Body Count

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You are perched on a plush velveteen sofa, gazing through a wall of glass at the glittering ocean beyond. It feels almost otherworldly - like you've slipped into some alternate dimension that exists just to shoot the images for postcards and default desktop backgrounds. The double doors opposite you swing open and two figures emerge, walking confidently towards you. You immediately recognise Charlie, and he grins at you with an easy familiarity, as though greeting an old friend. Beside him is a woman that you have not met before and although she does not appear cold, she definitely does not share Charlie's overfamiliarity. She is tall and blonde, with a sprinkling of freckles that look to have been brought out by the sun and a wide smile that makes her eyes crinkle at the corners. "So sorry for keeping you waiting," she says, surprisingly contrite, "It is lovely to finally meet you, <<print $mcname>>. I'm Avery." Avery extends a hand to you and you rise from your seat to take it in a firm handshake. Something about her reminds you of a primary school teacher, but you cannot quite put your finger on what. Perhaps it's the combination of blazer and jeans. "Nice to see you again, <<print $mcname>>," Charlie bobs his head as he flops down onto the couch beside you, immediately discarding the clipboard in his hands onto a sofa cushion. Avery eyes him slightly disapprovingly as she settles into the armchair opposite you both and refers to her own clipboard, producing a pen from behind her ear that she nibbles the end of thoughtfully. "Charlie has passed on the information that you provided in your initial casting interviews, but I just need to complete a brief calibration questionnaire with you. Then we will run through some disclaimers and you will have the opportunity to ask any questions," she smiles, "Are you ready to begin?" <<include p13>>

You couldn't be more ready if you tried. You spent most of the 26-hour journey (split between a train, taxi, three planes and a speedboat) absolutely giddy with excitement and have been practically bouncing off the walls in the hotel while you recovered from your jetlag. "Yeah, I'm ready," you reply with a winning smile. Charlie beams across at Avery with a look that says something like "I told you so" and she quirks an eyebrow. <<include p14>>

You squash down the squirmy feeling in your stomach and smile. "Yeah, ready as I'll ever be!" You might have thought that a 26-hour journey (split between a train, taxi, three planes and a speedboat) and three days in a hotel recovering from the jetlag would have given you plenty of time to prepare yourself for this day. As it turns out, no amount of time is truly adequate to prepare you to spend a month having someone film your every move to broadcast on television. <<include p14>>

You contemplate whether you can still say "No" for a brief moment. Then you remember the 26-hour journey that it took you to get here (split between a train, taxi, three planes and a speedboat) and think better of it. It's //definitely// too late to say "No". "Yeah, I'm ready," you say, with a slightly feeble smile. Charlie offers you an encouraging pat on the shoulder and Avery casts him a slightly dubious look. <<include p14>>

"Fantastic. Then let's get started. We have 8 short questions for you, and then it's all done," Avery nods, pen poised to take down your answers. ''"Question 1. Please can you confirm your full name?"'' <<include p15>>

<div class="choices"><<link "<<print $mcname>> Blake" "p16">><<set $surname to "Blake">><</link>> <<link "<<print $mcname>> Li" "p16">><<set $surname to "Li">><</link>> <<link "<<print $mcname>> Vernon" "p16">><<set $surname to "Vernon">><</link>> <<link "<<print $mcname>> Hussain" "p16">><<set $surname to "Hussain">><</link>> <<link "<<print $mcname>> Watson" "p16">><<set $surname to "Watson">><</link>> <<textbox "$surname" "Surname">> [[Next|p16]]</div>

''"Question 2. How would you describe your gender identity?"'' <<include p17>>

''"And what pronouns do you use?"'' <<include p18.1>>

''"Question 3. How would you describe your sexual preference?"'' <<include p20>>

You turn to Charlie and quirk an eyebrow. This is information that you have given about seventeen times during this process - are all of the questions in this little quiz going to be this... obvious? Avery responds before he has the chance to. "I realise that Charlie has already collected all of this information from you, but we just need to complete this final calibration before filming begins. You would be amazed at how much could change for someone throughout the casting stage of this process." Charlie smiles apologetically, twisting his hands together in his lap. It must be a nervous habit, but you haven't seen him do it before - your conversations had always lacked any kind of formality. Most of them took place at the same small cafe around the corner from your apartment, where he would mainline caramel macchiatos and jot notes into a dogeared moleskine and laugh at his own stupid jokes. "The next few questions use the Likert scale. Your answers will be on a scale from 1-5, with a 1 meaning that you strongly //disagree// with the statement and a 5 meaning that you strongly //agree//," Avery explains, as it rapidly becomes clear why she reminds you so much of a primary school teacher. Her manner is friendly and gentle, but definitely erring on the side of patronising. ''"Question 4. I am the life of the party."'' <<include p22>>

Well, it's hard to be the life of the party when you never go to any. <<include p23>>

Does the life of the party spend most of the evening backed into a corner chatting to the small group of people that they already knew when they arrived? No? Then yeah, you're probably not the life of the party. <<include p23>>

You go to parties, you chat to people, you have a nice time. Are you ever going to be the person in the centre of the room doing keg stands or the one who busts out a guitar to play //Wonderwall//? No. Frankly, you wouldn't have it any other way. <<include p23>>

Some are born the life of the party, some achieve being the life of the party, and some have being the life of the party thrust upon 'em. For you, it is generally the latter. In a room full of uncharismatic people, sometimes you just have to step up to the plate and accept responsibility for steering the evening towards excellence. <<include p23>>

You're like Ke$ha - the party don't start 'til you walk in. <<include p23>>

"We're half way through!" Avery grins, voice tinged with the sort of faux excitement that people give when looking at a video their co-worker is showing them of a baby clapping for the first time or whatever. ''"Question 5. I am always prepared."'' <<include p24>>

Some people skid through life by the seat of their pants, and you're one of them. You could not be less prepared if you tried. You probably wouldn't have made it to the island in one piece if it weren't for the fact that basically all of the organisation was handled by the production team (and the fact that a friend called you three times to make sure that you had //actually// gotten out of bed). <<include p25>>

Occasionally, the stars align in a way that gives you the appearance of preparedness. Is it often by sheer fluke? You couldn't possibly comment. <<include p25>>

You are //sometimes// prepared which, on balance, is probably the normal amount of preparedness. You're never going to be in //Paperchase// jizzing your pants over highlighters and datebooks, but you're also never going to oversleep, miss a flight and get stranded in //Amsterdam Airport Schiphol// for 18 hours. <<include p25>>

You always //try// to be prepared and, as people often say, it's the thought that counts. You have a pretty well organised calendar on your phone and, yes, you have been known to colour code things. You're yet to take the step of creating complex spreadsheets to organise the mundane details of your everyday life, though. <<include p25>>

Did you have a colour coded excel spreadsheet detailing all of the planning required for this trip, complete with itinerary scheduled down to the minute? Yes. Did you arrive at the airport four hours early //just in case//? Yes. In the wise words of Steven Keague (according to the 'Quote of the Day' page stuck to your fridge) "Proper preparation prevents poor performance." <<include p25>>

''"Question 6. I get really anxious about things."'' <<include p26>>

You face all of life's challenges with the casual optimism of someone who simply does not give a fuck. For as long as you can remember, people have marvelled at your cool head in a crisis (and just about every other situation, now you come to think about it.) <<include p27>>

There are a small handful of things that can inspire you to muster up fucks to give, but most of the time you find yourself sorely lacking. Life is too short to worry about things that, most of the time, you can't control. <<include p27>>

You worry about the right amount. You've never been kept up at night fretting about the typo you made sending an email that you had //intended// to sign off with "Kind regards" (//they will have known what you meant//) but you did toss and turn the night before you got your A Level results. <<include p27>>

Of course, you worry about things - you're not made of stone! When you were a kid, your aunt would always tell you that worrying about something was how you could tell that you cared. You like to think that your ongoing worries are just a sign of your investment in your own life and the people in it. <<include p27>>

Unfortunately, if this question were rephrased to "Have you ever worried yourself to the point of nausea over a mundane task?" then you would also have to answer with a resounding yes. You're a worrier - always have been. <<include p27>>

<<include p28>>

''"Question 7. I love trying new things."'' <<include p29>>

You're a creature of habit. You eat the same thing for lunch every day, you've watched the same few TV shows on Netflix about a thousand times and you are the absolute last person that any of your friends would describe as "adventurous". <<include p30>>

Do you //love// doing new things? No, but you will, and sometimes you actually find yourself enjoying it. You might choose a weekend chilling at home more often than you choose a wild adventure, but that doesn't mean you exist entirely within your comfort zone. <<include p30>>

How could someone confidently say they //love// trying new things when new things sometimes //suck//? You aren't confined to a particularly small sphere of comfort, but you can't profess to be invariably thrilled with your attempts to be bold. Sure, discovering the Thai restaurant down the street was a win, but the improvisational jazz concert that you sat through was enough to make you never want to listen to music again. <<include p30>>

Variety is the spice of life, after all. You've never been the sort of person who watches //Friends// reruns every time they air, nor have you ever really ordered from the same place often enough to get a "regular". <<include p30>>

What is life without a little adventure? You are constantly seeking new experiences, whether they turn out to be your next favourite thing or a total bust. It's the journey, not the destination, right? You never order the same meal twice and you are //determined// to book a skydive before the year is through. <<include p30>>

<<include p31>>

''"Question 8. I always do my best to help other people."'' <<include p32>>

If you saw a little old man drop a £20 out of his pocket, best believe you'd be pocketing it. It's a win-win - not only would you be up £20, but you'd also be subverting what would probably end up being a tedious and lengthy conversation about how //lonely// he is now that his kids have stopped visiting. Yawn. You would probably go as far as to say that you actively avoid situations where you might have to help other people. <<include p33>>

Why help other people who, most of the time, don't help themselves? It would have to be a pretty exceptional case for you to go out of your way to help another person, especially someone that you didn't have any connection to. <<include p33>>

You sometimes stop to talk to those people on the high street who want you to donate to charity, but only if it's nice weather and you aren't in a hurry. You chip in to buy cards and flowers when people are sick at the office, but you wouldn't spearhead the fundraising efforts. You help the little old lady who lives next door to get her bins out on bin day. You do //enough// to help other people. <<include p33>>

You do what you can to help others. You bake cakes for office coffee mornings, you give money to homeless people and you sign a tonne of online petitions. Based on the number of people who pour out their life stories to you on public transport, you have a face that just screams "Tell me everything about yourself and I will solve all of your problems". Generally, they seem much happier by the end of your chats - sometimes you'd even miss your stop if you were at a particularly important part of their story. <<include p33>>

You do everything that you can to help other people - sometimes to the detriment of yourself. If you aren't doing //everything// you can to help other people, then what is life even for? <<include p33>>

<<if $men>>"Alright, <<print $mcname>>, that concludes the calibration questionnaire. Thank you very much for indulging me - I just needed to verify the information that Charlie has fed me thus far. The way that Charlie talked about you had me thinking that you were too good to be true, but here you are!" Avery grins, and Charlie looks a little sheepish.<<else>>"Alright, <<print $mcname>>, that concludes the calibration questionnaire. Thank you very much for indulging me - I just needed to verify the information that Charlie has fed me thus far," Avery smiles and taps her pen against the clipboard decisively.<</if>> [[Well, thank God for that.]]

"Now, onto the disclaimers. There are a few challenges in store, so don't expect a standard dating show experience," Avery begins. <<if $neuroticism > 50>> You feel a twinge of anxiety that you push aside, keeping the placid smile plastered on your face. <<else>> Right - that's probably what they say at the start of every dating show. You bet that they tell contestants on //The Bachelorette// to expect twists and turns on years that they have a helter skelter date. <</if>> "You have already signed the relevant paperwork, but I always want to give an extra word of caution before you go in," she offers, smiling in a way that once again manages to feel more patronising than sincere, "Now, do you have any questions for us?" The first and most important question springs immediately to mind. "So... how do I win?" "Well, it's called //Body Count//..." Charlie replies, as though it should make the answer incredibly obvious. Avery rolls her eyes. She already seems completely sick of Charlie, and filming hasn't even begun. At this point, it seems like it'd be a feat of luck if they can make it through the month of filming without Avery [[murdering him.]]

"There are actually two prizes," Avery explains, after a deep sigh, "The remaining couple as voted by the cast as most likely to stand the test of time will win £500,000. //In addition//, the couple with the highest collective body count will win £500,000." "As an incentive not to settle down too quickly," Charlie winks, "//but// not essential if you would rather avoid it." "Yes, absolutely," Avery replies emphatically, "You could win £500,000 without accumulating any body count at all." "//Or// you could win the full million without //being intimate// with anyone if you just coupled up with someone that had been getting around," Charlie adds. So, to recap then, you can win £500,000 just by being in a couple at the end of the show that is popular with the audience. If the person that you are coupled with has a higher "body count" than any of the other couples in the finale, you could still stand to win the full £1,000,000. Of course, if you were willing to put in some work of your own, the chances that your final couple's "body count" will be the highest will skyrocket. <<if $thot > 50>>Well, well, well... Your time to shine has finally arrived. <<elseif $extraversion < 50>> You can feel that £1,000,000 slipping through your fingers already... <<else>> Well, sounds like they're expecting you to have a pretty busy month... <</if>> "Any other questions?" Avery smiles, although judging by the way she is impatiently tapping the pen against her clipboard, she would rather you didn't ask any. <<include p34>>

"28 days, to be precise," Avery nods, "Four weeks." "And no one comes out during that time," Charlie adds, in the sort of spooky voice that a kid might put on to tell a horror story with a torch under their chin. <<include p34>>

"There will be 10 contestants in the villa at first, including you," Charlie replies, and Avery eyes him slightly reproachfully for speaking up before she could, "Depending on your sexual preference, you'll be able to couple up with any one of them at the next Switch." "Depending on sexual preference?" you probe, hoping to get a little more information about who will be joining you in the villa. "Yes. There are cast members with a mix of gender identities. Presumably, not //all// of the cast will appeal to you." "And when you said //at first//..." "There are two late entrants," Avery smiles, "Help prevent the pairing from getting stale." Jesus fucking Christ, they've made this complicated. "Wait, what's a Switch?" "Oh, good question," Avery replies, shaking her head, "Sorry, I always forget how much jargon there is." "The Switch is your opportunity to change your coupling and they come up regularly throughout filming to change your couple. At the start of the Switch, everyone is single by default. Then, in turn, everyone will have the chance to choose a single person as their partner. It might be the same person that you were partnered with before (if you choose to stick), or it might be someone different. You can't choose someone who is already in a couple, though." <<if $neuroticism > 50>> Great! Good to know that there will be //plenty// of opportunities to experience rejection.<<elseif $extraversion > 50 or $openness < 50>> Oh god. Is it too late to bail?<<else>>Well, that does mean that there will be plenty of opportunity to get to know everyone, which is nice.<</if>> <<include p34>>

"Aah," Avery taps the side of her nose, "Noticed the lack of personnel, did you?" "The cameras will be monitored 24 hours a day by a production team back in the UK. On the island, there will only be the cast members, Charlie and me." Charlie sits forward, clearly excited at the level of responsibility that he is being given. He made little effort to maintain a veil of professionalism during your casting interviews, occasionally lamenting the overbearing nature of the production company's management. "I'll mainly be in the Blackout Room," Charlie smiles, "To conduct interviews with the cast - get some good talking heads and stuff." <<if $agreeableness > 50>> So if I get sick of being filmed, I can go off into a different room to be filmed more? Yippee! <<elseif $extraversion < 50>> Well, I am relieved that I will be able to talk to at least one person that I already know. <<else>> Well, chatting to Charlie is the part of this process that you have been most thoroughly prepared for. You are relieved that you know what to expect there (although it probably won't be //exactly// the same, because you doubt that he will be able to find a caramel macchiato).<</if>> <<include p34>>

Avery nods sagely, clearly having expected this question. It's reassuring, you suppose, to know that they have at least had the presence of mind to think about it ahead of time. <<if $conscientiousness < 40>> You're not sure that you would have had the presence of mind to plan ahead for stuff like this, if you're being honest.<</if>> "If you do have a problem, the production team should be able to identify it immediately. If appropriate, they will then call in over the speakers to invite you to the Blackout Room. That is a space where you can speak directly to Charlie or I, depending on who is on shift, and discuss whatever is concerning you," Avery recalls this part with clinical precision, as if she has recited these words a number of times before. It is probably a pretty common question. "Luckily for us, Avery trained as a doctor in emergency medicine before she made the pivot to television, so she will be on hand to help in the event of a medical emergency," Charlie adds, <<if $neuroticism gte 50>>in what you think is supposed to be a reassuring tone. Immediately, though, the possibilities for medical emergencies in the villa begin racing through your head. Is that sort of thing common?<<else>>in a reassuring tone.<</if>> "So, how much contact do we have with the outside world ourselves?" "Simply put, none," Avery replies, matter-of-factly. "The whole world could end while we're here and you'd never know about it," Charlie chuckles, before frowning and adding, "Well, ok, the production team would probably tell us and then we might tell you..." How reassuring! You //might// find out if the world ends. <<include p34>>

"I mean, yeah, basically," Charlie chuckles. When you look slightly disturbed, Avery rushes to elaborate. "There aren't cameras in the toilets or the wardrobes, but yes, there are everywhere else. Most cameras are disguised, so that eventually the cast should just forget that they are being filmed entirely and be able to behave as naturally as possible." <<if $neuroticism > 50>> Yeah... you're not sure you'll forget that everything you do is being filmed any time soon. It is a relief that you can pee without an international viewership, though. <<elseif $openness > 50>> Hey, you can pee in private, that's a win! <<else>> You resolve to remain optimistic about the possibility of forgetting the cameras are on you, but it doesn't feel particularly likely.<</if>> <<include p34>>

Avery's smile as you ask this question is best described as devious. "Today." <<if $neuroticism > 50>> You think you're going to throw up. //Today?// You're going to meet a bunch of new people and choose which one you want to be in a couple with less than 12 hours later? <<else>> //Oh//. <</if>> Charlie notices your surprise. "Don't be nervous," he offers, firmly enough that it actually sounds like decent advice and not as ridiculously unhelpful as it would coming from anyone else, "You're great, you'll have no problem coupling up." "And, if you aren't happy with who you couple with, the first Switch follows pretty soon after. Nothing is ever set in stone," Avery adds. <<include p34>>

"That was quite the grilling," Charlie smiles, before he clocks the disapproving look that Avery is giving him and tries to revert to a more neutral expression. "Charlie will take you through to get ready, and then you'll enter the villa," Avery explains, continuing to jot things on her clipboard. You have no idea what she could still be writing about at this point, "You are going to be one of the last people to enter, so the rest of the cast will have probably already started getting to know each other. Try to make an impression." <<if $extraversion gt 50>> You're no wallflower, but you'd have to be absolutely mental to not feel a bit nervous about being one of the last cast members to enter. Something about walking in to a villa full of people feels incredibly reminiscent of walking in to your secondary school canteen and having to frantically look around for somewhere to sit. [[Bring it on.|readych]] <<else>> You feel a creeping sense of dread. Who thought it would be a good idea to send you in //last//? Also, what kind of advice is "try to make an impression"?! That's like saying "remember not to punch anyone in the face" or "try not to shit yourself, that would be embarrassing". [[I think I'm gonna throw up.|readych]] <</if>>

"We ready?" Charlie asks, getting to his feet and smoothing out the ridiculous Hawaiian shirt that he has selected for the day. He has paired it with a pair of relaxed fit jeans and, amazingly, actually kind of pulls it off. Still, his unorthodox clothing choices may be one of the (probably many) reasons that his role on the production is strictly behind the camera. Avery has already gotten up and wandered off to behind a nearby desk, where she is shuffling papers around. She looks up at Charlie, obviously bewildered by the fact that you are still there at all. "Yes, please, take <<print $mchim>> to get ready," she replies, with little attempt to hide the exasperation in her tone. Charlie doesn't seem phased by it - it seems to be a staple of their working relationship. With that, you are whisked away. Charlie is an amazingly fast walker... <<include p36>>

You keep up with Charlie without issue, listening to him chatting away (mainly to himself) as you wander along beside him. <<include p37>>

It takes a bit of effort, but you do manage to keep pace with Charlie. He is chatting away, more to himself than to you, as you walk. <<include p37>>

Is this supposed to be some kind of pre-show work out? An endurance test? An extra health screening? You are practically jogging to keep up with Charlie, who seems quite oblivious to your struggles. He is chatting away, more to himself than to you, as you walk. Well, as he walks, and you all but jog. <<include p37>>

There's no point even trying to keep up with him, really. To do so would be futile. You trail behind, doing your best not to lost sight of him entirely as he storms ahead, quite oblivious to your struggle. He is chatting away, more to himself than to you, as you walk. His monologuing is probably for the best, anyway - it's weird to carry a conversation with someone walking six feet ahead of you. <<include p37>>

After a moment of weaving through corridors, he comes to a stop in front of a door and opens it with a flourish, holding it with his foot so that you can be the first to walk through. Inside is a space hauntingly reminiscent of the celebrity closets that appear on //Cribs//. It is a large, square room with a squishy pouf at the centre and walls lined with wardrobes, shelves and mirrors. Charlie gives you a smirk as if to say "//I know//". "Right, this is where you can get ready. Your clothes have already been sent into the villa, but you can pick an outfit out of this stuff if you want to change," he explains, gesturing round at the ample clothing choices, "Or just chill or whatever. I'll be back when it's time to go in to nudge you on your way." <<include p38>>

<<if $extraversion lte 50>> You just... can't help but like him; he has this unusual talent for putting you at ease. You fumble for the right words to express it, but you don't find any. You're just stood there, looking back at him, looking at you. Perhaps the intensity of your gaze will convey what your mouth wouldn't. After a moment, Charlie clears his throat and breaks eye contact, eyes darting about the room uncomfortably before settling on a patch of floor between you. "I'll be right with you the whole time," he says, anxiously twisting his hands together, "In the Blackout Room whenever you need me, ok? You're gonna be //great//." Your stomach drops as you watch him standing there uncertainly. Then, as he leaves, he turns to give you a smile over his shoulder that almost makes your stomach flip out of your body altogether. Well, fuck. [[That could get complicated.|hair]]<<else>> You just... can't help but like him. "I wish you were going to be in there." The words kind of spill out before you have even had a chance to consider them, and you immediately wonder if you have overstepped. Fuck. "Lucky for you, I will be," he replies, twisting his hands together again, "In the Blackout Room whenever you need me, ok? You're gonna be //great//." Your stomach drops in a moment of concern that you have just totally put your foot in it. Then as he leaves, he turns to give you a smile over his shoulder that almost makes your stomach flip out of your body altogether. Well, fuck. [[That could get complicated.|hair]]<</if>>

"What would I be doing without you?" you laugh, trying to brush off any lingering nerves. "Probably sleeping," Charlie laughs as well, removing his hand from your shoulder, "Because, y'know, you'd be at home and there's a time difference." "Yeah, I did get that, but thanks for explaining," you roll your eyes, but can't quite suppress a smile. It's nice knowing that you'll have at least one sort-of-friend when you're in the villa. "I need to head out and sort the others - I'll see you soon." And then you are left alone, probably for the last time in a month ([[well, apart from to pee|hair]]).

You're about to a) meet a bunch of new people that you're supposed to be trying to crack on with and b) do it on television. You'll have less of Charlie's chatter and more time to get ready, thanks. <<if $extraversion > 50>> "Thanks, Charlie," you smile. "See you in a bit!" And then you are left alone, probably for the last time in a month (well, apart from to pee). <<else>> You just bob your head in acknowledgement, and then he is gone. For the last time in a month (well, apart from to pee), you are alone. <</if>> [[Time to get ready!|hair]]

"How long is it likely to be?" you ask, surveying the stacked shelves around you. "Oh, no more than an hour. Probably way less," Charlie replies, wiggling his hand in a universal "so-so" gesture. Then he chuckles and turns to go, "I'll see you in a bit, okay? Don't be nervous!" And, with that, he's gone. For the last time in a month (well, apart from to pee), you are alone. [[Time to get ready!|hair]]

You stand in front of the floor length mirror and try to work out what you should be doing to make yourself look like a $mcguy that someone could fall in love with. You're wearing your <<cycle "$mchaircolour">><<option black>><<option brown>><<option auburn>><<option ginger>><<option blonde>><<option grey>><<option dyed>><</cycle>> hair <<nobr>> <<if $mchairtexture is "afro-textured">><<if $mchairlength is 1>><<include afroshort>><<elseif $mchairlength is 2>><<include afromid>><<else>><<include afrolong>><</if>> <<elseif $mchairtexture is "curly">><<if $mchairlength is 1>><<include curlyshort>><<elseif $mchairlength is 2>><<include curlymid>><<else>><<include curlylong>><</if>> <<else>><<if $mchairlength is 1>><<include straightshort>><<elseif $mchairlength is 2>><<include straightchin>><<else>><<include straightlong>><</if>><</if>><</nobr>>

<<cycle "$mchairstyle">><<option "buzzed short" buzzed>><<option "short at the back and sides, longer and floppier on the top" floppy>><<option "in a mullet" mullet>><<option "gelled back out of the way" gel>><</cycle>> <<include pminus40>>

<<cycle "$mchairstyle">><<option "short at the back and sides, longer and floppier on the top" floppy>><<option "in a mullet" mullet>><<option "loose, but neatly styled" neat>><<option "loose and messy." messy>><<option "tied back out of the way" tied>><<option "in a lil bun" bun>><</cycle>> <<include pminus40>>

<<cycle "$mchairstyle">><<option "loose, but neatly styled" neat>><<option "loose and messy" messy>><<option "tied back out of the way" tied>><<option "in an elaborate braid" braid>><<option "in healthily sized bun" bun>><</cycle>> <<include pminus40>>

<<cycle "$mchairstyle">><<option "buzzed short" buzzed>><<option "short at the back and sides, longer and curlier on top" floppy>><<option "in a mullet" mullet>><<option "gelled back out of the way" gel>><<option "in a curly little mop" mop>><</cycle>> <<include pminus40>>

<<cycle "$mchairstyle">><<option "short at the back and sides, longer and curlier on top" floppy>><<option "in a mullet" mullet>><<option "loose, but neatly styled" neat>><<option "loose and wild" messy>><<option "tied back out of the way" tied>><<option "in a lil bun" bun>><<option "in braids" braid>><</cycle>> <<include pminus40>>

<<cycle "$mchairstyle">><<option "shaved, with a fade" fade>><<option "in tight braids" braids>><<option "buzzed short" buzzed>><<option "in short locs" locked>><<option "in short twists" twists>><</cycle>> <<include pminus40>>

<<cycle "$mchairstyle">><<option "natural, in an afro" afro>><<option "in short twists" twists>><<option "in short locs" locked>><<option "braided back" braided>><<option "in box braids" box>><<option "in short twists" twists>><<option "in bantu knots" knots>><</cycle>> <<include pminus40>>

<<cycle "$mchairstyle">><<option "natural, in an afro" afro>><<option "in twists" twists>><<option "in locs" locked>><<option "in micro braids" micro>><<option "braided back" braided>><<option "in box braids" box>><<option "in bantu knots" knots>><<option "up in a bun" bun>><</cycle>> <<include pminus40>>

and, after a moment of doubt, you feel happy with your choice. This is the best version of yourself - if they don't like this, you're fucked. Of course, you can change your outfit, fuss with your hair and slap on makeup as much as you like, but there are some features that aren't going anywhere. <<include p40>>

At this point, you basically have more tattoos than bare skin. <<include p40>>

You have a few visible tattoos, but not tonnes. <<include p40>>

Fortunately, giant magnets are much less common than Saturday morning cartoons had you believing as a kid. Add quicksand and anvils falling from the sky into the mix, and you were basically just fed a pack of lies. <<include p40>>

They fade a little in winter, but they always come back in full force the moment you're out in the sun. Since you're hoping to get a great deal of sun during your time in the villa, it's safe to say that they'll be sticking around. <<include p40>>

Shark attack? Bomb disposal? Bear mauling? You'll never tell, although people do get strangely bold when it comes to asking how people got their scars - especially where those as obvious as yours are concerned. <<include p40>>

Your birthmark is pretty noticeable. You were teased for it when you were younger, but as you've aged, you have actually come to rather like it. It makes you unique, at least. <<include p40>>

It had been suggested during the casting process that you try out contacts instead, but you'd resisted. You like the way your glasses frame your eyes, and you don't like having to poke your fingers into your eyes. <<include p40>>

If you ever showed up dead, the cops would have to pull dental records to identify you. [[What a weird thought.|whataweirdthought]]

A few minutes later, your mirror self-study is interrupted by the door bursting open. In the doorway stands a person that can only be described as potentially more glitter than human. The parting of her bubble-gum pink bob is accented by iridescent sparkles, her dress is covered in sequins and every small movement she makes lets another shiny limb catch the light. She must be the product of an unholy union between a Barbie doll and Guy Diamond. "Oh fuckitty fuck!" she squeaks, hiding her face with her pale hands like someone who is entirely lacking object permanence. <<include florrieintro>>

A heat spreads across your cheeks that you are powerless to stop. There is something about this girl that is just effervescent and ridiculously charming. You just... feel a feeling. What that feeling is remains to be seen, but you think it's a good one. <<include wrongdoor>>

"Are you okay?" you ask, figuring that is probably the best way to find an answer to your question. <<include wrongdoor>>

Well, this girl seems nuts. "Are you okay...?" you ask. She might find your sceptical tone and raised eyebrow scathing were she not still covering her face. <<include wrongdoor>>

Bloody hell, that much glitter is surely an environmental hazard? You don't make any move to respond to her shrill expletives and simply eye her with scepticism. <<include wrongdoor>>

"Oh fuckitty fuck?" you ask, raising one eyebrow as the grin spreads across your face. What an excellent phrase. <<include wrongdoor>>

You had been considering your outfit choice before this walking disco ball burst in and now your mind is racing with the possibilities. Is this what makes people fall in love now? You wouldn't fucking know if it was... <<if $neuroticism < 50>>"Uh, hi..." is all that you can stammer out, too distracted by the fashion-induced panic that you are currently enduring to come up with anything more eloquent. <<else>> You take a deep breath and brush off your current fashion-centred concerns. You're going to be fine. "Hey," you say, after taking a deep breath, "Don't worry about it." Alright, maybe you haven't entirely brushed off your worry, or you might have come up with something //slightly// more original to say.<</if>> <<include wrongdoor>>

"Oh fuckitty fuck," she repeats, lowering her hands to reveal wide blue eyes. Then she giggles - it's a warm, infectious sound, and one that you can imagine her making often, "Well, I guess it's too late, we've met now. I'm Florrie, but //please// don't grass me up to Charlie! I totally fucked up the directions he gave me." You hadn't been given any explicit instructions to avoid the other cast members before you entered the villa, but it seems like Florrie might have. It also seems like the sort of thing that Charlie might have forgotten to mention. <<include florrieready>>

"I'm <<print $mcname>>," you smile. "Nice to meet you, Florrie." Florrie breathes a sigh of relief, smile widening. "Nice to meet //you//, <<print $mcname>>. I don't suppose Charlie told you where the bathrooms were, did he?" she asks, a little sheepishly. Well, that solves the mystery of how she came to stumble upon your dressing room. <<include nicetomeet>>

"I'm <<print $mcname>>," you say, extending one hand towards her for a handshake. Despite it being quite a normal greeting, it feels strangely formal in this context. You're supposed to be wooing the other cast members, not striking up business deals with them. This is //Body Count// not //The Apprentice//. She smiles and takes it, undeterred by any misplaced formality. Her fingernails are painted with blue glitter, because of course they are, and her hand feels small <<if $mcheight is 1>> even compared to your own. <<else>> in yours <</if>> "I'm Florrie... but I said that already," she says, wrinkling her button nose as she withdraws her hand, "I don't suppose Charlie told you where the bathrooms were, did he?" Well, that solves the mystery of how she came to stumble upon your dressing room. <<include nicetomeet>>

"Come here often?" you grin, tilting your head to one side. Alright, it's a tacky line, but clichés become cliché for a reason. Florrie giggles, looking up at you through long lashes. "Not wasting any time, are you? We're not even in there yet and you've already got me all shy..." she grins, twirling her hair with one hand. She retreats backwards, finding the doorframe with her other hand to guide herself back through the open door. "I'll see you in there, mysterious stranger," she adds, before closing the door and leaving you alone once again. <<include florriefeels>>

"You don't need to worry about Charlie - he's a good egg," you reassure her. The notion of anyone being worried about getting told off by Charlie seems ridiculous to you. "Really?! God, he's always //so// short with me. I think he just thinks I'm the world's dumbest girl," she giggles self-effacingly, nibbling on a glittery, blue fingernail. It's hard to imagine Charlie being short with anyone - Florrie must just have a particularly sensitive disposition, "I don't suppose he told you where the bathrooms were, did he?" Well, that solves the mystery of how she stumbled into your dressing room. <<include nicetomeet>>

"It's nice to meet you, Florrie, but if Charlie said we shouldn't meet then you'd better go before he gets back," you respond, gently, "I'd hate to get you in trouble." Florrie smiles gratefully back at you and breathes a visible sigh of relief. "Thanks, hun! Did he mention where the bathrooms were to you?" she asks, a little sheepishly. Well, that solves the mystery of how she came to stumble upon your dressing room. <<include nicetomeet>>

"I think you should probably go before Charlie gets back," you respond, "If he said you weren't supposed to be here." Florrie nibbles a glittery, blue fingernail and wrinkles her button nose. "I don't suppose Charlie told you where the bathrooms were, did he?" Well, that solves the mystery of how she came to stumble upon your dressing room. <<include nicetomeet>>

"I won't tell Charlie, but I need a favour," you begin. Florrie raises her eyebrows curiously, a cheeky smile already playing on her lips as she waits to hear the nature of your favour, "Can you help me choose something to wear?" Florrie breathes what seems like a sigh of relief and her smile widens even further. "Ohmygod, //of course// hun!" she replies with unrestrained enthusiasm, immediately skipping across to begin chaotically triaging the wardrobe. Before you've even had time to blink, there is fabric flying left and right, scored by the sound of Florrie jabbering excitedly about the merits of various looks. "Okay, what sort of vibe do you want to channel? Like, what's your aesthetic?" she asks, giddily. Being someone's personal stylist seems like all that she has ever wanted. Oh, shit, okay... Well, first of all, <<cycle "$bottoms">><<option "I'm looking for a skirt/dress." false>><<option "I'm looking for trousers/shorts." true>><</cycle>> <<include florrieready5.2>>

Once Florrie has navigated to the right set of drawers, you are met with a surprisingly wide range of aesthetic choices. You opt for your usual aesthetic - <<cycle "$mcstyle">><<option "something girly - cute pinks or a floral print" girly>><<option "something arty - the sort of thing that not everyone could pull off, but you definitely can" arty>><<option "something classy - a neutral colour palette, erring on the side of formality" classy>><<option "something academic - if you can find a sweatervest, you'll have it on in a heartbeat" academic>><<option "something casual - a comfy tshirt and a breathable material" casual>><<option "something colourful - a fun colour palette and a jazzy print" colourful>><<option "something grungey - strictly all black and, ideally, a bit ripped" grunge>><<option "something minimal - a simple palette, clean lines and few pieces" minimal>><<option "something slutty - really, the main thing is that everyone in the villa wants to fuck you" slutty>><</cycle>>. "Oh cuuuuuuuute..." Florrie replies, in a way that sounds like she is only half listening as she continues to rifle through the hangers and drawers. A couple of minutes later, she has laid out a series of garments on the pouf at the centre of the room and stands back triumphantly to consider her handiwork. "Okay hun, I've got you! Now, get changed, and I'll see you in there," she gives you a wink, blows a kiss and then disappears back out of the door that she came through. Florrie has been a glittery little tornado, blustering in to your dressing room and leaving it in an absolute mess. Miraculously, the outfit that she has picked out for you is pretty much exactly what you had been hoping for, which is one weight off your mind. <<include florriefeels>>

"He didn't I'm afraid," you reply. She wrinkles her button nose and drums her fingers against her chin. "Then I guess I'll just have to muddle my way through, as per!" she responds brightly, clapping her hands together and turning to leave. When her hand is on the doorknob, she turns back to you. "Look for the room with the toilet," you advise, sagely, and she throws a wink at you over her shoulder as she disappears back out of the door. <<include florriefeels>>

Well, you have met your first cast member. <<include florriefeels2>>

This pink-haired, glittery girl has stumbled into your dressing room //and// your heart. At least you don't have to worry about the chance that the other cast members might be of little interest to you anymore. <<if hasVisited("florrieready.5")>><<include charliereturns>><<else>>[[Swoon]]<</if>>

Heart freshly captured, it's time to return your attention to getting ready. <<include selfstyle>>

She seems like an absolute mess but, like, in a nice way. You can imagine that she would be great fun on a night out, and you can't imagine that you will have many boring moments in the villa with her around. <<include charliereturns>>

You can't say for sure whether you're //romantically// interested in her, but you're definitely intrigued. If nothing else, you're quite certain that you won't have any boring days in the villa while she is around. <<if hasVisited("florrieready.5")>><<include charliereturns>><<else>><<include selfstyle>><</if>>

Jesus Christ... <<if $agreeableness > 50>> If you have any say in it, Florrie will be leaving the villa a much more organised person. <<else>> If you have to spend the whole time with someone as messy as Florrie, you'll probably resort to murder. <</if>> <<include charliereturns>>

There's something so intriguing about her, and you can't help but want to know more. Luckily, you're about to spend a month in a villa together, so there should be plenty of opportunity to satisfy your curiosity. <<if hasVisited("florrieready.5")>><<include charliereturns>><<else>><<include selfstyle>><</if>>

You and Florrie are about to enter a villa with 10 other cast members - probably best not to make any decisions before you've even started. <<if hasVisited("florrieready.5")>><<include charliereturns>><<else>><<include selfstyle>><</if>>

She isn't your cup of tea //romantically//, but she seems nice. She could become a great friend as the month wears on. <<if hasVisited("florrieready.5")>><<include charliereturns>><<else>><<include selfstyle>><</if>>

<<if $agreeableness > 50>> You're sure that Florrie is perfectly nice, but she isn't the sort of person that you would normally hang out with. Things would have to take quite the turn for you to become close in the villa. <<else>> Florrie just isn't the sort of person that you would normally associate with. You can only hope that the other cast members in the villa are people that you might have more in common with. <</if>> <<if hasVisited("florrieready.5")>><<include charliereturns>><<else>><<include selfstyle>><</if>>

She seems completely unhinged - no one who giggles that much can be trusted. You take a deep breath and hope to whatever deities are listening that the other cast members will be slightly less... Well, just //less//. <<if hasVisited("florrieready.5")>><<include charliereturns>><<else>><<include selfstyle>><</if>>

There is a complete lack of any sort of clock in this space, which makes it fairly difficult to discern how much time is passing as you rifle through the hangers and drawers. First of all, <<cycle "$bottoms">><<option "I'm looking for a skirt/dress." false>><<option "I'm looking for trousers/shorts." true>><</cycle>> <<include selfstyle.3>>

Once you've navigated to the right set of drawers, you are met with a surprisingly wide range of options. You opt for your usual aesthetic - <<cycle "$mcstyle">><<option "something girly - cute pinks or a floral print" girly>><<option "something arty - the sort of thing that not everyone could pull off, but you definitely can" arty>><<option "something classy - a neutral colour palette, erring on the side of formality" classy>><<option "something academic - if you can find a sweatervest, you'll have it on in a heartbeat" academic>><<option "something casual - a comfy tshirt and a breathable material" casual>><<option "something colourful - a fun colour palette and a jazzy print" colourful>><<option "something grungey - strictly all black and, ideally, a bit ripped" grunge>><<option "something minimal - a simple palette, clean lines and few pieces" minimal>><<option "something slutty - really, the main thing is that everyone in the villa wants to fuck you" slutty>><</cycle>>. After rifling through the hangers and shelves, you think you've got what you're looking for. <<include charliereturns>>

<<if $openness < 40>> Your nerves are hard to ignore now, and you can't help but wonder whether you will be //good enough//. To win over the other cast mates, to win over the people watching at home... to win over anyone. You can feel your hands quivering at your sides, and you run them over your hair in an attempt to keep them occupied.<<elseif $openness > 60>> It's almost go time, and you are excited! You're about to begin a month of fun and hijinks on a tropical island with a bunch of (hopefully) cool people. It's the experience of a lifetime, and you can't wait to soak up every second of it. <<else>> The time to enter the villa is drawing ever nearer and you aren't entirely sure how to feel about it. You can feel your hands quivering at your sides, and you run them over your hair in an attempt to keep them occupied.<</if>> Before you can give it much more thought, Charlie pokes his head round the door. Well, this is it. "You ready?" [[Time to go!]]

You walk with Charlie along a winding path through what you can only really describe as a small jungle. The heat is thick and oppressive and you desperately hope that the villa will be air conditioned or you'll basically just be on television as an exhausted sweaty weirdo for the next month. Colourful plant life and towering trees surround you on all sides, but you can still hear the sound of the ocean in the distance. Eventually, a building emerges from behind the trees. It is an erratic collection of marble, granite and glass - exactly the sort of home that you imagine might be purchased by someone with far more money than sense on //Selling Sunset//. Upon hearing that you would be staying in a "villa", you had been expecting something a little more quaint and Mediterranean - not this modern mansion. <<if $extraversion < 40>> The building is large enough that you begin to idly wonder whether there would be enough space for you to avoid the other contestants altogether for the duration of filming. It wouldn't be in the spirit of the show, but it would be much more closely aligned with how you might normally live your life.<br><br><<elseif $extraversion > 60>> You can only imagine the parties that could be thrown in a house like this. At least, you can only imagine it right now - you have every intention of experiencing as many awesome parties as you can during your time staying here.<br><br><<elseif $conscientiousness > 60>> God, this place must be a nightmare to clean. Will there be a cleaner? No, you expect not. You send up a silent prayer that the other cast members will be tidy people.<br><br><</if>>Charlie once again gives you his "I know" look and you suspect that the villa is probably not to his taste. If he had his way, you'd probably be filming in a replica of the Royal Palace of Theed (which, you have learned over the course of your interviews, is a location in the Star Wars canon). Now that you have arrived at the place where you will spend the next month, <<if $neuroticism > 60>> the creeping sense of dread that has been following you around for the last few to weeks seems to grow and solidify in your chest. It is weighty and squeezing and you have to concentrate hard on every breath. //Fuck//. <<elseif $openness > 60>> you are practically vibrating with excitement. You are about to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure and you don't want to wait for another moment for it to begin. <<elseif $extraversion > 60>> you can't wait to meet the people that you'll be sharing the experience is. Your relationships with them are the cornerstone of this whole experience, after all. <<else>> you can't wait to meet the people that you'll be sharing the experience is. Your relationships with them are the cornerstone of this whole experience, after all. <</if>> [[This is it.]]

You approach the large, metallic doorway and Charlie pulls out a lanyard that had previously been tucked inside his shirt to swipe his keycard through the doorway. "The door only opens from outside with a keycard, but anyone can exit at any time," he explains, "We didn't think a prison-y, barbed wire thing would have quite the right vibe." "So we can actually leave the villa whenever?" "In theory, yeah, otherwise we'd have a pretty major fire hazard on our hands. You shouldn't, though, unless there's an emergency." Charlie tests the handle and the door swings open. "So, you're gonna walk in through the front doors and then you're in - everything else is all you," he says, once again more to himself than to you, "If I were you, I'd make myself known. There's a bunch of cast members in there already and you're gonna want to get chatting sooner rather than later." <<if $extraversion > 50>> [[Sure, makes sense.|chhugq]] <<else>> Actually, you would really rather put off the chatting thing for as long as humanly possible. Charlie can read your mind. "I //know// you don't want to, but just rip it off like a band aid. Once it's done, you'll feel much better." [[He's right. You know he's right.|chhugq]]<</if>>

<<if $charlierom gte 1>> <<include charliehug>> <<else>> <<include charlienohug>> <</if>>

"Alright, this is it. Good luck and see you in there." Charlie smiles, and then he steps forward and wraps you in a tight hug. It's unexpected - Charlie has previously made a point of maintaining his own little personal space bubble and in all of the goodbyes that you have said before, hugging never seemed on the cards. It's nice, though. <<if $mcheight lt 3>> His chest is firm against your cheek and he smells clean and soapy (and, predictably, faintly of caramel). <<else>> His arms are strong and firm around your back and he smells clean and soapy (and, predictably, faintly of caramel). <</if>> When he draws back, he looks just as surprised by the hug as you were. "Sorry, that was probably... inappropriate. Anyway, go ahead! Get in there!" <<if $agreeableness > 50>> You want to give some kind word of reassurance, but he's right. It //is// inappropriate. Inappropriate and distracting and //complicated//. You give him a tight smile, gently touch him on the arm, and then head inside. <<else>> He's not wrong. It //is// inappropriate. Inappropriate and distracting and //complicated//. You give Charlie a brief nod, and then you step inside. <</if>> [[Next|entrance]]

"Alright, this is it. Good luck and see you in there." You give Charlie a brief nod, and then you step inside. [[Next|entrance]]

The moment you step through the doors, you can hear the sound of conversation and laughter coming from elsewhere in the house. <<include entrance2>>

<<if $extraversion gt 50 or $funny gt 50>> "Honey, I'm hooooome!" you call. Alright, it isn't //devastatingly// witty, but you're trying to think on your feet here and you haven't exactly spent the last few days since arriving on the island workshopping a good opening line. <<else>> You intend to call out something devastatingly witty, at least. You quite quickly remember that you are not really the witty type, and you find yourself just opening and closing your mouth like a goldfish for a moment. "Hi?!" You call out eventually, and then immediately kick yourself. Is this like in //Ru Paul's Drag Race// where you're supposed to make a big, memorable entrance? Because if so, you've fallen at the first hurdle.<</if>> You step further into the large entryway, casting your gaze about the space. Between the polished, marble floors and the large archways leading off into different parts of the villa, it feels much grander than you expected. It's every bit as sleek and modern as the exterior, but it just has a certain echoey gravitas that you hadn't really accounted for. [[Next|gandameet]]

Let's not overcomplicate things - Charlie said to make your presence known, and yelling a greeting does seem like the most efficient way to do that. "Hi!" you call out, as you gaze around at the large entryway. You step further into the large entryway, casting your gaze about the space. Between the polished, marble floors and the large archways leading off into different parts of the villa, it feels much grander than you expected. It's every bit as sleek and modern as the exterior, but it has a certain echoey gravitas that you hadn't really accounted for. [[Next|gandameet]]

You're not really the "loudly announcing yourself" type, and this villa can't be //that// big, can it? You'll just go and look for someone yourself. <<include nyrameet>>

Screw finding other cast members, you want to check out this //villa//. You take a moment to look around and get your bearings. The entryway you are standing in is large and in keeping with the exterior - all marbles and glass. A large, white staircase stretches off ahead of you, and clean archways lead off through the three internal walls. You squint as your lift your face to the large skylight that is lighting the space, the midday sun beaming down on you. Judging by this space, there will be //plenty// of villa to be explored. <<include nyrameet>>

You take a right turn and head through an archway into a living space. There is a large rectangle of plush couches sunk into the floor, reminiscent of something from a very 70s home design magazine. You also note the conspicuous lack of television, which you suppose is due to the fact that you aren't allowed to have contact with the outside world. Still, despite the size of the room and the lack of televisual focal point (your roommate had always wondered what people do don't have a TV point their furniture at and this room answers that question: nothing), it feels remarkably cosy. It is mostly white, littered with cushions and fluffy blankets and just seems like a cracking place for a nap. When you move into the next room, your attention is captured more by the person inside than the furniture. [["Oh, fuck."]]

A woman with a mass of dark hair and warm, brown skin rests against a pool table. A cigarette dangles from her hand, smoke plumes around her head and she looks decidedly unhappy to see you. It isn't really the reception that you had been hoping for upon finding fellow cast members. Her frame is petite and delicate, but there's something about her that makes you think she could absolutely beat the shit out of you if she wanted. Maybe it's the steel-toe boots. <<include nyrameet.2>>

//Hellooooooooo//, beautiful stranger. <<include nyrameet2.2>>

<<if $agreeableness gt 60>>"Hi!" you say brightly, ignoring the way that this stranger is making absolutely no attempt to hide their displeasure at seeing you, "I'm <<print $mcname>>." <<include nyraname>><<elseif $agreeableness lte 40>> "Hi." When someone is clearly as unhappy to see you as this woman is, it's hard to say much more than that. <<include nyrareply>><<else>> "Hi?" you begin, a bemused smile creeping onto your lips. It's probably not a great omen that the first cast member you meet already seems so displeased to see you. <<include nyrareply>><</if>>

"I don't think you're allowed to smoke in here," you tell her. It's pretty poor form to smoke up the villa on day one. She stubs her cigarette out on the metal edge of the table, scowling at you as she does, and then folds her arms across her chest. "Happy?" Between the tone of her voice makes it extremely clear that //she isn't//. <<include nyrareply>>

Oh, excellent! The first cast member that you run into here is a total knob. //Great//. Ideal. <<include nyrareply>>

"What's your name?" she asks flatly. "<<print $mcname>>. Yours?" <<include nyraname>>

"Nyra." There's a silence as Nyra reluctantly stubs out her cigarette on the metal edge of the pool table and folds her arms across her chest. "So, what's your deal, <<print $mcname>>? How are you playing this thing?" <<include nyraname.2>>

"What are you talking about?" "Oh, don't play dumb," Nyra scowls at you from under thick brows, impatient and unimpressed, "What's your strategy? What are your tactics?" <<include nyraname.2>>

<<if $agreeableness gt 50>> "I'm not playing a game," you reply, gently. You can understand her suspicion, you suppose. It's not a feeling that you can profess to share at the moment, but you can understand it. <<else>> "I'm not playing a game," you reply, flatly.<</if>> "I'm here to be myself." Nyra nods slowly. Then she smiles, mouth twitching up at one corner. Her arms uncross and she rests her hands on the edge of the pool table either side of her. "If you say so." It sounds just as much like a threat as an invitation to friendship, but you suspect that may be the best that Nyra could offer. <<include nyrameetwothers>>

"I'm here to win," <<if $neuroticism < 60>> you grin, straightening up to match Nyra's combative posture. You're not that easy to intimidate. <<elseif $neuroticism > 60>> you reply, although your voice waivers a little uncertainly. You're here to //try// to win, but that doesn't sound half as cool. <<else>> you reply steadily, holding Nyra's gaze. You're not the world's most confident person, but you're not going to be intimidated //this// easily. <</if>> "That seems like an honest answer," Nyra nods slowly. Then she smiles, mouth twitching up at one corner. Her arms uncross and she rests her hands on the edge of the pool table either side of her. "I think we're going to get along just fine." It sounds just as much like a threat as an invitation to friendship, but you suspect that may be the best that Nyra could offer. <<include nyrameetwothers>>

"It's called //Body Count//," you reply, like it's the most obvious answer in the world. How else would you do it? What else would you be here for? <<if $women>>"So you're just here to fuck around?" Nyra nods slowly. Then she smiles, mouth twitching up at one corner. Her arms uncross and she rests her hands on the edge of the pool table either side of her. "Let me know when you want to get started." Then she winks, pushes herself off from the table [[and breezes right past you.]]<<else>>"That seems like an honest answer," Nyra nods slowly. Then she smiles, mouth twitching up at one corner. Her arms uncross and she rests her hands on the edge of the pool table either side of her. "I think we're going to get along just fine." It sounds just as much like a threat as an invitation to friendship, but you suspect that may be the best that Nyra could offer. <<include nyrameetwothers>><</if>>

"That would be telling, now, wouldn't it?" <<if $neuroticism < 40>> you grin, straightening up to match Nyra's combative posture. You're not that easy to intimidate. <<elseif $neuroticism < 60>> you reply steadily, holding Nyra's gaze. You're not the world's most confident person, but you're not going to be intimidated //this// easily. <<else>> you reply, although your voice waivers a little uncertainly. You worry she's going to see right through you - know you don't belong here, that you're not the sort of person who should //ever// be cast in one of these things. She doesn't, though.<</if>> "So //that's// how it's gonna be? Okay." Nyra nods slowly. Then she pushes herself up off the table and breezes right past you. [[Well, that could have gone better|nyrabad]]

<<include nyraname.3>>

"You should come and meet the others." Then she pushes herself up off the table [[and breezes right past you.]]

<<include nyraname.3>>

You follow Nyra into what turns out to be a large kitchen. It has a sizeable kitchen island, a bar at one side and shiny chrome appliances. It basically seems like the dream for big, social kitchen spaces. Behind the bar is a wall of glass that looks out onto the deck, pool and ocean beyond. It's also //full// of people. <<include florriehug>>

You stumble into one of the leather armchairs in the corner of the room and rest your hands on your knees, trying to force yourself to take a deep breath and relax. You can't do it. //Fuck//, why can't you do it? Tears prick at your eyes and your cheeks burn as you strain for breath. You can just picture Avery chastising Charlie for recruiting a cast member so ill-equipped for this sort of situation. //Fuck//, then you picture the people watching at home, giving scathing commentary to their friends and families about the pathetic loser who panics the moment they step throught the doors. Your head sinks into your hands and you try to clear your mind. You are horribly out of your depth. What do people think about to cheer themselves up? Penguins. Penguins are cute. Then you think about a shark jumping out of the water to bite the penguin. //Fuck//, what's that about? You don't want to see that shit! Do sharks even eat penguins?! [[Get a grip!]]

The front door clicks open again, and a confused-looking person just stands in the entryway for a moment. Then, they politely close the door behind them. They look at you uncomfortably, as though trying to assess whether they're secretly on //Punk'd// and Ashton Kutcher will jump out at any moment. Then, on realising that he isn't going to, they quietly walk across and take a seat in the armchair next to yours. Their hands rest uncomfortably on the armrests and it looks a little bit like this is their first time sitting in a chair. Their entry had actually quite distracted you from your panic and, mercifully, you find that your pounding heartbeat has slowed a little. The new arrival has floppy, dark hair and a sharp, angular jaw. You think that you could probably grate parmesan on their cheekbones... and then you think that was a pretty weird thing to think. Hopefully the fact that you obviously don't have total control over your brain right now will give you a free pass for this first impression. "Are you alright?" they ask, after a moment, digging their hands into the deep pockets of their trousers. <<include vinhmeet2>>

"Yeah," you smile. "I'm fine." You aren't sure how convincing you are being, given how hot your face still feels and how short and sharp your breaths still are. They just nod slowly, fingers steepled in their lap. "Ok," is their simple reply. Then they sit back in their seat and look around. After a moment, they add, "I'm Vinh." <<include vinhintro>>

You raise an eyebrow. "Yeah, I'm fine!" you reply, voice laced with sarcasm. It's a pretty stupid question for someone who is so clearly not fine. <<include vinhsarcasm>>

You smile weakly. "No, I'm <<print $mcname>>." <<include vinhsarcasm>>

This villa is pretty fancy - is there some kind of function that will make the ground open up and swallow you? <<if $extraversion > 50>> You sigh and lean back, resting your head against the chair as you continue to strain for short, sharp breaths. "Yeah, I'll be fine." The new arrival doesn't make any move to respond - when you turn to look at them again, they are just gazing down at their hands steepled in their lap. "Are //you// okay?" You notice a hint of a smile as they look up. "Yeah, I'll be fine," they reply, knowingly, and then there's a little pause before they add, "I'm Vinh."<<else>> "Uuuuh-" you stammer. It's not the most articulate response, but it's about as much as you can manage right now. They don't reply, and when you turn your head to look at them again, they are just gazing down at their hands steepled in their lap. "I think I'll be fine," you add after a moment, monitoring their reaction. There doesn't seem to be one. "Are //you// okay?" You notice a hint of a smile as they look up. "Yeah, I think I'll be fine," they reply, knowingly, and then there's a little pause before they add, "I'm Vinh."<</if>> <<include vinhintro>>

You smile weakly. "No, not really," is your simple reply. You can't really think of anything else to say. Now doesn't seem like a good time to wax poetic about how not okay you are, especially to someone that you have only just met. The stranger makes no move to respond, and when you turn your head to look at them again, they are just gazing down at their hands steepled in their lap. "Are //you// okay?" You notice a hint of a smile as they look up. "No, not really," they reply, knowingly, and then there's a little pause before they add, "I'm Vinh." <<include vinhintro>>

<<if $agreeableness > 50>> "Good to meet you, Vinh. I'm <<print $mcname>>." <<else>> "<<print $mcname>>." <</if>> [[Next|vinhnext]]

The new arrival rolls their eyes, but you do think that you see a hint of a smile. "You can call me Vinh," they reply. Although there is no hostility in their voice, it does have a certain finality that doesn't really invite further questions.<<if hasVisited("vinhmeet2.3")>><br><br>"You can call me <<print $mcname>>," you grin, and Vinh looks longingly at the door. "I got that."<</if>> [[Next|vinhnext]]

"Well, I'm glad to meet you, <<print $mcname>>." Vinh's head relaxes back against the back of their chair and then rolls around to face you. A long silence passes between you, save for your laboured breathing, and you try to focus on the fact that their first impression of you is as a wheezing, flushed mess. "This might not be helpful, but when I feel overwhelmed I do this thing. It's silly, really, but I pick an object and list as many things about it as I can. I'll look at the vase on this table and think: Okay, it's made of glass; it's mostly blue, like the sea; it has little bubbles in it. I just keep doing that and then by the time I've named all the things I can think of, I just feel... steadier." Well, it can't hurt. You nod and look around for an appropriate item. <<include vinhnext1>>

You focus on the chair you're sitting in, hands sliding up to the armrests. 1. It feels velvety under your fingers - they seem to bloody love that material here; it's the same as the sofa you were on in Avery's office. 2. It's a bright, tealy-blue colour. 3. It has a tall back - wing banked, you think they call it? 4. The arms are thin. There's enough space to rest your hands, but not enough to balance a drink. 5. The seat is much more cushioned than the back, which feels pretty firm as you lean back against it. 6. The legs are taller at the front than the back, so it gently tips you backwards. 7. You're pretty sure you saw a chair like this in //Ikea//. 8. Did they ship it across? Or is there a secret, //Ikea// island nearby? 9. The back of the chair is slightly tufted with some of those little, fabric-covered buttons. 10. It's comfy. It'd be a nice place to sit and read, or something. You turn to look back at Vinh. You can't profess to feeling calm, but they were right. You can breathe again. [[Next|vinhnext2]]

You focus on the shoes by the door, discarded there haphazardly with one resting on the other. 1. They're a grassy green with a white line down the sides. 2. They look old and beaten - whoever wore them definitely didn't get new shoes just for the show. 3. The cushioning at the heels has started to rub away, probably from where the owner slides them on and off. 4. They're made from fabric, with thick rubber soles. 5. It looks like it's probably a faux-suede - kind of soft and probably not very waterproof. 6. The laces are white, still tied in a double-knot. 7. The stitching is white, too. 8. They're big. Really big, actually. Whoever wears them must have hobbit feet. 9. They have eight holes for laces each side. You counted. 10. The top hole is unthreaded. Probably helps the owner to slip them on and off. You turn to look back at Vinh. You can't profess to feeling calm, but they were right. You can breathe again. [[Next|vinhnext2]]

You look back at Vinh, focusing on their face. 1. It's angular - their cheekbones and jawline are pronounced and almost sculptural. 2. Their lips are pink and slightly parted. 3. They have a little freckle on their left nostril, another just above their right eyelid. 4. Their left ear has two, thick silver hoops dangling from it. 5. Now you consider them, their ears are small. Smaller than you'd expect, at least, although you don't typically have strong expectations for the size of peoples ears. 6. Their eyebrows are dark and straight. 7. Their hair is also dark, slick with gel, and with a few small tendrils hanging forward over their forehead. 8. They have a flat, wide nose. 9. They have deep brown eyes. 10. Their deep brown eyes are looking right back into yours. [[Next|vinhnext1.4]]

You can't profess to feeling calm, but Vinh was right. You can breathe again. "Did you just use my face?" <<if $bold > 50>> "Yes." <<else>> You nod your head. <</if>> "Did it work?" "Yes." There's a silence as Vinh turns away, fixing their gaze on a spot on the other side of the room. "I'm not good at flirting, but I feel like I should be trying that right now." <<include vinhnext1.5>>

You're bad at flirting too, but despite the fact that you and Vinh are in agreement about your respective lack of flirting ability, something about this conversation still feels //charged//. <<if $extraversion > 60>> "I don't think you're bad at it," you smirk, and Vinh's face flushes as they look across at you. <<elseif $extraversion < 40>> You don't say anything. Your cheeks feel hot again, but in an entirely different way to before. You don't say anything, because you don't know what to say. //God//, you're bad at this. <<else>> You don't say anything. You don't know what to say or where to start. You aren't good at flirting, after all. <</if>> [[Next|vinhnext2]]

"You're in luck," you grin, "I'm an excellent flirt. Come here often?" Vinh laughs, quiet and breathy, their eyes crinkling at the corners. "My first time." [[Next|vinhnext2]]

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to," you reply, gently. "I do want to, though," Vinh replies, voice measured as their gaze flickers back across to you. [[Next|vinhnext2]]

That feels good. Oh, wait, //no it doesn't//! "I didn't mean it like //that//," Vinh rolls their eyes, reading the offense in your expression, "I //want// to, I'm just bad at it. That's all I meant." [[Next|vinhnext2]]

What's more awkward than politely having to rebuff the advances of someone that you have to spend the next month in very close proximity with? <<if $agreeableness > 60>> It's a mercy that Vinh isn't good at flirting, because you aren't good at rejecting people. <<elseif $agreeableness < 40>> How people manage to do rejection nicely? You've never cracked it. <<else>> You're feeling awkward enough about this whole thing as it is. <</if>> [[Next|vinhnext2]]

"Oh! Hello?" A thin, ginger haired, freckle smothered woman walks out into the entryway, almost jumping back in surprise when she sees you both. Her eyes are wide as she pulls her cardigan a little tighter around her shoulders. If you had to cast this woman as a //Disney// character, it'd be Bambi - no question. "Sorry if we made you jump," Vinh tells her, easing themselves up from the chair and stiffly extending a hand, "I'm Vinh, this is <<print $mcname>>." "Imogen," she replies, as she reaches out her own to shake it. It's probably an unconventional greeting in these circumstances, but Imogen doesn't seem at all bothered by it. If anything, she seems rather charmed, "My friends call me Immi. Everyone else is in the kitchen, if you wanted to meet them too? I can take you through?" Her lilting voice makes it hard to tell whether she is nervous or uncertain or if that's just how she always sounds. Judging by the way she sucks on her lip as she pulls her hand back, you would guess the former. <<include vinhnext3>>

//"Marry me."// Just kidding, you don't say that out loud. That would probably be weird - people don't generally respond well to being proposed to during their first conversation with someone. You're weird, but not //that// weird. <<include vinhnext3.2>>

<<if $agreeableness > 60>> "That sounds nice, Immi," you smile, getting up from your seat. <<set $imminame to "Immi">> <<elseif $agreeableness < 40>> You get up from your seat. Alright. It's time. <<else>> "Thanks, Imogen," you smile, getting up from your seat. <</if>> Vinh smiles across at you, digging their hands into their pockets, and nods their head. "Okay," they mumble, decisively, like they're trying to convince themselves, "Let's go." There is a little more head nodding and foot shuffling and then Imogen turns and heads back into the room that she had come from. [[Next|vinhnext4]]

"What are they like? The rest of the cast?" Imogen sucks on her lip again and pulls the sleeves of her cardigan down over her hands. "They're nice," she says after a moment, with an intonation that again tells you that she isn't entirely convinced. Vinh raises their eyebrows skeptically, and Imogen sighs. "There are just a lot of big personalities, you know? And I'm not like that. I'm... small." That is enough to make Vinh laugh - really laugh. They rest their hands on their hips and bend double and //laugh//. Imogen turns to you with a look of complete confusion. If you had to summarise her expression in three words or less, you'd have to go with //"What the fuck?"//. You just shrug, no less clued in than she is about what Vinh is finding so amusing. After what can only be described as an uncomfortably long time, they straighten up, wiping their eyes with the back of their hand. "Sorry, sorry," they wheeze, and Imogen continues to look at them like they've just sprouted horns or a tail or something equally ridiculous, "It is just so //wild// that we're all here worrying so much about what these people are going to think of us. We're all great, obviously, or we wouldn't be here." They have a point, you suppose. Imogen chuckles to herself and nods her head. "I guess so." "I'm not guessing. I //know// so," Vinh replies, with great conviction. Well, that's that, then. Imogen smiles gently, pulling the sleeves of her cardigan down over her hands, and then turns to walk back into the room that she had come from. [[Next|vinhnext4]]

You are not //ready//. You are //not ready//. //You are not ready//. Vinh turns back to you and gently squeezes your shoulder. It feels strange and foreign and supportive and intimate all at the same time and your brain is abuzz with it. "You've got this, <<print $mcname>>," they tell you, firmly, "We can do this." Okay. Okay, maybe they're right. Imogen smiles gently, pulling the sleeves of her cardigan down over her hands, and then turns to walk back into the room that she had come from. [[Next|vinhnext4]]

You follow Imogen into what turns out to be a large kitchen. It has a sizeable kitchen island, a bar at one side and shiny chrome appliances. It basically seems like the dream for big, social kitchen spaces. Behind the bar is a wall of glass that looks out onto the deck, pool and ocean beyond. It's also //full// of people. [[Next | florriehug]]

Almost immediately, a tall man comes sliding out of one archway in his socks, waving his arms for balance before he slides to a stop in front of you. Presumably one of the other cast members, he certainly fits the bill of what you might expect from a reality show star. His sandy blonde hair looks like it would be quite curly if he grew it out, but it is freshly cut and generally neat except for a rogue cowlick above one eye. "Told you I could make it," he grins, triumphantly, back over his shoulder. His broad smile dimples his cheeks and lights up his blue eyes. It's the sort of unrestrained glee that you'd expect more from a lottery winner than a guy who has managed to slide across a tiled floor in his socks. <<if $men and $neuroticism > 60>> Then his eyes land on you and his grin is replaced by an expression of utter surprise. You feel a bit like you've just wandered through the front door of a stranger's house. //Fuck//, did you pick the wrong outfit? Is this where you're revealed to be a big trollish troll? <<elseif $men>> Then his eyes land on you and his grin is replaced by an expression of utter surprise. You feel a bit like you've just wandered through the front door of a stranger's house. You try not to panic immediately, but it's hard to think of that many situations where being regarded with surprise can be positive.<<else>>When his eyes land on you his face falls, like he's just been caught doing something he shouldn't have been.<</if>> [[Next|griffintro]]

"Hi, I'm Griffin! Everyone calls me Griff, though. Yeah, my mum was on a real mythology kick when she named me. No, this tan hasn't just come from the time we've been here. Yeah, I do sound a bit like a farmer. No, I'm not a farmer." Griff rattles through his introduction with the speed of someone who has already received quite a thorough interrogation and is already bored of talking about himself. When he finishes his little spiel, he turns pointedly toward his companion, who takes a much more measured approach. "I'm Adegoke." Adegoke leans nonchalantly against the doorframe, smiling with a sincerity and warmth that it immediately reassuring as he looks between you and Griff. He has rich, dark skin, a shaved head, and a small gold stud in one ear. In general, he dresses with a sort of restrained flamboyance vibe that just looks natural - although you think that if anyone else tried to wear a yellow silk shirt, they'd look like a total knob. "Would you like a drink?" he asks, pointing a thumb back into the room he had just come from. His voice is low and smooth, with a very obvious London accent that contrasts starkly with his companion's slight West Country twang. "I know it's still early, but I was first in so I've already popped the prosecco." "He said he's //nervous//," Griff scoffs disbelievingly, and you can immediately see why. Truth be told, you have never seen a man look less nervous - Adegoke carries himself with great ease as he laughs off Griff's comment and begins retreading his path back into the room they had come from. It's hard to tell whether he just wears his nerves exceptionally well, or whether he is lying through his teeth. <<include griffintro1>>

<<if $extraversion > 50>>"Sorry, I was just distracted by your abs. What was that?" you ask, eyes flickering quickly back up to his face from where you //think// you could just about make out his abs through the silk shirt he's wearing. Adegoke meets your gaze steadily, nibbling on his lower lip in a vain attempt to hold back his widening smile. "Do you want a drink?" he repeats.<<else>> "Sorry?" you ask, eyes flickering quickly back up to his face from where you //think// you could just about make out his abs through the silk shirt he's wearing. "Do you want a drink?" he repeats, eyebrows raising slightly as he smiles back at you. There is no doubt in your mind that he knows //exactly// what had distracted you.<</if>> <<include griffintro1>>

"I could murder a glass of prosecco, since you're offering?" "A <<print $mcman>> after my own heart," he grins, disappearing off through the high archway. [[Next|adefollow]]

"I don't drink, but I could murder a glass of water?" "I don't drink either," Griff reassures from behind you, "Quite glad that there's going to be another sober person in here, actually." <<if $neuroticism > 50>> You feel much the same way - if university was anything to go by, people generally had an awful lot to say when they found out that someone wasn't drinking. You'd be kidding yourself if you said you hadn't worried about facing scrutiny over your decision not to drink, but you're glad to be facing it with someone else at least. <<else>> You hadn't been particularly worried about it yourself, but you're glad to have been able to help Griff feel better.<</if>> "Of course," Adegoke replies affably. [[Phew! I won't be shunned.|adefollow]]

<<if $funny > 50>> "I could murder a rum and //Yop//?" you grin, and Adegoke eyes you with great suspicion. "You're joking?" "Yes," you confirm with a chuckle, "But I would love something sweeter, if you think there is anything? I never made it past the alcopops stage of alcohol consumption." <<else>> "Do you think there's anything a little sweeter? I never made it past the alcopops stage of alcohol consumption."<</if>> "I'll check the bar," he replies affably, and disappears off through the high archway. [[Next|adefollow]]

"I could really go for something stronger, if you have it?" <<if $extraversion < 40 or $neuroticism > 60>>Prosecco just isn't gonna cut it - you need something way stronger to get you through the ordeal of introducing yourself to seven other people in such quick succession.<br><br><</if>>"I'll check the bar," he replies affably, and disappears off through the high archway. [[Next|adefollow]]

You follow Adegoke into what turns out to be a large kitchen. It has a sizeable kitchen island, a bar at one side and shiny chrome appliances. It basically seems like the dream for big, social kitchen spaces. Behind the bar is a wall of glass that looks out onto the deck, pool and ocean beyond. It's also //full// of people. <<include florriehug>>

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" squeals Florrie, the only person that you recognise, as she abandons her barstool to sprint across the kitchen and tackle you in a bear hug. <<if $entrancemeet is "grandad">> Anyone observing this interaction would be forgiven for thinking that you are lifelong friends who have recently been reunited. Judging by the amused expressions on the faces of the kitchen's other occupants, though, they experienced similarly giddy greetings. <<elseif $entrancemeet is "nyra">> Anyone observing this interaction would be forgiven for thinking that you are lifelong friends who have recently been reunited. Judging by the way Nyra's left brow curls up in amusement, though, she fell victim to similar enthusiasm. She takes the opportunity to slip past you and slide into a stool on the far side of the island, putting as much space between her and Florrie as she can manage. <<else>> Anyone observing this interaction would be forgiven for thinking that you are lifelong friends who have recently been reunited. Judging by the amused expression on Imogen's face, though, she fell victim to similar enthusiasm. Vinh looks incredibly grateful to be avoiding a similarly enthusiastic greeting as they slip past you and slide into a stool on the far side of the island, putting as much space between them and Florrie as they can manage.<</if>> "I was wondering when you would show up!" she beams, one arm still around your waist as she steers you into a position where you can be appraised by the rest of the group. They are sat around a large kitchen island (at least, most people are - someone has opted to sit //on// the island rather than at it) and are eyeing you with a mixture of warmth, curiosity and utter disinterest. <<if $entrancemeet is "grandad">> Griff follows behind you and slides into one of the vacant stools. "Everyone, this is..." he pauses, brow creasing into a little frown as he realises that he never actually asked your name. <<include florriehug1>><<else>><<include florriehug2>> <</if>>

"I'm <<print $mcname>>," you smile, looking around at the group. "Nice to meet you, <<print $mcname>>," the figure sat cross-legged atop the counter replies, although their Brummy accent makes it hard to tell whether they are being sincere or not, "I'm Syd." <<include sydintro>>

He just seems so teasable. "Come on, Griff, introduce me," you grin, rocking forward on your toes. He presses his hands against his cheeks in a way that makes his mouth look amusingly pouty as he searches his memory. "I'm so sorry, I don't remember it," he says finally, dropping his hands to the counter and looking back at you with genuine contrition. <<if $agreeableness > 60>> Well, this wasn't as amusing as you had hoped that it would be. You feel a tugging at your heartstrings as the guilt for mocking poor Griff sets in. "Oh, Griff, I was only joking. I didn't tell you my name before, but I'm <<print $mcname>>. I'm sorry for stressing you out."<<elseif $agreeableness > 40>> Well, this wasn't as amusing as you had hoped that it would be. You feel a tugging at your heartstrings as the guilt for mocking poor Griff sets in. "Don't worry Griff, I was just messing with you. I hadn't actually introduced myself. I'm <<print $mcname>>."<<else>> You met all of 5 minutes ago, how could he be so uncertain about whether you had introduced yourself or not? "I'm <<print $mcname>>," you say, more to Griff than to anyone else.<</if>> <<include sydsnark>>

<<if $neuroticism > 50>> In a sexy way, not in, like, a zombie way. Hopefully. God, you're gonna have to get better at this if you're going to win the //Body Count// prize.<</if>> "I'm <<print $mcname>>," <<if $thot > 60>> you smile rakishly, "You're gonna want to remember it." <<else>> you smile, in a way that you hope reads more rakish than deranged and/or threatening, "You're gonna want to remember it." <</if>> The figure sat cross-legged atop the counter lets out a low whistle and Griff just beams speechlessly back at you. "//Well// Griffin, aren't you popular already?" they croon, leaning back with one arm propped behind them, "I'm Syd." <<include sydintro>>

Griff looks immensely relieved, and the person sat cross-legged on the counter does a very slow clap. "Nice to see we've got someone who can keep us on our toes," they drawl, in a Brummy accent that serves to emphasise their sarcasm, "I'm Syd." <<include sydintro>>

"Another member of the gang!" Florrie beams, and then she squeezes the arm looped around your waist in what you think is a prompt to introduce yourself. Right. That. "Introduce yourself, pal," the figure sat cross-legged atop the counter grins and extends a gestures in your direction, inviting you to take the proverbial floor. You already have the literal floor, you suppose. <<include florriehug3>>

You should probably have seen it coming, but //holy shit// is introducing yourself to strangers exhausting. <<include florriehug3.1>>

What would a flirting hat even be? Is there a particularly sexy hat? Maybe, like, a cowboy hat? Or those ones with the net that comes down over your eyes that a black widow would wear to the funeral of the husband she just killed? Well, whatever, let's imagine that you're wearing a sexy hat, because you're about to get your flirt on. "Hi," you lean forward onto the counter, "I'm <<print $mcname>>." <<if $enby>>Turns out, it's hard to kind of directionlessly flirt with a room full of people all at the same time (who knew?), so you try to direct a winning smile and a healthy dose of eye contact to the person sat atop the counter who spoke before.<<else>>It's tricky to kind of directionlessly flirt with a room full of people, but you do what you can. You cast your case around with a winning smile, trying to catch the eyes of anyone who might meet yours.<</if>> <<if $thot > 56>> Cast members, meet your resident thot.<br><br><</if>>"Nice to meet you, <<print $mcname>>," the figure sat cross-legged atop the counter replies, although their Brummy accent makes it hard to tell whether they are being sincere or not, "I'm Syd." <<include sydintro>>

//Fuck//, everything about this is just a total nightmare, huh? Now here you are, being filmed as you totally choke trying to introduce yourself to a room full of strangers that you're //supposed// to be making like you. "This is <<print $mcname>>," Vinh offers from across the table. Your eyes meet for a moment and breathe a sigh of relief. You didn't realise how long you'd gone without speaking - things were about to get awkward. "Nice to meet you, <<print $mcname>>," the figure sat cross-legged atop the counter replies, although their Brummy accent makes it hard to tell whether they are being sincere or not, "I'm Syd." <<include sydintro>>

Syd's mouth is twisted into a lopsided smirk and their grey eyes are focused on you, roaming up and down with absolutely no attempt to disguise their appraisal. Their short black hair has been carefully teased up into spikes and their small ears are full of piercings. <<if $entrancemeet isnot "grandad">>[[Next|latemeet]]<<else>><<include sydsitdown>><</if>>

Sat on the far side of the island, a young, sandy-haired man is next to speak, waving a hand and taking a theatrically large breath before he begins his introduction. "Hi, I'm Griffin! Everyone calls me Griff, though. Yeah, my mum was on a real mythology kick when she named me. No, this tan hasn't just come from the time we've been here. Yeah, I do sound a bit like a farmer. No, I'm not a farmer." "Griff, babe, I was just curious!" Florrie wrinkles her nose at your side, and Griff's head lolls back in exasperation. When he looks back at her, though, he is smiling. It looks natural and comfortable - like it's his face's default expression and he just can't help it. "Well, what can I say, I'm a pretty interesting guy." <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>You try to repeat the names in your mind in the hope that you'll be able to remember them later. Maybe you'll have to devise some kind of mnemonic technique. <<if $entrancemeet is "vinh">>[[Vinh, Imogen, Florrie, Syd, Griff.|latemeet2]]<<elseif $entrancemeet is "nyra">>[[Nyra, Florrie, Syd, Griff.|latemeet2]]<</if>><<else>> Fingers crossed people aren't going to be offended when you inevitably forget all of their names. [[Chance you'll remember them all? Minimal.|latemeet2]]<</if>>

The dark-skinned man next to him is next to speak, and he seems considerably more relaxed about his introduction. "I'm Adegoke," he says, smiling with a sincerity that it immediately reassuring. His voice is low and smooth, with a neutral estuary accent that reveals very little compared to his Griff's slight West Country twang. "Would you like a drink?" he asks, pointing a thumb at the large bar, "I know it's still early, but I was first in so I've already popped the prosecco." "He said he's //nervous//," Griff scoffs disbelievingly, and you can immediately see why. Truth be told, you have never seen a man look less nervous - Adegoke carries himself with great ease as he brushes off Griff's comment and gets up from his seat. It's hard to tell whether he just wears his nerves exceptionally well, or whether he is lying through his teeth. <<include latemeet3>>

"I could murder a glass of prosecco, since you're offering?" "A <<print $mcman>> after my own heart," he grins, pouring your glass. [[Next|sydsitdown]]

<<if $funny > 50>> "I could murder a rum and //Yop//?" you grin, and Adegoke eyes you with great suspicion. "You're joking?" "Yes," you confirm with a chuckle, "But I would love something sweeter, if you think there is anything? I never made it past the alcopops stage of alcohol consumption." <<else>> "Do you think there's anything a little sweeter? I never made it past the alcopops stage of alcohol consumption."<</if>> "I'll check the bar," he replies affably, studying the shelves behind the bar for something appropriate. [[Next|sydsitdown]]

"I could really go for something stronger, if you have it?" <<if $extraversion < 40 or $neuroticism > 60>> Prosecco just isn't gonna cut it - you need something way stronger to get you through the ordeal of introducing yourself to seven other people in such quick succession. <</if>> "I'll check the bar," he replies affably, studying the shelves behind the bar for something appropriate. [[Next|sydsitdown]]

"You know, you don't need to just stand there. You can sit down," Syd tells you, smirk still playing on their lips. "Oh! Right, sorry babe," Florrie's cheeks flush slightly as she releases you from her grip and returns to her seat. <<if $drinkchoice is "prosecco">>Adegoke walks back around the island and hands you a flute of prosecco. <<elseif $drinkchoice is "water">>>Adegoke walks back around the island and hands you a glass of water. He's put ice and little chunks of lemon in it and everything.<<elseif $drinkchoice is "cocktail">>Adegoke walks back around the island and hands you a colourful drink in a tall glass. He's put a tiny little umbrella in it and everything.<<else>>Adegoke walks back around the island and hands you a weighty tumbler with a brown liquid in it. He's found some of those little rocks that people put in whiskey and everything.<</if>> <<include icethanks>>

"Thanks," you smile. The first sip is cool and bubbly on your tongue and it gives you that giddy, familiar buzz. <<include p42>>

It's gonna take more than some ice cubes and a wedge of lemon to make you swoon. <<include p42>>

It's gonna take more than some grenadine and a little umbrella to make you swoon. <<include p42>>

It's gonna take more than a tumbler of whiskey to make you swoon. <<include p42>>

<<if $drinkchoice is "water">>>Ice //and// lemon slices? He's sweet.<br><<elseif $drinkchoice is "cocktail">>A tiny //umbrella//? He's sweet.<br><<elseif $drinkchoice is "whiskey">>Whiskey rocks? He's sweet.<br><</if>> "Thanks, Adegoke," you smile, and he nods his head in acknowledgement as he returns to his seat.<br><br><<include p42>>

<<if $neuroticism > 60>>That's totally still a thing that people do, right?<br><br><</if>>You meet Adegoke's deep brown eyes as you take the glass from him, your fingers gently brushing his, and he gives you a look. Curiosity? Interest? You can't be sure, but you know there's //something// there. Then he turns and walks back to his seat beside Griff, who shoots him a playful wink as he sits back down. <<include p42>>

<<if $men>>Cute guys bringing you cold drinks? Yeah, you could totally get used to this. Maybe if you really turn up the charm, someone will feed you grapes.<<else>>How many other cast members can you convince to bring you drinks and snacks and goodies? Maybe if you really turn up the charm, someone will feed you grapes.<</if>> <<include p42>>

Every reality TV show has that one person that plays up to the cameras to behave in a way the public will respond to. That's Adegoke in a nutshell, you're sure of it. You take the drink and give him a polite nod in acknowledgement, but you aren't about to play up to whatever image he is trying to cultivate. <<include p42>>

<<if $extraversion > 60>>Drink in hand, a room full of new faces and £1,000,000 on the line? Time to take a seat and get schmoozing.<<elseif $extraversion < 40>>Drink in hand, head brimming with new names and faces and a distinct desire to get out of the spotlight, you're pretty keen to take Syd's advice and sit down. You're at risk of having serious flashbacks to being at school, walking into the cafeteria and having to find somewhere to sit.<<else>>Drink in hand, head crammed with new names and a desire to get acclimated, you're pretty keen to take Syd's advice and sit down.<</if>> [[Next|p43]]

You slide into an unoccupied seat at the far side of the bar, closest to the pair that have been deep in conversation ever since you entered. "I'm so sorry," one of them turns to you, brow knitted together in concern, "We have been //so// rude. I'm Ellis, and this is Arthur." Ellis leans across the counter towards you, slender arms resting on the marble surface as they extend a hand to you. They wear a loose silk shirt belted at their slim waist, dark hair chopped into a blunt bob and deep red lipstick. They look like they've stepped right out of an Agatha Christie novel - they just ooze a vintage glamour and grace. You shake Ellis' hand, seeing little else that you could do with it, and Arthur offers a warm smile from beside them. His thick brown hair is tousled up into a multidirectional quiff and he wears a button-down shirt that has its sleeves rolled up to elbows. Everything about his appearance seems to be intended to make him appear more casual than he actually is; calculated to present a particular image. [[Next|p44]]

"I generally prefer to give my own introductions, but I have little else to say," he adds, in a clipped accent that you would wager has been honed through years of brushing shoulders with the landed gentry, "I //do// sincerely apologise for our lukewarm greeting when you came in. We were in the midst of a debate." "Perhaps you could settle it for us?" Ellis smiles, looking between the two of you, "//I// was saying that I think a majority of the cast members won't be seeking the full prize - people are either here for the body count //or// to find love, but I don't think that many would expect to find both." "While //I// was arguing that there isn't anything to prevent someone seeking both. I certainly do not intend to settle for one or the other, and I would hope that there will be others who do not intend to settle either," Arthur adds, somewhat contrarily. Ellis huffs a little, and you get the sense that he may be slightly misrepresenting what they have said. Arthur seems very much like the sort of guy who would have played "devil's advocate" in your seminars and then sat back to happily watch as an argument unfolded and derailed the whole discussion. <<include p45>>

"I'm with Ellis," you reply, "I'm just here to find love." <<if $motive isnot "love">>Alright, so you aren't being entirely truthful. They don't need to know that just yet, though.<br><br><</if>>While Ellis seems quite satisifed with this answer, Arthur's expression is almost sneering as he raises his eyebrows at you. "What a sweet sentiment," he replies, somewhat dismissively. <<include p46>>

"I'm with Ellis," you reply, "I'm just here to get the body count prize." "Then you are //most certainly// not //with// me," Ellis bristles quickly, although Arthur looks most amused. Charlie had asserted that not everyone in the villa would be interested in securing the full £1,000,000 prize, and Ellis certainly seems to be falling into the group of cast members that won't be interested in sleeping around. They're missing out. "Well, what little imagination you have, <<print $mcname>>," he adds, with an appraising look, <<if $men>>"Let me know if I can be of any assistance in changing your mind..."<<else>>"It'll be interesting to see how you manage to stick to that..."<</if>> <<include p46>>

"I'm with Arthur," you reply decisively, "In it to win it all." "A <<print $mcman>> after my own heart," Arthur replies, pressing a hand to his chest as Ellis eyes him with reproach. "Plenty of sharks in these waters," they murmur, just loud enough for you both to hear, before taking a sip from their glass. <<include p46>>

"Call me Switzerland," you smile, and Ellis bristles. "I'm not sure Switzerland are the best example of neutrality," they mumble, clearly reticent to enter into a discussion on the topic but unwilling to let your comment slide. "Cracking skiing, though," Arthur grins at the both of you, and as he launches into an account of his season at St. Moritz, you can't help but wonder how this conversation took such an unexpected turn. <<include p46>>

"A couple of hours in and you're alread roping me into a domestic?" you grin, waggling your eyebrows at the pair, "Nice try." Arthur scoffs, looking between you and Ellis indignantly for a moment before he replies. "I hate to disrupt the picture of domestic bliss," he smirks, leaning a little closer to you, "But Ellis and I did only just meet, and I intend to get to know //everyone//..." <<include p46>>

<<set $selected to 0>>Before you can speak again, another face walks through the archway into the kitchen, and this time it is a familiar one. <<if $extraversion > 50>> It's a shame - you had just been getting into the swing of the whole meeting-new-people thing. <<else>> Mercifully, it isn't yet //another// new one. <</if>> [[Next|p47]]

"$mcname, you will have your first date with Adegoke. Grab a seat at the far table and he'll join you in a moment." You do as you are asked, detouring back to the bar to refill your glass on the way. <<if $drinkchoice is "whiskey">>As much as it would be awkward if you were totally off your face for these dates, you need the liquid courage now even more than you did when you first arrived.<<elseif $drinkchoice is "water">>The sun is dropping lower in the sky, but it's still far hotter than you are used to and you're not about to get all dehydrated and shrivel up like a raisin.<<elseif $drinkchoice is "cocktail">>You have no idea what Adegoke mixed up to make your first drink, but the second one isn't nearly as delicious. Still pretty good, though, and you //did// manage to find the little umbrellas (which is half the battle, really).<<else>>Bubbly deliciousness is a pretty essential component of any good date, after all.<</if>> You have a moment alone at your table, watching as the others fill up. The pool stretches out from the terrace, blending seamlessly with the ocean beyond. You think that you could look out at it all day. Closest to the water are Griffin and Florrie, already giggling away as they take their seats. One of the five tables dotted around is conspicuously unoccupied, and as you watch Syd, Nyra, Arthur and Ellis taking their seats, you <<if !$imogendate and $agreeableness > 50>>can't help but worry that Imogen's prophecy about her lack of dates may be coming true.<<elseif !$imogendate and $agreeableness <= 50>>wonder whether Imogen's prophecy about her lack of dates may be coming true.<<else>>can't help but worry that Imogen will be sat back inside, thinking that her prophecy about not being picked by anyone has come true. Avery must have contrived this set up for the "excellent narrative" she had been talking about before. Still, right now at least, you can't worry too much about Imogen. You have another date to contend with.<</if>> [[Next|adegokedate2]]

Adegoke takes the seat opposite you, leaning back casually with one arm slung over the back of his chair. <<if $neuroticism > 70>>//How// does he do that? He just seems //so// calm? You're sat here practically vibrating with anxiety and he's just //lounging//.<<else>>He just has this amazing talent for appearing incredibly comfortable - it's kind of reassuring and it makes you feel more at ease by extension.<</if>> "I'm pleased that you chose me," he tells you, taking a sip from his glass, "I've never done speed dating before, but you're supposed to ask cliché, flirty little questions, right? Nothing too heavy?" <<include adegokedate3>>

"Hey, the goofy questions are what makes it fun!" you laugh, "It's supposed to be all light and flirty and getting to know each other." <<include adegokedate3.1.1>>

"I don't think cliché is a requirement," you laugh, "Just the light, flirty part." <<include adegokedate3.1.1>>

"Are you trying to say that you want to be all light and flirty with me?" <<if not $men>>"I don't date men," you smile, "But I did want to get to know you better." "Well, it was still very nice of you to choose me," he smiles back, "Even if you don't want to be all light and flirty. I'll be glad to know you platonically. Tell me, what brings you here?"<<else>>He raises an eyebrow and attempts to disguise his smile by taking another drink. Before you have a chance to answer, though, he asks another question. "Ok, so, let’s do the light flirty thing. What brings you here?"<</if>> <<include adegokedate4>>

"Maybe I like heavy questions?" you reply, resting your chin on one hand, "Not really a small talk kind of $mcguy." Adegoke chuckles to himself, swirling his glass in one hand as he leans forward slightly. "Then what kind of $mcguy are you? What brings you here?" <<include adegokedate4>>

"That's what I hear," you smile, resting your chin on one hand. <<if not $men>>"I'm afraid that I'll be a bit of a disappointment, though. I don't date men." "Well, it was still very nice of you to choose me," he smiles back, "Even if you don't want to be all light and flirty. I'll be glad to know you platonically. Tell me, what brings you here?"<<else>>"Can't say I have much experience of it myself." "That makes two of us," he chuckles, "So tell me, what brings you here?"<</if>> <<include adegokedate4>>

"Is this whole thing not just unbelievably dumb?" you sigh. This whole day has felt ridiculous, from the second you sat down on Avery's velveteen couch to now. You turn your face to look out at the water, the setting sun glittering on its surface. "Choosing who I want to share a bed with for at least the next few days based on a few brief, surface-level conversations?" he replies, leaning in towards you a little as he takes a swig from his glass, "Possibly." A silence settles between you as you try to think of something else to say. <<if $extraversion > 50>>You're never normally short of words, but an aching discomfort has settled in your chest that makes it hard to muster up the flirty banter that seems to be expected from you. At least, right this second, anyway.<<else>>This sort of forced social activity doesn't come naturally like it seems to come to some of the other cast members.<</if>> "Why are you here?" Adegoke asks after a moment. When you arch an eyebrow at him, he is quick to clarify himself. "I didn't mean it in arsey way," he chuckles, low and smooth, "I just meant... what brings you here? To the show?" <<include adegokedate4>>

"An unsated desire to flirt with cute guys, of course," you smirk. Adegoke grins, resting his forearms on the table as he leans a bit closer. Certainly within touching distance. "Found any?" You drum your fingertips against your chin and lean back thoughtfully. <<include adegokedate4.1.1>>

"Yeah, I might have." Adegoke grins back at you, and it's the most unrestrained smile you've seen from him so far; for someone who exudes authenticity, he has seemed reluctant to really let his guard down until this moment. Now, though, his grin is wide and toothy as he holds your gaze, deep brown eyes focused on yours. "Funny, cause I've found a pretty cute $mcguy too," he says, tearing his eyes away to focus instead on a spot on the horizon as he takes another sip of his drink. "How fortuitous." "Extremely," he chuckles, finding your eyes again with his, "Now, you must have questions for me, right? I'm a pretty interesting guy." <<include adequestion>>

A coy smile spreads across your face. "Maybe." You can't give it all away on the first date, right? Adegoke's smile matches yours as he tilts his head as he considers you, deep brown eyes focused on yours. Even without you saying so, he seems to feel your meaning. <<include adegokedate4.1.7>>

"Well, then, you'd better get to know me better. You must have questions for me? I'm a pretty intriguing guy." He's not wrong. He //is// a pretty intriguing guy. <<include adequestion>>

In all honesty, you aren't sure. In your defense, you're being bombarded with new faces and information and you can't possibly be expected to make decisions about how you feel this quickly. Well, alright, that's //precisely// what you're expected to do, but that doesn't mean you're going to be //good at it//. You refrain from answering, a slow smile creeping across your face. Adegoke's smile matches yours as he tilts his head as he considers you, deep brown eyes focused on yours. Even without you saying so, he seems to feel your meaning. <<include adegokedate4.1.7>>

"Nah, don't think so," you smirk, studying your nails, and Adegoke laughs. It is a deep, warm sound, and one that you would like to hear a lot more of. "Well, if you're not //sure//," he begins, tilting his face to regard you with curiosity, "Then you'd better get to know me better. You must have questions for me? I'm a pretty intriguing guy." He's not wrong. He //is// a pretty intriguing guy. <<include adequestion>>

"I might, but I don't think you'll be one of them," you reply, as gently as you can. No point stringing him along. "Can't blame a guy for trying," he smiles back, not particularly phased by this rejection. You've known him less than a day, after all, "Anyway, you must have questions for me? I'm a pretty intriguing guy, after all, even if I'm not a cute one." Annoyingly, he's not wrong. He might not be a romantic contender, but there //is// something kind of intriguing about Adegoke. <<include adequestion>>

"Just fancied a change," you smile, and Adegoke raises an eyebrow at you. "Just... fancied a change?" he repeats, sceptically. <<nobr>> <<if $motive is "change">>"Yeah."<br><br> You can tell that he thinks you're being coy or trying to hold the real reason back, but you're being entirely truthful. Your hope to find a change was more than enough to see you through the application process and into this chair.<br><br> "I'm not trying to hide anything," you assure him, "I really did just fancy a change. My life had gotten a bit stagnant, and I thought that this would be a nice way of shaking things up."<br><br> <<include adesoftliar>><<elseif $motive is "money">>"Yeah."<br><br> You can tell that he thinks you're holding the real reason back, and he isn't wrong. Still, now doesn't seem like a good time to admit that you're actually just in it for the money; that doesn't really seem like Adegoke's vibe. Adegoke sighs, tilting his head quizzically to one side.<br><br> <<include adeliar>><<elseif $motive is "love">>"Yeah."<br><br> Does he really think you'll go all googley eyed and immediately confess that you're searching for your soulmate? Might be a bit intense for a first date.<br><br> <<include adeliar>><<else>><<include adesoftliar>><</if>> <</nobr>>

<<nobr>> "I'm an adventurous free spirit," <<if $motive is "adventure">>you solemnly intone, and Adegoke chuckles.<br><br> <<include relatableade>><<elseif $motive is "love">>you smile. Does he really think you'll go all googley eyed and immediately confess that you're searching for your soulmate? Might be a bit intense for a first date.<br><br> <<include adeliar>><<elseif $motive is "money">>you smirk. Now doesn't seem like a good time to admit that you're actually just in it for the money. That doesn't really seem like Adegoke's vibe.<br><br> Adegoke sighs, tilting his head quizzically to one side.<br><br> <<include adeliar>><<else>>you smile. It's not the whole truth, but it's part of it.<br><br> <<include relatableade>><</if>> <</nobr>>

<<nobr>> "For a million quid, I'll go just about anywhere" you smile.<br><br> <<if $motive is "money">>Adegoke nods his head slowly and takes a long sip from his glass. Once empty, he thoughtfully swills the ice around, gaze focused very much on the glass rather than on you. Based on the way his brow is creased ever so slightly into a frown, you're kind of glad you aren't having to bear the brunt of his expression.<br><br> "That's your prerogative, I guess," he replies, as he sets the glass down on the table and finally turns his gaze to you. Whatever he was thinking about before seems to be quite gone from his expression, and he smiles quite affably at you as he speaks again.<br><br> <<include adesoftliar1>><<else>>Adegoke nods his head slowly and takes a long sip from his glass. Once empty, he thoughtfully swills the ice around, gaze focused very much on the glass rather than on you. Based on the way his glass is creased ever so slightly into a frown, you're kind of glad you aren't having to bear the brunt of his expression.<br><br> <<include adeliar>><</if>> <</nobr>>

"I'm just here to make some new pals and have a great time," <<if $motive is "friendship">>you solemnly intone, and Adegoke chuckles. <<include relateableade2>><<elseif $motive is "love">>you smile. Does he really think you'll go all googley eyed and immediately confess that you're searching for your soulmate? Might be a bit intense for a first date. <<include adeliar>><<elseif $motive is "money">>you smirk. Now doesn't seem like a good time to admit that you're actually just in it for the money. That doesn't really seem like Adegoke's vibe. Adegoke sighs, tilting his head quizzically to one side. <<include adeliar>><<else>>you smile. It's not the whole truth, but it's part of it. <<include relateableade2>><</if>>

"Well, I suppose I can relate," he replies, "I'm sure we'll have a sick time in here. Now, go on then. You must have questions for me? I'm a pretty intriguing guy." <<include adequestion>>

"I was feeling lost," you explain, with a sigh, "And I just kind of thought... why not?" Adegoke rests his glass on the table and, for a moment, it seems like he might reach across the table and take your hand. He doesn't, though. "I'm sorry you felt that way," he says after a moment, tone gentler than it had been. <<include adegokedate4.6.1>>

"Don't be," you shrug, "That's just how life goes sometimes." Adegoke's brow creases into a slight frown. "I guess so," he replies, although he doesn't sound entirely certain, "Anyway, you must have questions for me, right? I'm a pretty intriguing guy. Ask away." <<include adequestion>>

You chuckle to yourself, taking a sip from your glass. "It's not all bad. It did get me here, after all." Adegoke smiles, clearly pretty relieved to not have totally derailed the conversation. "Well, cheers to that," he says, clinking the bottom of his glass against yours, "Now, you must have questions for me, right? I'm a pretty intriguing guy. Ask away." <<include adequestion>>

"Thank you," you smile, although you can feel the backs of your ears burning. You feel like you've shrunk down to the size of an ant, and not in a cool Paul Rudd way. "Everyone feels lost sometimes, $mcname. There's no shame in it." Adegoke speaks with a sincerity that actually has you believing him. You look into his deep, brown eyes to find them looking right back into yours and, for a moment, your breath catches in your throat. <<if $extraversion > 50>>He is the first to look away, clearing his throat and shifting in his seat.<<else>>You are the first to look away, staring down into your glass, wondering if there is any way to salvage a date that has taken such an awkward turn.<</if>>Then he chuckles. "Well, sorry, that probably wasn't a date vibe. Anyway, you must have questions for me, right? I'm a pretty intriguing guy." He's not wrong - he //is// an intriguing guy. <<include adequestion>>

<<if $agreeableness > 50>>"We're not doing the pity thing," you reply, somewhat abruptly. Adegoke raises his eyebrows, but he doesn't challenge you. "Alright," he replies, steadily, "You must have questions for me, then? I'm a pretty interesting guy. Ask away."<<else>>"Thanks, but I don't need a pity party," you smile, eager to redirect the conversation. "Noted," Adegoke replies steadily. "Alright, then, you must have questions for me? I'm a pretty interesting guy. Ask away."<</if>> <<include adequestion>>

"Is that light and flirty? That feels pretty heavy to me." "Well, that really depends how you’d answered. If you’d leant across the table and been like ‘Ooo, to meet a cute guy like you, Adegoke’, that would have been pretty light and flirty." You can’t help but laugh at the ridiculous voice that he puts on to imitate you. If you actually sound like that, you’re going to be in for a serious shock when you watch the footage back. Maybe you can ask Charlie to edit you to have a slightly sexier voice. "Go on then, what brings //you// here?" "Ooo, to meet a cute $mcguy like you, $mcname," he coos, unable to hold back his laughter, "See? That’s how it’s done." "A masterful display," you chuckle, and Adegoke bows slightly. "Ok, now we’ve done some light and flirty, you must be dying to know all about me? I’m a pretty intriguing guy," he grins, without a hint of irony. Annoyingly, he’s right. He is a pretty intriguing guy. <<include adequestion>>

<<nobr>>"I'm not going to press you," he begins, "But you should know that I'm not here to play games. I'm not about that. I'm gonna be putting all of my cards on the table, and I hope that whoever I'm coupled with will be able to do the same."<br><br> <<include adeliar2>> <</nobr>>

"Noted," <<if $agreeableness > 40>>you smile.<<else>>you reply, flatly.<</if>> It's nice to know that Adegoke values transparency, but you just aren't ready to let down your guard entirely for someone that you have just met. Perhaps you will after a little while, but not yet. "Anyway," Adegoke sets his glass down and claps his hands together, "You must have some questions for me, right? I'm a pretty intriguing guy." <<include adequestion>>

As nice as it is that Adegoke wants to lay his cards on the table, you don't share his desire to be entirely trusting of people that you have literally //just// met. Your cards will be played much closer to your chest, thank you very much. <<if $agreeableness > 40>>"I'm glad that you're so open to transparency," you snark, "But I'm just not ready to lay my cards out just yet. You can call it playing a game if you want, but I just call it self preservation." Adegoke laughs. It is a deep, warm sound, and one that you would like to hear a lot more of. "Alright," he nods, setting his glass down and steepling his fingers, "I think I've grilled you enough. You must have questions for me, right? I'm a pretty intriguing guy."<<else>>You just frown back it him, irritated that he's questioning your moral fibre when you seem to be the only sane person at the table. "Anyway, you must have questions for me, right?" he asks, setting his glass down on the table, "I'm a pretty intriguing guy."<</if>> <<include adequestion>>

"That's exactly what someone playing a game would say," you smirk, and Adegoke laughs. It is a deep, warm sound, and one that you would like to hear a lot more of. "You're right, it is," he replies, setting his glass on the table as he smiles warmly at you, "But that doesn't mean I'm playing one." "//That's//-" "Exactly what someone playing a game would say," he laughs again, "I //know//. Anyway, Doubting Thomas, you must have other questions for me? I'm a pretty intriguing guy. Ask away." He's not wrong. He //is// an intriguing guy. <<include adequestion>>

"Noted," <<if $agreeableness > 40>>you smile.<<else>>you reply, flatly.<</if>> It's nice to know that Adegoke values transparency, but he isn't going to get it from you. You're here with every intention of playing whatever game you need to play to get to the prize. "Anyway," Adegoke sets his glass down and claps his hands together, "You must have some questions for me, right? I'm a pretty intriguing guy." He's not wrong. Adegoke talks like someone who has nothing to hide, but //everyone// has a skeleton in their closet somewhere. <<include adequestion>>

Adegoke's expression makes it clear that he doesn't think you're giving him the full truth, but he doesn't press you on it. Instead, he takes another sip from his glass, now drained, and sets it down on the table. <<include adesoftliar1>>

"Go on then, you must have questions for me? I'm a pretty intriguing guy." <<include adequestion>>

"Well, I suppose I can relate," he replies, "As adventures go, this seems like a pretty big one. Now, go on then. You must have questions for me? I'm a pretty intriguing guy." <<include adequestion>>

"What do you //do//?" Alright, it's not exactly a groundbreaking first date question, but how someone answers can definitly tell you a lot about them. Adegoke smiles and takes a sip from his drink. Nothing seems like a hurry for Adegoke; he takes his time over everything he says, completely unmoved by the time-sensitive format. "I’m a writer, I suppose," he chuckles, and you aren’t quite sure that you get the joke, "I like writing poetry, but I do a lot of freelance copywriting so that I don’t have to live the starving poet life." "You suppose?" "I suppose," he repeats, "My family say it's more of a hobby than a vocation, but it //is// what I do." <<if $agreeableness > 50>>"That's //so// cool!" you grin, "I studied Creative Writing and I'd love to make a go of it as a writer."<<else>>"That's cool," you smile, "I'm a Creative Writing grad, so it'd be cool to make a go of it."<</if>> "No way! What do you do now?" Adegoke's enthusiasm is infectious. He has leant forward onto the table, smile wide and sincere and devoid of his usual relaxed nature. Turns out, talking about writing is a good way to really get him fired up. "I am in the glamorous business of temporary office work - where else?" <<if $agreeableness > 50>>you quip.<<else>>you groan.<</if>> Adegoke laughs, and then immediately begins peppering you with questions about your writing. <<if $neuroticism > 60>>He doesn't abide your self-deprecating answers as he earnestly grills you about<<else>>He looks completely enraptured as he grills you about<</if>> your favourite writers (his is Langston Hughes), where you are the most productive (for him, it's at home with his vintage typewriter) and what your writing snack of choice is (his is salty popcorn). After so much soul-destroying corporate work, it is actually really nice to talk to soemone that is at all interested in your writing. Adegoke is positive and encouraging and <<if $neuroticism > 60>>he might be one of the first people that hass actually had you believing that you could be a success. He certainly seems to believe it, and he barely even knows you.<<else>>he talks about your future success with such certainty that he really has you believing in it.<</if>> <<include adeenddate>>

"What's your pet peeve?" "Already trying to work out how to stay on my good side?" Adegoke grins, "Alright, alright..." He pauses to think, steepling his fingers together as he focuses his gaze out on the horizon. "People who look over your shoulder when you're typing," he says, finally. "Oh! And people who say 'No offense' just before they're gonna say something that's obviously gonna be offensive." <<include adequestion2.1>>

No one likes those things - it can't be a pet peeve if it's a universal hate! "No offense, but those are rubbish pet peeves," you reply, and Adegoke shakes a fist in your direction in mock outrage, "Those aren't unique! Everyone hates them." "Alright, alright..." Adegoke begins again, shuffling in his seat as his brow creases into a frown for a more //focused// moment of thought, "Oh! People who are always late. That's much more contentious-" <<include adeenddate>>

"Eugh, most annoying thing ever when someone looks over your shoulder," you reply, nodding in agreement. Adegoke windmills his hands enthusiastically. "//Thank you//!" he exclaims, and you can't help but laugh at his enthusiasm. Clearly, the thing to break Adegoke's composure is reminding him of what's really annoying in life. <<include adeenddate>>

"I'm surprised you even //have// pet peeves," you chuckle, surprised that he has delivered not one but //two// minor annoyances. "Why?" Adegoke asks, genuinely seeming to be confused by your question. "You just don't seem like the peeved type," you laugh, "I can't imagine you being //peeved//." In reply, Adegoke pulls what you can only assume is his most peeved face. You have to assume it, because it actually looks more like he's experiencing great digestive discomfort. Perhaps you should suggest he go for the world gurning championships once you're done with filming. <<include adeenddate>>

"What about people who talk through movies, do you hate them too?" you ask, with a smirk. "Are you making fun of me?" Adegoke's words are warm - like he'd quite like it if you were making fun of him, actually. "No, no," you reply, expression serious, "It just seemed like you were going to get quite a list going - I thought I might help you out?" Adegoke narrows his eyes at you until your face cracks into a smile, and he wafts a hand dismissively in your direction. "//You asked!//" he defends indignantly, although amusement is still evident in his expression. <<include adeenddate>>

"Would you rather fight one horse sized duck or 100 duck sized horses?" you ask solemnly. Adegoke scoffs, leaning back in his seat as he chuckles to himself. "Well, my //serious// answer is that I'm a pacifist, so I wouldn't want to fight either," he begins, steepling his fingers, "But judging by the question, I'd say you don't want a serious answer?" You give him a serious nod, contrary to the utterly ridiculous nature of this conversation. The vibe you're channelling is that of an eccentric CEO at a job interview, and they usually seem like pretty serious people. "Alright then," Adegoke laughs again, "I'd go one horse sized duck. //A hundred// is way more than you think, I reckon." "Thank you," you reply, maintaining your seriousness for a moment longer before you both dissolve into laughter. <<include adeenddate>>

"Know any good jokes?" you grin, and Adegoke's mouth twitches up into a reluctant smile. "Only very bad ones." <<if $extraversion > 50>>"Well, that'll have to do then, won't it?" You extend a hand out to gesture for him to go right ahead and he groans, reluctantly straigtening up in his seat.<<else>>"Well, I'm rubbish at jokes too, so there's no pressure," you smile gently, making it quite clear that he isn't going to get off the hook that easily. Adegoke groans, reluctantly straightening up in his seat.<</if>> "Alright. Why can't you explain puns to kleptomaniacs?" "I don't know," you reply happily, "Why can't you?" "Cause they always take things literally," he finishes, rolling his eyes self-effacingly at his bad joke, although he can't keep the smile off his face. As much as he'd like to pretend otherwise, you'd say he found that joke quite funny, actually. <<include adequestion4.1>>

<<if $extraversion > 60 and $agreeableness > 50>>"You're lucky you're cute, cause that was //dreadful//," you scoff, shaking your head disapprovingly. Adegoke leans forward with interest, propping his chin up on one fist. "You think I'm cute, though," he points out. "Might do," you grin, feeling the heat spreading up the back of your neck. Adegoke opens his mouth to say something else, but he's quickly interrupted.<<elseif $extraversion > 60 and $agreeableness <= 50>>"You're lucky you're cute, cause that was //dreadful//," you scoff, shaking your head disapprovingly. Adegoke leans forward with interest, propping his chin up on one fist. "You think I'm cute, though," he points out. Fuck. "Ah, I can see where you'd get that, but-" you begin, but you're quickly<<else>>You shake your head disapprovingly, but you can't keep the smile from your lips and you're sure that it conveys your fondness. It was a bad joke, but //somehow// Adegoke is no less attractive for telling it.<</if>> <<include adeenddate>>

<<if $neuroticism > 50>>You try to stifle your laughter for fear of outing yourself as someone with a //very// cringey sense of humour, but to no avail.<br><br><</if>>You throw your head back, laughing at a combination of the terrible joke and Adegoke's reluctant delivery and just this whole ridiculous situation. When you've composed yourself enough to look back at Adegoke, he's laughing too, although you suspect it's more at you than it is at his joke. "Well, at least I know there's someone in here with a worse sense of humour than mine," he chuckles. <<if $extraversion > 50>>"Hey!" you splutter through continued aftershocks of laughter, "I have a //great// sense of humour." "Sure you do," Adegoke retorts, eyebrow raised, as he eases back into his seat.<<else>>Well, you don't suppose you're really in a position to argue.<</if>> <<include adeenddate>>

"That's a Christmas cracker joke if I've ever heard one," you scoff, folding your arms across your chest. "Trying to say I should diversify? I'm sure I could break into the Christmas-cracker-writing market," he quips back, eyebrow raised as he settles back into his chair, one arm resting casually on the armrest. You open your mouth to explain that if that's the kind of joke he'd be contributing then he definitely //shouldn't// break into the Christmas-cracker-writing market, but you're quickly interrupted. <<include adeenddate>>

"//Fuck//, that was //terrible//," you groan, "Jokes that bad should be illegal." "Didn't realise you were some kind of joke cop," Adegoke quips back, eyebrow raised as he settles back into his chair, one arm resting casually on the armrest. You open your mouth to protest (that you aren't //any// kind of cop, but you're very willing to bear the burden of protecting the citizens of the UK from jokes that terrible), but are quickly interrupted. <<include adeenddate>>

"That's it, everyone! Time to move on to your next dates!" Avery announces, one hand raised against the light of the setting sun as she emerges from the villa. "Oh!" Adegoke looks around, caught off guard, and it's strangely satisfying to see him sat to attention like this. His posture until now has been loose and relaxed, but just for a moment it seems like he might not be //entirely// cool and collected. "Well, I'll see you later then, $mcname." <<include adeenddate2>>

You'd be kidding yourself if you said you weren't into Adegoke, and you hope to see a lot more of him <<if $thot > 50>>(and not //only// in the filthy way, although that's definitely applicable too).<<else>>(and you mean that in the purest sense of the phrase).<</if>> <<if $extraversion > 50>>"Yeah, catch you later," you smile, glancing over your shoulder at him as you vacate your table. He's looking right back at you, smiling warmly, and you feel your stomach do a little flip.<<else>>"You too. I mean-" you wince, suddenly feeling a little tongue tied as you try to vacate your seat without knocking anything over or otherwise looking a total idiot, "I'll see you later." Adegoke smiles warmly back at you, but you make a mental note never to watch this footage back for fear of terrible embarrassment.<</if>> Time to put that to the back of your mind before your next date, though. <<include adeenddate3>>

You don't get a romantic vibe from Adegoke, but he does otherwise seem perfectly nice and you think that he could be a good friend during the next month in the villa - <<if $motive is "friendship">>meeting cool people is why you're here, after all.<<else>>you might not have come here to find friendship, but it certainly can't hurt.<</if>> As far as friends go, Adegoke seems like he'd make a good one; he's relaxed and sincere and easy to get along with and basically all the things that a good friend should be. <<include adeenddate3>>

You don't exactly have the option to //not// see him later, as much as that would probably be the outcome of your date if it had taken place in the real world. "Yeah, catch you later." <<include adeenddate3>>

You can't quite put your finger on what //exactly// it is about Adegoke that's turning you off, but there's definitely something. If this was any other first date, then you'd probably never see Adegoke again. Unfortunately, this //isn't// any other first date, and the fact that you're locked up in a villa with him for the next month makes it pretty inevitable that you'll run into him. "Yeah, catch you later." <<include adeenddate3>>

<<set $dateone to "adegoke">>[[Next|datetwo]]

You head back to the bar where Arthur is playing bartender. It’s a role he seems to have taken in his element – when you arrive, he is leaning casually against the top as he explains to Adegoke the merits of champagne over prosecco. The latter man is nodding politely, hand extended for the glass that Arthur seems to be withholding until he has concluded his lecture. "Yeah, thanks, man," Adegoke replies, once he is finally able to get a word in. He shoots you a wink as he turns to head back outside, finally having secured his refill, and leaves you and Arthur alone. Well, as alone as you can really be when you are being watched by a production crew and unseen audience. "How was your first date?" he smirks, making no move to get you a drink, nor to grant you access to pour your own. <<include arthurdate2>>

"You seem very interested in my dates?" You're trying to be coy, and judging by the way that Arthur leans closer, it seems to be working. "That might be wishful thinking on your part," he replies, voice low, "I know that you chose me." <<include arthurdate3>>

"Careful, Arthur," you smile, leaning against the bar, "People might think you're jealous." He arches a brow, mirroring your lean like a moth drawn to a flame. "That might be wishful thinking on your part," he replies, voice low, "I know that you chose me." <<include arthurdate3>>

"It was really nice, actually," you smile, fondly recalling your first date. "Oh?" His expression is impassive as he avoids your gaze, but there's a note of surprise in his voice. He retrieves a glass from under the bar "Yeah, it was good," you repeat. "I'm glad," he replies, although there is a hint of bitterness behind his words. [[Next|arthurdate4]]

"Not great," you reply. <<if $agreeableness > 50>> It feels a little mean, but sometimes you just have to call a spade a spade. You're holding out much more hope for your other dates. <<else>> There's no point mincing your words - sometimes you just have to call a spade a spade. You're holding out much more hope for your other dates.<</if>> <<if $men>>Besides, it couldn't hurt to make sure that Arthur is aware that are still //available//.<br><br><</if>>At this, Arthur's smile can only be described as staggeringly smug. "Any dates that you are holding out more hope for?" he smirks, leaning across the bar towards you, "I know that you chose me." <<include arthurdate3>>

"You first," you reply, <<if $agreeableness > 50>>with a smile.<<else>>folding your arms in front of you.<</if>> "Perfectly pleasant," he replies, voice impassive but a smirk slowly spreading across his face, "Is there a reason that you are trying to dodge the question?" <<include arthurdate2>>

"Well, I got fucking //thrown//," you begin, and Arthur can barely hold back a laugh, lips forming a sneering smile. "Yes, I, uh," he begins, "Did notice that." Great. Excellent. All the other cast members watching you get yeeted is just what you had hoped for from a first day. "Are you hoping things will improve with your other dates?" he smirks, leaning across the bar towards you, "I know that you chose me." <<include arthurdate3>>

"And who did you choose?" "I didn’t choose you, if that’s what you’re fishing for," he answers, studying your expression as he tilts his face towards you and smiling when he reads the surprise in your eyes, "Wouldn’t want to let on right away if I was interested in you." "So you are interested?" "If I told you now, spurning your date would have all been for nothing, wouldn’t it?" he replies. <<include arthurdate6>>

"And how do you feel about that?" "Delighted," he answers, studying your expression as he tilts his face towards you, "But I didn't choose you, if that's what you're fishing for. Wouldn’t want to let on right away if I was interested in you." "But you are interested?" you retort. "If I told you now, spurning your date would have all been for nothing, wouldn’t it?" he replies. <<include arthurdate6>>

"How can you be so sure?" you reply, with a smile, "Perhaps this is //your// wishful thinking." "Oh, you must have seen Avery toting that little clipboard around all over the place," he chuckles, "//Sometimes// she puts it down." <<include arthurdate3>>

<<if $drinkchoice is "whiskey">>"Something strong?" he asks, turning his back to study the collection of bottles lining the bar's shelves before selecting a particularly old one to refill your weighty tumbler.<<elseif $drinkchoice is "water">>"Water?" he asks, collecting your glass from the bar to refill it from the fridge, complete with ice.<<elseif $drinkchoice is "cocktail">>"Another ridiculous cocktail?" he asks, turning his back to study the collection of bottles lining the bar's shelves before selecting a series of brightly coloured liquids. You watch with amusement as he pours your drink, his expression increasingly disgusted with each new ingredient he adds. The final straw seems to be the addition of the tiny umbrella, which he drops into the glass as though it might cause the whole concoction to explode.<<else>>"Prosecco?" he asks, retrieving the partially depleted bottle from the ice-filled bucket atop the bar.<</if>> He slides the glass back across to you, brushing his hands off on his blue button-down shirt. [["Enjoy your other date."|arthurdate5]]

Then, without another word, Arthur strides out of the large, glass doors that lead back out to the terrace. Avery, who passes him en route, gives you a look of amusement, but doesn't make any comment. <<if $visited and $agreeableness > 70>>That smug //prick//! You're generally a very agreeable $mcguy, but what you wouldn't give right now to punch Arthur right in his gorgeous, snooty little face. And then kiss it. Perhaps not in that order.<br><br><<elseif $visited>>God, you just want to punch him right in his gorgeous, snooty little face. And then kiss it. Perhaps not in that order.<br><br><</if>>"Time for date two," Avery smiles, gesturing for you to follow her back outside as she glances between you and her clipboard. <<if $visited>>Brushing thoughts of Arthur out of your mind, you follow.<br><br><</if>>[[Next|datetwo.2]]

You hadn’t really noticed either of you making any particularly large movements during this brief conversation, and yet you find yourself close enough to Arthur now that you can practically feel the warmth of his skin. You are both leant across the bar, albeit from different sides, and his forearm resting on the surface is a hair apart from yours; his face is only inches to the right of yours. If you both turned to look at each other, your noses might touch. <<include arthurdate7>>

<<if $extraversion lt 45>>Slowly – painfully slowly – you turn your face towards him. Something about this situation evokes a tension that you haven’t felt since you were a teenager, anxiously waiting for your hand to be held at the cinema or to be kissed at a party.<<else>>Breathing slow and steady, you turn your face towards him, a curious smile dancing on your lips. Arthur is playing a game, that much is abundantly clear. And yet, there’s something compelling, almost magnetic, about him.<</if>> You watch Arthur look at you out of the corner of his eye, one corner of his mouth quirking up into a lopsided smile. "Looks like everything is going to plan," he tilts his face so you can feel his breath on your neck, sending a shiver down your spine. He smells like expensive cologne and equally expensive wine. His skin is just as immaculate close up as it is at a distance. Does this man even //have// pores? <<include arthurdate8>>

"I'm not interested in game playing, Arthur," you tell him, assertively, "Either you are interested in me or you aren't." Arthur tips his face to meet your gaze directly, eyes flicking from your eyes to your lips and back again in quick succession. "Oh, I //am// interested," he breathes. <<include arthurdate9>>

"I'm not interested in game playing, Arthur," you tell him, assertively, "Either you are interested in me or you aren't." You watch Arthur look at you out of the corner of his eye, one corner of his mouth quirking up into a lopsided smile. "Oh, I //am// interested," he tilts his face so you can feel his breath on your neck, sending a shiver down your spine. He smells like expensive cologne and equally expensive wine. His skin is just as immaculate close up as it is at a distance. Does this man even have pores? [[Next|arthurdate7.4]]

You can't help but chuckle to yourself as you push back from the bar. You know what? You'll be just //fine// getting your own drink. Arthur steps back to let you past, expression still //agonisingly smug//, and begins to leave. [["Enjoy your other date."|arthurdate5]]

You can't help but chuckle to yourself as you push back from the bar. You could just go for a drink, he can keep this whole charged-sexual-tension thing that he's going for. Arthur does the same, stepping back slightly to put even more distance between the two of you. <<include arthurdate4>>

You hold your position and Arthur tips his face to meet your gaze directly, eyes flicking from your eyes to your lips and back again in quick succession. "Is there something else that I can help you with, $mcname?" he whispers. <<include arthurdate10>>

Perhaps if you stare at his big, beautiful mouth for long enough, you can just will him to kiss you. It feels like a profound injustice that Arthur has been blessed with profound poshness //and// excellent, full lips. <<include arthurdate8.1>>

It’s a dare – it must be. It certainly feels like one. <<include arthurdate10>>

He smells good and he's right there and you can practically //feel// his lips on yours. Your eyes flutter closed and you lean forward a fraction, expecting your lips to meet. They don't, though. When your eyes open again, you are met with the sight of Arthur stood before you, wearing an infuriatingly smug grin and with his arms folded across his chest. [["Enjoy your other date."|arthurdate5]]

He's teasing you, you know that, but two can play at that game. You hold Arthur's gaze and draw your tongue slowly across your lip and Arthur sucks in a breath, suddenly looking considerably less smug. What's that meme? You wanna fuck me so bad it makes you look stupid? Just when it looks like Arthur might bridge the gap between you, you take a step back, wearing a smug smirk all of your own. "Oh, you are //good//," Arthur chuckles, voice a little hoarse. He takes a step back to match yours, putting even more distance between you. <<include arthurdate4>>

It's what you're here for, right? <<include arthurdate10.1>>

You head back inside and to the bar, where Arthur is currently playing bartender. It’s a role he seems to have taken in his element – when you arrive, he is leaning casually against the top as he explains to Syd the merits of diluting whiskey with a dash of mineral water. Syd's lips are pressed together in a thin line, hand extended for their glass as Arthur continues. Eventually, his lecture draws to a natural conclusion. "Of course, you should //never// dilute with tap water," Arthur laughs, the very suggestion utterly preposterous to him, "That would certainly not improve the flavour." "Arthur, love, you're pissing me off already and we're only on day one," Syd grins, their tone and expression conveying a warmth that feels entirely contradictory to the words they have spoken. Arthur seems entirely oblivious to it, though, laughing congenially as he turns to you. "Another $drinkchoice?" <<include arthurnodate2>>

"Please," you reply, and the smile that Arthur returns is filled with unexpected warmth. <<include arthurnodate3>>

"Only if you promise not to lecture me on how to drink it," <<if $agreeableness > 50>>you reply, brightly.<<else>>you snark.<</if>> Syd casts an approving look at you over their shoulder as they head back out of the terrace, but Arthur seems undeterred. "If you want a poor experience, who am I to interfere," he replies, thin lipped, as he hands back your glass. <<if $drinkchoice is "cocktail">>It lacks the little umbrella that Adegoke had provided, but that isn't particularly surprising. Arthur doesn't seem like a decorative umbrella kind of guy.<br><br><</if>>[[Time for another date!|datetwo.2]]

"I've got it," you smile, wandering behind the bar to refill your glass. <<if $conscientiousness > 50>>You watched Adegoke pour your drink earlier and you remember where he put things. It's not exactly hard. Pour liquid into glass, right?<<else>>You have no idea where anything is and there are more bottles and glasses and funny little tools than you've seen in most //actual// bars, but how hard can it be? Pour liquid into glass, right?<</if>> Arthur looks at you a bit like you've just kicked down his front door and started rummaging around in his fridge, but doesn't comment. [[Time for another date!|datetwo.2]]

Don't want to end up absolutely sloshed on day one, after all. An incoherent drunken mess will not a good introduction make. "Water, please," you smile, and the smile that Arthur returns back to you is unexpectedly warm. <<include arthurnodate3>>

"Of course," he nods, efficiently refilling and handing the glass back to you. You suspect that Arthur wouldn't take "you would make an excellent sage barkeep" as a compliment. [[Time for another date!|datetwo.2]]

"$mcname, you're paired with Nyra this time," Avery tells you. Nyra is twirling a cigarette in her hand as you approach the table, absentmindedly gazing off into the distance. <<include nyradate2>>

<<if $agreeableness <= 40>>It's not how you'd usually go about things, but you also wouldn't usually be being filmed on a date on a tropical island. This is about //branching out// and //trying new things// and //not being such a miserable bastard//.<br><br><</if>> "Hey, babe!" you grin, sliding into the seat opposite her. Nyra's lips twitch up into a reluctant smile of acknowledgement, although she doesn't actually reply. Instead, she takes a long sip from her weighty tumbler and then looks up at you. <<include nyradate3>>

You slide into the seat opposite Nyra and still, she makes no move to acknowledge you. You look around uncertainly, wondering whether there is some kind of official go ahead that she might be waiting for, but see only other couples whose flirty banter is already well underway. When you turn to look back at Nyra, her eyes meet yours, a bemused smirk playing on her lips. <<include nyradate3>>

"Where does Caesar hide his armies?" you ask her, as you slide into the chair opposite. "Where?" she replies flatly, making no move to look up at you as she continues to twirl her cigarette in her slender fingers. "His sleevies!" You beam across at her, quite triumphant at your excellent joke telling, and she meets your gaze with an arch of her brow. She doesn't laugh, which is kind of amazing given the extremely high quality of your joke. She must be trying //really// hard to hold it in. <<include nyradate3>>

You approach the table and stand behind the chair that is clearly intended for you, folding your arms across your chest as you look down at her. "I won't bite," she says, after a prolonged silence. <<if $agreeableness > 60>><<include nyradate2.4.1>><<elseif $agreeableness < 40>><<include nyradate2.4.2>><<else>><<include nyradate2.4.4>><</if>>

"I don't know if you're new to the whole dating thing, but normally there's a kind of friendly greeting thing that happens at the start," you smile defiantly as she tilts her face up to meet your gaze, "You should try it. You might like it." A bemused smile plays on Nyra's lips for a moment as she considers whether to indulge you. <<include nyradate 2.4.3>>

"Alright," she begins, slightly sardonically as gestures with her cigarette for you to take the seat before you, "Hi, hello, welcome, //so// lovely to see you." Well, it might have been dripping in sarcasm, but it's better than nothing. You slide into your seat and smile across at her. "There. Was that so hard?" you croon, eliciting a scowl. <<include nyradate3>>

"Could have fooled me," you reply, and Nyra looks up at you with a bemused smile and playfully (you think) gnashes her teeth. "Just sit down." "Ask nicely," you grin. You don't think that Nyra could look more exasperated if she tried, and the date arguably hasn't even begun yet. She is proving //extremely// easy to tease. "$mcname, //please// sit down, or I'll be caught on camera committing murder," she replies, with a deeply sarcastic emphasis on the word 'please'. Well, it's better than nothing, and it seems like the friendliest greeting you'll be able to elicit. You slide into your seat and smile across at her. <<include nyradate3>>

"Don't go on a lot of dates, huh?" you smirk, eyebrow raised. "Excuse me?" "There's normally the whole friendly greeting thing at the start. You should try it. You might like it." You smirk down at her as she tilts her face up to meet your gaze and considers whether to indulge you. <<include nyradate2.4.3>>

That's a cute first date move, right? You skirt the perimeter of the terrace to approach Nyra from behind, clamping your hands over her eyes as you croon "Guess whooo?" Her response isn't quite the giggling "Who?" that generally occurs in romantic fiction. Instead, you feel a strong grip on each of your forearms and, before you know it, you are soaring through the air. You land flat on your back on the stone floor with a thud that knocks all of the air out of you. It's also //really fucking uncomfortable//. You aren't used to being judo-thrown about and now you can say with absolute certainty that you don't want to make a habit of it. "Nyra, what the //fuck// are you doing?" Avery yells as she storms across the flagstones. "Don't sneak up on me," Nyra says flatly, arms folded across her chest as she stands over you. You aren't sure whether it's a directive intended for you or an explanation for Avery. "$mcname, are you alright?" Avery has joined Nyra in standing over you, expression painted with concern as you look up at the two of them, silhouetted against the sky. <<include nyradate2.6>>

You rest your hands on your ribcage where you lie flat on your back on the ground, and a grin slowly spreads across your face. "Let's go again," you grin, voice taking on a newfound raspy quality that you hope reads more as "sexy" than it does "seconds from death". "No!" Avery cuts in, quickly and firmly, as she pushes Nyra back into her seat and extends a hand to help you up. As much as Avery seems to be trying to channel disapproval in her expression, she does look slightly amused (and measurably less concerned than she did before). <<include nyradate7>>

"Other than a //punctured lung// that might //kill me//," you wheeze, dramatically, "Yes, I think I'm fine." <<if $mche is "they">>"They are being very dramatic," Nyra drawls, returning to her seat. Avery shoots her a look of reproach, but does seem measurably less concerned about you than she did before.<<else>>"$mche is being very dramatic," Nyra drawls, returning to her seat. Avery shoots her a look of reproach, but does seem measurably less concerned about you than she did before.<</if>> <<include nyradate7>>

"Other than my weird new kink?" you grin, voice taking on a newfound raspy quality that you hope reads more as "sexy" than it does "seconds from death". Nyra snorts, covering her mouth with a hand to disguise her laughter as she returns to her seat. Avery shoots her a look of reproach, but does seem measurably less concerned about you than she did before. <<include nyradate7>>

You roll seamlessly into a pose akin to Burt Reynolds on a bear skin rug. "Do I look alright?" you ask, flashing Avery your most winning smile and resolutely ignoring the slightly raspy quality in your voice and the unpleasant ache in your back. <<if $extraversion < 50>>Hopefully the effect is still dazzlingly charming and not, as you suspect, completely unhinged.<</if>> "$mche might be concussed," Avery groans, shooting a sideways glance at Nyra, "Come on. Let's go inside and I'll check you over." Avery extends a hand to help you up, and you take it. <<include nyradate10>>

<<if $agreeableness > 50>>You can't help but laugh at the absurdness of this whole situation (although doing so hurts your poor, bruised ribs). "Do I look alright?!" you ask, disbelievingly. Avery weighs up your question as Nyra smirks and returns to her seat, once again twirling the cigarette in her hand. "I suppose not," she replies, extending a hand to help you to your feet.<<else>>"Do I look alright?!" you fume.<</if>> Avery extends a hand to help you up, and you take it. <<include nyradate10>>

"No!" you yell, anger slightly undercut by your prone position, "Of course I'm not fucking alright! Who throws people?!" "Don't sneak up on me," Nyra repeats innocently, as she returns to her seat. Avery frowns and extends a hand to help you up, which you reluctantly accept. "Come on," she says, quietly, "Let's go inside and I'll check you over." <<include nyradate10>>

"I'm fine. Really," you assure them. At least, you assure Avery - Nyra doesn't look the the least bit concerned as she returns to her seat. "Alright," Avery replies, voice laced with scepticism as she helps you to your feet. You'll probably be bruised tomorrow, but that doesn't seem like a good enough reason to duck out on your chance to get to know Nyra before everyone makes their couple selections. <<include nyradate3>>

I wish that I could blame a concussion, but unfortunately I'm always like this," you chuckle as Avery helps you to your feet. For a moment you think that Nyra might actually be smiling, but her face returns to her usual sulky expression the moment that your eyes meet. "God, I knew there must have been a reason that Charlie wanted to cast you so badly," Avery groans, walking back and forth to appraise you for any substantial injuries, "You're just as ridiculous as he is." As much as you would like to take that as a compliment, her delivery makes it hard to interpret it as one. <<include nyradate8>>

<<if $extraversion > 50>>"Avery, are you trying to lure me inside to play doctors?" you grin, "Because I make an //excellent// patient."<<else>>"If you wanted to get me alone, you need only ask," you grin. Perhaps she's right - maybe you //are// concussed.<</if>> <<if $mche is "they">>"They are //definitely// concussed," Avery groans, pulling you to your feet,<<else>>"$mche is //definitely// concussed," Avery groans, pulling you to your feet,<</if>>"Come on." [[Next|averyinterlude]]

You do want a favourable edit, after all. Avery pulls you to your feet, shooting Nyra another reproachful look as she begins to guide you back towards the large, glass doors into the kitchen. [[Next|averyinterlude]]

Well, perhaps you've dodged a bullet in avoiding this particular date. Jesus, that's a hell of a thought - you wouldn't put it past Nyra to whip out a glock if another cast member looked at her the wrong way. Avery pulls you to your feet, shooting Nyra another reproachful look as she begins to guide you back towards the large, glass doors into the kitchen. [[Next|averyinterlude]]

She helps you back to your feet and eases you into the chair opposite Nyra. You try to ignore the painful twinge in your back as you go. Is that what a punctured lung feels like? No, that would probably be far more painful. <<include nyradate8>>

"Alright," Avery says, finally, "Go ahead, and I'll keep an eye on you. //Both// of you." [[Aah, sweet medical clearance|nyradate9]]

You ease yourself down into the seat opposite Nyra, trying to ignore the twinging in your back as you do. <<include nyradate3>>

"I'm gonna cut the bullshit," she begins, agitatedly tapping her cigarette on the table, "I'm here for the money." <<if $funny > 50>>"Really? I never would have guessed?" you grin. She ignores you, save for what you think may have been an eye roll in your direction.<<else>>You nod slowly, gesturing for her to continue. That surely isn't her bullshit-cutting in it's entirety, so she might as well get on with it.<</if>> "I need a full half mil. Obviously, I'm gunning for the Body Count prize, but to get the full whack I need to be in a believable couple. Do lovey-dovey shit, win everyone over..." Ooooooooooh okay. It's not hard to see where she's going with this. <<include nyradate11>>

"Nyra, babe, just admit that you find me devastatingly attractive," you smirk. If looks could kill. "Are you listening to anything I'm saying?" she asks, impatiently, through clenched teeth. <<include nyradate12>>

You laugh. "Yeah, I'm with you. Couple up, fuck around, trick everyone into believing we're in love, take both prizes," you recap, counting out the steps of Nyra's plan on your fingers. <<include nyradate13>>

"Yeah, I was listening," you reply, doing your best impression of a deeply serious sort of person, "And what I //heard// was that you find me devastatingly attractive." Nyra rests her head in her hands, probably regretting all of the life choices that led her to this moment. "But what I //said//," she begins, voice thick with exasperation, "Was that we should couple up and try to take //both// the body count prize //and// the couple prize." <<include nyradate13>>

"Nah, sorry," you grin. Nyra rests her head in her hands, probably regretting all of the life choices that led her to this moment. "We couple up and take both prizes. That's it." <<include nyradate13>>

"So you wanna fuck?" you smirk, leaning in across the table. "Well, yeah," she replies, a little exasperatedly, "But I also want to couple up with you, fool everyone into thinking that we're in love and take both prizes." <<include nyradate13>>

"So you want to couple up, fool everyone and take the prize?" you ask, as Nyra takes a swig from her glass. "That's about the size of it." <<include nyradate13>>

<<if $openness > 40>>You are... sceptical, to say the least. "I've got some questions."<<elseif $openness < 65>>"Alright, I'm listening," you smile, "But I have some questions."<<else>>"I've... got some questions," you begin, uncertainly.<</if>> "Shoot." <<include nyradate14>>

"Why me? There are eight other people in this villa," you ask, perplexed. It's a fair question - it seems like a bold move to approach someone on day one with an offer like this. Perhaps you just channel a particularly mercenary vibe. For a moment, you think you see Nyra smiling, but any trace of it is gone before you can be sure. "You're the hottest," she replies, arching a brow in a way that makes it very hard to tell whether she's being sarcastic, "It has to be believable, right?" <<include nyradate14>>

<<if $neuroticism < 40>>You plaster on your most winning smile, resting your chin on one hand as you lean in a little closer. "How can you be sure that you aren't gonna fall head over heels for me?" Nyra just scowls at you, as though the answer to that question is incredibly obvious. "I'm sure."<<elseif $neuroticism > 70>>"What if..." you begin, uncertainly, "Something really did happen between us? What if it all became real?" The very idea feels ridiculous to you, even as you're asking the question. Nyra seems sure of herself - much more sure than you have ever been. She considers you for a moment, eyes softening slightly from their usual hard stare. "It won't. That's not what I'm here for."<<else>>"How do you know I won't woo you?" you smirk, tilting your face to carefully consider her response. Nyra just scowls at you, as though the answer to that question is incredibly obvious. "I know."<</if>> <<include nyradate14>>

"Why do you need the full prize so badly?" Sure, Nyra seems like the sort of girl that could get herself into trouble, but half a million quids worth of trouble? <<if $conscientiousness > 40>>Your mind buzzes with the possibilities. Has she had a run in with the mafia? Become embroiled in a Ponzi scheme?<<else>>Even you don't think you could make that many problems for yourself.<</if>> "None of your fucking business," she replies sharply, pointedly avoiding your gaze. <<include nyradate14>>

"What if I have no interest in sleeping with anyone?" "Then I'd be doing the heavy lifting on that front, and you'd spend more of your time looking at me with googley eyes so that everyone believes we're desperately in love." <<include nyradate14>>

<<if $agreeableness > 50>>"Why would a person... like you... enter a //dating// show?" you gawk.<<else>>"Why would a person as abrasive and unpleasant as you ever think that they could enter a bloody //dating show//?" you gawk.<</if>> There have //got// to be easier ways for someone like Nyra to get their hands on big money. She has real hitman energy - maybe she could turn her hand to that? "Look, I need the money, and I'd do just about anything to get it," she replies, curtly, "This just happened to be the quickest way." <<include nyradate14>>

"Nyra, I don't date women," you explain. "So then we don't fuck," she replies, exasperatedly, "We could still play at being in love - your sexuality isn't tattooed on your forehead. We might even cover more ground that way, since I usually find men fucking repugnant." <<include nyradate14>>

Despite Nyra's evasive, unhelpful responses, you think you've just about got a handle on what is being asked of you. <<include nyradate15>>

"Alright, I'm down," you reply, decisively. <<include nyradate16>>

"Alright, I'm in," you reply, after a moment of thought. <<include nyradate16>>

You can't say that when you started out on these dates that you expected to be faced with a proposition like this right from the off, and you feel a bit like a deer in headlights. "Can I... get some time to think about this?" you venture, hesitation plain in your voice. Nyra tucks her cigarette behind her ear, narrowing her eyes slightly as she considers your request. "Yeah, sure, whatever." Then, without another word, she just gets up and heads back towards the villa. <<if $conscientiousness > 50>>This might just be the strangest "date" you have ever experienced.<<else>>You //wish// that you could say that this was the strangest date you have ever experienced, but tragically, that would be a lie. Still, that's more a reflection on you than this particular date, which was most certainly strange.<</if>> //What// just happened? <<include nyraenddate>>

"Perhaps," you grin, leaning in a little closer, "I would be more amenable to striking this deal if I were being more thoroughly //wooed//." Nyra huffs out a sigh and tips her face skywards, as if sending up a silent prayer. The idea of driving her slowly insane over the course of the next month does have some appeal, but you couldn't possibly agree without thoroughly teasing her first. "I'm not going to //woo// you," she scowls, once she has found the strength to reply. "Oh, go on." "No." "I'm very woo-able." "Are you in or out?" she groans, massaging her temples. <<include nyradate15>>

<<if $agreeableness > 50>>"Nyra," you begin, carefully, "I'm not going to do this."<<else>>"No," you say, flatly, "I'm not doing this."<</if>> <<if $motive is "money">>You would be lying if you said that you aren't here for the money, but to win it like this feels... dishonest? Skeevy? You aren't sure of the right word for how Nyra's proposition makes you feel, but you are certain of one thing: this just isn't you.<<else>>To say that the idea of winning a cool half mil held absolutely no appeal would be a lie, but it's certainly not the main reason you came here. This mercenary approach to the show just isn't you.<</if>> <<include nyradate15.7>>

<<if $conscientiousness > 50>>There is simply no way that this plan could work. You've contemplated it with your great big planning brain, and it just doesn't seem feasible.<<else>>You're no tactical genius, but this surely can't be a good idea?<</if>> "Sorry, Nyra, but count me out," you tell her. <<include nyradate15.7>>

"Suit yourself, then," she replies, avoiding your gaze as she tucks her cigarette behind one ear. Then she gets up and strides back into the villa. <<include nyraenddate>>

<<if $motive is "money">>You're here for the money too, so a partnership like this seems expedient - especially when a lot of the other cast members seem much more googley-eyed over the prospect of finding love.<<elseif $motive is "love">>Alright, so you set out to find love, but there's nothing wrong with bagging the £1,000,000 along the way.<<else>>Just because you have other aims doesn't mean that you can't get rich while you're going about things.<</if>><<if $women>>Plus, it's a great way to get closer to Nyra.<</if>> "Great. Then I'll choose you at the coupling," she tells you, tucking her cigarette behind her ear, "Or you can choose me. However it happens, I guess." Then, without another word, she just gets up and heads back towards the villa. <<if $conscientiousness > 50>>This might just be the strangest "date" you have ever experienced.<<else>>You //wish// that you could say that this was the strangest date you have ever experienced, but tragically, that would be a lie. Still, that's more a reflection on you than this particular date, which was most certainly strange.<</if>> <<include nyraenddate>>

Avery, who has been waiting at the door, casts a curious look in your direction as Nyra struts by, but forgoes any comment. <<include nyraenddate2>>

<<if $dateone is "blah">><<set $dateone to "nyra">>"Ok, everyone!" she calls across the terrace, "That's a wrap on date number one!" Well, with Nyra already thoroughly departed, at least you don't have to worry about any awkward goodbyes or end-of-date etiquette. [[Next|datetwo]]<<elseif $datetwo is "blah">><<set $datetwo to "nyra">>"Ok, everyone!" she calls across the terrace, "That's a wrap on date number two!" Well, with Nyra already thoroughly departed, at least you don't have to worry about any awkward goodbyes or end-of-date etiquette. [[Next|datethree]]<</if>>

Avery guides you back into the airconditioned cool of the villa, her hand gently resting on your shoulder as she steers you through the still very unfamiliar space. Despite the fuzziness still lingering in your head, it feels quite grounding and pleasant. After a brief pause in the kitchen to pick up one of those gel ice packs from the fridge (which have always felt strangely futuristic to you), Avery continues to usher you through the villa <<if $entrancemeet is "nyra">>until you come to the living room. You had passed through on your earlier exploration and it remains entirely unchanged from then, save perhaps for a few cushions having been shuffled about. Light still streams in through the large gable window, although someone seems to have turned the lights on, so the chandelier that hangs overhead is now lighting the room as well. Now you think about it, you can't actually see any light switches. Perhaps they're on a timer?<<else>>until you come to what looks like a living room. There is a large rectangle of plush couches sunk into the floor, reminiscent of something from a very 70s home design magazine. You also note the conspicuous lack of television, which you suppose is due to the fact that you aren't allowed to have contact with the outside world. Where you might expect to see the customary television, you are instead greeted by an enormous gable window looking out into the jungle beyond. Despite the size of the room and the lack of televisual focal point (your roommate had always wondered what people do don't have a TV point their furniture at and this room answers that question: nothing), it feels remarkably cosy. The sofas are littered with ample cushions and blankets, and you imagine that it would be delightful to spend a rainy evening here watching the raindrops chase each other down the glass.<</if>> [[Next|averyinterlude2]]

Avery gestures for you to take a seat in the strange little sofa pit and then perches beside you, presumably too busy to actually get comfortable and spend any length of time here. "Any headache, head pressure or neck pain?" she asks, a little abruptly. "Bit headachey, but nothing major." "Blurred vision, dizziness or balance problems?" "Nope." "Nausea?" "No." "Sensitivity to light or sound?" "No." "Well, then, I think you're in the clear," she says at last, jotting something down on her clipboard that presumably amounts to '$mcname isn't on death's door.' After a moment she turns back to you, eyes lingering on your torso for long enough that it begins to feel wildly inappropriate until you remember that you had been complaining of back pain. "Do you want me to take a look at your back?" she asks, obviously coming to a similar realisation that it might just seem like a very strange flirtation technique without context. <<if $averyclue1>>It feels like a lifetime ago that you were sat in Avery's office listening to Charlie explain her medical background, but it was just earlier today. Probably not a //great// sign that it's already coming in handy.<</if>> <<include averyinterlude3>>

"Sorry, I generally avoid taking medical advice from television producers," you snip. <<if $agreeableness > 50>>You don't typically make a habit of being this snarky - perhaps it's the enduring pain in the trunk of your body making you so irritable.<br><br><</if>>Avery sucks on her teeth for a second before she finds the will to reply to you. "Be that as it may, perhaps you //should// take medical advice from television producers who previously trained as doctors?" Ah. Suddenly this situation makes a bit more sense.

"What would have happened if I //had// been concussed?" you ask, somewhat apprehensively. Avery shoots a wry smile in your direction as she looks up from her notes, "You know, that's the sort of question that a sensible person would ask //before// they are participating in the show." She has a point, you suppose. <<if $conscientiousness > 50>>You would normally consider yourself quite a sensible person, but obviously on this occasion your practical mind had a bit of a wobble.<<else>>Unfortunately, you can't think of anyone that would describe you as a 'sensible person'.<</if>> You wonder what the other glaring gaps in your knowledge about the show might be. You have no idea where the washing machines are - maybe you should have asked about that, too? "If you //had// been concussed, I would have taken care of you," Avery assures you, "We would have put you on a 24-hour medical watch." Well, that //would// be reassuring, were it not for the fact that there seems to be absolutely no medical presence on this island. <<include averyinterlude3>>

"If you don't mind?" you groan, adjusting your position to turn away from her. Avery slips your shirt up slightly to reveal what you assume to be an extremely bruised portion of back. Her hands are soft but alarmingly cold and you can't help but jerk away at her touch. "Too cold?" she snickers, "Sorry - I'm practically cold blooded. It's why I'm glad to be out here getting some //sun//." Avery gently presses her hands to your back again, and this time you manage to stay still as she... does something medical, you guess? It kind of feels like you're just being poked a bit. "Does that feel okay?" she asks, as you suck in a sharp breath when she pokes a particularly painful spot. <<include ai5>>

"Uuuh... slight discomfort?" you grimace, and Avery chuckles to herself. "It's okay," she replies, and as you glance back at her over your shoulder, you see her smiling, "It's normal to experience some discomfort. I'm pressing right on a bruise. You're fine, by the way." Phew. [[Next|ai4]]

"Yeah, feels fine," you reply through clenched teeth, and Avery chuckles to herself. "It's okay, //stud//," she laughs, "It's normal to experience some discomfort. I'm pressing right on a bruise. You're fine, by the way." Phew. [[Next|ai4]]

"If there are any other parts you want to get your hands on, then I'm happy to oblige," you grin, glancing back over your shoulder to catch a glimpse of Avery's reproachful expression. "Do you ever //stop//?" she groans, removing her hands and tugging your shirt back down. <<if $thot > 50>>You click your teeth as you make a show of pondering your resposne, eventually answering with a bright, "Nope!" "Well, try it now for a change," she snipes back, irritably.<<else>>You would love to be able to come up with a quippy response, but the truth is that you aren't normally like this. Something about Avery just kind of brings it out in you... which might not be a good thing, given that she's a //producer// and not a cast member. "Yes," you reply eventually, a little indignantly. "Well, try it now," she snipes back, irritably.<</if>> That sounds like much less fun than flirting with reckless abandon, but Avery is the boss. "You're fine, by the way," she adds. Phew. [[Next|ai4]]

"//Ow//!" you hiss, partly involuntarily as you jerk away from her touch. You've already said your back hurts, why does she insist on //poking it//? "Sorry," Avery chuckles, as you glance back at her over your shoulder, "It's normal to experience some discomfort, though. It's a bruise." Well... phew. Although you don't feel great about revealing yourself to be a total wuss on camera. [[Next|ai4]]

<<if $extraversion > 50>>"Are you just trying to get me out of my clothes, Avery?" you grin, reclining on the couch cushions.<<else>>A smirk creeps onto your face as you consider the possibility, and Avery seems to read your mind.<</if>> She fixes you with an extremely bored expression. "You're right. I am overcome with desire. I am extremely eager to jeopardise my whole career to get a glimpse of your back." <<include ai6>>

"All you had to say was 'yes'," you grin over your shoulder, as you adjust your position to grant her access to your back. You can't see her expression, but you do hear her huff out what sounds like an exasperated sigh. <<include ai6.1.1>>

"Well, if you put it like //that...//" you begin, but Avery does smile as she rolls her eyes at you. <<include ai6.1.1>>

What were you supposed to think? She wouldn't have cast you if she didn't think you'd measure up to the other contestants. <<include ai6.1>>

"Alright, I was just kidding," you begin, <<if $funny > 50>>before adding with an exaggerated wink "//Back off//." "Good one," Avery replies quickly - too quickly to hide the amusement in her voice.<<else>>"I'd rather you didn't." "That's totally fine," she assures you, with a smile.<</if>> [[Next|ai4]]

Avery's hands are soft and smooth, but //hold shit// are they cold. You inhale sharply when they make contact and Avery is eerily silent behind you. "Everything alright?" you ask, <<if $neuroticism > 50>>a little sheepishly.<<else>>a little defensively.<</if>> In response, Avery presses far harder than is comfortable and you reflexively flinch away. "Sorry," Avery says, with the sort of clinical tone that tells you she isn't at all sorry, "You're fine, though. Just going to be a bit bruised." "Oh, right," you reply, pulling your shirt back down and turning back to face her. <<if $neuroticism > 60>>You didn't think you were on deaths door or anything, but you were sure it was going to be more than just a //bruise//.<<else>>At least that's all cleared up - hopefully you'll avoid further cast member-inflicted bruises going forward.<</if>> [[Next|ai4]]

"No, thank you," <<if $agreeableness > 50>>you reply, with a smile. "I'm sure I'll be fine."<<else>>you reply quickly, recoiling from her touch.<</if>> "No problem," she replies, in a tone that suggests she is quite pleased with this outcome. [[Next|ai4]]

"Well, I'd better go and make sure we're ready to transition into the next date," Avery tells you as she gets to her feet, extending one hand to help you up. <<include ai7>>

"We've got time, surely?" you ask, staying put on the sofa as Avery's hand drops back to her side. She huffs out a sigh and pulls a dainty gold pocket watch from her blazer. "Sorry, is it 1901?" you scoff, almost automatically, on seeing such a dated contraption. Avery smiles like she's laughing at a private joke as she tucks it back into her pocket and she looks back at you with a softer expression than you've ever seen from her. "It was my grandfather's. He gave it to me when I started medical school and then passed away not long after." Well, now you feel like a right dick. [[Next|ai7.3]]

"Why did you transition into TV work?" It feels like the natural question to ask, really. It's quite a drastic change of field, so she probably gets asked about it all the time. Avery chuckles to herself, easing back a little against the sofa cushions. "Being around dying people all the time is //hard//," she replies, smile tinged with sadness, "Even harder when they aren't 'dying people' and they still die... And if you hadn't already noticed, I'm a bit of a control freak. Just makes it..." Avery trails off, but you feel her full meaning. You can see how someone as meticulous as Avery would take every little mistake to heart. At least in TV production, there aren't lives on the line. "Come on. We really had better go." [[Next|ai8]]

Avery's right - you want to be ready for your other dates. You take her hand and she helps you to your feet, ready to rejoin the rest of the group. <<include ai8>>

"You'll tell me if you aren't feeling okay?" Avery asks as you prepare to head back onto the terrace. You can tell that she means it as more of an instruction than a request, but the way that her intonation raises at the end suggests something like concern. If you didn't know better, you'd say Avery might //care// - at least a little bit. You nod your head and Avery returns her attention to her clipboard, presumably putting you and your injury quite out of her mind as you move back outside. <<include nyraenddate2>>

"$mcname, would you go and grab a table out on the terrace?" You oblige, of course, wandering across to a vacant table on the far side of the flagstone terrace. <<if $men>>Arthur is sat across the terrace and gives a polite nod as your eyes meet.<<else>>Imogen is sat across the terrace and gives a polite nod as your eyes meet.<</if>> [[Next|fd2]]

"Hey you," Florrie beams, as she plonks herself down in the seat opposite you, immediately beginning to drum her fingers on the surface of the table. The setting sun creates a soft glow around Florrie's taffy-coloured hair and lights the sky up in oranges and pinks and purples. Brighter than the sun, though, is Florrie's smile. <<if $women>>It's hard to describe her as anything other than radiant.<</if>> <<if $drinkchoice is "whiskey" and !$drinkswitch>><<include fd2.1>><<elseif $drinkchoice is "cocktail" and !$drinkswitch>><<include fd2.2>><<elseif $drinkchoice is "water" or $drinkswitch>><<include fd2.3>><<else>><<include fd2.4>><</if>>

"Ooooo is that whiskey? Can I have a sip? I've never tried it but it always looks so fancy and James Bond-y," she squeaks, leaning across the table to take a sip from your glass before you have a chance to protest. Florrie makes a strangled, gargley sound and screws up her face as she swallows, shuddering with her entire body as she sinks back into her seat and slides the glass back across to you. <<if $agreeableness > 50>>"Not a fan?" you smirk, and Florrie shakes her head.<<else>>"Sorry, did //my// drink not agree with you?" you ask incredulously.<</if>> "James Bond has //no// taste. I don't know how you can drink that stuff." Florrie takes a long sip from her own glass (a tall hurricane glass full of a bright pink liquid and a curly straw) and shakes her head again before she brushes herself off and returns her gaze to you. [[Next|fd3]]

"Oooo what cocktail is that? Can I have a sip? I'm still trying to find my fave," she squeaks, leaning across the table to take a sip from your glass before you have a chance to protest. Florrie takes a sip from your glass and makes a satisifed little humming sound, nodding her head enthusiastically as she sets it back down in front of you. "That was //über// delicious! Gonna totally get one of those next time!" <<if $agreeableness > 50>>"Glad to please," you smirk, still a little confused, and Florrie grins back at you.<<else>>"I'm glad that //my// drink was so agreeable to you," you reply incredulously, but Florrie seems entirely oblivious to the subtext of your retort.<</if>> [[Next|fd3]]

"Oooo is that water? I am //parched// - can I get a sip?" she squeaks, leaning across the table to take a sip from your glass before you have a chance to protest. You look between Florrie, currently sipping from your glass, and her own very full drink on the table - a tall hurricane glass full of a bright pink liquid and a curly straw. "Aaah, that's //heaven//, thanks babes," she sighs happily, settling back into her seat as she slides the glass to you. <<if $agreeableness > 50>>"Glad to please," you smirk, still a little confused, and Florrie grins back at you.<<else>>"I'm glad that //my// drink was so agreeable to you," you reply incredulously, but Florrie seems entirely oblivious to the subtext of your retort.<</if>> [[Next|fd3]]

"Oooo bubbly! Can I have a sip?" she squeaks, leaning across the table to take a sip from your glass before you have a chance to protest. Florrie takes a sip from your glass and makes a satisifed little humming sound, nodding her head enthusiastically as she sets it back down in front of you. "That was //über// delicious! Gonna totally get one of those next time!" <<if $agreeableness > 50>>"Glad to please," you smirk, still a little confused, and Florrie grins back at you.<<else>>"I'm glad that //my// drink was so agreeable to you," you reply incredulously, but Florrie seems entirely oblivious to the subtext of your retort.<</if>> [[Next|fd3]]

"Alright babes, this isn't my first rodeo, so I've prepped my speed dating questions - are you ready? They're heavy hitters," Florrie absently twists a lock of hair by her ear between her finger and thumb. No small talk, then. Straight into it. First a drink mugging, now an interrogation. <<include fd4>>

"Does that mean you consider this a date?" "Is it not?" Florrie flutters her eyelashes at you. <<if $florrierom > 1>>"Well, //I// think it is," you grin, resting your elbows on the table. "Good. Me too."<<elseif $women>>"Well, that remains to be seen," you grin, resting your elbows on the table.<<else>>"I'm afraid I don't date women," you tell her, as gently as you can given the circumstances. "Oh!" she replies, expression flitting from surprise to disappointment and then back to a gentle smile, "Well, then, we'll just be best friends."<</if>> [[Next|fd5]]

"The readiest," you reply, <<if $conscientiousness > 50>>decisively. You've never flubbed an interview before, and you're not about to start here.<<else>>with mock determination.<</if>> [[Next|fd5]]

"I'm ready," you reply, "But only if I get to ask questions of my own!" "Oh, //obviously//," Florrie beams back, flicking her hair back our of her face and resting her palms on the table. Well, good, then. [[Next|fd5]]

"Is the possibility of just having a normal conversation off the table?" <<include fd4.5.1>>

"Is this a date or an interrogation?" <<if $agreeableness > 50>>you grin, resting your elbows on the table. Florrie's enthusiasm for the notion of speed dating is sweet and amusing, but not entirely what you had hoped from your meeting.<<else>>you frown. Florrie's enthusiasm for the speed dating format is sweet, but possibly misplaced. It's not something you can profess to share.<</if>> She wiggles her button nose thoughtfully and then rests her palms on her table. "Interrogation," she grins, flicking her hair back out of her face as she wiggles in her seat. [[Well, alright then.|fd5]]

<<if $agreeableness > 50>>you grin, resting your elbows on the table. Florrie's enthusiasm for the speed dating format is sweet and amusing, but not entirely what you had hoped from your meeting.<<else>>you frown. Florrie's enthusiasm for the speed dating format is sweet, but possibly misplaced. It's not something you can profess to share.<</if>> She wiggles her button nose thoughtfully and then rests her palms on her table. "No," she grins, flicking her hair back out of her face as she wiggles in her seat, "My brother says I can't do anything //normal//." [[Next|fd5]]

"Florrie, chill your beans. Can't we just //talk//? Is the grilling entirely necessary?" <<include fd4.5.1>>

"If you were a fruit, what fruit would you be?" Florrie asks, brightly. <<if $agreeableness > 50>>You can't help but laugh at it all - the ridiculous line of questioning that she's chosen and the general absurdity of the situation.<<else>>Of course. So //this// is what she meant by heavy hitters.<</if>> <<include fd6>>

<<if $thot > 50>>And great with cream, but you don't say that part.<br><br><</if>>"A strawberry," you begin, "I'm sweet and classic." "That's a good answer," Florrie grins back, and you think that if she had the wherewithal to do so then she'd be taking notes. <<if $extraversion < 30>>"Oh! Uh... thanks?" is all you can muster up in reply. You aren't really used to anyone thinking you're good at the whole socialising thing.<<else>>"I'm full of good answers," you grin, and Florrie's cheeks flush a little pinker.<</if>> <<include fd7>>

"A banana," you smirk, leaning in across the table, "because I'm //bendy//." Florrie giggles, taking another sip through her straw. It's funny - Florrie has never struck you as particularly quiet, and yet now she seems entirely unsure of what to say. "You've got me all shy," she smiles after a moment. <<include fd7>>

"A gooseberry," you smile, "Because I'm a bit unusual, and probably an acquired taste." Florrie grins back at you and claps her hands together excitedly. "//Me too//," she squeaks, "I'm a total gooseberry person too!" <<include fd7>>

"A durian, because I'm gross and everyone hates me and I'm banned from public transport," you answer solemnly, with all the seriousness you can muster. Florrie had been sipping her colourful drink through her straw when you answered, and she snorts it out of her nose almost immediately, jumping out of her seat at the shock of cold liquid spraying over her shirt. <<if $neuroticism > 70>>You weren't joking (at least, not about the being gross and everyone hating you part), but hey, at least Florrie's getting a kick out of it.<<else>>Her laughter is shrill and wheezing as she stands doubled over and you can't help but laugh along with her. It wasn't even that funny.<</if>> As she gets her breath back, you dutifully help her mop off her shirt with a napkin and she settles back into her seat, daintily wiping the tears from her eyes. "Baaaabes," she giggles, shaking her head "I need to move on to the next question before I absolutely pee myself laughing or we'll never get through them all!" Her use of "them all" is a little bit daunting. [[Next|fd7]]

Florrie leans back in her seat, tapping thoughtful fingers against the table. <<if $agreeableness > 30>>"Well, I'm soft," she replies after a moment, "So perhaps we would make a good pair."<<else>>"You are a bit, aren't you?" she replies after a moment, eyeing you thoughtfully, "Why is that?" "My very compelling tragic backstory," you smirk. Why is anyone how they are? It's a tricky question to answer, and you're no shrink. "Now //that's// a book I'd read," she giggles.<</if>> [[Next|fd7]]

"//Moving on//, what's your sign?" While this might be one of the stranger interrogations you've sat through, there's something about the excitement of Florrie's delivery that you find endearing. <<include fd8>>

"Me too!" she grins, "Ok, so, the thing with Aries is that we're quite competitive and independent and we're going to butt heads. We both love trying new things, though, which I suppose is what got us here!" Florrie chuckles to herself and continues. "You know, we're both ruled by Mars, so we'll have //so much fun//! Sure, we'll argue, but neither of us are really the type to hold grudges, and we'll have a great time making up. And fire signs, too! So we should be nice and in sync..." <<include fd9>>

Florrie sucks air in sharply through her teeth, wrinkling her nose as she takes a long sip through her curly straw. Why does she get a curly straw? No one offered you one. "Babe, I'm an //Aries//. We'll be a train wreck," she giggles, "I mean we'd have great chemistry for sure, but you're a creature of routine and I crave change so we might just want totally different things?" <<if $openness > 70>>You actually //love// experiencing new things, so maybe your star sign isn't all it's cracked up to be, but Florrie launches into further explanation before you can say as much.<<elseif $openness < 40>>Well, she's not wrong.<<else>>You aren't the hugest fan of change, but you wouldn't describe yourself as a "creature of routine." Before you can even open your mouth to say so, though, Florrie launches into further explanation.<</if>> "You're ruled by Venus and I'm ruled by Mars which is always talked about in a bit of a gender roles-y way which, like, eugh," Florrie theatrically rolls her eyes, takes a sip from her glass, and continues, "And you're an Earth sign, which means you're all about stability while I'm a bit more of a chaotic Fire sign, but..." <<include fd9>>

"You know, Gemini get //such// a bad rep but I don't buy into it one bit. And I'm an Aries, so we're such a great match! We both value independence and we could make //all kinds// of cool discoveries together!" Florrie delivers her little monologue with such speed that you almost feel compelled to tell her to take a breath, lest she keel over and die. "I think we'd probably approach tasks quite differently, because I'm ruled by Mars which can make me quite rushy and you're Mercury which is a very different vibe... You're an air sign, though, which is great because I'm a fire sign and we can really play to each others strengths and-" <<include fd9>>

Florrie sucks air in sharply through her teeth, wrinkling her nose as she takes a long sip through her curly straw. Why does she get a curly straw? No one offered you one. "Babe, I'm an //Aries//. We'll be a train wreck," she giggles, "I'm all rash and fiery and you're all sensitive and emotional... I mean, maybe we could learn from each other? But it could be tricky..." <<if $neuroticism > 60>>Okay, so you may be a touch on the emotional side. Still, it doesn't feel //great// to hear someone listing your flaws as reasons not to date you. Before you can even open your mouth to say so, though, Florrie launches into further explanation.<<else>>You aren't exactly known for your wild emotionality, but hey, you have just as many feelings as the next $mcguy. Before you can even open your mouth to say so, though, Florrie launches into further explanation.<</if>> "Aries is ruled by Mars and Cancer is ruled by Earth's moon, which don't really have a similar vibe but I definitely think there are benefits to that! And you're a water sign, which doesn't necessarily vibe with me because I'm a fire sign, but we could-" <<include fd9>>

"A Leo?!" she squeals delightedly, at a volume that draws the confused attention of nearby cast members. Imogen, who is sat at the table adjacent to yours, shoots you what you think is a sympathetic look. "We're obviously both //big// personalities, but we will have so much in common! We're both fire signs, though, and with such bit personalities things can get, like, //über// fiery..." <<if $extraversion > 70>>People //do// tell you that you have a big personality, so she sounds pretty bang on so far.<<elseif $extraversion < 40>>You actually wouldn't describe yourself as a particularly "big personality." It always has the sort of vibe of when people are described as "a character" as a pseudonym for "total arsehole." Maybe your star sign isn't all it's cracked up to be, but Florrie seems so enthusiastic that you can't bring yourself to stop her.<<else>>You like to think that you've got a pretty normal sized personality, but Florrie launches into further explanation before you can say as much.<</if>> "And while I'm ruled by Mars, you're ruled by //the actual Sun//, which is pretty cool because we would make //such// a powerful team and..." <<include fd9>>

"Oh, babes," Florrie sighs, as if you've just told her you're dying, "I mean, opposites might attract? I'm an Aries, so you're like the shy nerd and I'm like the jock." She lets out a high pitched laugh at that, and quickly attempts to correct herself. "Well, ok, I'm bad at sports. But otherwise! It might be nice to go for someone I have nothing in common with, though. Maybe we could learn from each other?" <<if $extraversion > 70 and $conscientiousness < 40>>As it happens, you would probably think you //yourself// as more of a jock than a shy nerd. You're neither shy, nor are you particularly nerdy - at least in the traditional senses of either term. Before you can open your mouth to say as much, though, Florrie has launched into yet more explanation.<<elseif $extraversion > 50 or $conscientiousness < 50>>You wouldn't really agree with the assessment that you're shy //and// nerdy - at least in the traditional senses of either term. Before you can open your mouth to say as much, though, Florrie has launched into yet more explanation.<<else>>Alright, her description might be essentially accurate, but you don't love being described as a //shy nerd//.<</if>> "I think we'd probably approach tasks quite differently, because I'm ruled by Mars which can make me quite rushy and you're Mercury which is, like, über detail oriented. Plus, you're an Earth sign, which makes you all sensible and grounded and //I'm// a Fire sign which makes me..." <<include fd9>>

"Ooooooo!" Florrie squeaks, with what you assume is joy, "I love Libras! I'm an Aries, so we're right opposite each other in the zodiac which is such a fun balance. Plus, like, Libra is the scales, right? So that's uber cool!" Florrie delivers her little monologue with such speed that you almost feel compelled to tell her to take a breath, lest she keel over and die. "You're ruled by Venus and I'm ruled by Mars which is always talked about in a bit of a gender roles-y way which, like, eugh," Florrie theatrically rolls her eyes, takes a sip from her glass, and continues, "But you're an air sign, which is great because I'm a fire sign and we can really play to each others strengths and-" <<include fd9>>

Florrie sucks air in sharply through her teeth, wrinkling her nose as she takes a long sip through her curly straw. Why does she get a curly straw? No one offered you one. "Babe, I'm an //Aries//. We'll be a train wreck," she giggles, "It'd be like fire meeting petrol! Sure, there might be an initial attraction, but we're both über strong willed and we both have very different fighting styles..." You begin to wonder if Florrie is perhaps getting astrology confused with Mortal Kombat, but she launches into more explanation before you can say as much. "We're //both// ruled by Mars, but you're also ruled by Pluto, which makes you sneaky and vindictive while I'm a bit more direct. And you're a water sign, which doesn't necessarily vibe with me because I'm a fire sign, but we could-" <<include fd9>>

"A sagittarius?!" she squeals delightedly, at a volume that draws the confused attention of nearby cast members. Imogen, who is sat at the table adjacent to yours, shoots you what you think is a sympathetic look. "Babes, we are, like, //kindred spirits//! We have //so much// in common and our energy is über similar. We could just have the most active, adventures life ever!" Florrie rattles this information off with such speed that it's sort of difficult to keep up. <<if $openness > 70>>You do //love// experiencing new things, so you just nod appreciatively.<<elseif $openness < 40>>You actually aren't wild about the notion of living an active, adventurous life. Maybe your star sign isn't all it's cracked up to be, but Florrie launches into further explanation before you can say as much.<<else>>You aren't aren't a creature of habit, but you probably wouldn't describe yourself as "active and adventurous" either. Before you can even open your mouth to say so, though, Florrie launches into further explanation.<</if>> "Obviously we're both Fire signs, so we'd be totally in sync. You're ruled by Jupiter and me by Mars, but they're actually quite similar. Jupiter makes you all about risk taking, and Mars makes me all about action, so we've both..." <<include fd9>>

"Oooooo!" Florrie squeaks, drumming her fingers thoughtfully against her jaw, "Well, it's definitely an odd pair, but it could totally work! I'm an Aries, so we could be a real power couple if we worked through our different temperaments. We're basically total opposites, but maybe not in a //totally// bad way..." Florrie delivers her little monologue with such speed that you almost feel compelled to tell her to take a breath, lest she keel over and die. "I'm ruled by Mars and you're ruled by Saturn, which normally kind of work against each other. We could run a great business together, though! Between my energy and your drive we'd be, like unstoppable! And you're an Earth sign, so..." <<include fd9>>

"Oh my god, //babes//!" Florrie squeaks, "Such BFF energy! We should be, like, really great communicators." <<if $agreeableness > 50>>For a moment, you think about pointing out that this date isn't exactly a display of your harmonious communication, but then you think better of it. It's probably just nerves, right?<<else>>Good communicators, huh? Is that what this incredibly strange, one-sided date is supposed to be showing? You open your mouth to say as much, but Florrie launches into further explanation before you get the chance.<</if>> "You're an air sign, which is great because I'm a fire sign and we can really play to each others strengths. Plus, you're ruled by Saturn and Uranus, so you'll be so great at channelling my energy into something positive and-" <<include fd9>>

"Aaaaaaaw!" Florrie sighs, like you've just shown her a very small and adorable puppy, "Babes, Pisces are //so// sweet! I think we could really bring out the best in each other. I'm an Aries, so I'm all bold and loud and you're all gentle and compassionate and it could just be //such// a vibe!" <<if $extraversion > 70>>A teacher once described you as being as "quiet as a jackhammer" so Florrie may not be entirely on the right track, but she launches into further explanation before you can say as much.<<elseif $extraversion < 40>>Well, you aren't exactly //loud//, so she might be onto something?<<else>>You might not be the loudest person to grace the earth, but to describe you as "gentle" might be more than a little generous. Before you can say as much, though, Florrie launches into further explanation.<</if>> "You're ruled by Neptune, which can make you a bit dreamy, but I can shake that up with all my Mars energy in no time! And you're a water sign, which doesn't necessarily vibe with me because I'm a fire sign, but we could-" <<include fd9>>

"What's your sign?" you scoff, "That's got to be one of the oldest lines in the book?" Florrie giggles and takes a sip from her drink, her cheeks pinkening slightly. "//Yeah//," she concedes, "But this isn't a line! I really want to know!" <<include fd8>>

"Do you really believe in that shit?" you frown, taking a sip from your glass. Florrie looks affronted for a moment, but she takes a drink as well and looks much more serene when she sets her glass back on the table. "Yes, I do," she replies, with her nose held loftily in the air, "Now, are you going to tell me or not?" <<include fd8>>

Aaah. Florrie appears to have veered from iron-fisted interrogation to monologuing. <<include fd10>>

Judging by Florrie's current display, there isn't. You ease your chin onto one hand and nod along with Florrie's impassioned description of fire signs and her explanation of Aries as a spark igniting. It certainly tallies with what you've seen of her so far - you can see Florrie as a sparkler or a match being struck. <<include fd11>>

She's not the only one who's interested in this kind of thing. You've actually enjoyed hearing Florrie's take on your zodiac sign's compatibility, but you're keen to steer the conversation towards tarot. "The Emperor in tarot is ruled by Aries - is it a card you relate to?" The smile that spreads across Florrie's face is truly incomparable - her whole expression just lights up and she is practically glowing. "You do tarot?!" she squeaks, almost knocking her glass over in her excitement, "Ohmygod that's //amazing//! I don't really know anything about it but I've always loved getting readings and I'd love to learn - would you teach me maybe?!" [[Next|fd12]]

You find Florrie's ramblings as interested as they are incomprehensible - and that's "very" on both counts. You try your best to keep up with her lengthy explanation of the elemental linkages with zodiac signs, but you aren't really sure you're getting it all. <<include fd11>>

You know what's nice on a date? //Actually being able to talk//. <<include fd11.5>>

She doesn't really seem to have grasped the reciprocal nature of date conversations. <<include fd11.5>>

You take a sip from your glass and by the time Florrie runs out of steam, she is beaming back at you. "I've just talked for ages, haven't I?" she grimaces, "I'm //so// sorry, I just love this stuff..." [[Next|fd12]]

<<if $extraversion > 50 and $agreeableness > 50>>"Florrie," you cut in as gently as possible, when Florrie is midway through her spiel about the elemental linkages with zodiac signs, "Can I maybe do some talking for a bit?"<<elseif $extraversion > 50 and $agreeableness < 50>>"Florrie," you cut in decisively, when Florrie is midway through her spiel about the elemental linkages with zodiac signs, "You talk //a lot//."<<else>>Still, you aren't really one for cutting in.<</if>> Almost immediately, Florrie falls quiet and shrinks down in her seat. "I'm //so// sorry," she replies, barely louder than a whisper, "I know I've done such a bad job at this date and I'm really disappointed with myself because..." [[Next|fd12]]

"One minute left, everyone!" Avery calls across the patio, drumming her nails on her clipboard impatiently. Florrie shuffles a little uncomfortably in her seat, crossing and uncrossing her hands in her lap. Her expression has taken on a new vulnerability that you haven't really seen before - perhaps it had been there all along, disguised by her veneer of giddy excitement. "I know I've talked a lot, but I just talk a lot when I'm nervous, and I've been nervous all day," she sighs, "I'm really glad that you picked me... Are you glad that I picked you?" <<include fd13>>

"I could be the topper on a glad pie. My middle name is Glad. I'm the ruler of Gladland." Florrie giggles, her cheeks turning a shade pinker. "You're ridiculous," she replies, smiling back at you with an earnest smile, "In the best possible way." <<include florrieenddateone>>

"Of course," you reply, sincerely. Even if you have been subjected to an absolute grilling, you've also learned a lot about Florrie in the process. "Good," she grins, obviously having regained some of her earlier confidence now that you've confirmed the date not to have been a total bust. <<include florrieenddateone>>

<<if $neuroticism > 70>>"For real? You're glad that I picked you?" you ask, a little disbelievingly. You watch her face fall and immediately realise that your tone had been a little off - laced with bewilderment in a way that could definitely be read as having had a horrible date rather than just being flabbergasted that //she// could be interested in //you//. "No, not like that!" you quickly correct, "I //am// glad that you picked me... I'm just surprised that you're glad too?" Florrie frowns slightly and takes your hand across the table. Hers is soft and warm and it fits comfortably in yours. "I'm very glad," she affirms.<<else>>"//I'm// very glad. Also very glad that I haven't totally put you off." "The opposite," she grins, obviously having regained some of her earlier confidence now that you've confirmed the date not to have been a total bust.<</if>> <<include florrieenddateone>>

Let's be real: it would take a hell of a lot to woo you on a first date. You've never really been a gooey, mushy sort of person, and this is no exception. Are you squealing in glee that Florrie chose you? No, but then, you would //never// squeal in glee. <<if $agreeableness < 35>>Articulating this trail of thought is tricky. While the feelings of others aren't usually at the top of your list of priorities, you don't want to set about upsetting people on day one. "I had a nice time," is what you eventually settle on; no outright rejection and not a lie, but not the affirmation that Florrie seems to be hoping for.<<else>>"It was fine," you chuckle, "But I have a pretty high bar to clear." Florrie looks a little confused, but she seems to accept your answer. She offers a brief smile in acknowledgement.<</if>> <<include florrieenddateone>>

"Florrie," you begin, as delicately as you can. The way her face falls is kind of heartbreaking, even when you aren't interested - there's just something about Florrie that's precious; that needs guarding. There's something about her unrestrained enthusiasm that seems like it'll be stomped out over time, and she should try to hang onto it for as long as she can. "You're //great//, but I just don't think this will go anywhere." Florrie nibbles her lip for a second before she plasters a smile back on her face. "Of course. No worries, babe! I'm sure we'll be great friends, anyway," she assures you emphatically. <<include florrieenddateone>>

<<if $dateone is "blah">><<include fed1>><<elseif $datetwo is "blah">><<include fed2>><<elseif $datethree is "blah">><<include fed3>><</if>>

<<if $agreeableness > 50>>"Perhaps for any future dates, we can forgo the interrogation?" you smile, and Florrie laughs. "Deal," she replies, extending a pinkie in your direction. //Of course// Florrie is the sort of person that still believes in the sanctity of the pinkie swear. You oblige, linking yours for a moment.<<else>>"Perhaps for any future dates, we can forgo the interrogation?" you ask tentatively, and Florrie laughs. "Deal," she replies, extending a pinkie in your direction. //Of course// Florrie is the sort of person that still believes in the sanctity of the pinkie swear. Your eyes practically roll out of your skull, but you do oblige, linking yours for a moment.<</if>> <<include florrieenddateone>>

<<set $dateone to "florrie">>"Ok, everyone!" Avery calls across the terrace, "That's a wrap on date number one!" "Have fun on your other dates, babes!" Florrie grins, happily tapping the tabletop as you get to your feet, <<if $florrierom > 4>>"But, like, not as much fun as you had with me, okay?" "Not sure anyone else will be able to give me //quite// the same grilling //or// star sign info," you smile affectionately, and Florrie beams back at you.<<else>>"Can't wait to hear all about them later!"<</if>> [[Next|datetwo]]

<<set $datetwo to "florrie">>"Ok, everyone!" Avery calls across the terrace, "That's a wrap on date number two!" "Have fun on your other dates, babes!" Florrie grins, happily tapping the tabletop as you get to your feet, <<if $florrierom > 4>>"But, like, not as much fun as you had with me, okay?" "Not sure anyone else will be able to give me //quite// the same grilling //or// star sign info," you smile affectionately, and Florrie beams back at you.<<else>>"Can't wait to hear all about them later!"<</if>> [[Next|datethree]]

<<set $datethree to "florrie">>"Ok, everyone!" she calls across the terrace, "That's a wrap on date number three!" "Three dates down," Florrie grins, "That means it's the big coupling soon, right?" Holy //shit//, it is. [[Next|datethree]]

"$mcname, would you go and join Imogen?" As you walk up to take your seat opposite Imogen, you can see her visibly breathe a sigh of relief. Her hands, previously both fiddling anxiously with the charm on her necklace, move down to rest carefully on the table and she smiles warmly up at you as you take your seat. In the light of the setting sun, her red hair is practically glowing – aflame and otherworldly. Out of the airconditioned comfort of the villa, she has shed the cardigan that she was wearing earlier and her bare shoulders have already pinkened slightly. You settle into your chair and Imogen opens and closes her mouth a few times, drawing breath to speak but unable to actually get any words out, fingers tightening around the stem of her glass. "Hi," you begin for her, and she lets out a self-conscious laugh. "Hi," she replies, with an apologetic smile. <<include id2>>

"So, I not-" "I was re-" <<include id3>>

"We should tot-" "I was re-" <<include id3>>

"You know, it's perf-" "I was re-" <<include id3>>

Your chest feels tight as you try fruitlessly to think of //anything// that you might use as a conversation starter. <<if $extraversion > 65>>You would //never// be described as shy, but something about this situation has just totally dried up your gift for small talk.<<elseif $extraversion < 40>>You've always been absolutely shit at small talk - you spent most of your time at university relying on more extroverted pals steering your conversations. Now, though, you're stuck.<<else>>You wouldn't be described as a massively shy person, but something about this situation has just left you totally empty-headed.<</if>> You have to ask //something//, though. Anything. Just literally the next question to come into your mind would be //great//. "So, I not-" "I was re-" <<include id3>>

You both begin to speak at the same time and then come to an abrupt halt, leaving you in silence once again. Imogen laughs again, shaking her head and brushing her long hair back over her shoulders. "I was just going to ask..." she begins again, with renewed determination, "It's something I read, actually. I was just thinking about first impressions - how important do you think they are? Do you think that someone can come back from a bad one?" She holds your gaze, taking a slow sip from her glass. <<include id4>>

<<if $neuroticism > 50>>//Oh god//, it's only day one and you've already botched it. "Do I need to start recovering from my bad first impression?" you ask hesitantly, as your stomach ties itself in knots.<<else>>"Why?" you grin, leaning forward to rest your chin on one fist like you're posing for a 90s sportswear advert, "Do I already need to start regaining ground from my horrible first impression?"<</if>> Imogen laughs, flailing both of her hands as she rushes to swallow the sip she just took from her glass to reply to you. "No no, not at all," she splutters, cheeks flushing pinker by the second, "It was just... I don't know - the first question I thought of? I always worry about my first impression." <<include id4.1.1>>

"You don't need to," you reply, without hesitation, "Your first impression was great." Imogen turns a shade pinker still, hiding her smile as she takes another sip from her drink. "Thank you," she replies quietly. <<include id5>>

You smile softly, meeting Imogen's gaze. "You might not be like some of the others, Imogen, but that isn't a bad thing," you assure her. The world is full of attention-grabbing, reality star types. Imogen is a breath of fresh air; exactly the sort of person that you hadn't really expected to meet on the show and exactly the sort of person that you're glad is here. "Thank you," she replies quietly. <<include id5>>

"Well, if you're every looking for tips on being devastatingly charming, I'm available," you grin, and Imogen laughs. "What makes you so sure that you're so devastatingly charming?" she giggles. <<if $neuroticism > 50>>Well, the fact that Imogen wanted to date you is a fairly solid indicator that you can't be //completely// charmless.<<else>>A lifetime of experience.<</if>> "Got me here, didn't it?" you reply, taking a sip from your drink and Imogen's blush deepens. Judging by her reaction, you'd say she found you considerably more charming than she was trying to let on. <<include id5>>

<<if $funny > 50>>The first question to come into your mind is usually something totally brainless. It'd be like "Do eyebrows count as facial hair?" or "If Cinderella's shoe fit so well, why did it fall off?"<<else>>It definitely wouldn't be //relevant//, at least. It'd be like "Do you snack while you food shop?" or "What's your go to karaoke song?"<</if>> "That was a pretty smooth first question," you smile, meeting Imogen's gaze. "Thank you," she replies quietly. <<include id5>>

"You made a lovely first impression," you reply earnestly, "If that's what you meant." Imogen averts her gaze, focusing on the liquid at the bottom of her glass as her cheeks flush pinker by the second. "I'm glad you think so," she replies after a moment. <<include id5>>

"Is this an Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy scenario?" you grin, leaning back in your chair, "Which does that make me?" Imogen laughs, flailing both of her hands as she rushes to swallow the sip she just took from her glass to reply to you. "I hope not!" she splutters, cheeks flushing pinker by the second, "At least, I //know// that your first impression wasn't bad, so that would make //me// Mr Darcy and I'm not sure that I would like to be." "Oh?" you smile, swilling your drink with one hand as you watch Imogen's blustering with great amusement, "Then who do you think you would be?" Imogen thinks for a moment before resolutely meeting your gaze, "Fanny Price from Mansfield Park. People always underestimate her, but she's stronger than they think." Not the most famous or revered Austen heroine by any stretch, but definitely a telling answer. <<include id5>>

At least, that's what you tell yourself. "Yeeeeah," you reply, leaning back in your seat, "I don't think first impressions are all that, really." Imogen smiles back at you and bobs her head happily, obviously reassured by your answer. "Good," she breathes, anxiously tapping her fingernails against the edge of her glass, "I always worry about my first impression." <<include id4.1.1>>

You ponder the question for a moment. They are pretty important, you suppose. It'd be hard to recover from a //really// bad first impression, like if you saw someone warning an "I love Katie Hopkins" t-shirt. "Depends how bad," you reply, "It's hard to forget the //super// heinous stuff." Imogen's brow creases into a thoughtful little frown as she nibbles on her bottom lip, anxiously tapping her fingernails against the edge of her glass. "Well, hopefully I've not done anything //heinous...//" she murmurs, face still painted with concern, "I always worry about my first impression." <<include id4.1.1>>

"What were you going to say before I interrupted earlier?" [[Oh, that.|id6]]

<<if hasVisited("id2.1")>><<include id8>><<elseif hasVisited("id2.2")>><<include id9>><<elseif hasVisited("id2.4")>><<include id7>><<else>><<include id7>><</if>>

"I was just going to say," you begin, "If you're nervous... that seems pretty normal." "Good to know," Imogen smiles, gaze entirely focused on the liquid in her glass, "A couple of hours stood next to Florrie and it's easy to feel like a nervous little alien." You glance across the terrace to where Florrie is currently leant back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other as she grills a bewildered Adegoke. You chuckle - <<if $extraversion > 60>>even for someone as outgoing as you, it's easy to see how Florrie might be a lot for people.<<else>>anyone who was led to believe that Florrie's level of extraversion was the social norm could be forgiven for thinking that they were an alien.<</if>> "A cute alien like //ET// or a murdery kind like //Alien//?" "I //hope// the cute kind!" Imogen scoffs, "I like to think I have more control over my saliva." [[Next|id10]]

"I was going to ask about your necklace, actually," you reply, bobbing your head toward the charm, leaning forward slightly to get a better look at it. Mercifully, it hangs just below the hollow of her throat so you can dodge any accusations of boob-staring. Imogen puts a hand up to the delicate golden birdcage and smiles back at you. "I //always// wear it," she explains, twisting the charm between slender fingers, "It was a gift from a teacher when I finished my GCSEs and it's what made move out on my own." "You moved out when you were sixteen?" Imogen nods her head, sadness and pride intermingling in her expression. [[Next|id10]]

<<if $extraversion > 50>>You laugh, nodding your head to Imogen's sunburned shoulders.<<else>>You nod your head in the direction of Imogen's sunburned shoulders.<</if>> "I was just going to say that we'll have to get you some factor 50 for the rest of the time in here, or you'll end up like a lobster." Imogen laughs, holding her hair back to examine her shoulders. "Oh //god//," she half groans and half giggles, burying her face in her hands, "I've barely even been outside and I'm //already// burning - I don't know why I thought that venturing out to a tropical island was ever going to work out for me." [[Next|id10]]

"Wrap up your conversations, everyone!" Avery calls across the terrace, "We're going to move on in a minute." Imogen leans forward with a fresh resolve and smiles at you. Her expressions have been small and restrained until now - little hints of happiness, but nothing too big or bold. Now, though, her pale blue eyes are twinkling with a mischievous enthusiasm that tells you there is //far// more to her than any of you have seen so far. "Are you reading any books right now?" Imogen's roguish expression combined with her exceedingly mundane question <<if $funny > 50>>has you in stitches.<<else>>is almost enough to make you laugh.<</if>> Clearly, the way to her heart is through the page. It's nice that she seems less paralysed by insecurity than when you first sat down, though. <<include id11>>

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but holy shit was dragging your suitcase through multiple airports was not fun. <<include id11.1.1>>

"I'm //always// reading," you reply, matching her grin with one of your own, "Obviously not, like, right //now//, but in a more general sense. If anyone wants to do weight training while we're here, my suitcase would be a good start." "Me too!" Imogen beams back at you, almost knocking her drinks over as she waves her hands in excitement, "I spent so long struggling with my bags at the airport that eventually a little family came over to help me move them. //Mortifying//." She laughs, hand over her face to shield her embarrassment as her vibrant red hair tumbles forward over her shoulders. [[Next|id12]]

<<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>It's the most efficient way, really. You aren't always in the mood for a given genre, so better to divide and conquer.<<else>>Your attention span has never been good enough to just focus on one thing and see it through to completion; you have to jump back and forth across genres and stories and worlds so that there's always //something// you're in the mood for.<</if>> "A few things," you answer with a self-conscious smile, quite aware of how polarising this particular subject can be. One-book-at-a-time people have never been able to understand this more diverse approach - it's one of humanity's great dividers. "Oh, your brain!" she marvels, "I can never focus on more than one thing at once." She laughs, hand over her face to shield her embarrassment as her vibrant red hair tumbles forward over her shoulders. [[Next|id12]]

It's comforting, in it's own funny way, to be able to revisit the same worlds and characters - like hanging out with old friends. "The same things I always read," you answer with a self-conscious smile, "I have a bit of a roster situation." "I do that too!" Imogen beams back at you, almost knocking her drinks over as she waves her hands in excitement, "I reread //Emma// at least once a year. I can't keep buying books because I don't have a tonne of space at home, so I have a one-in-one-out policy and there are some that I can just never get rid of." [[Next|id12]]

You're not really a big reader - there's a whole bunch of other things you'd rather be doing. Besides, you can always wait for the movie/tv show to come out. All the good books get one, right? "I'm not reading anything at the moment, actually," you answer with a self-conscious smile. "Good," Imogen beams back at you, assuaging any concerns you might have had about her being reading-elitist, "More time for me to tell you about all of my faves." She laughs, her vibrant red hair tumbles forward over her shoulders. [[Next|id12]]

Who needs a relationship built on honestly? That sounds like //work// and it's not what you're here for. <<include id11.1.1>>

Then, just like that, your time with Imogen is up. Avery has called the other cast members back over to her, resulting in a burst of sound as everyone politely wraps up their dates and shuffles their metal-framed chairs back under their tables. "Oh!" Imogen looks taken aback, despite the previous warning that your time was almost up. She gets to her feet, loitering awkwardly at the table as you do the same and she attempts to make a decision about what sort of end-date marker is appropriate. <<if $neuroticism > 65>>At least she things it went well enough that one will be necessary, you suppose. It would be //more// awkward if she was sprinting back to the villa right now.<br><br><</if>><<include id13>>

"Thank you for a lovely mini-date," you smile, as you vacate your seat and lean in toward Imogen. <<if $mcheight gt 3>>You lean down to press a kiss to her cheek, fingers gently ghosting the curve of her elbow as she tiptoes up to meet your lips. The smell of coconut on her hair washes over you and, for a brief second, everything feels very still. Then you straighten up and she shrinks away and you are parted once again. Her cheeks are flushed pink and she avoids your gaze, looking around at just about everything that isn't you before she finds a comfortable spot on the ground.<<elseif $mcheight is 1>>You stretch up onto your tiptoes to press a kiss to her cheek, fingers gently ghosting the curve of her elbow as your lips press against her smooth skin. The smell of coconut on her hair washes over you and, for a brief second, everything feels very still. Then you shrink back down and the two of you are parted once again. Her cheeks are flushed pink and she avoids your gaze, looking around at just about everything that isn't you before she finds a comfortable spot on the ground.<<else>>You lean forward to press a kiss to her cheek, fingers gently ghosting the curve of her elbow as she tips her face up to meet you halfway. The smell of coconut on her hair washes over you and, for a brief second, everything feels very still. Then you straighten up and she shrinks away and you are parted once again. Her cheeks are flushed pink and she avoids your gaze, looking around at just about everything that isn't you before she finds a comfortable spot on the ground.<</if>> <<include id14>>

You vacate your seat and as you extend your arms to lean in for a hug, Imogen seems to have had the same thought. <<if $mcheight gt 3>>She wraps her arms firmly around your waist and you rest your chin on the top of her head. Despite the flurry of movement happening around you, for a brief second everything feels very still.<<else>>She wraps her arms firmly around your neck, nestling her face into your shoulder. Despite the flurry of movement happening around you, for a brief second everything feels very still.<</if>><<if $imogenrom > 1>> You take a deep breath, eyes fluttering closed as the smell of coconut on Imogen's hair washes over you.<</if>> Then, after a moment, you break apart. Her cheeks are flushed pink and she avoids your gaze, looking around at just about everything that isn't you before she finds a comfortable spot on the ground. <<include id14>>

You rise from your seat as well, extending your hand for a high five. Imogen goes in for a sort of handshake and you adjust the angle of your own hand to accommodate her, only for her to realise what you had been shooting for to begin with and end up giving an awkward little high five to your closed fist. <<if $extraversion > 50>>"We can work on that," you chuckle, and Imogen smiles back at you.<<else>>You die a little inside. This sort of shit always seems to happen to you, but my //god// it doesn't make it easier each time it does.<</if>> <<include id14>>

<<if $extraversion > 50>>"Thank you," you grin as you vacate your chair, "For a lovely mini-date."<<else>>"Thank you," you begin, a little awkwardly, as you vacate your chair, "For a lovely mini-date-type thing."<</if>> Imogen beams back at you, expression mingled with pride and relief. <<include id14>>

Imogen can't be feeling more than a faction of the discomfort that you are currently experiencing. You've always been rubbish at this part. Ending dates is hard enough even when you know that you don't ever have to see the other person again, let alone with the added pressure of knowing that you're about to have to live together for the next month. <<if $dateone isnot "blah">>You hadn't even given the ending of the date much thought last time, but with Imogen looking at you like she's waiting for some kind of resolution, your mind is spinning into overdrive.<</if>> You just linger by the table as well, gently resting the fingers of one hand on its surface as you retrieve your now-empty glass with the other. "Well..." you begin, taking a deep breath and hoping desperately that Imogen will finish your sentence so that you don't have to. Mercifully, she does. <<include id14>>

<<if $dateone is "blah">><<include ied1>><<elseif $datetwo is "blah">><<include ied2>><<elseif $datethree is "blah">><<include ied3>><</if>>

<<set $dateone to "imogen">>"Have fun on your other dates," Imogen says, softly and sincerely as she brushes her long hair behind one ear. "You too," you reply as you walk back toward the villa together. You mean it. Imogen is not the archetypal reality TV star by any stretch; she is quiet and shy and sort of unassuming, but that is also part of what makes her so endearing. You can't help but hope that she finds whatever she's looking for from this experience. <<if $imogenrom > 1>>Even more than that, you hope that perhaps it might be //you//.<br><br><</if>>[[Next|datetwo]]

<<set $datetwo to "imogen">> "Have fun on your other dates," Imogen says, softly and sincerely as she brushes her long hair behind one ear. "You too," you reply as you walk back toward the villa together. You mean it. Imogen is not the archetypal reality TV star by any stretch; she is quiet and shy and sort of unassuming, but that is also part of what makes her so endearing. You can't help but hope that she finds whatever she's looking for from this experience. <<if $imogenrom > 1>>Even more than that, you hope that perhaps it might be //you//.<br><br><</if>>[[Next|datethree]]

<<set $datethree to "imogen">>"Good luck at the coupling, I suppose," she says, softly and sincerely as she brushes her long hair behind one ear. <<if $imogenrom < 2>>"You too," you reply as you walk back toward the villa together. You mean it. Imogen is not the archetypal reality TV star by any stretch; she is quiet and shy and sort of unassuming, but that is also part of what makes her so endearing. You can't help but hope that she finds whatever she's looking for from this experience.<br><br><<elseif $extraversion > 50>>"Am I going to need luck?" you grin in response, and Imogen bites her lip. "That depends who you want to be picked by," she replies coyly, looking back at you from under long lashes, "You certainly don't need luck where I'm concerned." And then, with a final little smile, she turns to walk back toward the villa.<br><br><<else>>"Am I going to need luck?" you ask, a little shyly. You generally stray away from bold questions like this, but now doesn't seem like the time to withhold. You like Imogen and, given the situation, it would be silly not to let her know it. "That depends who you want to be picked by," she replies coyly, looking back at you from under long lashes, "You certainly don't need luck where I'm concerned." And then, with a final little smile, she turns to walk back toward the villa.<br><br><</if>>[[Next|afteralldates]]

"$mcname, you should go and join Ellis." [[Next|ed1]]

<<if $dateone isnot "blah">>While everyone else has been quite eager to get up and mill about, Ellis has remained in their seat since the first date, with either Arthur or Avery obligingly refilling their glass.<br><br><</if>>Ellis smiles warmly, and somewhat apologetically, up at you as you approach and take the seat opposite them. "I'm so sorry - I would get up-" they begin, sitting a little straighter as they rest their hands in their lap. <<if $agreeableness > 50>>"Don't worry about it," you reply, your tone reassuring as you mirror their warm smile.<<else>>"Don't worry about it."<</if>> [[Next|ed3]]

"I just feel like all of my greetings have been so lacklustre!" they chuckle, delicately pinching the bridge of their nose with something resembling embarrassment, "Honestly, I am //so// glad that you chose me. I'm glad to have the chance to know you better." "I'm glad, too." Ellis drums their fingers on their chin thoughtfully and before they speak again. "I suppose I should go first? I can't very well ask you to spill all of your secrets without first revealing mine?" they grin, resting their hands on their cheeks, "Well, my name is Ellis and I use they/them pronouns. I'm a curator at a gallery, which I //love//. I like mysteries, champagne and I think that everything is more magical at night." They smile, punctuating their introduction with a sip from their glass. You wonder if they're on the prosecco like Adegoke, or if they persuaded someone to open a bottle of champagne for them. "Feels very contrived, doesn't it?" they add, carefully tucking their thick hair behind one ear as they swirl their glass in the other hand, "Introducing ourselves like this. I feel like a walking cliché - if anyone tells me they enjoy long walks on the beach then I'll be on the next flight home." "Oh shit," you laugh, "Better rewrite my opening monologue." Ellis shakes their head, once again tucking back the strand of hair that seems determined not to stay behind their ear. "I am //terribly sorry//," they reply teasingly, "Please, tell me about yourself." "Well, I'm $mcname. I use $mche/$mchim pronouns. I'm a temp office worker at the moment, <<if $openness > 50>>which isn't really what I want to be doing forever, but it pays the bills.<<else>>which pretty much sucks.<</if>> Aaaaand I like... <<include ed4>>

"...Hot gallery employees who like mysteries, champagne and think that everything is more magical at night," you grin. Ellis laughs, one hand covering their mouth as they do. "That was a hell of a line," they reply, eyes twinkling. In the light of the setting sun they look almost golden, and it’s hard to distinguish their true colour. Toeing the line between brown and hazel, you think, with little freckles in the irises. "Did it work?" Their nose wiggles from side to side as they contemplate their answer, studying their deep red nails carefully before their eyes meet yours once again. "Well, that would be telling," Ellis grins, "But I suppose that now we are well and truly introduced." [[Next|ed5]]

"...Roast dinners, stately homes, and quiet nights in," you smile. "You have excellent taste - a good roast potato cannot be beaten," Ellis replies. <<include ed4.10>>

"...Dancing, drinking and parties," you grin. There are no three things that can better describe you, really. "Well, don't you just sound like a wonderful change of pace," Ellis replies. <<include ed4.10>>

"...Hot baths, blueberry scones, and helping people out," you smile. "Helping people? How noble." Ellis grins, "And you aren't just saying that for the cameras?" Ellis casts a conspiratorial glance around, as though the very air is filming you, but you cannot help but feel a little affronted. "No," you answer, firmly, "I'm not just saying that for the cameras." "Well, good for you," Ellis raises their eyebrows sceptically. <<include ed4.10>>

"...Formalwear, Italian food, and making lists," you smile. "While I can't confess to being a list maker myself, I do agree that there's nothing better than getting all dressed up," Ellis grins. <<include ed4.10>>

"...Sunshine, sherbet dip dabs, and the smell of clean laundry," you smile. "You have excellent taste - although I've never actually had a sherbet dip dab," Ellis chuckles. <<include ed4.10>>

"...Lord of the Rings, churros, and the great outdoors," you smile. "Excellent books," Ellis grins. <<include ed4.10>>

"...Road trips, horror movies, and hash browns," you smile. "A breakfast essential," Ellis replies, nodding sagely. <<include ed4.10>>

"...Travel, spontaneity and knock-knock jokes," you smile. "Knock knock," Ellis grins gleefully. "Who's there?" "Boo." "Boo who?" "Oh, darling, don't cry," Ellis leans forward to take your hand with an expression of faux-sympathy, but they can't suppress the grin that spreads across their face. "A classic," you laugh. It's kind of adorable how proud they are of such a God-awful joke. "Thank you, thank you," they reply, bowing their head slightly. <<include ed4.10>>

"And I suppose that now we are well and truly introduced! Thank goodness for that." <<include ed5>>

You settle back in your chair and take a moment to look out across the expansive ocean toward the distant horizon as an easy silence settles between you. "It's strange, isn't it?" Ellis says after a moment, "Being so tremendously isolated like this. A few years ago, I think I would have hated the idea." "What changed?" <<if $openness > 50>>you ask, brow furrowed slightly. You've never been someone who's afraid to take on a bit of adventure, so you find it hard to fathom why someone who isn't of that disposition would want to participate in a show like this.<<elseif $motive is "adventure">>you ask, a smile spreading across your face. Your friends probably wouldn't describe you as the most adventurous person, but that's exactly what you came here for. Perhaps Ellis' motivations can give you some insight into whatever temporary insanity brought you here.<<else>>you ask. Anyone who knew you would probably think you'd hate the idea even now - you aren't exactly the adventurous sort. Perhaps a window into Ellis' experience will help you make sense of your own moment of uncharacteristic impulsivity.<</if>> Ellis sighs, brow creased into a thoughtful frown. "Well, I'm chronically ill, and I guess as my symptoms have worsened over time, I have realised that life is too short to not go after the things that you want," they pause to take a sip from their glass, before finishing, "And I want to fall in love." It's a romantic notion, <<if $motive is "love">>and Ellis' ability to be so direct about it is admirable. You're here for the very same reason, after all.<<elseif $motive is "money">>although it isn't a sentiment that you share. Ellis is brave to be so open about it, though. Sure, it //might// get them closer to what they're looking for, but it's also //very// exploitable information.<<else>>and although you don't share their reasoning, it's cool that they're so open. Bold declaration for a first date, though, but can perhaps be forgiven in the current circumstances.<</if>> <<include ed6>>

"I'd better get to work, then," you grin. Ellis sits forward and narrows their eyes, as if trying to sense whether you're just mocking them. <<if $ellisrom gte 1>>"It might take less work than you think," their red lips quirk into a smile.<<else>>"Maybe you should," their red lips quirk into a smile.<</if>> [[Next|ed7]]

It's pretty cool that they're putting themselves out there to go get what they want. <<if $motive is "love">>It's not really any different to what you're doing, but it's much easier to praise other people's ambition than it is to recognise your own.<</if>> "Good for you," you reply, with a sincere smile, and you watch as Ellis' gaze flits from their glass to your face and then back again. [[Next|ed7]]

Sure, it's a dating show, but is it really the easiest place to find love? How could Ellis be sure they weren't going to be surrounded by a bunch of money grabbing arseholes? "Is this really the best place for that?" you challenge, wrinkling your nose a little. Ellis grins back at you, "Is there any one place that is better than others for finding love? It can pop up anywhere." They have a point, you suppose. It might not be the easiest place to find it, but if you could have a shot at love //and// winning a shed load of money //and// getting to spend a month in a tropical paradise then it might not be the worst idea in the world. "Touché." [[Next|ed7]]

"Have you always been this idealistic?" you ask, eyebrow raised. "Believe it or not, I used to be //more// idealistic," Ellis grins, "My mamgu always told me I should get my head out of the clouds, 'cause otherwise the world would just drag me down. I like to think I've done my best to resist." [[Next|ed7]]

"There's no such thing," you reply flatly. Ellis sits forward and narrows their eyes, casting an appraising gaze over you. Then, surprisingly, their red lips quirk into a smile. "Then I suppose I'll have to try and change your mind." Well, that's fighting talk if you've ever heard it. [[Next|ed7]]

Ellis shuffles forward in their seat, propping their chin up on their fist as they absentmindedly swirl their glass with the other. Their almond eyes are focused on you, like they're searching your soul. <<if $friendly < 50>>Your soul is a bit of an arsehole, so you aren't sure they'll like whatever they find.<<elseif $honest <50>>You aren't really used to being considered with this sort of intensity, and you shift a little in your chair. You aren't sure that Ellis'll like what they find.<<elseif $honest > 60>>You don't think that they'll need to look all that far, really. You aren't one for burying things away.<<else>>You shuffle a little uncomfortably in your seat, unused to being considered with such intensity.<</if>> "I just want to learn more about you, is that weird?" <<if $funny < 50 or $extraversion < 50>>"It's not weird," you assure them. You imagine it would be pretty fucking awkward to be on a date, contrived or otherwise, with someone who didn't have the slightest interest in getting to know you.<<else>>"This is so awkward, because //I// want to learn more about Morgan Freeman," you grin. Ellis moves to swat at your arm, but you whip it out the way before they reach you. Turns out that you have catlike reflexes - who knew? "Of course it's not weird," you chuckle, resuming a more normal seating position now that the threat of being slapped has eased, "I want to learn about you, too. It's what we're here for."<</if>> Ellis rolls their lips together for a moment, narrowing their eyes slightly as they ponder the perfect question. Then, after a moment, they ask, "What title would you give your autobiography?" <<include ed8>>

"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Coffee," you reply decisively. Really, what is life if not the passage of time between caffeinated beverages? Ellis grins back at you, "A caffeine fiend? I'll try to remember that." "Are you not?" you scoff incredulously. People who can make it through the work day without a morning coffee are simply too powerful - you regard Ellis with a sense of childlike wonder and they shake their head. "Caffeine makes me a bit twitchy," they shrug, "But I've been told I make an excellent latte, so if you're lucky maybe I'll bring you one in the morning." <<include ed8.1.1>>

Your eyebrows shoot up and Ellis immediately holds up a finger. "//Not// what I meant!" they rush, wagging their finger in your direction, "$mcname, get your head out of the gutter. //I only meant// that we'll obviously see each other tomorrow. No other subtext." [[Next|ed9]]

"I'll be holding you to that," you smile. "That's why I offered," they grin. [[Next|ed9]]

You scoff, leaning back in your seat. If it doesn't involve hand grinding the beans, meticulously folding Chemex filter papers and running three different timers on your phone, it just doesn't hit the spot. "Well, if you're up for a challenge..." you grin, and Ellis shakes their head at you. "I make a friendly offer and you're going to put me through my paces?" they chuckle disbelievingly. Yeah, pretty much. [[Next|ed9]]

"The Autobiography of $mcname $surname?" you venture. <<if $conscientiousness > 50>>If you //actually// wrote an autobiography, you'd probably spend weeks agonising over the title. Selecting one out of thin air on a day like today feels fruitless. There is something to be said for simplicity, though.<<else>>If you're honest, you'd probably pretty much wing it like this naming your actual biography. There's something to be said for simplicity, though.<</if>> Ellis almost spits out their drink, covering their laugh with one hand as they struggle to swallow. "Very direct!" is all they can splutter in reply. "Hey, what you see is what you get with me," you smile, <<if $honest > 50>>watching as Ellis attempts to compose themselves again.<<else>>knowing that is very much not the case but sensing that it is probably what Ellis wants to hear.<</if>> [[Next|ed9]]

"How To Keep It All Inside And Just Keep Keeping It Inside," you answer, and Ellis is visibly concerned. "Sounds like a pretty bleak book." They aren't wrong. It's also a bit of an oxymoron; can't really keep it all inside if you write a book about it. [[Next|ed9]]

"Look, It Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time," you grin. Ellis almost spits out their drink, covering their laugh with one hand as they struggle to swallow. "Very telling," is all they can splutter in reply. "What can I say? I'm spontaneous," you smile, watching as Ellis attempts to compose themselves again. [[Next|ed9]]

"One $mcman And A Spreadsheet." "Aaah, a fellow fan of a pivot table," Ellis grins, nodding their head in a show of approval as they take a sip from their glass. "Guilty," <<if $agreeableness > 50>>you reply, with a self-effacing grin.<<else>>you groan, reluctant to admit it.<</if>>Probably not the sort of thing you should be bragging about on what is arguably a first date, but it //is// probably what you'd call your autobiography. [[Next|ed9]]

"One of those quizzes where you use the first initial of your first and last names told me it'd be 'The Lazy Pencil.'" Ellis almost spits out their drink, covering their laugh with one hand as they struggle to swallow. "The Lazy Pencil?" is all they can splutter in reply. "The Lazy Pencil," you solemnly affirm as Ellis attempts to compose themselves again. [[Next|ed9]]

"I think that's already taken?" Ellis laughs, taking a sip from their champagne flute. "Still very appropriate." "Well then, that's pretty bleak." Ellis looks visibly concerned. They aren't wrong. [[Next|ed9]]

"One minute left!" Avery calls across the terrace. "We appear to be a little light on time," Ellis crosses one leg over the other, leaning back in their seat with one hand resting on their glass, "Any burning questions?" <<include ed10>>

"What's your favourite movie?" That's a pretty standard question to get to know someone, right? Ellis smiles. "Either Vertigo or 12 Angry Men." You are entirely unsurprised that Ellis has chosen such classics; they look like they could be plucked right out of the 1940s, after all. [[Next|ed11]]

"If you won the lottery, how would you spend it?" Ellis drums their fingers on their chin thoughtfully and hums gently as they ponder their answer. "I don't know if I would spend it - is that really dull? I think I'd need some time to really think about what to do with it. No big impulse purchases." <<if $conscientiousness gt 60>>You smile back at them, knowing that you would probably take a very similar approach. Sure, you might not //intend// to wait a particularly long time, but there would be so many different options to consider (and spreadsheets to make) that you'd probably leave it a fair while.<<elseif $conscientiousness lt 40>>You absolutely cannot confess to taking a similar approach - if you won the lottery, you'd have probably spent all of the money before you even got home from picking up the cheque. Maybe Ellis could teach you how to be more responsible.<<else>>You like to think you'd give it a //bit// of thought before you spent a lottery win, but you'd definitely end up making a few impulse purchases. Perhaps Ellis could teach you a thing or two.<</if>> [[Next|ed11]]

"Would you rather eat poison ivy or a handful of bees?" you grin. "Neither? What?" "You have to pick one." "I guess poison ivy, then? I love bumblebees and I wouldn't want to hurt them. I'm a put-out-a-spoonful-of-sugar-water kind of person." You hadn't realised that the world could be divided into those who would willingly put out a spoonful of sugarwater for a struggling bee and those who wouldn't, but it's as good a system to categorise people as any other. <<include ed10.3.1>>

If your apartment had any outdoor space at all, you'd be planting all the bee-friendly wildflower seeds you could get your hands on. You briefly contemplate getting flower boxes for your windowledge, and then you remember that you should probably put a pin in that particular thought for another time. "Me too," you smile, and Ellis beams back at you. "Good." [[Next|ed11]]

You support bees in spirit only - the idea of actually getting close to one makes your skin crawl. They're too fuzzy and buzzy and anything that can be described in words ending in '-uzzy' skeeves you out. "I'm terrified of insects," you grimace, and Ellis beams back at you. "Well then, I'll have to save enough bees for both of us. Perhaps you can champion poision ivy instead?" [[Next|ed11]]

It's not that you hate bumblebees; they're important pollinators, not to mention one of the better transformers. Still, something about them just really makes your skin crawl and you can't help but swat at them whenever they get too close. "I'm not a bee fan," you grimace, and Ellis narrows their eyes at you. "Well then, I'll have to save enough bees for both of us. Perhaps you can champion poision ivy instead?" [[Next|ed11]]

"Do you consider youself an introvert or an extrovert?" "Definitely an introvert. I like being around people, but I need to recharge after a while." <<if $extraversion > 60>>You don't generally find that being around the right sort of people drains your batteries, but you can understand the feeling at least. "Hopefully my company hasn't been too draining?" Ellis gives you a toothy smile. "Not at all."<<elseif $extraversion < 40>>Hey, other than when they said 'I like being around people' you can totally relate! Now you think about it, the next month might be testing.<<else>>You can totally relate. Hanging out with people is nice, but after a while you need to retreat back behind a closed door and spend some time by yourself. Now you think about it, the next month might be testing.<</if>> [[Next|ed11]]

"Aaaaand that's time!" "It was lovely to chat to you, $mcname," Ellis smiles, as you begin to vacate your seat. "You too." <<include ed12>>

You've liked everything that they've had to tell you about themselves so far, so that's a pretty good start? <<if $friendly > 50>>You feel a pull in your stomach as you leave and you hope desperately that they like what you've told them so far, too. It's a warm, squirmy feeling and it spreads like a fire up the back of your neck as you glance back at where Ellis is still sitting.<<else>>You feel a pull in your stomach as you leave and you realise that you hope they like what you've told them so far, too. It's an unusual, uncomfortable, squirmy feeling and it spreads like a fire up the back of your neck as you glance back at where Ellis is still sitting.<</if>> For a moment, they are smiling down at their empty glass. Then they look back at you, looking at them, and their smile widens. [[Next|ellisenddate]]

You don't think that anything romantic will crystalise between you, but Ellis seems pretty cool and you hope that you'll become friends. [[Next|ellisenddate]]

Your combined couple name isn't going to be trending on Twitter or anything, but it was a perfectly nice chat. You don't think anything romantic will crystalise between you and Ellis, but you'll hopefully be friendly during the rest of your time in the villa. [[Next|ellisenddate]]

Ellis isn't really your cup of tea. Nothing personal, just not your vibe. [[Next|ellisenddate]]

There's just something about their polished manner that feels fake, and that's unsettling. Ellis isn't someone you plan on spending a lot of the rest of your time with. [[Next|ellisenddate]]

<<if $dateone is "blah">><<include eed1>><<elseif $datetwo is "blah">><<include eed2>><<elseif $datethree is "blah">><<include eed3>><</if>>

<<set $dateone to "ellis">><<include datetwo>>

<<set $datetwo to "ellis">><<include datethree>>

<<set $datethree to "ellis">><<include afteralldates>>

"$mcname, can you go and join Sydney?" Avery asks, casting a sceptical glance towards the table that Syd is currently occupying. "You can call me Syd, babe! We're all friends here!" comes the reply from Syd, called across the terrace as they swing on the back legs of their chair and smirk back at Avery. Their battered converse rest atop the table, hands resting behind their head. Although you haven't known them for very long, you are beginning to wonder whether Syd is physically incapable of sitting properly in a chair. As you approach, they let their chair legs clatter back onto the floor and they get to their feet. "Let's get out of here." <<include sd1>>

"I like your thinking," you smile, drawing a little smirk from Syd as they walk back past you. "Plenty more where that came from," Syd smirks, clicking their tongue as your eyes meet. Then they nod their head toward the doorway and head inside. Avery rolls her eyes as you pass, and Syd happily offers her a brief two finger salute as they swagger back into the villa. <<include sd2>>

"Already trying to get me alone?" you smirk. Syd clicks their tongue, stepping back on one foot and tipping their head to the side to appraise you. "Something like that," they reply after a moment, matching your smirk with one of their own as their eyes meet yours. Then they nod their head toward the doorway and head inside. Avery rolls her eyes as you pass, and Syd happily offers her a brief two finger salute as they swagger back into the villa. <<include sd2>>

"Where else is there to go?" you frown. It's not like you can go and see a movie or anything; this villa is pretty much all there is. "Let's find out," Syd shrugs and, well, you can't really argue with that. They offer Avery a brief two finger salute as they swagger back towards the villa and, after a moment of deliberation, you follow. <<include sd2>>

"Day one and already breaking the rules?" <<if $conscientiousness > 60>>you challenge, brows raised.<<else>>you grin.<</if>> "Don't recall being given any rules," Syd shrugs and, now you think about it, they have a point. They offer Avery a brief two finger salute as they swagger back towards the villa and, after a moment of deliberation, you follow. <<include sd2>>

"Uuuuh... I don't think this is what we're supposed to be doing?" you ask as you stand impotently on the terrace. Syd pauses in the doorway to grin back at you, but seems entirely undeterred. They don't even dignify your hesitance with a response before they turn and continue on their way. You turn your uncertain gaze to Avery, who is observing with arms folded and brow cocked in universal display of displeasure. Well, if your date is going to continue, you don't really have any choice but to follow. You cast an apologetic look at Avery as you pass and sheepishly make your way back into the kitchen. <<include sd2>>

Syd walks with great purpose as you wander back through the villa, ducking their head into doorways and moving quickly on to the next when they don’t find precisely what they’re looking for. For the most part, you follow along with a vague sense of amusement. You can imagine them at the supermarket, speeding around and throwing things into their cart with reckless abandon. <<if $conscientiousness < 35>> Actually, that might just be projecting how //you// shop.<</if>> Eventually, they stumble upon whatever they had been hoping to find, drumming their hands on the doorframe briefly before they stroll inside. <<if $entrancemeet is "nyra">>Ah. They were looking for the games room. If they'd asked nicely, you could have just told them where it was - it's where you'd first met Nyra. It feels like absolutely ages ago, now you think about it, although it couldn't have been more than a few hours.<<else>>It appears to be a games room, with pool, pingpong and foosball tables arranged among squishy armchairs and neon lamps. It is rapidly becoming clear that you will not struggle for ways to amuse yourself over the next month.<</if>> [[Next|sd3]]

"Fancy a game?" Syd asks, already arranging the balls on the pool table, which suggests that Syd will absolutely be playing whether you join or not. Is it possible to play pool alone? Might make for some pretty tragic footage if you decline, "I'll flip a coin to decide who breaks." They poke out their tongue slightly as they dig around in their pockets for a coin, exposing the pale skin of their hip as their already baggy jeans are shifted down slightly. "I'll warn you - I'm pretty good," Syd grins as they retrieve a coin, balancing it on their thumb ready to be flipped as they pass you a cue with their free hand. <<include sd4>>

Your apartment is across the street from a pool bar. You have your own cue that you take with you. You're an undiscovered talent. <<include sd4.1.1>>

"You break." Syd nods their head toward the table as they chalk the end of their cue. Naturally, you've already chalked up ready to stride up for a masterful break. You pot stripes, and Syd offers a low whistle of approval as they watch from across the table. You've potted three balls by the time you eventually miss and Syd can step up to the table, eyeing you with something between suspicion and admiration. "Alright, $mcsydname," they grin up at you as they line up their first shot, "You might be a real contender." It's hard to tell whether they're still talking about pool. [[Next|sd8]]

Your university halls had a pool table in the common room and you spent a fair amount of time down there. You're no professional, but you could beat a lot of your pals when you played, so you can't be that bad. <<include sd4.1.1>>

Although you have definitely played pool before, your tactics never really progressed beyond 'hit them as hard as you can so they bounce around pleasingly'. <<include sd4.3.1>>

"You break." Syd nods their head toward the table as they chalk the end of their cue. Well, if Syd's doing it then it couldn't hurt to do the same. You chalk up your cue, step up to the table and break with great enthusiasm - you pot a stripe and everything. Unfortunately, the next shot is less masterful. You smash the white and it bounces around pleasingly, but ultimately doesn't pocket anything else. "Solid effort," Syd offers, as they step up to take their shots, a bemused smile playing on their lips. [[Next|sd8]]

You've seen it on TV, so you're pretty familiar with how the game is played. If Syd considers themself "pretty good", though, you can pretty much prepare to get decimated. <<include sd4.3.1>>

How hard can it be? Poke balls into holes with stick, right? "You break." Syd nods their head toward the table as they chalk the end of their cue. You contemplate doing the same, but you aren't entirely sure what it's for or how to use it properly, so you think better of it. You lean forward, holding your cue how you imagine a pool player might and try to knock the white ball into the triangle of others. As you try to move the cue forward, you end up chipping the white ball up into the air and off the table, leaving your cue waggling about in front of you. <<include sd5>>

Your apartment is across the street from a pool bar. You have your own cue that you take with you. You're an undiscovered talent. Still, to admit that would totally remove the possibility for Syd to have to teach you how to play, and that simply isn't an opportunity that you're about to give up. Best to play dumb, at least for now. Syd nods their head toward the table as they chalk the end of their cue. You would do the same, but you think that avoiding it might better convey the appearance of someone who has absolutely no idea what they're doing. You take a similar tact as you lean forward for your shot, holding your cue how you imagine a total novice might. It feels completely unnatural but, you suppose, that is part of the theatre of it all. After a moment to steel yourself, you strike the white ball //way// too hard, chipping it up into the air and off the table to leave your cue waggling around in front of you. <<include sd5>>

"Wooooah! Slow down, Danger Mouse," Syd laughs, resting their hand gently on the end of your cue to guide it down from eye-poking level, "Do you want me to show you how to hold that thing before you put someone's eye out?" <<include sd6>>

You're an evil genius. Alright, maybe not evil, but the genius part //definitely// holds up. <<include sd6.1.1>>

"That would be //great//," you reply, and Syd smiles at you. There's something about the way that only one side of their mouth ever seems to move when they smile that has made it very hard to tell if they're smiling at you in a nice way, or if they're just faintly amused by you. Now, though, is the first time that you have been close enough to catch the look in their grey eyes as they flick up to briefly meet yours. Yep. Definitely amusement. [[Next|sd7]]

Thank //God// - you need all the help you can get. <<include sd6.1.1>>

It's hard to decline an offer of help when you've just given such a staggeringly poor display. <<include sd6.1.1>>

Your dreams are crumbling before you. "Sorry, am I not very good?" you grin, clutching a hand to your chest to show your great inner pain. Syd huffs out a chuckle. "You're //excellent// - a real talent," they reply, hand sliding down your pool cue to rest near yours, "I simply mean to hone your skill. Think of me as a Mr Miyagi to your Daniel LaRusso." "Daniel's rubbish at karate at the start of that movie," you point out, "Are you gonna make me paint the villa?" "Might do if you keep talking shit," Syd laughs, "Now come on, let me show you." [[Next|sd6.1.1]]

"Just talk me through it?" you ask, keen to avoid any iteration of the pottery scene from Ghost. <<include sd6.7>>

"I'm good," you reply, and Syd scoffs. "You //aren't// though," they assert, "But alright, if you're going to keep going like that then at least give me a wide berth." They retrieves the white ball from where it had rolled across the room (oops) and goes to take their shot. <<include sd6.7>>

Syd retrieves the white ball from where it had rolled across the room and replaces it on the table before they join you, whirling their cue around in a flourishing demonstration. "You're gonna wanna line up the cue and..." they take their shot, and with a satisfying little 'thunk' the various coloured balls explode off around the table. Are you any clearer on how to play? No, not really - but you're more sure that you're going to get absolutely decimated in this game. <<include sd8>>

Syd retrieves the white ball from where it had rolled across the room and replaces it on the table before they join you. "You're gonna want to change your grip, for a start," they explain, resting rough hands atop yours to adjust your grip. You naturally lean forward into the shot and Syd leans with you, fingers ghosting along your arm and mouth at your ear. "Still a bit of a mess, but better," they tease. When you glance across at their face, they wear their usual lopsided smirk, and their eyes quickly flicker up to meet yours from where they had been lingering on your jawline. Then they give you a little nod as they step back, straightening up to lean back against the pool table as you take your shot. <<if hasVisited("sd4.6")>>You pot stripes, and Syd offers a low whistle of approval as they watch at your side. You've potted three balls by the time you eventually miss and Syd can step up to the table, smirking knowingly at you.<<else>>You take your shot, this time actually managing to hit the triangle of balls on the table a pot a stripe. Unfortunately, the next shot is less masterful. You smash the white and it bounces around pleasingly, but ultimately doesn't pocket anything else. "Prize for most improved," Syd offers, as they step up to take their shots, a bemused smile playing on their lips.<</if>> [[Next|sd8]]

Syd hadn't been exaggerating their ability - if anything, they'd been downplaying it. At one point, they chip the white ball //over// one of your stripes to make a pot. Their impressive run ends after a mighty four pots, when they attempt an ambitious curved shot and ultimately miss. "Go on then, $mcsydname." Syd nods their head in the direction of the table, taking a step back to lean against the wall and rake a hand through their spikey black hair as they reach once again for the chalk. <<if $mcsydname is "Shark">><<set $selected to 6>>"Shark?" you ask innocently, stepping up to take your next shot. "I know a hustler when I see one," they smirk, shooting a quick glance across at you.<br><br><</if>>You take your next shot <<if $selected gte 5>>(another masterful display)<<elseif $selected gte 3>>(not an entirely embarrassing effort)<<else>>(an embarrassingly poor effort)<</if>> as Syd watches from the side lines, idly swinging their cue around like a sleepy martial artist. "Do you have a party trick?" they ask, head tilted to one side as you look up from the table. "A party trick?" Clearly, your staggering pool talent is not sufficient to keep Syd entertained. You watch the white ball <<if $selected gte 5>>thunk against a stripe, sending it neatly into a pocket.<<elseif $selected gte 3>>thunk against a stripe, sending it bouncing between the cushions before it comes to a sad stop in the centre of the table.<<else>>bounce pathetically between the cushions and come to a sad stop in the centre of the table.<</if>> "Impress me," they smirk, folding their arms across their chest. The sleeves of Syd's black t-shirt are rolled up slightly, and as they move you think you catch a glimpse of ink. <<include sd9>>

"I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue?" you innocently venture. Syd's eyebrows raise a fraction, although they attempt to maintain an impassive expression. "Prove it." <<if $bold > 50>>"Get me a cherry stem and I will," you smirk,<<else>>"Ye of little faith," you chuckle,<</if>><<if $selected gte 5>>as you take your next shot. It misses, annoyingly, but judging by their smug look when you frown at them, that is probably their intention.<<else>>as you step back for Syd to take their next shot.<</if>> "Tease." Syd glances back at you as they chalk up their cue, and if you didn't know better, you'd say they were smiling - an actual, real smile. Not a smirk. They're about to step up for their next shot when Avery bursts through the door. [[Next|sd10]]

"I can do the splits?" you innocently venture. Syd's eyebrows raise a fraction, although they attempt to maintain an impassive expression. "Prove it." You meet Syd's gaze and their brows raise even higher, staring you down with a determined 'go on then' kind of look. <<if $bold > 50>><<include sd9.2.1>><<else>><<include sd9.2.2>><</if>>

Well, you're not about to back down from a challenge. Your face splits into a grin as you rest your cue on the pool table (possibly nudging some of the balls in your favour, who can say?) and wander round to a clear patch of floor to kick off your shoes and sink into the splits. <<if !$bottoms>>You manage it without getting your whole ass out (an achievement in and of itself)<<else>>You manage it without ripping your trousers (an achievement in and of itself)<</if>> and Syd applauds politely from the other side of the room. If you didn't know better, you'd say they were smiling - an actual, real smile. Not a smirk. You get back to your feet and you're about to reclaim your pool cue when Avery bursts through the door. [[Next|sd10]]

"Here? Now?" you gawk. You aren't exactly dressed for it. "Here. Now," they confirm, lopsided smirk spreading further across their face, "I'll go first, if you're //shy//?" You just look quizzically back at them - Syd doesn't exactly seem like the happy-clappy-do-the-splits kind of person. They seem to read your mind, gaze fixed on yours as they kick off their shoes and wander round to a clear patch of floor where they hike up their loose-fitting jeans and sink into the splits. Hands overhead like a true gymnast, they smirk across at you as you politely applaud. That'll teach you to judge a book by its cover, you suppose. Syd bows their head in a gracious acceptance of your applause, and they are about to reclaim their pool cue when Avery bursts through the door. [[Next|sd10]]

"I can solve a Rubik's cube?" "Prove it." <<if $bold > 50>>"Get me a Rubik's cube and I will," you smirk,<<else>>"Ye of little faith," you chuckle,<</if>><<if $selected gte 5>>as you take your next shot. It misses, annoyingly. The way Syd keeps clicking their tongue is a bit of a distraction, but judging by their smug look when you frown at them, that is probably their intention.<<else>>as you step back for Syd to take their next shot.<</if>> "I'll put in a special request and get you one. Really liven this villa up with some //puzzles//." Syd smiles back at you as they chalk up their cue, and if you didn't know better, you'd say they were smiling - an actual, real smile. Not a smirk. They're about to step up for their next shot when Avery bursts through the door. [[Next|sd10]]

"My winning personality //is// my party trick," you grin, and Syd makes no attempt to hide their eyeroll. <<if $selected gte 5>>You take your next shot and it misses, annoyingly. The way Syd keeps clicking their tongue is a bit of a distraction, but judging by their smug look when you frown at them, that is probably their intention.<<else>>You step back for Syd to take their next shot.<</if>> Syd strokes their chin thoughtfully, lopsided smirk lingering on their face. <<if $syd > 30>>"So you say,"<<else>>"I'm sure,"<</if>> Syd smiles back at you as they chalk up their cue, and if you didn't know better, you'd say they were smiling - an actual, real smile. Not a smirk. They're about to step up for their next shot when Avery bursts through the door. [[Next|sd10]]

"Shouldn't //you// be trying to impress //me//?" you smirk, <<if $selected gte 5>>as you take your next shot. It misses, annoyingly. The way Syd keeps clicking their tongue is a bit of a distraction, but judging by their smug look when you frown at them, that is probably their intention.<<else>>as you step back for Syd to take their next shot.<</if>> Syd makes a dismissive 'pshhh' sound. "Are you not already impressed? Want me to do some backflips for you?" they drawl, but when you look up at them they're smiling to themselves as they chalk up their cue. An actual, real smile. Not a smirk. They're about to step up for their next shot when Avery bursts through the door. [[Next|sd10]]

"Sorry, I'm incredibly dull," <<if $neuroticism > 65>>you grimace, unable to think of a single interesting or compelling thing about yourself.<<else>>you grin, undeterred.<</if>> <<if $selected gte 5>>You take your next shot and it misses, annoyingly. The way Syd keeps clicking their tongue is a bit of a distraction, but judging by their smug look when you frown at them, that is probably their intention.<<else>>You step back for Syd to take their next shot.<</if>> Syd makes a dismissive 'pshhh' sound. "Wouldn't be here if you were dull," they counter, and when you look up at them they're smiling to themselves as they chalk up their cue. An actual, real smile. Not a smirk. They're about to step up for their next shot when Avery bursts through the door. [[Next|sd10]]

"I've been looking for you two everywhere," she groans from the doorway. Her previously loose hair has been twisted up into a tortoiseshell hair claw and the pen that she usually has behind one ear has been joined by another. //Two// pens must mean she really means business. "And you found us! I can only imagine the accomplishment that you're feeling," Syd replies. "You're both needed back at the terrace," Avery tells you, pointedly ignoring Syd's contribution. "We're in the middle of a game." <<if $dateone is "blah">><<set $dateone to "syd">><<include sed1>><<elseif $datetwo is "blah">><<set $datetwo to "syd">><<include sed2>><<elseif $datethree is "blah">><<set $datethree to "syd">><<include sed3>><</if>>

"You have other dates." "Maybe I don't want to do my other dates." Avery pinches her nose and casts her eyes up to the ceiling once again. It seems to be a common response where Syd is concerned. "Just go," she sighs after a moment. Avery turns to leave and, when she is safely out of the room, Syd turns to you with that lopsided smile <<if $sydrom gte 1>>that you're becoming kind of fond of.<<else>>that is becoming an increasibly familiar side.<</if>> "It's been real, $mcsydname," they tell you, and then they leave as well. Oh, right then. [[Next|datetwo]]

"It's almost time for the coupling." "Well, //in that case// I'm giddy with enthusiasm." Avery pinches her nose and casts her eyes up to the ceiling once again. It seems to be a common response where Syd is concerned. "Just go," she sighs after a moment. Avery turns to leave and, when she is safely out of the room, Syd turns to you with that lopsided smile <<if $sydrom gte 1>>that you're becoming kind of fond of.<<else>>that is becoming an increasibly familiar side.<</if>> "It's been real, $mcsydname," they tell you, and then they leave as well. Oh, right then. [[Next|afteralldates]]

"$mcname, would you go and join Griffin?" Avery tucks a pen behind her ear and gestures toward the table on the far edge of the terrace where Griffin is already sitting, nervously adjusting his shirt. [[Sure!|gd1]]

"You really know how to keep a guy waiting, huh?" Griffin grins, getting up from his seat as you approach. To say that the smile lights up his face wouldn’t put it strongly enough – he is //beaming//. He pulls a chair out for you, gently resting his hand on your arm as he presses a kiss to your cheek. It’s cute – chivalrous. You wonder if he does that for everyone he dates, or whether he's paying you special attention. You take your seat and Griff returns to his, chair screeching against the flagstones as he shuffles forwards. He winces at the sharp sound, scrunching his crooked nose as his cheeks flush. Griff has a classically handsome, boy-next-door face, save for the fact that his nose looks like it’s been broken //at least// once. "Jesus, fuck, sorry," he groans, running a hand through his sandy hair and leaving it sticking up in every direction. He seems quite oblivious to the strange little quiff that he has just given himself as he turns his gaze back to you, and his lips quirk into a self-conscious smile, "I've never been very good at sitting still. Or, apparently, sitting at all." <<include gd2>>

"Fancy a swim instead, then?" you grin, nodding your head towards the pool. It's right there - might as well get some use out of it. You wonder if being the first person to swim in a pool is as satisfying as being the first to step in snow, but somehow you doubt it. <<if $men>>Still, it'll be a good way of getting Griffin out of his clothes. His plain white t-shirt is //slightly// tighter than must be comfortable, sleeves stretched taut around his biceps.<br><br><</if>>"You being serious?" he asks, eyebrows raised. "Yeah, why not?" <<include gd3>>

"Anything I can do to help?" you ask, with a smile. <<if $agreeableness < 40>>If this exchange makes it into the show, your friends at home are going to be utterly bewildered by your newfound helpfulness.<</if>> "To help me be less of a fidgeter?" Griff laughs, "It's a lifelong habit that I'm never gonna kick." Based on the way he is already jiggling one leg and drumming his fingers on his knee, he might be right. Sitting still does not seem to be in his wheelhouse. <<include gd2.5>>

"Looks like you're doing fine to me," you chuckle, "Butt on seat, feet on floor - you're hitting all the staples of the genre." "Well, you are also doing great sitting," he replies happily, before breaking into nervous laughter, "Wait... fuck." <<include gd2.5>>

"You know, we don't have to sit," you smile. "Yeah?" Griff asks, with a hopefulness in his expression that is kind of adorable. "Yeah," you affirm, looking around for some kind of inspiration. Griff settles on something first, though, expression lighting up when his eyes land on the pool. "How about a swim?" he grins. <<include gd2.6>>

Griff runs both hands across his face in what seems like a fruitless attempt to regain his composure. "Ok, I’m going to swim," he announces after a moment, which takes you a little by surprise, "Would you like to join me?" <<include gd2.6>>

What kind of maniac gets a date with a $mcguy and then goes //swimming// instead? <<include griffnoswim>>

You can't think of a good reason not to, and the water //does// look kind of amazing. "I'm in," you grin, getting up out of your seat. <<include gd3>>

You may have been a little quick to compliment his sitting ability before - he's definitely not the sort of person you'd want to be trapped in a confined space with. <<if $men>>Or, now you come to think about it, maybe he is.<br><br><</if>>"I'm in," you grin, getting up out of your seat. <<include gd3>>

"Alright, you're on," he laughs, getting up with another screech from his chair that bothers him considerably less than the first. He takes a swig from his glass of water and pulls his shirt off over his head, revealing his tanned chest and letting your eyes linger on the small, white scar just above his left hip. <<include gd4>>

He'll have to try harder than that to get you stripping off. You remain resolutely fully clothed as Griff steps forward and bombs into the pool, sending up a splash that absolutely drenches you. At least now your clothes are already wet - any reticence you had about soaking them yourself has been made entirely redundant. Unfortunately, the same can be said for several other nearby cast members. Syd leaps from their seat, arms held aloft in a show of immense disgruntlement, while Adegoke laughs and applauds. Avery, leaning against the wall of the villa, gives no indication for you to stop. It probably makes good footage, you suppose - the two of you going rogue like this. Well, there's nothing else for it. <<include gd5>>

<<if $thot > 50>>Get a good look, fellow cast members.<br><br><</if>>You quickly shed your clothing and before you know it, you are stood poolside in your underwear. When you look back at Griff, his gaze is politely focused on the water, although his cheeks are slightly pink and he is warring against the grin on his face. Then, without any warning, he leaps forward and bombs into the pool, sending up a splash that absolutely drenches you. Unfortunately, it also drenches several of the other nearby cast members. Syd leaps from their seat, arms held aloft in a show of immense disgruntlement, while Adegoke laughs and applauds. Avery, leaning against the wall of the villa, gives no indication for you to stop. It probably makes good footage, you suppose - the two of you going rogue like this. Well, you're already wet. There's nothing else for it. <<include gd5>>

"Griff, are you //skinny dipping//?!" you gawk, and Griff almost topples over in shock. "No!" he exclaims, wrapping his arms protectively around his bare chest, "Why, are you?!" [["No!"|gd4.4]]

For a minute, you and Griff are just looking at each other in confusion and disbelief. Then he explodes in laughter - the kind that he has clearly tried to suppress, but comes bursting forth like a big wet raspberry. <<if $agreeableness > 50>>You laugh, too. You can't help it; there's something about someone laughing when they think they're not supposed to that is just infectious. It got you in silent maths lessons and stern tellings off as a kid and it absolutely gets you now.<<else>>You can't stop the smile that cracks it's way onto your face; there's something about someone laughing when they think they're not supposed to that is just infectious.<</if>> "Sorry," Griff wheezes, trying and failing to regain his composure, "I am so sorry." <<if $agreeableness > 50>>You would love to assure him that no apology is necessary, but between your splutters of laughter and gasps for breath, you just can't get the words out. Eventually, stitch in your side, you manage to get yourself together.<<else>>"Why are you apologising?" you ask, folding your arms across your chest as you take a step back to better watch him grapple with this inappropriate laughter.<</if>> "I'm sorry it's just-" Griff begins, taking deep breaths and finally straightening up to face you, "God, there was something about the idea that I would come on a TV show and just strip off on //day one// that really tickled me." <<include gd4.5>>

"Well, that much was quite clear," you chuckle. Griff grins back at you and then, without any warning, he bombs into the pool and sends up a splash that absolutely drenches you. <<include gd4.5.7>>

"You're really not the skinny-dipping type?" you tease. "I didn't say //that//," <<include gd4.5.6>>

You are kind of bewildered. It wasn't that funny, but whatever. You open your mouth to reply, but with absolutely no warning, Griff bombs into the pool and sends up a splash that totally drenches you. <<include gd4.5.7>>

"Interesting emphasis on //day one// there, Griff," you smirk. <<include gd4.5.6>>

"So, what //will// it take to get you out of your pants?" you smirk. <<include gd4.5.6>>

Griffin grins wickedly at you and then, without any warning, he bombs into the pool and sends up a splash that absolutely drenches you. <<include gd4.5.7>>

Unfortunately, it also drenches several of the other nearby cast members. Syd leaps from their seat, arms held aloft in a show of immense disgruntlement, while Adegoke laughs and applauds. Avery, leaning against the wall of the villa, gives no indication for you to stop. It probably makes good footage, you suppose - the two of you going rogue like this. Well, you're already wet. There's nothing else for it. You shed your clothes and prepare to follow. <<include gd5>>

You didn't take all those years of diving lessons for nothing. <<include gd5.1.1>>

When you resurface, Griff applauds enthusiastically as he bobs around in the water before you, letting himself sink markedly to do so. It's nice to know that for Griff, expressing his appreciation of your diving effort ranks above breathing. "An excellent dive," he tells you, as he swims closer. <<include gd6>>

You remember to point your toes, and everything. <<include gd5.1.1>>

You never did crack your way into the proficient swimming group. Hopefully Griff won't let you drown. You do a little hop into the water and sink like a rock, but you do manage to resurface without too much embarrassment. When you resurface, Griff is beaming back at you, bobbing around in the water as he pushes his wet hair out of his face. "An excellent dive," he tells you, as he swims closer. <<include gd6>>

Nice try, Griff. You know how to //really// bomb. You take a run up and hurl yourself into water with a force that is //sure// to make an even bigger splash. When you resurface, Griff applauds enthusiastically as he bobs around in the water before you, letting himself sink markedly to do so. It's nice to know that for Griff, expressing his appreciation of your diving effort ranks above breathing. "We're not going to have any friends left by the end of today," he tells you, as he swims closer. <<include gd5.5>>

"//How// have you already had time to make friends?" <<if $extraversion > 50>>you laugh, although you kind of already know the answer. Griff has the sort of boy-next-door vibe that people just seem to flock to. You'd be willing to place a pretty sizeable bet that he'd been prom king, too.<<else>>you ask disbelievingly, although your words are tinged with envy. You could be around people for days without making friends, yet Griff seems to have cracked it in a couple of hours.<</if>> "I just talk to people," he shrugs, with a smile, "We're friends, right?" <<include gfr2>>

As you glance back across at the group, they all seem to have moved on already. Syd is deep in conversation with Nyra, acting out what appears to be an elaborate action scene with their hands. "I'm sure we'll talk them back around," you grin, swimming a little closer to Griff. "Well if not, I've still got you, right?" he smiles. <<include gfr2>>

"I'm not here to make friends," you reply, <<if $agreeableness < 50>>cheekily.<<else>>flatly.<</if>> Griff's brow creases into a little frown, "But we're friends, right?" <<include gfr2>>

<<if not hasVisited("gd4.1")>>//Especially// when <<if $mche is "they">>they are<<elese>>$mche is<</if>> so scantily clad.<br><br><</if>>"Am I not friend enough for you?" you scoff cheekily, moving towards him through the water. Griff beams back at you, "You make a good point. We're friends, right?" <<include gfr2>>

"Being friendless isn't too bad, once you get used to it," you smile. "You're not friendless," he replies, brow creasing into a little frown, "We're friends, right?" <<include gfr2>>

"That's how to avoid becoming the villa pariah," you tell him, <<if $openness > 50>>playfully.<<else>>a little smugly.<</if>>"No one will be friends with us if we keep splashing people." <<include gfr1>>

<<if $agreeableness > 60>>"I'm sorry, but I'm going to pass," you smile, apologetically, "But I'll totally watch from here!"<<elseif $agreeableness < 40>>"No chance," you reply, thoroughly dashing any of Griff's hopes that you might get in the water.<<else>>"Not on your life," you grin, remaining firmly in your seat as Griff gets out of his.<</if>> "Suit yourself," he shrugs, getting up with another screech from his chair that bothers him considerably less than the first. He takes a swig from his glass of water and pulls his shirt off over his head, revealing his tanned chest and letting your eyes linger on the small, white scar just above his left hip. Then, without any further warning, he leaps forward and bombs into the pool, sending up a splash that absolutely drenches you. Unfortunately, it also drenches several of the other nearby cast members. Syd leaps from their seat, arms held aloft in a show of immense disgruntlement, while Adegoke laughs and applauds. Avery, leaning against the wall of the villa, gives no indication for you to stop. It probably makes good footage, you suppose - Griffin going rogue like this. So much for staying dry. [[Next|gfd1]]

"You know, if you don't stop splashing people, we'll end up as friendless pariahs," you tell him, sagely, as he resurfaces and pushes the wet hair out of his face. It's only day one - you could do without making enemies. <<if $extraversion < 40>>At least, not yet.<</if>> <<include gfr1>>

"Well, you could never be friendless," he laughs, like it's a totally ridiculous idea, "We're friends, right?" <<include gfr2>>

"Of course," you grin, "Besties from the off." <<if $extraversion > 50>>One of the tricks of making friends, you have learned, is just to treat people like they are your favourite person in the world right from the outset. They're always either super into it as well, or they're too intimidated to be like "Uuh, who are you?" and eventually it just becomes true. It's how you approached Fresher's Week, and it's how you're approaching life in the villa.<<else>>You generally find making friends //hard//, but the combination of Griff's ridiculous keenness and the completely alien situation that you find yourself in makes it feel... easier.<</if>> <<include gfr2.1.1>>

Griff splashes in your direction and then disappears under the surface of the water, presumably to avoid any potential retribution. <<include griffenddate>>

<<if $extraversion gt 60>>"I like to think that we could be more than friends," you reply, with a rakish smile.<<elseif $extraversion lt 40>>"Well," you begin, mouth suddenly very dry, "I like to think... I don't know... that we could maybe be..." "More than friends?" Griffin replies, head tilting to one side as his grin widens. "Yeah," you affirm, cringing internally at your shyness. Still, you did actually make a move, which is pretty huge for you. Everyone watching at home will have to pick their jaws up off the floor.<<else>>"Or, perhaps," you begin, a little uncertainly, "More than just friends?" It feels like a bold play on the first day of meeting someone, and yet, you think that if anyone is likely to be receptive to such directness then it'll be Griff.<</if>> <<if not hasVisited("griffnoswim")>>"Is that right?" he replies, moving towards you steadily until you feel your back press against the pool wall. <<include gmn1>><<else>>"Well, why would you say something like that when you're all the way over there?" he replies, moving forward through the water until his arms come to rest on the poolside and he can look up at you. <<include griffenddate>><</if>>

"Friends that fuck? Yeah, I guess," you reply, <<if $thot > 60>>as flippantly as if you were chatting about the weather.<<else>>shocking yourself as the words just kind of... come out.<</if>> Griff looks amused, if a little taken aback. "So you're playing //that// game?" <<if not hasVisited("griffnoswim")>>he replies, moving towards you steadily until you feel your back press against the pool wall.<<else>>he replies, moving forward through the water until his arms come to rest on the poolside and he can look up at you.<</if>> "I'm not that kind of guy, $mcname," he begins, tilting his head curiously as his eyes roam down your body, "But for you, I'm sure I could make an exception..." <<if not hasVisited("griffnoswim")>><<include gmn1>><<else>><<include griffenddate>><</if>>

Friends? It's been a couple of hours. Only characters in Cbeebies cartoons form friendships that quickly. <<if $agreeableness > 50>>"We only met today," you laugh, bewildered, "I hope we'll be friends eventually, but how could we even have become friends so quickly?"<<else>>"We met, like, two hours ago," you gawk, lurching back slightly in your incredulity, "How would we already be friends?"<</if>> Griff shrugs, unphased by your rebuttal. "I like you," he tells you, matter of factly, "That's friends, kid." "Wait, you consider //everyone you like// to be your friend?" Griff laughs, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. He basically doesn't seem to have moved past a children-on-the-playground model of friendship. <<if $extraversion > 60>>You love making friends as much as the next $mcguy, but even you have learned to be //slightly// more discerning when selecting the people in your life.<<elseif $extraversion < 40>>As someone that friendship hasn't really come easily to in the past, it's bewildering that someone could have even survived the process of growing up while being so... //unguarded//.<<else>>You wouldn't consider yourself to be particularly unsociable, but it is bewildering to you that anyone could make it through their teenage years and remain so //unguarded//. Even for someone like Griff, kids can be //mean//.<</if>> "I mean... yeah? What else is there?" <<include gfr2.4.1>>

"Emotional attachment?" "Well, if something bad happened to you then I'd be sad," Griff replies thoughtfully, drifting back and forth in the water. <<if $agreeableness < 40>>Great. You're on a date with a fucking carebear.<<else>>A sweet sentiment, but premature nonetheless.<</if>> <<include griffenddate>>

"An ability to comfortably hang out one on one?" "I'm comfortable now," Griff replies happily. Any nervousness that Griff was experiencing before seems to have been entirely washed away in the water. <<if $neuroticism > 70>>Well, that makes one of us.<br><br><</if>> <<include griffenddate>>

"Willingness to share your problems?" "I'm on a date with this cute $mcguy and <<if $mche is "they">>they keep<<else>>$mche keeps<</if>> saying that we're not friends," Griff grins, "What should I do, $mcname?" <<if $agreeableness > 50>>You splutter out a laugh that you had very much hoped to keep to yourself, and Griff's grin widens.<<else>>You roll your eyes, although a reluctant smile does make its way onto your lips.<</if>> "See? Problem sharing," he adds, smugly, leaning into a leisurely backstroke. <<include griffenddate>>

"Having each other’s backs?" "Well," Griff begins thoughtfully, "I'll have your back. If you want me to." <<include griffenddate>>

"A shared history?" "What's more historic than being part of the Body Count cast together?" Griff grins. <<include griffenddate>>

You reel off a list of qualities required to consider someone your friend, which practically has Griff's eyes bugging out of his head as he drifts back and forth in the water. "God, how do you have //any// friends with a list like that?" Griff scoffs. <<if $extraversion < 40>>Good question. The short answer is that you don't, really.<<elseif $extraversion > 60>>Your staggering charm? Luckily, you've been able to maintain quality //and// quantity in your friendships.<<else>>A few good friends is better than a tonne of shitty ones, right?<</if>> <<include griffenddate>>

Any nervousness that Griff was experiencing before seems to have been entirely washed away in the water as he rests his hands on the ledge of the pool either side of you. <<include gmn2>>

<<if $thot > 50>>Any doubt about whether you are the kissing-on-the-first-date kind of $mcguy appears to have also been washed away in the water.<<else>>It would be rude not to, wouldn't it?<</if>> <<include gmn2.1.1>>

"I'm glad to hear it," you meet his eyes with a gentle smirk and then watch in amusement as they trail down to linger on your lips. <<include gmn2.1.1>>

"That's right," you meet his eyes with a gentle smirk and then watch in amusement as they trail down to linger on your lips. <<include gmn2.1.1>>

<<if $agreeableness < 40>>Being //into someone// like this just isn't normal for you. You aren't the googley eyed, instant connection, love at first sight type of $mcguy.<<else>>It's //day one//, for fuck sake.<</if>> Yet, here you are, being all googley eyed and feeling that instant connection. Your unfamiliarity with this whole situation gives you pause, and Griff seems to sense it. He moves back to give you more space, expression painted with concern. <<include gmn2.5.1>>

You didn't mean //right now//. You press your back against the wall of the pool and you suspect your expression might read a little deer in headlights, because Griff immediately moves back to give you more space. <<include gmn2.5.1>>

"Sorry," he says quickly, "I'm always a bit too keen at the start." He chuckles to himself, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand as he bobs away. <<include griffenddate>>

Griff closes the space between you, slowly and purposefully, pausing with his lips just barely ghosting yours so that you can be the one to cross that last remaining gap. <<if $neuroticism gt 40>>You make him wait for it - just for a moment, but long enough for his gaze to flicker up uncertainly.<</if>> Then, your lips are on his, and thoughts of the fact that you're on camera (or, indeed, in a //very// public place) could not be further from your mind. It's actually quite a chaste kiss to begin with - Griffin is the perfect gentleman and you can feel the tension in his arms at your sides as he does everything that he can //not// to put his hands on you. Drowning you both probably wouldn't be a favourable outcome of a first kiss, after all. When you wrap your arms around his neck, though, he presses his firm body against yours and you can feel his heart pounding and the way he kisses you is //anything// but gentlemanly. [[Next|griffenddate]]

<<if $dateone is "blah">><<include ged1>><<elseif $datetwo is "blah">><<include ged2>><<elseif $datethree is "blah">><<include ged3>><</if>>

"Ok, everyone!" Avery's familiar voice cuts across the terrace, "That's a wrap on date number one!" <<include gpoolexit>>

"Ok, everyone!" Avery's familiar voice once again cuts across the terrace, "That's a wrap on date number two!" <<include gpoolexit>>

"Ok, everyone!" Avery's familiar voice once again cuts across the terrace, "That's a wrap on the dates!" <<include gpoolexit>>

"Out of the pool," she calls pointedly in your direction, and <<if $gkiss>>Griff drifts backwards with a sound that is a mixture of laughter and groan, releasing you with a suddenness that almost has you sinking below the surface. As he floats away, you catch Griffin's distracted smile and the way he absentmindedly runs his fingers over his lips and... <<include gfc1>><<else>>Griff pulls a face. <<include postswim>><</if>>

You have butterflies and your limbs are all wobbly and you feel like your heart might just leap right out of your mouth. <<if $motive is "love">>You came here to fall in love and... this feels like a good start. If this was //High School Musical//, you'd probably be breaking into song right now.<<else>>You might not have come here for love, but you feel like you're stood in the middle of the motorway and there's a big lorry speeding towards you and that lorry is love. Ok, so you're too goofed up for a good metaphor.<</if>> <<include postswim>>

It'll more than one kiss to have you falling head over heels, even if that one kiss was... kind of great. <<include postswim>>

He's practically putty in your hands. <<if $motive is "money">>You said you were in it to win it, and that still rings true. Your goal is to get that prize - the rest is just set dressing.<br><br><</if>><<include postswim>>

<<if not hasVisited("griffnoswim")>>More than a little reluctantly, he hauls himself out of the pool, extending a hand to help you follow.<<else>>After a moment, he hauls himself out of the pool and does an excellent job of politely not dripping water all over you. It's fruitless, of course, the setting sun having done little to dry you off from his initial splash.<</if>> <<if $griffinrom gte 2>>Your gaze lingers on the water that trails down his abs and, when it returns to his face, Griffin is smirking knowingly back at you. "I do like you, $mcname," he tells you as you both begin walking back toward the villa and, despite the smirk on his face, the words are surprisingly earnest, "And I think you should pick me later. If you want to."<<else>>"Thank you for choosing me, $mcname," Griff tells you as the two of you begin wandering back towards the villa.<</if>> <<if $dateone is "blah">><<set $dateone to "griffin">><<include datetwo>><<elseif $datetwo is "blah">><<set $datetwo to "griffin">><<include datethree>><<else>><<set $datethree to "griffin">>[[Next|afteralldates]]<</if>>

Avery's heels click on the floor tiles as she saunters into the room clutching her clipboard to her chest. <<if $entrancemeet isnot "vinh">>With her is another person that you do not recognise, who offers the group a tight smile as they quickly take a seat at the kitchen island. "Hello everyone," Avery says abruptly, voice harder than it was when you met her this morning. The conversation immediately pitters out and she continues, "This is Vinh, by the way." Avery holds a hand out to the stranger, Vinh, and they give a brief nod but otherwise make no attempt to introduce themself further. Syd doesn't seem at all interested in the new addition to the group, though, nor in the implicit warning in Avery's tone. They lean back on their hands with a satisfied smirk.<<else>>"Hello, everyone," she says abruptly, voice harder than it was when you met her this morning, and you know that she is in absolutely no mood for frivolity. The conversation immediately pitters out, but Syd doesn't seem at all interested in heeding the implicit warning in Avery's voice as they lean back on their hands with a satisfied smirk.<</if>> "Didn't realise we'd be seeing you so soon, Ave," they reply, a defiant edge in their voice. Avery doesn't acknowledge it, but her jaw sets a little tighter. God, you would have paid money to be a fly on the wall in //that// casting interview. You make a mental note to ask Charlie about it when you see him later. <<if $charlierom > 1>>Then you almost immediately wish you hadn't had that thought. You absolutely shouldn't be thinking about Charlie right now.<br><br><</if>>"We have some good footage of your first impressions, and now we're moving on to the next segments," she continues, unmoved, "You will each write down the names of up to three people on a slip of paper and then you will have a brief opportunity for some time alone with anyone who has //also// written down your name. Think of it as something of a speed date, if you will." [[Next|p48]]

"Why only three?" Arthur asks, tapping his forefinger on the countertop. "Up to three," she corrects, "If everyone dated everyone then it would take too long and we would just have //far// too much footage to sift through. This way, it should also give viewers some early insight into who has caught your eye and help us start to build a narrative for possible pairings." "What if someone ends up without any matches?" <<if $entrancemeet is "vinh">> $imminame asks, picking at the fabric of her sleeve.<<else>>the red-haired girl next to Florrie asks, pulling the sleeves of her cardigan down over her hands.<</if>> There is a pause that goes on a little too long to be comfortable. "That won't happen, Imogen, but if it does..." Avery says, eventually, "Then that'll make for an excellent narrative, too." <<if $neuroticism > 60>>Fan-fucking-tastic! You can't wait for your social failings to become "excellent narrative".<<else>>Being publicly and embarrassingly rejected on television is not the "excellent narrative" that you were hoping to be the focus of, but you try to remain optimistic. //Someone// will pick you.<</if>> [[Next|p49]]

<<set $selected to 0>>"After the speed dates, we'll have the first coupling. In the order that we select, you will choose who you would like to be in a couple with until the Switch. This isn't only the person that you will be sharing a bedroom with; it's also who you will share a significant chunk of this //experience// with." "So we have to pick who we want to pair up with //today//?" Griff balks. "Who you would like to be paired with for now, at least, yes." [[Next|p50]]

Avery passes a slip of paper and a pen across the counter to each of you. It's entirely blank, save for the numbers 1, 2 and 3 down the left-hand side. You watch as Griff decisively scrawls down his answers, folds his paper in two and immediately hands it back to Avery, clearly already very certain in his choices. Everyone else, though, seems less sure. You feel eyes on you as everyone weighs their options, and you cast your own gaze about the room. You have met 9 people, and later this evening you're supposed to be sharing a bed with one of them. As much as Avery wants to emphasise the narrative implications of these dates, they //are// a valuable opportunity to get to know the other cast members. <<include p51>>

<<set $selected to 0>>Avery gathers up the papers that have been slid back across the counter, flicking through each one in turn as she adds them to her clipboard and scrawls little notes on each. The rest of the room has fallen into heavy silence, like you're watching a particularly tense stage of an electoral count, and no one seems entirely sure whether you need to watch quietly or whether it's okay to chat quietly amongst yourselves. You feel a bit like you're awaiting the results of a test, and on this occasion, the grade comes from your peers and is based on whether they want to date you or not. [[It's a strangely excruciating wait.|p53]]

After an uncomfortably long time spent just sort of milling about, Avery appears to have completed whatever complex matching process she had undertaken and clears her throat to regain the attention of the group. Without saying another word, though, she just clutches at her clipboard and saunters out of the large, glass doors that look out of the kitchen and onto the terrace. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go," Syd says, after a moment, as they hop down from their spot atop the kitchen island. The rest of you follow, albeit some more reluctantly than others. [[Next|p54]]

You wander out through ceiling height sliding doors to a large flagstone terrace and are immediately struck by this //place//. It's a vista plucked from a daydream - from the sun hanging low in the sky, glittering off the surface of the pool and the ocean beyond to the leaves on the trees swaying back and forth in the light breeze. Looking back over your shoulder at the intensely modern villa, you are struck once again by how incongruous it feels with its setting - a great granite monstrosity plopped down in paradise. In spite of that, though, your heart swells as you realise once again that you get to live in this idyllic setting for a whole month. Imogen clears her throat, politely catching your attention where she stands beside you. You've both fallen to the back of the group; you through your pause to ponder the setting and her through, well... you aren't entirely sure why she is next to you. Imogen just seems most comfortable situated away from the limelight at the front; a position that is currently occupied by Syd and Florrie, who are engaged in a light debate about which of the tables scattered across the terrace would get the best lighting for the upcoming mini-dates. "It's something, isn't it?" Imogen breathes, gaze fixed on the horizon. "Yeah," you reply quietly, "It is." [[Next|p55]]

Avery lifts one hand overhead, clicking her fingers impatiently. An immediate silence descends on the gathered cast members, and you can't help but smile to yourself. <<if $extraversion > 50>>That's a pretty cool trick - you'll have to try it yourself sometime.<<else>>God, what you wouldn't give to be able to get people to shut up like that.<</if>> <<include dateone>>

<<set $visited to false>><<if $adegokedate>><<include adegokedate1>><<elseif $nyradate>><<include nyradate1>><<elseif $florriedate>><<include florriedate1>><<elseif $imogendate>><<include immidate1>><<elseif $syddate>><<include syddate1>><<elseif $ellisdate>><<include ellisdate1>><<else>><<include griffindate1>><</if>>

<<set $visited to false>>"Alright, everyone. Refill your drinks, and prepare for round two!" Avery doesn't look up from her clipboard as she addresses you, "You have five minutes - we're on a tight schedule to get everything we need before the sun sets!" She doesn't need to tell you twice. [[Next|datetwo.1]]

<<if $arthurdate>><<include arthurdate1>><<else>><<include arthurnodate1>><</if>>

<<if $nyradate and $dateone isnot "nyra">><<include nyradate1>><<elseif $florriedate and $dateone isnot "florrie">><<include florriedate1>><<elseif $imogendate and $dateone isnot "imogen">><<include immidate1>><<elseif $syddate and $dateone isnot "syd">><<include syddate1>><<elseif $ellisdate and $dateone isnot "ellis">><<include ellisdate1>><<elseif $griffindate and $dateone isnot "griffin">><<include griffindate1>><<else>><<include earlyafterdates>><</if>>

<<set $visited to false>>Any cast members attempting to head back into the villa are checked against the clipboard and either granted passage or abruptly shooed back to the terrace. "Straight into date number three, everyone," she tells you briskly, <<if $florriedate and ($dateone isnot "florrie" and $datetwo isnot "florrie")>><<include florriedate1>><<elseif $imogendate and ($dateone isnot "imogen" and $datetwo isnot "imogen")>><<include immidate1>><<elseif $syddate and ($dateone isnot "syd" and $datetwo isnot "syd")>><<include syddate1>><<elseif $ellisdate and ($dateone isnot "ellis" and $datetwo isnot "ellis")>><<include ellisdate1>><<elseif $griffindate and ($dateone isnot "griffin" and $datetwo isnot "griffin")>><<include griffindate1>><<else>><<include earlyafterdates>><</if>>

"$mcname, you're actually done for the day. You can just relax now before the coupling. Get a head start on getting ready?" <<include earlyafterdates1>>

"Excuse me?" <<if $agreeableness > 50>> you scoff, in disbelief.<<else>>you splutter, arms folded defensively across your chest.<</if>> <<include aveletdown>>

Avery smiles gently back at you, resting one hand on your shoulder to guide you back towards the villa and slightly further away from the other islanders. "I'm really sorry, $mcname," she offers, "I am no less surprised than you, but you'll have plenty of time to get to know the others later." Then, without another word, you are dismissed. Avery turns to go back and address the others, leaving you with little option but to retreat inside. [[Next|afteralldates]]

"//Excuse me?!//" <<if $agreeableness > 50>> you scoff, in disbelief.<<else>>you splutter, arms folded defensively across your chest.<</if>> Your little outburst immediately silences the other cast members, an awkward silence descending on the terrace. <<include aveletdown>>

You clear your throat for a moment while you process your rejection. "So... Vinh didn't pick me?" you ask, unable to hide your disappointment. Avery doesn't reply, just offering an apologetic expression as she directs you back inside. Well, this feels shit. [[Next|afteralldates]]

It doesn't catch you off guard - Arthur had already made his choice extremely clear when you spoke to him earlier. Still, it doesn't feel //great// to be one of the cast members that hasn't managed to generate a full slate of dates. [[Next|afteralldates]]

You smile back at Avery, unphased by this news. You've already had the chance to get to know everyone you needed to before the first coupling and you're certain about who you will be choosing. <<if $neuroticism > 50>>You aren't typically known for your quick decision making, but you're feeling pretty good about things (for once).<</if>> If anything, you're kind of glad for the opportunity to have a bit of a breather before the coupling. [[Next|afteralldates]]

You knew that Arthur hadn't chosen you, but Vinh too? That stings. Public rejection is never going to feel great, but being one of the only cast members to have //one// date is particularly devastating. <<if $neuroticism > 60>>You feel a lump rising in your throat, but you set your jaw firm and plaster a forced smile onto your face as you retreat back inside.<<else>>Can't win them all, right? You sigh and plaster a smile onto your face as you retreat back inside. You're hurt, but you're not about to let the cameras see it.<</if>> [[Next|afteralldates]]

If it was going to happen to anyone, it was going to be you. [[Next|afteralldates]]

Today has already felt long enough, without another date to battle through. Your mind wanders to the question of whether you could squeeze in a nap before the coupling, but something tells you that you probably can't. <<if $agreeableness > 50>>You duck back inside, keen to avoid a prolonged discussion of your misfortune.<<else>> You smile politely at Avery as as you retreat back inside.<</if>> [[Next|afteralldates]]

After an invigorating day of being flung into a "villa" full of total strangers that you have had to get to know at a breakneck speed, you would be forgiven for thinking that you should have a bit of a break coming up. Unfortunately, that couldn't be further from the truth. "Alright, places for the first coupling, everyone!" [[Next|ch2start]]

<<nobr>><<if $coupledwith is "Griffin">><<include gw1>> <<elseif $coupledwith is "Arthur">><<include aw1>> <<elseif $coupledwith is "Adegoke">><<include adw1>> <<elseif $coupledwith is "Imogen">><<include iw1>> <<elseif $coupledwith is "Ellis">><<include ew1>> <<elseif $arthurrom gte 2>><<include aw2>> <<elseif $gkiss>><<include adw2>> <<elseif $ellisrom gte 3>><<include 'ew2'>><<else>><<set $target to either ("adw2", "iw1", "gw1")>><<include $target>><</if>><</nobr>>

"I'll walk you down," Arthur offers, collecting your glasses from the coffee table and striding out through the kitchen. You have no choice but to follow, you suppose. You are heading that way, after all. The moment you are out on the terrace, Arthur wheels around to face you, setting the glasses in his hands down on the nearest table. "What //exactly// do you think you're doing?" he snaps, folding his arms across his chest. "I already told you," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you reply, a little disbelievingly.<<else>>you smirk.<</if>><<if $acreason is "secret">>"You will just have to wait and see." <<include aw1.2>><<elseif $acreason is "winner">>"Because I want to //win//, and I know that you do too." Arthur clenches his jaw, cheeks pinkening. "I don't need your help." <<include aw1.1>><<else>>"Because I //like you//." Arthur rolls his eyes, jaw clenched and cheeks pinkening. "Oh, don't be ridiculous," he spits, like you've just said something highly offensive. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Is that a problem?" you smile,<<else>>"Is that a problem?" you ask, eyebrows raised. You'd be lying if you said you weren't at least a //little//<</if>> amused by his vicious reaction to what most other people would probably consider to be quite a nice sentiment. <<include aw1.2>><</if>>

"And I don't //need// yours. This is about efficiency." <<include aw1.2>>

"Actually, I think you do," you reply contrarily, and Arthur just huffs irritably. After pausing to shoot him a withering look, you continue, "Being a //couple// is half the prize." <<include aw1.2>>

"Fine," you retort. "Good luck winning the couple prize on your own." <<include aw1.2>>

Arthur takes a large stride toward you, and then clearly thinks better of whatever he had in mind and turns away, tapping his foot irritably on the flagstones. "Do you intend to spend our whole time here being this //irritating//?" he asks, shaking his head as he turns back to you. Despite that sentiment and his hard expression, there's something in his gaze that makes you think he doesn't //just// find you irritating. <<include aw1.3>>

"Yes, actually," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin,<<else>>you answer flatly,<</if>> folding your arms across your chest to match Arthur's posture. Arthur steps forward again until there couldn't be more than a few inches separating you, hands on his hips as he <<if $mcheight gt 4>> looks back at you.<<else>> looks down at you.<</if>> "Well, at least I know what to expect, then." For a moment you're just stood there, looking at him looking at you, his full lips slightly parted. <<include aw3>>

"Perhaps you should incentivise good behaviour..." <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin,<<else>>you suggest,<</if>> head tilted to one side as you step forward to close the space between you, running a finger down his chest. <<include aw1.4>>

//Arthur// accusing //you// of being the irritating one in this coupling? It's enough to make your blood boil. You boldly step forward, jabbing a finger into his chest. <<include aw1.4>>

"Hey, //fuck you//," you spit, which aren't exactly the words that you had expected to come out when you had opened your mouth, <<if $extraversion gt 50>>but they convey your sentiment well enough.<<else>>and if it were anyone else you would probably be mortified. For Arthur, though? Well, they convey your sentiment well enough.<</if>> Perhaps a little concise, though. <<include aw1.4>>

"Do //you// intend to spend our whole time here being this //obtuse//?" <<if $agreeableness lte 50>>you snap back, boldly stepping forward to jab a finger into his chest. <<include aw1.4>><<else>>you ask, folding your arms across your chest to match Arthur's posture. Arthur steps forward again until there couldn't be more than a few inches separating you, hands on his hips as he<<if $mcheight gt 4>> looks back at you.<<else>> looks down at you.<</if>> "Yes, actually," he tells you flatly. "Is that going to be a problem?" For a moment you're just stood there, looking at him looking at you, his full lips slightly parted. <<include aw3>><</if>>

Arthur catches your wrist with one hand and holds it in place. For a second, you're just stood there, looking at him looking at you, his full lips slightly parted as his narrowed eyes bore into yours. <<include aw3>>

Out on the terrace, though, Arthur's pace slows considerably. He twirls his wine glass in one hand as he looks back at you, bemused smirk tugging at one corner of his lips. "So, $coupledwith?" he asks you, in a voice that is clearly intended to sound innocent, before adding, "Best you could do?" It's clear that he's trying to be inflammatory - you can tell by the way his smirk twitches a fraction wider as he glances across to read your expression. <<include aw2.2>>

You don't engage. You've known Arthur for less than 24 hours and you can already tell that he would thrive under any attention you could pay him. That's all he's looking for, isn't it? Your reaction. You take a deep breath and release it slowly as you continue walking, determined not to let him rattle you. <<if $neuroticism > 65>> It mostly works. You feel the back of your neck heat up a little under his gaze as he watches you leave, but you ignore it. You're easily rattled anyway - he shouldn't consider it an achievement.<<else>>It actually works.<</if>> [[You're rising above.|charlieintone]]

<<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Nice try!" you reply brightly, as you breeze straight past him. "You don't affect me, Arthur. Whatever you're trying to do isn't going to work."<<else>>"You don't affect me, Arthur," you tell him flatly, as you continue to walk right by. "Whatever you're trying to do isn't going to work."<</if>> "That's funny - I seemed to be having the desired effect on you earlier..." he croons, and even without looking back, you can just picture the smug expression on his face. <<include aw2.3>>

You laugh. You can't hold it back - you're back at this ridiculous game of cat and mouse and you are //amused//. You cross the terrace to close the space between you, head tilted to the side as you run a finger down his chest. "Why? Think you've got something better for me?" <<include aw1.4>>

You stop in your tracks. Then you step up to Arthur, jabbing a finger into his chest. You jab him pretty hard - you hope it hurts. <<include aw1.3.3.1>>

If Arthur ever did register on your radar, it was a mere blip. You aren't fussed by him, nor by his weak attempts at riling you. You simply don't engage - you just keep walking, ignoring [[the feeling of Arthur's eyes on your back as you go.|charlieintone]]

That //arsehole//. You turn on your heel and march back towards Arthur, planting your feet opposite him and jabbing a finger into his chest. <<include aw1.3.3.1>>

You whirl around and march back towards Arthur. You were right - he does look smug. Well, luckily, you have the wherewithal to wipe that smug smile right off his face. You launch a fist in his direction, but he catches your wrist and darts his head to one side to swerve the blow. Once the shock (a very amusing look, for Arthur) wears off, though, he only looks more amused than before as he continues to grip your arm between your chest and his. For a second, you're just stood there, looking at him looking at you, his full lips slightly parted as his narrowed eyes bore into yours. <<include aw3>>

Your lips crash against his, meeting in the middle as you surge together. <<include aw4>>

You don't have to wait long until Arthur's lips crash against yours. <<include aw4>>

You pause there, lips hovering just in front of Arthur's face. You pause for just long enough for his gaze to flicker down to your lips and his face to edge forward, ever so slightly. Satisfied that you have had the desired effect, you pull back and fix him with a smug grin. You get to watch the confusion and irritation flicker across his face for a moment, and then you turn and leave. "Goodbye, Arthur!" you call brightly over your shoulder, not looking back at him. "You are //awful//," he grumbles from behind you, voice muffled by his hands but loud enough for you to hear. "Have a lovely afternoon!" <<if $extraversion > 50>>You strut off to the Blackout Room [[without looking back.|charlieintone]]<<else>>You strut off to the Blackout Room without looking back. At least, you hope it's a strut. You aren't really a strutting kind of $mcguy, [[but you're doing your best.|charlieintone]]<</if>>

You've been down this road with Arthur once before, and you aren't interested in repeating that experience. <<include aw3.4.1>>

You wrench your arm out of his grip and stagger backwards, both of you avoiding the other's gaze as you straighten up your clothes. "Enjoy your interview," Arthur says coolly, in a way that suggests that he wouldn't actually mind if your interview turned out to be a stabbing. He retrieves his glass from the table, taking a long swig out of it as he walks briskly away from you. With nothing left to do, you wander down to your interview, <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>attempting to regain your composure as you walk.<<else>>hoping that your complete lack of composure isn't too obvious.<</if>> It probably won't be looked upon favourably by the viewing public if you spend the entire time [[ranting about your desire to murder Arthur Campbell.|charlieintone]]

You don't know what Arthur's game is here, but you aren't interested in sticking around to find out. <<include aw3.4.1>>

He might have had the reflexes to stop your first punch, but he seems oblivious to the possibility of the second. It's less effective than you would hope given the lack of momentum, but it still sends him staggering backwards, immediately dropping your hand to clutch at his nose. "//Ow//, //fuck//!" he exclaims, looking back at you with an amusing intermingling of confusion and fury and, oddly, respect. Best not hang around to experience the consequences of your actions - Arthur seems like the sort of person that would make a right fuss about getting lamped in the face. To be fair, Arthur seems like the sort of person that might make a fuss about a lot of petty things, but getting lamped in the face probably isn't all that petty. <<if $agreeableness > 60>>"Sorry, but you did have that coming," you tell him, as politely as you can given the circumstances, before [[you hurry off to your interview.|charlieintone]]<<else>>Without another word, [[you hurry off to your interview.|charlieintone]]<</if>>

Everything feels like it's happening all at once; Arthur's hands grip your hips as you stagger backwards together. You hear a crash that sounds like you've knocked a table over before you eventually find your back flat against the smooth, cold granite of the villa wall. One hand slides around his back, <<if $agreeableness lt 50>>the other spearing through his hair as his mouth moves against yours.<<else>>the other grips the hair at the nape of his neck and you //pull//. The way he moans against your mouth fills your stomach with an unexpected fire.<</if>> <<include aw5>>

Your mind has gone completely blank. There's nothing in there, just the feeling of Arthur's torso pressed against yours and your tongue in his mouth and his hands on your hips and your fingers in his hair. Arthur brings his hands up to cup your face and it's a gesture that feels unexpectedly tender as your fingers tease at the hem of his shirt. Then you're interrupted. [[Because of course you are.|aw6]]

You twist in place to push Arthur's back against the wall. Your twinge of concern as his head thuds back onto the smooth surface is quickly assuaged when you feel him smile against your lips, sliding his arms around your back with a renewed enthusiasm. You're standing between his legs, tongue in his mouth, pressed together as tightly as possible given that you're fully clothed and it still //isn't enough//. Heat pools in your stomach, his hum of approval spurring you on as you fumble for his belt. Then you're interrupted. [[Because of course you are.|aw6]]

Nothing about this feels like a good idea. <<if $arthur lt 30>>You don't even //like// Arthur. //Holy shit//,<<else>>Sure, Arthur's perfectly fine, but this is day one on a reality TV show. //Holy shit//,<</if>> <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>you didn't expect your executive function to deteriorate this quickly. Come on. You're better than this.<<else>>you knew that you'd probably make some dubious choices in here but you didn't think it'd all happen this fast.<</if>> <<include aw5.3.1>>

You draw back and Arthur does the same, staggering away from you like a light has just snapped on in his brain. He doesn't look at you, which is mainly noticeable because he looks just about everywhere else //but// at you. You bail, walking as quickly as you can to the Blackout Room [[without ever looking back.|charlieintone]]

Okay, let's be real, you're not about to fuck on day one on the bloody terrace for all and sundry to see. <<include aw5.3.1>>

And really, what did you expect? This is, after all, a //very// public space. "Well, well, well..." Syd's familiar voice cuts across the evening quiet, their delight at catching someone in such a compromising position plain in every word. "Is this what they do at interviews now? Any room for a third?" Arthur looks furious as you disentangle yourselves, clearing his throat and adjusting his trousers uncomfortably as he turns his back on you and Syd. <<if $extraversion lt 50>>"I should get going," you mumble, cheeks hot, as you make to excuse yourself. You wouldn't mind just being swallowed into the ground, but that doesn't seem to be happening, so it looks like you'll have to take matters into your own hands.<<else>>"Well, it's been lovely, but I'd better be off," you announce as you finish straightening your clothes, <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>flashing a smile at Syd as you make your departure. You might try smiling at Arthur, but<<else>>offering a curt nod in Syd's direction. Arthur makes no attempt to acknowledge your exit -<</if>> he is too busy facing away from you and taking a long sip from his wine glass and probably pretending that you don't exist. Cool. Fine. Whatever.<</if>> [[Next|charlieintone]]

"I'll walk you down?" Adegoke nods his head in the direction of the door, glass in hand, as he gets up from his seat. "Sure," you smile, lingering in the doorway while Adegoke picks his way across to you, hand brushing the small of your back as he guides you out through the kitchen. Side by side, you and Adegoke head out through the kitchen into the cool evening air. The sun has set entirely now, and light comes instead from a blanket of fairy lights. You didn't think it was possible, but it looks even more magical at night than it did during the day. [[Quite romantic, actually.|adw1.2.1]]

<<if $gkiss>><<goto adw3>><</if>>"So, did you just want some fresh air, or do you not think I can be trusted to walk about unattended?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin, looking back at Adegoke.<<else>>you smirk, looking back at Adegoke.<</if>> He laughs, leaning back against a table, glass in one hand and the other resting casually on the surface behind him. <<if $conscientiousness lt 35>>"Oh, the second one," he tells you, with a sage nod. "You seem like you might be clumsy – didn’t want to take any chances." He pauses for a beat and then smiles, setting his drink down beside him and holds out a hand, motioning with his head to beckon you closer.<<else>>"The first one?" he smiles, pitch a little high in what is an obvious lie. He sets his drink down beside him and holds out a hand, motioning with his head to beckon you closer.<</if>> <<include adw1.3>>

You oblige, stepping forward to lace your fingers with his and gently swinging his arm back and forth with yours. There’s something about Adegoke, the calm intensity of his gaze, that just makes you feel like a little kid. You can already feel your cheeks heating up as you realise how close you are standing – if you only leant forward then you’d be entirely resting against him. <<include adw1.7>>

You step a little closer, hands clasped behind your back. Adegoke seems unphased, as he is by most things, simply picking his drink back up from the table rather than leaving his hand empty. <<include adw1.7>>

"I really need to get to this interview," you tell him, in your politest tone, pointing a thumb over your shoulder in the direction of the Blackout Room. Adegoke laughs, simply picking his drink back up from the table rather than leaving his hand empty. "Course," he smiles, and you head off to the Blackout Room. When you glance back over your shoulder, you meet Adegoke's gaze from where he stays leant against the table and he nods in acknowledgement, a gentle smile still playing on his lips. Mental note: work out what the hell that means later. [[Now, though, is interview time.|charlieintone]]

"I actually just wanted to say thanks for choosing me." <<include adw1.8>>

"Would you have chosen me, too? If you’d picked first?" you ask, the question feeling stupid and juvenile as it comes out of your mouth, but you’d rather know for sure either way. "I guess I’m doing something wrong if it’s not obvious that I would've," he tells you, voice low. <<if hasVisited("adw1.4")>>You feel your stomach flip as he tugs gently on your hand to bring you a step closer, and you find yourself standing close enough to feel the heat of his body.<<else>>You feel your stomach flip as he leans forward, no longer resting against the table and instead standing close enough to you that you feel the heat of his body.<</if>> <<if $motive is "money">>//You're just here for the money// you remind yourself, although when your eyes meet Adegoke's, it's hard to keep that thought in mind.<br><br><</if>><<include adw1.9>>

You tilt your face toward his, leaning a little closer until your noses are practically touching. Adegoke presses his lips to yours, sweet and chaste, <<if hasVisited("adw1.4")>>sliding his other hand<<else>>sliding one hand<</if>> down your arm to tangle your fingers together. When you draw back, for a moment, you think that he might actually look a little bashful. Truth be told, it isn't the expression you had expected to see him wearing - but you think that you could totally get used to it. "I'm being real when I say I like what I know of you so far, and I'm looking forward to getting to know you better," he tells you earnestly. <<include adw12>>

"Well, I don't believe that you have ever done a single thing wrong in your life," you smirk, and Adegoke laughs. "Hey, I could be a violent criminal for all you know," he tells you sagely, but from his gentle smile you can't help but doubt it. You suppose, though, that you //have// only known him for an afternoon. <<if hasVisited("adw1.4")>>He swings your arm,<<else>>He steps to the side,<</if>> nudging your shoulder with his as he nods his head in the direction of the Blackout Room. "Come on," he says. "You need to get to your interview." He's not wrong. <<if hasVisited("adw1.4")>>You make your (somewhat reluctant) apologies, let go of Adegoke's hand, and make the rest of your journey off to the Blackout Room. When you glance back over your shoulder, Adegoke is looking down at the hand that you'd been holding, [[a gentle smile on his lips.|charlieintone]]<<else>>[[You make polite apologies and make the rest of your journey off to the Blackout Room.|charlieintone]]<</if>>

"Oh, you've not done anything wrong," you assure him. You think about launching into an explanation about how you're just //like this//, but then you think better of it. Don't want to scare him off completely. "Well, for avoidance of any doubt, I'm being real when I say that I like what I know of you so far," he tells you earnestly, face tipped slightly to the side and face wearing a gentle, easy smile. Relaxed. Comfortable. <<include adw12>>

"Now, you'd better go to this interview." <<include adw15>>

He's not wrong. You make your (somewhat reluctant) apologies, let go of Adegoke's hand, and make the rest of your journey off to the Blackout Room. When you glance back over your shoulder, Adegoke is looking down at the hand that you'd been holding, [[a gentle smile on his lips.|charlieintone]]

"Well, I'm glad that we're both happy with how things worked out," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you smile.<<else>>you reply, trying to keep your expression guarded even as you feel a smile tugging at the corners of your mouth.<</if>> <<include adw1.10>>

"My motivations were entirely selfish," you smirk, and Adegoke laughs. "Well, motives aside, I'm glad that I'm the one you picked. Just wanted to make sure I'd said so." There's a pause, and he rolls his bottom lip between his teeth, a bemused smile playing on his lips. <<include adw1.10>>

Accepting gratitude? Not your thing. You cannot be responsible for how much you projectile vomit if you're subjected to whatever //sweet, romantic// moment Adegoke is going for, here. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"You really don't need to thank me."<<else>>"You //really don't// need to thank me."<</if>> <<if $extraversion gt 50>>You scoff and<<else>>You feel your cheeks heating under his gaze as you<</if>> roll your eyes in a bid to show that he is being //ridiculous// and it's going to make you cringe so hard you explode. Adegoke laughs and shakes his head. "Are you always this uncomfortable when people are nice to you?" "Pretty much." <<include adw1.10>>

"Is it too much to want to kiss you now?" he asks you, voice low. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You feel your stomach flip as he tugs gently on your hand to bring you a step closer, and you find yourself standing close enough to feel the heat of his body.<<else>>You feel your stomach flip as he leans forward, no longer resting against the table and instead standing close enough to you that you feel the heat of his body.<</if>> <<if $motive is "money">>//You're just here for the money// you remind yourself, although when your eyes meet Adegoke's, it's hard to keep that thought in mind.<br><br><</if>><<include adw1.11>>

<<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Absolutely not," you reply, and although your voice is quiet too, you hope that your enthusiasm has been properly conveyed.<<else>>"Not at all," you reply, voice low to match his but maintaining a certain coyness that doesn't betray //too// much enthusiasm - a sort of pleased indifference, perhaps? Can't seem too keen, after all.<</if>> <<include adw1.9.1>>

"Hold that thought," you smile. "I want to make the most of it." Adegoke's smile widens, showing a flash of immaculate white teeth, <<if hasVisited("adw1.4")>>as he gently swings your hand in his.<<else>>as he steps back to a polite distance.<</if>> "I like your thinking - but I'll hold you to that," he chuckles. <<include adw12>>

"I'm not ready for that just yet," you tell him, abuzz with the sort of nervousness that comes from awkward social situations. And really, what's more awkward than someone asking to kiss you and having to pie them? Even if you might want to kiss them later. //Especially// if you might want to kiss them later. "You'll be the first to know when I am, though," you finish, with a hopeful smile, <<if hasVisited("adw1.4")>>as you gently swing his hand in yours.<<else>>clasping your hands just that little bit tighter.<</if>> "Of course," he smiles, and you wonder why you were ever nervous - as always, he seems very chill about it. <<include adw12>>

"I'll walk you down?" Adegoke nods his head in the direction of the door, glass in hand, as he gets up from his seat. "I could use some fresh air, I think." <<if $agreeableness > 50>>"Oh! Sure," you smile,<<else>>"Sure," you shrug,<</if>> having not really expected company. The Blackout Room is a short walk from the villa - just across the terrace and down some steps, set apart in its own little outbuilding. Side by side, you and Adegoke head out through the kitchen into the cool evening air. <<if $gkiss>><<include adw4>><<else>><<include adw2.1>><</if>>

"You should have brought $adegokecouple out here. It's pretty romantic," you chuckle, gesturing around at the terrace. The sun has set entirely now, and light comes instead from a blanket of fairy lights. You didn't think it was possible, but it looks even more magical at night than it did during the day. Adegoke chuckles along with you, taking a sip from his glass. "Yeah, maybe?" he ventures. "I'm not sure it'll really go that way, but we'll see." <<include adw2.2>>

"Would you have chosen someone different if you'd been choosing first?" you ask. Being able to choose first is a luxury that you totally aren't taking for granted - you aren't sure how you'd feel about actually having to be picked (or not picked, as the case may be). <<include adw2.7>>

"Got your eye on someone else?" you tease. Being able to choose first is a luxury that you totally aren't taking for granted - you aren't sure how you'd feel about actually having to be picked (or not picked, as the case may be). <<include adw2.7>>

Even for someone who is striving for the big prize, they don't need to be locking anything down on //day one//. You've got a whole month. "It's only the first day," you assure him gently. "There's no big hurry." Adegoke smiles gratefully back at you, slowly nodding his head. "Yeah, yeah," he chuckles, obviously already having given himself a version of this little pep talk. "Just disappointing, isn't it? Not finding that instant connection?" <<if $adegokerom gt 2>><<include adw2.5.1>><<else>>His tone is firm, and you know that you're not going to be getting any more information out of him. Still, you linger there for a moment, hoping that he might reveal something more. <<include adw2.7.1>><</if>>

"You //sure// you haven't found that instant connection?" <<if $extraversion gt 50>>you smirk, head tilted to one side, one hand on your hip.<<else>>you ask, a little tentatively, head tipped to one side.<</if>> Adegoke takes a long sip from his glass, taking the time to consider you over the rim, and then he leans forward slightly in his seat. "Obviously not one that is reciprocal, based on that coupling," he says, tone firm. "Anyway, you've got an interview to be getting to, right?" You toy with the idea of staying and continuing this conversation, but you know that you need to go. Besides - you don't really know what you'd say even if you did stick around. You did just choose $coupledwith over Adegoke at the coupling, after all. "Yeah, I guess I do," you admit, and Adegoke lifts his glass in your direction. "Hope it goes well." You make your way across the terrace, thinking about the nature of first impressions and instant connections as you go. You can't help but wonder whether the read you've had on everyone so far [[has been accurate.|charlieintone]]

Adegoke not being sure about his pairing with $adegokecouple is certainly interesting - <<if $adegokerom gt 2>> and it leaves the door open to you. Do you want to walk through it? You can't be sure just yet, but it's nice to know that the option might still present itself.<<else>>you hadn't expected for everyone to be happy with their first coupling, but knowing that Adegoke isn't certainly seems like information that might be useful to you.<</if>> You let the comment go and the moment passes. Adegoke takes a sip from his glass, looking up at the sky, and then he clears his throat. <<include adw2.5.6>>

Not finding a connection with someone instantly doesn't mean that one won't form eventually - and those built over time might be all the stronger for it. "First impressions aren't everything." Adegoke smiles appreciatively back at you. "Yeah, know what, you're right," he nods decisively, and takes a sip from his glass. <<include adw2.5.6>>

"Anyway, I'm sorry to have kept you. You've got an interview to be getting to, right?" You have, and you should go. <if $agreeableness > 50>>"Yeah, catch you later?" you smile, and he nods, and then you are walking briskly away to your interview. You hope you've been a little helpful, at least, as you wonder once again about the nature of first impressions in here.<<else>>"Catch you later." You nod and he nods and it's like a polite little bobblehead convention. Then you are walking briskly away to your interview, idly wondering once again about the nature of first impressions in here.<</if>> [[You wonder how accurate your read on everyone has been.|charlieintone]]

You may have done some flirting with Adegoke, but you're coupled up with $coupledwith and you aren't about to get into some kind of hideously complicated love triangle. <<if $charlierom > 2>>Not with Adegoke, at least.<br><br><</if>>You just poke a thumb over your shoulder in the direction that you'd been headed. "I've got the-" "Oh, yeah, go right ahead. Hope it goes well." Adegoke smiles warmly, lifting his glass in your direction before he takes a sip. <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>Well, phew. At least now you don't have to worry about making some kind of faux pas in excusing yourself.<<else>>You are grateful that this doesn't have to be a thing - Adegoke's relaxed approach is definitely serving you well here.<</if>> You make your way across the terrace, thinking about the nature of first impressions and instant connections as you go. You can't help but wonder whether the read you've had on everyone so far [[has been accurate.|charlieintone]]

"What about with me? I'm sure //we// could get something pretty romantic going..." you grin, eyeing Adegoke curiously as you walk. He just laughs. "$mcname, you //just// coupled up with someone else," he reminds you, eyebrows raised. "I dunno if you're trying to rub salt into the wound or what, but..." He trails off, shaking his head with a bemused expression. "If you wanna just fuck around, I'm not that guy. That's not me." Despite Adegoke's insistence that he isn't interested, though, his gaze does linger on you for a moment longer than is entirely platonic before he looks away and takes a sip from his glass. Well, couldn't hurt to try, you suppose. Whatever. You linger there for a moment, wondering if he might have something else to say, before he clears his throat and nods his head in the direction you'd been headed. "Anyway, you've got your interview, right? Hope it goes well." You have, and you should go. <<if $agreeableness > 50>>"Yeah, catch you later?" you smile, and he nods, and then you are walking away, [[with a head full of questions.|charlieintone]]<<else>>"Catch you later." You nod and he nods and it's like a polite little bobblehead convention. Then you're walking away, [[with a head full of questions.|charlieintone]]<</if>>

"Trying to get the gossip, are you?" Adegoke laughs. "You're worse than Florrie." He pauses, leaning back on the surface of a table. <<if $adegokerom gt 2>>"It's immaterial, isn't it? I //wasn't// choosing first. Guess we'll never know who I'd have picked." Despite his reticence to reveal anything, though, his gaze does linger on you for a moment longer than is entirely platonic. Still, his<<else>>"I don't want to be disrespectful; $adegokecouple is really nice." His<</if>> tone is firm, and you know that you're not going to be getting any more information out of him. Still, you linger there for a moment, hoping that he might reveal something more. <<include adw2.7.1>>

He doesn't, though. Instead, he clears his throat and nods his head in the direction you had been walking. "Anyway, you've got your interview, right? Hope it goes well." You have, and you should go. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Yeah, catch you later?" you smile, and he nods, and then you are walking away, [[with a head full of questions.|charlieintone]]<<else>>"Catch you later." You nod and he nods and it's like a polite little bobblehead convention. Then you're walking away, [[with a head full of questions.|charlieintone]]<</if>>

Adegoke pauses on the terrace, leaning back against one of the tables, hands resting on the edge. "I was a bit surprised that you chose me just then," he begins, brow creased into a thoughtful frown. "After your kiss with Griff, I think everyone was expecting you to choose him." He doesn't actually ask a question, but the subtext is plain as he takes a sip from his glass, waiting to hear what you have to say. <<include adw3.1>>

You aren't perfect, and you're not going to be some idealistic romcom protagonist. <<if $motive isnot "love">>You aren't like Adegoke - you didn't come swanning into this show expecting to be swept off your feet by some charming, perfect person. This is just a game, and <<if $motive is "money">>you're just here to get the bag.<<elseif $motive is "direction">>you're just trying to find your way.<<elseif $motive is "fame">>you're here to get famous, catch some diet tea sponsorships and ride the waves of life as an influencer for as long as you can.<<else>>you're just here for a good time.<</if>><</if>> <<if $extraversion gt 50>>"It's just a part of the game, isn't it?" you shrug. "It didn't really mean anything."<<else>>You shrug, not entirely sure what to say. "It's just a part of the game, isn't it?" you offer, sounding much less confident than you had hoped to. "It didn't mean anything."<</if>> Adegoke sighs, rubbing the back of his neck as he steps forward to you. His hands trail down your arms to intertwine with yours. "I know that's how you see it," he tells you gently, <<if $mcheight gte 4>>ducking his head slightly to meet your gaze.<<else>>meeting your gaze steadily.<</if>> "But not everyone shares that view, least of all Griff... And he's a good guy, you know? I didn't like seeing him get hurt like that." <<include adw3.6>>

"Do you wish I hadn't chosen you now?" <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>you wince,<<else>>you ask,<</if>> meeting his gaze. <<include adw3.4.1>>

"I just got carried away in the moment," you sigh. "It was a //stupid// thing to do." "It was," Adegoke sighs, rubbing the back of his neck as he steps forward to you. His hands trail down your arms to lace with yours. <<include adw3.4.1>>

"I think Griffin might have been a bit disappointed," he adds. "Making a stupid decision for yourself is one thing, but making them for other people is something else. And he's a good guy, you know? I didn't like seeing him get hurt like that." <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"I know," you sigh, wondering when the fuck everything got //so// complicated and intense and //eugh// when you've not even spent a night here yet. "You're right." "Happens occasionally," Adegoke smiles, tugging ever so slightly on your hands to bring you a little closer.<<else>>"Mmm," you hum, nodding your head in something that could be interpreted as agreement. You aren't really used to considering other people's feelings; it's not something that you're very good at. You can't help but wonder when the fuck everything got //so// complicated and intense and //eugh// when you've not even spent a night here yet.<</if>> "I'm glad you picked //me//, though," he adds, <<if $mcheight gte 4>>tilting his face to meet your gaze.<<else>>ducking his face down slightly to meet your gaze.<</if>> <<include adw3.4.2>>

<<if $neuroticism gt 50>>Adegoke must set his standards spectacularly low if he can see what a colossal mess you are and not be filled with dread that he has been forced to proverbially hitch his wagon to your horse. "Yeah?"<<else>>"That's pretty generous of you," you smirk.<</if>> "Well, I'm a pretty charitable guy," he laughs, and then he nods his head towards the Blackout Room. "Come on - I don't wanna make you late." <<include adw15>>

"Yeah?" you smile, tugging on his hands to bring him a little closer. Adegoke looks back at you as you become increasingly focused on his hands on yours and his face near yours and his //chest// near yours and his deep, controlled voice as he speaks again. <<include adw3.6.4>>

"Thanks," you reply, swinging his hands slightly in yours. "I'm glad I picked you, too." He laughs, and you're suddenly very aware of his hands on yours and his face near yours and his //chest// near yours... <<include adw3.6.4>>

<<if $extraversion lte 50>>"I should probably..." you trail off, pointing a finger awkwardly in the direction of the Blackout Room.<<else>>"I should head off," you tell him, gesturing in the direction of the Blackout Room.<</if>> "Yeah, sure," Adegoke smiles deferentially, releasing your hands and taking a step back. He runs a hand over the top of his head, the other on his hip, and for a fraction of a second as you're leaving you think... [[maybe he's not as chill as he'd like to seem.|charlieintone]]

<<if $extraversion gt 50>>Usually, finding the right words doesn't feel quite as insurmountable a hurdle. Now, with Adegoke, it just seems impossible.<<else>>You never know what to say, so this really doesn't feel like anything new for you.<</if>> "I don't know what to say to make you feel better about it," <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>you wince, feeling every bit stupid as such an incredibly feeble reply probably sounds.<<else>>you shrug.<</if>> Adegoke sighs, rubbing the back of his neck as he steps forward to you. His hands trail down your arms to intertwine with yours. "It's not about //me//," he tells you gently, <<if $mcheight gte 4>>tipping his head to the side to meet your gaze.<<else>>ducking his head slightly to meet your gaze.<</if>> "//I// get it. It's what this is about, right? But not everyone shares that view, least of all Griff... And he's a good guy, you know? I didn't like seeing him get hurt like that." <<include adw3.6>>

You'd be lying if you said you'd totally caught whatever the last thing Adegoke had said was - you're just busy thinking about his hands on yours and his face near yours and his //chest// near yours and... Oh, shit, you should probably have replied by now. "Sorry, am I boring you?" Adegoke laughs, giving your hand a gentle tug to recapture your attention. "You're standing //very// close to me - can't blame a $mcguy for getting a little distracted," you smile, and for a moment Adegoke just looks at you. <<include adw3.6.4>>

You can't help but bristle. When did monitoring the feelings of every bloody cast member become your responsibility? They knew what they were signing up for, just like you. "I'm just here to look out for myself," you reply, firmly, expression hard as you meet his gaze. Adegoke just nods his head slowly, letting go of your hands and taking a step back. "Right, well..." he pauses, and you feel like there's a huge gulf between you that you're not sure can be filled back up. "You'd better be off for your interview, then." With nothing else to say, you just go, [[leaving Adegoke alone on the terrace in your wake.|charlieintone]]

<<if $extraversion gt 50>> "And you're worried I'm gonna hurt //you// like that?"<<else>>"Are you worried I'm gonna hurt //you// like that?"<</if>> Adegoke shrugs and, for a moment, he looks a little defensive. Then his expression softens and he smiles, gently tugging on your arms to bring you a little closer. "You think I like you that much already, huh?" "You haven't denied it," you point out, and he just laughs. <<include adw3.6.4>>

"You're gonna cause me a lot of trouble - I can tell." For a moment he leans in, and you think he might be about to kiss you. Then he straightens back up, shaking his head, chuckling to himself. "Go to your interview - I don't want to be the reason you're late." <<include adw15>>

The sun has set entirely now, and light comes instead from a blanket of fairy lights. You didn't think it was possible, but it looks even more magical at night than it did during the day. "Have you followed me out here to tell me off about not picking Griffin at the coupling?" "No," he replies. "But since you bring it up, I think that was a bit of a shit thing to do on the first day." <<include adw4.1>>

Where does this guy get off? It's the first day, and it's a //dating show//. Kissing random people is kind of the whole point. "Luckily, it's none of your business, so you don't need to worry," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you reply brightly.<<else>>you snap back.<</if>> <<include adw4.2>>

"It's all part of the game, right?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you ask, brightly.<<else>>you snark, brow cocked.<</if>> <<include adw4.2>>

"Yeah, maybe..." Do you feel great about kissing Griffin and then coupling with $coupledwith? No, but it's done. You can't go back in time and change it. "You do you, but Griffin's a sweet guy and he isn't gonna say anything himself," Adegoke shrugs, taking a sip from his glass, "He needs someone looking out for him, you know? Anyway... have a good interview." You feel a little bit like you've just been told off at school, but you can also see how you kind of deserve it. Besides - seeing Adegoke sticking up for Griff is kind of adorable when they've only known each other for a day. That's definitely something to keep an eye on. Alone, you wander down to the Blackout Room, fingers crossed that you aren't about to get //another// sassing. [[Next|charlieintone]]

Adegoke sighs, leaning back against the surface of one of the tables, quirking a brow at you. "You're right, mate, go off," he shrugs, taking a sip from his glass. "Have a good interview." You shrug back. "Thanks." Then, with nothing left to say, [[you wander down to the Blackout Room alone.|charlieintone]]

<<if $gkiss is false>><<goto iw1>><</if>> "I'd like to get some air, if you don't mind me joining?" Ellis offers with a gentle smile, tucking their hair behind one ear. "Of course," you reply, extending a hand to help them navigate up the little steps up from the sofa area and back out towards the kitchen. Ellis rests one hand in the crook of your elbow, walking close to you as you make your way back out onto the terrace and into the cool evening air. "I can't help but be surprised that you chose me..." they begin, hesitation plain in their voice. "After your kiss with Griff, I think everyone was expecting you to choose him..." Ah. Yeah... That. <<include ew1.1>>

You're no //Disney// protagonist, nor are you a //Disney// love interest. <<if $motive is not "love">>You aren't like Ellis - you didn't come swanning into this show expecting to be swept off your feet by some charming, perfect person. This is just a game, and <<if $motive is "money">>you're just here to get the bag.<<elseif $motive is "direction">>you're just trying to find your way.<<elseif $motive is "fame">>you're here to get famous, catch some diet tea sponsorships and ride the waves of life as an influencer for as long as you can.<<else>>you're just here for a good time.<</if>><</if>> <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"It didn't mean anything," you reply quietly, "but it //is// a part of the game."<<else>>"We aren't exclusive, Ellis," you reply flatly. "It didn't mean anything, but it //is// a part of the game."<</if>> <<include ew1.7.4>>

"Do you wish I hadn't chosen you?" you ask. Ellis abruptly stops walking, tugging on your arm to bring you face to face with them. "Should I?" they ask, looking <<if $mcheight gte 4>>up<<elseif $mcheight is 3>>across<<else>>down<</if>> at you searchingly. <<include ew3>>

"No," you reply decisively. "I just got carried away in the moment. It was a really dumb thing to do." <<include ew1.4.1>>

"No?" you grimace, and Ellis raises their eyebrows at you. You sigh, taking a step back to run a hand down your face. "I don't know. I hope not." Ellis smiles fondly, bringing one hand up to rest on your neck, thumb gently stroking your jaw. "You're a fool," they tell you decisively. Well... they aren't wrong, but it's still a little unexpected. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You can't help but chuckle.<<else>>You frown, but that only makes Ellis' smile widen.<</if>> "I'm going back inside. I hope the interview goes well." Somewhat reluctantly, they step back and return to the villa, leaving you alone on the terrace. They do pause in the doorway to look back at you, though, [[and that can't be a bad sign.|charlieintone]]

It's the whole point of the show, after all. <<if $motive is "money">> You came here for the money, and you're not going to abandon that plan on day one.<</if>> "If you are going to be upset every time I kiss someone else, then yes, maybe you should," you reply. "We aren't exclusive, Ellis." <<include ew1.7.4>>

You're no //Disney// protagonist, nor are you a //Disney// love interest. You aren't like Ellis - you didn't come swanning into this show expecting to be swept off your feet by some charming, perfect person. <<if $motive is "money">>You're just here to get the bag.<<elseif $motive is "direction">>You're just trying to find your way.<<elseif $motive is "fame">>You're just here for a good time.<<else>>You're here to get famous, catch some diet tea sponsorships and ride the waves of life as an influencer for as long as you can.<</if>> <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Maybe," you reply quietly. "I'm //not// the $mcguy to deliver some perfect love story, Ellis."<<else>>"This is real life, not a romcom," you reply flatly. "If you're looking to be swept off your feet, then yeah, maybe."<</if>> <<include ew1.7.4>>

"I just got carried away in the moment," you begin. "It was a //stupid// thing to do." <<include ew1.4.1>>

"It was," Ellis affirms, and you pass another few moments in silence before they let out a soft sigh, tightening their grip on your elbow slightly. "I think Griffin might have been a bit disappointed," they add. "Making a stupid decision for yourself is one thing, but making them for other people is another thing entirely." <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You nod your head, sliding a hand across to rest on top of Ellis'. "I know," you sigh, wondering when the fuck everything got //so// complicated and intense and //eugh// when you've not even spent a night here yet. "You're right." "Often am."<<else>>"Mmm," you hum, nodding your head in something that could be interpreted as agreement. You aren't really used to considering other people's feelings; it's not something that you're very good at. You can't help but wonder when the fuck everything got //so// complicated and intense and //eugh// when you've not even spent a night here yet.<</if>> [[Next|ew1.4.2]]

"I should go back inside," Ellis tells you, reluctantly disentangling their arm from yours. They pause for a fraction of a second and you think that they might have something else to say, but then they just shake their head and wander back into the kitchen. <<if $ellisrom gte 2>>They don't glance back at you as they go, and you feel your stomach churning with something like concern. Regret, maybe? You just... [[kind of wish that they had looked back.|charlieintone]]<<else>>[Next|charlieintone]<</if>>

"I don't know what to say to make you feel better," you reply, impotently. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>Usually, finding the right words doesn't feel quite as insurmountable a hurdle. Now, with Ellis, it just seems impossible.<<else>>You never know what to say, so this really doesn't feel like anything new for you. Still shitty, though.<</if>> Ellis stops walking, tugging on your arm to bring you face to face with them. "You could say that it was a very stupid thing that you did because it's the first day of a reality TV show where you felt like that was what you //should// be doing," they begin, wide almond eyes searching yours. "You could say that you don't like Griff and you don't want to kiss him again. You could say that you like //me//..." <<include ew1.7>>

<<if $extraversion gt 50>>Something about Ellis just seems to have turned into a bumbling idiot, and you can't make the words that you need to say come out of your mouth.<<else>>You aren't good with words; you never have been.<</if>>You do know another way that you can show Ellis that you like them, though. You step forward, sliding one arm around their shoulders as you lean in to press your lips to theirs. Rather than being met with their lips, though, you are met with a firm shove to your shoulder, sending you staggering backwards a few paces. "//Don't//!" Is Ellis' only decisive reply, jaw set firm, as they quickly turn away and walk back into the villa. [[Fuck|charlieintone]]

"I can't say that," you reply solemnly. "It wouldn't be honest." <<include ew1.7.4>>

Ellis sighs, looking away and nibbling on their lip. "Well, I admire your commitment to honesty," they chuckle after a moment. "But I have already made what I want from this experience very clear, and it isn't this." Reluctantly, Ellis steps back. Their hand leaves your arm, and they smile weakly across at you. "I hope that your interview goes well, though." Then they turn and walk back into the villa, leaving you alone on the terrace. <<if $ellisrom gte 3>>You were just trying to be honest... so why does it feel like your stomach is about to drop out? [[You sigh, and take the rest of the walk down to the Blackout Room alone.|charlieintone]]<<else>>You were honest. They can't really ask for more than that, [[right?|charlieintone]]<</if>>

"It was a very stupid thing that I did because it's the first day of a reality TV show where I felt like that was what I //should// be doing. I don't like Griff, and I don't want to kiss him again," you say, pausing for breath, "I like //you//." Ellis takes a step closer to you, running their delicate fingertips up your arms and along your jawline, gaze focused on your lips before they flick up to meet yours. Your breath catches in your throat. <<include ew.1.7.5>>

You lean forward, and Ellis must have leaned too, because then all of a sudden, their lips are on yours and your arms are sliding around their back and their fingers are clutching at the front of your shirt. <<include ew1.8>>

Ellis leans forward, pausing when their lips are millimetres from yours to give you a teasing little grin. <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>For a split second, you think that they aren't going to kiss you at all; that this is all just a big prank.<<else>>You don't doubt for a second that they will kiss you, though. You can tell by the way their fingers are clutching at the front of your shirt.<</if>> Then, all at once, their lips are on yours and your arms are sliding around their back and their hand is on the back of your neck. <<include ew1.8>>

You step back, clearing your throat. Now isn't the time for... well, for whatever might have been about to happen. "The interview," Ellis smiles, letting their hand fall back down to their side. [["Yeah..."|ellisbye]]

You step back, clearing your throat. You've rushed into kissing someone once already today, and you're not about to do it again. Besides, how's it gonna look if you're kissing two different cast members //already// on Day One? "The interview," Ellis smiles, letting their hand fall back down to their side. "It isn't-" you begin to reply, but you aren't entirely sure of how to articulate why you know you shouldn't kiss Ellis. At least, not in terms that would make any sense. "It isn't that, and it isn't you either," you settle for, hoping that it will provide at least //some// explanation for your reticence. "You don't need to justify yourself to me." Ellis' reply is gentle, unexpectedly so, as they place their hand back on the crook of your elbow [[and nod their head in the direction of the Blackout Room.|ellisbye]]

There is a feeling in your stomach like when you drive too quickly over a little hill - exhilarating and nerve wracking and it sets you off balance. <<if $motive is "money">>//You're just here for the money//. You remind yourself, again and again, but Ellis' lips on yours are just so... distracting.<br><br><</if>>"Your interview..." Ellis breathlessly reminds you, forehead resting on yours. <<if $funny gt 50>>"Oh yeah," you smile. "That's what I came out here for..."<<else>>"I'll skip it..."<</if>> You lean in to kiss Ellis again, but they step backwards, chuckling to themself. "Come on, let's go." <<include ellisbye>>

"Yeah," you chuckle, running a hand over the back of your neck. "I can see why, but I wasn't sure I was ready for a romantic coupling, you know?" It's no surprise that other cast members expected you to couple with Griff given that you kissed him so publicly, but it just... didn't feel right, you suppose. Ellis smiles across at you, and you hope that they at least //sort of// understand - both the situation with Griff, and the implication that your choosing them wasn't motivated by a desire for romance. "Well, romantic or otherwise, I'm glad that you chose me," they say after a moment. [[Phew.|ellisbye]]

"I'd like to get some air, if you don't mind me joining?" Ellis offers with a gentle smile, tucking their hair behind one ear. "Sure," you reply, extending a hand to help them navigate up the little steps up from the sofa area and back out towards the kitchen. Ellis rests one hand in the crook of your elbow, walking close to you as you make your way back out onto the terrace and [[into the cool evening air.|ew2.1]]

"That was quite something, wasn't it?" they venture, not really directing the question to you in particular. "Are you happy with how things worked out?" Ellis thinks for a moment, wiggling their nose from side to side as they ponder the question. Their grip on your arm tightens slightly as they clear their throat. "Yes, I think so," they reply, with more resolve than any real certainty. "$elliscouple has been nothing but lovely." <<include ew2.2>>

"Are you upset that I didn't choose you?" <<if $extraversion gt 50>>you ask. It's bold, sure, but<<else>>you ask, and even spoken softly, the words feel uncharacteristically bold in your mouth. Still,<</if>> it's a conversation that needed to be had at some point. No sense dancing around these things - especially given that you're going to be spending a whole month locked up together. Ellis glances thoughtfully across at you, chin held high and expression impassive. "No," they say, after a moment. "You don't owe me anything, $mcname; you have to be true to yourself." [[Next|ellisbye]]

"I hope that we can be friends." It sounds a little impotent, but you mean it. Just because you coupled up with $coupledwith doesn't mean that you don't want //any// relationship with Ellis, and you hope that they don't totally hate you now. Fortunately, any concerns that they might seem to be unfounded. Ellis laughs, unrestrained and somehow still graceful, as they look across at you. "Of //course// we can be friends. You don't owe me anything, $mcname; you have to be true to yourself." [[Next|ellisbye]]

"Does that mean that there's nothing romantic on the cards between us?" <<if $extraversion gt 50>>you ask. It's bold, sure, but<<else>>you ask, and even spoken softly, the words feel uncharacteristically bold in your mouth. Still,<</if>> it's a conversation that needed to be had at some point. No sense dancing around these things - especially given that you're going to be spending a whole month locked up together. You glance across to observe Ellis' reaction and, although they try to retain an impassive expression, you watch as they take a steady breath before answering. "Perhaps that would be better discussed when you haven't //just// elected to couple with someone else. Let me lick my wounds a little longer." It's a fair answer, sure, but you can't help but notice that it //isn't// a "no". [[Next|ellisbye]]

"Good," <<if $extraversion gt 50>>you grin,<<else>>you nod,<</if>> "I'm glad you're feeling good about it." When you glance across at Ellis, they are smiling softly, chin held high. They don't say anything else, though; [[what more is there to say?|ellisbye]]

Ellis accompanies you down the steps to the Blackout Room, set back a little from the rest of the villa in its own small outbuilding, obligingly disentangling their arm from yours when you reach the doorway. "I hope that your interview goes well," they tell you, carefully tucking a strand of hair behind their ear. "Thanks." Ellis pauses for a fraction of a second and you think that they might have something else to say, but then they just <<if $ekiss>>smile<<else>>shake their head<</if>> and wander back the way you came. [[Next|charlieintone]]

"I'll walk with you?" Imogen offers, a little sheepishly. "I'd quite like some air, anyway." <<if $coupledwith is "Imogen">>"Oh, is that what the kids are calling it, these days?" Syd drawls, and Imogen just looks utterly bewildered as you lead her out.<br><br><</if>>Side by side, you and Imogen head out through the kitchen into the cool evening air. The sun has set entirely now, and light comes instead from a blanket of fairy lights. You didn't think it was possible, but it looks even more magical at night than it did during the day. Quite romantic, actually. The moment that Imogen emerges, she releases a shaky sigh. "I'm going to sit down for a minute, I think," she tells you, smiling nervously as she runs her hand along the back of a chair. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Are you alright?" you ask, pausing your journey across the terrace to turn back to her.<<else>>You pause, perhaps a little reluctantly, as you walk across the terrace to turn back to her. "...Are you alright?"<</if>> Imogen smiles back at you, but it's feeble and unsure and it quickly falters as she slides into her seat, head in her hands on the table. <<if $coupledwith is "Imogen">><<include iw3>><<else>><<include iw2>><</if>>

"God, that was //stressful//," she groans, voice muffled behind her hands, <<if $coupledwith is "Vinh" or $coupledwith is "Adegoke">>"And I //know// that it had to be someone, but being //last// to couple?"<<else>>"And if I hadn't been called up to choose, I'd have been picked //last//."<</if>> She sits back up, cheeks flushed. "I just don't know what I'm doing here, you know?" <<include iw2.1>>

"You're doing fine," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you smile,<<else>>you assure her,<</if>> "It's only the first day." Imogen looks up at you with doe eyes. "Really?" "Really." This competition seems like it might be more marathon than sprint - she definitely shouldn't let herself get too stressed out on the first day. There's so much that could happen between now and the end, after all. Imogen seems to relax, more secure either in the knowledge that she is doing fine, or you are at least nice enough to lie about it. [[Next|immiheadoff]]

What is she doing here? What are //you// doing here?! <<if $neuroticism gt 60>>You take a deep breath. It's everything you can do not to cry, and you'd rather not totally fall apart<<else>>You've got to laugh. It's that or cry, and you'd rather not totally fall apart<</if>> <<if $entrancemeet is "vinh">>for the second time in one day.<<else>>on the very first day.<</if>> "Same," you chuckle reluctantly, and Imogen's face whips round to face you. "Really?" she asks, doe-eyed. "Really." <<if $neuroticism gt 60>>Imogen's disbelief is kind of funny to you. If anything, you'd been understating it.<<else>>Imogen seems utterly disbelieving, but it's the truth. <<if $entrancemeet is "vinh">>You haven't exactly been a picture of composure so far, even if she hadn't noticed.<<else>>Just because you've been keeping it together doesn't mean that you're in your element. This whole experience is //weird//.<</if>><</if>> She relaxes, though, more secure either in the knowledge that you haven't found things easy either, [[or are at least nice enough to fake it.|immiheadoff]]

"What //are// you doing here?" you ask. It feels like a fair question - Imogen doesn't exactly fit the image of the archetypal reality TV contestant that you have in your head. From what you've seen of her so far, you find it hard to imagine her actually applying. "//I don't know//," she repeats, brushing a tear from her cheek with the back of one hand. She sighs, running her hands over her face, and then takes a deep breath in. "I'm just being silly, I think. I'll be fine." [[You wonder if she will.|immiheadoff]]

"That was just so stressful," she breathes, voice muffled behind her hands. Then she looks up at you, cheeks flushed and eyes like saucers. "I didn't expect you to choose me." <<include iw3.1>>

You smile gently back at her as you slide into a seat at the same table. You hadn't really had a doubt that you'd choose Imogen, so her surprise is, actually, kind of funny. You don't think she'd appreciate being laughed at right now, though, as she looks up at you and rolls her bottom lip between her teeth. "I guess I've been keeping my cards too close to my chest, then," you tell her, and the corners of her mouth quirk up into a little smile. "Because I knew I was going to choose you. I like you." "Yeah?" "Yeah." "I like you, too." Imogen's voice is quiet, fragile, as she smiles back at you and leans back in her seat, shoulders straightening and chin lifting as she loses some of the tension that she had been carrying before. [[Next|immiheadoff]]

You can't help but be a little taken aback - the combination of Imogen seeming upset and then being surprised to be coupled with you doesn't inspire a tonne of confidence in you. "Did you not enjoy our date?" you ask, the words feeling silly and juvenile even as you're saying them. "No, I had a lovely time!" Imogen rushes to answer, cheeks flushing even pinker as she realises that her previous words have perhaps been misinterpreted. <<include iw3.1.4>>

"Were you hoping that I wouldn't?" you ask, and it feels like the obvious question. The combination of Imogen seeming upset and then being surprised to be coupled with you doesn't inspire a tonne of confidence in you. You can't help but wonder if she had perhaps been hoping to be chosen by someone else. "No, I wanted you to!" Imogen rushes to answer, cheeks flushing even pinker as she realises that her previous words have perhaps been misinterpreted. <<include iw3.1.4>>

"I didn't mean that at all - I'm //so// glad that you chose me," she continues, tone imploring, "I just... I don't know, I thought you might choose someone different. Better? Someone else." <<include iw3.1.5>>

"I haven't met anyone better," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you smile, and you reach out across the table to rest your hand on top of hers. Imogen looks down at it like she's just been given a precious gift: a gleaming jewel or a tiny bunny rabbit or something. <<else>>you shrug, and although you hope that it will sound flippant and casual, the words feel weighty on your tongue.<</if>> Her eyes meet yours, her brow knitted together thoughtfully. "That's one of the nicest things anyone's said to me." "Then you need to spend time with nicer people." "Yeah... maybe I do." Imogen seems lost in thought as she pulls her hands back from the table, running them absentmindedly through her hair. [[Next|immiheadoff]]

"You know, if we're going to be coupled together, you're going to have to stop being so self-deprecating," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin, ducking your head a little to catch her gaze, and Imogen giggles.<<else>>you roll your eyes, but can't keep the hint of a smile from your face as you duck your head a little to catch Imogen's gaze.<</if>> "Sorry." "You don't need to apologise, either," you point out, and Imogen seems lost in thought as she pulls her hands back from the table, running them absentmindedly through her hair. [[Next|immiheadoff]]

"Look, I can't pretend I'm going to be the most solid partner," you begin with a sigh, hands clasped together on the table. "But you //are// great. You should know it." "Thanks," she replies quietly, brows knitted together thoughtfully as she avoids your gaze. She seems entirely lost in thought as she pulls her hands back from the table, running them absentmindedly through her hair. [[Next|immiheadoff]]

"You should go to your interview. I'll be fine here for a minute," Imogen smiles, fiddling with the small, gold charm on her necklace. "Are you sure?" "Yeah, of course! Go ahead. I just needed a bit of a breather, anyway." <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You consider, for a moment, insisting that you stick around, and then it occurs to you that this might just be Imogen's very polite way of asking to be left alone.<<else>>You do need to get going, you suppose.<</if>> You offer a polite goodbye and make your way down the steps to the Blackout Room, set back a little from the rest of the villa in its own small outbuilding. [[Next|charlieintone]]

"I'll walk you over there," Griffin smiles, nodding his head towards the door. "Let's go." <<if $gkiss>>"Alright, you crazy kids - don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Syd calls after you. Griffin slings an arm around your shoulder as you wander out towards the terrace, leaning back slightly to waggle his eyebrows at Syd in response. [[Next|gw1.1]]<<elseif $griffinrom gte 3>>Griffin's arm twitches at his side like he's fighting the urge to reach out to you as you head outside by side. [[Next|gw1.1]]<<else>><<include gw2.1>><</if>>

"I'll walk you over there," Griffin smiles, nodding his head towards the door. "Let's go." <<include gw2.1>>

Griffin doesn't seem to have a great deal to say - you would guess that he just fancied the fresh air. He spends most of your walk quietly taking in the surroundings, turning his head to take in every little moth that flutters by and branch that catches the wind. "Kind of amazing here, isn't it?" he asks after a moment, breaking the silence. "I've never been this far from home. I didn't realise it would feel so //different//." <<include gw2.3>>

"Me either," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you smile, relieved that you're not the only one who is at least a little out of their element.<<else>>you shrug. You wouldn't have thought it was that unusual, really - a remote tropical island is probably the furthest from home that a lot of you have been.<</if>> Griffin looks across at you with a flicker of surprise, and then he just smiles. It crinkles his eyes at the corners and brings out the dimples in his cheeks. Avery and Charlie struck reality TV gold with this guy. [[Next|gw3]]

You shrug, having never really given it much thought. "How do you mean?" Griffin casts his hands around at your general surroundings and, when you seem no more in the know for having seen his gesturing, he sighs. His brow creases into a little frown as he sucks in his cheeks, trying to find the words to articulate whatever meaning he had been trying to convey with his hand wave. "The sky is so big here, you know? The air smells different." He's right. <<link "The air //does// smell different." "gw3">><</link>>

"Have you never wanted to travel?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you smile. "The world is so big - I can't imagine not wanting to see it?"<<else>>you ask, utterly perplexed by the very idea that someone wouldn't immediately rush out to explore a world as large as this one the moment they were able to.<</if>> Griffin laughs and shrugs his shoulders. "It's not cause I haven't //wanted// to - travelling is just expensive, you know? And I'd miss people at home if I was gone //too// long." [[Next|gw3]]

"This is where I leave you," Griffin smiles, as you reach your destination. The pathway is narrower here, hemmed in by tall plants, and Griffin practically has to step back into the undergrowth to maintain a respectful distance. "Yeah, see you later." "I hope your interview goes well!" he calls back over his shoulder, as he makes his way back up the steps, swinging his arms back and forth as he goes. [[Next|charlieintone]]

You emerge back out onto the terrace, the air having cooled off a little without the heat of the afternoon sun. Griffin accompanies you down the steps to the Blackout Room, set back a little from the rest of the villa in its own small outbuilding, nibbling his lip to keep his smile at bay whenever you glance across at him. You pause outside the door, turning to face him and finding yourselves stood rather close together, hemmed in by the trees leaning in on either side of you. <<if $gkiss>><<include gw4>><<else>><<include gw5>><</if>>

"You know, I've been thinking about kissing you again all afternoon," he smiles gently, tilting his head <<if $mcheight is 5>>up<<else>>down<</if>> towards you, fingers skimming your arm. <<include gw4.1>>

You lean in, closing the space between you, and Griffin steps forward hungrily to wrap his warm arms around you. You stagger back as Griffin presses you against the wall, mouth moving against yours, one hand lingering on your hip as yours roam up his back and his chest and into his hair. <<include gw4.6>>

"Well, it's a good thing that we're alone now, then," <<if $extraversion gt 50>>you smirk, reaching out with one hand to give the front of his t-shirt a gentle tug.<<else>>you reply coyly, reaching out with one hand to give the front of his t-shirt a gentle tug.<</if>> Griffin steps forward obligingly, closing the space between you until his lips are on yours and he can wrap his arms hungrily around you. Then he steps forward again, pressing you against the wall, one hand lingering on your hip as yours roam up his back and his chest and into his hair. <<include gw4.6>>

"Maybe we should slow this down," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you murmur, avoiding his gaze.<<else>>you shrug.<</if>> "Keep our options open..." <<include gw4.4.1>>

Griffin falters for a moment, mouth opening and closing as his brow settles into a frown. "Oh," he replies simply, before he shakes his head and fixes a smile onto his full lips. "Yeah! Of course. Same page." His voice cracks ever so slightly as he insists that you are in agreement, giving the impression that you were anything but on the same page. Well, at least you are now. "I'll... uh... see you later, then?" Griffin's cheeks are growing pinker by the second, either embarrassed by your sort-of-rejection or by his own very bad acting. Best to let him go and nurse his wounded pride. "Yeah, catch you later," you affirm, [[and then you head inside.|charlieintone]]

<<if $agreeableness lt 50>>You kissed once in a pool, you're not fucking //married//.<<else>>You've kissed once, but Griffin is already getting a bit intense in a way that is making you... kind of uncomfortable?<</if>> <<include gw4.4>>

You can feel your heart pounding in your chest and the heat pooling in your stomach as your fingers tighten around the hair at the nape of his neck to pull him in, //more//, //closer//. Griffin breaks away abruptly, as if he's had a sudden thought. His hands have come to rest on the wall either side of you, forehead resting against yours, eyes slowly fluttering back open. "Your interview-" he murmurs, chest still heaving, dropping one hand down to tangle his fingers with yours. "I hope you'll be saying nice things about me..." <<include gw4.7>>

"Extremely nice things," you smile back, one hand still resting gently on the side of his neck. "The nicest." "Good," he chuckles, planting another little kiss onto the tip of your nose before he steps away, swinging your hand slightly in his before he reluctantly lets go. "No one's actually asking me anything, but if they do, I'll be saying very nice things too." Griffin pauses awkwardly for a moment, shoving his hands deep into his pockets, obviously unsure of what exactly he's supposed to do now. "See you in a bit, then?" "See you later," you affirm with a smile, [[and then you head inside.|charlieintone]]

"Fuck the interview," you breathe, tugging on Griffin's hair to bring his lips crashing into yours once again. Griffin obliges with a renewed enthusiasm, one hand sliding around to the small of your back to press you closer while the other slides up your side to cup your face. You just can't think of anything else; it's intense and intoxicating and no amount ever seems to be enough. You slide a hand under the hem of his shirt, revelling in the way that Griffin shivers as your fingertips skim over the warm skin of his stomach. Then he draws back again, staggering backwards in a way that leaves you suddenly feeling exposed, standing on legs that are more wobbly than you had expected. "You //should go//," Griffin asserts, "or we'll be here all night." "Works fine for me," you retort, reaching out a hand to tug on the front of his shirt. He moves back to you, but only to plant a gentle kiss on the tip of your nose <<if $mcheight lt 4>>and rest his chin on the top of your head as he envelops you in a warm embrace.<<else>>smiling at you with a sincerity that makes your cheeks burn.<</if>> "If you don't go, who's going to tell all those cameras how cute I am?" he asks, <<if $mcheight lt 4>>and even though you can't see it, you can feel him smiling.<<else>>infuriatingly adorably.<</if>> "Alright," you grumble, <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"but only because the people need to know."<<else>>"but I shall be saying no such thing. If you get any airtime at all, it'll be about what a massive tease you are."<</if>> "Perfectly fine with me." Griffin draws back, making sure to back far enough away that he is thoroughly out of your reach. "See you in a bit, then?" "See you later," you affirm with a smile, [[and then you head inside.|charlieintone]]

"If you promise to pick this back up later," you mumble back, one hand still resting gently on the side of his neck, "then I'll have //plenty// of nice things to say." "You've got yourself a deal," he chuckles as he steps away, swinging your hand slightly in his before he reluctantly lets go. "Alright, well, I'll see you in a bit, then?" Griffin shoves his hands deep into his pockets, taking on a posture that actually makes him look sort of vulnerable and unsure. "See you later," you affirm with a smile, [[and then you head inside.|charlieintone]]

"Wouldn't you like to know," you smile, and Griffin chuckles as he steps away, swinging your hand slightly in his before he reluctantly lets go. "Alright, well, I'll see you in a bit, then?" he smiles, cheeks flushed. He shoves his hands deep into his pockets, taking on a posture that actually makes him look sort of vulnerable and unsure. "See you later," you affirm, [[and then you head inside.|charlieintone]]

"I'm glad too," <<if $extraversion lt 50>>you smile a little uncomfortably, folding your arms across your chest as a barrier against both the cold and your intense awkwardness.<<else>>you smile calmly.<</if>> "I just want to be really clear and make sure you know that I don't really see anything romantic happening between us. I'd really love it if we could just be a friend couple." <<include gw4.4.1>>

"I'm //really// glad you chose me," he smiles gently, tilting his head <<if $mcheight is 5>>up<<else>>down<</if>> towards you, fingers skimming your arm. <<include gw5.1>>

"I'm glad you're glad," you reply, smiling dumbly back at him. It's a pretty dumb thing to say, now you think about it. Everything about this //extremely// hot guy smiling across at you just makes you feel like your brain has turned to Angel Delight. "And I'm glad about that," he smiles, cheeks flushed. He shoves his hands deep into his pockets, taking on a posture that actually makes him look sort of vulnerable and unsure. "I'll see you later?" "See you later," you affirm, <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>and then you head inside.<<else>>rolling forward slightly on the balls of your feet as you hover awkwardly in place. Griffin bobs his head decisively and turns away, so you head inside.<</if>> [[Next|charlieintone]]

You poke your head around the door of the Blackout Room. "Come in, come in!" Charlie calls, although you can't actually see him anywhere. Despite its name, the Blackout Room isn't half as gloomy as you imagined, although no other space in the villa has had you more acutely aware that you were being filmed. One side of the room has a wide, egg-shaped chair (presumably for you to sit in - what is it with reality TV sets and weird, modern furniture?) with a camera on a tripod pointed right at it. The other side is a mess of monitors and wires and papers. It's also dotted with signs that Charlie has been making himself quite at home - mugs and snacks and magazines are scattered on just about every surface. [[Next|ci2]]

Charlie emerges from a door on a wheely chair <<if $charlierom gte 2>>and his face lights up when he sees you.<<else>>and he grins broadly when he sees you.<</if>> He kicks off and rolls across the tiled floor towards you, skidding to a well-timed stop in front of you to hold out a bag of gummy worms in your direction. "Gummy?" <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>You fix him with your most stern expression. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>It isn't very stern.<br><br><</if>>"The interview?" "//Alright//, alright," Charlie groans, throwing his gummy snacks down onto a side table. He relaxes back into his chair and refers to his old moleskin - more tattered and worn than when you saw it those months ago, but unmistakably the same one. You take up your seat in the egg chair, eyes quickly drawn to the blinking light on the camera in front of you.<<else>>You happily oblige, having always found Charlie's delays quite welcome. Less work, less problems, right? That's got to be a phrase? Gummy worms in hand, you take a seat in the egg chair and get nice and comfy. "We probably should do this interview, huh?" he asks, as he refers to his old moleskin - more tattered and worn than when you saw it those months ago, but unmistakably the same one. "Yeah, probably," you affirm, noncommittally.<</if>> <<if $entrancemeet is "vinh">><<include cip1>><<elseif $gkiss>>"Okay, well..." he begins, thumbing through the pages of his notebook. "We've got to start with your kiss with Griffin. First in the villa to break the saliva barrier." <<include cik1>><<else>><<include cin1>><</if>>

Charlie takes a deep breath, swivelling back and forth on his chair for a moment before he speaks again. "First of all, I just feel awful about your entrance. I've been thinking about it all day and I should have made sure you were more prepared, and I am //so// sorry." The words come out all at once, so quick that they almost end up a garbled mess. <<if $neuroticism lt 40>>His apology is unexpectedly contrite. In truth, so much has happened between entering the villa and now that you had sort of forgotten about it, and Charlie's reminder sends a fresh wave of cringe washing over you.<<else>>His apology is unexpectedly contrite and, despite a very busy day, you'd be lying if you said that your absolute fiasco of an entrance hadn't been playing on your mind.<</if>> <<include cip2>>

<div class="choices"><<link "It's absolutely not his fault. He couldn't have predicted it." "cip2.1">><<set $charlie += 1>><<inc-friendly>><</link>> <<link "I don't want to talk about this. Thanks for the apology, but let's move on." "cip2.2">><<set $charlie -= 1>><<dec-honest>><</link>> <<link "As it turns out, hours of chatting about Star Wars doesn't really prepare someone for a reality TV show." "cip2.3">><<set $charlie -= 2>><</link>> <<link "Good! He should feel awful!" "cip2.4">><<inc-bold>><<set $charlie -= 1>><</link>> <<if $men>><<link "Charlie's been thinking about me all day? Well, that's a win, at least." "cip2.5">>Charlie's been thinking about me all day? Well, that's a win, at least.<</link>><</if>></div>

"It's not your fault," you assure him. "You couldn't have predicted it. <<if $neuroticism lt 60>>Hell, //I// couldn't have predicted it."<<else>>I should probably have warned you."<</if>> Charlie is leaning forward in his seat, absentmindedly bending his fingers in his lap way further than you think fingers should be allowed to bend. "I should have just come back in." "You'd have got in trouble." <<if $charlierom gte 2>>"I know, but I shouldn't care about that. I just care about..." he pauses, laughing a little as he shakes his head and dismisses whatever he had been about to say. "Well, anyway, I have a duty of care. I should have been there for you." There is a moment, and you can't be sure how long it lasts for, where you find yourself just looking dumbly back at Charlie. You //really// wish that he had been able to finish that sentence.<<else>>"I know, but I have a duty of care," he groans, rubbing his hands over his face. "And I should have been there for you."<</if>> <<include cip3>>

The last thing you want to do is dwell on such a deeply embarrassing moment for the entirety of your VT. "Thanks," is all you can really manage in reply, accompanied by a tight smile that hopefully tells Charlie that you're keen to move on. Mercifully, he takes the hint. <<include cip3>>

"As it turns out, hours of chatting about Star Wars doesn't really prepare someone for a reality TV show," you chuckle, but for once Charlie doesn't laugh along with you. In fact, he looks even more bereft than before, dragging his hands down his face as he sighs deeply. "Yeah, apparently so," he mumbles. "Anyway, I have a duty of care. I should have been there for you. I'm sorry." "It's weird seeing you be so earnest." "It's weird being earnest," he smiles at last, mouth tentatively twitching up at one corner, "but it needed to be said." <<include cip3>>

Charlie sent you into the villa like a lamb to slaughter - he should feel guilty about it. Any producer with even a basic level of competence would have been able to see that you were ridiculously underprepared. "Good." "Good?" Charlie looks a little taken aback, clearly having expected his apology to be more freely accepted. He looks even more bereft than before, dragging his hands down his face as he sighs deeply. "Yeah, good. I hope you do feel shitty," you confirm flatly. <<if $agreeableness gte 50>>Being this forthright when you're upset with people definitely doesn't come naturally to you, but you know Charlie well enough at this point that you're willing to try.<<else>>It's way easier to blame Charlie for this whole situation than to acknowledge any of your own personal deficiencies.<</if>> <<if $charlierom gte 2>>Still, it doesn't feel as good as you had hoped it would to tell him off.<</if>> "Okay, well, I do. So same page, I guess," he shrugs after a moment, rolling his shoulders uncomfortably. <<include cip3>>

Apparently, all it takes to get a guy's attention is to completely fall apart on television. If only someone had given you a heads up sooner. <<if $extraversion gte 50>>"So you've been thinking about me all day, huh?" you smirk, and Charlie immediately laughs. "Well, nice to see that you have recovered well," he retorts, pointedly ignoring your question.<<else>>"You've been thinking about me?" you ask tentatively, words coming out a little unexpectedly. "Always," Charlie holds your gaze for a moment, and then chuckles to himself as he shakes off whatever thought he had been distracted by. "I mean, I'm a producer, it's kind of my job, right?" ...Right.<</if>> <<include cip3>>

Charlie clears his throat, swinging slightly from side to side in his chair for a moment before he plasters a smile back onto his face. <<if $gkiss>> "Next topic," Charlie thumbs through the pages of his notebook, "your kiss with Griffin. First in the villa to break the saliva barrier." <<include cik1>><<else>><<include cin1>><</if>>

<<if $charlierom gte 2>>Charlie's gaze is focused pointedly at the page as he speaks, voice strained. "How are you feeling about that?"<<else>>Charlie leans forward, a curious grin playing on his lips. <<if $conscientiousness gte 50>>Well, you could have spotted this question coming from a mile away.<<else>> Yeah, you probably should have seen this line of questioning coming.<</if>> "How are you feeling about that?"<</if>> <<include cik2>>

<<if $agreeableness lt 50>>You also just actually thought the words "smitten kitten", which kind of makes you want to hurl yourself straight into the sea.<br><br><</if>><<if $extraversion gte 50>>The very mention of the kiss fills you with an explosively giddy feeling that just makes you want to make a weird high-pitched sound or dance about a bit or something.<<else>>A grin slowly spreads across your face, unable to contain the giddy feeling that rises in your chest as you think about your kiss with Griff.<</if>> <<include cik4.1>>

A big dumb smile spreads across your face and you just can't keep down the giddy, swirly feeling in your chest. <<if $agreeableness lt 40>>//This isn't you.// You //aren't// a giddy, swirly person. //What// is going on?<</if>> <<include cik4.1>>

<<if $charlierom gte 2>>"That good, huh?" Charlie croaks, immediately adjusting his position in his seat and clearing his throat.<<else>>"That good, huh?" Charlie's mouth twitches up into a smile and he clicks his tongue as he scribbles away in his notebook.<</if>> <<if $coupledwith is "Griffin">>"And now you're coupled up, right? Griffin looked pretty jazzed that you picked him - you must be like the cat who got the cream?" Charlie pauses for a moment before adding, "Oh, and I didn't give you a disclaimer, but this is a space for you to be honest. Nothing you say here will be heard by the rest of the cast."<<else>>"But now you're coupled with $coupledwith, right? What's the deal - how are you feeling about that?" Charlie pauses for a moment before adding, "Oh, and I didn't give you a disclaimer, but this is a space for you to be honest. Nothing you say here will be heard by the rest of the cast."<</if>> <<include feelychoice>>

"//Saliva barrier//?!" you scoff, and Charlie grins. "You're so right. That was gross," he concedes, "but you've still gotta answer the question." <<include cik2>>

Anyone who is that forward on a TV show with the premise of this one is asking for trouble. Griff's laid his cards right out on the table, and his hand looks //easy// to play. "Griffin is just the first hurdle for me to get to the prize," you reply, <<if $extraversion gt 50>>gaze shooting straight down the camera,<<else>>averting your gaze from the camera lens,<</if>> and Charlie raises his eyebrows. He thinks you're a horrible person. You're sure of it. <<if $agreeableness lte 40 and $charlierom is lt 2>>Fine, whatever.<<elseif $agreeableness lte 40 and $charlierom gte 2>>Ordinarily, you wouldn't care in the slightest, but for some reason having //Charlie// think it sets you on edge in a way that you are entirely uncomfortable with.<<else>>If you were hearing the words from someone else, you'd probably think the same. Fuck it. You want to //win//, and you aren't going to do it without making a few self-interested decisions.<</if>> <<if $coupledwith is "Griffin">><<set $coupleonefeels to "bc">>"Okay, so..." Charlie begins, frowning like you've just asked him to solve a really tricky equation. "You kissed Griff because you thought it'd sweeten him up for getting the prize, coupled up with him to seal the deal? Makes sense." <<include boringstuffdone>><<else>>"Okay, so you kissed Griffin, and then you coupled with $coupledwith. How do you feel about your current partnering?" <<include feelychoice>><</if>>

<<if $conscientiousness gte 50>>"It was perfectly nice, but I'm not planning the wedding or anything," you answer. You bloody love a good plan, so hopefully your answer truly conveys the depths of your ambivalence. Judging by the way Charlie raises his eyebrows, it does.<<else>>"It was perfectly nice, but I'm not planning the wedding or anything," you answer. Alright, you probably wouldn't be able to plan a wedding even if you //were// that into him - and Charlie seems to be having the same thought, judging by the way his mouth curls up into a teasing smile.<</if>> <<if $coupledwith is "Griffin">>"Ok, so Griffin's kiss wasn't enough to capture your affections... but you //did// still choose him for the coupling? So how are you feeling about that?" Charlie pauses for a moment before adding, "Oh, and I didn't give you a disclaimer, but this is a space for you to be honest. Nothing you say here will be heard by the rest of the cast."<<else>>"Ok, so Griffin's kiss wasn't enough to capture your affections and you ended up coupling with $coupledwith instead. How are you feeling about that?" Charlie pauses for a moment before adding, "Oh, and I didn't give you a disclaimer, but this is a space for you to be honest. Nothing you say here will be heard by the rest of the cast."<</if>> <<include feelychoice>>

Maybe not your finest hour, in hindsight. While you //hope// that necking on day one says "I'm flirty and fun and down for whatever" it could just as easily be interpreted as "I'm a rabid skank who kisses anyone with a driver's licence" or, worse still, "I'm already locked down so don't try it". You wince, and a slow smile curls onto Charlie's face as he immediately senses what you're about to say. <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>"Probably not my finest hour, was it?" you groan. It's not the sort of impulsive, stupid thing that you would normally do.<<else>>"Probably not my finest hour, was it?" you groan. You might be known for your somewhat impulsive nature, but you still end up cringing about your stupid fucking decisions all the same.<</if>> <<if $coupledwith is "Griffin">>"Okay, so," Charlie begins, frowning like you've just asked him to solve a really tricky equation, "you aren't thrilled about the ill-advised smooch in the pool with Griffin, but you //did// choose to couple with him. How are you feeling about that?"<<else>>Charlie attempts to look sympathetic, but he's still smiling. "Okay, so you had an ill-advised smooch in the pool with Griffin, and then you chose to couple up with $coupledwith. How are you feeling about that?"<</if>> <<include feelychoice>>

You shift a little uncomfortably in your seat as you try to adjust to this new tension that has entered the room. Chatting with Charlie has always been comfortable and easy, but now it feels... weird. "Oh... that..." you reply impotently, mouth suddenly feeling //very// dry. "That." "I wasn't thinking about you seeing it," you mumble, and you aren't sure if that'll make things better or worse. For fuck’s sake, this isn't a conversation you should be having at all, really. Yet here you are. "You shouldn't be," he replies quickly, eyes flickering up from his notepad for a split second before he averts them once again. His smile is forced - entirely unlike the ones he wore when you would sit in cafés and spend hours laughing over dumb stories about Star Wars conventions or Crash Bandicoot or whatever he had chosen to regale you about on that particular day. "I'm here to think about production quality so you don't need to." Not quite what you meant. <<include cik11>>

You shift a little uncomfortably in your seat as you try to adjust to this new tension that has entered the room. Chatting with Charlie has always been comfortable and easy, but now it feels... weird. "Yeah, I'm sorry you had to see that," <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>you mumble, feeling the heat spreading up the back of your neck.<<else>>you tell him, as earnestly as you can while there is a blinking camera looking right at you.<</if>> You do mean it - there's something about knowing that Charlie saw you kissing someone else that makes you feel acutely uncomfortable and squirmy and like you've done something //wrong//. But you haven't, right? That's the whole point of the show. "Don't be," Charlie replies quickly, eyes flickering up from his notepad for a split second before he averts them once again. His smile is forced - entirely unlike the ones he wore when you would sit in cafés and spend hours laughing over dumb stories about Star Wars conventions or Crash Bandicoot or whatever he had chosen to regale you about on that particular day. "It's what you're here for, right?" Right. Of course. <<include cik11>>

"So, how are you feeling about it? Good? Bad? Indifferent?" Charlie presses, tapping his notepad impatiently with his pen. <<include cik12>>

"I'm not talking about this with you," <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>you tell him, averting your gaze so that you're //both// pointedly not looking at each other. It's a beautiful example of open and honest communication - relationship therapists up and down the nation could use you as a case study. Sike! You suck. You hear Charlie sigh, <<include cik14>><<else>>you assert, adjusting your position to convey that you are putting your foot down by doing everything //but// literally putting your foot down. Charlie sighs, <<include cik14>><</if>>

and you wonder what fun facts about himself he's going to whip out to get you chatting again. None come, though. Instead, a silence stretches out between you. <<if $extraversion gte 50>>Ordinarily you'd be the one to break it, but you just can't think of what to say and it's [[agonising.|cik15]]<<else>>You've never been particularly great at breaking awkward silences, [[and now is no exception.|cik15]]<</if>>

Charlie is the one who speaks first, and thank fuck for that. It'd have been awkward if you'd been just trying to get through the next month in tense silence. "Yes. You are," he tells you firmly. "This is my //job//, $mcname." You are acutely, painfully aware of that fact. As Charlie's gaze meets yours, he is all but imploring you to just //not do this//. Not right now, at least. It doesn't make it any easier, but //fine//. You're going to have to talk. <<include cik12>>

Charlie lounges back in his chair, swivelling from side to side slightly as he taps the end of his pen against the page. "Wouldn't it be wild if there was a zombie apocalypse while we were here filming?" he asks, lips quirking up into a smile, "And like the whole rest of the world got all messed up apart from this island?" <<include cin2>>

<<if $extraversion lte 50>>"Uh, yeah? I guess...? Is this... part of the interview?" you venture, shuffling in your seat, and Charlie laughs.<<else>>"I mean, I guess so? Wait, is this part of the interview or are you just stalling?"<</if>> Charlie laughs. "//Fine, jeez//," he groans, theatrically rolling his eyes. "I'll do an //actual// interview question for the VT." "Very out of character for you." "How dare you," Charlie retorts, pressing a hand to his chest, expression full of faux-indignance. "Now, you chose to couple up with $coupledwith. How are you feeling about your choice?" <<include coupleq2>>

Let's be real - you are extremely glad to have an excuse to do anything that isn't being interviewed for the camera. You breathe a sigh of relief, wrapping yourself up in a proverbial comfort blanket of zombie apocalypse discussion. "Oh, okay, good question," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin, leaning forward in your seat.<<else>>you lean forward in your seat, tapping your fingers on your chin.<</if>> "Could we sustain ourselves on this island? We probably wouldn't have enough food to last more than a couple of months?" Charlie matches your lean, the enthusiasm plain in his expression. "We'd have to set up some kind of farming system, I guess? Plant some of the vegetables and hope they grow? Griff seems like the farm type, I bet he'd be useful." "Griff was quite emphatic about not being a farmer, actually," you chime in, and Charlie laughs. You aren't entirely sure how long your discussion about the logistics of zombie avoidance goes on for, but it's long enough to end up with an agreement about the quarantine policy for new arrivals to the island (to prevent a spread of infection) and for Charlie to explain at length the need to select an upbeat theme song for the group (for morale). You are eventually interrupted when the walkie-talkie on Charlie's test lights up and crackles into life. "//Charlie//?" comes Avery's harassed voice from the other end, and Charlie immediately swivels around. "//Are you done with the interview? Remember how we agreed only fifteen minutes per person?//." Charlie wrinkles his nose in a way that suggests that he had definitely forgotten. He slides in his chair to snatch up the device, pressing a button down to reply. "All over it, boss!" His tone is bright, but not entirely convincing. "Time to do the actual interview?" you ask, with no small amount of reluctance, and Charlie nods as he spins back around to face you. Even if you are running late, you can't deny that you're feeling much more relaxed than you had been before. "Go on, then," he chuckles, checking the viewfinder of his camera and wiggling a hand to get you to shuffle a little to the left in your seat. "How are you feeling about your coupling?" <<include feelychoice>>

"Have you been binge watching zombie movies in here or something?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you laugh, easing back against the soft leather surface of the chair.<<else>>you ask, eyebrows shooting up as you fold your arms and ease back into your chair.<</if>> Charlie presses a hand to his chest, expression full of faux-indignance. "I am //offended//, $mcname, that you would think that this is a zombie apocalypse planning is a fresh concern for me and not a topic that has been living rent free in my brain since I was, like, fifteen." "What happened when you were fifteen? Brush with a zombie?" "The Walking Dead's meteoric rise to popularity," Charlie laughs. "But alright, fine, if you're going to be that way I'll just do the //actual// interview." He shakes his head, smiling down at his notebook as he flicks through the pages and then checks the viewfinder. <<include coupleq>>

"Know something I don't?" you ask, arms folded, and Charlie laughs. "Uh, yeah, //tonnes// of stuff," he grins, holding his moleskin under one arm so he can begin listing things off on his fingers. "I'm pretty sure you can't speak Wookie, you know basically nothing about the layout of this island and-" "I meant about the impending zombie doom," you cut in, and Charlie grins back at you. "I know." He retrieves his notebook, flicking back and forth through it as he checks the camera viewfinder. "Okay, let's do actual interview stuff, then. Ready?" "Ready." <<include coupleq>>

You groan, running a hand down your face. Charlie's forte has never been staying on topic - most of your casting interviews with him consisted of lengthy rambles about scifi or pizza toppings or the cool cloud he'd seen on his way there. "Charlie, //the interview//," you remind him again, and he rolls his head back and sighs. "//God//, you're a very boring $mcman." He grins back at you, and then he rolls forward in his chair to check the camera viewfinder. "Go on, then. How are you feeling about your coupling?" <<include coupleq2>>

"So, how do you feel about your coupling?" he asks, simply. <<include coupleq2>>

<<if $extraversion gt 50>>You knew this question was coming, but the blinking camera light still gives you pause. Your gaze flickers between it and Charlie, and he gives you an encouraging smile. "I know it's weird," he smiles gently. "But just imagine I'm holding a caramel macchiato and it'll feel much more normal. How are you feeling about $coupledwith?"<<else>>You knew this question was coming, and you're ready to answer it. You straighten up and fix your gaze on the lens of the camera pointed at you.<</if>> <<include feelychoice>>

There's no other way to say it; you're completely and pathetically in it now. <<include fc1.1>>

<<if $openness gt 50>>Sure, you aren't known to be someone who is slow to adapt to new things, but it's been less than 12 hours and you're already pretty into $coupledwith. "I really like $coupledwith," you grin, knowing how utterly ridiculous it must sound.<<else>>You are normally //so// much slower to adapt to situations like this, but something about $coupledwith just has you... falling. "I'm //really// into $coupledwith," you wince, knowing how utterly ridiculous it must sound.<</if>> "Quite the first impression, then," <<if $charlierom gte 2>>Charlie strains a smile, gaze focused on the viewfinder and very much not on you. "I think we got the shot."<<else>>Charlie waggles his eyebrows at you over the top of the camera's viewfinder and then beams back at you. "You were born for the camera, by the way. Excellent work."<</if>> [[Next|boringstuffdone]]

Things really couldn't have worked out any better. <<include fc1.1>>

You met //today// - you're not picking out rings just yet. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>"I do like $coupledwith," you begin, with a cheeky grin, "but I've not put all my eggs in one basket just yet. It's only day one, right?" <<if $charlierom gte 2>>"Yeah, only day one." Charlie strains a smile, gaze focused on the viewfinder and very much not on you. "I think we got the shot."<<else>>"Born for the camera," Charlie makes a little chef's kiss gesture as he checks the camera viewfinder and beams back at you.<</if>><<else>>Your eyes flick between Charlie and the camera once again, and you take a deep breath to steady yourself. "I do like $coupledwith..." you begin uncertainly, "but I guess I'm just not //sure// yet. We only met today..." <<if $charlierom gte 2>>"Yeah, only day one." Charlie strains a smile, gaze focused on the viewfinder and very much not on you. "I think we got the shot."<<else>>"Perfect," Charlie checks the camera and nods his head enthusiastically. "You were born for the camera, by the way. Excellent work."<</if>><</if>> [[Next|boringstuffdone]]

It's the name of the game, after all. "I'm just going to add $coupledwith to my body count and move on," <<if $extraversion gt 50>>you answer, with a cheeky grin.<<else>>you answer, plainly.<</if>> No point dancing around it - you've got your eyes on the prize and $coupledwith is the first hurdle to get there. Charlie lets out a low whistle as he leans back in his chair and away from the viewfinder, fixing you with a meaningful look. "Be careful, $mcname. These are actual people - some of them have feelings." <<if $charlierom gte 2>>You didn't come here to be reprimanded like a schoolkid just for actually playing the game, but the fact that it's coming from //Charlie// does give you pause.<<else>>You didn't come here to be reprimanded like a schoolkid just for actually playing the game, but whatever.<</if>> [[Next|boringstuffdone]]

Your partnership with $coupledwith is strictly based on strategy; it's a symbiotic union that'll //hopefully// have both of you walking out of the villa £500,000 richer. That's it. "Me and $coupledwith are in a couple based on strategy. We're just in it to win it," you explain, and Charlie nods along like he doesn't really have a clue what you're on about. <<if $charlierom gt 2>>"Well, that's what we're all here for, right?" Charlie strains a smile, gaze focused on the viewfinder and very much not on you. "I think we got the shot."<<else>>"Perfect," Charlie checks the camera and nods his head enthusiastically. "You were born for the camera, by the way. Excellent work."<</if>> [[Next|boringstuffdone]]

There isn't anything romantic in it, but $coupledwith is perfectly nice and you hope that you'll be able to be friends. "I think $coupledwith will be a great friend in the villa," you answer politely, skirting around the obvious subtext that this is //not// a romantic pairing. <<if $charlierom gte 2>>"Born for the camera," Charlie makes a little chef's kiss gesture as he checks the camera viewfinder and beams back at you.<<else>>"It's only the first day," Charlie smiles reassuringly as he checks the camera viewfinder. "I'm sure someone'll take your fancy."<</if>> [[Next|boringstuffdone]]

You just can't keep the thought at bay. You might have stood up and chosen $coupledwith for the cameras, but you know that if you could really choose //anyone// you wanted, you'd have chosen Charlie. It isn't even a question. But Charlie //isn't// an option. "$mcname?" he probes, with a bemused smile as he waves a hand to recapture your attention. "Coupling feelings? Ideally without the glassy, thousand yard stare thing you've got going on right now?" You snap back to reality, brushing off your moment of distraction as you look up to meet his soft gaze. //Fuck//. <<include feelychoice>>

"Now we've got that out of the way..." Charlie rolls back into free space and spins in slow circles on his chair, pen poised over his notebook. You don't know whose idea it was to give this man a spinny chair, but it was a mistake. "I just need to get some stock footage of you //existing// that the editors can cut in. So, anything you want to ask //me//? Ideally something that will let me make you laugh - the people love a stock laugh shot." <<if $charlierom gte 2>>[[Next|chflirt]]<<elseif $thot gt 53 and $men>>[[Next|chflirt]]<<else>><<include chjoke>><</if>>

"Hit me with a joke," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>> you smile, quirking a brow.<<else>>you request, with no small amount of reluctance.<</if>> "That should do it." "Because I'm soooo hilarious and witty, right?" Charlie grins back, swivelling back and forth in his chair. Sure - whatever he wants to believe. "Ok, I've got one... Uuuh... Something about an interrupting sheep? I actually can't remember the opener." <<if $conscientiousness lt 50>>"I think it's-"<<else>>"Yeah, that isn't-"<</if>> "BAAAAA!" Charlie bleats abruptly, cutting you off with a satisfied grin. <<include chj1>>

You can't help but laugh - it's a joke so bad that it's gone back around to being funny again. <<include chj6>>

You just groan, head lolling against the high back of the chair as your eyes roll back. <<include chj7>>

You fold your arms across your chest, scowling back at Charlie. That was such an unbelievably shit joke that you couldn't possibly have reacted in any other way - he couldn't even remember the set up! <<include chj7>>

You can't help but laugh - it's a joke so bad that it's sort of become endearing. "Pretty hilarious, huh?" Charlie grins smugly across at you, swinging happily back and forth on his chair. "What can I say? I'm a man of great wit." Well, you wouldn't go //that// far. <<include chj6>>

"Aaah, that did the trick," he leans back away from the camera with a satisfied grin. "Now, you're free to go. I'll catch you later?" Charlie has already turned away from you, wheeling himself across to a desk on the other side of the room where he busies himself at a laptop. <<if hasVisited("chflirt")>>You can't help but be a //little// put out that your flirtation doesn't seem to have yielded any results, <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>because it doesn't speak //particularly// highly of your flirting ability if you can't even get Charlie a bit flustered. Fuck it - you've got other stuff to be doing, anyway.<<else>>but hey ho - bigger fish to fry.<</if>><br><br><</if>>[[Back Inside|nhiestart]]

"What?!" Charlie grins in faux innocence. "That's a //good joke//!" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"//Charlie//," you chuckle, "I expected better from you."<<else>>"That wasn't even a joke," you tell him flatly, expression decidedly unimpressed.<</if>> "What do you mean?! //It's a good joke!//" Charlie repeats indignantly as he switches off the camera, huffing exaggeratedly as he flops his hands into his lap. "God, there's just no pleasing some people. Hopefully the team can do just as much with some exasperated-at-Charlie's-"bad-jokes"-footage as they could with a nice laugh shot. You're free to go! I'll catch you later?" Charlie has already turned away from you, wheeling himself across to a desk on the other side of the room where he busies himself at a laptop. You've never really known Charlie to be particularly busy or conscientious and yet, here he is, //actually working//? Wild. [[Back Inside|nhiestart]]

<<set $charlierom += 1>>You pause for a moment, considering the one thing that you most want Charlie to tell you. "Who would you have chosen?" <<if $extraversion gt 50 or $thot gt 50>>you smirk, leaning forward in your seat.<<else>>you ask, tilting your head to one side.<</if>> "If you had been a cast member, I mean. Who do you think you would have coupled with?" <<if $charlierom gt 2>><<include chflirtwin>><<else>><<include chflirtfail>><</if>>

Charlie leans back from the view finder on the camera and he rests his arms on their rests, absentmindedly twisting his fingers in his lap. His grin as he meets your gaze is almost bold, but the rest of his posture is anything but. "What are you doing?" he asks, bemused, swaying from side to side in his chair. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>"Flirting with you," you reply, wearing a grin to match his. What better past time could there be than teasing Charlie Ngata? [[You're yet to find one.|chfw1]]<<else>>"...Asking a question?" you venture, having totally bottled the whole "boldly flirting" thing. [[Your mouth is suddenly very, very dry.|chfw1]]<</if>>

Charlie spins away from you, wheeling himself across to a desk on the other side of the room where he busies himself at a laptop. "You know what, I actually think it'll be better if I get this shot another time," he tells you, shooting a tight smile back over his shoulder. "You can get back to the merriment inside." He nods his head to a monitor on the wall, where you can see various cast members gathered in the kitchen as Syd gesticulates wildly from atop the counter. Oh. [[Well, that didn't go the way you thought it might.|chfw2]]

<<if $neuroticism gt 50>>With that horrible, tight feeling that you get in your stomach when you're worrying about whether you've done something wrong, you make for the door.<<else>>The energy in the room has shifted, and you don't want to outstay your welcome. When did Charlie get so //boring//? You had plenty of fun, flirty chats before you arrived on the island. Fuck it, you've got other stuff to be doing, anyway. You make for the door.<</if>> When your hand is on the knob and you're halfway out, you hear Charlie clearing his throat behind you, and you can't help but turn back. He's frowning, but he doesn't look annoyed - more quizzical. Definitely serious, though, which is an expression that you don't see him wearing often. <<if $charlierom gte 3>>"You know why I can't say that I'd pick you, right?" he asks, voice a little strained.<<else>>"You get why I can't play this game with you anymore, right?" he asks, voice a little strained.<</if>> <<include chfw3>>

It's just a bit of fun, right? "No, actually," you reply flatly, "I don't." Charlie considers you for a moment, brow slightly furrowed and lips slightly parted. "I'll see you later, $mcname," he says, finally, and then he turns away. What a little weirdo. [[You head back to the villa.|nhiestart]]

"So you admit that you'd pick me?" you smirk. Charlie rolls his eyes, although he can't keep the smile off his face. "That's //not// what I said," he replies, with a shake of his head. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>"But it's what you meant...?" you press, and Charlie laughs. "//God,// you are so..." "Adorable? Delightful? Incredibly hilarious?" "//Annoying//," he finishes. "I'll see you later, $mcname." Then, still smiling to himself, he turns away again. Time to go, you suppose.<<else>>You linger in the doorway, unsure what to say but not entirely ready to go. Something is still hanging in the air between you; unfinished. "There are ice lollies in the freezer, by the way," Charlie says, breaking the silence. "What?" "Ice lollies. If you can't get to sleep, they're good for cooling down," he smiles weakly, and then he turns away.<</if>> [[You head back to the villa.|nhiestart]]

"I'm not playing a game," you reply<<if $neuroticism gt 50>>, dry-mouthed, trying desperately to ignore the way your heart is pounding in your chest.<<else>> steadily, resolutely ignoring the way your heart is pounding in your chest.<</if>> Charlie considers you for a moment, brow slightly furrowed and lips slightly parted. "Oh..." is all he says in response, voice a little hoarse. After a moment, he shakes his head, chuckling self-consciously as he breaks eye contact. "Well... then that's probably even more reason that you should go." You open your mouth to protest, but Charlie cuts you off. "I'll see you later, $mcname." With nothing left to say, [[you head back to the villa.|nhiestart]]

<<if $bold gt 50>>"Yeah," you answer, reluctantly. "I wish you could, though." Charlie offers a weak smile in return. "Me too." For a moment, your eyes meet, and you think that your heart has jumped up into your throat. Then he turns away, back to whatever he had been working on before. "I'll see you later, $mcname."<<else>> "Yeah," you smile, reluctantly. Charlie is a producer - it can't look great for him to be flirting with the contestants. You get it. Doesn't make it any easier, though. Charlie draws breath to say something else and you lift your face to meet his gaze, but the words die in his mouth. You linger in the doorway, unsure what to say but not entirely ready to go. Something is still hanging in the air between you; unfinished. "There are ice lollies in the freezer, by the way," Charlie says, breaking the silence. "What?" "Ice lollies. If you can't get to sleep, they're good for cooling down," he smiles weakly, and then he turns away.<</if>> [[You head back to the villa.|nhiestart]]

"How's that supposed to make you laugh?" he chuckles, shaking his head. "Do you just loooove the idea of a dork like me having to do the whole villa thing? Alright. I'll indulge you." Charlie drums his fingers against his chin in faux deliberation, gaze flickering across to check the viewfinder. <<if $coupledwith is "Arthur">>"Well, I know you've already pipped me to it," Charlie begins, deep voice tinged with disapproval, "but how about Arthur? Think you could see us together? You //know// I love getting lectured..."<<else>>"How about Arthur? Think you could see us together? You //know// I love getting lectured..."<</if>> <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You scoff, immediately spluttering over your laughter at the image of it.<<else>>You roll your eyes, but a smile does crack it's way onto your lips.<</if>> He's right - they'd be a terrible match. Even after only knowing Arthur for an afternoon, you can see how his exacting nature would grate on someone as... improvisational as Charlie. You can only imagine Arthur's face when he first witnesses the chaos that is the Blackout Room, and god forbid he ever found out about Charlie's untameable caramel macchiato habit. <<include chj6>>

<<if $mcsydname is "">><<set $mcsydname to "Pal">><</if>>"$mcname, babe, you're back just in time!" Florrie squeaks, as you round the corner back into the living room. The strained formality of the coupling seems to have entirely dissipated now, and the group is scattered across the couches. Griffin sits on the floor, lounging back against the corner of the couch where Imogen is nestled cross-legged behind him, glass in hand and cheeks flushed pink as she giggles at something that Ellis has said from beside her. Florrie bounces on the balls of her bare feet as she enthusiastically beckons you over, coming precariously close to spilling her drink everywhere as she gestures to the various empty seats. "We're playing Never Have I Ever," Syd explains, from their higher vantage point on the back of the sofa (because, true to form, they can never just fucking sit properly). It's clearly intended to explain Florrie's giddy greeting, but even after just one afternoon in her company, you already know that she needs no explanation. "Settle in, $mcsydname." Fuck it. Time to get comfy, you suppose. <<include nhie1>>

You quietly take up a seat near Nyra and Vinh. <<if $coupledwith is "Vinh">>Although Nyra's posture remains closed, Vinh quickly repositions to accommodate you and offers a gentle nod in your direction by way of greeting.<<elseif $coupledwith is "Nyra">>Although Vinh remains somewhat rigid and uncomfortable, Nyra quickly repositions herself to accommodate you and offers a curt little smile in your direction by way of greeting.<</if>> <<if $artpunch>>Arthur watches you with some scepticism as you join them. There is a redness under his left eye from where you hit him - you suspect that it might very well be the makings of a black eye. Still, the fact that you haven't been scolded by Avery must mean that he didn't alert her to your outburst which is... something?<br><br><</if>><<include nhie7>>

You slip in alongside Arthur and Adegoke, who are in the process of taking their seats on the couch. <<if $artpunch>>Arthur watches you with some scepticism as you join them, but he still steps aside for you to take your seat. There is a redness under his left eye from where you hit him - you suspect that it might very well be the makings of a black eye. Still, the fact that you haven't been scolded by Avery must mean that he didn't alert her to your outburst which is... something?<br><br><<elseif $coupledwith is "Adegoke">>Adegoke smiles warmly at you, gently resting a hand on your elbow as he steps aside for you to take a seat. There's a tenderness in the gesture that is sweet - it's the sort of thing that you have come to expect in the short time that you have known Adegoke, but no less pleasant for it.<<elseif $arthurrom gte 2>>Arthur gently touches your elbow as he steps aside for you to take your seat, and the tenderness of the gesture sort of takes you by surprise. Recognising your confusion, Arthur tilts his head quizzically as you both settle into your seats, your knee resting against his. You just smile politely and shake your head slightly - it's nothing to worry about. Probably.<br><br><<else>>Adegoke smiles warmly at you and Arthur steps aside for you to take your seat, one hand gently resting on your elbow to ease you past.<br><br><</if>> <<include nhie7>>

It's the best place to hold court, after all; all eyes can be on you at all times. You move the few glasses that had been set on the central table down onto the floor and take up your spot, leaning back on one hand and catching Syd's eye. They look somewhere between impressed and amused as they hold your gaze, mouth curling up into a smirk as they watch you settling in. "Are you peacocking, $mcsydname?" they ask, leaning forward to rest their elbows on their knees. "Who //on earth// could all this be for?" <<include nhie4.1>>

"If you're not sure, I'm obviously not doing a good enough job," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin, eyebrow raised.<<else>>you smirk, eyebrow raised.<</if>> <<include nhie4.1.1.1>>

Syd scoffs, taking a swig from their glass. "$mcsydname, if you want me to check you out then you just need to say so," they drawl, eyes roaming over you hungrily in a way that makes you feel like you're far less clothed than you are. <<if $coupledwith is "Syd">>"Alright guys, get a room!" Griffin laughs from his position on the floor, accompanied by a wolf whistle and cheeky giggle from Imogen. Oh, right. There are, like, eight other people here.<<elseif $coupledwith is "Arthur">>"Do you mind?" Arthur cuts in, somewhat abruptly, and you are reminded that there are eight other people here (your partner included).<<else>>"Uuuuuh..." $coupledwith cuts in hesitantly, clearing their throat, "Shall we start the game?" Oh, right. There are, like, eight other people here. For a moment it had slipped your mind.<</if>> <<include nhie7>>

"So when I walked into the kitchen earlier and you were sat up on the counter, that was you peacocking?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin, eyebrow raised.<<else>>you counter, eyebrow raised.<</if>> "Good to know." Syd scoffs, taking a swig from their glass. "Not bloody likely," they retort, but the smirk still playing on their lips as they avert their gaze suggests that you might be pretty close to the truth. <<include nhie7>>

"I would never do such a thing," you reply <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>with a grin.<<else>>snootily, nose high in the air.<</if>> "Whatever you say, $mcsydname," they smirk back, narrowing their eyes at you over the rim of their glass. <<include nhie7>>

"Why bother? I'm already coupled up with the person I wanted..." <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin, eyebrow raised.<<else>>you smirk, eyebrow raised.<</if>> <<include nhie4.1.1.1>>

You have to awkwardly pick your way across the spongey sofa to plop yourself down beside them, but you manage to do so without any awkward<<if !$bottoms>> pants-flashing,<</if>> drink-spilling, face-planting action. "$mcname, $mcname!" Imogen whispers excitedly as you plonk yourself down on the couch. "Ellis has been telling me about //champagne//." Aaaah. Suddenly, her flushed complexion and newfound sociability are making sense. "Have they now?" you grin over Imogen's head at Ellis, <<if !$binnedit>>who wrinkles their nose a little apologetically.<<else>>who gives you a tight, forced smile.<</if>> "She has rather taken to it..." Ellis winces, as Imogen does a little hiccup. <<if $artpunch>>Arthur watches you with some scepticism as you join them. There is a redness under his left eye from where you hit him - you suspect that it might very well be the makings of a black eye. Still, the fact that you haven't been scolded by Avery must mean that he didn't alert her to your outburst which is... something?<br><br><</if>> <<include nhie7>>

"Come on, Florrie," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you laugh, wondering if Florrie can be stilled by sitting down. Judging by the way she is excitedly hopping about, it doesn't seem likely.<<else>>you smirk, nodding your head in the direction of the seating area. If everyone has to watch her bobbing about all night, they'll just think she's permanently about to piss herself.<</if>> <<if $coupledwith is "Griffin">><<include nhie6.1>><<else>>Florrie happily obliges, plopping herself down on the floor beside you with a heavy thud. "Careful Flor!" Griffin exclaims, spilling water down his shirt in his surprise.<<if $gkiss>> You cannot help but notice the way Griffin makes a great effort to avoid looking at you, or entering your personal space bubble.<</if>> Florrie's already giggling to herself, though, clearly undeterred. "//Sorry//," she laughs, adding in a singsong voice, "//she is beauty, she is grace, she trips and falls all over the place//." <<include nhie7>><</if>>

Griffin grins up at you as you take a seat beside him, <<if hasVisited("gw4.6") or $gkiss>>immediately throwing an arm around your shoulders. "How was your VT?" he asks, giving you a gentle squeeze, "You didn't miss much here - just waiting for you to get back, really."<<else>>resting an arm along the seat behind you in an obvious show of restraint. "How was your VT?" he asks, giving you a gentle nudge with his hip, "You didn't miss much here - just waiting for you to get back, really."<</if>> "Yeah, fine," you reply, noncommittally. <<include nhie6.2>>

<<if $gkiss or hasVisited ("gw4.6")>>You lean into Griff's touch, resting your head against his shoulder as he brushes his knuckles absentmindedly up and down your arm.<<else>>You lean against Griff's side, resting your head against his shoulder. He smiles across at you, surprised but pleased, and brings his arm down around your shoulders, absentmindedly brushing his knuckles up and down your arm.<</if>> God, you're really in it now. <<include nhie7>>

You wiggle in place, nudging Griff back with your shoulder. You feel like you're back in secondary school, and not in a bad way. For a split second, with Griffin looking across at you and you looking right back, you could kind of forget that you're in a room full of people being filmed for a TV show. <<include nhie7>>

It's not like you were determined to shy away from any and all romantic contact, but you did //not// expect to be in your feelings like this so soon. For a split second, with Griffin looking across at you and you looking right back, you could kind of forget that you're in a room full of people being filmed for a TV show. <<include nhie7>>

It's not that you aren't into Griff, but he just moves //fast//. You shuffle to the side, shrinking away from Griff a little. He immediately withdraws his arm, as if remembering himself, and casts an apologetic glance in your direction as he places his hands firmly in his lap. <<include nhie7>>

Dude, get a //grip// - you met today, you're not a married couple! Griff couldn't come on any stronger if he tried. You shuffle to the side, shrinking away from Griff a little. He immediately withdraws his arm, as if remembering himself, and casts an apologetic glance in your direction as he places his hands firmly in his lap. <<include nhie7>>

Syd loudly clears their throat, swirling their glass in one hand as their voice cuts across any remaining chatter, "Alright, now everyone's settled in, let's crack on! Does everyone know the rules?" <div class="choices"><<link "Yeah, I know the rules." "nhie7.1">><</link>> <<link "Sorry, no, I don’t. //What// are we playing again?" "nhie7.2">><</link>></div>

<<if $extraversion gt 40>>//Of course// you know the rules to Never Have I Ever. It's been played at basically every party you've been to since you were fifteen. To call it a staple of the UK university experience doesn't put it strongly enough.<<else>>You might be socially inept, but you know the rules of Never Have I Ever. There isn't a graduate in the UK who has made it through university without having to play. It's knowledge that is burned into your brain and taking up valuable space that could be used for other things.<</if>> <<include nhie8>>

It seems dimly familiar, but you could use a refresher. "Ok so," Syd begins, taking a long swig from their bottle, "basically, people say things they haven't done, and if you //have// done it, you have to drink." "A great way of digging up dirt," Arthur adds, dryly. He doesn't sound at all opposed to the idea, but you take notice as Nyra shifts a little uncomfortably in her seat, one arm still folded across her lap. Even after only knowing her for a few minutes, you can tell that she is the sort of person who would be reluctant to share anything personal about herself with a group of strangers. <<include nhie8>>

"I'm not even drinking?" Griffin looks up at Syd from his spot on the floor. "Just use your water!" Florrie wiggles her hands and happily retrieves Griffin's tumbler of water and thrusts it into his hands. <<if $drinkchoice is "water">>Well, good to know. <<include nhie9>><<else>> <<include nhie8.1>><</if>>

Is it even a drinking game if you don't end up regretting every previous life choice that has led to you having to down yet another beverage? <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>Better judgement might say that getting wasted on your first night isn't a good idea, but fuck better judgement! This decision is being made by the //fun// side of your brain, not the smart bits. Besides, you've been on the water all afternoon.<</if>> <<include nhie9>>

<<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>You don't want to end up an embarrassing drunk mess on the first night - best to switch it up for now.<<else>>In a moment of uncharacteristic sensibleness, you realise that it probably isn't going to be a great shout to end up an embarrassing drunk mess on the first night. Best to switch it up for now.<</if>> <<include nhie9>>

"I'll start," Syd grins, smugly, "Never have I ever... wanted to jump the bones of someone in this room." "Syd!" Imogen gasps, almost choking on her drink, while Adegoke and Griffin exchange amused looks. "What?! There's no point dancing around it. Might as well get it all out there, pal." <div class="choices"><<link "I drink." "nhie9.1">><<if $drinkchoice isnot "water" and !$drinkswitch>><<set $drunk += 1>><</if>><</link>> <<link "I don't drink." "nhie9.2">><</link>></div>

You swig from your glass, as does just about everyone else. Vinh is a notable exception, expression remaining totally impassive as they make no attempt to hide their not drinking. <<nobr>><<if hasVisited("nhie3")>><<if $coupledwith is "Adegoke" or $coupledwith is "Arthur">>"Very... interesting," $coupledwith murmurs huskily into your ear after taking his own drink, sending a shiver down your spine.<br><br><</if>><</if>> <<if $coupledwith is "Griffin" or $coupledwith is "Imogen">>From the corner of your eye, you can't help but notice the grin on $coupledwith's face.<br><br><</if>> "//Vinh//, you shady little shit!" Florrie exclaims, slamming her drink down on the floor beside her and slapping her thigh.<</nobr>> "I didn't mean to offend," Vinh replies with a bemused smile, sitting up a little straighter, "But we only met //today//." "Alright, we don't need to give them the third degree," Nyra cuts in defensively. <<if $sydrom gte 1>>This seems like the sort of situation that Syd would usually capitalise on, but they're too busy smirking at you from across the sofa pit.<<else>>Syd's eyebrows shoot up at Nyra's comment, but they manage to hold their tongue and the conversation quickly moves on.<</if>> Vinh, though, still doesn't look at all perturbed. [[Next|nhie10]]

You don't drink, and neither does Vinh. You're the only ones, though - although you suspect that Imogen didn't actually drink and just hid it with a surreptitious glass tilt at the right moment. "//Vinh//, you shady little shit!" Florrie exclaims, slamming her drink down on the counter and slapping her thigh. "I didn't mean to offend," Vinh replies with a bemused smile, sitting up a little straighter, "I don't know any of you, yet. We only met //today//." <<if $coupledwith isnot "Griffin">>"Can't help but notice that you didn't drink either, $mcname," Griffin grins, tilting his head quizzically.<<else>>"Can't help but notice that you didn't drink either, $mcname," Syd smirks, tilting their head quizzically.<</if>> <<include nhie9.2.1>>

<<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"I'm demi," you explain, with a polite smile. "I don't really feel that way about people I've only just met."<<else>>"I'm demi," you reply flatly.<</if>> "Can't say fairer than that, then." Arthur offers a friendly smile in your direction. "Shall we move on?" <<if $extraversion lte 40>>You're grateful - you don't love being the centre of attention at the best of times, let alone for a grilling on the subject of your sexuality. You'd expected more bewildered looks and intrusive questions, and not receiving either fills you with relief.<br><br><</if>>[[Next|nhie10]]

What do they want from you, a 30 slide PowerPoint presentation? You straighten up a little defensively. "Do I need to give a reason?" "No," Nyra replies decisively, and with a finality that can tell even the densest conversationalist to move the fuck on. "You don't." [[Next|nhie10]]

"What can I say?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin cheekily.<<else>>you shrug, with a cheeky raise of your eyebrows.<</if>> "Up your game everyone." <<include nhie9.2.4.1>>

The other cast members immediately erupt into raucous laughter and cries of "OOoooooh!" or "Savage!" or "$mcname, you cheeky fuck!". Savagery aside, the conversation quickly moves on. [[Next|nhie10]]

"How'd I make you all get to know me better if I just spilled all my secrets on the first day?" you reply cheekily, and Syd lets out a low whistle. "Gotta respect that play," Adegoke chuckles, taking another drink from his own glass (presumably unrelated to the game, unless he's just adding to a list of people whose bones he wants to jump). [[Next|nhie10]]

It's an intrusive thought, and one that you just can't shake. Your eyes flit around the room looking for a tell-tale blinking light - somewhere that you could look to feel like you were making contact. You don't see one. Instead, you are met with expectant looks from the cast members awaiting your answer. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>"What can I say? Just gonna have to up your game, everyone." You raise your eyebrows cheekily and take a sip from your glass. <<include nhie9.2.4.1>><<else>>"Huh? Oh..." you stumble over your words, desperately trying to think of a decent excuse for your reticence. "Alright, enough of the third degree. <<if $mche is "they">>$mche don't<<else>>$mche doesn't<</if>> need a reason," Arthur asserts, wafting his hands at the others to shoo their gaze away from you. It's a relief - you could already feel your cheeks heating up, and you offer a grateful smile in his direction as the conversation moves on. [[Next|nhie10]]<</if>>

"I’ll go next! I’ve got a good one!" Florrie squeaks, tapping her hand excitedly on the counter and wiggling her feet as they dangle below her. "I want to get the measure of you lot nice and early: never have I ever cheated on someone." <div class="choices"><<link "I drink." "nhie10.1">><<if $drinkchoice isnot "water" and !$drinkswitch>><<set $drunk += 1>><<set $florrie -= 2>><<set $imogen -= 1>><<set $ellis -= 2>><<set $adegoke -= 1>><<set $griffin -= 1>><<set $syd += 1>><<set $arthur += 1>><</if>><</link>> <<link "I don't drink." "nhie10.2">><</link>></div>

You take a sip from your glass, and are joined by Arthur, Nyra and Syd. Ellis raises their eyebrows, a bemused smile playing on their lips. <<include nhie10.3>>

Your drink remains safely untouched, while Arthur and Nyra both take slightly rueful sips from their glasses. Syd drinks too, although they don't seem half as bothered at having to do so. <<include nhie10.3>>

"Story timeeeeee!" Florrie coos, wiggling in her seat. Nyra scowls at her with such intensity that there might as well be lasers shooting from her eyes. "Stories weren't part of the deal," Vinh says firmly, before turning to Nyra "You don't have to share anything you don't want to." "No, it's alright," Arthur sits up a little straighter and brushes some imagined dust from his shirt. "Not much of a story to tell, I'm afraid. A moment of weakness and regret a few years ago." <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<if hasVisited("nhie10.1")>><<link "My story of infidelity is very similar to Arthur's - it was a foolish mistake that I regretted." "nhie10.3.1">><<set $arthur += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if hasVisited("nhie10.1")>><<link "I'll just give them the plot of a movie I watched in my hotel room - anything to sate Florrie's voracious appetite for gossip." "nhie10.3.2">><<set $ellis += 1>><<set $florrie += 1>><<set $arthur += 1>><<set $nyra += 1>><<set $syd += 1>><<inc-funny>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if hasVisited("nhie10.1")>><<link "I'm not going to volunteer any information." "nhie10.3.3">><<set $vinh += 1>><<set $nyra += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "I clear my throat uncomfortably. Yikers." "nhie10.3.4">><<set $vinh += 2>><</link>><br> <<if hasVisited("nhie10.2")>><<link "I give Arthur a sympathetic look. People make mistakes - to err is human and all that." "nhie10.3.5">><<set $arthur += 1>><<set $imogen -= 1>><<set $ellis -= 1>><<set $griffin -= 1>><<set $florrie -= 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if hasVisited("nhie10.2")>><<link "I exchange glances with Nyra. She's right to be furious - no one should be forced to out their personal business to a group of strangers." "nhie10.3.6">><<set $nyra += 2>><<set $syd += 1>><<set $vinh += 1>><<set $arthur += 1>><<set $florrie -= 2>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if hasVisited("nhie10.2")>><<link "I //want// to be understanding, but I've been cheated on before and it //sucked//." "nhie10.3.7">><<set $imogen += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if hasVisited("nhie10.2")>><<link "Well, now I know who to avoid." "nhie10.3.8">><<set $arthur -= 2>><<set $nyra -= 2>><</link>><br><</if>> <</nobr>></div>

"Yeah, my story is just as dull," you add, and Arthur gives you an appreciative nod. "It was dumb and I regret it." "It's good that you're so honest about it." Imogen smiles warmly and reassuringly across at you, followed by a hiccup that rolls through her whole body. Ellis offers a sheepish chuckle as they shuffle the glass of water on the table in Imogen's direction. [[Next|nhie11]]

"Well, you see, I was engaged to a San Francisco heiress and we were in the midst of planning our wedding when I nobly came to the aid of a total hottie whose shoe had been caught in a mattress cover and was in serious danger of getting absolutely flattened by a speeding dumpster when-" "The Wedding Planner," Ellis grins, pointing their glass triumphantly at you. Vinh snorts out a laugh, abruptly sitting forward to try and get their silent laughter under control so they don't have to awkwardly spit out the sip of prosecco they had just taken. "Didn't have you pegged as a romantic comedy fan?" Arthur tilts his head, looking somewhat amused. "There's a lot that you don't know about me," Ellis retorts mischievously. [[Next|nhie11]]

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah... no. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>Arthur might be happy to share his experience, but you aren't about to lay down your life story. You just stay comfortably leant back in your seat and take another sip of your drink, just to really hammer home the fact that you will //absolutely// not be sharing this particular anecdote.<<else>>Is there a superhero with the power to open up sinkholes directly beneath themselves so that they can literally be swallowed up into the ground? Because that sounds pretty tight right about now. You look uncomfortably around the circle but, mercifully, no one seems to be eagerly awaiting your explanation. Thank //fuck//. You take another drink to steady your nerves and just make it really, super, extra clear that you have nothing further to say here.<</if>> [[Next|nhie11]]

God, this game is already getting //tense//. Pull up, everyone, you're in a collective nosedive. You clear your throat uncomfortably, making eye contact with an equally uncomfortable Vinh, who is pulling at their collar and holding their glass over their mouth in a feeble attempt to mask their expression. [[Next|nhie11]]

You glance sympathetically at Arthur and, for a moment, he meets your gaze. One brow quirks up slightly as if to say "can I help you?" and you can't really think of an appropriate facial expression to convey "Cool-of-you-to-be-so-honest-about-your-past-infidelity-and-own-up-to-your-mistakes", so you just smile back. <<if $coupledwith isnot "Arthur">>The surprise and gratitude on Arthur's face as he returns your smile is unexpectedly sincere, and then he quickly breaks eye contact to take a sip from his glass.<<else>>He rolls his eyes and looks away. So much for a display of solidarity.<</if>> [[Next|nhie11]]

You glance across at Nyra and, for a moment, she meets your gaze. One brow quirks up slightly as if to say "What the fuck do you want?" and you can't really think of an appropriate facial expression to convey "you're-well-within-your-rights-to-be-fuming-right-now-and-I'm-on-your-side", so you just offer a thin-lipped smile. <<if $nyradeal is "yes" or $nyrarom gt 2>>Seemingly in spite of herself, Nyra actually smiles back. It's small and fragile, but unmistakably present, if only for a moment. Then her expression hardens again, as she shuffles back a little further onto the sofa and takes a swig from her glass.<<else>>She just looks away, shuffling back a little further onto the sofa to take another swig from her glass. So much for a display of solidarity.<</if>> [[Next|nhie11]]

You're sure they aren't entirely shitty people, but you've been cheated on before and you are //acutely// aware of how much it fucking //sucks// to be on the receiving end of that sort of treatment. <<if hasVisited("nhie2")>>Nyra glances across at you out of the corner of her eye and clears her throat.<br><br><<elseif hasVisited("nhie3")>>Adegoke glances across at you, clearing his throat to capture your attention. "You good?" he asks, voice low. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm good." He doesn't look entirely reassured by your somewhat distracted response, but he doesn't press the issue further.<br><br><<elseif hasVisited("nhie5")>>Ellis gives you a soft smile, tilting their head in your direction. "Are you alright?" they ask quietly, barely louder than a whisper. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm good." They don't look entirely reassured by your somewhat distracted response, but they also don't press the issue further.<br><br><<elseif hasVisited("nhie6")>>Griff glances across at you, giving you a little nudge with his shoulder. "You okay?" he asks, voice low. "Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm good." He doesn't look entirely reassured by your somewhat distracted response, but he doesn't press the issue further.<br><br><</if>>[[Next|nhie11]]

<<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You don't normally like to be judgemental, but however you slice it, cheaters suck. You make a mental note to tread carefully around them.<<else>>However you slice it, cheaters suck. You make a mental note not to offer your trust freely to any of the people who drank - not that it is easily won anyway, really.<</if>> [[Next|nhie11]]

"Shall we move on?" Nyra turns to Syd, who casts narrowed eyes around the circle for their next victim. No going round in a clockwise direction for this lot, clearly. "Adegoke, pal, you go next?" Syd points a finger across the room to Adegoke, thumb pointed up and one eye closed like they are at a shooting range. They might as well be, you suppose. He had previously been deep in conversation with Griff, largely ignoring the drama unfolding elsewhere in the room. Adegoke shrugs his shoulders, takes a swig from his glass and shifts his jaw from side to side as he comes up with a question. "Never have I ever had a speeding ticket," he says decisively. Griffin yawns theatrically, and Adegoke swings a pillow in his direction that collides with Griffin's ribs and makes him choke on the drink that he had already started to take. <div class="choices"><<link "I drink." "nhie12">><<if $drinkchoice isnot "water" and !$drinkswitch>><<set $drunk += 1>><</if>><</link>> <<link "I don't drink." "nhie12">><</link>></div>

In addition to Griffin, still spluttering on his drink, Arthur, Syd and Florrie all take sips from their respective beverages. "//How// have you never had a speeding ticket?!" Griffin turns to Adegoke, disbelievingly. "Mate, I live in //London//. I don't have a car." "Same," Ellis says brightly, like they are delighted to finally have found some common ground with someone. "To the lack of car, not the London residency." "Alright, I've got one before we take a left turn into //snoozetown//," Nyra grins wickedly and shoots a pointed look at Adegoke. "Never have I ever joined the mile high club." Nyra seems far more relaxed than she has at any other point in the day, leant back on the sofa with drink in hand. Still, her question takes you by surprise - and Adegoke almost snorts prosecco out of his nose. "Did you just say //snoozetown//?" Ellis scoffs, wrinkling their nose. "//Problem?//" <div class="choices"><<link "I drink." "nhie12.1">><<if $drinkchoice isnot "water" and !$drinkswitch>><<set $drunk += 1>><</if>><</link>> <<link "I don't drink." "nhie12.2">><</link>></div>

You, Syd and Arthur all drink, <<if $coupledwith isnot "Vinh">>and you catch $coupledwith's gaze over the rim of your glass.<<else>>to the delighted squeals of Florrie.<</if>> <<include nhie13>>

You look around the group, as Syd and Arthur both drink. At this rate, Syd and Arthur are gonna end up absolutely wasted. <<include nhie13>>

"...Story time?" Florrie grins, and Griffin reaches across to flick the back of her ear. "Vinh //just// said no stories, Flor," he reminds her, but Nyra just twirls an unlit cigarette in one hand as she shoots a devilish look at Syd. "No, no... I want to hear this one." Nyra leans back in her seat, pulling one knee up to her chest as she looks <<if hasVisited("nhie12.1")>>between the three of you.<<else>>back and forth between Arthur and Syd.<</if>> "So you only want the story when it isn't yours?" Syd scoffs, and a smirk spreads across Nyra's face. "That's about the size of it, yeah." <<if hasVisited("nhie12.1")>><<include nhie13.1>><<else>><<include nhie13.2.2>><</if>>

How much of a story could there even be, really? It's not really much different to doing it anywhere else (aside, of course, from the substantial altitude difference). <<if $extraversion gt 50>>"Okay," you begin, "I fucked on a plane. That's pretty much the whole story." <<if $women>>"You can walk me through it later," Nyra smirks, and for a moment you find yourself uncharacteristically speechless. Florrie all but chokes on her drink and Adegoke raises his eyebrows as Nyra shrugs her shoulders, holding your gaze as she takes another sip from her glass.<<else>>Nyra smirks, bobbing her head in acceptance.<</if>> [[Next|nhie14]]<<else>>You hang back, waiting for either of the others to tell their stories first and save you the ordeal of having to speak so publicly. To the surprise of no one, Syd pipes up. <<include nhie13.2.2>><</if>>

"I fucked someone on a plane, Nyra," they sneer. "Is there something about that of particular interest to you? It was in a bathroom and there are plenty of those around - could give you a demo if you like?" At this, Florrie all but chokes on her drink and Adegoke raises his eyebrows as Nyra shrugs her shoulders, holding Syd's gaze as she takes another sip from her glass. Syd, who seems buoyed by the whole interaction, looks back to the rest of the group. [[Next|nhie14]]

You draw a deep breath, readying yourself for yet another movie plotline. <<include nhie13.2.1>>

<<if $conscientiousness lt 50>>You couldn't think of a movie where people joined the mile high club but, fuck it, you can improvise!<<else>>Improvisation isn't normally in your nature, but fuck it, you can make an exception to shield your private life from a gaggle of hot strangers.<</if>> "Well, I was a former fighter pilot turned taxi driver when my flight attendant partner broke up with me. Despite my fear of flying, I bought a plane ticket on the flight she was working to try and win her back and-" <<if hasVisited("nhie10.3.2")>>"No one has sex in Airplane!" Ellis cuts in, laughing. "These are getting //really// tenuous."<<else>>"No one has sex in Airplane!" Ellis cuts in, laughing. "That's one hell of a reach."<</if>> You are forced to acknowledge that, yes, they are right. It was a hell of a reach. [[Next|nhie14]]

You draw a deep breath, searching for a suitable movie plotline to recite. <<include nhie13.2.1>>

You don't make any attempts to explain, but the silence doesn't linger for very long. To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Syd pipes up. <<include nhie13.2.2>>

"My brother in debauchery?" Syd smirks, extending a hand to Arthur for the next question. He raises an eyebrow, but he isn't really in a position to argue; the two of them //have// had to drink for, like, every question. "Never have I ever... cried watching a film?" Arthur casts his gaze around like he truly could not care less as he asks his question, idly swilling his wine glass around in one hand. <div class="choices"><<link "I drink." "nhie14.1">><<set $arthurclue1 to true>><<if $drinkchoice isnot "water" and !$drinkswitch>><<set $drunk += 1>><</if>><<set $ellis += 1>><<set $imogen += 1>><<set $florrie += 1>><<set $griffin += 1>><<set $adegoke += 1>><</link>> <<link "I don't drink." "nhie14.2">><<set $arthur += 2>><<set $nyra += 1>><<set $syd += 1>><<set $ellis -= 1>><<set $adegoke -= 1>><<set $florrie -= 1>><<set $griffin -= 1>><<set $imogen -= 1>><</link>></div>

Who hasn't cried at //any// movies //ever//? A total weirdo, that's who. "Arthur Campbell, you are made of //stone//." Ellis laughs as they take a sip from their glass, joined by everyone else. "Wait, did everyone just drink?" "Wheeeey - Arthur, babe, you need to down it!" Florrie launches to her feet, hopping in place as she points excitedly at Arthur. "//Down it//? This is Malbec?" He lifts his glass in an indignant appeal for leniency and is met with a decidedly unsympathetic look from Syd. "Rules are rules, pal," they shrug, and Arthur sighs before tossing back his Malbec with what actually looks like practiced ease. "Not my first drinking game." You can't help but be a little impressed. [[Next|nhie15]]

They're only movies - what's there to cry about? It's not like it's real. <<if $agreeableness lte 50>>Not that you're willing to cry at real life, either. <<else>>You'd cry if something //real// and sad happened.<</if>> "$mcname, you too?!" Ellis splutters as they take a sip from their glass, leaning forward to study you properly. "You two are made of //stone//!" You glance across at Arthur, who actually seems quite pleased with that assessment. [[Next|nhie15]]

"Alright, $mcsydname, you're up!" Syd leans back on one hand and lifts a glass to you. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>Aaah, at last the time has come for you to pick a question.<<else>>You were kind of hoping to dodge the spotlight, actually, but oh well. Here goes nothing.<</if>> "Alright, alright. Never have I ever..." <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<if $adegokerom gte 2>><<link "...shaved my head." "nhie15.1">><<set $adegoke += 1>><<set $adegokerom += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $florrierom gte 2>><<link "...had pink hair." "nhie15.2">><<set $florrie += 1>><<set $florrierom += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $coupledwith is "Vinh" and $entrancemeet is "vinh">><<link "...talked a very cute $mcguy out of a panic attack on the first day of a reality show." "nhie15.3">><<set $vinh -= 1>><<set $vinhrom += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "...had a crush on a co-worker." "nhie15.4">><</link>><br> <<link "...peed in a pool." "nhie15.5">><</link>><br> <<link "...been in a threesome." "nhie15.6">><</link>> <</nobr>></div>

All eyes immediately land on Adegoke, who laughs. "Targeting attacks now, are we?" he grins, as he takes a sip from his glass and rubs a hand over his shaved head. To the amusement of Imogen, Syd and Griff also drink - although how amusing she finds it might have more to do with the amount of champagne she has consumed rather than any inherent comedy value. "Who's next...?" Syd drawls, clearly losing track after being so thoroughly victimised by the questions thus far. [[Next|nhie16]]

All eyes immediately land on Florrie, who giggles. "You //shady fuck//," she grins, as she takes a sip from her glass and twirls a lock of bubblegum pink hair around one finger. To the amusement of Imogen, Griffin also drinks - although how amusing she finds it might have more to do with the amount of champagne she has consumed rather than any inherent comedy value. "Who's next...?" Syd drawls, clearly losing track after being so thoroughly victimised by the questions thus far. [[Next|nhie16]]

A smile twitches at the corners of Vinh's mouth as they silently take a sip from their glass. The other cast members look entirely bewildered, save from a satisfied little hiccup from Imogen. "So //that's// what you were doing!" she sighs, bobbing her head happily as Ellis slides the champagne glass yet further away from her. "Who's next...?" Syd drawls, clearly losing track after being so thoroughly victimised by the questions thus far. [[Next|nhie16]]

Arthur snorts, and takes a sip from his glass, followed by Ellis, Griffin and Syd. "Are we co-workers now?" Florrie asks dreamily, straw resting on her lip. "I mean, are we //working//?" "The very fact you'd even ask tells me you've never had a job," Nyra replies, although when you glance across at her you are not met with the hardened expression that you have come to expect. If anything, she seems... amused. "Who's next...?" [[Next|nhie16]]

Griffin takes a drink, drawing a look of horror from Florrie. "Griffin, //ew!//" He looks confused for a moment before the realisation dawns on him and he splutters to defend himself. "Not //recently//!" he says, overloud in his haste. "I meant as a //kid//!" "I know who I'm not swimming with," Adegoke chuckles over the rim of his glass, raising his eyebrows as Griffin flops back against the couch, hiding his face with a pillow. "...I hate you," comes a muffled lament from behind the cushion. "Griffin, pal, get out from behind your pillow and give us a question." Griff emerges, cheeks pink, drumming his hands on the cushion with a little frown as he wracks his brain for a question to ask. [[Next|nhie16]]

"You should try it sometime, $mcsydname," Syd smirks as they take a drink, before adding, "I'm sure we could help you out." Ellis, Nyra and Florrie all drink too - Ellis carefully tucking their hair behind one ear in an attempt to disguise the movement of glass to mouth. "...Story time?" Griff asks tentatively, with a cheeky grin, and Florrie smacks him with a pillow. "Who's next?" "Are you offering, Syd, or are we talking about the game now?" Adegoke chuckles, and a pillow is hurled towards him, too. He raises his arms to deflect it, but ends up flinging prosecco over Arthur in doing so. <<include nhie17>>

"Never have I ever dropped a baby!" Griffin yells, overloud in his excitement at thinking of a question, and Florrie snorts fruity cocktail out of her nose. <<include nhie17>>

Vinh immediately leaps to their feet to seek out kitchen roll or tea towels or //something//, and it's about then that the night descends into chaos. Any pretence of actually playing the game dissolves away, replaced instead by random chatter and Ellis' assertion that the evening would be improved by music, and then Arthur and Syd arguing about //what// music should be played, and then Florrie dancing to every single song that is selected... [[Waaaay later...|nightransition]]

Of course, the most notable feature of all is Adegoke, who sits at the end of the bed. He has changed out of his clothes for the day, now wearing a pair of soft pyjama shorts and a white t-shirt. As ever, he looks relaxed - comfortable. <<if $drunk gte 3>>"I brought you some water," he says, holding up a glass. His voice is low and soft, the corners of his mouth curling up in a knowing smile.<<else>>"I brought you some more water," he says, holding up a glass. His smile is soft, voice low and soft.<</if>> At least, it sounds soft - your ears are still ringing from Syd and Florrie's enthusiastic rendition of 'Delilah' (opb. Tom Jones). "Don't know where we're going to actually //put// anything, but I guess the floor is as good a place as any?" "Thanks," you smile, as you linger a little awkwardly in the doorway. <<if $thot lte 50>>This whole "sharing a bed with a stranger" thing has kind of crept up on you, but now you're stood here staring at a very handsome man sat on your bed and it all feels //very// real.<<else>>You've never been fussed by hopping into bed with someone before, but for some reason, you are having a moment of pause.<</if>> <<if $adegokerom gt 3>>The way Adegoke smiles at you just makes you feel all tingly.<</if>> <<include jammiesub>>

"Do you have a preference?" Adegoke asks as you emerge. <<if $jammies is "slut" or $jammies is "pants">>He does his best to avert his gaze, offering infuriatingly little acknowledgement of your state of undress beyond the slow bob of his throat.<</if>> "What?" "For a side of the bed?" he laughs, gesturing to the white sheets behind him. //Oh//. <div class="choices"><<link "The side closest to the door - easy exit in case of emergency." "adnt2">><</link>> <<link "The side furthest from the door - if an axe-wielding maniac comes in, they'll go for Adegoke first." "adnt3">><</link>> <<link "Whichever side he's on? I'm a cuddler, soz." "adnt4">><</link>> <<link "The side is irrelevant, I just want a wall of pillows to prevent any funny business." "adnt5">><</link>></div>

"The side by the door," you answer decisively. "Easy exit for emergencies, isn't it." Adegoke laughs, getting to his feet to move around to the other side of the bed and climb into the sheets. "What kind of emergency do you think is likely that would make escape through the door the best option? Surely I'm best off by the window?" You shrug your shoulders as you get into bed beside him. "It's psychological - just feels less claustrophobic." No one said there had to be //logic// behind your decision. <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>There //is// logic here, you're just in far too sleepy a headspace to articulate it successfully.<<else>>If Adegoke is hoping to ever find logic in your little pea brain, then he's about to learn some hard lessons in lowering one's expectations.<</if>> Adegoke gives you a sceptical nod, bemused smile playing on his lips as he rolls onto his side to face you. "Well, if there is an emergency, I'll be sure to let you know." <<include adnt6>>

"Oh, the side furthest from the door," you answer decisively. "That way, if an axe-wielding maniac comes in, they'll have to go through you first." Adegoke laughs, getting to his feet to move around to the other side of the bed and climb into the sheets. "So you won't be protecting me from the axe-wielding maniac? I'll be like a lamb to the slaughter?" You smirk back at him and shrug as slide into bed between the crisp white sheets. Egyptian cotton. Nice. "Yeah, that's about the size of it." He rolls onto his side to face you, bemused smile playing on his lips. "Well, I suppose I'll do what I can to protect you, then." <<include adnt6>>

"Whichever side you're on?" <<if $extraversion gt 50>>you chuckle. "I'm a bit of a cuddler."<<else>>you grin. "Sorry - I'm a ridiculously cuddly sleeper."<</if>> Adegoke laughs, getting to his feet to move around to the other side of the bed and climb into the sheets. "You're in luck," he tells you, matter-of-factly, "cause I'm not opposed to a cuddle myself." "Is that so?" "It is." He smiles and bobs his head to beckon you across to him. <<include adnt7>>

"Either side, as long as I can have a pillow wall," you answer decisively. "To prevent indecent antics." Adegoke laughs, getting to his feet to move around to the other side of the bed and climb into the sheets. "Do I look like I need a wall of pillows to exercise restraint?" You shrug your shoulders and shoot him a grin as you get into bed. <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>"I don't know, we only just met - I'm not taking any chances!"<<else>>"I don't know, I am //pretty// irresistible in my jammies."<</if>> Then he's shuffling the pillows about on the bed, pulling the ones on his side down to the centre of the bed where they would sit solidly between you. <div class="choices"><<link "I was //kidding//. Now slide over and cuddle me." "adnt5.1">><<inc-funny>><<set $adegoke -= 1>><<set $adegokerom += 1>><</link>> <<link "Thanks. That's actually really nice." "adnt5.2">><<set $adegoke += 1>><<inc-friendly>><</link>> <<link "He's not getting points for the bare minimum" "adnt5.3">><<set $adegoke -= 1>><<dec-friendly>><</link>></div>

"I was //kidding//," you laugh, and Adegoke freezes in place for a moment. "Oh..." <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Get over here," you grin,<<else>>"Just get over here, you dork," you chuckle,<</if>> bobbing your head to beckon him over. Adegoke immediately discards the pillows in his hands and slides into bed beside you, bemused smile playing on his lips. He shuffles up beside you, one strong arm looping over your waist as he turns to face you. <<include adnt8>>

Once again Adegoke proves himself to be a total cutie patootie. "Hey, thanks," you smile, kneeling up to help him arrange the pillows along the middle of the bed, and he meets your gaze with an easy smile of his own. "No problem." [[Next|adnt5.3.1]]

But Adegoke never does the bare minimum. In fact, he seems to be doing everything he can to make you feel comfortable. He asks if you want the window open, the door closed, the light on... <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>It's adorably extra.<<else>>It's enough to melt a heart as cold as yours. At least, that's if he remembers it all - you couldn't tolerate a sleep set up this elaborate every night.<</if>> <<include adnt5.3.1>>

Eventually, you're settled in bed, head nestled into the remaining pillows (the ones used for the wall were primarily taken from Adegoke's side) and feeling the pull of sleep on your heavy eyelids. "Goodnight, $mcname." "Goodnight, Adegoke." [[And then you're asleep.|wakeupdirections]]

You fall into a comfortable silence, only broken by the occasional yawn. <div class="choices"><<link "Best believe I'm rolling over for a cuddle." "adnt7">><<set $adegokerom += 1>><</link>> <<link "I'm happy maintaining some personal space." "adnt6.1">><</link>> <<link "I will be sleeping literally as far away from him as I possibly can." "adnt6.2">><</link>></div>

You're not going to be maintaining a 6ft barrier, but you aren't really a cuddly sleeper. You wiggle in place, settling in beneath the sheets. <<include adnt6.3>>

You aren't prepared for physical closeness. In fact, you'll be maintaining as much distance as humanly possible - you're practically falling off the bed. Adegoke arches a brow in your direction, but he doesn't pass comment on your distant positioning, simply settling in comfortably to his own half of the bed. <<include adnt6.3>>

Then you feel the pull of sleep on your heavy eyelids, letting out another big yawn. "Goodnight, $mcname." "Goodnight, Adegoke." [[And then you're asleep.|wakeupdirections]]

Your head rests on his chest, one hand reaching across to the sleeve of his t-shirt, his skin warm and smooth under your touch. His other arm slides around your waist, and then you're just lying there. Together. Adegoke tips his face to the side, cheek resting on the top of your head. <<include adnt8>>

<<if $jammies is "pants" or $jammies is "slut">>"Not gonna lie, this look is //extremely// hot by the way," he murmurs into your hair.<<else>>"Even in pyjamas, you are //very// hot, by the way," he murmurs into your hair.<</if>> <div class="choices"><<link "And what's he going to do about it?" "adnt8.1">><<inc-bold>><<set $adegoke += 1>><<set $adegokerom += 2>><<set $adekiss to true>><</link>> <<link "I could say the same for him." "adnt8.2">><<set $adegoke += 1>><</link>> <<link "Time to roll out my best impression of a scandalised //Downton Abbey// character." "adnt8.3">><<inc-funny>><<set $adegoke += 1>><</link>></div>

You tip your face up, nose brushing against his cheek, eyes flickering to meet his. "Are you gonna do anything about it?" you smirk, and Adegoke's lips curl up into a smile, his hand brushing over the hair by your ear before it comes to rest at the nape of your neck. Then his lips meet yours. It's soft at first, building in intensity as his arms tighten around you, pulling you flush with him. You're left gasping when you break apart again, forehead resting on his. <<include adnt8.1.1>>

"You need to //sleep//," he chuckles. <<if $drunk gte 5>>"You've got a monster hangover to contend with in the morning."<<elseif $drunk lt 3>>"It's been a real //day//."<<else>>"You've got a hangover brewing for the morning, you know."<</if>> <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>He's not wrong - you're fucking //knackered//. Your head nestles against his shoulder, fighting against a yawn that would mean admitting him to be unequivocally correct.<<else>>You make an indignant little pffft sound, and Adegoke just raises a knowing eyebrow at you. Then a yawn slips out, and his brow raises even higher, a smug smile making its way onto his lips. Alright, alright. You'll sleep.<</if>> It's a matter of moments until your eyes are fluttering shut, and they feel too heavy to open again. [[And then you're asleep.|wakeupdirections]]

"Could say the same for you," you chuckle through a yawn. <<include adnt8.1.1>>

"//Adegoke//," you gasp indignantly. "How //crass//!" He laughs, jostling you with his arm, shaking his head. "You're a knob." "And now resorting to insults?! How darest thee!" you squawk, and Adegoke puts a hand over your mouth that leaves you spluttering with laughter. <<include adnt8.1.1>>

Ellis lounges at the centre of the bed, book in one hand and the other resting absently on an empty champagne flute balancing on the sheets. They look up, catching you lingering in the doorway, and smile. "Tired at last?" they chuckle, and it occurs to you that the last time you saw them downstairs might have been quite some time ago. "I don't really have the stamina for parties. Slipped away a little while ago." Ah. So it //has// been a few hours. "Sorry to leave you alone." Ellis closes their book and sets it down on the sheets beside them, propping themselves up into more of a seated position. "It's really no bother - I like reading before I sleep. It's relaxing," they smile. They have changed into silky pyjamas, their face scrubbed of the bold makeup that they had been wearing earlier in the day. Their hair is partly pulled up into a scrunchie on top of their head, and you wonder if they are more comfortable like this - holding themself less carefully, not having to self-consciously tuck it behind their ear like they did all day. "The bathroom is in there," Ellis tells you, pointing a toe in the direction of the sliding door at one side of the room, and you can't help but notice the way it emphasises their long, slim legs. <<include jammiesub>>

When you emerge, Ellis has settled in beneath the sheets, still propped up on their pillows but covered with swathes of white fabric. <<if $binnedit is "true">>They've put their book down on the floor, discarded, and folded their arms across their chest.<<else>>They've put their book down on the floor, discarded, which presumably means that you have their full attention. <<if $jammies is "slut" or $jammies is "pants">> You feel a little pang of satisfaction as their eyes trail up to meet yours, a gratified smile playing on their lips.<</if>><</if>> <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<if !$binnedit>><<link "I intend to make the most of every moment of it (by shamelessly making a move on them)." "elen3">><<set $ellis += 1>><<set $ellisrom += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "I wouldn't say no to chatting to Ellis more. What was their book about?" "elen4">><<set $ellis += 1>><</link>><br> <<if !$binnedit>><<link "Well, now I'm feeling all shy." "elen5">><<dec-bold>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if !$binnedit>><<link "I don't intend to hold it long - I'm fucking knackered." "elen6">><<set $ellis -= 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $binnedit>><<link "I'm so sorry about earlier. I was being a right knob." "elen7">><<set $binnedit to false>><<inc-honest>><<set $ellis += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $binnedit>><<link "I'm fucking knackered. I just want to go to sleep." "elen6">><<set $ellis -= 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <</nobr>></div>

"Well, haven't I lucked out," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin,<<else>>you smirk,<</if>> as you crawl onto the mattress beside them. "Mmmm?" Ellis keeps their expression impassive as they roll onto their side to face you, one hand resting under their head, and their voice is low and smooth - silk, caramel. "Not every day I get to sleep next to such a beautiful person." Okay, it's a cheesy move, but fuck it, <<if $drunk gte 5>>you're drunk and tired and at least you're making one.<<else>>at least you're making one.<</if>> "And it's the sleeping you're excited about in this context?" Ellis grins, and for the first time you notice the little gap in their front teeth. "Not sure how to feel about that." "Didn't want to presume." You feel the heat rising in your face as you are struck once again by your staggering lack of smoothness. You make a mental note that if and when this airs, you'll have to remind the viewing audience that you <<if $drunk gte 5>>are, in your defense, //very drunk//.<<else>>are, in your defense, very tired.<</if>> "Oh, I don't know..." Then their eyes flick up to meet yours, and holy shit, you're really in it now. You can practically feel yourself //sinking// into their gaze. <<include elen9>>

"What were you reading?" you ask, as you crawl onto the mattress beside them. <<if $ellisrom gte 4 and !$binnedit>>They roll onto their side to face you, propping their chin up on one hand as the other runs up your side.<<else>>They roll onto their side to face you, propping their chin up on one hand.<</if>> <<if !$binnedit>><<include elen4.1>><<else>><<include elen4.2>><</if>>

"Hercule Poirot's Christmas," they admit, with a hint of reluctance and a wry smile, as they coyly drop their gaze. "Which I know is a little incongruous with our current setting, but it's an old favourite... but I'm not sure that a book about murder really sets the tone that I'm hoping to capture." <<if $extraversion gt 50>><<if $agreeableness gte 50>>"And what tone is that?" you grin, edging a little closer to them so that you can run your hand over their hair.<<else>>"And what tone is that?" you reply, determinedly holding their gaze as you fight against the tugging feeling at the corners of your lips.<</if>><<else>>"And what tone is that?" you ask quietly, eyes flickering away.<</if>> "Well, something with a little less murder, ideally... erring more on the side of romantic?" <<include elen9>>

"Hercule Poirot's Christmas," they reply, with a tight smile. You pause briefly, kind of expecting there to be a further explanation. None comes. "Is something wrong?" you ask, with a little frown. "Not at all." They roll away from you, sitting up and setting their feet down on the floor. "You asked, and I answered." It doesn't feel like the whole story, but okay, whatever. You'll probe them about it when they get back. [[Next|ellisgetswater]]

You linger awkwardly in the doorway for a moment, because there's something about being under Ellis' gaze that just sets your skin alight, raising goosebumps up your arm as their eyes trail up to your face. "I promise I won't bite," they smile, tilting their face to the side. Well, any hopes you had that they might notice your nerves are out of the window. You laugh self-consciously and crawl onto the mattress beside them, hiding away under the covers. "You know, I think I like that I can make you nervous." They have rolled onto their side to face you, one hand resting under their head, and their voice is low and smooth - silk, caramel. <<if $ellisrom gte 4>>Then their eyes meet yours, and holy shit, you're really in it now. You can practically feel yourself //sinking//.<</if>> <<if $extraversion gt 50>>"Is that so?" you chuckle. It's not just everyone that gets you all shy, you suppose - maybe they're right to feel accomplished.<<else>>"Oh?" you reply, doing your absolute best to retain //some// kind of impassive expression, even while Ellis seems capable of seeing right through you.<</if>> A bemused smile plays on their lips. "You make me a little nervous, so it's only fair, don't you think?" <<include elen9>>

You're exhausted - there are no two ways about it. You crawl into bed beside Ellis, head immediately sinking into the squidgy marshmallow pillows. "I'm //so// tired," you mumble, eyes already fluttering closed, and you do your best to shoot them an apologetic smile. You hear Ellis chuckling beside you, and then the ruffling of covers. <<if !$binnedit>>"You get nice and cosy, and I'll go to grab a glass of water," they say gently, and you hear the little pitter patter of their feet on the wooden floor.<<else>>"Alright, I'm going to go and fetch a glass of water," they say gently, and you hear the little pitter patter of their feet on the wooden floor.<</if>> <<include egw1>>

"I'm sorry about earlier," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you begin, crossing the room to get into bed beside them.<<else>>you begin. The apology feels a little stilted coming out of your mouth - you aren't exactly a natural.<</if>> "I was being a knob." Ellis rolls onto their side to face you, propping their chin up on one hand. They consider you thoughtfully for a moment before a smile creeps onto their lips. <<if $ellis gt 30>>"Consider it forgotten," they declare happily, with a slight bob of the head. "Just like that?" "Just like that." Oh. Well, that was much easier than you anticipated. [[Clearly, Ellis isn't one to hold a grudge.|ellisgetswater]]<<else>>"I'm afraid you have some more grovelling to do," they chuckle, fixing you with something of a disapproving look. Great. "I'm going to get a glass of water, and then you can get started." Alright, well, that sounds //a little// better. <<include egw1>><</if>>

You can tell by the coy smile on their lips that this is precisely their intention, but you're not sure that you care. You're bad at being coy. You're good at necking, though. Play to your strengths, and all that. <<include elen9.1.1>>

You lean in to kiss Ellis and feel them smiling against your lips, hand winding slowly around to rest gently on the back of your neck. <<if !$ekiss>><<if $thot gte 50>>You've had a lot of first kisses in your time, and a good number of them have taken place on the first day that you met someone. Life's too short, right? Despite your wealth of experience in the field of kissing strangers, though, you haven't had many kisses like //this//.<<else>>You might not be a kissing strangers afficionado, but you've had your fair share of first kisses. This doesn't feel like kissing a stranger, though.<</if>> It's tender and warm, their fingers gently stroking the back of your neck, the softness of their lips against yours, the smooth skin of their leg on your leg. It's //affectionate//. Lovely, actually.<<else>>There's a tenderness in their embrace that catches you off guard; it's tender and warm, their fingers gently stroking the back of your neck, the softness of their lips against yours, the smooth skin of their leg on your leg. It's //affectionate//. Lovely, actually. You have to remind yourself that you have only known Ellis for a matter of hours - less than one day - because this kiss makes it easy to forget.<</if>> <<if $motive is "money">>//You're just here for the money// you remind yourself, although as Ellis pulls back and their eyes meet yours, it's hard to keep that thought in mind.<<else>>Ellis pulls back and their eyes meet yours and you are grateful that you're lying down, because something about their expression just makes your legs go all gooey. <<if $agreeableness lt 50>>You aren't a gooey-legged sort of person. It feels strange and unfamiliar and you aren't sure you're into it.<</if>><</if>> <<if hasVisited("elen3")>>"Oh, I thought it was the //sleeping// you were looking forward to," they grin teasingly, and you scoff.<<elseif hasVisited("elen4")>>"Yes, something like that is precisely what I had in mind, actually," they grin, and for the first time you notice the little gap in their front teeth.<<else>>"Yes, just like that," they grin, and for the first time you notice the little gap in their front teeth.<</if>><<set $ekiss to true>> [[Ellis rolls away, and carefully lifts themself out of bed.|ellisgetswater]]

"Is that so?" you smile, one hand under your head as you lie face to face with Ellis, "Perhaps we should be lighting candles and sprinkling rose petals? Better cultivate the mood." Ellis laughs, <<if $ellisrom gte 4>>hand resting casually on your waist, <</if>>and for the first time you notice the little gap between their front teeth. "I'll remember that for tomorrow night - bring some oysters, too." "Oh, naturally. What is romance if not a cold wet fish?" "If you ever find out, be sure to let me know." For a moment, you're just lying there looking at Ellis and they are looking at you and it just feels natural. Comfortable. There's a tenderness in the way they are gazing back at you that catches you off guard, and you have to remind yourself that you have only known Ellis for a matter of hours - less than one day - because the way they're smiling at you right now and the feeling that it's stirring deep in your chest makes it easy to forget. <<if $motive is "money">>//You're just here for the money// you remind yourself, although as Ellis breaks eye contact and moves away, it's hard to keep that thought in mind. You just want to pull them back.<<else>>Ellis looks away, daintily clearing their throat as they shuffle back and carefully lift themself out of bed.<</if>> [[Next|ellisgetswater]]

"I see your 'romantic'," you smile through a yawn, "and I raise you 'sleepy and cuddly'." "Aah," Ellis replies knowingly, trailing one finger along your jaw as they smile gently back at you, "My //third// favourite literary genre." <<include elen9.3.1>>

You chuckle sleepily, and Ellis presses a kiss to their index finger and then carefully touches it to your forehead before they roll away and carefully lift themself out of bed. [[Next|ellisgetswater]]

"How could //I// ever make //you// nervous?" you scoff disbelievingly. "You obviously don't realise how attractive you are," they reply knowingly, trailing one finger along your jaw as they smile gently back at you. "But I'll be sure to let you know." <<include elen9.3.1>>

"Are you planning on being this coy the whole time we're here, or will I be able to persuade you to kiss me at some point?" you smile, head tilted to one side. "Aah," Ellis replies knowingly, trailing one finger along your jaw as they smile gently back at you, "Perhaps if you are good, you'll find out." <<include elen9.3.1>>

<<if $drunk gte 3 and !$binnedit>>"I'm going to get you a glass of water - you need to stave off that hangover," they smile knowingly at you, and you can't really argue. You //do// have the makings of a<<if $drunk gte 5>> pretty catastrophic<</if>> hangover brewing.<<else>>"I'm going to grab a glass of water - might have overdone it on the champagne a bit," they offer a self-effacing smile in your direction, and you doubt that Ellis could ever overdo it on anything without going out of their way to do so.<</if>> <<include egw1>>

<<if hasVisited("elen9.4")>>They pause in the doorway momentarily, fingers tapping at the frame as they turn back to you over their shoulder. "You are //very// attractive, by the way." You scoff, feeling the heat rising in your cheeks as they turn and leave.<<else>>"I'll be right back."<</if>> In Ellis' absence, you lounge back in the bed, head sinking further into the plush pillows and feeling the pull of sleep on your eyelids. They said they'd be right back, but you can totally close your eyes while you wait, [[right?|wakeupdirections]]

It's not until you make it all the way back to the terrace that you spot Arthur, stood with his hands in his pockets as he gazes out at the water. "Planning on staying out here all night?" you call across to him as you slip out to join him, flagstones cool on your bare feet. <<if $acreason is "rom">><<include arthurbastardnighttime>><<else>><<include softarthurnighttime>><</if>>

Arthur glances back at you over his shoulder and you hear an exasperated sigh as you make your way toward him. "What are you doing here?" he asks, flatly, his displeasure //very// evident. "Looking for you." Duh. "$mcname, let me make myself abundantly clear," he turns to face you, jaw clenched, and you stop walking. "I have no romantic interest in you. Whatever hopes you had when you chose to couple with me? Abandon them." <<include abntch>>

He must realise that he's going to have to form a romantic connection, or at least the appearance of one, at some point? Unless... Ah. Unless he just doesn't intend to form that connection with you. <<if $extraversion lt 50>>"I thought you wanted to win?" you venture, voice tinged with optimism even as you try to suppress it.<<else>>"What about your big plans to win the whole prize?" you ask, arms folded across your chest.<</if>> "I //do// intend to win," he replies, with an indifferent shrug. "But not with you." <<include abntch>>

Arthur's words sting, and it's abundantly clear from his expression that he wanted them to. He watches your reaction with interest, not even a flicker of regret as you try to take a deep breath and steady yourself. "Why are you being like this?" is the only feeble response you can muster, and you're kicking yourself for sounding so incredibly pathetic the moment the words leave you. Arthur shrugs. "Go to bed, $mcname." <<include abnt7>>

Arthur's words sting, and it's abundantly clear from his expression that he wanted them to. He watches your reaction with interest, not even a flicker of regret as you try to take a deep breath and steady yourself. <<if $neuroticism gt 60>>You're no stranger to tears, but you had //really// hoped that you would be able to keep it together at least until you made it back to your room. Now, though, you can already feel tears stinging at the corner of your eyes as you try to hold them back.<<else>>You aren't exactly the sort of person that falls apart at the drop of a hat, but you can already feel the tears stinging at the corner of your eyes as you try desperately to hold them back.<</if>> The last thing you want right now is for Arthur to see you cry, and yet, you feel totally powerless to stem the flow of tears. You shift from one foot to the other, crossing and uncrossing your arms as you try to find a stance that makes your upset slightly less obvious, running heel of your palm over your cheeks. For a moment, you think you see a flicker of remorse in Arthur's expression - a little wobble where he opens his mouth and then closes it again, the bob of his throat as he swallows down whatever he had thought about saying. Then he shrugs, arms folded across the chest, and you wonder if you had just been seeing what you wanted to see. "Go to bed, $mcname." <<include abnt7>>

"Arthur, //Jesus Christ//, what is your //problem//?" You continue your walk across the terrace, now more of a march than the casual wander of before. "I wanted to give you a chance even though you seem //insistent// on being a total arsehole, and here you are, still being a total arsehole. Seriously, why are you like this?" For a moment, you think you see Arthur's eyes widen in surprise - presumably, he had been expecting a more passive acceptance of his arseholery. Well, he hadn't accounted for you. "Go to bed, $mcname," comes his only, bored reply. "//Fuck you.//" "Go to bed." <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>You think about slapping him, but then you think better of it. This is being filmed, after all.<<else>>A scene plays out in your mind where you stomp across the flagstones and slap him right across his beautiful posh arseholey face. In an uncharacteristic display of restraint, you manage not to..<</if>> Instead, you find yourself... going to bed. You grit your teeth, scowl at Arthur with an intensity that you had sort of hoped might make laser beams shoot from your eyes (it doesn't) and turn on your heel. What else is there to do? [[You aren't going to subject yourself to Arthur's presence for a moment longer.|backtobeda]]

"But before..." <<if $neuroticism gt 60>>you stammer, confused.<<else>>you begin, brow furrowed.<</if>> "When I said I found you very irritating?" Arthur cuts you off, tone sharp, biting. His expression remains impassive - like this whole conversation is deeply boring to him. "That was a mistake - a lapse in judgement," he finishes. "It won't happen again." <<include abntch>>

You do. You feel a bit like someone has just dumped a bucket of ice water over your head and, without another word, you find yourself turning around and retreating back inside. <<include backtobeda>>

You wander back upstairs (alone) and climb into bed (alone) and close your eyes (also alone). <<if $acreason is "rom">>You're still smarting from the intensity of Arthur's rejection and, frankly, you aren't sure what to do with that information. <<if $artkiss>>Now you find yourself coupled with a man who is perfectly happy to make out with you one minute, but declares that he has no interest in you the next. Talk about romantic whiplash.<<else>>Now you find yourself coupled with a man who, by his own admission, has zero romantic interest in you and seems to find you kind of repellent. At least, he did tonight. He doesn't //always// seem to find you that repellent... Jeez, talk about romantic whiplash.<</if>> You find yourself listening out for any indication that Arthur might come to join you, but you don't hear anything before your eyelids become too heavy to open again [[and you drift off into sleep.|wakeupdirections]]<<else>>You listen out for Arthur joining you, as promised, but you don't hear anyone coming in by the time your eyelids become too heavy to open again [[and you drift off into sleep.|wakeupdirections]]<</if>>

Arthur glances back over his shoulder and you hear him laughing as you make your way across the terrace towards him. "It's been a long time since I had to sleep next to someone," he says, with a little shrug of his shoulders. "I'm out of practice." <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<if $drunk gte 3>><<link "Who said anything about sleeping?" "sant1">><<inc-thot>><<set $arthurrom += 1>><<inc-thot>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "Luckily, I'm pretty good at it. I could show him the ropes, even." "sant2">><<inc-friendly>><<set $arthur += 1>><<set $arthurrom += 1>><</link>><br> <<link "Is being this guarded what makes him such a bastard all the time?" "sant3">><<inc-bold>><<inc-funny>><<set $arthur += 1>><</link>><br> <<link "Same. How about he comes upstairs, and we can get some practice?" "sant4">><<inc-thot>><<inc-funny>><<set $arthur += 1>><</link>><br> <<link "So he's going to stay down here?" "sant5">><</link>> <</nobr>></div>

"Who said anything about //sleeping//?" you croon as you sidle up to him, and he laughs again - warm and soft. "It's sorely tempting, but //you//," he smiles, holding a hand out in your direction for emphasis, "are drunk and //I// know how to handle my liquor." You chuckle, placing your hand in his and letting him twirl you in a circle until you find yourself colliding with his chest. It might be proving his point, but fuck it, he smells //great//. <div class="choices"><<link "Alright, maybe I am drunk, but I have a cute guy in front of me and I want to be kissed." "sant1.1">><<set $arthurrom += 1>><<inc-thot>><</link>> <<link "Didn't expect Arthur of all people to be this ethical." "sant1.2">><<set $arthur += 1>><<inc-funny>><</link>> <<link "I'm not drunk! I'm //fine//. And we should fuck." "sant1.3">><<inc-thot>><</link>></div>

Alright, you'll concede that you're drunk. That doesn't change the fact that you are stood in front of a cute guy and you want him to kiss you. Immediately. You tilt your face up towards Arthur's and he shakes his head exasperatedly, even as a smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. <<include sant1.1.1>>

He rests one hand on your cheek, thumb along your jaw, and gently presses his lips to yours. <<if $artkiss>>It's soft and unexpectedly tender - entirely different from your kiss this afternoon. //Confusing//.<<else>>It's soft and unexpectedly tender and very much not what you expected from Arthur.<</if>> This is how people who //like// each other kiss. Arthur pulls back, resting his forehead against yours, cheeks a little pinker than before. <<include sant1.1.2>>

"You should go to sleep," he reminds you. He's right, you're exhausted. [["I'll be right behind you."|backtobeda]]

"I didn't expect you, of all people, to be so //ethical//," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin,<<else>>you smirk,<</if>> eyebrows raised. Arthur laughs, digging his hands deeper into his pockets and shrugging his shoulders. "I didn't realise that I had cultivated a reputation for being quite so ethically dubious...?" "You seem like much more of an arsehole," you confirm sagely. The sentiment is valid, but you would perhaps not be using quite such strong language if you weren't still feeling so tipsy. Rather than being affronted, though, Arthur just smiles. "Thanks." "You're welcome." "You should go to sleep," he gently reminds you. He's right, you're exhausted. [["I'll be right behind you."|backtobeda]]

"I'm not drunk," you insist, with a certainty that might be undercutting your message, <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>"A unit of alcohol leaves your system after an hour, right? So I'm probably like 35% sober by now." You look up for a second, mentally checking your maths, and realise that what you've just said makes absolutely no sense. Fuck it, your point still stands. Hopefully Arthur's bad enough at maths to take your word for it.<<else>>"Look, I can touch my nose!" That's totally one of those tests that cops use to test that people are okay to drive, right? Oh, wait, it might be a little more complicated than that.<</if>> "Point is, we should fuck," you conclude, and Arthur laughs again. Not the ideal reaction to being propositioned, sure, but he might still come around to the idea. "I'm not sure you'll feel //quite// as strongly about this in the morning," he grins. "But if you do, then you know where to find me." <<include sant1.1.1>>

"Luckily, I'm pretty good at it. I could show you the ropes, even," you smile as you approach, and Arthur laughs again - warm and soft. "Really? You're //that// good?" he smiles, holding a hand out to you. "I'll warn you that I'm a dreadful student." "I //am// that good," you confirm. You slip your hand into his, letting him twirl you in a circle until you find yourself resting your other palm against his chest. Arthur looks back at you and you watch the slow bob of his throat. <<include uncharacteristicallynice>>

"Why are you being so uncharacteristically nice to me?" he asks after a moment, voice low as he dips his face fractionally closer to yours. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"It might surprise you to learn that I'm actually quite a nice person. You're just normally being much more intolerable."<<else>>"You're being uncharacteristically tolerable. Consider it a reward."<</if>> <<include santnav>>

<<if $artkiss>><<include sant1.1.1>><<else>>Arthur laughs, a restrained little chuckle, his cheeks a little pink under the twinkling lights. <<include sant1.1.2>><</if>>

Arthur Campbell showing vulnerability? //Interesting//. "Is being this guarded what makes you such an intolerable bastard all the time?" you croon as you sidle up to him, and Arthur laughs again - warm and soft. "I can't give away //all// my secrets on the very first day," he smiles, holding a hand out to you. "Got to keep //some// cards close to my chest." "That sounds like a yes," you taunt, slipping one of your hands into his and letting him twirl you in a circle until you find yourself resting your other hand on his chest. Arthur looks back at you, and you watch the slow bob of his throat. <<include santnav>>

"Me too," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you smile<<else>>you admit<</if>> as you approach. "How about you come upstairs, and we can get some practice?" Arthur laughs again - warm and soft - as he turns to face you, holding out a hand. You slip yours into his, letting him twirl you in a circle until you find yourself resting your other hand on his chest. Arthur looks back at you and you watch the slow bob of his throat. <<include uncharacteristicallynice>>

"So you're just going to stay down here?" Arthur thinks for a moment and shrugs. "No, I'm sure I'll be up soon. You go ahead and I'll be right behind you." [[Next|backtobeda]]

Florrie stumbles through the door, catching herself with one hand on the frame before she completely faceplants. What's the proverb? She is beauty, she is grace... something something. "You good?" you ask with a bemused smile, as you watch Florrie attempt to stabilise herself, grinning back at you with an almost defiant confidence. "Fucking peachy, babe." Then she throws herself down on the bed, kneading at the mattress with one hand like a cat as she tests its firmness. She makes a satisfied squeak before turning to look up at you, pointing a hand finger that waves about in your direction. <<if $jammies is "slut" or $jammies is "pants">><<include fnt2>><<else>><<include fnt1>><</if>>

<<if $jammies is "hello">>"Hello Kitty! Babe, I //love// that furry little bitch,"<<else>>"You look //adorable//, by the way,"<</if>> she grins. "Seriously, who gave you the right to be this cute?" <div class="choices"><<link "She's not one to talk." "fnt2.1">><<set $florrierom += 1>><<set $florrie += 1>><</link>> <<link "I'm glad she thinks so - I was worried I wouldn't be up on her level." "fnt1.1">><<set $florrierom += 1>><<set $florrie += 1>><</link>> <<link "The official cuteness commission. I had to get a whole license and everything." "fnt1.2">><<inc-funny>><<set $florrie += 1>><</link>> <<link "Wow, she must be more drunk than I thought." "fnt2.5">><<set $florrie -= 1>><</link>></div>

<<if $neuroticism gt 60>>"Oh, I... Really?" you splutter inelegantly. "I worried I'd be... Well, that //you// would be out of my league, actually."<<elseif $neuroticism lt 40>>"Phew," you smile, miming mopping the sweat from your forehead with the back of one hand. "Was worried you were too far out of my league."<<else>>"Glad you think so," you chuckle, a little anxiously. "Was worried you were too far out of my league."<</if>> <<include fnt2.3.1>>

"The official cuteness commission," you smirk. "Had to get a whole license and everything - it was a gruelling process." <<include fnt2.4.1>>

"You look //insanely// hot, by the way," she grins. "Is this even legal? Don't you need some kind of license for this?" <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<link "She's not one to talk." "fnt2.1">><<set $florrierom += 1>><<set $florrie += 1>><</link>><br> <<if $jammies is "slut">><<link "This little ol' thing? Just something I had lying around..." "fnt2.2">><<inc-thot>><<inc-funny>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "Got to put in work if I'm gonna keep up with her, right?" "fnt2.3">><<set $florrie += 1>><</link>><br> <<link "I actually do have a license - it was a very lengthy application process." "fnt2.4">><<inc-funny>><<set $florrie += 1>><</link>><br> <<link "Wow, she must be more drunk than I thought." "fnt2.5">><<set $florrie -= 1>><</link>><br> <</nobr>></div>

"You're not one to talk," you smirk, nodding in her direction. Even after a whole day of filming, Florrie looks as bright and effervescent as she did when you first saw her. Miraculously, she's also just as covered in glitter, although you're fairly sure that a fair amount of it must be currently in the process of shedding onto the pristine white sheets. "Me?" she squeaks, rolling onto her front with her chin resting on her hands, feet kicking up behind her. <<include fnt2.6>>

"Oh, this?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you laugh, striking a playful pose.<<else>>you smirk.<</if>> "Just something I had lying around." Florrie grins, rolling onto her front with her chin resting on her hands, feet kicking up behind her. "Can I be just something you had lying around...?" "Maybe if you play your cards right." She laughs, rolling off the bed until she lands on her feet and bounces happily in place, pointing at the sliding door behind you. <<include fnt3>>

"Well, I've got to try and stay on your level, right?" <<include fnt2.3.1>>

Florrie beams, rolling onto her front with her chin resting on her hands, feet kicking up behind her. <<include fnt2.6>>

"Hey, it took a lot of paperwork to get a license for this," you smirk. <<include fnt2.4.1>>

"Was there a written test?" Florrie grins back, rolling onto her front with her chin resting on her hands, feet kicking up behind her. "Several gruelling written exams, a performance portion, and at one point I had to sculpt a diorama from a block of clay." "So you're good with your hands? //Well//, that's //very// good to know," she laughs, rolling off the bed until she lands on her feet and bounces happily in place, pointing at the sliding door behind you. <<include fnt3>>

"Holy shit, Florrie, you're even more hammered than I thought you were," you chuckle, and Florrie bats a hand playfully in your direction. "Am I drunk? Yes," she begins, and she holds a finger up to silence you before you can acknowledge how right you are, "//but//, I know a very hot $mcguy when I see one, even through beer goggles." "Yeah, yeah, that's what they all say." "If they all //say// it, maybe you should start believing it," she laughs, rolling off the bed until she lands on her feet and bounces happily in place, pointing at the sliding door behind you. <<include fnt3>>

"Babe, you're an absolute worldie, I'm already punching," she tells you emphatically, with a bashful little grin that tells you that she isn't just saying it. Then she rolls off the bed, landing off her feet, and points a finger at the sliding door behind you. <<include fnt3>>

"Bathroom?" "Bathroom," you affirm, and Florrie skips past you, tapping her fingers happily on your shoulder as she goes. "I'll be right back, then. You can get nice and comfy." [[Next|fnt4]]

You are once again alone in the bedroom, and slide between the crisp, white sheets. Egyptian cotton. Nice. <<if $drunk gt 3>>Your eyelids feel heavy, and you aren't sure that you have ever been so glad to be positioned horizontally; standing up was taking more concentration than you remember.<<else>>Your eyelids feel heavy, and you are just //incredibly// comfortable in this giant marshmallow of a bed, stretching your legs out under the sheets.<</if>> Florrie takes longer than you thought was possible in the bathroom and you're absolutely sure that you will have drifted off entirely by the time she returns. No sooner have you had that thought, though, than she emerges, and you briefly prop your head up to greet her. Her hair is teased up into a sequinned scrunchy on the top of her head, fluffy and freshly blowdried, several strands falling loose around her face and at the nape of her neck. Her face has been entirely scrubbed of glitter and makeup, and you immediately realise what has probably taken her so long. "Nonono don't wake up!" she hisses, as she climbs into the sheets beside you. "Sorry I was ages - all that glitter in my fucking //hair//. I never fucking learn." <<include fnt5>>

"Happy to wait," you whisper, through a yawn. You roll over to face her, and find her big blue eyes gazing back at you. They are even more prominent on her face without all of the glitter and makeup. "Thank you for picking me, today," she tells you quietly, lips twitching up into a gentle smile, "What made you do it? Pick me?" <<include fnt6>>

"You could have called me in to help, you know," you whisper, through a yawn. "I'd have been happy to do it." You don't roll to face her, but you hear a sharp intake of breath from your side. "$mcname, you couldn't see me //nude//," she giggles, in her best impression of a scandalised //Downton Abbey// character. Then she sighs. "Everyone watching this show will already be desperate to write me off as some dumb bimbo - don't want to give them any more ammunition than they've already got." "If that's what people think, they're idiots." You turn your face toward hers now and are met by her big blue eyes gazing back at you. They are even more prominent on her face without all of the glitter and makeup. "What made you choose me? At the coupling today, I mean?" <<include fnt6>>

"Is there anyone in the world that says "fuck" as much as you do?" you whisper, turning your face toward hers. You are met by her big blue eyes gazing back at you. They are even more prominent on her face without all of the glitter and makeup. "Don't think so," she whispers back, wiggling and rustling around beneath the sheets as she tries to find a comfy position, one hand resting under her head. "Does it bother you?" "No, it's... kind of impressive, actually." You let out a little chuckle and Florrie grins. "Hey, $mcname... What made you choose me?" <<include fnt6>>

<<if $coupleonefeels is "love" or $jammies is "flirt">>Are you into Florrie? Sure. Will your experience of sharing a bedroom with her be a harmonious one if tonight is anything to go by? Absolutely fucking not.<<<elseif $coupleonefeels is "friend">>Do you think Florrie could be a great pal? Sure. Will your experience of sharing a bedroom with her be a harmonious one if tonight is anything to go by? Absolutely fucking not.<<else>>You're only here because you thought Florrie would be an easy target to add to your body count, and now she's just pissed the night away in the bathroom.<</if>> You press your lips together, squeeze your eyes shut, and try to ignore the shuffling sounds that come from Florrie beside you. "Hey." Comes a little whisper from beside you, and you clench your jaw, "Hey, $mcname?" //"What?"// "What made you choose me? At the coupling today, I mean?" You reluctantly roll over to face Florrie and are met with her big blue eyes gazing back at you. They are even more prominent on her face without all of the glitter and makeup. <<include fnt6>>

"Because //I like you//," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you tell her with a gentle smile, softly but assertively.<<else>>you roll your eyes, smile tugging threateningly at the corners of your lips. Telling people how you feel doesn't exactly come naturally to you.<</if>> "Well, that's good." "Yeah?" "Yeah," she smiles, lifting her face toward yours. "Cause //I// like //you//." <<include fkisschoicent>>

"Because I think you'll be a great friend," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you tell her with a gentle smile, softly but assertively.<<else>>you roll your eyes, smile tugging threateningly at the corners of your lips. Telling people how you feel doesn't exactly come naturally to you.<</if>> Florrie beams back at you for a moment, and then rolls happily onto her back. "Good," she smiles. "You can never have too many friends." You fall into an easy silence then and, mercifully, Florrie actually manages to stay pretty still - you had been worried that she'd just be thrashing about all night long. <<include florriesleep>>

"What can I say," you smirk. "I have a shameful secret sequin kink and I think you're just the girl to meet my needs." Florrie snorts, slapping you playfully on the shoulder with one hand. She leaves it resting there afterwards, cool and soft against your own warm skin. "//Why actually?!//" she insists, shoving you again, and you can't help but let out a sleepy laugh. <<include fnt6>>

"I had a great time on our date," you shrug. "I just want to see where this goes, I guess." Florrie beams, a wide smile spreading across her face. "I had a great time on our date, too." <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>"Yeah?" "Yeah," she replies quietly, lifting her face toward yours. "The best."<<else>>"Good." Florrie lifts her face towards yours, ever so slightly, gaze flickering across your face.<</if>> <<include fkisschoicent>>

<<if $coupleonefeels is "bc">>What are you supposed to say? 'Florrie, I actually chose you because I wanted to start cranking up my body count and I thought you'd be an easy start'? God, not likely.<<else>>Talking about your feelings? To someone's face? God, not likely.<</if>> <<include fkisswoo>>

"Needed someone who could work the word "fuck" into every sentence," you smirk. Florrie snorts, slapping you playfully on the shoulder with one hand. She leaves it resting there afterwards, cool and soft against your own warm skin. "//Why actually?!//" she insists, shoving you again, and you can't help but let out a sleepy laugh. "You //fuck//." <<include fnt6>>

You groan and roll away with an exaggerated yawn. "//I don't know, Florrie,//" you grumble, planting your head firmly back onto your pillow. "//Please// can I just go to sleep?" There's a little pause, and you think you hear Florrie sighing behind you. "Yeah. Sorry." She doesn't say anything else and, mercifully, she actually manages to lie pretty still. //Thank fuck//. [[Before you know it, you're asleep.|wakeupdirections]]

What else could be more appropriate in this situation? You reach up with your index finger and touch it briefly to the tip of Florrie's button nose. She giggles and returns the gesture, touching her finger to your nose. "I like that," she grins, rolling away onto her back. "I'm gonna start doing that to people." "You should," you smile, and then you fall into an easy silence. Mercifully, Florrie actually manages to stay pretty still - you had been worried that she'd just be thrashing about all night long. <<include florriesleep>>

You kind of jerk forward just as she is moving in and absolutely conk your heads together, sending Florrie into a fit of giggles as she rolls away, clutching her forehead. Your own head kind of smarts, a sharp pain just above your brow. "Shit, are you alright?" you grimace, rubbing the back of your hand over your head. The pain passes quickly, but the embarrassment may never fade. "Yes, babe, I'm //fine//," Florrie squeaks, still laughing as she leans back toward you, running her fingers over the spot on your head, "But if I die of a concussion in my sleep, it's you I'll be blaming." Well, no pressure, then. You settle back down into your pillow and Florrie does the same, hand resting gently on your arm as she wiggles into place. <<include florriesleep>>

<<set $fkiss to true>>You lean in, hand sliding around to the back of her neck, her mouth soft against yours. You can feel Florrie smiling into your kiss, a minty tingle on your lips, on your tongue. She sighs happily, arching towards you, <<if $jammies is "slut" or $jammies is "pants">>fingers skimming over the bare skin of your waist.<<else>>fingers sliding across the bare skin where your t-shirt has ridden up over your hip.<</if>> Then she pulls back, forehead resting on yours, smiling giddily as she looks up at you. "Well, that was a nice end to the day..." <div class="choices"><<link "It was, wasn't it?" "fkisswoo.1">><<set $florrie += 1>><<set $florrierom += 1>><</link>> <<link "Yes, I am very talented. She's very welcome." "fkisswoo.2">><<inc-funny>><<set $florrie += 1>><</link>> <<link "Doesn't have to be the end, yet." "fkisswoo.3">><<inc-thot>><<set $florrierom += 1>><</link>></div>

"Yeah," you reply, with a dumb smile. "It was." Florrie beams back at you for a moment, and then rolls happily onto her back. "Good," she smiles. "Need to keep you wanting more, don't I?" You fall into an easy silence then. Despite her earlier bounciness, Florrie doesn't actually wiggle about as much as you had expected as she is settling in for sleep. You had been dimly worried that she would just be thrashing about all night long. <<include florriesleep>>

"Yes, I am excellent," you smirk. "You're welcome." Florrie snorts, <<if hasVisited("fnt6.3")>>shoving your shoulder once again. You'll need to tread carefully with this one - you're going to end up with a bruise.<<else>>shoving you firmly with one hand.<</if>> You flop back onto your pillow, and she does the same, lying next to you, hand resting gently on your arm. "Just go to sleep, you loser," she grins. "You need the energy - tomorrow I'm gonna have to bring you down a peg or two." You laugh through a yawn and fall into an easy silence. <<include florriesleep>>

"Doesn't have to be the end, just yet," you smirk, pulling her back in for another kiss. Your lips move against hers, open-mouthed and slow and stirring, your fingertips spearing into her hair. "I'm not going to fuck you on the //first night//," she whispers, hands teasing at your waistband. "Don't want everyone to just think I'm some dumb slut." "You're not a dumb slut," you laugh, caught a little off guard. Then her shy smile becomes a wicked one, front teeth resting on her bottom lip. "For you, maybe I will be." With that, Florrie happily rolls away, leaving you lying there with a hot, electrifying feeling in your stomach and an unsatisfied //wanting//. "You're a devil woman," you groan, rolling away to try and get comfortable, as Florrie giggles to herself behind you. You fall into an easy silence after that and, mercifully, Florrie actually manages to stay pretty still - you had been worried that she'd just be thrashing about all night long. <<include florriesleep>>

Eventually, your eyes become so heavy that you don't think you could open them again even if you wanted to. [[Sometime after that, you drift into sleep.|wakeupdirections]]

A flash of red hair pokes out from under the sheets, tied up in a messy bun with one of those big velvety scrunchies. Imogen pulls the sheets down a little further, so now they only fall just below her nose, and looks across at you. "Ellis said if I drank enough water and went to sleep that I might not be too hungover," she mumbles. Her voice is muffled, but you can just about make out what she's saying (and her remorseful tone). "Sounds like good advice." Imogen pulls the covers a little further down and now you can actually see her whole face, tinged pink with embarrassment. "I think I just really need a hug," she tells you, a little feebly. <div class="choices"><<if $imogenrom gte 4>><<link "Get ready to be cuddled to within an inch of your life." "imminight1">><<set $imogen += 1>><<set $imogenrom += 1>><<inc-friendly>><</link>><</if>> <<link "Yeah, of course." "imminight2">><<dec-funny>><</link>> <<link "She's definitely not throw-up-level drunk, right?" "imminight3">><<inc-funny>><<set $imogen -= 1>><</link>> <<link "Tough day?" "imminight4">><<set $imogen += 1>><</link>> <<link "I'm not much of a hugger, but I'll do my best." "imminight5">><<set $imogen += 1>><<dec-thot>><</link>></div>

You smile fondly back at her as you move further into the room. "Well brace yourself, then - I'm an excellent cuddler." <<include imminight1.1>>

Imogen giggles, the tension seeming to leave her shoulders. They're still a little pink, but you can't tell whether it's from embarrassment or sunburn or both. From what you know of her so far, you'd say probably both. <<include imminight6>>

You smile fondly back at her as you move further into the room. "Yeah, of course," you reply, like there isn't another answer that you would possibly give. <<include imminight1.1>>

"You're not throw-up-level drunk though, right?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you smile, eyes narrowed in faux-suspicion as you wander further into the room.<<else>>you ask tentatively, eyes narrowed suspiciously as you wander further into the room.<</if>> "Threat level zero - just feeling a little bit spinny still," <<include imminight1.1>>

"Tough day?" you ask, as you move further into the room. Imogen sighs, letting her head loll back as she runs her hands down her face. "No," she begins, although she sounds a little uncertain. "It's been mostly really lovely, actually - just kind of exhausting? It's just been nice to have some time to recharge." <<if $extraversion gt 50>>While you haven't really found the day //draining// in the same way that Imogen seems to have done, you can still sort of relate. You're absolutely knackered.<<else>>Mood. After a day of meeting new people and socialising and being filmed and answering questions, you're fucking wiped out.<</if>> <<include imminight6>>

<<if $extraversion gt 50>>"Not much of a hugger," you smile. "But I'll do what I can."<<else>>You chuckle self-consciously, rubbing one hand up and down your arm. "Not much of a hugger, but I'll do what I can."<</if>> Imogen smiles appreciatively up at you for a moment as you move further into the room. <<include imminight6>>

"The bathroom is just through there," she releases the sheets from her grip to point a hand towards the sliding door behind you. "If you want to change and stuff." <<include jammiesub>>

You slip into the soft sheets beside Imogen, whose eyes flutter open as she rolls over to face you. "Hi," she smiles coyly. "Hi." Imogen shuffles closer, resting her head on your shoulder and draping one arm across your waist. You reciprocate, one arm around her shoulder to pull her close, the coconutty smell of her hair in your face. You feel her yawn into your chest and feel your eyes closing as well. It's nice, actually - just being held like this. "I wish we could have met on the outside," she mumbles sleepily, voice more distant and lilting than normal. "You're too nice to be in here." <div class="choices"><<link "I'd have liked to meet her on the outside, too. Would've saved me the humiliation of the villa." "imminight8">><<set $imogen += 1>><<dec-funny>><</link>> <<link "Why, does she not think that we'll vibe in here?" "imminight9">><<set $imogen += 1>><</link>> <<link "I don't know if we'd have vibed outside - I think this is the best place for us." "imminight10">><<set $imogen -= 2>><<set $imogenrom -= 1>><</link>> <<link "What is she going on about?" "imminight11">><<set $imogen -= 1>><</link>></div>

"Yeah, I'd have liked to meet you on the outside, too," you smile, giving her arm a little squeeze. "Would've saved me the humiliation of this experience." Imogen makes a breathy little sound that you think might be a laugh, if she was more awake, but she doesn't reply. [[Slowly, and then all at once, you both fall asleep.|wakeupdirections]]

<<if $neuroticism gt 50>>You feel a little jolt of anxiety. Does she not think you'll work well together? Does she find you too nice? What does that //mean//.<<else>>You roll your face to rest on the top of her head, cheek pressed on her forehead in a way that feels nice and grounding.<</if>> "Do you not think we'll work out in here?" you whisper, and you think you feel Imogen smiling against your chest. "No, you //wally//," <<include immisnotreal>>

<<set $imogenclue1 to true>>she whispers back through a yawn. "This just isn't real, is it?" You don't get a chance to ask her what she means before her breathing slows, heavy and deep, as she drifts off to sleep. It's not long until you do the same, Imogen's words playing on your mind. <<link "//This just isn't real.//" "wakeupdirections">><</link>>

You let out a low hum as you consider your answer, lips vibrating against her hair, and she sighs happily. "I think this is the best place for us," you whisper back after a moment, and you think you feel Imogen smiling against your chest. She doesn't reply, though; her breathing slows, heavy and deep, as she drifts off to sleep. [[It's not long until you do the same.|wakeupdirections]]

"What are you going on about?" you scoff, and you think you feel Imogen smiling against your chest. "I just mean..." <<include immisnotreal>>

More notable than the interior design choices, though, is the presence of a damp-haired and very shirtless man at the centre of it. "Ewwo-" Griffin grins, greeting hampered by the toothbrush in his mouth. He holds up a hand and disappears off into your ensuite, returning a moment later without it. "Sorry, hi," he says again as he emerges, drying his hands off on his soft jersey shorts and wandering round to the side of the bed that he has presumably claimed, clearly lacking any reservations at all about sharing. "Bathroom's all yours." <<include jammiesub>>

You emerge, <<if $jammies is "slut" or $jammies is "pants">>and Griffin's eyes practically bug out of his head. You watch with amusement as his gaze flits around the room as he tries to find somewhere slightly more acceptable for his eyes to land.<<else>>and Griffin grins at you, tipping his head back slightly to accommodate the full enthusiasm of his smile.<</if>> One arm is behind his head, fluffy hair sticking up a little from where he has run a hand over it. <div class="choices"><<link "I just loiter at the side of the room, hit by the sudden realisation that we have to //share a bed//." "gnt2">><<dec-bold>><<dec-thot>><</link>> <<link "I might not usually choose to share a bed with a stranger, but hey, Griff is hot. I can make an exception." "gnt3">><<inc-thot>><</link>> <<link "Sweet sleep, come at me." "gnt4">><</link>> <<link "Sorry but when I see a man's nipples, I simply cannot entertain any other sensible thoughts." "gnt5">><<inc-thot>><</link>></div>

Oh, right, //fuck//. You definitely hadn't thought this all the way through and now, here you are, being struck by the realisation that you actually have to hop into bed and sleep a whole night next to this undeniably very hot guy. Griffin's smile fades, replaced by a quizzical expression. "Everything alright?" he asks, pushing himself up into a more seated position which only serves to reveal even more skin, the sheets sliding down tanned abs. <<if $thot gt 50>>There's that scar again... Wait, what were you thinking? Oh, right, his question!<</if>> <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>"Yeah, I'm good," you reply a little too quickly, voice cracking slightly in a way that you're sure will betray your nerves.<<else>>"Peachy," you reply with a smile, perhaps a little too quickly to appear entirely relaxed.<</if>> Griffin seems satisfied with your response, though, [[as he settles back down onto his pillows.|gnt6]]

Do you normally hop into bed with someone on the first day you meet? <<if $thot lte 50>>No.<<else>>Alright, maybe you would, but you wouldn't be //sleeping// there.<</if>> If you have to make an exception for anyone, though, then it might as well be Griffin. He is brain-meltingly hot, after all. <<include gnt6>>

God, //finally//. The allure of soft sheets and fluffy pillows is too great to ignore, never mind the half-naked man already between them. <<include gnt6>>

And you can definitely see nipples, so your head is //completely// vacant. <<include gnt6>>

You <<if $drunk gt 3>>clamber into bed beside Griffin and he rolls onto his side to face you, cheek smushed a little where it presses against his arm.<<else>>slide into bed beside Griffin and he rolls onto his side to face you, cheek a little smushed where it presses against his arm.<</if>> <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>He looks a little stupid, and you can't help but chuckle. It's nice that he is so wonderfully unpretentious.<<else>>You can't keep the fond smile from your face - it's just nice to know someone who is so unpretentious.<</if>> "Are you tired?" he asks innocently. <<include gnt7>>

You shrug coyly, arm coming to rest on Griffin's waist as you move a little closer, fingers toying with the waistband of his shorts. "I don't know..." you smirk. "I can think of a //lot// of things to do that are more fun than sleeping..." <<if $drunk gt 3>><<include drunkgneckin>><<else>><<include sobergneckin>><</if>>

"Do I look tired?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin,<<else>>you arch a brow,<</if>> and Griffin chuckles. "Is there a right answer to that question?" he asks, and you can't help but smile at the uncertainty in his voice. He's got a point - it's sort of a lose-lose. Alright, alright, fine. You can give a real answer. <<include gnt7>>

Truth be told, you're exhausted. <<if $drunk gt 3>>Your eyelids feel heavy, and you aren't sure that you have ever been so glad to be positioned horizontally; standing up was taking more concentration than you remember.<<else>>Your eyelids feel heavy, and you are just //incredibly// comfortable in this giant marshmallow of a bed, stretching your legs out under the sheets.<</if>> You don't answer his question, instead just shuffling across to rest your head on his shoulder. Griffin doesn't question it, happily tightening his arm around your back, and it's just //nice//. You feel held - like he's got your back, like you can count on him. Maybe you're just reading a little too much into a sleepy cuddle, maybe you're just overtired, but you do feel it. <<include gsleepcuddle>>

Truth be told, you're exhausted. <<include sleepygriff>>

<<if $drunk gt 3>>Your eyelids feel heavy, and you aren't sure that you have ever been so glad to be positioned horizontally; standing up was taking more concentration than you remember.<<else>>Your eyelids feel heavy, and you are just //incredibly// comfortable in this giant marshmallow of a bed, stretching your legs out under the sheets.<</if>> "Shattered," you yawn, and Griffin smiles next to you. "Same," he replies, breathing a visible sigh of relief as he shuffles a little further down the bed until the sheets are practically at his chin. <<include sg2>>

"I have to warn you that I'm a bit... kicky... in my sleep." <div class="choices"><<link "Me too - I guess we'd better brace ourselves for bruised shins." "sg3">><<inc-funny>><<set $griffin += 1>><</link>> <<link "I'm a cuddler, so prepare to be gripped like the tree to my koala." "sg4">><<set $griffin += 1>><<set $griffinrom += 1>><</link>> <<link "Wake me up in the night and I'll stab a bitch - I need my sleep." "sg5">><</link>></div>

"Me too," you chuckle. "I guess we'd better brace ourselves for bruised shins." "Now you make it sound like you're going to //try// to kick me," Griffin huffs out a sleepy chuckle and rolls onto his back, hands under his head. You just //know// that you'll probably catch an elbow in the face in the night - even in such a large bed, Griffin seems to manage to take up space. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"How dare you accuse me of such poor bed-sharing etiquette,"<<else>>"Well, if you behave I won't have to kick you,"<</if>> you whisper back through a smile, and even without looking, you know that Griffin is smiling too. <<include griffsleepnothing>>

"Well, I'm a cuddler," you inform him, shuffling across to rest your head on his shoulder. Griffin doesn't question it, happily tightening his arm around your back, and it's just //nice//. You feel held - like he's got your back, like you can count on him. Maybe you're just reading a little too much into a sleepy cuddle, maybe you're just overtired, but you do feel it. "That's good," he whispers back through a yawn, as he brings his cheek to rest against the top of your head. "You might keep me still." <<include gsleepcuddle>>

"Wake me up and I'll murder you," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you chuckle.<<else>>you mumble back as you shift around on your pillow to get comfortable.<</if>> "I don't think you could murder me," Griffin huffs out a sleepy chuckle and rolls onto his back, hands under his head. You just //know// that you'll probably catch an elbow in the face in the night - even in such a large bed, Griffin seems to manage to take up space. "I'm too adorable." <<if $griffinrom gte 4>><<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"That so?" you whisper back, although you know that if he glanced across and saw your smile then he'd know that you agreed. He //is// adorable.<<else>>"Rate yourself pretty highly, don't you?" you whisper back, unwilling to betray your feelings on his adorableness. He's not wrong, though - he is //fucking// adorable.<</if>><<else>>"Try me," you whisper back, and even without looking across, you know that Griffin is smiling.<</if>> <<include griffsleepnothing>>

"You've been drinking." Griffin states the obvious, his lips skimming over your pulse point in a way that makes you shiver, //tempted//. "I have," you confirm, running your fingers up the smooth, bare skin of his back. "And I'm a gentleman." "Are you?" "I am." Griffin's voice wavers like he isn't entirely sure if he is a gentleman anymore, or at least, that he's not sure that he wants to be one. <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>For a moment, you feel a twinge of concern that //maybe// he's just not that into you - he's just using your drunkenness as a convenient excuse to swerve your advances.<<else>>You aren't a particularly anxious person, but you //still// have a little wobbly feeling in the back of your head as you wonder whether he's just... not that into you? Perhaps he's just using your drunkenness as a convenient excuse to swerve your advances?<</if>> Then, as if reading your mind, Griffin presses a kiss to your lips that sends every last crumb of doubt whizzing out of your head. It's firm and affectionate, searching and //wanting//, and it assuages any doubts that had crept up on you. "Let's get some sleep," he smiles at you, shuffling down into the sheets until they're pulled up almost to his chin, <<include sg2>>

There's a silence as your eyes blink closed, and each time it happens, your blinks seem to last longer and longer. "$mcname?" "Yeah?" There's a pause. "Nothing." [[And then you're asleep.|wakeupdirections]]

There's a silence as your eyes blink closed, and each time it happens, your blinks seem to last longer and longer. "$mcname?" "Yeah?" "This is really comfy." "Yeah, it is." [[And then you're asleep.|wakeupdirections]]

"Mmm?" Griffin hums, inquisitive, as fingers skim up your thigh and you shiver under his touch. His gaze lingers on your neck, your lips, and then flickers up to meet yours. And that's it. Then his lips meet yours and his grip on your hips is firm, almost clumsy in his enthusiasm as he pulls you in closer, pressing your chest to his. You are suddenly acutely aware of the fact that he is already largely undressed as skin meets warm skin and you wrap your arms around his neck. His hand slides up your back and you arch into his touch, cupping the sides of his face to deepen the kiss, minty freshness tingling on your tongue. "//Ow! Fuck//," you hiss, as you go left and he goes right and you end up absolutely conking your foreheads together. Your head flops back into the pillow, hand instinctively reaching up to rub over the spot. [[Well, this doesn't happen in the movies.|sgn2]]

Griffin snaps back, open-mouthed and mortified. "Holy shit, I am //so// sorry," he splutters, pushing himself up onto his knees opposite you. "Are you okay?" His cheeks were already a little pink, but they are growing pinker by the second. <div class="choices"><<link "I'm already laughing about it." "sgn3">><<set $griffin += 1>><<inc-funny>><</link>> <<link "Yeah, I'm fine. Is he?" "sgn4">><<dec-funny>><<set $griffin += 1>><</link>> <<link "As the world's sexiest person, I am confident that I can salvage this." "sgn5">><<dec-funny>><<dec-funny>><<inc-thot>><</link>> <<link "We don't have to do this if he's nervous? We can just... sleep?" "sgn6">><<set $griffin -= 1>><<set $griffinrom -= 1>><</link>></div>

You burst out laughing. You can’t help it and it can’t be contained. Here you are in your <<if $jammies is "pants">>undies<<elseif $jammies is "slut">>slutty pyjamas<<elseif $jammies is "hello">>//fucking// Hello Kitty pyjamas<<else>>jimjams<</if>> trying to be all smooth making out with an //extremely// hot guy on TV (probably - no one was really clear about how much of this sort of thing would be shown) and he //headbutts// you. Because of course he does. Griffin starts laughing, too, albeit with a little less certainty. He is drumming the fingers of one hand on his thigh, the other resting on the sheets in front of him where he had reached out to you and then abandoned the thought halfway. "Are you actually okay, though?" he asks, the concern plain in his expression as his nervous laughter quickly fades. He runs his fingers over the bump on your head and, actually, it has already stopped hurting. A fleeting injury - definitely not sufficient to leave an egg or warrant a Mr Bump-style wrap. "I'm //so// sorry, I'm such an idiot," he continues, before you actually get a chance to confirm that you are //fine//, attempting to flatten his mussed hair. "I just... God, is it weird if I say that I like you?" And then he's laughing again, looking up at the ceiling and shaking his head. "God, I'm really fucking this up, aren't I?" <<include sgn7>>

"I'm fine," you assure him, pushing yourself back up to sit opposite him, your hands resting reassuringly on his thighs, "Are you?" <<include sgn4.1>>

"Yeah," he groans unhappily, rubbing the heels of his palms against his eyes. "I'm //so// sorry, I'm such an idiot," he continues, attempting to flatten his mussed hair with one hand and anxiously tapping the fingers of the other against his thigh. "God, I'm really fucking this up, aren't I?" <<include sgn7>>

This might not happen in the movies, but it sure as shit happens in the real world, and you'll be damned if a little head bump is enough to stop you getting laid. <<include alexaplayshutupanddrive>>

Your hand runs over the spot where your head collided with his and you wince a little. You don't think that there will be an egg or anything, but it's certainly not comfortable. "Maybe we should just go to sleep?" you answer, gently. <<include sgn4.1>>

"I'm not sure you know how endearing you are," you grin, flicking your head back to beckon him back down to you. He smiles bashfully back at you, still pink-cheeked and self-conscious, and then slides back down onto the bed to bury his face in your chest. <<include sg2>>

<<set $griffbang to true>>Okay, well, you and Griffin fuck - [[and the less said about it, the better.|griffinafterwards]]

You sit up opposite him, hands on the sides of his neck, and look him in the eyes. "Please, shut up and kiss me." Griffin grins back at you, a little slack-jawed in his surprise, and then he //does//. He pulls you roughly into his lap, hands firm at your back, and your palms come to rest on his chest in an effort to steady yourself. His mouth finds your neck and he sucks at your pulse point, fingers skimming up your bare thighs as you tug at his shorts to get them //out of your way//. When your hand slides under his waistband, Griffin makes an incredibly satisfying strangled groan, mouth vibrating against your throat. "Are you sure- I mean, do you want to…?" Griff breathes at your ear, low voice more than a little hoarse. <div class="choices"><<link "Actually, I'm not sure I want to do this." "sgn10">><</link>> <<link "//Yes//, I do." "sgn11">><<set $griffbang to true>><</link>> <<link "Okay, yeah, we're gonna fuck but I'd like to fade to black now please!" "sgn9">><<set $griffbang to true>><</link>></div>

You judder to a halt, hands on his chest, as you realise that you //don't// want to do this. You've just got a bit carried away and fuzzy-headed and now your head is //clear// and this would be a //mistake//. "No, actually," you draw back with a little frown, and Griffin looks absolutely bewildered, but emphatically supportive. That's a relief, at least - a lot of nice guys turn out to be jerks when they realise you aren't going to fuck them. You settle back down against the sheets and Griffin does the same, doing his best to maintain a respectful distance and uncomfortably adjusting his shorts (which do little to disguise the source of his discomfort). He smooths a hand over your hair, resting his lips on the top of your head. <<include sg2>>

The question feels a little redundant - the fact that you've got one hand wrapped around his cock is probably evidence enough that you //absolutely do want to//. "Yes," you answer, and you're caught off guard by how breathy your own voice sounds as Griffin's teeth find your earlobe and //holy shit// so much for this guy being //sweet//. "Then can I...?" Griff asks, <<if $jammies is "pants" or $jammies is "slut">>toying with the waistband of your underwear.<<else>>toying with the hem of your shirt.<</if>> "//Yes//," you say again, firmly and certainly and with a tinge of impatience, and then everything seems to happen all at once. He pushes you back down to the mattress and you are a chaotic tangle of limbs and clothes being pulled off and kisses. Lots of kisses - full of all the ferocity that Griffin had apparently been holding back until now; until he knew you were //sure//, that you wanted this. And you //do// want this - you're excruciatingly, almost embarrassingly, <<cycle "$parts">><<option "hard" pipis>><<option "wet" punani>><</cycle>>. Griffin fumbles under the bed momentarily, sliding out a drawer and you can't believe you were stupid enough not to realise that the storage in here was under the bed because //duh//, of course that's where it'd be. "How do... you want to, uh-" Griffin asks, sentence stilted by the fact that he seems entirely unable to have your lips parted for more than a few words at a time. His hips rock erratically, eagerly, against yours. <div class="choices"><<link "I'll take the top, thanks." "sgn12">><</link>> <<link "Griffin can take the top." "sgn13">><</link>> <<link "I don't care, //oh my god//, let's just fuck already." "sgn14">><</link>></div>

You roll Griffin onto the mattress, his hand sweeping over your forehead as he kisses you, deep and intense, tongue in your mouth. <<include sgn12.1>>

Griffin's breath catches in his throat as you move against him and you relish in the soft noises that he makes in your ear, the kisses he trails along your jaw, the way his fingers dig in to your hips. He is far less nervous and clumsy now, and you fall into an easy rhythm, his eyes fluttering closed. He kisses your neck, open-mouthed and rough, hands gripping your hips until he lets out a string of expletives that culminates in a hissed "//$mcname//," with a desperation in his voice that absolutely sends you over the edge. <<if $parts is "pipis">>You take hold of him once again, finishing him with a few firm strokes.<</if>> <<if $coupleonefeels is "love">>Pleasure paints his face, expression wracked with it, <<if $thot gt 50>>and you might have fucked your fair share of strangers, but you're not sure that it's ever felt quite like this - not right away.<<else>>and you can't profess to be an expert in fucking men that you've just met, but you don't think it's normally like this.<</if>> Intimate and affectionate. Your chest is full of fireworks, even now. <<elseif $coupleonefeels is "flirt">>Pleasure paints his face, expression wracked with it, and there's just something so intimate and affectionate about his manner.<<elseif $coupleonefeels is "friend">>You don't know if this can really be classed as 'friendship', but if it is, you could probably get used to it. Something about Griffin's tender affection tells you that he doesn't think you're just friends, though.<<else>>Pleasure paints his face, expression wracked with it, and there's just something so intimate and affectionate about his manner. Body count: 1 That wasn't so hard now, was it?<</if>> <<include griffinafterwards>>

You've got a pretty good view from down here - pressed between Griffin and the mattress. Wouldn't want to relinquish it. <<if $coupleonefeels is "love">><<if $thot gt 50>>You are certainly not new to the art of fucking men that you've just met, but like //this//?<<else>>You can't say that you fuck a lot of strangers that you've just met, but you hadn't imagine that it would be like //this//.<</if>> Sure, it's anything but chaste, but there's also something intimate, affectionate, in the way that Griffin touches you. Perhaps there is some merit to the whole "being a gentleman" thing after all.<br><br><</if>>Griffin's breath catches in his throat as he moves against you, and you relish in the soft noises that he makes in your ear, the kisses he trails along your jaw, the way his fingers dig in to your hips. He is far less nervous and clumsy now, and you fall into an easy rhythm, his eyes fluttering closed. <<if $coupleonefeels is "flirt">>Pleasure paints his face, expression wracked with it, and there's just something so intimate and affectionate about his manner.<br><br><<elseif $coupleonefeels is "friend">>You don't know if this can really be classed as 'friendship', but if it is, you could probably get used to it. Something about Griffin's tender affection tells you that he doesn't think you're just friends, though.<br><br><</if>> He kisses your neck, open-mouthed and rough, hands fisted in the pillow until he lets out a string of expletives that culminates in a hissed "//$mcname//," with a desperation in his voice that absolutely sends you over the edge. His hand on you is all that you need, <<if $parts is "punani">>finishing you with competent, careful circles.<<else>>finishing you with a few firm strokes.<</if>> It's clumsy and loud and messy and //holy shit//, you might have to answer some questions tomorrow from whoever shares your wall. <<if $coupleonefeels is "bc">>Body count: 1 That wasn't so hard now, was it?<br><br><</if>><<include griffinafterwards>>

It's lovely being //respected//, but good lord it can also be a little tedious, can't it? You just shoot Griffin a look - impatient and almost pleading - and he chuckles, drawing back enough to better observe your expression, like he's actually quite enjoying having you want him. You pull him back to you, hand on the back of his neck, unwilling to look at his beautiful, composed face for a moment longer until he's as unravelled as you are. You get your wish. <<include sgn12.1>>

Some time later, Griffin lies back beside you, fingers trailing lazily back and forth <<if $tats>>over your tattoos. "These are cool," he mumbles sleepily.<<elseif $freckles>>over your freckles. "These are cute," he mumbles sleepily.<<elseif $scar>>over your scar. "That was..." he mumbles sleepily, trailing off before he can finish his thought, although the sentiment is pretty clear.<<elseif $birthmark>>over your birthmark. "This is cute," he mumbles sleepily.<<else>>over your bare midriff. "That was..." he mumbles sleepily, trailing off before he can finish his thought, although the sentiment is pretty clear.<</if>> <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>"Really?" "Really," Griffin affirms certainly, and you shuffle across to rest your head on his shoulder.<<else>>"You're cute," you reply, equally sleepily, as you shuffle across to rest your head on his shoulder.<</if>> He doesn't question it, happily tightening his arm around your back, and it's just //nice//. You feel held - like he's got your back, like you can count on him. Maybe you're just reading a little too much into a sleepy cuddle, maybe you're just overtired, but you do feel it. [[And then you're asleep.|wakeupdirections]]

It's not until you make it all the way back to the terrace that you spot Nyra, pacing back and forth with a cigarette dangling from her fingers. "Planning on staying out here all night?" you call across as you slip out to join her, flagstones cool on your bare feet. <<if hasVisited("nyradate11.1")>><<include nyranighttime.1>><<elseif hasVisited("nyradate11.2")>><<include nyranighttime.1>><<elseif hasVisited("nyradate11.3")>><<include nyranighttime.1>><<else>><<include nyrapissy>><</if>>

Nyra glances back at you over her shoulder and scowls, taking a long drag on her cigarette. "Why would you pick me?" Okay, well, not exactly the warm reception that you might have hoped for. <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<link "She... seemed nice? Did I do something wrong?" "nyrapissy1">><</link>><br> <<if hasVisited("nyraname.2.4")>><<if $women>><<link "Was it not she that said to find her when I was ready?" "nyrapissy2">><</link>><br><</if>><</if>> <<link "What is exactly is her problem?" "nyrapissy3">><</link>><br> <<link "Look, I just had to pick someone. I didn't vibe with anyone else." "nyrapissy4">><</link>> <</nobr>></div>

You are pretty sure that your bewilderment must show in your expression. "I just... thought you seemed nice?" you venture, "Did I do something wrong?" <<include nyrapissy13>>

She //had// come onto you pretty aggressively when you first met, had she not? "Was it not she that said to find her when I was ready?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin.<<else>>you smirk.<</if>> Nyra just rolls her eyes. <<include nyrapissy13>>

<<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You are pretty sure that your bewilderment must show in your expression.<<else>>What the fuck? You picked her at the coupling and now she's grilling you about it like you've committed a murder. You half expect her to whip out a torch to shine in your eyes.<</if>> "What exactly is your problem?" <<include nyrapissy13>>

<<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You are pretty sure that your bewilderment must show in your expression.<<else>>What the fuck? You picked her at the coupling and now she's grilling you about it like you've committed a murder. You half expect her to whip out a torch to shine in your eyes.<</if>> "I had to pick someone. You seemed like a better shot than anyone else." <<include nyrapissy13>>

Nyra glances back at you over her shoulder and shrugs, taking a long drag on her cigarette. "Thinking about it." <div class="choices"><<nobr>><<link "Does she mind if I join her for a bit?" "nnt1">><<dec-bold>><</link>><br> <<link "Did I do something wrong?" "nnt2">><<dec-bold>><</link>><br> <<link "There //are// some people out there that don't find me totally intolerable. Wild, I know." "nnt3">><</link>><br> <<link "No one's gonna buy us as a believable couple if she's gonna keep giving me the cold shoulder." "nnt4">><</link>><br><</nobr>></div>

"Mind if I join you for a bit?" you ask, wandering across to meet her. <<include nnt5>>

"Did I do something wrong?" <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>you ask, nibbling on your lip as you wander across to meet her.<<else>>you ask, wandering across to meet her.<</if>> <<include nnt5>>

"You know, there //are// some people that don't find me totally intolerable," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you smile,<<else>>you smirk,<</if>> as you wander across to meet her. "Wild as that might sound to you." <<include nnt5>>

"You know, no one is going to believe we're actually a couple if you keep giving me the cold shoulder." <<include nnt5>>

Nyra scowls back at you, pausing to pull up a chair with one foot. That seems like it's as close to an invitation as you'll be getting. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You can't help but laugh as you head over to your seat.<<else>>You scoff, rolling your eyes as you head over to take your seat.<</if>> "I'm not good at this sort of thing," Nyra groans, massaging her temple with one hand as she takes another drag with the other. "I thought it would be easier." She slouches into a chair opposite you, crossing one leg underneath the other and drumming her fingertips against the bottom of her rubber sole. <div class="choices"><<link "//Why// is she so desperate for this money?" "nnt6">><<inc-bold>><<set $nyra -= 5>><</link>> <<link "Look, I'm not going to ask why she's so desperate for this money, but she has to help me help her." "nnt7">><<inc-bold>><<dec-honest>><</link>> <<link "She doesn't have to fake it if she doesn't want to. You can just... take it slow." "nnt8">><<set $nyrarom += 1>><</link>> <<link "She should really get some sleep." "nnt9">><<set $nyra += 1>><</link>></div>

"//Why// are you so desperate f-" You don't even get to finish your question before Nyra cuts you off. "Still none of your business," she tells you flatly. That's that, then. Nyra taps the butt of her cigarette agitatedly on the top of the table beside her, gaze fixed on the tabletop and //absolutely not// on you. <<include nnt10>>

"I'm not going to ask you why you need this money so badly, Nyra, but you have //got// to help me help you," you implore her. She doesn't really trust you - that much is clear - but she's going to have to if you're going to pull this off. <<if $nyradeal is "yes">>Nyra takes a long drag of her cigarette, gaze flicking across in your direction. "How do you mean?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You smile gently. She's more oblivious than you thought.<<else>>You sigh. You didn't realise you were going to have to coax an actual robot through this.<</if>> "Well, you should probably try not to act like you find me totally abhorrent, for one."<<else>>"I thought you didn't want to help me," Nyra looks across at you and, for a moment, her expression is vulnerable. It immediately hardens again, though, as she looks away and takes another drag. "Just because I didn't take your deal doesn't mean I can't help you," you reply gently, "but you should probably try not to act like you find me totally abhorrent."<</if>> <<include nnt7.1>>

"We don't have to fake it," you tell her gently, tilting your face to try and catch her eye. She doesn't meet yours. "We can just... take it slow." Nyra doesn't answer you, instead taking another long drag on her cigarette as she looks out into the trees. <<include nnt10>>

"You should get some sleep," you tell her gently, tilting your face to try and catch her eye. She doesn't meet yours, instead scoffing and leaning back in her seat. "Could say the same for you." Well, she's got you there. <<include nnt10>>

"I don't find you abhorrent," Nyra scoffs, shaking her head slightly. There's clearly something you're missing, and she doesn't seem about to tell you what it is. Perhaps she's just not equipped to do so. She shrugs, shaking her shoulders out and rolling her neck in a feeble attempt to release some of the tension that her body is carrying. Her discomfort is evident in every movement that she makes - forced and rigid. <<if hasVisited("nnt1")>>"But I take your point,"<<elseif hasVisited("nnt2")>>"And you haven't done anything wrong,"<<elseif hasVisited("nnt3")>>"Or intolerable,"<<else>>"I'm doing my best, you know. I don't warm up to people easily,"<</if>> she adds, with a hint of a smile. <<include nnt10>>

"Why me? There are eight other people in this villa," you ask, perplexed. "Why you? Why //me//?" she replies, irritably taking a drag from her cigarette, one arm folded protectively across her chest, "I had this all square before you went and chose me at the coupling. I'm just working with what I've got." Alright, fair enough. You have to concede that you have forced her hand a little bit. <<include nyrapissy14>>

<<if $neuroticism < 40>>You plaster on your most winning smile, resting your chin on one hand as you lean in a little closer over the table. "How can you be sure that you aren't gonna fall head over heels for me?" Nyra just scowls at you, as though the answer to that question is incredibly obvious. "I'm sure."<<elseif $neuroticism > 70>>"What if..." you begin, uncertainly, "Something really did happen between us? What if it all became real?" The very idea feels ridiculous to you, even as you're asking the question. Nyra seems sure of herself - much more sure than you have ever been. She considers you for a moment, eyes softening slightly from their usual hard stare. "It won't. That's not what I'm here for."<<else>>"How do you know I won't woo you?" you smirk, tilting your face to carefully consider her response. Nyra just scowls at you, as though the answer to that question is incredibly obvious. "I know."<</if>> <<include nyrapissy14>>

<<if $agreeableness > 50>>"Why would a person... like you... enter a //dating// show?" you gawk.<<else>>"Why would a person as abrasive and unpleasant as you ever think that they could enter a bloody //dating show//?" you gawk.<</if>> There have //got// to be easier ways for someone like Nyra to get their hands on big money. She has real hitman energy - maybe she could turn her hand to that? "Why would a sweet, delicate flower like you choose to couple with someone <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>'like me'<<else>>'as abrasive and unpleasant as me'<</if>>," she replies, curtly, "I'm playing the hand I've been dealt. Play along or step away from the table.." <<include nyrapissy14>>

Despite Nyra's evasive, unhelpful responses, you think you've just about got a handle on what is being asked of you. <<include nyrapissy15>>

"Alright, I'm down," you reply, decisively. <<include nyrapissy16>>

"Alright, I'm in," you reply, after a moment of thought. <<include nyrapissy16>>

"Good," Nyra says flatly, flicking some ash from her cigarette onto the flagstones as she continues to wander back and forth, "Then this might not be the disaster I'd thought." <<if $neuroticism lt 50>>You can't help but be a little bemused by the idea that Nyra had considered your coupling a 'disaster' - it all sounds a little melodramatic. Still, it doesn't seem like voicing that would go down well. You try to keep the smile from your face.<<else>>You squirm a little in your seat while you process the fact that Nyra had regarded your coupling a 'disaster'.<</if>> <<include nnt10>>

Nyra abruptly flicks some ash from her cigarette and whirls around to face away from you, massaging her temple with the heel of one palm. "Then this is a //fucking disaster//," she groans through gritted teeth. <<if $agreeableness lt 50>>You can't help but be a little bemused by the idea that Nyra considers your coupling a '//fucking disaster//' - it all sounds a little melodramatic. Still, it doesn't seem like voicing that would go down well. You try to keep the smile from your face.<<else>>You squirm a little in your seat while you process the fact that you have potentially caused Nyra a major problem. One thing is for sure - this decision does //not// seem to have ingratiated yourself with her.<</if>> "Well, I need to start cracking on elsewhere then, don't I?" <div class="choices"><<link "What if we just won... authentically? No tricks and stategies?" "nyrapissy17.1">><</link>> <<link "She's being very melodramatic about all this." "nyrapissy17.2">><</link>> <<link "And she's //sure// that she doesn't have //any// interest in me beyond this little deal?" "nyrapissy17.3">><</link>> <<link "Same, I guess." "nyrapissy17.4">><</link>></div>

<<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Is it... really that bad? We could still win, you know." you begin, tentatively.<<else>>"You're being a little dramatic," you smirk.<</if>> "What if we don't need all the scheming and trickery to do it?" Nyra snorts, spinning back to face you, looking thoroughly unamused. "So we're... what? Just going to magically fall in love, //also// manage to get the highest body count, and take the prize with absolutely no fudging of the truth?" You give her a blank look - <<if $neuroticism gt 40>>it feels more than a little bold to just answer "yes" when someone suggests that you think they'll fall in love with you in less than a month. At least, when she puts it like //that//.<<else>>when she puts it like //that// it sounds wildly narcissistic, but hey, it doesn't seem //that// beyond the realm of possibility that things will just all work out. Stuff tends to fall into place for you.<</if>> "Oh, you //can't// be serious." <<if $openness gt 50>>"It's what we're here for, isn't it? Maybe the show will work it's magic. Maybe we won't need to fake it."<<else>>You just shrug. Honestly, these are a lot of questions that you hadn't really considered in this level of detail - much less prepared to debate.<</if>> She rolls her eyes and takes another drag of her cigarette, but she does slouch reluctantly into a seat opposite you. <<include nnt10>>

"You're being very melodramatic about all this," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin.<<else>>you smirk.<</if>> "Melodramatic?" Nyra snorts, spinning back to face you, looking thoroughly unamused. "//Get fucked.// You might be out here playing some fun little game, but I //need// this." She lifts her cigarette to her lips again to take a long drag, and then lets the smoke slowly hiss out through her clenched jaw. Without another word, she turns and stomps off across the terrace. [[Next|nyrapissy18]]

"And you're //sure// that she doesn't have //any// interest in me beyond this little deal?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin.<<else>>you smirk.<</if>> Nyra snorts, spinning back to face you, looking thoroughly unamused. "Because you're such a special little $mcguy and everyone should be falling over themselves to be with you? //Get fucked.// You might be out here playing some fun little game, but I //need// this." She lifts her cigarette to her lips again to take a long drag, and then lets the smoke slowly hiss out through her clenched jaw. Without another word, she turns and stomps off across the terrace. [[Next|nyrapissy18]]

<<if $conscientiousness lt 50>>Truthfully, this whole thing has sort of taken you by surprise.<</if>> You shrug your shoulders <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>force a smile. "Same, I guess." <<else>>meet her gaze steadily with a practiced indifference. "Same then."<</if>> "Good. Well, at least we're both agreed on that. Nyra bobs her head, lifting her cigarette to her lips again to take a long drag, and then lets the smoke slowly hiss out through her clenched jaw. Without another word, she turns and stomps off across the terrace. Just before she disappears round the side of the building, she turns back to you. "Just try not to fuck things up for me next time. You might be out here playing some fun little game, but I //need// this." [[Next|nyrapissy18]]

Safe to say you've pretty thoroughly blown it with Nyra - at least for now. <<if $coupleonefeels is "love" or "flirt">>Guess it's time to really up your flirting game.<<elseif $coupleonefeels is "bc">>So much for adding her to your body count.<<elseif $coupleonefeels is "friend">>Perhaps your goal of friendship has been a little optimistic.<</if>> <<include nnt18>>

After a lengthy silence, Nyra glances across at you out of the corner of her eye, bobbing her head back in the direction of the villa. "Didn't hear you on the karaoke earlier?" <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<link "Didn't realise she was keeping tabs on me?" "nnt11">><<set $nyra += 1>><</link>><br> <<link "Why, was she hoping to be graced by my dulcet tones?" "nnt12">><<set $nyra += 1>><</link>><br> <<link "I could say the same for her." "nnt13">><<set $nyra += 1>><</link>><br> <<if $agreeableness lt 50>><<link "Do I seem like a karaoke sort of $mcguy?" "nnt14">><<set $nyra += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $agreeableness gte 50>><<link "Oh yeah? And what does she think I'd have sung if I'd been able to wrestle the mic from Florrie?" "nnt15">><<set $nyra += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "Is she really deflecting this much? Is that really a thing she's gonna do?" "nnt16">><<set $nyra += 1>><</link>> <</nobr>></div>

"Didn't realise you were keeping tabs on me?" you grin, <<include nnt11.1>>

and Nyra rolls her eyes as she turns to look at you, arms folded defensively across her chest. "Don't flatter yourself." "No, you //were//," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you tease, beaming, as you lean forward onto your elbows.<<else>>you press, jostling the table with your knee so that it knocks against her elbows.<</if>> <<if $nyrarom gte 3>>Childish? Yes. Funny? Also yes.<<else>>You //know// you're right, as much as Nyra wants to deny it. She was thinking about you. Looking out for you.<</if>> <<include nnt11.2>>

Nyra's jaw clenches as she turns her gaze out to the ocean, unwilling to look at your smug face. "You know, I'm not afraid to punch you, if it comes to it," she grumbles, although there is the faint hint of a smile on her lips. "Is that so?" She looks back at you, and while she doesn't answer, the way her eyebrows quirk up suggest [[that she is being perfectly serious.|nnt17]]

"Why, were you hoping to be graced by my dulcet tones?" you tease, <<include nnt11.1>>

"I could say the same for you," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you laugh,<<else>>you smirk<</if>> and Nyra rolls her eyes as she turns to look at you. "Do I seem like a karaoke sort of girl?" she asks, arching a brow, <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>and you can't help but laugh again.<<else>>and you can't help but snort out a laugh.<</if>> <<if $agreeableness lt 50>>"Alright, you've got me there." She //does not// seem like a karaoke girl. Nyra is just looking out over the water now, but you think that you can just about detect the hint of a smile on her lips.<<else>>"I could //totally// see you at karaoke," you tease, "You could rock some Britney or maybe a spot of Ariana Grande."<</if>> <<include nnt11.2>>

You arch a brow at Nyra. "Do I seem like a karaoke sort of $mcguy?" Nyra actually laughs. It's warm and rich - almost a giggle. In fact, it couldn't really be more opposite from her otherwise cold demeanour. "Alright, you've got me there." She looks out over the water, distracted and almost vacant, but with a hint of a smile still on her lips. <<include nnt17>>

"Oh yeah?" you grin. "And what do you think I would have sung if I had been able to wrestle the microphone away from Florrie?" Nyra actually laughs - it's warm and rich. In fact, it couldn't really be more opposite from her otherwise cold demeanour. "Probably something annoyingly upbeat," she smirks, leaning back in her seat as she looks across at you. "A bubblegum pop number." "You serious?" "//No//," she scoffs, like it's the most ridiculous question she's ever heard, like she was //obviously// joking. You could be forgiven for asking, though, given that you don't think she has ever cracked a joke in your presence before. She hadn't really seemed like the type. She looks out over the water, distracted and almost vacant, but with a hint of a smile still on her lips. <<include nnt17>>

<<if $agreeableness gt 60>>Nyra's determined redirection and complete unwillingness to talk about anything serious or real is actually kind of amazing. This woman //really// doesn't want to have to actually talk about this situation. "Are you really deflecting right now? Is that really what you're doing?" you laugh, leaning forward onto your elbows.<<elseif $agreeableness lt 40>>For a moment you're kind of amazed by Nyra's determined deflection, and then you realise that you would probably be doing much the same thing if you were in her position. Talk to a stranger? About //feelings//? Not on your life. You simply shoot a knowing look in her direction. She meets it with a hard gaze, rolling her head back as she lets out a long groan. "What?" "You're deflecting."<<else>>The abrupt change in conversation takes you by surprise - it's almost enough to make you laugh. Nyra's determined deflection is certainly funny enough; this woman //really// doesn't want to have to actually talk about this situation. "Is this your attempt at deflecting?" you chuckle, folding your arms across your chest as you fix her with a knowing look.<</if>> Surprisingly, Nyra just laughs. "Oh, get fucked." She shakes her head, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket and tossing them casually down onto the table in front of her. Another insightful and productive conversation. You should become a therapist - you just have this amazing way with people. <<include nnt17>>

"Anyway, you should get some sleep. I'll be up soon." Nyra is sparking up another cigarette as she says that, though, which gives you some pause as to how soon she'll actually join you. You wonder if she's planning on smoking her way through a whole pack. Still, she has a point. It's late, and you're exhausted. "Alright," you concede, as you get to your feet. "I'll see you soon?" "I promise." Nyra smiles weakly up at you, and you smile back. [[At least you'll get first pick over which side of the bed you sleep on.|nnt18]]

You wander back upstairs (alone) and climb into bed (alone) and close your eyes (also alone). <<if $nyradate>>You listen out for Nyra joining you, as promised, but you don't hear anyone coming in by the time your eyelids become too heavy to open again [[and you drift off into sleep.|wakeupdirections]]<<else>>You listen out to see if Nyra joins you for a while, but you don't hear anyone coming in by the time your eyelids become too heavy to open again [[and you drift off into sleep.|wakeupdirections]]<</if>>

Syd comes swaggering through the door and throws themself down across the bed, head dangling off the end. They grin up at you, face upside-down, hair flopping about as they kick off their shoes and let them thud to the floor<<if $conscientiousness gt 50>> (but not before, you note, stomping all across the bed with them)<</if>>. "Hey." It's just as much of an announcement of their presence as it is an actual greeting, not that you really needed one - Syd never seems to struggle making their presence known. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You grin back at them, your amusement undeniable.<<else>>God, there's just something so infuriatingly charming about them. It's impossible to keep from smiling as you look back at them, arms folded across your chest.<</if>> "Hey." <<if $jammies is "slut" or $jammies is "pants">>"Well? Aren't you gonna come and lounge on this big marshmallow bed with your //ravishingly// attractive new partner?" they croon, throwing an arm out in your direction, and beckoning you closer with one hand. "You can't just stand around looking like that, by the way. It's unfair and unjust."<<else>>"Well? Aren't you gonna come and lounge on this big marshmallow bed with your //ravishingly// attractive new partner?" they croon, throwing an arm out in your direction, and beckoning you closer with one hand. "That's a hot little outfit, by the way. <<if $jammies is "hello">>How did you know that Hello Kitty is my kryptonite?"<<elseif $jammies is "normie">>People might argue that plaid flannel isn't sexy, but I thoroughly disagree."<<else>>The oversized tee look is crushingly hot. You can have one of mine if you like."<</if>><</if>> "You're drunk," you reply, stating the patently obvious. <<if $demi>><<include sntsober>><<elseif $drunk gte 3>><<include sntdrunk>><<else>><<include sntsober>><</if>>

Syd narrows their eyes at you, a smirk playing on their lips. "Yeah? So are you." Well, they've got you there. They flex their fingers again, beckoning you over more insistently. <div class="choices"><<link "I guess if I can't beat them, I'll join them." "sntdrunk1">><<set $syd += 1>><</link>> <<link "I think I'll be the one to do the ordering about, thank you!" "sntdrunk2">><<inc-bold>><<set $syd += 1>><<set $sydrom += 1>><</link>> <<link "Nice try Syd, but I'm going to //sleep//." "sntdrunk3">><</link>> <<link "I don't want Syd to think I'm not into them, but also, I'm very much not ready to do whatever it is they want me to do in bed with them." "sntdrunk4">><<set $sydrom += 1>><<dec-thot>><<dec-thot>><</link>></div>

You take Syd's hand in yours and they immediately yank on your arm, sending you toppling down onto the bed beside them. You should probably have seen that coming, you think, as they laugh at your complete lack of balance. <<include sntdrunk5>>

"If anyone's going to be doing the ordering about here, it's me," you grin, folding your arms across your chest, and Syd laughs. "Is that so?" they smirk, eyebrows raised as they roll over to prop themselves up on one elbow, extending their other arm to you again with even greater emphasis. You hold your ground, holding your own arm out with a firm shake of your head. Syd narrows their eyes at you for a moment, and then groans and rolls off the bed. Their feet hit the floor with a thud before they swagger across to where you stand and reluctantly slap their hand into yours. "Don't get used to this," they tell you, with an expression that looks a bit like they've just been scolded and they're feeling deeply cynical about it. "You did the heavy lifting picking me at the coupling, so I'm just throwing you a bone." "Is that your way of saying '//Thanks for picking me, $mcname,// <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>//you're actually not intolerable//'?"<<else>>//you're so hot and cool and I am already very enamoured with you//'?"<</if>> "Wishful thinking." Then they pull you abruptly by one arm, sending the pair of you toppling down onto the bed. You should probably have seen that coming, you think, [[as they laugh at your complete lack of balance.|sntdrunk5]]

You nod your head at their hand, arms folded across your chest. "If you think I'm doing anything in that bed tonight other than sleeping, then you've got another thing coming." "No breathing? Digesting? Circulation?" they arch a brow at you. "Gonna have a hard time explaining the dead body in my bed tomorrow." <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You laugh, rolling your eyes and trying your best to keep any indication of your amusement off your face. You fail.<<else>>You roll your eyes, fixing them with your most unimpressed expression.<</if>> "Come on then, $mcsydname, let's go to sleep." They hop off the bed, feet hitting the floor with a thud, and wiggle out of their jeans before swaggering past you into the bathroom. You just crawl into the crisp white sheets, and //holy shit// this bed is comfortable. [[Next|sntsober2]]

You do like Syd, you're just... Well, you're not feeling great about whatever expectation they seem to have for you. <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>"I'm not... I mean, I don't-" you begin uncertainly, shifting your weight from one foot to the other.<<else>>"Syd, I don't-"<</if>> They wave the hand that they had been extending in your direction, rolling themself off the bed until their feet hit the floor with a thud. "Say no more, $mcsydname," they reply, cutting your explanation short. It's probably for the best - you didn't really know where you were going with it, and you just breathe a sigh of relief that they get it. Maybe there was no expectation after all - you might have just been projecting a bit. They wiggle out of their jeans and saunter past you into the bathroom, shooting you a grin as they slide the door closed. Then, seeing little else you can do and feeling the pull of sleep on your eyelids, [[you crawl into bed.|sntsober2]]

"Nice of you to join me," they smirk, propping themself up on one elbow, face tipped to the side as they run their fingers up your arm. "You did help me on my way." "You were taking too long." <<if $extraversion lt 50>>You feel your cheeks heating as you look at them, unsure what to do now. Syd looks anything but unsure, though, as they smirk back at you. They click their tongue on their teeth and soak up your anxiety - clearly pleased that they make you nervous. And they //do//.<<else>>You gaze back at Syd, holding eye contact as they smirk back at you. They click their tongue on their teeth, playing as coy as you think someone as forward as Syd ever could. You can't put your finger on what it is, but there's just something so //fascinating// about them.<</if>> Then they lean in and their lips are on yours and it's unexpectedly soft, gentle. Syd has spent the whole day looking at you like they might eat you alive, but now they have you, and they aren't trying to devour you like they could. Just a little taste, sliding their tongue into your mouth, brushing their fingers along your jaw. You find your hands on them, too; your fingertips find the cool, porcelain skin of their hip and you think you feel them shiver under your touch. You can taste the whiskey on their tongue, smell the natural, earthy scent on their neck, hear the satisfied hum that vibrates through their lips to yours. <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<link "I'm into this, but I don't want to take it any further." "sntdrunk6">><<dec-thot>><</link>><br> <<if $coupleonefeels is "love">><<link "I can't do this without knowing how Syd really feels about me." "sntdrunk7">><<set $sydrom -= 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "Syd's got the right idea - let's not waste any time." "sntdrunk8">><<inc-thot>><<inc-thot>><</link>><br> <<link "Ok, yeah, we're about to fuck." "sntdrunk9">><</link>><br> <<if $motive is "money">><<link "The show might be about my body count, but right now, Syd is the only thing on my mind." "sntdrunk10">><<set $sydrom += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "I get it, we're gonna bang! Let's just fade to black already." "sntdrunk11">><</link>><br> <</nobr>></div>

It's nice, but it's only day one, and you aren't sure you want it to be anything more than what it currently is. You pull back, smiling, and Syd's head lolls back in frustration, their eagerness plain. <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>"I'm not sure we should... I mean, I don't want to-" you stumble over your explanation, lips still tingling.<<else>>"I don't think we should get too ahead of ourselves tonight," you tell them, rolling back.<</if>> You're expecting resistance - Syd doesn't seem like the sort of person to give up on getting what they want, and they've made what they want abundantly clear. No resistance comes, though. "Shit, of course," they reply quickly, hopping down off the bed and wiggling out of their loose-fitting jeans. Your surprise clearly registers in your expression, because when Syd looks across at you, they laugh. "Don't worry about it, $mcsydname, I'm an adult - I //can// control myself." And then they saunter off into the bathroom, and [[you crawl into the crisp (if slightly displaced) sheets.|sntsober2]]

You haven't had a chance to discuss it and, really, you don't have the first clue about Syd's motivations. You know yours perfectly well, though, and you... actually //like// them. This isn't just about catching a prize for you, and you don't think you can go any further while you're still so unsure about how they feel. <<if $openness lt 50>>You feel raw and vulnerable and //weird//.<<else>>You're open like a wound, and you aren't about to let them pour salt into it; you do have //some// self-preservation instincts.<</if>> You don't want to just be a notch on their bedpost. Syd seems to sense your reluctance, breaking the kiss and fixing you with a quizzical expression. If you didn't know better, you'd say that maybe they were a little vulnerable, too. "Everything alright?" they murmur, eyes focused on the sheets and very much not on yours. "Yeah," you answer softly, "just tired." They don't say anything as they disentangle themself from your grasp, shrugging your arm from off their side as they roll off the bed. "Same," they reply eventually, breaking the awkward silence that had bloomed between you, stretching their arms over their head as they kick off their jeans. "Let's just get some sleep, eh?" Then they saunter off into the bathroom, and [[you crawl into the crisp (if slightly displaced) sheets.|sntsober2]]

The show is called Body Count for a reason, right? No point wasting any time. Syd seems to have a similar thought; you know exactly where this kiss is headed. <<include sydphucks>>

This isn't your first rodeo, and you know exactly where this kiss is headed. <<include sydphucks>>

Sure, you're supposed to be upping your body count, but this... isn't just about that. You think that this evening would probably be ending in a similar way even if you'd met Syd at some Birmingham dive-bar rather than in the villa - if anything, you might have got here quicker without all the cameras. Syd seems to have had a similar thought - or at least, they want to take this in the same direction. <<include sydphucks>>

Alright, alright! You and Syd fuck, enough said, let's move on... <<include sydfinish>>

You can tell from the way their kiss becomes firm and fierce; the way they dig their fingertips into the bare skin of your thigh; the way they use their teeth to nip at your bottom lip, your neck, your collarbone. Their shirt comes off and you aren't entirely sure which one of you removed it anymore - you're just a tangle of hands and lips and teeth as you pull at each other's clothes. You run your hands over the tattoo that winds around their shoulder and the scars on their chest, less jagged than the one on their face. They moan into your mouth, <<if $mchairlength gte 3>>grabbing a fistful of your hair with one hand to crash their lips into yours once again.<<else>>digging their short nails into your back to crash their lips into yours once again.<</if>> Then they are kissing their way down your chest, your stomach. Their eyes flick back up to meet yours for a moment, eyebrows raised, waiting for your approval before they move lower. <div class="choices"><<link "You just nod your head, breathless, because //yes, holy shit, yeah, let's go.//" "syph1">><</link>> <<link "Nah, I'd rather be the one to take the lead here." "syph2">><</link>> <<link "Fade to black! Fade to black!" "syph3">><</link>></div>

Syd trails open-mouthed kisses over your hip and down your thigh, teasing you, relishing in the way your body rolls under their fingers. When their hand dips below the waistband of your <<if $jammies is "pants" or $jammies is "slut">>underwear<<else>>shorts<</if>> you're already <<cycle "$parts">><<option "hard" pipis>><<option "wet" punani>><</cycle>>, arching up into their touch. [[Next|getitsyd]]

Syd watches the way your expression changes as they <<if $parts is "punani">>slide their hand between your legs,<<else>>roll their hand over you, grip firm,<</if>> fixing you with an excruciatingly smug look before they press their tongue against you, and you throw your head back against the pillows. <<if $parts is "pipis">>Your hips buck forward as they swirl their tongue around you and their fingers press down against your hips, steadying, //bruising//.<<else>>Your hips rock against their mouth as their tongue draws slow, practiced circles, their hands firmly steadying your hips, your legs draped over their shoulders.<</if>> You let out an involuntary, strangled sound and feel Syd's moans against you as your fingertips spear into their hair. Then they pull back, smug grin on their lips and you almost cry out in frustration. "Say please." "//What//?" "If you want me to make you come, you're gonna have to ask //really nicely//." <<include getitsyd.1>>

"//Please,//" you hiss through gritted teeth, and Syd grins. "You won't regret it - I'm //very// good." "//Syd//," you tug on their hair and they laugh. "//Patience//," they croon, kissing their way back across your thigh, your hip, and then their mouth is on you again and it is //well// worth asking nicely for... [[Much later. Seriously, like, ages. You're really just going at it.|sydfinish]]

"//Not on your life//," you hiss through gritted teeth, flipping them over to straddle their waist. "Well, look who's feeling bossy," they smirk up at you, brow arched. You press one arm against their collarbone to hold them down, tasting yourself on their lips as you kiss them. Hard. Syd might have been willing to take their time, but you have no such patience. "Stuff's under the bed, $mcsydname," they whisper into your mouth, pushing themselves up onto their elbows, grinding their hips up against you. "Or is this all for //show?//" You shove them back down and lean over to slide out the drawers, [[determined to wipe that smug smirk from their infuriatingly attractive face.|sydfinish]]

"Day one and you're already making me beg?" "No one said anything about //begging//," they croon, kissing their way back across your thigh, your hip. "...But now you mention it, that does sound pretty good." They run their tongue over you again, tantalisingly slowly, and your head falls back into the pillow, back arching. "//Beg.//" <<include getitsyd.1>>

"I'm going to hold this against you," you hiss, and Syd smirks up at you. "//Good//," they retort, kissing their way back across your thigh, your hip. "I hope you do." "//Please//," you grit your teeth, tugging at their hair as they run their tongue over you again, tantalisingly slowly. Your head falls back into the pillow, back arching. They kiss their way back across your thigh, your hip, and then their mouth is on you again and it was //well// worth asking nicely for... [[Much later. Seriously, like, ages. You're really just going at it.|sydfinish]]

You flip Syd over onto their back and they let out a chuckle, smirking up at you from their new position flat against the mattress. "So that's how it's gonna be, is it?" "Looks that way." You trail open-mouthed kisses over their chest, down their stomach. You relish in the goosebumps that erupt over their hip as you trail your fingers over the pale skin there, the hiss that you draw out of them when your hands slide lower. Their hips buck forward as you roll your tongue against them, wanton and slow, their fingertips spearing into your hair. "//Fuck, $mcname, Jesus fucking Christ,//" they moan, hoarse and strangled. You work your mouth harder, sucking and kissing and drawing more sounds out of them, softer and breathy until they unravel completely, letting out another string of expletives, tugging you back to find your lips with theirs. "Satisfied?" "Oh, $mcsydname," they murmur, hands wandering down your sides as they bring your hips flush with theirs, "I'm far from done with you tonight." They pull you in for a lingering kiss, obviously determined to spend the rest of the night returning the favour. You're totally going to have to apologise to whoever has to check through this footage. God, and whoever you're sharing this wall with. [[Much later. Seriously, like, ages. You're really just going at it.|sydfinish]]

Alright, alright, you fuck. Enough said. [[Quite some time later...|sydfinish]]

<<set $sydbang to true>>You find yourself lying back on the plush mattress as Syd throws their shirt back on. Their hair has always had a bit of an unkempt quality, but now that's only been exacerbated by the tumble you've just taken, and it sticks up in about 72 different directions. They flop back down onto the mattress beside you, glancing across at you with a smirk as they stretch their arms over their head. "Well, I am absolutely //fucked//," they yawn, tugging the sheets up over themself. <<if $sydcaught>><<include sydcatchchat>><<else>><<include sydnocuddle>><</if>>

"But hey, one notch in the bedpost down, right?" <div class="choices"><<link "Hell yeah! We'll take the prize, no problem." "scc1">><<set $sydrom to 0>><<set $syd += 2>><</link>> <<link "Yeah, I guess so?" "scc2">><<set $syd -= 2>><</link>> <<link "Wait wait wait, that seems pretty loaded, what do they mean by that?" "scc3">><<set $syd -= 2>><</link>> <<link "So that's what this is about for them, then?" "scc4">><<set $sydrom -= 2>><<set $syd -= 2>><</link>></div>

You raise your fist up in their direction, and they bump their own against it. Is it normal to fist bump after sex? You try not to overthink it as you climb into the sheets beside them. "Yeah, I don't think we're gonna have any problem getting the prize," you yawn. <<if $motive is "money">>It's what you're here for, and now you know that Syd is gunning for it too. You need a partner, though, and they're as good a teammate as any.<<else>>Are you here solely to win the prize? No, but it's definitely a nice perk, and you'd be a fool not to go for it.<</if>> "Not if I have anything to say about it, at least." <<include sleepsyd>>

<<if $coupleonefeels is "love" or $coupleonefeels is "flirt">>You feel a twinge of uncertainty as you remember that there's a pretty good chance that Syd is only interested in the prize. It //stings//.<<elseif $coupleonefeels is "bc">>Yeah, you're here for the body count, but now doesn't feel like the time to discuss that? There's just something about Syd's tone that sets you on edge.<<else>>You feel a twinge of uncertainty as you remember that there's a pretty good chance that Syd is only interested in the prize. Just because you aren't looking to run them down the aisle doesn't mean that you're jazzed about the prospect that they don't care about you //at all//.<</if>> "Yeah, I guess so?" you reply, a little uncertainly. <<include scc2.1>>

"Oh, come on," Syd scoffs. "Don't play coy - I saw you with Arthur, remember?" Aaaand there it is. You open your mouth to protest, but you can't think of anything to say. <<if $coupleonefeels is "love" or $coupleonefeels is "flirt">>You could bust out a dramatic 'It isn't like that!' like you're at the misunderstanding stage of a teen romcom, but anything you can think of just sounds deeply pathetic.<</if>> Not tonight, anyway. They //did// see you with Arthur - you can't exactly argue. <<include sleepsyd>>

What do they mean by //that?!// <<if $coupleonefeels is "love">><Fucking hell, the realisation that Syd might have just been using you to up their body count //stings//.</if>> You frown up at the ceiling, bristling for a moment, and then you think you'd better just //ask//. "Well that sounded pretty loaded...?" <<include scc2.1>>

"So that's what this was about you for, then?" you ask, <<if $coupleonefeels is "love">>trying to hide the hurt in your tone because fucking hell, the realisation that Syd might have just been using you to up their body count //stings//.<<else>>tone measured.<</if>> "You say that like it isn't for you?" they retort, arching a brow in your direction. When you don't have any further reaction, they roll over to face you. There's a pause while you try and work out what the fuck they're talking about. Then the realisation dawns. <<include scc2.1>>

"I'm not a cuddly sleeper, so lower any and all spooning expectations." <div class="choices"><<link "And they can't be persuaded?" "snc1">><<set $syd -= 1>><<set $sydrom += 1>><</link>> <<link "Give it time. I'm sure I'll talk them round eventually." "snc2">><<set $syd -= 1>><<set $sydrom += 1>><</link>> <<link "Alright, but I'm gonna have to pillow wall, then." "snc3">><</link>> <<link "Honestly, I'm too wiped out to care either way." "snc4">><</link>> <<link "Well, thank fuck for that." "snc5">><<set $syd += 1>><</link>></div>

"No persuading you?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin,<<else>>you smirk,<</if>> rolling over to face them as you climb into the sheets. <<include snc1.1>>

"Not on your life, $mcsydname." Syd's tone is determined as they pointedly roll away. <<if $coupleonefeels is "love">>Whatever - you'll have them cuddling like a koala in no time. <</if>> You chuckle through a yawn, settling into the marshmallowy pillows. <<include sleepsyd>>

"Give it time," you croon. "I'll talk you round eventually." You climb into the sheets beside them. <<include snc1.1>>

You are a total cuddler - you'd go as far as to describe yourself as an unstoppable wave of nighttime cuddling. If Syd wants their space, you simply cannot leave it all to chance. You prop yourself up on one elbow to begin rearranging the pillows into a dividing line down the centre of the bed. Syd just looks up at you like you've gone completely mad. "//What// the //fuck// are you doing?" they ask, bemused smile tugging at one corner of their mouth. <<if $agreeableness lt 50>>"Pillow wall," you reply, like it's the most obvious thing in the world. It //is// pretty obvious. "Duh." You complete<<else>>"I'm building a pillow wall," you reply earnestly, as you complete<</if>> your little construction project and settle down onto your considerably less pillowy side of the bed. Your head lies almost flat againt the mattress, and if it wasn't for Syd propping themself up to gawk across at you, you don't think you'd be able to see them at all over the wall. After a moment of silence, they simply take one of the pillows in one hand and hurl it in a high arc across the room. They smirk across at you for a moment, something in the look they're giving you that you haven't seen before and can't quite identify. "Just... use your fucking pillows." They roll away from you and extend another hand over their shoulder, feeling around for another pillow that they indelicately toss onto your face. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>"Well, well, well," you grin, adjusting your position to slide it back under your head, "//Someone// seems to care about my comfort."<<else>>"Worried about me being uncomfy?" you grin, adjusting your position to slide it back under your head.<</if>> "Shut up," Syd retorts through a yawn. They don't look back at you - in fact, they remain determinedly facing away. You make a mental note to tease them more about it in the morning - you're too tired right now. Before you know it, your eyes are fluttering closed and you're drifting off to sleep. [[A very smug sleep.|wakeupdirections]]

You're fucking knackered and, frankly, you're not fussed either way about your sleeping arrangements. You just climb into the sheets and settle into the marshmallowy pillows. <<include sleepsyd>>

"Well, thank fuck for that," you chuckle through a yawn, as you climb into the sheets and settle into the marshmallowy pillows. You aren't really a cuddly kind of $mcguy - it's a relief to learn that Syd isn't either. <<include sleepsyd>>

Syd laughs, rolling themself off the bed until their feet land on the floor. "Alright, you've got me there," they smirk, straightening up to meet your gaze as they pull their shirt off over their head - and you can't keep your eyes from roaming over the smooth, pale skin of their torso. You quickly realise, gaze snapping back to their eyes, and they laugh. It's sharp and abrupt, as they toss their shirt in your direction, and you catch it just before it hits your chest. "What are you doing?" "Getting more comfortable." Syd saunters past you into the bathroom and slides the door closed behind them, [[leaving you stood in the centre of the room holding their t-shirt like an idiot.|sntsober1]]

<<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>You fold Syd's shirt neatly and set it down next to the bed. There isn't a laundry hamper in here, so you have no idea how you'll go about keeping the room tidy - especially if Syd is just going to be tossing discarded garments about willy-nilly.<<else>>You toss Syd's shirt down onto the floor. There isn't a laundry hamper in here, and there doesn't seem to be a better place to put it.<</if>> Then, seeing little else you can do and feeling the pull of sleep on your eyelids, you crawl into bed. <<include sntsober2>>

Syd emerges a moment later and slides into bed beside you. You open one eye and they glance across at you, smirking, as they settle into the pillows. "Not gonna lie, I am totally //wiped//," they yawn, tugging the sheets up over themself. <<include sydnocuddle>>

Your eyes flutter closed, and it's not long til your eyelids feel too heavy to open again. [[Before you know it, you're drifting away into sleep.|wakeupdirections]]

It's not until you make it all the way back to the terrace that you spot Vinh, lying flat on their back on the ground. "Everything alright?" They make no move to look at you, though, instead lifting a hand to wave in your direction, and beckon you across to join them. <<if $openness gt 50>>Stargazing? Sure, you've not got much else going on.<<else>>You aren't typically a lie-down-on-the-floor-outside-for-no-good-reason kind of $mcguy, but fuck it, you've not got much else going on.<</if>> The stone floor is cool against your back and, once you're lying next to them, Vinh turns their face to look at you. "Planning on staying down here all night?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you laugh,<<else>>you ask,<</if>> and they smile. "I'm sorry - I didn't realise everyone had started heading up to bed. I hope you haven't been on your own for too long?" <div class="choices"><<link "No, not at all. I was just worried about them." "vnt1">><<set $vinh += 1>><<inc-friendly>><</link>> <<link "It's ok, being alone is nice sometimes." "vnt2">><<set $vinh += 1>><</link>> <<link "How did they find tonight?" "vnt3">><<inc-friendly>><</link>></div>

"No, not long," you tell them, and it's only a little bit of a lie. "I was just worried about you. Wanted to come and check in." Vinh turns their face back to the sky, letting their hands drop from where they rest on their stomach down to the floor at their sides. "That's kind of you, but you don't need to worry." There is a moment of silence where you continue to study their impassive expression. <<include vnt4>>

"It's ok," you tell them, voice soft. "It's nice being alone sometimes, you know?" Vinh turns their face back to the sky, letting their hands drop from where they rest on their stomach down to the floor at their sides. "I do." There is a moment of silence where you continue to study their impassive expression. <<include vnt4>>

"How did you find tonight?" you ask, ignoring their question entirely. Vinh turns their face back to the sky, letting their hands drop from where they rest on their stomach down to the floor at their sides. "About as loud as I expected, but it was nice to get to know everyone better." There is a moment of silence where you continue to study their impassive expression. <<include vnt4>>

"Gonna tell me why we're on the floor?" Vinh laughs. "Hadn't planned to." Then, when you continue to fix them with a quizzical expression, they glance across at you and smile. "I wanted to see if the stars were different here," they point a hand skyward, leaning slightly closer to you until their shoulder bumps against yours as they point up at a particular spot in the sky. "See that one? I think it's Alpha Centauri." They move their finger a fraction to the right. "And that looks like the Southern Cross." You glance across at Vinh's face, a few inches from yours as they focus their gaze on the sky. They are focused, but their expression is alight with an enthusiasm that you haven't really seen from them so far. They aren't carrying the same uncomfortable tension that you've seen from them the rest of the day; their shoulders are relaxed, their breathing slow and steady and calm. Perhaps this is finally Vinh in their element; out where they shouldn't be, looking up at the stars. <<if $vinhrom gte 3>>There's a silence between you, where you're just looking at them looking at you. It seems to be how you pass quite a lot of the time with Vinh, now you think about it - they just don't seem to look away when other people would. Eventually, though, they sit up, and get to their feet, holding a hand out to you.<<else>>You shift uncomfortably on the stone floor and Vinh chuckles, like they'd been waiting for you to complain. They sit up, get to their feet, and hold a hand out to you.<</if>> [["Ready to head in?"|vnt5]]

You wander back through the villa, but this time with Vinh at your side. It's definitely less eerie with company. Outside the door to your room, though, Vinh comes to a halt. You pause too, fingers on the handle, and turn back to them. "Are you alright?" They shake their head and shimmy their shoulders, more like they're trying to dismiss a troubling thought than as an indication that they aren't okay, but the effect is much the same. "Just kind of... nervous. I've never had to sleep next to someone I didn't know." <div class="choices"><<link "Same. So I guess we can be out of our depth together?" "vnt6">><<set $vinhrom += 1>><<set $vinh += 1>><</link>> <<link "Anything I can do to make you more comfortable?" "vnt7">><<set $vinh += 1>><<inc-friendly>><</link>> <<link "They don't need to be. I'm just gonna be sleeping." "vnt8">><<set $vinh -= 1>><<set $vinhrom -= 1>><</link>> <<link "They know I'm not some kind of serial killer, right?" "vnt9">><<set $vinhclue1 to true>><<set $vinh -= 3>><<set $vinhrom -= 2>><</link>></div>

If you're gonna drown, at least you know you aren't in it alone, and stepping into this room with Vinh does feel a little bit like stepping off the deep end. "Me too," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you reply softly, with an anxious smile that hopefully betrays your shared feelings.<<else>>you reply softly - your best attempt at sounding reassuring.<</if>> "I guess we can be out of our depth together?" Vinh nods their head as if attempting to strengthen their resolve. "There's no one I'd rather drown with." You laugh. [["Hopefully it won't come to that."|vnt10]]

"Anything I can do to make you more comfortable?" you ask. It's the obvious question, really, and asking it feels like the bare minimum. You wish there was more you could do to make them feel at ease. Judging by the surprise in Vinh's expression, though, it wasn't as obvious to them as it was to you. "Thank you for asking," they reply, brow creased into a slight frown. "I suppose just that is enough." Then they nod their head as if strengthening their resolve and gesture towards the door. [[You guess that means they're ready, now.|vnt10]]

"You don't need to be," you smile. "I'm just gonna be sleeping in there." Vinh shrugs their shoulders and sighs, brow creasing into a slight frown. "I know," they reply quietly. "It's just quite intimate isn't it, sleeping? The most unguarded a person can be, really." Well, when they put it that way, you suppose that they have a point. Still, you're both in the same boat. "Then I guess we'll be unguarded together." <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>Alex, I'll take "words I never thought I'd say aloud to another human being" for 200.<br><br><</if>>Somewhat unexpectedly, Vinh laughs. [["Guess so."|vnt10]]

"You know I'm not some sort of serial killer, right?" you laugh. Vinh doesn't seem at all amused - if anything, they look a little disheartened. [["You're right. I'm being... ridiculous."|vnt10]]

Back inside the room, you climb into the luxurious white sheets and nestle down into the pillows. Vinh joins you, with no small amount of reluctance, and their body is so rigid that you'd take them more for a corpse than a reality show cast member. <<if $agreeableness gt 60>>"I can go and sleep downstairs?" you offer quietly, facing up to the ceiling. The sofa did look comfortable enough for it, and there were plenty of pillows and blankets and stuff. "No," Vinh whispers back, and then you hear them let out a long sigh.<<elseif $agreeableness lt 40>>"Are you alright?" you ask quietly, facing up to the ceiling. You contemplate offering to go and sleep downstairs on the sofa, but now you're here in bed your limbs just feel //heavy//. "Yeah," Vinh whispers back, and then you hear them let out a long sigh.<<else>>"Are you... alright?" you ask quietly, facing up to the ceiling. Comforting stressed out strangers isn't exactly in your wheelhouse, but you're trying at least. "Yeah," Vinh whispers back, and then you hear them let out a long sigh.<</if>> <<if $vinhrom gte 4>>"I want you to be here. I'm sorry that I'm not the most... I don't know, enthusiastic bedfellow?" they let out a little chuckle at their own unusual phrasing, before quietly adding "But I //am// glad that it's you that's here." You don't reply - just smile softly back at them for a moment before you let your eyes fall closed. The room is silent, save for your breathing and their breathing and the occasional sound of your curtains fluttering in the breeze.<<else>>"I'll get used to it. I need to just get... acclimatised?" You don't reply. Acclimatised. Huh. You wonder how long it'll take for you to get acclimatised - you're certainly not there yet, either. The room is silent, save for your breathing and their breathing and the occasional sound of your curtains fluttering in the breeze.<</if>> It's not long until your eyelids feel too heavy to open again, [[and you find yourself drifting off into sleep.|wakeupdirections]]

You have no idea what time it is when the allure of sleep becomes too great to ignore. <<if $drinkchoice is "water" or $drinkswitch>>The villa is criminally lacking in clocks and, as one of the only remaining sober cast members, you had abandoned keeping track of time hours ago in favour of entertaining amusing tipsy chats about everyone's hometowns and last names and the other little details you hadn't thought to ask before. That, and assisting Griffin as he dutifully talked Syd out of jumping off the balcony because they "could totally take that fall."<<elseif $drunk gt 3>>You stopped keeping track of the time hours ago; you'd been having too much fun <<if $drinkchoice is "whiskey">>getting kind of tipsy on the fancy whiskey at the bar and listening to Syd barb Arthur with their repeated questions about whiskey drinking etiquette.<<elseif $drinkchoice is "prosecco">>getting kind of tipsy on the endless stream of prosecco coming through from the bar.<<elseif $drinkchoice is "cocktail">>getting kind of tipsy on the ridiculous cocktails that you talked Adegoke into making for you (because despite your best efforts, his were always more delicious than whatever you managed to make for yourself).<</if>><<else>>You stopped keeping track of the time hours ago; the villa is criminally lacking in clocks and you were too busy learning Syd's alternate beer-pong rules to care all that much about the exact time anyway.<</if>> Somewhere between day and night, the villa became awash with glowing strips of neon that illuminate the staircase as you drag your feet up the steps to seek out your bedroom. <<if $drunk gte 5>>In your current state of inebriation, do you trip up some? Perhaps - but there aren't any other cast members around to see you stumbling about, so you're just gonna chalk that one up as a win.<<elseif $drunk gte 3>>Given your current level of tipsiness, are you quite impressed that you make it up without stumbling? Yes, actually. Unfortunately, there aren't any other cast members around to join you in celebrating that particular feat.<<else>>It's been a bloody exhausting day and you are //drained//.<</if>> At the top of the stairs you are met with a corridor of doors and for a moment, you're filled with dread at the prospect of having to comb through each room to work out which one is yours. Then, as if reading your mind, a sign above one of the doors flickers on. ''V A C A N T'' Well, alright then. Thank you to whichever hotel room gods have taken mercy on you in this moment (or, more likely, to Charlie). [[Next|nt1]]

Behind the door is a reasonably sized, but //very// white room. It's austere to the point of ridiculousness - it looks like the sort of room an eccentric millionaire in a Netflix documentary might have. There is a king-sized bed against one wall and a large window draped with net curtains. That's it. That's everything in it. Definitely more "fancy hotel" than "creepy asylum", but it certainly lacks... well, //furniture//. <<if $coupledwith is "Griffin">><<include griffinnighttime>><<elseif $coupledwith is "Adegoke">><<include adegokenighttime>><<elseif $coupledwith is "Ellis">><<include ellisnighttime>><<elseif $coupledwith is "Imogen">><<include imogennighttime>><<else>><<include nt2>><</if>>

Of course, that's not the only notable missing feature. $coupledwith is nowhere to be found. The upside of that is that you're free to change into your jammies in peace and get first pick of your side of the bed. <<include jammiesub>>

You emerge back into the bedroom to find yourself //still// very much alone. <<if $coupledwith is "Florrie">>It doesn't last for long. <<include florrienighttime>><<elseif $coupledwith is "Syd">>It doesn't last for long. <<include sydnighttime>><<else>>Time to decide what to do about it, you suppose.<</if>> <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<if $coupledwith is "Vinh">><<link "Go to look for them." "nt3.1">><<inc-bold>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $coupledwith is "Nyra">><<link "Go to look for her." "nt3.1">><<inc-bold>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $coupledwith is "Arthur">><<link "Go to look for him." "nt3.1">><<inc-bold>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "Wait up." "nt3.2">><<inc-friendly>><<dec-bold>><</link>><br> <<if $coupledwith isnot "Nyra">><<link "Go to sleep." "nt3.3">><<dec-friendly>><<if $coupledwith is "Arthur">><<set $arthur -= 1>><<else>><<set $vinh -= 1>><</if>><</link>><</if>> <</nobr>></div>

<<if $jammies is "slut" or $jammies is "pants">>You throw on a robe and pad downstairs,<<else>>You pad downstairs,<</if>> and it feels profoundly strange to be quietly wandering around in a space so awash with neon light. It's a vibe that you more associate with thumping music and having to shout into your friends' ears, so it's //weird// when paired with such total silence. <<if $coupledwith is "Nyra">><<include nyranighttime>><<elseif $coupledwith is "Arthur">><<include arthurnighttime>><<else>><<include vinhnighttime>><</if>>

It would be rude not to wait up for $coupledwith, right? The room's incredibly sparse nature provides few opportunities to keep yourself entertained, so you wander over to the window. Separated from the rest of the room by flowing net curtains, it leads to a small balcony that looks out over the terrace. Beyond all that, though, it's just ocean. Miles and miles of the stuff drifting on until the distant horizon. Huh. You really are isolated out here. Your eyes trail back down, to the land below you. Well, you've solved the mystery of where $coupledwith is. <<if $coupledwith is "Nyra">>[[Time to go check on her.|nyranighttime]]<<elseif $coupledwith is "Arthur">>[[Time to go check on him.|arthurnighttime]]<<else>>[[Time to go check on them.|vinhnighttime]]<</if>>

Spend your time waiting around for $coupledwith, or chasing them around the villa like a lovesick puppy? Not likely. You climb into the soft white sheets (Egyptian cotton? Nice) and settle down. Benefits of not having a stranger lying next to you? The ability to starfish and/or roll around and/or sleep comfortably to your heart's content. Your head settles in against the fluffy marshmallowy pillows and your eyes blink closed. Each time it happens, your blinks seem to last longer and longer [[...And then you're asleep|wakeupdirections]]

[[You step into the bathroom and slide the door shut.|js1]]

It's floor to ceiling white tile, with a dinnerplate sized showerhead in the centre of the ceiling. <<if $neuroticism gte 70>>Probably an excellent place to hug your knees and cry. <</if>>It also has a large mirror over the sink where you catch your reflection - considerably more dishevelled than this morning, but still fundamentally presentable. //Thank fuck//. You brush your teeth <<if $drunk gte 5>>and, as you rest your hand on the cool surface beside the sink, it hits you that you are still fucking //hammered//. You went pretty hard in the game and then there has been a steady flow of drinks ever since. Something about the silence of a bathroom always makes you take stock of your current level of inebriation - maybe it's the quiet. You sit on the toilet instead, unsure whether standing is an entirely good idea, and rest your arms on your knees as you let the minty toothpaste freshness clear your mouth and your sinuses and your brain. Much better. Still trashed, but better.<<elseif $drunk gte 3>>and, as you rest your hand on the cool surface beside the sink, the realisation that you're actually still quite tipsy dawns on you. You didn't overdo it on the first night, but there were definitely enough drinks being passed around that you aren't entirely steady on your feet. Something about the silence of a bathroom always makes you take stock of your current level of inebriation - maybe it's the quiet. You spit into the sink, the minty toothpaste freshness clearing your mouth and your sinuses and your brain. Much better. Still a little tipsy, but you have a marginally clearer head.<<else>><<if $conscientiousness gte 50>>- step one of your night-time routine.<<else>>- even if you have never successfully maintained a night-time routine, you can manage that much.<</if>><</if>> You also take this opportunity to change into your pyjamas, which you'd grabbed on your way in. <<include jammiechoice>>

Bold move to be strutting about in your pants in front of someone you've just met today? <<if $thot gte 50>>It's never stopped you before.<<else>>Maybe, but comfort comes first.<</if>> <<include jc6>>

What's the point in all this if you don't look hot enough to give $coupledwith an aneurysm? <<include jc6>>

You're in the perfect ratty outfit for an 80s movie DIY montage - you just need a bandana to tie round your head and you're there. Still, you are incredibly comfortable, so joke's on anyone who uses this time to try and dress up. <<include jc6>>

Look, you're just wearing pyjamas, alright? They aren't too fancy or saucy or slobby. If Goldilocks was looking for pyjamas, then she'd be grabbing yours, because they're just right. <<include jc6>>

Did you make some errors when you were packing your clothes? Perhaps. The studio wardrobe can fill the gaps in your collection of day-to-day garms, but sleepwear is another matter entirely. Hello Kitty is one cute cat, though. <<include jc6>>

You pause in front of the mirror again. <<if $neuroticism gte 60>>There's nothing else for it, you suppose. [[You'd better get back in there.|jsend]]<<else>> [[You actually don't look too bad.|jsend]]<</if>>

<<if $coupledwith is "Ellis">><<include elen2>><<elseif $coupledwith is "Adegoke">><<include adnt1>><<elseif $coupledwith is "Griffin">><<include gnt1>><<elseif $coupledwith is "Imogen">><<include imminight7>><<else>><<include nt3>><</if>>

<<if $drunk gte 5>>It's still dark outside, but for some reason you are awake. Your head feels fuzzy, your throat is all dry and your eyelids are heavy. You seem to have dodged the worst of the hangover, though, which is a small mercy at least.<<elseif $drunk gte 3>>Your head is thumping as you wake up. Your mouth feels all dry and gummy and gross and your eyelids feel heavy. When you force them open and look around, though, it becomes clear that it's still dark outside.<<else>>It's still dark outside, but you find yourself awake.<</if>> For a second, you have totally forgotten where you are. Then you look across <<if $coupledwith is "Griffin">>and see Griffin lying next to you, hand gently resting over your waist as he sleeps. His mouth lolling open gives him a delightfully vacant look - a peaceful little idiot. <<elseif $coupledwith is "Florrie">>and see Florrie lying next to you, arm trailing over your waist as she sleeps. She's dreaming - you watch as her lips quiver and then twitch up into a smile. <<elseif $coupledwith is "Imogen" or $coupledwith is "Vinh">> and see $coupledwith lying next to you, sleeping peacefully. <<elseif $coupledwith is "Syd">>and see Syd lying next to you, expression amusingly peaceful. It's one of the few times you've seen them without a smirk on their face and without a smug quip to bat in your direction. You could get used to it.<<else>>and see the large, empty room before you. Oh yeah. The villa.<</if>> <<if $coupledwith is "Adegoke">><<set $adegokeclue1 to true>>You are momentarily confused when you realise that you are alone. Adegoke must have gone to get some water or something.<br><br><<elseif $coupledwith is "Ellis">>You are momentarily confused when you realise that you are alone, and you feel a little flutter of panic in your chest. What time is it? Has Ellis been gone all night, or has it just not been that long since you fell asleep?<br><br><<elseif $coupledwith is "Arthur">><<set $arthurclue2 to true>>You feel a twinge of disappointment when you realise that you are alone. $coupledwith must have decided not to join you after all.<br><br><<elseif $coupledwith is "Nyra">><<set $nyraclue4 to true>>You feel a twinge of disappointment when you realise that you are alone. $coupledwith must have decided not to join you after all.<br><br><</if>> Now, why the //fuck// are you awake? <<if $drunk gte 5>>You pull a pillow over your head and try to go back to sleep. Judging by your headache, you drank the villa dry last night - you're gonna need all the sleep you can get if you're not gonna look half-dead for filming later.<<elseif $drunk gte 3>>You close your tired eyes and try to go back to sleep. There is a dull thud at the base of your skull that says you might already not be at your best in the morning - hopefully you can sleep it off. You do have to be on camera, after all.<<else>>You stretch your legs and close your eyes, hoping to soak up another precious few hours. You already stayed up late enough to end up with bags under your eyes - best not make it worse. You do have to be on camera, after all.<</if>> That's when you hear it again - the sound of a commotion somewhere off in the distance. <<if $conscientiousness gte 50>>You //can't// ignore a sound like that - it would be irresponsible. You've got to do something, right?<<else>>In spite of the allure of these incredibly soft bedsheets, your curiosity is getting the better of you.<</if>> <<if $coupledwith is "Florrie" or $coupledwith is "Griffin">>You slip out from under the arm that is draped across you.<<else>>You slide out of bed.<</if>> <<if $coupledwith is "Florrie">>You dimly consider waking Florrie. You don't, though. You're pretty sure that she's going to have a thumping hangover in the morning, and you don't want to be the one that speeds that process along.<<elseif $coupledwith is "Griffin">>For a moment, you dimly consider waking Griffin. You don't, though. He just looks so peaceful lying there - you don't want to ruin his sleep over what is very probably nothing.<<elseif $coupledwith is "Syd">>For a moment, you dimly consider waking $coupledwith. You don't, though. You're pretty sure that they'd rip you mercilessly for even wanting to go check it out, and they can't quip if they're sleeping.<<elseif $coupledwith is "Vinh">>For a moment, you dimly consider waking $coupledwith. You don't, though. Vinh was nervous enough about sharing a room with you - the last thing you want to do is freak them out even more. It's the first night - you're pretty sure nothing could be happening that's major enough to warrant waking them.<<elseif $coupledwith is "Imogen">>For a moment, you dimly consider waking $coupledwith. You don't, though. You'll tell her all about it when you've worked out what's going on. Imogen's nerves have already been pretty frayed by the whole experience - the last thing you want is to freak her out even more.<</if>> [[Time to investigate.|murderdiscovery]]

You dimly wonder whether you're going to end up as the protagonist of a horror movie, who wanders right into the arms of the murderer. That, or you'll just be awkwardly interrupting a particularly vocal romantic entanglement. Those qualms are quickly dismissed, though. You make your way down the stairs and out to the terrace, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. There's a tugging, gnawing feeling in your stomach - the kind you get when you just //know// that something bad is about to happen, but you can't work out what you're expecting. This is paradise, right? [[Right?|md1]]

You make your way outside, following the sounds of unfamiliar voices, the cool night air raising goosebumps on your arms and you can't help but shudder. A slim, dark-haired woman stands with her arms folded defensively across her chest. She appears to be in a heated discussion with the man beside her, shoulders angled away from him slightly. He's taller, with a broad frame, and even at a distance you can see the tattoos snaking up his neck. "Rowan, just calm down." When they hear you approach, his head snaps round to look at you, irritation in his expression like you've just interrupted a private moment. The woman - Rowan - places a hand on his shoulder, as if to hold him in place. [[Next|md2]]

"And who the //fuck// are you?" he spits, a Northern-Irish twang evident in his venomous voice. "Atticus, stop-" Rowan begins, and you notice now as she turns to face you that her face is streaked with tears, voice quivering. "What the //fuck// is going on here?" the man (Atticus, you presume) continues, shaking the hand from his shoulder as he spins around to face you. You haven't got the first idea what he's talking about to begin with, but then the squirming feeling of dread in your stomach intensifies [[as your eyes travel down.|md3]]

At their feet is a pool of dark liquid, and your mind immediately regresses back to one of your last days in the office before you flew out here. It was Linda's birthday, and she brought in the most beautiful red velvet cake with a flawless mirror glaze and something about the way the unnatural overhead lights glinted off the surface is eerily similar to this, now. The glittering fairy lights bring out the deep red colour wherever they twinkle in the liquid. The blood. Like a mirror glaze on a very fucked up red velvet cake. You can't remember now what the decoration on the top of it had been - some numbers? Maybe some of those sugarspun flowers? You're wracking your brains and you don't know why, because whatever it was, it's not like what you see here. //That// mirror glaze didn't have a dead body at the centre. This one does. They lie quite gracefully on the ground, actually, and you can't imagine them positioned in any other way. Their once warm skin has a cold greyish tinge, their once red lips are blue. It's Ellis. They're dead. They're //super fucking dead//. [[What the fuck?|chapter3start]] [[What. The. Fuck?|chapter3start]] [[Whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck?|chapter3start]] [[W H A T T H E F U C K|chapter3start]] [[WHAT THE FUCK?!?!|chapter3start]]

<<set $visited to false>>It's time for the coupling,<<if $neuroticism > 50>> but you're pacing agitatedly back and forth on the terrace. The sun has settled behind the horizon now, and stars are beginning to light up the night sky above. Between the sky and the sea, you have never felt more like a tiny dot in the middle of an enormous, expansive, empty universe. Back at home, the sky would never get this big. Eventually, you ease yourself down into a seat, tapping your fingers anxiously on the tabletop.<<else>> but you're still lounging at a table out on the terrace. The sun has settled behind the horizon now, and stars are beginning to light up the night sky above. Between the sky and the sea, you are completely in awe at the sheer scale of everything. Back at home, the sky would never get this big.<</if>> "Oh," comes a voice from beside you, and you look up to see Vinh hovering uncertainly by the doorway, "Hello." "Hey," you reply, simply, drawing your arms around yourself as you feel a cool ocean breeze drifting in. <<if $entrancemeet is "vinh" or $vinhdate>><<include vs1>><<else>><<include vs2>><</if>>

"How's your day been?" <<include vs3>>

"I'm Vinh." "I know." You have, after all, already been introduced. Still, <<if $extraversion > 50>>there's something quite endearing about a person who thinks that you could entirely forget who they are in only a few hours. It's unassuming; humble. <<else>>it's nice to know that there is someone else here who thinks that people could forget entirely who they are in only a few hours.<</if>> "How were your mini-dates?" you ask, <<if $extraversion > 50>> lounging back in your seat. <<else>> not really sure what else to say.<</if>> It's sort of like starting university - you really just have the same three or four conversations over and over again. Where are you from? What do you study? What halls are you in? Well, in the villa, there's a slightly amended set, but the first day has felt very much like the first day of a very strange Fresher's Week. "I didn't have any," Vinh replies, easing into the seat opposite you. At your <<if $agreeableness > 50>>confused<<else>>sympathetic<</if>> expression, Vinh bobs their head slightly and elaborates. "I didn't choose anyone. I don't know, I just..." Vinh sighs, raking a hand through their floppy black hair. "I just can't do that sort of thing - the forced dating and contrived getting to know each other. It just... I can't explain it - it just makes me uncomfortable." <<include vs6>>

"Good! Great, even," you reply firmly, secure in the knowledge that you managed to have an enjoyable date even with Vinh's snubbing. <<if $agreeableness > 50>> It would have been nice to get to know them, sure, but you don't feel //that// worse off for not having the chance. <</if>> The palpable tension immediately leaves Vinh's frame, and they slouch into a seat opposite you. "Good," they breathe, raking a hand through their floppy hair, "I was worried you would be angry with me." Ah, yes. For the dating snub. <<include vs4>>

"How's yours been?" you ask, curious about<<if $neuroticism > 50>> what on earth Vinh had spent the afternoon getting up to. <<else>> whether missing out on a date with you has been as completely life-ruining as you think they //should// find it.<</if>> "Strange," they reply with a smile, absentmindedly scratching at the polish on their thumb nail. "I was worried that you'd be angry with me." Ah, yes. For the dating snub. <<include vs4>>

"Other than being snubbed for a date?" you reply bitterly. "Fucking //peachy//, thanks." There is a moment of silence as Vinh eases themself into one of the tall barstools at the tables near the door, clasping their hands together in front of them. "You sound unhappy," they reply, stating the blatantly fucking obvious. They don't look in the least bit uncomfortable to be doing it, though. In fact, their gaze is locked on yours with a laser focus - like they're studying a bug through a microscope. "Yeah, //no shit//." <<include vs5>>

"I can't believe you didn't pick me," you begin, <<if $neuroticism > 60>>biting back the hurt in your voice. It sounds about a million times more pathetic than you had hoped it would. So much for a robust and well-reasoned rant about how much not getting picked //sucked//. <<else>>locking your eyes on Vinh's. "I was surprised and caught off guard and it didn't feel good. At all."<</if>> In truth, being rejected on //day one// is about the last thing that you could have hoped for from this experience. <<if $entrancemeet is "vinh">>First the panic attack thing and now //this//? You can't wait to see how the production team edit this mess together.<</if>> Vinh nods their head slowly. <<include vs5>>

You're seething. Vinh saw you at your most vulnerable and then made you feel shitty about it? That's //low// and, frankly, you can't think of anything they could say that would make you less mad about it. <<if $agreeableness > 50>>It usually takes a lot to make you angry and, yet here you are. Fuming.<<else>>The feeling isn't a new one for you; people are //annoying// and it's never taken much to make you fume.<</if>> "Shitty! I cannot //believe// that despite knowing what a hard time I was having in here, you would snub me for the mini dates. I'm sorry that my first impression was //so// objectionable to you! At least I've learned a valuable lesson about how guarded people need to be in here, when there are snakes like you who are going to act all comforting and supportive and then totally stab people in the back." You pause, breathing heavy and brain abuzz with the buhjillion things you'd like to club Vinh over the head with. <<if $neuroticism > 50>> At least you haven't cried yet, though - that's something.<</if>> Vinh just nods their head slowly as they take in your tirade. "Are you finished?" It isn't the reply that you expected. You <<if $conscientiousness > 50>>take a moment to consider whether you //are// finished, or if you have more rant in you.<<else>>find yourself a little lost for words for a moment, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish.<</if>> "Yes." <<include vs5>>

"Yeah, it's been good," you reply contentedly. It might have been a bit of a whirlwind, but you've met some nice people and had some nice dates. The fact that you're in an island paradise definitely doesn't hurt things. Vinh offers a restrained smile as they slouch into a chair opposite you. "Good," they breathe, raking a hand through their floppy hair. "I'm glad." <<include vs7>>

"Eh..." you begin uncertainly, and Vinh smiles as they slouch into a chair opposite you. "Yeah..." they affirm. It's one of the simpler conversations you've had today, or possibly ever, but manages to communicate a great understanding between the two of you. Vinh clasps their hands atop the table, absentmindedly scratching at the polish on their thumbnail. <<include vs7>>

<<if $extraversion > 50>> You take a breath to explain the extent to which today has been //rough//, but the words just... don't come. You're pretty fried.<<else>> You just sigh, unable to really put into words how much today has kinda sucked.<</if>> "Yeah..." they affirm. It's one of the simpler conversations you've had today, or possibly ever, but manages to communicate a great understanding between the two of you. Vinh clasps their hands atop the table, absentmindedly scratching at the polish on their thumbnail. <<include vs7>>

It's like some kind of special talent. Do they know something you don't? Some kind of vulnerable-moment-sense so they can swoop in? "How did you know I'd be out here?" you ask, and they laugh. "I didn't," comes their simple reply, as they slouch into the seat opposite you and begin absentmindedly scratching at the polish on their thumbnail. <<include vs7>>

"It actually worked out for the best," you reassure them, "I'm happy with the dates I had." Vinh lifts their gaze from the spot on the table that they had been focused on to smile across at you. <<include vs4.7>>

<<if $neuroticism > 50>>"I'm not gonna lie, it... stung," you begin uncertainly. "I suppose it's part of the experience, though..."<<else>>"Yeah, it did... sting," you begin with a shrug, "but it's all part of the experience, right?"<</if>> <<include vs5>>

<<if $openness > 50>>Ordinarily you're pretty open, but now just doesn't seem like the time. You don't want to guilt Vinh about not choosing you. What's done is done.<<else>>Vulnerability? Never met her.<</if>> <<include vs4.1>>

"Well, you're totally dead to me," you begin, and Vinh frowns. "//Fortunately// for you, I've perfected my ability to commune with the deceased." Vinh huffs out a laugh and rolls their eyes, absentmindedly scratching at the polish on their thumb nail. "As long as the others don't mind living with a ghost..." "I'm sure they'll be into it," you smile. <<include vs4.7>>

"Oh..." It's the only thing you can will yourself to say - you can practically feel yourself deflating at the mention of it. Vinh winces. "I'm really sorry, $mcname. I didn't choose //anyone// for the dates - it wasn't intended to be a personal attack on you, and I just feel awful that I might have made you feel bad. I just can't do that sort of thing - the forced dating and contrived getting to know each other. It just... I can't explain it - it just makes me uncomfortable." <<include vs6>>

"Yeah, well..." <<if $agreeableness > 50>> you shrug, forcing a smile. <<else>> you frown.<</if>> "That part did suck." <<include vs5>>

"I'm glad you don't hate me now," Vinh says, after a brief moment of silence. "I hope that we can be friends." <<include vs4.8>>

<<if $agreeableness > 50>>"Yeah, I'd like that," you smile warmly, and Vinh nods their head in agreement.<<else>>"Yeah, alright," you reply, and Vinh nods their head in agreement.<</if>> <<include vs7>>

"Maybe if you play your cards right," you answer, <<if $agreeableness > 50>>with a cheeky grin.<<else>> with an indifferent shrug.<</if>> "Just don't snub me again." "Deal." Vinh replies, with surprising decisiveness. <<include vs7>>

"No one said anything about being friends," <<if $agreeableness > 50>> you smile weakly. You weren't going to push the issue, but that doesn't mean that you're ready to commit to friendship. <<else>> you frown. Just because you aren't holding this against them doesn't mean that you are ready to declare yourself BFFs and skip around hand in hand.<</if>> <<include vs7>>

"Let's just get to know each other better and see," you reply, still guarded. "No time like the present?" Vinh slowly and deliberately slides into the seat opposite you, eyeing you like a horse that could bolt at any moment. "We've got some time before the coupling thing starts, right?" <<include vs7>>

"I'm sorry you felt that way," they reply steadily. "I didn't choose anyone for the dates - it wasn't meant to be a personal attack on you. I just can't do that sort of thing - the forced dating and contrived getting to know each other. It just... I can't explain it - it just makes me uncomfortable." <<include vs6>>

"Then why are you here?" <<if $extraversion > 50>>you frown, confused, but Vinh just laughs.<<else>>you ask, intrigued, and Vinh just laughs.<</if>> "Alright, that's a fair question," they reply as they get their laughter under control, and you can't help but be absolutely bewildered. A fair question, maybe, but you didn't think it was a particularly funny one. "It was a bit of a whim - seemed like an adventure," Vinh shrugs. "I thought it would be a cool way to meet people that I wouldn't normally chat to." <<if $motive is "adventure" or $motive is "friendship">> Well, that's something you can relate to.<br><br><</if>><<include vs6.6>>

<<if $agreeableness > 50>>"Did you miss the part where that's the whole point of the show?" you ask, brows raised, and Vinh just laughs.<<else>>"Did you miss the part where that's the whole point of the show?" you snap, but Vinh just laughs.<</if>> "Alright, that's a fair question," they reply as they get their laughter under control, and you can't help but be absolutely bewildered. A fair question, maybe, but you didn't think it was a particularly funny one. <<if $agreeableness < 50>>In fact, your tone had been decidedly unfunny.<</if>> "No, I didn't miss that. I suppose I just hadn't considered... the reality of how difficult it might be? I applied on a whim for the adventure, and I didn't think it all the way through," Vinh pauses thoughtfully. "I don't regret it, though. I'm glad to be here." Once again, their response is calm and measured. You don't have to believe them, but they clearly don't care whether you do or not. <<include vs6.6>>

You can relate; this day hasn't exactly been a walk in the park for you, either. You did actually manage to choose dates, though, so at least you have that going for you. "I know how you feel," you smile wearily. <<include vs6.6>>

"You could have just said so," you sigh. "You didn't have to leave me hanging like that." "Yeah," Vinh replies with a sigh, gaze focused on their hands clasped together atop the table. For the first time, there is something like regret in their voice as they continue, "I know. I didn't think about it, and that was selfish." There is a pause, and then Vinh takes a deep breath and continues. "But I would like to get to know you better, so that you don't have to think of me just as a selfish person. If I haven't totally blown it, you can just ask me anything now and I'll tell you whatever you want to know about me. Not because someone is making me, but because I want to." <<if $visited>> Vinh pauses, a smile still lingering on their face. "Or you could rant a bit more, if you want."<</if>> <<include vs9>>

"So how do you plan to make it up to me?" you ask, leaning forward in your seat, and Vinh laughs. "Well, you came around quickly," they chuckle, running a hand through their hair and down the back of their neck. "How about we start with a normal conversation? I know we haven't had the chance to get to know each other properly, and that's my fault. You can sit here with me now, if you like, and I'll tell you everything you want to know about me. Not because someone is making me, but because I want to." <<if $visited>>Vinh pauses, a smile still lingering on their face. "Or you could rant a bit more, if you want."<br><br><</if>><<include vs9>>

<<if $vinhdate>>"I know we haven't had the chance to get to know each other properly, and that's my fault. You can sit here with me now, if you like, and I'll tell you everything you want to know about me. Not because someone is making me, but because I want to."<<else>>"We haven't really had a chance to talk yet, but I'd like to sit with you. Just for a little while, if you don't mind?"<</if>> <<if $visited>> Vinh pauses, a smile still lingering on their face. "Or you could rant a bit more, if you want."<</if>> <<include vs9>>

Soooooooo... <<include vs8>>

It's hard to know where to start when presented with such an open invitation for enquiry. <<include vs8.6>>

You can think of //so// many things you want to know about Vinh. You just want to know everything. It doesn't actually make any questions emerge from you, though, and judging by the way Vinh is gazing absently out at the ocean they don't plan on offering any help.<<if $neuroticism > 60>> You feel a twinge of insecurity. How can someone you want to know about so badly seem so disinterested in learning about you? It was them that suggested this whole thing.<</if>> After a moment, a single salient thought materialises. <<include vs8.6>>

Your hopes to get to know Vinh better seem to be falling at the first hurdle. <<if $extraversion < 50>>You aren't exactly a master conversationalist.<<else>>You never normally struggle to chat to people, but for some reason they just have you absolutely head-empty-no-thoughts.<</if>> Judging by the way Vinh is gazing absently out at the ocean, they don't plan on offering any help. <<include vs8.8>>

<<if $agreeableness < 50>>//They// came out here to speak to //you// - why are you being left to do all the work?<<else>>They did come to speak to you, after all, and you can't help but feel a little ill-equipped.<</if>> Vinh is gazing absently out at the ocean, seemingly with no intention of offering you any conversational leads. <<include vs8.8>>

<<if $vinhrom > 1>>It's comfortable - easy. There's something so intensely peaceful about the sound of the breeze drifting through the trees and the distant wash of the waves, and it's nice to just be able to share that with someone. You feel far less small and less alone with Vinh sat opposite you - like an anchor. Steady.<<else>>You don't have anything to say to them, but it's hard to object to their presence here. There's something so intensely peaceful about the sound of the breeze drifting through the trees and the distant wash of the waves, and it's nice to just be able to share that with someone.<</if>> Vinh sighs happily, tilting their head back to look up at the sky, and you just bask in the quiet for a little while longer. [[Next|avinty1]]

"You don't seem entirely in your element here..." you begin, with a knowing smile, and Vinh nods their head to confirm your assessment. "If we were at home, what would you be doing to unwind?" Vinh is quiet for long enough that you wonder if you should repeat the question, but eventually they answer. "Nothing conscious, I suppose. If we were at home, I'd be at my studio channelling my social awkwardness into my work where it can be productive, and eventually it just... wouldn't be there anymore." They smile across at you, making a little poofing gesture with their hands. "Or at least, I wouldn't be aware of it." Vinh falls silent once again, and there is nothing but the sound of the breeze drifting through the trees and the distant wash of the waves. [[Next|avinty1]]

You clear your throat, drawing their attention back to you, face painted with curiosity. "Yes?" <<if hasVisited("vs8.3")>>"I don't really know what to ask you."<<else>>"Are you really just waiting for me to ask you something?"<</if>> <<if $vinhdate>>It's ironic, really, that this situation doesn't really feel much less contrived than it would have if Vinh had just joined you on a mini date. They seem more content, though, you suppose.<br><br><</if>> "Alright, I'll ask you something then," they reply, casting around like they're hoping to pluck a question from thin air. "What's your favourite colour?" "...My favourite colour?" "As good a question as any other, isn't it?" <<include vs8.9>>

"I couldn't decide," you answer. "They're all important, aren't they?" One corner of Vinh's mouth twitches up into a smile and they nod their head gently. "Yes, they are. I agree." [[Next|avinty1]]

"I suppose so," you agree, "but why choose that one? Do you have a reason for picking it?" One corner of Vinh's mouth twitches up into a smile and they nod their head gently. "I'm an artist. It just seemed like an obvious question, I suppose." <<if $mcstudy is "art">>You can't help but smile, glad to find common ground. "Same," you reply, with a tight smile. "Well, not //an artist//, but I studied art..." Vinh's brows crease into a frown as they open their mouth to reply, but they are interrupted before they get the chance.<<else>>"I'd never have guessed." You raise an eyebrow, tone laced with sarcasm. It doesn't take a genius to peg Vinh for an artist. Their outfit definitely isn't the sort of thing that just anyone could pull off, and their thick hoop earrings have a certain edgy quality.<</if>> [[Next|avinty1]]

"What's yours?" you reply, a little too quickly to seem anything but incredibly overeager. Luckily, Vinh doesn't seem to find you completely strange - one corner of their mouth twitches up into a smile as they make a low humming sound to contemplate their answer. "Black, I think." <<if $mcstudy is $art>>"Famously not a colour," you grin, and Vinh's smile widens. "That's one of the things I like best about it. It's complicated. Hard to understand, sometimes."<<else>>"I'd never have guessed," you raise an eyebrow, taking in their largely black outfit.<</if>> [[Next|avinty1]]

So, to recap: <<if $entrancemeet is "vinh">>You had a bit of a wobble when you entered the villa and Vinh saw that and helped you through it. Cool.<<else>>You saw Vinh looking nervous as Avery introduced them to everyone in the kitchen and you thought it'd be nice to get to know them better. Cool.<</if>> Then they rejected your invitation for a mini-date. Less cool. <<if $visited>>Then you really gave them a piece of your mind about it, and they took it graciously and apologised and convinced you to stick around and chat to them. Cool.<<else>>Then you were actually pretty chill about it, and stuck around to chat and get to know them better. Cool.<</if>> Then they expressed //absolutely no interest// in getting to know you better and once again make you feel like a total knob. Absolutely not cool. You feel your face press into a frown as you take a deep breath to give Vinh a telling off, but the words just kind of die in your mouth. Whatever. [[Next|avinty1]]

Well, don't you feel like a //total// arsehole? You unleashed <<if $agreeableness > 50>>the full force of your angry ranting ability<<else>>a not insubstantial rant<</if>> on Vinh, and they just... took it. And apologised. And were generally very reasonable and lovely and //damn it//, you can't possibly hate them now. But they would sure as hell not be wrong to hate you. "Look, I'm sorry for being... kind of a dick about it," <<if $agreeableness > 50>>you wince, averting your gaze.<<else>>you grumble, gaze focused on the ground.<</if>> You mean it, but that doesn't make it any less uncomfortable. Vinh laughs //again//, and you're beginning to wonder if you have a potential career in stand-up comedy. "Thanks." Their reply is decisive and certain, even through their ongoing chuckles. Well... you guess that's put to bed, then? <<include vs7>>

Well, don't you feel like a //total// arsehole? You unleashed <<if $agreeableness > 50>>the full force of your angry ranting ability<<else>>a not unsubstantial rant<</if>> on Vinh, and they just... took it. And apologised. And were generally very reasonable and lovely and //damn it//, you can't possibly hate them now. But they would sure as hell not be wrong to hate you. "Do you not think I'm a //total// dick now?" <<if $agreeableness > 50>>you wince, averting your gaze.<<else>>you grumble, gaze focused on the ground.<</if>> Vinh laughs //again//, and you're beginning to wonder if you have a potential career in stand-up comedy. "No." Their reply is decisive and certain, even through their ongoing chuckles. "I don't." Oh. Well, that answers that, then. <<include vs7>>

"That would be nice," <<if $agreeableness > 50>>you smile.<<else>>you affirm, with a nod.<</if>> "I'm glad." You didn't really expect anything more verbose from Vinh, and the two of you settle into an easy silence. <<include vs7>>

"I don't think so," you shake your head. You aren't at all interested in getting to know Vinh better, actually, and you'd rather not waste time on them when you could just be cracking on with the coupling. "I understand." Vinh's reply is solemn, and they sound a little disappointed. They'll get over it. If you've had to bear the brunt of disappointments here already, why shouldn't it be the same for them? [[Next|avinty1]]

A blonde head pokes out of the kitchen door, face like thunder. "Are you bloody ready?" Avery snaps irritably. "We've been bloody waiting for you - thought you'd just nipped off to the loo." Vinh doesn't turn around, possibly to disguise the bemused smile that has crept onto their face at this. "We'll be right in," they assure Avery, who only rolls her eyes and retreats back into the house as Vinh begins to get up from their seat. <<include avinty2>>

They've made it pretty clear that they aren't comfortable with the whole contrived-television-production-scenario thing, and the last thing you want to do is make them uncomfortable. "So, will it make you feel awkward if I chose you at the coupling thing?" Vinh turns their gaze skyward for a moment. "No," they say decisively. "I think I'd probably feel relieved." "Relieved?" "Relieved." And, with that, Vinh turns and heads back inside, their gaze flickering back across to you as they cross the threshold of the door. Well then. [[Back inside...|cb]]

Vinh's snubbed you once, and you're keen to establish whether it's going to become a recurring theme of your time in the villa. It's one thing on the first day, but you've got to get through a whole month of this <<if $neuroticism > 60>>and you'd love a heads up if you should expect your already-fragile ego to take a kicking.<<else>>and it would be good to have a heads up if you should expect your ego to take a kicking.<</if>> "I know you're uncomfortable with contrived pairings and stuff. Should I expect that to continue to be an issue?" Vinh smiles, like they're sharing in a private joke. "Yes, probably," they answer, with a bob of their head. "But I'll tell you about it, next time." And, with that, Vinh turns and heads back inside, their gaze flickering back across to you as they cross the threshold of the door. "And you can choose me at the coupling, if you want to." Well then. [[Back inside...|cb]]

"Thanks for sitting with me," you <<if $agreeableness > 50>>smile, as Vinh begins wordlessly wandering back towards the villa.<<else>>tell Vinh, as they begin wordlessly wandering back towards the villa.<</if>> They pause in the doorway, flicking their gaze back across to you. "My pleasure." And, with that, they disappear back inside. Well then. [[Back inside...|cb]]

You just wordlessly get up and wander back into the villa, leaving a slightly bewildered looking Vinh trailing behind you. [[Back inside...|cb]]

When you head back into the living room, everyone is sat in a circle like it's some kind of extremely weird cult. Avery supervises, of course, and simply points at a space in the circle for you to take a seat. At least, you assume she wants you to sit there. Everyone else is sitting. You debate asking when the long white robes and ritual sacrifice will be arriving, but then you think better of it. "$mcname, you're up first. You just need to stand up and say the name of whoever you want to couple with. No frills or fuss," Avery smiles knowingly at you. <<if $neuroticism > 60>>She doesn't need to tell you twice - your priority is trying to get through this moment as quickly as possible.<<elseif $extraversion > 50 or $agreeableness > 50>>Frills and fuss might as well be your middle name (perhaps double-barrelled?), so her warning is a timely one.<<else>>You scowl in her direction. She knows full well that you aren't really a "frills and fuss" kind of $mcguy.<</if>> You get to your feet, <<if $extraversion < 40>>desperately wanting to shrink away from the many eyes now on you. You hate being the centre of attention at the best of times, let alone in a situation as uniquely intimidating as this.<<elseif $extraversion > 65>>taking note of the many sets of eyes now focused on you. Despite your usual lack of discomfort at being in the spotlight, something about this situation does feel uniquely uncomfortable.<<else>>with every hope of getting this over with as quickly as possible. Sure, you're no shrinking violet, but this situation is uniquely intimidating.<</if>> <<if $avery > 30>>"Whenever you're ready," Avery says gently, with a little nod in your direction and an encouraging smile.<<else>>Avery offers a curt nod in your direction and no further encouragement.<</if>> Alright, then. Time to choose your couple for... well, you don't know how long for. <<if $neuroticism > 60>>"Uh, right... I think that I'd like to couple with..."<<elseif $agreeableness > 60>>"Okay," you grin. "I'd like to couple with..."<<else>>"I'd like to couple up with..."<</if>> <<include cb2>>

"Adegoke." <<if $gkiss>>Adegoke looks utterly bewildered, focusing his attention more on Griffin than you. Griff smiles warmly at him and shrugs his shoulders. After an awkward moment as the other cast members exchange looks, Adegoke crosses the circle to join you. He clasps his hands in front of him, casting a polite smile in your direction.<<else>>Adegoke smiles warmly at you, pausing for a moment to take it all in while Griff nudges him enthusiastically in the ribs. "Alright, alright, I'm going," he laughs, after a particularly overzealous elbow, and he moves briskly across the circle to stand beside you. He rests a hand gently on your arm as he presses a polite kiss to your cheek and then winds an arm around your waist, smile still lingering on his lips.<</if>> [[Next|cb3]]

"Arthur." Arthur wrinkles his nose in either surprise or distaste - possibly a combination of the two - before he catches himself and attempts to return to a more impassive expression as he crosses the circle. He stands rigidly beside you, hands clasped behind his back as he leans across to whisper: "Why would you do that?" His voice is low enough that the other cast members won't be able to hear and, when you glance across at him, his face is painted with genuine confusion. <<include cb2.2.1>>

"Because I like you, you fucking idiot," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you whisper back, with a smile.<<else>>you hiss back.<</if>> <<include cb2.2.1.1>>

"Because I like you," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you whisper back, with a smile.<<else>>you hiss back.<</if>> <<include cb2.2.1.1>>

"Because I need to win," you reply quietly, jaw clenched. Arthur nods his head in understanding and straightens back up, breathing what might be a sigh of relief. [[Next|cb3]]

"You're just going to have to find that out on your own, aren't you?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you whisper back, with a smile.<<else>>you hiss back.<</if>> "You are the most irritating person I have ever-" Arthur hisses in your direction, forced to abruptly cut off his rant-in-progress when Avery shoots him a reproachful look. He clears his throat, straightening up and resolutely refusing to look in your direction. You can't help but notice that his cheeks are a little pink. [[Next|cb3]]

Arthur seems no less confused from your answer, his brow creased into a little frown as he straightens back up to watch the rest of the coupling. It's like the notion of being liked is completely alien to him. [[Next|cb3]]

"Ellis." <<if $gkiss>><<include cb2.3.2>><<else>><<include cb2.3.1>><</if>>

Ellis smiles bashfully across at you from under their long eyelashes, and Arthur extends a hand to help them to their feet. "Thank you for choosing me," they say gently, as they move across the circle to stand at your side. "You're welcome," you whisper back. "Are you alright standing, or would you prefer to sit?" <<if $ellisrom > 2>>"With you at my side, I think I'll be fine," Ellis beams, looping their arm with yours.<<else>>"Oh, I'll be alright. It's not for long," Ellis smiles, tentatively looping their arm with yours.<</if>> [[Next|cb3]]

Ellis frowns slightly, eyes flickering between you and Griffin, who looks utterly crestfallen. Arthur extends a hand to help them to their feet and they move carefully across the circle to stand at your side, hands clasped together in front of them. "Did I... miss something?" they whisper, leaning across toward you slightly, expression painted with confusion. You don't get the chance to answer before Avery speaks up again, although it is clear that Ellis is referring to your very visible kiss with Griffin earlier... [[Next|cb3]]

"Florrie." Florrie's face splits into a wide grin as she immediately jumps to her feet. "Babe, we are gonna have the //best// time," she squeaks excitedly as she wraps you in a tight squeeze. <<if $florrierom > 2>>After a moment she releases you, still grinning as she turns triumphantly back to the rest of the group, taking your hand in hers to lace your fingers together. Her hand is warm and soft. It feels good. Nice.<<else>>After a moment she releases you, quietly clapping her hands together and hopping in place. You very much get the sense that, if Florrie had her way, you'd be doing one of those jumping-up-and-down-screaming hugs right now, but mercifully the coupling moves on before she can initiate one.<</if>> [[Next|cb3]]

"Griffin." Griffin beams back at you, raising his eyebrows and pointing a finger at his chest in a non-verbal "Me?". <<if $agreeableness > 50>>You laugh and nod your head in a non-verbal "Yes" and, although you didn't think it was even possible, Griff might look even happier.<<else>>You roll your eyes, doing your best to suppress the smile that's fighting its way onto your face, and nod your head in a non-verbal "Yes". You didn't think it was possible, but Griff looks even happier.<</if>> <<if $gkiss>>He strides across the circle and winds an arm around your waist, <<if $mcheight gt 3>>pressing a kiss to your cheek as he squeezes you close.<<else>>pressing a kiss to the top of your head as he squeezes you close.<</if>> "Hey," he whispers as he draws back, cheeks flushed.<<else>>He strides across the circle, arms tightly crossed over his chest as if it's the only way he can keep his hands restrained. Griffin dips his face towards you as he takes up his position at your side. "Hey," he whispers in your ear, cheeks flushed.<</if>> [["Hey yourself."|cb3]]

"Imogen." Imogen immediately exhales, clutching at her chest with one hand. "For real?" "For real," you affirm, <<if $imogenrom > 1>><<if $agreeableness > 50>>with a smile, because //holy shit// that was adorable.<<else>>because //holy shit// that was adorable.<</if>><<else>>with a warm smile.<</if>> Imogen gets to her feet and carefully makes her way across the circle to stand beside you. [["Next"|cb3]]

"Nyra." <<if $nyradeal is "yes">>Nyra wears a smug smirk as she gets up from her seat and quietly makes her way to your side. Her arms are folded across her chest, and you are briefly amused by the thought that she probably looks more like a small bodyguard than a partner. When you glance across at her, you meet her gaze, and she just offers a curt nod. Yeah, you might have to give her some pointers on the whole 'convincing-everyone-she's-in-love' thing, because you aren't sure that polite nodding is going to cut it.<<else>>Nyra looks completely confused as she gets up from her seat and quietly makes her way to your side. She glances suspiciously across at you, folding her arms across her chest, but otherwise has nothing to say. Well, fine. At least your coupling has been quick and efficient. <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>Very on brand.<<else>>Your former teachers will watch this back with utter bewilderment.<</if>><</if>> <<if $nyradate>><<if $nyradeal isnot "yes" and $nyradeal isnot "no">>I've given it some thought, and <<cycle "$nyradeal">><<option "I'm coupling with Nyra because I want in on her deal. Let's win this thing." yes>><<option "I'm not taking Nyra's deal, but I'm intrigued by her." no>><</cycle>><br><br><</if>><</if>>[[Next|cb3]]

"Syd." Syd smirks, getting up out of their seat to swagger across to you. <<if $sydrom > 1>>"A $mcman of taste," they purr into your ear, winding an arm around your waist as they slide in beside you, fingers absentmindedly fiddling with the fabric of your top. Honestly, it's the sort of thing that would be deeply icky coming from anyone else, but there's just //something// about Syd that lets them pull it off.<<else>>"Take note, everyone. A $mcman of //taste//," they croon, and Vinh is unable to suppress a scoff.<</if>> [[Next|cb3]]

"Vinh." Vinh doesn't move from their seat, nodding their head slowly as the various cast members turn to look at them. Then they look up at you, smiling softly. "You sure?" "I'm sure," you affirm, and Vinh exhales the breath that they had been holding, rolling their shoulders to release any lingering tension as they stand up and make their way across the circle to stand next to you. For a moment, their arm twitches like they are thinking about reaching out to you, but then they clasp their hands behind their back instead. <<if $vinhrom > 1>>You wonder if they thought about holding yours. You're certainly thinking about it.<</if>> [[Next|cb3]]

<<if $coupledwith isnot "Arthur" and $coupledwith isnot "Ellis">><<set $arthurcouple to "Ellis">><<set $elliscouple to "Arthur">>"Arthur?" Avery nods her head toward Arthur, who smiles politely as he rises to his feet. There is a pause while Arthur smooths his shirt and clears his throat - preening that draws an eyeroll and an audibly impatient sigh from Syd. After a moment, though, he is finally ready to deliver his decision. "I would like to couple with..." Another dramatic pause follows, drawing another eyeroll from Syd, before he concludes. "Ellis." Ellis smiles warmly and begins to rise from their seat, but Arthur quickly holds out a hand. "Nono," he smiles. "Stay where you are. I'll come to you." <<if $coupledwith isnot "Florrie" and $coupledwith isnot "Griffin">>[[He does, taking Ellis' slender hand in his own as he settles in beside them.|cb4]]<<else>>[[He does, taking Ellis' slender hand in his own as he settles in beside them.|cb5]]<</if>><<else>><<include cb4>><</if>>

<<set $florriecouple to "Griffin">><<set $griffincouple to "Florrie">>Avery just nods towards Florrie next, who has already shuffled right to the edge of her seat and immediately bursts up to her feet on getting the go ahead from Avery. "Eeeeeeeeee! I'm excited for this part!" she squeaks, and Nyra raises an unenthused eyebrow. "We can see that, pal," Syd drawls, and Florrie falters instantly. "Don't listen to them, Florrie," Adegoke bristles defensively. "You go ahead." With a deep breath, Florrie puffs out her chest, twirling one finger in her short, pink hair. "I want to choose my partner based on the mini dates from earlier," she begins, after a deep breath, and Syd rolls their head impatiently from side to side. "I had //so// much fun with this person and I think that we have a lot in common and, even though he's a Cancer and I'm an Aries, I think we'll have a really great time together. So, I would like to couple up with Griffin." Griff beams as he gets to his feet and skirts around the circle to wrap Florrie in a big hug - although even with Florrie's heels, their height difference makes it look more like a headlock. "Thanks, kid," he smiles down at her, and she beams back. <<include cb4.1>>

Griffin and Florrie? They'd be pretty cute together - and they definitely match each other in energy. You give a little 'whoop' of support and clap your hands together, drawing looks of either amusement or reproach from Avery and the other cast members. Griffin and Florrie, though, smile happily back at you, and then at each other. You were right - they are pretty cute. <<include cb4.2>>

The combined energy of Florrie and Griffin? The world won't know what's hit it. God help everyone that encounters them. <<include cb4.2>>

The combined energy of Florrie and Griffin? The world won't know what's hit it. It's gonna be fantastic. <<include cb4.2>>

For a moment, you can't help but wonder if you made the wrong decision. <<include cb4.2>>

Avery's clear voice echoing around the room tears you away from that particular thought. <<if $coupledwith isnot "Syd" and $coupledwith isnot "Nyra">><<include cb5>><<else>><<include cb6>><</if>>

<<set $sydcouple to "Nyra">><<set $nyracouple to "Syd">>"Sydney?" "You know it's Syd, babe," Syd smirks as they get to their feet. "//Syd//?" Avery's tone is chilly as she corrects herself, scowling at Syd with an intensity that doesn't suggest even a hint of an apology. Syd is unfazed, though, grinning back at her with great satisfaction. "Alright, I'm gonna keep this tight. I pick Nyra." Nyra and Syd are already stood side by side, so Nyra just slides a little closer and Syd winds an arm around her waist. The pair exchange a smug, and somewhat knowing, look. <<nobr>><<if $nyradate>><br><br>You can't help but wonder if Nyra offered Syd the same deal that she offered to you and, more so, whether Syd accepted. <<if $motive is "money">>The benefit of your time with Nyra, you suppose, is that you are now very aware of her strategy. If she and Syd intend to come between you and the money, then you might have problems.<<else>>You aren't desperate to win the money, but you wouldn't say //no// to it, and you are now acutely aware of their strategy.<</if>><</if>><</nobr>> <<if $coupledwith is "Imogen">>[[Next|cb7]]<<elseif $coupledwith is "Adegoke">>[[Next|cb7]]<<else>>[[Next|cb6]]<</if>>

<<if $coupledwith isnot "Vinh">><<set $imogencouple to "Adegoke">><<set $adegokecouple to "Imogen">>"Imogen, you're up next." "Oh!" Imogen looks rather surprised at this - although there are only four cast members left, so it was a 25% chance. She rises uncertainly from her seat, and you notice that her hands are trembling slightly as she smooths down her skirt. "I wish I could choose everyone, actually, but I can't. I hope no one holds it against me..." "Everyone understands, Immi," Griff smiles reassuringly, and Imogen looks a //little// encouraged. "Well, I think we'll have a lot to talk about, so I'd like to choose Adegoke." <<include cb7>><<else>><<set $imogencouple to "Adegoke">><<set $adegokecouple to "Imogen">>"That leaves Imogen and Adegoke," Avery concludes, and Imogen actually looks quite relieved as she steps across to stand next to Adegoke. He greets her with a polite kiss on the cheek, hand resting gently on her shoulder. "I'm actually quite glad," she smiles. "We had a lovely time chatting before." "All Austen all the time," Adegoke affirms, with a bob of the head. <<include cb8>><</if>>

<<nobr>> <<if $coupledwith is "Imogen">><<set $vinhcouple to "Adegoke">><<set $adegokecouple to "Vinh">><<include cb7.2>> <<elseif $coupledwith is "Ellis">><<set $vinhcouple to "Arthur">><<set $arthurcouple to "Vinh">><<include cb7.3>> <<elseif $coupledwith is "Arthur">><<set $vinhcouple to "Ellis">><<set $elliscouple to "Vinh">><<include cb7.4>> <<elseif $coupledwith is "Griffin">><<set $vinhcouple to "Florrie">><<set $florriecouple to "Vinh">><<include cb7.5>> <<elseif $coupledwith is "Florrie">><<set $vinhcouple to "Griffin">><<set $griffincouple to "Vinh">><<include cb7.6>> <<elseif $coupledwith is "Adegoke">><<set $vinhcouple to "Imogen">><<set $imogencouple to "Vinh">><<include cb7.7>> <<elseif $coupledwith is "Syd">><<set $vinhcouple to "Nyra">><<set $nyracouple to "Vinh">><<include cb7.8>> <<elseif $coupledwith is "Nyra">><<set $vinhcouple to "Syd">><<set $sydcouple to "Vinh">><<include cb7.9>><</if>> <</nobr>>

"And that leaves Vinh and Adegoke." You suspect that Adegoke and Vinh could exit a burning building or witness a murder with casual indifference, so it is no surprise that they seem utterly unbothered by this outcome. Adegoke smiles warmly at Vinh, who returns the gesture as he wanders over to take up his spot next to them. <<include cb7.1>>

"And that leaves Vinh and Arthur." Arthur purses his lips and crosses to join Vinh. Being chosen last doesn't seem at all to his taste, and he does little to hide is his disdain. <<include cb7.1>>

"And that leaves Vinh and Ellis." Ellis smiles warmly across at Vinh as they make their way carefully across the circle to stand beside them. Upon arrival, they lean in to whisper something inaudible that actually does seem to bring a smile to Vinh's usually impassive face. <<include cb7.1>>

"And that leaves Vinh and Florrie." "Baaaaaaaaabe!" Florrie squeals as she skips across to Vinh, who wears a polite smile. Florrie uses little restraint as she collides with Vinh, whose eyes widen like they've just had the wind knocked right out of them as they uncertainly pat her back with one hand. <<include cb7.1>>

"And that leaves Vinh and Griffin." Griffin grins, undeterred by being the last picked, and ambles over to Vinh. He extends his hand for a fist bump, and for a moment Vinh just looks at it with total confusion. They look back up at the rest of the group and Florrie nods encouragingly at them. With a sigh, Vinh bumps their hand reluctantly against Griffin's and then buries it deep in their pocket. <<include cb7.1>>

"And that leaves Vinh and Imogen." Although she tries to hide it behind a forced smile, Imogen's disappointment at being picked last is plain. Vinh, though, looks utterly unbothered, smiling politely at Imogen as she makes her way across the circle to stand beside them. <<include cb7.1>>

"And that leaves Vinh and Nyra." Both Nyra and Vinh actually look quite pleased with this outcome. Already stood side by side, Nyra just shuffles to the side, rubbing their elbow with one hand and smirking like they've heard some joke that the rest of the group isn't aware of. <<include cb7.1>>

"And that leaves Vinh and Syd." Both Syd and Vinh actually look quite pleased with this outcome. Syd swaggers across the circle to stand next to Vinh, who bobs their head in a polite and restrained greeting. <<include cb7.1>>

It's got to be rough being the last people to be picked - like an American high school sports movie, or a Ru Paul's Drag Race challenge. You give a little cheer of support, clapping your hands together, and Vinh throws a bemused look in your direction. Appreciative? You wouldn't go that far, but they don't look put out. <<include cb8>>

They didn't go on //any// dates - it must feel kind of weird to end up coupled with someone who has been so actively avoiding getting to know you. <<if $coupledwith is "Arthur">>Alright, that thought feels a //little// hypocritical when you're coupled with //Arthur//, but that's different. You actually had a choice - $vinhcouple just drew the short straw.<</if>><<include cb8>>

You would never in a million years have put Vinh and $vinhcouple together, but hey ho. The first of many surprises in the villa, you expect. <<include cb8>>

You got to couple with $coupledwith - everything else is really neither here nor there. Best to just let people get on with it. <<include cb8>>

"Aaaaaaaaaaaand that's a wrap," Avery breathes, visibly relaxing as she tucks her pen behind her ear. "So I'm going to head out! The rest of the night is yours to enjoy as you choose. Your bags will be in your rooms when you head up later, so you'll know which is yours. $mcname - can you head down to the Blackout Room for a VT interview?" <<if $extraversion lte 40 or $neuroticism gte 60>>In truth, the idea of being interviewed pretty much makes you want to throw up.<<else>>An interview wouldn't ordinarily fuss you, but today has been //a lot//. What's a $mcguy gotta do for a moment of peace around here?<</if>> [[Next|pc1]]

<<set $visited to false>> "I don't want the others to be too alarmed by your absence or Ellis' departure, so I asked Charlie to tell them that you've been chosen by the two new cast members to get to know them better as they join the group. You'll spend the morning with them, and then rejoin the others in the villa this afternoon." <<include dc2>>

"Just like that?" you gawk. "Ellis is fucking dead and we're just gonna keep playing reality show?" Avery's expression softens as she looks back at you, just for a moment. Just long enough for you to wonder what toll this morning might have taken on her. She's soapy and clean, fresh clothes. Are the knees of her pyjama trousers stained red with blood? Then she hardens, shields up, and fixes you with an almost blank expression. "The world can't just stop, $mcname." <<if $ellisrom gte 3 or $murderfeels is "devvoed">>"Maybe it should!" It sort of bursts out of you, and you can't quite keep it back. You've just got this horrible fucking //ache// in your chest and you can't make it go away. The world might not stop for you, but it has for Ellis. That feels deeply fucking unfair.<<elseif $ellis gt 30>>"It isn't fair to just move on like they didn't matter." You don't make any effort to hide the bitterness in your tone. Ellis was here and they existed and they were //nice//.<<else>><<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Avery, you know that's not what I mean," you reply, attempting to mask your irritation. "It's just hard to move on and keep doing reality TV stuff like Ellis is fine and none of this ever happened."<<else>>"That's not what I'm //saying//," you reply, irritably, "but it's deeply fucking unfair that Ellis //dies// and we just keep doing reality TV bullshit like it never happened."<</if>><</if>> <<include dc3.1>>

"$mcname, //please// understand," Avery begins, shuffling a little closer to you. "Ellis //will// be mourned and they //will// be remembered. But right now it isn't //safe// for us to just stop everything. I don't know how people will react and Charlie and me just aren't equipped to manage it alone. Maybe when I can get in contact with someone- Maybe then I-" She sighs. "Maybe we can do something." [[Next|dc3.2]]

It still doesn't feel like enough, but Avery looks... //exhausted//. About as exhausted as you feel, and you know that there isn't anything more that she can offer. Because what else can be done, really? You can't leave, and Ellis can't come back, and that's really all there is to it. <<include dc2>>

You look down at your current attire. <<if $jammies is "hello">>You aren't sure that Hello Kitty pyjamas are the best choice for a morning of socialising.<<elseif $jammies is "slut">>You aren't sure that your sluttiest jammies are the best choice for a morning of socialising.<<elseif $jammies is "tee">>You aren't sure that your slobby pjs are the best choice for a morning of socialising.<<elseif $jammies is "pants">>You're sat here in your pants - that's hardly an appropriate choice for a morning of socialising.<<elseif $jammies is "normie">>You aren't sure that your jimjams are the best choice for a morning of socialising.<</if>> You've probably already made a very strange first impression on Atticus and Rowan - it would be nice if you didn't have to make a strange second impression as well. "You want me to spend the morning with Atticus and Rowan... in this?" "Oh, I grabbed some swimwear for you. We're sending you all down to the beach, so you can throw that on and you'll be ready to go." <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>Sure, like it's that simple. "And then I'll magically be presentable?" "You'll look //great//," she insists, with a dismissive hand wave. "It'll be fine."<<else>>She wears what might be a hint of a bemused smile, like she already //knows// that isn't going to cut it. "You'll look //great//," she insists, presumably reading your mind. "It'll be fine."<</if>> <<include dc2>>

"So, //you// are the one who's set up this thing with Atticus and Rowan. They didn't //actually// choose to get to know me?" Avery nods her head and makes a contented little "mmhmm" sound like she's quite pleased with herself. She might be missing the reluctance in your tone. "...And they're not actually interested in me at all?" <<if $believetheaccident>>Avery lets out a little chuckle and, for the first time so far, you sort of forget about the whole Ellis situation. It just feels like a normal conversation, and Avery is easier to talk to than you'd expected. Of course, then you have that thought, and you remember the Ellis thing again. Still, you did forget for about 5 seconds, which feels like progress. She wiggles her nose mischievously. "Gonna have to go talk to them to find out, aren't you?"<<else>>Avery lets out a little chuckle, and you narrow your eyes at her. She's trying to get you to forget that a person died this morning - trying to salvage this ridiculous situation and get things back to normal. She wiggles her nose mischievously. "Gonna have to go talk to them to find out, aren't you?" This doesn't feel like the time for dating shenanigans, but sure, whatever. Avery is playing a part, and you're going to play along. For now.<</if>> <<include dc2>>

It's an immediate concern. You like $coupledwith, and you'd rather not be tricked into partaking in what you're sure the cameras would spin as a public snub. "Wait, will $coupledwith think I've //chosen// this morning date thing?" "Don't worry," Avery smiles softly. "I'm pretty sure Charlie's telling them that Atticus and Rowan chose you, not the other way round. That wouldn't make much sense." Well, that's a relief. Sneaking out of bed on the first morning together //and// doing it to go on a date with someone else probably isn't a great look, but at least it could be worse. <<include dc2>>

The realisation strikes you quite suddenly, actually. Although Ellis is fine, they're still not here. Does that leave you single? Will you still be allowed to continue on? "I was coupled with Ellis. What happens now they're gone?" "Well, you're single," Avery replies, head wobbling from side to side as she thinks it through, "So I guess you'll need to grab someone's attention ready for the next coupling." "And that's gonna be...?" "Hmmm, good question..." Avery pulls a pen from behind her ear and taps it thoughtfully against her lip for a moment. "I had planned to let these first couples sit for at least four or five days, but I suppose now that Ellis has left us I might have to move it up... and with Atticus and Rowan arriving... I guess maybe tomorrow? Just one night alone." Well... that doesn't seem so bad, you suppose. <<include dc2>>

It's a morbid thought, but given that you can't fucking leave, it can't hurt to check. "So now... in terms of the show... I'm single?" Avery's head tilts from side to side, like she's weighing the options. "Yes," she answers finally, "I suppose you are. I had planned to let these first couples sit for at least four or five days, but I suppose now that Ellis has left us I might have to move it up... and with Atticus and Rowan arriving... I guess maybe tomorrow? Just one night alone." Oh, shit, okay. That feels quick. Ellis is dead, and now you're supposed to just... go and graft on someone else? <<if $neuroticism gt 60>>You barely managed it the first time around, but //now?!//<<else>>Sure, you'd handled it okay the first time around, but //now//?!<</if>> There's just been a murder, this hardly seems like the time for flirting. <<include dc2>>

God, you just... can't think of anything you want less in the world right now. <<if $neuroticism lte 50>>Then the image of Ellis bleeding out on the floor flashes back into your mind and you think okay, fine, maybe there are a few things you'd want to do less.<br><br><</if>><<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"//Please// don't make me go on this date thing. I'm //so// tired," you groan, lolling back in your seat.<<else>>"I don't want to do this date thing," you groan, lolling back in your seat. "Like, //really// don't want to."<</if>> <<if $avery gte 30>>Avery gives you a sympathetic look. "Can't say I blame you," she replies.<<else>>"Sorry, $mcname," Avery replies, with a little shrug.<</if>> "But I can't just let you stay here. It won't be long - you'll be back in the villa in no time. Atticus and Rowan are usually pretty good company - it's one of the reasons I was saving them." Saving them. Like a bar of chocolate in the back of a cupboard. [[Into the bathroom.|rowanatticusdate]]

"Alright, I'm ready." You steel your resolve and get up out of your seat. After god knows how long curled up in this dumb egg chair you're a little unsteady on your feet, and Avery stands to place a steadying hand on your arm. Just like before. "Good," she smiles, visibly relieved, and then she steps back again. "You can just get ready and then head out to the terrace. Rowan and Atticus know the plan." [[Into the bathroom.|rowanatticusdate]]

Avery stands, pacing back and forth for a moment as she produces a pen from behind her ear to tap against her lip. "A murder," she repeats, although it doesn't sound like she's addressing you directly. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>"Yes," you answer, just in case. Better to be safe than sorry, right?<br><br><</if>>"A murder, a murder, a murder..." Okay, now you //know// she isn't talking to you. When she looks back at you, she has the practiced air of someone who has buried their feelings as deep as they can - somewhere they can't reach them. "Sorry, I'm just trying to think of... what to //do//." <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>To be fair, you'd hate to be in Avery's shoes right now. If she can't reach anyone and there's nowhere for you to go, then... you're just trapped here. With a murderer.<<else>><<if $agreeableness lt 50>>"Maybe start with calling the fucking police?!" you gawk. What the fuck is wrong with this place?! There's been a murder! You can't just sit on your hands!<<else>>"Um..." you begin, a little tentatively. "Perhaps call the police?" There's just been a fucking //murder// - this hardly seems like the time for dithering about. Still, you do //try// to put it nicely.<</if>> Avery fixes you with a decidedly unimpressed look. "Did you think I haven't fucking thought of that?! Have you not been //listening//?" she snaps, slamming her pen down onto the desk. "There must be a storm, or something, because I haven’t been able to get a signal to reach the team //or// anyone else. We are just going to have to continue as planned. There isn’t another option. That’s why I don’t want to upset the rest of the cast – //there isn’t a choice here.// It's just until the UK offices get back to me - otherwise we're starting a panic without any way to //do anything about it//."<</if>> [[Next|avmc2]]

Avery paces back and forth, drumming that pen against her lip. If you didn't know better, you'd say that she's whispering 'fuck, fuck, fuck' under her breath, but you can't be sure - you'd just as easily believe that it's her short, sharp breathing. When no one has spoken for an uncomfortably long time, Avery turns abruptly back to you. "Okay, you know what, I can handle it," she tells you, voice full of confidence. You don't know her well, but to be fair, if you had to lay something like this at anyone's door then it's probably Avery that you'd guess as most equipped to 'handle it' - whatever that means. "You... can?" Now doesn't seem like a great time to sound so uncertain, but even someone like Avery making the jump from 'this was an accident' to 'this was a murder' to 'okay, I can handle this' in the space of mere minutes feels //quick//. Is she always this quick to try and fix things, or does she ever just take the time to... digest? "Yes." Her answer is decisive. No room for further questioning. Not now, anyway. <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<link "Great! Can I go back to my room, now?" "avmc3">><</link>><br> <<link "So I can go? She's sure she has it all under control?" "avmc4">><</link>><br> <<if $avery gte 30 and $teamedwith isnot "Ellis">><<link "I want to help." "avmc5">><<set $teamedwith to "Avery">><</link>><br><<else>><<link "I want to help." "avmc6">><</link>><</if>> <</nobr>></div>

Frankly, it's pretty much the reaction you'd been hoping for. You've already got the whole reality TV show thing to contend with - faffing about solving a murder on top of that is very much not what you need right now. Alright, fine, that was sarcastic. "Great." You breathe a sigh of relief. "Can I head back to my room now?" There has been a fucking murder. You're a lowly office temp, not a fucking detective. There's nothing more you can do here. <<include avmc3.1>>

Since her declaration that she's got things under control, Avery has been shuffling papers around behind one of the desks, and she looks up like she'd quite forgotten that you are still there. "Ah! No..." she begins, <<include datingchoiceone>>

Frankly, it's pretty much the reaction you'd been hoping for. You've already got the whole reality TV show thing to contend with - faffing about solving a murder on top of that is very much not what you need right now. Alright, fine, that was sarcastic. "So, I can just... go?" There has been a fucking murder. You're a lowly office temp, not a fucking detective. There's nothing more you can do here. <<include avmc3.1>>

"I want to help," you tell her, sincerely, not moving from your seat. Avery might think that she has it all under control, but you must be able to do //something//, right? You can't know that there might be a murderer in this villa and just do //nothing//. Avery sighs, tipping her face up to the ceiling, and then she looks at you. "You want to help." It doesn't sound like a question. In fact, Avery sounds deeply sceptical, <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>which feels a little unfair. You //are// helpful. You //could// help. Maybe Avery is hoping for some kind of Velma Dinkley type, but you're pretty much the next best thing.<<else>>and you suppose you can't blame her. You aren't exactly renowned for your helpfulness, or your organisational capabilities, or your murder mystery solving or whatever. Maybe you should have signed up with a Scooby gang to cut your teeth or something.<</if>> <<if $agreeableness gt 50>><<include avmc5.2>><<else>><<include avmc5.1>><</if>>

"Did I stutter?" You raise an eyebrow, and Avery rolls her eyes. "I know you're having a rough day," Avery begins, with a hint of a smile. "But maybe you could //try// to be less of an ass." And, in spite of yourself, you laugh. It feels kind of weird to laugh, actually, after everything that has happened. Nice weird, though. <div class="choices"><<link "//Less// of an ass? Is she calling me an ass?!" "avmc5.1.1">><<inc-funny>><</link>> <<link "Alright, alright, I'll try." "avmc5.1.2">><<inc-friendly>><<set $avery += 1>><</link>> <<link "No promises." "avmc5.1.3">><<dec-funny>><<dec-friendly>><</link>> <<link "But being an ass is the source of my investigative power?" "avmc5.1.4">><<inc-funny>><</link>> <<if $women>><<if not $visited>><<link "Would being less of an ass make me more or less attractive to her?" "avmc5.1.5">><<set $avery -= 1>><<inc-thot>><<set $averyrom += 1>><</link>><</if>><</if>></div>

"Are you calling me an ass?!" you ask, with a grin. [["If the shoe fits."|averyhang]]

"Alright, alright," you tell her, with a cheeky smile, "I'll try." Avery shakes her head in a feeble attempt to keep her own expression neutral. [["Well, I guess that's as much as I could hope for."|averyhang]]

"No promises," you tell her, and Avery shakes her head in a feeble attempt to keep her expression neutral. [["Well, I guess that's as much as I could hope for."|averyhang]]

"But being an ass is the source of my investigative power?" you grimace, and Avery shakes her head in a feeble attempt to keep the smile off her face. [["Alright, Veronica Mars."|averyhang]]

"Would that make me more or less attractive to you?" you grin, and Avery shakes her head in a feeble attempt to keep her own expression neutral. "Really? We're discussing a possible murder and you're trying to flirt with me?" "It was an innocent question," you retort, knowing that it absolutely wasn't an innocent question, and Avery narrows her eyes at you. "I don't find you at all attractive, so don't worry about it." [[Next|averyhang]]

"//Yes//," you insist, "I want to help." Avery tips her head to the side, eyes slightly narrowed, sizing you up. "I should have done your casting interviews," she says after a moment. "When Charlie described you as a 'funny onion', I thought he was just being Charlie." <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<link "A funny onion? ...Does Charlie //like// funny onions?" "avmc5.2.1">><<set $avery -= 1>><</link>><br> <<link "I think of myself as more of an amusing shallot." "avmc5.2.2">><<inc-funny>><</link>><br> <<link "That doesn't sound like the most official post-interview reporting ever." "avmc5.2.3">><<dec-funny>><</link>><br> <<if $women>><<if not $visited>><<link "Is it also because I'm devastatingly attractive? Or just the onion thing?" "avmc5.2.4">><<inc-thot>><</link>><</if>><</if>> <</nobr>></div>

"Did you, uh, get the vibe that he meant that in a... good way?" you venture, and Avery rolls her eyes. "I'm not going to matchmake you with my producer, $mcname," she tells you flatly, "You'd better hope that he //didn't// mean it in a 'good way'. I'm serious - stay away from him." The emphasis she places on those last few words are nothing short of scathing. [[Oh, right... yeah.|averyhang]]

"I think of myself as more of an amusing shallot," you tell her, and Avery shakes her head in a feeble attempt to keep her own expression neutral. "You're not funny." "You just said I was a funny onion." "I said //Charlie// called you a funny onion," she corrects, one finger pointed in your direction, "//I// think of you as an irritating aubergine." [[Next.|averyhang]]

"That doesn't sound like the most official post-interview reporting ever." Avery smiles fondly. "Have you met Charlie? Were you expecting 15 pages of double-spaced transcripts?" [[Yeah. She has a point.|averyhang]]

"Is it also because I'm devastatingly attractive?" you grin, and Avery shakes her head in a feeble attempt to keep her own expression neutral. "Or just the onion thing?" "He didn't mention it," she replies, "but I'd seen the pictures." <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>You're sort of caught off guard for a moment. Did she just call you attractive? Avery? The producer? In like... a flirty way? You can't tell - you'd kind of been expecting for her to scowl at you or something. Are you attractive?! You can't even tell at this point.<<else>>You're sort of caught off guard for a moment. Did she just call you attractive? Avery? The producer? You //are// hot and she //has// cast you on a reality TV show, so it might just be like... an objective, factual way? Or did she mean it in, like, a flirty way? You can't tell, you'd kind of been expecting for her to scowl at you or something.<</if>> [[Next|averyhang]]

"I want to help," you tell her, sincerely, not moving from your seat. Avery might think that she has it all under control, but you must be able to do //something//, right? You can't know that there might be a murderer in this villa and just do //nothing//. Avery sighs, tipping her face up to the ceiling, and then she looks at you. "Just sleep on it, okay? Think about it. You don't have to do this." "I want to, though." She smiles weakly. "You just found a dead body, $mcname. I don't think you know what you want." Avery moves behind a desk, shuffling papers as she explains the next steps to you, always one step ahead. "But I suppose you're holding all the cards here, right?" She's right. Avery //needs// your cooperation. She stands to gain more from accepting your offer of help than she could be losing, you suppose. Avery takes a deep breath before she continues, <<include datingchoiceone>>

Avery runs her hands down her face and takes a deep breath, before reluctantly saying, "Okay, if you want to help, you can start by telling me what you know so far about the others. You've spent some time with the other cast members one on one since they arrived. Has anyone seemed particularly suspicious?" <<if $agreeableness lte 50>>"So, thirty seconds ago you hadn't even considered the possibility, and now you want to form some kind of Poirot and Captain Hastings duo to work out who did it?" you frown, and Avery huffs out an exasperated breath.<<else>>"Are you suggesting that we become some kind of Poirot-and-Captain-Hastings-esque duo to work out who did this?" you ask, disbelievingly, and Avery huffs out an exasperated breath.<</if>> "What's the alternative? We just don't think about it? Ignore it and hope for the best? Or would you prefer to just tell everyone and dissolve into complete chaos? It should only be hours, a day max, until I can reach someone. WE just need to keep things ticking over until then." You think about it. You did say you wanted to help, and Avery has already established that the police thing is out. So... yeah, you guess that does leave the detective duo thing. "Alright." It feels like one of the most important 'alright's you might ever say, and the weight of it is plain in your tone. "Alright," Avery parrots back, with a decisive nod of the head. "Although, for the record, there are about a thousand more obvious detective duos than Poirot and Hastings. They're barely even a duo - it's all about Poirot." <<if $conscientiousness gt 60>>"Exactly," you reply, "and I'm the Poirot." Joking at a time like this feels completely weird, but you still manage a weak smile. Avery smiles back, and even though the joke was at her expense, there's something like gratitude in her tired, green eyes.<<else>>"Well, then, I guess I'm the Hastings," you smile weakly. You're not exactly renowned for your organisational skills, nor for your little grey cells. If you manage to work out who the murderer is, it's just as likely to be through chance as it is through actual deduction. Avery smiles back at you, equally feebly, and there's something like gratitude in her tired, green eyes.<</if>> "So," she repeats, after a heavy sigh, "//has// anyone seemed particularly suspicious?" You think about it for a moment. You're about to effectively accuse someone of murder - there's no time for fucking around. <<include suschoice>>

"Adegoke," you answer, certainly. Avery just glances across at you, her eyebrows quirked slightly up, as she paces back and forth. "Go on." <<if $coupledwith is "Adegoke">>"Well, for one thing, he wasn't in bed when I woke up this morning," you begin, <<if $adegokerom gte 3>>and you feel a little twinge of something in your stomach. Reluctance? Regret? Disappointment? You can't name it, but it's there. You //wish// that he had been there and you weren't having to have this conversation right now.<<else>>with an indifferent shrug. Sure, you're coupled with Adegoke, but it's not like you're married to him. Besides, if he turns out to be a murderer...<</if>> "Otherwise, I just get... I don't know, a vibe?"<<else>>You shrug. "I mean, I don't have hard and fast //evidence//," you explain. "I just get... I don't know, a vibe?"<</if>> Avery pinches the bridge of her nose between her finger and thumb and lets out an exasperated sigh. "//A vibe//," she repeats. "I conducted Adegoke's casting interviews and I don't think that he could commit //murder//. He seems genuine to me, but I'll take your word for it. I'll keep an eye on him, and I ask that you do the same." You just nod your head. It's going to take more than just keeping an eye out to bring an actual murderer to justice, though - [[or to stop it from happening again.|avpostsus]]

"Arthur," you answer, certainly, and Avery just shakes her head as she paces back and forth. "Go on." <<if $arthurclue1>>"He said that he'd //never// cried at a movie before. That's suspicious, right?" you begin. <<if $coupledwith isnot "Arthur">>"Plus, he's a total dick." Avery laughs. It's a little unexpected, eyes crinkling at the corners as she spins on her heel to face you. <<include sus2.1>><<else>>"And he didn't come to bed last night. He wasn't there when I went to sleep or when I woke up." <<include sus2.2>><</if>><<else>><<if $coupledwith is "Arthur">><<if $artkiss>>You sigh.<<else>>You shrug.<</if>> "He didn't come to bed last night. He wasn't there when I went to sleep or when I woke up." <<include sus2>><<else>>"He's a total dick, isn't he?" you tell her with a shrug, and Avery laughs. <<include sus2.1>><</if>><</if>>

"He isn't that bad once you get to know him," she replies, "but I see what you mean. He does have a..." She waves her pen around in the air, as if trying to conjure the right words. "A callous disregard for the feelings of others?" you venture, and she smiles at you. "Yes, something like that. I'll keep an eye on him, and I ask that you do the same." <<include sus2.3>>

<<if $acreason is "rom">>"Don't take it too personally," she tells you, with a gentle smile. "He's got... issues. But I take your point - he had opportunity. I'll keep an eye on him, and I ask that you do the same."<<else>>"Okay, so he had opportunity," she replies, tapping her pen against her lip again. "Let's keep an eye on him. I'll watch him closely, and I ask that you do the same."<</if>> <<include sus2.3>>

You just nod your head. It's going to take more than just keeping an eye out to bring an actual murderer to justice, though - or to stop it from happening again. [[Next|avpostsus]]

"Florrie," you answer, certainly, and Avery laughs. It's unexpected - it almost makes you jump. <<if $agreeableness lt 50>>"What?!" You can't help but feel a little defensive. Why ask if she wasn't interested in your answer?<<else>>"What?" You smile. You can't help it, really, in spite of the incredible strange situation you've found yourself in. There's just something about that laugh.<</if>> "Florrie? Really?" Avery asks, her disbelief plain. "I'm not sure she's done anything quietly or subtly in her life." "Look, I ran into her in one of the dressing rooms while I was getting ready to enter the villa. She //said// she'd got lost looking for the bathroom, but she could have been snooping around and just using her... giddiness... as a cover." "I see. Did anyone else know about this?" "No, but she asked me not to mention it to Charlie. Seemed worried about him finding out." Avery nods slowly, smile fading. "Well, going forward, let's just keep this between us. But I'll keep a close eye on Florrie, and I ask that you do the same." You just nod your head. It's going to take more than just keeping an eye out to bring an actual murderer to justice, though - or to stop it from happening again. [[Next|avpostsus]]

"Griffin," you answer, certainly, and Avery raises her eyebrows. <<if $gkiss>>"Oh?" she ventures. "You seemed pretty cosy with him on the speed dates?" Despite her best efforts, she can't keep her expression neutral and a little smirk creeps onto her face. You ignore it. "That's just it - he's //quick//. I just don't think he can be genuine. He must be hiding something."<<else>>"Oh?" "He's like a human golden retriever, and I'm not buying it. No one is that... easy."<</if>> Avery nods her head slowly. "Personally? I'd put Griffin at the bottom of my list of suspects," she tells you, still pacing back and forth. "But I'll keep a close eye on him, and I ask that you do the same." You just nod your head. It's going to take more than just keeping an eye out to bring an actual murderer to justice, though - or to stop it from happening again. [[Next|avpostsus]]

"Imogen," you answer, certainly, and Avery raises her eyebrows. "Oh?" <<if $imogenclue1>>"It was something she said last night as she was falling asleep," you begin, with a sigh. You don't want to suspect Imogen - you want to trust her. But you don't. "She said 'This just isn't real'. She knows something." Avery raises her eyebrows. "Something I don't? Because I can assure you, this show is very much real." "I mean, I know it's real in the sense that we are definitely here and being filmed, but..." "But what?" she snaps. "But I've just been fooled for the //months// of work I've put into this show? No." She shakes her head decisively, hands on her hips as she turns on her heel to face you. "Not possible." You sense that now isn't the best time to argue with her. She's right, it does seem far fetched - but so does pretty much everything about this situation. You don't say anything else. Best to just let her have it.<<else>>"Yeah. No one that sweet would apply to a show like this if they didn't have something to hide." Avery nods her head slowly. "I guess you have a point," she shrugs, tapping her pen against her lip. "Alright. I'll keep a closer eye on her, and I ask that you do the same." You just nod your head. It's going to take more than just keeping an eye out to bring an actual murderer to justice, though - or to stop it from happening again.<</if>> [[Next|avpostsus]]

"Nyra," you answer, certainly, and Avery just shakes her head as she paces back and forth. "Go on." <<if $nyraclue2>><<include sus6.1>><<elseif $nyraclue3>><<include sus6.2>><<elseif $nyraclue1>><<include sus6.3>><<elseif $nyraclue4>><<include sus6.4>><<else>><<include sus6.5>><</if>>

"Well, for one thing, she fucking //threw me over her head//." Avery swivels to face you at that, bemused smile on her lips as she taps her pen against them. "Alright, fair point. She's strong," she shrugs. <<include sus6.1.1>>

<<if $nyraclue1>>"And that's it?" You think back over the date again. "When we were on the date, Nyra said she needed the money really badly and that she'd do anything to get it." <<include sys6.3.1>><<else>>"Anything else?" <<include sys6.3.2>><</if>>

"It was this thing she said on the speed dates. She said that if I didn't sit down she'd be //caught// committing murder on camera. That's just strange phrasing, right? Not that she'd do it, that she'd be caught." Avery swivels to face you at that. "That... is quite strange phrasing," she concedes. <<include sys6.1.1>>

"Well, for starters, she said she needed the money really badly and that she'd do anything to get it."

Avery nods her head slowly. "And you think that was an oblique hint that she was planning on committing murder later that day?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You scoff. You're just doing as she asked and explaining your choice. It seems a bit tight for her to get snooty about your explanation when she doesn't have any better insight. At least, not that she's sharing.<<else>>You scowl. She's asking you for help - now doesn't seem like the time to be fucking snooty about it what you have to say.<</if>> "Look, I'm not saying I know for sure, I'm just telling you what's been suspicious." "You're right," she concedes. "Anything else?" <<include sus6.3.2>>

<<if $nyraclue4>>"Yes, actually. She didn't come to bed last night. She wasn't there when I went to sleep or when I woke." "Okay, so she had means //and// opportunity," she replies, tapping her pen against her lip again. "Let's keep an eye on her. I'll watch her closely, and I ask that you do the same."<<else>>"No. I mean, there's her generally abrasive personality..." "And naturally, the strongest female contestant is the most suspicious. Sure." Avery rolls her eyes. "Let's keep an eye on her. I'll watch her closely, and I ask that you do the same."<</if>> [[Next|avpostsus]]

"She didn't come to bed last night. She wasn't there when I went to sleep or when I woke." Avery nods her head slowly. "So she had the opportunity," she replies, tapping her pen against her lip. "Let's keep an eye on her. I'll watch her closely, and I ask that you do the same." [[Next|avpostsus]]

"I mean, I don't have //evidence//..." you begin, "but have you spoken to her? Her personality is evidence enough." "And naturally, the strongest female contestant is the most suspicious. Sure." Avery rolls her eyes. "Let's keep an eye on her. I'll watch her closely, and I ask that you do the same." [[Next|avpostsus]]

"Syd," you answer, certainly. "Because?" she replies immediately, with a little more bite than you had expected. It takes you a little by surprise, actually. //What// is the deal with Avery and Syd? That's suspicious in and of itself. "They just seem like the type," you shrug, slowly, watching Avery's reaction. She's turned away, though, with her back to you so you can't see it. "Okay, well, I'll keep a close eye on them going forward, then. I ask that you do the same." You just nod your head. It's going to take more than just keeping an eye out to bring an actual murderer to justice, though - or to stop it from happening again. And you'll need to watch //really// closely to figure out whatever is going on between Avery and Syd. [[Next|avpostsus]]

"Vinh," you answer, certainly. Avery just glances across at you, her eyebrows quirked slightly up, as she paces back and forth. "Oh?" "They're a loner. They didn't go on any of the dates. What are they here for, if not that?" you begin, and Avery tips her head from side to side as she considers your point. <<if $vinhclue1>>"And there's this thing they said last night. I made a joke about being a murderer and their reaction was... I don't know, it just seems now like maybe they knew something. Something that I didn't know." "Vinh has a lot of unexpected reactions to things," she replies, with what you think might be a fond smile. "I'm not sure that makes them the sort of person that would commit murder, but I'll keep an eye on them, and I'll ask that you do the same." You just nod your head. It's going to take more than just keeping an eye out to bring an actual murderer to justice, though - or to stop it from happening again.<<else>>"And they showed up outside just before the coupling. That was... I don't know. Weird, right?" "You were also outside just before the coupling," Avery points out, with a slightly bemused expression. "Yeah, but I wasn't out there in a shady way." And she laughs. It takes you by surprise, but it's a nice laugh. It feels weird to notice something like that in the midst of accusing someone of murder, though. "Alright. I don't see it, but if you do... let's just agree to keep an eye on them. I'll watch out for them, and you can do the same." You just nod your head. It's going to take more than just keeping an eye out to bring an actual murderer to justice, though - or to stop it from happening again.<</if>> [[Next|avpostsus]]

"Atticus and Rowan seemed pretty fucking suspicious," you tell her, decisively. "Given that they were //stood over the fucking body//." Avery nods, and you think you notice her rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I have no idea what they were doing wandering about like that. Rowan said they wanted to play a prank but..." she pauses, tipping her head from side to side as she taps the pen against her lip. "I'm not sure I bought it. And I'm not sure they bought my story about Ellis being alive." "But they said they had?" "They said so, but there was... a moment. They shared a look." There's a moment of silence as you digest it. You know that Atticus and Rowan saw Ellis' body. You don't know what they did or saw before you arrived. You know that Avery told them that Ellis is going to be okay, and that they had been taken to hospital. You know they said that they believed it. You know that Avery isn't sure if they really do. This shit is getting complicated. Avery clears her throat, spinning on her heel to face you. As complicated as things have become, she still manages to look decisive. In control. "We'll watch them. I'll keep an eye on them, and you can do the same." You just nod your head. It's going to take more than just keeping an eye out to bring an actual murderer to justice, though - or to stop it from happening again. [[Next|avpostsus]]

"You wanna talk suspicious?" you laugh. It sounds more hysterical than you had hoped. "Let's talk about the only two people who know where we are at all times, who'd know when it was safe to commit a murder, and who knows //what the fuck is going on here//." "I didn't do this, $mcname," Avery replies flatly, turning to face you, hands on her hips. "I'm a control freak and a coward and a liar, but I'm not a fucking murderer." "And Charlie?" <<if $charlierom gte 3>>Your chest squeezes at the mention of his name. Jesus fucking Christ, $mcname, get it together. You think he might be a fucking murderer and even now you can't keep the butterflies at bay.<br><br><</if>>Avery shakes her head decisively. "He didn't do this." "How can you be sure?" There isn't even a pause before Avery responds. She answers you with absolute conviction. "I know him. You didn't see his face when he found out what had happened. You can't fake that." <<if $charlieclue1>>"There was this thing he said." You rub a hand over your face as you try to recall the wording. It feels like forever ago now. "Way back in the first interview. When I said I'd read law, he made this dumb joke about calling me if he ever needed a lawyer, and when I asked why he'd need representation he was like 'Well, you obviously don't know very much about me, do you?'" Avery waves a hand dismissively. "That's exactly the sort of stupid joke that Charlie would make," she shrugs. "He's got a terrible sense of humour, he's not a fucking murderer. Drop it." And you sense that you'd better not press the issue further. If she wants to believe that it could never be Charlie, then fine. You know who to look out for, though. You don't say anything else. Best to just let her have it.<<else>>You just nod your head. There's no merit in arguing your point further with her. You know who you need to keep a close eye on. And they have the cameras. So you're pretty sure they'll be keeping a close eye on you, too.<</if>> "Choose someone else." "What?" Avery looks at you like you're a complete fucking idiot. Maybe you are - you did just accuse her of murder to her face. "Choose someone else." You frown, furrow your brow, and consider your fellow cast members. Then it hits you. <<include suschoice>>

"I have no fucking idea," you sigh. "None of the people I've met seem like //murderers//." "But you think this was a murder?" Okay, it's a fair question. You're //sure// that this wasn't an accident. It couldn't possibly be. And yet, you just aren't willing to accuse anyone that you've met of committing the crime. Not even here, just to Avery. //You just don't know//. "Yes," is all you can say in reply, and Avery nods slowly. "Okay." For a moment, the only sound is Avery's pacing back and forth. Then she turns back to you. "Okay. Let's just... keep an eye out. Look out for //anything// suspicious, and I'll do the same." You just nod your head. It's going to take more than just keeping an eye out to bring an actual murderer to justice, though - or to stop it from happening again. [[Next|avpostsus]]

Avery seems to be putting a lot of trust in you and, now you turn your attention to the question of who killed Ellis, it strikes you as a little odd that she seems so certain that it wasn't you. Perhaps she knows more than she's letting on? "How can you be so sure it wasn't me?" you ask, without really thinking about what a risky question that is. What if now she //does// think it was you? You'd quite like to take it back, but you can't. That's the tricky thing with words. She shrugs, and then she looks at you for a long time. "I suppose I don't." Your stomach drops. //Fuck//. "But I don't know if I've ever seen someone look as shocked as you did looking down at Ellis' body. Hell of a performance if you had been the one to kill them." Well... okay, then. Now, it wasn't you. So who was it? <<include suschoice>>

Avery disappears behind a monitor for a moment and you just listen to the sound of rustling papers, punctuated with the occasional sound of her humming thoughtfully or clearing her throat. She returns without her pen and settles back down onto the stool, arms folded in her lap. "We just need to kill a little more time before you can go back. We can say it was an overlong VT after everything that happened." "But we're not going to film an overlong VT?" "God, no," Avery answers dismissively, and then she smiles at you in that restrained way that wrinkles her nose a little - like she knows she's trying to make a joke, but isn't quite ready to really own it. "You look terrible." <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<link "Oh god, really?" "avps1">><<dec-funny>><</link>><br> <<link "I just (sort of) agreed to help her try to solve a murder - shouldn't she be trying to bolster my confidence?" "avps2">><<set $avery += 1>><<inc-bold>><</link>><br> <<link "Well, if you hadn't kept me locked up in here, I might have been able to take a shower." "avps3">><<dec-friendly>><</link>><br> <<link "Hey, if I wasn't devastatingly hot, I wouldn't be here." "avps4">><<inc-bold>><<inc-thot>><</link>><br> <<link "Is this how Avery flirts? Because it seems like she's negging me." "avps5">><<set $averyrom += 1>><</link>> <</nobr>></div>

Your hand goes up to your face instinctively, fiddling with your hair. "Oh god, really?" you grimace, and Avery smiles at you like you're very, very stupid. She shakes her head, and you aren't sure if it's intended as a dismissal or an affirmation that you do not, in fact, look terrible. <<if $conscientiousness lt 40>>Maybe she was onto something with the stupid thing.<</if>> [[Next|avstr]]

"Shouldn't you be trying to big me up right now?" <<if $neuroticism gt 60>>you laugh. At least, you try to laugh - it comes out a bit more shuddering and anxious than you had hoped.<<else>>you smirk.<</if>> You've just agreed to help Avery solve a murder (alright, to keep an eye on things til the cops show up) so as far as you're concerned, she should be your personal hype machine right about now. Avery just shakes her head, and you aren't sure if it's intended as a dismissal or confirmation that she will absolutely not be your personal hype machine. [[Next|avstr]]

"Hey, that's on you," you point out. "If you hadn't kept me locked up in here, I might have been able to shower." Avery rolls her eyes, which you choose to interpret as an admission of guilt, and gets up from the stool and wanders back behind the monitors, thoroughly out of your line of sight. [[So... is that a no on the shower, then?|avstr]]

"Hey, if I wasn't devastatingly hot, I wouldn't be here," you point out, like you've totally got her now. She just shakes her head, and you aren't sure if it's intended as a dismissal or an affirmation that you are not, in fact, devastatingly hot. You choose to believe the former. [[Next|avstr]]

"Is this how you flirt?" you grin. "Because that sounded like a neg. You're negging me." "Isn't that when you pull someone's trousers down unexpectedly?" she asks, sitting up a little straighter, voice clipped and formal and distant. "No, that's kecking." She nods like you've just told her the answer to one of life's greatest problems - some kind of profound and serious question. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>Then you realise that she's distracted you. "Wait, you misdirected me from the negging!" You point accusingly in her direction, but she just shrugs her shoulders and gets up from the stool to wander back behind the monitors. "I don't know what you're talking about."<<else>>Then you realise that she's distracted you, and you narrow your eyes accusingly in her direction. Her face remains a picture of impartiality, but you know that she knows that you know. Or some combination of those words.<</if>> She gets up from the stool and wanders back behind the monitors, thoroughly out of your line of sight. [[Next|avstr]]

Avery spends the rest of the morning alternately writing frantic notes, peppering you with instructions and barraging you with questions. <<if $extraversion lt 50>>After as little sleep as you have had, it feels a bit like a very strange torture technique, if the torturer didn't //actually// think that you had any information that they really wanted.<<else>>It's a good way to keep you awake, and you don't really mind talking anyway.<</if>> Just when you feel like you're going to drift off in the chair, she comes out with another "Tell me again what you'll say if someone asks you where Ellis is?" or "What about if they ask you whether you saw them before they left?" or "Ellis didn't seem like the clumsy type - how could we make the accident story more credible?" After she has exhausted the topic of your return to the villa and how you'll handle the various questions that someone might ask about Ellis, there's a nice silence where she's just tapping away on the keyboard and you think it might be the most relaxing sound you've ever heard. "Are you going to be alright? Going back in?" she asks, after what might be the longest period without a question since you'd first broached the topic of murder. <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<link "Yeah. She doesn't need to worry - I've got this." "avstr1">><<set $avery += 2>><</link>><br> <<link "I can do this. There isn't any other option." "avstr2">><<dec-bold>><</link>><br> <<if $conscientiousness lt 50>><<link "Playing dumb? It's what I was born for, baby." "avstr3">><<set $avery += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>><<link "We've gone over it a thousand times. I couldn't be more prepared." "avstr4">><<set $avery += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "Honestly, it's not as big a deal as she's making out. I'll be fine." "avstr5">><<set $avery -= 1>><</link>><br> <<if $women>><<if not $visited>><<link "I'd feel better if she was going to be there too." "avstr6">><<set $averyrom += 1>><<set $avery -= 1>><</link>><br><</if>><</if>> <<link "I can feel my lip trembling even as she says it, but I pull myself together." "avstr7">><<dec-bold>><<dec-bold>><<set $avery -= 2>><</link>> <</nobr>></div>

<<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"You don't have to worry about me," you tell her, with a gentle smile. "I can do this." And you really think that you can.<<else>>"Yeah," you tell her. "I've got this. Don't worry." You can't help but bristle a little at the implication that you might not be alright.<</if>> <<include avstr8>>

When it comes down to it, you don't really have a choice, do you? Your options are a) to help Avery keep this secret or b) to announce it to everyone and cause a massive clusterfuck and maybe... well, maybe get people hurt. If this was deliberate, you have no reason to believe that it won't happen again. Playing dumb might buy you more time. <<if $neuroticism gt 60>>"We don't have any other choice, do we?" you reply weakly, forcing a smile. "No," Avery confirms. "We don't."<<else>>"I can do this," you reply, all certain and determined, and Avery shoots a very forced smile back at you.<</if>> And that's that. And maybe you //can// do it. <<include avstr8>>

"Playing dumb?" you grin. "It's what I was born for." "I'm not sure that is as encouraging as you seem to think," she replies, thin-lipped, and you laugh. "Don't worry. I've got this." You try to sound more confident and controlled, but Avery's expression remains sceptical. You //do// think you can do this, though. <<include avstr8>>

You really don't think you could be more prepared. Avery has fed you answers to every question you might be asked, and about a thousand that absolutely won't be. <<include avstr1>>

Avery is making a much bigger deal out of this than she needs to. You just need to hold down the fort for one day tops, and then the cops will show up and everything will be taken care of. <<include avstr1>>

You smile weakly. "I'd feel better if you were going to be there," you reply, and you wish it didn't sound quite so... pathetic. "I'm here the whole time," she tells you, firmly, and you don't think she quite gets what you meant. As much as this morning has been hard, it's been quite nice being around Avery. She's a bit authoritarian, but her presence has been... grounding. <<include avstr8>>

You feel your lip wobble, and you take a deep breath. You plaster on a smile, and you know from Avery's expression that it must look extremely fucking fake, but at least she doesn't comment on it. "I'll be alright," you lie. "I've totally got this," you lie again. And that's that. Avery nods her head, presumably trying to will your words into reality. Maybe, on some level, you're right. Maybe you //can// do it. <<include avstr8>>

<<if $murderfeels is "fine">>You've been fine. You've been fine this whole morning. You're holding it together. You're //fine//.<<elseif $murderfeels is "bored">>You've approached this whole thing with great indifference. You've kept it together. You can't think of any better indication that you've //got this//. You're //fine//.<<elseif $murderfeels is "stressed">>Your pulse has slowed, but you still feel... anxious. If you don't think about it for too long then you can be normal, or at least some version of it, but every time you remember what has happened you feel your heart pound against your rib cage a little bit harder than usual, like it's trying to slowly beat its way through. You wonder when that feeling will go away. Maybe it never will. But you can do this. You've got this. You're //fine//.<<elseif $murderfeels is "numb">>You haven't freaked out, you've been //fine//. You're fine. You're fine.<<elseif $murderfeels is "devvoed">>The tears on your cheeks have long dried, but you're still just... //so fucking sad//. If you don't think about it for too long then you can be normal, or at least some version of it, but every time you remember what has happened you feel this dull ache in your chest and you don't know if it'll ever go away. It certainly doesn't feel like it ever will. It feels permanent - something burrowed deep within you, latched on with claws that aren't going to let go. But you can do this. You've got this. You're //fine//.<<elseif $murderfeels is "mad">>You still feel that fire in your chest from this morning - like it's died down, but not fizzled out altogether - and you don't know what to do with it. Where do you even put these embers? Wherever you hold them, they're going to catch alight again sooner or later. You can feel it. But you can do this. You've got this. You're //fine//.<</if>> [[Back to reality.|backtoreality]]

<<set $visited to false>>You stare at your reflection. You look like you woke up at, like, 3am and stumbled upon the scene of a <<if $believetheaccident>>grizzly accident,<<else>>murder,<</if>> and then had to sit in this stupid fucking room for //hours// <<if $believetheaccident>>until Avery came back to explain.<<else>>until Avery came back and tried to convince you that it didn't fucking happen.<</if>> Oh! Probably because //that's exactly what has fucking happened//. You try not to think about it too much. You've got to get through this morning either way - no going back to the room, no hiding away in here. Avery has made that much extremely clear. You take a shower, freshen up, and dimly wonder if this is where Avery cleaned herself up before she came back to see you. Couldn't have been. You'd have seen her. This pokey little bathroom can only be accessed through the blackout room, and it's considerably less swish than your en suite back upstairs. If only you could be up there right now - the shower head looked unreal compared to this pathetic handheld contraption. <<if $believetheaccident>>[[Next|ratdate1]]<<else>>[[Next|ratdate2]]<</if>>

You take a deep breath, try to stay focused. Ellis is fine - Avery has already cleared that up. So why can't you shake this weird feeling that something is //wrong//? You do your best to dismiss those thoughts, to let them wash away in the water, because you have every reason to believe that everything is going to be just fine. That's what you're choosing to believe. "Everything okay?" calls Avery's voice from outside the door. Okay, now it's really time to go. You have to change into the swimwear that Avery brought down for you, and then you have to go and chat to Atticus and Rowan. You've got this. Time to go. [[You change into your swimwear, take a deep breath, and open the door.|ratdate3]]

The water washes over you. Ellis is dead. The water washes over you. Avery tried to lie about it. The water washes over you. You're pretty sure they were murdered, and you have to spend a month living with the murderer, and there's no way out. Now you just have to throw on some swimwear, head out into the sunshine and... date? This is //a lot//. You don't realise how long you've been in the shower until you hear a knock at the door - you've just been staring into space for god knows how long. "Everything okay?" calls Avery's voice from outside the door. //Fuck//. "Yeah, just one more minute!" Time to go. [[You change into your swimwear, take a deep breath, and open the door.|ratdate3]]

You head out of the blackout room, squinting against the bright light of the morning. Atticus stands on the terrace, hands on his hips, frown creasing his brow. You’re yet to meet him when he isn’t frowning – it’s basically his default expression, at this point. Then again, perhaps it’s not entirely fair to judge based on his temperament when he’d just discovered a body. He makes no move to greet you as you approach, just tipping his head to the side slightly as he considers the stone floor, and your eyes flicker across to the spot where you'd seen Ellis. If someone didn’t know that there had been blood pooled there, you don’t think they’d be able to see it now – whoever cleaned up the scene must have been a devoted follower of Mrs Hinch. You know, though. You can’t tell whether the faint stain you are seeing on the tile is actually there, or if it’s a manifestation of the image burned into your memory. Ellis had been //right there//. <<if $believetheaccident>>But Ellis is fine, so you don't need to worry about that anymore, right? You brush it off, squaring your shoulders.<</if>> Anyway, back to Atticus. He's dressed down - very far down, actually, just in a pair of swim trunks. You hadn't really noticed them last night (or this morning, or whenever it was you'd seen him last) but he's basically covered in tattoos. The most notable is a large, toothy great white shark that takes up most of one side, lifeless eyes staring back at you from his ribcage. All of the tattoos are devoid of colour, because of course they are. Atticus seems entirely lacking in brightness, actually - there's certainly none in his subdued expression. [[Next|ratdate5]]

In direct contrast to Atticus' reserved greeting is Rowan, who is considerably more upbeat as she strides up to you. Her bikini is a vibrant yellow, dark hair pulled back into a sleek ponytail under her baseball cap, and her eyes are hidden by oversized sunglasses. Much brighter. And, frankly, fair enough - if you had a body like Rowan's, you don't think you'd ever wear anything but swimwear. "Atticus, look who's come back to join us!" she calls across to her companion, who still doesn't make any move to acknowledge you, and she pulls you into a warm hug. "How you doing, hen? Sorry for the terrible first impression this morning, I was really going through it. Avery explained the whole thing after and I feel like such a tit. Glad your pal is gonna be alright though, eh?" <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<if !$believetheaccident>><<link "Uuuh, yeah, I guess?" "ratdate5.1">><<dec-honest>><<set $atticus -= 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $believetheaccident>><<link "Embarrassing misunderstandings all round, I guess. Ellis is gonna be fine, and that's the main thing." "ratdate6">><<inc-friendly>><<set $rowan += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "It's not //her// first impression that was bad - it's Atticus who should be apologising." "ratdate7">><<set $atticus -= 1>><</link>><br> <<link "Don't worry about it." "ratdate8">><</link>><br> <<link "I'm gutted that they're gone, to be honest." "ratdate9">><<set $rowan += 1>><<set $atticus += 1>><</link>><br> <<link "I'm knackered and I don't want to be here." "ratdate10">><<set $rowan -= 2>><<set $atticus += 1>><</link>> <</nobr>></div>

You don't really know how to respond - you can't just stroll out here and start screaming about a murder, but the extent to which you'd have to lie hadn't really crossed your mind. "Yeah, I guess," is what you settle on, delivered <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>with a tired smile that you hope is convincing.<<else>>with a decisive bob of the head.<</if>> [[Next|ratdate11]]

"Embarrassing misunderstandings all round, I guess," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you reply, with a tired smile.<<else>>you reply, with a bob of the head.<</if>> Really, though, that isn't what matters. Ellis is going to be fine. That's the main thing. Rowan just smiles warmly back at you. Atticus ignores you completely. [[Next|ratdate11]]

"//Your// first impression was fine," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you reply, with a tired smile. "It's certain others who left something to be desired."<<else>>you reply, pointedly nodding in Atticus' direction. "It's this guy who should be doing the apologising."<</if>> Rowan flashes a cheeky grin and leans in conspiratorially, lowering her sunglasses as she does to peer across at Atticus. "Ah, well, I haven't known Atticus for a million years so he could still surprise, but he doesn't strike me as the apologetic type." "I can hear you," Atticus grumbles. He still hasn't looked up or moved across to greet you, but his arms are now folded across his chest. He looks like he's in some kind of stare-off with the ground. You're not sure he's gonna win. "Yeah, I'm speaking loudly." Rowan shoots a wink at you and replaces her sunglasses. She straightens up and stretches her arms overhead - a bold move in a bikini like the one she's wearing. [[Next|ratdate11]]

"Oh, don't worry about it," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you reply, with a tired smile.<<else>>you shrug.<</if>> Sure, you got yelled at <<if $believetheaccident>>at the scene of a horrible accident.<<else>>over a dead body.<</if>> That's probably a thing that happens to everyone at least once, right? Alright, maybe not, but Rowan still doesn't need to worry. She smiles warmly back at you. Atticus ignores you completely. [[Next|ratdate11]]

"I'm gutted that they're gone, to be honest," you answer, flatly, and Rowan gives you a sympathetic smile. <<if !$believetheaccident>>She has no idea just how gone, though. Rowan is probably feeling sympathetic in a "gone from this villa" kind of way. She doesn't know the depths of your "gone from the earth, gone forever, gone from existence" pain.<</if>> "Oh, hen," she sighs, touching your shoulder gently with one warm hand, "if nothing else, you've got a month in paradise. I'm sure Ellis'll be waiting for you at the wrap party. Isn't that right, Att?" She calls across to Atticus for support or confirmation, but he offers neither. He just arches a brow as he glances across at her, lips pressed into a thin line. [[Next|ratdate11]]

"I'm tired and I'd rather be anywhere but here," you tell her matter-of-factly, and Rowan lets out a little chuckle. "Same, hen." She lowers her sunglasses to meet your gaze with warm, brown eyes, "but the show must go on, aye?" [[Next|ratdate11]]

"To the beach, then?" Rowan grins, grabbing a tote back from a nearby chair and wandering across to clap both hands on Atticus' shoulders. "Come on, you grumpy bastard." "No," Atticus answers flatly, and Rowan throws her head back in exasperation. "If you're gonna be like this for the whole rest of filming then you're gonna be very unpleasant to be around. Are you just trying to get Avery to give you a spanking? Cause I bet she would." Rowan hovers around in front of Atticus for a moment and, upon not getting any response beyond his quiet scowling, she rolls her eyes and turns back to you. "Alright hen, looks like it's just us. Atticus is feeling cranky so let's just leave him here and go sun ourselves like cool people." You don't know if you've heard a thicker Scottish accent - certainly not on a show like this. Is some poor editor going to have to go through and subtitle her? Maybe if the show airs in the US. <div class="choices"><<link "Sure, I'll go to the beach with Rowan." "ratdate12">><<if $teamedwith is "">><<if !$believetheaccident>><<set $teamedwith to "Ellis">><</if>><</if>><</link>> <<link "Actually, I want to hang back here with Atticus." "ratdate13">><</link>></div>

A morning on the beach? Yeah, okay. <<include rowandate>>

<<if $men>>A grumpy man who has absolutely no interest in speaking to you? You're intrigued.<<else>>Day at the beach? Now isn't the time.<</if>> <<include atticusdate>>

You smile. You couldn't not, really - Rowan's is so infectious. <<if $agreeableness lte 40>>As someone who experiences a chronic reluctance to express joy, it feels weird.<</if>> "Let's go." Rowan grins back at you and then turns to shoot a pointed look at Atticus. "Stay out of trouble, you absolute rotter." He doesn't reply - just makes a grumbly sort of humming sound in acknowledgement. He doesn't offer you any acknowledgement at all as you wander past, following Rowan's purposeful stride as you both disappear off down a winding path through the trees. Presumably it leads to the beach - that, or Rowan's taking you to a secluded spot for a murder. You feel a twinge in your stomach. [[Since last night, those thoughts aren't nearly as amusing as they once had been.|rd1]]

"So, how have you found the experience so far? Everything you dreamed of?" Rowan tosses her dark hair over one shoulder as she looks back to you, sunglasses pulled down slightly so you catch a flash of her deep brown eyes. You mentally scroll back through the last 24 hours. <<if $believetheaccident>><<include rd2>><<else>><<include rd3>><</if>>

It's been... a lot. Fuck, Rowan probably knows that - she looked pretty upset when you last met her. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"It's certainly been something," you answer, as brightly as you can muster. "How about you? Things looking up?"<<else>>"You could say that, I guess," you answer with a shrug. "You?"<</if>> "Oh god, I'm so embarrassed," Rowan shakes her head. "Real drama queen antics from me and Att last night. Avery explained everything this morning and I feel like a right tit." <div class="choices"><<link "Why didn't she try and administer first aid?" "rd2.1">><<dec-funny>><</link>> <<link "She doesn't have anything to be embarrassed about. It was stressful." "rd2.2">><<inc-friendly>><<set $rowan += 1>><</link>> <<link "Hey, at least she's not an ugly crier." "rd2.3">><<set $rowan += 1>><</link>> <<link "Same, honestly." "rd2.4">><<set $rowan += 1>><</link>></div>

"Why didn't you try and administer first aid?" you ask, just wondering aloud more than asking a direct question. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You don't want to sound accusatory, but it's something you've been wondering.<<else>>Surely, upon seeing Ellis injured, //someone// would have thought to do it?<</if>> Then again, you didn't do it either. They just looked... Well, they're fine, so you suppose how they //looked// isn't really important. Rowan just shrugs, oblivious to your mental gymnastics. "Atticus said they were dead," she replies. "And I'm not great with blood, so I didn't look any closer. It's funny - I always get told that I'm good in a crisis, and it turns out that I'm actually shit. Totally went to pieces. Can't wait til they see the footage back at home, they'll rip the piss out of me at work. Not even on first name terms with anyone and already crying like a little bitch. Although I suppose they probably won't show it, right? Cause of Ellis?" <<if $extraversion gt 50>>"Guess not," you answer, with a weak smile. "Might derail the fun, flirty vibe they're trying to go for. They'll probably just cut to you guys showing up in the villa and deal with Ellis leaving in the voiceover." "Reckon we'll get one of those funny voiceover guys? Or do you think they'll go more sultry?" Rowan does an excellent impression of a saucy voiceover actor - it's hauntingly reminiscent of those Marks and Spencers advert where they tried to make everyone want to fuck chocolate puddings, for some reason. "Run back and show that to Avery, she'll sign you up in no time," you grin, and Rowan laughs. "Perfect opportunity for a career pivot." [[Next|rd4]]<<else>>[[Next|rd2.1.1]]<</if>>

You're lost in thought, not for the first time, and for a moment you forget that you're supposed to be holding an actual conversation. Rowan notices your lack of response. "Were you close with them?" <<if $coupledwith is "Ellis">>It's a tricky question to answer about someone that you spent less than a day with. The simple answer, you suppose, is that you'd been quite looking forward to more days with them. "Yeah, I liked them," you reply after a second of thought. "We were coupled together." <<if $ekiss or $coupleonefeels is "love">>The twisty feeling in your stomach tells you that the words you've just uttered might not be quite strong enough to express your feelings.<br><br><</if>>Rowan nods her head sagely. "I can't pretend to be disappointed that you're single," she tells you, a cheeky little smile twitching at one corner of her lips. "But I //am// sorry that they aren't still here. Really." [[You believe her.|rd4]]<<elseif $ellisrom gte 3>>It's a tricky question to answer about someone that you spent less than a day with. They weren't necessarily your strongest connection in the villa, but you'd enjoyed their company. <<include rd2.1.2>><<else>>You hadn't known Ellis for long, but you'd gotten along with them well enough. <<include rd2.1.2>><</if>>

"They were nice," you reply after a second of thought. Rowan nods her head sagely. "Well, I'm glad they're going to be okay," she tells you, a cheeky little smile twitching at one corner of her lips. "But less competition now, right?" [[Next|rd4]]

"You don't have anything to be embarrassed about," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you tell her gently.<<else>>you tell her, with a little frown.<</if>> "It was a stressful situation all round." "Well, at least we get some time this morning to recuperate," Rowan smiles back at you. "Nothing cures problems like a good dose of sun." "Get a lot of sun in Scotland?" She laughs - the goofy, unpretentious sort of laugh that comes from someone who isn't trying to be anything but themself. "No - weather's shit. All the more reason to make the most of it while we're here." [[Next|rd4]]

"Hey," you begin, <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>with a warm smile,<<else>>a little glibly,<</if>> "at least you aren't an ugly crier." Rowan laughs, gently slapping your arm with one hand. "See a crying woman and you're just checking them out? You dirty dog!" <<if $thot gt 50>>That isn't exactly what you'd been shooting for, but hey, that's... essentially accurate.<<else>>That is... totally not how you meant it. You open your mouth to protest, but Rowan beats you to it. "Don't worry, hen. I'm just messing."<</if>> [[Next|rd4]]

"Same, honestly," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you chuckle, a little self-consciously.<<else>>you mumble.<</if>> Your first impression hadn't exactly been stellar. At least that puts you on even footing, though, right? If both of you made a terrible first impression, it's kind of like neither of you did. [[Next|rd4]]

Every time you try to think about it, you just come right back to the image of Ellis lying there on the terrace. It's burned into your retinas. "Yeah, it's been..." you begin, before you sort of trail off. "Bit of a rollercoaster?" "Something like that." Rowan nods as you both walk onward and, for a moment, you're just left with the sounds of the leaves rustling in the wind, birds chirping in the trees, the ocean washing back and forth. [[It's easy to forget you're in paradise when you're dealing with the fallout of a murder.|rd4]]

You emerge onto a beach, pale sand stretching out on either side of you until it meets the rocky outcrops that hem you in on either side. It means that you're sheltered from the wind, and judging by the foamy surf in front of you, it's a pretty breezy day out there. "Heavenly, isn't it?" Rowan grins up at you from where she has knelt in the sand, producing beach towels from her tote bag. You can't deny it. This place does look very much like a Hollywood interpretation of heaven - the place where the protagonist runs across the beach dressed all in white to be reunited with lost loved ones. Idyllic. "Would you help me sun cream up? Last thing I want is to look like a lobster in my VT. Nobody wants to kiss a lobster." <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<if $women>><<link "Saucy massaging action on a beach? Maybe I really am in heaven." "rd4.1">><<set $visited to true>><<inc-thot>><<set $rowanrom += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "Sure, I'll help." "rd4.2">><<set $visited to true>><<set $rowan += 1>><</link>><br> <<link "I don't know - I bet there's fanfic about that lobster from The Little Mermaid." "rd4.3">><<inc-funny>><</link>><br> <<link "I'm not really comfortable getting all... rubby... with someone I //just// met." "rd4.4">><<dec-thot>><<dec-thot>><</link>> <</nobr>></div>

It seems like the sort of thing that only really happens in erotic daydreams, and you're not about to pass up the chance to get up close and personal. <<if $thot gt 60>>Because really, when have you ever?<</if>> <<include rd4.1.1>>

"Sure," you say, <<if $thot lt 50>>and you manage to sound much cooler than you feel.<<else>>with a casual little shrug like you're completely indifferent to the idea.<</if>> <<include rd5>>

Why not? <<include rd4.1.1>>

"I don't know," you reply, with a smile, "I bet there's fanfic about that lobster from The Little Mermaid." "Fuck, you're right, gross," she laughs, wrinkling her nose. <<include rd6>>

You gawk at her, shuffling your weight from one foot to another, and Rowan laughs. "Hen, I just need some sun cream, I'm not propositioning you," she smiles, tossing the bottle from one hand to the other. "I just need help with my back, I'm not gonna get my tits out or anything." <<if $thot lt 50>>You think that she means to be reassuring, but given that you were already feeling acutely uncomfortable, the mention of boobs does nothing to ease your concerns. You feel the heat creeping up the back of your neck, and you just hope that it's not too obvious.<<else>>You chuckle and shake your head. "Alright, I'll help you get the hard to reach bits, but no funny business." It'd be pretty tight to let her get burned, you suppose, but there'll be none of this straddling-each-other-and getting-all-massagey business.<</if>> <<include rd6>>

Rowan grins, pulling her hair over one shoulder as she settles onto her stomach on the towel. "Well then, what are you waiting for?" she asks, nodding her head toward the bottle of sun cream. You have that giddy feeling that you would get as a kid, of being given a risky dare or being on a rollercoaster that's just about to go down the first drop. You straddle her back, squirting the liquid into your hands. Smells like summer. Rowan turns her head so she can glance at you as your hands slide up her back, a sharp intake of breath at the cold, still wearing a cheeky little smile - the kind that makes it seem like she's always in on some joke that you haven't caught up with yet. <<if $thot lt 50>>Your mouth goes a little bit dry.<</if>> "Now, do you wanna do like, mindless inane chitchat or should we skip to the important stuff? Just to strike the right tone." <<include rd7>>

Rowan lounges back on the towel and you settle into the one next to it. <<if $charlierom gt 3>>The garish floral pattern reminds you of Charlie's dumb Hawaiian shirt, and you feel your stomach twist.<<else>>It's loud - bold floral prints and bright colours. You wonder if Rowan picked them out herself, or if they were just provided by production.<</if>> She squirts the sun cream onto her legs, running her hands up and down as she glances back across to you. She has a cheeky little smile - like she's always in on some kind of joke that you haven't quite caught up with yet. "Now, do you wanna do like, mindless inane chitchat or should we skip to the important stuff? Just to strike the right tone." <<include rd7>>

Is there even any question? <<if $conscientiousness lt 50>>Important isn't really in your vocabulary. You love inane conversations - the sort of stuff that accomplishes absolutely nothing beyond possibly making you laugh.<<else>>With the morning you've had, the last thing you want is to talk about anything important.<</if>> "Obviously, the inane chitchat," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin back, and Rowan nods her head decisively.<<else>>you answer, and Rowan nods her head decisively.<</if>> <<if $visited>>Rowan lets out a thoughtful little hum, arms folded under her chin.<<else>>Rowan grins, drumming her fingers against her chin.<</if>> <<include rd8>>

"Okay, how about this: tell me about your go-to Halloween costume? What do you go as?" <<include rd8.1>>

You don't have much patience for idle chitchat. <<if $agreeableness lt 50>>It's the kind of thing you'd always avoided like the plague back in your office. All the "hey how was your weekend?" and "oh my god did you see the one show last night?" and "isn't the weather terrible?" couldn't be less your thing.<<else>>Sure, it's nice every now and then, but it doesn't really //mean// anything. After the morning you've had, you're not sure you have the energy for it.<</if>> "Let's skip to the important stuff," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you grin back, and Rowan nods her head decisively.<<else>>you answer, and Rowan nods her head decisively.<</if>> <<if $visited>>Rowan lets out a thoughtful little hum, arms folded under her chin.<<else>>Rowan grins, drumming her fingers against her chin.<</if>> <<include rd9>>

"Alright. Are you attracted to me?" <<if $women>><<include rd9.1>><<else>><<include rd9.1.7>><</if>>

You wrinkle your nose. "Dressing up for Halloween is just for kids, isn't it?" you ask, and Rowan lets out a gasp of horror. "And cool, fun adults," she retorts, with a grin. "It's the sexiest holiday - so much opportunity for debauchery." <<if $thot gt 50>>Alright, she might have a point. It //is// the sexiest holiday.<<else>>A sexier holiday doesn't spring to mind, but you don't exactly make routine use of that as a benchmark for holiday enjoyment. You certainly don't let it dictate what you're going to wear.<</if>> <<include rd8.1.1.1>>

"Go on then, what do you dress up as?" "Throw on a cute dress and some animal ears," she shrugs, and you scoff. "Very original," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you laugh.<<else>>you roll your eyes, in what is actually probably quite a good Atticus impression.<</if>> <<if $rowan gt 30>>"Well alright, next Halloween we can do a couples costume and you can help me be more //original//. We've only got a few months, though, so better get planning." She was right - this is a gloriously inane conversation. After battling through countless introductory, getting-to-know-you type chats, it's kind of nice to have something that just feels familiar. Rowan's chatting away like you've known each other for years. It's easy, familiar.<<else>>"Hot people don't need to be original, $mcname." There's that smile again, and you try to work out whether she's joking or not.<</if>> <<include rd10>>

You shrug. "Whatever I can cobble together with what's already in my wardrobe, I guess." Rowan groans. "Oh god, are you one of those people that just shows up in normal clothes and some fake blood and calls themselves a zombie slash vampire slash murder victim?" <<if !$believetheaccident>>Your stomach drops at the last suggestion. You've never managed a costume quite that convincing.<br><br><</if>>"One year, I just wrote 'ceiling' on the front of a t-shirt and grabbed some pompoms." "Because..." Rowan tips her head to the side, clicking her teeth as she ponders your costume. Then she groans. "Oh, god, //ceiling fan//? That's fucking terrible. I hope they didn't let you in." "They certainly did," you inform her, triumphantly. It had been a pretty good night, actually. <<include rd8.1.1.1>>

"Slap on some animal ears and something slutty and call it a day," <<if $extraversion gt 50>>you chuckle,<<else>>you shrug,<</if>> and Rowan lets out a little hum of approval. "Oh, we're gonna get along," she grins, <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>and you feel a little jolt of pride. There's just something about Rowan that makes her approval feel so special. She just seems confident and together in an effortless sort of way - like one of the popular girls that every secondary school has. <<if $extraversion lt 50>>Except she's actually talking to you.<</if>><<else>>and you smile back. You think you probably are - there's something about Rowan that's just very easy to like.<</if>> <<include rd8.1.1.1>>

Is it even Halloween if you don't spend longer making the costume than you do wearing it? "Very handmade, lots of papier-mâché," you smile, and Rowan gives a little hum of approval. "Well that's //extremely// cool - I've never had the patience to actually make one." <<include rd8.1.1.1>>

You grin. You love Halloween, and you're always out to win any and every costume contest that crosses your path. <<if $extraversion lt 50>>"I go a bit overboard for Halloween, actually," you answer, suddenly feeling a little shy.<<else>>"I go absolutely balls to the wall," you tell her, brimming with pride.<</if>> "Full SFX makeup and prosthetics and buckets of fake blood. Maximum effort." Rowan gives a little hum of approval. "Well that's //extremely// cool - I'm crap at that kind of thing, you'll have to teach me!" <<include rd8.1.1.1>>

<<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You let out a self-conscious little chuckle.<<else>>You roll your eyes.<</if>> "To dress up, you'd have to actually go to the parties." Rowan seems unbothered. She doesn't shoot a sympathetic look over like most outgoing people do when they discover your more introverted tendencies. It's nice - she isn't treating you like you're deficient. "Well, this year I think I want to host a party, but if you're not into that sort of thing then we can keep it small. A dinner party." Then she gasps, like she's just come up with the world's best idea. A cure for cancer or a solution to food inequality. "//A murder mystery party//!" <<if $believetheaccident>>You feel like a bucket of ice water has been dunked over your head. You take a deep breath, push it to one side in your brain and change the subject. <<include rd8.1.1.1>><<else>>"How many people are we talking? A gaggle of rowdy extroverts, or a more subdued affair?" Rowan laughs. "I don't know if any of my parties seem //subdued//, but I'll drag Atticus along and he //hates// talking, so you can both just sit quietly at one end. Besides, I'll be there. You can talk to me." She was right - this is a gloriously inane conversation. After battling through countless introductory, getting-to-know-you type chats, it's kind of nice to have something that just feels familiar. Rowan's chatting away like you've known each other for years. It's easy, familiar. <<include rd10>><</if>>

<<if $visited>><<include rokissychoice>><<elseif hasVisited("rd7.2")>>[[Next|rofriendlyenddate]]<<else>><<include rd10.1>><</if>>

"Would you just give me a hand with this bit?" she asks, awkwardly wiggling one hand in the direction of her back. She'd make a terrible contortionist. You oblige, helpful and professional, leaning across from your towel. "Okay, now I'm bored of frivolous chat," Rowan tells you after a moment. "Best be direct, right?" <<if $honest gt 50>>You just nod your head, because yeah, in your experience directness is generally a good thing.<<else>>You can't say that you share her approach, but you sense that she's going to steamroller ahead regardless.<</if>> "So, are you attracted to me?" <<if $women>><<include rd9.1>><<else>><<include rd9.1.7>><</if>>

You can't help but laugh. It's a direct approach, but you kind of appreciate it - it's nice to just cut through all the bullshit every once in a while. "Rowan, have you ever met anyone that //isn't// attracted to you?" She rolls her eyes, but the smug smile tugging at one corner of her lips is unmistakable. "What do you think?" "I think it seems unlikely," you answer, <<if $visited>>and she reaches back to slap you on the knee with one hand.<<else>>and she leans across to slap you on the arm with one hand.<</if>> "You're rotten, of course I have." "Well," you shrug. "I'm not one of them." <<if $visited>>You smile across at her, and she smiles back at you, and for a moment your eyes meet. You wonder if you're the protagonist of a romcom, because lying on this beach feels exactly like the start of one.<<else>>She doesn't look back at you, but you can see her smiling to herself. You wonder if you're the protagonist of a romcom, because lying on this beach feels exactly like the start of one.<</if>> "Good. I hate wasting my time." <<include rb10.2>>

Of course you're attracted to Rowan, but something about her just makes you feel... shy? You open your mouth to reply, but words just don't come out. You close it again, like a goldfish. <<if $visited>>She glances back, presumably confused by your silence and by the way your body has suddenly gone rigid like you've just been turned to stone.<<else>>She glances across at you, a bemused smile playing on her lips.<</if>> For a moment, you think she's just going to move on altogether. She doesn't. "You're adorable when you're flustered," she says, just barely loud enough for you to hear. <<include rb10.2>>

Well, it's not very fun to just give the game straight away, is it?<<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You can't keep the little smirk off your face as you answer.<<else>>You keep your expression neutral, one eyebrow slightly raised.<</if>> "Well, that'd be telling." Rowan laughs and shakes her head, but she doesn't ask again. <<include rb10.2>>

If you'd had a drink in your hand, you might have done a spit take. "Quite the straight shooter, huh?" <<include rd9.1.4.1>>

"Mmhmm," comes her response, without a hint of irony. "Care to elaborate on that?" She sighs <<if $visited>>and looks back at you, propping herself up on one elbow.<<else>>and looks across at you, rolling onto one elbow.<</if>> <<include rd9.1.4.2>>

"Hen, we're on a dating show. In the real world we can have all the chats you want about EU trade policy or what sleep is really for or how to make the best coleslaw or whatever boring shit you think is really important, but in here, none of that shit matters," she explains, a little impatiently. "And I don't wanna go barking up the wrong tree if you're not interested, or if you're super into your current couple or whatever. So, yeah, I'd say it's a pretty important question, but if you wanna write me off as some vain bimbo then go for it." You just stare gormlessly back at her. You feel a little bit like the victim of a verbal mugging. "So, what's it gonna be?" <<include rd9.1>>

Given the last 24 hours, you find it utterly baffling that Rowan would define //this// question as "the important stuff". You just gawk <<if $visited>>down<<else>>across<</if>> at her. "//That// is your idea of an important question?" <<include rd9.1.4.1>>

If you'd had a drink in your hand, you might have done a spit take. "Fucking hell, you weren't kidding about being direct?!" you gawk. <<include rd9.1.4.1>>

"I'm not really into women," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you laugh. "Or you'd be in with a much better shot."<<else>>you inform her.<</if>> She laughs. "Barking right up the wrong tree then, aren't I?" And that's the last she says about it. She doesn't seem at all bothered by your disinterest. <<include rb10.2>>

If Rowan's willing to be direct then it makes sense to match her, and she's just not your cup of tea. "Nah, not really," you shrug. She laughs. "Fair enough, hen," she tells you, resting her face on her arms. "You'll be an excellent villa wing$mcman. With you and Att, I basically just need to make a couple more pals and then we've got quite the little dinner party reunion guestlist going." And that's the last she says about it. She doesn't seem at all bothered by your disinterest. <<include rofriendlyenddate>>

<<if $visited>><<include rokissychoice>><<elseif hasVisited("rd7.1")>>[[Next|rofriendlyenddate]]<<else>><<include rb10.3>><</if>>

"Would you just give me a hand with this bit?" she asks, awkwardly wiggling one hand in the direction of her back. She'd make a terrible contortionist. You oblige, helpful and professional, leaning across from your towel. "How about something a little lighter," <<if hasVisited("rd9.1.1")>>Rowan asks you after a moment, shooting another winning smile back at you from her vantage point on the towel.<<else>>Rowan asks you after a moment, "Now I know I don't need to bother cracking on?" You smile. You don't know if you've ever seen someone take your disinterest in them in their stride quite like this before. It's a huge relief, to be honest. Always nice to just have an uncomplicated friendship.<</if>> "Bring it." <<include rd8>>

Rowan rolls over underneath you, smooth skin sliding under your hands. She looks up at you from over the top of her sunglasses, one hand held up to block out the sun. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>Ever considerate, you shift a little to one side so that your head does it for her, casting a shadow over her face.<</if>> "You seem cool, $mcname. I think we should kiss a wee bit." She grins, mischievous. "If you want to." <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<if $openness gte 50>><<link "Sure! Why not? Let's do it." "rkc1">><<inc-thot>><<set $rkiss to true>><<set $rowanrom += 2>><<set $rowan += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $openness lt 50>><<link "It's not every day that you kiss a stranger, but fuck it. Why not? Let's do it." "rkc1">><<set $rowanrom += 2>><<inc-thot>><<set $rowan += 1>><<set $rkiss to true>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if !$gkiss and $extraversion lt 50>><<link "I //am// kind of into Rowan, but I'm... shy." "rkc2">><<set $rowanrom += 2>><<dec-bold>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "I'm interested in Rowan, but not in kissing her. Not right now." "rkc3">><<set $rowanrom += 1>><<set $rowan += 1>><</link>><br> <<link "We... just met?" "rkc4">><<dec-thot>><</link>><br> <<if $coupledwith isnot "Ellis">><<link "God, if only I'd met Rowan first... but I want to stay loyal to $coupledwith." "rkc5">><<set $rowan += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $coupledwith is "Ellis">><<link "It's too soon. I'm still thinking about Ellis." "rkc6">><<set $ellis += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "Why the fuck would she think that? Bad idea! Bad idea!" "rkc7">><</link>><br> <<link "Nah, not for me, sorry love." "rkc8">><</link>> <</nobr>></div>

You can't think of a single reason that this could be a bad idea. <<if $griffbang or $sydbang>>Okay, maybe the fact that you slept with someone else last night. <<if $artkiss>>//And// kissed an entirely different person yesterday.<</if>> You push that to the back of your mind, though.<<elseif $adekiss or $artkiss or $fkiss or $gkiss>>Okay, maybe the fact that you kissed someone else yesterday. You push that to the back of your mind, though.<<elseif $charlierom gt 3>>Okay, maybe the fact that you're devastatingly, crushingly into one of the producers of the show you're filming even though you absolutely fucking shouldn't be. You push that to the back of your mind, though.<<elseif !$believetheaccident>>Okay, maybe the fact that you totally saw a dead body this morning and you're //clearly// going through something right now. You push that to the back of your mind, though.<</if>> <<include rkc9>>

You want to. You //really// want to. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>Feeling shy isn't a feeling you're particularly familiar with, but you're pretty sure that the searing heat spreading through your stomach and your mouth being all dry and your palms feeling all clammy is exactly that. You're straddling an insanely hot woman and you're suddenly acutely aware of how little you're both wearing and your ears are burning.<<else>>You aren't //bold//. You've never been bold. The idea of just leaning down and kissing someone is... kind of alien. There's a heat spreading through your stomach and your mouth is dry and your palms feel all clammy and you're suddenly //acutely// aware of how little you're both wearing and fuck, now your ears are burning.<</if>> Rowan is just grinning up at you, dimly amused, head tipped to one side, and then her hand is on the back of your neck and she is pulling you down to meet your lips with hers. <<include rkc9>>

Your hands feel all clammy. You'd be lying if you said you weren't at all interested in Rowan - you do want to get to know her better - but you're not ready to cross that particular boundary. <<include rkc5.1>>

"We... just met?" you ask, bewildered, voice a little hoarse. "Yeah, I know, but look where we are," Rowan shrugs. "Anyway, no pressure, you do you. Let me know if you change your mind." And then she winks at you over the top of her sunglasses, and that's the last she says about it. [[She doesn't seem at all bothered by your disinterest.|rofriendlyenddate]]

God, if Rowan had been in this villa then you arrived... then maybe things would be very different right now. Maybe you'd have had a great speed date and coupled together and shared a bed last night and woken up all tangled together this morning. She wasn't, though. And you coupled up with $coupledwith and then woke up at god knows what time <<if $believetheaccident>>and found Ellis, and now you're here.<<else>>and found a dead body, and now you're here.<</if>> Not kissing her. It would be rude, right? You want to stay loyal to $coupledwith. It feels like the right choice. <<include rkc5.1>>

<<if $extraversion lte 50>>Even without you saying anything, Rowan seems to sense what you're thinking.<<else>>"I can't," you tell her, <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>with an apologetic look that you hope she understands.<<else>>with a meaningful look that you hope she understands.<</if>> It seems like she does.<</if>> "No worries, hen, I get you," Rowan smiles, gently. "Anyway, no pressure, you just let me know later if you change your mind, 'kay?" And then she winks at you over the top of her sunglasses, and that's the last she says about it. [[She doesn't seem at all bothered by your rejection.|rofriendlyenddate]]

<<if $believetheaccident>>You need to sort your head out. Sure, Ellis isn't in the villa anymore, but they're on the outside. How would they feel watching the show back and knowing that you moved on, like, less than a day after they were horribly injured and rushed off to hospital? You aren't sure you'd be entirely understanding if roles were reversed.<<else>>Ellis is dead, and it's only been like 12 hours since they were alive and you were pretty sure you'd be spending the rest of the month kissing //them//. It feels too soon - like you'd be disrespecting their memory. Sure, you only knew them for less than a day, but... they deserve to be mourned, right? And no one else can even know that they're gone. That means that you're the one who has to do the mourning.<</if>> <<include rkc5.1>>

You just gawk down at her, bewildered. "And why the fuck would you think that?" Rowan doesn't seem offended, though - she just laughs. Goofy, unrestrained, and with every interaction it becomes clearer to you that she doesn't care what you think about her at all. "Well," she begins, holding up one finger. "You're hot." She holds up a second finger. "So am I." A third. "We're on this amazing beach in //paradise// and it seems like a bit of a waste to not, don't you think?" "Not likely," you tell her, and then she bursts out into shuddering laughter, hands over her face. <<include rkc7.1>>

"Hey, it can't hurt to try, right?" she giggles, and you shake your head. "Nothing like a nice make out on the sand!" After a moment she sighs, regaining her composure, delicately wiping the tears from under her eyes. To be honest, you can't say you've had too many experiences of declining someone's romantic advances making them laugh til they cried. This might be a first. "Don't you worry about it, hen," Rowan says, and then she winks at you over the top of her sunglasses and cracks up laughing again. Still, it's the last she says about it. Nice to know that your rejection hasn't bruised her ego too catastrophically. [[Next|rofriendlyenddate]]

You laugh. You can't help it. Rather than be offended, though, Rowan just laughs along with you. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Oh, no, thank you," you tell her, as politely as you can.<<else>>"Not likely," you tell her.<</if>>Rowan is shuddering with laughter, hands over her face. [[Next|rofriendlyenddate]]

<<set $rkiss to true>>Her hands slide up your arms, round your back, and she smells absolutely intoxicating, heady, like pure distilled sunshine. Maybe it's the sun cream? You can't think about anything for more than about 0.2 seconds at a time, your brain flitting around like a moth dancing in front of a flickering porch light, bumbling around and bumping into things and looking for more. More. Then her tongue is in your mouth and your hands are skimming the bare skin of her waist, her arms, and you're suddenly acutely aware of how little you're both wearing. [[It's like fireworks. The whole thing.|rkc10]]

There are plenty more kisses that morning. Some are tentative, exploratory, adventurous - the thrilling rollercoaster of kisses, where everything feels new and exciting. Others are slow, languid, stretched out on the beach towel under the warm rays of the sun, like it's already become a habit. You also talk. You talk a lot, actually; as it turns out, Rowan has rather a lot to say about just about every topic that you or she can think of. <<include rofriendlyenddate2>>

You chat more as the morning stretches on. As it turns out, Rowan has rather a lot to say about just about every topic that you or she can think of. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>You're not exactly a shrinking violet, either.<</if>> <<include rofriendlyenddate2>>

She tells you about her brothers back in Glasgow and her struggle to relate to her nephew. You inform her that you aren't entirely sure she needs to //relate// to a 9 month old baby - it's not like they're going to share the same taste in books or cocktails. You tell her about your life back in Manchester. Your shit job and the lunch with Maya that led you to apply to the show in the first place. <<if !$rkiss>>Rowan interrupts mid-story to ask whether she can have Maya's number when filming ends, and pulls a face when you tell her that Maya is very much not single.<</if>> It's nice. Easy. For a while, you sort of forget you're on a reality TV show at all, even when it manages to permeate every conversation that you have. Even when you're explaining who is who back in the villa and talking Rowan through the game of Never Have I Ever and how you coupled with $coupledwith, it just feels like you're gossiping about friends back at home. Just... sort of normal. <<if $rkiss>>[[Normal, but like, in the most exceptional way.|rfed3]]<br><br><<else>>[[Next|rfed3]]<</if>>

Eventually, the peace is broken, and you're reminded that you //do// have to return to the villa at some point. "Ah, you're both still here." Avery calls down to you, clipboard in hand as she picks her way through the trees. She's restyled her hair - it now hangs in loose waves around her shoulders. <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>You also note that she has reapplied her makeup.<</if>> "I've already sent Atticus in, but you're free to head back inside to join the others." She offers a bright smile in your direction. "Have a good afternoon." <<link "Back to reality." "backtoreality">><<if !$believetheaccident>><<if $teamedwith is "">><<set $teamedwith to "Ellis">><</if>><</if>><<set $visited to false>><</link>>

"I actually think I'm gonna hang back here." Rowan lowers her sunglasses to look between you and Atticus for a moment. "Hen, he might be crazy hot, but he's gonna be very boring company today. He's in a right strop." "Rowan, I can //hear you//." Atticus sparks up a cigarette, walking a slow loop around the faint stain on the stone floor as he takes his first drag. "//I'm talking loudly, babe//," she grins back at him, and he shakes his head. "Anyway, I'm gonna go get sunned on the beach. Have fun up here being dark and brooding!" And, with that, Rowan throws up a peace sign and flounces off toward the steps that lead down through the plant life and, presumably, to the beach. [[Next|attdate2]]

Now you're alone. With Atticus. The guy who, in your only two interactions with him thus far, has yelled at you and then seemed intent on pretending that you simply do not exist. Not off to a great start. He leans back against a table, cigarette dangling between two fingers, and raises his eyebrows. "Anything in particular you're hoping to talk about?" he asks derisively. <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<link "Is there something he's expecting me to talk about?" "attdate3">><</link>><br> <<link "What the fuck is his problem?" "attdate4">><<set $atticus -= 1>><</link>><br> <<if !$believetheaccident>><<link "Yeah. What does he know about the murder?" "attdate5">><<set $atticus += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "No. Can I get one of those?" "attdate6">><<set $atticus += 1>><</link>> <</nobr>></div>

"Is there something you're hoping to hear?" you ask, and Atticus shrugs as he takes another drag. "Figured you weren't hanging back to play pattycake." Well, nice to know that this conversation is going to be like pulling teeth. <<include anmc1>>

"Yeah, actually," you ask, folding your arms across your chest. "What's your problem?" Atticus looks vaguely amused, shrugging his shoulders as he takes another drag. "Dunno what you mean," he replies, without looking at you. "I'm a ray of sunshine." Well, nice to know that this conversation is going to be like pulling teeth. <<include anmc1>>

"Yeah, actually," you reply flatly. "What do you know about Ellis' murder?" Atticus doesn't look at all surprised at this - his expression remains eerily neutral. "Murder, eh?" He doesn't look at you as he speaks, pausing to take a long drag on his cigarette. "Sounds pretty fanciful." <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>"We saw their body with their fucking throat slit and you think that not believing it could be an accident is //fanciful//?"<<else>>"Am I on fucking crazy pills, or something? Why does everyone keep expecting me to believe that Ellis' throat being slit was an //accident//?"<</if>> And it does seem //wild//. You saw the body right there on the floor, as clear as day. There is no doubt in your mind that Ellis is dead, and you also don't have any doubt that their death wasn't an accident. Atticus narrows his eyes at you for a moment, like he's trying to scan you with a brain laser. After a moment, he shrugs his shoulders and slouches into one of the chairs at the table, leaning back casually, legs spread wide. You just //know// that this guy must be a fucking nightmare to sit next to on the tube. [[Next|attdate5.1]]

"Let's say it was a murder. If I were you, I'd stop shouting about it to perfect strangers." He glances across at you and, despite his decidedly unimpressed expression, you get the idea that he might actually be trying to be helpful. "Lovely way to get yourself killed." You just gawk back at him. Alright, maybe he has a point. No more talking about murder. <<if $teamedwith is "Ellis">><<include anmc1>><<elseif $teamedwith is "Avery">><<include anmc1>><<else>><<include atticusmurderchat>><</if>>

Because if there's ever been a time when you need a cig, it's now. You wander across the terrace to where Atticus is pacing and lean against the brick wall that separates you from the plant life beyond. "No. Can I get one of those?" Wordlessly, Atticus reaches into the pocket of his shorts and tosses you a pack. "Gonna need a light, too," you mumble, words slightly garbled as you tuck a cigarette between your lips, and you watch out of the corner of your eye as Atticus clenches his jaw and once again reaches into his pocket. "Need me to spark it for you too, or can you manage that?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You scowl at him as you snatch the lighter from his hand and light your cigarette. You don't rush to hand it back, and he doesn't ask for it.<<else>>You roll your eyes as he hands you the lighter, but you can't help but smile. You light your cigarette and quickly hand it back.<</if>> Nice to know that this conversation is going to be like pulling teeth. <<include anmc1>>

"Tell me about yourself," you instruct after a moment, and Atticus glances across at you. "Bit dictatorial," he croons as he takes another drag from his cigarette. "What do you want to know?" <div class="choices"><<link "Let's start with something nice and easy. Where's he from?" "anmc1.1">><</link>> <<link "Why is he here?" "anmc1.2">><</link>> <<link "What skill would he most like to master?" "anmc1.3">><</link>> <<link "Full name, date of birth, national insurance number." "anmc1.4">><<set $atticus += 1>><</link>></div>

It's the most basic of basic conversation starters. The buttered noodles of chat. Something to get him warmed up before the //really// witty stuff kicks in. "Where're you from?" you ask, sliding into the seat opposite his. There's a silence as Atticus gives you a derisive look. "London. The accent might say Northern Ireland, but I just put it on for show." <<include anmc2>>

It's direct - to the point. It's also something that you're gonna need to know, realistically. Best way to size anyone up on this show is to work out their motive. "What's your deal? Why are you here?" you ask, sliding into the seat opposite his. There's a silence as Atticus gives you a derisive look. "Fall in love, get married, adopt a gaggle of babies and get one of those cars with the DVD players in the headrests." <<include anmc2>>

You cast your gaze around, looking for a question that's a little more whimsical than the usual 'What do you do? Where are you from?' bullshit that he's probably heard a thousand times before. "What skill would you most like to master?" you ask, sliding into the seat opposite his. "Flower arranging," Atticus answers, without missing a beat. "Next." <<include anmc2>>

You smile defiantly back at him. "Full name, date of birth, national insurance number." "Atticus Cruz, 31st October, QQ123456C." "That's not a real national insurance number." "Oooh, <<if $mche is "they">>they're<<else>>$mche's<</if>> quick." <<include anmc2>>

You roll your eyes. Yep. Pulling teeth. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>You're never one to back down from a challenge, though - especially one that can be won with your winning personality.<<else>>You sigh and run a hand over your face.<</if>> <div class="choices"><<link "Star sign?" "anmc2.1">><</link>> <<link "Favourite book?" "anmc2.2">><</link>> <<link "Any irrational fears?" "anmc2.3">><</link>> <<link "If he didn't have to sleep, how'd he use the time?" "anmc2.4">><</link>></div>

"What's your star sign?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you attempt, perhaps optimistically, with a polite smile.<<else>>You roll your eyes. At this rate, they'll be rolling right out of your head.<</if>> "Scorpio," <<include anmc3>>

"Favourite book?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you attempt, perhaps optimistically, with a polite smile.<<else>>You roll your eyes. At this rate, they'll be rolling right out of your head.<</if>> "The Bible," <<include anmc3>>

"Any irrational fears?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you attempt, perhaps optimistically, with a polite smile.<<else>>You roll your eyes. At this rate, they'll be rolling right out of your head.<</if>> "Forced conversation," <<include anmc3>>

"If you didn't have to sleep, how would you use the time?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you attempt, perhaps optimistically, with a polite smile.<<else>>You roll your eyes. At this rate, they'll be rolling right out of your head.<</if>> "Finding more people to ask me these thrilling questions," <<include anmc3>>

Atticus answers, stubbing his cig out on the surface of the table and flicking the butt across the terrace. That's littering. <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<link "I roll my eyes. This really is exhausting." "anmc3.1">><<set $atticus -= 1>><</link>><br> <<link "I give this guy a piece of my mind. Fuck him." "anmc3.2">><<set $atticus -= 2>><<set $averyclue2 to true>><</link>><br> <<link "I can't help but laugh. This is ridiculous." "anmc3.3">><<inc-funny>><<set $atticus += 1>><</link>><br> <<if $men>><<link "Why am I being charmed by this total arsehole?" "anmc3.4">><<set $atticusrom += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "Fuck this. If this is how he's gonna be, I'm quite happy just sitting in silence." "anmc3.5">><<set $atticus += 1>><</link>> <</nobr>></div>

This is exhausting, and you've only been out here for a few minutes. You just tip your head back, close your eyes, and feel the sun on your face. For a moment, things actually don't feel as bad. You're tired enough that you could basically drift off here, even with the metal of the patio furniture chair digging into your back. Just when the silence has gone on for long enough that you're //sure// he'll break it, Atticus gets up from his seat. He doesn't speak to you, though. Instead, he just wanders back across the terrace to where he had been stood before, examining the stone paving. What thrilling company. You suppose that signals any conversation as being //thoroughly// over. <<include anmc4>>

<<if $honest gt 50>>"You're a real prick, you know that?" you spit, eyes narrowed. First, you get yelled at and all but accused of murder. Then, when given the opportunity to make nice or even (god forbid) //apologise//, he doubles down and continues to be absolutely insufferable.<<else>>"You're a real prick, you know that?" you venture, head tilted to one side, a picture of faux-politeness. If anyone was watching the conversation on mute, they'd think you were being perfectly civil.<</if>> "It's come up a few times, yeah," he replies, unbothered, which is just even more infuriating. "Well, I thi-" You begin what was sure to be a witty and clever retort, but Atticus cuts you off, standing abruptly from his seat. "Let's just run down the timer, yeah?" And then he just wanders back across the terrace to where he had been stood before, examining the stone paving. That //prick//. You suppose that signals any conversation as being //thoroughly// over, but you weren't even close to being fucking done. You get up too and march back to the blackout room to hammer on the door. If Atticus isn't going to listen to your rant, then someone sure as fuck is. For a split second before your first hammers against the door, you think you might hear something on the other side. The moment your hand connects with the wood, it stops, though. [[You're pretty sure it was the sound of crying.|anmc3.2.1]]

You don't know how long you're stood there hammering on the door and yelling through the keyhole. Longer than is probably dignified, and definitely long enough for your anger to subside to a more acceptable level. You're left with sore hands and feeling a little bit sheepish as you admit defeat and wander back to the terrace. The crying sound lingers in your mind, though. Had you just imagined it? [[Surely not?|anmc3.2.2]]

Unwilling to return to the terrace, you just plonk yourself down on the steps and wait. How long could Avery really intend to leave you out here doing nothing before you're allowed to go back inside? Well, it turns out, a pretty long time. You've spent god knows how long just watching the clouds drift by overhead before you reluctantly get back to your feet. That's when you see Avery. "$mcname?" she calls down from where she appears at the top of the steps, visibly confused. She's restyled her hair - it now hangs in loose waves around her shoulders. <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>She's reapplied her makeup, too.<</if>> "What are you doing down there?" You open your mouth to explain that you'd stormed down here to avoid Atticus, since he's a miserable little shit, but you don't make it that far. She waves a hand, dismissing the thought. "You know what, never mind. You can head back inside whenever you're ready." <<link "Thank God for that." "backtoreality">><<if $teamedwith is "">><<set $teamedwith to "Ellis">><</if>><<set $visited to false>><</link>>

In spite of yourself, you laugh. Everything about this is ridiculous. <<if $believetheaccident>>Ellis almost died,<<else>>Ellis //died//,<</if>> and now you're sat here in swimwear valiantly trying to make conversation with a heavily tattooed man who seems to have absolutely no interest in talking back. Atticus looks up at you, confused, and that only makes you laugh harder. What the fuck did you do to end up here? Atticus shuffles in his seat, and for a moment you think he might be about to say something. He doesn't. Instead, he just gets up out of his seat and wanders back across the terrace to where he had been stood before, examining the stone paving. What thrilling company. You suppose that signals any conversation as being //thoroughly// over. <<include anmc4>>

Sure, Atticus has absolutely no interest in speaking to you, and he doesn't seem to care in the least whether you know it. Why is that strangely charming? You make a mental note to seek therapy as soon as possible when you get home. <<if !$believetheaccident>>For this and for the whole "seeing a dead body" thing. You're pretty sure that any prospective therapist is gonna be more interested in one of those two things than the other.<</if>> Just as you're about to ask another (witty, sexy) question, Atticus gets up from his seat. He doesn't speak to you, though. Instead, he just wanders back across the terrace to where he had been stood before, examining the stone paving. What thrilling company. You suppose that signals any conversation as being //thoroughly// over. <<include anmc4>>

You know what, some peace and quiet might be exactly what you need, actually. Perfect opportunity to sit quietly and soak up the sun. You just tip your head back, close your eyes, and feel the warm rays on your face. You're tired enough that you could basically drift off here, even with the metal of the patio furniture chair digging into your back. Just when the silence has gone on for long enough that you're //sure// he'll break it, Atticus gets up from his seat. He doesn't speak to you, though. Instead, he just wanders back across the terrace to where he had been stood before, examining the stone paving. What thrilling company. You suppose that signals any conversation as being //thoroughly// over. <<include anmc4>>

<<if $extraversion gte 65>> You try valiantly to drag conversation out of Atticus a few more times, but he doesn't take any of your other questions any more seriously. After a while, you're bored enough to just start chatting away in his general direction. You tell him all about your life back in Manchester - your shit job, the lunch with Maya where you'd decided to apply for the show, that time with the extra Jaffa Cake. If he's interested then he never lets on, but he also doesn't actually tell you to shut up, which is pretty much required if someone wants you to stop talking once you get going.<<elseif $extraversion lte 40>>What follows is an extremely tedious morning lounging on the terrace in the sun as Atticus pretends that you don't exist. You gave up trying to talk to Atticus almost immediately. You lack the social pizzazz that you guess is required to draw anything out of him, and frankly, you're too exhausted to even want to try. Based on the easy banter that he seemed to have with Rowan, she must have cracked him, but she's... well, to be candid, she seems much cooler than you - like the adult version of a popular kid.<<else>>You make a few more tentative attempts to engage Atticus in conversation, but it's already abundantly clear that he isn't interested in talking to you, and you just don't have the energy to force it out of him. After a while, you just kick your feet up on the table and let the morning pass you by.<</if>> <<if $atticus lte 30>>You don't know how much time passes before Avery finally comes back. You'd tried counting sheep and then got bored and started cloud watching instead. It had been tricky, though - the sky is azure blue and stretches on forever and the one or two little wisps of cloud had just looked like... cloud. <<include attavreturn>><<else>><<include anmc5>><</if>>

"What about you?" Atticus says eventually, just when you'd given up hope that he'd ever speak again. <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>"Do you have... fun facts that you want to share?"<<else>> "Huh?" you ask vacantly. "Do you have... fun facts that you want to share?"<</if>> Every word sounds painful. <<include anmc5.10>>

"...Fun facts?" you ask, eyebrow raised, and Atticus scowls back at you. "Forget it." <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Nono, I'll deliver a fun fact. I'd hate to disappoint," you grin, and Atticus paces back and forth across the terrace, Ignoring you. At least, pretending to ignore you. Given that he asked the question, you have to assume that some part of him wants to hear the answer. <<include anmc5.10>><<else>>Probably for the best. You aren't really a fun fact sort of $mcguy. [[Next|attavreturn]]<</if>>

"I've seen over 100 horror movies," you shrug. From the way Atticus frowns, you'd think that you'd also held up a sign that says, like, "Atticus, you're a prick and your tattoos are shit" or something. "What?" <<if $agreeableness lt 50>>"I've seen over 100 horror movies..." you repeat, slowly, like he's an idiot.<<else>>"It's a great genre," you tell him, happily.<</if>> He just rolls his eyes and goes back to pacing. Guess you can scrub your planned "Atticus and $mcname horror movie marathon day" off the calendar. [[Next|attavreturn]]

"I'm //super// colourblind," you tell him, <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>a little more forlornly than you would have liked to sound.<<else>>like it's something to take great pride in.<</if>> He looks at you a little bit like you're a dog turd that he's just stepped in. "Oh," is all he manages to reply. Things you've learned about Atticus this morning: he isn't great at feigning interest. [[Next|attavreturn]]

You pull a face like you're thinking //really// hard, and then answer, "I'm //pretty sure// I'm smarter than a 10-year-old." It doesn't get the laugh you think it deserves (which, to be fair, is a small smile of appreciation at best). In fact, Atticus looks at you a little bit like you're a dog turd that he's just stepped in. "Congrats," is all he manages to reply. [[Next|attavreturn]]

<<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"I can recite the first 150 digits of pi," you tell him brightly.<<else>>"I can recite the first 150 digits of pi," you shrug, after a moment of thought.<</if>> "Go on, then." Unexpectedly, he actually seems quite interested. He's stopped walking, arms folded across his chest, watching you like you'd watch a sword swallower at the circus.<<if $agreeableness gt 40>>Alright, not how //you// would watch a sword swallower at the circus. How a really surly, grumpy dude might watch a sword swallower at the circus - possibly also if the sword swallower was someone they didn't hold in particularly high regard.<</if>> "3.14159265358979323846-" you begin, and Atticus nods along with you like he's checking your work, "-26433832795028841971-" "Alright." He nods approvingly and turns away, presumably to go back to pacing. "I believe you." Huh. Now you can add "impatient" and "good at maths" to the short list of things you know about Atticus. [[Next|attavreturn]]

"I gave myself this tattoo," you tell him, pointing at the ink in question. Atticus' gaze actually does flick across to you in that moment, just for a split second, and you think you //might// have actually piqued his interest. It disappears just as quickly as it came, though, and he continues his pacing back and forth beside the pool. But hey, it's more than you've managed to get out of him for most of the rest of the morning. [[Next|attavreturn]]

<<if $extraversion gte 50>>"I once got totally bitten by a shark. A big one. Huge. Like Jaws."<<else>>"I once got bit by a shark?"<</if>> Atticus rolls his eyes like he absolutely doesn't believe you, which is his prerogative. "Good for the shark," is his only grumbled reply. He seems to have enjoyed the answer to your question about as much as he enjoyed asking it in the first place. <<if $neuroticism lte 50>>It's a shame. You thought it was positively //charming//.<</if>> [[Next|attavreturn]]

"I can put my leg behind my head?" <<if $extraversion gt 50>>you venture, with the cheeky grin of someone who knows exactly what they're doing.<<else>>you venture innocently.<</if>> You watch, amused, as Atticus' pacing pauses for a split second. He doesn't look at you, but there's just a little wobble in his path, a moment of acknowledgement. And hey, it's more than you've managed to get out of him for most of the rest of the morning. [[Next|attavreturn]]

"I have an unfortunate weakness for moody bastards that don't want to talk to me," you smirk, and you watch as Atticus' pacing pauses for a split second. It's true, you do. It's your worst trait. Your fatal flaw. If you're going down, you're bringing him down with you (wink wink, nudge nudge). [[Next|attavreturn]]

<<set $teamedwith to "Atticus">>Quietly, you slide into the seat opposite his. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>You're a little speechless, actually - might be the first time ever. Then you remember seeing Ellis' body. Okay, maybe second.<br><br><</if>>[[Next|attmc1]]

For a little while, neither of you say anything at all. Then, Atticus clears his throat and stubs his cigarette out on the surface of the table. "Who'd you think did it?" <<include attmc2>>

"Adegoke," you answer, certainly. Atticus just glances across at you, eyebrows quirked slightly up as he gestures with one hand for you to continue. <<if $coupledwith is "Adegoke">>"Well, for one thing, he wasn't in bed when I woke up this morning," you begin, <<if $adegokerom gte 3>>and you feel a little twinge of something in your stomach. Reluctance? Regret? Disappointment? You can't name it, but it's there. You //wish// that he had been there and you weren't having to have this conversation right now.<<else>>with an indifferent shrug. Sure, you're coupled with Adegoke, but it's not like you're married to him. Besides, if he turns out to be a murderer...<</if>> "Otherwise, I just get... I don't know, a vibe?"<<else>>You shrug. "I mean, I don't have hard and fast //evidence//," you explain. "I just get... I don't know, a vibe?"<</if>> Atticus nods his head slowly. "Right, well, that's that then," he replies, a bemused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> "Make sure you say that on the witness stand and he'll be banged up in no time." <<include heyyouasked>>

"Arthur," you answer, certainly. Atticus just glances across at you, eyebrows quirked slightly up as he gestures with one hand for you to continue. <<if $arthurclue1>>"He said that he'd //never// cried at a movie before. That's suspicious, right?" you begin. <<if $coupledwith isnot "Arthur">>"Plus, he's a total dick." Atticus lets out a low chuckle. <<include attmc2.2.2>><<else>>"And he didn't come to bed last night. He wasn't there when I went to sleep or when I woke up." <<include attmc2.2.1>><</if>><<elseif $coupledwith is "Arthur">><<if $artkiss>>You sigh.<<else>>You shrug.<</if>> "He didn't come to bed last night. He wasn't there when I went to sleep or when I woke up." <<include attmc2.2.1>><<else>>"He's a total dick." You tell him with a shrug, and Atticus lets out a low chuckle. <<include attmc2.2.2>><</if>>

Atticus raises an eyebrow. "And that's bruised your ego? He didn't wanna fuck you, so he's a //murderer//?" he replies, still wearing a bemused smile. <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> "No," you reply impatiently<<if $acreason is "rom">> (and a little defensively - it'd be a lie to say that your ego wasn't //at all// bruised)<</if>>, "I mean that he had the opportunity. He doesn't have an alibi." <<include attmc2.2.3>>

Atticus leans forward in his seat, steepling his fingers in front of him. "That's... actually interesting." You can't help but notice how surprised he sounds as he says it. After that, he seems lost in thought for a moment, brow pressed into a little frown. "Alright," Atticus says after a moment, sparking up another cigarette. "I'll keep an eye on that one." If you had been hoping for a "thank you, $mcname" or a "that was very helpful, $mcname" then you should have known better. You fall into silence. <<include attmc3>>

"Right, well, that's that then," he replies, still wearing a bemused smile. <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> "Make sure you say that on the witness stand and he'll be banged up in no time." <<include heyyouasked>>

"Florrie," you answer, certainly. Atticus just glances across at you, eyebrows quirked slightly up as he gestures with one hand for you to continue. "I ran into her while I was getting ready to enter the villa. She said she'd got the wrong room, but she could have been snooping around," you begin, "And I'm not sure I believe that //anyone// is that friendly. It's gotta be a cover." "So she gets lost and is a bit too nice?" he replies, a bemused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> "Make sure you say that on the witness stand and she'll be banged up in no time." <<include heyyouasked>>

"Griffin," you answer, certainly. Atticus just glances across at you, eyebrows quirked slightly up as he gestures with one hand for you to continue. <<if $gkiss>>"He moves //quick//. I just don't think he can be genuine. He must be hiding something." Atticus nods his head slowly. "He's a bit quick on the draw?" he replies, a bemused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.<<else>>"He's like a human golden retriever, and I'm not buying it. No one is that... easy." Atticus nods his head slowly. "He's too nice?" he replies, a bemused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.<</if>> <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> "Make sure you say that on the witness stand and he'll be banged up in no time." <<include heyyouasked>>

"Imogen," you answer, certainly. Atticus just glances across at you, eyebrows quirked slightly up as he gestures with one hand for you to continue. <<if $imogenclue1>>"It was something she said last night as she was falling asleep," you begin, with a sigh. You don't want to suspect Imogen - you want to trust her. But you don't. "She said 'This just isn't real'. She knows something." <<include attmc2.2.3>><<else>> "Yeah. No one that sweet would apply to a show like this if they didn't have something to hide." "So she's... sweet," he replies, a bemused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> "Make sure you say that on the witness stand and she'll be banged up in no time." <<include heyyouasked>><</if>>

"Nyra," you answer, certainly. Atticus just glances across at you, eyebrows quirked slightly up as he gestures with one hand for you to continue. <<if $nyraclue2>><<include attmc2.6.1>><<elseif $nyraclue3>><<include attmc2.6.2>><<elseif $nyraclue4>><<include attmc2.6.3>><<elseif $nyraclue1>><<include attmc2.6.4>><<else>><<include attmc2.6.5>><</if>>

"Well, for one thing, she fucking //threw me over her head// on the speed date." Atticus looks utterly bewildered. "On purpose?" "On purpose," you confirm. "I did the 'guess who' hands over the eyes bit and she didn't like being touched." "Sounds like you had it coming," he replies, a bemused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> "That's a very tacky bit." <<include attmc2.6.1.1>>

<<if $nyraclue1>>You think back over the date again, determinedly ignoring Atticus. "There's more. When we were on the date, Nyra said she needed the money really badly and that she'd do anything to get it." You think you might have actually piqued his interest, now. <<include attmc2.6.3.1>><<else>><<include attmc2.6.3.2>><</if>>

"It was this thing she said on the speed dates. She said that if I didn't sit down she'd be //caught// committing murder on camera. That's just strange phrasing, right? Not that she'd do it, that she'd be caught." "Oooh, a linguistic analysis," he replies, a bemused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> "Got a real Chomsky over here." <<include attmc2.6.1.1>>

"Well, for starters, she said she needed the money really badly and that she'd do anything to get it." <<include attmc2.6.3.1>>

Atticus leans forward in his seat, steepling his fingers in front of him. "That's... actually interesting." You can't help but notice how surprised he sounds as he says it. After that, he seems lost in thought for a moment, brow pressed into a little frown. "Alright," Atticus says after a moment, a hint of approval in his tone as he sparks up another cigarette. "Anything else?" <<include attmc2.6.3.2>>

<<if $nyraclue4>>"Yes, actually. She didn't come to bed last night. She wasn't there when I went to sleep or when I woke." "Okay, so she had means //and// opportunity," he replies, taking a long drag. "I'll keep an eye on that one."<<else>>"No. I mean, there's her generally abrasive personality..." "Aaand you've ruined it." Atticus lets out an exasperated sigh. "I can keep an eye on that one, though. Hope I don't get too many cuts and scrapes from her //abrasive personality//."<</if>> If you had been hoping for a "thank you, $mcname" or a "that was very helpful, $mcname" then you should have known better. [[You fall into silence.|attmc3]]

"She didn't come to bed last night. She wasn't there when I went to sleep or when I woke." Atticus raises an eyebrow. "And that's bruised your ego? She didn't wanna fuck you, so she's a //murderer//?" he replies, a bemused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> "No," you reply impatiently<<if $coupleonefeels is "love">> (and a little defensively - it'd be a lie to say that your ego wasn't //at all// bruised)<</if>>, "I mean that she had the opportunity. She doesn't have an alibi." Atticus leans forward in his seat, steepling his fingers in front of him. "That's... actually interesting." You can't help but notice how surprised he sounds as he says it. After that, he seems lost in thought for a moment, brow pressed into a little frown. "Alright," Atticus says after a moment, sparking up another cigarette. "I'll keep an eye on that one." If you had been hoping for a "thank you, $mcname" or a "that was very helpful, $mcname" then you should have known better. You fall into silence. [[You fall into silence.|attmc3]]

"I mean, I don't have //evidence//..." you begin, "but have you spoken to her? Her personality is evidence enough." "Right, well, that's that then," he replies, a bemused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> "Make sure you say that on the witness stand and she'll be banged up in no time." <<include heyyouasked>>

"Syd," you answer, certainly. Atticus just glances across at you, eyebrows quirked slightly up as he gestures with one hand for you to continue. "They just seem like the type," you shrug. "Right, well that's that then," he replies, a bemused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> "Make sure you say that on the witness stand and they'll be banged up in no time." <<include heyyouasked>>

"Vinh," you answer, certainly. Atticus just glances across at you, eyebrows quirked slightly up as he gestures with one hand for you to continue. "They're a loner. We went on speed dates yesterday and they didn't go on any. What are they here for, if not that?" you begin, and Atticus just watches you with a neutral expression, <<if $vinhclue1>>"And there's this thing they said last night. I made a joke about being a murderer and their reaction was... I don't know, it just seems now like maybe they knew something. Something that I didn't know." "Not finding you funny? Couldn't imagine that. Must be a murderer," he replies, a bemused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> "Make sure you say that on the witness stand and the whole jury'll be up in arms."<<else>>"And they came outside to talk to me right before the coupling. We weren't supposed to be outside. That's weird, right?" Atticus' brow creases into a thoughtful frown. "...But you were also outside?" he points out, confused. "Yeah, but I wasn't out there in a shady way." "Right, well that's that then," he replies, a bemused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> "Make sure you say that on the witness stand and they'll be banged up in no time."<</if>> <<include heyyouasked>>

"If I had to pin it on anyone, the producers seem like the obvious choices," you explain with a shrug. "They're the only two people who know where we are at all times, who'd know when it was safe to commit a murder, and who know what the fuck is going on here." Atticus leans forward in his seat, steepling his fingers in front of him. "You make a good point." You can't help but notice how surprised he sounds as he says it. After that, he seems lost in thought for a moment, brow pressed into a little frown. <<if $men>>There's something quite attractive about it, actually, although you do what you can to dismiss that thought as quickly as possible.<</if>> "Not to mention the incredibly weak lie to convince us that Ellis was going to be okay." "Alright," Atticus says after a moment, sparking up another cigarette. "I'll keep an eye on that one." If you had been hoping for a "thank you, $mcname" or a "that was very helpful, $mcname" then you should have known better. You fall into silence. <<include attmc3>>

"Well," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you begin, in your most polite voice,<<else>>you begin, folding your arms across your chest,<</if>> "You and Rowan were stood over the body, and I don't think you were supposed to be there. I'd say if anyone's looking suspicious right now, it's you." "Fair enough," he replies, a bemused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> It doesn't do anything to lessen your suspicion, though. "That's all you have to say in response to being accused of committing murder?" "What were you expecting?" You think about it for a moment. What //had// you been expecting? "Some kind of denial?" "I didn't kill your pal," Atticus tells you with a shrug. "Happy now?" No, you're not, but whatever. And that's that. You accuse Atticus of probably committing murder right to his face and he just sparks up another cigarette. [[The world keeps turning.|attmc3]]

"I have no fucking idea," you sigh. "None of the people I've met seem like //murderers//." "But you think it was a murder?" Okay, it's a fair question. You're //sure// that this wasn't an accident. It couldn't possibly be. And yet, you just aren't willing to accuse anyone that you've met of committing the crime. Not even here, just to Atticus. //You just don't know//. "Yes," is all you can say in reply, and Atticus nods slowly. "Right, well, that's that then," he replies, a bemused smile twitching at the corners of his mouth. <<if $men>>It looks good on him - a welcome change from the usual scowl.<</if>> "Make sure you say that on the witness stand and I'm sure they'll just spin a bottle to decide who to put away." "Hey, you asked," you remind him, and Atticus leans forward across the table. "Because I wanted an answer." And that's that. Atticus sits back in his seat and agitatedly sparks up another cigarette. [[The world keeps turning.|attmc3]]

<<if $conscientiousness lte 50>>You look from side to side, confused. "But... you //just// said not to talk about it...?"<<else>>You smile. "I thought you said not to talk about it?" you point out, smugly.<</if>> "Too late for that now, isn't it?" he replies, a little impatiently, as he looks across at you from under thick eyebrows. "You've already dropped the m word with me." Alright, he has a point. It might help to have someone else with their eyes open. So, who do you think did it? <<include attmc2>>

"You don't know any of them," you reply. "Surely whatever I say is going to be meaningless?" "I don't know them," Atticus shrugs, "but I'm about to." What a first impression. You can't wait til he goes in for that first handshake and says "Hi! I'm Atticus! $mcname told me you killed Ellis!" Alright, he probably wouldn't sound that upbeat. It might help, though, to have someone else with their eyes open. So, who do you think did it? <<include attmc2>>

"Hey, you asked," you remind him, and Atticus holds up both hands in mock surrender. "You're right. You're a real Sherlock Holmes. Definitely one to watch." And that's that. You accuse $mostsus of probably committing murder, Atticus sparks up another cigarette, and the world keeps turning. <<include attmc3>>

"So..." you venture, after a lengthy silence, "Are you going to tell me anything about yourself, or are we just going to sit in silence for the rest of the morning?" Atticus just shrugs, glancing across at you. "What do you want to know?" <div class="choices"><<link "Let's start with something nice and easy. Where's he from?" "attmc3.1">><</link>> <<link "Why is he here?" "attmc3.2">><</link>> <<link "What skill would he most like to master?" "attmc3.3">><</link>> <<link "Full name, date of birth, national insurance number." "attmc3.4">><</link>></div>

It's the most basic of basic conversation starters. The buttered noodles of chat. Something to get him warmed up before the //really// witty stuff kicks in. "Where're you from?" you ask, <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>brightly.<<else>>looking around indifferently.<</if>> There's a silence as Atticus gives you a derisive look. "London. The accent might say Northern Ireland, but I just put it on for show." [[Next|anmc4]]

It's direct - to the point. It's also something that you're gonna need to know, realistically. Best way to size anyone up on this show is to work out their motive. "What's your deal? Why are you here?" you ask, <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>brightly.<<else>>looking around indifferently.<</if>> There's a silence as Atticus gives you a derisive look. "Fall in love, get married, adopt a gaggle of babies and get one of those cars with the DVD players in the headrests." [[Next|anmc4]]

You cast your gaze around, looking for a question that's a little more whimsical than the usual 'What do you do? Where are you from?' bullshit that he's probably heard a thousand times before. "What skill would you most like to master?" you ask, <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>brightly.<<else>>looking around indifferently.<</if>> "Flower arranging," Atticus answers, without missing a beat. [[Next|anmc4]]

You smile defiantly back at him and slide into the seat opposite his. "Full name, date of birth, national insurance number." "Atticus Cruz, 31st October, QQ123456C." "That's not a real national insurance number." "Oooh, <<if $mche is "they">>they're quick."<<else>>$mche's quick."<</if>> [[Next|anmc4]]

"Ah, you're both still here." Avery appears at the top of the steps down to the blackout room and calls across the terrace to you, clipboard in hand. She's restyled her hair - it now hangs in loose waves around her shoulders. <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>You also note that she has reapplied her makeup.<</if>> <<if hasVisited("attmc1")>><<include attavreturn2>><<else>>Atticus offers a brief (and rather sarcastic) salute as she approaches. He makes no move to acknowledge you. <<include attavreturn3>><</if>>

Atticus offers a brief (and rather sarcastic) salute as she approaches, and then turns back quickly to face you. "If you find out anything else, let me know." <<if $conscientiousness lte 50>>There's a pause where you just look at him blankly, and he sighs. "About the murder." Oh yeah, that.<</if>> <div class="choices"><<link "Sure." "attavreturn2.1">><<set $atticus += 1>><</link>> <<link "Only if he does the same." "attavreturn2.2">><<set $atticus += 2>><</link>> <<link "Why, are we a sexy crime fighting duo now?" "attavreturn2.3">><<inc-thot>><<set $atticusrom += 1>><</link>> <<link "What's in it for me?" "attavreturn2.4">><<set $atticus -= 1>><<dec-friendly>><</link>></div>

<<if $conscientiousness lte 50>>God knows you aren't going to solve a murder on your own, and Atticus at least seems to have //some// thoughts.<<else>>You //might// be able to piece things together on your own, but you're not exactly a professional sleuth.<</if>> As much as you wish it could be someone slightly less abrasive than Atticus, it might be nice to feel like part of a team on this. "Sure." There's a split second where you think that Atticus looks a little surprised. Then he gives you a tight nod and turns back to face Avery again without another word. The interaction is over as quickly as it began, but you can't help but feel like something important just happened. <<include attavreturn3>>

There's no sense being individualistic here. If there really is a murderer at large, then the more information the better. "Only if you do the same." "Done." And then he turns back to face Avery again. The interaction is over as quickly as it began, but you can't help but feel like something important just happened. <<include attavreturn3>>

"Why, are we a sexy crime fighting duo now?" you grin. Atticus just shakes his head, but as he turns back to face Avery again, you //think// you catch a hint of a smile. The interaction is over as quickly as it began, but you can't help but feel like something important just happened. And that totally seems like a 'yes'. <<include attavreturn3>>

"What's in it for me?" you ask, arms folded across your chest. "Getting out of here alive," he answers flatly. Atticus doesn't wait for your response before he turns back to face Avery again. The implication is clear - you don't really have a choice here. If this really was a murder, as you believe, then the danger you're in is plain. The interaction is over as quickly as it began, but you can't help but feel like something important just happened. <<include attavreturn3>>

"You two can go back inside now." Avery strides towards you, ushering you both back toward the villa with one hand as she does. "I'll fetch Rowan and send her on." <<if hasVisited("attmc1t")>>She pauses briefly on the paving stones, a flicker of uncertainty before she speaks again. "Have a good afternoon." Well, //that// was weird.<<else>>She offers a bright smile in your direction. "Have a good afternoon."<</if>> <<link "Back to reality." "backtoreality">><<set $visited to false>><</link>>

<<if $teamedwith isnot "Avery">><<if $teamedwith isnot "Atticus">><<set $teamedwith to "Ellis">><</if>><</if>><<if hasVisited("ratdate13")>><<if $averyclue2>>By the time you wander through the doors of the kitchen, Atticus and Rowan are both nowhere to be found - presumably having already said their 'hello's to its occupants and moved on for fresh meat. Left behind are Adegoke and Vinh, who are chatting away amiably when you enter.<<else>>Atticus had walked off across the terrace ahead of you, but he pauses at the doorway, holding his hand out for you to go first. You oblige, moving past him into the sweet, air conditioned paradise that is the Body Count kitchen. Adegoke and Vinh stand at the marble island that occupies the centre of the room, chatting away amiably.<</if>><<elseif hasVisited("averyhang")>>By the time you wander through the doors of the kitchen, Atticus and Rowan are both nowhere to be found - presumably having already said their 'hello's to its occupants and moved on for fresh meat. Left behind are Adegoke and Vinh, who are chatting away amiably when you enter.<<else>>You wander through the glass doors of the kitchen with Rowan at your side, though she doesn't seem at all self-conscious about the fact that she will be imminently meeting a bunch of strangers in just swimwear.<</if>> "$mcname." Vinh is the first to notice you, <<if $coupledwith is "Vinh">>and it's not hard to notice the way their face lights up when they see you. They don't smile with their mouth, but you'd think that someone had just struck a match inside their head for the way their eyes brighten. <<if hasVisited("ratdate13")>><<if !$averyclue2>>Then you watch those same eyes flicker to the figure behind you, and then to you, and then back again.<</if>><</if>><<else>>bobbing their head in polite acknowledgement.<</if>> <<if $mostsus is "Vinh">>You can't help but feel a little knot of unease deep in your stomach to see them now. It's the first time since you found Ellis' body. The first time since you all but accused them of murder.<</if>> Adegoke looks up at their comment, <<if $coupledwith is "Adegoke">>a slow smile spreading across his face as he sees you. Something about his eyes on yours sends butterflies fluttering through your stomach. <<if $agreeableness lte 50>>You aren't normally a butterflies kind of $mcguy. It feels //weird//.<</if>> <<if $mostsus is "Adegoke">>Of course, it's quickly followed by a hot, leaden guilt. You don't trust him. You basically just accused him of murder.<</if>><<else>>expression warm and welcoming as ever. <<if $mostsus is "Adegoke">>You can't help but feel a little knot of unease deep in your stomach to see him now. It's the first time since you found Ellis' body. The first time since you all but accused him of murder.<</if>><</if>> "You've been gone a while," he observes. It could sound accusatory coming from someone else, but Adegoke sounds more concerned than anything else. "We all heard about what happened to Ellis. I feel terrible that you had to deal with all that." <<if hasVisited("ratdate13")>><<include returnwithsomeone>><<elseif hasVisited("ratdate12")>><<include returnwithsomeone>><<else>><<include backtoreality2>><</if>>

<<if $averyclue2>>"Thank you," you reply, because it doesn't really feel like there's anything else to say. The words feel hollow and empty as you speak them.<<else>>"Mmm," is all you really manage to reply, because you can't think of anything to say when there just //isn't// anything. It would feel empty and hollow.<</if>> "Are you alright?" Adegoke asks, leaning into your field of vision when he notices your slightly vacant expression. <<include btr2>>

<<if hasVisited("ratdate12")>>Rowan steps back, drumming her hands on the marble. "I'm Rowan - it's great to meet you both. $mcname has been giving me the skinny this morning so I already know how absolutely lovely everyone is and I can’t wait to get to know you all even better!" She grins across at you. It isn't //exactly// what you'd spent the morning talking about, but hey, close enough. What an amazingly civilised round of introductions - [[if Florrie was here you don't doubt that there would have been screaming galore.|rowint2]]<<else>>"Atticus," is the only strained reply that Atticus seems able to manage, devoid of any smiling pleasantness. [[What a staggeringly restrained round of introductions.|atint2]]<</if>>

There's an awkward silence for a beat where no one seems quite sure what to say now, and it's clear that Atticus has no intention to provide further information about himself willingly. "I'm sure the others will be excited to meet you," Adegoke says, and he has an amazing ability to avoid sounding stilted and uncomfortable like most people would breaking a silence like this. Atticus is fiddling with a pack of cigarettes, and he just makes a 'mmm' sound in response. It had seemed impossible at the time, but maybe the Atticus you'd spent the morning had been the most talkative version of him. After a moment, he looks up and nods his head at Adegoke and Vinh. Then he just... walks right out, presumably to explore the rest of the house, and you're left looking semi-apologetically back at them. [[Next|atint3]]

"Chatty," Adegoke says with a smile, and Vinh laughs. Not cruelly - their expression is flooded with relief as they look brightly over at you. "I'm not the quietest anymore." Vinh had seemed perfectly content in themself and their differences compared to other cast members. Their relief that they are no longer that peculiar in Atticus' presence certainly suggests otherwise, and you can't help but feel a little tug of sadness about it. "Are you alright?" Adegoke asks, leaning into your field of vision when he notices your slightly vacant expression. <<include btr2>>

"We've already met Atticus," Vinh informs her. "He's gone to find the others, I think?" "Then I'd better go find //him// before he leaves a trail of broken hearts all across the villa," she grins, <<if $rkiss>>briefly touching her hand to your shoulder as she moves toward the door. Her fingers leave behind a distant tingly sensation, <<if $agreeableness lt 50>>and you do your best to retain your neutral expression. "I'll catch you all later?"<<else>>and you smile at the back of her head as you part. "I'll catch you all later?"<</if>> She says "all", but her eyes find yours as she does. Then she's gone.<<else>>moving toward the door. "I'll catch you all later?" And then she's gone.<</if>> You find yourself staring into space. Rowan's effervescence had kept you awake down on the beach, but now you're back inside and you find yourself... //exhausted//. "Are you alright?" Adegoke asks, leaning into your field of vision when he notices your slightly vacant expression. <<include btr2>>

He clears his throat. "Sorry - Charlie asked us not to bring it up when new people were coming in or it'd mess with the footage, but I just... I don't know, it needed to be said. Anyway!" He claps his hands, abandoning his glass of water to the countertop. "I'm Adegoke. Nice to meet you." He holds a hand out for <<if hasVisited("ratdate13")>>Atticus<<else>>Rowan<</if>>, who leans forward to politely shake it. Vinh just waves a hand from their vantage point slightly further around the counter. "Vinh." <<include vinhhandshake>>

"Hmm? Oh. Yeah." It's not very convincing. You're pretty sure you'd spaced out, and [[your eyelids are feeling heavier by the second.|btr3]]

"Take a nap?" Vinh suggests, helpfully, and Adegoke nods. "If anyone asks, we'll say you're doing something extremely exciting and worthy of being filmed," he adds. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You give them both a grateful smile and an apologetic nod. It's a combination that hopefully conveys what your brain is too tired to express in words<<else>>You give them both a grateful nod, wearing an apologetic expression that hopefully conveys what your brain is too tired to express in words<</if>> - something along the lines of 'thank you for being nice and for covering for me if I take a nap but sorry I'm such a boring wreck'. <<if $coupledwith is "Adegoke">>Adegoke wanders round to meet you halfway as you head towards the door. "I'll come wake you in a while, okay?" he tells you gently, <<if $adekiss>>nuzzling his face into your hair to plant a gentle kiss on your temple, one arm tucked protectively around your shoulder.<<else>>one arm tucked protectively around your shoulder.<</if>> He gives you a little squeeze, and you can't help but smile. It's feeble and tired, but it's there, and he'll know that he was the one who caused it. [[That's enough for now.|btr4]]<<elseif $coupledwith is "Vinh">>You run your fingertips around the edge of the marble island as you make your way out. When you come to where Vinh is resting theirs, they gently place one of their hands over yours, tipping their face to get a better look at yours. "I'll come wake you in a little while," they tell you with a soft smile, rubbing their thumb across the back of your hand. Just once. You can't help but smile as they pull their hand back. [[It's feeble and tired, but it's there, and they'll know that they were the one who caused it.|btr4]]<<else>>"We'll send someone up to wake you in a bit," Adegoke tells you gently. "You won't miss anything." <<if !$believetheaccident>>Phew. <<link "You'd //hate// to miss the next murder." "btr4">><</link>><<else>><<link "Next" "btr4">><</link>><</if>><</if>>

<<nobr>>You drag your feet back upstairs and into your room. <<if !$believetheaccident>>It feels like retracing your steps. Trying to walk your way back to a time before this one. One where you hadn't found a dead body. One where you don't know about Ellis' death.<br><br> [[One where you don't think there's a murderer living among you.|btr4.1]]<<else>><br><br>[[The allure of crisp bedsheets is too great to resist.|btr4.1]]<</if>> <</nobr>>

<<if $teamedwith is "Ellis">><<include ellisafterbedroom>><<elseif not hasVisited("nyrapissy18") and $coupledwith is "Nyra">><<include nyraafterbedroom>><<elseif $coupledwith is "Florrie">><<include florrieafterbedroom>><<elseif $coupledwith is "Syd">><<include sydafterbedroom>><<elseif $coupledwith is "Arthur" or $coupledwith is "Imogen">><<if $sydrom gte 1>><<include sydafterbedroom>><<else>><<include florrieafterbedroom>><</if>><<elseif $coupledwith is "Adegoke" or $coupledwith is "Griffin">><<if $sydrom gte 2>><<include sydafterbedroom>><<else>><<include florrieafterbedroom>><</if>><<else>><<if $sydrom gte 3>><<include sydafterbedroom>><<else>><<include florrieafterbedroom>><</if>><</if>>

The moment you make it inside, you are stopped in your tracks. The door clicks shut behind you. You aren't alone, as you had been hoping to be. There's someone sat on the bed, brogues just barely grazing the floor, one ankle crossed delicately under the other. [[Your eyes trail slowly upward over tweed trousers, silk shirt, red lips.|eab1]]

It's Ellis. They had been looking down at their nails, but they look up at you now. Their face is open and calm, full of colour, so different from how you last saw them. Their throat is uninjured, just another stretch of soft brown skin against their pale collar. <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<link "Well... hello." "eab2">><<dec-funny>><<set $ellis += 1>><</link>><br> <<link "What are they doing here?" "eab3">><<dec-friendly>><</link>><br> <<link "What //the fuck// are they doing here?" "eab4">><<dec-friendly>><<dec-friendly>><<inc-bold>><</link>><br> <<if $ellisrom gte 3>><<link "I want to kiss them. I'm going to kiss them." "eab6">><<set $ellisrom += 1>><</link>><br><<elseif $ellis gt 30>><<link "I want to touch them. Hug them. Know this is real." "eab5">><<set $ellis += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "I can't say anything. I just stare at them in silence." "eab7">><<dec-bold>><</link>><br> <<if !$believetheaccident>><<link "Pretty sure they're supposed to be dead." "eab8">><<inc-funny>><</link>><</if>> <</nobr>></div>

"Well," you begin, mouth dry. "Hello." It doesn't seem nearly strong enough to convey your surprise, but you aren't sure that there are any words in the English language that would. Ellis stands, hands clasped behind their back like they're trying to restrain themselves. "Hello." They smile warmly at you. Their voice is warm too - sweet like honey, smooth like silk. "I've not seen you in //so// long, $mcname, but now that you're here it only feels like a blink." Your blood runs cold. You saw them yesterday. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Ellis... What are you talking about?"<<else>>"What are you talking about?"<</if>> <<include eab9>>

Your mouth is dry; the voice that comes out of you barely sounds like your own, hoarse and shaking. "What are you doing here?" <<include eab9>>

You stagger back until you're pressed against the door. Your mouth is dry; the voice that comes out of you barely sounds like your own, hoarse and shaking. "What the //fuck// are you doing here?!" <<include eab9>>

You need to feel their skin under yours. Wrap your arms around them and squeeze. //Know// that they're really here. Breathe in their familiar smell and <<if $mcheight gte 4>>rest your chin on top of their head.<<else>>touch your cheek to theirs.<</if>> <<include eab5.1>>

<<set $visited to true>>You take a bold step forward, heart in your mouth, relief flooding your veins. Ellis immediately leaps back to avoid you, though. Instead of in your arms, they are now right across the other side of the bed, a whole piece of furniture between the two of you. Their arms are outstretched, eyes wide and full of fear. "Please don't. Don't touch me." You drop your hands immediately to your sides, but you're pretty sure that your face looks like you've just been slapped. You kind of feel like you have. What the fuck is going on? "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have known. I didn't think," Ellis babbles from the other side of the bed, and you just shake your head. The mistake wasn't theirs. "I just can't be touched. It sends me away. I can only stay as long as nobody touches me." This is where they lose you. <<if $believetheaccident>>"Ellis..." You try to sound gentle and soothing, understanding, but there's a tremor as you speak that betrays your nerves. "What are you talking about? Are you okay? Why aren't you at the hospital?" Their face falls at that. "Oh," they breathe, utterly crestfallen, and you are even more confused than before. "Oh, $mcname. I'm dead." <<include eab10>><<else>>"Ellis..." You try to sound gentle and soothing, understanding, but there's a tremor as you speak that betrays your nerves. "What are you talking about? Are you okay? Avery told me you were //dead//?" They just nod their head slowly. "I am afraid that Avery was right. I am dead." <<include eab11>><</if>>

You're completely lost for words. When you open your mouth, nothing comes out. You just stare at them, scanning them for any sign of what the fuck is going on here. "Aren't you pleased to see me?" Ellis asks, like they've just dropped by your flat with hot scones. Then they shake their head. "Sorry, that was a cruel joke. I know this is a lot to take in." <<include eab9>>

<<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Avery told me you were dead."<<else>>"You're dead. You're supposed to be dead."<</if>> Ellis' smile fades a little, dissolving into a look of concern. "Yes," they affirm, "I'm afraid that's right. I'm dead." <<include eab11>>

<<if $believetheaccident>>You take a deep, shuddering breath as you try to reconcile what you know and what you're seeing. "Avery said you were in hospital?" Ellis' face falls, their smile replaced by an anxious lip bite until they speak again. "Oh, $mcname. I'm dead." <<include eab10>><<else>>You take a deep, shuddering breath as you try to reconcile what you know and what you're seeing, <<include eab8>><</if>>

<<if $murderfeels is "devvoed">>You had thought that Ellis was dead once before. You had been devastated by the idea, and the feeling had been ready to tear you apart. Once again, that pain rips through your chest as you sink onto the floor, back against the door, head in your hands.<<elseif $murderfeels is "stressed">>Your heart //thuds// against your ribcage, and you can't breathe. <<if $entrancemeet is "vinh">>You feel a familiar tightness in your chest and your palms go clammy... You can't //do this//.<<else>>You feel a tightness in your chest, your palms go clammy and tears prick your eyes.<</if>> You're panicking. //Fuck//, you're panicking. Your mind feels like it's working at about a thousand miles an hour and you can't slow it down, like you're speeding down a motorway and your brakes are out. Ellis looks at you, face kind and open, but you can't make out whatever it is that they're saying. You can't hear anything except the rushing of blood in your ears, the thudding of your heart, your own sharp breaths. You sink to the floor, head in your hands, back against the door.<<elseif $murderfeels is "fine">>This morning you had been sat in that stupid egg chair feeling fine. Ellis was dead and you were //fine//. Now, though, you are unwillingly overcome with emotion, a hostage to //feeling//. Feelings that you just aren't ready for. You name them in your head like a primary schooler, imagining little emoji diagrams that you could point to - sad, mad, scared. You sink onto the floor, back against the door, head in your hands.<<elseif $murderfeels is "bored">>This morning you had been sat in that stupid egg chair feeling bored. You'd been in there for hours with nothing to do, and it had felt like the natural reaction. No feelings, just boredom. Now, though, you are unwillingly overcome with emotion, a hostage to //feeling//. Feelings that you just aren't ready for. You name them in your head like a primary schooler, imagining little emoji diagrams that you could point to - sad, mad, scared. You sink onto the floor, back against the door, head in your hands.<<elseif $murderfeels is "numb">>This morning you had been sat in that stupid egg chair completely devoid of feeling, totally numb at the thought of Ellis being dead. Someone could have driven a needle into your hand and you don't know if you would have felt a thing. Now, though, you are unwillingly overcome with emotion, a hostage to //feeling//. Feelings that you just aren't ready for. You name them in your head like a primary schooler, imagining little emoji diagrams that you could point to - sad, mad, scared. You sink onto the floor, back against the door, head in your hands.<<else>>You feel a white-hot anger bubbling in your chest, ripping through you, and you can't hold it back. You had thought Ellis was dead before. The whole thing had just made you //mad//. Furious. It was the kind of rage that you didn't know what to do with, couldn't find a place to put, and when it had been taken away you'd been //so relieved//. Of course, it had lingered, but the reason for it had been taken away, and the anger had begun to follow it. Now it surges back. You sink to the floor, head in your hands, back against the door. You try to think clearly.<</if>> "You're dead," you repeat, and the words come out all strangled and hoarse. "I thought that you would have already known..." they whisper, drawing a hand over their face as they look down at you. And, in a way, you did. You had known. You had known the second that you had seen their body that they were dead, and there hadn't been a doubt in your mind. Then Avery came in, and said that they were going to be alright, and you had just been //so// ready to accept it. You wanted desperately to have been wrong. For Ellis to not have been gone. For this to just have been an accident. To not have to deal with it all. [[Avery had given you an out, and you had taken it.|eab10.1]]

Then, with a jolt, you come to your senses. If Ellis is dead, why are they standing in your bedroom? "You're here," you force out, and you can feel your hands shaking as you push them against your thighs, trying to still them. "You're standing in my bedroom." It comes out as a statement, but you think the underlying query is still pretty clear. <<if $murderfeels isnot "devvoed" or $murderfeels isnot "stressed">>It's better than 'If you're so dead, why are you in my fucking room' which was the alternative phrasing that came to mind.<<else>>You feel a tear trickle down your cheek and <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you just let it fall.<<else>>quickly brush it away.<</if>><</if>> Ellis nods their head slowly. They are patient, polite, like they're walking an elderly grandparent through the process of sending an email or something. Oh, god, this is probably exactly like how they looked explaining the internet to Mamgu. They'd told you all about her yesterday - their elderly Welsh grandmother with an aversion to all things technological. You hadn't even considered how devastated she would be, but now Mamgu lingers in your mind. "Yes, I am," they tell you, gently. "I am dead, and I am standing in your bedroom. Both things are true." You just gawk at them, and they take a deep breath and begin anew. Or did they take a breath? If they're dead, was it just... a pause? A performance for your benefit? Some kind of other, dead person breath? Your brain feels like white noise, static, and you //try// to listen. "We saw each other yesterday, and then I died. For me, a //long// time has passed between then and now. That's why I'm alright. I've come to terms with it. I understand that this is a lot, and that you might need longer, but we don't //have// much longer. I need your help." <<include eab12>>

"No..." you reply. Your voice is slow and steady, even though nothing about this situation feels steady to you. You feel like you're cracking up. "You're standing in my bedroom?" <<include eab11.1.1>>

Ellis nods their head slowly. They are patient, polite, like they're walking an elderly grandparent through the process of sending an email or something. Oh, god, this is probably exactly like how they looked explaining the internet to Mamgu. They'd told you all about her yesterday - their elderly Welsh grandmother with an aversion to all things technological. You hadn't even considered how devastated she would be, but now Mamgu lingers in your mind. "Yes, I am," they tell you, gently. "I am dead, and I am standing in your bedroom. Both things are true." You just gawk at them, and they take a deep breath and begin anew. Or did they take a breath? If they're dead, was it just... a pause? A performance for your benefit? "We saw each other yesterday, and then I died. For me, a //long// time has passed between then and now. That's why I'm alright. I've come to terms with it. I understand that this is a lot, and that you might need longer, but we don't //have// much longer. I need your help." And there's a desperation in their voice that softens you. <<include eab12>>

"But..." you begin. Your voice is slow and steady, even though nothing about this situation feels steady to you. You feel like you're cracking up. "You aren't dead. You're here. I can see you." <<include eab11.1.1>>

You look around, waiting for someone to jump out and yell "surprise"! You wonder how they managed to get Ashton Kutcher all the way out here - doesn't he just hang out with his hot wife and do human rights stuff now? You shake your head. This isn't about Ashton. It's about Ellis, and it's about you. "Is this a prank? Is it part of the show?" you frown. Ellis is as patient as ever. "No, $mcname, this is not a part of the show. It also isn't a prank - it would be a very cruel one. I am dead, and you can see me. Here, in this bedroom. The only person on this island who knows about this part, the part about me being visible to you, is you." They take a deep breath. At least, it looks like a breath. If they're dead, maybe it's something else entirely. "We saw each other yesterday, and then I died. For me, a //long// time has passed between then and now. That's why I'm alright - I've come to terms with it. I understand that this is a lot, and that you might need longer, but we don't //have// much longer. I need your help." And there's a desperation in their voice that softens you. <<include eab12>>

"No, you fucking aren't! I can see you! You're right here in my fucking bedroom and you expect to be able to spin some bullshit about how you're //dead//?! Ellis, //I believed you were dead//. And for what?! Some stupid fucking prank?! A fucking TV show?! You're fucking sick!" The words spill out of you like vomit, hot and acidic, burning your throat. You still taste them on your teeth afterwards. Ellis has taken one step backwards. A single calm, controlled step. That's all. Somehow, the fact that they haven't immediately tried to apologise or explain or say //something// just makes you even more furious. "Well? What do you have to fucking say for yourself?!" "$mcname, I am dead, and I am standing in your bedroom. Both things are true." They take a deep breath. At least, it looks like a breath. If they're dead, maybe it's something else entirely. "We saw each other yesterday, and then I died. For me, a //long// time has passed between then and now. That's why I'm alright. I've come to terms with it. I understand that this is a lot, and that you might need longer, but we don't //have// much longer. I need your help." And there's a desperation in their voice that softens you. <<include eab12>>

You can't find any of the words that you're looking for right now. You don't even know where to start. You just stare at Ellis, who stares back at you. "$mcname," they begin, gently. "We saw each other yesterday, and then I died. For me, a //long// time has passed between then and now. That's why I'm alright. I've come to terms with it. I understand that this is a lot, and that you might need longer, but we don't //have// much longer. I need your help. //Please// speak to me." And there's a desperation in their voice that softens you. <<include eab12>>

You just stare at them. <<if !$believetheaccident>>You //know// Ellis is dead. You saw their body, you've spoken to Avery, and you aren't an idiot. This, though, is new information. Them being here, standing in front of you, looking decidedly not dead. "Oh," is all you can manage in response. "Thank you for not freaking out," Ellis tells you, breathing a sigh of relief. Or not a sigh - just what looks a bit like one. "I need your help."<<else>>"Oh." No other words feel like enough. You've shuffled them around in your brain and no combination that you can find does the job. Your pathetic 'oh' doesn't either, not really, but at least you aren't wasting air. "You are so brave," Ellis tells you, with a gentle smile. "It is one of the things I admire most about you." You continue to just stare at them until they speak again. "I need your help."<</if>> <<include eab12>>

Ellis could ask you to walk across hot coals, and you're pretty sure that you would do it. "Tell me how," you reply, voice barely louder than a whisper, and you watch a tear roll down their cheek. "Just like that?" they breathe, brushing it away with one hand. [["Just like that."|eab12.1.1]]

Ellis sits back down on the edge of your bed, hands delicately placed in their lap, and then they begin. You just stand opposite them, trying to ignore your wobbly legs and shaky hands, drumming your fingers on your chin as you take it all in. "I am dead because someone killed me, and I believe that they did so in cold blood. I don't think that I will be the only one to die in this villa, but I want to save as many lives as I can, and I can't do that alone. I need your help to find my murderer, and to stop them." You just nod your head slowly. It all sounds very dramatic - like something out of one of Ellis' murder mystery books. Then again, you're pretty sure that Ellis could make just about anything sound dramatic; they just have that quality about them that makes people hang on their every word. Had, you suppose. "Once I answer any questions you have, I can prove it to you, I swear. I can prove that I'm not tricking you." <<include ehc4>>

You don't know why you're agreeing to this. Maybe you're just too tired to argue with them. Maybe it's just because you don't believe that Ellis would do anything as malicious as play this prank on you. Either way, the words spill out. "Alright. How can I help you?" you reply, voice barely louder than a whisper, and you watch them press their hand to their heart. "Really? You'll help?" "I didn't say that. I just asked //how//." <<include eab12.1.1>>

"This isn't funny," you tell them, flatly, and Ellis throws their hands up in their air in disbelief. It's only a second, but you don't know that you've ever seen Ellis lose their cool. When they look back at you, they clasp their hands behind their back, imploring you with their eyes. "I know. I'm not trying to be." "And what //are// you trying to do?" <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>You try to sound gentle, but it comes out with more of an edge than you had hoped.<<else>>you ask, impatient, and now you're //both// losing your cool.<</if>> "I just want you to listen. <<link "'//Please//, $mcname, just listen.'" "ehc2">><</link>>

Ellis is practically in tears at this point. "Just listen, and I promise, I can prove that this is all true. <<link "But we //need// to //talk// first.'" "ehc2">><</link>>

<<if !$believetheaccident>>You take a bold step forward, heart in your mouth.<<else>>You push yourself up to stand on shaky legs and take a bold step forward, heart in your mouth.<</if>> Ellis immediately leaps back to avoid you, though. You //don't// feel their skin under yours or get to wrap your arms around them and squeeze. They have leapt across to the other side of the bed, putting a whole piece of furniture between the two of you. Their arms are outstretched, eyes wide and full of fear. "Please don't. Don't touch me." "Ellis-" you begin, soothing, reasonable. How the fuck are you supposed to believe that they are dead with only their word for it? They don't //look// dead. They look as alive as you have ever seen them. This is a rational way to test, right? You're being rational. You have a hypothesis, and you're simply seeking to test it. "I just can't be touched. It sends me away. I can only stay as long as nobody touches me." You just arch an eyebrow, a clear sign of your scepticism. "//Please//, $mcname, just listen." <<include ehc2>>

You can't just not try it, right? Because if you touch them and feel the warm and extremely corporeal skin of a very living person, you'll know what's going on here. Sure, touching people without their consent just isn't cricket, but this is something else entirely. And if you don't... [[Well, that isn't really a possibility that you're willing to consider.|eab12.5.1]]

<<set $believetheaccident to false>>You lunge forward across the bed, stomach bouncing on the mattress as you reach out a hand toward them. You watch them jump back, pressing themself against the clean white walls in a way that only a very alive person would, and you feel a little smug. Then your fingertips graze their arm, and you don't feel the warm and extremely corporeal skin of a very living person. You just feel //cold// - like someone has poured an ice bucket over your head, breath catching between your lips, shocked. Ellis' eyes widen and a little gasp escapes their lips. You think they feel it too. Then they're gone. There wasn't a pop or a flash. They didn't dissolve or whizz out of your field of vision like a bad powerpoint transition. They're just... not there anymore. If it wasn't for the quick, gasping breaths you're still forcing, then you'd wonder if they ever had been. Maybe you're just going mental and this is all a weird hallucination. Because if Ellis really is dead, then you're going to be forced to consider why they came back to speak to you. You don't know if you're ready to deal with that. You roll over on the bed, tugging the covers over you for warmth, and stare at the ceiling. [[You don't really manage much more coherent thought before your eyes get heavy and you swap staring at the ceiling for staring at the inside of your eyelids.|eab12.5.2]]

Ellis is dead. Ghosts are a thing now, apparently. You're in a reality TV show. [[You don't know what this all means.|ch3end]]

You're furious. You've been played for a fool, and you're not fucking having it. "Get fucked." You spit the words out, venomous, and Ellis looks like you've just driven a knife into their chest. They pause for a moment, smoothing their shirt and trying to regain their composure, erasing the hurt from their expression. It's only partly successful. Their mouth curls back into a placid smile, but you can still see it in their eyes. "//Please//, $mcname. Just listen." <<include ehc2>>

It's the only answer, really. It must be the stress of the morning, or maybe something to do with the lack of sleep. Perhaps you should ask Avery. No, you think, that sounds like a terrible idea. You shouldn't tell //anyone//. They'll do experiments on you. Wait, maybe that's superheroes. "$mcname." Ellis' voice is soft and gentle, and when you look up at them their gaze meets yours. Those almond eyes. "Please, talk to me." "Alright," you tell them, steadily, eyes never leaving theirs. "I am pretty sure that I've gone mental, and that you're just a hallucination." "Let's say that I am a hallucination. That would not change the fact that I am dead. It would not change the fact that I was murdered. It wouldn't change any of the things that I am trying to tell you. Even if I am not Ellis, Ellis would still need your help." You turn the words over in your head, digesting them. You suppose that they //sort of// have a point... in a very Ellis-y sort of way. Perhaps they sense your hesitation. "//Please//, $mcname. Just listen." <<include ehc2>>

<<if !$believetheaccident>>You stagger back until your back collides with the door and you slide down it, pooling in a heap on the floor. You're not fine. None of this is fine.<br><br><</if>><<if $neuroticism lt 50>>You bury your head in your hands and cry like you haven't since you were a kid.<<else>>You bury your head in your hands and cry.<</if>> Once you get started, you aren't sure how you'll ever stop, because Ellis is dead and they are in your bedroom and you just don't have the first fucking idea how to deal with that combination of things. It all just pours out of you. "$mcname, //please//," they croak. When you look up at them through bleary eyes they are unmoved from their spot on the bed, but their arms are wrapped tightly around themself like it's taking everything that they've got to keep them there. <<include ehc2>>

You don't know why you agree, but you do. You think it probably has something to do with the fact that you're so tired you can hardly string a sentence together to refuse, and Ellis doesn't seem particularly willing to back down. Sure, fine, they're dead and they've come back as a ghost to ask for your help. Whatever. <<include ehc3>>

Ellis sits back down on the edge of your bed, hands delicately placed in their lap, and then they begin. "As discussed, I am dead. I realise that it's unbelievable, but please just suspend disbelief for a little while longer, and I'll do what I can to prove that this is real." They pause for long enough to allow you to give them a tight nod, and then continue. "I am dead because someone killed me, and I believe that they did so in cold blood. I don't think that I will be the only one to die in this villa, but I want to save as many lives as I can, and I can't do that alone. I need your help to find my murderer, and to stop them." It all sounds very dramatic - like something out of one of Ellis' murder mystery books. Then again, you're pretty sure that Ellis could make just about anything sound dramatic; they just have that quality about them that makes people hang on their every word. Had, you suppose. "Whatever questions you have, I'll try and answer them." <<include ehc4>>

"You said you've been gone a long time. How long?" Ellis just sighs. "Long enough that I lost track. Years, I think. Decades, even. It was long and lonely and I wanted desperately to come back sooner, but I wasn't allowed until I was really ready. Dying is not a pleasant experience, $mcname. That's why I want to help you avoid it." <<include ehc4>>

From the way Ellis has been talking, it seems evident that they don't remember //who// (allegedly) killed them. Still, if they're serious about this, anything that they remember is going to help. "What do you remember about last night?" <<if $coupledwith is "Ellis">>Ellis' gaze flickers away from you for a moment, shy, and you wonder if they are thinking about sharing a bed with you. <<if $ellisrom gt 3>>You get a little lump in your throat when you think about it too.<</if>><br><br><</if>>"I got out of bed to go downstairs and get some water. I felt an arm around my shoulders, a hand over my mouth, and the next thing I remember... I was dead." You nod your head slowly, shivering against your will. You're going to need more than that if Ellis wants you to work out who did this. "Anything more detailed?" Ellis just shakes their head, nibbling self-consciously on their lip. "I'm sorry, no. I really don't remember anything - I've tried //so// hard to pull out something more detailed. I didn't look down at their hand. I don't even remember if I felt anything against my back. If I think hard enough, I can convince myself that I was held against someone's chest, but I don't know if that was real or if I'm just desperate enough to make up that detail." <<include ehc4>>

"Is there anyone that you suspect?" Ellis waves their hand in what you can only assume is their version of a shrug. It's far more elegant than your equivalent (an actual shrug, complete with shoulders). "Honestly? No. Not enough to be willing to accuse them of my murder. Obviously Nyra is desperate for the money, so that might be a motivator. Arthur is //difficult//, and seems to place least value on the feelings of others. Sydney does stunt work, so I presume they would know //how// to go about it. Adegoke is strong enough, Vinh has been mysterious, Florrie is a little overfamiliar. There are suspicious things about virtually everybody. But I think that whoever it is has more to hide." They have a point. Nyra has made no secret of her desire to win the money, and Arthur has made little attempt to be nice to everyone. It would be bold to plan to commit murder when you hide so little about yourself. <<include ehc4>>

"Why don't we just... confront everyone?" you ask. "We could go downstairs right now and tell them that you're dead and that someone killed you and-" Ellis just holds up a hand in a way that stills you. "Darling, if you tell people that you are seeing me, then they might think that you have gone off the deep end. If you tell them that I am dead, they will panic, and it might embolden the murderer. I want to keep the pace //slow//, and the best way to do that is to act like you know nothing." You struggle to argue with their logic. "We should just call someone. This shouldn't be a secret." "And who will you call? Do you have a phone? Do you know who to reach?" Ellis leans forward, arms draped over their knee. "$mcname, knowledge is power. Keep this to yourself." <<include ehc4>>

"Why me? Why are you asking me for help?" <<if $ellisrom gt 3>>Ellis' gaze flicks across the room as they self-consciously hook a strand of hair behind their ear. "Why would I ever choose anyone else?" It's a simple question, but full of feeling. You understand their meaning deep in your bones; it radiates through you. But you can't have them. They are dead. There is no happy ending here. You clear your throat.<<elseif $murderfeels is "devvoed">>Ellis smiles softly at you, their hand moving in their lap like they want to be able to reach for yours. "I know how upset you were," they tell you, gently. "This morning in the blackout room. I felt it - like an electric shock. I couldn't just... leave you like that. I wanted you to know that I was alright."<<else>>Ellis looks at you like it's a question they haven't really considered before. "I... I don't know," they answer, eventually. "I'm not sure that it was ever really a choice. I'm just here, and so are you."<</if>> <<include ehc4>>

"How can you be so sure that I'm not behind it?" Ellis laughs. <<if $ellisrom gt 3>>You didn't realise how much you had needed to hear that laugh, and you are utterly transfixed. That little gap in their teeth.<</if>> "I just know. I know from your reaction to seeing me." You can barely even remember what your reaction had been, even though it couldn't have been more than a few minutes ago. <<include ehc4>>

"Are you going to just follow me around until I solve this?" "No," Ellis smiles. "I couldn't 'follow you around' even if I wanted to - it takes a lot of energy for me to be here, and I'm tired." Nice to know you aren't the only one. "So, you sleep?" They wrinkle their nose, tilting their head from side to side as they ponder your question. "Not like you do." <<include ehc4>>

It's been on your mind since they started explaining this whole thing. <<if $mcstudy is "art">>You studied art. What do they think you're going to do? Draw the murderer into submission?<<elseif $mcstudy is "biomed">>You studied biomed. What do they think you're going to do? Solve the murder with your masterful anatomical understanding?<<elseif $mcstudy is "writing">>You studied creative writing. What do they think you're going to do? Write yourself a solution?<<elseif $mcstudy is "languages">>You studied languages. What do they think you're going to do? Talk the murderer into submission?<<elseif $mcstudy is "law">>You studied law. If they think that you are equipped to solve a fucking murder, then they have a gross misunderstanding of what that actually means.<<elseif $mcstudy is "physics">>You studied physics. What do they think you're gonna do? Maths your way into a solution?<</if>> "Why do you think that I have the first idea how to help you? I'm no detective." "I'm not asking you to be," Ellis replies gently. "I just need a person. Someone who can touch things and talk to people. I can't do that anymore." You look pointedly at where they're sitting on the bed. "I can //touch// things, but not interact with them. I can sit on the bed, but I couldn't pull back the sheets and get in. Nothing that changes the way it looks to the untrained observer." Ah. Okay. So Ellis doesn't want you for your mind, just your body. <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>You can't help but feel a little pang of disappointment. You're no mastermind here. You're just a pawn.<<else>>Sounds about right.<</if>> <<include ehc4>>

"What if I don't want you to go away?" you ask, quietly, eyes flickering up to meet theirs. "If that question alone was enough to keep me here, then I would never go anywhere else." For a moment, you're just looking at Ellis, and they are looking back at you. Then they shuffle in their seat, tucking a strand of hair behind their ear, and you clear your throat. //Fuck// <<include ehc4>>

"Okay." You nod your head and it feels like your brain is just rattling around in there. This is... a lot. "I'm sorry," Ellis murmurs, and you shake it. More rattling. Your head is like a box of lego bricks. "I have to ask you something." They lean forward in their seat, fingers steepled against their lips. "Is there... Is there anyone that you think it could have been? Anyone that seems most suspicious to you?" You take a moment to think carefully about this. <<include ehc5>>

"Adegoke," you answer, with a certainty that you hadn't really expected when you'd opened your mouth. Ellis bobs their head, gesturing with one hand for you to continue. <<if $coupledwith is "Adegoke">>"Well, for one thing, he wasn't in bed when I woke up this morning," you begin, <<if $adegokerom gte 4>>and you feel a little twinge of something in your stomach. Reluctance? Regret? Disappointment? You can't name it, but it's there. You //wish// that he had been there and you weren't having to have this conversation right now.<<else>>with an indifferent shrug. Sure, you're coupled with Adegoke, but it's not like you're married to him. Besides, if he turns out to be a murderer...<</if>> "Otherwise, I just get... I don't know, a vibe?"<<else>>You shrug. "I mean, I don't have hard and fast //evidence//," you explain. "I just get... I don't know, a vibe?"<</if>> Ellis nods again. "Alright. You are trusting me, so I will trust you. Let's pay special attention to Adegoke." You just nod your head. You still can't believe that this is happening. <<include ehc6>>

"Arthur," you answer, with a certainty that you hadn't really expected when you'd opened your mouth. Ellis bobs their head, gesturing with one hand for you to continue. <<if $arthurclue1>>"He said that he'd //never// cried at a movie before. That's suspicious, right?" you begin. <<if $coupledwith isnot "Arthur">>"Plus, he's a total dick." Ellis laughs. It's a little unexpected, and you jump despite its softness. <<include ehc5.2.1>><<else>>"And he didn't come to bed last night. He wasn't there when I went to sleep or when I woke up." <<include ehc5.2.2>><</if>><<elseif $coupledwith is "Arthur">><<if $artkiss>>You sigh.<<else>>You shrug.<</if>> "He didn't come to bed last night. He wasn't there when I went to sleep or when I woke up." <<include ehc5.2.2>><<else>>"He's a total dick, isn't he?" you tell them with a shrug, and Ellis laughs. It's a little unexpected, and you jump despite its softness. <<include ehc5.2.1>><</if>>

"Arthur is...," they begin to reply, "complicated. I think that there might be more there than you can see." You will play that phrase on a loop in your head once they leave. Complicated. More than you can see. Hm. <<include ehc5.2.2>>

<<if $arthurclue2 or $acreason is "rom">>"I'm sorry," they tell you, with a gentle smile. "I wouldn't... What I mean to say, is that I don't think it is a reflection on you." They take a breath and shake the tension from their shoulders.<<elseif $arthurclue2 and $acreason isnot "rom">>"Oh, I see," they reply.<</if>>"Alright. You are trusting me, so I will trust you. Let's pay special attention to Arthur." You just nod your head. You still can't believe that this is happening. <<include ehc6>>

Florrie," you answer, with a certainty that you hadn't really expected when you'd opened your mouth. Ellis bobs their head, gesturing with one hand for you to continue. "I ran into her while I was getting ready to enter the villa. She could have been snooping around and just using her... giddiness... as a cover. I don't believe that anyone that shiny could be authentic." Ellis' brow creases into a little frown and you sense that they don't entirely agree with you, but they don't challenge you on it. "Alright. You are trusting me, so I will trust you. Let's pay special attention to Florrie." You just nod your head. You still can't believe that this is happening. <<include ehc6>>

"Griffin," you answer, with a certainty that you hadn't really expected when you'd opened your mouth. Ellis bobs their head, gesturing with one hand for you to continue. <<if $gkiss>>"He's //quick//. I just don't think he can be genuine. He must be hiding something."<<else>>"He's like a human golden retriever, and I'm not buying it. No one is that... easy."<</if>> Ellis' brow creases into a little frown and you sense that they don't entirely agree with you, but they don't challenge you on it. "Alright. You are trusting me, so I will trust you. Let's pay special attention to Griffin." You just nod your head. You still can't believe that this is happening. <<include ehc6>>

"Imogen," you answer, with a certainty that you hadn't really expected when you'd opened your mouth. Ellis bobs their head, gesturing with one hand for you to continue. <<if $imogenclue1>>"It was something she said last night as she was falling asleep," you begin, with a sigh. You don't want to suspect Imogen - you want to trust her. But you don't. "She said 'This just isn't real'. She knows something." Ellis lets out a little hum - of interest, or possibly curiosity.<<else>>"No one that sweet would apply to a show like this if they didn't have something to hide."<</if>> Ellis' brow creases into a little frown and you sense that they don't entirely agree with you, but they don't challenge you on it. "Alright. You are trusting me, so I will trust you. Let's pay special attention to Imogen." You just nod your head. You still can't believe that this is happening. <<include ehc6>>

"Nyra," you answer, with a certainty that you hadn't really expected when you'd opened your mouth. Ellis bobs their head, gesturing with one hand for you to continue. <<if $nyraclue2>><<include ehc5.6.1>><<elseif $nyraclue3>><<include ehc5.6.2>><<elseif $nyraclue1>><<include ehc5.6.3>><<elseif $nyraclue4>><<include ehc5.6.4>><<else>><<include ehc5.6.5>><</if>>

"Well, for one thing, she fucking //threw me over her head//." "Yes, I remember." A hint of a smile appears on Ellis' lips before they regain their composure.

<<if $nyraclue1>>"Was that the only thing?" You think back over the date again. "When we were on the date, Nyra said she needed the money really badly and that she'd do anything to get it." <<include ehc5.6.3.1>><<else>>"Anything else?" <<include ehc5.6.3.2>>

"It was this thing she said on the speed dates. She said that if I didn't sit down she'd be //caught// committing murder on camera. That's just strange phrasing, right? Not that she'd do it, that she'd be caught." Ellis' eyebrows twitch upwards. "That... is quite strange phrasing," they concede. <<include ehc5.6.1.1>>

"Well, for starters, she said she needed the money really badly and that she'd do anything to get it." <<include ehc5.6.3.1>>

Ellis nods their head slowly. You can practically see the cogs turning in their head. "Anything else?" <<include ehc5.6.3.2>>

<<if $nyraclue4>>"Yes, actually. She didn't come to bed last night. She wasn't there when I went to sleep or when I woke." There is a long pause before Ellis speaks again. When they do, it's with a sigh. "Alright. You are trusting me, so I will trust you. Let's pay special attention to Nyra." You just nod your head. You still can't believe that this is happening.<<else>>"No. I mean, there's her generally abrasive personality..." Ellis' brow creases into a little frown and you sense that they don't entirely agree with you, but they don't challenge you on it. "Alright. You are trusting me, so I will trust you. Let's pay special attention to Nyra." You just nod your head. You still can't believe that this is happening.<</if>> <<include ehc6>>

"She didn't come to bed last night. She wasn't there when I went to sleep or when I woke." There is a long pause before Ellis speaks again. When they do, it's with a sigh. "Alright. You are trusting me, so I will trust you. Let's pay special attention to Nyra." You just nod your head. You still can't believe that this is happening. <<include ehc6>>

"I mean, I don't have //evidence//..." you begin. "But have you spoken to her? Her personality is evidence enough." Ellis' brow creases into a little frown and you sense that they don't entirely agree with you, but they don't challenge you on it. "Alright. You are trusting me, so I will trust you. Let's pay special attention to Nyra." You just nod your head. You still can't believe that this is happening. <<include ehc6>>

"Syd," you answer, with a certainty that you hadn't really expected when you'd opened your mouth. Ellis bobs their head, gesturing with one hand for you to continue. "They just seem like the type," you shrug, slowly. Ellis' brow creases into a little frown and you sense that they don't entirely agree with you, but they don't challenge you on it. "Alright. You are trusting me, so I will trust you. Let's pay special attention to Sydney." You just nod your head. You still can't believe that this is happening. <<include ehc6>>

"Vinh," you answer, with a certainty that you hadn't really expected when you'd opened your mouth. Ellis bobs their head, gesturing with one hand for you to continue. "They're a loner. They didn't go on any of the dates. What are they here for, if not that?" you begin, and Ellis tips their head from side to side as they consider your point. <<if $vinhclue1>>"And there's this thing they said last night. I made a joke about being a murderer and their reaction was... I don't know, it just seems now like maybe they knew something. Something that I didn't know."<<else>>"And they showed up outside just before the coupling. That was... I don't know. Weird, right?" "Weren't you also outside just before the coupling?" Ellis asks, with a slightly bemused expression. "Yeah, but I wasn't out there in a shady way."<</if>> Ellis' brow creases into a little frown and you sense that they don't entirely agree with you, but they don't challenge you on it. "Alright. You are trusting me, so I will trust you. Let's pay special attention to Vinh." You just nod your head. You still can't believe that this is happening. <<include ehc6>>

"You!" you tell them, indignantly, because how the fuck could they expect to spin you all this //bullshit// and not raise your suspicions at all. "I suppose I should have expected that." They sit back, tucking a loose strand of hair behind their ear, and then they stand. You think about recommending that they invest in hair grips - it would save them so much time. Maybe a hairband? They'd look great in one. "I am sorry that don't feel that you can trust me." Ellis stands from their perch on your bed and takes a slow step towards you. You feel yourself shuffling back, although you don't really know why. <<if $ellisrom gt 3 or $ekiss>><<include ehc6.3>><<else>><<include ehc6.4>><</if>>

"The producers. Avery and Charlie," you answer, with a certainty that you hadn't really expected when you'd opened your mouth. Ellis bobs their head, gesturing with one hand for you to continue. "They're the only two people who know where we are at all times, who'd know when it was safe to commit a murder, and who know what the fuck is going on here." Ellis nods their head, slowly, lips pressed together in a thin line. "Alright. You are trusting me, so I will trust you. Let's pay special attention to them." You just nod your head. You still can't believe that this is happening. <<include ehc6>>

"Atticus and Rowan," you answer, with a certainty that you hadn't really expected when you'd opened your mouth. "They were right there at the scene. Standing over you." Ellis' expression flickers with something complicated at the mention of their body. You suspect that it probably isn't an easy memory to relive, being murdered. You don't know how you'd do it, if you were in their shoes. "Alright. You are trusting me, so I will trust you. Let's pay special attention to them." You just nod your head. You still can't believe that this is happening. <<include ehc6>>

"I have no fucking idea," you sigh. "None of the people I've met seem like //murderers//." Ellis shrinks a little in their seat, tucking a strand of hair behind their ear, nibbling anxiously on their lip. "I know," they reply gently, after a moment, "but one of them //is//. You cannot trust all of these people, $mcname." It sounds so ridiculous. You just can't make sense of it. You're just a bunch of reality show contestants, not //murderers//. "Just... please just keep your eyes open, alright? That is all I ask." You nod, mutely. <<include ehc6>>

"This is fucking ridiculous," you snap. "I'm not playing this dumb game. None of this is //real//. I'm not fucking //stupid//." You had politely suspended disbelief and entertained whatever stupid charade Ellis wanted to play, but you aren't doing this. You aren't going to falsely accuse someone of murder. "I suppose I should have expected that." They sit back, tucking a loose strand of hair behind their ear, and then they stand. Their constent fidgeting with their hair is starting to get on your fucking nerves. You think about recommending that they invest in hair grips - it would save them so much time. Maybe a hairband? "I am sorry that you couldn't trust me." Ellis stands from their perch on your bed and takes a slow step towards you. You feel yourself shuffling back, although you don't really know why. <<if $ellisrom gt 3 or $ekiss>><<include ehc6.3>><<else>><<include ehc6.4>><</if>>

Ellis stands from their perch on your bed and takes a slow step towards you. "I said that I would prove that this is real to you, so I will, but that means that I have to go. Do you still doubt?" <div class="choices"><<link "Yes." "ehc6.1">><<set $ellis -= 1>><</link>> <<link "No." "ehc6.2">><<set $ellis += 1>><<set $believetheaccident to false>><</link>></div>

"Yes," you reply, although something about the way that they are moving towards you makes your mouth go dry. "I'm sorry to hear that." <<if $ellisrom gt 3 or $ekiss>><<include ehc6.3>><<else>><<include ehc6.4>><</if>>

"No," you breathe, and Ellis smiles. "Good." <<if $ellisrom gt 3 or $ekiss>><<include ehc6.3>><<else>><<include ehc6.4>><</if>>

Ellis leans towards you until their face is inches from yours, almond eyes sparkling as they meet your gaze. "Ellis-" you whisper, and you don't really know what you had been hoping to follow it up with. Maybe something about when you'd see them again, if they were really going, but the words die on your lips as they keep moving towards you. [[Their lips touch yours.|ehc6.3.1]]

<<set $believetheaccident to false>>At least, you expect them to touch yours. They don't. Not the warm and corporeal lips of a living person that you had been hoping, even now, that you might feel. You just feel //cold// - like someone has poured an ice bucket over your head, breath catching between your lips, shocked. <<include ehc7>>

<<set $believetheaccident to false>>Ellis moves forward, hand outstretched, almond eyes sparkling as they meet your gaze. Their fingers hover in front of you, paused, as they decide where to touch. In the end, they brush against your neck. At least, you expect them to brush against your neck. They don't. Not the warm, soft fingers that you had been hoping, even now, that you might feel. You just feel //cold// - like someone has poured an ice bucket over your head, breath catching between your lips, shocked. <<include ehc7>>

Then they're gone. There wasn't a pop or a flash. They didn't dissolve or whizz out of your field of vision like a bad powerpoint transition. They're just... not there anymore. If it wasn't for the quick, gasping breaths you're still forcing, [[then you'd wonder if they ever had been.|ehc8]]

With little else to do, you crawl into bed, pulling the sheets up to your chin like they might be able to rid you of the bone-deep cold. They don't. You close your eyes. Ellis had been here. Ellis had been here, and they had been dead. <<link "//Fuck//." "ch3end">><</link>>

The moment you make it inside, you throw yourself down on the bed. It's neatly made. Soft, like a cloud. Your eyes close. They feel so heavy, you don't know if you'll ever be able to open them again. There couldn't have been more than a minute of sweet silence before you hear a knock at the door. [[Next|nab1]]

The sleeve of Nyra's army jacket pokes out from behind the door, her head tipped to one side so her long, black hair flows over one shoulder. "You're back." It's more of a statement than a question, and in your current exhaustion it takes some real mental gymnastics to work out how to respond. <<if $mostsus is "Nyra">><<include nab2>><<else>><<include nab3>><</if>>

"Yep." You clear your throat uncomfortably and turn to face away from her. You don't know what else to say. Nyra is currently your number one suspect. She could be a //murderer//. You kind of hope that she'll just take the hint and go. Then you feel strange that you've got your back to her in a room where you're alone - she could be holding a knife over you at this very moment. You roll back over. [[She's not.|nab2.1]]

Every moment that you force your eyes to stay open is excruciating, fixed with laser focus on Nyra standing in your doorway. You probably look furious - you can feel your eyes getting all dry and bloodshot, brow furrowed in concentration. <<if $murderfeels is "mad">>It's probably a pretty accurate impression, actually.<</if>> "I'm gonna take a nap," you add after a while, stating what feels like the obvious. "Right. Yeah." Nyra looks up like she's just been struck by lightning, jolted back to reality. "Sleep well." And then she's gone. You hear the door click shut, and you can let your head flop back down onto the mattress. Your eyes are already closed. [[You drift off to sleep.|ch3end]]

"You can come in, you know," is what you go with in the end. Your voice sounds sleepy and distant - like you're underwater. Nyra obliges, skirting into the room to reveal a mug that she had been hiding behind the door. "I brought you tea." Your confusion must register on your face. Nyra attempts a smile as she hands you the cup and takes a seat rigidly on the bed beside you. Her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes - it looks about as forced and uncomfortable as her posture. "We're looking out for each other, remember?" Ah, okay. This is the performative teacup of someone who //has// to bring you tea. Right. "I wanted to come and make sure you were alright." <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<if $nyradeal and $women>><<link "Good idea - much more convincing that way, right?" "nab4">><<dec-funny>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if !$women>><<link "I'm glad I have a friend in here." "nab5">><<set $nyra += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "Thanks. That's nice of her." "nab6">><<set $nyra += 1>><</link>><br> <<link "She never came to bed last night. I can't just not mention that." "nab7">><<set $nyra -= 1>><</link>><br> <<link "Would she stay here with me?" "nab8">><<set $nyra += 1>><</link>><br> <<link "I don't say anything. I just burst into tears." "nab9">><<set $nyra -= 1>><</link>> <</nobr>></div>

"Good idea," you reply, sleepily sipping from your cup. <<if !$believetheaccident>>It tastes warm and familiar and, for a little while at least, you don't feel quite so alone. Keeping secrets is a lonely business - you wonder how she keeps it up.<</if>> Your gaze flickers across to Nyra's face. Now it's her turn to look confused. "More convincing that way, right?" you continue, and she just lets out a low hum of agreement. You just sit in silence as you finish your tea - Nyra seems quite lost in thought, and it's not like you're light on things to think about yourself. "I'm gonna take a nap," you say, eventually, ignoring the tension between the two of you, and Nyra springs up like she'd forgotten entirely where she is. "Right. Yeah." She backs up to the door, feeling around for the handle without looking down, like she's terrified that if she takes her eyes off you for even a second then you'll do something horrible. "Sleep well." And then she's gone. You're alone again. [[You drift off to sleep.|ch3end]]

<<if $murderfeels is "devvoed" or $neuroticism gt 60>>You look into Nyra's soft brown eyes and you feel a lump forming in your throat.<</if>> You got really lucky finding someone like Nyra in here. Sure, she's no marshmallow, but she really is looking out for you. <<if $agreeableness gt 60>>"I'm glad you're my friend," you smile weakly.<<else>>"Thank you," you tell her.<</if>> Your voice sounds distant, sleepy, as you carefully sip your tea. Holding the mug is taking just about every ounce of energy you have. <<if $agreeableness gt 60>>"Me too." She tries to sound light, but there's a heaviness to Nyra's reply that leaves you feeling strangely sad.<br><br><</if>><<include nab5.1>>

"I'll come get you in a while, okay? Don't want you getting left behind if something riveting is happening downstairs." You've finished your tea and discarded the cup onto the sheets beside you. You're pretty sure Nyra picked it up - she seems neat like that. Then her weight gently lifts off the bed, and she's gone. You're alone. But not really alone, because you have people like Nyra looking out for you. <<if $charlierom lt 4>>[[It's around then that you fall asleep.|ch3end]]<<else>> You wonder if Charlie's watching this. You hope he's looking out for you, too. [[You fall asleep thinking about him.|ch3end]]<</if>>

<<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Thank you," you smile feebly.<<else>>"Thank you."<</if>> Your voice sounds distant, sleepy, as you carefully sip your tea. Holding the mug is taking just about every ounce of energy you have. A silence stretches out between you as you sip your tea and Nyra sits awkwardly beside you. Her whole body is tense - if you couldn't see her at your side, you might think that she had just been turned to stone. Eventually, she speaks again. <<include nab5.1>>

"You didn't come up last night." Your voice sounds distant, sleepy, as you carefully sip your tea. Holding the mug is taking just about every ounce of energy you have. "No," Nyra confirms. "Why not?" <<if !$believetheaccident>>You try to sound casual, but there's a traitorous wobble in your tone that betrays your feelings. More than just a bruised ego, though, you're scared. Because Nyra not being with you last night means that she was somewhere else. And now Ellis is dead.<<else>>You try to sound casual, but there's a traitorous wobble in your tone that betrays your feelings.<</if>> A silence stretches out between you as you sip your tea and Nyra sits awkwardly beside you. Her whole body is tense - if you couldn't see her at your side, you might think that she had just been turned to stone. Eventually, she speaks again. "I just couldn't," she sighs, and then she gets back to her feet. "I'll come get you in a while, okay? Don't want you getting left behind if something riveting is happening downstairs." You want to press the point, to get an actual answer, but when you open your mouth to protest the only thing that comes out is a yawn. You've finished your tea and discarded the cup onto the sheets beside you. You're pretty sure Nyra picked it up - she seems neat like that. Then her weight gently lifts off the bed, and she's gone. You're alone. [[It's around then that you fall asleep.|ch3end]]

<<if $murderfeels is "devvoed" or $neuroticism gt 60>>You look into Nyra's soft brown eyes and you feel a lump forming in your throat.<br><br><</if>> "Would you stay here with me?" It comes out as barely more than a whisper, your voice hoarse and wobbly. Nyra looks back at you steadily, expression falling. She looks worried about you, but she doesn't say it. Instead, she just whispers back "Alright" and sets her head down on the pillow next to yours. Her whole body is tense and straight - like she's lying in a coffin. Still, something about it makes you feel a little better. The fact that Nyra, of all people, is willing to lie here beside you brings you comfort. Your eyes flutter closed and you listen to the sound of her breathing beside you. She has very carefully maintained an unseen barrier of distance between you, but you can feel her there regardless. Steadying. [[You lie there like that until you fall asleep.|ch3end]]

You don't know how long you cry for. It feels like forever. There's a point where you think 'Fuck. I'm just going to cry and cry until I dehydrate like a raisin.' That just makes you cry more. Raisins never win reality TV shows. <<if !$believetheaccident>>A raisin would probably be the next to get murdered. They couldn't run away. [[They've got no legs.|nab9.2]]<<else>>At least a raisin wouldn't feel this tired and shitty. They don't have to deal with feelings. [[They're just raisins.|nab9.2]]<</if>>

Eventually, you aren't crying anymore. Nyra doesn't ask once what happened or why you're upset, she just continues whispering soothing platitudes and stroking your hair. You don't reply. You just soak up the heat of her body next to yours, the soothing sensation of her hand on your head. [[At some point, you fall asleep.|ch3end]]

The moment you make it inside, you throw yourself down on the bed. It's neatly made. Soft, like a cloud. Your eyes close. [[There couldn't have been more than a minute of sweet silence before you hear a little knock at the door.|fab1]]

"Hey." A pink head pokes round the door, hair tied up into two little buns adorned with sparkly slides. It's Florrie... and the sparkles are //very// Florrie. She is whispering theatrically as she slides inside, gently closing the door behind her, both hands resting against the surface. "Vinh said you were back. I just wanted to check on you." <<if $coupledwith is "Florrie">>Her cheeks flush and her gaze flits around the room, self-consciously avoiding yours.<<else>>She tiptoes, equally theatrically, across the room and flops down on the bed beside you, chin propped up on one hand.<</if>> "I wanted to come and make sure you were okay." <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<if $florrierom lt 2 and $mostsus isnot "Florrie">><<link "I'm pretty fucking lucky to have a friend like Florrie in here." "fab2">><<set $florrie += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "That's really nice of her." "fab3">><<set $florrie += 1>><</link>><br> <<if $mostsus is "Florrie">><<link "I feel weird seeing Florrie now. I basically accused her of murder this morning." "fab4">><<set $florrie -= 2>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $mostsus isnot "Florrie">><<link "Would she stay here with me?" "fab5">><<set $florrie += 1>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if !$believetheaccident>><<link "She should kiss me. Right now." "fab6">><<set $florrierom += 2>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $coupledwith isnot "Florrie">><<link "Eugh. Why is she here?" "fab7">><<set $florrie -= 2>><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $mostsus isnot "Florrie">><<link "I don't say anything. I just burst into tears." "fab8">><</link>><</if>> <</nobr>></div>

<<if $murderfeels is "devvoed" or $neuroticism gt 60>>You look into Florrie's big, blue eyes and you feel a lump forming in your throat.<</if>> You got really lucky finding someone like Florrie in here. <<if $agreeableness gt 60>>"I'm glad you're my friend," you smile weakly.<<else>>"Thank you," you tell her.<</if>> Your voice sounds distant - sleepy. <<if $agreeableness gt 60>>"//Babe//," is all she can manage in reply. Your eyes are closed, but she sounds genuinely touched. Well, as touched as someone can sound in a single syllable.<br><br><</if>><<include fab2.1>>

"You get some sleep, okay? You can give me the goss later." She's trying to sound light and breezy, but her voice is barely louder than a whisper and you can hear the worry in it. A hand runs gently down your arm. Soothing. Grounding. Florrie lies next to you until she thinks you're asleep, and then you feel her weight gently lift off the bed. She Scooby-Doo tiptoes back across the room (because even Florrie's best attempt at being quiet is still comedically loud) and the sound of the door opening again. Then it closes. You're alone. But not really alone, because you have people like Florrie looking out for you. <<if $charlierom lt 4>>[[It's around then that you fall asleep.|ch3end]]<<else>> You wonder if Charlie's watching this. You hope he's looking out for you, too. [[You fall asleep thinking about him.|ch3end]]<</if>>

"Thanks, Florrie," <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>you smile feebly.<<else>>you tell her.<</if>> Your voice sounds distant and sleepy, but you mean it - you're grateful that she would think to come up and check on you. <<include fab2.1>>

You clear your throat uncomfortably and turn to face away from her. You don't know what to say. Florrie, the peppy, pink glitterbomb of a woman that you met yesterday is currently your number one suspect. She could be a //murderer//. <<include fab4.1>>

"Yeah, I'm good," you lie, and you hope that she'll just take the hint and go. Then you feel strange that you've got your back to her in a room where you're alone - she could be holding a knife over you at this very moment. You roll back over. [[She's not.|fab4.2]]

"Do you need anything?" she asks, and although you don't look directly at her, you can hear the concern in her voice. <<include fab4.3>>

"Just some alone time, I think," <<if $extraversion gt 50>>you lie. Again.<<else>>you tell her, and this time you aren't even lying. You would //love// some alone time. Alone time and a nice nap.<</if>> Your eyes are already closed, because as much as you know you need to keep an eye on her, you just can't keep them open. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"If you don't mind?"<</if>> "Of course," she murmurs softly, and you feel her weight lifting off the mattress beside you. Thank fuck. She's got the hint. You hear the sound of her Scooby-Doo tiptoeing back across the room (because even Florrie's best attempt at being quiet is still comedically loud) and the sound of the door opening again. When it clicks back shut you force one eye open, she's gone. Perfect. [[It's around then that you fall asleep.|ch3end]]

<<if $murderfeels is "devvoed" or $neuroticism gt 60>>You look into Florrie's big, blue eyes and you feel a lump forming in your throat. <</if>>"Would you stay here with me?" It comes out as barely more than a whisper, your voice hoarse and wobbly. Florrie looks back at you steadily, expression falling. She looks worried about you, but she doesn't say it. Instead, she just whispers back "Of course" and sets her head down on the pillow next to yours. <<if $florrierom gt 1 or $coupledwith is "Florrie">>She laces her fingers with yours and gives your hand a little squeeze. "I'm right here."<br><br><</if>>Something about that makes you feel a little better. You thought that Florrie of all people would be grilling you for information, peppering you with questions. She doesn't, though. Your eyes flutter closed and you listen to the sound of her breathing beside you, leg resting against yours. Steadying. [[You lie there like that until you fall asleep.|ch3end]]

"Kiss me." It comes out breathless. Desperate. You suppose you are. You just need something to make you feel a little more normal right now. Lips on yours. Hands. Teeth. <<if $coupledwith isnot "Florrie" and $florrierom lt 3>>[[Anything|fab6.1]]<<else>>[[Anything.|fab6.2]]<</if>>

"What //happened// this morning?" she breathes, cheeks flushing pink. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>Nothing." You shake your head, brushing off the sting of rejection. "Don't worry about it."<<else>>"Are you going to kiss me, or not?" You sound irritable and impatient. You suppose you are. Frankly, the last thing you needed right now was romantic rejection.<</if>> <<include fab6.1.1>>

She doesn't kiss you. She reaches out to run her finger down your cheek, her expression quizzical, concerned. Then she pulls your head down to nestle on her shoulder, wrapping an arm tightly around your back. <<include fab6.1.2>>

In any other circumstances, you'd probably move away. Withdraw. <<if $murderfeels is "devvoed">>You can feel the tears pricking at your eyes and you furiously blink them back, willing yourself to //not do this//. Not right now. After a few blinks, your eyelids just feel too heavy for you to open them again.<<elseif $murderfeels is "stressed">>You feel your heart pounding again, heavy and overwhelming. Fight or flight. You don't manage either.<<elseif $murderfeels is "fine" or $murderfeels is "bored">>You're //fine//. You don't need this. You don't need to be held and comforted like a baby.<<elseif $murderfeels is "numb">>You feel a bit like you're watching yourself in a film. Distant and detached.<<else>>The hot, angry feeling fills your chest again. This is //unfair//. You shouldn't be here. This shouldn't be happening.<</if>> She doesn't ask you again what happened. You guess she's waiting for you to tell her, but you can't find either the words or the energy. <<if !$believetheaccident>>You know you shouldn't, anyway. You can't panic everyone.<</if>> Instead, you just listen to the sound of her breathing as she runs her hand gently up and down your arm. [[You listen to it until you fall asleep.|ch3end]]

Florrie's expression is filled with concern as her face drifts towards yours, unconsciously, like she's being pulled in with a magnet or a tractor beam. "You don't sound very okay," she tells you, voice barely louder than a whisper. You can practically feel her lips against yours already, glistening and sticky. She smells like cherries. "Are you sure?" "Yes." <<if $murderfeels is "devvoed">>Your voice cracks traitorously as you say it.<<elseif $murderfeels is "stressed" or $murderfeels is "mad">>Your heart beats a little bit harder. You wonder if she can feel it.<<elseif $murderfeels is "fine" or $murderfeels is "bored">>You're //fine//. You don't need to be babied.<<else>>//Something//. Anything.<</if>> Then you feel her lips on yours. Soft, tentative, unsure. Your hand slides around the back of her neck to pull her closer, opening her mouth with yours. She arches deliciously into your touch, [[those little blue fingernails digging into the backs of your arms.|fab6.3]]

Florrie is breathless by the time you part, cheeks flushed. So are you. Rather than lean in to kiss you again, though, she just pulls your head down to nestle on her shoulder, wrapping an arm tightly around your back. <<include fab6.1.2>>

Florrie has an amazing talent for showing up where she shouldn't be when she isn't wanted. You roll pointedly away from her. She's an irritating little glitterball, and she's probably shedding all over your bed at this very moment. <<if $mostsus is "Florrie">><<include fab4.1>><<else>>"For you to get out of my room." "Oh." You know she's offended - it's as clear as day in that small little voice. You don't care, though. There are about a thousand other things for you to worry about now without also concerning yourself with Florrie's fragile little feelings. Her weight lifts off the mattress beside you. Thank fuck. You hear the sound of her Scooby-Doo tiptoeing back across the room (because even Florrie's best attempt at being quiet is still comedically loud) and the sound of the door opening again. When it clicks back shut you force one eye open, she's gone. Perfect. [[It's around then that you fall asleep.|ch3end]]<</if>>

<<if hasVisited("averyhang")>>So much for getting through this.<br><br><</if>>When you look into Florrie's big, blue eyes, you can already feel your lip trembling. When she rests one of her hands over yours, it's all over. You burst into big, loud, embarrassing sobs, burying your head in her shoulder. Florrie runs one hand over your hair, the other wrapped tightly around your back as you weep pathetically into her shirt. It's scratchy and uncomfortable - probably something to do with the healthy coating of glitter. She's making the same sort of sound that you think someone would make to try and calm a horse. You don't know how long you cry for. It feels like forever. There's a point where you think 'Fuck. I'm just going to cry and cry until I dehydrate like a raisin.' That just makes you cry more. Raisins never win reality TV shows. <<if $believetheaccident>>A raisin would probably be the next to get murdered. They couldn't run away. [[They've got no legs.|fab8.1]]<<else>>At least a raisin wouldn't feel this tired and shitty. They don't have to deal with feelings. [[They're just raisins.|fab8.1]]<</if>>

Eventually, you aren't crying anymore. Florrie is lying on her back on your bed, and your head is nestled into her shoulder, and you're just breathing. She's never asked what's wrong. You guess she's waiting for you to tell her, but you can't find either the words or the energy. <<if !$believetheaccident>>You know you shouldn't, anyway. You can't panic everyone.<</if>> Instead, you just listen to the sound of her breathing as she runs her hand gently up and down your arm. [[You listen to it until you fall asleep.|ch3end]]

The moment you make it inside, you throw yourself down on the bed. It's neatly made. Soft, like a cloud. Your eyes close. They feel so heavy, you don't know if you'll ever be able to open them again. [[There couldn't have been more than a minute of sweet silence before you hear a knock at the door.|sab1]]

"Hey, stranger." You force your eyes open and find familiar grey eyes staring back at you from the doorway. Syd wears their usual smirk, head tipped to one side as they study you. You close your eyes again. <<if $sydbang>>"All worn out?" You groan. Not in a sexy way. "Something like that." "You look terrible." <<if $mostsus is "Syd">><<include sab2>><<else>><<include sab4>><</if>><<else>>"You look terrible." <<if $mostsus is "Syd">><<include sab2>><<else>><<include sab3>><</if>><</if>>

"Thanks." You clear your throat uncomfortably and turn to face away from them. You don't know what else to say. Syd is currently your number one suspect. They could be a //murderer//. You kind of hope that they'll just take the hint and go. Then you feel strange that you've got your back to them in a room where you're alone - they could be holding a knife over you at this very moment. You roll back over. [[They're not.|sab2.1]]

Every moment that you force your eyes to stay open is excruciating, fixed with laser focus on Syd standing in your doorway. You probably look furious - you can feel your eyeballs getting all dry and bloodshot, brow furrowed in concentration. <<if $murderfeels is "mad">>It's probably a pretty accurate impression, actually.<</if>> "I'll come back later," they say, after a moment of silence, hand already on the door handle, "Wake you up before anything exciting happens." You don't manage to form any actual human words in reply, just a sleepy grunt of approval. You hear the door click shut, and you can let your head flop back down onto the mattress. [[Your eyes are already closed.|ch3end]]

<<set $sydclue1 to true>>"Really? But I put so much effort in," you reply dryly, exhaustion plain in every word. Syd lets out a little hum of amusement. "Anything I should know?" Syd is terrible at sounding innocent. You know they're fishing for something. <<if !$believetheaccident>>You know you can't tell them.<<elseif $coupledwith is "Syd" and $rkiss>>You feel a little pang of guilt, or at least something in that ballpark. Do they know about you and Rowan?<<else>>You don't know what, though. Surely, they know pretty much everything you do?<</if>> <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<link "I'm just tired after everything with Ellis, but Avery said they'd be fine. There isn't anything else." "sab3.1">><<dec-honest>><</link>><br> <<link "What are they fishing for?" "sab3.2">><<set $syd -= 1>><</link>><br> <<if $coupledwith is "Syd">><<link "They should kiss me now." "sab3.3">><<set $sydrom += 2>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "I can't do this. I just burst into tears." "sab3.4">><</link>><br> <<if $rkiss and $coupledwith is "Syd">><<link "I kissed Rowan. I'm sorry." "sab3.5">><<set $syd += 1>><</link>><br> <<link "I kissed Rowan, but like, I don't feel bad about it." "sab3.6">><<set $syd += 1>><</link>><</if>> <</nobr>></div>

"I'm just tired after everything with Ellis," <<if !$believetheaccident>>you lie. Still, your voice sounds sleepy and distant - like you're underwater. It's pretty clear that you really are tired, even if it isn't the whole truth.<<else>>your voice sounds sleepy and distant, like you're underwater. It's pretty clear that you really are tired.<</if>> "Avery said they're gonna be fine, though. At the hospital apparently." <<if !$believetheaccident>><<if $murderfeels is "devvoed">>You do your best to sound indifferent, but your voice cracks traitorously on that last sentence. If they know you're lying, though, they don't call you on it.<br><br><<elseif $murderfeels is "stressed">>You do your best to sound indifferent, but you can feel your heart pounding in your chest. It's strong enough that you're surprised it isn't shaking the room.<br><br><<elseif $murderfeels is "mad">>You do your best to sound indifferent, but you know there's a tinge of bitterness in your voice that you just can't shake. Hopefully they don't notice it.<br><br><</if>><</if>><<include sab3.2.1>>

"What are you fishing for?" you ask. Your voice sounds sleepy and distant - like you're underwater. "Forget it." It doesn't sound snappy - quite gentle, actually, coming from a person as rough as Syd. <<include sab3.2.1>>

The pause that follows evolves into a long silence. Very long, in fact. You're beginning to wonder if they're even still in the room. <<include sab3.2.2>>

Then you hear the vague shuffling of them opening the door. "Get some sleep, alright? I'll come back later." And then the door clicks closed. You're alone. [[And you fall asleep.|ch3end]]

"Kiss me." It comes out breathless. Desperate. You suppose you are. You just need something to make you feel a little more normal right now. Lips on yours. Hands. Teeth. Anything. "You're about to fall asleep," they tell you, voice low. "So full of excuses." You're basically slurring your words at this point. There's a silence, a pause, and you hear the door click shut. Your stomach drops. Then you feel the mattress gently compress beside you. "Shut up and go to sleep," they tell you, voice barely louder than a whisper. "I'll stay." You open your mouth to fire back a clever retort, but you can't think of one. [[A moment later, you're asleep.|ch3end]]

<<include sab4.6>>

"I kissed Rowan," you blurt, like verbal diarrhea. "I'm really sorry. It just sort of happened and-" <<include sab3.5.1>>

"Wait, what? Who the fuck is //Rowan//?" There's an edge to Syd's voice - irritation or impatience. If you really wanted to, you could even convince yourself that it's jealousy. There's a pause, "That's not- I don't even know who that is." <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Oh," you reply, stupidly.<<else>>"Bombshell." "Yeah, I fucking parsed that out, thank you."<</if>> Another pause, longer this time. Very long, in fact. You're beginning to wonder if they're even still in the room. <<include sab3.2.2>>

"I kissed Rowan," you tell them flatly. You wish you could make your voice do something slightly more interesting, but you think just about anything you say would sound flat right now. <<include sab3.5.1>>

"Is this not the post-fuck glow that you were expecting?" you ask dryly, flourishing a hand up and down. Syd lets out a little hum of amusement. "I've been told I'm not the best with... aftercare." Your eyes are closed so you can't read their expression, but it feels like a loaded statement. <div class="choices"><<link "Syd 'I-hate-cuddling' Alexander? Never." "sab4.1">><<inc-funny>><<set $syd += 1>><</link>> <<link "That's not why I was gone this morning, if that's what they mean." "sab4.2">><<set $syd += 1>><<inc-friendly>><</link>> <<link "Well, that makes two of us." "sab4.3">><<set $syd += 1>><</link>> <<link "It was just a one-night thing. They shouldn't worry about it." "sab4.4">><<set $syd -= 1>><<set $sydrom -= 3>><</link>> <<link "Would they stay? Here, with me, for a bit?" "sab4.5">><<set $syd += 1>><<set $sydrom += 1>><</link>> <<link "I can't do this. I just burst into tears." "sab4.6">><</link>></div>

"Syd 'I-hate-cuddling' Alexander? Never." It's laced with sarcasm, but Syd doesn't laugh. When you force one eye open, their arms are folded across their chest, one leg strutted out to the side. That smirk is glued to their face, but there's something else there, too. They aren't looking at you. You close your eye again before they can catch you looking. "I didn't mean to disappear on you this morning." <<if $agreeableness lt 50>>You don't even know why you say it. Something about that look on their face draws it out of you, maybe.<<else>>Something about that look on their face made your stomach twist, and you don't want to see it again.<</if>> <<include sab4.1.1>>

For a while, they don't say anything at all. "Get some sleep." You hear the vague shuffling of them leaving, the door starting to close. <div class="choices"><<link "I ask them to stay." "sab4.5.1">><<set $sydrom += 1>><<inc-bold>><</link>> <<link "I let them leave." "sab4.1.1.1">><</link>></div>

You just let them go. [[Then you're asleep.|ch3end]]

"That isn't why I was gone this morning," you tell them. Your voice sounds sleepy and distant - like you're underwater. "If that's what you mean." <<include sab4.1.1>>

"Well, that makes two of us," you tell them. Your voice sounds sleepy and distant - like you're underwater. "Yeah, well..." they trail off. <<include sab4.1.1>>

"It was just a one-night thing," you mumble sleepily. "Don't worry about it. I didn't exactly have you pegged as marriage material." "Yeah, well..." they trail off. You can practically //hear// the shrug in their voice. "Anyway, I'll come back later. Wake you up before anything exciting happens." You don't manage to form any actual human words in reply, just a sleepy hum. You hear the door click shut just as you're drifting off to sleep. <<include sab4.1.1>>

It doesn't answer their question (at least, not directly), but it's all you can bring yourself to say right now. You just... don't want them to leave. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>You don't want to be alone.<<else>>You want to be alone, but not in the way you usually do. You'd just like to be alone, but with Syd here.<</if>> <<include sab4.5.1>>

"Would you stay?" you call out into the ether. "Just for a bit?" It comes out so pathetically. Desperate. You suppose maybe you are. <<if !$believetheaccident>>Ellis is dead and you are //tired// and Syd is here. Something about their presence makes you feel a little safer - like maybe they'd look out for you. You don't know if they would. You don't know very much about them at all, really, but you can hope.<</if>> You hear the door click shut, and your stomach drops. Then you feel the mattress gently compress beside you. "Alright." Syd's voice is barely louder than a whisper, but they're here. They stayed. [[And then you fall asleep.|ch3end]]

<<if hasVisited("averyhang")>>So much for getting through this.<br><br><</if>> You open your mouth to give some sensible, human reply, and instead all that comes out is a big, loud, embarrassing sob. You can't bring yourself to look at them, covering your face with both hands as you weep freely into the mattress. You don't even notice the hand on your back right away, the way the mattress has gently compressed as someone sits beside you. Syd pulls your head into their lap, smoothing your hair gently, and you just cry into their jeans. You still don't look at them, but they feel acutely uncomfortable - rigid and stuff, sat bolt upright. You don't know if you've ever seen them so... formal? They normally lounge on just about everything. You don't know how long you cry for. It feels like forever. There's a point where you think 'Fuck. I'm just going to cry and cry until I dehydrate like a raisin.' That just makes you cry more. Raisins never win reality TV shows. <<if !$believetheaccident>>A raisin would probably be the next to get murdered. They couldn't run away. [[They've got no legs.|sab4.6.1]]<<else>>At least a raisin wouldn't feel this tired and shitty. They don't have to deal with feelings. [[They're just raisins.|sab4.6.1]]<</if>>

Eventually, you aren't crying anymore. Despite your head still resting on Syd's leg and their hand rubbing slow circles on your back, you had sort of forgotten that they were there. They'd just bled right into the furniture. They didn't ask again what happened. They don't say anything at all, in fact, until they manage a gruff "Get some sleep." You don't reply. You think you can hear the sound of their heartbeat in their leg - isn't that funny? The sound of their blood whooshing around. [[You listen to it until you fall asleep.|ch3end]]

Hi! You've reached the end of Body Count Episode 3. I hope you had a fun time! ♡ If you enjoyed yourself, you can follow my progress on Chapter 4 (and get early access when it's released) over on [[Patreon|https://www.patreon.com/nelldoesthings]]. You can also get notified of updates on itch.io or check out my dev blog over on [[Tumblr|https://bodycountgame.tumblr.com/]]. If you didn't have a fun time, consider dropping me an email over at bodycountif@gmail.com to let me know about any bugs! Please remember that this is just a demo, and the game is very much still a work in progress.

<<if $coupledwith is "Ellis">><<set $teamedwith to "Ellis">><</if>><<set $visited to false>>You are back in the egg chair of the blackout room. <<if $jammies is "hello">>Finding a dead body in Hello Kitty pyjamas wasn't in your plan for this experience, and frankly, you wish you'd had some other jammies on.<<elseif $jammies is "slut">>Finding a body in your sluttiest jammies wasn't in your plan for this experience - you're just grateful that you had thought to grab a robe before you headed downstairs.<<elseif $jammies is "tee">>Finding a dead body in your slobby pyjamas wasn't in your plan for this experience and you kind of wish you'd been wearing something different.<<elseif $jammies is "pants">>Finding a dead body in your fucking pants wasn't in your plan for this experience - you're just grateful that you had thought to grab a robe before you headed downstairs.<<else>>Finding a dead body in your jammies wasn't in your plan for this experience, and you just can't stop thinking about how glad you are to have brought some pretty normal sleepwear.<</if>> This single strange thought has been playing over and over on a loop in your mind pretty much the whole time you've been sat alone here. It fills you with a twinge of guilt every time, because what the fuck do your pyjamas matter when someone is dead, but then it just crops back up again. A vicious circle. You aren't really sure how long it's been anymore. You wonder if the sun has come up. <div class="choices"><<nobr>> <<link "All things considered? I feel okay." "avint1">><<set $murderfeels to "fine">><</link>><br> <<link "I am unbelievably bored. There is //nothing// to do in here. The screens aren't even displaying." "avint2">><<set $murderfeels to "bored">><</link>><br> <<link "The notion of feelings is a little strange right now. I'm not sure I feel anything at all. I'm numb." "avint3">><<set $murderfeels to "numb">><</link>><br> <<link "It's been hours and my heart is still going like the clappers. I am freaking the fuck out." "avint4">><<set $murderfeels to "stressed">><</link>><br> <<if $ellisrom gte 3>><<link "I'm devastated. Ellis is dead. It's all I can think about." "avint5">><<set $murderfeels to "devvoed">><<set $teamedwith to "Ellis">><</link>><br><<else>><<link "Someone is dead. I'm devastated." "avint6">><<set $murderfeels to "devvoed">><<set $teamedwith to "Ellis">><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "I'm //angry//. What the fuck is going on here?!" "avint7">><<set $murderfeels to "mad">><</link>> <</nobr>></div>

It feels strange to say, but you're actually... fine? Sure, you're gonna be thinking about the sight of Ellis' body in a pool of blood on the terrace for a long time and you should //definitely// find a therapist when you get home, but you're pretty sure you're going to be alright. <<include avint8>>

You've been sat in here all by yourself for god knows how long without anything to do. Never mind the lingering trauma of finding a dead body, you're //bored//. <<include avint8>>

Try as you might, you can't think of a name for the feeling that has seeped into your bones. You're not even sure if it is a feeling, really. You're just... sort of numb. Empty. If someone knocked against you it'd probably make the same dull thud as when you knock against a hollow wall. <<include avint8>>

Your heart is pounding in your chest and you just can't slow it down. It won't stop. You've tried taking deep, slow, controlled breaths. You've tried crossing your legs and having good posture and then tried relaxing your body and having terrible posture. <<if $entrancemeet is "vinh">>You've even tried the listing thing that Vinh taught you earlier.<<else>>You've even done the deep breathing stuff that they do on meditation tapes.<</if>> It hasn't worked. You are, and you cannot emphasise this enough, freaking the fuck out. [[Next|avint8]]

Ellis is dead. Ellis is dead. Ellis is dead. Ellis is dead. Ellis is dead. <<include avint5.1>>

Less than 24 hours ago you were meeting them for the first time. Flirting with them. Getting to know them.<<if $binnedit>> Totally putting your foot in it with them.<</if>><<if $ekiss>> Kissing them.<</if>><<if $coupledwith is "Ellis">>Preparing to share a bed with them.<</if>><<if $ellisrom gte 4>> Growing to //like// them.<</if>> And now they're dead. It just doesn't feel real. It can't be real. //Surely//, this isn't fucking real? You feel a lump rising in your throat. <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>Fat, hot tears roll down your cheeks as you draw your knees in to your body.<<else>>You fight against the tears prickling at the corners of your eyes, squeezing them shut and rubbing your hands over your face.<</if>> <<link "//Fuck.//" "avint8">><</link>>

However you slice it, someone is dead. You shudder - slicing isn't really a metaphor you can vibe with right now. //Ellis is dead//. You repeat the words again and again in your head, roll them around on your tongue. <<include avint5.1>>

You're filled with a righteous fury. What the //fuck// are they playing at? You stumbled out in the middle of the night and found a dead fucking body only to be shunted, alone, into this little interview room and left here for //hours// and what the //fuck// is that about?! <<include avint8>>

The door to the room opens and Avery walks in. She looks //tired//, but still amazingly put together. Her hair is tied back, and she's rocking what seems to be her go-to jeans/blazer combo. As always, she just looks... polished. You bet she irons her underwear. It was Avery that had come to find you all on the terrace, also in her pyjamas, and it was her that had tucked you away into the blackout room. She'd put her hands on your shoulders and steered you away from the big pool of blood and you'd just... gone with her. You can't remember anything she said to you, you just remember that it actually felt quite grounding. Secure. And then you were here. <<if $murderfeels is "numb">>Perhaps you were in shock. [[Perhaps you still are.|avint9]]<<else>>[[Perhaps you were in shock.|avint9]]<</if>>

She looks around for a chair, sighing exasperatedly when she doesn't immediately find one. You guess Charlie wheeled his desk chair off somewhere. In the absence of any coherent thought, you just clear your throat, pointing your foot in the direction of a nearby stool. "Thank you." She sits down, and hearing another person's voice feels sort of strange after however long you've been sat here in silence. Despite how softly she speaks, it feels sort of like a strange intrusion - like when someone speaks at a normal volume after a whispered night-time chat. Wrong. "$mcname," she begins once she has taken a seat, shuffling the stool a little closer to you. "How are you doing?" <<if $murderfeels is "fine">>"Fine, actually," you tell her, but the words come out a little too quickly, a little too sure. Avery frowns a little, leaning in towards you. "It's okay if you aren't fine, you know," she tells you gently, and you know that she thinks you're trying to be all strong and noble and hold it all together. You aren't. You're just... fine. "I'm fine," you insist. Avery's expression remains sceptical, but she doesn't press further.<<elseif $murderfeels is "bored">>"Can I go back inside?" you ask, ignoring her question and nodding your head toward the door. "Not until you tell me how you're doing." Avery replies, gently but firmly, and you know that she thinks you're trying to be all strong and noble and hold it all together. You aren't. You're just... very bored. "Just very bored," you shrug. "You've locked me up in this room for bloody ages and I'd like to get back to the others." Avery's expression remains sceptical, but she doesn't press further.<<elseif $murderfeels is "numb">>You shrug your shoulders, flex your fingers, try to make anything feel real. Your body doesn't feel like yours, even now. It feels strange hearing someone say your name. <<if $extraversion lt 50>>"Weird," you tell her flatly, unable to find the right words to articulate your current predicament.<<else>>"Bit numb," you tell her flatly. You wish you could explain it better - in any other circumstances, you think you'd be able to. Right now, though, words fail you.<</if>> "Yeah, I thought you might be," Avery replies, brow furrowed in concern. "Do you want me to get you anything?" You lift your gaze to meet hers, and something about looking into another person's eyes makes you feel a little more grounded. Real. Human. "No."<<elseif $murderfeels is "stressed">><<if $neuroticism lt 50>>"I just..." you begin, gripping the armrests of your chair, "don't seem to be able to calm down." You try to sound as bright and upbeat as possible, like it's just a silly little joke. This isn't you, it isn't what you're like. You aren't a worrier. <<if $entrancemeet is "vinh">>Until coming on this show, you'd thought of yourself as quite together. <</if>>You always thought you'd be quite good in a crisis, actually. "Okay, let's just take a breath." Avery scoots her stool forward to sit immediately in front of you, taking your hands in hers and drawing them down onto your knees.<<else>>Well, the silence has already been broken. No point mincing your words. "I'm freaking the fuck out!" you exclaim, unwilling or unable to hold back your panic. "I got up out of bed and there was-" "Okay, let's just take a breath." Avery scoots her stool forward to sit immediately in front of you, taking your hands in hers and drawing them down onto your knees.<</if>>They're cold, but her smile is warm and you find yourself looking into her eyes as she gives you a reassuring look, a gentle nod of the head. "One in," she tells you, before drawing a deep breath. You do the same, sort of bewildered by the whole thing. <<if $entrancemeet is "vinh">>Who would have thought you'd find yourself in this situation //twice//.<</if>> "Good," Avery smiles. "You're doing great. Now exhale." She lets out a slow, controlled sigh, and you follow her lead. You do feel a bit better, actually, but you aren't sure whether it's the breathing or her steady gaze, or her chilly hands in yours. Something about the whole thing is grounding. You feel more stable - certain. Safe. Avery repeats her instructions another few times, and eventually you find yourself feeling a little more composed. She withdraws, straightening up on her stool a more appropriate distance back.<<elseif $murderfeels is "devvoed">><<if $agreeableness lt 50>>You're not great at talking about your feelings, least of all when you're feeling fucking awful. You shrug, running the back of your hand over your face <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>to hide any stray tears that might still be lingering.<<else>>to give yourself a moment to think of what to say.<</if>> "Been better," you mumble, and Avery offers a weak smile in response. "Do you want me to get you anything?" You lift your gaze to meet hers, and something about looking into another person's eyes makes you feel a little more grounded. Real. Human. "No."<<else>>"Terrible." You want to say more, but you can already feel your voice waver and crack. <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>Your tear-stained face probably says it all.<<else>>Your expression probably says it all. You squeeze your eyes shut, willing yourself to keep the tears at bay.<</if>><</if>><<else>> "Well, pretty fucking terrible, actually!" you reply, in what you think might have been a shout if your voice wasn't so hoarse from the fucking //hours// that you've been sat in quiet solitude. "You're angry." "//Yes//, I'm fucking angry! I saw a fucking-" "Okay, let's take a breath." Avery cuts you off, calm and firm and authoritative. "I'm sorry I couldn't get back to you sooner, but dealing with Ellis had to be my priority." "//Dealing with Ellis//?! What the fuck kind of-" "$mcname, I need you to //calm down//." You fold your arms defiantly across your chest. You have no intention of calming down or cooperating or whatever the fuck Avery is going to ask you to do, but you suppose it can't hurt to listen to whatever she has to say. At least for a moment.<</if>> [[Next|avint9.1]]

"$mcname, I need you to tell me what happened. What you saw." Avery leans towards you, expression serious. <<include avint9.2>>

<<if $murderfeels is "devvoed" or $murderfeels is "stressed">>You take a shaky breath, bracing yourself to say out loud what you haven't been able to voice. Ellis is dead.<<elseif $murderfeels is "fine" or $murderfeels is "numb">>You shuffle in your seat and recite what happened. Avery doesn't interrupt your account. She doesn't seem to be writing any of it down, either, which is unusual for her - when you'd first met, it had seemed like she was scribbling down every bloody word you said. Now, though, her attention is entirely focused on you, a serious expression on her face.<<elseif $murderfeels is "bored">>You roll your eyes, and fix Avery with a very bored expression.<<elseif $murderfeels is "mad">>You huff, you roll your eyes, you shuffle about in your seat. But then you tell her what you know. Irritated as you are, it seems like the right thing to do.<</if>> You heard a sound up in your room. You walked downstairs, through the kitchen and out to the terrace. You saw two unfamiliar people there. Their names were Rowan and Atticus, you think. Then you looked down and saw Ellis lying on the ground in their pyjamas, except their throat had been cut and they looked all dead and there was //so much blood//. <<if $murderfeels is "devvoed" or $murderfeels is "stressed">>Your voice cracks on that last part, and you rub your hands over your face to catch any stray tears. <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>The idea of crying in front of Avery couldn't have been more mortifying to you a few hours ago. Now, you can't seem to find it in yourself to care.<</if>><br><br><</if>>[[Next|avint10.1]]

When you have completed your account, Avery just nods her head slowly for a moment, gaze never leaving your face. "Thank you for telling me," she says after a moment. <<if $agreeableness lt 50>>"Now you." "Sorry?" Avery looks up from her clipboard, confused. "Now you," you repeat, although that doesn't seem to clear anything up for her. "I want to know everything. What happened to Ellis?"<<else>>"Now I have some questions, if that's okay?" you ask tentatively, and Avery nods her head. "Of course." "What happened to Ellis?"<</if>> It's the thing that's been on your mind for hours, ever since you've been in here. Every time you close your eyes, you just see their body lying there on the floor like a macabre cake topper. <<include avint16>>

"Why, are we playing i-Spy?" <<if $agreeableness lt 50>>you ask, with a dark smirk.<<else>>you ask, with a little chuckle, in a desperate attempt to lighten the mood. The atmosphere in here is crushing.<</if>> "I spy with my little-" "Now isn't the time to be glib, $mcname," Avery snaps, and you fall quiet again. "Tell me what you saw, please." <<include avint9.2>>

<<if $agreeableness lt 50 or $murderfeels is "mad">>"What the fuck do you mean?! Tell you what I saw? Aren't you supposed to be watching everything anyway?" Avery takes a deep breath, unrattled by your irritation.<<else>>"Wait, what are you on about? Why do you need to know what I saw when you can see everything anyway?" Avery takes a breath.<</if>> "We have a live stream, but we aren't watching it 24 hours a day. The recorded footage goes back to the studio in the UK, and they review it and keep us abreast of any significant developments that we have missed. I expect that's exactly what is happening now." "And how long do you expect that to take?!" <<include avint16>>

You consider Avery's question. What //had// you seen? You heard a sound up in your room. You walked downstairs, through the kitchen and out to the terrace. You saw two unfamiliar people there. Their names were Rowan and Atticus, you think. Then you looked down and saw Ellis lying on the ground in their pyjamas, except their throat had been cut and they looked all dead and there was //so much blood//. <<if $murderfeels is "devvoed">>You'd been doing such a good job of not crying for the last minute or so, and then the tears come all over again.<</if>> "Ellis was //fucking dead//. Is Ellis dead?!" you ask, in a wobbly voice that doesn't sound quite like your own. Avery gives you a sympathetic look, leaning in towards you. <<include avint16>>

You don't answer. Even if you could make your mouth produce words, you don't know what you'd say. You just stare blankly back at Avery. "$mcname, I know you're probably going through a lot right now, but I //really// need to know what happened." <<include avint9.2>>

You toy with the words on your tongue, unable to actually voice what you are //sure//. //Ellis is dead//. And then it's all too much. <<if $neuroticism gt 50>>You bury your face in your elbow and the tears come spilling out. You can't breathe, gasping for air. Your sobs are loud, which is embarrassing, but you just can't suppress them.<<else>>Tears spill out of your eyes, head in your hands, and you can't stop them.<</if>> "Woah, heeey-" Avery coos, like it's not all that bad. It //is//. You're on TV in your pyjamas and someone just fucking //died//. You feel her move towards you, leaving her seat and climbing into the stupid fucking egg chair beside you, wrapping her arm around your shoulders. Your face comes to rest against her leg, and then you're just sobbing into her jeans, and you have no idea how you got here. This isn't how you thought things would go. "I've got you, okay? You're fine. It's gonna be okay." And you don't know if you believe her, but then she says something else. <<include avint16>>

"Ellis has been taken to hospital. They’ll be fine, but they won’t be continuing the show." <div class="choices"><<link "I am awash with relief. They're going to be okay." "avint17">><<set $avery += 1>><<set $believetheaccident to true>><</link>> <<link "Something doesn't feel right, but I'm very ready to accept Avery's explanation." "avint18">><<set $believetheaccident to true>><</link>> <<link "I just can't reconcile that explanation with what I saw." "avint19">><</link>> <<link "That is the biggest load of horseshit I have ever heard." "avint20">><<set $avery -= 1>><</link>></div>

Your whole body relaxes. Your shoulders drop about a foot from where you'd been hunching them up by your chin. Your jaw hurts - you didn't even realise you'd been clenching it. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"They're gonna be okay?" you ask, breathlessly, full of hope, hand on your chest.<<else>>You pause, uncertain. "They're going to be okay?"<</if>> <<if hasVisited("avint15")>>You sniffle pathetically, brushing the tears from your cheeks as Avery extricates herself from your grip.<br><br><</if>><<include avint17.1>>

"They're very hurt, and they lost a lot of blood, but they're pretty tough," Avery smiles weakly, meeting your<<if $murderfeels is "devvoed">> puffy-eyed<</if>> gaze, "I think they'll make a full recovery." You nod your head slowly, familiarising yourself with the idea that, actually, Ellis is going to be fine. It's a nice thought, and one you're more than happy to accept. Ellis is going to be fine. //Ellis is going to be fine//. Phew. <<include ellisalivechoice>>

It just feels... off. Might be something to do with the fact that you saw them with your own eyes - Ellis' dead body, laying out on the terrace in that shiny, sickly pool of blood. It doesn't make sense, but you're willing to accept it. You //want// to believe it, and you're prepared to do whatever mental gymnastics are required to do just that. "They're going to be okay?" you ask, seeking reinforcement of the fragile little idea forming in your mind. //Ellis is okay.// <<if hasVisited("avint15")>>You sniffle pathetically, brushing the tears from your cheeks as Avery extricates herself from your grip.<br><br><</if>><<include avint17.1>>

You frown. You want to believe it. It would be great to believe it. But you don't. You can't. <<if hasVisited("avint15")>>You sniffle pathetically, brushing the tears from your cheeks as Avery extricates herself from your grip.<br><br><</if>><<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Avery..." you begin, gently. You don't want to sound accusatory - that probably wouldn't do anything to help this situation. "I saw the body."<<else>>"You're lying," you tell her flatly, making no attempt to hide your irritation. "I saw the body."<</if>> <<if hasVisited("avint15")>>Your voice is still thick with tears and it sounds much less cool and confident than you would have hoped in this situation. If only you could blow your nose. It doesn't feel like a great time to ask for a tissue. Avery sits back down on the stool, clasping and unclasping her hands as she tries to find the right position.<<else>>Avery clasps and unclasps her hands, shifting her position on the stool.<</if>> <<include ellisdeadchoice>>

"Bullshit." <<if hasVisited("avint15")>>You sniffle pathetically, brushing the tears from your cheeks as Avery extricates herself from your grip. Your voice is still thick with tears and it sounds much less cool and confident than you would have hoped in this situation. If only you could blow your nose. It doesn't feel like a great time to ask for a tissue. Avery sits back down on the stool, clasping and unclasping her hands as she tries to find the right position.<<else>>Avery just looks placidly back at you.<</if>> "That’s an absolute crock of shit. Ellis is fucking dead. I saw the body," you continue, and Avery sighs, flexing her shoulders to release some of the tension. It doesn’t work. Now you come to think about it, you don’t know if you’ve ever seen Avery look relaxed. Never as rigid as this, sure, but definitely not loose. <<include ellisdeadchoice>>

"$mcname, Ellis is going to be fine." <div class="choices"><<link "Nope! Not buying it! Not a fucking chance!" "edc1">><<inc-bold>><</link>> <<link "I want to believe it. I just can't." "edc2">><</link>> <<link "//Ellis is going to be fine//. Thank fuck." "avint17">><<set $believetheaccident to true>><</link>></div>

"You’re fucking lying." At this, Avery looks to the ceiling for a moment. <<include edc3>>

You would love to be the sort of person who could swallow this. Someone who could just take Avery's words at face value and believe that Ellis is fine - that they're off at some hospital getting patched up and then they're going on to live a full and happy life. You aren't that sort of person, though. You don't believe it. You sigh, deflating, and shrug your shoulders at Avery. <<include edc3>>

"You’re not going to accept my explanation of this, are you?" "No. I'm not." "Alright, then yes, Ellis is dead," Avery concedes, crossing one knee over the other, folding her arms across the clipboard held to her chest. Her admitting it so plainly after pushing back mere moments ago throws you off-balance. You nod slowly, processing, and turning Avery's words over in your head. Ellis is dead. It’s the first time anyone but you has said it aloud. It’s real. <<include edc4>>

Avery has just looked you right in the face and //lied//. She tried to convince you that Ellis wasn't dead, that what you'd seen with your own eyes hadn't been real. Who the fuck can do something like that so remorselessly? "Why the fuck would you //lie//?" You try to keep the judgement out of your voice, but it's entirely unsuccessful - every syllable is laced with your disapproval. Avery looks utterly exasperated. She runs a hand down her face and, when she looks back at you afterwards, she just looks tired. "I didn't think I had a choice," she replies, quietly, with a little shrug. "And what was the alternative, really? To just not even //try// to fix it?" So that's what she thought she was doing. Fixing it. But no amount of lying is going to bring Ellis back. <<include edc4>>

"How did Ellis die?" "I can’t say for sure, but I think it was blood loss." Avery pauses, but when you seem unsatisfied with that answer she sighs and continues. "Ellis had a gash on their neck. I think they fell and cut themself on the glass of their champagne flute. A terrible accident." <<include edc4>>

"Didn’t someone see it? On the monitors, surely?" Avery spins away from you and flicks the monitors behind her back on. You see Griffin and Adegoke chatting at the kitchen over cereal and, after a moment, the screen flickers and you see an empty bedroom. "We only have a live feed, and not of every camera at once – we have a sense of what’s going on, but not a full picture." She spins back to you. "For more detailed insights, we rely on the team back in the UK – they have all the recorded footage." [[Next|edc7.1]]

<<if $charlierom gt 3>><<include edc7.3>><<else>>Avery takes a deep breath, plasters a reassuring smile onto her face, and continues. <<include edc7.2>><</if>>

<<if hasVisited("edc11")>>"As I've already explained, I haven't been able to reach anyone, but the team back in the UK are probably reviewing the footage of exactly what happened as we speak and they'll be in touch with us later today."<<else>>"The team back in the UK will be reviewing the footage now. I haven't been able to reach anyone, but I suspect they'll be in touch with confirmation of exactly what happened later today."<</if>> <<include edc4>>

<<set $visited to true>>Avery leans forward, feet on the floor, elbows resting on her knees, and fixes you with what you can only describe as an intense gaze. "Charlie was supposed to be, but he stopped watching. Can you think of any reason that might be?" <<if $honest lt 50>><<if $griffbang or $sydbang>>"No," you lie, because what else are you going to fucking say? 'Yes, actually, Avery. I’ve been flirting outrageously with the only other member of the crew and then last night I am pretty sure that he stopped watching so he didn’t see me fuck another cast member, because yeah that would probably suck.'<<if $agreeableness gt 50>> You couldn’t do it if the roles were reversed.<</if>><<else>>"No," you answer, perhaps a little too quickly. And on the face of it, you can't. It's not like you fucked anyone. Then again, there's a twisting feeling in your stomach, and you know that if the roles had been reversed and you'd had to watch Charlie going to bed with someone else, you might not have wanted to do that either. Avery rolls her eyes, leaning back in her chair.<</if>><<else>><<if $griffbang or $sydbang>>Your heart falls into your stomach. Fuck. You can. Of course you can. You're pretty sure the way that you pause tells Avery everything she needs to know.<<else>>You falter, unable to reply, a sick feeling in your stomach. Sure, you didn't fuck anyone, but...<</if>> Avery nods her head slightly, leaning back again in her chair.<</if>> "I don't want to derail our conversation because we //clearly// have bigger problems right now," Avery begins, fixing you with an unimpressed expression. "But whatever game you're playing with him, //stop it.//" <div class="choices"><<link "Understood." "edc7.4">><</link>> <<link "I didn't mean for it to get this far." "edc7.5">><</link>> <<link "What makes her think it's a game to me?" "edc7.6">><</link>> <<link "As long as I'm making good TV, what does she care what I'm doing?" "edc7.7">><</link>> <<link "I'm not talking about this." "edc7.8">><</link>></div>

You just give a tight nod of your head. <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Gotcha," you reply, with as much sincerity as you can muster.<<else>>"Understood."<</if>> You //have// understood. Whether you'll actually change your behaviour or not remains to be seen. <<include averyknewit>>

"I didn't mean for it to get this far," you sigh. You //didn't// mean for it to get this far - it's all just sort of... You don't even know. Escallated? If a romantic situation where you haven't even kissed the other person can be considered to have escallated. Maybe it's more of a gradual incline. <<include averyknewit>>

<<if $agreeableness gt 50>>"Avery, what makes you think that this is a //game// to me?" you reply, every bit as serious as she is.<<else>>"What makes you think it's a game?" you reply, more defiantly than you have any right to.<</if>> <<include averyknewit>>

"What does it matter?" you ask defiantly, folding your arms across your chest. "As long as I'm making good TV, what does how I spend the rest of my time matter?" <<include averyknewit>>

You have no intention of discussing this with Avery. <<if $extraversion gt 50>>Frankly, it's none of her business anyway.<<else>>For starters, you have absolutely no idea what you'd even say.<</if>> Not to mention the fact that it absolutely isn't the fucking time. Someone is dead - your dubious romantic choices are really neither here nor there. You look back at her, and she narrows her eyes. Then <<include averyknewit>>

Avery shuffles in her seat for a moment like she is about to stand, and then restrains herself. She takes a breath in through her nose and out through her mouth, eyes closed, like she's trying to manage a petulant toddler. "I knew it," she says, after a moment. "I knew there was something going on between you. He is just so-" She stops herself, turning her attention back to you. "Stop fucking my producer." The order is delivered with the sort of controlled calm that is more befitting a police interrogation room - she's just missing the light to shine into your eyes. <<if hasVisited("edc7.5")>>"You might not have meant for things to get this far, but they have. Now stop it before it goes any further. Charlie should know better, but apparently he doesn't, and I don't want to see him get hurt. End it."<<elseif hasVisited("edc7.6")>>"This whole thing is a game, $mcname. You might be too naive to see it, but none of this fairy tale romance bullshit is real - you're just here to make good TV and bag your tummy tea Instagram sponsorships or whatever the fuck happens after a show like this. //Don't// bring him into it. Charlie should know better, but he doesn't, and he's too good to get caught up in whatever stunt you're trying to pull. It's not going to make it into the final cut, so just cut it out."<<else>>"You can go through the show, make your good TV and bag your tummy tea Instagram sponsorships or whatever the fuck happens after a show like this. //Don't// bring him into it. Charlie should know better, but he doesn't, and he's too good to get caught up in whatever stunt you're trying to pull. It's not going to make it into the final cut, so just cut it out."<</if>> <<if $extraversion lt 50>><<if $thot gt 50>>"I'm not //fucking// him," you immediately reply, defensive. Then you regret the emphasis that you place on it, because you might not be fucking him but you aren't exactly doing a great job of protesting.<<else>>"I'm not-" you begin, before immediately pausing to find the right words. "Nothing has happened between Charlie and me." Much more elegant than the first few options that had flickered through your mind.<</if>><<else>>"Avery, nothing has happened between Charlie and me."<</if>> You don't even know why you're bothering to press the point - her mind seems pretty made up. Still, the last thing you want is to get Charlie into trouble, and Avery doesn't seem best pleased by the possibility of fraternisation. Avery runs one hand over her already smooth hair and takes a breath. "The team back in the UK will be reviewing the footage now. I haven't been able to reach anyone, but I suspect they'll be in touch with confirmation of exactly what happened later today." <<include edc4>>

"There isn't a fucking chance that this was an accident." You saw the body. You're not a fucking idiot. People don't //accidentally// get their throats slit. "And what is the alternative? That one among you is a murderer who killed Ellis in cold blood?" Well, isn't that quite the thought. You just look at Avery, and she looks at you, and the weight of it settles over both of you. "Is that what you think? That this was... a murder?" she frowns. <<include avmurderchat>>

"Okay, what do you mean that you haven't been able to reach anyone?" Avery runs a hand over her face. Then, like she's remembered where she is, she straightens back up, smoothing over her ponytail. "There must be a storm, or something, because I haven’t been able to get a signal to reach the team or anyone else. We are just going to have to continue as planned. There isn’t another option. That’s why I don’t want to upset the rest of the cast – there isn’t a choice here. It's just until the UK offices get back to me - otherwise we're starting a panic without any way to //do anything about it//." <<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>"So..." you begin, processing. "So short of wading off into the sea, we're stuck."<br><br><</if>>//Fuck//. <<include edc4>>

"I want to leave." "You can’t." The answer comes almost before you’ve finished the sentence – like she knew it’d be the next thing out of your mouth. <<if not hasVisited("edc7")>>"There isn’t a way off this island until we complete filming. We don’t have a boat to get us back to the mainland, and there’s-" Avery pauses for a moment, as if realising she has already said too much. More than she intended, perhaps. "There must be a storm, or something, because I haven’t been able to get a signal to reach the team or anyone else. We are just going to have to continue as planned. There isn’t another option. That’s why I don’t want to upset the rest of the cast – there isn’t a choice here. It's just until the UK offices get back to me - otherwise we're starting a panic without any way to //do anything about it//." "So..." you begin, processing. "So short of wading off into the sea, we're stuck."<<else>>"I don't know if I just didn't make this clear before, but there's no way home. I can't get through to anyone. We're trapped, and we are just going to have to continue as planned. There isn’t another option. That’s why I don’t want to upset the rest of the cast – there isn’t a choice here. It's just until the UK offices get back to me - otherwise we're starting a panic without any way to //do anything about it//." Oh. //Fuck//.<</if>> <<include edc4>>

<<if $conscientiousness gt 50>>"So, what now? Where do we go from here?"<<else>>"So... what now?"<</if>> It's the last thing left to ask, really. You feel //drained//. Exhausted. It's hard to tell whether it's because of lack of sleep or the emotional rollercoaster that you've been on over the last few hours, but to say that you are weary feels like an understatement. <<include datingchoiceone>>

You hadn't really thought through the implications of your assertion fully, but.. yeah. You suppose you do think this was a murder. "Yeah," is all you manage to say in response, [[and then you're left in that weighty silence once again.|avmc]]

"I don't know," you tell her, and you really don't. It seems hard to believe that anyone amongst you could be a murderer. And yet, it's harder to believe that Ellis would just... die. "Maybe? Shouldn't we at least consider it a possibility until we know for sure otherwise?" "The famous 'guilty until proven innocent'," Avery replies almost absentmindedly, <<if $agreeableness gt 50>>and you frown uncertainly. "That isn't what I-" "Yes, I know."<<else>>and you scowl. "You know that isn't what I meant." "Yes, I do."<</if>> "I just think we should consider the possibility." And you do. What's the alternative? [[Just ignore it and keep doing your little reality show shit until someone else is murdered?|avmc]]

"People are fucking terrible," you shrug. "That's the one thing I know for sure." And with what you know about people, the possibility of one of the temporary residents of this villa being a murderer seems infinitely more likely than Ellis being involved in some kind of freak accident. Avery shakes her head reluctantly and runs her hands over her face. "You're right," she groans. [[Yeah, you are.|avmc]]

"Duh." You haven't ever heard someone say 'duh' about a murder - it has slightly more levity than is appropriate in such a morose situation. Regardless, it's the only way to convey how truly fucking obvious it is to you exactly what has happened here. Ellis was murdered. [[There's no doubt in your mind.|avmc]]

"What happened, then? How did Ellis get hurt?" "There was a lot of blood," Avery answers gently, "and a gash on their neck. I think they fell and cut themself on the glass of their champagne flute." "Oh," is all you can say in reply. It feels silly, really, having gotten so worked up about something so simple. You close your eyes again and the scene resurfaces. Was there glass there? You can't remember. Maybe there was? You didn't take it all in, there was just... so much happening. <<include ellisalivechoice>>

"The people that were there - who were they?" "You mean Rowan and Atticus?" Avery asks, and you nod. "Two more cast members. We had planned to introduce them to the villa after about a week - although now you've already met, I think I'll let them in to join the others today. Bombshells, if you will." <<if $murderfeels is "fine" or $murderfeels is "bored">>Well, that makes sense. Would have been nice to have some bombshells that were //slightly// less hostile and/or more together. Perhaps they'll have settled down a little in the time since you parted.<<elseif $murderfeels is "numb">>You just nod your head again, and you feel a little bit like one of those bobblehead toys on a car dashboard. You feel immeasurably more //human// since Avery's explanation, but it still feels like a lot of information to absorb and you still feel kinda... wonky.<<elseif $murderfeels is "stressed" or $murderfeels is "devvoed">>Bombshells, huh? Sounds about right - you did spend most of the early hours feeling like your world was being blasted apart. Now that Avery's cleared everything up, though, everything feels much more stable - like they've been safely disarmed. Or is that metaphor too tortured?<<elseif $murderfeels is "mad">>Bombshells, huh? Not how you'd have described it. If Avery hadn't shown up when she did, there's a pretty good chance that you and Atticus would have come to blows.<</if>> <<include ellisalivechoice>>

"What are you going to tell the others?" Avery smiles gently. "I suspect that Charlie will be dealing with that now, but he'll tell them the same things that I have told you: that Ellis was injured and has withdrawn from the show, but that they will be fine." That sounds perfectly reasonable, you suppose. Keep it to the necessary information, trim out any extraneous details. <<include ellisalivechoice>>

"So... what now?" you ask, in the absence of any other questions, and Avery nods her head. "Well, we don't want to send you straight back in - might as well get //some// useful footage from this morning," she begins steadily, tapping her nails on the underside of her stool. "So we've arranged a little social. Just a chance for you to get to know Atticus and Rowan better. The other cast members will think that you left early this morning for that, and they'll be none the wiser about the... details." <<include dc2>>

"I'm gonna take lunch," you tell the colleague whose desk is next to yours. They nod in acknowledgement, but they obviously don't care. You can't blame them - you don't care when they take lunch either. You haven't really worked here for long enough to form the sort of collegial bonds that the architects who designed these nightmarish open-plan office situations envisioned. Maybe it's the sort of thing that comes with time. <div class="choices"><<link "Just give me another couple of weeks. These people can only resist the powerful force of my friendship for so long." "p1.1">><<lilinc-ex>><<lildec-neur>><</link>> <<link "I'm sure I'll bond with someone in the queue to use the single shared microwave any day now." "p1.2">><<lilinc-ex>><<lilinc-ag>><</link>> <<link "I'm kind of fine with it if it doesn't. I'm at work to do work, not make small talk about Linda's shithead husband and her three dribbly kids." "p1.3">><<lilinc-con>><<lildec-ag>><</link>> <<link "Then again, maybe not. I'm too shy to initiate a conversation, so unless someone is desperate to befriend me, it's not likely to happen." "p1.4">><<dec-ex>><</link>> <<link "Over my dead body. I'd rather die than befriend these dullards." "p1.5">><<dec-ag>><<dec-op>><</link>></div>

Your strategy is generally to just strike up a conversation with someone like you're already their friend. People find it strangely charming and disarming - and no one has been willing to correct you yet. It's how you made basically all your friends at school and university. <<include "p2">>

If the architects planned for the open plan office to facilitate collegial relationship building, they might have included more than one microwave. Nothing builds a nice workplace culture of resentment than having to queue behind 12 other people to microwave your bloody lunch. <<include "p2">>

You'll never be one of those people who become bezzie mates with all of the people in their office, but mainly because you have absolutely zero interest in doing so. You just come to work to do your job and go home at the end of the day, not hang around chatting with people that you would never otherwise interact with. <<include "p2">>

Strike up a conversation with someone? Willingly? Couldn't be you. <<include "p2">>

You make a mental note to ask a friend to put you out of your misery if you ever become as boring as these awful people. This is a //temporary// job and you are intent on not becoming one of them. <<include "p2">>

You head out of the tall, glass-clad office block and navigate through the gangs of mangey pigeons fighting over Greggs sausage roll crumbs. A friend from uni has come into the city for work, so you're meeting up for lunch. It's been a while since you've managed to see each other (because it turns out that adulthood is just two people making and then cancelling plans back and forth ad infinitum) and it's pretty exciting to finally be able to catch up in person. The moment you enter the café, Maya squeals and envelops you in a tight hug. "Baaaaaabe!" Maya has always referred to just about everyone as "Babe" - she had to fight against her instincts not to also use it for professors and lecturers during your studies. You would reply, but to open your mouth would be to risk filling it with her thick hair as she continues to squeeze you. While you'll always be "Babe" to Maya, everyone else calls you... <div class="choices"><<link "Daichi" "p3">><<set $mcname to "Daichi">><</link>> <<link "Dakota" "p3">><<set $mcname to "Dakota">><</link>> <<link "Daphne" "p3">><<set $mcname to "Daphne">><</link>> <<link "Della" "p3">><<set $mcname to "Della">><</link>> <<link "Dominic" "p3">><<set $mcname to "Dominic">><</link>> <<link "Dorian" "p3">><<set $mcname to "Dorian">><</link>> <<textbox "$mcname" "Name">> [[Next|p3]]</div>

Over lunch, Maya regales you with tales of her success. She's been promoted at work (although you still have zero understanding of what her job actually is), she's moved into a new flat with her girlfriend, they've adopted a cute cat (she's called Pickles) and she's planning an island hopping holiday to Thailand this summer. After 40 minutes of keeping the conversation squarely focused on Maya's life, you are asked the question that you have been dreading. "So, what's new with you, babe?" she grins, chin propped up on one hand. She is genuinely excited to know - Maya has never really been the competitive sort, and she would always celebrate your achievements with just as much enthusiasm as her own. Unfortunately, that doesn't change the fact that she seems to be doing everything that she had set out to do when you graduated together. You? You're living in a crummy apartment with a roommate that you barely speak to, working a dead-end temp job that you hate, with absolutely no romantic life to speak of? You're going to have to think of something to reply to her with that's a bit less of a downer. <<include "p3choice">>

You used to have to use the really cheap, shit stuff, but someone seems to have made a mistake in the procurement portal and now you have the sort of bougie soap that they put out in very fancy restaurants. There's lotion and everything. Wait, what are you thinking? You can't tell her that the most exciting thing going on in your life right now is fucking //soap//. <<include "p3choice">>

You might even have a shower when you get home, so that you can go to bed all squeaky clean into fresh sheets. Really, what's better than that? Well, if you aren't a total loser, probably lots of things. You cannot tell your friend that the best thing you have to look forward to is going to sleep. <<include "p3choice">>

It was incredibly satisfying going through popping each little bubble. Sure, it's awful for the environment, but good for the soul. Maya probably has slightly more exciting things than //popping bubble wrap// to cheer herself up, though, so perhaps best not go for that... <<include "p3choice">>

You opened the tube fully expecting the standard 10 //Jaffa Cakes//, but found 11. It was a pretty thrilling moment. Of course, Maya probably wouldn't find it nearly as thrilling, because she isn't pathetic. //Surely// you can do better than an extra //Jaffa Cake//?! <<include "p3choice">>

It looked just like a Stegosaurus and it was awesome. Is the most exciting thing in your life really a //cloud//, though? Because if so, that's... tragic. <<include "p3choice">>

Well, there's no sugar coating it: you've got fuck all going on. Maya seems to be able to tell what you're going to say before you can even get it out and she places a gentle hand on your arm across the table. "Babe, please don't be down!" she coos, face filled with a sympathy that is no less irritating than it is sincere. Then, like she's had an electric shock, she jolts backwards and begins rooting through the bag that she had slung over the arm of her chair. "Ok, don't smack me, but..." she begins cautiously as she hands you a leaflet, "Someone gave this to me on the high street on my way over. It might be the perfect way to shake things up?" You turn the piece of glossy card over in your hands. <img src="https://dashingdon.com/play/fresh/body-count/mygame/bcflyer.png" height="1275" width="825"> <<include "p6">>

You've been on TV once before (when a news crew filmed you playing in the snow as a toddler), and it has been a sort of fascination for you ever since. <<include "ooo">>

Hey, you've got an itch and it needs //scratching//. <<include "ooo">>

Spring time in the city isn't bad, but you'd certainly welcome the opportunity to be, well, anywhere else. Sun and sea? You're sold. <<include "ooo">>

As someone who spends most of the working day fantasising about not having to be there, this seems positively serendipitous. <<include "ooo">>

They are though, right? They normally look like they spend half of their waking hours in the gym and the other half at salons to ensure that their hair is //constantly// immaculate. Safe to say, you don't occupy your time in the same way. You've never even had your teeth whitened - they'd probably laugh you off the set after about 30 seconds. <<include "serious">>

To be perceived by large audiences of human beings that will inevitably flock to spread unsolicited anonymous commentary on social media? Frankly, it sounds horrifying. <<include "serious">>

As if romantic rejection isn't embarrassing enough already, Maya wants you to endure it //publicly//? Not even just publicly - on //television//? <<include "serious">>

However shitty it might appear, you do have a life. How do people just duck out of their responsibilities for a whole month? <<include "serious">>

"Maya, you can't be serious," you scoff. "I am absolutely being serious, babe," she grins, "You would be amazing on a show like this. Might even get a date." She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively and your slap her hand across the table. "Not likely," you retort. Discussion over. Let's change topic before Maya launches into a monologue defending reality TV. <<include "back to work">>

You and Maya chat for a little while longer before you have to go back to the office, but not about the show. You do end up telling her about the extra //Jaffa Cake// and, despite the wealth of other things going on in her life, she does seem quite excited about it. [[Back to work...|backtowork]]

You are not, and never will be, the reality TV sort of person. <<include "serious">>

You're not exactly a social butterfly. Surely footage of you hovering on the edge of conversation isn't going to be compelling for the show's viewership? <<include "serious">>

"Ooooo..." is all you manage to say as you read over the information on the leaflet, again and again. Maya looks incredibly pleased with herself - far more pleased with herself than she did when sharing her numerous lifestyle triumphs. "I knew you'd be into it," she chuckles, taking a satisfied swig from her glass. [[Back to work...|backtowork]]

<<if $intoit>>Throughout the afternoon, you find your mind drifting back to the //Body Count// flyer burning a hole in your pocket. The first thing you do when you get home is throw open your laptop and browse through the Maximón Productions website. There are quite a few reasons that you're interested in the show, but above all else...<<else>>As much as you want to put it out of your mind, you find your thoughts drifting back to the //Body Count// flyer burning a hole in your pocket again and again throughout the afternoon. When you get home, you find yourself absentmindedly flicking through the Maximón Productions website and the application form for the show. The truth is, perhaps against your better judgement, you're really beginning to consider this. After all...<</if>> <<include "p7">>

It might sound lame, but the truth is that you really want to find love. It is a dating show, after all, and the main purpose is theoretically for all of the contestants to leave the show in couples. However farfetched the possibility might seem, even the remotest chance that you might be able to meet your soulmate is compelling. <<include p8>>

Making friends as an adult is way harder than it was when you were a kid - there aren't really any people that you're forced to be around like when you were at school or university. A show like this would be a great opportunity to meet a bunch of cool, hopefully likeminded people. <<include p8>>

It's perhaps a slightly childish desire, but you have always wanted to be famous. As a kid, you would flick through glossy magazines and just feel //so// envious of the celebs that adorned the pages. People who say that fame and money can't buy happiness have obviously never been poor. <<include p8>>

On the face of it, //Body Count// is about finding love, but things are never that simple where there's this amount of money on the table. You are interested in that, first and foremost. It really would be a life changing amount. <<include "p8">>

Browsing the Maximón Productions website reveals that filming is set to take place on a remote pacific island for a full month. A whole month in an island paradise? Well, that cements it. You couldn't sign up quickly enough. <<include "p8">>

You just needed to experience something //new//. Day after day of tedious admin work at your little desk is wearing you down. <<include "p8">>

You've reached that inevitable moment in your 20s where you just felt like you were drifting in a colossal ocean with absolutely no idea which way to paddle. When you saw that applications were open for the show, it just felt like a little life raft bobbing by. Sure, it might not be enough to rescue you entirely, but it has to be better than just drifting alone. <<include "p8">>

You submit an application. [[You don't expect anything to come of it.|yde]]

Then, a week later, you get a call from a producer and you find yourself in a café around the corner from your flat for your first casting interview. It's 10am on a Thursday morning and you've taken a day of annual leave to be here, sat in a squishy old armchair by the window with... <<include p9>>

You're not about to let an important and professional meeting get between you and your breakfast, and the allure of hash browns is just too strong to resist. <<include p900000>>

You aren't about to miss out on the chance for a classy little brunch, and a tasteful danish is the perfect way to say "I'm hungry //and// refined" if the interviewer arrives before you've finished it. <<include p900000>>

The best thing about this café is the way they really pack in the salmon - you totally feel like you're getting your money's worth. Is it a good idea to eat such a stinky breakfast before an interview? Well, maybe not, but you can always pop a tictac before the interviewer arrives... <<include p900000>>

After examining the various size options, you debated just double fisting coffee cups. Then the barista revealed a secret, extra //extra// large mug that was basically the size of your head, and you were satisfied. <<include p900000>>

This is England, after all - what else would you be drinking? This café has an amazing blend of breakfast tea, so you get a whole pot to (hopefully) see you through the whole interview. <<include p900000>>

You basically have the palate of a fruit fly and you don't feel the least bit guilty about it. The ice clinks around pleasingly against the glass with every sip and it's delightfully refreshing. <<include p900000>>

You put on your most polite smile to rebuff this guy's attempt to join you, but he speaks again before you have the chance to. <<include p11>>

You sigh, reluctantly having to admit to yourself that you have been totally stood up. Or is being stood up specific to dates? Regardless, the interviewer doesn't seem to be coming, so you probably don't need to keep hold of the extra seat. Just as you open your mouth to reply, though, he cuts you off. <<include p11>>

Seriously, they just don't make guys that hot in the UK. You put on your most charming smile to reply, but he cuts you off before you have the chance. <<include p11>>

Your eyes almost roll their way right out of your head. Creeps just seem to crawl out of the woodwork at the least opportune moments, and you do //not// have the fucking time right now. Just as you draw breath to rebuff him (or breathe fire at him, who knows), he cuts you off. <<include p11>>

Fuck //all the way// off, sir. You are saving this seat (because who goes for brunch alone?) and resent his assumption that you are some kind of lonely weirdo. Just as you draw breath to rebuff him (or breathe fire at him, who knows), he cuts you off. <<include p11>>

Your cheeks are crammed with hash browns and you imagine you look something like a deranged gerbil. He remains undeterred. <<include p11>>

"Just kidding. I'm Charlie, and you're <<print $mcname>> - recognise you from the picture you submitted," he grins, shrugging off his jacket to reveal a t-shirt emblazoned with a picture of Lisa Simpson making an L on her forehead. You don't know what you expected from an interviewer, but you don't think this was it. Well, isn't Charlie just //full// of surprises. "Sorry I'm late, by the way - parking is a fucking nightmare around here." [[To be fair, he's not wrong.]]

Charlie slings his jacket over the back of his chair and orders a caramel macchiato before taking his seat opposite you, nestling comfortably into his armchair. "So, <<print $mcname>>, what do you want to do with your life?" he asks, pen poised over his blue moleskine. Wow, he really isn't pulling any punches. <<include p12>>

"Jar Jar Binks? He was //so// dumb?" you scoff. Charlie taps his pen against his lips for a moment, clearly wrestling with the urge to launch into an explanation of this particular fan theory. "That's the beauty of it!" he exclaims. His professional obligations have obviously lost out to his desire to chat Star Wars. You have known Charlie for less than half an hour and even you could have predicted it. He launches into an in depth explanation of how Jar Jar Binks is a secret Sith Lord, using the sugar sachets on your table to act as visual aids. It's not until about twenty minutes later that Charlie remembers that he's supposed to be actually interviewing you. "Oh, you distracted me!" he laughs, brushing his sugar sachet AT-ATs to one side and flicking back through his moleskine. He's trying to remember where you got off track, and you don't have the heart to tell him that it was literally the first question. "Right, so, what did you study? Did you ever want to do anything with that?" <<include p12>>

You take a deep breath and then reply, "Well, my degree was in Fine Art, and I've always loved the idea of being an artist professionally." "Fine Art?" Charlie repeats back as he fights against the smile spreading across his face, "Why not Excellent Art?" He barely finishes the question before he snorts out a laugh at his own bad joke. <<include badjoke>>

Your mouth just opens and closes like you're some kind of inarticulate goldfish. <<include p12.3.1>>

<<set $visited to true>>You raise your eyebrows at him. Does this have any relevance to why you want to be on a dating show? <<include p12.3.1>>

<<if $neuroticism > 50>>You sigh, already feeling a little defeated. You don't have a hope in hell at getting cast for this show if you can't even give a compelling answer to the //first// question in the interview. "I have no idea," you reply, a little bleakly. Charlie tilts his head to meet your gaze, expression open and encouraging. "Me neither. We've got ages to figure that out still, right?" You smile gratefully back at him.<</if>><<if $neuroticism <= 50>>"Absolutely no idea," you reply, brightly. You have wanted to be various things over the course of your life, but none of them have ever stuck. Right now? You're clueless. You don't really mind, though. Figuring this kind of thing out is what your 20s are for. "Me neither. We've got ages to figure that out still, right?" he smiles.<</if>> "What did you study? Have you ever wanted to do anything with that?" <<include p12>>

You take a deep breath and then reply, "Well, I've just always dreamt of being a reality star - ever since I was a kid. I just think that there's something so honest and amazing about sharing yourself with the world like that." Charlie nods his head slowly, scrawling away in his notepad. "On a scale of 1-10, how sarcastic are you being?" <<include reality>>

You take a deep breath and then reply, "Well, I studied languages at University, and I've always loved the idea of being a translator." "I'm impressed." Despite Charlie's grin, he does sound sincere. It's nice, being impressive. You had never thought of yourself as a particularly impressive person. "I learned all my French from //Moulin Rouge//, so the best I can do is 'Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?'" He has barely finished speaking before he snorts out a laugh at his own bad joke. <<include badjoke>>

You take a deep breath and then reply, "Well, my degree was in Biomedical Science, and I've always loved the idea of going into medical research and working to cure diseases." Charlie's expression is unexpectedly gentle as he looks back at you - your first impression of him hadn't been as someone who could easily entertain any conversation of gravity. "It's a noble goal," he replies after a moment, voice a little hoarse until he clears his throat, "Sorry... I lost my mum late last year, and it's obviously still a little fresh. Sorry." He smiles self-consciously and refers to his notebook in some attempt to regain his composure. "Did you hear about the famous microbiologist who visited 30 different countries and spoke 6 languages? He was a man of many //cultures//," Charlie chuckles, waggling his eyebrows at you. Not many people could drop the news that their mum had died in one breath and crack a dumb joke about microbiology with the next. <<include badjoke>>

You take a deep breath and then reply, "Well, my degree was in Creative Writing, and I've always loved the idea of being an author." "Oh no way!" Charlie grins, with a sincerity that is quite endearing. He really seems //impressed//, which is kind of funny, because you have never really thought of yourself as an impressive person. "What's your favourite genre? If you could write //any// book, what do you think it would be?" <<include genre>>

"Well, I studied Law, so it would be great to take the Bar and qualify as a Barrister or a Solicitor," you explain, "You know - something relevant to my degree." Charlie leans forward conspiratorially. "Can I call you if I get arrested?" <<include law>>

You take a deep breath and then reply, "Well, my degree was in Physics, and I've always loved the idea of working to put boots on Mars." "The monkey from //Dora the Explorer//?" Charlie replies with a grin, not missing a beat. He barely gets the words out before he starts laughing at his own dumb joke. <<include badjoke>>

Charlie just grins, tapping his pen thoughtfully against his bottom lip. "Okay, I'm sensing reluctance. I'm gonna be asking you a //lot// of personal questions and I get that it's weird when you don't know anything about me, so I'll even the score," he pauses to take a theatrically deep breath, before he begins counting off facts about himself on his fingers. "My name is Charlie Ngata. I grew up in Queenstown. I have a criminal sweet tooth but don't worry - my job has excellent private dental insurance. I love Star Wars and I absolutely think that Jar Jar Binks was a Sith Lord." He pauses for a moment, presumably to think of a particularly interesting fifth and final fact. "Aaaaand once I went to China and I spent the first four days of the trip wandering around saying 'elder sister' instead of 'thank you' because I am useless at learning new languages." He looks strangely triumphant to have completed his little spiel and extends an open hand back to you. <<if $extraversion < 50>> You feel a little like you have just been a victim of conversational assault.<</if>> "Now you know plenty about me, and you aren't just going to be spilling your guts to a stranger. So back to the question at hand: what do you want to do with your life?" <<include p12>>

It is the perfect way to combine your love of history and writing. You have always loved diving back into the past and making it relevant to people in the present. Charlie scribbles happily in his notebook, clearly satisfied with your answer. <<include charliereconvene>>

What better subject to write about than //love//? It is everything. Charlie grins at you as he scribbles in his notebook, "An excellent subject." <<include charliereconvene>>

What is better than a gripping mystery? Wrestling with the unknown? Charlie raises his eyebrows at you and scribbles in his notebook. "Well, that makes sense," he replies knowingly, but you don't really know what he means by it. <<include charliereconvene>>

You want to write stories that set pulses racing. That pop up in a person's mind unwelcomely weeks after they've been read. That conjure images to creep into nightmares. Charlie raises an uncertain eyebrow and scribbles in his notebook. "Spooky," he grins as he snaps the book shut. <<include charliereconvene>>

Dragons and swords and magic. It's all kind of badass, isn't it? "The next Tolkein?" Charlie grins, as he scribbles in his notebook, "Good for you." <<include charliereconvene>>

Lasers and spaceships and aliens. It's all kind of badass, isn't it? "Oooooh cool!" Charlie grins, as he scribbles in his notebook, "Promise to name an alien after me and I'll totally cast you in //Body Count//. Not a gross, ugly alien though - a cool hot one." <<include charliereconvene>>

You mirror his lean forward, elbows resting gently on the wooden tabletop. "You can call me //any time//," you grin, and Charlie immediately draws back and clears his throat. If you didn't know better, you would say that his cheeks are a little pinker than they were a moment ago. "Good to know." He avoids your gaze, taking a sip from his drink. <<include charliereconvene>>

"If I ever make it as a lawyer, sure," you smile, "Why not?" "When." is Charlie's only response and you wrinkle your nose in confusion. "What?" "//When// you make it as a lawyer," he clarifies, before taking a satisfied sip from his drink. He says it with enough conviction that, for a moment, has you believing that he is right. <<include charliereconvene>>

"I can't imagine you lying awake at night worrying about your legal representation?" you smirk. Charlie laughs loudly, "Well, you obviously don't know very much about me, do you?" You aren't really sure what he means by that or whether he's joking, but now doesn't seem like the best time to delve further into that particular comment. <<include charliereconvene>>

"And what exactly do you plan on doing to get arrested?" you smirk, mirroring Charlie's conspiratorial lean. "Wouldn't you like to know," he winks, leaning back into his seat and jotting something down in his notebook. <<include charliereconvene>>

"No," you reply, flatly. Then you remember that you are supposed to be making this guy like you, because you want him to cast you in a TV show, and give a nervous laugh. Charlie scoffs, undeterred by your hostility. "Well, good thing I'm not going to get arrested then, isn't it? Or I would be woefully lacking in legal representation." <<include charliereconvene>>

"Zero!" you declare, indignantly. "Sorry, sorry! I just don't meet a lot of reality TV fans with such... candour." Charlie holds up both of his hands in defense and laughs, clearly amused by your fervour. <<include reality.3>>

"Three?" you smirk, "I //do// really want to be on Body Count and I do love reality TV, but I didn't slide out of the womb and announce it to the world or anything." "Aaah, you're just telling me what you think I want to hear? That skill will come in handy in the villa," he chuckles to himself. <<include reality.3>>

"Five?" you chuckle, "I'll confess, I applied on a whim, but I //do// like the idea!" You can see Charlie fighting against the smile that wants to spread across his face, but he is ultimately defeated. "You're impulsive, okay! I think we're going to get along, <<print $mcname>>," he beams back at you. <<include reality.3>>

"Ten," you grin, and Charlie looks quite proud of his powers of deduction. "Alright, I'm impressed," he replies, "But if you get cast, try not to belittle the other cast members who //are// passionate reality TV fans." In the end, you reluctantly agree. <<include reality.3>>

"What did you study? If you couldn't be a //reality tv star//, what would you do with it?" You choose not to comment on the mocking tone that he employs to say the words "reality tv star". <<include p12>>

There is something about Charlie's laughter that is sort of infectious and, bad joke or not, you cannot help but laugh along with him. <<include charliereconvene>>

No one gets a body this good without higher level study. "So sorry, I misspoke!" you smirk, "My degree title was actually Fine //Arse//, but people mix them up all the time." Charlie laughs even harder at this, clutching his hand to his chest, and you can't help but laugh along with him. There is just something sort of infectious about it. <<include charliereconvene>>

If there's one thing you excel in, it's committing to ridiculous bits. "Oh, fuck, have I just revealed a trade secret?" you smirk, "Boots is actually NASA's next big astronaut. Neil Armstrong? Nothing compared to Boots." Charlie laughs even harder at this, clutching his hand to his chest, and you can't help but laugh along with him. There is just something sort of infectious about it. <<include charliereconvene>>

"Oh, fuck! Is there more to language learning than 'Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?' Maybe I'm not as qualified as I thought!" you exclaim, holding up your hands in faux terror. Charlie laughs even harder at this, clutching his hand to his chest, and you can't help but laugh along with him. There is just something sort of infectious about it. <<include charliereconvene>>

You reach out across the table and place your hand on his, smiling slightly to hopefully convey some kind of support. After all, kindness from a stranger in a café is better than none at all. Isn't it? Charlie smiles tightly back at you, but quickly withdraws his hand and shifts uncomfortably in his seat. Great. Now he thinks you're weird. //Ideal//. "So, my next question-" he begins, clearing his throat again. <<include charliereconvene>>

"What did Gregor Mendel say when he founded genetics?" you grin, "Woo//pea//!" Charlie laughs even harder at this, clutching his hand to his chest, and you can't help but laugh along with him. There is just something sort of infectious about it. <<include charliereconvene>>

God, that was a bad joke. Still, you do need to maintain some kind of facade of amusement if you are going to get this guy to cast you. You smile politely and take a sip from your drink as he chuckles away, undeterred by your indifference at his attempt at humour. <<include charliereconvene>>

If I had a pound for every time I heard someone making that dumb joke, I wouldn't need to go on this show because I'd already have made my millions. "Alright, alright, I apologise, that was //awful//," Charlie wheezes when he is finally finished laughing. He seems completely undeterred by your hostility, which you suppose is a good thing, given that you do need him to like you enough to cast you in the show. <<include charliereconvene>>

[[Two caramel macchiatos later...]]

It has actually been quite a nice morning, on balance. It felt a little unusual to not have to argue with your flatmate about who got to shower first and then hustle your way onto the tram to get into the city centre at rush hour, but definitely in a good way. About fifteen minutes after your interview was supposed to begin, the little bell on the door jingles and a slim man with a warm, bronze complexion steps in, brushing the morning drizzle out of his dark hair. You mirror him, bringing a hand up to your own <<cycle "$mchairlength">><<option "short" 1>><<option "chin-length" 2>><<option "shoulder-length" 3>><<option "long" 4>><</cycle>>, <<cycle "$mchairtexture">><<option afro-textured>><<option curly>><<option wavy>><<option straight>><</cycle>> hair. Nice and dry, thank //fuck//. The stranger looks around for a moment before his hazel eyes land on you and a cheeky grin spreads across his face. He strides up to your table with, frankly, far too much confidence for this time in the morning. "Is this seat taken?" he asks, in a deep Kiwi accent that you definitely did not expect. Why would anyone leave rainy New Zealand in favour of rainy //Manchester//? Isn't it, like, //crazy// beautiful there? <<include p10>>

You and Charlie chat for a couple of hours - longer than you thought you would. He might be a ridiculous human being, but he applies surprisingly astute questioning and before long you are telling him things about yourself that you haven't really told //anyone//. The military could make use of such stellar interrogation skills. Of course, Charlie ends up telling you quite a lot about himself, too. He chats away about growing up in New Zealand, about a Star Wars fan convention he went to last year, and about why pineapple is actually the best pizza topping. You leave secure in the knowledge that the interview went well, and you get an email later that evening from a senior producer who confirms that you are being considered for a spot on the show. [[Well, neato!]]

After that, your life becomes a whirlwind of casting interviews and planning. All of them are with Charlie, although he emphatically assures you that there //are// other producers working on the show and that he is only handling your interviews because he lives the closest. Most of it is actually dealt with by the production team - from arranging psych evaluations to planning your wardrobe for the show. The only thing that you had needed to arrange yourself was taking leave from work, which proves to be easier than expected. You aren't entirely sure that your line manager had even learned your name yet, so they don't seem to regard it as a particularly devastating loss. [[Eight Weeks Later|chapterone]]

<<include chapterone>>

<<link '<div id="splash"></div>'>><<run hideMenu()>><<timed 3s>><<goto "Title2">><</timed>><</link>>

<div style="text-align:center;">//Body Count// is absolutely just your average story about a reality TV dating show... ...Or is it? <div id="menu-links"><<link "''View Content Warnings''" "contentwarnings">><</link>> <<link "''Load Game''">><<run UI.saves()>><</link>> <<link "''Settings''">><<run UI.settings()>><</link>> <<link "''Begin''" "p1">><</link>></div></div>

<<nobr>> <style> #interface { grid-template-columns: 0vw auto auto; transition: all 0s; } </style> <</nobr>><div style="width:60%;margin-left:20%;">Below are a list of content warnings for the existing demo of Body Count. Please be aware that these apply to the content that has been added so far and this list will be updated with future additions to the demo. <h2>content warnings</h2> ''Alcohol: There are quite a lot of mentions of alcohol and drinking in the existing Body Count demo. You can choose to play as an MC who does not drink (and indeed, some other characters also do not drink) but there are other characters who drink alcohol in the villa. ''Blood: There are various references to, and descriptions, of blood throughout the existing demo. ''Gaslighting: Some characters might try to convince MC that what they've seen isn't real, particularly at the start of Chapter 3. ''Murder: This is, in part, a murder mystery. There are various references to death/murder throughout, and the first murder is discovered in Chapter 2. ''Sex: There are optional sex scenes that take place in this story, the first of which take place in Chapter 2. Explicit player consent is required to enter into these scenes, and there are options to fade to black before and during these scenes. ''Smoking: There are various other characters that smoke cigarettes. If you think that there are things that haven't been mentioned here but should have content warnings, please don't hesitate to let me know! I don't want anyone to feel blindsided or uncomfortable and I'm really sorry if that happens to you as a result of a missing warning (although I hope that it won't be the case) xoxo [[Begin|p1]]</div>

<h2>about you</h2> <<nobr>> <<if hasVisited("chapterone.1")>>You are $mcname $surname, an office-temp-turned-dating-show-cast-member. You're a graduate, having studied $mcstudy at University. Since graduating, you haven't been the resounding success that you had hoped. What better solution than signing up for a reality TV show?<br><br> <<if hasVisited("entrance")>>You are a $mcman who uses $mche/$mchim pronouns.<br><br> You usually wear <<if $bottoms is false>>skirts/dresses<<else>>trousers/shorts<</if>>. You have $mchaircolour, $mchairtexture hair that you are currently wearing <<if $mchairstyle is "buzzed">>buzzed short<<elseif $mchairstyle is "floppy">>short at the back and sides, longer on the top<<elseif $mchairstyle is "mullet">>in a mullet<<elseif $mchairstyle is "gel">>gelled back out of the way<<elseif $mchairstyle is "neat">>loose, and neatly styled<<elseif $mchairstyle is "messy">>loose and messy<<elseif $mchairstyle is "tied">>tied back out of the way<<elseif $mchairstyle is "bun">>in a bun<<elseif $mchairstyle is "braid">>in a braid<<elseif $mchairstyle is "mop">>in a curly lil mop<<elseif $mchairstyle is "fade">>short, with a fade<<elseif $mchairstyle is "braids">>in tight braids<<elseif $mchairstyle is "locked">>in locs<<elseif $mchairstyle is "twists">>in twists<<elseif $mchairstyle is "afro">>in an afro<<elseif $mchairstyle is "braided">>braided back<<elseif $mchairstyle is "box">>in box braids<<elseif $mchairstyle is "knots">>in bantu knots<<elseif $mchairstyle is "micro">>in micro braids<</if>>. <<if hasVisited("p40.8")>>You don't really have any noteworthy physical characteristics. <<else>>You have <<if $tats>>tattoos... <</if>><<if $freckles>>freckles... <</if>><<if $scar>>a noteable scar... <</if>><<if $birthmark>>an obvious birthmark... <</if>><<if $glasses>>glasses... <</if>> That should make it slightly easier for the cops to identify your body if necessary. A totally normal concern, right?<br><br><</if>><</if>><</if>> <<if hasVisited("chapterone.1")>>Fingers crossed, you'll fulfil your goal of <<if $motive is "love">>finding love. You're a bit of a romantic, and you can't help but hope that you'll find your special someone in the villa.<<elseif $motive is "adventure">>finding adventure. One can only live such a stale life for so long before they crave change, and hopefully the villa will deliver on a summer of adventure.<<elseif $motive is "money">>winning a cool £1,000,000. You're in it to win it for sure.<<elseif $motive is "friendship">>forming a badass reality TV squad. Spending a whole month in such a confined space with people has got to lead to friends for life - or at least, a pretty popping group chat.<<elseif $motive is "fame">>finding fame. When everyone knows your name life must get a whole lot easier. You're determined to put that hypothesis to the test.<<elseif $motive is "change">>experiencing something new. It shouldn't be too hard, after all - you've certainly never been shut away in a remote island villa with 11 strangers before.<<elseif $motive is "direction">>finding //something//. Some direction would be nice. You just have absolutely no idea where you're going, and it'll be great if your villa experience could inject some certainty back into your wobbly little life.<br><br><</if>><</if>> <</nobr>> <<if hasVisited("p47")>><h2>journal</h2> <<nobr>> <<include journal1>><br><br> <<if hasVisited("ch2start")>><<include journal2>><br><br><</if>> <<if hasVisited("charlieintone")>><<include journal3>><br><br><</if>> <<if hasVisited("chapter3start")>><<include journal4>><</if>> <</nobr>><</if>> <h2>personality</h2> <div class="status-bar"> <b>openness</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $openness + '%;"><i>($openness%)</i></div>' >> </div> <div class="status-bar"> <b>conscientiousness</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $conscientiousness + '%;"><i>($conscientiousness%)</i></div>' >> </div> <div class="status-bar"> <b>extraversion</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $extraversion + '%;"><i>($extraversion%)</i></div>' >> </div> <div class="status-bar"> <b>agreeableness</b><<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $agreeableness + '%;"><i>($agreeableness%)</i></div>' >> </div> <div class="status-bar"> <b>neuroticism</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $neuroticism + '%;"><i>($neuroticism%)</i></div>' >> </div> <h2>behaviour</h2> <div id="dt-b"><div class="status-bar"> <b>Promiscuous</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $thot + '%;"><i>($thot%)</i></div>' >> <<= '<div class="sb-fill2" style="width: calc(100% - ' + $thot + '%);"><i>(<<print 100 - $thot>>%)</i></div>' >><b style="border-color:var(--accent2);">Committed</b> </div> <div class="status-bar"> <b>Comedic</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $funny + '%;"><i>($funny%)</i></div>' >> <<= '<div class="sb-fill2" style="width: calc(100% - ' + $funny + '%);"><i>(<<print 100 - $funny>>%)</i></div>' >><b style="border-color:var(--accent2);">Serious</b> </div> <div class="status-bar"> <b>Bold</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $bold + '%;"><i>($bold%)</i></div>' >> <<= '<div class="sb-fill2" style="width: calc(100% - ' + $bold + '%);"><i>(<<print 100 - $bold>>%)</i></div>' >><b style="border-color:var(--accent2);">Reserved</b> </div> <div class="status-bar"> <b>Honest</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $honest + '%;"><i>($honest%)</i></div>' >> <<= '<div class="sb-fill2" style="width: calc(100% - ' + $honest + '%);"><i>(<<print 100 - $honest>>%)</i></div>' >><b style="border-color:var(--accent2);">Manipulative</b> </div> <div class="status-bar"> <b>Friendly</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $friendly + '%;"><i>($friendly%)</i></div>' >> <<= '<div class="sb-fill2" style="width: calc(100% - ' + $friendly + '%);"><i>(<<print 100 - $friendly>>%)</i></div>' >><b style="border-color:var(--accent2);">Hostile</b> </div></div><div id="m-b"> <div class="stat-display"> <div class="left"><b>Promiscuous</b><i>$thot%</i></div><div class="right"><b>Committed</b><i><<print 100 - $thot>>%</i></div> </div> <div class="stat-display"> <div class="left"><b>Comedic</b><i>$funny%</i></div><div class="right"><b>Serious</b><i><<print 100 - $funny>>%</i></div> </div> <div class="stat-display"> <div class="left"><b>Bold</b><i>$bold%</i></div><div class="right"><b>Reserved</b><i><<print 100 - $bold>>%</i></div> </div> <div class="stat-display"> <div class="left"><b>Honest</b><i>$honest%</i></div><div class="right"><b>Manipulative</b><i><<print 100 - $honest>>%</i></div> </div> <div class="stat-display"> <div class="left"><b>Friendly</b><i>$friendly%</i></div><div class="right"><b>Hostile</b><i><<print 100 - $friendly>>%</i></div> </div> </div>

<<nobr>><script> var coll = document.getElementsByClassName("roLink"); var i; for (i = 0; i < coll.length; i++) { coll[i].addEventListener("click", function() { var content = this.nextElementSibling; if (content.style.display === "block") { content.style.display = "none"; } else { content.style.display = "block"; } }); } </script> <<if hasVisited("p54")>><div class="ro-rel"> <h2>adegoke</h2> <div class="status-bar"> <b>adegoke</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $adegoke + '%;"><i>($adegoke%)</i></div>' >> </div> <a class="roLink"></a> <div class="content"> 25 ♡ Writer ♡ He/Him<br><br> Adegoke is generally very softly spoken and seems like the sort of guy who could coax a deer to eat right out of his palm. He seems to have a moral compass that unfailingly points due north and a taste for prosecco. <<if hasVisited("charlieintone")>><br><br>He is currently coupled with ''$adegokecouple''.<</if>> </div> </div> <div class="ro-rel"> <h2>arthur</h2> <div class="status-bar"> <b>arthur</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $arthur + '%;"><i>($arthur%)</i></div>' >> </div> <a class="roLink"></a> <div class="content"> 24 ♡ Sommelier ♡ He/Him<br><br> Possibly one of the poshest people that you have ever met - Arthur like the sort of person who may or may not have been a member of the Bullingdon Club. He has pretty exacting tastes and doesn't seem at all afraid of making them known. <<if hasVisited("nhie14.1")>>Also, he can chug Malbec.<</if>> <<if hasVisited("charlieintone")>><br><br>He is currently coupled with ''$arthurcouple''.<</if>> </div> </div><</if>> <<if hasVisited("ratdate5")>><div class="ro-rel"> <h2>atticus</h2> <div class="status-bar"> <b>atticus</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $atticus + '%;"><i>($atticus%)</i></div>' >> </div> <a class="roLink"></a> <div class="content"> 26 ♡ Civil Servant ♡ He/Him<br><br> Atticus is of amazingly few words for someone who has chosen to participate in a reality TV show. His face seems to naturally settle into a frown, his arms seem most comfortable folded, and he's had a cigarette tucked behind one ear every time you've seen him. </div> </div><</if>> <div class="ro-rel"> <h2>avery</h2> <div class="status-bar"> <b>avery</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $avery + '%;"><i>($avery%)</i></div>' >> </div> <a class="roLink"></a> <div class="content"> 33 ♡ Senior Producer ♡ She/Her<br><br> Avery is a tall, blonde woman who you would guess to be in her early 30s. She reminds you a little bit of a primary school teacher, but her attire is generally on the side of executive-chic. <<if $averyclue1>>She was, apparently, a doctor before she became a TV producer and she has a ruthlessly efficient vibe of someone who absolutely could have made it through medical school.<</if>> </div> </div> <div class="ro-rel"> <h2>charlie</h2> <div class="status-bar"> <b>charlie</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $charlie + '%;"><i>($charlie%)</i></div>' >> </div> <a class="roLink"></a> <div class="content"> 26 ♡ Junior Producer ♡ He/Him<br><br> Charlie is incredibly friendly, if a little overly familiar, and originally hails from New Zealand. He could probably talk his way into just about any job (as long as he made it through the conversation without talking about Star Wars or video games or guitars). </div> </div> <<if hasVisited("p54")>><div class="ro-rel"> <h2>ellis</h2> <div class="status-bar"> <b>ellis</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $ellis + '%;"><i>($ellis%)</i></div>' >> </div> <a class="roLink"></a> <div class="content"> 23 ♡ Gallery Curator ♡ They/Them<br><br> Ellis looks much like a character from an Agatha Christie novel who has been thrust into modern day. They dress eclectically in what you can only assume are hand-picked vintage pieces and everything about their movements seems practiced and elegant. <<if hasVisited("chapter3start")>><br><br><<if $believetheaccident>>They're... going to be fine. Right?<<else>>They're //fucking dead//.<</if>><<elseif hasVisited("charlieintone")>><br><br>They are currently coupled with ''$elliscouple''.<</if>> </div> </div> <div class="ro-rel"> <h2>florrie</h2> <div class="status-bar"> <b>florrie</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $florrie + '%;"><i>($florrie%)</i></div>' >> </div> <a class="roLink"></a> <div class="content"> 21 ♡ Student ♡ She/Her<br><br> Florrie is an absolute force of nature – a shriek-laughing, sequin-covered ball of energy. She's wasted absolutely no time in deciding that you and everyone else are her new besties and she's usually wearing at least one article of glittery clothing. <<if hasVisited("charlieintone")>><br><br>She is currently coupled with ''$florriecouple''.<</if>> </div> </div> <div class="ro-rel"> <h2>griffin</h2> <div class="status-bar"> <b>griffin</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $griffin + '%;"><i>($griffin%)</i></div>' >> </div> <a class="roLink"></a> <div class="content"> 22 ♡ Mechanic ♡ He/Him<br><br> Griffin is, in the kindest possible way, the very definition of a himbo. A total golden retriever of a person, he seems incredibly good natured and errs on the simple side. <<if hasVisited("charlieintone")>><br><br>He is currently coupled with ''$griffincouple''.<</if>> </div> </div> <div class="ro-rel"> <h2>imogen</h2> <div class="status-bar"> <b>imogen</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $imogen + '%;"><i>($imogen%)</i></div>' >> </div> <a class="roLink"></a> <div class="content"> 23 ♡ Administrator ♡ She/Her<br><br> Imogen has the quiet, giggly sensibility of someone who had no friends in secondary school and spent most of her time in the library. <<if hasVisited("charlieintone")>><br><br>She is currently coupled with ''$imogencouple''.<</if>> </div> </div> <div class="ro-rel"> <h2>nyra</h2> <div class="status-bar"> <b>nyra</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $nyra + '%;"><i>($nyra%)</i></div>' >> </div> <a class="roLink"></a> <div class="content"> 24 ♡ Aerospace Engineer ♡ She/Her<br><br> Usually seen smoking off to the side somewhere, Nyra's whole demeanor basically screams 'Don't fucking talk to me'. Not the sort of person you'd expect to see on a reality show<<if $nyraclue1>>, but apparently she's desperate for the money, so that sort of explains it.<<else>>, so there must be more than meets the eye.<</if>> <<if hasVisited("charlieintone")>><br><br>She is currently coupled with ''$nyracouple''.<</if>> </div> </div><</if>> <<if hasVisited("ratdate5")>><div class="ro-rel"> <h2>rowan</h2> <div class="status-bar"> <b>rowan</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $rowan + '%;"><i>($rowan%)</i></div>' >> </div> <a class="roLink"></a> <div class="content"> 26 ♡ Marketing Manager ♡ She/Her<br><br> Rowan has the sort of extremely outgoing, direct manner that you would expect from a business graduate - she was probably in the entrepreneurial society at University or something. If you had to guess, you'd say "work hard, play hard" is her mantra. </div> </div><</if>> <<if hasVisited("p54")>><div class="ro-rel"> <h2>syd</h2> <div class="status-bar"> <b>syd</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $syd + '%;"><i>($syd%)</i></div>' >> </div> <a class="roLink"></a> <div class="content"> 24 ♡ Stunt Performer ♡ They/Them<br><br> Syd has the vibe of a natural leader - they aren't at all afraid to take control of a situation and they don't shy away from conflict. <<if hasVisited("charlieintone")>><br><br>They are currently coupled with ''$sydcouple''.<</if>> </div> </div> <div class="ro-rel"> <h2>vinh</h2> <div class="status-bar"> <b>vinh</b> <<= '<div class="sb-fill" style="width: ' + $vinh + '%;"><i>($vinh%)</i></div>' >> </div> <a class="roLink"></a> <div class="content"> 23 ♡ Artist ♡ They/Them<br><br> Vinh generally prefers to take a back seat in social settings. They are a great listener, the last person that would ever pass judgement on someone and truly does not care what you think about them. <<if hasVisited("charlieintone")>><br><br>They are currently coupled with ''$vinhcouple''.<</if>> </div> </div><</if>> <</nobr>>

You've made it into the villa and met your fellow contestants! <<if $entrancemeet is "vinh">>Okay, so you might have had a little panic attack in the process. So what? You can totally recover from a shaky start, right? <<elseif $entrancemeet is "nyra">>You took a pretty low key approach to doing it, and ran into Nyra.<<else>> You took a bold approach, and Adegoke and Griffin came out to meet you.<</if>>

You chose three people to speed date: <<nobr>> <<if $adegokedate>>''Adegoke.'' By the end of the date, <<if hasVisited("adeenddate2.1")>>you were pretty interested in Adegoke.<<elseif hasVisited("adeenddate2.2")>>you thought Adegoke could be a good friend.<<elseif hasVisited("adeenddate2.3")>>you didn't really have strong feelings about him.<<elseif hasVisited("adeenddate2.4")>>you weren't a fan of his.<</if>><br><</if>> <<if $arthurdate is true>>''Arthur.'' Of course, you were also totally snubbed - he didn't pick you back.<br><</if>> <<if $ellisdate>>''Ellis.'' After your date, <<if hasVisited("ed12.1")>>you felt like you could see a romantic future with them..<<elseif hasVisited("ed12.2")>>you thought that Ellis could become a good friend.<<elseif hasVisited("ed12.3")>>you didn't really have strong feelings about them.<<elseif hasVisited("ed12.4")>>you didn't particularly like them.<</if>><br><</if>> <<if $florriedate>>''Florrie.'' She seemed to have a great time on your date, <<if hasVisited("fd13.1")>>and so did you.<<elseif hasVisited("fd13.5")>>but you left feeling pretty sure that there isn't a romantic future on the cards for you and her.<<elseif hasVisited("fd13.6")>>and you... less so.<<else>>and you left feeling glad that she had chosen you.<</if>><br><</if>> <<if $griffindate>>''Griffin.'' <<if $gkiss is true>>You shared a kiss, <<if hasVisited("gfc1.1")>>which felt like a promising sign of things to come.<<elseif hasVisited("gfc1.2")>><<if $motive is "money">>which was nice, but not enough for you to forget why you're here.<<else>>which left you feeling a little unsure.<</if>><<elseif hasVisited("gfc1.3")>>which left you feeling pretty sure you'd be able to add him to your body count.<</if>><<else>>He seemed really nervous, so he had a bit of a swim. A slightly unorthodox choice for a first date, but everything about this villa seems weird so far.<</if>><br><</if>> <<if $imogendate>>''Imogen.'' It ended <<if hasVisited ("id13.1")>>with a kiss on the cheek, which seemed like a pretty good sign.<<elseif hasVisited("id13.2")>>with a hug, which seemed like a pretty good sign.<<elseif hasVisited("id13.3")>>with a high five which... well, probably not the //ideal// end to a date.<<else>>on pretty neutral ground.<</if>><br><</if>> <<if $nyradate>>''Nyra.'' <<if hasVisited("averyinterlude")>>Of course, you got yeeted over her head and then hung out with Avery instead, so it definitely can't be considered a success.<<else>>She proposed a pretty major deal, which you <<if $nyradeal is "yes">>accepted<<elseif $nyradeal is "no">>declined<<else>>told her you'd think more about<</if>>.<</if>><br><</if>> <<if $syddate>>''Syd.'' You played pool and picked up a new nickname, which you guessed was a win? Syd can be pretty hard to read.<br><</if>> <<if $vinhdate>>''Vinh.'' Who<<if $arthurdate is true>> also<</if>> snubbed you. Great.<br><</if>> <</nobr>>

<<nobr>> At the coupling you chose <<if $coupledwith is "Adegoke">>Adegoke <<elseif $coupledwith is "Arthur">>Arthur <<elseif $coupledwith is "Ellis">><<if hasVisited("ch3")>>==Ellis==<<else>>Ellis<</if>> <<elseif $coupledwith is "Florrie">>Florrie <<elseif $coupledwith is "Griffin">>Griffin <<elseif $coupledwith is "Imogen">>Imogen <<elseif $coupledwith is "Nyra">>Nyra <<elseif $coupledwith is "Syd">>Syd <<elseif $coupledwith is "Vinh">>Vinh<</if>><<if $coupledwith is "Ellis" and hasVisited("ch3")>>, because what a fucking //great// idea that turned out to be.<<else>><<if $coupleonefeels is "love">>, and you'd be lying if you said you weren't at least a little smitten.<<elseif $coupleonefeels is "flirt">>, and you'd be lying if you said you weren't at all //interested//.<<elseif $coupleonefeels is "bc">> in service of upping your body count as quickly as possible.<<elseif $coupleonefeels is "strategy">> in what is a purely strategic partnership.<<elseif $coupleonefeels is "friend">> (on purely a friendship basis).<</if>><</if>><</nobr>>

Then... well, then things took a bit of a turn. You woke up <<if $coupledwith is "Arthur">>(alone)<</if>><<if $coupledwith is "Nyra">>(alone)<</if>><<if $coupledwith is "Adegoke">>(alone)<</if>> and discovered Ellis on the terrace. With their throat slit.

<<if $charlieclue1 is true>><<note>>Charlie's reaction when you told him that you'd studied law was a little suspicious.<</note>><</if>> <<if $arthurclue1 is true>><<note>>Arthur claims to have //never// cried at a film. Weirdo.<</note>><</if>> <<if $arthurclue2 is true>><<note>>Ellis was murdered in the night, and Arthur wasn't in your room when you woke to discover them.<</note>><</if>> <<if $averyclue1 is true>><<note>>Avery trained as a doctor before she transitioned to TV work, so she has medical knowledge.<</note>><</if>> <<if $nyraclue1 is true>><<note>>Nyra said she needed the money //really badly// and that she'd do anything to get it.<</note>><</if>> <<if $nyraclue2 is true>><<note>>Nyra //threw you//. That seems like a pretty solid indicator she'd be capable of murder, if nothing else.<</note>><</if>> <<if $nyraclue3 is true>><<note>>Nyra said that if you didn't sit down she'd be //caught// committing murder on camera. That's just strange phrasing, right?<</note>><</if>> <<if $nyraclue4 is true>><<note>>Ellis was murdered in the night, and Nyra wasn't in your room when you woke to discover them.<</note>><</if>> <<if $adegokeclue1 is true>><<note>>Ellis was murdered in the night, and Adegoke wasn't in your room when you woke to discover them.<</note>><</if>> <<if $vinhclue1 is true>><<note>>You made an casual joke about being a serial killer, as one does, and Vinh's reaction seemed a little unusual.<</note>><</if>> <<if $imogenclue1 is true>><<note>>She was pretty drunk, but Imogen said something about this not being real as she was falling asleep on the first night. What did she mean?<</note>><</if>>

<<set $openness to 50>> <<set $conscientiousness to 50>> <<set $extraversion to 50>> <<set $agreeableness to 50>> <<set $neuroticism to 50>>  <<set $thot to 50>> <<set $funny to 50>> <<set $bold to 50>> <<set $honest to 50>> <<set $friendly to 50>>  <<set $mcname to "Dorian">> <<set $surname to "Blake">> <<set $mcstudy to "Art">> <<set $motive to "blah">> <<set $mcman to "man">> <<set $mcguy to "guy">> <<set $mche to "he">> <<set $mchim to "him">> <<set $mchis to "his">> <<set $men to false>> <<set $women to false>> <<set $enby to false>> <<set $mcheight to "0">> <<set $tats to false>> <<set $pierced to false>> <<set $freckles to false>> <<set $scar to false>> <<set $birthmark to false>> <<set $glasses to false>> <<set $health to 100>> <<set $bottoms to false>> <<set $parts to "">> <<set $mchairlength to 0>> <<set $mchairstyle to "">> <<set $mchairtexture to "">> <<set $mchaircolour to "">> <<set $mcstyle to "">>  <<set $visited to false>> <<set $selected to 0>> <<set $breakfast to "blah">>  <<set $entrancemeet to "blah">> <<set $imminame to "Imogen">> <<set $drunk to 0>> <<set $drinkchoice to "water">> <<set $adegokedate to false>> <<set $arthurdate to false>> <<set $ellisdate to false>> <<set $florriedate to false>> <<set $griffindate to false>> <<set $imogendate to false>> <<set $nyradate to false>> <<set $syddate to false>> <<set $vinhdate to false>> <<set $dateone to "blah">> <<set $datetwo to "blah">> <<set $datethree to "blah">> <<set $drinkswitch to false>> <<set $nyradeal to "">> <<set $averyclue1 to false>> <<set $mcsydname to "pal">> <<set $gkiss to false>>  <<set $adegokeclue1 to false>> <<set $adekiss to false>> <<set $acreason to "">> <<set $arthurclue1 to false>> <<set $arthurclue2 to false>> <<set $artkiss to false>> <<set $artpunch to false>> <<set $binnedit to false>> <<set $coupleonefeels to "">> <<set $coupledwith to "">> <<set $demi to false>> <<set $ekiss to false>> <<set $fkiss to false>> <<set $griffbang to false>> <<set $imogenclue1 to false>> <<set $jammies to "">> <<set $nyraclue4 to false>> <<set $parts to "">> <<set $sydcaught to false>> <<set $sydbang to false>> <<set $vinhclue1 to false>>  <<set $murder to false>> <<set $averyclue2 to false>> <<set $believetheaccident to false>> <<set $mostsus to "">> <<set $murderfeels to "">> <<set $rkiss to false>> <<set $sydclue1 to false>> <<set $target to "blah">>  <<set $arthur to 30>> <<set $arthurrom to 0>> <<set $arthurcouple to "null">> <<set $adegoke to 30>> <<set $adegokerom to 0>> <<set $adegokecouple to "null">> <<set $atticus to 30>> <<set $atticusrom to 0>> <<set $atticuscouple to "null">> <<set $avery to 30>> <<set $averyrom to 0>> <<set $charlie to 50>> <<set $charlierom to 0>> <<set $ellis to 30>> <<set $ellisrom to 0>> <<set $elliscouple to "null">> <<set $florrie to 30>> <<set $florrierom to 0>> <<set $florriecouple to "null">> <<set $griffin to 30>> <<set $griffinrom to 0>> <<set $griffincouple to "null">> <<set $imogen to 30>> <<set $imogenrom to 0>> <<set $imogencouple to "null">> <<set $nyra to 30>> <<set $nyrarom to 0>> <<set $nyrarom to "null">> <<set $rowan to 30>> <<set $rowanrom to 0>> <<set $rowancouple to "null">> <<set $syd to 30>> <<set $sydrom to 0>> <<set $sydcouple to "null">> <<set $vinh to 30>> <<set $vinhrom to 0>> <<set $vinhcouple to "null">>

<<widget "inc-ex">> <<set _change to ((100-$extraversion)*0.2)>> <<set $extraversion to Math.round($extraversion += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "inc-op">> <<set _change to ((100-$openness)*0.2)>> <<set $openness to Math.round($openness += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "inc-con">> <<set _change to ((100-$conscientiousness)*0.2)>> <<set $conscientiousness to Math.round($conscientiousness += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "inc-ag">> <<set _change to ((100-$agreeableness)*0.2)>> <<set $agreeableness to Math.round($agreeableness += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "inc-neur">> <<set _change to ((100-$neuroticism)*0.2)>> <<set $neuroticism to Math.round($neuroticism += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "dec-op">> <<set _change to ($openness*0.2)>> <<set $openness to Math.round($openness -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "dec-con">> <<set _change to ($conscientiousness*0.2)>> <<set $conscientiousness to Math.round($conscientiousness -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "dec-ex">> <<set _change to ($extraversion*0.2)>> <<set $extraversion to Math.round($extraversion -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "dec-ag">> <<set _change to ($agreeableness*0.2)>> <<set $agreeableness to Math.round($agreeableness -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "dec-neur">> <<set _change to ($neuroticism*0.2)>> <<set $neuroticism to Math.round($neuroticism -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "biginc-ex">> <<set _change to ((100-$extraversion)*0.5)>> <<set $extraversion to Math.round($extraversion += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "biginc-op">> <<set _change to ((100-$openness)*0.5)>> <<set $openness to Math.round($openness += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "biginc-con">> <<set _change to ((100-$conscientiousness)*0.5)>> <<set $conscientiousness to Math.round($conscientiousness += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "biginc-ag">> <<set _change to ((100-$agreeableness)*0.5)>> <<set $agreeableness to Math.round($agreeableness += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "biginc-neur">> <<set _change to ((100-$neuroticism)*0.5)>> <<set $neuroticism to Math.round($neuroticism += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "bigdec-op">> <<set _change to ($openness*0.5)>> <<set $openness to Math.round($openness -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "bigdec-con">> <<set _change to ($conscientiousness*0.5)>> <<set $conscientiousness to Math.round($conscientiousness -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "bigdec-ex">> <<set _change to ($extraversion*0.5)>> <<set $extraversion to Math.round($extraversion -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "bigdec-ag">> <<set _change to ($agreeableness*0.5)>> <<set $agreeableness to Math.round($agreeableness -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "bigdec-neur">> <<set _change to ($neuroticism*0.5)>> <<set $neuroticism to Math.round($neuroticism -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "lilinc-ex">> <<set _change to ((100-$extraversion)*0.1)>> <<set $extraversion to Math.round($extraversion += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "lilinc-op">> <<set _change to ((100-$openness)*0.1)>> <<set $openness to Math.round($openness += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "lilinc-con">> <<set _change to ((100-$conscientiousness)*0.1)>> <<set $conscientiousness to Math.round($conscientiousness += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "lilinc-ag">> <<set _change to ((100-$agreeableness)*0.1)>> <<set $agreeableness to Math.round($agreeableness += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "lilinc-neur">> <<set _change to ((100-$neuroticism)*0.1)>> <<set $neuroticism to Math.round($neuroticism += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "lildec-op">> <<set _change to ($openness*0.1)>> <<set $openness to Math.round($openness -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "lildec-con">> <<set _change to ($conscientiousness*0.1)>> <<set $conscientiousness to Math.round($conscientiousness -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "lildec-ex">> <<set _change to ($extraversion*0.1)>> <<set $extraversion to Math.round($extraversion -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "lildec-ag">> <<set _change to ($agreeableness*0.1)>> <<set $agreeableness to Math.round($agreeableness -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "lildec-neur">> <<set _change to ($neuroticism*0.1)>> <<set $neuroticism to Math.round($neuroticism -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "dec-thot">> <<set _change to ($thot*0.02)>> <<set $thot to Math.round($thot -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "dec-funny">> <<set _change to ($funny*0.02)>> <<set $funny to Math.round($funny -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "dec-bold">> <<set _change to ($bold*0.02)>> <<set $bold to Math.round($bold -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "dec-honest">> <<set _change to ($honest*0.02)>> <<set $honest to Math.round($honest -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "dec-friendly">> <<set _change to ($friendly*0.02)>> <<set $friendly to Math.round($friendly -= _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "inc-thot">> <<set _change to ($thot*0.02)>> <<set $thot to Math.round($thot += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "inc-funny">> <<set _change to ($funny*0.02)>> <<set $funny to Math.round($funny += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "inc-bold">> <<set _change to ($bold*0.02)>> <<set $bold to Math.round($bold += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "inc-honest">> <<set _change to ($honest*0.02)>> <<set $honest to Math.round($honest += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>> <<widget "inc-friendly">> <<set _change to ($friendly*0.02)>> <<set $friendly to Math.round($friendly += _change)>> <<unset _change>> <</widget>>

<h1>body count</h1>

<button id="nav" onclick="openNav()" class="material-icons material-icons-outlined"><span class="material-icons material-icons-outlined">arrow_left</span></button> <div id="menu-tray"> <<link "bio" "bio">><</link>> <br> <<if hasVisited("chapterone")>><<link "cast" "cast">><</link>><br><</if>> <<if $murder>><<link "receipts" "clues">><</link>><br><</if>> <<link "saves">><<run UI.saves()>><</link>> <br> <<link "settings">><<run UI.settings()>><</link>> <br> <<link "restart">><<run UI.restart()>><</link>> <br> <<if tags().includes("noreturn")>><<link "return" $return>><</link>><br><</if>> <<link 'back'>><<run Engine.backward()>><</link>> </div>

<<if settings.safari>><<link 'Open Menu'>><<run Dialog.setup("Menu");Dialog.wiki(Story.get("UIBar").processText());Dialog.open();>><</link>><<else>><<link '<span class="material-icons material-icons-outlined">save</span>'>><<run UI.saves()>><</link>><<link '<span class="material-icons material-icons-outlined">settings</span>'>><<run UI.settings()>><</link>><<link '<span class="material-icons material-icons-outlined">power_settings_new</span>'>><<run UI.restart()>><</link>><<link '<span class="material-icons">undo</span>'>><<run Engine.backward()>><</link>><<link '<span class="material-icons">redo</span>'>><<run Engine.forward()>><</link>><<if $murder>><<link '<span class="material-icons material-icons-outlined">receipt</span>' 'clues'>><</link>><</if>><<link '<span class="material-icons material-icons-outlined">location_on</span>' 'bio'>><</link>><<link '<span class="material-icons material-icons-outlined">group</span>' 'cast'>><</link>><</if>>