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

[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.