110th ♫ | all the things making us sick and tired turn into bubbles and disappear

[phaiinein]

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

clint barton | mcu

[brandingproblem]

Name: Clint Barton | Champion Marksman | The Left Behind | Heart Broken
Age: 52 | Species: Human | Occupation: Avenger(?)
Likes: Dogs, working with his hands, giving the benefit of the doubt, gosh he loves arrows
Dislikes: Mind control powers, shitty cosplay, collecting arrows after shooting them, power grabs
Traits: Accurate, flexible, cagey, snarky
Trivia: Is technically a member of the New York City Live Action Role Players.

[He is so fucking tired my dudes.

He's seen some weird and unsettling shit in his life, so, you know what? Buncha people stolen away into some interdimensional murder party? Sure. Fucking why not. Oh, he's going to try and figure a way out of this, that's for sure, but when the initial alarm has passed, he's very resigned to this bullshit.

Among things that will come out of [insert gachapon method here] that are his: nerf bow and arrow set, a black and gold tinged outfit, plastic pseudo-samurai sword, what looks to be just a hunk of weird orange rock, a silver necklace with an arrow charm, and a rolex watch with an engraving on the back.

Tends to keep his cool right up until he doesn't. Tries not to act parental around the under-20s (or under-30s) but...ends up doing so anyway, a lot of the time, especially in teaching what he thinks are basic skills (first aid on yourself, self defense lessons). Not the most booksmart, but definitely streetsmart, very perceptive, and tends to see things from angles others don't. Figuratively and literally. If there are high up places to perch, he will find them and perch and watch. Never misses. Literally. If it's physically possible for him to hit something/someone with something else, he always hits his mark.

Thankfully no one has seen fit to mess with his hearing aid. If he isn't responding to you...he might have turned it off.]

Deadland Time!

[cuttingremark]

[For everyone's health and safety, Loki has been doing his best to avoid Clint. He's been pretty successful, outside of the couple of 'trials' they've been forced into.

None of that really matters now that they're both dead, does it?

Loki had been first. Executed for stabbing one of the younger members of their group after someone else botched a poisoning attempt. Most everyone seemed to understand that it had been a mercy killing, but Barton was unreadable as always.

He didn't really expect to go to Valhalla, but this strange island was also completely unexpected. What was more unexpected was the presence of those few who had died in the manor before him. Including his own victim. Perhaps it was all some kind of sick joke the Norns were playing.

A loud gong signaled the arrival of another pair of newly dead (he remembered waking up to the same gong after the world faded to black around him.) Morbid curiosity got the better of him, so he went to the little row of bungalows where he's awoken just in time to see one of the newcomers stumble out of a previously vacant door.]

Good morning, Barton. I have to say, I'm rather surprised to see you joining us so soon.

[brandingproblem]

[It's not the kind of afterlife he was expecting.

Don't get him wrong, tropical paradise is nice and all, but it doesn't scream 'afterlife' to him. There is, perhaps, a moment when he wonders if he's died at all.

Stumbling on out of the room, dizzy, trying to catch his breath and recenter himself, means apparently running into Loki, very certainly dead in a manner they all got to watch. So. Yeah. Probably dead.

Possibly dead. Illusion? Hm.

Not what he wants to see, though, so he goes back into the bungalow and flops back onto the low bed.]

Fuck. [Muffled into the crisp white sheets.]

[cuttingremark]

[Well, Loki's got nothing better to do, so he follows him in.]

I'm offended! Here I thought you'd be so happy to see me. [His voic3 drips with sarcasm]

[brandingproblem]

FUCK. [Still muffled, much more emphatic.

He tilts his head so he's not muffled and glances at Loki.] Are you really dead? [Read: am I really dead, because if you're actually really dead then...]

[cuttingremark]

As far as I know. I certainly remember dying, as does everyone else here.

[Loki perches against the small desk next to the bed.]

Here I thought you chance of killing someone dropped to 0 once I was out of the picture.

[brandingproblem]

I don't- [His face scrunches up, eyes sliding from Loki, in thought.] I don't remember dying.

What do you mean everyone else here?

[cuttingremark]

The few who died before us in the manor are also here.

[Loki's eyebrows draw together.]

What do you mean you don't remember dying? What was the last thing you do remember?

[brandingproblem]

Dizziness. [His hands clench in the sheets as he pushes himself up to a kneeling position.] Falling. Shit. Everyone's dead here? Fuck kind of afterlife is this?

[cuttingremark]

Sounds like your execution was far more merciful than mine. [Loki remembers gasping for air, his vision going black as his windpipe was crushed.

He rubs his next neck reflexively.]

I would say 'the bad kind', but there are several here who don't deserve that. Perhaps a type of limbo?

[brandingproblem]

Exe--no. The fuck? [He blinks up at Loki, befuddled, then annoyed.] You think I was fucking executed?

[cuttingremark]

Well I hardly know anyone there that could best a master assassin. [Loki scoffs] Don't act so offended. I assume is was for some altruistic reason. Defense or something of the sort.

[brandingproblem]

It...apparently happens when you trust someone enough to turn your back on them. Underestimated that motive, I s'pose.

[cuttingremark]

Color me surprised. [Loki cocks his head to the side.] So you know who it was?

[brandingproblem]

Unless I couldn't hear someone running up behind or dropping from above. Pretty sure I got knocked upside the head, probably pushed off the balcony.

You wanna gloat about it or what?

[cuttingremark]

Not particularly. [Despite his words, he smirks] So I died and you suddenly felt like you could relax?

[brandingproblem]

Might shock you that I can make friends and play nice with people, with or without you around. Don't think there was anything sudden about it.

If I'm dead, why does it feel like I could use a drink?

[cuttingremark]

But surely my death brought you at least a modicum of relief.

We don't need to eat or drink, you'll find you don't actually get 'hungry' or 'thirsty', but the habit still remain.

[brandingproblem]

I didn't throw a party when you died. [...Maybe let's rephrase that:] I didn't celebrate. At the gathering held after.

[cuttingremark]

Aw, Barton. Did you mourn me? [He puts a hand to his chest, pretending to be overcome with emotion.] I'm touched! I thought there would be singing and merriment upon my death.

[Well, not exactly. Despite himself, he'd actually made a few...acquaintances among those who were trapped. Possibly even friends. Certainly there were those who he felt protective over. Thus why he didn't put too much effort into trying to hide his own crime.]

[brandingproblem]

Didn't say that, either.

What [acerbic and tired, rising to his feet, which even with Loki perched as he is doesn't quite get them to even height] do you want, Loki?

[cuttingremark]

[Loki's smirk morphs into a grin as Clint draws himself up in front of him. He thinks about straightening up to emphasize his height advantage over the human, but finds he rather likes this angle.]

Perhaps I'm simply bored. One can only lounge on the beach so much before it grows dull.

There is a fully stocked bar there, by the way. If you're still wanting that drink.

[brandingproblem]

You're so bored of a tropical beach vacation that you had to come gloat at the dead guy from your own world.

[Loki claimed not to want to gloat, but why else would he be here? His head less spinning, Clint turns to go find said beach himself. Or at least get a lay of the land. And presumes the devil on his shoulder will follow suit.]

It's just people from the manor? No one else?

[cuttingremark]

Why would I gloat? I'm stuck in the same position. If anything, I'm more pathetic seeing as I could have prevented my death.

[Of course he follows! Clint is the new interesting thing, why wouldn't he follow?]

As far as we've found, yes.

[brandingproblem]

You'd have killed someone eventually for one reason or another, I'm sure.

[The sun is bright, and he has to shield his eyes with an arm while he adjusts.]

So it's not an actual limbo or hell or purgatory or whatever you guys have. Valhalla? Maybe it's not really an afterlife.