seasonality ✦ week 5, thursday 👻

[commandertoolbelt]

[ on thursday morning, there are strange signs (except... they’re all misspelled? who did this?) pointing everyone in the direction of winter dorm. follow, and you’ll find that they lead not to the dorm itself (whose doors remain closed and locked), but around the corner of the dorm, where a nice little shack awaits.

it looks quite normal, if you ignore the torn curtains in the windows, and the way the lights flicker from inside. and there’s an odd lack of… well, anyone, as guests approach - though you may see movement out of the corner of your eyes - was there something there? you must have imagined it, because you’re definitely hearing things. the door to the shack gives a loud creak as it opens, all on its own, fog spilling out to pool around your feet. the dim lights within illuminate a nearby sign that reads:

enter if you dare.

(it's not a culture festival without a haunted house! if you’ve ever wanted to be jumpscared by all of winter dorm, now’s your chance!) ]

Comments

[headmt]

[Oh I desperately want to break the seal on this. ENTERING!!! He dares.]

Hello? Ghosts? How's it going.

[duranduel]

[Walking up. Seeing all this?]

[Turning around.]

Nope.

[Someone please yeet him in.]

[modissty]

[Cultural festivals are so damn weird but HE'S JUST FROWNING AT ALL OF THIS... He dares as well though, so in he goes!!]

Is it alright to be here...?

[Asked aloud to no one in particular except perhaps the ghost of Dimitri The Rat Shack Man, whose shack this clearly is.]

[katzepaw]

[As Molly turns a corner, there's an extremely loud scream, like some sort of creature in pain, and a shape darts out of the darkness.]

[katzepaw]

[Caleb is standing outside dressed as. . . a vampire? Maybe? It's a little bit unclear. But he sees Mandi hesitating.]

Ah. A bit afraid to endure the spooks and frights you will find inside? That may be for the best.

[katzepaw]

[Here is Caleb near the entrance. He may be dressed like a vampire? Something vampire adjacent, for sure.]

That's a very good question. The frights you will find inside. . . I would not recommend you go any further if you are faint of heart.

[duranduel]

...Why? What have you guys even got in there?

[Curious besides everything...]

[katzepaw]

[He closes his eyes, his expression darkening.]

. . . It is fashionable, surely, for children of any time and place to entertain one another with tales of ghosts. And everyone has heard stories of frightening beasts and monsters - perhaps told as a warning by your mother and father not to wander too far into dark unknown places, or perhaps only whispers and rumors, a legend handed down of a place too dangerous to trespass upon.

But no tale of hauntings told in hushed voices around a campfire or at your grossmutter's knee can compare to the haunting contained within this small shack. We have brought together terrifying creatures of lore from across different worlds into one small space, where they prowl in the darkness, awaiting those foolish enough to tread.

Leave now, unless you are one of the bold few who cannot be content without testing the true limits of your courage.

[headmt]

[okay look he might be order of the ghost slayer but when something screams and then darts past you, you tend to jump? It's just humanoid nature. No one can blame him for this. But yeah he jumps. Also like. For the record I assume it's dark in here? But like his eyes glow. That's a thing they do. So you can see them narrowing closely as he tries to pretend like he didn't just do a spook.]

Right. Good show.

[I guess ... continuing?]

[katzepaw]

[That creepy creature that just screamed and jumped at him can now be heard quietly stalking him in the dark. Just every once in a while, a footfall or two behind.]

[silentscout]

[Lalli has already been Warned and will not be going near the haunted house.

But he will sit on the roof of Fall dorm and watch from a distance, waving to anyone who happens to look up and see him. He's still curious, so sue him.]

[feytality]

Hey ghosts, it's ya girl, Maya!

[ she says that but she is afraid of ghosts and will absolutely get jumpscared ]

[duranduel]

[Stares at him for a long moment.]

So basically, you guys got a lot of scary stuff and people can go in and see if they're brave enough for all that stuff.

[caleb: i am setting atmosphere
mandi: i am too teen-coded for this]

Are other people dressed up like you?

[disreguarded]

[there's the sound of like... creaking, when she enters. and when she's a few steps in, the door slams behind her and there's a laugh as footsteps go thud thud thudding away into the dark.]

[modissty]

[Team Caleb.

Sakyou's giving him a questioning look but he figures he's meant to play along SO!!]

I feel that my heart is perhaps strong enough to endure whatever frights await...

[feytality]

[ oh...... ]

[ maya feels around for a couch to sit down on since she knows the layout of winter dorm.... usually ]

[headmt]

[DnD player voice: BUT I HAVE DARK VISION?

But he doesn't here because it's a murdergame and no one can see in the dark. It sucks. Anyway, he's attempting casual indifference now. Not bravado like Fjord might try right before he broke and screamed like a baby, he knows how the mighty fall with that. But, you know. Cool, cool cool, being stalked, THAT'S FINE, GHOSTS.]

Really, very spooky. The act is charming. I feel very daring for having entered right now.

[disreguarded]

[she would if it were winter dorm... unfortunately it is just a housé behind winter dorm.

she can sit down though! there's a chair.

also something grabs her ankle.]

[katzepaw]

[He can have dark vision. But if he turns around, there is no one there. Just the occasional movement in the shadows.]

[feytality]

[ ok she's gonna sit in this chair ]


[ and shriek!! very loudly!!!! sorry about your ears, ghost ]

[katzepaw]

[Um? Teens love spooky vampires and cool haunted houses?]

No, I am just dressed like this to warn people away.

[katzepaw]

If you are strong of heart, then perhaps you will be able to endure what you see in there and come out the other side.

[He shakes his head.]

. . . I have done what I can here. I have warned you. It is out of my hands now.

[katzepaw]

[He's here, dressed like a vampire. He is waving.]

[katzepaw]

[There's the sound, very quietly, of something following her in the dark. If she looks over her shoulder she may see movement just for a moment, but then it's gone.]

[disreguarded]

[well the ghost lets go, and maya can hear a familiar ow, fuck very quietly from behind her like, on the floor.

AND THEN SILENCE it's fine, we out here not breaking character too badly]