33 traps filled with broken glass

[ectobabble]

Okay, guys, um, I've been doing a lot of research, and I might've found something. Everyone was taken during the night, right? Well, there's a substantial urban myth that you're not supposed to fall asleep with a mirror facing your bed. Both the Indian vastu and Chinese feng shui traditions maintain that it disrupts the flow of energy, but there's an even more troublesome side effect, and this is what's looking like it could be pretty relevant, the reason feng shui lists for keeping mirrors from facing the bed:

[he clears his throat and reads aloud:]

"Mirrors are never recommended to be hung in such a way that they reflect the bed. Mirrors are said to ‘capture the spirit’ of whatever they reflect, and they disrupt the internal harmony of the space."

Well. It's kind of a long shot, but ... if they got sucked into their mirrors ... it'd make sense that everything we're getting from them shows up backwards, right? I'm going to Fred's room to see if I can get some PKE readings on her mirrors ... I've got three spare meters, does anyone wanna take one and help me check the other missing people's rooms?

Comments

[ardor]

There's already a group of three of us planning to check them out. We'll take one, and I can use it after a quick lesson.

[wilder]

Yeah! You can count on us!

[ectobabble]

Great! I'll meet you in the lobby, we can go over how they work. It shouldn't take long at all.

[ruin_mania]

Hmph, well, I hadn't found that legend yet. Thank you.

Chinese feng shui, is it? I'll look into that right away as well. That might very well be what's happened here.

[ectobabble]

You're welcome. It does sound really similar, doesn't it, Professor?

[ruin_mania]

It certainly bears a resemblance to what's happened - though if it is one's soul, where are their bodies? I've read they don't seem to need to eat or drink while there.

And I continue to suck at the research side of things. XD

[demonologist]

That's a good lead. I'd like to assist you if you still have a spare meter. I'll meet you in Fred's room at the Hyperion Tower.

[ectobabble]

Sure thing. On my way.

[as he's walking] Why don't you stick with me, though? I've already had one group ask for a meter that's planning to canvas the other rooms ... Sherlock knows how to use one, and he's offered to help ... and I've got a couple other people offering, too.

Having a few groups might be the best idea... split everyone up. Do we know if anyone disappeared while they were in town?

[demonologist]

Sounds like a plan.

[He's on his way.]

Allen Walker and Lilah Morgan both lived in town. I'm not certain about the others.

[doublethefun]

I do believe I have some time on mine hooves. [that's a 'yes.'

Also unicorn magic is great for breaking into rooms.]

[ectobabble]

Great! There's already a team going around checking the rooms, but you can help me check the rest of the castle, if you want! I need to find that list that said where everyone disappeared from ... I know someone was making one.

[doublethefun]

That will be most satisfactory. [hanging out with him is pretty cool]

'Tis [insert page number here]. It seemeth as if a tenth of our number hath been taken.

[workaphilic]

If necessary. I already know how to use it, faster that way.

[wow, he really couldn't sound less enthused if he tried.]

[ectobabble]

Sounds good to me, thanks, Sherlock. Any public rooms you can think of that might have mirrors people could've gone through? We should check all our options.

[workaphilic]

Kitchen, ballroom, any public restrooms either here or in town. [Does the castle even have those....] Are we meant to include any reflective surfaces, or just mirrors?

[gottaknockhard]

[Spike has been drifting in and out of paying attention since the kidnappings became more talked about; still reluctant to comment on the whole situation after all he's put up with. But sometimes, things just stick in his ear.]

Feng shui. [... This place really is like a running gag.]

[ectobabble]

Yeah, go figure, right? [he's just glad to hear from you, yep yep.]

Wait, are you you again or are you still other-Spike?

[gottaknockhard]

[At least he didn't say 'are you still a baby dragon'... ugh.]

I'm thinking about changing my name.

[zeke_developer]

I'd...uhh...like to help. I've got a stealthed Mark II looking around, but he's only got night vision and infrared built into his detection camera, so if there's...uhh...anything magical or supernatural happening, he can't really pick it up. What sort of analysis does your PKE meter do?

[ectobabble]

It measures psychokinetic energy, the presence of supernatural phenomena. What's your Mark II?

[zeke_developer]

Psychokinetic energy? Is that detectable on the electromagnetic spectrum?

Metal Gear Mark II's a small, bipedal surveillance robot I built a couple of weeks after I came here. I've got 5 of them completed so far. They stand about 2 feet high, and have reverse-joint legs with wheels to propel them, and a cable-style manipulator arm for grasping and manipulating things. It's equipped with a simple AI for mapping and recording, and otherwise has a wireless connection to my computer up in the tower, so I can see and hear everything it does. I just equipped it with a prototype stealth camouflage module I've been working on, so it can go about it's business without anyone noticing it.

[psych0p0mps]

id be happy to help
we may want to check the readings on some other mirrors too though
to see if theres a difference

[ectobabble]

Oh, totally, control groups are the best idea. You wanna take meter number three and do some of that for me, Aradia?

[is0latedthinker]

PKE readings?

[ectobabble]

Yeah - stands for psychokinetic energy, which is directly related to supernatural occurences. Whenever a supernatural event happens, it leaves behind some kind of psychokinetic residue. I'm not sure how much could be left at this point, but there's gotta be at least some vestige of a trail for us to pick up on now that we've got something to work with. I've got a couple of teams canvassing the castle, from the sounds of it, if you want to join one.