[Fin] The Murder-Free Hotel

[Dookie]

Dookie is confused about this whole “Valentine” thing.

“So do you gift this to a friend, a lover, or your grandma? Is it like a proposal? I think I should give this to a friend of mine, but it would be weird if it came off as ‘I love you.’”

Meanwhile, after repeatedly walking over and over yesterday, Henry finally makes it to the main room and introduces himself.

“Does anyone know where we are?”

[Despair's Archon of Memes]

Haruhi is in the kitchen, working hard in making plenty of chocolates for everyone. Among the pastries she's making are... Chocolate Coronets. For some reason.

[Kennifer]

Kennifer, meanwhile, decides to get herself some wine.

She doesn't have a Valentine or anything, but she's got good friends, and she's feeling a lot better after... recent events. Still a bit weirded out by the whole "actually dying" thing, but other than that...

[PointMaid]

Ruby, meanwhile, has brought down a bouquet of roses she's been cultivating under grow-lights in her lab. They're genetically engineered to express a jellyfish protein to glow bright green under certain wavelengths of light. It's a common tag for research if she wants to research how roses work, but mostly she just thinks they look cool so why not.

[GoldenCityBird]

Rasel, rambling cluelessly around the hotel, eventually goes to the kitchen. "Seems like you're all having fun. I honestly have no clue what to do today - if anything. Maybe I could help you, one way or another."

[Huney]

"Happy Valentine's Day everyone!" Dr. Coomer cheers. "Ever since they took my dreaded ex wife in the divorce, it hasn't been very good for me... ech... but enough about me! I hope you all are very happy today."

[madface7]

Stew steps out of his room, just as Jocelyn finishes cooking.

The second Stew sits down, he is greeted with a plate of chicken and waffles.

"Here you go. I know you like these." Jocelyn gives of a very small smile, and hands Stew a card.

"Awwwwwwww... thanks, Jo! You shouldn't have..." He opens the card. It's completely blank card except for a small bit of cursive text that reads "I LOVE YOU I GUESS". Twenty dollars and a chocolate bar are inside.

Stew holds the card to his chest and starts crying tears of joy. Jocelyn looks noticeably confused.

[Kennifer]

Kennifer just grins at this, then takes her wine into the living room.

[madface7]

"Wh... why are you crying? I literally put zero effort into that card." Jocelyn puts her hands at her hips and raises an eyebrow.

"hHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"

Without warning, Stew envelops Jocelyn into a bear hug. She nearly suffocates before he lets go.

He begins talking a mile a minute. "Now, cutie-sweetie-honey-pie-sugar-kitty-lovey-cakes-"

Jocelyn covers Stew's mouth. "Stop- stop- no. No pet names. Now say what you wanted to say."

Stew blushes and clears his throat. "...Now, Jo, you're gonna have to wait until later for your MAIN present. But, for now, here's a gift to tide you over." Stew hands her a box, which she swiftly opens. Inside is a pair of black kneesocks wish a picture of a skull on each of them.

"Oh, cool. Thanks." Jocelyn smiles a bit once more, and Stew starts crying again.

[Dookie]

Dookie knocks on Cass' apartment door.

He gives her a card that says on the front, "To my very best friend."

She reads the inside:

I have been in many times of trouble

Thiefs, liers, and murderers in double

And while thou might have been killed

His happiness has been filled

Because of the people who just wanted to help

Even those who died with a yelp

And I sure am glad to be given a second chance

And a place to meet people like you and prance

To my best friend Cass,

Dookie.

"Aw, thanks!"

[Despair's Archon of Memes]

Suddenly, a black-haired girl emerges through a portal in the living room, still wearing a headset and lying on a couch. The girl proceeds to take off the headset and says this:

Worst. Game. EVER!

[Zanreo]

Just then, Neptune enters the living room... and sees someone she knows. "Oh, heya, Noire! You here too? ...Waaaaait, so does that mean you were in one of these games?"

[Despair's Archon of Memes]

Yeah... It was some weird virtual 4 Goddesses Online MMORPG thing with murder... I manged to log out alive in the game, but still...

Noire gets up and finally sees Neptune.

Wait... NEPTUNE?! What are YOU doing here? I thought you were in one of those murder games, too!

[Zanreo]

"Oh, yeah, I were! Been in two of them, in fact... but thankfully I survived my last one! That weird gameshow with challenges based on movies..."

She continues. "Murder-MMORPG, you say? Well, these games certainly sound more fun if it isn't happening for real! I'm taking it you didn't enjoy it much, though?"

[Despair's Archon of Memes]

Yeah... For one, the game was laggy to all hell... I honestly felt like I spent most of my time WAITING. Not to mention people just kept quitting... And then when the developer saw that the main murderer quit the game... He promised us a giant epic final boss battle! And then he ran out of budget. At the beginning of the game, he said that this was a "beta test". That experience barely counted as an "alpha"!

Noire sounds a bit heated when talking about the virtual RPG...

But anyway, Neptune... I'm glad you're safe here... How was that game show, anyway? And... Isn't there another murdergame you were in? The one with... Timeline Master Awe, I believe was the name?

[Zanreo]

"Yeaaah, that sounds pretty awful..." Neptune says. "Seems like they should have worked more on it before getting it ready for testing! No wonder so many players quit! Hey, developers: make sure your game is actually in beta beford doing a beta test!"

"As for the gameshow... well, if it wasn't for the whole murder thing going on, it would have been pretty fun! I even won the first challenge and got a whole big fancy room all to myself that night!"

She continues. "As for that other game..." Her expression changes to a sadder and annoyed one. "Unfortunately I didn't last as long, as I got burned to death on the first night! Yeah, not my proudest moment..."

[Despair's Archon of Memes]

I... Oh... You died Night 1 in your first game... I... I... I'm glad you're back...

Noire proceeds to hug Neptune.

I just don't want to lose you...

[Zanreo]

"Oh... Well, at least I'm back again now! Can't get rid of the protagonist that easily!" Neptune hugs back. "But yeah, dying wasn't fun... kinda wish all I had to deal with was an awful and laggy game."

...Speaking of games, wanna check out the arcade?

[Despair's Archon of Memes]

Sure!

[wingedcatgirl]

Sylvi wanders in, looking groggy. "Hey, Neptune... I didn't talk to you much after the... murdergame. ... Actually, I didn't talk to you much during the murdergame."

[Zanreo]

"Oh, hey! Yeah, don't think anyone got to talk to me much during that game... but hey, just means more reason to talk now! What's up?

[Kennifer]

-Living Room-

Tonya wanders in, having claimed a bedroom. She looks a lot less "on edge" now compared to when she was on that TV show. Which she kinda hopes nobody watched but they probably did, oh no.

---

-Holly's Room-

Meanwhile, Holly bolts upright in her bed, and screams. Thankfully the only thing she currently remembers about dying in that murdergame was being stabbed in the head and electrocuted and is unaware of what happened to her remains.

[madface7]

Jui bursts out of her door, wearing a red dress and lots of makeup.

"HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!"

"Today I will look for a girlfriend!"

[wingedcatgirl]

Sylvi appears suddenly. "That's a great idea. Where should we look?"

Snrk. This isn't how matchmaking for your friend would normally start, but it is Jui, isn't it.

[madface7]

"First we will look in the fridge, because I am hungry and need breakfast!"

She rushes down the stairs, nearly tripping over her dress. Her tail swings from side to side excitedly.