[COMPLETE] THE MADEMOISELLE'S BANQUET (December Mafia)—GAME THREAD

[Seren]

Seconds, minutes, perhaps even hours—it was impossible to tell—passed before the immense doors flew open, allowing them to usher in the once distant figure who now settled on the fine, silver perch. With the full-view of their host in sight, everyone could gaze upon her feathery cloak of red and black feathers; a pair of immense wings; her crown of horns; a silver mane that billowed in an unfelt breeze; and the pair of stormy, grey eyes that offered an intense stare. Those familiar with the being would recognise her as the legendary pokémon, Yveltal.

But Yveltal she was not. No, she was the host of this little party, the director in this quest for vengeance. She was the Mademoiselle.

She eyed the gathered crowd intensively before a glint of disappointment swept through her features. "Is that it?" she demanded to no one in particular.

So far, none of the other new arrivals impressed Diamond much. They all appeared afflicted with the same ailment; disorientation, confusion. None of them seemed to know any more than he did, at least not based on outward appearances and the offhand comment here and there. Not surprising, but curious.

And then suddenly, a loud chime signaled the arrival of a much more interesting party.

Diamond stared up at the yveltal in shock. Here? Now? Already? ...How?? No, that couldn't be right, the last time he'd seen... and yet, the great god stood as living evidence before him. Then Yveltal spoke, and the words only added to Diamond's confusion. ...Is what it?

All thoughts of concealment gone, Diamond emerged from the shadow he'd hidden in and walked as calmly as he could - strange, why did this moment fill him with such... discomfort? - towards Yveltal. He stopped at what he hoped was respectful distance, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head.

"Master," he said, momentarily surprised by the sound of his own voice. The moment passed. "I am honored to be in your presence! I had not been expecting you so soon! I am relieved that you have reached us unharmed!"

Resisting the urge to look up into the god's face was difficult. Something was wrong. Why did the sight of Yveltal fill him with such... unease? And where were the other ghosts? There had to be at least two others he could sense in the room with them, and he had - of course - been the first to pay his respects. But still none of the others had come forward as of yet. Ah well... at least he'd done his duty. Should Yveltal decide to unleash their rage, Diamond was certain he'd at least be spared from the carnage.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Mademoiselle's gaze snapped onto the empoleon. "And would you care to explaining those reasons to me, Empoleon?"

Unfazed, Steven lightly brought the tip of his flipper to his chin, as if he were in deep thought. "Well--" was all he managed to say before a small, shadowy figure burst out into the open and interrupted him.

He stopped at what he hoped was respectful distance, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head.

"Master," he said, momentarily surprised by the sound of his own voice. The moment passed. "I am honored to be in your presence! I had not been expecting you so soon! I am relieved that you have reached us unharmed!"

Steven blinked, staring down at the little gremlin. That was... Strange. It certainly didn't help his distaste for the gem eating species... He resisted the urge to simply point and say to the Mademoiselle, "Well, that."

Instead, he cleared his throat. He didn't want to be outright rude to their host, but...Ah, who was he kidding, might as well rip the bandage right off. "I don't mean to be rude," he lied, "But this little get together had been sold as the party of a lifetime. And, frankly, things are feeling a little... Lacking. Certainly not the decor, for which you've spared no expense, but the atmosphere is a bit... How to say this. Dead?" He cocked an eyebrow, quite pleased with that little joke. It was funny, you see, speaking to an Yveltal like that.

 

[Inkedust]

Mademoiselle looked at the empoleon—whose name she knew to be Steven—unimpressed. Was he trying to be funny? She shook her head before taunting the former human. "Well of course, the fun hasn't even started yet," she jeered in a motion that drew attention to the eleven glass figurines on the board. Looking closer at them would reveal that they bore an uncanny resemblance to the pokémon in the mansion. "I, myself, can't wait, but I won't indulge you. Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise," she said coyly. However, beneath her breath, Mademoiselle muttered something in a deep growl, inaudible to anyone but herself.

"And yet, the cur is missing."

 

[Fusion]

The symbolism was so on the nose, Zen could have sworn he had one. They were just pawns, and this Yveltal was the one who would move the pieces around, who would have guessed. Zen could practically hear his chances of a reasonably calm outing be killed and thrown out the window. At least the imaginary shattering of glass was somewhat humorous.

"Then I suppose we have no choice but to wait for the night's event's to start," Zen sighed, looking over his own piece, then crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "If I was aware the fine print detailed us being the entertainment, I would have sent my jester of a fox instead."

 

[windskull]

There was a ghost? Where? Anti spun around in midair to look for it, only to realize shortly thereafter that they were likely talking about him. He relaxed and began to formulate ways to play it off as a joke. But before he had an opportunity to put his plan onto motion, he was startled by the deafening chime of the clock.

Nerves frayed, it took him a moment to notice the new arrival.The bird was... stunning. Beautiful. She absolutely fit his dark and cool aesthetic! And yet, there was something familiar about the way she looked that he couldn't quite place. Then it hit him all at once, and he couldn't help but blurt out, "You... You look like the bird that yamask turned into!"

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"Well of course, the fun hasn't even started yet," she jeered in a motion that drew attention to the eleven glass figurines on the board. Looking closer at them would reveal that they bore an uncanny resemblance to the pokémon in the mansion. "I, myself, can't wait, but I won't indulge you. Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise," she said coyly.

Steven had a clever retort ready, but instead he settled for a hum that was equal parts skepticism and genuine interest.

The mansion had held several surprises already, but he seriously doubted how much fun there was to be had with a crowd that consisted of a clumsy Flygon (my god it nearly took out a table with it's tail), a nervous Phantump (seriously, they looked like they might cry any second), a Sableye that apparently was part of a Yveltal-worshipping cult, and a Bisharp that was way too serious for their own good. Oh, and whoever else was trying to hide beneath the dining table. They weren't terribly stealthy if even an Empoleon could pick up on their presence.

Then again, there really wasn't another option was there. So he gave a polite bow and said with faux enthusiasm, "Well then, I eagerly await the excitement the good Madam has planned."

 

[Sinderella]

Then again, there really wasn't another option was there. So he gave a polite bow and said with faux enthusiasm, "Well then, I eagerly await the excitement the good Madam has planned."

No sooner had he spoke, did a barrage of Monopoly houses pelt him in the back of the head, coming from under that decorative table.

Loïc willed himself to raise out of the floor, and flashed his glowing eyes as he jostled a couple more of the colorful pieces in his shadowy hand. A hissing, childish giggle fell out of him as he finally scurried out of hiding, and over to the table of champagne glasses.

Thirsty? Thirsty. Should be fine. Like bubbles.

He scrambled up the table and carefully maneuvered between some of the glasses, until he found one that he liked. He moved around it trying to figure out how to sip it. How did Short Girl do it? She grabbed it by the thin part and sipped. He could do that.

Another arm spawned from under the cloak, and it wrapped around the glass. Loïc shakily lifted it, and tried to find the leverage to tilt it in a manner that he could sip it without lifting his rags. However, he grossly miscalculated the tilt, and ended up spilling the champagne all over himself.

...

A low growl bubbled in his throat, and he abruptly tossed the glass off the table. It hit the floor with a shattering noise that once again echoed. However, Loïc wasn't too phased by it. In fact, it made him perk up, despite being sopping wet.

Other cups do that too?

He turned his fake head to another glass, before swatting it off the table. It also hit the floor and shattered. That was a really fun noise.

So, he did it again. That time, he giggled.

Fun! Can have fun!

He ran across the table, holding his shadow hands out and effectively knocking other flutes off the table. The cacophony of glass shattering and champagne splashing on the floor caused him to hiss in glee, as he spun around in happy circles.

 

[Fusion]

Really? Really?

The idea of that Yveltal allowing children into this place only served to lessen her standing with Zen, not that that really mattered. And, to be honest, he was more annoyed with the child itself than Yveltal. The one mess the Empoleon made was just that, one small mess, now there was glass and alcohol basically everywhere. What a waste.

And from the look of it, this mansion lacked personnel other than the hostess herself, and something told Zen she wasn't the kind to clean up after her guests. Neither did any of the other guests seem privy to clean up. "...I am too old for this," Zen groaned. He grabbed a table cloth to use as a sort of bag, and picked up the larger pieces of glass off the floor. There was an air of "being severely pissed" around him.

 

[Inkedust]

"You... You look like the bird that yamask turned into!"

"Really now?" Mademoiselle asked without a hint of conviction in her voice. "From what I know, common ghost-types don't just turn into legendaries. If you're making up stories, at the very least make them plausible."

And from the look of it, this mansion lacked personnel other than the hostess herself, and something told Zen she wasn't the kind to clean up after her guests. Neither did any of the other guests seem privy to clean up. "...I am too old for this," Zen groaned. He grabbed a table cloth to use as a sort of bag, and picked up the larger pieces of glass off the floor. There was an air of "being severely pissed" around him

Mademoiselle giggled at the bisharp's display. "Don't waste your time, that isn't necessary." Indeed, for as soon as she finished speaking, the glass shards flew from the floor and reformed into fine champagne glasses. "This mansion has a tendency to shift it's layout, and resetting what was tampered with to its original state seems to be a part of that process." Mademoiselle looked at the clock. It seemed that time was running out quicker than she'd expected.

 

[Fusion]

Mademoiselle giggled at the bisharp's display. "Don't waste your time, that isn't necessary." Indeed, for as soon as she finished speaking, the glass shards flew from the floor and reformed into fine champagne glasses. "This mansion has a tendency to shift it's layout, and resetting what was tampered with to its original state seems to be a part of that process."

Zen watched the glass miraculously repair and refill themselves, not unimpressed, but not exactly phased by it. That explains the lack of hired or indentured help. "Hmph, alright. So this is essentially a mystery dungeon... but contained within a building," he said, crossing his arms. "Is the outside the same way? If there even is an outside?"

Mademoiselle looked at the clock. It seemed that time was running out quicker than she'd expected.

"And why is it you keep watching the clock? Not to be rude, but for someone with guests, you seem to be distracted," he went on, tilting his head slightly. All things considered, it was probably nothing. Perhaps she's just easily distractable, perhaps it's tied to whatever the guests were strung into. Whatever the reason, Zen was sure he'd find out soon enough.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

[[Not an in character post, but here's art of Loic being a little gremlin child]]

 

[windskull]

"Really now?" Mademoiselle asked without a hint of conviction in her voice. "From what I know, common ghost-types don't just turn into legendaries. If you're making up stories, at the very least make them plausible."

"He did!" Anti's voice raised an octave with indignation. He crossed his stubby little arms. But his nerves refused to let him approach the bird any closer.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

No sooner had he spoke, did a barrage of Monopoly houses pelt him in the back of the head, coming from under that decorative table.

There was a slight clatter of plastic and one or two plinks as a few of the pieces bounced off Steven's three-pronged crest. It was so surprising that for a moment, he didn't even react. Did... did someone just throw something at him? He raised a hand to the back of his head to see if whatever it was had stuck there. When his hand came away clean he turned in the direction the objects had come from, noticing a smattering of small red and green houses scattered about his feet. He was ready to admonish whoever it had been, but at that moment a Mimikyu sprung out from beneath the table, and he jumped back in surprise. Another ghost. He hated ghosts.

Of course, when he backpedaled, Steven stepped straight onto several of the little houses which ended up being incredibly uncomfortable against the bottom of his shoe-less foot. Thankfully, his undignified squawk was drowned out by the waterfall of shattering glass. Quietly nursing the stinging in his foot, he watched the scene unfold with a mixture of horror and disgust. From the corner of his eye, he could see the Bisharp wearing a similar expression. Finally, something they could agree upon. At least until Zen stepped forward in an attempt to clean up the mess.

Steven rolled his eyes and put some distance between himself and the circus. But something the Madam said gave him pause...

Mademoiselle giggled at the bisharp's display. "Don't waste your time, that isn't necessary." Indeed, for as soon as she finished speaking, the glass shards flew from the floor and reformed into fine champagne glasses. "This mansion has a tendency to shift it's layout, and resetting what was tampered with to its original state seems to be a part of that process."

The mansion could change its layout? He'd never heard of such a thing. It had to be impossible. Probably just a turn of phrase to make the place feel larger than it was. Even if was mazelike, he was confident in even the darkest, most complex caves. As intriguing as it was, he wasn't worried. However, his eyes went wide. He'd definitely never seen a self-repairing champagne glass, let alone dozens of them.

The sensation he'd felt earlier, back when he first dropped his own glass, crawled up his spine. That niggling feeling that something wasn't quite right...

He spared a glance at the grandfather clock, and then at the crystal game pieces resting beneath the Mademoiselle's perch, and grinned.

Whatever it was, he'd figure it out, one way or another.

He always did enjoy the thrill of the chase.

 

[Inkedust]

Mademoiselle looked back at the clock. There wasn't much time left. "It's a shame that you all had to be dragged into this," Mademoiselle sighed, more mildly inconvenienced than regretful. "But I can't let all this work go to waste, now can I?"

Mademoiselle's voice careened throughout the entire mansion. "Allow me to explain why you're really here. You're here to play a little game, of my own making. Each day, you will meet here at the stroke of noon to discuss some of the ...happenings at night. Once done, you can vote for whoever you think is guilty, and whoever has the most votes on them will be eliminated from the game by the end of the day. Midnight will be the deadline, and you will be sent back to your rooms before the mansion shifts its layout and you end up inevitably lost. The game won't end until you dispose of those with malicious intent, or if said killers manage to achieve their goals.

"Oh, and one more thing. Before I forget..." Mademoiselle opened her wings wide and in an instant, each player could feel the sensation of something tightening around their neck before being assaulted by a wave of vertigo. Once the moment passed, everyone (baring Mademoiselle herself, of course) now had a small, silver bell tied around their neck by a fine ribbon. "Those ribbons will not only reveal your true intent when removed, but the bells they're holding now contains your very own spirit. I would advise against removing them, unless you want to fall on to the ground like a ragdoll.

"Off you go now," Mademoiselle said dismissively as the grandfather clock began to chime once more—the ground's faint rumbling indicating a shift was coming—leaving no time to stew in the revelations.

---

Night 0 has begun! Day 1 will begin in 48 hours.
Role PMs will be distributed shortly.​

Spoiler: Player List+Pings

PLAYER LIST​

CHARACTER​	SPECIES​	PLAYER​
Loïc​	Mimikyu​	@Sinderella​
Diamond​	Sableye​	@Seren​
Anti Bravoman​	Phantump​	@windskull​
Steven Stone​	Empoleon​	@Panoramic_Vacuum​
Zen​	Bisharp​	@Fusion​
Hana​	Flygon​	@Flyg0n​
Dianne​	Diancie​	@ArielDiancie​
Litno​	Goomy​	@ShiniGojira​
Salem Weir​	Purrloin​	@unrepentantAuthor​
May Victoria Wallace​	Meowstic​	@Dragonfree​
Neo​	Espeon​	@HelloYellow17​

 

[Inkedust]

The chimes of noon echoed throughout the mansion, beckoning its new inhabitants towards the dining hall. As each player approached and coalesced within the grand room, an undeniable sense of foreboding blanketed the halls. Mademoiselle, however, appeared none the wiser. She basked in the sunlight, shining down in irony, with her eyes closed and head held high. She looked serene. A ribbon dangled from her talons, trying to twist out of her grip revealing a white backside, the bell at the end made no sound.

However, that wasn't the only new detail present throughout the room. If one were to look at the small stand, they would notice that one of the glass figures was missing, the bisharp. All that remained of the small statue was a pile of glass shards, irregularly scattered around the base of the small table. Looking around confirmed the worst. Zen was absent from the group.

Between that and the ribbon Mademoiselle held in her talons, it was easy to put two and two together from there. Something had happened to the bisharp overnight, and whatever it was, ensured that Zen would no longer be with them.

"Such messy business," Mademoiselle dismissed. "The fact that his ribbon is white meant that his intentions were pure." She pointed to the clock with a wing. "You have until midnight to discuss what happened last night. By the end, you should also settle on someone you want to eliminate, lest you share the bisharp's fate." Without second thought, Mademoiselle opened the silver box beneath her perch and placed Zen's ribbon inside. The box closed with a resounding clack, leaving the sound of the ticking clock, a sound that sent shivers down the spine, as if it was breathing down each players' necks.

-
Zen (Fusion) has been eliminated. He was Innocent.
Night 1 will begin in 48 hours.​

Spoiler: Player List+Pings

PLAYER LIST​

CHARACTER​	SPECIES​	PLAYER​
Loïc​	Mimikyu​	@Sinderella​
Diamond​	Sableye​	@Seren​
Anti Bravoman​	Phantump​	@windskull​
Steven Stone​	Empoleon​	@Panoramic_Vacuum​
Zen​	Bisharp​	@Fusion​
Hana​	Flygon​	@Flyg0n​
Professor Eleos​	Gardevoir​	@MintyMimix​
Litno​	Goomy​	@ShiniGojira​
Salem Weir​	Purrloin​	@unrepentantAuthor​
May Victoria Wallace​	Meowstic​	@Dragonfree​
Neo​	Espeon​	@HelloYellow17​

So I can keep track of things, when you vote for a player, please put their name in bold at the bottom of your post and ping me. It should look something like this:
VOTE: PLAYER
@Inkedust

 

[HelloYellow17]

Neo padded into the large room, relishing at the soft carpet under his paws. What a strange place, and a strange dream! ...Was it a dream? He couldn't be sure. He was certain that it had been one the previous day, but now it was a new day and he was...still here.

Huh.


Cool!

Everything about this place was exciting; the fancy glass figurines, the food (!!!), the giant rooms. Neo never knew the indoors could be so big. Instinctively, he scanned the area, wondering what sort of things he and Wes would have tried to smuggle out if his trainer were here. ...Where was Wes, anyway? And Novo? Why weren't they here?

Unease prickled at his pelt, but he swept it aside with a flick of his tail. It was fine. Everything was fine. This had to be a dream anyway, so why not eat food (please say they have bacon) , make new friends and have fun in the meantime?

He sat in a pool of sunlight streaming from a nearby window and waited for others to arrive.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven found himself back in the dining room, the fanciful spread from the night before now replaced with a tempting display of morning fare. Porcelain cups and saucers littered the table between piles of pastries, fruit, and other breakfast delicacies. It was as inviting a spread as there could be, and yet Steven wanted nothing to do with it. Not even the tall carafe of coffee could move him from his spot in front of the Madam's perch. The sour taste of disappointment overwhelmed everything.

The glint of broken glass again taunted him, and again it reflected the face of a Bisharp.

Except this time, this wasn't something the magical mansion could clean up, no way to put things back to the way they were. The stuffy Bisharp was gone. And there was no going back.

Last night, when he'd said he enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, this wasn't what he'd had in mind in the slightest. Unraveling a mystery, claiming first prize, playing your cards right and coming out on top. It was the same whether it was running a business or battling with his partner pokemon. There was thrill in victory. He loved winning, and he was very good at it.

Steven scowled hard at the game board, and a different kind of anger bubbled to the surface.

People's lives were not a game. There was no thrill in death.

His gaze then flicked to the white ribbon and the silent bell hanging in the Yveltal's claws. All that was left of the Bisharp-- no, Zen. Steven grimaced. He had every intention of introducing himself later in the party, probably right as he was about to walk out the door, but now...

The Mademoiselle's words finally stirred him from his trance, and he found his own voice. "Discuss what happened!? What happened seems pretty clear to me." He jabbed one razor-edged fin at their host. "One of your guests gets their kicks from killing, and they need to go."

 

[MintyMimix]

"By the gods..." the Professor murmured to himself, looking upon the shatter glass and realizing one of the guests was missing, "I... I had expected a banquet, b-but this..." He gulped. It seemed curiosity had killed the Meowth - or, rather, the Bisharp, in this case.

He had been shaken, but took a deep breath to regain his composure. "Right, I suppose this is not the time to be panicking when there's still culprit afoot... though a moment of silence to mourn is appropriate." He lowered his head. Then, after a brief pause he noticed the people arriving, took a full bow and said, "Ah, forgive my rudeness; I almost forgot to introduce myself. I am Professor Gardevoir Eleos... just Professor or Gardevoir will do. I am an anthropologist by trade."

He rubbed the back of his head as he drank in the words of their host, "So, we must pass judgement onto another, in suspicion of them being scum? ...Though I have my objections to this game, I understand the imperative nature of our... survival." He shuddered at that statement. He was certainly fragile in battle, but this was something else entirely. "Let us discuss what went on last night to ascertain any suspicious actions. You there, Empoleon," he pointed at Steven, "Would you mind recounting what you had been up to? Disgusting as it may be, it seems we are short on time. Let's ensure the noose around both of our necks doesn't tighten prematurely."

 

[HelloYellow17]

Killing? Did that pointy bird just say"killing"? Surely not. This was just a game, and the missing member (Zen?) simply lost. Yeah, that was it. He lost because he was bad at the game. That was all.

Good thing he, Neo, was the best at games. He was going to win this in no time, and everybody would be in awe of just how amazing he is. As they should be! This was going to be fun. This was going to be easy.

"Ah, forgive my rudeness; I almost forgot to introduce myself. I am Professor Gardevoir Eleos... just Professor or Gardevoir will do. I am an anthropologist by trade."

Neo sniffed at the newcomer. Hmm, he seemed all right so far, and he was a fellow psychic, too! WIth a purr, he introduced himself with a warm psychic pulse, inserting his name into the Pokemon's head.

He still wasn't sure about that bird, though. He reminded him of a Skarmory.

Neo did not like Skarmory.

 

[Inkedust]

The Mademoiselle's words finally stirred him from his trance, and he found his own voice. "Discuss what happened!? What happened seems pretty clear to me." He jabbed one razor-edged fin at their host. "One of your guests gets their kicks from killing, and they need to go."

Mademoiselle lowered her gaze to met Steven's, eye to eye, a coy smile spread across her features. "Well, best get started on your search then."