The Grand and Splendiferous Ghost Log of 2013

[pig_and_pepper]

Who: The Ghosts of Years Yet to Come and YOU!
Where: Anywhere. Everywhere.
When: December 15th - December 25th
Rating: G for Ghosts, Proceed With Caution!
Summary:

• This log is intended to give everybody a good overview of where in Wonderland which ghosts can be found. It can be used as a reference for other posts, or to thread encounters too short to warrant their own entry.

• To help browsing all ghosts easily, please put [Name of Ghost Character] - [Location of Ghost in Wonderland] into the subject line, so everybody can immediately see who they'll encounter, and where.

•If you have any more questions about the ghosts, or the Christmas event in general, go ahead and post a comment to our Q & A thread!

• In short, STEP 1: Posts with ghosts! STEP 2: ?!?! STEP 3: PROFIT!

The Story:

And so it begins.

Throughout the mansion faded images will flicker in and out – ghosts of Wonderland's future. These ghosts can be of anyone, from any point in the next five years. They will play on repeat, as Wonderland's Chess Piece Ghosts have in the past, and they will offer brief glimpses into the future for anyone who witnesses them.

They cannot be stopped, and the images cannot be changed or altered. This isn't to say that the future can't eventually be changed, of course, but there is nothing that anyone can do over the course of this event that will change the contents of these imprints.

Comments

Aziraphale's - The Dining Room

[manicuredangel]

[Aziraphale appears, angry, tartan trousers tattered and tweed jacket torn. There is blood pouring down his face from a cut in his hairline and several bloodstained patches on the remains of his clothing. His wings are outstretched, huge and feathery and white with little black speckles everywhere, kind of like a snowy owl's wings. And his is bearing a sword. It's not just any sword. It's large and simple and on fire. He shouts something in enochian (for those able to understand angelic language, it translates to, "This ends here, beast.") and lunges forward with a huge burst of speed (thanks to his beating wings), leaps into the air with his flaming sword ready to plunge into whatever it is he's attacking. But he's knocked back against the wall before he can do any damage to his victim and the angel goes slack and fades from view.]

[thepointisdolphins]

Crowley stumbles on the scene entirely by accident. The first play through sends him reeling back against the wall, one hand covering his mouth.

By the third play through his back is to the wall and his hands have been shoved in his pockets.

Five minutes later he leaves the room, hands in pockets, face completely blank.

[James Potter, Souji Seta, George Lass, and Remus Lupin] - [6th Floor] - [cw: gore/death]

[pottershotter]

[The overall party had split into small groups - it was the safest way, they were sure. James himself had been boastful - of course they'll be safe under his leadership! ...But, that was before the Jabberwock caught up with them.

It happens much too fast. Once minute they're all running down the hall, and the next there are fewer footfalls and a shout from George and he turns.

There is the Jabberwocky, in all its sharp-toothed glory. There, in its jaws, is Souji.

And there, on the ground, is the other half of Souji, bleeding into the carpet.

James freezes, petrified. Unable to look away from the carnage, unable to even process it as something real. The others are shouting again, frantic, but he can't seem to hear them. His feet won't move, and he's not sure he's breathing. All he can feel is his stomach sinking. He's nauseous.

Then he can feel himself being pulled - by Remus - and something snaps in him. He tugs against him, shouting.]

Souji! Souji!

[But Remus pulls harder, and even though James fights him the whole way, screaming Souji's name. He can hear things vaguely, like He's gone, James and James, I'm sorry, we have to go and we can't stay and it's coming; go!, but they all sound so far away.

Then they're running. Being chased. James is stumbling, and Remus has a tight hold on him. The ghosts of James and Remus phase through a nearby Mirror, disappearing to safety.

George isn't as lucky. A few steps behind Remus and James is a just few steps too close to the Jabberwocky.

It lunges.

...And then, the whole scene flickers and begins again, with the four of them running down the hall.]

[infelix]

[It's surreal, watching himself in the scene playing out. An out of body experience, terrifyingly similar to viewing a pensieve memory, except what is playing out for his view is not a memory. It's something that hasn't happened.

Not yet, at least.

He knows the look and desperation James is wearing well. He wore it himself for a long time after learning of his and Lily's deaths. After losing everyone that mattered to him, in one way or another. And he sees the loss on James and feels it like his own, brand new again.

By the third time it flickers around, Remus can only watch the jabberwocky and Souji. They didn't know each other well, not yet. But he was James' friend, and that made this all the more painful. Hadn't they all suffered enough? It takes him a while to pull himself from the loop, feeling numb and hollow. These images were draining as a dementor's touch, and even the chocolate he pulls from his pocket offers little relief as he forces himself to leave. Stiff, slow steps to the fading background of James' desperate voice calling Souji's name.]

John Blake - Various Locations

[oversight]

[H.G. Well's Room - Closed to HG]

[A ghost of John Blake appears from somewhere late in the first year. He's dressed in all black, wearing body armor that covers him from the neck down. A cape trails behind him as he crosses Helena's room, and in his hands he carries a cowl.

It passes from Blake's hands to Helena's hands. Her expression is one of amusement, but John's doesn't seem quite so pleased. He asks for her assistance once more, and she agrees to put her mind to the problem, but in the meantime, she has something else to show him.

The scene ends and begins again before Wells can pull anything from her desk.]


[The Grounds]

[In year one, John Blake is celebrating his third Christmas in Wonderland. He's by himself, out in the snow, and he's working on some sort of snow fort project. The wall he's mounded up is nearly two feet tall, and behind is a stack of pre-made snowballs, arranged like they're ready to go into a cannon at any moment.

As it stands, he's at the wall, creating tiny snow soldiers. Each one has its own flair, much like those being built every year in the Calvin & Hobbes comic strips. The loop is fairly long — close to two whole minutes — and in that time, John's able to add three soldiers and step back to appreciate his work.]


[The Library]

[From the beginning year two, the image of two ghosts flicker near the library stacks along the far wall. The loop is short, maybe only thirty seconds, but it's basically seamless.

Blake leans heavily on the arm of the couch, flipping idly at the page of some paperback. Stretched along the couch, casual as he pleases, the demon, Crowley, lays with his head on Blake's lap. In his hand, a glass of alcohol is cradled against his chest.

They're silent, mostly unmoving, and completely comfortable with the proximity between them.]


[The Kitchen]

[The spread in the kitchen is from some time in the second year. There's a birthday cake, but the name's already been eaten off of the confection. Many people are gathered, and Blake is among them. He's wearing a party hat and a smile the whole time.

As the scene plays on, something distracts Blake and he's quickly at the side of the table, snatching a little gray kitten from the center of the half-eaten spread. It gets cradled against him in such a way that's uncommon for John Blake. He smiles, presses his face into the small ball of fur, and then turns and disappears as someone calls him in their direction.]


[Blake's Room - Closed to Crowley]

[From late in year two, a very private moment that Blake is glad happens to be contained to his bedroom on the fourth floor. Locked in an intimate embrace with Crowley, the two men offer an impressive display of rucked clothing and passionate kissing that is probably a rival the cover of near any romance novel.

No words can pass between them — their mouths are too occupied — but they certainly don't seem to need any coaxing to push forward. The loop is a minute, a whole minute, and it starts at one end of the bedroom, pushes along the wall, and ends on the other side of the room. Luckily, the state of undress by the end of it is enough that no one privy to the image has to see too much, but it's entirely clear what's going on, and where the scene is going.]


[Random Tea Room]

[Very close the the end of year three, right before the trip into the Core, a ghost of John Blake silently pores over plans. Everything he can gather is laid out in front of him, and while the majority of it is unreadable thanks to the ghostliness of the image, it might be clear that a good portion of it has been angrily scratched over with a pen.

John sits with his hands in his hair for thirty seconds, and when that amount of time has passed, he pushes up from his chair. The chair falls back to the floor behind him, and Blake shoves everything from the surface of the table in a fit of uncontrolled anger.

For another twenty seconds, he stands there panting, hair and eyes wild as he stares off at nothing. And then his shoulders drop and what can only be described as a profound sadness settles on his features.

Without a word, he paws a hand across his face and crouches to begin the slow process of picking up the pieces, even if it's too little and too late for him.]

[goesdown]

[ Crowley knocks loud and fast on Blake's door. He's just come from the library where there's a rather interesting ghostly image of them canoodling and he's not quite sure how to take it.

For one thing, when he said he liked Blake, he pictured heated fucking and otherwise their usual prickly, yet enjoyable friendship, not... not that. He's at least moderately sure that he doesn't want whatever that was with anyway.

And for another, he can already tell that he's going to get blamed for this and as usual, he didn't do it. ]

[The Once-ler] - [Edge of the Forest]

[thneedifestdestiny]

[If anyone ventures near the forest, they'll hear music - the strum of a guitar. It's repetitive chords, but the song itself is very sad and soulful.]

The clock says 5:09;
it's a cold and rainy day.
How in the name of God
did things wind up this way?
I hear the mournful cry
of a tugboat in the bay.
I can't figure out
what to think or say.

[The Once-ler is laying against a rock, playing his guitar. For someone who's normally pretty carefree, he looks just as worn-down as everyone else. He strums a little harder and puts even more soul into the chorus.]

And I know it's all gone to hell.
Who's to blame? I can't even tell.
For a while, it all seemed so well.
But it's clear that it's all gone to hell.

[...What? It's something to do.

He plays the song through to the end, and then the image flickers out and he begins again.]

I AM NOT HERE

[itsahotone]

[BUT EEEEEEEEEEEEE THAT SONG YAY LONESOME TRIO and did you know of that song before or did I share it?? >.>]

Philip - The Bar

[radiopalkiller]

[ Philip -- the flickering image of Philip -- slams an empty bottle of whiskey down on the counter. If razors and scissors stopped being a thing, then this would definitely be him. Too much beard, too much hair, and too little sleep. Sewing kit probably couldn't hurt those tatters either, but with the transparent flicker it's hard to tell. ]

Would you listen to me for one bloody second? I had tunnels not even a third the size of those corridors, I had dynamite at every corner, you heard the basement collapse, and I still thought I could feel that thing snapping at my heels, I'm telling you, it's not going to work!

[ Another ghost moves, only a silhouette, a broken image. Words crackling like static, and whatever was said, or whoever said it, they didn't make it into this projection. The only clear sound is Philip's incredulous laughter, and the click of a another bottle being uncapped, and all but emptied already, gulp by gulp.

Half the argument plays on. Static. Words. Static. ]

I know that, y-- no, I know they can, they probably-- yes, but that doesn't matter, and you know it, and do you seriously need me to start going over every single time you thought--

[ There's a long pause. An utterly silent pause, without movement. A broken record, stuck on an instant. One second. Two seconds. Three s-- The ghosts flicker, and start moving again.

Philip's voice is calmer now, and he walks around, to the other side of the counter. Shaking his head he slumps down into a chair. ]

Look. I wasn't saying I'm not going, and I'm not saying we've got a bucket of better options to pick from. I'm only saying that it's going to get the lot of us killed, so if you want to p--

[ The ghosts flicker and disappear. For just one second there's nothing. In the next the scene stats playing again, on repeat. ]

stiles stilinski | various locations

[hypercompetent]

i. the game room

[ There's a faint sound of someone wheezing upon entrance to the game room; curled up in a corner is maybe a fifteen second loop of a ghost of Stiles, in the middle of a panic attack; he has his hands in his hair, curled over prostrate in a ball, and it's muttering to itself. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I wish I was dead. I wish I was dead, I wish I was dead, no, please, please no--

And it cuts itself off with a scream, and repeats again. ]

ii. the garden.

[ Outside in the snow, there's a mix of ghosts who are mostly faceless, laughing and talking, and Stiles is among them, holding what looks like a glass of champagne.

"I always knew you were going to totally score in the marriage department. I just didn't think you were going to score two."

He raises the champagne glass, warmth and pride in his eyes. "Congrats, Scott, Isaac, Allison. You don't know it yet, but your 'honeymoon''s gonna be a week off from your fourth spouse."

Stiles gestures at himself--there's a ripple of laughter, and then it loops, again. ]

iii. tea room.

[ "If we throw it in the Core, it could be gone for good. " is all the ghost says, standing in front of a table with a bunch of papers spread out in front of him, maybe a map. He sounds confident, and looks up with a little grin on his face. ]

iv. derek's room. [ locked to derek hale. ]

[ The loop starts with what looks like a playful argument. The two ghosts are near Derek's bed, and Stiles' is wearing a beat up henley and pulling Derek in by the shirt. He mouths something to him, wiggles his eyebrows, and Derek rolls his eyes in response, but leans in as Stiles tugs on his shirt and smiles into the kiss.

It ends with them falling backwards onto the bed, Derek giving him a flat stare and saying something, only to rub his stubble on his face, and Stiles howling with laughter. ]

v. main hall.

[ The Jabberwocky stands in what would have been carnage and destruction, and Stiles's ghost is screaming at it, arms opened wide like it's for surrender.

Get at me, come on, come on!

There's a roar as it sweeps in and catches Stiles in its jaws--there's a sickening crunch, and the loop ends. ]

the first!

[intelligently]

[ Lydia had been trying to get a feel for the mansion, to try and find out what was there, and what this place was. She hadn't expected there to be a game room, although that wasn't the only thing that Lydia had found there that she hadn't expected.

Like the display that Lydia sees when she reaches the game room. It's obvious that it's Stiles, but it doesn't look right - he doesn't look right. It's not clear, as if he's not really there. Lydia's hallucinated before but they'd been so real to her until she'd realised that they weren't. And this wasn't the same ]

Stiles?

[ And then it was gone, and back again. And Lydia didn't know (again) what was happening ]

[Tohru Honda] - [8th Floor; outside the diner]

[breakthecurse]

[If you blink, you might miss Tohru's ghost. She's on her knees in front of what looks like a small open cupboard that she's made into a make shift Buddhist altar. She had wanted to include pictures of everyone who had died, but...no one seemed to have any. So, instead, there are little pieces of paper taped to the back of it, each with the name of someone who died during the Core mission - in both English and Japanese. Aramis, Allison Argent, Aziraphale, John Blake, Castiel, Crowley Lena Duchannes, Greed, Derek Hale, The Kid, Benny Lafitte, George Lass, Meg, Mark Meltzer, Lindsey McDonald, Philip, Souji Seta, H.G. Wells.

She's kneeling there in front of it, with her palms pressed together, praying.]

...Good morning. [The ghost of Tohru says good morning no matter when it's viewed.] I hope you're all doing well. I, um. I wish I could bring you an offering, but...there isn't very much food to go around, I'm afraid. But, I've brought some incense to burn.

[She can't waste any rice that's remaining, but she's already lit the incense. The smoke rises up, but there's no scent to anyone walking by.]

Not much has changed....the Jabberwocky attacked us again yesterday. Oh, but! Ah...I think. I think we all made it this time. That doesn't happen very often, so that's reason to celebrate, right? All of you would be proud, I think.

[She hopes so anyway.

The image skips then, cutting up a much larger talk, and suddenly Tohru is standing up.]

I have to go now. Everyone's still cleaning up, and they need me. I'll visit you again tomorrow, okay?

[And she smiles, very sadly, and starts to walk away. She doesn't get far before the video goes back to the beginning, with Tohru kneeling on the floor in quiet prayer.]

[The Lorax] - [Near the front doors]

[speaksforthetrees]

[The image of the Lorax is true to size, so people who come too close might look right over his head and miss him. If it weren't for the grunting, that is.

He's got a big burlap sack hefted over one shoulder. It drags on the ground behind him, but he doesn't seem too concerned about that. He just wants to get it inside. Get it somewhere safe. Fast.

You never know when the Jabberwocky's gonna come. And without Toothless or Daryl to fight it off, he's basically helpless. His legs are too stumpy to run very fast. Normally, he wouldn't even do this kinda thing on his own, but food's gotten so scarce that it's worth the risk to keep the others going. He's loaded up with roots and berries and mushrooms and willow bark. As much as he can carry, which isn't all that much for the humans. But it's better than nothing. Better than sitting around and waiting.

He's only a couple yards into the building when the distant rumbling starts.]

Oh no.

[The Lorax drops the bag and takes off as the rumbling grows louder and louder and-- then it all replays from the beginning.]

[Greed] - [Deep in the Forest]

[appealingavarice]

[Most won't recognize this ghost as Greed by sight- he's fully covered by the Ultimate Shield and looks downright monstrous, especially that permanent tusked grin. But he speaks with Greed's voice, and he's laughing in a manic way that'll be familiar to anyone who's ever seen Greed in serious danger. He's also managed to lay his hands on a grenade- this is obviously from before the closets gave out.]

Yeah, where's Lust when you need her, right? Well, come on, monster, I've got a nice snack for you-

[Anything else he might say is drowned out by the roaring of the Jabberwock as it lunges into view. He rushes forward to meet the thing and thrust his hand into its open mouth, and with a loud bang-

-the image flickers out, and back in at the beginning. Given how short it is, and how noisily it ends, this part of the forest will be very unpleasant to be near for the foreseeable future.]

[Greed] - [the Caves]

[appealingavarice]

...bullshit and you know it. I'm the toughest mouthful we've got here, if we didn't need to herd the thing I'd want to do it alone. You are not needed for this one.

[There's a moment of what, if this weren't some kind of magic, would probably be called static, and some of the anger that had been on Greed's face turns to dismay.]

God, do I have to tie you up or something? I can't- look, just remember you're the squishy human here, right? If you get yourself eaten, I'm gonna... [He drops his head down into his hands, and it becomes obvious that they're shaking.] ...not kick your ass, there's no coming back over there, so just fucking don't...

[It's hard to make out the hand that comes to rest on Greed's shoulder, and impossible to make out what its owner says, but Greed's reply, though thick and muffled, can be heard:] Because if I can't protect what's mine, what's the point of me?

[There's a long moment of silence before it flickers back into Greed's earlier tirade.]

Derek Hale | various

[triskeles]

The Kitchen

[ Derek can be found in one corner of the kitchen, working on food prep-- chopping up mixed vegetables, easy and relaxed-- and chuffing at an unseen and unheard person. He looks older, in the world weary sort of way, but looser, laughter lines pinched at the corners of his eyes before he looks off to the side. An abrupt bark of a laugh leaves him, and he grabs a piece of celery, chucking it at someone while saying don't be a shit. His arm comes up with more laughter to block whatever retribution the other person sends his way, but that's when it suddenly ends every time. ]

The Library

[ Seated on top of a table tucked away from view by shelves and stacks of books, Derek is watching a fellow figment as it flits around the shelves surrounding them-- Stiles. He reaches out every now and then to take something from Stiles and add it to their growing collection next to him, and they're talking in hushed voices. Murmurs of lore, mythology, the impossible being made possible. Stiles cracks a joke, looking frazzled but crookedly smiling even as he runs his hand through his hair when he turns to look at the man sitting on the table.

Derek just nudges the chair he's resting his feet on out of the way, holding his hand out to him and prompting him to come over. Something reassuring crosses his expression as Stiles stands between his knees, drapes his arms over him, and he just wraps his arms around his middle in turn before the scene ends. ]

The Garden

[ In a shady patch of the garden, there's a fairly interesting scene playing out. It's only about fifteen seconds long, and it's of Derek dozing in warmer weather. He's got his head resting in Cora's lap as she pets his hair, talking to Allison, Lydia, and Jackson while she does. Not far from them, Stiles, Scott, and Isaac are engaged in an intense discussion-- it's mostly Stiles and Isaac trying to explain a comic book to Scott.

Derek looks perfectly content where he's laying, arms crossed over his abdomen and a small smile curled across his expression. ]

The 9th Floor Hall

[ Emerging from the game room that the pack's laid claim on since before he arrived, Derek can be seen bolting down the hallway while he's got his phone pressed to his ear. Other figures follow him out, close and evenly matched, but they're blurred by motion and ghostly static. There's a panic in the way they all move, images clear or not, but a determination in the set of Derek's jaw. He's shouting into the comm, where is it, talk to me-- but anything else gets cut off in a roar that shakes everything as they reach the stairs to head down. ]

Outside the Forest

[ There's a gigantic, black wolf stalking a line, back and forth, in the area between the forest and the heart that makes up the grounds they all live in. Its eyes stay on the forest, hackles bristled, fur standing on edge all the way to its tail. There's something angry and tense in the way it moves, its curled lips and bared teeth. But it's poised, as if it's waiting for something to happen. This ghost persists the entire length of Wonderland's "haunting," looping over and over, as if it's guarding the residents from something unseen. ]

A Tea Room

[ The loop in an errant tea room is short, maybe eight seconds, but Derek stands holding Scott, Isaac, and Allison's hands together. Scott is crying, Isaac is trying not to, and Allison is practically vibrating in place. All four of them are beaming. ]

The Main Hall

[ Standing close together by the doors, Derek and Allison are talking quietly. The expressions on their faces are grave, but there's no discomfort in their proximity. Head inclined towards her, Derek says something softly, a quirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. Allison returns the twitch of a smile, before they both look out the (for them) opened door, the werewolf curling his fingers around her elbow, and the hunter setting her hand in the crook of his arm. ]

[Crowley | the main hall near the door]

[thepointisdolphins]

It might take a moment to recognize him as Crowley. Gone is the suave charm and wit, gone is any pretense at being human. He's sitting against the door frame, several dozen empty bottles around him; his clothes and hair are filthy, nails bitten down to the quick. He gave up on sunglasses, oh, about a year ago; no point in hiding them when everyone knows what you are and no longer cares. There are much worse monsters to worry about.

His wings are out, too. Crow-black, and stark white at the tips of his pinfeathers. They're not in the best shape; feathers have been torn out, others are bent or broken along the shafts. One wing seems to not want to fold properly, either.

The scene begins with him looking up at an unseen person and glaring drunkenly, rolling a half-empty bottle of wine between his hands.

"What? What could you possibly want?"

The answer is a crackle of static. Crowley blows a half-hearted raspberry.

"Two months? Are you people seriously still keeping track of time? Pathetic. What's the point anymore?" He gestures wildly with his bottle and puts on the poshest accent he can. "I say, 'tis five o'clock, gents, jolly good time to be eaten! Oh would you look at that, it's Tuesday, November 5th, what a jolly good time to be eaten! Please, just give it up."

The static responds, and whatever it's saying, a look of black rage comes over Crowley's face. He throws the bottle with sudden force at the unseen speaker.

"Shut up. Shut your ble--your god damn mouth. I don't care. He'll come back. He always comes back."

With that, the scene flickers and starts over.

[goesdown]

[ In the hall outside the infirmary ]

[ Crowley leans heavily on the wall, clearly unable to support his weight, but free of injury. ]

Just--just give me a moment.

[ He waves his hand at his unseen company and stumbles a little before the image repeats. ]


[ The hall outside Crowley's room ]

[ This image of Crowley looks tired--aged, even, if such a thing were possible for him. He sounds dejected and self-loathing. ]

Hell of a demon I am.

[ There's another Crowley then, cleaner and calmer. ]

To tell you the truth, I was never sure if you were an amazing demon or a terrible one. Depends on the time, doesn't it?

[ Crowley glares at his mirror. ]

Don't you have a hero to go felate?

[ The mirror smiles back. ]

No, that's you, Cupcake. I signed on for that mission straight off, didn't I?

[ Crowley turns and storms off in a huff. ]


[ the dining hall ]

[ Crowley shoves an unseen body into the wall, face twisted in rage. ]

Do you think that you can toy with me and I'll take it lying down? Do you? You haven't even begun to see--

[ He presses his face close to where the others' face would be and then the loop restarts. ]

Mirror!Ed | The Main Grounds

[emptymetal]

::The first thing people will see is Ed backing up in terror. Then the Jabberwocky comes into the frame and lunges forwards.::

No, don't!

::Ed shrieks as he back-peddles and tosses his arms up in a useless attempt to protect himself. An attempt that ends in him losing his left arm as the Jabberwocky rips most of it off, making Ed stumble back in shock and disorientation, the mess of wires showing which Edward this was.

The next time the Jabberwocky lunges for him, he isn't so luckily, resulting in a scream that gets cut horribly short as what's left after that bite-full starts to fall.

Before it hits ground, it disappears and the scene starts over.::

[seekingbrother]

[Al had stopped dead when he first saw the scene, too shocked and horrified to really process the differences. He isn't really sure when he hit the ground, but around the third play-through Al notices the snow melting through the cloth of his gloves, and he shakily gets to his feet.]

[He starts to turn away when the difference clicks, and he watches again to be sure of what he'd seen.]

[...oddly enough, the confirmation doesn't help much. He bites his lip, then runs back to the mansion seeking out Edward.]

[Kid | two locations]

[builditstrong]

The Forest, near the hideout

Kid is walking along the perimeter, hammer slung over his shoulder and looking grim. His hair is a bit longer than it was five years ago; he's neglected to cut it with any regularity. His hammer is looking worse for wear as well, a huge dent in the handle and several chips missing from the head.

Kid is clearly mid-conversation with someone who can't be seen. He's shaking his head, doubtful.

"Don' like it. Th' Core ain't never been good news. I've heard th' stories 'bout what happens t'folk what jus' lay eyes on it. Who's t'say th' monster won' just eat th' Core too, like it's done with everythin' else? We could be--"

Whoever he's talking to clearly cuts him off. Kid shuts his mouth, staring at the ground and listening.

"I jus' think we should keep lookin' fer th' sword--" He gets cut off again. "I know...I know. I'm with ya, ya know I am. I'll follow wherever ya lead."

The scene cuts out, and a few seconds later Kid reappears back where he started.

1st floor hallway

This scene starts with Kid being thrown to the ground by an unseen force and rolling up against an invisible wall. He's badly injured, bleeding from a gash on his leg and chest. He's covered in blood, and not all of it is his own. He struggles back to his feet with a snarl, still gripping his trusty hammer. He glares up at something out of sight.

"Ya sonuva bitch, ya think ya kin jus'...jus' kill folk, like we don' even--" Kid starts coughing abruptly and blood comes up, spilling into his hand. He glances at it just once and grins, the expression tired and determined.

"So tha's that, then. Hey, ya ugly fuck! No, hey, over here! Yeah, tha's righ', ya bastard. Ya keep lookin' at me. Ya got Souji, ya ain't gettin' no one else, ya hear?" His eyes start to scan upward. "Yeah, come on, big juicy Caelondian here. One 'f a kind, yanno? Th' last."

The Jabberwock comes into view. Kid dodges from its first lunge, rolling to his feet and casting a look in a different direction.

"No, jus' run! Jus' run, tell ever'one t'run!" He ducks under the sweep of the Jabberwock's tail. He's not so quick to dodge the swipe of its claws. Three red tracks open across his chest and send him crashing into another invisible wall.

He's a mess now, bleeding out, but he gets back to his feet.

"Yeah, ya keep lookin' at me. Come on, ugly." He hefts his hammer. The Jabberwock lunges again, mouth gaping. Kid leaps to the side and spins on his heel. With the last of his strength he brings his hammer down on the Jabberwock's head.

The hammer shatters. The momentum carries Kid to his hands and knees. The Jabberwock is dazed, just for a split second. Then it roars, furious.

Kid tosses the broken handle of his hammer aside and looks upward.

"Heh."

Teeth close around his middle and the scene flickers and dies.

Jesse | 10th floor aaaaaaaaaaaaall the way down the hall. Like way, way down there.

[cowhouse]

[Not that anyone should feel any sort of mighty need to wander down this far, but if they do, they'll get an earful-- and possibly a (fake) facefull.

The door is closed, locked from the inside and trying to get it open will prove pointless... Though the voice issuing from inside (and the phantom smoke curling out from under the crack) will probably discourage most from even trying.

The time is undisclosed, sometime before everything went completely to shit, and- surprise surprise- Jesse's back to doing what he ...does best. There's a meth lab inside of you, Wonderland, isn't that awesome? Maybe there's been a particularly traumatic event. Maybe he's fallen off the wagon, or maybe, possibly, after a year or two of walking the straight and narrow Jesse'd just gotten bored, but whatever the case may be... It's a thing. And it's awesome. ...Mostly.]

Come on, bitch, come on-- BOOYAH! That's what I'm talking abo- oh shit. Oh shit, shit, no no no nonono, come on, come on-- Oh my god--

[Someone's out of practice. There will be some fizzing, then a pop, and then some muffled swearing and stomping accompanied by more smoke wafting out into the hall... At which point the loop will restart, leaving the uninformed baffled and the informed... Also probably baffled. Who the fuck sets up a mini meth lab in a mansion...? Irresponsible.]

[Cecil | a corner of the diner]

[goodnightlisteners]

There is a man walking through a forest, though he doesn't look much like a man anymore. He's not tall or short or thin or fat. He's clutching a stick in one trembling hand and speaking into it, as if someone, anyone, is listening.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch, the jaws that bite, the claws that catch, came whiffling through the tulgy wood and devoured us as it came. Did you hear that, listeners? We should think about leaving, you know, in a permanent fashion, one way or another. Wonderland is falling down around us, listeners, listeners, listeners..."

Cecil braces himself against a tree, momentarily unable to do more than make sounds like a small animal in pain.

"Ah, so...my point is, if the walls come down, we can leave, can't we, leave and forget, there's no shame in forgetting, listeners, there's no shame in it, none at all. The jaws that bite. I say we dig a tunnel, listeners. I say we dig. Have you noticed, listeners? There's no weather here anymore."

He gasps and covers his mouth with his free hand.

"'Twas brillig and the Jabberwock with eyes of flame, and hast thou slain the Jabberwock?"

Cecil breaks into peals of frightened laughter. The scene starts over again.

[breakthecurse]

Tohru is really at a loss for what to do about the ghost man in the diner. She's pretty sure she's never seen him before, but she's definitely heard his voice before - he's the man who does that wonderful little radio show!

Except, he seems so sad and scared. Lost, maybe? Anyone talking into a stick is probably at least a little bit lost...

The first time she sees him, she's so startled that she drops an entire tray of glasses and shrieks. But, she quickly realizes that he's not really harming anybody. She tries to answer him a couple of times, hoping it will shake him out of that strange loop and make him less static-y, but he just goes on as though she isn't there.

She's seen a couple of these ghosts already - there's one of herself just outside the diner door - but she's not sure how to feel about them. They aren't scary, but they're certainly worrying.

In the end, she decides to cut the ghost of Cecil a slice of chocolate cake and leaves it as an offering on the closest table (which she has to pull over a bit to make it clear that it's his, even if he walks through it sometimes). She also leaves him a warm cup of tea and hopes that it might bring his spirit some peace (if he is a spirit, that is. If he's not...it can't hurt, right?).

allison argent ⇏ various

[driven]

ENTRANCE HALL

[ everything's falling apart.

the image is about twenty seconds long, and dizzying. there is rubble crumbling around it, floor's cracking, walls collapsing, the ceiling falling away in pieces. for a moment everything shakes, like something has made a horrible sound loud enough to shake the entire mansion.

allison rolls out from behind a boulder, shooting arrow after arrow at something that's not in the scene. she's screaming, looking off to the side, her mouth moving in the same words over and over. go, go, go! before everything shakes again and she's turning on her heels, reaching down to pick up the arm of someone off the ground before the lunge out of the image. ]

LIBRARY

[ it's most of a table, stacked high with books. lydia's sitting in one chair and allison walks in from one of the shelves of books, reading off one of the pages. stiles pops his head out from behind a little wall of stacks and says something that makes allison laugh and lydia roll her eyes. ]

BALLROOM

[ allison's in a wedding dress.

it's fairly simple, long and strapless, and her hair hangs on her shoulders. she's laughing and spinning around on her own on the dance floor, to some kind of music that you can't really make out. but then she stops, staring somewhere off-screen before she laughs and picks up the skirt to her dress, running right off screen and then coming back with two boys, both in tuxes, in tow.

scott and isaac are both laughing before she pulls them all into an awkward little three-way dance. at one point she gets her arms around them both and kisses each of them on the cheek, grinning widely. the whole thing lasts about seven to ten seconds. ]

CLUBHOUSE

[ allison's standing next to a table that's covered in maps and plans and papers. derek's on the other side of it, his hands pressed to the table-top, when allison leans forward and points at something there. they look at each other, like whatever it is she just pointed to is important, before they both lean away from the table.

emma walks in a moment later and allison smiles at her, like that moment didn't even happen. ]

FOREST

[ there's a group off near the side of the trees. five or six huddled together. if you look close enough, you can pick out dean winchester and jo harvelle, and next to jo is allison. she's got her bow slung over her shoulder and everyone seems to be talking in hushed voices.

another group of three or four approach, derek, isaac and remus being among them. allison smiles when they approach and they merge with the group, continuing to speak in hushed whispers.

there's a full moon up in the sky. ]

scott mccall » various

[exercise]

the ninth floor

[ scott and stiles are walking side by side- scott wearing a bright smile that seems almost misplaced from the look stiles gives him. inquisitive, waiting for whatever is about to come, but scott doesn't yield. he waits, patiently, even if he might be visibly ansty- hands shaking a little bit from anticipation. stiles sighs, dramatically, rolling his eyes and stopping in his tracks. ]

[ "Okay, fine. What is it? You've been smiling like you slept with a hanger in your mouth for the past, like, thirty minutes."

"I think I'm gonna ask Isaac and Allison to marry me."

"Oh my g - "

"They'll say yes, right? Do you think they'll say yes?"

"Scott, no shi - "

"Will you be my best man?" ]

the door of derek's room

[ scott knocks once, obviously nervous, rubbing the sweat of his palms off on his thighs while he waits for derek to answer the door. it feels like an eternity. scott half debates running away- but before he can, derek's at the door, giving a questioning look and not much else. ]

[ "Hi, uh, Derek. I, um, was thinking- you know. I'm going to ask Isaac to marry me." ]

[ derek looks shocked but doesn't say anything else. ]

[ "I mean, Allison too, but I figured I should, uh- ask? For your blessing? I'm going to make him really happy, I swear." ]

the forest

[ scott's pacing, back and forth and back over again, in front of two people- isaac and allison- who are standing on a clear patch away from the snow, bustled in tightly with scarves and jackets, noses red from the cold. scott looks unaffected ( everyone always says he runs hot, after all ) but for now it's for a different reason- nerves, anxiety, embarrassment. the snow is falling softly in the ghost of a memory- lightly speckling allison's hair and cheeks with light touches of white. isaac's cheeks are a bright shade of red, ears tipping off in that direction too, even when he nestles himself against the pillowy fabric of his scarf. scott loses himself, thinks of how beautiful they are, before he shakes his head and returns to pacing. ]

[ "Scott - "

"Okay. Look and listen."

"Looking and listening. Still freezing."

"Okay. Okay, so. Oh god. Okay."

"Is everything okay?"

"No- I mean yes, everything is fine, like one hundred percent perfect, okay, great. You know, I'm just- I'm just going to do it, right? Okay. I'm doing it. Oh god, oh god. I love you guys." ]

[ he gets down on one knee. there's two rings. ]

the scott&stiles&isaac household

[ stiles is up on his top bunk- this time, he's the excitable one, wearing an almost uncharacteristically happy smile. but scott is all too knowing, and even if stiles tries to bury his smile in the pillow of his bed, scott knows, and playfully kicks the bottom of his mattress. ]

[ "So, I get I told you so rights, right?"

"No idea what you mean."

"First comes love - " ]

[ stiles groans, but he's still smiling when he turns to face the wall. ]

the gardens

[ no real context in this one, scott's just sitting on the floor with a cat plopped down beside him. the cat nuzzles against his hand and scott smiles, scratching him fondly behind his ears. ]

[ "I'm glad you finally like me, Parker." ]

Meg & Dean - Tenth Floor, Random Room

[unregenerate]

[ At first, she'd called bullshit on the whole process.

Kevin had mentioned it, all those years ago when he was running around these mansion hallways and talking about things like 'demon bombs'. Things she'd never run across in all the years she spent walking the Earth trying to raise a little hell.

After her little 'incident', it was decided she should be cured as punishment. Of course, she'd rolled her eyes at that, thinking it was just some new way to torture that doesn't actually cure jack shit. Torture she can deal with - that's just another damn day in the office as far as she's concerned.

Being proven wrong, especially now, was worse than any torture imaginable.

There's no telling how long they've been locked up in this room on the tenth floor, her voice whipping out insult after insult as soon as the ritual started. At first, it was playful, almost like a game. See how long Meg can pretend that she's totally unbothered by this whole thing, see how it won't work, Dean. There was self satisfaction there, a confidence in her ability to get under someone's skin and piss them off enough to screw up or give up.

The eldest Winchester is nothing if not determined, a fact that always annoyed her and is proving to be a pain in the ass like always.

Except now, she isn't so smug. Instead, she's feeling afraid. Fear is something that hasn't truly made a home inside her for a very long time. Not even when Crowley was hounding after her so long ago. ]

I bet you really get off on this. [ The time for insults is always, though they don't hold quite the bite they usually do. Her skin is covered in sweat, the hair sticking to the back of her neck. The veins inside her arms burn as if he's been pouring holy water inside her, thought whether this is as a result of his little ritual or some kind of psychosomatic reaction to the situation she doesn't know. ] I always figured Sammy for the kinky one, since he's got that demon fetish of his. Seems like you might have one of your own.

[ She pauses, pulling a thoughtful expression that's completely fake. ]

Wonder if that's something that runs in families. Bet your daddy really got a hard on for demons, didn't he? You wanna hear about all the fun he had in Hell? 'Cause I've got some stories, Dean-o.

[righteously]

[Her digs don't work. They were never going to, Dean knows from experience that this process is foolproof. It's a guarantee, as long as he can keep the subject strapped down long enough to finish. He's taken enough precautions to make sure that's going to be the case.

He wasn't going to cure her. Not for years, not at all. She'd been tame enough, that first little while. Toed the line of morally gray just enough to keep Dean off her case and let her continue her existence free and unimpeded. Her little incident, though, was all the reminder that he needed- when demons become complacent, when they get bored, when they get chaotic, there really is no limit to what they're capable of doing to fill that craving.

A demon is a demon is a demon, and he's not sure how he kept forgetting that when it came to her.

He preps the next needle as she talks, shoulders drawn tight, lips pressed into a flat and grim line.

Something about Meg. Something about her. He doesn't know what it is, maybe that she died for them, maybe that she studied under Alistair. Maybe the fondness Cas always held for her. Something about her makes her seem soft to him, just soft enough for him to let his guard down, and he can't do that anymore.

It's his own irresponsibility and poor judgement that let things get this far in the first place.

Her words roll off like water, dismissed for what they are- last minute scrambling, a struggle to get a foothold, and when he looks down at her, there might be something akin to pity hiding behind his eyes.]

Two more, after this one. We're almost done.

[He responds, as if it's some kind of consolation.

And then jabs the needle into her skin. Presses the plunger down.]

Aramis - In random mirrors

[not_apriest]

[Aramis appears to be looking for something. He's still clutching his sword in his hand, but it's useless. He looks over his shoulder, startled. Something has gone wrong. In a moment, it becomes clear what. He starts running, but he doesn't get far. The Jabberwock descends on him, ripping him apart.]

[ex_alighthouse135]

[Elizabeth shrieks with horror! Oh God, it's so terrible! That creature just.. She's seen a few ghosts about and she knows this isn't real, but it doesn't make it any less shocking. Or maybe.. it is real. It just hasn't happened yet.

With shaking hands, she opens her communicator.]

Aramis!!

[Oh please, please respond! She just has to know that he's alive!]

Martha Jones ★ various locations

[selfrespecting]

the clinic:

[It's a frantic scene that shows Martha bent over Daryl, who's spread out over an exam table and badly injured. Not just gashes -- there are some exposed organs and overall it's not a pretty picture that's being painted.

Martha's gloves and her labcoat are covered in blood, and there's a sheen of sweat on her forehead, but she's working quickly and efficiently, asking someone who's not part of the image for different instruments as she works on stopping the blood loss and tucking Daryl's organs back where they belong as best she can.

The outcome of this isn't shown, but she manages to get in a few words to him -- asking him to breathe, telling him everything will be all right because they are not having another death today.]

the clinic, back room:

[Martha's seated in a chair near an exam table, which is empty. She's still splattered in blood, and for a good ten seconds she simply sits there, her hand clamped over her mouth.

Then, her shoulders start to shake. Then, she bows her head, her hand shifting up to cover her eyes.

She's crying, there's no denying that, and then she lets out a frustrated scream, her free hand shooting out to bang against the nearby wall.]

the bar, in a corner:

[Martha is seated with Emma at one of the tables. There are various kinds of alcohol around them, everything from beer to wine to liquor, and they're both laughing and chatting. Martha seems to be telling a story from her past, something to do with her time living in 1969 with a very restless Doctor. She's gesticulating and babbling at a faster rate than she usually does.

But after another round of laughs, both of them fall silent, grab for their drinks, and stare off, weighed down with fatigue. The good times can only last so long, before the memory of their situation comes crashing into them again.]

the woods:

[Martha is decked out in some clothing that is different from her usual style, and she's got some heavy combat boots on and is holding a bow. A knife is holstered at her waist and a quiver is strapped to her back, and she's walking as lightly as she can, staring off at something in the distance.

She pauses suddenly, goes very still, and then grabs an arrow and lines up her shot.

A few seconds later, the arrow flies to some unknown target, the whistle of it cutting through the air actually audible.

Then Martha straightens and races off to collect her kill.]

the resistance hideout:

[In a corner of the hideout, on the floor, Martha's kneeling down and reaching out to work on cleaning out and sewing up a gash on a certain Tom Hanniger's abdomen, who's propped up against the dirt wall. Next to her is Ellen, who's helping out by handing over supplies, wiping off Tom's face when it gets coated with sweat, and so forth.

Whatever Martha's using to suture him, it's clear that it's not the usual materials one would expect. Someone with a good eye might be able to tell that it's some part of an animal's guts that they've treated and washed. Not the most sanitary thing, but it's all that can be done when supplies are so short. Even their cloths and bandages look like they've been used before.]

Re: Martha Jones ★ various locations

[oncefairytale]

[Once she got over being bombarded by the mansion's overzealousness with mistletoe, Amy starts to take in not only the decorations, but the far more curious things. Like ghostly images playing like snippets of movies throughout the mansion. She doesn't understand them but she is hoping one person in particular does. She shot off a message to Martha with a quick question and a location to meet up and investigate these happenings.

She waves when she sees the good doctor heading her way.]

Martha! Over here.

Peter Petrelli - Various locations

[askedforit]

A - The clinic

That first year, if anyone asks, Peter's go-to answer for his state of mind is "just okay". He's not bad, he's not good, he's just somewhere in the middle. And, considering the state of alertness that they're all in, that's okay with him. The Jabberwock is a threat, but thankfully, thus far the number of emergency situations has stayed relatively low.

He passes the time doing odd jobs around the clinic, at least when there aren't people in need of medical attention. Sometimes, there's nothing to do but clerical work, which he's gotten better at. Actually, he never was that bad at it. Once he learned the system, keeping records and filing them became a simple thing.

There weren't many visitors, which he was glad for. But every time the door to the clinic opens, he steels himself for the worst. This time, though, there doesn't seem to be any particular emergency. Peter looks up from a sheaf of patient notes that he's just finished writing.

Hey. Is there something you need?

B - The kitchen

The scene flickers to life, and Peter's walking down a hallway. He's just gotten off shift, and if that shift isn't the longest, most trying one he's ever been through, then he has no idea what is.

He doesn't want to admit that he's slipping a little, but the little errors he's been making are weighing just a little too heavily on his mind. There's no room for mistakes, not in the medical business. Paperwork mistakes can usually be corrected, but there's often lives at stake too, and those mistakes typically are not so easily fixed.

So when he walks into the kitchen, the only thing on his mind is getting himself a turkey sandwich and a glass of water, and maybe if no one's looking (no one is, but he still has a crawling sensation on the back of his neck), he'll go for a beer.

Sandwich, water, a beer for later, and some scientific journal he snagged on his way out of the clinic: this is all the company he needs.

C - Hallway outside the clinic

Sometime around the third year, a ghost of Peter Petrelli is looking just a little bit undone. He starts out walking down the corridor, but before he gets too far, the ground's rushing up to meet his knees, and he just stays in that position for a moment.

Then, he pushes himself back up, but he doesn't continue his progress down the hall. He leans against the wall beside him and his gaze fixes on the blank wall across from where he's standing.

No one was ever meant to be hurt. He got into nursing because he wanted to help people, to save them if he could. But it's with a bitter laugh that he realizes how badly he's messed things up.

Someone died because he couldn't save them, because he hesitated just a little too long, and by the time he acted, it was too late. He didn't even know their name, but that didn't matter, not when their life was on the line. Now he won't have the chance to know them because of his failure.

What kind of nurse, doctor, or anyone in the medical field has that on their record? Well, Peter Petrelli does, and to him, it's the final death knell for his career, so far as Wonderland is concerned.

It doesn't matter that the victim was someone who couldn't get away from the Jabberwock. It's not exactly uncommon knowledge that no one's ever gotten away from that beast alive. But he could have saved them. He could have done more. They could have been saved, if only he'd just been more aggressive and urgent in his actions.

It's too late now anyway; they're gone, and he's left with images of a person expiring on the operating table, and all he can do is watch. Watch and play them over and over until he lets his face fall into his hands.

He never was a doctor, just a nurse, but circumstances required him to take on a more active role, learning what he could from Martha and hoping it would be enough to see him through.

Except it didn't, and now he's got the weight of the dead on his mind. There's other people who can't wait, but even if it's just for a few seconds, Peter needs to collect himself before diving back into the fray.

Alphonse Elric | the library

[seekingbrother]

[You'd really have to be looking to find this particular ghost--not only is Al quiet, but he's found a nicely tucked away corner of the library that he's made into a sort of scholar's fortress, books and papers piled all around him in what is clearly some form of organization past the natural clutter. The papers all show signs of being treated with alchemy--Al's resorted to using some of the less useful books as material.]

[He mutters to himself as he works, rubbing at his eyes as if that would erase the heavy circles beneath them. The formulas and circles he sketches out would seem arcane to most, and certainly out of place next to textbooks of anatomy and physiology.]

Just have to pull their personalities back...he didn't have a soul of his own, but he should still be in there, right...?

[He sets down the pen and rests his head in his hands, shoulders shaking.]

But what'll I do for the price? There's barely anything left to offer...haha, I could lure the Jabberwocky into the circle. It'd be about as safe as the Gate anyway...

[He sighs, and the image replays.]

[seekinghome]

::Ed almost didn't notice the ghost, but the movement and flash of red from the corner of his eye gained his attention and he turned to look.

He opened his mouth to ask Al what he was doing and closes it when the ghost started talking, showing that it was another one of those weird things popping up everywhere.

As he listened, he turned pale. He knew damn well what future!Al was contemplating and he moved closer to see the books, not that he really needed the confirmation.

After a few more plays, he pulled out his comm to call Greed.::

Greed, I just found a future ghost of Al in the library.

::Then he turned it off and put it away, folding his arms across his chest to watch the ghost with a blank look on his face. Greed could come or not, as he chose.::

TOM HANNIGER - VARIOUS

[tom_hanniger]

The Ballroom

[It seems several happy events have taken place here. This one in particular is a wedding. A red aisle runner cuts the room in half and divides enough chairs for the residents of Wonderland. Flowers stand atop silver pillars and chandeliers hang from an illusioned ceiling that reflects beautiful blue sky. It's a simple but beautiful war-time ceremony. An arch of flowers stands at the end in red and white. Tom is standing under it with familiar faces. Blake, Adam, Sam. Ellen and Allison are standing on the other side. Michael in the middle to officiate. Dean takes Jo down the aisle. He and Tom exchange a brief hug as he takes his place next to the groom. Everyone looks so happy.]



Clinic

[Tom is leaning over Martha's desk and speaking very quickly, excited, but a little terrified. She is sitting in her chair and looking rather amused. Between them sit about a hundred diamond rings in various sizes and styles.]



5th floor hall

[Tom has pulled Dean over into the corner. He looks over his shoulder to make sure they're alone and then produces a small black box from his pocket. Tom is talking very quickly and just as excited as he was in the clinic talking to Martha. He's not so stressed now, but whatever he's asking Dean about it's important. He opens the box and flashes an engagement ring before pocketing it again. Dean raises an eyebrow and takes a step back in shock, but he's not angry. They speak for another moment and Dean claps him on the shoulder with a smile. Tom relaxes. He's got his blessing.]



Entrance hall

[Chaos shatters glass and other pieces of debris in all directions in a fifteen foot radius where two men are fighting in the entranceway. One of them is easily recognized as Tom, hoodie visible at the neck of his jacket. He yells and raises his gun, firing on the thing he's fighting, bullet casings hitting the ground in slow motion. The figure steps into frame from nowhere, tall, powerful, dressed head to toe in the uniform of an american coal miner. Black jumpsuit. Helmet with blinding head lamp. Gas mask distorting his breathing into something eerie. Robbing him of an identity. Even eerier in his ghostly form. From the looks of it, the fight has been going on for a while. Tom is exhausted and injured but he is fighting for his life.

The other man shows no signs of fatigue and is wielding a large pick-axe. He swings but misses. Tom fires but it does nothing and is struck with the axe across his neck on it's second pass. He falls and rolls, gun clattering to the floor, clutching his neck. If one were to pay close enough attention they would notice every shot Tom fired on Harry has appeared on his own body. Blood starts pooling from under him. He coughs, more blood burbling up from his ruined gut. The man kicks him over onto his back and rests a heavy boot upon his belly.

Tom screams in pain and buckles against him, unable to fight, He doesn't understand. He can't react fast enough or defend himself and he can only watch his killer with absolute terror. This is it.

The man stomps down and raises his axe, driving it into Tom's chest with a heavy crack. He holds his position for a long second and evaporates into thin air, the axe stands upright - embedded in Tom's heart.]



First floor hall and stairwell.

[A team of dedicated men and women move silently down the hall in single file and wind down the staircase. Dean, James, Tom, Cas, Blake, Derek, Isaac, Allison, Emma, among others. They're heavily armed and move with practiced precision down the hallway. On their way to a fight that only a handful will return from.]



Ground floor hallway

[There's no way to see happenings on the mirror side but for whatever reason some of the ghosts have slipped over. Besides, the scene could be from any one of a hundred battles over their five years. And no one but Tom would know which battle this was, exactly. He is crouched against the wall, geared up and armed within an inch of his life. He's waiting for the signal to move, and when it comes, he leaps forward followed by several others. Suddenly, he stops and looks to the left and crouches back down. He sees an opportunity, and makes one small hand gesture to Castiel who has appeared and is leading a team of his own on the other side.

You go left, I'll go right.

Castiel sees whatever chance Tom does, considers it, and nods. They wait another moment and break, peeling off through the wall and disappearing. ]