THE MOCK WEEK

[grimgrinningghosts]

[You find yourself waking in a large dressing room, incredibly spacious, but in intense disarray. The bed is comfortable enough, and each room seems to be equipped with a working bathroom and shower, so it's at least livable. But aesthetically, the place has hit the floor.

The horrifying clock mounted on the wall reads 9 am. After enough searching, you'll find a large tourist-y map of the studio on one of the dressers. An ominous note attached to the map with a paperclip reads "12PM WAITING AREA". It's not like you have any choice in the matter, seeing as there doesn't seem to be any way out.

Upon exiting the dressing room, you note a crooked star attached to the door bearing your name. There are 24 others like this, bearing names that you may or may not recognize. A quick tour around the studio reveals it to be in a similar state of disrepair, but something doesn't sit...right with you. Though the place is certainly creepy, you get strange vibes as you explore the building. As you move about the dust-filled halls of the abandoned building, you may spot movement out of the corner of your eye, or hear strange noises from behind you. It's nothing to be worried about, though...right?

At the very least, you'll find some comfort. The projection room and attached theater still seem to be in working order, though you'll have to manually grab one of the reels off the wall and start the thing yourself. In addition, the waiting area and lounge are both filled with reading materials, and the later features a large stage and a microphone. The commissary seems to replenish itself with food whenever you take your eyes off of it, ensuring that we won't be going hungry anytime soon. There are also cabinets full of ingredients and a small kitchen should you not trust whatever your benefactor is placing out for you.

Fortunately for them, the smaller individuals amongst your party won't find a great deal of difficulty moving around. Though their beds remain oversized, there seem to be appropriately-sized staircases and escalators placed about in appropriate spots, so as to make their lives easier. After all, they can't just keep relying on the others to get up to the cabinets and such, can they?

While you're waiting to find out what the deal here is, you might as well come out and socialize.]

(ooc: Welcome to the Foolish Mortals Mock Week! Please follow us on Plurk at foolishmortals for updates, and if you're so inclined, please feel free to join your Discord-inept head moderator as he struggles to set up a Discord chat up for everyone.)

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THURSDAY

[grimgrinningghosts]

EXCECUTION: TURPENTINE ACETONE BENZINE

[notjustanytoon]

[Everybody should have a good night's sleep, especially if they drank Edgar's soup. That should make the announcement that comes in the morning an even more aggressive one. STUDIO LOUNGE. NOW. It's unlike the judge to be so excessively angry, and one can't help but wonder exactly what he wants as they make their way down there.

The room has an air of foreboding that isn't usually present with these things. Largely because the stage has been overtaken. The microphone has been moved aside, and in its place is a large barrel filled with a smoking green liquid. To anyone with an acute sense of smell, it certainly smells just a little bit like paint thinner. The judge appears from the shadows, expression grimmer than usual. His posse shows up behind him, dressed as a herd of cats. Two orange, two white, one gray.]

One of you attempted murder yesterday. Unfortunately, that person's incompetency saved the rest of you. I was served a lethal dosage of poisoned soup yesterday, one that would have likely killed any of you. But because I was the victim of this attack, that person must pay for their actions.

[You start to realize there is one in your group that is missing. Almost as if on cue, Edgar Balthazar appears from the ceiling, dangling from a rope. Though his mouth is gagged, his voice and panic still makes itself known regardless. Anybody who steps forward will find themselves blocked and tased by the weasels, as Edgar is slowly lowered towards the vat.]

Edgar Balthazar. In the crime of poisoning an officer of the law, this court finds you guilty.

[Edgar's eyes go wide as his bound legs touch the dip. They swell up in tears, and his screams become more prominent behind the gag. His legs seem to practically disappear, the colors of his suit and skin seeming to blend into the dip as a mix of pink and white pool inside the green concoction. Though smoke billows up gradually, he doesn't stop writhing even after his heart and chest meet the concoction.

It doesn't smell like a human burning, though. It smells like burning rubber.

He doesn't stop writhing until the top of his head sinks into the dip. With a satisfied smirk, Doom and his weasels turn to leave, leaving the barrel behind.]

[worldstiniestviolin]

[Basil is furious]

How is the Law?! How is this justice?!

[hitontheheadasachild]

[A yelping scream.

That comes from Anna, as she watches, her hand instantly coming up to her face. Wh...oh my god. Oh my god. Was that acid? Was he being--

Her face turns utterly ashen. This is wrong. This is wrong. This is all wrong. This is all wrong.

This is--]

[wannagetsmote]

[Maui's head whirled around, expecting the scream to have come from his toddler. Instead, he spots Anna, and feels the same sort of churning fear he felt for Moana as they faced off against that unspeakable beast.]

[You know, before she went and nearly got him killed.]

[The point was -- Maui? He could handle anything. That was part of being a demigod. But little girls like this?]

Hey, Red. C'mere a second. [Come look at anything but that disgusting mess.]

cw: emetophobia

[whistlenotchirp]

[Mom holy fuck

Jiminy tries to keep himself together. He's a conscience, a moral figure who must provide comfort and wisdom to his wards. He won't look away. He can't look away.

Yet with the overwhelming stench of rubber, the horrible muffled screams, and the entire, gruesome sight before them.... Jiminy Cricket vomits into his hat.]

[sevenvaginas]

... Wh... What is that? [... though honestly if he was trying to kill them all. well. fuck you too, guy.]

[kindaruledatit]

[Wendy... didn't know Edgar like at all, but that doesn't mean she can't be horrified by this.]

What-- What the-?!

[She can barely speak.]

[ilovepuppies]

[Star was all smiles when they're called to the lounge, but that lasted all of ten seconds and her face fell as soon as she sees Judge Creepy von Uglyface. From there, she goes from being confused, to disgusted, to downright horrified as she watches what unfolds.

...She wrenches her eyes shut as Edgar's bottom half disappears. She drops to her knees and claps her hands over her ears, but she can't block out the screaming. And the smell...

Star eventually opens her eyes again, peering fearfully at the smoking barrel of whatever.]

I-is he...?

[Her voice is uncharacteristically quiet.]

[tadaishi]

[On one hand, wow that is a fast-acting acid.

...On the other hand, he just saw a person melted by said acid.]

You just...no one even died, and still...!

[What is he even trying to say?]

[terribibble]

[Dip. Dip. Not like a dip in the pool, like a dip in acid, except he's never known acid to work quite like that. Not that he's thinking all that hard about the finer points of chemistry because a man just got dissolved. Excruciating. The Judge had said excruciating. He can believe it.

For most of it he can't even watch, he just stands there staring at the floor with both hands pressed very hard over his mouth. It's only when the muffled screaming dies off that he manages to muster up the willpower to try and say something.

He opens his mouth and what comes out is complete gibberish, almost like he's speaking backwards. He was already in the middle of a mental breakdown when he showed up and this is decidedly not helping.]

[pinkflip]

[Kim lets out a horrified shriek, clapping her hands to her mouth. As Edgar enters the dip she starts to rush forward, but the sight of it... It paralyzes her. She's never seen anything like this.

When it's over, she can only just muster up outrage, to go with the terror.] You- h-he just melted! That- that's sick!

[trashcubes]

[That is the most horrifying thing that WALL-E has ever seen in it's life and he is going to spend this time withdrawing into cube form to try to get away from this madness, thanks.]

[tonewlengths]

[Oh my gosh OH MY GOSH. Rapunzel screams and throws her hair up towards the ceilings, climbing up to hide in the safety of the rafters. This is horrifying, what was she thinking, that these people might not be so bad, this is worse than anything her mother ever told her.]

AND THEN THERE'S THIS ASSHOLE

[returntodarkness]

[ Meanwhile, Ansem actually gives zero fucks. Instead, he'll just watch through it all, and then walk closer to the barrel when it's all over. The smell is... Strange, really. Pine, nail polish remover, and gasoline all at once. He looks deep in thought for a few minutes. ]

...I wonder... Any other scientific minds, I would like your opinions on what you think this is. I recommend you not touch it.

[defyingfrigidity]

[It isn't just the smell. The way the colors fall away. The muffled screams. Elsa can't get her eyes off his face, the way his eyes widen and the tears fall and the pain and--

She's shaking, and so are some people nearby probably, because there's no way her powers wouldn't be reacting to this now. It's still just a chill for everyone else, but this time, there's.... frost? On her hands? She doesn't seem to notice though, even as she wrings them together.]

Oh g... oh god...

[This... this was unthinkable. And he wanted them to do that??? After this display? That's absurd!

[pardonmylanguage]

[Tip...didn't like Edgar that much, but this isn't what she wanted to happen to him either. She looks shocked as Edgar starts to melt, clapping a hand over her mouth. She...has no idea what to say to all this, though. She just stares at everyone else around her.]

...I dipped my crackers in that bowl... [She doesn't really feel anything, though.]

[wannagetsmote]

[After travelling to the realm of monsters and back countless times, after outliving countless generations -- all which picked a fight with someone at some point or another -- and after thrown into the world the way he had, he should have seen everything.

But this? This somehow manages to surprise him. Everything about it, what he sees, what he smells, even the fear in his gut -- all of it felt wrong. For perhaps the first time since arriving, Maui loses his cocky exterior. What is left is a blank expression and, perhaps, the faint inkling of fear somewhere in his eyes.]

[Mini Maui, on the other hand? He shows no shame in looking utterly terrified.]

[thedukeofficial]

[ HUH. THAT'S SOMETHING, ISN'T IT?

The Duke is... more calm than anyone who's spoken to him might think he'd be at a time like this. Quiet and contemplative, even. ]

Well, isn't that interesting?

INVESTIGATION....?

[ilovepuppies]

[Well, she's here, she may as well attempt to communicate via karaoke machine again. Star powers it up and starts pounding buttons.]

JESS! Are you in there? We could really use some help right now!

cw: heavy drinking

[terribibble]

[So. That sure was a thing that happened. Fiddleford could be productive and investigate, but his heart's just not in it after seeing a man dissolved from the feet up. So instead he's in the kitchen with a bottle of the highest proof whiskey he could find in the cabinets. It is definitely not a bottle meant for a single person and certainly not for a single sitting but here he is anyway and it is pretty obvious he is going to try and down the whole thing.

Look. He wants that memory out of his head, and if he can't destroy his braincells with radiation then he's going to have to do it the old-fashioned way.

On the table in front of him are several pieces of paper, ones he took from the office when he was in there before. In between sips of whiskey he's drawing feverishly -- it looks like blueprints of some sort?]

Some sort of rammin' arm maybe... don't know how much we'd hafta break through... could dig out but how long's that goin' to take, too long, might hit a gas line, too dangerous...

[Hey, though! His words are the right way around again, that's something? Right?]

[thedukeofficial]

[ This sure is a sight, isn't it? The Duke is gonna just sit nearby. ]

Alright, inquiring minds - just kiddin', only my mind - want to know what you're doing here.

[pardonmylanguage]

[She walks up behind him, looking over the blueprints.] Could you build some sort of sensor first? That might be the best way to know what would work best to get us out.

Kitchen

[whistlenotchirp]

[Jiminy is really not sure how to really... cope with that. The smell of burning rubber sticks with him, especially since it practically surrounded someone of his size.

He eventually stumbles his way into the kitchen, after washing himself in a blind panic, looking for something to focus on. Something to distract himself. Something useful, something that could help people out in this dire time.

Oh! Well there's a problem! He'll just hop on over and politely encourage proper behavior.]

Well look at you! Drinking liquor!

investiga...tion...?

[kindaruledatit]

[Following... everything that was, Wendy sticks around the studio lounge a bit longer, just a bit. Doom had left the barrel of Dip behind, and she's just going to approach it rather slowly.

...In case there's any bit of person left in that vicious liquid. But after seeing what it did, she wasn't holding her breath. Except she is holding her breath, because that paint thinner smell is strong.

Must be the stench of death.]