Day 29

[allthekeys]

|| DAY 029: GENERAL The gathering in the Husk Bedroom has ended, and in the late hours of the evening anyone in the hall will see the small party leave the room. Lyhn scoops up the tiny child while Senja takes the Lantern. For just a moment as they make their way down the hallway, Lyhn pauses at the door to the Silk Bedroom, though he does not step inside. The entire group vanishes as the first chime of dawn sounds its way through the house. As the clock begins to chime the hour, the houseguests will find themselves slowly drifting off to sleep. The tiredness does not feel at all unnatural, only that the length of the night has finally caught them. Eventually, all will sleep, curled wherever they find the space. They do not dream. When they wake, they will find that the lower floors are dim and the windows are completely covered with snow. The day is chilly, but the fireplaces have once more been tended to a roaring flame. A few will wake with additions, things changed about themselves or the area around them. Coraline will wake with a bag tucked under her arm; within the bag is the stone she loaned to the Phantasms, a few treats, and an elegantly bound storybook. Giotto will wake in the Ballroom with Lock curled against his side, the child just starting to wake as the dawn arrives. He seems a bit rough around the edges, clothes torn and shoes missing, but is otherwise unhurt. Ben will wake to find himself standing in the snow covered Courtyard of the Fourth House. Someone has forced the doors open, and broken a path for him. He is carefully lifting broken stone from the pile next to the crumbling wall. He seems to have been working for quite some time, judging by the pile of stones next to him, though the stones are slick with ice and covered in snow. The courtyard hovers at negative temperatures, and though the blizzard has stopped, a light mix of snow and sleet still falls from the sky, further burying the outside. The lake is frozen solid, and the area outside is mostly quiet. A small pack of Glass Dogs plays near the heavier gate, puppies wrestling and tumbling in the snow. Tyler crouches nearby, rolling into the game from time to time, his twisted form seeming somewhat ungainly until he starts to move. He has clearly adapted to his short comings and easily keeps up with the pups. The adults are always watchful, keeping an eye out for anyone coming too close. Jack wakes surrounded by snow, each handful carefully packed in place by tiny hands. As he rises from the snow, he will discover that beneath it a tiny mound of items have been left for him. Bits of string, a well worn rag doll, pretty stones that are smooth to the touch, a tiny whistle, a small strand of bells, a dull pocket knife, and an assortment of pretty beads of different colors surround him. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the items, but beyond the snow is an intricate frost pattern of flowers and tiny animals. Directly at his feet, someone has traced the words "We believe" in the frost. A candle, set in a small holder, flickers in the early morning light, shielded against drafts and little fingers. Beyond that is a hopscotch game, crafted from fragile lines of frost. A heavier hand has written just above it "Will you play with me?". Though the snow is piled almost too high to make it in or out of the few doors with any kind of outside access, the Open Hallway remains a viable mode of travel between the second and third houses. A think covering of snow surrounds the bars, masking them from sight, yet someone or something has carved out a passage way through it all. The entire hall is encased in this narrow tunnel built from snow, cutting off all outside light but offering just enough space to make it from one end to another. It has been packed in heavily, and seems sturdy enough to pass through, even if some might find it necessary to duck or crawl to get through the smaller sections and to traverse the slick floor of snow, ice and stone without accident. Anyone who bangs against the low ceiling will be greeted with a light rain of powder from above. Ritz will wake to find that Alina is restless, and seems intent on getting outside as quickly as possible. Though the halls are to low for her to fully extend her wings, she keeps trying to do so. She groans unhappily with every moment spent inside. Lyhn’s Students will wake with a thin white scarf wrapped around their wrists. Though the fabric is light and airy, they will find that it is impossible to remove. It will not burn, cut, or take any damage. It does not matter what they try, it remains with them. Anyone with enhanced senses will find that they almost seemed to disappear completely if they remain still, vanishing as if they weren't even present to the mundane and special senses of any sensitive. Both Masamune and Ami wake to find a a simple white flower tucked into the hair. The bloom, though pretty and delicate, seems somehow full of vitality. Its petals almost seem to be breathing. Aristeo Regis will wake with Winter tucked into several layers of blankets next to him. There is no sign of the Doctor in his office, nor any sign of where the other child has gone. The Doctor’s normal area is strangely empty, even the nurses missing for once. All Mothers in the house will find that their clothes have been changed while they slept. The clothes they find themselves in are those of the Grey Maid’s, the uniforms freshly starched and pressed. Though stiff, the clothes are very comfortable and warm. Whatever they might have been wearing has been laundered and left folded next to them. Blanket piles have been left scattered throughout the house, warm nests perfect for the guests to settle in. The Unnatural Servants have returned, and are quick to cover any tired looking houseguest with a blanket. They move from fireplace to fireplace, tending the flames. In the Blue Kitchen the Grey Maid has found her feet and moves around the kitchen, slowly cleaning despite the obvious damage done to her hand. She whimpers from time to time, soft cries disturbing the otherwise silent kitchen. In the Cafeteria a warm, delicious breakfast has been laid out for them. Piles of food wait to be consumed, though it will quickly congeal in the cold and lose its freshness. By the time noon arrives the food will not be at all appetizing. In the Empty Kitchen someone has been hard at work again, pans of fresh snow being used to make maple candies. Boiling pots of maple sugar sit on most of the burners, and curls of sugar can often be seen cooling in the snow. Someone hums happily in the room, but never appears. The Bakery is also full of movement, though no humming. Fresh pastries and bread are placed on trays, soft cheese, fresh butter and jam waiting in pots for any who wish them. Though not visible, the baker is attentive and no one who is hungry will be allowed to pass without taking a little from his stores. He is quick to provide tea or food to those who enter, his presence obvious even unseen. The children in the Stables have relocated to the loft above it, curled in the hay. One of them has snatched food from the kitchen at some point, and they share bits of pastry and drinks as they curl sleepily in the hay. They are quiet and seem to be on the verge of falling asleep. The Crow has returned, her feathers fluffed up as she presses close to the boy for warmth. The little girl Victoria has woken up in the lower portion of the stables herself. She rubs sleep from her eyes at the same time as any of the other house guests do, though she had certainly not been there before all fell to slumber. She seems somewhat disoriented by the whole thing, though at least not cold: she is wrapped in a woman's jacket, somewhat too large for her, that seems more than capable of keeping her warm. Once she notices them, she looks to the other children cautiously, as if considering whether or not it would be at all all-right for her to join them. Elsewhere in the house her father, Don Marks, has returned from the dead once again. He perches on the edge of a couch in the Wallpapered Parlour, shaking the night out of his bones. One hand rests on his brow apparently to block out what light reaches the room. He does shake it off soon enough, however, rising to his feet and straightening up. He hesitates a moment more before he exits the room, quickly disappearing around a corner. In the Leather Study the bird from the Bird Cage room has disappeared again, no sign of the creature remains save for a few scattered feathers. In the Student Bedroom someone has placed a fish tank. The vessel itself is elegantly carved from a single crystal and kept heated and lighted by some unknown source. The water is clean and clear, providing the small occupant with ample space. The fish within is a delicate creature, almost unnaturally so. Long, graceful fins drift in the water and it appears almost translucent. It is almost as though it has been carved from ice. The fish takes the color of whatever background it drifts next to in its environment, but seems to lack any color of its own. It seems to watch anyone who enters, save the one that has claimed the bedroom. Nothing else in the room has been disturbed, and the new addition seems oddly out of place with the plainness that otherwise dominates the area. All through the houses, someone has taken a marker to the mirrors. The writing is messy and repeated many times, though it isn’t very clear who might have written it. Though the writing is repeated, each of the individual phrases seem to have little to do with each other. Turn Around, Watch Your Step, Don't Close Your Eyes, Open Your Mind, Don't Be Afraid. Though ominous, the words do not seem to cause any harm and can easily be washed from the glass. The wall that had been concealing the Wax Bedroom has crumbled, revealing the door once more. Those who enter will find that the room has changed entirely and that no trace remains of its former condition. The room is warm and inviting, with a large four-poster bed covered with an over abundance of heavy blankets and pillows. The room is outfitted with wood floors and trims, though nothing overly opulent. The light wood makes the room seem fresh and open, and the leaded glass on the windows looking outside fill the room with plenty of light. The closet is full of very masculine clothes, and though many are quite serviceable, they are all very fashionable for a Victorian gentleman. Bookshelves full of old classics and blank notebooks enclose a small reading nook with a writing desk, though the quill pens might prove to be a bit of a challenge for anyone unused to them. There is a small fireplace, which keeps the room generously warm, and gas lamps keep the room well lit. The bathroom holds a large, freestanding clawfoot tub and a large basin sink. The room is cozy, if somewhat small, perfect for a bachelor or a younger son. The Wax Daughter is curled in the bed, dressed in a white nightgown and apparently asleep. Her hair has been washed and braided, and she seems comfortable and relaxed in the bed. Her hand remains closed around some object, but she does not seem at all distressed. The Wax Doll is missing, though one does not need to go far to find him. The Silk Bedroom seems unusually full this morning. Calem, Hana, and Ienzo sleep curled in bed, though anyone who enters the room might need to look a bit harder to even find Calem, hidden as he is beneath the covers between the other two. The missing Wax Doll sits at the bedside, apparently asleep, his undamaged hand clutching Hana’s and his face hidden in the curve of his arm. Like the room he is typically found in, his appearance has changed. He too has been cleaned and redressed, and some of the burns on his face and hand seem to have started to heal. He will not remain in this room for very long, making his slow way back to the Gentleman’s Room as the occupants of the bed start to wake. Hana stirs as the wax hand slips from hers, murmuring something quietly under her breathe. She is the first to wake of the three in the bed, and at first she seems surprised before a serene calm washes over her. She gently pets the hair of the men in her bed while she waits for them to rise as well. Dave is at work at his bar, humming faintly to himself as he works. Whatever distracted him during the night seems to have ended, leaving him ready to face the day. He is quick to supply those who enter his bar with hot drinks or alcohol as it strikes their fancy. Those who know him well might notice that he is wearing an unfamiliar pendant around his neck, but he doesn’t go out of his way to indicate it and it might be that he has simply taken up a new accessory. [ OOC: Comment here if you have any character actions you'd like to note for the sake of plotting with other characters! You can also comment here if you would like to request an NPC that is mentioned anywhere in the update. This will be the last day of the extended update cycle, though Night 029 will still be extended. ]