Week 3

[grimgrinningghosts]

[Well, someone took the bait last week, and now two people (if either of them could really be called a person) are dead. Not only that, it seems like your first host is now out of commission and replaced by someone who claims to be The Phantom. While he may not be incredibly worse than Facilier yet, it would be a stretch to say he's an improvement.

But, things aren't all bad! When the guests wake up on Sunday, they will find the stairs in the foyer are now open, leading to a whole new floor to explore!

And there's booze so no one will have to drink vinegar anymore.

28 guests remain]

[SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY]

[OOC: and don't forget to fill out this week's activity check!]

Comments

[downtonabbeast]

Testing it somewhere easy to clean might also be important.

[hasit]

....Good point. Perhaps one of the lavatories? Or else the kitchen.

[She cocks her head at him, thinking about the girl he'd mentioned before. Belle. If she were in his place...she'd want to make sure someone like that was okay.]

If you'd like, I can give you some privacy once we establish it isn't going to explode.

[downtonabbeast]

The lavatories sound best. [Flush the meats.]

...That's very kind of you, Leia. I would appreciate that.

[hasit]

[F L U S H T H E M E A T S]

Don't mention it. I wouldn't want some strange old lady staring over my shoulder.

[downtonabbeast]

[He chuckles a little and makes a sweeping motion with his arm toward the direction they need to go.]

Shall we?

[hasit]

Absolutely.

[she's gonna just follow him up the stairs to that shiny new bathroom!]

Alright, now, explain to me how you activate this thing.

[downtonabbeast]

The Enchantress, for all the damage she did, was kind enough to make using this and the book simple. ["Kind". He holds the mirror out at arms length and angles it just so that both of them can see themselves in the glass.] You simply have to look into it and tell it what you want to see.

[And now time to test it and hope it doesn't explode in his hand.] Show me the wax museum.

[grimgrinningghosts]

[The image on the mirror swirls at the request. It's blurry at first, but soon the Beast and Leia should get an image:

It's the wax museum.]

[hasit]

[Leia watches intently as he commands the mirror to show him the wax museum; she's half-expecting it not to work, but as the image resolves itself, she gasps.]

Well! Seems it's more straightforward than we expected.

[downtonabbeast]

[Beast's eyes widen and he sucks in a breath of surprise. It still works, even here. So he really could...]

Do you think it's safe to try with a person and not just a location?

[hasit]

[She tilts her head.]

Only one way to find out.

[downtonabbeast]

[Alright. Now or never.]

Show me...show me Belle. Please.

[greatwidesomewhere]

[She’s been watching on tenterhooks ever since it was revealed that the Beast had pulled the enchanted mirror from the machine; even if she was dismayed when he didn’t immediately try to use it upon regaining his humanity, she can understand why, after what happened with that poor girl’s head the other day.

But now...now that he's consulted with Ben's mother, now that he's finally ready to try it...she's waiting eagerly in front of the television screen, sat back on her heels with her palms planted on the ground. She's asked the others for some privacy, especially Ben...that's not a bridge she wants to cross right now. So it's just her in the lounge, her and the television...waiting for her own face to show up in the mirror onscreen. She's never been so nervous in her entire...afterlife.]

[downtonabbeast]

[There she is. The most beautiful girl in the world.

When her image shimmers replaces his reflection in the glass there's a moment where he can't breathe. She's there and she's okay. For just a few moments it doesn't matter that he doesn't recognize where she is or that he hasn't a clue if he'll live to see the next few days...because she's safe. For him, for this moment, that's enough for him.

When he finally finds words they're just mutterings to himself. It's not as if she could hear him anyway, that's not how the mirror worked before so with would it now?]

Oh, Belle...where are you...?

[greatwidesomewhere]

[At last, at long last...after so long of thinking he was dead and gone forever, of being convinced she'd never see his face again—even her own death hadn't brought them together—she's looking into his face, straight into his face, and her eyes are so wide that for a long moment she's afraid she'll never remember how to blink again, let alone breathe.

And...and he's muttering to himself, which reminds Belle that he has no idea she can even see him right now, let alone hear him. She opens her mouth, intending to say something witty and eloquent, something that will resolve all their sadness, that will somehow make this okay. But instead, those big brown eyes are filling with tears, and all she can manage is:]

It's you. It's really you.

[downtonabbeast]

[He heard that. Her voice, he can hear her! How did- how could he hear her voice? That's never how the mirror worked before, not in all the years it's been in his possession has it ever added sound. So how...?]

Belle? Can- You can hear me?

[greatwidesomewhere]

[She nods, excitedly, and then brings a hand to cover her mouth, to stifle the sob that wants to come out. She can't help it; she's seeing him, talking to him, for the first time in weeks, for the first time since she'd watched the light fade from his eyes and then woken up in the hotel the next moment.

Swallowing down the lump in her throat, her hand drops.]

Yes, yes, I can hear you. Oh, I—I never thought I'd see your face again. I thought...

[She trails off. How does one explain that they thought their true love was dead?]

[downtonabbeast]

I can't say I'm sorry that our parting wasn't as permanent as I'd assumed.

[Despite everything he can feel a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, completely unable to stop his lovestruck expression. But even with the fluttering in his heart and the warmth flooding his face he has to remember what he came here to do.]

Are you safe? Are you hurt? Where are you?

[greatwidesomewhere]

[There’s so much she wants to say, so many things she’s pictured telling him over and over again in her head, but when she opens her mouth the only thing that comes out is a wet hiccup of a laugh. But the laughter fades from her face when he starts to ask after her.]

I’m fine, I’m—as safe as I can be. You see, I was in a place very like where you are, not so long ago...

[Belle’s gaze drops, unsure exactly how to say this.]

When people die, there, this is where we end up. In Hell.

[We, not they.]

[downtonabbeast]

[All at once it feels like every ounce of warmth is sucked out of him and replaced his blood with ice water.]

...What? [They put Belle in a place like this. They forced Belle through a trial like the one they'd just endured. They sent Belle to-] Belle, what happened?

[greatwidesomewhere]

[If she wasn't already dead, it would kill her all over again to see that look on his face. To know that she put it there, intentionally or not.]

I was...tricked. By a sea witch.

[She glances over her shoulder, like she's expecting to see Ursula turn up at any moment.]

No one's told me exactly how it happened, yet. But I think...she poisoned me.

slides this in here to make 10 comments doop doop

[hasit]

[Leia stays just long enough to make sure nothing goes awry, and then slips out of the room. Best to give the poor man some privacy with this special girl of his.]