[Locked to Tower Residents/those who frequent it][locked from Roderick just in case]

[sollers]

I'd thought it all sounded a bit too familiar to merely be a coincidence.

He even introduced himself as Roderick and spoke of her. I cannot believe I didn't put it together any sooner.

What's happening is astonishingly familiar to a story I once read. Perhaps some of you have read it, as well. The Fall of the House of Usher, by Edgar Allan Poe.

Comments

[arrowblessed]

I'll be seriously pissed if I get tuberculosis.

[sollers]

[...] I don't believe it'll come to that. Surely, there's a way to fix this and we'll figure it out.

[i_robert_capa]

This certainly explains the weeping.. and the sound of a beating heart we've all heard.

Although, I'm sure that was 'The Tell Tale Heart'?

Perhaps it's not just one of Poe's stories that's manifested itself - Roderick has brought a sort of Poe-universe along with him.

[sollers]

The heart beat sounds are infamously from The Tell Tale Heart, yes. Although technically, Roderick spoke of hearing his sister's heart beat. Do I not distinguish that heavy and horrible beating of her heart?

The narration, however, did not hear any such things.

It stands to reason the Rift alters everything, including the story-based characters that fall through, altering the story itself. It would not surprise me to see an amalgam of Poe's works. Several different elements of them, really. None of them pleasant, which is what worries me.

I hope you're well. It's good to hear from you.

[magicandpudding]

[Luna has gone to read the story first before commenting. She's not that familiar with most Muggle literature - but she's willing to read it. She must say, as morbid and sad as it is - the Ravenclaw in her adores it - it is rather beautiful.]

Oh, poor Roderick.

I'm going to go and see him again, something must be done.

We need to help him.

[sollers]

[Concerned!Hermione is concerned!]

I understand why one would sympathize with him, but Roderick isn't exactly a stable man.

I agree we must help, I simply wouldn't advise anyone going in search of him, certainly not alone.

[magicandpudding]

[Although she can't stop it, please don't be Hermione! D:]

I'll be perfectly fine, Hermione.

I think I'll be able to help him. I'm sure of it.

Please don't worry.

[fortisleo]

Luna, please, listen to her.

We don't know what sort of abilities the Rift has given him and he killed his sister. Accidentally.

But that doesn't mean he can't harm someone else even accidentally, even someone that's trying to help him.

[xandtheman3]

So uh

Did the story happen to say how to stop the Tower from collapsing?

Cause otherwise I vote we just run until we come up with one.

It seems like the cowardly way, but I think it's the living way.

[sollers]

Unfortunately not.

The interesting thing to keep in mind is most of the effects the Tower itself has experienced are illusory.

There's honestly no way of knowing what elements of Poe's stories will come to life next. I do believe the safest course of action should be taken for the well-being of its residents.

I also believe the Tower is our home, and we shouldn't abandon it unless we've exhausted every other avenue.

[xandtheman3]

Oh, illusory.

That's good. That's great!

I hope it's all illusory!

And then it gets less illusory until it goes away completely.

It would be helpful if I knew what illusory meant.

[sollers]

We don't know how much of it is happening due to the product of Roderick's demented mind, is what I mean.

If he goes back to the story, it's possible the Tower proper might go back to normal.

Its version of normal, anyway.

[smithnjones]

It's much too similar to be a coincidence.

It wouldn't be the first time the Rift dragged through someone from a story.

However, there isn't going to be an answer in the story itself, it's not the point in the story to keep the house from collapsing.

I believe Roderick is mentally ill from what I remember of the story, and it would be difficult to reason with him given the strength of this illness and the fact that he's dead. What can he be reasoned with?

[sollers]

It would seem the Rift has brought with it several elements from several of Poe's stories, but the man itself is from the one I spoke of.

There isn't. The house collapses regardless.

Roderick was unstable. If I recall correctly, he'd fits of hysteria and paranoia, not to mention acute anxiety and hyperesthesia.

Unfortunately, the only thing I believe he could be reasoned with is his sister, and... she's also dead, but not here.

[smithnjones]

That's what I thought. Granted, there isn't actually a heart under our floorboards when we heard the heart beating, and if it incorporates other parts of Poe's stories, it may not be that this one will end with collapsing.

Yes, he did. They didn't identify within the book what the mental disorder was exactly, but he was clearly quite insane to the point that he would mistake a living person for a dead one. Granted, I believe every character in that story was insane for that matter.

I wonder if it could be possible to convince him that he could be with his sister should he leave the Tower. It's not entirely untrue. Ghosts don't exist outside of the Tower as far as I've heard so he would be in a sense at peace hopefully as his sister is. No more wandering the halls tormented.

Not certain in that case if he actually can leave, however. It could be worth a shot. The problem is convincing someone who is paranoid and hysteric of anything.

[sollers]

Exactly. I wouldn't want to alarm anyone and have it be futile, but it's also important to let everyone know how that particular story does end.

Hearts under the floorboards belong to The Telltale Heart, I believe, and the psychic links within the Tower might've only exacerbated the problem.

I didn't limit myself to researching the book. Other sources speak of Roderic's hyptertension and his several other diagnosis. Poe did seem to have a penchant for such characters.

We should at least make the attempt. I wouldn't advise anyone going there alone, however, and there should be some level of preparation to it. It might also behoove us to question those that have already spoken to him, to see the differences in their interactions, what might work and what might not.

Harry and I had no such luck when we stumbled upon him.