Meep.
Yay, new Mafia!
Okay...lot of things to say here.
One) Regarding the fact I had put up a poll a while ago...I ended up not using it. Before you throw any rocks, let me explain. It was mainly because of something that happened. When a friend of mine went to fill it out...all he ended up doing is going straight down the line and clicking. So now I have no idea what was intentional choices and what wasn't other than the first person only picking two people. So...other than those two, the roster was whoever happened to come into my mind at the time.
Two) There are two things I MUST KNOW in order for me to continue writing this:
I) Should I include Night Phases? 'Cause apparently there are some people who don't like it and would prefer the suspense of finding the body in the morning and figuring it out from there.
II) Should I give the descriptions again when a body is found? I don't mean Alliance and Role. I mean the character description. I'm considering this because the descriptions are half-fiction, and I also don't want the possibility of repeating something like Laura's - virtually nothing.
I NEED to know what you think, or else I won't go any further than the first Day Phase. I just...want to know that people are content with what I'm doing. And don't go thinking 'If I don't do it, the next person will' because that's not what happens. Just...help me out, here.
Three) The High School Setting this is based off of is the setting I use in any and all other High School stories I write. So, the backstories for the school setting and some of the characters is in my other High School AU You Can't Run From the Past, currently in the Fire Emblem-Vampire Academy crossover archive...of which that's the only story in it...But anyways, any and all other High School AU fanfictions take place as spinoffs to that story.
Four) This chapter explains an issue from the end of the first round: How did they end up alive in the end? So that kind of abrupt ending is explained a little here.
Disclaimer: I don't own the FE cast or Mafia party game. Unfortunately.
Soooooooo...let's get started, shall we?
"You're not seriously starting this again. And after what happened last time…"
"You don't have to be here, Cain." Abel smirked at his friend, leaning against the backside of one couch in what has officially been dubbed 'The Mafia Common Room'. "I'm sure you and many others are still peeved over my little…prank."
"Ya think?" Rickard cast a sidelong glare at Roshea from his own seat on the floor, the younger teen standing at the front desk with a sheepish and apologetic smile on his face. "Droppin' us all into a Mafia game we all thought was real until after it was already over…"
"At least you never really had much pain to deal with," Raigh muttered, head on Sophia's lap and eyes closed. "I ended up getting stabbed countless times and having my hands nailed up on the wall before I actually 'died'."
Pelleas winced from the seat behind the couple at the event's mentioning. "I really can never apologize enough for that, can I…?"
Sophia let out a soft, amused sigh, running a few fingers through her boyfriend's bangs. "You know how Raigh here is; he brings it up even long after he's already forgiven you for it."
The aforementioned shaman scoffed lightly, slowly shaking his head. "I don't do that for EVERYthing…"
"…I think you may be surprised with yourself."
"Personally, I don't think we did all that bad in that game, though," Roy commented from the opposite side of the Square, leaning back and putting his arms behind his head. "I mean, in the end we only had one mis-lynch, and even then it was a technicality 'cause he was still a Neutral even though he didn't have to be killed for a side to win."
Marth turned his head to the lordling and gave a quizzical stare. "…Half of that sentence didn't even sound like it belonged in one sentence."
The younger teen waved a casual hand of dismissal in the king's direction. "Pfft. Yeah yeah, whatever."
At the top side of the Square, Ross leaned forward from the backside of the couch and snickered loudly. "Ha, you got yourself killed, Franz…"
Franz snapped his book shut and glared up at the journeyman. "You know what Ross? At least I lasted much longer than you ever would."
The elder teen slammed his hands on the couch and glared straight back at the younger. "Oh, really?! You wanna bet?"
"If we're making bets here," Ewan slapped a hand on his shoulder and leaned in close, "then I'd have to go with Franz. He has the cunning that you sorely lack."
"Wha- wait just a minute here…!"
"C-Come on guys…" Amelia sighed quietly from her seat next to Franz. "Do we really have to do this…?"
"Geez, all of these problems from one game…" Edward leaned back in his seat in the bottom side and ran a hand through his hair. "Tormod and Chad still have problems with each other and really don't talk much anymore."
Leonardo raised an eyebrow at him. "Did they really talk to each other all that much to begin with, though?"
"…Good point."
"Well, there's one of the main things that Chad and Raigh have in common. They're both stubborn and take forever to let go of a grudge. Lugh here, on the other hand, is both adorable and angelic all in one. I mean, come on," Lilina sat down next to the little mage and hugged him tightly; he flashed a wide, childish smile as if to prove her point, "how can you say 'no' to this face?"
"Wha- what d'ya mean him?" Rickard jumped and pointed to himself, pouting. "I thought I was the one everyone said that 'bout…"
"Oh, our Little Ricky is just as adorable. Come here…" The blunette tugged on the princeling's arm and pulled him into the hug with Lugh. "You two are two of the most adowable people ever…"
Roy blinked at his childhood friend. "What…are you…? What have you done with Lilina? She's a tomboy, not this…girl."
She immediately glared at the redhead, eyes glinting murderously. "Say that again, I dare you."
"Could we please refrain from killing anyone, Miss Ostia? Thank you."
"Dad!" Lugh broke out of her grasp and ran up to the front desk, where his father was placing a few books down. "Are you playing?" he asked, cocking his head.
Erk hesitated for a second before shaking his head. "Oh, no. I'm just here to make sure everything goes accordingly." He looked up to everyone else in the room, then furrowed his brow and looked to one person in particular. "Why are there only 17 people here, Abel? You told me 20."
"W-Well…" Abel scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Est said she'd prefer to watch from the outside, and…Tormod and Chad seem to still be having problems. Which they both blame me for."
"Really?" He sighed. "Those two are feuding over a game…" He rubbed his face. "No, I shouldn't say anything. If they do, they do. But we're still down three players, which will mess up the ratio."
"Well…" Rickard started, "I could just get Radd to bring people in." He tapped the side of his head. "One of the reasons why I sometimes enjoy havin' someone who can read my mind over long distances."
"Do it, then. The sooner everyone's here, the sooner we can begin."
As if on cue, the door leading to the room opened, and Radd came in smiling, dragging a seemingly very reluctant Tomas along by the arm. Trailing behind them was…a wolf? Oh, wait, it's just Volug, deciding to be a dog, for…some reason I still don't understand (He says it's because it's more comfortable, but half of me wonders if that's really the only reason, what with him being that close to the ground and all). "You're welcome," Radd said, pushing Tomas in front of him before shutting the door behind him.
"Tch." Tomas rubbed his arm and sighed loudly. "Do I REALLY have to do this?" He put his hands up in peace when nearly everyone shot glares at him. "Alright, alright! Geez…"
Volug jumped up into the seat beside Leonardo and settled comfortably into the cushion, laying his head on the archer's leg as if asking for him to pet him. Which ended up happening whether he wanted it or not, out of instinct for the blond. He slowly wagged his tail, though, so…I'm assuming he wanted it.
"Um…" Ross hesitated to say something, staring at Volug, but eventually did anyways. "Can we…really even play while he's…y'know, like that?"
"Laguz and shifters have a kind of telepathy they use whenever they're in animal form," Edward said. "Don't know how it works exactly, but they can still technically talk in a language we can understand, so…I don't think there's much problem with him staying like that."
"Are we set, then?" Erk finished sorting out a few papers at the front desk and walked to the center of the Square. "Then everyone take a seat – preferably on the couches – so we can get started."
A/N: Okay, pause. As some may or may not have noticed, the seating arrangements are in the form of four couches, each able to fit five people – shifted, un-shifted, and whatever else – arranged in a square shape. Therefore, it is called the Square. If you looked at it in the sense of a seating chart in a school classroom, the front desk is at the top of the chart, and everyone is seated in order as such(to be honest, I actually had to draw it to make sure I had everything right…):
Top(from left to right): Ross, Ewan, Franz, Amelia, Roshea
Right(from top to bottom): Abel, Cain, Pelleas, Sophia, Raigh
Bottom(from right to left): Lugh, Tomas, Edward, Leonardo, Volug
Left(from bottom to top): Radd, Rickard, Marth, Roy, Lilina
This is where they will stay the entire game. If someone dies, that spot will just be left open. No one will move. If for some reason I go back on this, I will give an updated list of seating.
"Alright…" Erk cleared his throat, as a sign for conversation to cease. "I know more than half of you were involved last time, and most others probably wouldn't have come if they didn't know the game, but just in case…who here DOESN'T know the game of Mafia?"
Nearly every pair of eyes swiveled to land on one person, who seemed to have completely expected it.
"…W-Well…" Ross scratched the back of his head, "I know the general idea: the Town has to root out the Mafia and the Serial Killer, while the Mafia and Serial Killer each have to kill off everyone else. Most people have abilities to use during the Day Phase, and at the end there's a vote where whoever gets a majority on them dies. Then the Mafia and Serial Killer kill during the Night Phase. I know that much. It's just…the smaller details I have problems with."
Ewan let out a low whistle. "Wow. Maybe you're smarter than we all thought."
"W-What's that supposed to mean?!"
"That's the basic game and principle, yes," Erk affirmed. "Though here, we have two Neutrals, one of which is either a Serial Killer or Psychopath."
"Can we please not include a Psychopath again…?" Pelleas asked, head in his hands.
"Yeah…" Raigh agreed hesitantly, rubbing his face. "I think the Psychopath bit may have…scarred…too much."
"…Alright, alright, relax. It's a Serial Killer, not a Psychopath. But, anyways, there is another Neutral-type Role, but it isn't going to be a strictly killing Role. But I'm afraid I can say no more on that subject," the archsage concluded.
"If we're speaking on Roles…" Marth started, "though I'm sure it's pretty obvious, abilities can only be used once per day everyday unless otherwise specified by the Role itself. Such as last game…Roy could use his ability every day because there was no specification, while Cain could only use his on odd days, and Rickard's could only be used once or twice the entire game. Some were completely passive, such as Radd's Bulletproof or the scan shields on Sophia and Franz's roles. It all depends on the Role itself."
"It was also specified whether or not the same person could be targeted more than one day in a row," Erk added. "And, I'll give you the warning now, so no one will tell me I didn't should something happen later. If ANY rules are broken, OR targets are based on personal vendettas, OR two of you decide you need to fight," he looked at a few specific people with that final rule, "you will be taken out of the game. Violently. And," he held up a finger to interrupt Tomas' idea of getting into a fight or breaking a rule just to get out of the game, "if such a thing was done purposefully just to leave or to make someone else suffer those consequences, you will be spending a week after classes with a certain…you-know-who."
"Oh, GODS no!" Tomas shrunk back into his seat. "ANYTHING but Panini!"
"Then I've no need to worry, do I? And when I said you would be violently taken out, I meant…you will 'die'."
"So…" Leonardo hesitated for a second, "…you WOULDN'T get in any trouble with the headmaster for hurting a student…?"
"HA!" Edward laughed loudly, throwing the blond off-guard. "I would actually expect a newbie to the school to not know. Leo, Professor Reglay might as well BE the headmaster. He just gave the job to someone else so he could teach magic. But he pretty much has the most power in this school. He'd never get in trouble with the system for doing ANYTHING to a student, because they know what he's doing is in the school's and the students' best interests."
"Besides," Roshea continued, "there technically wouldn't be any physical damage done. Everything going on here soul-wise is safe, and could even be considered virtual. I would know. I helped design the system. Basically, if you 'die' here, your soul travels to a different room, where your body is pretty much re-created based on soul data. It's…complicated, if you don't dabble in deep magic and the like."
"But we still actually die," Tomas said bluntly, crossing his arms.
The young knight hesitated, then slowly nodded after a few moments. "Well…yes, I guess you do. It just doesn't register in the Selection System, so it can still be considered as not. Again, it's all a jumbled mess if you don't understand the deepest form of magic."
"Well, I think we all know a couple people who would be interested in learning about it…" Roy quickly pointed in two directions, to Marth one way, and to Ewan – well, it was between Ewan and Franz, actually – in the other.
"Actually, I already know all about it, Roy." Marth chuckled lightly. "Remember who Professor Reglay's…'student pet', if you will, was during our first year."
"And then Franz takes that role second year, and now it's Roshea. Yeah, yeah, I know all this already."
"Sooo, dark underlying facts aside," Erk started again, a disturbingly cheerful smile on his face, "let's get started, shall we? I need each of you to pick a number, an-"
"14!"
The smile instantly turned into a scowl. "I'd appreciate if I could finish what I'm saying before we start calling out numbers, Mister Lowell."
"But 14 is my number!" Rickard complained, on the edge on his seat, his hands pressed against the edge. "I don' wan' people stealin' it!"
Marth cocked his head at his brother. "I thought 9 was your number."
"It WAS back before I started High School. Now it's 14."
"O…kay…"
The archsage let out a long, exasperated sigh. "Whatever. I was GOING to say that it will determine what your Alliance is. After that, you will receive a mark somewhere on your bodies – no, not in the way you perverts are thinking – that defines your Alliance. It can only be seen by others once you 'die', unless it is a Mafioso to the others, in which case it will always be visible. Roles will be sent through the system, in paper and mental form. I suggest you don't lose that paper, unless you want everyone to know your Role, and quite possibly your Alliance."
"So…we can pick numbers now?" Lugh asked hopefully.
"Yes."
"Then 7! Um, please."
Raigh raised an eyebrow at his twin. "What's with you and 7?"
"Oh, 7's just my number for everything. I don't know exactly why, though."
Franz went into the bag at his feet and pulled out a novel, settling back into his seat. "10, please."
"What's with you guys and randomly pulling books out?" Roy moved his gaze from the blond to Marth, then stuck his arms out in his direction. Somehow without hitting him. "The hell?!"
Marth chuckled, putting down his own book. "I actually only did that to see your reaction. And…5, please, Professor."
"…It's because you're the 5th Altean king, isn't it."
The book went back up. "…That didn't sound like a question, so I have no need to answer."
"…It is."
"Well, if Rickard isn't taking 9, I will," Radd said. "That is…if you're still giving him 14…"
Erk waved a dismissive hand. "I'll just let him keep it. I doubt we'll hear the end of it if I don't."
"Well, I know what my number is." Cain tapped Abel's shoulder to get his attention. "Remember how old we were when we started our knight training?"
Abel grinned widely at the memory. "Right…I had recently turned 16, and you almost were. But you were still 15. So…" He turned to look to the center. "I'll take 16."
"And I'm 15."
Leonardo hesitated for a second and lightly bit his lip. "Um…4. Please."
Edward stuck a finger up in the air and chanted (in a very good Spongebob impersonation, mind you), "He was number 1!"
Volug snorted, lifting his head up. "We really need to stop letting you watch so much Spongebob."
"Arg, I'll put ye in Davy Jones' Locker if ye say that again, matey! An' it's fuuuull of his dirty gym socks."
Pelleas chuckled softly and shook his head. "Of course you would…Oh, and 6, Professor."
"13," Raigh said.
Amelia cocked her head. "Unlucky number 13?"
The shaman shrugged. "It's lucky for me, even if it's unlucky for everyone else."
"Ohh, okay. And I'll take…2! No, 3!"
"I'll take whichever one Amelia isn't." Tomas sighed in defeat. "Since there's clearly no way out of this game…"
"So that leaves…8, 11, 12, and 17 through 20." Ewan tapped his chin. "I'll go wiiith…12. A nice, even number with a lot of factors."
Ross rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Math geek."
The pupil crossed his arms and stared smugly at the elder teen. "What's YOU'RE number, then?"
"19. The complete opposite of yours. Odd and no factors whatsoever other than itself and 1."
"I'm surprised you even know that."
"Oh, lay off already."
"So, only five spots left…" Sophia leaned back and rested her head on Raigh's shoulder. "Um…8, please."
"Waaiiit a minute here." Roy sat fully up. "I have a question. Roshea's a psychic. I'm not about to say he'd purposefully cheat or anything, but how do we know something won't possibly slip to him about us while we're playing?"
Erk raised a hand to silence the murmurs from the group. "Actually, that's already been taken care off. You see the circlet on his head?" He nodded to the boy, who did indeed have a thin, intricate silver circlet with a deep red gem adorning his head. "To put it bluntly, it acts as a limiter. It's blocking out all forms of psychic ability. If he absolutely needs to do something, then I'll let him take it off or make the proper adjustments to it. I hope that puts you enough at ease to not suspect him of anything."
"I…guess that's enough. I mean, you know what you're doing, so…"
"Oh, stop doubting people, Roy." Lilina lightly smacked his shoulder. "You need to learn to have more faith in people. Oh, right. And number 18, please."
"O-Oh, right, numbers. Uhh…what's left again?" He asked sheepishly.
"11, 17, and 20," Volug stated. "Well, now only 11 and 20. I'm taking 17."
"Oh. Geez. Uhh…no one took 20? I would have expected that to go in the beginning. But I'll take it."
"Meaning I have 11," Roshea said quietly. He nodded. "Alright then."
Erk looked around the room and nodded. "So everyone's assigned. Perfect. I'll set the game up now, so we can finally get things started."
Set-up is complete! Here's the list of players and their spots.
1. Edward
2. Tomas
3. Amelia
4. Leonardo
5. Marth
6. Pelleas
7. Lugh
8. Sophia
9. Radd
10. Franz
11. Roshea
12. Ewan
13. Raigh
14. Rickard
15. Cain
16. Abel
17. Volug
18. Lilina
19. Ross
20. Roy
Let's get the ball rolling and play a game of Mafia!