The Halloween Party - Day 7: The Finale

[Goosh NLI]

"With my freeze ray
I will find the time
To find the words to--
Tell you how--
How you make--
Make me feel--
What's the--hey!"

Goosh entered the room, his arms laden with more snacks. Everyone was huddled close together, talking to each other in low voices. The music had been shut off. No one was smiling. Everyone had a faintly scared look on their faces.

"What's the big idea, guys?" Goosh asked, laying the snacks on the table. "Sorry I was gone, I was off getting...supplies. And ellipses, I almost ran out."

[Zylaa]

Zylaa looked over at Goosh, eyes narrowed, for not even the sweet sounds of Dr. Horrible songs could allay her nerves now.

"Long snack trip, eh? I don't know when you left, but Ikkin's gone, Crystal's gone, there was a pill in Crystal's glass, now we've found a mysterious book under the seat and we're trying to figure out what happened to them... and now there's blood in the pond. Or some red liquid, anyway."

For something to do, she started helping Goosh by putting the new snacks on the table... and checked each bowl of food for any suspicious signs as she did so. She couldn't find anything, but that didn't necessarily mean the snacks were okay. At least the ellipses he brought don't seem to be polluted, she thought.

Zylaa thought about what Lulu had said as she loaded the snacks onto the table. It was ridiculous, completely ridiculous, to suspect a NTWFer... but that article about Goosh's shady past had stirred some suspicions. She tried to dismiss those; after all, no weapon she knew of could make people just disappear. Plus, illegal weapon holding was practically a hobby with some forumers.

But as she moved Craig and Ginz's new punch bowl out of the way to make room for the last of the snacks, a thought struck her. "Where'd you get the extra food from?" she asked, trying to keep her voice conversational despite the new twist in her stomach. Craig and Ginz had just gone to the kitchen and back without ever seeing Goosh.

[Goosh]

Zylaa helped him put the snacks on the table, but she seemed tense.

"More people are gone?" Goosh asked, wide-eyed. "That's strange. In fact, Hunty said she was certainly coming and I saw her before I left. She might have said something about the pond, except--red liquid, you say? Probably rum."

He shifted a bowl of cheese sticks. "As for the snacks, I...got them from the pantry. It's on the other side of the house, and I'd like to stab whoever designed this place. I didn't see anything suspicious."

He looked over at the other NTWFers. "Lighten up, it's a party. Ikkin's just moody, I bet, Crystal probably poofed, too. If it'll make you feel better, I'll check out the pond." He moved towards the door.

"But you guys would have to stay here. I haven't checked the yard since I got this place and I don't know how safe it is. You know how these places get. Just relax, try the pretzels." He grinned. "No pills, I promise."

[♥ Lulu]

"Ikkin's just moody, I bet, Crystal probably poofed, too."

"Crystal just poofed? That hardly explains the pill, the book on poison and the fact she disappeared from right under our noses, Goosh. I think you're not making a big enough deal about this..." Lulu said, frowning, before walking over to the snack table and picking up a couple of pretzels. "But...be careful. Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

She was feeling a bit unsure about Goosh, after his mysterious disappearance, but she didn't really want to risk anybody else going missing.

[Nova]

Because we can't very well asplode people who are actually taking part in the event xD Take us as NPC's o'something.

((Well I'm not saying that you should take some of us out or something, but It would've just seemed reasonable for Crystal to even make one or two posts on the thread and then went missing. xD At least that way we could've included her in our roleplay. =3 But its alright, besides, I shouldnt talk back to my mommy. xD))

Nova was about to leave further when he saw people look outside and gawk at the pond, and then Goosh suddenly came in with refreshments. Goosh looked a bit odd, not his happy self as we saw when the guests came through the door for the first time but more tiredlike. He doubted he was searching for refreshments when the kitchen was full of them, or so claimed Ginz and Craig. Although he could have stopped by there when he was finished whatever he was doing.

"Goosh," Nova said to him,. "Were you seriously searching for refreshments? You look like you've been through a lot. And why did you not say anything when you went out? ..What were you really doing?" But Goosh had already gone out the door, and hoped he heard him.

[Celestial]

Celestial quickly climbed back in as soon as Goosh entered the room, letting the sheild fall back into place behind her. She quickly grabbed a glass of water, checking that there was no pill in it first and sipped it as if nothing had happened. All the while her eyes were fixed on Goosh. She somehow doubted that Crystal would have poofed without any of them noticing even though she was right next to them.

"Goosh, before you go I would like to ask you something. One of the portraits...in fact, several of the portraits seem to have been chewed by Meepits a little. Now it could be just nothing, this place is pretty old I understand but the holes were the exact size and placement of where eyes would go. Like I said, it is probably nothing" she said with a smile on her face and casually helped herself to a pretzel. She didn't trust him at all, nobody took this long to get snacks and he seemed to treat the disappearances so casually, as if it was everyday.

Celestial however felt that there was a chance that they were aiming at the wrong man, that Goosh was perhaps sticking his neck out for somebody else. It certainly was a possiblity.

She sat down on a cushion by the window looking out onto the pond and thought about it...

((>_>;; I feel...useless))

[Craig]

"Is that... blood in the pond?"

Craig had been facing the other way, so he hadn't been able to recognize the person's voice, but he turned around at the words. Along with most of the other NTWFers, he hurried to the window.

There was indeed a deep red stain in the water, slowly spreading out under the glassy surface of the pond. But there was no body, nor any other trace that someone had been outside. Not a whisper. "Blood... are you sure?" he asked, putting his hands in his tuxedo pockets. "It could be something else." He thought of the stain on the tablecloth where Rider had spilled Crystal's poisoned punch.

"Red liquid, you say? Probably rum."

A familiar voice broke Craig out of his thoughts. He turned around to see that Goosh had returned, laden with fresh snacks that Zylaa was helping him to lay out on the table, effectively covering the crimson stain.

"Goosh!" Craig said, turning away from the open window. The Yurble was saying something to Zylaa about getting his supplies from the pantry, which--oddly--was located on the other side of the manor. Goosh was waving his hand as he dismissed the disappearances just as Craig approached.

"...I'll check out the pond. But you guys would have to stay here. I haven't checked the yard since I got this place and I don't know how safe it is. You know how these places get. Just relax, try the pretzels. No pills, I promise."

Goosh was walking away toward the door before Craig could say a word to him. Without answering any of the questions that were called out to him, the Yurble stepped out of the room.

Craig turned to the other party guests. "That was odd. He comes and then he goes." He glanced at the cookies and other treats that had been laid out on the table. "I don't see why he had to go to the pantry, when the kitchen is so close. And what was he saying about Huntress?" Craig glanced toward the main doors at the end of the ballroom.

"I thought all the invitees were here already. Do you think it's possible that anyone will be arriving late to the party?"

((Yes, I am totally opening this up to new people. Now's your chance. *poke*))

[Kathleen]

Kathleen wasn't one for arriving late - but then again, she'd never expected to be detained by such strange means. Some would have said, 'lack of reliable internet and RL', but they would have been wrong. Really.

"Dang flaming squids," she muttered, brushing off her cloak as she stepped up the heavy ballroom doors. She glanced down at herself, checking her dress. Immaculate. Good. Burn marks just wouldn't do. She already attracted enough suspicious glances as it was.

She pushed open the doors, and was immediately greeted by a babble of voices. Kathleen blinked, looking around as she slipped inside, trying to be inconspicuous about it. She recognised a lot of the people there: Craig, Cele, Nova, and part of what she was sure was Goosh, disappearing out the door.

It didn't look like a happy party. Kathleen was immediately intrigued.

[Deleted]

((Gah. I should have expected this of a Splatterboard roleplay, but this moves quick!))

"Is that... blood in the pond?"
Hunter didn't go and look. Blood was not something he could deal with. Luckily Glitchio offered a solution. "Hunter, how about I get a sample of the pond water to examine?" Glitchio popped an empty flask out of his spacesuit. "Look, Celestial is opening a hole in the barrier." Glitchio ran out the gap to the pond. "That wacky program..." Hunter muttered to himself.

Glitchio knelt down at the pond, and got a small sample. "I will need some time to examine the properties of this. This could be anything from blood to rum to colored Brain Bleach for all I know." He swept the mysterious substance back into his suit. The swirling fog from the dry ice was still around him. "Useful or not, this is getting a bit annoying." He said to himself. He headed back into the manor to set up his testing station.

((Hey, even a mage has limitations compared to a Spacefleet scientist.))

[Ian Wolf-Park]

Lupehunter was already suspicious of Goosh, thanks to his strange behaviour. He had dismissed the red liquid in the pond as rum, but to Lupehunter, it looked more like blood.

However, what was surprising was the fact that Kathleen walked into the mansion, even though there was supposed to be a barrier surrounding the mansion. Unless, it was similar to a one way mirror.

"Kathleen, do you mind heading out again? There's something that I need to know. We'll explain later" he said

((Kathleen, it would be best if you read the pages prior to you entrance. That way, you'll understand the story a bit better and you're also caught up with current events))

[Kat]

Kat sighed, weaving in and out of the shelves of the library. It didn't take her long to find the magic section; she loved lurking there when she had nothing better to do. She scanned the spines of the books, trying to look for something useful - and tripped over.

Well, that was extremely useful.

Actually, it was - there was a book lying on the floor. When she picked it up, it felt wet - and she caught the familiar salty, sour scent.

The tome, though not dusty or old, was spattered with blood.

* * *

Kat ran all the way back in time to hear the commotion about blood in the pond. Somehow, after seeing the book, it didn't surprise her. Still, it made her blood run cold. "D-do you think this book has something to do with it?" She held it up, and it dripped blood on the floor as well. "I don't think a paper cut can be this serious."

[Goosh]

Goosh paused as, before he could leave, he was barraged by questions.

He gave a slight chuckle. "Man, you guys sure get into the spirit of Halloween. We're jumpy tonight, aren't we?"

He responded to each question in turn. "Lulu, Crystal's a ninja, remember? I'm positive she's playing a prank on us and you're falling for it easily.Really, Nova? I was getting snacks, and you're being silly. And if you remember, I did say something."

He started to leave again, but more people noticed him. "Celestial, I'm pretty sure there's a rogue nest of Meepits, and they're worse than Crystal. C'mon, settle down."

He stepped back into the room. "Obviously you guys are spooked. I don't see why." He gestured to the chairs and snack table. "Enjoy the party. I took a lot of effort in throwing it for you, too. And you trust me, right?"

[Kat]

It was then that Kat realized that Goosh was back. Dropping the bloodied book, she drew her wand and placed it against his throat.

"We're more than just spooked. People are disappearing. This is serious," she whispered just low enough for everyone to hear.

[Goosh]

Urk. Threats of bodily harm.

"You know," Goosh said conversationally, "this is like that Halloween a few years ago when...oh, um, nevermind actually."

Getting rather annoyed, he pulled Kat's wand away from his throat. "I go to great lengths to throw you guys a party and you get all chicken when people get lost or spill punch?" He pointed to the punch on the table, which was indeed a bloody red. "Is there no gratitude?"

[Rider]

[glow=red,2,300]Goosh was behaving peculiarly. It didin't take a detective to figure that much out. Ikkin and Crystal were friends of theirs. And now Hunty was gone too...

And yes, before you ask, Goosh had gotten that pond specifically installed. An ornamental red herring pond. He was very proud of it.

"Goosh, I understand you're doing a lot of renovations to this old house," Rider said, hoping to catch the Yurble off-guard. "Fixing the plumbing, painting these old walls... you'll be sad to know that your red herring pond and ornamental fountain has been severely damaged."

And the fountain kept pouring crimson liquid...[/glow]