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

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She presses her lips together -- yep, that sure is her boyfriend's name on that dagger. What the hell. She's not into these eerie 'what if' Mirrors.]

Yeah? Worth it?

[She doubts it.]

At the end of the day, she's still dead, isn't she? And in killing the Dark One, I'm sure you've given up everything about yourself that she cared about. Sounds to me like you lose.

[She likes the real Killian much better, needless to say.]

[The words hit hard. Hook doesn't flinch, but the self-loathing in his eyes deepens.]

And he's in hell. I fail to see the problem.

[He's not even lying. It all seems very much worth it when he thinks about it. He was willing to pay any price, and he paid it. It worked. The fact that he's now miserable and can't die is irrelevant. Much like her point about giving up what Milah cared about. She's dead. She doesn't care about anything.]

You really think that's a decent trade-off?

[She raises an eyebrow. Even if this was a Mirror, even if it wasn't the real Killian, it's still his face, still his image telling her that he doesn't care about the cost of what he's done. A year ago, she might have figured the real Killian was capable of that, but not now.]

You can't possibly be happy. Revenge feels good, sure-- until immediately after you've taken it.

[He looks away, expression pensive, though he doesn't immediately confirm or deny her suspicions.]

I wasn't happy before, either. It makes no difference.

Of course it makes a difference.

[She hears something of Mary Margaret in her own tone, or maybe David -- she's never considered herself to be one to preach, but those good old-fashioned fairy tale values have been rubbing off on her.]

I know the real you. Killian Jones is capable of a lot of things, but he's not that hard. He couldn't survive what you've done to yourself. Not for the long haul.

[Because deep down, he's good. He'd started out good. He'd only lost his way for awhile.]

[He gives a dry, humorless laugh.]

If there's one thing I'm good at, lass, it's surviving. I'm not the Real me, or haven't you noticed? This isn't the Real Wonderland.

Maybe not, but you come from the same place. You don't exist without him. That's how this works.

[Mirrors don't exist until there's a 'Real Thing' to pull them from. By that logic, they have to have something more in common than just their face.]

All lecturing aside -- what the hell do you want with me, anyway?

To stop you from nosing around, of course.

[It's not entirely true, but the lie rolls easily off his tongue. Honestly, he was mostly interested in meeting her. His reflection seems rather taken with her, after all.]

Can't blame a girl for doing a little investigating. Not every day we get a chance to see your side of things.

[She and James are both taking the opportunity to retrace their steps from previous visits and learn as much as they can.]

You really want to deny someone the right to snoop?

[She raises an eyebrow. Really, she shouldn't give any lip to any supposed version of the Dark One, but she's a little overconfident when it comes to the Mirrors.]

[That gets him to smile, though there's nothing friendly or comforting about the expression.]

Depends what it is you're snooping for, love. Can't have you going against the Queen, can we?

[There's a mocking lilt in his tone, like he's saying the party line but doesn't entirely buy it. He's the Dark One, and a pirate. There is no part of him that cares to give royalty more than the barest minimum of loyalty.]

[Why isn't she at all surprised by how much he reminds her of a snake right now?]

So even you've got that undying loyalty bred right into you.

[Of all the Mirrors, she thought he might be among those self-serving enough to overcome that. Maybe not. Maybe none of them really could-- but he doesn't sound sold, himself. Maybe that's the chink in his armor.]

That must hurt.

[Hooks of any world are predictable in one respect, at least: Their pride. Hook is a captain, even if in this case he's also an evil sorcerer. He's his own master. Not belonging to any king or queen. He glares at her, stepping up to loom over her, standing much too close.]

I'm loyal first and foremost to myself. Our interests simply happen to align.

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

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