Where is it?!

[airlynx]

 [A large form stalked through the house, cradling its head gingerly. A headache was nothing new, and Atsushi knew from experience that it was the kind you got from a hangover. The more he thought about it, though, he couldn't remember drinking anything the night before--but then again, weren't blackouts for him a common occurrence? He thought that was so. He thought--no, it hurt to think. 

It was a miracle he'd found the map lying next to him upon waking, but using it was a whole nother ballgame. All he managed to get from it was that the kitchen was somewhere leftish, before throwing it back on the floor without bothering to see if there was anything on the back. 

He threw open some of the kitchen cabinets and squinted into the darkness before groaning in disappointment. What kind of house didn't have some sake in it to help remedy his headache? 

After throwing open the door to every cubpoard and cabinet he could lay his beady eyes on, he was forced to face the truth. Without bothering to close the now gaping doors, he lumbered back in the general direction from which he had come, leaving naught but a string of curse words in his wake.]

Comments

[andeatit]

[Sitting around and waiting for others to talk to him wasn't proactive enough for Light, not when forming groups were central to safety. He can hear the sound of someone making a large commotion in the kitchen, even from bedroom two. He's cautious when he opens the door, cautious still as he makes his way through the great room, stopping before actually entering the kitchen.

The man is... of impressive size. Light is no small man himself, standing at 5'10, but this was a form that came from either years of physical labor or a serious gym addiction. While someone who was meant to be sneaking around killing them probably wouldn't be so advertised, he wasn't taking any chances.]

It doesn't look like you've found what you're looking for. [Light's voice interrupts him before he can properly leave the kitchen.]

[airlynx]

[Atsushi can barely hear anything over the sound of his own swearing, but somehow he hears the voice of somebody other than himself. Swinging his head around, he squints at the person before him.

His first reaction is delight; in the dim lighting, the short, slim figure combined with the melodic voice innervate Atsushi's male instincts. 'It's a lady!' the back of his hungover mind screeches. They don't make them like this in Sotoba!

...However, the light isn't THAT dim. And neither is Atsushi. After opening and closing his wormy lips a few times, he finally manages a few grunts that could maybe even be classified as 'speech'.] Yer not a lady!

[andeatit]

[Light expected a lot of difference responses. He didn't know this man, so it would be fair to say many reactions would be a surprise, but that one was more of a surprise than most. Even Light is caught off guard, blinking as he tries to figure out where the strange statement might have originated from. He had never claimed to be a woman.

It's not the most flattering first impression.]

No, I'm not. [He still speaks smoothly, if with a bit of confusion.] Nor am I close to one. It sounded as if you needed help.

[airlynx]

[Help, did the little guy say? How could he possibly help Atsushi? WHY would he help Atsushi? The last time Atsushi had asked for help was when he was planning to break into a neighbors' house and needed an accomplice. The little shit never showed up at the designated meeting place despite agreeing to do so, so Atsushi had scaled the fence himself. Five minutes after that, Atsushi was sitting at the police station being charged with the intent of breaking and entering.

It turned out that his accomplice had decided to tip off the resident police officer, who had been waiting at the neighbors' house to take Atsushi into custody. Since then, Atsushi had never asked for help, nor had he been offered any.

Except now this stranger is.

Ignoring the fact that the not-lady didn't really offer help, Atsushi hesitantly smiles, before frowning and crossing his arms. Can't show his weakness. Gawd, hangovers really do make a guy soft.] I'm tryna find some booze. It'll be easier if we split up, that aight with ya?

[andeatit]

[The not-lady, Light had always just called them men, shook his head just a bit. He had finally found two other people, putting them in a three people group if he could find Mikami. Two people together was dangerous as they didn't know who the killer could be, but a trio meant the killer would have to be against two other people at all times.]

The kitchen is where alcohol would most likely be. The other half of the house contains bedrooms and bathrooms. There's a dining room behind me, but I haven't seen alcohol in my searches. More importantly, right now, it seems you're one of three of us here. Since someone plans to try to harm the rest of us, it really is best if we find the other man and stick in groups of three.

[He assumes everyone had read the note.]

[airlynx]

[Atsushi perks up at the mention of other bedrooms and bathrooms, ignoring the not-lady's mention of not having found alcohol anywhere. There was many a time when HE had also put some nice sake in his bedroom, just to help him sleep, of course. And if someone else had sake in theirs, well, Atsushi saw that as an open invitation to partake. Mi sake es su sake, was that how the saying went?]

Do ya know if those bedrooms happen to be occupied? No? [He went on, not waiting for an answer.] Here's wut we gonna do, all right: you come with me to one of them bedrooms, and if someone's inside, then we'll wait for them to not be anymore! You can watch the door, I'll be lookin' for the booze since I know the best hidin' spots. And don't worry, even if they do come in while we in there, they'll never harm ya 'cos I'm here too! Even if yer weak, I'll protect ya, see. We're buddies.

[Headache forgotten, Atsushi grins down at his companion, offering him a ghastly thumbs-up.]

[andeatit]

[He was hardly weak. Really, he had to question this man's judge of character.]

There seems to be only one another man here. I'm staying in a bedroom myself, but I would gladly share some with you if I had it. When I looked the house over yesterday, there didn't seem to be any. There are teas, coffees, and other things to drink. [Nevermind the fact that Light isn't one to help in theft. It's noted that this man is, though.]

There are even some canned ice tea. In the absence of alcohol, something sweet and cold seems best.

[airlynx]

Another man? That means, ya already checked out his room for booze?

[Atsushi paused before continuing. The wheels in his head were turning slowly but surely, like hamster wheels. Although Atsushi's brain hamster was usually lazy, it had periods of activity, especially in the mornings. As Atsushi considered the other man's words, he felt a vague sense of unease.]

You, you seem to know the house around pretty well. How do ya know it so well? Are you the one who made that map I found when I woke up? That means ya put it there while I was still sleepin'...tha's kinda creepy, dude, I dunno.

[andeatit]

[No, that wasn't what he meant, but the other misunderstanding took priority. Besides, if he thought as much, it would keep him from wandering off alone and thus breaking up his three people groups. That was turning out much harder to achieve than he'd imagined.

Light lets loose a light chuckle, waving his hand as it to physically dispel the thought.] I try not to make it a habit of to visit rooms while people sleep. I woke up here yesterday with a map of my own, and I've tested it against the actual layout.

[But then his head would tilt just slightly.] But it's good you're cautious. I don't mind proving I'm unarmed if it puts you at ease. [He obviously didn't see Light as a physical threat.]

[airlynx]

[Atsushi chuckles to himself. This man, thinking Atushi was feeling trepidatious about the possibility of him being armed, was too funny. Still, it was a nice gesture.]

An' I'll do the same! Ya see, I don' need anythin' but these guns. [Atsushi flexes a bicep pointedly at his companion.]

Well, ya mind showin' me around? Name's Atsushi.

[andeatit]

Atsushi-san? I'm Yagami Light. [He gives a slight bow.] Or, since we're already friends, is Atsushi-kun fine?

[He finally moves further into the kitchen, his hand going to the door on the far end of the kitchen.] That's the laundry room. There seems to be a change of clothes for each of us inside and a locked door. I don't suppose you know very much about electricity or wiring?

[airlynx]

Ah, make it Atsushi! I ain't very formal myself, see?

[Atsushi glances inside the dark room.] Electricity or wirin'? Well, I did help my old man an' some neighbors fix up the house a couple times, so I'm pretty good with changin' lightbulbs an' the like. Why ya askin'? Wonderin' how to turn them lights on? That switch should be somewhere inside, goin' by my experience.

[He reaches an arm inside and slides his hand up and down the wall, looking for the apparatus.]

[andeatit]

[He'll follow him further into the kitchen so that he can stay close behind him once he goes into the laundry room.]

No, it's a bit more complicated than that. There's a locked door inside and forcible entry will cut the electricity in the house. That wouldn't be a problem if someone could rewire it.

[momingstar]

[Well, all that banging around certainly attracted someone. A woman in a dress and apron appears in the doorway, twitching and glaring.]

I don't know where we are either, but honestly, you could have the decency to clean up after yourself while we're here!

[airlynx]

[Atsushi turns around, looking directly toward the source of the sound. Since he only sees the things at his eye level and he towers over the speaker, he looks right over her and at the far wall of the kitchen. A voice...but no body? Atsushi feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Could it be...]

...A ghost!?

[momingstar]

Ahem.

[Eimi sticks up her arm, waves, and points down at herself.]

Sir, you're making a mess of the kitchen, and while the owner is surely more of a kidnapper than a host, doing this will annoy us far more than them. Isn't that right?

[airlynx]

[Atsushi looks down and after initially jerking in shock, he lets a small sigh of relief escape the funnel of his lips. It's a while before he finishes processing the new spoken information. 90 seconds, in fact.]

Doing this'll annoy us, ya say? It's okay, I'm not annoyed. My old man's house was in a state worse than this 'un.

[momingstar]

[Siiiiiiiigh.]

That may be true of you, but the rest of us have to live here, too, until we can find a way off this island. Lord knows the world doesn't revolve around just one of us.

[airlynx]

[Atsushi pauses.]

Wut island? Ya mean Japan?

[momingstar]

No! The one we're trapped on. Honestly, have you even registered any of this? Not that that letter about murderers and such made any sense...

[airlynx]

[Atsushi's confusion slowly manifests in a frown that graces his face.]

Wut letter ya got, shorty? You keepin' somethin' from me?

[momingstar]

[Siiigh.] No, the ones everybody woke up with! Here. [She hands him her crumpled-up letter.] Are you telling me you didn't see any of this?

[airlynx]

[A few minutes pass as Atsushi skims over the words on the letter, the ink slightly smeared from being rubbed against paper while crumpled. He has to hold the paper up close so that his unusually small pupils can make out the words. A knot of anger begins to twist in Atsushi's chest. What is this? First no sake, and now being trapped on some weird island with some convict. If he ever catches who did it, he'll make sure to bash their face in. Maybe even twice.]

Wut's this? I'd say it's a joke, but I don' reco'nize this place. Why'd ya get one and I didn', anyway? All's I got was some weird map!

[momingstar]

It's on the other side of the map. [Twiiiiiiiitch.] I honestly don't understand why they'd kidnap us all, either. It's not only awful, it doesn't make any sense.

[airlynx]

[Atsushi lets out a sharp huff. Nobody had chosen him in his whole life, nobody treated him like he was special. Not his old man, not his mother, and definitely not his wrinkled prune of a grandma. And now the first time he's been selected is to live in a house with a murderer. Figures.]

Do ya remember gettin' here? All's I remember is wakin' up in that bed just now. I'm thinkin' they put somethin' in my booze, but I'm not sure wut it was. Ya probably got the same treatment, shorty. Ya didn't happen to taste wut they spiked YOUR booze with, did ya? Although it's funny, cos you don' look like much of a heavy drinker, but that's life for ya, an' looks can be deceivin'.