FOURTH INVESTIGATION

[grimgrinningghosts]

[After over a month of all this, all the death is starting to take a toll on this mansion. Maybe with the death that happened just yesterday, you hope that no one else will die this week, but even the most optimistic guests here will realize that's wishful thinking at this point.

Either way, as you leave your bedroom, you will hear strange music echoing through the hallways.

Investigate?]

Comments

[ilovepuppies]

[Star didn't sleep well at all last night, and frankly, she wouldn't have gotten up at all if she didn't hear the music. She wanders out into the foyer, rubbing her eyes.]

Hello?

[grimgrinningghosts]

[There's no response, but it seems like the music is coming from upstairs.]

[ilovepuppies]

[All right, let's see where this is going. Is there anything immediately apparent at the top of the stairs?]

[sixfingeredstan]

[Warily, Ford follows behind Star, peering down over her shoulder.]

[pardonmylanguage]

[Tip is heading up the stairs too.] Is...is it the attic again...?

[grimgrinningghosts]

[Good news? No blood! Bad news is that it's becoming abundantly clear that the music is garbled, like a really bad record player tuned to a station outside their region.

At this point Star should start to at least be able to hear some lyrics as she reaches the top of the steps.]

Isn't the world full of wonderful things?
I have lost so many things, my job, my future

[pardonmylanguage]

Well that's not ominous at all. [Tip is getting snarky now that there's no obvious death.]

[outsidethecircle]

[This doesn't sound ominous at all! Let's try the music room; that's an obvious place, right?]

[ilovepuppies]

I guess somebody just left their music playing?

[WELL, at least nobody died. Let's go to the music room and turn it off!]

[grimgrinningghosts]

[In the very least the music room is body-free.]

[pardonmylanguage]

[Welp. Tip is going to look around for the exact source of the music now.]

[grimgrinningghosts]

[It seems to come from the Billiards Room.]

[pardonmylanguage]

Um...over here. [She waves to the others as she walks towards that room carefully.]

[sixfingeredstan]

[Ford nods and follows cautiously behind Tip, ready for something gruesome to meet their eyes. He pokes his head in the door.]

[grimgrinningghosts]

[The Billiards Room is a wreck, especially now that the pool table has been toppled over. It's very clear that the music is coming from this room.]

And that is all that love's about
And we'll recall when time runs out
That it only took a moment
To be loved a whole life long

[And with that, the music sputters to a halt.]

[ilovepuppies]

Whaaaaaaaaaat the heck happened in here?

[sixfingeredstan]

Jesus, what a wreck.

[His stomach feels tight and heavy; he squeezes past the girls to take a look around the side of the pool table, looking for...well.

A dead robot, if his hunch is correct.]

[sixfingeredstan]

[Ford frowns, and turns out back toward the hall. Slowly, he approaches the open attic door, hovering near the entrance.]

Perhaps in here...?

[grimgrinningghosts]

[The music seems to grow fainter as Ford approaches it. Please don't get your head chopped off, Ford.]

[sixfingeredstan]

....Wait.

[Ford pauses.]

I've heard this music before. More clearly.

[There's a very bad feeling in his stomach right now.]

[grimgrinningghosts]

[Why do you always assume the worst, Ford?]

[ilovepuppies]

[IT'S FINE IT'S FRIENDLY.]

It's not coming from the music room! Where the heck is it?

[outsidethecircle]

[Okay, the music room is free but--]

You have?

[sixfingeredstan]

Mm. It's from a musical. In my world we call it Hello, Dottie!</i<

[outsidethecircle]

[Oh no.]

Oh. Um. That doesn't sound good.