[Dining room] Event #3 “...and you're to blame!”

[Gregory Hopkins]

Gregory tried to stay serious, but when the Carmen said THAT name... His world falls apart. Kim. She know her? What that woman really noes about him and also ... About all people here. Her deduction skills were strong enough.

- "Miss Carmen... Do you know her? You were her roommate? Tell me, what with my girl?" His hands started shaking. Yeah, he was right about her devil nature.


- “Reveal your cards.” That was a new signal. The pair were chosen and there is no way to doubt. They need face to face with their fear.
Gregory heavily sightnet. It was hard to be first.

- "Miss Carmen, I hope I was right about your card. You don't need a "date", because you see more that we all. You don't have a black or red heart." Gregory took his own card and show the picture of the circle.

[Geoff Alen]

The whole thing turned into absolute chaos, and Geoff's entire body was shaking with absolute rage. Yet no matter how many times Dean outted him, he didn't take the bait. Oh, he wanted to let lose a bunch of yells, but he learned from his experience with Emer that, well, gave undesired results. This guy was probably scared shitless. Insulting him would be playing into an immature game that only high schoolers played. So all he could do was glare intensely, his blue gray eyes getting brighter as his face began turning a rich shade of red.

Until the announcer came on. The pairs were selected.

Thank God.

Silvio, the man in the mustache turned over his card. Well, so far so good. Geoff figured it was high time he turned over his. Best get it over with.

A circle.

[Dean Gray]

Dean heard the announcer. He sighed. He leant forward, taking the bottle of wine and filling up another glass. He took a sip, while watching the others reveal their cards. Silvio, a circle. Okay. The older 'Gentleman'. Circle. Geoff, whose skin shade had grown a lovely shade of red, obviously annoyed by the stabbing truth of Deans words, revealed his. Circle. Of course. He wouldn't match with his bride if he wasn't 'safe'for her.

He grabbed his card and threw it onto the table. It landed face up, showing...

A circle.

[Lydia Hadley]

Lydia swallowed on her spit, and whatever was left of her pride. She noticed the others show their cards to the group. Circle... Circle... Circle... Circle...

Hers matched them effortlessly.

A circle.

(I'm sorry this was so short)

[Hannah van de Berg]

Hannah was annoyed by the persistence of the man in black. She sighed however as she shook her head. She did not know why she felt the need to react as fierce as she had. Maybe it was because the man reminded her of her brother. Scared and hurt. But taking it out on someone else? Someone who was also in a bad state of mind? That was not the solution.
As the voice announced to show their cards Hannahs gaze fixated on Geoff. He had been quick to pair up with her. He trusted her. She had a feeling Geoff was a safe choice. Seeing the circle she knew she was right.
She smiled a bit revealing her own card.
A cirle.
She knew that by teaming up with geoff two circles were out of the game leaving more chances for the hearts to find eachother.

[Isabelle Khan]

Belle careful pulled her card out of her bra. She watch as most of them has a circle. Belle place her card in front of her.

It revealed a circle but still hope that they got the hearts together before she let out a deep breath.

[Carmen Edinburgh]

  "Carmen, that's your name, yeah? See, obviously he would act proper in a crowd. You can see it on him right now. He doesn't say or do anything, for fear that he'll reveal the sociopath lying underneath. As to whether he's truly forced, I say this: He was part of one 'Event', for lack of better word, wherein he traumatized innocent women. Afterwards, he apparently got married in another 'Event' and now, he's here. Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is a pattern. He's been part of all of these things, yet you don't think he's got anything to do with it? He's just unlucky enough to have been picked three times by an unknown other that you have no idea who is? Honestly, with how far up his ass your head is, you'd think you'd smell the bullshit, but apparently you don't. Enjoy the goddamn Kool Aid. Don't come crying to me when you keel over from the cyanide."
  —She sighed, she would’ve responded eloquently but insulting her and threats with her slipping from cyanide made her die. As if I wouldn’t have noticed such a thing. Cyanide was easier to detect then card-dyanmics. So, giving him a blank look. “Good luck living with that at the back of your mind.” Smiling softly, “Because disagreeing is one thing, saying I have my head up someone’s ass and ‘crying after cyanide’ is a different thing altogether. Wouldn’t want evil Geoff to just take out his gun and shoot you soon, now would we?” That was just mockery at that point, sighing as she looked down— back at her card. Please..
  —On the outside, she was fine. Cool; collected; calm. On the inside? Frantic; Frail; Functionless. But, she had to keep a straight face, she had to—
  "Miss Carmen... Do you know her? You were her roommate? Tell me, what with my girl?"
  Gregory said that— “You two talked back at the basement, I assumed you both knew each other. But yes, I work with her mother— Stephanie.” Sighing softly as she looked at him, aw, please calm down.. “It’s okay, it’s okay.” Before she could say more—
  —“The pairs have been chosen. Now…”—
  Now was the 'big reveal', she watched— Silvio had a circle, tick, but then Gregory said circle— No. He couldn’t— he couldn’t have... But she heard him, as well as the rest of them, the rest of them saying circles. Leaving only her, Cecaelia and the professor. She noticed the pattern, not thinking it’d change so— who’d have the black card?
  —She looked back at hers, she didn’t need to see it again; she remembered the first time she laid her eyes on it.
  But, dread filled her from the inside-out now; eying Cece and Dean. “You’ll be fine.” But then, she turned back to her old professor and Lydia. Her card, faced down again. “Huxy... I’m really sorry, and—” She looked at Lydia, “I’m really.. Truly sorry.” Her chest sank, as she took her card, lifting up so they could all see.

«A red heart»

Before placing it down, the fact the rest of the room could’ve hated her since she wasn’t paired with the black heart wasn’t her problem. It wasn’t a problem if they thought she was inadequate, many of them— she didn’t know, so she wouldn’t give them much leeway. But what hurt her, was knowing she could’ve figured it out— Her tactic on talking about them dying had worked after all. Her professor had been sobbing from pressure, not just alcohol. But she just thought it was because of that... The drinking and his neurotic attitude from the get-go. But one wrong assumption... It broke everything down. She felt responsible, she promised to get to the bottom of this, that she would help by all means when she could... I could have had a chance.. She was so close.. 
  In all this, she just... Kept a straight face, occasionally looking up at the ceiling and for once.. Hoping we’d just get gassed now. tears were swelling at the back of her eyes. It wasn’t the first time she failed and needed to get back up, but.. High stakes, failing when stakes were high was a key ingredient in disaster and she knew she failed— all from one thing. Her hands pressed tights, please just... Let this be over. 
  Her chest was just void and hollow, hate that feeling... But, what can you do? 

[CeCe Pierce]

Damn.... CeCe listened closely to Dean. In all this madness, he really was able to put on a show for them. And honestly: Who could blame him? What he said about Geoff seemed quite plausible. 
"I understand that I'm not your first choice, given your delightful introduction." Dean said to her and put on the remaining bracelet.
"But contrary to what everyone here surely thinks, I can be a gentleman. My name's Dean Gray, no relation. I hope your day isn't completely ruined by my debate, and I hope to be an amicable partner in whatever sick ideas Mr Penguin decides to put us through next."
CeCe certainly didn't hope, that she had to spend more time with any of them. But at least he called out "bullshit", CeCe appreciated people like that. "Well..I certainly don't care about gentlemen. I care about the cards.

"A toast, to dear, honourable Geoff, the Gentleman. May you live in interesting times. May you be recognized by people in high places. And finally, May you find what you're looking for."
He's really going in for a kill... CeCe thought. 

“The pairs have been chosen. Now…
Reveal your cards.”
The voice said again.

CeCe took a deep breath, this wouldn't be easy. The good thing was: She couldn't feel bad for a wrong choice, because she wasn't able to choose. They brought it onto themselves, if something happened. She wanted to get the revealing of her card straight out of the way, but the others were quicker. 
Silvio - Circle
Greg - Circle - not a heart.
Geoff - Circle - not a heart.
Dean - Circle 
Lydia - Circle
Hannah - Circle - not a heart.
Belle - Circle
Carmen - The red heart. 

CeCe was wrong. She guessed it wrong. She looked at the professor, who didn't show his card yet, and gave him a comforting smile. And revealed her card to Dean, he was the only one that truly needed to know. "Circle.", she said and drank her whole glass of wine. 

[Madge Baker]

Furious, the woman slammed her cup of tea on the table, spilling half its contents right onto her precious notes, but she didn't care; her eyes were dead on the monitors. "IDIOTS!" Madge raged, her hands flung in the air. The speaker had to duck out of her way to not get accidentally hit when the infuriated monster of a woman stormed out of the control room.

The girl had no idea what Madge had on her mind besides the fact that it appeared she was more than displeased by the outcome of the game until in a matter of minutes back on the same monitors she saw this.

"IMBECILES!" Madge yelled, slamming the door to the dining room open. "You," she looked at the drunk, aged man with long black hair and pointed with her right hand, while in her left... she was holing a quite familiar to both of the newlyweds 10-round 99mm handgun. "STAND UP!" she commanded the man, cocking the gun up, pointing it right at him from a safe distance. Though before she let Huxley comprehend this situation she got a hold on the gun with her second hand and switched her point from him to the bearer of the "red heart".

"BOTH OF YOU! HANDS UP!" she cocked the gun at the blondie who disappointed her no less than the old fool and waited till they both listened to her commands. Her chest was going up and down from the rapid breathing, her eyes squinted in wrath, but her hands were steady. And her gloved finger was at the trigger. "And don't you dare TO FUCKING MOVE!" Madge yelled addressing not only the two delinquents but everybody in the room, her voice slightly cracking from the anger... and fear. She kept pointing the gun at the girl and then at the man - back and forth. She was NOT happy about the idea that she had to reveal her face to her "subjects" but they left her no choice. They should UNDERSTAND that this is not some silly game. They should behave better. They should be punished.

"STUPID  MAGGOTS! she spit in their direction, eying the group at the table until her eyes locked up with blondie's baby blues. "You!" she pointed at Carmen, addressing the young woman, "You dare to call yourself a detective?! You're NOTHING! Nothing but a pretty face, tits and a shitty attitude!" And before the girl could even try to talk back like she did to Black Sweater - Madge screamed on the top of her lungs:

"SILENCE!"

She took a small pause and her bloodshot eyes darted back at the man in the blue shirt. "And you," she growled in a low strong voice. "Just look at you!" the woman let one of her hands off the gun and with her right palm pointed at Huxley from top to bottom, her lips quivering in disgust. "How dare you call yourself a man? You let a WOMAN make the choice for you!" she pointed the gun at a ginger-haired girl and back at him in frustration.

"You could have done something, ANYTHING!" she kept pointing the gun at the man and back at the ginger girl, her gesturing getting more wild with each passing moment. "This was your only chance to settle with a woman of status and you LOST IT! You didn't even TRY! YOU- You are a WORTHLESS! A WORTHLESS PIECE OF FUCKING SHI-"

BANG!

The loud sound resonated across the room, making everyone around the table jump,.. including the shooter. Their eyes lowered towards the general direction where the crazy woman pointed her gun... And there she sat, in her beautiful red dress. Though... something was odd. Something was glistening under the candlelight. Something... disgusting. The warm red liquid was spreading down from the girl's torso all over her body. Blood. Blood was pumping outwards from the hole in the middle of her chest.

Lydia was dead.

Madge however still could not register what had happened. Until she looked at the gun and finally realized - the hammer to the gun was cocked. She... she just killed her. No. No no, no, not again! First she kidnapped a dead body, then that fucking bimbo died from oxygen loss and now THIS?! The raven-haired woman stood still, her eyes wide open, looking as the blood from the wound that was flowing down the girl's chest and stomach, her head gently slumped to the side. Lifelessly. Madge blicked again and took a few steps even further away from the group.

No.

Her grip on the gun got tighter. Idiots. Fools. Maggots. If they did as she ordered them to do - nothing would have happened. If that fucking moron knew how to drive he would be fine and that chick was probably high on drugs, so that's why she fucking died! It was their own fucking fault!!

"Congradulations!"

Huh? What?! Who said that?!! Madge heard the voice and turned her head around sharply. But nobody heard anything. "You won! You! You won! YOU WON! WON! WON! W-" the voice kept echoing in her ears and the woman looked around frantically. But the rest still didn't hear anything. "God, where was SHE?" her eyes started to burn with anger again. And then she looked at the girl in the red dress.

"You," the woman let out a screech and without hesitation shot the dead body again! And again. And again! Until the voice had finally stopped. Madge lowered the gun, took a deep breath.

And ran.

"TURN ON THE GAS!" the woman yelled at the celling, leaving the room through the wide-open door and closing it tight behind her. It wasn't her fault. She will prove it! They will pay!

They all shall pay.

---

Everybody, including Lydia, can leave one more post before I will close this event and the gas will put everybody to sleep. Everybody but Lydia will return in their rooms, Isabelle and Silvio are both covered in blood. Gil, I am so sorry about Lydia! When you are ready - you can join the game with your secondary; he will still be roomed with Russel.

[CeCe Pierce]

„IMBECILES“, a woman yelled entering the room.

From that moment on everything happened way too fast. People were screamed at, stood up and had a gun pointed to them. CeCe stared at the edge of the table and tried to avoid eye contact to that raging woman and only looked up very rarely. The woman was Asian and older, maybe the same age as the professor or Greg. Her „victims“ were foremost the hearts – Carmen and the professor.
CeCe wished Carmen would get out of her life, but she was seriously worried that the woman would change the rules and punish "the red heart". As convenient as it would be, especially after telling Carmen her full name, she didn't wish for her death.
CeCe looked at the „victims“ when the woman was busy yelling at the other one. The ginger, the professor and Carmen. Those three were in danger the most. But who knew what this fury would do? Maybe just shoot them all.

BANG!  

This made CeCe jump in her seat. For a second, it seemed like everything was frozen. CeCe didn't move her body at all, she simply tried to look if someone got shot. The victim of this „game“ was indeed the person paired with the black heart: The ginger girl. Blood was everywhere. CeCe stared to her and to the woman with the gun. She wanted to yell „help her!“, but she didn't. As sorry as she was for the girl – CeCe herself needed to survive and get home. I'm sorry..., she thought and wished to say to the poor girl.
Suddenly the woman shot the dead girl three more times. Each time causing CeCe to shrink more and more together in her seat.
CeCe heared the woman scream, but not her exact words. Concentrating on the edge of the table, CeCe only thought about home and her father - nothing more.

I survived. I'm alive..I'm alive, I'm alive, I'm alive.

Then she passed out again.

[Carmen Edinburgh]

  It was happening— they knew who was what. Everything was out in the open, now how could it get any bett— From what she knew, Huxley was the one with the black heart. But, she looked down, the bracelets were normal; no electric chip or something to set it off and kill them. So then, what would happen—? Her thoughts were answered as the door jolted open and a woman who looked like a Chinese matchmaker— who’s face looks like a cartoon character having steam come out of their ears— Decided to just call them:
  —"IMBECILES!"—
  She was slightly tense, her eyes jolted to that woman as she eyed her. Her brain was just digesting that she was the captor. That deranged woman had to be the captor, no questions asked. No accomplice is usually ever this enraged over plans not going accordingly. No, she had to be the person. The fat, hideous— woman, would have definitely have been able to lift them and strangle them, she may have not liked doing this wrong but she appreciated that 'woman' outing herself.
  —"STAND UP!"—
  Oh god, my ears... She looked at her professor, she really, truly felt sorry for him. Her eyes widening as she used er second hand to point back at her. Well, just because she notice everything— didn’t mean she’d always come to the right conclusion. Harsh lesson, but she learnt it. She eyed Lydia and just said softly, “I’m sorry.” Standing up as she looked the woman in the eye and moved her hands up beside her head, but what she said next just infuriated the detective. Fuck you.
  —"You dare to call yourself a detective?! You're NOTHING! Nothing but a pretty face, tits and a shitty attitude!"—
  Rich coming from the person who barged into a room with a deadly caliber gun. That woman had more of a shitty attitude then any of them combined, even more then dean. Now that was a miracle. “Who—”
  —"SILENCE!"—
  She silenced, mostly because of the weapon in her hand— deciding to insult her professor now. I’m sorry sir. Part of her felt like she was to blame for her lashing out and— no Carmen, an insane woman screaming isn’t your fault. Hearing what she was saying, about letting a woman decide. A traditionalist. That attitude— she realized, was way more common from the older generations; especially when she went to Hong Kong. “ 什...” What even…
  —"This was your only chance to settle with a woman of status and you LOST IT! You didn't even TRY! YOU- You are a WORTHLESS! A WORTHLESS PIECE OF FUCKING SHI-"—
  She swore to god— “Oh shut-” Then what proceeded afterwards put her back into perspective.

—BANG!—

  The ginger girl was shot, making Carmen see past her enraged state of mind as her pupils shrunk and she sat back in her chair… Breathing heavily as she realized the consequences; just what happened if the right cards weren’t paired.. An innocent circle died. She died. All because… Of the stupid card facing her. Settle with a woman.. Like how Geoff settled with Hannah? Would their have been another wedding? Another game with her and Huxley— as discomforting as that image was. It would make sense, an insane insane Chinese matchmaker woman trying to set people. The rings cards, hearts— the shotgun wedding from a russian roulette game. Everything was falling back, here body swaying as her mind robotically spewed out all it knew.

Then… It said some lasting words.

—When you die, hope you go to ḧ̶̖́ë̵̝́l̵̝̑l̴͖̒.— 

  In her tired and depressed state of mind, she felt the gas covering the room, finally. She thought, finally some sleep to forget for a while. Even if she had a terrible headache, no one should’ve cared.

[Silvio Savidge]

One by one they revealed their cards, and it was a circle one after another one. Which gripped his guts and the grip got tighter until it was Belle's turn, and for a moment Silvio thought he had just agreed to pair up with the black heart willingly. But it was a circle. He sighed a breath of relief, the grip in his stomach loosening before it tightened once more from the realization.
A little bewildered, he glanced at Carmen and Cece. The red heart and a circle, he was happy to see his roommate going to make it, no wait that meant that the black heart was with... Huxley. Oh no, it all made sense now. He didn't know the man, yes, but that would explain why he had been drinking and devouring cheese like a hungry wolf.
"I-"

Then the doors were slammed open and a woman who was absolutely fuming with anger waltzed in. He winced, following her with his eyes. Who was that? Wait, was she their kidnapper? There were no way she would be a human, she had to be an alien or lizard shapeshifter. He felt a sting of fear in his chest as he noticed the gun.

Silvio wanted to say something but found that he could not say anything, or do anything but watch this woman to berate Carmen and Huxley. He would hate to be in their places, he hated to be here. This was like the part of a game session where the shit would hit the fan.

And then it did, there was a bang and for a moment there was something red in Silvio's vision. It made him think for a second he had been shot, but no, it was the girl next to him. And it was her blood. He looked down at his new fancy blue and gold trimmed shirt, and the left ride of it was covered in blood.
His nervous eyes shifted to the girl, was she... really.. The there were more shots, and Silvio couldn't turn his head away or close his eyes. He watched the lizard-alien-woman shoot the poor girl more and in process making him and Isabelle both stain in red. The smell of blood made him feel sick to his stomach, more than he already was.

He just stared, at Lydia's body and beyond. She was really dead, out cold, gone. And she was so young too, it wasn't fair, and Silvio felt terrible for being glad it wasn't him. Human truly were selfish creatures, she sure had a family and friends. Maybe even boyfriend or a girlfriend. And now, they would never see her again.
Before Silvio even realized it, the room was filled with the gas agan and he started to feel drowsy. Not again. He blinked slowly, lifting his gaze from Lydia's body to Isabelle, she was also covered in blood.

Before the gas started to fill the room once more. Silvio blinked slowly, shit, not again. His gaze lifted from Lydia to Isabelle, who was also covered in the poor girl's blood.

"Thanks... Belle..."

[Geoff Alen]

The card reveals got slower and slower. As more and more circles came up, Geoff was growing skeptical. Were there even hearts in this deck>? Was this some messed up mind game like the first one? Just as he was about to apologize, the blonde detective woman turned over her card. A red heart. Greg had been her partner, and he revealed a circle. That only meant one thing. They lost the game.

"IMBECILES!"

"Fuck," Geoff whispered.

The doors burst open and someone came in. Geoff had no idea who his woman was. She smelled of musty tea leaves and something else. Her makeup and appearance made her look like a special order entertainer for Jabba the Hutt...or someone with one of those bizarre inflation fetishes. His first instinct was to shield anyone close to him. But the gun lady wasn't going toward his group. She was shouting at them, and Geoff's protective instincts got stronger. He was glaring back at the woman. But her attention was fixated somewhere else.

Geoff put the pieces together. Professor Weisenbachfeld hadn't shown his card. Not yet. But there was only one explanation. He had the black card since the rest of the men had circles. He hadn't paired up with Carmen. That meant...

BANG!

Geoff's body jolted like when he had been zapped. This bullet was not filled with confetti like the last time. The blood was pooling into her red dress, creating a macabre image, complete with the firelight glistening on her ginger hair to add another layer of red. At first, Geoff thought this was just some good actor, that the pooling blood was cake batter or oil dyed with the right balance. But then the metallic smell of iron hit his nose. No. This was blood. This was real.

Apparently the woman was just as surprised as they were. Within minutes, she started to look around in...was that...fear? Geoff studied her. Something was going on. After a few moments of hysterics, the woman shot again. Almost as if she wanted to make sure the body was dead. Then she fled. Geoff watched her go in confusion. What the fuck was that? What the was going on? Why did this woman freak out? Was she the one behind all this? If so, she had a really good voice distorted to make herself sound younger.

But one word resounded that had Geoff's shield pose get stronger. Gas. He kept the stance up, even as his eyes started to filter closed from the resounding gas. The back of his mind also told him to relay the information, just as Katherine had advised him to do...

[Hannah van de Berg]

Hannah looked at the others around her revealing their cards. She had her own suspicions about the cards. Hannah had been suspecting huxley. The poor man was more nervous then usual and had been hesitant to team up with the woman in the red dress. And her suspicion was confirmed. Hannah felt her heart drop. Oh no. No she did not even want to imagine how the kind professor would react.

"IMBECILES"
She heard someone yell making her tense up. Hannahs head turned to see a woman marching into the room. Her face lost all color when she noticed what she was holding. A gun. THE gun. The same gun she had been "shot" with.
Hannah was shaking a little as her eyes were fixated on the weapon. When she raised it to aim at huxley who was next to her she instinctively moved down in her seat trying to hide. The words kind of were lost in translation for hannah.
She then saw the gun being raised at the redhead.
"Wait.." she mumbled
BANG

somehow she had hoped that the redhead was just covered in confetti just like she had been. However there was no confetti. Only blood. Tears started to fill hannahs eyes as the realisation that she could have been dead by the same gun once again became so much more real. The woman left the room leaving them with the corpse
She looked at huxley who would most likely be feeling worse then she was right now.
"Huxley..?" she asked softly as she looked up to him and gently tried to put her hand on his arm "Huxley.. this was not your fault.." she tried to assure him. However something made her drowsy. Her hand slipped off his arm as she passed out due to the gass.

[Dean Gray]

Dean was waiting, somewhat anxiously, for Cecaelia to reveal her card. After the others had revealed their cards, it left only her and the older man as the potential owners of the black heart. The Detective had already shown hers, the red heart, so matching the hearts was impossible. He felt some amount of relief when his partner revealed that she held a circle too. Then the question was: What would happen next? The question was answered very quickly when the door slammed open, revealing a sizable woman holding a gun and an attitude.

"IMBECILES!"

The woman was furious, and her manner was erratic enough that Dean found that the wisest thing to do was to make himself smaller, so that she wouldn't aim at him. Judging by how things had gone with Geoff behind the barrel, the gun was likely not loaded, just a tool to frighten them for some godforsaken reason. The woman pointed the gun at the detective and unleashed a tirade on her: "You dare to call yourself a detective?! You're NOTHING! Nothing but a pretty face, tits and a shitty attitude!" Holy shit, that was bruta- -

"SILENCE!"

Dean recoiled, the woman shouted at the top of her lungs in such a way that his thoughts were scrambled. Before he could properly return to a proper state of mind the violent sound of a gunshot went off. Oh my god, that was louder than he thought. Luckily no one got- - Wait a minute. His eyes found the smoking gun and followed the barrel where it pointed straight into the chest of the redhead that had paired up with the old man. He blinked, not quite sure what had happened. What in the world- - Two more shots sounded, and the chest shook as spurts of red came shooting out from it. He could scarcely turn his gaze away before he felt his eyelids start drooping.

He blinked, trying to shake the tiredness off as he looked around the room to his neighbor on his right. He was about to speak, to berate Geoff further. Whatever sick games he had had in mind earlier, now someone had actually died. He had graduated from torturing victims to murdering them. Dean couldn't say anything before the lights switched off and the darkness took him.