CYOA - W6

[afflictionmods]

ic date: thurdsay, w6
ic time: 2am - 5am

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[superstructure]

[ Spooky.

He'll give it another look around. Any false bottoms, or new compartments open up? ]

[afflictionmods]

[A drawer on the back has opened!

With another key. Julius is just nailing the hunt for keys.]

[superstructure]

[ ... yeah, sure. ]

No shortage on security, I suppose.

[ Actually, let's take a sidebar and look at the keys real quick. Are they..... is clear that they're for different things, or. Are they just like three copies of the same key. Or do they have a secret message engraved on them. idk. ]

[afflictionmods]

[They do all look slightly different, yes! And there’s number scratched into each one - Julius has one, three, and four.]

[superstructure]

[ Perfect!

Let's go over to the dresser, now. Anything sitting on top, or are there drawers to explore? õwõ ]

[afflictionmods]

[There are four drawers! On top of the dresser is a candle, a lamp, and a picture frame. There's no picture in the frame - or someone has stuck a black piece of paper in it, who knows - and the frame itself looks quite old.]

[superstructure]

[ Okay, let's start from the top. What's going on with this frame here... is the paper just sticking out? Or does he have to open the back to get to it? ]

[afflictionmods]

[Gotta go to the back, baybee. But it's just a normal picture frame, so he can open it up with no problems unless he finds picture frames incredibly confusing.

Inside of the frame there is a piece of black paper, but... it was being used to cover up another picture!

A picture of a bird.]

[superstructure]

[ no one will be seated for the three hours it takes julius to open up the frame (no).

But oh, score! Is the bird similar at all too the one he found in the couch? Is there... anything on the back of it? ]

[afflictionmods]

[i'd be riveted tbh

It looks like it might be a similar species, yes! Except this is a real bird - it seems like someone took a picture of their birdcage, a fancy gilded affair.

On the back is a handwritten note, same writing as everything else in this house, that says "Hello."]

[superstructure]

[ just for you, then 💖

Hm. Kind of an on-the-nose metaphor here, huh...

He'll look at the "hello" and just kind of. Stare for a moment. He didn't swipe a pen from upstairs, so for now that's just going to be sitting on top of the dresser as he starts poking through the drawers. ]

[afflictionmods]

[I'm trying to make this a solvable mystery here, okay? Let me have some hamfisted metaphors, as a treat.

The drawers are empty! The last item of note was the picture frame and Fantastic Bird Metaphor, so it's onwards to the next piece of the puzzle.]

[superstructure]

[ shhhhhhhh its good and great. have your treat.

Okay, then let's check the bed! Let's start with checking under the pillows, seeing if anything is tucked under the sheets. ]

[afflictionmods]

[There's nothing tucked under the sheets, but one of the pillows seems to be heavier than the rest. Almost as if they're something in the pillow case.

(They're something in the pillow case.)]

[superstructure]

[ ...

...

...

It's not another key, is it. ]

[afflictionmods]

[They call him Four Key Julio, on account of his four keys...







But no, it's not another key, even I was really tempted for a moment. It's a locket, actually! Shaped like a heart and everything.]

[superstructure]

[ there's still time, don't worry.

What's inside? ]

[afflictionmods]

[a picture of Rideaux 💖

No, there's actually nothing inside of it! Still, probably good to bring it along. It's like he's getting pieces to solve puzzles like this is a Resident Evil game.]

[superstructure]

[ .............gross.

Well, luckily the JRPG in him will put it in the Key Items area, so it'll stay around. Is there anything under the bed? ]

[afflictionmods]

[Under the bed is clear! He has obtained all he can from the guest bedroom.]

[superstructure]

[ Excellent, let's get to that last room, then. ]

[afflictionmods]

[Welcome to the sunroom, pal. Not that there’s much sun this late at night (early in the morning?).

There’s a lot of plants in the room and large windows looking out at the backyard, as well as some seating to Lounge on.

Mostly plants, though.]

[superstructure]

[ Oh, this is nice.

What's the view of the backyard looking like from here? Anything from this vantage point that they couldn't see before?

And... what's the deal with the plants....... what secrets are they hiding in their foliage/under their pots.... ]

[afflictionmods]

[They're very well taken care of plants that seem to be very loved - and they are very much real plants! Mostly. There is one artificial plant, a potted bluebell flower, and it seems like there is something sticking out of the base of it.

The living plants are all clear of anything suspicious, though!]

[superstructure]

[ Oho! What do we have sticking out from the base? ]