Skeletons in the Closet

[Cartoonicat]

Walking beside the Henbard children, London looked down at the youngest. She was so small, tiny, fragile looking. Much like with people her own age, communicating with children was a hit or miss; either they thought her to be trying to hard and just plain weird or, on the chance she hit, it would be a home run and they'd click. The former had happened with too many of her cousins on both sides of the family, the latter reserved for a few young gamers who'd taken to her like a moth to flame. Only, London never burned them - she acted nice, welcoming. Taught them the ropes.

Still, she didn't have the best track record with children, so she was grateful that the small girl didn't address her directly. Leave that to Jace - or, really, anybody else.

The oldest one - What was his name? Crap. It's like Christmas with Jace all over again! - seemed a little different, though. He was older, not that that accounted for anything because London still couldn't even talk to a majority of people her own age, but he seemed to be patient. After all, he'd handled Kindall's freak out with grace even though it was London's fault to begin with and, now, was willing to answer questions some people might find absurd. Then again, he had just almost gotten pulled into the river by a poltergeist while trying to help Ana. She glanced back at the shortest girl in their group, wondering if she was alright. Wet like the rest of them, Ana looked like a drowned rat. London frowned some. Maybe... No, Jace can take care of her. He's closer to her than I am. Still, London remembered the iron grip of the poltergeist. Talking to Ana about it was tempting but, in the end, she decided to keep her distance. Like always.

At the mention of bunyips, London tore her gaze from Ana and turned to the Henbard boy. Absently wondered how old he actually was since the guy was taller than Matt. At least, London thought so. Wasn't like she looked at Matt often enough to know precisely how tall he was. Pfft. Preposterous. No.

The boy smiled at her, seemingly amused. It made her cheeks flush - Is he making fun of me? - and she looked forward, away from him and his little sister. Only, she turned her eyes back to them when he confirmed her suspicions, though not necessarily about bunyips or the water. There were things in the forest. The legends were true. Well, considering the legends were terrifying... Ugh. Knowing them to be true whilst in the comfort of her home would thrill London, but out here, roaming the woods with them? Not so thrilling. She could cheer about it once she returned to her quaint little two bedroom home, safe inside with Mom and an absurd amount of take-out. Speaking of Mom... would she even notice London was gone? Probably not - she was as easily distracted as London herself. London began to feel as though perhaps she should have told her mom about the search. Hugged her goodbye. Half the group had nearly drowned, after all, and what if-?

Snapped out of her darkening thoughts, London blinked slowly back to reality. The woods, right. Henbard Chateau, yes. A boy, still talking to her. What was he saying? She looked at the Henbard boy curiously. Nodded in response. "I am curious, yeah," she said. Listened to his rhyme. Felt a chill run up her spine, calling out an army of goosebumps. "I've, uh, never heard that-... that version before." It was unsettling, to say the least, but if the legends of Whittle Grove were true then perhaps the rhyme was, too.

Maybe Kelsey was safe.

That thought gave her hope; Jo had come back from the woods well-fed and round. Who was to say Kelsey wouldn't, either? Unless Jo hadn't been released by whatever captured him - Let's call the monster Peter, for now - and had to escape on his own. If that was the case, which seemed the most likely since nobody missing had ever returned, they definitely had to keep looking for Kelsey. What if she couldn't get out? What if Peter fattened her up, planning to eat her, like the witch in Hansel and Gretel? It'd only been ten days since Kelsey went missing - she couldn't have put on that much weight. They still had time.

Hopefully.

Upon arriving at Henbard Chateau London realized for the first time exactly how small her little hovel with Mom was. Their two bedroom, one bathroom castle could not compare to the mansion that stood before her. How many bedrooms could possibly be in there? Ten? Twenty? Fifty? London had never seen something so opulent in real life - it was almost as daunting as meeting the poltergeist by the creek. As nice as it was, though, London wouldn't trade anything to live there. Not after what happened at the creek. Sparing a glance at the Henbard children as they walked through the gate and up towards their home, London hummed thoughtfully, quietly.

So why are they still living here if the legends are true?

 

[Haru Nyan]

Twas a night...No, too cliche'. The middle-aged man's brows furrowed in irritation as he began pressing the backspace key on his laptop and started to clasp his hands together, thinking of a good way to start off his novel. Then, a stroke, a flash, brief glint of inspiration! That was it! Paul's fingers began to type away with fervor and gusto that the ideas just came in nonstop, yes, yes! The harmony of it all was coming together! Everything was in place, the mood, the lighting, the atmosphere, and utter peace and quie-Then the door to his study swung open without so much as a warning, his shoulders slumped, his eyes became downtrodden and his mood went from elated to irritated, he sighed, trying to keep his temper in check and proceeded to calm himself down, his wife was panicking, but as she told him of the unfortunate circumstances their children had befallen, and immediately his eyes went from weary to wider than a deer caught in headlights.

"THEY DID WHAT?!" His voice practically resounded throughout the chateau, he groaned and smeared his palm all over his face in a fit of worry and distress. Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic, he kept the words on repeat in his head, times like this are when his anger would usually get the best of him and he'd practically rush out their home in search of the two wayward kids, not caring about his own health in the slightest, and he was about to just do the same thing again. "I'm going to look for them." Not even giving Adelaide the time to form a response or a chance to retaliate, his mind was already dead-set. Nothing, not even this puny storm would stop in the way of his pursuit of Salem and Ella's whereabouts.

He scrounged up old supplies, a lantern that was lying in nooks and crannies of the house, collecting dust and not seeing the light of day or use since...His mind drew a blank, when was the last time they actually went camping, or fishing? He shrugged it off, at the very least he still kept them from their previous trips. He fetched a heavy raincoat to keep the blasted rain from dirtying his expensive suit and a Swiss army knife, just in case...

He stomped towards the front door of the chateau and then...

They were there, Salem and Ella, in the flesh. In those moments when his eyes met theirs, his heart swelled up and anxiety became relief. Not a moment too soon, he dashed towards his two little bundles of joy and began to envelop them in a big, wide, hug, smothering them in smooches and kisses and expressing his heartfelt joy that they were unharmed, looking like they had just been thrown into a pool, but unharmed. Safe and sound, he could not begin to express the immense joy he felt at the kindred spirits who took it upon themselves to go out of their way and help Salem and Ella. "Bless your souls, you whippersnappers you! Come, come!" Paul flashed an ever-reassuring smile and beckoned the stray group into their humble abode.

​

"H-Holy shit man..." Awestruck, Ethan entered the walkway of the chateau while looking in every direction he could. He expected fancy, but holy fucking shit the interior decorating of the walkway was sublime! Sure, some of the artwork and pieces were getting musty and boy did one painting of a woman in particular looked like it she was distressed not because of her pose, but because of the wear and tear her frame has gone through. The young man was just like a dog going out on his first walk, he stuck his nose into everything that he could find.

From more surrealistic paintings of flowers, to abstract pieces that he could only describe as blotches of numerous colors. One such piece was entitled "Lady Standing in the Garden", yet all that he stared at was nothing more than random spots of green, red, and yellow. He remembered a thing one of his old teachers said once, that if you looked at a painting long enough, you'd see something else...Which is why he always got super-spooked one day when he thought it would be a good idea to challenge a .PNG of the Mona Lisa to a staring contest. He cringed at the thought, he wouldn't make that mistake again. More than accustomed to the so-called Lady in the Garden, he stepped back, and shrugged, art just flew over his head like most of Milton's jokes.

The big man that Ethan assumed to be Sal and El's father were kind enough to even make mention of having them stay for the night, talking of guest rooms that were left unused ever since they took up the residence. Ethan began to hesitate, less of the fact that he was uncomfortable with sleeping in someone else's home and more of the fact that he didn't want to make his mother worry, God forbid she come in here storming the estate when he doesn't come back home like he promised. In the nicest tone that he could, he asked the mother if they had a phone somewhere, saying that he needed to make a call.

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Arriving at Henbard Chateau: Everyone

"Paul, I'm coming too!" Adelaide at the bottom of the stairs her rain coat. Hanging from her arm were two golf umbrellas. A third one was held firmly in her hand. The stubborn look on her face warned her husband to back off.

The couple set towards the door at the brisk pace. Neither dare voiced their current thoughts. All their attention was focused on their missing children. Adelaide grabbed her husband's large hand briefly as they were a step away from the outside world. She squeezed it reassuringly, hoping it would help him keep calm and focused.

"Promise you won't do anything rash," she warned. "I can't have you falling sick again."

There was a hint of worry underneath the love in her voice. Mrs. Hayes knew nothing she said could ever change her love, but she hoped he would at least try and be more careful. They had moved here not just for the children but for him as well. His health hadn't been improving at all. She thought that living in clean, serene Bellwoods would be the solution.

What he thought of the tiny moment was hard to say. Paul, being the man he was, simply threw open the door. The parents stared. Their missing children were on the porch! Dripping wet and surrounded by a large group. Each one of them soaked to the bone and mud splattered. Concern shone brightly in her eyes. Her hand flew to her mouth.

"Look at you, all of you!" she exclaimed. "You'll catch your death out here. Please, please, come inside!"

She didn't need to hear the details to know something must have happened and these wonderful young people helped. The mama swooped down and gathered her little girl in her arms not caring how heavy the child was. Ella would always be her baby.

"Girls, you can follow me," she instructed. "I'll draw you three a nice hot bath in our guest rooms. It would do you a world of good." She smiled at them as she rubbed her cheek against Ella's cold one. Immediately, tiny arms wrapped round her neck and her daughter buried her face in the crook of her neck. "I'm sure I have clothes that can fit you. If not mine, maybe the old things left behind."

As she began leading her group towards the staircase, she looked back at her husband fussing over their son. "Paul," she called. "The boys can use our bedroom. I'm sure they won't mind sharing the huge bath in our toilet."

His father had always been one to worry. Salem felt awkward being coddled in front of the guests, not to mentioned a handful of cute girls, but he appreciated the concern. "Father, Ella and I are fine. I apologize for worrying you, but I promise, we're okay." He flashed his father a bright smile. "I'll show the boys to your room. I'm sure they could all use some dry clothes." He looked down to his own outfit. "Same goes for me. I'll freshen up after I show them the way. Dinner smells fantastic, mom!"

---

Paul and Adelaide's Room: Salem, Jace, Ethan and Milton

Luxury didn't even begin describing the trappings in the mansion. The master bedroom was easily the size of four bedrooms combined. All that space occupied by a king sized four poster bed complete with curtains. There was even a chandelier hanging from the roof. A huge fireplace that has been boarded up. Two desks were crammed into the room. A computer sat on one and a pink laptop on the other. Beside the laptop were glossy fashion magazines. Plastering the covers were tiny notes. The beautiful, flowery handwriting looked like it belonged to a woman.

The boys didn't have much time to admire the place when an old butler complete with coat tails walked out from the door. The man with greying sideburns arched an eyebrow at the sight of the group.

"Young master," he admonished. "You shouldn't be here dirtying up your mother and father's bedroom."

"My apologies, Alfonse." Salem gave the older man a sheepish smile. "Ella and I got caught in the rain, and these fine young men came to our aid." He made sure to leave out the part about poltergeists attacking. There was no need to worry old Alfonse. The man was like a grandfather to him and Salem didn't want to give him a heart attack. "We'll be having them over for Halloween supper."

"Very well, sir. I'll draw a bath for your guests."

With the click of his heels, the man disappeared behind a huge oak door standing between two smaller ones. According to Salem, the big door led to the master bedroom toilet and the other two doors were his parents' walk in closet. The young teen appeared to be rather embarrassed at having to flaunt their wealth.

"I'll make some hot chocolate before you all catch a cold." Salem walked to the coffee counter where his mother kept sachets of hot chocolate for cold nights. "Or do any of you prefer coffee?" He was already lining up the teacups and pulling out the sachets when he stopped. Salem turned around, and the look on his face was dead serious. "Thank you, all of you. You saved my sister and we are in your debt."

"Jace's the hero. Thank ha-him-choo!" Milton blinked. "Errr maybe later? I think we are leaving quite a mess in your parents' room."

He sneezed loudly. Sniffling after that. Immediately, a servant boy dressed in blue stepped out from Paul's closet and present him with a big box of tissue. He reached for it without much thought. The fact that this family already had a butler meant that they probably had other servants too. "Thanks?" he answered before breaking into violently coughing.

"No problem!" the child flashed them a toothy smile. "Grandpa and I are happy to help. You friends of our young master."

"Michael?" Salem gave the child a smile. "Are you organizing dad's clothes again? I already told you, go relax. Everything already looks great."

"Yessir!" he saluted. "He left a mess when he ran up earlier."

"Ah, I see. Maybe you can go ask Mrs. Putts to take over dinner preparations. Mother is showing the girls to the guest rooms."

"OKAY!"

Michael darted off to pass a message to the housekeeper as instructed, leaving the boys to their own devices. Once again, an awkward silence dropped around their group. What should they say? You're rich? Wow? It seemed so fake and kinda mean. They were saved from needing to say anything by Alfonse.

"Your bath, sirs," the butler bowed, leaving the door open for them. The elderly man remained stiffly by the door like a butler in novels. "I shall look for clothes while you take your bath. After I draw young master's bath, of course. I can't have him fall sick again."

"Do you want to go first, Eth? Jace?" a snuffly Milton spoke behind the wad of tissue obscuring his face. "I wanna wait a bit."

Salem rubbed the back of his head, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Uhm, it's a communal bath. I hope you all don't mind? Better than freezing, I suppose? I'll see you all downstairs for supper. Alfonse and Michael will be back with some outfit options for you."

Alfonse followed Salem out the door. Milton raised an eyebrow. "What are you waiting for? Let's enter."

Upon entering the bathroom, the boys could see a shower stall behind a glass partition, a gleaming toilet bowl and a marble sink with a gold tap. A large curtain seemed to wall off the rest of the room. Steam rose from behind the curtains, piquing Milton's curiosity. He disappeared behind them.

"Guys! Check this out!"

Salem wasn't kidding when he said a communal bath. They seemed to be stepping into a hybrid between a Japanese ofuro and a Roman bath. Polished black and white marble tiles paved the way towards what appeared to be a sunken, pool sized tub. It was big enough to fit their entire clique inside twice over. Painted walls surrounded the area. Each depicting beautiful scenes straight out of Greek mythology. Jason fighting Hydra for the Golden Fleece, Orpheus descending into Tartarus, Persephone weeping on her gilded throne with the pomegranate in her lap and the Judgement of Paris. A little too grim for a supposedly romantic communal bath.

"I feel like we are in a Hollywood production. All that is missing are nymphs sailing trays of food to us while we bath or maybe a chorus serenading us."

 

[Impudimp]

That rhyme is creepy. Funny enough she felt like she had heard it before, or at least something like it. The rhythm of it felt familiar to her ears. She was too tired and wet to even contemplate remembering it though. She couldn't even bring herself to speak. Not to comfort Milton in his evident sickness, or poor stricken London, or even Ana who had almost been dragged in... Not to mention Jace was exceedingly calm over everything, and there was no telling what he had seen in that water. Was he really so strong and unfazed? She believed in all of her friends. They were strong, but there was a such thing as post traumatic stress. Heck, she probably had some herself. In the back of her head, she just knew as soon as she was rested enough to recall that she was going to be paranoid for at least the next year over stupid ghosts.

The awe of seeing a literal castle was a good distraction from her wayward thoughts for the time being though. Henbard Chateau was beautiful. Built of stone and mortar and someone's working hands. She loved old buildings. And Salem's parents were so warm that she even felt a little better from trekking all day just to meet them. What a sweet family? "Thank you for inviting us into your home..." she couldn't help giving a soft thanks for the hospitality. And of course the inside was as nice as the outside. Was that a maid? She let her eyes roam around and take in artwork and opulence and the occasional silent presence of waitstaff. Who would have thought that deep in haunted wood was a old wealth or maybe nouveau riche family? Then again...

Didn't that seem like the beginning, or maybe the climax of a bad horror film? The grunette almost wanted to groan. She actually did make a small noise in the back of her throat, but hopefully everyone would think that it was because of the mention of a bath, which she sorely wanted and needed.

 

[Ashi]

​

"Wow... Does your family always go all-out like this on Halloween?" Jace asked, looking around. He was relieved not only to see that the house wasn't falling down, but that it was decorated for the occasion. That reassured him that Salem, Ella, and his parents were normal people in spite of their obvious better-than-normal wealth. The mansion was massive, dwarfing the tall young man and making him feel like a small child. The outside was incredibly fancy, leading Jace to wonder just how decked out the rest of the place was. The answer, as the ragtag group stepped through the door, was overwhelming. The architecture was truly a marvel and Jace had never really been interested in architecture. He was willing to bet that much of the chateau's original blueprint remained when it was fixed up, perhaps even much of the original wood and stone depending on its condition. That is, assuming it was falling down and dilapidated in the first place. Jace wouldn't really know; he'd always avoided the place.

Jace thanked the generous Paul and Adelaide as they swept the group in and proceeded to offer them baths. While Jace wouldn't say that he was as muddy as Milton or Ana, he was cold and wet and the water from the creek would do no wonders for his hair. He, Ethan, and Milton followed Salem up the stairs, several flights of them, to his parents' room. There a man Jace presumed was a butler frowned at their disheveled and dirty state and admonished Salem for bringing the three up there. It didn't seem the boy was actually in any trouble though, so Jace just stayed quiet rather than jumping to defend him.

"I'm a coffee guy, but I don't mind either way." Jace said with a smile and a shrug, just happy to even have something hot to drink available. He wasn't inclined to be picky at that point. He blushed a little when Salem thanked them and Milton called him a hero. "Er, no, I mean, I'm no hero. I just did what felt right. I'm just glad she's okay." He looked away, feeling awkward, then jumped at Milton's next statement in order to change the subject. "Yeah. It's probably best we bathe first, lest we continue to make a mess."

Alfonse announced the bath was ready and Jace followed into the bathroom. It was as big as the bedroom and probably could have fit two king-sized beds in it. It was rather what Jace imagined one could find in a castle what with the shining marble tiles and glistening fixings. The bath itself was even more so. His mouth gaped a little. Jace ninja'd out of his water-logged clothes and stepped into the bath before Milton even finished speaking.

"Oh... my...." Jace sighed contentedly as he sank into the water until all that remained on the surface was the ends of his black locks.

 

[Fox of Spades]

Second Floor, West Wing → Guest Bath: Marten, London, Ana, Wendy, Kitty (and eventually Hans)

Adelaide led the girls to the second floor and all the way to the left wing of the manor. The long hallway leading towards the guest rooms was filled with an assortment of painting and old vases. The decorations, while dated, made it so the empty space felt more homely and welcoming. Every now and then, the group would come across a nicely potted indoor plant.

Ella was wiggling in her mother's arms, not too happy that she was being picked up in front of all these guests. "Mommy, I can walk. I promise I'm okay," she whispered into the woman's ear.

"Are you sure?" There was a lot of hesitation on Adelaide's part. Ella grew more and more independent each day. The realization left the momma feeling really dejected. Adelaide had always hoped her youngest would remain a child a little longer. "I can carry you all the way."

"Yes." The reply was firm, and there was a hint of petulance in the girl's tone of voice. The young Miss Hayes crossed her arms and pouted. "Salem says I'm a big girl now. He lets me hold Castor's leash all by myself. He says I'm big and strong!"

Adelaide couldn't help laughing at her daughter's insistence. Try as she might to baby her girl, the parent knew it was a losing battle. "Fine but don't run off to look for sweeties. I want you cleaned up before dinner."

"I don't like sweeties," Ella protested, ignoring the fact that she ate her treats by the bowlful on days she forgot she was trying to be that big girl. "Salem says they are for babies!"

"I'm sure he does."

Ella was placed back on solid ground, and now that she was home and standing beside her mother, she was a lot less skittish and shy. She spun around to look at the girls. "Thank you for helping me! And thank you for helping big brother Salem too!" The thank you was accompanied by a warm smile before she reached for her mother's hand once more.

"Make yourselves at home." Adelaide said as they came to a stop in front of the guest rooms. "I'm sure our staff will be happy to assist you." She didn't need to look far when she saw three heads peeking curiously from round the corner. Adelaide turned her back on her eavesdroppers and continued speaking to the girls. "I know they will be thrilled to know we have guests."

"You can stay here if the rain doesn't stop," Ella suggested. She was much for friendly and sunny now, and she was beaming at the group of girls. "We're having Halloween dinner tonight. It's when mommy cooks lots of food and me and Salem dress up! Dad likes dressing up too, so does Michael and Hans and Wendy and Kitty…"

The girl went on and on, naming the people who worked for them with much cheer.

Lots of giggling came from Wendy and Charlotte. Kitty tried to keep her dignity by shushing the other two girls. The effort was in vain. Adelaide knew that her maids were definitely slacking off. She couldn't even imagine how exasperate Mrs. Putts would be if the elderly housekeeper knew. "Kitty?" she called to oldest of the maids. "Wendy? Charlotte?"

"Y-yes, ma'am," the women chorused looking really shame-faced as they stepped out from behind the wall.

"Would you please take care of these lovely girls? They are our guests this evening and I think they may be spending the night. The rain doesn't look like it is letting up anytime soon."

"Of course, ma'am." Kitty was the first to answer. "We'll see to it that they're well taken care of."

Charlotte, the most cheerful of the maids, smiled warmly at the guests. "You poor girls. Let's get you ready for dinner."

"Alright, I'll see you girls later," Adelaide said as she motioned for Ella to follow after her.

"Bye!" The girl chimed in, before the mother-daughter pair turned the opposite way and walked out of sight and sound.

"The guest rooms are over here," Kitty motioned to the four doors spaced across the hall. "There's a shared bathroom that's big enough for the four of you. It comes with other amenities, should you girls need it."

"Hey, Kitty, do you have everything covered?" Wendy asked.

"If you can handle the guests," it was Charlotte's turn to speak. "We'll head downstairs to help Mrs. Putts."

"Yes, yes, I'm quite certain I can handle a few guests on my own." The woman gave the younger maids an irritated glance. "I've been here much longer than the two of you put together. Go along and help, Mrs. Putts. Dinner is of the utmost importance."

Charlotte seemed visibly upset by Kitty's words. Wendy merely rolled her eyes.

"We'll see you later at dinner," Charlotte repeated to the girls before she and Wendy went on their own way.

Kitty walked into the first guest room. The room was old and smelled of dust, but the drawers and cabinets were made of sturdy oak. They were carved beautifully. A queen-sized bed took up most of the room's space. There were boxes scattered throughout the room, hinting that the Hayes had yet to fully unpack. Paintings adorned the walls, giving the room an old-timey charm. It were as if the girls were stepping into an old movie, something like The Great Gatsby or The Titanic.

"Through here girls," Kitty was polite but curt. She gestured to the door and opened it for them.

Inside, was the equivalent of a five-star, indoor spa. It was a white and tiled room with a pool at the leftmost corner and several massage beds on the right. Towels and bathrobes were laid out on the beds.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me - " Kitty was interrupted, when someone else practically stumbled into the room.

"Pardon the intrusion, ladies. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes told me there were guests." The man was holding a box. He placed it down.

"Hans..." Kitty's eyed the gardener up and down. He was dressed in his usual clothes, a white V-neck that accentuated his toned chest and broad shoulders, a pair of dark jeans, and his boots. "I see you haven't dressed up for dinner yet."

"Not yet. I'll get to it as soon as our guests are settled. Where are my manners," Hans gave the three girls a roguish smile. "I'm Hans Applebaum. I work the Hayes' gardens." The startled look he wore on his face had melted away, and now he was confident and relaxed. If anything, Hans looked pleased to be in the presence of three beautiful women.

"Careful girls, this one likes to flirt," Kitty snapped.

"You know me so well, Kitty." Hans laughed. "What's a young man to do, after all?" He crouched down to open the box he was toting with him. Inside was an assortment of lotion and body cream.

His smile turned into a smirk as he looked up at the girls. "Anyone want a massage? I'm good with my hands."

Kitty could only roll her eyes in response to the young man's words. "Hans, please allow the girls to enjoy their baths."

"Of course, of course, I'll be right out the door!" With that, Hans left for the guest room.

It was just the girls and Kitty now. However, the maid seemed to be glaring intently at them. If looks could kill, all three girls would have dropped dead onto the tiled floor the moment Hans exited the room.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Walking through the manor in a pair of sweatpants and a baggy shirt, soaked to the bone, made London feel more out of place than she normally did anywhere beyond her front door. Though, by the looks on some of her friends faces, she guessed she wasn't the only one feeling like a wrong puzzle piece. It was comforting not feeling the only odd one out, but not enough for questions regarding the Hayes choice in neighborhood to fizzle out.

She was suspicious.

The Henbard boy - Salem, she realized, when his little sister Ella mentioned his name - had been nice. If he hadn't grabbed onto Ana, she may very well be at the bottom of Stilton Creek. Saving her friend and answering her questions was something London could appreciate, of that there was no doubt, but something still felt off.

As such, she kept her mouth shut until they reached one of the West Wing guest rooms. Eyed the boxes in the corner. They haven't been here long, then. It struck her that maybe only Salem and Ella knew of the strange things going on in the woods. Still, she couldn't be sure just yet, so remained alert just in case. Only offered her awkward, lopsided, close-lipped smiles when spoken to in general reference. Marten and Ana could take care of the talking.

A sight that blew London's eyes wide waited for them when they entered the West Wing bathroom: a massive pool - Is that a bathtub or...? - and a bubbling jacuzzi off to the side; lounge chairs and a wine fridge, nearly fully stocked from what London could see at this distance; massage tables and, in the wall, glass doors leading to what appeared to be a steam room. She'd never seen anything so opulent in her life, not even the front gates of Henbard Chateau. These people are loaded, holy crow.

Only once had London visited a spa, and that was at the incessant nagging of her mother for prom - a high school social event, like homecoming, that she hadn't been allowed to weasel out of. The crowd had been atrocious. Everyone, it seemed, had the same idea; mani-pedi combo packs and a day of pampering before the big night. The large amount of people there had ruined the experience for London, though she felt she would have enjoyed herself had she been alone.

Or… with friends. She spared Ana and Marten a glance. Once Kitty and the maids left it would be just the three and, while she was still wary of Ana - London didn't appreciate her pranks -, she was kind of looking forward to hanging out with them in such a relaxed environment. It'd be a good way to wind down and talk about what happened at the creek. Share her budding theory about Peter the Monster.

Someone hurried into the room and London looked over to see an Adonis of a man. Hans Applebaum, as he introduced himself. More like the hottest- She swallowed that thought and tore her eyes away, instinctively stepping towards Marten. Even with Marten as an inconspicuous shield London's face erupted in a horrific blush at the mention of massages. It was Kitty who came to the rescue, though, promptly sending him out the door.

Despite the glare the older maid sent their way - which, damn, if looks could kill - London was extremely grateful for her intervention. She acted awkward in front of strangers and that only intensified if they were attractive. As such, London found it best to just steer clear of them.

Marten felt herself trembling ever so often in the mild air of the home as they made their way through the home. Sure, it was comfortable to someone who was not soaked to the bone, but in her case, she was feeling the onsets of a chill. You can't catch me, cold thoughts! It was time to distract herself.

She took note of the intricacies of the patterns in the carpeting, then tried to guess the threadcount. She wondered how much the paintings had cost, noted different corridors, and even tried to guess how old Kitty was. 38? No, 39? Darn you, deceptive crows' feet. But despite valiant efforts, she was still fighting not to let her teeth chatter by the time they reached the guest bedroom.

Then there was light! Hans Applebaum was like some Apollon avatar. Sweet bacon-wrapped Christmas, please don't let my nose be running…! Marten fought the urge to stiffen up knowing it wouldn't be good for her infection-fighting body at the moment. She needed all her cold-as-ice blood to slump its way to her extremities as quickly as possible. In the end, she looked like a blue-green doe in the headlights staring at the gardener with goo-goo eyes. So… Adult Marten: -9; Preteen Marten: 7; Jack Frost: 9001.

"I, uh...Massage? After bath? Yes?" She managed to stammer out what might have been a correct sentence for Frankenstein and/or a zombie. Heck yea, she wanted his fingers to touch her body in places! All the places! Kitty could shove that attitude in a sack and remove it from their presence like a good little maid!

Was it hot? The green girl felt distinctly hot in that moment, but she didn't know why considering she had been feeling cold until about 30 seconds ago. London was very close to her, but she was just as cold and wet as everyone else, so...

Covertly peering around herself, she noted steam wafting from behind and figured it must have been the bath's radiant heat she was feeling. Turning to check out the accommodations further, she felt her jaw unhinge a bit. Don't let them see you cry, old girl… Keep it together! Do it for the gardener! It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Even Optimus Prime riding a T-Rex equipped with machine guns holding a light-saber couldn't compare! She needed a moment to just… take it in.

And then the moment was over. Marten registered amazingly hot water. Her companions and onlookers, at the most, caught a brief blur of green, a rustling of cloth, and a "Banzai!" before hearing a small splash of water and catching glimpses of a girl-shaped blob moving around under the surface of the massive tub of water.

Instinctively, London shielded her eyes, not just from the splash but also the potential of seeing her friend without clothes above water. A quick glance at Kitty, whose eyebrow was raised skeptically, told London such shy behavior wasn't typical of a communal bath. Not that she cared - the most London had ever seen of anyone else and vice versa was the skin a bathing suit exposed. She didn't have any desire to change that, accident or no accident.

"Come on in the water's fine!"

"Um… could you…?" She twirled her finger for Kitty to look away - or, better yet, turn around completely. The older maid huffed a small snort of amusement before turning. London's face burned, but she ignored it. Peering out across the massive bathroom, London made sure Marten and Ana were distracted before quickly peeling out of her wet clothes and sliding in. The hot water hit her like a dryer-warmed blanket on Christmas Eve, swallowing her up and melting away the cold. She sunk low enough for it to envelop up to her top lip, arms crossed modestly in front of her chest. There, she waited for Marten to resurface.

Marten for her part was perfectly in tune with her inner mermaid, having removed the band from her hair and placed it securely around her wrist for safe keeping some time during her swim. Her green locks would fan about her as she came up to backstroke across the surface of the pool-sized bathing area, singing as she had returned to good spirits alongside her rise in body temperature, "Splish, splash! I was taking a bath! Rocking on a Saturday night~!"

What she lacked in modesty she made up for in shenanigans, having already noted London's crossed arms during her underwater recon. She would get her friend to lighten up before their fingers pruned! It was her solemn duty! Hehe, duty… How to do that… had yet to come to her though.

"You're having fun," London lifted from the water enough to comment. The corners of her lips quirked upwards in a small smile, though she still looked uncomfortable even with her arms crossed. "Is there, uh, any shampoo…?"

Kitty appeared at the edge of the pool-bath, an assortment of bath products lining a moving cart. "Here," she rolled it just close enough for the three girls to reach without leaving the water, "take your pick."

London made her way over to the edge but did not reach out. Simply hovered there, eyes scanning the bottles from afar. "Rose and elderberry shampoo…?"

Dun-dun, dun-dun-dun, dun-dun-dun-AAAAH! The moment had presented itself perfectly! Well, to be fair, Marten hadn't had a good idea until London had mentioned shampoo before turning her back to peruse. One never turned their back on the enemy! Never!

"Surprise!" The grunette would pop up to glomp the dark-haired girl into the water with much splashing and laughter, getting Kitty wet in the process, but she'd be fine.

"Mart-AH!" London's head plunged underwater.

"Girl, be mindful where you're splashing~ Act like a lady, will you!" The flustered maid was easy to rile it seemed. Marten secretly enjoyed getting her goat.

London resurfaced a few moments later, completely drenched. Tangled, long locks dangled in the girl's face, though it did little to conceal the grin she wore. "Jerk," she huffed a breath of laughter before splashing Marten in return. She still dropped back low into the water, but seemed a little more comfortable now; London no longer used her arms as armor.

 

[Haru Nyan]

After a long minute under the sudsy water of the bath, Jace surface. He inhaled long and deep and let out a relaxed sigh. He'd never known that a bath could be so wonderful. For as long as he could remember, he'd been a shower guy. Of course, he couldn't even fit in the bathtub at home; it was more Nita's size. His legs were far too long for him to be able to sit comfortably. In this tub, he could stretch out.

"Are you guys gonna stand over there and freeze or what?" He joked with a boyish grin, pushing his long hair back from his face. He moved to lean back against the side of the tub. Milton didn't seem to be paying any mind to the wonderful tub any longer, rather his attention was on the equally luxurious shower. Jace raised his brows.

"Um.. I don't think that's a good idea, dude. We were allowed the tub, not the shower." There was a hint of warning in Jace's voice as he shook his head.

The vast area that surrounded the bath left Ethan at a loss for words, what the fuck kind of family did Sal and El have exactly? And why the fuck are they so loaded to even afford any of this shit? Nymphs, eh? Ethan scratched the back of his head, he would've preffered the company of satyr instead, well maybe with less excessive drinking and bleating. If there's anything games with mythological creatures have told him, it's that nymphs and other folkloric creatures tend to hide something much more horrific and malicious than what their appearances could imply. He let out a sigh of relief and comfort, knowing that, hopefully, none of the sort would come in and ruin their little pseudo pool party.

Needless to say, the big man was embarrassed. There was little hesitation coming from him when it came to wearing wrestling trunks that left little to the imagination, or engaging in fun cosplay that did little cover up, but bathing...now that's a whole different thing. "I, uhh..." he stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence, his cheeks forming a soft luminescent blush, shaking his head to clear out thoughts better left unsaid, Ethan begrudgingly stripped out of his worn garments and bashfully dipped into the tub, the steamy waters doing an amazing job of letting his mind wander and rest, for a while...it seemed like nothing else in the world mattered other than letting go of all that pent-up stress.

Baths were a luxury that Ethan didn't exactly indulge in back at the dorm, he'd always take quick showers with little time to reflect on things other than how he was going to raise his GPA or think up of another scheme to wake up earlier. Come to think of it, the only times he was able to actually dip in a tub were after long, strenuous workouts and practice matches to help him relax. "This is....this is nice." It was still awkward for Ethan, scenarios like this one are straight out of an Otome game, ones that London would play and enjoy.

What was he thinking? Getting worried about something so trivial wouldn't do him any favors, so, as to lighten and liven things up, he splashed a bit of water onto Jace, giggling all the while. As a bit of a warning shot, he splashed a bit of the warm liquid in Milton's direction, still laughing with an undeniable bonhomie.

​

Jace nodded in understanding as Ethan settled into the bath. It was indeed nice; so nice in fact that Jace wondered how it was possible that he never knew just how relaxing baths could be. Even after a workout or a day of work on his family's land, Jace di take any time for himself like this. Perhaps he might take a long shower now and again.

"Pbbblllttt!" Jace made a face as soapy water splashed him and got in his mouth. He squinted at Ethan and smirked, accepting the challenge he just issued. "Okay. You wanna play that game eh?" He chuckled, planning his attack. He swiped an arm across the surface of the water, sending a small wave at Ethan.

"Don't you know? I've been trained by the Northern Water Tribe in their ways of waterbending!" Making a wacky motion with his hands, Ethan's aquatic assault on Jace would go on for a while, not quite noticing that Milton had already left for the showers. "Oh, what the hell, Kindle? Fine, be that way, ya little killjoy." Puffing his cheeks and more than a little annoyed at Milton's attitude, Ethan resumed his little game with Jace for a while until time passed and the attacks turned from splashes and waves to nothing more than little ripples on the tub's surface, it was mighty awkward, the whole silence when they weren't filling the air with laughter and cheer.

Times like these are when he wish Kelsey was here to back him up and tell him what to do and say. "I think we've overstayed our welcome with this tub, don't you think?" Ethan could already feel his fingers slowly starting to prune from all the time they've spent in the water, "You can stay a bit longer if you want, Jace, I think I'm gonna go finish up..."

​

It was unfortunate that Milton didn't get to enjoy the water fight, but perhaps fortunate for their hosts, as the two alone made a bit of a mess. Playing like that, Jace felt like a kid again and almost wished that they had water guns; but this wasn't a public pool. Only once the fun died down did Jace consider how long they had been in the tub.

"Yeah.. Sounds like a good idea." He stood and stepped out, grabbing the first towel he saw and wrapping it around his waist. "I wonder if there's a hair dryer around here? I hate to snoop through other people's things though.." Jace glanced around. If he didn't blow it dry, he'd have a wet head for hours, then he'd be just as sick as Milton.

 

[Fox of Spades]

Henbard Chateau - Left Wing
Marten, London, Ana, Kitty, and Hans

​

Why the young masters brought home such children...well, Kitty would never know. She wasn't particularly interested in a bunch of wayward college kids who'd accidentally chanced upon the estate, she had better things to think about - things involving a certain Adonis of a man. After dinner, they would be off work, and it would be the perfect time to lure him in with her looks and charm. These girls might have youth on their side, but beauty and youth were as fleeting as the seasons.

Hans needed a woman, not a bunch of giggling children. After dinner, she would take him outside to the hedge maze. A wry smile wormed its way onto the woman's face, and she would have drifted off to live out her fantasies in daydream land if it weren't for the loud children splashing in the pool. The smile on her face turned into a scowl and her eyebrows furrowed in irritation.

"Young ladies, please." Her voice was shrill like a quacking bird's. "I doubt any of you are below the age of 13. Physically." Kitty had a barbed tongue and was quick to insult those she didn't like, but she did her work well and whipped any of the slacking staff members back into shape. It was one of the reasons she'd been allowed to remain at Henbard for so long. She was iron and fire, hardened by years of hard work, solid in her beliefs and standings, intense, and hot as hell for a woman of 38 years. "You are in Henbard Chateau, my employer's estate, not some playground."

She got up and began walking towards one of the benches when a knock resounded against the wooden door.

"Kitty, it's Hans."

"Yes, Hans. Obviously, there's no one else out there. What do you want?"

"Ma'am Adelaide asked me to bring some clothes over for the girls, can I come in?"

"As long as you don't harass anyone." The woman was still snippy about the playful flirting from earlier.

"Aw, don't be that way Kitty. I'm a good boy when I want to be." Slowly, the door to the spa was pushed open. Hans was holding onto a clothing rack on wheels. It was nearly as tall as him and contained an assortment of clothes seemingly from different periods in history. "Lots of options for you gals to choose from." He commented as he wheeled it into the room. "There's more. I'll be right back." Hans left for the guest room once more, only to return with three different racks.

The choices ranged from flamboyant costumes to comfy sweaters, there was something for everyone.

"Halloween's my favorite holiday." Hans was standing by the clothing racks he'd dragged into the room. "You girls gonna dress up?" He didn't seem to care that he was in a room with three undressed and rather attractive ladies. "Anyways, what brings you lot to Henbard Chateau? We don't get visitors often, especially not visitors as pretty as you three? Are you Salem's friends?" He'd heard bits and pieces from Adelaide and Paul, but not enough to understand what was going on.

"Hans," Kitty interrupted. "Mrs. Putts has probably finished the dinner preparations. If we stay here and talk all night, the food will get cold before the girls get there. Mrs. Putts and Ma'am Adelaide will have your head if you ruin dinner."

"Geez, Kitty. Lighten up a little." Hans plopped down onto one of the benches and gave the girls a wolfish grin. "So dinner, sure. Before that though, the offer still stands, does anyone want a massage?"

---

Henbard Chateau - Master Bedroom
Ethan, Jace, Kindle, Alfonse, and Wendy

"Alfonse, are you sure you don't need any help? I don't want you spraining your back again." The voice belonged to the young maid named Wendy and it echoed down the hall alongside the tap-tap-tap of her heels against the carpeted floor.

"Now, now, I'll have you know, I'm as fit as a fiddle." The second voice belonged to the butler Alfonse. He sounded somewhat tired, but there was no mistaking the mirth in his tone. "I might be getting a little old, but I'm perfectly healthy."

"If you insist, but don't hesitate to ask for help if you need it! Michael worries you know."

It was around then, that the door to the master bedroom was pushed open. Wendy was the first to enter, she was wheeling a clothes rack filled with an assortment of suits and jackets into the room. Alfonse followed after her with a clothes rack of his own. The two combined presented the boys with a wide variety of clothes that looked as if they'd come from different time periods. Dapper suits, pressed shirts, comfy jackets, and... racy costumes? The clothing racks seemed to have everything.

"Should we leave it here?" Wendy asked.

"It might be best to tell them about it. Would you mind taking over, Wendy? I have to help Sir Paul with something."

"Of course, Alfonse! You just leave it to me."

The butler of the house gave the enthusiastic maid a small smile before he exited the room. Wendy was straightening the clothes on the racks when she heard mumbling coming from inside the bath. Something about a hair dryer?

Yes, they had a hair dryer! Wendy looked to the dresser where said hair dryer was resting on. Without thinking twice, the air headed and enthusiastic maid approached the bathroom door. She knocked, accidentally sending the door swinging back and revealing two barely clothed young men - Ethan and Jace.

All the blood in poor Wendy's lithe frame began rushing to her face, and soon, the young maid was as red as a tomato.

"S-SORRY, YOUNG SIRS!" She was flailing her arms now. "I-I HEARD ONE OF YOU TALKING ABOUT A HAIR DRYER." Despite how embarrassed she was, her eyes remained glued onto both boys. "I WANTED TO HELP. THERE'S A HAIR DRYER HERE ON MA'AM ADELAIDE'S TABLE." Only then did she think to look away. Wendy spun around so her back was facing towards them. "Sorry, you can borrow the hair dryer there, young sir. I-I brought clothes for the three of you. Um, is your friend in there as well?" Mrs. Adelaide had mentioned there were three boys, but she'd only seen two of them. "Please pick out any outfit you like, young sirs. Um, when you're done, you can head down to dinner. It's ready now, and you don't want the food to get cold." Wendy was speaking very quickly, unaware that she was starting to ramble due to her embarrassment.

 

[Fox of Hearts]

-- Before Wendy Arrives --

​

Milton felt too sick to be sarcastic. "I'm not in the mood, Ethan," he said with a sigh. "I'll just head to the shower, wash up and maybe nap. You guys have fun." He walked away after that, waving off Jace's concern. The family seemed like the old fashioned sort anyhow, so he doubted they'd mind him using the shower. After all, they invited them to make themselves at home repeatedly.

He stepped inside the shower stall and shed his clothing. A quick shower followed by some laundry seemed the most practical decision at the moment. He doubted they'd stay that long. Maybe overnight before leaving early in the morning. If he had his shirt and underwear cleaned up, he would be able to wear them tomorrow along with a pair of borrowed pants. He sighed, twisting the knob. Some rescue mission they turned out to be! No sign of Kelsey dead or alive and he was a germ spreading menace. They'd be lucky not to end up sick for the next two weeks with projects due soon and the exams round the corner.

He whistled Sheldon's "Soft Kitty" as hot water sloughed the mud off him and his clothes. Generous dollops of purplish soap coated his skin and his clothes shortly after. An earthy fragrance filled the bathroom, reminding him of evergreen forests and summer. Milton found himself taking in a huge lungful and enjoying how relaxed it made him feel. He stopped humming as he worked on expunging the dirt from his clothing. A second rinse later and everything was nice and clean again. Milton grabbed the nearest towel off the rack and began drying himself.

As he cleared the steam fogging the mirror over the sink, he frowned. Ugly gouges were ran down the length of his forearms and right cheek. Bruises covered his left arms and jaw. Not to mention how bad his feet were. London really did one on him this time yet he didn't have it in him to hold a grudge. He felt shitty enough already!

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Kindle gathered his wrung out clothing and stepped outside the toilet. He was too busy trying to figure out how to get hold of a first aid box that he didn't notice the little boy polishing shoes in the corner.

"You done already?" Michael exclaimed. The shocked boy shot to his feet and hurried over. Wendy wasn't going to be here so soon and he barely finished polishing the shoes. There was hardly anything to offer the young man. "Mebbe you want to soak a little longer?" he tried suggesting.

"I'm fine," Milton sniffled. "Thought I'd put my clothes in the dryer and the first aid kit."

The servant boy's eyes flit to the bruises and scratches covering the sneezing guest. Michael realized it was best to take Milton to the medical room. Maybe Mrs. Putts or Charlotte could offer their assistance. "Don't worry, mister! I know where to take you." He exclaimed. "Lemme get you some slippers first. And, and master's spare dressing robe."

Milton nodded mutely. "That'd be good. Thanks!" He sank into a nearby chair as he watched the young blonde zip around the room to retrieve the necessary stuff. It was during one of these rounds that the boy relieved him of his wet clothes. God, he thought. I hope I can call it a night early today.

---

-- While Ethan And Jace Get Dressed --​

"There you, go! Milton, right? You're all better now." Charlotte, the most cheerful of the maids, beamed brightly at him. She held a roll of bandages in one hand and a bottle of betadine in the other. Charlotte had spent the last fifteen minutes disinfecting and tending to the boy's wounds and was finally content with her handiwork. "Your cuts might sting a little, but they weren't deep. You'll be a-okay in no time."

The two of them were crammed inside a small storage room the Hayes used to keep medical supplies and first aid kits. Charlotte moved away to place the items she was holding in the tray then walked to Kindle and placed both hands on his shoulders. "If you need any painkillers or anything, come find me! But I think you'll be back to normal after you get some warm food in your stomach. Let's go to dinner! The masters and Mrs. Putts are waiting."

​

"Thank you, Charlotte," Milton replied between coughs. He clutched the white handkerchief she supplied earlier gratefully. "That syrup you gave me helped a lot too. You should tell me the recipe later. I've never had it before."

"It's a family recipe. Grandma always gave it to me when I was sick. Also, don't forget your costume! Everyone's getting dressed tonight. I called Michael to bring something over for you. Wendy will hand your friends their outfits when they're done with their bath."

At that moment, there was a light knock outside the door. "Miss Charlotte! I brought the clothes like you asked," a small boy called from behind the door.

"Michael! We were talking about you," Charlotte beamed after she threw open the door. "We'll let you get changed, Milton. There's still so much to do before dinner."

Milton thought about saying thank you but both servants left before he had a chance to gather his thoughts. Everything was swimming in his head. It felt like he drank a huge amount of codeine. Weird, didn't he take some herbal remedy? Shrugging, Kindall lay the clothes and pair of boots on the top of the medicine cabinet and started getting dressed. He was so far gone that he didn't even stop to think about how these strangers seem to know his clothing size. He wanted to get everything over and done with so he could finally go to sleep.

He stifled a yawn. "I hope the rest are done."

---

-- In The Dining Room -- ​

"Borf, borf," a tiny pumpkin barked excitedly as he scampered round the ankles of Henbard's younger mistress. "Borf, borf, borf." He tried sitting on his hind legs to beg for the chicken wing Ella dangled overhead. Unfortunately, the costume was too round and Joseff ended up rolling around like an orange tumbleweed.

"Aaaaaaw, poor doggie!" Ella squealed, dropping the chicken wing on the floor.

She dashed after the runaway Joseff much to Castor's chagrin. The Anbuis-for-a-day huffed loudly before walking over to polish off the food. No use wasting a good piece of chicken since he doubted the little ball of fluff would miss it. His mistress had fed it two wings already. As he crunched on meat and bone, the doberman sank into a sphinx worthy crouch and observed the ongoing chaos with a condescending gaze. His favorite human was running around in a yellow raincoat and red galoshes. A paper boat hairclip pinned up her long fringe to the side while a red balloon was tied to her wrist with a black ribbon.

"Stop him, Castor!"

"Grrr," he growled when the pumpkin dog rolled near. He shoved Joseff away with his front paw and seemed to chuckle as the smaller one yipped giddily. Served that yipper right for trying to steal his beloved mistress. "Woof."

"Castor, that's not very nice. Joseff is a guest, and you ought to play nice." The reprimand came from Alfonse, who had just stepped out of the kitchen with a piping hot kettle of hot chocolate. He was making a beeline for the table, but stopped to scold the doberman. "Please assist him to his feet."

A loud sniff came from the Hayes' pet. He narrowed his eyes at the butler then ignored the old man. He went back to crunching on the wing joint as he did his best to ignore the fact that Ella had successfully rescued Joseff. The fluffball was sitting contently in the girl's lap as she fed him another chicken wing.

"Borf, borf!" the Shiba Inu barked happily.

Black chiffon and winking gold beads created the illusion of dancing stars on a cloudless night as Adelaide sailed around the room in a new costume. Her sugar plum fairy outfit had gotten soaking wet after she bathed her daughter so she changed into a stunning twilight princess outfit. It was a gown she wore two Halloweens back but she didn't mind. This was one of her favorite outfits!

"He really seems to like you, pumpkin," she called to her daughter while trying to help Alfonse arrange the chocolate fondue on their dining table. The task was no easy feat considering how crowded it had become since the Hayes children returned with their new friends. Mrs. Putts whipped up several more dishes while everyone was bathing, because she insisted that it would be embarrassing for the household if there wasn't enough food to fill everyone up till they burst. "I bet he and Castor will be great friends!"

A loud snarl came from the Anubis as he glared at the dorky pumpkin. He would have growled too if Adelaide hadn't walked over. Mrs. Hayes put her hands on her hips then wagged her finger at the sullen dog. "Castor! Now you behave, okay?" she scolded. "Joseff is a sweet little dog. I bet you two can be friends if you gave him a chance."

​

"He'd be friends with anybody," a sniffling someone spoke from the doorway. "He's annoying like that but some bacon is all it takes to get him on your side."

Milton entered the room looking like a dashing detective from a Victorian anime. He would have been a lot more charming if he hadn't been pressing a handkerchief to his mouth periodically to intercept his coughs. "Ha-ha-h-choo! He's a dork at times but one with a good heart. Matt raised him well." As he said that, he glared at the sulky doberman. He might not like Joseff most of the time, but he wasn't going to let the Inu get bullied.

"Matt? Matt ..." Adelaide responded. "I don't think any of us have met him yet. We've been too busy settling in."

"Y-a-a-achoo!" Milton agreed with even more snuffling. That made sense. He had seen several packing boxes tucked discreetly here and there on his way down after all. Not to mention all that bubble wrap in the storage room Charlotte took him to.

"Oh, you poor thing!" The mistress of the chateau fussed. "Why don't you have a seat and I'll get you something warm to drink. Michael mentioned that one of you was feeling poorly. I guess that must be you."

Kindle protested weakly but Adelaide had a firm grip. She dragged him towards a cushioned armchair in front of the jack-o-lantern display and asked him to take a seat. Milton nodded and only did so out of politeness. He would have preferred to head back upstairs, because he didn't feel up to socializing tonight. He hoped that Ethan and Ana would be able to cover him at the party. Those two were the most bubbly in his group after all.

"Here, drink this! Mrs. Putts makes the best cocoa."

A warm cup of hot chocolate in a bat cup was pressed into his shivering hands. Kindle accepted it with several murmured thank yous. Appreciating that he was finally left alone, the young man sank backwards into the chair. He took a sip and observed the family and their servants quietly. Lulled by the warmth of the room, the gentle music and softness of the chair, Milton's eyelids began drooping. He placed the cup onto the crate and stiffled a yawn. He tried staying up a bit longer.

Just a bit longer....

Jace, Ethan and the girls were going to be here soon.

He stifled a second yawn as he curled up as best as he could in the armchair. His head rested against the arm of the chair. He guessed it wouldn't hurt to have a little nap. Charlotte did warn him that he might get drowsy. Maybe he should have listened and took a panadol instead. But no, he wanted to get well sooner. Talk about making bad life choices. Kelsey and Ethan would tease him for this if they found out.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Despite Kitty's scolding, London still grinned - albeit beneath the water. She watched the older maid fuss at them, only her eyes and the bridge of her nose above the surface. Feeling silly - Marten's playful tendencies were contagious - London couldn't help but feel like an alligator navigating the bathwater. But, really, it wasn't a true bath without bubbles. To remedy the situation, London hovered by the edge, reading the bottle labels. Eventually grabbed some sweet smelling soap and poured enough in the bath to bubble up around her, Marten and Ana. She couldn't play the role of alligator anymore, lest bubbles rush up her nose, but the thickness of the bubbles provided excellent cover while she washed her hair with shampoo and conditioner.

"This stuff smells really good," she commented quietly, bringing the conglomerate of shampoo and bubble bath suds to her nose. Gave a small sniff. Went to say something else but froze as the door opened. She looked over her shoulder, alarm bells going off.

Hans? Shit!

With a splash London plunged underwater. Forgot the soap had already been used - she couldn't open her eyes without feeling the wrath of stinging soapy water - and quickly came back up. A cloud of fluffy bubbles sat atop her head as she wiped her eyes. Spotting Marten just a few steps away, she maneuvered behind her as quickly but nonchalantly as she could. Refused to meet Hans' eyes; rather, pretended to be busy inspecting the bubbles. The hot water did not help the furious blush she wore, spreading from her chest to the very tips of her ears.

She was suddenly very thankful she'd decided to pour in some bubble bath.

Ana had spent most of her walk back sulking to herself and wandering into the bath with the girls. She easily stripped her clothes off, sliding down into the tub with a large splash. She spent the majority of her time in the bath scrubbing off each inch of dirt that appeared. She was not about to have another mud bath before the last. Finally, Ana brought herself out of the trance and glanced at the two other girls.

"Well then. She has a sharp tongue." Ana grinned, looking at Kitty before leaning back. That was when Hans graced the room with his presence again. He brought in rack after rack of clothing, causing London to sink down in the bath. Ana, however, had no shame, and casually wandered up to the edge.

"Ooo, a massage sounds great to me." She grinned, looking up at the man with long shaggy hair. She couldn't deny she had a thing for long hair. Ana grinned over at London, who was now hiding behind Martin.

"Oh come on London. You obviously think he's cute." She grinned, taking her arm and tugging. When that didn't work Ana sighed and swam back a bit. With a few seconds push Ana leapt out of the water and jumped on top of London, hoping to sink her down into the bathtub.

"Ana! What are- you're cra-mmnnf!" With a splash London went under the surface. Returned a few heartbeats later several times redder than before and sputtering protests that she did, in fact, not think Hans was cute. "I do n-not! I mean, uh, he's not unattractive, but- I mean- it's just-... dios mio…"

London was a horrible liar.

Marten enjoyed teasing her dark haired friend, but her skin was starting to get that tingle that let her know it was almost time to get out lest she start taking on water like a stricken battleship. Wading over to the edge, she was just beginning to navigate the large selection of bathing items when Hans made a reappearance. The lightest of pinks spread over her nose and the apples of her cheeks and she was thankful that most of her chest remained under the bubbling surface. It was one thing to be prepared to see a cute guy and another entirely to be caught unawares.

She swiftly grabbed something mildly scented and mostly organic in nature before scooting herself back into the thicker bubbles with her girlfriends. She had the shortest of moments to block her eyes from the splash, catching the tail end and laughing at London's expense good naturedly. Shooting Ana a wink as she popped open the hibiscus and huckleberry scented wash, she started rubbing her skin and multitasked, "Awww, you're kidding, look at those eyes? They'd melt a yuki-onna and you know it. A bunyip might even make an exception for him?"

Snickering under her breath, she vaguely looked at the indications on the bottle before shrugging and working some of the solution into her hair as well. The stuff was basically edible, so what harm was it gonna do really? It wasn't like her locks weren't already dyed within an inch of recognition.

Humming, as she closed her eyes to avoid stings, she continued her easy banter, "And if not McHotty over there-- and yes, I do want that massage, Hans," she cut her gaze to the dashing brunet momentarily, conveying bedroom eyes before refocusing on Ana and London-- She did so love to flirt! "There must be someone… We're surrounded by cuties all the time! Matt or Ethan or Jace or even Joseff assuming you want to be a spinster and keep animals instead of dealing with overly complicated humans… Which I understand!" Of course she purposefully left out Milton for… reasons, but what better time than a communal bath to talk about a girl's favorite subject-- Boys! Or girls depending on which way a person's door swang… Nowadays those things don't even have hinges! Oh l'amour! The rotating doors of romance!

"I- There is nobody- I don't like anyone," London said quickly. She went back underwater, resurfacing some ways away with freshly rinsed hair and pursed lips. Marten seemed to have hit a nerve.

Oho, they thought he was cute, huh? They were a little young, Hans was guessing they were still in college… freshmen maybe? They still had that enthusiastic, head-over-heels in love with life attitude that people tended to lose as they got older. It was refreshing and he was thoroughly amused by how blushy they were getting in his presence.

"N'aw, I'm glad you gals think I'm cute," he crooned. "You three are pretty easy on the eyes too, you know." He intentionally winked at the shy girl, the one the others called London. The girl glanced at him briefly before stubbornly averting eye contact.

"Cute isn't the word I would use." Ana grinned, leaning up on the edge of the tub. Leaning over, Ana grabbed the hair wash from Marten, spreading some in her hair. "You might want to give me some of this stuff though. It smells amazing." She grinned, dumping a bit in her hair.

Marten huffed at the quick swipe, sticking a tongue out at Ana playfully, "Aww, I wanted to smell it some more… That should be a candle or something." Her blush darkened from Hans' comments, but she was determined to stay cool under the pressure of his stare. His eyes were so freaking pretty! Look sexy, damn it. You are the siren! You are woman, RAWR! Uh… be mysterious or something?!

Kitty was rolling her eyes at him and the girls, but Hans ignored the woman, and was now focusing on the bolder pair - Marten and Ana. God, they were going with his massage joke? He could work with that. He definitely could work with that.

"Actions speak louder than words, gals. If you want a massage you're going to have to get up here." He did a come-hither gesture with his index finger. "They don't call me Magic Hands Hans for no reason." He was messing with the kids, of course, but if they did come up for a massage, he wouldn't deny them one either.

Ana grinned as she looked at London. "You all are so easily embarrassed." She mumbled, grinning widely. After rinsing out her hair in the soapy water Ana hopped out of the tub with little fear. She grabbed a dry towel and started working on getting dry while grabbing bath robes and towels for the other girls.

"Now then Hans, you might want to turn for the shy ones. They're easily embarrassed." She grinned, sliding on her robe and wrapping her towel around her neck. Her hair was sticking up in all directions from her scrubbing it hard, trying to get out the water. Laying down on the bench Ana let the robe come off her back.

"Work your magic Hans. My back has been sore ever since Jace decided it was a great idea to jump in the river, followed by Milton." She sighed, closing her eyes and letting her body relax.

She sighed under her breath relieved that Ana had taken the initiative. She wanted that massage! But she was more than happy to wait her turn and of course collect her inner self which was somewhere between spouting semi-erotic gibberish and spasming like a newly pubescent woman-child unsure if her body was blossoming or dying systematically. Extremely unbecoming to say the least, but thankfully, it was inner Marten with the problem. Visible Marten was enjoying the girly scents diffusing into the room and the slow, methodical massaging of the suds in her hair.

By the time she dipped and rinsed herself, she felt much calmer, deciding to enjoy one last swim in the deep, warm depths before lifting herself from the water at the edge closest to the bathrobes. She slipped into one with easy, almost-graceful motions and made her over to the racks of costumes, beginning to shop for one.

Content to let her surprisingly thick mane of hair drip dry as it curled slightly around her, she absently fingered fabric textures, tossing a smile over her shoulders, "Don't tire yourself out Hans, I'm next for sure!"

The second Ana offered her a bathrobe and towel, London scrambled out of the pool like a wet cat. Threw the robe on and hurried over to the costume rack without a word, wringing the water from her hair with the fluffy towel. It likely wouldn't dry for a long while without a blow-dryer, but London never had patience for that kind of thing; as such, she didn't ask for one. Instead, simply took the hair tie she'd used to hold her hair back and used it to pile all the dark locks above her head in a damp, messy bun.

It'd dry. Eventually.

Perusing the rack, she took extra effort to choose only from the side that would conceal her from the massage tables. On some deeper level London knew she was overreacting - she often did, when flustered - but really all she wanted to do was change and haul ass out of there. Spending time with the girls had been fun and all, but boy talk? Specifically regarding who she might fancy? Oh no, that would not happen. It was bad enough Kelsey hounded her whenever a certain friend of theirs found his way into a topic of conversation. London didn't need Ana and Marten getting suspicious and prying, either.

So, she grabbed the most comfortable yet least revealing costume she could find; a black and red ninja ensemble, mask and cowl included. It wasn't Wonder Woman but at least it kept her warm and matched her wooden katana. Plus, London doubted anyone would notice what she was using the accessories for, exactly: a surefire way to hide her expression and any possible red-tinted cheeks throughout the night. Because, honestly, with someone as cute as Hans around-

Nope. Not going there.

Peering over the racks to make sure the others - Marten, Ana, Kitty and Hans - couldn't see her, she quickly changed and pulled up the hood. Waved to the others as she stepped out, headed for the door. "I, uh-... I'm gonna go. Before dinner gets, uh, cold. Too cold. Yeah, uh, bye."

Without waiting for a response, London slipped out of the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Took a breath, turned around, and headed down the hallway in the direction of the way they came.

Marten barely got a word in before London was out the door. She hadn't even gotten a good look at her outfit, which made the grunette pout a bit. Had they teased her too much maybe? Sighing she glanced back down to the green and black number she had picked out. It'd compliment her hair, so why not?

Hans could only grin when London pretty much hauled ass out of the spa room. Cute. The lot of them were cute. "Hey, watch your step when you're making your way down the stairs, okay?"

Meanwhile, the girl who'd approached him - Ana - was London's complete opposite. She was bold and she knew what she wanted. In fact, she was asking him for a massage. Hah, he would have happily obliged, but Kitty's death glare stopped him in his tracks.

"Hans. Dinner. Cold. Get out."

"Ah… right, Mrs. Putts will have my head if you guys miss dinner." He withdrew his hands away from Ana and gave both her and Marten an apologetic glance. "Sorry, maybe next time."

Kitty's ice cold stare told everyone there wouldn't be a next time, not if she could help it. "Girls, please pick your clothes and head down to dinner before the food gets cold." Her words were polite but there was no mistaking the venom in her tone.

Well I know when I'm not wanted. Marten rolled her eyes a bit thankful that she didn't have to live with Miss Kitty and her claws. She was probably a nice lady on the inside, but what she had shown thus far had left much to be desired. Smiling genuinely at poor Hans, she nodded, "Yea, next time." Then she was shuffling behind a random rack and changing into her new costume, marveling at just how high stockings could go. She was surprised the outfit didn't come with a garter belt to hold the long, thick socks ups. They seemed to have a bit of extra grip at the top though, so that was helpful. She wouldn't have to worry about them falling down.

Next came the skirt and ¾ sleeved top and she was left to button, clasp, adjust, and tweak until the belts, buttons, and ties looked correct. Lastly she was pulling on combat styled boots and using black hair ribbons to tie back her still damp tresses into twin tails. Some finger combing later and she was Hatsune Miku ready to belt a tune. She struck a peace signed pose for the room, winking and flashing a saucy smirk, "Kawaii, ne?"

Ana sighed as Hans looked at Kitty and gave up on the massage. "Well boo then. I guess you don't have any sense of adventure." She said, raising her eyebrows as the man left. "Whatever, I can just make one of the guys do it. Maybe Milton." She said with a grin, wandering towards the clothing racks.

"Hmm, so I assume we're going for costumes?" She questioned her fellow lady before perusing the racks. "I don't really want to wear a dress." She mumbled, looking at Marten. "Nice there Miku." Ana grinned, tugging something leather off the rack. She grinned.

"I am gonna go biker chick." She grinned, starting to tug on the outfit. Ana ended up in a tight grey shirt with a skull on it, her magnificent belly exposed. She had some ripped black jeans and some combat boots. She tugged on a leather jacket over her shirt and a leather choker that came with it. She looked studded and spiked, and like a badass biker chick.

"At the least it matches the whip." She grinned, wandering towards the door. "Let's go!"

 

[Haru Nyan]

Every word that come out of Wendy's mouth was just pure gibberish, Ethan could barely make out the string of sentences she uttered as he looked on, amused at her animesque antics and actions all while wearing nothing but a towel that did covered his lower body. She certainly looked like a nervous type, to be fair...walking in on two or three dudes half-naked isn't exactly standard fair. His attention immediately shifted to the grandiose assortment of garments hanging from the clothes rack, his sense of curiosity triggered once more, the strapping young man began to dig through the seemingly never-ending line of fabrics. Gosh, he wouldn't mind having some of these at home just to streamline the cosplay process a bit. His eyes darted from each costume to the next, a grin on his face, the search for the most fitting costume was on for Ethan! Equal parts determined and equal parts conflicted as to who or what he was going to go as.

Let's see...There was a black, studded leather jacket with a sinister-looking snake design on the back. Ethan chuckled, pumping his fist for a small while at the find and exclaiming that whoever managed to put it on the rack definitely ruled. No questions asked. What else was there? Next up was a rather risque-looking leather loincloth with fur and pelt around it, this thing definitely left very little to the imagination, he was almost tempted to wear it and ask Sal and El's father what the best thing in life was. Was it to crush one's enemies and see them driven before you or was it to hear the lamentations of their women? Ethan shook his head, wearing this would just be silly, and downright inappropriate in front of the kids, but it does raise the question as to who put it in the rack in the first place. Thoughts of wielding a sword and striking a herculean pose leaving his system, the young man, understandably, moved on to the next costume. The next one made Ethan groan a bit, a soft chuckle leaving his mouth afterwards. It was a green shirt with white sleeves that had a familiar logo of a globe on the right sleeve. Hey, he was up to dressing up as the character as long as he didn't have to punch any boulders.

"Where do you think they even got these stuff, guys?" He felt the need to ask, all the while skimming through the vast sea of shirts, jackets, and what little amount of cloth that you could call a costume. Admittedly, he wasn't feeling that certain je ne sais quoi as he looked through, all he knew was that he had this craving...a craving for something that screamed Halloween. Then, as fate would have it he struck gold at the next set, it was something that definitely fit his criteria of fixing him up on that certain Halloween cheer. His eyes sparkled like stars as he grabbed the ornate vestments and got dressed as quick as he could, his back turned to Jace and Milton when he was done doing so and, with a dramatic turn and a swish of his cape, he presented his costume on full display.

"I want you guys to believe...To believe in things you could not." There was a moment of silence, a lull in the night as Ethan swore he could hear the crickets responding to his corny quote. "Oh come on, guys! The time I try to sound artsy and cool is the time you guys could at least pretend I actually WAS, y'know?" He puffed his cheeks and crossed his arms, if he was an actual vampire, he would've made them his first victims right off the bat. Still, he couldn't deny that the detail on the thing was definitely eye-catching, it looked so good, felt really good too. He never would've expected that the thing would fit him in the first place, was there some kind of "One Size Fits All" magic goin' on? Ethan's stomach growled, his hunger instantly prioritizing itself over other needs. He excused himself from the two, saying that he was going to head on to the dining hall first, but was also looking forward to Jace and Milton's choice of clothes.

​

Paul figured dressing up as something ironic would be fitting for the evening, and as such, took it upon himself to fashion himself after a stalker of the night, one who hunts after the flesh and blood of many. The hat was definitely his favorite part, he liked tipping it like some fancy gent. Seeing that the dining hall was slowly being filled with such a diverse and creative cast of colorful costumes filled his heart with joy, they didn't get many visitors and it made his heart feel so good. "Is everyone here? Dinner will be served shortly now!" Sitting down at his designated chair while waiting for the meals to be served, or the remaining guests to get prepared, he brought up a topic that his son had told him earlier.

"I understand that you young 'uns have been looking for a...goodness what was her name again?" He bellowed out a hearty laugh, apologizing to the young adults to forgive his faulty memory, attributing it to being cooped up in his study for such long periods of time at a day. He scratched his chin, trying to jog his memory and only when Salem told him again did his memory of the girl come back. "Oh right! Thank you, Salem, boy-o! Kelsey, right?" He looked at his guests with a raised eyebrow, waiting for their response.

​

 

[Ashi]

​

"Ah, well. I'll try towel-drying it." Jace heaved a sigh, snatching the towel from around his waist and throwing it atop his head. While he could have grabbed a second towel, Jace didn't want to give their gracious hosts any more work to do and decided it was more economical in the long run to just use the one. Towel-drying wasn't nearly as effective as a hair dryer though. Bending at the waist, he turned nearly upside down and vigorously ran the towel over his hair. Not a moment later, the door swung open and a young maid stood in the doorway. Jace straightened, the towel positioned just so as to cover his bottom half. The maid's face burned red at the sight of the young men. Jace flushed a little, securing the towel around his waist.

"Oh, um, thank you." Jace stammered a bit, embarrassed at having nearly been seen completely naked by the young woman. Luckily, his wild hair was in his face and hid this from view of both Wendy and his friends. If Ethan or Milton knew, he would never hear the end of it. Well, just Ethan, since Milton had already taken his leave. "Er, Milton's already gone downstairs, I think." Jace answered as he slipped past Wendy into the bedroom. He paused in his hair-drying venture to peruse the clothing racks and was taken aback by the vast selection. He frowned a little at the costumes; dressing up for Halloween wasn't really his thing. Kelsey always ragged on him for it, too.

Selecting a pair of jeans and a nice sweater, Jace dressed then dried his hair. The hot tool dried it in no time, leaving it light and voluminous. He asked Wendy to find him an elastic hairband, not wanting to go through Mrs. Hayes' things, then made his way downstairs. He was on his way to the dining room, only just starting to pull his hair back, when he came across Milton. The sickly young man was dozing off in an armchair. Jace leaned over the back of the chair and reached down to ruffle his friend's hair.

"Sounds like they're all sitting down now. If you don't come on, the food will get cold." Jace said and headed into the dining room. Paul's costume sent a shiver up Jace's spine; the girls' costumes helped him recover. "You all look festive." He laughed with a grin and sat down at the table. The festive atmosphere became heavy when Paul mentioned Kelsey. "Yes, sir. She, she's been missing for ten days. Salem said she'd been here, that she had dinner with you? How long ago was that exactly? Did she by chance tell you where she was headed?"

 

[Fox of Spades]

Salem was fumbling with the cuffs of his suit when his father called his name. The young man had just finished his bath and had entered the dining room in a crisp suit of black and gold. He wore an impressive trench coat over his already fancy Halloween costume and topped off the ensemble with a crow mask made of plastic and sleek dark feathers.​

"I believe it was Kelsey Crane." He gave his old man the girl's name then turned to greet Jace with a friendly nod.

Once the exchange between the two had ended, Salem joined in with answers of his own. "She was here 10 days ago. It was around dinner. She was looking for a dog but didn't have any luck. It was getting late and she said she needed to head back to Bellwoods Hollow before her friends started to worry. That's the last we saw of her."

"Sir Paul, ma'am Adelaide, young masters." Charlotte called out. "The guests are here now."

"Lovely!" Adelaide exclaimed, pressing her hands together. "I'm sure everyone is hungry by now." She sailed over to her arriving guests and grabbed Ana's and London's hands. "My, my, you two look great. You must be one of those samurais, right?" She asked London with a vacuous smile before turning to Ana. "I don't know what you are dear, but I think you look really … I'm sorry I forgot that word Salem likes so much. I think it's cool...?"

She didn't miss Marten either. The girl was such an adorable little pixie thing. Adelaide didn't know what to make of the green ponytails. They reminded her of grass that needed trimming. Perhaps that is the fashion choice for any fairy tale folk. The young people these days were so imaginative! "Are you a book character by any chance? Salem talked about Elves before. Are you one of them? I remembered they love wearing green."

Although she kept talking animatedly, Adelaide managed to sidestep Castor's outstretched paw and started pulling the London and Ana towards the dining table. "Today, you're our guests, so let's drop all formalities. We won't even sit at the table. Feel free to walk around, chat, dance or do whatever you young ones love these days. Back when I was young, we loved dancing. I could dance all night. Filling my dance cards and waiting for young men to take my hand." She swooned. "I remembered how dashing he looked in his tuxedo. I couldn't stop blushing when he asked me for my card."

"Bark, bark, grrrr," Castor threatened the fat little pumpkin scampering towards him. He bared his teeth but the little Inu remained oblivious. The doberman tried pushing Joseff away repeatedly without any success. Pretty soon, the pumpkin was standing proudly on top of the lying Anubis. "Woof," Castor grumbled.

"Awww, ain't you two the sweetest!" Adelaide exclaimed after she handed the girls fine china plates with a shining gold rim. "You and Joseff are friends! I'm so happy for you, Castor!"

Ella clapped her hands and bounced on her feet. "Yes, yes! Doggies are friends. They will be best friends soon. Right, Salem?"

Salem eyed both Castor and Joseff and smiled. "Of course!" He didn't have the heart to tell Ella that Castor was a grumpy old man and that cats would probably be flying before the two became friends. "I'm sure they will."

Salem turned around to see the group standing idly by the entrance to the dining hall. "No need to be shy." He smiled. "Please, come join us by the table! The food is ready and mother is a fantastic cook." It looked like talk about the group's missing friend and the scarf she left behind would have to wait. Salem took his respective seat at the dining table.

One of the young men, the boy named Milton, seemed to be asleep. How much longer he'd remain asleep was questionable given how his friend was trying to rouse him at the moment.

"I wanna sleep," Milton groaned as he tried brushing off his friend's hand. "Just tell Ethan to save me something, okay?" He tucked his head closer to his chest and screwed his eyes shut. "Five more minutes… okay?" Soft snoring came from the curled up detective less than a half minute later.

"He wasn't feeling well. He asked for some of grandma's cough syrup." Charlotte explained. "He might be out for awhile."

"We'll make sure to save him something then." Salem answered.

The kitchen and dining room were a blur of activity as all the servants began to assemble. They went back and forth to finish some last minute preparations and this continued until all the food was on the table and all the guests had plates of various edible items in their hands.

Once everyone was seated and eating, Salem ignored his own plate of food to pull out a scarf from his trench coat's pocket. It was blue with yellow stars embroidered into the fabric. He placed it on the table, looking far more serious now than he did moments ago. "This was the scarf she left behind," he said to the group. "Do any of you recognize it?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Despite departing from the baths sooner than Marten and Ana, London didn't arrive at dinner much earlier than they did. The reason? She took her sweet time meandering the hallways, not only prolonging the amount of time she had to herself but also low-key snooping. London didn't go into any rooms or rummage through drawers, mind you, but she did peer in any open doors, curious what she'd find from the doorway.

Nothing, that's what. With a frown, London made the rest of the way to dinner and stepped into the large dining room with her mask and hood drawn up over her head. She hadn't the time to assess the decorations or food before Mrs. Hayes - rather, a twilight princess - took her by the hand. Much to London's surprise, Ana was there, too.

Did I really take that long? She wondered, offering Mrs. Hayes a lopsided smile. More genuine than the usual ones given to strangers, but still strained. Not that it mattered, though; London's ninja mask concealed her nose and mouth, so she could literally grimace and it'd wrinkle her eyes like a smile would. Yes, she liked this costume very much. Mrs. Hayes pulled her and Ana into the room, requesting they drop all formalities. Another thing London appreciated; the less expectations of her there were, the better.

"Thank you, um-..." London prepared to ask a question, but caught sight of Kindall slumped on a chair. She frowned deeply behind her mask; he looked awful. And if he brushed Jace off, surely he wouldn't want to talk to London. But maybe-... London looked to Marten expectantly, though it was not conveyed with her costume in the way. Still, with Kindall feeling so out of sorts, she didn't doubt Marten's concern. Hopefully it would be enough to get the grunette friend over there to comfort him. She couldn't see Kindall turning Marten away.

The two could be painfully obvious sometimes, yet just as oblivious.

"Joseff! Joseff! Look what I got for you." Ella called from her side of the room. She bounced energetically on the balls of her feet dangling a succulent chicken wing over her head. "Come and get it!"

Her brown eyes sparkled with delight as she saw the little pumpkin hopped off Castor. Playing with the Shiba Inu was way more fun than playing with Castor. The latter tended to ignore her whenever she asked him to play fetch. It seemed like he felt it was beneath him at times. At least, that was what big brother said with a laugh whenever they tried to play with their dog.

"Borf, borf!" Joseff yipped excitedly. He bounded as fast as his thick legs allowed him to. "Borf, borf, borf, borf!"

People around the room barely had time to react to the orange comet that tunneled between their legs. Hans escaped unscathed, but Kitty wasn't so lucky. She was too busy drooling over the Adonis when she got knocked off her feet. Shrieking, the cougar grabbed Wendy as she passed. The poor maid also shrieked as the tub she was carrying became airborne. Water and apples arced overhead before crashing down on the red ninja nearby. The stunned silence ended with the sound of a plate shattering on the floor.

"Ella!" Adelaide scolded. "Say sorry to everyone! You shouldn't have made Joseff run like that. It's dangerous!"

"S-s-sorry," Ella said as her eyes filled with tears. She dropped the chicken wing she was holding much to Joseff's delight. She sniffled then covered her face with her hands. Her shoulders shook visibly. "I - sorry!"

Wendy was totally red faced as she sat there in her soaked costume. Apples surrounded her and the equally drenched London. Kitty, who managed to dodge in time, looked completely unrepentant.

"Tut, tut, you're so careless, Wendy! Look at our guest!"

"I - I'm sorry!" Wendy sputtered.

London stood there, completely soaked. She hadn't the time to do much more than gasp when the water hit her - accompanied by the impact of a few stray apples, though she doubted they'd bruise - for she hadn't seen it coming at all. Been too focused on Marten and Kindall to pay attention to her surroundings. The sound of Kitty scolding Wendy snapped her out of her trance; London looked around at the people who'd stopped to stare and blanched. Then, promptly, turned cherry-faced with a ferocious blush.

"U-Um," she stammered, eyes falling on Adelaide, Ella, Kitty, and then, finally, Wendy. London wanted to run. With the fabric of her ninja costume clinging to her skin, the mask and hood offered her no comfort; instead, they were quite literally suffocating. She had to pull it off. Even if nobody but Kitty and Wendy looked at her, London felt the eyes of the entire world on her back.

"Don't sit there like a lump! Go get dressed," Kitty snapped as she pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead. "If you fall sick, I'll have to pick up the slack." She murmured about useless girls as Charlotte helped her friend up and quickly led the stunned Wendy out the room.

This left London still soaked and almost choking. Adelaide motioned for Salem to tend to his sister, as she went over to London. "Oh dear, you're soaked," she spoke in a soft motherly voice. She helped London untie the mask from behind so it won't accidentally choke the girl. "Come, come! Let's get you dried and I'll help pick out your costume. I know a few dresses that goes well with your raven hair."

Mrs. Hayes held onto London's hand gently, leading her towards the door. Turning back to the rest in the room, she reassured. "Don't worry about us! I'll fix her up and return her soon." Waving in her husband's direction, she shouted a little louder. "Paul, love! I'll leave it to you to liven up the party. Don't let the food get cold, okay?"

London let herself get whisked away by the kindhearted Mrs. Hayes. As the two stepped through the door, sealing the sounds of dinner as it closed behind them, London chewed at her lip. She suddenly felt very guilty about snooping earlier, no matter how subtle it had been. Granted, London was one of the Hayes' guests and it would be rude to let her stand there to catch a chill, but Mrs. Hayes was so-... Soft. And motherly, able to roll with the punches. Kinda like London's own mom, though more graceful. Mom would have done the same thing had she been hosting but with a ton of awkward Dad jokes thrown in.

"I, uh-... Thanks - Uh, Thank you - but, erm, I don't really wear… dresses," London admitted, walking with her through the halls. The further they got from the dinner party, the better London felt. Even if she were to change into another costume and get dried off, how could she go back in there? Technically it hadn't been her fault, but London, like Wendy, had gotten drenched. It was… embarrassing.

"Oh? Why not?" Adelaide asked curiously. "You have such beautiful shoulders. Why, a off shoulder gown would look so lovely on you. I know I have a dress that fits you well! You are as slim as I was last time."

With that, the twilight princess pressed down on the polished door handle and threw open the door. London found herself entering the grand master bedroom. It was the same room that the boys had entered earlier. Adelaide finally let go of London's hand and made a beeline for the cupboards to search for a towel.

"I can make you a nice cup of tea if you like," Adelaide offered. "It would take a while to dry and fix your hair… I have a nice selection. There's mandarin green tea, berries of the forest, vanilla chai, pumpkin spice… that one is a coffee, actually. Oh! We have a Nespresso machine. Silly me! Totally forgot about it. We have most of the capsules. So, what would you like?"

At the mention of coffee and an actual Nespresso machine, London's eyebrows shot nearly to her hairline. Forget bathrooms that would put high-end spas to shame, or costume racks that could provide for an entire film set - Nespresso? With almost all of their flavors? London would have to thank Ella later; the girl landed in heaven.

"Um, sure," London nodded, smiling sheepishly, "anything Robusta is fine." She liked bitter, dark coffee the best. As Mrs. Hayes turned to fiddle with the Nespresso machine after passing her a towel, London walked over to the costume rack. Chewed on her bottom lip in thought. Tilted her head when she found a man's Ghostbusters costume. This could work… it'll be big, but big is comfy, she mused. Only, when she pulled it from the rack, the costume wasn't just big. It was huge, probably meant for an exceptionally tall man rather than a woman on the short side. If she wore it, she'd feel like a clown.

So what else could she do? London wanted to dress up, but she likely wouldn't fit any of the men's costumes. Curse her mother for being so short, otherwise she'd probably be as tall as Marten and Kelsey! London neared giving up when she caught sight of a black windbreaker peeking out of the dresser drawer a few steps away. Absently touched her own dark hair, an idea forming.

Then, she looked to Adelaide. "Have you heard of Katniss Everdeen?" She asked. Paused, shrugged her shoulders, offered a sheepish smile. "I could, uh… I could be her. It's an easy costume."

"Katniss? Is she like a celebrity chef?" Adelaide asked. The name was certainly odd. It made her think of ketchup and turnips. Ket-nips? It didn't sound appetising at all. Maybe to children, but adults aren't that fond of that tomato blood condiment.

"Ah… more like a popular character from a book. The Hunger Games." London then proceeded to detail the basics of the costume; brown pants, boots, a black windbreaker and a bow and arrow set. Not to mention her iconic braided hair.

Adelaide walked over with a tray in hand. A rich smell greeted London's nostrils long before the raven laid eyes on the steaming coffee cup. Beside it was a plate of the prettiest cookies and perfect macarons she would ever see. They were mini works of art on a plate. "I thought some cookies and macaroons would go well with your coffee. I didn't know if you like it black, so I brought you sugar and milk just in case." Adelaide gestured to the china sugar bowl and the darling little milk jug. London's smile widened, grateful, and took one of the macaroons.

The lady of the house pondered over London's description of the strangely named fictional character. Actually, that kind of make sense. She couldn't help but wonder if there were other food named characters too. Probably a Pizza with fancy spelling. That was what went well with tomatoes, no? They'd probably make a cute couple too. "I don't know if my clothes will fit, but I have what you need."

Adelaide found the necessary items for the outfit from the many packing boxes she had tried hiding from view. Much to her surprise, she even found a thin silk scarf that shimmered like flames, a quiver of white arrows and a beautiful, aluminium bow. "Strange, I don't remember these. I guess I must have gotten them when I was noveling last year. I wanted to write a historical piece then. A romance, naturally!"

Passing the clothes to London, Adelaide sat down on her bed and patted a spot in front of her. "Come sit!" she beckoned. "I'd love to do up your hair. I bet weaving my gossamer red and gold ribbons into your braids would add to the illusion of flames."

So cute and yet so weird - burning ketchup! What will authors think of next? Adelaide wondered. It almost sounded like the author was torn between a human sacrifice using a Grecian pyre and a craving for pizza. That Italian dish did have slightly burnt cheese and tomato sauce after all. Adelaide chuckled to herself. She knew modern children's books were wacky as they come, but she was still skeptical about the quality of the language. Ella should have a strong foundation in the classics before progressing to these newer books.

Yep. The mention of romance solidified it: Mrs. Hayes would get along swimmingly with London's mother. After throwing on the clothes in place of the soaked ninja garments, London relished in the warmth of the windbreaker. Also, it's bagginess. Very comfortable.

"That'd be nice," London said, sitting in front of Mrs. Hayes. Sipped her coffee in the meanwhile. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little excited to become Katniss Everdeen. The red and gold ribbons in her hair would be a fantastic touch; London would have to remember that bit when cosplaying on her own time. Maybe simply gold for her Wonder Woman costume?

After Mrs. Hayes finished braiding her hair, London looked in the mirror and couldn't help but grin. As nice as hiding behind the mask of the ninja costume had been, she felt like a total badass now. Maybe dinner wouldn't be so terrifying to return to. In the corner of her eye she spotted Kindall's backpack, abandoned in the corner with its owner downstairs. London hummed. Her own backpack had been left in the other room, along with her cellphone, and she'd seen Kindall type in his password once…

Screw it. He doesn't have to know. London hurried over and fished through the backpack before retrieving his phone. Input the code, took a selfie in the full-length mirror of the master bedroom, and went to upload it to Instagram only to realize there was no signal. Dammit! Guess the house really is too new. London frowned before turning the display back off and dropping it back into the pocket where she'd found it. Oh well, I can grab the photo from him later. Hopefully he doesn't realize I took it with his phone, though.

And with that London turned to Mrs. Hayes, donning a genuine smile - though still signature and lopsided. "Thank you, Mrs. Hayes," she said. Katniss Everdeen was no Diana of Themyscira but she was close, and London felt confident in her clothes as she walked back to the dinner party with Mrs. Hayes at her side.

Upon entering the room London willed away any inklings of stage fright - Are the accessories too much? Do they know who I'm dressed as? What if they think I'm silly? - and set off on her mission: Learn more about Whittle Grove and Peter the Monster. She spotted Salem across the room and bee-lined towards him.

"Hi," she started, jumping into conversation before her confidence dwindled away. "I was wondering-," noticing the scarf in his hands, London paused. Stared at it for an awkward moment. Was that-...? She blinked away the thought; it could very well be Kelsey's scarf if she visited the Hayes like they'd said. Still, though... would Kelsey so willingly give up her scarf? London wasn't sure, but decided to inquire about it later. London had a mystery to solve. "Erm... I was wondering if we could, uh, talk some more. At the creek, you mentioned you've seen something in the forest before. What did it look like?" She wondered if it would match Kelsey's description of the creature she'd become obsessed with before disappearing. "Where did you see it?"

 

[IceQueen]

Anastasia wandered out of the bathroom confidently only to be swept up along with Marten by a girl Ana vaguely remembered being called Adelaide. Blinking a few times in confusion Ana was quick to pick up on the woman's excited demeanor. "I guess you don't get female guests that often do you." She mumbled, looking at Adelaide with curiosity before continuing on. The woman didn't know what Ana was and she chuckled. "It's called a biker chick. I pretty much look like this all the time because my mother was a biker chick but you know, it doesn't matter." She said, sitting down at the table.

Ana had a good look around the room, predominantly at the dogs who though appeared to be getting somewhat along were not getting along in the slightest. Ana couldn't help but laugh at Castors woof, and Salem's attempt to cover up that the dog was actually a super grouch. Shaking her head, Ana looked back at the table. She was almost caught up in the whirlwind of servants and attendants bustling around the hall. She barely had time to comprehend what was happening before food was on the table. What she could understand was her stomach growling loudly. Ana began to shovel food in in a ungraceful manner that did not befit such a nice household. When the scarf was produced, Ana looked at it.

Nearly choking on her food Ana began to cough, patting her chest as she tried to make sure the food got down. After several moments of hacking she snapped her head up and pointed. "That, was a gift I gave her sophomore year of high school." She choked out, coughing again at the irritation in her airways. "She loves that scarf."

 

[Fox of Hearts]

Collab between @Impudimp and @Fox of Hearts ​

Mrs. Hayes was super chipper and sweet for a woman that lived in possibly the creepiest place on earth… Well, outside of Japan, or maybe Chernobyl? Even so, she had the decency to bashfully accept the compliment provided to her with a soft, "Uh, thank you." With that she was quick to take a seat at the dinner table having found herself famished after her body had the time to catch up with itself.

She was about halfway through a dinner roll when the bobbin' apples fiasco happened. "London!" She gasped snatching up an unused napkin to try and help pat the girl dry, not that it would do much in the long run, but she didn't want her friend to get sick like Milton. Speaking of Milton… Her eyes flew to the occupied chair armchair. Seeing as London was off to change and had given her one job, she stood gulping what she had managed to eat and walked over to the sleeping detective. Literally! Of course he would choose that costume. He looks so adorable when he's sleeping… not cynical at all.

Her other friends were busy interacting with the Hayes family and here she was tasked with waking the sleeping sleuth. "Hey… Hey you with the glasses!" She poked at his cheek gingerly, not being able to help the smile she cracked at her own silly gesture… even when Kelsey's scarf had been revealed. She remembered the dark haired girl really like it. Maybe it was one of her oldest ones, but she wore it often. It was a signature article, like her beanie and a part of Marten clinched to think that somewhere was a girl without the security of her scarf and beanie wandering in cold, dark Whittle Grove. Kels.. where the heck are you?

Kindle stirred slightly. He didn't enjoy getting poked in the cheek and had half a mind to bite off the annoying person's head. Probably Ethan. Actually, most likely Ethan again! His roommate could be so annoying at times! The word roommate jogged his memories. Everything flashed quickly through his mind like a Youtube video fast forwarding. Joseff going missing. Kelsey looking for him and going missing too. A fat dog returned. Kelsey, missing. Search party. Matt, woods. The dozing detective groaned. Why did it have to be tonight? He wanted to kill someone. Anybody but the cute grunette poking his cheek. It would be awhile before he woke himself up fully.

But she didn't have time to be sad or ennui, not now, she had a small term goal and a long term! "Milton, come on, who's gonna ask the important questions? You're the one with the Sherlock brain. Come on!" She huffed nearly in his lap but lacking embarrassment for the fact that she was shaking his shoulder quite vigorously.

If ever there were a time to ask questions it was right then, but how was she supposed to know the right one to ask? London had Kelsey's possible last words covered. So what else could she ask? What would Milton ask? Scooting Milton's legs over she planted herself on as much chair cushion as she could make available and faced the table to intently monitor the conversation, hoping to glean anything between the lines.

A half opened brown eye flicked over to where Marten sat. Even with glasses on, the "Miku" was nothing more than blurry white and green blob. Kindall screwed his eyes shut again, blinking several times then opening both eyes. Yup, his Marten senses were as sharp as ever. He kinda had a feeling it was her.

Kelsey loved adventure, ghosts, and puzzles… A thought popped into her head. Looking she addressed Mr. Hayes, "Um, if you wouldn't mind, could we look in the room Kelsey slept in while she was here?" There was a possibility that it had been thoroughly cleaned by now, but there was also a chance just a little something had been left behind by the girl. Some breadcrumb to lead them to her trail.

"I'd probably clean out her room here if I killed her," he mumbled as he glowered at Mr. Hayes and Salem. Readjusting his limbs proved to be challenging. He didn't want to end up with a stiff back or numb legs, but moving around too much might knock his favourite person off her perch. He contented himself with pulling his legs back from their obtuse angle. "Then again, she can be forgetful when she is in a hurry."

Milton seldom clung onto wishful maybes but this time was the exception. Accepting the premise that Kelsey had been murdered meant that there was a killer. Maybe even killers. He eyeballed the rest of room with suspicion. Who were these new people anyway? His bad health seemed to be influencing his current perspective. Everyone, including Ethan, looked suspicious. Only Marten and 'Katniss' London escaped with the slimmest of halos. Jace was the only person who escaped Milton's radar entirely.

A middle aged lady in a tight leopard leotard. Skanky for someone a little pass her prime. She struck the bespectacled detective as a bit of a cougar seeing how she was drooling over a man in full bloom. He was someone who'd look great on glossy magazines, Kindle found himself thinking cynically. It brought up a sudden possessiveness over his Miku, an emotion that surprised his addled mind. He lost interest with the rest of the people not that his mind fixated on his flashy rival.

"Eh? Do you know who they are?" he asked Marten with as much nonchalance as he could muster. He thought he almost nailed save for that slightest twinge of jealousy at the end. "I don't think I've met the leopard lady or that … man." He had to stop himself from saying the word 'menace' out loud.

"Room?" Adelaide intercepted upon returning to the room. "We asked her to stay the night but she insisted she had to leave. I kept worrying about her since dusk was falling. Walking in the woods after sundown sounded so terribly risky." The hostess shook her head. "I wasn't wrong, was I? We should have made her stay."

Hans tried to cheer his madam up with a smile. "You did your best. We all did, ma'am. The girl was too stubborn. We can't do much if they want to leave. It'll be illegal to lock her up against her will."

"Hans!" Kitty scolded. "Don't say such things. You'll make ma'am and sir look bad. You young uns should think before you open your mouths. Locking people up? What next? My ass, that's what!"

Adelaide placed a soothing hand on her housekeeper's shoulder. "It's okay, Kitty. Let it go! Today we're here to have fun. It's Halloween! Come, come, let's eat. Mrs. Putts worked very hard to day. It'll be a shame to let all this food go to waste."

As people started gathering around the dining table again, the madam loaded up a plate with as many delicious treats as she could. This she passed to Marten. "I see your friend's awake," she said with a wink. "I thought you'd like to share a plate with him … maybe a kiss?" The last bit was literally whispered into the grunette's ear. "I think you two look really sweet together."

 

[Ashi]

​

"I see.." Jace frowned at the answer Mr. Hayes gave in regards to Kelsey's whereabouts. It wasn't as if the young man really expected him to know, but it was no less disappointing to hear. He leaned forward in his chair and placed his elbows on the table. It was only a moment before he promptly removed them, having recalled his mother scolding him for doing so many times over the years. While he didn't think it mattered so much in a humble home like his own, the Chateau was neither his home nor humble and required him to remember his manners. He rested his forearms on the edge of the table instead.

Jace's eyes widened when Kelsey's scarf was produced. Ana nearly choked on her dinner and Jace reached over to pat her on the back, prepared to jump up and perform the Heimlich Maneuver if need be. Indeed, Kelsey loved the accessory and wore it frequently with her beanie. She had been wearing it when Jace saw her on the morning she left. Guilt ached in his chest, thoughts of how he should have been with her circulating once again in his mind. She'd lost both hat and scarf; hopefully, she had something else on that could keep her warm. He didn't want to imagine the possibility of her catching hypothermia and... He stopped himself there, reached out and grabbed the scarf, which he placed in his lap. His attention was drawn to Marten then and the food placed on the table. His stomach lurched uncomfortably; he took a few bites of what was in front of him.

"Yeah, I believe Salem mentioned that she only stayed for dinner, when we met him back at the cave." Jace put in in a low voice. Marten's words inspired an idea in the young man though. While Kelsey might not have stayed the night, that didn't mean she'd only stayed in the dining room. She might have been other places in the house; she might have left other traces. Maybe they could have Joseff smell around? "How about did you say that you encountered her again?" He asked with a glance to Salem. He turned to look at the staff then, Kitty and Hans, as well as Mrs. Hayes. "Did either of you happen to show her out? Did she say anything, to you or otherwise, that might have indicated in what direction she was headed? Did she say anything that might be a clue? It doesn't matter if it seems insignificant; any information can help." There was an arguable hint of pleading in Jace's voice, in his eyes, as he appealed to the Hayes and the staff members.

 

[Fox of Spades]

After the fiasco that was the water spillage, dinner went on and questions were asked.

Understandable, their friend had gone missing and they were horribly worried. If the same thing had happened to any of his friends or Ella, Salem would have done the same. He was so engrossed in everyone's questions, that Salem hadn't even touched his food. "London, correct?" He smiled faintly, as if he were trying to sympathize with them. "There are a lot of things in the White Woods, mostly we hear things... voices and strange sounds coming from within the forest. Sometimes we see things too, disfigured shadows, shapes that look both animal and human." His expression grew grim and he lowered his voice as if he were unsure of the words he were about to utter. "Sometimes there's a flash of orange eyes, a figure of moss and bones. Its sounds like a broken TV... uh, like static." Unbeknownst to Salem, the description he was giving them was almost identical to how Kelsey had described the creature on her blog.

​

"Sometimes I see the girl from the stream," Ella joined in. She'd calmed down considerably though she decided to take some time away from Joseff and Castor. The girl hopped onto the chair beside London's and was swinging her boot-covered feet back and forth the way kids often did when they were playing on swingsets.

Salem ruffled his sister's hair and lowered his voice so only those sitting closest to him - London, Ana, and Jace - could hear. "Mother and father think it's a game we play. I'm not sure whether they've heard it or not, if they don't believe in it at all, or if they merely don't want us to worry. They think we're feeling anxious because of the move, but I've seen it."

"The big scary tree man?" Ella asked.

"Yes, the scary tree man. I've only seen him twice or thrice, never up close, but it looks like he's always watching." Salem bit down on his lip. He looked like he was lost in thought, but he snapped out of it when Ana started choking. "Gosh, are you alright?" She recovered well enough, stating that the scarf did belong to their missing friend.

"Sorry, I'm not trying to scare you. If this is really hers though, and she's been gone for ten days, I don't think that's good."

More questions were exchange. His mother hopped into the conversation to correct the green haired girl and bespectacled boy, while his father listened on. Salem noticed his father's expression growing more and more worried as the conversation went on. At one point, even Hans and Kitty jumped in to voice their own opinions. The last person to speak was Jace.

"She came knocking on our door around seven in the evening, she was asking about a dog. It was getting late so we invited her in for supper," Salem answered. "She left around an hour later, mother and I saw her to the door but we didn't follow her out. She said she had to get back in time for a podcast with some friends.... uh, she told me to tune in. Seasonal Spice?" He wasn't sure the last bits would help them, but he told them what he knew anyway. The looks on their faces revealed how worried they were and Salem felt utterly terribly that there was nothing in his power he could do to make it better.

Sensing the tension in the atmosphere, Ella reached out her hand and tugged on the sleeve of London's jacket. "She was nice, she had lots of stories to tell. I liked her." It was the only thing the girl could think to say. "I hope you find your friend."

Salem was frowning now. "I am truly sorry. I wish I had something that could help you, but that was the last we saw of her." By now even the servants had stopped to listen to the discussion. "Perhaps, after dinner we can offer some assistance?"

Both Adelaide and Paul agreed, voicing that they would be happy to help the children in any way they could. They were parents as well and had Salem and Ella disappeared, they would have charged into the forest without second thoughts.

Salem offered the concerned friends a smile. "If we help, maybe you'll find her sooner? For now, eat up. I have a feeling it's going to be a very long night. If you have any more questions, we'll be more than happy to try and give you answers."

Once Salem had finished talking, Charlotte, Wendy, and Kitty re-entered the room, each holding a tray in their hands. The tray contained an assortment of drinks ranging from colorful red punch to soda, hot coco, and apple juice. Each of the kids were handed a drink of their choosing. Despite the colorful food and decorations, dinner had turned into a somber event.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Despite the warmth of the windbreaker, London's arms erupted in goosebumps at Salem's description of the creature. It fit Kelsey's exactly. She looked down at her empty dinner plate - the girl had yet to actually grab anything to eat - and chewed at her lip. Picking up a ghost-shaped cookie from the table, she broke it into tiny pieces over her plate, deep in thought. A majority of the cookie lay forgotten, though she did take a few bites. Her mind on full throttle, she hardly paid attention to how much - rather, little - she ate.

The Hayes hadn't been here long, yet Salem and Ella had both seen the horrors of Whittle Grove a multitude of times. Their family of four remained intact, though; no monsters had nabbed anyone, from what she knew. Alongside that, Ella mentioned she'd seen Polly before. Surely such a violent poltergeist would leap at the chance to take down a little girl, all on her own. Something didn't sit right with the Hayes, though London didn't think they were to blame, per say.

Maybe the house-

A tug on her sleeve broke her from her thoughts and she looked down at Ella. London's throat tightened a little - Damn it, no, I will not cry - and she smiled softly at the little girl. "Yeah, thank you. She-... she was really great." London tore her eyes away, letting them fall on the broken cookie in the middle of her plate. Eight pieces, eight friends. She picked one up, contemplative, before setting it back down. Her appetite had run far, far away.

While London appreciated the Hayes' involvement, she couldn't bring herself to say as much. She'd let her mind slip back into the constant hamster wheel of thought that were her theories on Whittle Grove. Kelsey had been so certain something lived in the woods yet, despite her adventures, she'd never been caught until now.

Why? And why did it take Joseff, assuming that's where he went?

She recalled the nursery rhyme Salem recited, mulling it over and over again in her head. The surface answer was obvious: Peter wanted friends. If that were the case, it'd make sense why he'd nab Kelsey; she'd been obsessed with him for years. Maybe the monster thought that she'd accept him, being one of the few who tried so hard to find him? That didn't explain Joseff's disappearance, though, or the other townsfolk over the years. London played with the eight crumbs while she thought, accidentally breaking one between her fingers. She blinked down at the plate, eyebrows raised.

What if Peter wants friends, but plays too hard? Like a child who keeps breaking their favorite toys and needs new ones.

Wait... a child.

Polly? She'd wanted us to leave. Why? It wasn't to protect us. Maybe...

Maybe she's protecting Peter.

That would explain why she hadn't attacked the Hayes openly yet - or had she? London still needed to ask. They lived at Henbard Chateau in peace. London and her friends had come into Whittle Grove searching for Kelsey, who'd been taken. Passive versus aggressive. The Hayes weren't a threat, but her group was.

London had far too many questions and too little answers, so it was time to start asking. Ignoring the offered beverages, London turned to Ella curiously.

"Can you tell me everything you know about Polly- erm... the ghost girl?"