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HAPPY HALLOWEEN BITCHES 🎃
Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion...though you may have once known it as the Crimson Phoenix dorm. As you approach, you may find that the area is hardly recognizable. There are several tables set up outside hosting all sorts of activities, and at the front and center is a small, cheerfully crackling bonfire. Scattered around the outside are several fake tombstones with equally fake inscriptions painted on them and lit by soft glowing lights with various skeletons posed around the graveyard. In the front on the way to the main door is a twelve-foot skeleton dressed as a witch, and from here you can see three inflatable pumpkins on the roof. Approaching the dorm itself, you'll find that the outside has been decked out in lights and decor, and the inside is just as elaborate and extra. Terrible idea to give teenagers unlimited money and time on their hands, huh?
As you enter through the lobby, you'll find that you may be guided to enter a haunted maze. Adventurers beware...
...but for those of you who are more interested in the festivities upstairs, residents of Phoenix dorm will happily shuttle you up to the second floor in an elevator decked out with floating candles. Upon reaching this floor, you'll be greeted with the lounge. There are plenty of couches with red cushions and blankets for maximum comfort, and the entire floor is equally decorated. Various horror movies play on mute from the TV mounted against the wall, and music seems to reverberate throughout the dorm everywhere you go. Loud enough to enjoy, but not loud enough to disrupt conversation. Hanging from the ceiling there also appears to be a large pinata in the shape of the moon, a large wooden stick leaning against the wall with a bandana draped over the top...batter up!
The four bedrooms appear to be blocked off with caution tape, but the two bathrooms and the kitchen are open to everyone. And while there's a third floor...there's nothing of interest up there other than space and more decor to admire as you mingle.
The party's just getting started. Have fun and get spooky.
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There's probably some people sitting around as well, but at some point, Axel's speaking up himself. ]
...Say, doesn't anyone think this will be the perfect time for a scary story?
[ Indulge him? Or not. Your choice. ]
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Hell yeah - lay one on us, man...
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A lot of people took care to avoid coming on by. Why? Because whenever someone went to visit, they could swear, even by the light of day, their shadows would grow inch by inch, and only increase in size when coming into contact with the shadows of other places. Not that anyone ever was harmed by it!
But you can see why people were easily scared off, no?
...Though, one day, there was an adventurer who thought of these tales and stories as nothing but falsities. And he needed certain materials for his adventure. So, guess where he went, to the accursed old man on the mountain.
He arrived around noontime, to catch sight of the shack it was said this old man lived in. When he knocked his hand on the door, there was no response, but he found that the door was unlocked. So, of course...can you guess what he did next?
[ The customary, suspenseful pause as Axel adopts a little smirk, curious to hear the response of his current audience!! ]
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[ she's chinhandsing because damn does she love a good story. ]
He's an idiot - a really brave idiot. I'd do the same thing! What happens next?
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[ Glad to have your ear, Jolyne. ]
So, after this guy waltzed right on into the shack, he found that the place consisted of the following:
Just a single bed, a door, and a trap door.
Place looked like nobody had lived there in ages. Stranger still, the sun's light barely reached into the shack's window but he didn't care about that. That guy was looking for the old man and his materials. So he searched the bed, came up empty, checked out the closet which was just as empty. Which, of course, left the trap door.
Then, as he opened it, only to see there was nothing underneath.
No matter how long the brave adventurer waited, even when it got late, the old man never came. So, in a fit of impatience, he left, and returned home. But, once he came back to his humble abode...an old man was waiting right for him.
The adventurer asked, "Why are you in my home?"
The old man said, "Because you trespassed. And overstayed your welcome."
The adventurer was going to question what he meant by that, but all this time, the adventurer hadn't paid close attention to his own shadow which had been growing all along, until it eclipsed him.
...They say that there is now an old man who lives in a humble abode where people take care to never trespass or visit for long, if they know what's good for 'em.
[ Pause. ]
So, what do you think? Sound scary enough?
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...Anyway, there's a certain tale I heard once. It was about a small village where it was pretty much a difficult time for anybody to reach, but did so because of their ancient history with other relatively nearby places and towns.
Though, they had an odd rule. No outsider was allowed to stay within the village for more than three days. Anyone who questioned the villages could never get a straight answer out of them, and any further inquiries would grant only the cold shoulder. 'Course, nobody wanted to challenge or see what might happen if they overstayed their welcome.
...Until these two outsiders came for a visit. A man and a woman. They had heard of the village in their youth and wanted to see it for their very own eyes, and what made it so special or worth the distance of travel.
Turns out the village had a secret. There was a spring that granted anyone who stayed there long enough eternal youth. Once the two found out, they'd wanted to make themselves permanent residents, but of course the village elder wouldn't have it. By the third day, they were expected to leave, and some of the villagers even had their things gathered up to help them along.
Though, even if they were granted a carriage to leave, once they were out of sight of the villagers...they turned around. After all, they didn't need to really head back to the village proper, but if they managed to grab some of that spring water in a container, they could live forever! Using the forest nearby as cover, the two made headway back to where they remembered the spring was in the dead of night.
Only, when they arrived, something was wrong.
[ A purposeful pause for his current audience member to ask some variance of 'what'... ]
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[But they are quickly on grossed in the story.]
What happened to them?
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...They weren't alone. The pristine, pure water that they had been looking for in the dead of night was also black as the midnight sky hanging above them. Visible still by the stars above by something you might've called a miracle, but could've been exactly the opposite.
Who or what was there with them? The two couldn't tell. All they knew is that they were followed, and something was upon them in an instant; the carriage the two had gotten out of had also disappeared. There was no sound or signs of life around them, and before they knew it, the last thing they saw was something large.
With its many outstretched hands covered in the darkest black, this ... thing grabbed the two by their legs and then dragged them into the deepest parts of the forest.
They were never heard from again.
[ Claps his hands together. ]
...So, what'd you think of that? Scary enough?
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Thank you, puppy. [ Is he still sporting those ears? ] Do you think you can tell a story scary enough?
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[ Axel still is wearing those puppy dog ears, yes.
Anyway he gets himself some more s'mores just because he can, pft. ]
I definitely can, yeah.
Question is, you think you can handle it?
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[ Yeah, they won't get tired of that. ]
You already know I can handle anything you throw at me, dear.
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[ Well, if Rabbit says so, who is he to disbelieve? ]
How about we start with something innovative, then?
A long time ago, there was this town that had been around since anyone can remember the existence of any kingdom anywhere. It had survived war and everything that entailed. Though, it seemed like every other place; with the exception of one little thing. You see, there was never a graveyard.
No one questioned it either. There was an unspoken agreement along the folks not to. Though, the younger people always wondered, up until they became responsible adults, and they did as everyone else did.
...Though, there was a young woman who kept that wonder. Enough that she would search for it day and night. After all, when people passed away, their bodies were taken off to who knows where by a designated couple of townsfolk, but the relatives of the family or friends were never told 'where'.
One day, however, the woman noticed something out over at the town council building. A door slightly ajar which had always been securely shut before. With no one watching her, she began to creep down, down, down a stairway only dimly lit by torches. Then, once she hit the bottom, her foot bumped into something, and she looked down after grabbing a torch off the wall.
...Can you guess what it might have been, o' Rabbit?
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They watch his expression carefully as he shares, giving a smile as he continues. So mystery oooh. ]
Maybe it's the prone body of a princess? [ Teasing a bit. ] What was it?
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...Dirt.
It was a whole mound of dirt. Then there were more and more as far as the eye can see. As if maybe makeshift graves.
She then could also hear voices...asking her to come and save them. It was afterwards that she saw hands suddenly reach out from each one of these mounds, pleading for her to come and dig them out! Of course she did what any sane person would do and ran back up the stairs.
...Only to find the door was closed shut. She heard footsteps coming behind her. With each passing second, the sound increased as she fought with the door, trying to open it!
Right when she was certain to hear something close in, the young woman managed to knock the door down and make her escape. But when she turned back? The door was closed shut, as if it had never been open in the first place.
The young woman decided not to ever traverse past that door again, and even moved one from her hometown, never to return.
As for herself? She disappeared from the town, never to be heard from again. Her whereabouts? Unknown to this day. But maybe, just maybe...she joined the rest of those folks down there. Who can say?
[ wehe ]
So, what'd you think of that?
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Hmm. That depends. Will it actually be scary...?
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As for him, just decided he probably has something like a vampire costume? Or something. Probably looks funny when he has the doggie ears but it's fine. ]
It sure will be. Are you asking that because you might actually be worried about it being too scary?
[ He'll then add with a light tease: ]
...If you wanna hold on or something when I'm telling it, I won't blame you.
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[ temenos says, raising an eyebrow at him, mouth pulling into a smile, in the tone of someone who is indulging someone else's big dreams. like yes, of course, it will be very scary. (it will not be very scary.)
he munches contentedly on his graham crackers. continue. ]
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[ Axel thinks he can come up with a particularly good one. The...jury is out on that one, but he will give his best.
Be prepared, Temenos. ]
There was this tale I heard once, which had a mystical forest, where people were practically forbidden from entering. Why? Well, everyone who had entered, had returned...changed.
It was in little ways, at first.
Their personalities, the way they walked, the way they talked, and even their reactions. Then, once the differences continued to the point where they were no they were nothing like how anybody remembered them, these people disappeared, never to be found again.
So, everyone assumed that the forest had simply taken them back. After all, the entire forest seemed to expand with each passing year.
One day, a young man decided that he was going to do something about it and gathered with himself a group of fellow villagers to burn it down. If this kept up, it would block trade routes and all. Then, on that day, they headed into the forest with the light of day, with their pitchforks and other flammable stuff.
Though, one of the members of the crew heard something as soon as they got far enough, like an creature maybe, or the sound of bushes rustling, and of course, he turned around to see what it was. Once he did, he was in shock! ...Could you guess what it was he just so happened to have seen?
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Hmm. [ temenos taps a finger against his own cheek. ]
A rabbit. [ no ]
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[ ...
Is Axel being serious? Apparently so, because he's continuing along. A squirrel in a horror story? More likely than you think. ]
Of course, everyone else wondered what was taking their wayward companion so long. After all, he had stopped to stare at the creature who had unexpectedly appeared out of nowhere. Following his return and being jeered at by his fellow compatriots, they all moved along, only to stop at the heart of the forest.
Right at the very center, you could see it—a magnificent tree that stood higher than any building anyone had ever seen. So, they tried to set fire to it, or anything in the general area first. Despite the fact they were all prepared, they all came up with the same problem:
Any attempt to start a flame would end in failure, just like that. They tried, and tried, but by the time the group decided to pack it in, afternoon had fallen.
They all made their way towards the exit of the forest, only to see that, even with retracing their steps, the way back couldn't be glimpsed. All that was ahead of them was a dense gathering of trees that blocked out all light. So, they were all forced to make camp in the forest that very night.
Strange sounds echoed as they slept, and when all in the group awoke, they found themselves right near the entrance of the very forest. All was well, right? Except not, because they returned home, changed. How so? In little ways, just like everyone else who had gone to the forest before them; they had even forgotten why they'd went in the first place...
And the forest grew ever larger.
[ He ends it there, with a smile, looking all too proud of himself. ]
So, would you say that's a 10/10 on the creepy factor, or what? Don't be shy.