ROUND 4 DAY 4 - HAUNTED HOUSE PARTY

[snackcakeordeath]

[For some reason, you feel good today...stronger. Which is great, maybe you're just psyched up for the latest ~fabulous event~ cooking from the ConAgra-McKee Foods kitchens...

[The Newlydead Game^TM ✨Super-Special✨ 👻Spooktacular🎃! 🗡Murdermance💘 at the 💀Murder Manse🏚!

[The house is a huge, Victorian monstrosity straight out of the mental idea of an Edgar Allen Poe story--delicate wrought-iron chandeliers and candelabra hanging from vaulted ceilings; ornately carved molding and flocked wallpapers, mosaics and inlaid wood floors. Most of the rooms seem legitimately old, cobwebbed and musty, with dusty dropcloths laid over the faded furniture, and distressing shadows cast in the flickering candlelight that never fails to not light up every corner, no matter how many candles are set up. You're not sure how the cameras are picking all this up with how dark it is. You honestly wouldn't be surprised if some of the taps in the bathroom actually run blood. A few of the rooms are locked, in particular a few bedrooms on the upper floors, and a heavy door off the mud room that's chained and padlocked; presumably it leads to a cellar.

[The exception to this is the conservatory, the one large room in a building filled with tiny, closed off rooms. One wall is lined with massive paned windows, another a huge fireplace, the others covered in stern portraits and other random Victorian-area knick knacks. And sprinkled around all of that are Halloween decorations, the kind more Pottery Barn than Party City. It's set for a party, complete with games like bobbing for apples and a spread of fancy Halloween "finger" foods and drinks that glow under black light. A playlist of seasonal hits like Spooky or The Addams Family Groove toots along near a dance floor. Need an outfit for the costume contest? There's plenty. There's also a smoke machine and a photo booth. In the backyard is a corn maze.]

Hellooo contestants, guess what time it isss? Why, it's only the best time of the year for sweeties like us! Time for Pumpkin Delights and Black Cat Brownies, the perfect treats to give to your trick-or-treaters this year! Now, even though someone's given US a trick today, we've provided a treat for you--a Halloween ball! Play with your fellow Casanovas, make your best impressions, and grab your favorite Sexy Pizza Rat cosplay! At the end, you'll get to choose from all the remaining contestants for your Marry-Kiss-Kill. And remember what we talked about last night--this time, if you deal to make it even, you're all going to be punished!

[With murder, Swiss Miss adds. In case you weren't quite sure.]


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Comments

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

He must've been pretty impressive.

[you_like_ike]

...Even more than I knew. Before he died, he was much stronger than I am now... but... I had no idea until recently that he had intentionally taken away most of his own strength years ago.

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

Why would he do something like that?

[you_like_ike]

......

[Extended pause of obviously not wanting to talk about it.]

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

...

[extended pause of gathering that much, but not really sure how normal people proceed from that point

[........pppats on the shoulder???]

[you_like_ike]

[Stops walking.]

[Sits down on the stairs.]

[Maybe he'll talk anyway?? Kaiba's okay and not yelling at him to tell it.]

...When I was little, my father was on the run with us, though I didn't know it then. He was helping my mother escape those pursuing the medallion she protected. ...She was one of the few who could safely carry it.

It... is said that the medallion imprisons a dark god. The spirit of chaos is so strong within it that most people would go berserk if they touched it.

My father accidentally touched it once. ...I'm told 20 soldiers tried to stop him, and Father barely broke a sweat cutting them down. Then he turned on his friends and neighbors. He slaughtered nearly everyone before my mother got the medallion out of his hand. ...She took his sword through her chest to get it.

...I was there, it seems. But I don't actually remember any of this. I only know what I've been told...

Father tried to hire an assassin on himself, to stop him if he ever went berserk again. But he was one of the most prominent swordsmen of his time, and the assassin didn't believe he could stop him, so he turned him down. So Father slashed the tendons in his sword hand, so he could never lift a sword again. Then the assassin accepted the job. ...He was still very strong with an axe, so I never knew.

The contract was never fulfilled, though. One of his pursuers killed him in front of me.

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

[stays silent and listens to the whole thing, and. ahh. lets out a long breath, sitting down on the stairs next to Ike and pinching the bridge of his nose]

...That certainly is impressive.

[understatement? despite the dry comment, he seems hesitant to continue, weighing his words carefully for once, tone neutral]

What do you think about it?

[you_like_ike]

What do I think? I... still miss my father. What happened was a tragedy. He didn't mean it. I could easily go berserk too if I touched it. The assassin offered me the same service, and I accepted it.

I haven't really slept well since he died. The only good night's sleep I got was after I finally caught up with his killer and fought him.

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

Understandable.

It would have been easy to be angry at everything after that. To lash out at everything would be understandable, too.

[you_like_ike]

I had to take up responsibility for the mercenery troop and battle pursuing soldiers the next day. I haven't really had time since to settle down and indulge in feelings like those.

...Thanks for listening, Kaiba.

[Bumps shoulders a bit. Vague friendly gesture.]

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

There's always time for feelings like those if you're the type of person to have them. Be happy...no. Be proud that you're not.

[hesitates, then bumps shoulders back]

[you_like_ike]

[Shoulder bump subtly evolves into shoulder lean??? Wow how did that happen.]

No... I'm not that nice or forgiving. I was incredibly angry. I just saved it for getting revenge... even though as father was dying, he told me not to do that. He said I should live in peace, hiding safely in Gallia. But I couldn't even consider that.

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

[who knows how it happened but kaiba isn't exactly complaining about it (honestly a surprise even to himself)]

To not get that vengeance--to not get that closure is a lot to ask, even of you. I can't imagine being able to consider it.

[you_like_ike]

[Hopefully no one else needs to use the stairs.]

Thanks for understanding. I don't talk about it much.

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

[they can step over, I guess]

I figured. ...I appreciate it.

[the sharing part, not the terrible experience part, hopefully that is a given]

[you_like_ike]

...So what do we do now?

[He's still lightly leaning against him. Not bothering to move yet.]

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

I guess we can't just stay here ad infinitum...

[not that kaiba has made any attempt to move him. If anything, he's discreetly leaned in, for balance]

Is there anything else you wanted to try?

[you_like_ike]

Mmn...

We could see if we have any better luck exploring again.

[Stands slowly, offers Kaiba his hand for him to get up as well.]

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

Right.

[hesitates, then takes it, levering himself up]

...There's that padlocked door downstairs, it looked like it went to a basement. There's also outside. If nothing else, they might have something heavy to swing around.

[you_like_ike]

Basement might be promising, if we can force it open as well.

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

It had a padlock. I don't know if it can be kicked into submission...though there's only one way to find out.

[you_like_ike]

If the wood of the door can break, then the padlock won't matter. Let's take a look at it.

[Further downstairs he goes.]

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

[follows along to the door in question]



Plenty welcoming...

[you_like_ike]

We can try pulling the chain out of its foundation. Or ram the door together. What do you want to try?

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

...It might be easier to yank the chain out, or at least to start.