This Used to Be the Life but I Don't Need Another One

[stenchus_rodentus]

[Well Ratigan couldn't care less about what happened, but he really didn't get his fill of partying from the bar and everyone simpering wasn't how he wanted it to go down. Soon after the trial little notes are slipped beneath each door.]

You are cordially invited to a mourning party in the lobby. RVSP ASAP.

[In the lobby Thalia will have moved some tables to the lobby and provide her choice dish of cheeseburgers along with a smattering of bread, fruits, and vegetables. Reyna will have brought along hot chocolate galore.

For those that aren't your thing? Well in honor of the recently departed there's pine tree shaped cookies (Thanks Thalia.) and triangle crackers with cheese (thanks...Ratigan?). And there's a helping of drinks if the bar wasn't enough for you wink wink. Ratigan has every intention of making this a party.]

Comments

[hallotween]

[so marnie is like super ready to ignore the note entirely and just alternate between fuming and moping in the comfort of her own room.

but it turns out wow she actually hasn't eaten anything today so that's. probably something one wants to do.

so a bedsheet ghost makes its way to the lobby, absorbs a cheeseburger into its folds, and then fwumps onto a chair.]

[coulombslaw]

Hey. Uh, sorry for, you know, restraining you.

[It's not like Virgil didn't have a reason to do it, but he can't blame Marnie for flipping out. This hotel has everyone at the edge of a mental breakdown]

[anasty]

[ Ursula approaches, hands clasped together and a delicate, sympathetic frown on her face. ]

How are you feeling, dear?

[sentree]

[ ...Oh, Marnie. Thalia brings over some hot chocolate and snacks. ]

Hey. I'm sorry for snapping at you.

[stenchus_rodentus]

[You do you ghost girl. Felicia and her master are trotting by with her master in tow as Ratigan makes note.]

Well, if it isn't the resident magician.

The choice of costume is unorthodox I must say.

[sentree]

[ Again... Despite Ratigan's efforts, Thalia remains somber for this event, providing a steady stream of food from the kitchen. You can find her baking cookies or grilling cheeseburgers or whatnot. Like last week, her hands are bandaged. At least this time, they're with actual bandages.

She goes around the lobby with drink or food, checking in on whoever seems like they need it with that composed air from the last banquet. ]

How are you? Can I get you anything?

[ At some point, when the night starts to wind down and she thinks she can do this undisturbed, she goes to the fireplace with some food and kneels by it. Thalia sighs and then...dumps a portion of her food into the blaze. She sets the rest down and closes her eyes. It seems...maybe like she's praying. ]

Lady Artemis- [ Her voice wavers. ] Father... Please... Give me guidance. Give me something.

kitchen

[fairlypushy]

Thalia?

[Amanda pops into the kitchen after a moment. The cookies gave her an idea and also . . . she has something to give her.]

Kitchen

[tadaishi]

[Thalia is too good to everyone, making them food. Sometime earlier in the party, Tadashi's going to pop into the kitchen to see if she needs anything.

Or if she doesn't, he's also looking for something to drink that isn't hot chocolate.]

Need any help?

Fireplace

[greatwidesomewhere]

[Once she's eaten and had some time to process the day's events as best she can manage, Belle takes to wandering about the lobby a bit, half-heartedly collecting discarded plates and things to bring to the kitchen, but mostly just lost in thought. When she spies Thalia kneeling in front of the fireplace, however, she sets her little stack of dishes on a nearby end-table and goes to kneel carefully beside her. Her face full of worry, Belle places a gentle hand on Thalia's shoulder.]

I hope...I hope they give you the answers you need.

[They all need answers. If Thalia can get them from her gods, Belle is all for it.]

[stenchus_rodentus]

[Ratigan, unlike everyone else, is his usual self only with a plate of his ttay of crackers expertly served on Felicia's back when he's making the rounds or not trying to pass off some alcohol to the guests.]

Please, let your inhibitions go, I insist!

[Later he's seen drinking with his faithful cat by his side, heading into that tipsy territory.]

You know Felicia, if anything I bet you that irritant Basil is losing his wits looking for me.

[darnsitall]

Is Basil a friend of yours?

[sentree]

[ ...Well here she is, marching up. ]

Hey. What's all this? [ She's gesturing to the alcohol. ]

[lusito]

[Oh thank God, someone who isn't being a Debbie Downer here.]

And what kind of selection are you offering, good sir?

[forgottenfounder]

"Basil" huh?

[Hey, guess who's finally comes back out of his room. He wanted more of those cheese and crackers ya'll got out here and, well, he's kind of nosy.]

[greatwidesomewhere]

[Once again, Belle realizes that part of the reason she's likely feeling so awful is that she hasn't eaten anything today. The larger part is all the dead bodies she's seen, but she knows that she'll feel a little more human once she eats, just like last week.

Just like last week. And what about next week? Or the week after? Will they be mourning her death one of these Fridays?

Belle pushes those thoughts out of her mind, and pulls out her notebook, flipping to a blank page while she eats in her spot against one of the lobby walls with her knees drawn up to her chest. She makes two columns: 'culprits' and 'victims'. Under the first column, she writes Preston's name, and after a moment, Goofy's. The second column lists out Vanellope, Finnick, Dipper, and Merlin.

She stares at the names, trying to make sense of it all. Trying to work out if there's some kind of pattern, some...enchantment over them all that might explain it. It's the only way she's going to keep from breaking down crying again, and she's done more than enough of that in the past three weeks. She needs to stay collected as she can.]

[lusito]

Honestly, I would say that Goofy was just as much a victim as the rest of them here.

[Preston however can stay right the fuck over on the other side in that culprits column.

... Also hi Belle, hope you don't mind Joshua reading over your shoulder here.]

[forgottenfounder]

[Oswald arrives briefly to the afterparty, looking not much better then he did the moment the elevator let them leave that trial.

He takes one look at everything, the odd little cookies, and the... cheese crackers. He gathers up a few snacks on a plate, plus one of the drinks because it's that kind of evening, and he wanders back to his room.

But the door is definitely left open, if anyone really wants to come see him.]

room

[fairlypushy]

[Amanda knocks on the door to his room, even though it's open.]

Oswald? Can I come in?

[coulombslaw]

I won't ask you if you're fine because nobody's okay in this place. Do you want to rant or something?

[Virgil calls from outside, not wanting to invade Oswald's privacy]

[darnsitall]

[Sally is here to help again! She's on drink duty once more, and this time it's lemonade. Maybe? But she's noticeably less chipper than she was last week.]

Can I top you off?

[lusito]

I don't see why not.

[There's a pause though, as Joshua actually looks her over here.]

Are you going to be alright, Miss Sally?

[fairlypushy]

[Amanda shows up, more out of support for Thalia and Reyna than out of wanting to go. She's sitting in the lobby for a while, mostly writing in a journal and eating cookies and crackers. She is notably wearing Dipper's hat.

Later on she can be found in the dining room, setting down a branch for Dipper, a paper airplane for Goofy, and a vaguely magical-looking artifact from her room for Merlin. She is no longer wearing Dipper's hat.]

Dining Room

[coulombslaw]

So...any kind of meaning for this stuff?

[Virgil can guess what it is, but he figures talking can help]

[theduck]

[Surprisingly, Donald does actually show up at the afterparty, although it's just for twenty minutes or so. He takes one piece of cheese and a drink and doesn't touch either as he just stands in front of the bios, staring at Goofy's the entire time with an unreadable expression on his face.

Afterwards, he'll be in his room screaming into a pillow inbetween periods of lying flat on his back and staring motionlessly up at the ceiling. The door is closed, but it's unlocked in case anyone needs him (or just gets concerned at all the yelling going on).]

[hallotween]

[knockknock

knock]

[nocasetoobig]

[oh, good, drinks.

Chip has a shot glass.

...Chip's shot glass is half empty.

H e l p h i m]

[anasty]

[ No, but she will watch to see if he follows Dipper's example. ]

[tadaishi]

[Tadashi...sort of attends the afterparty. Most of the time he's there he's hanging around the kitchen with Thalia or over by the bios. He didn't talk to Merlin much, but he and Dipper were supposed to find a way out...and he never got to find out much about Gravity Falls, either.

And Dipper wasn't much younger than Hiro.

The rest of the time, he can be found sitting in a corner of the ballroom with a plateful of snacks and a mug of tea or on the back of the diving board in the pool being asocial.]

pool

[lusito]

I would be careful if I were you: after all, we wouldn't want another "misunderstanding" to happen if you slip and fall in here.

[Hi Tadashi how's it going]