Ditto Town Mystery Mansion

[Bookwyrm]

"Does anyone have a phone or a subspace radio or something like that? Magic vision crystals? What about telepaths? If we could talk to someone back home, they could send a ship to get us. If we're still in the same universe, that is," Anna suggested.

[stargazer]

Subspace radio? Telepaths?

Dan’s practical side boggled at these suggestions, though he was well-read enough to be familiar with such things – purely theoretically, of course. At the moment, however, he was focused on what Delia had said.

“No fuses? That would explain why the power is out. But how would someone remove them, with all these people around? And why? Now I’m more curious than ever.”

[PrinceCor004]

"The fuses were not gone, the whole thing was missing. Fuses, wiring, the whole deal." Neal said in response to the other man. "And not removed either, more like they were never there to begin with."

[narnianerd]

Jeff rolled his eyes.

"Considering the fact that we've been dropped into some sort of dead planet, I doubt there is even a power grid to hook into. Nuclear-Ion reactors don't grow on trees, you know."

[Delia Death]

"It truly is so cute how you think you know what you're doing," Delia said, turning away and starting to head toward the basement stairs. "Come on, Dan, I'll show you where it is and you can give your professional opinion on it."

She stopped, then stepped toward the mirror in the entry hall, glass crunching under her boots.

"The mirror is gone," she finally said. "It's been replaced."

Delia reached forward and pulled on one of the few remaining shards of mirror that were in the frame.

"It's a map," she finally said. "Or a child's drawing. Or a map. Or a child's drawing of a map. But it's...us. Look at it."

[PrinceCor004]

"My Home...." Neal said slowly as he examined the drawing where the mirror used to be. The paper was old, though in very good condition almost as if it had been preserved.

"Well, this isn't creepy in the least."

[narnianerd]

"You got that right son," said Jeff, ignoring Death's previous comment. The truth was that he only became a cop to help pay for college and nothing he had ever done in life had even come close preparing him for the insanity that was in the job description. Death was right, he was just a normal guy and truly had no idea what was going on.

He just wished that people would stop pointing it out.

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

"I must say, I've never seen such a terrible piece of artwork," said Cynthia Ridley, coming up behind the three and making them jump. "It does not speak to me at all. And I am something of a connoisseur of paintings and the like, too. It's an awfully dreary piece, what with all of those sad, dead trees. I suppose they're supposed to symbolize the ravages of locust swarms. I would know, since one of them ate my seventh birthday party. I told Mother I didn't want it to be outside. But really, the mirror was much prettier and far more functional," she finished as she smoothed her carefully coiffed hair.

[Delia Death]

"Well, never mind me," Delia muttered. "Apparently telling the masses will just inflict us with the scourge of art critics, not a riot as previously expected."

[stargazer]

Dan forced down a snicker at Delia's reply to Cynthia, who looked as elegant as ever despite the evening's odd events.

He looked at the map but had little to offer. The timing of the mirror breaking seemed suspicious to him, coming after the power outage and earthquake, and at a time when the map could be found. "Who drew this, I wonder? Someone who must call this alternate version of the Mansion home, I guess, since the trees are dead in the picture." No doubt someone might suggest he was stating the obvious, but you never knew what trivial observations might be helpful later on.

He turned back to Delia. Jeff and Neal's remarks regarding this place might be right, but he wanted to do something...anything. "I can't make any claims as to this planet's power grid or fixing the fuse box, but I'd be glad to take a look at it anyway."

[PrinceCor004]

"I think I would have rather had a riot..." Neal muttered under his breath as the familiar ongoing whine of Vegan Lady continued to discuss the merits (or lack there of) of the creepy drawing they had found.

With Dan's admittance of wanting to still take a look at the fuse box, Decker gave a slight shrug and walked towards the basement door. "Follow me, then..." he added with a gesture to Dan before taking out his lighter for the journey below.

Anything to get away from Cynthia at this moment.

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

"Just be glad that I only criticized the art and not your attire, Miss Death," said Cynthia, resting a pair of stern eyes on Delia.

She then turned to the least scruffy-looking member of the party, a man with a name tag that read DAN BAXTER. "I would be most pleased if you would take a look, Mr. Baxter. The darkness is making me quite concerned about bats."

Cynthia slipped a bejeweled and bangled hand through Mr. Decker's arm, saying with a nod, "Please lead on, my good sir."

[PrinceCor004]

"I would be most pleased if you would take a look, Mr. Baxter. The darkness is making me quite concerned about bats."

"If only we'd be so lucky..." Neal sighed before suddenly feeling an arm slipped through his. Expecting Delia, the Darkling glanced down to see... her. This was not going as well as he had hoped it would.

With gritted teeth Decker led the way down into the basement. After some shrill shrieks regarding cobwebs and furniture stacked to possibly resemble animals, the trio finally made it to where the power box was.

"Here you are, Mr. Baxter."

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

Their little promenade was going perfectly swimmingly until Cynthia bumped into something... furry... standing near the power box. She slowly looked up and found herself staring into a pair of glassy eyes. It was a taxidermized llama, but Cynthia may or may not have realized it was dead and stuffed.

Reeling back with a shriek that could shatter glass, Cynthia threw her pale arm over her eyes, crying, "No... it's all coming back to me... the petting zoo... the horror!"

"LISETTE!" Cynthia cried, taking the steps to the next level by twos. "They have a LLAMA FARM in the basement! This is surely against code!"

[Captn. Peregrin]

Mr. Quigley Earnest Dint followed the others downstairs. "I'm afraid my companion has run off. She can see well enough in the dark, but I can't, and neither of us know this place well."

"Poor old thing." Mr. Quigley Earnest Dint patted the llama, releasing a cloud of dust and llama hair.

[Delia Death]

"Ooookay, people are spreading out just a bit too much for my tastes," Delia said, moving to block the passage down the the basement. She stepped down the first few steps to grab Mr. QED and forcefully guide him back up into the entry way with everyone else. "Let's head back into the dining hall, shall we? Come away from the doors and windows, watch for the glass, and find yourself a seat. And be careful not to drop any candles!"