entranceway | + The Moral of the Show +

[ 'Tis quite the feat, the way the Duchess hurls her own head high into the air, so it may sound from the greatest heights of the entrance hall. ]

What is it? Who has it? Where is it kept?

[ Her body moves as grey lightning, dashing towards a nearby mirror. She smashes its glass with her fist, and from the ripples all mirrors near her shatter as well, as does every single one on the same floor, as does every single one in the entire mansion, both sides of it at that.

In the end only a singular mirror behind her remains whole, and her body quickly comes to stand where it was before, so she might catch herself in part, before her head hits the floor. ]

Thank you. This will suffice. Give them time to recover, and they will come back as they were. Now, did you see all I showed you? Did you find what you needed to search? Did you do as I ask? You can hear it, can't you, that all good things come in threes. Now, tell me these:

[ She holds her head above her shoulders, as if to crown herself with it. ]

Who has it? Where is it kept? What is it?

[ The Duchess turns her head, literally turns her head around, so that it may face the unbroken glass behind her, giving it a knowing look before she begins to rotate, like the beam of a searchlight, which would make sure to shine upon all it surveys. ]

No good deed goes unpunished by great rewards, that is what they say. To all of you, I say this. My dearest friends on this side, my good people on the other! My hands are clean and needn't be washed, but it is only right and proper that you should help, and that I should reward such splendorous moral character.

[ She pauses for effect, before she lets her head hang leisurely in her lap. ]

Where is it kept? What is it? Who has it? Tell me, my loves, tell me now.

[[ ooc: This message can be seen by people both Real and Mirrored. Real people may contact her over the network, or find her in the entrance hall. Mirrors may write to her, using the mirror that remains unbroken. ]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

_{[When a mirror shatters practically right in front of his face, Anders is--understandably, he thinks--grumpy. That's a bit too close of a shave. He likes his jugular vein intact, thank you!

But then he sees who's responsible.]}

And just where did you get off to? You're surprisingly spry for someone with no head. _{[Hello, Duchess, glad to see you again. (Not really.)]} I may have spotted some sinister sewing materials lying around along with some golden thread while you were gone...

_{[Maybe. His memory might suddenly fail him, depending.]}

That sound about right?

[ The Duchess perks up. Etiquette would normally demand a greater response to his compliment, but spryly, spryly onward to the matter at hand! ]

All sounds right and well.

[ She lifts her head excitedly. ]

Tell me, Anders, tell me quickly, how does one cure a beheading?

_{[Hold your dress code-defying horses, it wasn't a compliment, and for another thing--oh, hold on, what's that feeling? It's the creepy feeling of having one of his abductors address him personally without him telling her his name.

Her knowing him isn't all that surprising, they probably have a list with the names of their kidnapping victims that's as long as the entrance hall that they chortle over during afternoon tea, but there's a reason he'd abandoned his real name and started calling himself "Anders," and it was to avoid moments like these.

Don't let out that heavy sigh, Anders. Don't do it, don't do it, resist the urge...]}

Remember last time, you agreed that if we helped set you straight, you'd give us some straight answers. I don't know about curing, but I did notice some golden thread in a lavish bedchamber on the other side. The Queen of Hearts' bedchamber.

_{[Still probably going to regret this, but hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained.]}

I spoke of answers, not their angle, if it is the builder's level you're after--

[ She shakes her head, shakes her head, but her eyes still look wide and hungry. This is a point that ought to be made, but there are answers she could devou- there are answers she could hear, and fast! ]

No, no, just say it for me, the chambers, where are they this time? The thread-- in plain sight then, yes? Quickly, quickly, how is it guarded, did you see? Did she say?

_{[Builder's level? What?]}

I'm after information, that's all, the same as you.

_{[The look on her face makes him vaguely uncomfortable--especially because said face is currently detached from the rest of her body. Expecting her to spill the beans while her head is still lolling around like a stray football is bad survival strategy, he'd say. He pauses only for a short second before continuing on, eyes narrowed and wary.]}

We found a couple of heart-shaped peepholes in the fifth floor tea room--so it's the Mirror land's fifth floor tea room you're after. The spool was just sitting there, and her queenliness was nowhere in sight. You'd probably know better what defenses she has in place.

_{[But the golden thread had been but one of the many things that had caught Anders' eye.]}

There were other things, too. Does she have other important objects stashed in there?

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