final investigation

[stagemanagers]

[It’s Thursday, and so you might very well expect nothing to happen today. Sure, there was no motive handed down on Tuesday, and the Phantom claims that his patron has chosen to end this show early. But he said by the end of the week; you’ve got a few more days yet before that.

So it may come as something of a surprise when all of the mirrors in all of the dressing rooms swing open simultaneously.

Nobody is there, and there is no announcement. But the intention seems clear. Gather your group, and bring anything you don’t want to leave behind. This means your important items and also your pets! Except for the horse...it seems he isn’t in his stall today.]




(( Welcome to the final investigation! You may all proceed together for right now - we’ll toss up toplevels for the separate groups when you reach your investigation areas! ))

Comments

[heathencall]

[This is as good of a sign as any to get going. Mephisto tucks his new glasses into his shirt, shrugs on his cape and dons his cat scarf. He looks around the room and... after pausing for a moment to think, reaches under the bed and grabs the small telescope charm.

Right. This is it. Into the unknoooooo -- no that's stupid.

Time to step into the space behind the mirror!!]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[HEY MEPHISTO, LITERALLY WHAT HAVE YOU SAID ABOUT GOING ALONE.

Christine had been woken suddenly back in her room, and after a little bit of disorientation that she was, in fact, not outside, had gone to check on Mephisto, since she probably shouldn't go into a creepy mirror passage without a buddy.

She's got her binder, flute, and that little bottle of Red with her, and Lion is snuffling around the room beside her.]

Mephisto! Wait for me! What happened to the buddy system?

[stagemanagers]

[The corridor you enter is not like the one Christine and Nana described.

For one thing, it's well-lit. This is because the walls are lined with golden arms holding candelabras in their hands. As you proceed, the arms will move back to allow your group more space to pass...they sort of just look like actual human arms spray-painted gold, to be entirely honest.

There should probably be some kind of dramatic chord here. Maybe it'll hit when you do something random and innocuous.]

[heathencall]

I assumed you would be following me. [He motions to the other opened doors and mirrors. Definitely not trying to sneak off alone.

Definitely not.

Anyway he's looking at those arms and... easing back a little bit. He definitely looks creeped out. Still gonna reach out and poke one though.]

Are we ready?

[stagemanagers]

[Feels metal? Moves like a person? Who knows, they're probably non-diegetic.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

Sure, sure. If you say so.

[She definitely doesn't believe him, but she pats her pockets. She does in fact have one of Mephisto's feathers pressed in her binder, and a couple bandages in her pockets in case Mephisto had needed, but... she can't think of anything else back there she dearly needs, so she nods.]

I guess we are. You think this is going to lead up to another entrance to the Phantom?

[heathencall]

I don't know.

[In any case, he's moving around so that he's closest to the arm wall. Just sorta holding out a protective arm to shield everyone.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

Well, either way, I've got your back.

[Christine is only a little concerned that her very stylish arm thing accessory looks like the candle holders as they continue to make their way down.]

[likemypicture]

[Anne lets out a little squeak as she shuffles along with the rest of the group-- most of her belongings are gathered up in the tad cooper basket, except Tad Cooper, who sits on her shoulder, and Richard's Crown, which is perched on her head. Tad Cooper doesn't fit in the basket, on account of there being five airhorns in there. One hand has one of the airhorns. This crazy woman is also carrying a whole portrait under her other arm.

She's an outfit 3-peater, now, much to her great shame, wearing her concert gear-- though she's traded her boots for those cute ruby slippers the machine keeps giving her, and she seems to have maybe... been attacked by a glitter-gremlin? That's the only real reason for all that glitter stuck to her.]

They really need to fire their interior decorator!

[heathencall]

I'm sure they'll have to decorate again after you go through here.

[What with all the demon glitter.]

[stagemanagers]

[oh mephisto, honey. both the walls are arm walls.

But it's fine; they just sort of bend to allow y'all passage and don't seem to do anything else. The candelabras seem a little bit heavy for some of them. That's fine and normal!

You proceed down the arm corridor until eventually, you come to a turn and a short flight of stone stairs. Someone is waiting at the bottom for you: horf! Horf is here, ready for one of you to be dramatically bundled up onto his back for two minutes for no apparent reason!

Alternately, he can carry some of your stuff?]

[madgiganticfeelings]

I have to admit glitter would make things ten times better in here...

[Better than the arm things, which Christine has now taken to prodding each one with her flute as they pass.]

[stagemanagers]

[fucking rude, do you treat all service workers like this]

[madgiganticfeelings]

...Why is the horsie here?

[Christine reaches out to give him a little pat on the snout, in the hopes that will cheer him.]

[stagemanagers]

[yay pets!!!!!!! do you have food]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[She has... maybe an apple blossom? Can she feed a horse a pastry?]

Hey little buddy... you gonna help us fight the Wizard?

[heathencall]

[Okay what the fuck.

While Christine is distracted by horf, Mephisto is going to put on his glasses. What do his demon eyes see?]

[stagemanagers]

[Yeah you can probably feed a horse goddamn anything it decides to eat with its terrifying giant teeth. Horf noshes up the pastry!]

[stagemanagers]

[This time, it's just the corridor as it was without the glasses. Maybe with some weird red-blue tinting from the lenses.]

[likemypicture]

[Don't worry Christine, Anne has.... oranges, underneath those airhorns.

No one's getting scurvy on Anne's watch. She begins to peel it, handing a slice to Christine to give to horf, and feeding tad cooper a big juicy slice and giggling as he chomps it down.]

[heathencall]

It already has a taste for blood, doesn't it?

[madgiganticfeelings]

[While it snacks, Christine might check it over, just to make sure it doesn't have any injuries.]

[likemypicture]

[She bumps into him with a particularly glittered shoulder.]

[stagemanagers]

[Horf seems fine! He's all saddled up and stuff, though.]

[madgiganticfeelings]

[Oranges! Christine definitely will feed horf all the orange slices.]