92nd ♫ | the quietness, profoundly consuming silence

[mytarget]

The Murder Game Meme



You know the script. You wake up in a place you've never seen before, with a whole bunch of complete strangers and there's a mysterious voice or a mascot or what have you ready to let you know how things are going to work around here.

The rules are simple: You're trapped here, with no hope of release or rescue. You've been provided with all the basic necessities you need to live comfortably, and all you have to do is settle down and live out the rest of your days here in peace. But if you can't do that -- if you're really so desperate to escape that you'll do anything -- then there's one teeny tiny thing you have to do first.

All you have to do is kill somebody.

But it's not quite that simple. Every death will be followed by a period of investigation, followed by a trial in which the survivors will attempt to solve the mystery and out the culprit. If the survivors guess correctly and out the culprit, the killer is executed and life goes on. But if the survivors guess wrong, then the culprit is free as a bird and everyone else is executed.

Even with the promise of freedom, can you really bring yourself to kill so many other people?

tl;dr: it's a murdergame meme. TIME TO HAVE A BIG OL' MURDERGAME BLAST.


Settings

1. High School A classic! Doesn't matter if you're too old or too young to be in high school -- you've been enrolled and the only way for you to graduate is to kill a fellow student. But hey, the faculties are nice!
2. Tropical Island Weren't you just hankering for a nice tropical vacation? No? Too bad! You're going to have a nice sunny vacation at the beach and if you don't like it, just kill someone and go home. Simple!
3. Prison It doesn't matter if you don't remember committing any crime; you've been tried and found guilty of something or other and now you can go ahead and rot away in jail. If you ever want to see the sunlight again, better put that criminal mind to good use and get rid of your inmates.
4. Mall A huge mall stuffed full of stores, places to eat and all the regular amenities like deadbolted doors and the threat of death. It's like Black Friday but even worse because you can't leave and all the rest of the shoppers might actually kill you for real this time.
5. City Holy shit, you've got the run of a whole city this time around! Maybe with all this room to keep out of each other's way, you'll be able to make sure no one starts killing people. But probably not.
6. Cruise Boat YOU'RE ON A BOAT, MOTHERFUCKER. The accommodation is all five star, even if there's no one around to act as wait staff. The only snag is that you still have this whole murder thing hanging over your head – but on the plus side, they have those little drinks with the umbrellas in, so...
7. Space Station THE FINAL FRONTIER... Maybe you're familiar with space stations like this or maybe all this future tech is fascinating to you. Not like it matters either way, of course, because you won't be getting out of here unless you lay down a murder on someone.
8. Wildcard! None of the above scratch your murder itch? Go wild and come up with your own setting!



Downtime

1. Excuse Me, Who Are You? You've just woken up in this weird place and you have no idea what's going on. But hey -- maybe this stranger's more informed than you. Or maybe you can put your heads together and investigate what's going on.
2. Social Link Go! Well, if you're going to be stuck in here for however long, you might as well get to know the people stuck in here with you. You've got plenty of rooms to explore together and there's enough to do to keep you occupied. How do you plan on passing time without killing each other?
3. Vending Machine Woes Somewhere in this place there's a mysterious vending machine that spits out all manner of bizarre items and occasionally dispenses items that belong to you and the other people trapped here. You've got a fat stack of tokens and nothing to lose.
4. The Corners of My Mind So as it turns out, your lovely hosts have been fiddling with your memories. Maybe you're just discovering this now or maybe you've had a particularly upsetting memory regain you're dealing with.
4. Wildcard! GO WILD AND BE FREE (or as free as you can be here, anyways)



PUTTING THE MURDER IN MURDER GAME

1. Motive Your mysterious overseer has decided there's not nearly enough murder going on and so they've ~helpfully~ given you a little push to do the deed. Maybe one of your loved ones is in danger, maybe they're offering more money than you could ever dream of or they're threatening to reveal your deepest darkest secrets. Whatever is it, would you kill for it?
2. Murder WELL APPARENTLY, YES. Are you a killer or are you being killed? Either way, someone's not walking away from this alive.
3. Body Discovery Rise and shine, murdergame! It's a brand new day and someone's dead. Better get investigating!
4. Trial You know how this one goes. Line up all your evidence and sniff out the killer -- or sit there and sweat and hope no one works out you're the murderer. Will they go down with a confession or put up a fight?
5. Afterparty You've survived another trial, but more of your friends have died. Even without the executions, trials are a stressful enough affair. It's time to destress and lick your wounds and support each other.
6. Mastermind It's the end. It's time to uncover all the mysteries behind this murder game -- and find out just who trapped you here. Are they really an unconnected party, or is the mastermind someone among you...?
7. Freedom Just as it says -- you're finally free, but at what cost? Have those you love been returned to you, or are you still reduced to just those who made it to the end? Are you on your own, or is anyone here to help you? And more importantly, how the hell are you going to get home?
8. Wildcard YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO


OPTIONAL FUN

Lots of murdergames have in-universe public profiles for other characters to get the skinny on yours. If you'd like to fill one out to post with your toplevel, peep at the code below!

<center><b>Name:</b> NAME | <b>TITLE (Super High School Level, Ultimate, Champion, etc)</b> <b>Age:</b> AGE | <b>Species:</b> SPECIES | <b>Occupation:</b> OCCUPATION <b>Likes:</b> LIKES <b>Dislikes:</b> DISLIKES <b>Traits:</b> A HANDFUL OF NOTABLE TRAITS <b>Trivia:</b> A PIECE OF TRIVIA</ul>

Comments

[nma8076]

[Shu blinks. The longer she stared at him, the odder he felt. He would have something just to ease them back into the flow of conversation, but the way Shinonome-senpai was looking at him, the thought just starting to form on the tip of her tongue—it would’ve been like breaking a spell. Like interrupting something rare, and delicate.

Shinonome rarely looks at anyone. It’s like there’s this haze about her, around her, an almost visible headache condensing around her like a cloud of hurt and broken memory. She clings to her one mission despite it, and anything that disturbs that equilibrium is an annoyance at best—dangerous to her at worst. And she’s looking at Shu.

And he realizes with a swallow that what feels odd, what feels unfamiliar, is that he’s not used to being seen. He drops his eyes, releasing the sensation in a chuckle, and runs his fingers through his hair.]

Taking it all on myself…? Heh, that’s not what it seems like I’m doing, is it? After that whole speech I gave you…

[Under Shinonome’s full, open-eyed attention, Shu feels suddenly all wrong-footed. Awkward. And—young, and blundering, and on fire with need. The need for someone to give a shit about him. About Shu, not his money or his popularity or the adventure promised in his smile. He shakes his head and tries another laugh, lifting his face.]

I’m all right, you know? No need to add me to your list of worries.

[It’s still there in his eyes, the answer to her question: yes. Yes, he needs someone to look, perhaps not even after him, but at him, and to see him for what he is.

He’s needed that for a while.]

[nmc0204]

[ It feels strange to be the one to have knocked Amiguchi off balance for once. She waits to see if any of his usual airy confidence will spring back and when it doesn't, she feels a strange sense of guilt and relief. If Amiguchi's coping by putting on that face for everyone else, then it's the smart thing to do to just... let him cope, however he needs to do it. Ryoko shouldn't interrupt that.

But Ryoko doesn't want that. She doesn't even know why. She just knows that she gets a hot, angry ball of feelings in her throat when she thinks of it. Maybe it's just because he knows so many of her secrets now, but...

She doesn't like the idea of Amiguchi keeping a part of himself from her. ]

It's too late in the day for you to say that. Of course I'm going to be worrying about you in a place like this, whatever you try and say. So just... rely on me a little. Tell me what you're thinking and feeling. We need to be able to do that if we're going to watch out for each other.

[nma8076]

[There it is again. Shinonome-senpai uses Shu’s own words against him, and she isn’t just noticing him. She’s remembering him. She’s holding onto a moment that became an impression, something important between them, and how can he parry that?

Shu looks down, finds the empty soda can still in his hands, and rubs the pad of his thumb along the bottom rim. Eventually, he exhales.]

…I’m thinking that I failed them. Sonozaki-san and Shinjo-san. Not just ‘cause we couldn’t save them, but… I didn’t even see that something was wrong.

[He looks up, smile gone, solemn and honest.]

At school—man, this is gonna sound stupid, but listen. [His gaze drops once again to the soda can.] At school, I’m supposed to be this playboy, you know? Even the profiles here say it. I’m supposed to notice everything when it comes to girls. But I didn’t. I was… I was more worried about you.

[He stops playing with the can, finally, and just holds it motionless between his hands.]

And I don’t regret that. My priorities wouldn’t change. It’s just that… I could’ve been paying more attention.

[nmc0204]

[ Ryoko doesn't say anything at first. She just listens with that quiet, thoughtful expression on her face. It's a little tempting to jump in with some platitude like "it's not your fault" or "don't blame yourself", but she knows it won't help. Feelings have nothing to do with the cold logical facts of any situation, especially not like this, where emotions run exhaustingly high on what feels like a daily basis.

No wonder he seems so worn down. ]

I... [ Again, the words come slow, the care taken in choosing them evident. ] I understand what you mean. When it comes to Shinjo-san and Sonozaki-san. It felt like a shock in the courtroom to see her talking like that but... now I'm wondering if we'd talked more, or maybe if I'd gotten to know her even a little... there might have been a way to see this coming. And stop it.

[ She's spent so much of their time here floating morosely from day to day, mistrusting the others, refusing to share what little she remembers for fear it could used against her. Weaponized.

Now, for the first time, she's starting to wonder if that was a mistake. ]

But... that isn't a burden any one person should be taking on themselves. Even you, Amiguchi.

[nma8076]

[For some reason—even he can’t say why—that gets Shu to laugh again, softly.]

Even me, huh?

[Back at Sakura High, he’d know what that means. Even Amiguchi Shu, smart and athletic and popular, can’t be asked to bear the impossible. It’d be a statement that comes from admiration breaking down, an attempt to bring him safely across the distance they put him at themselves. And he’d welcome it eagerly, gratefully, wryly.

When Shinonome-senpai watches him like she’s seeing him for the first time and selects her words with care, it’s like none of that old context exists—none of that old distance. He’s not sure what she means when she says “even you.” Even him, the flirty skirt-chaser? Even him, the busybody? Even him, whose only way to connect with almost anyone has been to dive off his pedestal to their rescue?

Shu brings one hand up to fiddle with his headphones and pushes a tired breath through his nose.]

I know, you’re right. Looks like I should pay more attention to what I’m doing myself. But, you know… what else can I do?

[There has to be something. He can’t do nothing.]

[nmc0204]

[ What else can he do, huh? It's a good question.

Ryoko just wishes she had an equally good answer.

She lets her gaze drift away from him, out across all the other people gathered in here, all of them trying to make sense of things in their own way. She wonders if any of them would have a better answer for Amiguchi, if he'd posed the same question to them.

But he's not asking them. He's asking Ryoko. And she... has to give him something. ]

... Surviving's a good start. [ It comes out a little more flippant than she means it so she glances back at him, her expression carefully level so he knows she's serious. ] I know it sounds obvious. But... taking care of yourself in a situation like this is the most important thing. It affects everything else you might even try and do. So... focus on yourself for once. It's alright if you let everything else come second to that.

[nma8076]

...Shinonome-senpai...

[Oddly, hearing this almost hurts. Shu has no idea why nor the vocabulary to express the notion if he did. Shinonome's steady attention is what softens the sting, keeps it from twisting too far in his chest.

She doesn't know, has no way to understand, how lonely and worthless an enterprise taking care of himself has been, the last few long years. How, for all the people around him, the wealth and the privilege, how easy it would be to look after him--he's the only one who bothers. She says it like he's always helping others and needs a break, when really, helping is Shu's break from the emptiness he calls home.

There's no way she can see any of that. But Shinonome is looking at him, and he thinks--she could. She could, if she cared to. She can, if she cares.

He swallows.]

I'll try to keep that in mind. But if I forget... can I count on you, Senpai, to remind me?

[nmc0204]

[ Ryoko holds his gaze for a long moment, unsure herself of what response she's going to give. So it's a surprise to her as much as it is anyone else when she ducks her head for a moment and breathes out a laugh, hard and quick. It's not exactly funny but something about the idea of Amiguchi asking for her to look out for him like that tickles something warm in her heart. ]

Mm. If I'm the senpai here, then that's the least I can do for you. If I see you taking too much on, I'll come and interfere.

[ Her lips twitch up into a faint smile. ]

When I say it like that, it sounds like I'm doing your job...

[nma8076]

[Senpai is smiling at him. The incredible sight distracts him enough from his own vulnerability to let another half-laugh out himself.]

My job? So it's my job to be an interfering busybody?

[nmc0204]

I didn't want to just come out and say it like that, but...

[ SHE'S NOT... DISAGREEING... ]

[nma8076]

[Well, she's not wrong.]

So what're my wages?

[nmc0204]

What? You're not just volunteering your time and your busybodying out of the goodness of your heart?

[ Ah, we're back to that wry little half-smile again. ]

[nma8076]

Not a job then, is it? There's no pay, no boss to oversee my hours--unless you're volunteering to be my supervisor.

[Wink!]

[nmc0204]

If I was your supervisor, you'd get a paycut for winking on the job.

[ You just know she'd be one of those managers who breathes down your neck. ]