[OPEN] I've been losing sleep for days;

[vampdetective]

Who: Angel, Lily Evans, Mirror!Emma Swan, Mirror!Jo Harvelle & you!
Where: Throughout the mansion and grounds.
When: The evening of 9/16 onward.
Rating: R, for reasons.
Summary: Catch-all log for now until the end of the event! Any planned threads are more than welcome to take place here, as well as any surprise threads!
The Story:
[ ANGEL ► REAL ]

[His movements are limited until nightfall, but that doesn't stop Angel from dedicating himself to solving the riddle the Duchess has posed to the mansion at large. He's written and rewritten every last word of it, rearranging it and breaking it to bits as he makes his way through the mansion, carefully examining his surroundings as he goes to see if anything, anything, matches up with the cryptic madness that seems to be Wonderland's sense of humor. All told, he was a good detective-- but riddles, he was beginning to think, were not his strong suit.

When night falls, he branches out, having already gone through every floor of the mansion firsthand over the past two days, though entering any rooms that belonged to any residents was barred, meaning there was a great deal he couldn't search on his own -- but it seemed unlikely that the Vorpal Sword would be stashed beneath anyone's bathroom sink. It's full dark when he ventures outside, intending to wind his way through the gardens and head out towards the checkerboard hills and the woods in his search.

Periodically, he can be found in the kitchen, feeding -- or more specifically, drinking blood from an oversized coffee cup with a picture of what might be a lobster on it.]

[ LILY ► REAL ]

[Lily, too, has been dedicated to the search. She's been carrying the blue ribbon and note she found in the hedge maze with her since the day before. Most other problems might inspire her to sequester herself in the library until she finds something useful, but riddles are more practical in a way -- there's no book that can solve them for you, and despite having only been in Wonderland for a handful of months, she thinks she has a firm enough grasp on the geography and the inner workings of the mansion to have a decent shot at helping to solve this thing.

A part of her hopes that it's simply a matter of sifting the evidence until things fall into place, but somehow, she doesn't think that's likely.

She can be found at various points throughout the mansion and grounds, and for the next few days will be seen carrying a notebook at all times as well as her wand, taking notes wherever she goes. Though she seems mostly innocuous and unassuming as people pass her by during their travels, there are times when she won't be scribbling furiously -- anyone who visits the attic is likely to find her spending the better part of an afternoon liberally using charms to levitate and rummage through the various things collected there, and she'll also visit the dining hall on several occasions, where she'll eat with her notes spread out in front of her as she looks them over.]

[ EMMA ► MIRROR ]

[Alright. So the Mirrors are here on a mission, told not to come back until they have the sword in hand. Really, Emma doesn't have much of a problem following orders, assuming they're in her best interest. Loyalty to the Queen of Hearts isn't an option, but there are certain tasks she's more likely to apply herself to -- and any that directly impact her odds of survival are right at the top of the list.

She knows how important the sword is. She has every intention of doing whatever it takes to get to the bottom of this and do as the Queen has commanded, and yet--

Coming over to the Real side is so rare, it feels like a wasted opportunity, not to do a little investigating. It's been ages since her last visit, but her Real's room is exactly where she remembers it being, and she leaves the door open behind her when she enters, slowly and thoroughly going through the real Emma's belongings once she's there.

Any Reals who come into contact with her in the mansion or on the grounds would do well to guard their valuables. She has no trouble taking what's not rightfully hers. She looks noticeably different from the real Emma, wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses that set her apart from the real deal, but there's one tiny detail that those who know Emma well might notice: her Mirror is wearing a swan pendant (or is it a keychain?) on a chain around her neck, something the real Emma has been missing for nearly a year.]

[ JO ► MIRROR ]

[Jo's Mirror is far less curious than Emma's, and far less likely to investigate things that aren't directly related to the task at hand. A part of her can't help but think that she's been forced back to the Real side as punishment for her affiliation with her Sam; things have changed since his open display of defiance on the Mirrors' own network, and while she supports him without question, defying the Queen when given a direct order such as this one is not an option. She's sure that if she were to disobey, the Queen would have no trouble making things worse for them -- and Sam has already lost his closet privileges. She's not certain she wants to risk finding out what he loses next, or if she herself will be stripped of her rights along with him as punishment for 'misplaced' loyalty.

She may be a demon, but she's not stupid. She knows better than to risk putting herself at a greater disadvantage, at least for now.

Unlike her previous visits to the Real side, she'll be making an effort to pass as the real Jo for as long as she's able, seeking out people she knows to be friendly with her doppelganger and making her best attempts to lure them into aiding her with her search for the sword.]

[OOC: Threads not limited to the above scenarios! If you'd like to do something that takes place in another part of the mansion or later on during the course of the event, let me know and we can absolutely work something out. Just trying to keep it all in once place! Mirror!Emma's responses will be coming from larcenously, Mirror!Jo's will be coming from stayedhome.]

Comments

CLOSED | Jo & Elijah Mikaelson | Early on 9/16, before the swap.

[lightgunhustler]

[It's roughly two hours after her conversation with Charlie that Jo is pounding on Elijah's door. Despite the fact that they're nearly strangers, something about the situation feels like an incredible betrayal. Some part of her was deeply offended by the fact that she was being forced to reconcile what had been, by all accounts, a passably pleasant evening and maybe even the prospect of friendship with vampirism, things that simply did not mix, as far as she was concerned.

Benny had been alright, for the brief time that he'd been here, but that was different. He'd had Dean to vouch for him. Caroline, too, had been an unusual exception to the rule-- but generally speaking, the word 'vampire' didn't conjure up any particularly fuzzy feelings. Wonderland did change things. It threw all kinds of people together and forced some, herself included, to partially abandon the paths they'd walked back home--

But she's here all the same, knocking a second time with the knife she keeps tucked at her belt now drawn, another concealed in her boot, a crucifix around her neck and hidden beneath her shirt just to be safe (the vampires she was used to didn't bat an eye at them, but there was no telling about others), two vials of holy water tucked in her back pocket and a jar of dead man's blood.

Needless to say, this isn't a mission of peace.]

[honesta]

[ The good people of Wonderland perhaps need a lesson in manners or something along those lines. The way they handle things is incredibly blunt and oddly resembling Niklaus' mannerisms. He has the manners of a wild animal even on his best days. A polite knock would have sufficed. Pounding on his door in this insane manner really wasn't necessary. He's not mad though. It's possible they're in the middle of a crisis and require some urgent assistance. He's trying his best to keep his patience to a more tolerable level despite this sudden interruption to his reading.

He snaps the book shut with a sigh and pushes himself up from his chair. He deposits the book onto the side table next to his chair and moves towards the door. ] Coming. [ He calls out to whoever is on the other side of the door. He's so hoping that it's not Dean. The last thing he wants is to snap the neck of the man that Jo considers to be one of her best friends. It would certainly soil their growing friendship. ]

I do hope this is--[ He's cut off though when he sees Jo on the other side of the door. There's a split second where the annoyed expressions seems to just melt away before he takes in her appearance. The knife. The crucifix. It seems the cat is out of the bag. Not that he was ever lying to her. He just didn't tell her everything. It was hard to breach a subject of that nature. ] You certainly came prepared. Though I'm sorry to inform you that none of that--[ He motions to her new wardrobe and what he believes to be is a jar of blood. ]--will do much against me, Joanna. Did Dean tell you?

[lightgunhustler]

No, he didn't.

[She's not going to give him the name of who did; there's no way she's painting a target on Charlie like that, but she's pissed and it shows. Her shoulders relax slightly, and there's enough of a shift in her posture that it should be relatively clear that she didn't come here expressly with the intent to attack-- most of the measures she'd taken were preventative, although if he was telling the truth, they were next to useless.

Really, she's not sure why she's there. He hasn't hurt anyone that she knows of, and while knowing what he is would have been enough to have her reaching for her machete a couple of years back, Wonderland has forced her to gain some perspective--

And yet she still feels so inexplicably outraged.]

Like hell I was letting you anywhere near me again without making a few things perfectly clear.

[She's prepared to defend herself and anyone else, if it comes down to it.]

When was I going to find out? [Not that they had anything even resembling a history together, but he'd been so damn direct and made it obvious that he wanted to spend more time with her -- something she'd thought might have been what she needed, getting to know someone who didn't just feel sorry for her, until she found out what he was.] When you tried to eat me? Don't even pretend -- I know you've got a history.

[Charlie had confirmed that much.]

hello there blast from the past

[belovedson]

Nice keychain.

[He's seen the message in the notebook (and it still feels pretty weird that James Potter is around, for the record), so Neal knows something is up when he's walking by Emma room and sees the door standing open. Still, it's hard not to feel knocked back at the shock of seeing Emma looking a lot closer to how he remembers her a decade before. He doesn't even realize he's staring until he sees the glint of light on the necklace, a pendant he knows far too well to mistake for anything other than what it is.

This place is seriously messed up, isn't it? He's gotten all the warnings, gone through some of the headaches. But seeing a woman who looks exactly like the Emma from his memories, except maybe a little older? Definitely a gut punch.

When he speaks he's standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. No matter what she looks like, Neal knows this isn't the same woman he fell in love with all those years ago, or who he still loves now. And maybe if he keeps telling himself that, his chest will loosen and his heart will stop pounding just that little bit harder for seeing her.]

why hello there

[larcenously]

[She recognizes his voice.

She's not sure if she truly remembers him or simply thinks those memories are real, but she recognizes him. It's a problem that comes up occasionally on the other side of the glass; some people wonder if they were brought in from elsewhere just like their supposed Reals while others are content to believe that they were created here and that's all that there is -- but too much of what she feels she remembers feels real for her to join the latter camp.

She pauses in rummaging through one of her Real's drawers and smiles as she looks up at him. He's a Real, not a Mirror like her, but she feels like she knows him all the same. She hooks her thumb beneath the chain of her necklace and gives it a gentle tug, holding up the pendant for display.]

Thanks. It was a gift.

[She lets it drop, with what looks like a wallet still in hand.]

Does she let you wander in here just any old time you feel like, pal?

fancy meeting you in a place like this

[belovedson]

Yeah, I know. [A gift from him to Emma, lifted off the display at some random convenience store. Whether or not that's the context she means, it's the only context Neal cares about. He takes a few steps further into the room, taking note of what she's tucking away. She's good at it; he'll give her credit for that. She may even be better than Emma had been back in the day.]

Pretty sure she'd want me in here over you. I'm not planning on stealing her stuff. [He nods towards the wallet, but that's the least of it.] I don't suppose you'd put everything back if I asked nicely, would you?

[falsus]

Funnily enough, Kevin is doing the same thing. He's never sure if he should come out as a demon when he first encounters someone, but he also doesn't want to run the risk of them thinking he's here to do the usual demon things, including lying about who he is to hurt people. Kevin is starting to get impatient; he's frustrated on the Mirror side, trapped into service against yet another regent, and unable to do much to Crowley other than plot minor pranks. But he really is only here to save his own ass back home and find the sword.

He's also a little worried about Dean believing that Kevin isn't really here to screw anything up, other than of course trying to get the sword for the mirror side. So he seeks out Jo, in case she hasn't crossed over, because if he can win over real Jo, then maybe that can help him to get into Dean's good graces.

If this is even the real Jo.

"How's it going? Any luck yet?"

[stayedhome]

By and large, it's not a bad plan. The real Jo has unknowingly made herself a valuable bargaining piece when it comes to winning favor with Wonderland's resident hunters, to the point where if her Mirror were a good enough actress, it might have done them both some good-- and the effort is undeniably there. She smiles warmly upon spotting him from a distance, quickly reviewing mental notes concerning the real Kevin Tran, and yet--

There's no instinctive way for Mirrors to recognize one another, especially not when they're playing parts, but she has hunch. One that she keeps to herself for the time being.

"None yet," she says simply, attempting to maintain some note of optimism. "But the mansion is a big place. It could be anywhere."

She pauses, looking to him expectantly.

"What about you? Find any leads?"

[falsus]

Well, isn't this a fun game? Real or Mirror? He guesses it doesn't really matter; he isn't harboring any ill-will toward the reals; on the contrary, he's here to try to establish himself as one of the "good" demons, as much as the Winchesters ever approve of demons. If this is the real Jo, then better to get on her good side; if it's not, well. Actually, he might be slightly annoyed. He can see the mirror one whenever he likes.

"Mostly I only know where it isn't. Like, it isn't in the greenhouse."

He stops and tilts his head.

"Have you run into any Mirrors?"

Angel;

[iguanasolution]

[Frank is on edge.

But considering the situation anyone would be. He hasn't been 'switched', or whatever people call it when the mirror crosses over- he's still himself, so he guesses he's going to stay like this until... well, until something happens for good or bad. But he can tell some people have crossed over- a very specific person in particular. And whatever these mirrors are, good bad chaotic just under someone else's orders, what Frank knows for sure is that they are dangerous.

So Angel, moving in the night around the kitchen where he was expecting no one, definitely startles him. And startling a son of the war is never a good idea, so Angel will find an arrow pointed straight at him, Frank's face the closest to pokerface he gets as he tenses the bow.]

What are you doing in here? [...'Eating' is, apparently, not an option that has crossed his mind at the moment.]

[vampdetective]

Whoa, whoa--!

[Angel moves to put both hands up in his own defense, hearing the arrow as its drawn before he turns to find himself face-to-face with an armed Frank. He nearly drops his mug in the process, and instead chooses to balance it with his right hand, slightly raised, why he puts the other out in an attempt to keep Frank from shooting.

He recognizes him, at least -- they've met before, though Angel hadn't quite been himself. He won't assume that the remembrance goes both ways, but it's enough to assure Angel that this probably doesn't have to be a throw-down.]

Take it easy. I was just feeling peckish. Some of us are nocturnal.

[Not necessarily by choice.]

[iguanasolution]

[Sadly there's no recognition yet, Frank meet a teenager almost his age and not a man- but that doesn't mean he's going to shoot him right away. He doesn't sound convinced, not when they are being 'invaded'. But he guesses he'd have had plenty of chances to attack him by now, if he'd wanted to.

He lowers the bow.]

Sorry, whole thing's got me worked up. I'm Frank, by the way- you're a night owl, then?

Mirror!Emma

[unhand]

[So. Finding Henry. Shouldn't be too hard. But unfortunately, the boy isn't in Emma's room where he'd first looked. Fortunately, someone else is.

For a moment, he thinks Emma's back. But the moment passes quickly. There are enough hints. Not least, the way she's going through Emma's things like a stranger. Emma wouldn't need to. Emma knows where her own things are. This isn't Emma.

Hook comes up behind her and grabs her, bringing his hook to her throat.]

Hello, darling. I think you're in the wrong place.

[larcenously]

[She stiffens, letting out a low hiss of breath as she feels the cool press of metal against her skin. It's not the first time she's ever been caught, not by a long shot -- the question is, as always, how to get free and slip away, but with a hook held against her throat, sudden movements sound like a very bad idea.]

Last I checked, this wasn't your room, either.

[She's just saying.]

Looks like we're both trespassing.

[unhand]

[Well. Not yet. Hook's optimistic about the future. But that's not the point.]

The owner sent me looking for you. Between the two of us, I'm the more welcome one.

Real!Emma

[unsated]

[At some point, when Emma's exploring something she definitely shouldn't be touching, she'll hear a quiet whoosh of magic. So quiet that she'll have to pay close attention to hear it at all. When she turns around, she'll see a familiar face. Well, familiar-ish. That handsome visage usually isn't nearly so... sparkly. Killian's face glints in the light, and the grin is pure evil.]

I've been wondering when I'd get to meet you.

[cursebreaking]

[She turns to face him, her jaw set, having been trying to secure a second tearoom for Reals to take refuge in. The worst part about being on the other side of the Mirrors was that there were no good places to hide, the grounds weren't nearly as expansive and there were Mirrors around every corner.

Much like this one.]

I had a feeling we'd run into each other sooner or later.

[He's not even pretending to be the real Hook. She's not sure if that's refreshing or not.]

Have to say, the real Killian wears the leather look better.

[unsated]

Is that so? [There’s a puff of purple smoke, and the Dark One vanishes, replaced by the normal, scaleless Killian. Hook has never been unattractive, but he is human. There are little imperfections in his skin, old scars and marks, places where his muscles are more lean than bulky. There's nothing like that now. It's still Killian's face, certainly but his skin is as smooth and hairless as the cover of a romance novel. His shirt's even a few buttons lower than usual. Every part of him is perfect, almost inhumanly so.

The one thing that stays the same is the sharp, glittering hook on his left wrist and the curvy knife strapped to his waist.]

Is this better, Dearie?

laughs

[vowsfulfilled]

[It doesn't take her long to find her intended target. He's so dumb; wandering alone in the dark while the mirrors run rampant in their own quest for the sword. His mirror hadn't spoken too highly of him, and now she knows why. But he's the key to both gaining favour with the Queen of Hearts and causing chaos on this side of the glass after the Duchess is found. It's still a theory of course, but even if they're wrong, it still works in their favour.

When she finds him, she's in one of her favourite dresses. Normally she'd prefer something a little more extravagant, this dress has memories. She could surprise him, cast a spell to immobilize him and rip it out, just to be done with it. But where's the fun in that?]

What a lovely night.

cries

[vampdetective]

I'm not out here for the scenery.

[He's faced enough mirrors in the past that their roaming the grounds isn't quite enough to keep in indoors, keep him from making use of the only time he has to search as thoroughly as he needs to.

He hears her approach first, only turning to face her a moment later. He'd recognized the voice -- he's met Regina before, on multiple occasions, though most had taken place before her lengthy sabbatical from Wonderland. He narrows his eyes immediately; the Regina he'd come to know, even as a vague sort of acquaintance, had never dressed like this -- and she certainly didn't smell like herself.]

You're not Regina.

[Lady, he knows a Mirror when he sees one.]

:')

[vowsfulfilled]

[She hadn't expect to pass for her real, hadn't wanted to. Not when she's such a bore, giving in to love and family.

His frankness earns him a smile, as... unpleasant as a smile from the Evil Queen is.]

Well that's hardly fair. I'm more Regina than she is these days. [Which would hardly make sense to anybody who isn't familiar with their shared history, but it needs to be said.] Which is unfortunate for you.

[She punctuates that statement with a wave of her hand, freezing Angel in place.]

Mirror!Jo

[luckynumberthree]

[ Simon shows up at the bar in the afternoon, not yet realizing mirror shenanigans are afoot, although he has been noticing some people acting strangely. Mostly he chalks it up to them all frenzied into this sword hunt, but as he's never been particularly good at solving riddles, he's more than happy to leave that up to people way smarter than him.

Instead, he does what he's good at. At the moment, that includes swinging by to check on Jo to make sure she doesn't need help or isn't working herself to death. Or at least that's the excuse he keeps using, anyway.

He swings into her bar with a bright grin, completely oblivious that anything might be out of the ordinary. ]

Hey, Jo. How's things?

[stayedhome]

[While much of her time on this side of the glass has been spent searching, there are certain obligations that come with trying to masquerade as your Real. In Jo's case, it means putting in at least a few hours at the fifth floor bar, though there's a yellow legal pad that's been left out on the back counter with notes about the riddle filling up more than half of the first page.

Just because she has to take a few hours off from the physical search doesn't mean she needs to stop trying to solve it entirely.

She smiles when Simon enters; given the greeting, it feels appropriate, but she's not quite sure what he is to her Real, and that's a problem. It's not like Tom, who she'd had countless opportunities to watch through the glass. Friend? Boyfriend?

Eh. She'll wing it.]

Hey.

[She grins back, leaning against the bar.]

Taking a break from all the puzzle-solving. Starting to make my head hurt. You get caught up in that at all?

[WHAT IS HIS NAME, EVEN.]

angel.

[brainsqueeze]

( Funnily enough it was a little difficult to sleep when you had something weighing on your mind, or a lot of things in this case. Whilst Maria had been trying to get her head around everything that she had been told a couple of weeks was definitely not enough time, and she'd not actually gotten into the deeper parts of Wonderland - including the Jabberwocky - yet. It made this puzzle a little more frustrating, that and how cryptic it was.

Maria had come downstairs, dressed in a dark t-shirt with a pair of jeans to get a change of scenery, find some coffee and look over the puzzle. Again. She had a pen and the puzzle on a piece of paper, not that she really expected to figure it out now - she was tired even if she couldn't sleep, but it was better than doing nothing and waiting.

Maybe she should have expected that she wouldn't be the only one up and still working on the puzzle. Maria had been told to expect a lot of other occurrences, and people being awake during a troubling time was hardly the strangest thing that could have happened. At SHIELD it was usually pretty normal )

Puzzle keeping you up?

( She'd put her pen and paper on the counter after entering the kitchen before moving to go make herself some coffee. Maybe Mr Helpful was just a night owl, or maybe he was stuck too )

[vampdetective]

[He looks up from the mug that serves as his dinner, giving her a thin, tight smile. He's no Wesley, but he likes to think he's got some decent puzzle-solving skills -- all told, he's actually a damn good detective, despite all the cracks that get made about his relying on brute strength. But this?

So far, zilch. Trying to make heads or tails of this thing has just wound up making him hungry instead.]

I'm usually up late anyway -- but as long as I'm up, figured I might as well mull it over. You making any headway with it?