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]

[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.

[you_like_ike]

Alright. Grab it next to where I do and we'll pull it together.

[Picks up a handful of chain and plants his feet so he can give it his all.]

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

[does so; it's not that long of a chain but there's barely enough room for them both to get a good grip]

On three?

[you_like_ike]

[So of course they're rubbing shoulders again. One, two...]

Three. [Yanks it forcefully!!]

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

[Security chains are bad at personal space]

[Also pulls! Either they've both been working out or the chain is rustier than it looked, as the chain snaps almost instantly, sending Kaiba, at least, stumbling backwards due to the sudden lack of counterbalance]

!!!

[you_like_ike]

[Yeah Ike outright falls down, because he was sure pulling hard on it.]

Oof... we did it??

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

[bad luck that Kaiba had been behind him, then

bad luck for Ike, mostly, since Kaiba's a bony fucker to fall onto]

...Hrf.

[That's a yes, btw. The door swings open a few degrees with a groan that begs for wd-40. A noticably chillier breeze goes up his skirt]

[you_like_ike]

[Brr.]

Sorry...

[Awkwardly turns around so he's braced over Kaiba. For a moment he just... looks down at him. Then he climbs off of him, takes his arm, and pulls him to his feet.]

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

[If Kaiba felt more jelly-legged than usual after that it was almost certainly due to the chill coming from the basement, he wants to be perfectly clear]

[Speaking of, he clears his throat before continuing]

It's fine. I guess it's easier to get in here than expected.

[There doesn't seem to be a light at the bottom of the stairwell. it looks pretty dark. Kaiba looks to Ike, letting him decide whether or not he wants to take point, if he's ready]

[you_like_ike]

[Looks into the darkness for a moment.]

Soren found a candle for reading... let me get one as well. I'd rather not fall over again.

[Roams off for a moment to find one, then comes back. Hopefully the breeze won't snuff it out???]

[Anyway yes he'll take point, holding the candle forward to shine a little light on whatever's ahead of them.]

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

[It doesn't burn out completely, though the light breeze gives you a few scares that it might. It seems that the house is still going full-bore haunted tropes, what with the dank, stale air and the awful creak of the stairs as you go down them.]

[Kaiba brushes the cobwebs from his hair irritably]

What's next, a ghost popping out from in front of us?

[you_like_ike]

Something might. I'm not sure I expect to find anything useful here.

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

I don't understand why people enjoy the thought of walking through some building filled with rat droppings and black mold so much. Non-haunted houses seem considerably simpler to deal with.

[As Ike hits the last step, the door upstairs slams shut. The candle flickers, but stays lit.]

[The cellar is framed out 2x4s and half-shiplapped walls on one side; light is coming from that direction. Load-bearing columns of hundreds-year old bricks are bolstered by uneven walls of concrete block on the other side, with a single, oddly-wide and very heavy-looking door. It has a padlock that takes a key.]

[you_like_ike]

[Frowns harder as the door shuts.]

Are we expected here? We're probably about to have things thrown at us again. This was a waste of time.

[Still, he looks that new door over.]

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

[it looks very sturdy upon closer inspection. It sounds like metal despite being painted to look like wood. This one will actually need to be unlocked rather than physically forced]

There are probably worse wastes of time, at least. We really will need to find some lock picks...

[no scary ghosts (or "ghosts") do anything at least]

[you_like_ike]

I don't have the skill for lockpicking. Do you think you'd be able to do it if I found something?

[Searches around with the light of the candle.]

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

[the creepy old basement is filled with creepy old basement stuff. there are quite a few spiders, their eyes glinting red when caught by the light]

...It's been a while. But yes, if it's not some trick lock.

[he yanks on it, in case it's just not latched at all--hey, it happens--but no dice]

[you_like_ike]

[Starts making a pile of whatever long thin little things he can find. Pays the spiders no mind.]

That's a good skill to have. I've enlisted a couple thieves to help me with locks before.

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

[It's easy enough; there are plenty of nails and bits of tools and spindles and metal things of dubious origin you find in a house built before the mid-20th century. the spiders don't do anything but watch intently]

There's certainly nothing wrong with calling in a professional. They didn't dare walk off with anything of yours, did they?

[rather than just hover like a spider Kaiba goes walking around the rest of the area, peeking through and around the partial walls and ready to throw more cards at potential jump scares]

[you_like_ike]

No. One was a kid out of poverty, all he wanted was to find someone important to him. The other... was the assassin I mentioned earlier. He posed as a thief initially, but was actually very good at it. I had him open locks for us.

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

Kind of sounds like a--

[there's a clatter punctuated by some curses and a wobbly ooOOoooOOooo...that abruptly goes off-pitch as the "ghost" playback device is crushed into what's probably a large number of plastic pieces underfoot...at least that's what it sounds like]

[a second, then Kaiba continues, slightly breathless]

--A waste of his skill.

[you_like_ike]

What was that? Are you okay?

[Leaves his scrap digging to approach Kaiba with the candle.]

[blueeyeswaifudragon]

Just another stupid trick. You don't...

[But if Ike is coming over anyway, he won't finish. On the ground a few steps from a dark corner is sprawled the remains of a headless person??? Wait no, the makeshift face mask and wig had rolled the other direction, Ike may have stepped on it if he weren't paying attention. Also a lot more scraps of busted plastic and other stuff. Kaiba stands on the far wall, arms crossed tight and frowning hard, he's probably fine?]

...I was making better robots than that when I was still in short pants.