Afterparty? Catherding?? .........Afterherding?????

[aboyandhiscar]

[As soon as they're let out of the trial area, Mike makes a beeline for lounge and kitchen. Why, becomes apparent, because soon after, the room furniture in the lounge is arranged in a circle, with a seat for the all the remaining guests.

There's also a pot of coffee and soda cuz it's been a long fucking day. Maybe there are cheezits too, I don't know, a seventeen year old boy put this together. There are pizza rolls probably.

IN ANY CASE, hope you had enough time to flop and mope because Mike's knocking on every door and telling folks to meet in the lounge--if they aren't in their rooms, he'll slip a note under their doors. Once gathered, he skips straight to the point.]

I know it's been...a rough couple days for all of us, but we can't rest just yet. Especially not after that.

Before anything else can happen, we need a plan. How do we get to our friends, and how do we get them back?

And has anyone gotten any more weird notes lately?

Comments

[aboyandhiscar]

And you trust this guy, yeah?

Getting outta of this dumb mansion is easier said than done, though. That just puts us back to day one.

[defyingfrigidity]

I do. He was... different than the Host. He seemed very upset over what was happening, and he sounded honest when he said he wanted to help us. He was the one that told me that our friends are in the underworld, and that Hades was the man we have to face if we want to save them.

[And he didn't try and talk her right into agreeing to accept his help. He just... comforted her. It was like the good days with her father, when he was much less stern when helping her with her magic.]

I... haven't explored this mansion as much as other people have, so I'm not sure how much help I could be with that.

[aboyandhiscar]

Hey, you've at least got us set on a path, that's help enough. Just leave the escape plans to us. . .somehow.

[defyingfrigidity]

... Do you think we might find a new area that could give us some sort of clues we're missing? If some of us found those journal pages in the vending machine, then there must be some clues hidden around here that could help us even more.

[After all, with each murder, it seems like more of the mansion is revealed... maybe they'll get lucky for once.]

[aboyandhiscar]

I mean, maybe the slot machine might give us something. But a new area? That, I'm not so sure about.

So far every new room is just another place to murder someone.

[defyingfrigidity]

[Mmmmm she really doesn't want to believe that, but considering each new room that's uncovered has been involved in each new murder in some way.... it's hard to argue against that.]

But there has to be something we're missing... we can't just rely on pulling something from that machine and getting all the answers there...

[aboyandhiscar]

Nope. So we need to rely on our strength and wits. Maybe there is a room we can use, but it's not gonna just be there for the taking--we're gonna have to make a way outta it.

Did you have one in mind?

[defyingfrigidity]

[She shakes her head.]

No... the only thing I can think of is that if there is some way out of this place, it would be inside. The magic that keeps us from running too far away when we're outside in the graveyard... I don't think there's a way to get past that.

[aboyandhiscar]

Well, that's something. We just gotta find a weak point in the room to break through--[wait a dang minute.]

. . .

I've got an idea, but don't think you'll like it.

[defyingfrigidity]

[.... Well that sounds ominous.]

What do you have in mind?

[aboyandhiscar]

[He takes a deep breath, looking away from her.]

. . .

The attic.

If there's any weak point, any where to get out--it might as well be where something we barely know about is lurking around.

[defyingfrigidity]

[.... If it's possible to see a person physically lock up... yeah. That's what would be going on right now. God, she hasn't gone anywhere near the attic since Anna died, and just the idea of going back up there makes a sick mix of anger, self-loathing, fear, and sadness bubble up in her gut. She hates that the room hasn't been wrecked, barricaded, cut off completely from them...

But... she knows he has a point. They've all spent enough time in the mansion to get a good feel of each of the rooms... except that one.]

I'm not going up there.

[She sees Anna's corpse falling out of the door enough in her nightmares already. She doesn't need to have flashbacks in her waking hours, too.]

The door is open, but... how do we know the ghost isn't up there anymore? It could be waiting for one of us to sneak around up there again...

[aboyandhiscar]

I wouldn't ask you to.

[He huffs, rubbing at his neck awkwardly. He did noooot want to dig up bad memories, but. . .]

We don't know if the ghost isn't there, but if it is, well. That means it's the one spot ghosts are getting in and out, yeah?

[chainbroke]

B-but... that's really dangerous!

[ It doesn't affect her anywhere near as much as poor Elsa, but Naminé still pales significantly. ]

[amadeusrockette]

If we only send people who can defend themselves, that would probably be best. [It won't be completely safe, but.] The rest of us can . . . search the casino for parts Mr. Pines needs instead!

[Surely if her keyboard can fix a robot, slot machines must contain some useful parts.]

[chainbroke]

[ She relaxes, just the smallest bit. ]

I... guess so. Still, maybe... we should have some sort of alert, so if they get into trouble, we can try to help.

[defyingfrigidity]

[Hmmm...]

You... might have something there. [She hesitates, because... she realizes she hasn't really told anyone else about this yet.] I've spoken with another one of the spirits here, a few times. But once that door was opened, I haven't been able to talk to him since.