Chatterbox: Pudding's Place

+ A Peculiar Ski Lodge +

You are walking down the road.
No, you're sitting at your desk doing homework.
Wait- now you're arguing with your parents.
Hey, weren't your parents dead in the last bit?

Whatever.

You're on Puddings Place, scrolling through the threads. Whatever the time is, you might be feeling tired. Maybe. Or maybe you're-

Just click on the thread.
Come on.
Click it...
Yes! You clicked!
You're reading through the thread, most likely feeling confused. This is most certainly peculiar. 

It's about to get weirder.

Dear person who happened to stumble upon this,
Hello! You can call me The Person Who Is Running This Thing, or Peculium. I am your host! I think. Maybe there's another person who is hosting me, and they're the host! But what if...

You stop reading. This is utterly useless and confusing.
Wait, don't stop reading. I need people to write this thing. Keep going!
You might get mad at the little words on the screen, but you keep reading. I hope.

So, I would like you to come sign up for this strange ski lodge. There's no reason why you would, since you are going to die, and one of you is going to be a murderer. I mean, you'll come back.
I'm pretty sure.
Our magic is damaged, so you might be stuck inside this thread for eternity. 
Let's hope that doesn't happen! Fill out this form and you will be expected to walk fifteen hundred miles to get to our mysterious building. It's rented, so please no tracking mud on the floor. Have a good day!

~Peculium

You blink. This is so confusing. But, ski lodges are fun to read. And magic isn't real, so you can't get stuck. At least, you think so. 
You look at the form.

There isn't a form.

Sorry, I forgot we didn't have one yet! How exactly do you make a form? I guess it's just questions. Okay, here you go!
~Peculium

Name:
Favorite Flavor Of Ice Cream: 
Your Opinion On Mauve Jackets:
Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road:
What Is Your Hair Color:
If A Tree Falls, Will It Fall On You:
pOtAtO:
Black or White: 
What Is Your Favorite Shade Of Blue:
What Is The Scientific Name For A Marshmallow:
If You See Someone Being Stabbed, What Is Your Reaction:

You have never seen a weirder form. 
Actually, have you? 

Last question- Have you seen a weirder form?:

You might shrug. You might cry. You might have another reaction to this incredibly weird thread but I cannot predict it since I cannot see the future. 
Alright, I think that covers everything. Go ahead and fill out the form. Be honest. I will maybe see you at the Place Where This Begins!

Some Cool Sign Off Thing - Peculium  

submitted by Peculium, age Ski Lodge!, Maybe.
(December 26, 2020 - 2:54 pm)

I'm female, she/her! Also, I don't know what the room assignments are based on.

submitted by Tealeaf, Steeping
(December 30, 2020 - 7:02 pm)
submitted by There's a new part!
(December 29, 2020 - 2:35 pm)

AHH Why didn't I click on this sooner? I'll still be reading along, this looks So CoOl.

submitted by Feline Fantasy
(December 29, 2020 - 8:42 pm)

oooOOOooo! Veeeeeery interesting...

My pronouns are he/him; I wonder how we've been organized... If it is by our answer to the questions, then it can't be one with too many different answers... Oh, is it organized by hair color? Our hair color was mentioned...

submitted by Bakerloo, age 16.5, here
(December 30, 2020 - 4:55 pm)

I don't think it is. You, me, woolly, and Juni all have brown hair, but there were plenty of other brown-haired people. Plus in the group of NOK, Twilight, Darkling, Moondrop and Lumi, one person has dark brown hair, one has blonde, one has black with blue streaks, and one has auburn from what I quickly observed. (Didn't find the fifth person because I'm lazy) Hmm...

submitted by LS@Bakerloo
(December 31, 2020 - 9:43 am)

She/Her

submitted by NoOneKnows
(December 30, 2020 - 5:11 pm)

Sorry I didn't see this earlier, but the writing is SO AMAZING.

My pronouns are she/her.

submitted by Twilight
(December 30, 2020 - 6:27 pm)

she/her, and Firefly uses they/them. this is awesome!

submitted by dreamiing, lost
(December 31, 2020 - 2:32 pm)

I'm so sorry I didn't see this earlier. My pronouns are She/her female. I have no clue about the rooming assignments.

submitted by Princess Juniper, age 10, The eternal Forest
(December 31, 2020 - 2:56 pm)
submitted by TOP
(January 1, 2021 - 3:23 pm)

Day 0 - Part 2 

"Okay, Chatterboxers, let's get to it! Grab your bags- wait, did you bring luggage?"
"Yeah! I brought all the things I need, and eighteen pocket knives, just in case." Nightfall hefted their duffel bag over their shoulder and smiled, showing the hilts of the knives very casually.
"Wait- We don't need our own weapons! Give me those, Nighty!" Peculium strode over to Nightfall, who was looking a bit disappointed about losing their knives.
"Fine. But I get them back after the trip- please?" 
"Sure. Anyways, follow me!" Peculium led the group past the couches and down a hallway, which was populated by randomly placed doors, some painted stark white, others midnight black. A floating orb of blue hung above each door, ranging from ice-blue to deep midnight. At the first door (ice-blue) Peculium ushered Angel, Firefly, Wreeboo and dreamiing inside. At the next (a mix between aqua and teal), NoOneKnows, Twilight, Darkling, and Moondrop got herded into the room. The second to last (a medium blue) was now occupied by Luminescence, Luna-Starr, woolly, Bakerloo and Princess Juni, while the last room (the one with a midnight orb) belonged to Quill, Nightfall, Tealeaf, Demon, and Silver Crystal. 
"There are your rooms! They're based on the shade of blue you like, in order from lightest to darkest. Silver Crystal is in the midnight group because I misread depends as deep-ends. Get unpacked and I'll see you in the dining room for dinner!" With that, Peculium left, not even providing a map to show the guests where the dining room was. 
"We can find our way," Lumi assured her group while she smoothed down the cobalt covers on her bed. Luna nodded, then lay back on her azure sheets to think about life and pies. In the first room, dreamiing was talking quietly to Firefly (who wasn't listening, as dreamiing often did this) from her top bunk (featuring a sky blue bed set). Angel was wondering why they they were placed in the ice-blue room before realizing that they had answered white, and then starting the whole process over.
NoOneKnows and Darkling had become fast friends and had decided to share a bunk bed, their aqua and teal sheets getting wrinkled from bouncing around (the mattresses were so springy).
Quill and Silver Crystal were discussing ways to plump pillows (both preferring the shake and throw method) while folding down fuzzy blankets. Demon was missing their twin (although they would never admit it) but was glad they had Nightfall. 
The chatter ceased when stomachs began to rumble, so each room decided that it was time for dinner. They filed out into the hallway, greeting each other and talking about how they were to find the dining room. After wandering through the long hallways (avoiding green carpet, of course) Tealeaf finally gave up and demanded the walls to show her a passage to the dining room.
Immediately, the walls shifted into a doorway showing a blue room with several chairs grouped around a long table.
"Did you just... make that appear? With your MIND!?" 
"I don't know! It just happened!"
"Wow, I wonder if we can all do that?" 
"Maybe."
"That would be AWESOME!"
"Fellow guests, can we please enter this dining room and actually eat? I am getting stomach pains." (That was Firefly.) Everybody agreed and stopped the chatter. 
In the dining room, the guests discovered that Peculium was waiting for them, sitting at a small table in the corner. She waved and told them that the food was waiting. 
"How exactly do we get it?" dreamiing asked softly, then realized exactly how.
"Just ask for it!" Peculium answered before noticing that the guests (Being extremely smart Chatterboxers) were already sitting down to eat with plates full of food.
"Do you have house elves? 'Cause that's slavery, yknow." Bakerloo asked, swallowing a mouthful of blueberry jam (Although he had asked for a custard).
"Oh, no. We have magic! You have a lesson tomorrow on how to become MasterChefs. In the meantime, you have to settle with mismatched food." Peculium answered.
"MasterChefs..?" Silver Crystal wondered what that could be.
"Oh, it's basically just perfecting the art of Asking for Food Politely. Dont worry- Its not hard." Peculium asked for a pie and it appeared, whipped cream spilling off the plate.
"Oh... Okay. Cool." Silver went back to her food. 
Chatter continued, along with strange delicacies appearing on the paper plates.
"...So David told me that mud was better than pie for fighting, and then my whole riding team started a mud war! The horses hated it, but we had fun." Lumi finished her tale with a bite of mashed potato muffin (sounds good, tastes bad) and sat back in her purple velvet chair.
"Wow, cool! There was one time when-"
A sound -like thunder- echoed around the room. Peculium's face went white as a sheet.
"What was that?" Angel asked.
"N-Nothing! Um, dinner's over! Head to your rooms, please! I'll see you tomorrow!" Peculium waved their hand and a door appeared, showing the hallway with the blue lights.
"Why do we have to-" Moondrop started, but shut up when she saw the look on Peculium's face.
"I told you to go! Please!" 
The guests, although confused, obeyed. The dining room emptied out until only Twilight was left.
"GO!!" Peculium shouted, gently pushing Twi into the doorway.
With Twilight gone, the door disappeared and Peculium was alone. 
The world was wrenched open and a shadowy figure stepped out of the In-Between, carrying a scroll that was the color of the night sky without a moon.
"Mys-Mystery... T-Thanks f-for dropping i-in! W-What do y-you n-need?" 
I have a message, the figure said, although no sound emitted from it's mouth.
"G-Great! I a-actually h-have g-guests at t-the m-m-moment, but w-we can-" 
I do not plan to stay.
"O-Oh! Oka-Okay!" Peculium's face smoothed over and they appeared very relieved.
The scroll was put into Peculium's hands and the figure stepped back into the rift, closing it behind itself.
Peculium gulped and unrolled the scroll, fearing what they would read.
There was only five words written in glimmering white ink, five words that Peculium thought they were prepared for but still felt like crying when they read them. 

The murderer has been chosen.

~~~

Deceased: None

Friends Of The Ghost In The Wall: None

MasterChefs™: None

Suspects: None... 

Daily Puzzle: Who do you think the shadowy figure is? (Pretty easy)

The room assignments are based on the shade of blue! I'm surprised that nobody got that. 

submitted by Day 0 - Part 2
(January 1, 2021 - 3:49 pm)

Waot Lumi is in our group? Yay!

 

 

Great chapter, btw. 

submitted by woolly
(January 1, 2021 - 6:07 pm)

"Luna nodded, then lay back on her azure sheets to think about life and pies."

I would like to express how grateful I am that this sentence exists.

Oh my Kyngdom! You personified the Mystery! It sounds like the freaking Grim Reaper! That's actually really really interesting... 

Anyways, I'm dying to hear the rest of Lumi's story and this is all so wonderful XD 

submitted by Luna-Starr, age 27 eons, Existential Ponderment
(January 1, 2021 - 9:48 pm)

Oh gosh, this is so creative! I actually love midnight blue more than teal and sky blue, so good call there. I wonder who the murderer could be... I just hope I'm not the first one dead XD

submitted by Silver Crystal, age Infinity, Milky Way
(January 1, 2021 - 10:54 pm)

Oh gosh, i hope i'm not too late!

Name: Jubilee, or Jubi

Favorite Flavor Of Ice Cream: Dirty Chocolate, or mint chip (but not when it's that artificial green. 

Your Opinion On Mauve Jackets: Yes please. 

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road: Sigh. I dream of a world where chickens can cross roads without their morals being questioned. 

What Is Your Hair Color: Light pastel pink, or chocolately brown with highlights.

If A Tree Falls, Will It Fall On You: I woke up on the wrong side of the tree, so yes. 

pOtAtO: PoTaTo


Black or White: A muted shade of grey


What Is Your Favorite Shade Of Blue: Periwinkle


What Is The Scientific Name For A Marshmallow: Mallow of the Marsh


If You See Someone Being Stabbed, What Is Your Reaction: *goes over to watch the blood clot*

Have you seen a weirder form?: No. 

I really hope I'm not late, this seems amazing. 

submitted by Jubi
(January 1, 2021 - 8:19 pm)