WEEK 3

[grimgrinningghosts]

[Karolina and Mulan are dead. The first, and hopefully the last, deaths of your stay here. Hopefully their deaths won't be in vain. Your third week here starts on a solemn note, and the mood here has taken on a significant downward spiral. If it's any consolation (it isn't), you'll find that you have two new floors to explore...even if one of those floors has about twenty STAY OUT signs nailed to it.

23 guests remain.]

[SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY]

{ooc: Don't forget to turn in your week 2 AC! As we're now officially in full murdergame mode, AC from here on out is extended till Thursday.}

Comments

[defyingfrigidity]

[Before everything actually sets in, before everyone can notice just whose body this is, Elsa screams. The blood, the disgusting thud a the corpse drops first on Ford and then to the floor. And then... and then...

That's...

No. No. No no NO NO---!!!]

ANNA!!!

[The first time she screamed had been bad enough. This one was blood-curdling, a scream of such anguish that it almost seems like Elsa's heart is being ripped from her chest. And... well. It might as well be now.]

No no no...! [She drops to her knees, a panicked, almost wild look in her eyes. For those nearby, they might notice the temperature dropping very sharply, to the point where their breath clouds in front of them.] This... no no no this isn't... this can't be real...!

[toogoodforhim]

[He hears Elsa's scream from all the way downstairs. How could he not, the mansion is only so big and after he failed one friend because he didn't hear them when he needed them, he's not about to repeat that mistake.

So here comes running footsteps up the stairs, stopping short in the doorway. His breath mists in front of him, eyes wide as he takes in the sight of Elsa crumpled on the floor, the headless(!!!!!!!) body in her arms.

He has no words. But he has to help. She looks like she was attacked by a wild animal. They have to get out of here before whatever did this to her comes back for more.]

Elsa-

[He reaches toward her without touching her shoulder just yet.

[defyingfrigidity]

[That one touch is like the final tug on a chainlink about to snap. Because the touch is real which means what she's seeing is real and god--!

... Luckily nobody is hurt when Elsa's powers flare up again, but it's impossible to miss the jagged, fast-crawling tendrils of frost growing out frim the point where Elsa is collapsed on the floor.]

This... i-it has to be fake!! This can't be... she's not--!

[toogoodforhim]

[He dodges out of the way (well, luckily it's not dangerous because he...tries to dodge, anyway), and then drops to his knees at her side, unheedful of his white stockings in the pool of blood.]

Elsa, I-I'm sorry.

We've got to get out of here before something comes back. We'll- we'll find her...

[He can't say it, so he looks around. Ford? Wander?]

We can take her downstairs with us, but we've got to go, okay?

[defyingfrigidity]

[Go??? Where??? This is the only place Elsa should be. With her sister, or trying to find her sister.]

I... I can't! Anna is... she's not here...

[She can't even wrap her head around what's going on right now, so... yeah. Her thoughts and words are understandably pretty jumbled right now.]

[toogoodforhim]

[He's reminded of standing in the middle of the castle, of watching the objects that had been celebrating seconds ago slowly stop moving, hearing their goodbyes.

There's no curse that can be broken, now, though. No magic can fix this.]

Elsa... She wouldn't want you to get hurt mourning her. I'll- I'll carry her for you, maybe the host can let us out in the graveyard to- to put her to rest.

Please, Elsa.

[defyingfrigidity]

She can't be dead!

[Even as she's kneeling next to her sister's headless body, she just... can't accept it.]

Anna didn't do anything wrong! She didn't anger anyone or get on anyone's bad side! She... she can't be...

[Yet even as she says this, Elsa's voice gets more and more unsteady. The frost is covering almost the entire area now, and some small icicles are starting to form around the ceiling....]

[toogoodforhim]

She-

There's something evil up here that did this. If we stay up here, we'll all be next - she wouldn't want anyone else to get hurt.

[He shivers, but scoots closer to Elsa as if she's the eye of the storm. He's been left outside in the cold before.]

Come on, Elsa, the Host says we need to get out of here-!

[The sight of the body makes him nauseous, but if it gets Elsa to move he can do it. He moves toward Anna's body. He'll carry her downstairs so that they can...say goodbye.]

[defyingfrigidity]

[Why is he talking like she's dead? She can't be! Not kind, loving, friendly Anna.... this is just a fake, a trick of the ghosts...

But.... but he's scared. She can't ignore that.]

I... okay...

[They can find out what really happened to Anna later... right?]

[folkscallmewander]

[Wander is unable to make a sound. There's black, there's a thump above him, he looks up and there's Ford holding a headless body. It's bleeding, it's not a prop. It's--

Anna.

He jerks back, nearly tripping on his shoes, and pushes Star away without looking away from the scene.]

Star, close your eyes and get outta here, now! [She shouldn't stay around, she shouldn't have come in the first place, Elsa shouldn't have come in the first place. Elsa. Her sister. Why did she have to see this, who did this to her.

The room is getting colder, which Wander attributes to whatever presence lurks inside the attic, but he won't let it stop him from sliding between the two humans to drape an arm around Elsa's back.] Elsa? [She's so cold, his fur feels like it could freeze to any surface.] Elsa?

[sixfingeredstan]

[Ford feels like he's going to be ill. Seeing Karolina, seeing Mulan's execution, those were one matter. This—this butchery is another entirely. Goosebumps form on his skin, whether from fright or from Elsa's powers, he's not sure.]

Get them out of here. [His voice is hoarse. He doesn't even know who he's talking to. He can't face anyone else right now, he can't look behind him. He steps aside to let Lefou and Wander comfort Elsa, and yells into the attic.]

WHY DID YOU DO THIS?

[grimgrinningghosts]

[A feminine voice responds, calling out to Ford in a voice that's disturbingly sing-songy. The sound of a beating heart echoes through the attic.]

Till death do us part~

[sixfingeredstan]

[Ford shakes his head, uncomprehending. His breathing is heavy, shoulders heaving in grief and anger. He didn't know Anna, but he's gotten to know Elsa, and—neither of them deserve this.]

That doesn't make any sense. Explain yourself!

[grimgrinningghosts]

In sickness and in...wealth~

[sixfingeredstan]

I—that, that's not even how it goes.

[Fists clenching and unclenching, Ford shakes his head slowly.]

If you murdered her for her money, she doesn't have anything here. None of us do.

[yourghosthost]

She can't be reasoned with.

[from behind, a chilling hand falls on to ford's shoulder.]

You all need to leave. Now.

[terribibble]

[Hey guys what's going on in this thrOH MY GOD

Fiddleford didn't look at the last decapitated corpse, mainly because that time he had very ample warning. This time there's no warning at all beyond the general impression that something had gone very wrong at the top of the stairs, so when he arrives on the scene and sees exactly what the scene is it sort of knocks the wind out of him. He doesn't scream but he does make a kind of long, high, thin sound like a pot boiling over. Again? So soon? And so violently. That sure wasn't a paring knife and it sure wasn't an accident, either.

Of especial concern is this goddamn idiot correcting a ghost on stuff that is obviously not as important as not dying.]

D-don't -- don't argue with it!

[thetimebomb]

[The moment Sylvia hears commotion coming up from the attic, she runs up there as fast as possible. She remembered how badly Wander wanted to go in there and just how sketchy it sounded to her, and she couldn't help but fear the worst.

The small relief of seeing Wander alive is overshadowed when she sees the body. Oh dear grop she remembers her.

Without thinking, she tightly wraps her arms around Wander in what is both an embrace and discouragement of actually going inside the attic. A very small voice knows that this is selfish, she should be more concerned about comforting Elsa, since her sister just got horribly murdered.

But... she also remembered just last week that Elsa told her that Anna was a lot like Wander, and with how desperately he wanted to get into the attic... well, she couldn't help but see Wander lying in place of Anna.

She is shaking like a leaf as she holds onto Wander, she wants to scream but she's so petrified that she can only say one thing.]

Wander, we gotta get outta here.

[Does she mean the attic or the mansion?]

[folkscallmewander]

[Wander clings onto the back of Elsa's dress as he feels Sylvia's warm arms around him. His hands are shaking from the cold, and his fingers slip more easily than he wished.]

Sylvia--Sylvia, please I gotta make sure Elsa's okay! I can't leave everybody here! [He kicks and wiggles in her arms desperately. He can't abandon everybody when they're crying and in despair, he can't walk away knowing that Elsa lost a sister and do nothing about it. Wander won't sleep until he returns to the attic door to make sure none of the other children see.

He's not leaving without a fight.]

[thetimebomb]

[Sylvia responds by tightening her embrace. She won't let you go that easily, Wander.]

Wander our safety is the biggest priority right now! I dunno how long the ghosts can stay docile while we're up here.

[She understands why he's doing it, and in most scenarios he would let Wander at least try, but this attic is dangerous, and she's terrified that even being near it could be deadly now.]

[folkscallmewander]

Then close the door! So long as we're not inside it we'll be okay! [He twists from side to side to pry himself loose.] I'm goin' once everyone else is! Sylvia!

[His twisting gets more frantic, and he shakes with each failed attempt. He's supposed to help then, how can he help when he's being pulled away, why can't he do anything, how does he feel so helpless to change anything.]

Let! Me! Go!

[thetimebomb]

I can't, Wander! We can help people once we're outta here!

[It was getting harder to keep a hold on him. Why does he always have to do the wrong thing for the right reason? It's what she loves about him but can't he see that they can be helpful outside of this hell attic?]

[folkscallmewander]

[Wander responds with a high pitched noise, like a wheel that has not been oiled in grop knows how many years. And like a squeaky old wheel, his movements stop having purpose and he's jerking around, anything to get out.]

[kindaruledatit]

[Wendy came rushing in when she heard the commotion. The shouting couldn't have been anything good, something about Anna? She knew that person, at least a little. Hope nothing happened to-

She skids to a stop in the attic doorway, the sight of the headless body freezing her in her tracks.]

Is that...?

[No, no, no, no. Not another one, not already...!

Wendy's gone pale at the sight. This wasn't some horrible makeup and a prop head. There wasn't even a head, just a body. Anna's body....]

What... No way.....

[whistlenotchirp]

AGAIN?!

[That was probably not the most considerate response, but everything is goddamn chaos, people running around, and he's struggling to grasp onto any details other than headless body.]