table that, in all honesty probably wasn't anything too special but to Marcel, whose most expensive piece of furniture was probably a squeaky old desk, it was one of the most grand and expensive looking tables he'd ever seen. He was nervous even sitting at it. The insanely wide variety of expensive looking dishes that the staff came flooding in which didn't help much. He'd been using the word expensive a lot, hasn't he. Somehow, he doubted that that was going to change.

Thanking any staff that came within hearing range, Marcel tried once again to get comfortable. But then, of course, Mr. Alistair asked if any of them knew each other. How would he know anyone here? They all seemed like super elite, successful people! Of course he's heard maybe one or two of their names from passing conversations now that he thought about it, but that hardly counts as knowing them. At least, in his mind that's how it works. It's still the same for people higher-up, right?

 

[lvcid]

beauty queen on a silver screen

joanna martinez

Joanna glanced up upon hearing approaching footsteps and watched as a young man, probably close to her age—at least, the closest out of anyone here—walked into their midst. He was attractive, that was for sure, but he wasn’t the type she typically went for. She preferred bad boys, the tough kind. The fact that he was no such thing was only confirmed when he spoke up. He was much too nervous and pure for her taste.

When this boy—Jem, as he’d introduced himself—complimented her, she allowed herself a small smile. “Thanks,” she replied. “I guess it’s nice to meet you, too.”

Judzia spoke up again, addressing Jem. Joanna glanced between the two who, already, seemed to have hit it off, seemingly flirting with each other. Joanna scoffed slightly and rolled her eyes. To her, it seemed like Judzia was being nothing more than a kiss-ass, basking in any attention the famous author gave her and whatever recognition came along with it. Sure, Joanna loved attention, but there was a difference between boredom and desperation. Regardless, it seemed like the only other person of interest at this party was going to be accounted for. In a way, it reminded her of home. Everyone else here seemed to have something in common, and she, a bit ignorant in their world, was simply passed over. As Joanna’s eyes roamed around for someone else to strike up a conversation with, the man who had taken her bags reappeared in the room along with Alistair himself.

Alistair was as neatly put-together as ever, but his hair seemed grayer than she remembered it, and once again, Joanna wondered why she had been invited instead of her father. It’s not as if the two of them didn’t get along—in a way, he was like family—but she couldn’t help thinking that he might enjoy the company of someone closer to his age, someone older.

Joanna, along with the others, got up and followed him into a dining room, the table of which had already been set and laden with a wide assortment of food. An assortment of food for an assortment of people. Just as she was taking a seat, Alistair again addressed the group, this time asking if they knew one another. Joanna, of course, knew only Alistair, and so she remained quiet for once and allowed the others to do the talking. If nothing else, it would help her to get a better understanding of the group’s dynamic and whether or not she could truly fit in anywhere.

code by @fudgecakez

 

[s e v e n]

- Jem -​

.

There it was. No matter how many times it has been, Jem could never find himself used to compliments. At first it was most overwhelming, after all who could have expected that a little nobody as him, just very freshly out of university, could have been given such an opportunity? He was pleased, more than so, of course, yet a part of him wondered if it were just luck. Could he be able to pull something off like such again in the future? Or was this nothing but a short lived fame?

Either way, what was done was done. All he could do was do his best, put on a smile and move forward. He gave Judzia a sheepish smile, his fingers nervously fiddled around the corners of his shirt. Just when he was about to respond, another voice erupted in the room, one that certainly managed to turn everyone's heads.

Alistair Malcolm. Sure, he have heard of his name. He assumed everyone in the room had too. Briefly he scanned for the rest of the guests, gauging their reactions. He knew that Alistair was not...the best of people, and that he had enemies (a man with such a title and wealth to his name, it would not have been much a surprise). Still, he was offering them dinner, and Jem would not reject dinner. He immediately shot his hand in the air, then noticed no one was doing that, so he awkwardly put it back down, flustered.

With that the group moved from the living room, towards the dining hall. Along the way, Jem could not help but gawk at every single detail of the mansion, the paintings, the doors- the butlers and maids! So many things ran in his mind, and immediately a light bulb lit up over his head. He pulled out his phone, clicking the pen out of its socket, and immediately began to write. Scribbles of notes, sudden burst of inspiration, random thoughts- and other things.

As they entered, Jem immediately felt his stomach rumbling. He took a picture- for future reference, of course. The details of the room, the table, the everything! Jem waved brightly at a maid, one who looked at the other with confusion in her eyes. When he sat down, Jem found himself staring at a large honey-glazed turkey at the centre of the table, and was only snapped back when he heard someone begin to talk.

'Who? What? When?' His expression perplexed, he turned to look around his newly made "friends" (well, at least to him they were), wondering what was happening. When Judzia spoke, and then said he was her favourite author...his jaw drop open. Was it the truth? Was she just trying to be nice? Jem could not tell, he was not the best at reading expressions after all, but at least she was nice enough.

"No way!" he gasped, and even with his attempt to hide it, his grin was undeniable. He could never get used to it, but that does not mean he did not like it. And be said by a smart, lovely scientist- he would scream and toss himself on his pillow if only he was not in a room filled with, you know, adults. "Uh- uhm," he turned his attention back towards Malcolm, clearing his throat to regain his composure. "Er- I know no one- not until I came here of course! That's Miss Judzia Harris, she's a very cool scientist and is now my best friend because ohmygodthankyousomuch-" he bowed at her direction, flustered. "Aaand that's- that's Jo. And you're Lexi, right?" he looked at the other girl and smiled, mouthing a small hi. He just realized he did not know all of their names, so he nudged the person closest to him, a dark haired male. "What's your name? I'm Jem." Because boundaries, what are they?

 

[MePersonally]

Alexis Mason
​

Finally, Malcom decided to show! Lexi's smile lit up as her boss entered the room and she waited for his familiar voice to say those words.
Some are friends, some family, some mere acquaintances.
When he said family, she looked at him and nodded. She kmew he meant her. She was the only family that he had, the only family that he needed and she wouldn't disappoint him.
The staff brought the food and Lexi couldn't help but notice the extra clean plates today. This occasion was special, she had known from the moment she had gotten here. Then, the smell of food spread in the whole room and the young woman took a deep breath in, as her stomach cramped. She had come here hungry, because she had known that Malcom's dinner parties were fantastic and excessive, especially on the food side. She couldn't wait for the feast to start. But first, Malcom had asked a question. It wasn't a difficult one to answer and just smalltalk.

"Well, seems like I've seen Dr Harris a few times, when I've walked around the hallways, but apart from that, no. I don't kow anyone else."
Oh how she wanted to ask Malcom what was going on, why he had asked them here, how those people had earned their place at his dinner table. It wasn't the time and the place, now, but she was going to talk to him alone, later. It was all very strange, especially because he usually told her what he was up to. Normally, he didn't just leave her with a written invitation and a table full of strangers. Except, this was a surprise of some kind. Something she wouldn't have expected. Something... Great? Something awful? Why hadn't he told her?
With every minute passing, she grew more uneasy, staring at Malcom like his body language would somehow magically tell her what he was up to.

The other people were just disturbances at this point, her glance fixated on her mentor. She was watching his every move, every micro expression. She needed to know, but there was no way that she would find out before they were done eating. When she was offered a drink, she politely declined, shaking her head in the process. Alcohol wasn't a good thing, especially because it was interfering with her meds.

Suddenly, someone said her name and she looked up, the smile she had worn before flashing onto her face again like a reflex. Her eyes needed a moment to find the source of her name, but she finally looked at Jem. What had he said? Had it been important? Judging by the way that no one else ws looking at her, he had probably just told Malcom that she had introduced herself already. She had to be more attentive to the crowd, if she wanted to leave a good impression. Internally scoding herself, she ripped her eyes off her mentor and began observing the others again.

 

[Satanic Nightjar]

THE NIGHT IT SNOWED



A Clue Roleplay​

s e v e n Ravenpaw draconicheart Heterological lvcid MePersonally SquishCat ​

Alistair watched around the room with a look of interest on his face as his various guests spoke. They really were quite an odd assortment of peoples, some young, some old, some strangers, some old friends. He wondered for the millionth time if this was a good idea. He flinched a bit when Henry spoke, started to respond, then reconsidered and exhaled softly, addressing the group.

"Ah, well, that's wonderful. Some familiar faces and some new ones, right? But I'm sure you'll all fit in nicely just the same. Now, don't let me bother you any longer, I'm sure you're all rather tired from your journey. Eat up, get to know each other, and then Charlie can escort anyone to their rooms should they need a refresher on location."

Everyone gave him a look of understanding that probably was actually confusion so great there was no alternative but to hide it. He chuckled inwardly. "And I'm sure you're all wondering why you're here - well that'll all be answered in good time. For right now, you're all here to enjoy yourselves." The words sounded forced even to him but he wasn't going to go back on them, instead taking his seat and consuming a few small bites of the exquisite food, as if his taste buds had been dulled by years of rich living.. The room went quiet for a few moments, as everyone apparently thought this over, before Charlie scurried in with his gigantic smile, awkwardly glances at his boss for approval before attempting to salvage the conversation.

"So, who's ready for some fun!"

 

[MePersonally]

Alexis Mason
​

Enough! This was enough. Whatever Malcom was doing, it was enough now. She couldn't take this, not one second longer. Rules be damned, she needed to talk with him in private, right now. This wasn't a game anymore and even if it were, she had no interest in playing it any longer. She felt mocked by how he looked at them. He had always treated other people like this but not her, never her. She was special, he had told her that so many times. Why did he put her on one level with those employees and whatever the hell else they were? Didn't he know that she wasn't like them? Not that stupid? He had taken her in and shown her that. They were the same, right? One of a kind... He had always told her that. No, he wasn't letting her down, not like this. Maybe he was treating her like this because the others were there. Maybe they weren't supposed to know that she was someone special...

She tried to convince herself that that was the case, but somehow it seemed like she was holding onto a broken ledge. Taking a deep breath, she got up from her chair and approached Malcom, her heels clicking on the ground. She needed to sort this out, right now, or otherwise she would go insane.
"I need to talk to you. In private. Just a minute", she whispered next to his ear, so only he could hear it. Then, she walked out of the dining room and waited for Malcom to follow.
Satanic Nightjar

 

[Ravenpaw]

Dr. Judzia Harris

​

Ladies and gentlemen... here comes the star of our show: the one and only, selfish, idiotic, Malcom Alistair! Judzia groaned inwardly. The guy was just about as spoiled and rich as a person could be. I'll bet half the people in this room don't know what a moron this guy is. They might even look up to him! She glanced around the room. Lexi looked a bit... well, put out. That didn't make sense. It didn't look like she disliked the man, as Dr. Harris did. She looked annoyed. Like he was doing something wrong. Maybe she's just hungry, and wants to eat instead of listening to Alistair babbling on. Wouldn't blame her. I'm starving! she thought. After what seemed like ages, Alistair left the group alone and sat down to eat. Judzia lifted her fork to take a bite... and then Charlie started talking. Can't I catch a break? she thought miserably.

"So, who's ready for some fun!" he called with a forced grin plastered to his face. He hadn't even seemed to ask the question, he just yelled it. Like the guests didn't really have much of a choice. If she had been actually given that choice, she would have much preferred to eat the perfectly cooked chicken and other masterpieces. I swear, if he says something that puts off eating, I will kill myself! She decided to ignore him for now, other than a quick glance, and sliced a piece of chicken off for herself and brought in to her mouth. It was without a doubt the best chicken she'd ever had. She wasn't extremely surprised, though. What would you expect from the C.E.O of a business as huge as NextG?

After taking a few more bites to satisfy her taste buds for a few moments, she tuned back into what Charlie was saying. She didn't want to miss something important. As she did, she noticed Lexi stand up and walk over to Alistair. She whispered something, and Judzia had to lean forwards to hear it.

"I need to talk to you. In private. Just a minute." it seemed suspicious. She quickly pulled herself back so that Lexi wouldn't catch her eavesdropping. The last thing she needed was to make enemies. Lexi got up and strode away from the table, Alistair standing up to follow. Dr. Harris wished badly that she could follow, but she knew it was none of her business, and if either of them caught her spying, she'd be in big trouble. So she forced herself to turn back to Charlie and see was he was talking about.