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

Isaac Lahey - Various

[algidity]

[ Hallway by the Bar ]

[ Isaac is leaning against a wall looking down at someone, someone that is seemingly out of frame for the ghostly image. He looks sad, utterly torn.

"You're not the same... You've changed."

There's a long pause, and he seems to be listening to someone talk.

"No, Scott."

There's an odd finality to his voice before the scene repeats. ]



[ Outside a random Tea Room ]

[ This ghost of Isaac is curled around a mirror, back pressed against a wall where he sits. In one hand is the mirror, in the other is a marker that he seems to be writing on it with. It's backwards but if anyone feels the need to try to read it, it's legible.

Really? You think so?

Of course.

The simple answer seems to gain a grin and the curly haired teen to look rather elated. ]



[ Ground floor ]

[ The room is filled with a scream and a frantic Isaac, tears streaming down his face as he fights against Tom, pulling him backwards. He still looks young, short hair, undamaged. But the terror is real on his face as he frantically fights to try to make his way to something, or maybe someone.

"We need to go!"

"No! NO! NO! I can't leave them! They can't be dead! Stop! Let go of me!"

"I'll hold it off!" The familiar voice of Blake sounds, and it causes Isaac and Tom to look up, giving Tom just enough time to yank Isaac back.

"NO!"

The scene ends there as Tom drags a hysterical Isaac out of scene. ]



[ Tenth Floor, Random Room ]

( CW: Gore & Violence )
[ At first Isaac looks amused to bump into Meg in the hallway, a muted smile on his face

"I'm seriously thinking about getting you some Christmas Tree air fresheners, like for the ca-" He doesn't get to finish the sentence however because Meg decides to take that moment to slam him into the wall with enough force that knocks the air out of him and he's pretty sure the crack he heard was not the wall behind him but a rib. "The he-" The demon presses her hand over his mouth to muffle any noises he can make as she drags him into one of nearby rooms.

The door slams shut behind them.

If anyone's feeling brave they might be able to get the door to budge open if they're strong enough (It'll take werewolf, Angel or any other supernatural strength to get in however). Inside, past the line of mountain ash is Meg and Isaac. If they can get it open in time, they won't miss the pained whimper Isaac makes as she snaps the bones of his legs without even touching them, causing him to fall to the ground with a painful thump.

Meg doesn't waste any time in advancing on him, kneeling down to stuff a gag in his mouth - oddly silent and focused on the task at hand. The werewolf struggles, trying to get away before he's stilled by a knife plunging into his shoulder. It draws a muffled noise from him that doesn't sound all that human and blue eyes bleed into gold as she twists the blade in his shoulder.

Fingers wrap around her wrist trying to stop her, to pull the weapon out of him. Isaac isn't as strong as her, however and the knife only gets removed when Meg seems to have enough fun pushing him to clamping his eyes shut tight around tears. It's only a moment after the knife is removed that her attention is drawn back to the injury. An eyebrow hitches up her forehead as she grins at him.

You all probably know what happens next. ]



[ The Grounds tucked away somewhere ]

[ Isaac's hair is much shorter here, and he doesn't look so tired, instead he's grinning ear to ear, arms wrapped around Allison's waist.

"I love you."

Then he moves to pull her against him so he can lean down and kiss her.

"I love you too." She smiles back up at him after kissing him, a wedding band on the hand she reaches up to sift through his hair. ]




[ The Library, not far from Derek's but there's enough room that both parties have privacy. ]

[ The teenager has shorter hair again, and is sprawled out on his stomach on the floor next to Scott. Isaac looks utterly bored, staring down at a book placed in front of him. Scott slipping his hand into Isaac's.

"You're gorgeous."

"First of all, Scott, we're supposed to be researching. Second, you're supposed to call girls gorgeous, not guys. Thir-"

"Handsome then." The sentence is punctuated by him pulling Isaac into a kiss that is just a bit farther than what is probably appropriate for public display.

"Yeah, I hate research too - y'know I don't think they need us here."

They both grin before shifting to stand up - then the scene repeats. ]




[ Right outside the Ballroom ]

[ Isaac is in a tux looking down at Stiles, he sort of looks nervous as all hell, and like he doesn't want to be there. ]

"Are you sure I look okay?"

"Dude, you look great, stop asking!"

"I feel like a monkey in this thing."

"Trust me, you don't look like one."

"What if -"

"We are not doing the cold feet thing, I already went through this with Scott!" ]

[triskeles]

[ Anyone who finds the ghosts on the tenth floor after Derek might discover that the door's barely on its hinges, should they open it. ]

Adam Milligan and Mirror!Adam | Forest

[halfwinchester]

<sub>[Hidden in the forest, faded afterimages of two Adam Milligans can be found.

They stand over what looks like a metal wash tub full of water, both bruised and battered, spit lips and knuckles and all, the hallmarks of a recent brawl. Years from now, at no point after the Real and Mirror sides make contact are Adam and his Mirror particularly at ease with one another; they'll be caught taking out their frustrations on each other in public more than once, but now they are alone, entirely alone, with nothing but the trees to spy on them.

The first Adam is tanned, fit. His back is straight, eyes clear. A gun is hooked into the back of his pants, tenting his blood-flecked shirt, and there’s a few weeks’ growth on his chin that gives him the illusion of age over the paler, nervous figure in his grasp. The other Adam is immediately identifiable as the Mirror for his coal black eyes. Bound and gagged with chains etched with symbols, he's grunting, struggling against his Real, who drags him up to the basin. The muffled noises behind the gag turn into keening at the sight of the water. He starts to shake his head. No.

Don't worry, no one's going to hear you all the way out here, the real Adam is saying, and together they pause over the basin's lip. He loosens the hand bunched in the collar of the other's jacket and slides his arm around his Mirror's shoulders, holding him close while the other sweats out his fear.

Surprised? Maybe you should have stopped to consider I could be better than you. Huh? Did you ever think about that? That I could be ready for you? You're not better . I made you.

With a knee to the back of his Mirror's leg, Adam rolls him into the tub where the shackled figure howls like the water is acid. There Adam kneels, cradling his twin's head above the water while skin bubbles and burns before he finally smiles, a faint little thing that holds no softness, and pushes the Mirror's head under the surface with the rest of him.]</sub>

[oversight]

[The ghosts in the forest are a little harder to find, a little more sparse, so when Blake runs across them, he pays them particular mind. There are a few that are just errant moments, but every once in a while he'll run across something a little... different.

He finds the Adams early in the day, and he watches for several minutes as that loop replays. The typically gaunt young man he recognizes, but the scene appears so dissimilar from anything he might expect, it takes him a moment to accept it's actually the future he's seeing and not just some kind of Wonderland generated fiction.

The text to Milligan is something of a warning. Entirely subtle, maybe, but a warning nonetheless. The way these future echoes are presented without comment is bad enough, but having people in the mansion apt to confront someone about what they've seen puts John on edge. And this? He thinks Adam should see this.

He waits in the snow, hands shoved deep into his jacket, oddly settled, all things considered. Out in the forest, out in the cold, it's a lot quieter and more peaceful than that damn mansion. He hears Milligan coming before he sees him.]

Over here, Adam.

[Blake trusts it's him and leans to one side to peer around a tree, confirming it quickly enough. He even offers a little wave.]

Hey.

[halfwinchester]

<sub>[Eventually, he parts ways with Dean-of-the-future and his ghosts, weighed down with a lifetime's worth of thoughts he doesn't want nor need. His trudge back toward the mansion is a long one, in part so he can think, eyes on the blinding white snow. There's a lot to consider, too much to handle all at once. Maybe ever.

All he can think is that if he's capable of getting a grip on his memories one day in the future, then maybe the future could be more bearable than the present. If that's the case, then any cost is worth it, isn't it?

Adam has his head bowed when Blake calls out to him, and he lifts his head to see, momentarily at a loss to see Blake there. Why...?]</sub>

Were you waiting?

_{[He looks around, but can't spot another explanation for why the man would be out in the cold.]}

[oversight]

Yeah, thought I would.

[Which is to say, he banked on Adam going out to check on those ghosts. He can't guess the young man's reaction based on the face in front of him, but he ventures it's fair to assume some thoughts were provoked into being when Milligan was out there.

Hands in his pockets, eyes keenly on the recluse, he doesn't spare the questions.]

What'd you think? Of what you saw?

[halfwinchester]

<sub>[Blake had banked right, though Adam had gotten more than he'd bargained for out there. Now he's cold both inside and out. Cold and numb.

He looks away, lifting his feet one after the other. Adam supposes he can't get away with saying nothing after Blake had been the one to warn him about the ghosts, or the visions, or whatever they are. A certain part of him wants to say silent; in a way it's easier not to think too hard and extend himself where his thoughts are put on display.]</sub>

I think... _{[He doesn't finish, releasing a breath instead. Everything that possibly comes to find feels like a false start.]} I think I must have really ticked off myself.

_{[Putting a thin layer of humor over the future--or the possible future--takes away some of the burden of having to be the one to see it for oneself.]}

Looks like it was supposed to be a secret.

Castiel ✚ various locations

[freewill]

the second floor hallway:

[Castiel is in a combat stance, his blade drawn as he shoots a fiery stare at the massive jabberwocky, which is facing off with him. It lets out a huff of a breath, which is strong enough to make Castiel's hair and his coat shift.

But then he darts forward, almost too fast to track, and buries his blade in the monster's chest. It roars, but the cry is cut short as Castiel sets a hand flat against its flank.

Light bursts out from underneath its skin and it flails madly before falling to the floor, dead.

Castiel stares down at it, its body smoking from burns, and then slowly turns and walks away.]

the resistance hideout:

[Castiel is standing at the head of the long wooden table, and while there are no other ghosts showing here, it's clear that he's speaking to a large group of people.

His face is hard and his jaw set as he starts to speak, already in the middle of some kind of speech. It's very much the speech that a general gives to his troops before battle. About how this is the one and only shot that they'll get, and how risks will have to be taken if they expect to get any results.

He finishes with: "We'll do what has to be done."]

fourth floor hallway:

[Once again, Castiel is shown facing off with the jabberwocky, though this time there's much less confidence in his stance. His knees are more bent, like he's ready to jump out of the way at any moment.

The jabberwocky lets out a thundering roar and runs toward him, charging with every intent of tearing him apart.

Then, out of nowhere, cones a voice: "Hey! Over here, Falcor. Time to come with the nice Animal Control man so he can put you down."

It's Crowley, who's standing there with an amused smirk on his lips. Both Castiel and the jabberwocky turn toward him at the same time, and the look on Castiel's face is one of pure confusion.

As soon as the jabberwocky switches targets, Castiel takes a half-step forward, but Crowley quickly puts a stop to that. "What are you doing? Don't just stand there, Birdbrain! Get on with it. We've only got the one death over here."

Castiel hesitates for only a second and then nods, racing away and disappearing from the scene. The jabberwocky then leaps at Crowley, pinning him against the wall. Not much is visible as it starts to tear into his neck and chest, but it's enough to get the point across.]

the fifth floor hallway:

[Castiel, Allison, and Derek are taking on the jabberwocky as a group. They have a battle formation, with Allison keeping her distance and shooting arrows at it. Her shots are always well planned out and they hit true, catching the beast in the chest, the eyes, anywhere that will temporarily distract it.

Which gives both Castiel and Derek the chance to jump in and attack. Castiel has his blade, which he uses with an expertise that comes from hundreds of years of training. It doesn't seem to do much good against the impenetrable armor, but that won't stop him.

Derek, on the other hand, is going at it like a brawler, using his fangs and claws to try and find some small weakness in its armor.

Then they'll pull back, Allison will shoot off an arrow, and it will draw close to them again. Slowly but surely, they're luring it toward the Core room.

But then something goes wrong. The jabberwock rages, tossing Derek aside with a strong swipe of its front limb. Next it goes after Castiel, shoving its head into his chest with enough force to send him flying.

That leaves Allison, who he stalks toward. While she does her best to shoot arrows at it and stop its approach, it closes the distance between them quickly. She makes an attempt to get away from it by sliding clear under its body, but the jabberwocky expects it, and a clawed paw shoots down toward her, pinning her to the ground, those jagged claws piercing straight through her chest.

Derek and Castiel both react to this, pulling themselves up to their feet. Castiel keeps the jabberwocky distracted while Derek runs right for Allison, kneeling down next to her to siphon her pain away as her body shudders with death throes.

But going up one-one-one with the jabberwocky is never a good idea, and Castiel soon enough ends up skewered on the creature's claws. With him hanging from them like a puppet, the jabberwocky pulls his body up to his mouth. It only takes two large bites for the monster to swallow him whole.

Castiel's fight with the monster spares enough time that Derek could run, but he stays with Allison, black filling his veins as he tries to soothe her, talking to her as she holds onto him with all the strength she still has. But his head snaps up as the fight ends abruptly, and he all but roars Castiel's name as the jabberwocky swallows him down.

It draws the jabberwocky's attention to him, but he doesn't retreat. Just snarls, defiant and angry, poised to defend even when everything's gone horribly wrong. The jabberwocky lunges in, and doesn't hesitate to run the werewolf through with the same claws that had skewered the angel, until there's a sickening crack and he suddenly goes limp.]

[goesdown]

[ Crowley watches the loop on the fourth floor. He watches and watches. He can't look away and he stands there for nearly an hour just... watching.

What possible circumstances could lead to this? Of all the people to take a deadly hit for, he chose the angel? Not Blake, who he apparently gets more cozy with than he'd ever wanted, but the self-righteous, backstabbing Pigeon Who Would Be God?

He's positively livid and he can't look away. There's not a soul here he'd do that for. What changes? What happens to him? ]

[freewill]

[While moving down the halls, cataloging as many of the ghostly images as he can find, Castiel catches wind of Crowley nearby. He can practically smell the demon from a near distance, and while he could take that moment to avoid him, why should he? He isn't going to deter from his course simply because a demon he has a history with is in the way.

And so Castiel turns the corner and continues down the hall. Crowley's standing there, his back turned to Castiel, and watching one of the projections.

It doesn't come into proper focus until he gets closer, but then Castiel stands there silently, just a few feet behind Crowley, as it plays out yet again. The jabberwocky in all of its rage charges for him, but then...

The look on Castiel's face mirrors that of his future self. Crowley's distracting the beast from him? No, more than that -- Crowley's sacrificing himself for him? It doesn't compute.]

[goesdown]

[ Crowley can tell it's Castiel without looking. Something about his stiff, constipated demeanor that Crowley might have once found slightly fascinating, but he now simply finds to be annoying.

By the time Castiel arrived, he'd more than managed to school his face into its usual smarmy demeanor, but he's still having trouble processing everything on the inside and he's not entirely confident that his face is there. Something about this image leaves him unable to sweep away the last of the self doubt.

He ignores Castiel, hoping that he and the ghosts disappear, but after the fifty-fourth or so time that he's watched the loop, he finally looks away, turning his head to Castiel. ]

Don't get any ideas. We're on the same side here, but I don't like any of you that much.

[ He doesn't like anyone that much. He's not sure he ever has. Sure, he's put himself between Blake and a little danger, but it had only been danger of pain. Given the right circumstances, he could see himself taking a few lumps for someone, maybe even Castiel. Hell, back when they were looking for Purgatory, he did take lumps for the feathery bastard, but that was hardly going to his death.

Pain is nothing, but death is everything and he doesn't plan on dying for a long time yet. ]

[freewill]

[Crowley can say anything that he likes, but there's no denying the truth of what they're looking at. Of course, there's always the chance that these images are faked and are tailored to deceive them and set them off course. They've all been taking them at face value, and this is the first time that Castiel's seriously considered that it's all one big farce.

Still, Dean and the others who are back from the future, they're real. Castiel would definitely be able to tell the difference, and none of them have contradicted any of this.

He moves closer, nearing Crowley but mainly interested in this projection of him. Castiel watches it over, observing every bit of body language to try and find some ulterior motive.]

... I don't like this any more than you do.

[Crowley dying for him is wrong, no matter which way he looks at it. It should be Castiel stabbing his blade into his chest, if it's going to be anything at all. The idea that he would ever owe Crowley anything...]

[hypercompetent]

[ seeing derek, allison and cas die once was bad enough. the future version of stiles watches the ghost scene once, transfixed, the same horror written on his face from the day that it happened, before he shoves away long enough to drag himself to a bathroom to throw up. ]

[Greed?] - [Near the Jabberwocky Scar]

[appealingavarice]

[At first, this ghost appears to be only the Jabberwock itself, thrashing and writhing and howling... in pain? Its armor is as undamaged as ever, but a trickle of ichor seeps from between its beartrap teeth. Then a carbon-gray hand wraps around one of those teeth as a handhold- from inside- and Greed's Shielded face peers through them like the bars of a cage.]

Not... yet, you scum-sucking kludge of flesh... more than you can chew, huh? Not so much armor in here?

[That had been muffled, more for his own benefit than for anyone to hear, and almost inaudible over the monster's shrieks. But now he seems to see something out there that upsets him, and he screams at it.]

I said get away, you stupid pissant! I can do this- it's not what we came for, I know- but you don't want to make me find my friend dead if I survive this, right? So RUN!

[The Jabberwock throws its head back, making gravity help it choke down its sharp-edged mouthful. The noise is horrific, gagging and bestial screeching and Greed's maniac laughter in the face of deadly danger, and it goes on for a very long time. But the bulge in its throat from having to swallow something whole does move slowly and inexorably along and, in time, the cackling dies away. The creature spits up a quantity of what must be its own blood... but it charges forward as fast as ever, obviously far from incapacitated, before the image finally fades back to that initial struggle.]

[oversight]

[It's been an emotional week. Hell, an emotional month, and at this rate, John's not so sure how Christmas is going to pan out for any of them. With the weight of the potential future feeling heavier and heavier as it plays out in front of him, he realizes he's lost.

When he'd arrived in Wonderland, almost exactly one year previous, he had been purposeful and proactive. Riding the confidence gained from months and months of very pointed training, he'd observed the world from a distance, objective and ever vigilant.

So much has changed.

He feels tired. And angry. The small notebook with his recordings bears the brunt of it, the cover and the first several pages crumpled in hand. He's been wrapped up in this world and all its people for months. A hello here, a smile there, and next thing he knows, he's celebrating birthdays and building snowmen and attending parties.

He's changed for these people. Because of these people. And he doesn't recognize himself anymore, a fact that unsettles him almost as much as the ghost he's observing late in the evening.

A person he does recognize challenges the beast and he just wants to scream into the void about the future to come. Whether Wonderland is dying or not, it's clear its intention are always to take away the things most important to a person, and John's hardly exempt.

Wonderland wants everything, and if the future in front of him is any indication, it's going to have its way unless they do something. But he's lost. So lost, he's not even sure the way back. It's become emotions and gambles and everything it shouldn't be about.

But it is, because... Well, because he cares. He loves the people around him, even if he can't judge the depth or capacity of it. And they love him in return, even if he can't judge the depth or capacity of it. If his future self ever felt lacking, he'd obviously closed his eyes and never bothered to open them again.

That changes nothing, of course. Not the reality or the hurt or the anger or the frustration. There are no guarantees, and they're stuck.

A rock and a hard place and a Jabberwocky.]

Don't want this, you hear me?

[He says it to the figure in front of him, but it's a callback to an earlier conversation with Greed.]

Not this!

[It's louder and angrier and more emotional than it ought to be, and it's accompanied with the most ridiculous display of childish aggression as John tears his notebook in half and flings it at the ghost image of the monster plaguing the now and then.]

[appealingavarice]

[Greed's been trying to avoid these things, but it's been hard not to realize what's going on in this one. He saw his name on that shrine up by the diner, and he recognizes his own dying defiance in the laughter he can hear when he even just passes near this. It's all an excellent reason not to come and look.

The only counter-argument is Blake's shouting, but it's a very convincing one.]

It doesn't look like anyone does. So we'll get something else. Tell Queenie to stay the hell away from it at least- advance warning, like I said, right?

[He sounds so optimistic, doesn't he? But then there's a particularly loud screech of monstery pain and he can't quite suppress the flinch.]

[oversight]

[Augh, the optimism is probably necessary, but John's feeling like he doesn't want to stop being angry. He flashes a agitated look in Greed's direction and then takes to pacing in front of the screeching creature.]

And then what? Five years later, we're seein' this again. An' again. An' again. That's if we can do somethin', and that's a big if considerin' we only got leads, not answers!

[He feels like he's losing his mind. He very well may be, however temporarily.]

Sick of bein' jerked 'round!

[And this time he flings his pencil. Such a tantrum. A decidedly petty one, at that.]

Dean Winchester; Castiel | Ground Floor

[righteously]

On the ground floor, off in a private corner in front of one of the many fireplaces in one of the many sitting rooms, the ghost of Dean and Cas plays on an endless cycle. It's one of the longest recordings of Dean the mansion, at just under two minutes long.

An outsider might think it disappointing, at first. Not much seems to be happening. The two of them stand at the mantle, Dean with one elbow resting on it and Cas with his hands tucked into the pockets of his trench coat, largely unchanged despite the years between now and then. What is different, though, is the way Dean leans forward, just a little. The way his head is ducked and his eyes are crinkling as he talks, head shaking to dispel something he finds ridiculous. The words don't feed through, the scene is completely silent, the only thing giving away the fact that it's a conversation is the way his lips move.

Cas, for his part, looks just the slightest bit confused. It only lasts a second, and then he's replying. Whatever he says must be funny, because Dean's head throws back just for a second and he laughs. The chuckle fades, but the look in his face doesn't.

He mutters something.

Cas stares at him, and for a silent moment, Dean stares back without a word.

And then he's moving, slowly but surely, lead by some gravitational pull, they must be. It takes forever and no time at all, that subtle hesitation. It's becoming rapidly more apparent, though, that the lean comes with intent, and within seconds, Dean and Castiel touch lips. One of Dean's hands come up, destination obvious, a course charted for the lean line of Cas's jaw. Just before his fingertips touch it, though, the scene flickers, fades, dies.

And starts again anew.

[freewill]

[Response to this threaded out over here.]

(opener for Helena so they can watch some ghosts :3)

[oncefairytale]

While nothing horrible has happened since her arrival, Amy is feeling a bit out of sorts. With Christmas approaching, there's an ache in her chest that Rory and her Doctor aren't here. The appearance of the ghostly vignettes are a little unnerving and she just wants the chance to sit back and relax. She recalls an invitation to tea from Helena and sends a request to meet up in one of the tea rooms. She has everything set up for a good, proper tea. She smiles and motions to the set up. "Cream or sugar?"

[mirabilis]

The offer for tea was a lovely one, and one that was perfectly timed. They'd saved it as a rainy day, and an excuse to have another talk later, but with the ghosts that Helena had already seen it came as a fantastic opportunity. She was looking forward to speaking with Amy again, even if the woman didn't remember the help that she'd given Helena when she'd arrived -- Helena would still pay that back, and help further.

"Just cream, but only a little." It was also nice having someone else that there that knew how to make tea -- good tea.

"How have you settled in?"

[oncefairytale]

Amy splashed a touch of cream into a a cup of steaming tea before setting it in front of Helena. She takes her seat again, picking up her mug and holding it for warmth. "So far it's been good. It's amazing how much the room looks like my own at home. Makes me a bit homesick, though," she pauses and looks down at her tea. She gives a little shrug as if to say it doesn't matter all that much that she's stuck here. And for now, it doesn't. She's waited longer for reunions than a few weeks and at least she has company. In her heart, she knows it's only a matter of time before she sees Rory or the Doctor again.

She looks up from her cup and smiles, brushing the sadness away. "It's a little weird being in a place that decorates itself but then that takes the guesswork out of things, doesn't it? Although, the ghostly little scenes I could do without. Some of them give me the creeps."

[mirabilis]

"The decoration has seemed harmless considering this is Wonderland." Considering so many alternatives that could occur, and things that could happen. The possibilities were no doubt endless, and who knew what new thing could be created after their arrival - or with the disasters that occurred.

"I've seen only one of the ghostly scenes. Whilst I didn't find it as negative." Creeps, what? But it certainly didn't sound good. "It did made me curious. It would be nice to know what occurred prior to that moment." It had been a nice moment if anything.

Elizabeth

[ex_alighthouse135]

[Garden]

[Elizabeth is sitting in the garden. Or her ghost is. She looks older, lovely, but sad as she's stringing together flower wreathes. They are not for celebration, unfortunately. One might recognize them as gifts for the dead. For those they have lost to the horrid beast. Someone must remember them.

As she works, she sings softly to herself. When the song is done, she disappears, only to reappear after a time as the scene and song repeats itself.]

Mark Meltzer-Library

[paper_knight]

Mark's ghost can be found crouched in an out of the way corner of the library stacks, tense-backed, tying an alarming amount of gauze around thin air. It disappears when he's finished, but he continues to stare fixedly at a point about a foot or so from his face.

"Okay. You'll be all right--just--just make sure one of the real doctors looks at it when we get back. You're gonna be fine."

Anyone who knows Mark will probably recognize that tone as the one he uses when he needs to reassure himself as much as whoever he's talking to.

Suddenly his hands fly to his ears, blocking out roaring and crashing that can't be heard in the present time. After a minute or two his stance grows a little less hunched. Whatever it was has passed him over.

"Okay." Deep, shaky breath. "Okay. I'm going to go make sure our exit is still there. I'll be back."

But he stays a minute longer, listening, by his posture and expression, to something worrying.

"Okay." Again. "How about--"

He pats his jacket down and draws a handful of papers (close observers will recognize some carefully-kept child's drawings) out of some inner pocket and offers it to the air. It's a surety, a promise that he will return.

"Here. You keep these safe for me."

The papers hover for a moment before disappearing. Mark smiles tightly at his unidentified companion.

"Thanks."

He stands stiffly and walks off--directly through a wall. And the scene resets.