Surprisingly, or may Unsurprisingly, the ploy works, and the snake retreats from the sink to the top of the mirror, then seems to vanish into the wall. Perhaps there's a hole up there that it slithered into. The keyring is free, and it is HEAVY. Heavier than it should be, one would expect, bearing only four keys. There is a silver-gold key that has a wolf's head on the top, a plain partially-rusted iron key - a little large for the ring, a tiny silver key on a long golden chain, and a bronze key that boasts a skull at the top with rubies in the eye-sockets. Mr. Dead-and-Spooky is saying nothing else, and has gone back to slumping in the tub - but the racket in here is drawing someone else's attention.
THROUGH the wall comes a very pretty pink-glowing head, shoulders, torso [with some rather large 'tracks of land'] and then the body. The woman is curvaceous, gorgeous, and dressed in what would have been considered 'late evening wear' back in the twenties. From tip to toe, it leaves very little to the imagination, and consists of a tight, fringed bra, some matching panties, and a sheer night-gown that barely tints the form it's draped over. One can see right through that form, though, and it is... a lovely form. If slightly on the irate side at the moment.
"Can't anyone get any sleep around here? Virgil! You didn't tell me you had guests!"
The lady is obviously speaking to the skeleton, who rattles his bones once more, then separates from them entirely, becoming a pale blue glowing figure sitting on the edge of the tub - unable to completely leave what's left of his physical form. "Minerva. What a surprise. These guests are unplanned."
Apparently, the ghost can talk perfectly fine when out of his... well, "body" is stretching it. Both ghosts have the cultured, refined tones of aristocracy - although they are both CLEARLY from different time-periods, judging by their clothing.
"Oh, how wonderful! Surprise guests. The Captain will be pleased!"
Virgil, the glowing-blue young man, raises his hand in a protest. "DON'T! ... Don't wake the captain. Are you so eager to add to our ranks?"
Minerva scoffs. "Oh come now. You're just jealous because that swain of yours killed you and left you for dead, and my precious Captain is still with me."
The young man puts his head in his right hand. "After seventy-five years, you'd think I'd get used to this." he grumbled. Then, his attention turned to the guests that had been rattling his bones. "The keys you picked up lead to four doors at the base of the mansion. They're behind a spelled wall that requires a three-fold key-puzzle to open. I can't help you any more than that. I also can't tell you which key leads to the right crypt. But once you're there, you'll know. The Master of this Mansion requiescat in pace below. He will know where your friend is. But beware of the danger in getting there. You are... not where you think you are. That is all I can say without risking all our lives and undead lives. Minerva is... endlessly annoying, but she is harmless. There are others trapped here that are NOT so harmless."
Minerva scoffs again. "You say the strangest things, Virgil my dear." Her arms cross over her ample bosom. "You are perfectly safe, my loves." Her pinkish glow seems to brighten slightly. "Come, come, my loves - you MUST meet my gorgeous captain."
Virgil reaches out to try and touch one of the Ghosts, but only a cold shiver is felt. "DO NOT run into the Captain! DO NOT. Whatever you do in this mansion, there are certain entities that resent their long imprisonment. My ex is one of them. The Captain... is entirely another. If you see either of them - RUN."
With that, Virgil seems to have lost the last of his strength to remain out of his skeleton, and sinks back into it. Minerva pops back through the wall, huffing indignantly, and the handle jamming the door shut cracks in two with a loud snap, as both pieces of what now looks to be the tail-end of a fire-axe fall to the ground, leaving the door to swing wide open into a pitch black room. The Ghosts are alone.
YOU MAY:
- Enter the pitch black room
- Attempt to talk to Virgil again