FINAL INVESTIGATION

[whimsicalism]

No one is dead today. Why would they when the end is so close? You can practically taste it (or is that your stomach?) as the final Friday dawns. It's time to get some answers.

The Storyteller isn't talking to anyone but it's a good guess to see where she went. There's one final door that hasn't been checked, after all.

Comments

[whimsicalism]

[There's probably some ridiculous posters, yes.

More importantly, though, there seems to be a bunch of things on a table. Looks like someone was sorting through some newspapers.]

[imozon]

[Newspapers, huh? Let's look at the one on top. What's the news for today? Or... probably not today, actually.]

[whimsicalism]

[The headline is Prom Massacre Still Shakes City; Lead Suspect Missing.

It appears that one Mary Rosenthal, age seventeen had apparently taken it on herself to attack the prom at Grannysmith High School. Many high school students were left dead in various means. The article expresses surprise about the suspected killer who was a well-loved member of the community including a quote from her younger sister, Shelley Rosenthal.]

[imozon]

[There's that word again--"prom." Clearly this is about the weird mirror girl. What did Shelley have to say about her?]

[whimsicalism]

[Shelley insists that her sister wasn't a murderer or rather that she was too nice to have done so normally. She describes an incident about a month earlier where her sister found collapsed in the yard and was unconscious for several days before waking up.

The reporter just says that it's possible that the illness might have injured Mary's mind in some way. That the shock that the student body wanted someone else as queen forced a mental breakdown.]

[imozon]

...did she become Lena's aunt, too?

[...

Anyway, does anything else stand out as interesting about this article?]

[whimsicalism]

[I mean. It could happen???

Not in this article but other newspaper article clippings seem similar. Some big violent event. A missing person that had a reason to be jealous after a mysterious coma.

What could it mean?]

[ballooncaged]

Is this that bull-y boy Nigel found out about on Thursday?

[Wow this is all so high school as Mizuki knows vaguely even if it is US style, from tons of TV. Maybe there's like a teacher's desk or something. Computers?? Or is it old-fashioned?]

[whimsicalism]

[There is one about a former football star, actually, yes!

Actually. This is more Japanese in style, which is weird considering that Alice seemed to be English? Huh. Anyway. There is a computer, actually. Want to poke around?]

[ballooncaged]

Huh??

[Taking a book off the shelf to see if it's bound right-to-left because it had that distinctive bunko shape. This is actually kinda weird. Especially when those clippings seem like they are from the US - though that's not the UK either. Clearly later she should ask Nigel about this. But it doesn't seem like an important book so she's on her way to the computer and turning it on. Flat monitor or chunky monitor like before Mizuki was born in 2007?]

[whimsicalism]

[It sure does. The castle wasn't exactly consistent before but this seems a little out of place to say the least.

Anyway, it's a more thin monitor. There's info on the computer but near the keyboard is a ripped piece of paper. It looks like some kind of numbered list?]

[imozon]

["What's that?" Dark Dream doesn't say, because she's busy nodding off over by the newspapers.]

[whimsicalism]

[Something probably wakes her up while Mizuki is handling the computer. That is...

A small bang happens in the next room over.]

[imozon]

[It sure does!]

Aaaah!

[If she stays where she is for a moment (quickly glancing around and such) does the sound repeat?]

[whimsicalism]

[No. It sounded like something fell in the other room, though. Maybe time for some snooping while Mizuki finishes this room up?]

[imozon]

[Yeah, she... she'll do that.

Extremely unsubtly. Taking off running.]

[whimsicalism]

[It's an office in here! And... a book fell off the shelf? A leather bound book with golden letters. It's a long book, unfortunately for DD, but it does have pictures of Alice in it.

It's called A Story For Somebody's Sake Volume One.

Also it feels.. wrong.]

[imozon]

[Pictures of Alice? Why, that's exactly what DD needs to decide this book is hers forever. Maybe even actually successfully read it.

...

Wow this story is really sad.

And wrong, apparently. Wrong like false, or wrong like shouldn't exist?]

[ballooncaged]

[Thank god it's ripped instead of clawed by a monster, probably. How many numbers? Does this computer have a password or anything?]

[whimsicalism]

[The computer doesn't need a password but she would recognize it from the missing list from Nigel's monster book.

It reads:

belief. Monsters hate belief. They're created from fear and belief is the opposite of fear.

5. You have to be thorough when defeating a monster. Just destroying them won't do any good. It might take them a long time but they WILL come back stronger than before if you don't make sure. Trust us.

6. The above is true of any monster but super strong monsters? You have to be absolutely sure. Give them what they want or take away their fear with belief, it doesn't matter. Just be sure they're gone for good. Otherwise you and your friends will suffer again. ]

[ballooncaged]

What is this, that movie with the Clown? I'm not coming back in 27 years.

[Okay let's sit at the computer.]

[whimsicalism]

[It looks like the Apple Court kids have made a digital version of their book! It looks familiar but there's a new entry.]

[ballooncaged]

[Certainly avoiding handwriting discourse which might be handy for tricking monsters. Can we has new entry then]

[whimsicalism]

[Nursery Rhyme is a shapeshifting book. She's really scary when she mimics someone you know.

She wants to live with her Master happily ever after.

She can look like anyone. She knows what makes you jealous. She can trick you. She can't leave Closetland anymore.]

[ballooncaged]

[...dang. Surely accurate.

So does this convey her book shape in more detail somewhere? Or, can has more entries?]