NOVEMBER TDM + EVENT PT 2

[recollecters]

EVENT + TEST DRIVE

NOVEMBER TEST DRIVE - EVENT EDITION The city of Recollé...  ...is way more crowded than usual. Who invited all of these ghosts? PROLOGUE As the ghosts begin to crowd around your usual haunts and fit themselves right in among your friends and family members, it becomes harder and harder to discourage them and send them away. Several of the people you know have taken a liking to the ghosts and developed attachments to them, welcoming them as a part of your family. In some cases, these ghosts may have even replaced you in your family. Who are you? Were you ever a part of their lives? It's hard to say now. Despite the fact that the ghosts have made themselves comfortable, the death celebrations begin to wind down and everyone falls into routine. Ghosts infiltrate your school and your job and your favorite stores, mimicking stories you've told them to others around them to fit right in. Perhaps a ghost problem isn't the worst problem to have, but the longer they stay the more you begin to physically fade away. It seems futile to try and get them to leave. The ghosts are ganging up together and forming strong packs of their own to take over, and they're ever-so-thankful for everything you've taught them about how to live again. Is there any getting rid of them? It's only on the 17th that things change, and beginning at 9pm everyone in the city of Recollé is blinded by a vision. A large, dense patch of the earth is in the forefront as the tip of a staff strikes down to make the earth crack and crumble. Four separate landmasses begin to float away in the four cardinal directions. A wintery mass disappears to the north, the sea to the south, fiery caves to the east and a lavish forest to the west. Green lightning crackles through the sky and just like that the vision ends. As you gather your bearings, four beams of white light arch through the sky pointing to the north, south, east and west. The lights stretch on forever, but for those who are brave enough to follow the light in any direction you will find a large silver door waiting for you. A welcome mat sits before each door, and a quote is engraved on each door. "Chase your dreams, but always know the road that will lead you home again." These doors just might be the key to sending your ghostly friends on their way after all. I. For those who choose the door to the south, you'll hear the croak of frogs and the chirp of crickets almost immediately. A rowboat awaits for you to paddle your way across a small lagoon, approaching a large manor. It appears gloomy in nature at first, run down and broken, but as you dock the boat the dinginess of the house seems to melt away and a lovely garden appears. The house is spotless and bright, the porch welcoming you ashore and large windows giving you a view into a house that greets you warmly. The lagoon behind you is still and peaceful, and the sound of children's laughter echoes in the wind. Upon further examination, more boats are in the water and little lake-side shanties sit proudly and are stocked with boating and fishing supplies. Despite the fact that you can even see a cemetery on the property to your left upon facing the house, there is no ill-will here. The scent of delicious home-cooking wafts gently in the breeze and invites you to explore the house and this property. This house revitalizes you, and you feel a sudden surge of energy and warmth. Everywhere you go you'll hear whispers of encouragement and kindness in the voices of your most precious people, and as you linger in the house several ghosts will materialize. For those who peer in the foyer, you'll see identical portraits and busts of these figures with brass plating labeling them as members of the Spinnato family, and at the end of the hallway sits a large stone statue. Bearded with a silver crown inlaid with pearls, Phillip Spinnato continues to watch over his family with a soft smile on his face. These ghosts wish to welcome you to their family gathering and celebration. There's always room for one more, after all. The table is filled with hot, delicious food and there are party games set up in the parlor and the garden including a turkey-shaped pinata. The ghosts will be incredibly chatty in this area and extend an invite to all living and ghosts alike, asking questions about you and being the perfect picture of hospitality. It's hard to believe, but it's only when you find a mirror and get a good look at yourself that you find your clothing and your appearance have changed to match the Victorian-esque vibe of the house and you appear to be…a bit monochromatic. There's an easy fix, of course. Though you'll remain colorless should you close yourself off, partaking in the family's meals, one of their games or even just introducing yourself and extending kindness to someone else brings some color back to your face. And for those who wish to spend some time in the great outdoors, the lagoon by the house beckons you. As you peer into the water several golden koi fish swim around and around, taunting you and tantalizing you. Tied to their tails is a box with your name on it and these fish aren't going to make this easy. Will you try to catch them? You may find a surprise waiting for you, a treasure to take home and cherish forever. This is a spacious, welcoming place. The Spinnato family would be more than happy for other ghostly guests to join them...you simply have to lead them here. II. Heading east will bring you to a different door that's almost too hot to the touch, but as you step through the threshold you enter what appears to be a training yard. A large, spacious area of dead grass and thick trees, you'll want to keep your senses sharp. A building lies ahead of you but as you take a step forward…you may want to run. Immediately. Without warning, several traps begin to activate ranging from bear traps, hidden pits, flying tranquilizing darts and more, honing in on you and following you around the area. The path is long and the building is several yards away, but as you fight off the traps and utilize your strength you'll eventually find refuge at a red brick house. The property is fairly large and there are plenty of rocks and wood piles to hide behind, but it will take a clever strategy and quick skills to dodge your way through. The only way out is to get to the house itself, and as you approach a rabbit-shaped bronze knocker appraises you. A woman's voice speaks from above you, though there's no sign of life aside from you and anyone you may be with. "Strength of body is nothing without strength of the brain. Answer my riddle and entrance you shall gain." Entrance may only be granted upon answering a question correctly, and for every incorrect answer the foundation around you grows shakier as though it will collapse under your feet. Think fast. When the house finally allows you to come inside, it appears…normal, almost. A cozy, lived-in home greets you with a fire crackling cheerfully in the front room and two floors of room to explore. A surge of energy settles in your bones the moment you step through the threshold and you find yourself using even less force than usual to open doors and drawers. Is that couch blocking the entrance into the living room? That's no problem for you! You can move it with one finger now. Did you enter a bedroom upstairs and come face to face with a sudden training dummy? You find your agility and speed stats boosted just enough to give yourself an advantage in a fight to defeat the trap and continue on your exploration. Most importantly, you will note that this house doesn't have ghosts in it, but there are several family photographs lining the walls including photos of a woman some may recognize as Dr. Mahoney and photos of a younger Joanne Wiseman with her older sister, Janet. In fact, the house almost looks lived in with bedding and clothing in the bedrooms, food in the pantries, and even freshly chopped wood next to the fireplace. Be sure to look up though. Hanging above the fireplace is an oil painting of a short, petite woman with a commanding demeanor judging by the expression on her face. Curly blond hair frames her features and blue eyes seem to follow you as you explore her home. The diamond-studded gold coronet doesn't seem to bother her as the painting turns this way and that. Georgia Mahoney believes you should consider yourself lucky to have made it this far, but she respects your display of skill. Exploring the property and testing your new skills allows for the insight of the mysteries behind this home. The Mahoney Estate is a training grounds for those who wish to protect those they love and find strength in the more unique places. This is a space in which those who stay here may thrive and grow...but you may have to physically wrestle ghosts through this door and defeat them in combat to pin them here. Good luck with that. III. To the west, this door has vines and grass growing around it and as you enter you step right into a mud puddle. That's nice. Before your eyes are miles and miles of woodlands and rivers and little valleys ahead of you. The birds chirp along in a happy sort of tune, and you'll find yourself approached by all sorts of creatures ranging from deer, rabbits, chipmunks, skunks, squirrels and even bear cubs. These creatures have no ill will toward one another and exist in harmony, circling around you and leading you…away…from the door? Wait, what's going on here? Try as you might the animals are insistent that you can't turn back and you must go into the woods and come along with them. As you step into the woods, something swings toward you, rising from the ground and presenting a two-dimensional set of trees. The animals around you begin to transform into a similar two-dimensional style and the landscape around you appears to be held up by thin paper stands. As you venture through the forest, you'll begin to notice that the pop-up story is familiar to you and you've become the star of the tale. Are you being stalked by the Big Bad Wolf? Are you running away from the huntsman who wants to cut out your heart for an evil queen? Though you may be following someone else's script, you have the power to change your story. How would you change your fate? It's only when you figure out how to deviate from the story that the walls fall away and you find yourself in front of a quaint little cottage. Your animal companions have returned by your side and as you approach the door you'll find a placard engraved in the wall. The name "CAVENDISH" sparkles in the sunlight and the front door opens with ease. It's a one-room cottage with a bed and a stove, but the walls are flanked with rows and rows of books. Fairytales from all over the world are crammed in every free space along with ancient runic books in a language that's unidentifiable. Every now and then, however, the spine of a book will glow with a soft blue color and beckon you closer. Pulling the book out of the shelf, you find that it has your name on it, and a quill materializes in your hand. You're free to put them down, of course. But the handwoven tapestry above the bed of the young woman with dark braided hair and green nomadic clothing will try to encourage you otherwise. The stitching at the bottom indicates that Myrtle Cavendish has never left her home, but the thread begins to move on its own to spell out a message. "Tell your story, young one." Jars of ink in all sorts of color can be found in the cottage as well and the book in your hand is empty and ready to be marked upon. What will you write about? What sort of story will you tell? It would do you well to remember words are powerful things. After you've written in your book, it's only a short amount of time before everything you've written comes to life. The words lift off of the pages and swirl around you, flying out the door and materializing into people, places and things right in the woodlands. Hope you didn't write about monsters or natural disasters. The stories will be free for all to view and to hear, and the only way to banish them is to write from start to finish. "The End." Perhaps this is a great home for the ghostly figures that plague the city of Recollé. From here, they can live out their lives however they want, but you may have to entice them with a story of your own to bring them here. IV. For those who venture through this door in the north, you find yourself inside the front foyer of a large, isolated castle. Dark and cold and empty, your footsteps echo around you as you venture forward. The door disappears behind you and the strangest part of this castle seems to be that there are no personal touches among the area. There are no photographs or decorations, no warm furniture or delicious scents unlike the other areas you may have visited and cleared. Checking the different floors and rooms, it becomes harder and harder to warm yourself up and find your way. The walls begin to close in and shunt you onto a narrow path through the castle, depositing you in front of a door with a wolf emblem engraved deeply in the wood. With the way you've come closed off, this appears to be your only route for escape. Upon opening the door, several other doors open simultaneously and lead you into a large round room. You may have just found yourself with friends or family who have been lost in the castle, too. Large mirror glisten on both sides of the hallway as you and your companions make your way down the path. The mirrors themselves are rather easy to ignore so long as you don't pay attention to your reflection having golden eyes…or moving on its own…or jumping ahead from mirror to mirror to follow you. Strangely, now that you're with someone, passages and doors appear inside the walls between mirrors. If you're not looking closely you will walk right past them to wander the halls forever. The sounds of several women weeping echo the further you travel away from the round room, and though you would think ducking into one of the side passages or doors would grant you some relief it's not quite what you would expect. The room you've entered may be suddenly upside down. You may have just entered a chamber of solid ice. Perhaps you've tripped right into the lion's den. Challenges appear for those who try to cheat and you'll have to find a way to get past the illusion that's been specifically designed to challenge you. Getting past your inner demons sends you straight to the end of the hallway where a shadow-y figure stands before you. Tall and thin with dark graying hair gray and a thin moustache, the man stands in front of a large mirror of his own and presents you with three hatboxes to choose from. The sound of weeping is louder and echoes in your ears, urging you to choose wisely to break the spell and save yourself. Only one of these boxes contains a hammer to shatter the mirror behind the man. One of the boxes reveals a banshee in a bridal gown, the weeping coupled with shrieking and louder than ever. And the last box brings forth a different shadow-y figure...yourself. The golden-eyed mirror version of yourself appears and blocks your way home. These two other options will force you to choose fight or flight to get your way out of the house one way or another. In this home, you can only look out for yourself. Good luck surviving. You may wish to pass on bringing ghosts back here. BONUS. With these four areas touched by your influence and made safe for the ghostly residences of Recollé, they find themselves drawn toward the doors and begin to vacate the city. They'll try to convince your friends and family who aren't on the app to come with them, of course, but it's easy to deter them and let them fade away once they choose a door to call home. There's a rumble beneath your feet as you feel yourself moving, an invisible elevator lifting you up and up until it stops on its own. The scenery doesn't change, but all signs of the death-day celebrations have disappeared with the ghosts and the city is as it once was. Not wanting to miss out on the holiday celebration, Mayor Mayer's quick to make the announcement that there's still time to throw together the Thanksgiving Day parade and begins to pull volunteers to create floats, put together costumes and more. How good are your crafting skills? Looks like it's time to learn how to paper maché. With the city hustling and bustling again, it's easier to catch up with friends and do your last-minute shopping for the holiday. The stores are even more crowded than usual but supplies are never-ending. A feast is being prepared for all in Tribunal Terrace and there are even several members of ReVA offering cooking lessons if you're into that. For the little ones (or even those of you who just like petting animals) there's a petting zoo set up as well along with several wild turkeys up for adoption. Something doesn't seem right about that...but hey, at least they aren't running loose all over the city this year. It seems as though the ghostly patrons have faded away to be nothing more than a memory and Recollé returns to a state of calm. The rest of the month is chilly with promises of snow and preparations for the rest of the holidays of 2018. But even as you go about your business, every now and then the rumbling at your feet continues and everything seems to be shifting a few inches at a time. Welcome to recolle's November's event pt 2 and our TDM! Please read these notes carefully. -All characters who are TDMing will be begin in-game AU'd as Recollé residents. You may use any of the above prompts for ideas or make up your own depicting your Recollé AU! Prompts do not have to be set in the districts listed above. You can review our list of locations for what's available. Please note that TDM threads can be used as samples, can be kept as game canon, and can also be used for bonus points for future item regains. Share a few minor details of your AU, tag around, and have fun! -If you are TDMing this round, please indicate this by including TDM in your subject line! This will help the playerbase know who is who. -For prompt 1, attached to the koi tails are prizes! This would be any small 10-20 point item you wish for your character to regain from their canon (i.e. jewelry, a book, a small article of clothing, etc.) Current players who are claiming their free item must submit the regain request as normal and simply mark this as "koi fish freebie" for approval. TDMers, please see notes below for claiming this! -For prompt 3, stories are not limited to Grimm fairy tales! Please feel free to make up other stories to toss your characters into that they have to rewrite themselves. Likewise, there are no caps on what they can write in their personal books as these effects will not carry over in the main city. -For prompt 4, we leave the choice of which hatbox your character chooses up to you! If you want them to succeed, that's awesome. If you want to have them face their shadows, that's also fine. -For current players, you may claim multiple freebies from this log! These include: -One freebie memory for threading with a character that is test-driving. -One freebie memory for exploring one of the four Founders' estates. All of these threads must have at least five comments from you to be eligible. To submit for your freebie memories, please link us the appropriate thread with the trigger explanation of "freebie." -TDM characters who app in and are accepted before December are also eligible to claim this month's freebies! Like current players, please be sure to submit your freebie regain threads before the end of the AC period. -As a special note, we will also allow current players to use a thread from this event/TDM for their AC proofs! As this ties into a game-event, we are making an exception. However, your other proof(s) (at least ten comments) must come from sources outside of this log. Likewise, as this is an event log instead of just a standard TDM, you may use this log to trigger regains as normal. -Please note: you will need a reserve to apply, and current characters must have full AC posted at the time of their reservation. This means for players reserving second characters you must link us your full November AC, and players reserving second and third characters must link us to your October and November AC! Finally, you can visit November's AU workshop here! Any questions you have regarding this event/TDM may be directed to the mod comment here. Be sure to review the mods' question thread on the plotting post for important information as well!

Comments

[fiddlestick]

Aha, right. Good point.

[Just a little nerve-wracking to think of himself as the one to make the calls...or any calls. But at least Rean isn't putting all the pressure on him, so that's something. And it's cool Rean. You can call him a wizard forever. Whose gonna correct them really]

Just a little...is it just me, or are their eyes the wrong color?

[Pleaaase let him be imagining it (he's not)]

[motiv8]

I... I don't think it's just you. My eyes definitely aren't that bright...

[His are an exceptionally plain brown, actually! Perhaps a bit different than what Elliot would remember.

And... yeah, his reflection is definitely glaring at him. And that is definitely not the expression he has right now. Whaaat the heck.

...And then the thing turns away and starts walking off to the next mirror, and it's all Rean can do to just swallow hard and try to keep himself together.]

I. You saw that, right? Please tell me you saw that.

[...]

Do... do you hear someone crying?

[WHY IS THIS PLACE JUST GETTING CREEPIER]

[fiddlestick]

Y-Yeah...mine either.

[Believe it or not, he has not had a chance to stare into Rean's eyes yet. Maybe later. Right now, he's more fixated by the creepy reflections in the mirrors. Both of them were their reflections, but the eyes were wrong and they looked way more menacing-

And then Rean's walks off into another mirror. Elliot squeaks and jumps back, freaked out]

Y-Yeah I saw it! We both saw it!

[....Yep. That sure is the sound of someone crying. Elliot gulps as he tries to pull himself together. God he can't even do super fake haunted houses at halloween, how was he supposed to survive this??]

S-Sounds like a woman...

[...]

Hold on, I'm going to douse the light for just a moment.

[The light flickers out and is replaced by the blue glow that came from activating his ARCUS. A quick flash of blue, and two glowing shields appear before both of them before disappearing as he casts Adamantite Shield on both of them.

After that, he works on conjuring the light spell again. Give him a moment.]

There, a protection spell juuuust in case.

[You know, just in case something leaps out and tries to STAB THEM]

[motiv8]

[Rean absolutely feels like a small child without a nightlight when that light spell goes out, but he does his best not to let it show. Elliot is clearly freaking out, too – enough to cry out, even. Someone has to stay strong, even if he has to fake it.

...Ah, a protection spell. Good idea.]

Appreciated...

[Even so, he takes a step closer to Elliot. Not out of fear, but almost protectively. He might be the powerless one here, but apparently that hasn't changed his latent heroism streak.]

...I wonder if it went toward the source of wherever that crying's coming from. I... really hate to suggest this, but maybe we should follow it.

[fiddlestick]

Aha, sure.

[Look he's sorry he's just a shouty person even if he's technically the experienced one here. He can't say there isn't a part of him comforted by Rean moving closer, but he is very well aware of the power difference.

Boy, he sure hopes he'll be enough to keep Rean safe. He knows full well his skills aren't ideal for fighting solo.

He swallows as the light comes back up.]

I...I hate hearing it, but it is the best idea we have.

[motiv8]

This whole thing... I'm going to sound like a huge nerd, but hear me out. It's kind of like a video game, isn't it? ...Like a game I'd never want to play, but still. So far, all of the obvious leads brought us here. This is just another obvious lead, just... a creepy one. So if we follow it, we'll come to the end, right? Or at least closer to.

[...And hopefully not a boss monster. Oh, please, not a boss monster. Rean doesn't really want to die today.

Rean starts off down the hall after his reflection, which glances back to glare at him before hopping to another mirror. He doesn't go too quickly, though, so that Elliot can stay close.]

[fiddlestick]

I don't think you sound like a huge nerd...lots of people have made that comparison before. [Including himself...except he's a nerd, so that doesn't help] This does feel like something out of a horror game for sure...

[he follows after, managing to keep back. The shadowy Elliot follows them, staring at them eerily. Elliot's doing his best not to pay attention.]

...Hey, is that a door up ahead?

[He points to a door ahead between the two mirrors. the first door in this weird hallway]

[motiv8]

[There does appear to be a door up ahead! There's a mirror next to it, which Rean's shadowy reflection is standing next to. It looks at them, then glances at the door, then back.

It doesn't really seem to be giving a hint one way or another. It's more just ambivalent, as if telling them to do as they please.]

Yeah. Looks like it. [Rean takes a breath to steady himself.] ...Wish me luck, then.

[And without hearing any arguments, he's gonna go open that door!]

[fiddlestick]

More than that, I'll back you up.

[In other words, he's not going to stand idly by while Rean gets possibly killed. he takes a deep breath and steps into that door as Rean opens it.

Inside the room looks....very normal. There's a few chairs, even a table. In fact there's only two things to note in the room. First at the far end of the room, there's a door that's chained shut with glowing chains and an over-dramatic key-lock like you'd see out of a certain disney franchise.

And the second? Is a portable white board in the middle of the room that you'd see in a class room. The board itself has been divided in half by a line. On either side, is one of their names and an empty number list of three things. There's markers and erasers provided. At the top center of the board, a sign has been posted:

To Pass: Write 3 Nice Things About Yourself.

Elliot stares at the board, stunned.]

...You gotta be kidding me.

[I'm screwed.]

[motiv8]

[Rean also stops dead at the board, just looking at it like a deer in headlights.]

I... what?

[This is their great challenge to overcome? This should be easy, shouldn't it?



...



Why is his mind completely blank.]

[fiddlestick]

[ Elliot too is quiet.




.... ]

Do you think it'd be a good idea to risk trying to break that lock?

[motiv8]

Ha ha... ha...

You're not coming up with anything, either, are you.

[Rean just about deflates.]

Given the weird glowing energy? I'd say it's probably a pretty terrible idea. C'mon... we can do this. It can't be that hard.

[He steps forward, tentatively picking up the marker. When it fails to bite him and looks, feels, and smells for all the world like any other dry erase marker when uncapped, he breathes a little, then reaches up to slowly eke out the letters that make up his first bullet point.

does volunteer work

And that's it. That's all he's got. ...It's a start?]

[fiddlestick]

Haha...nope. Talking nicely about myself is really not something I'm good at according to...well, just about everyone I know.

[Much to their exasperation. But yeah, Rean brings up a good point about the glowing energy. He sighs and mutters a "right right" as he follows Rean to the white board and watches what he does]

- Oh! That's a good one! I do that too!

[He lifts his marker and writes the same thing-- but as soon as he finishes, he gets a little zap of electricity- enough to make him squeak and convulse just a little- nothing too dangerous, luckily.

Another sign appears beneath the instructions:

No Cheating!

Elliot makes a face]

Nngh...that wasn't pleasant.

[motiv8]

[Nothing too dangerous, but definitely enough to make Rean jump and drop the marker.]

Are you okay?!

[The board is immediately forgotten as he goes to examine Elliot for any marks or anything.]

What even happened...?

[fiddlestick]

[No marks on him! Just elliot looking unhappy while nodding]

Y-Yeah okay, it was just a little shock...

I think it doesn't want us to copy off each other.

[motiv8]

"Just?"

[Rean screws up his face in a mixture of worry and disbelief, but sighs. Elliot seems all right, at least...]

You don't need to copy off of me, anyway, Elliot. You're a brilliant musician, you can do actual magic...

I could probably come up with something else if you gave me a minute, but I'm not supposed to be coming up with these for you.

[fiddlestick]

[Look he's been through a lot worse okay]

Um, thanks, though I wouldn't go as far to say I'm brilliant. And with the magic I'm really a novice compared to other people...

[he sighs. Yep. He's bad at this. ]

Sorry, habit. You'll probably have an easier time. You're really nice, and brave. A-Also you're good looking too...?

[LOOK HE'S ALLOWED TO SAY IT IF ITS A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION]

[motiv8]

But you can still do those things. I can't. Those are two nice things, even if you want to be humble about it.

[He's putting his foot down on this!! You're talented, Elliot. And he doesn't even miss a beat with Elliot's last compliment before firing back:]

And your eyes are a pretty shade of green. There's your third. Let's do this.

[He picks up the marker and scribbles out two more words:

nice

brave

He doesn't know if he believes them, but he has a point to prove, here!]

[fiddlestick]

[Blurting out without thinking] C-C'mon, you'll be able to do those things one day!

[So much for keeping his cover, but he can't let Rean diss himself okay!! Not when he remembers that street performance in Roer, or that Rean was an ARCUS user too.

But as he tries to argue more, Rean mentions his eyes which - wow that's a specific detail?? He didn't know Rean was looking that close?? It makes him stop and stutter a little, getting a bit of pink in the cheeks (maybe it's the cold, please let Rean think it's the cold]

...Thanks...

[He swallows. Snap out of it ok. Let's write these things down and get out of here. He grabs the marker and writes:

Decent at music

Useful magic

Nice green eyes

When they both finish writing, the room almost seemingly gives out a sigh- like even the walls think these two are sad and bad at this. But they did the job, so the lock and chain will flash before fading away.

They did it! Pat yourselves on the back if you can stop hating yourselves for 3 seconds, which that's probably impossible so...nevermind]

[motiv8]

Huh? What do you mean by...?

[But oh, hey, Elliot's actually writing the things. Progress! He can bother Elliot about what that means when they're out of this freaky castle.

And... well, even the room is disappointed in them, but at least it's letting them move forward?]

All right. We did it... jeez, I'd always hoped if I wound up in a video game, I'd get a better puzzle than this to work through...

[He sighs, rubbing at the back of his neck. Sorry, Rean, but even the puzzles in your canon suck so it's all downhill from here.]

C'mon. Let's go.

[fiddlestick]

Ah- [crap] Aha, later?

[He'll explain... later! yes! Why do something now when you can procrastinate or something.]

Haha, yeah no kidding. I think I almost would've preferred that...

[Lava or ice levels would've been easier. But he'll follow along. Through the door!]

[motiv8]

Yeah. Once we're out of here.

[Rean seems okay with that answer. Escaping Castle Screaminglady is way more important.]

Right? That was just...

[Embarrassing. He doesn't say the word, out of fear that it'll read wrong and like he's mocking Elliot, but no. It's embarrassing for him, too.

He's feeling called the fuck out right now, is the point.

There's another hallway on the other side of the door, much like the one they went through before. The end of the hallway is dark, but it looks like it can't be that long.

Their reflections stand in mirrors on either side, judging them silently before moving off down the hallway. Embarrassing or not, it looks like they've passed the test.]

...All right. I get the feeling we're coming up to the end of this. Stay sharp.

[And with that said, he's heading off down the hallway, and unknowingly toward the hatbox man at the end.]

[fiddlestick]

Aha, embarrassing? [it's okay, he'll say the word for you and doesn't take offense because it WAS] I hear you ... let's not tell anyone, okay?

[He doesn't even want to imagine the earful he'd get from his loved ones if they found out THAT was a challenge he was given.

He keeps following along, watching their surroundings nervously. At least he's seems to have relaxed some since coming in here. What do you know, bonding or whatever.]

Okay.

[Down the hallway they go! He makes a frown of unhappiness as his own reflection is judging him- come on, shadow self, you know this that challenge was hard! But the hatbox man catches his attention. ]

Who are-

[There's no answer, he's just indicating that they need to choose a box. The weeping can be heard loudly in their ear, urging themselves to choose wisely and save themselves by breaking the spell

Elliot gulps] Oh boy...I don't suppose you have good luck, do you Rean?

[Because Elliot can tell you flat out his luck is crap.]

[motiv8]

Sounds like a plan to me.

[The "Let Us Never Speak Of This Again" plan has been accepted.

Once they arrive at the end of the hallway, Rean looks nervously between the shadowy hatbox man and Elliot. The shadowy hatbox man gazes back impassively.]

Well... given everything that just happened, I guess we can put me as a solid "maybe?"

[Because he's not sure what kind of luck half of that counted as. God, though, it's hard to make choices with that wailing in his ears...]

Um... let's see. This... one...?

[Tentatively, he reaches out to open the lid of the middle box.

The screeching intensifies, and Rean is quick to slam that lid shut.]

Nope! Nope, okay, not that one!

[And so he flips open the lid of the left-hand box, revealing... a hammer.

Wow. That was kind of underwhelming. But he does take the hammer, now glancing between it and the mirror behind their hatboxy friend.]

Hey, do you think this is for...?

[fiddlestick]

[The pact has been made.

Elliot watches Rean nervously make the choice, fingers crossed that he doesn't pick one that has them die. Because that'd suck.

When he opens the first box and the screeching intensifies, Elliot winces because OW that hurts the ears. Thank goodness he shuts it]

- Yeah, nope! Wrong one!

[NOT TODAY SATAN. And then Rean takes a hammer out of another box.]

A hammer...?

[That's..random. But with Rean's glancing, he gets the idea]

...Yeah. Let's try it. The spell should protect you from shards.

[SMASH THE MIRROR!!]