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

[forgottenfounder]

Door's open.

[He's in here, just sitting on his bed. Muppet's on Treasure Island is playing on the TV, but he's not really watching it.

At least he appears to not be as broken as he was during the trial.]

[fairlypushy]

[Amanda comes it, closing the door most of the way behind her.]

I thought you might want some company from someone who - who has the same problem as you do, in a way.

[A person who knew Goofy, but not exactly this Goofy. Who would never - who believed in him. In his innocence.]

[forgottenfounder]

[He gestures with a small nod. Welcome to his multicolored room of sorrow, Amanda. ]

...You know what I REALLY want? A way out of here. [Was that rude? Probably. He sighs.]

Sorry, I am glad that someone understands.

[fairlypushy]

You don't believe our host about Walt, do you? [It's kind of an abrupt topic change, but.] Because if he's trying to instill that much fear and distrust in the rest of them, it must mean . . . There must be a way out, right?

[forgottenfounder]

[IT'S PRETTY ABRUPT AMANDA. Geeze. Oswald snaps to attention as she asks that, looking at her for a moment.]

...I... I don't really know. I don't believe Walt would do anything to hurt us, even after what happened to me. [It was outside of his control. That's what he said.]

I'm sure there's gotta be a way out, Amanda. I just know it. Otherwise, we could be stuck here forever.

[fairlypushy]

. . . I don't think he would leave us here. [She only has the vaguest impression of him from when they met, but he was warm and kind. She can't believe he would be okay with this.] I'm not sure if we can count on his help, but he's the closest thing we have to an ally. The other option is - well, they eat children, so it's not a great idea.

[forgottenfounder]

[...]

"They eat children"?

[fairlypushy]

Oh, um. If you light the black candles that come out of the machine, it'll summon child-eating witches. The Narrator took care of it, but he told me and Reyna not to light them anymore.

[forgottenfounder]

...You summoned child-eating witches?

[He frowns, thinking.]

How'd the Narrator take care of them?

[fairlypushy]

We didn't mean to.

[They were just!!! Trying to make a nice memorial!!!]

I think he rules this place like you ruled the Wasteland? Only he has more power over it, I guess, so he just [She makes a dramatic, wizard-y hand motion.] banished them and they were gone.

1/2

[forgottenfounder]

[Well tell him that!!!]

...What? [oh my] I-I don't banish anybody! I also don't wave my hand and instantly make things happen!

[forgottenfounder]

[...His expression quickly turns contemplative.]

Although, I definitely wish I could, especially back when I was still dealing with the Blot.

[fairlypushy]

Really? [She figured that if Mickey could repair all of Disneyland with Walt's pen and the Sorcerer's Hat, surely Oswald had cool magic too.] I just kind of assumed you had a Sorcerer's Hat equivalent and you could do fancy magic with it. Anyway, I think I know why Merlin was having trouble understanding the magic around this place - the Narrator is way powerful.

[forgottenfounder]

[Oswald laughs, but it's in a gruff sort of way.] Ha! No, that's all him. He's the golden boy, you know? Idol of millions, beloved by all? Meanwhile, I'm stuck in a world I have to build up with junk and my own two hands.

[No, he's not still a bit bitter by that. Not at all.]

...Hey, yeah. That's definitely an idea. If someone like Merlin had that much trouble, something had to be containing his powers.

[fairlypushy]

I asked him to try and find out more, but. [WELL.] So I don't know if the Narrator himself is the one messing with our powers or this place itself just . . . doesn't allow for it because he doesn't want powers here.

[forgottenfounder]

Either way, I guess he wouldn't want people with powers as strong as his to just freely use them here. That would mean we could have escape from day one.

[fairlypushy]

. . . Power has a source and powers have weaknesses. I can't move things very well if I can't see them, for example, and Walt's pen contains all his magic. [She frowns, trying to think of anything like that for the Narrator.] I don't know how we'd find that sort of thing out, but I think that's something we should be looking out for.

[Why doesn't Amanda ever mention this sort of thing at the meetings? Who knows.]

[forgottenfounder]

Something that causes magic... Well, Merlin does usually have a wand. [Did he have that when he died? He can't recall.]

I guess we should be on the lookout for magical artifacts then.

[fairlypushy]

He got that weird bag back from Chip, didn't he? Maybe his wand was in there.

[She'd probably have to ask Marnie about that, though, and right now would be a bad time.]

Either way, I think magic is an important clue and whatever we can learn about the magic of this place will be helpful.

[forgottenfounder]

I'd say the library would be a good place to start, if there was anything actually worthwhile in there. It's a shame we don't have a Madame Leona around.

[He'd take actual ghosts at this point.]

But I did find a few interesting books, but they didn't seem magic.