#Ooooh spooky ahhhh scary

[ravers8fantasy]

Wahey glass vampire count Joe just in time for halloween!! ⸜( •⌄• )⸝

(ignore weird mysterious joe in the corner and joe missing half an arm uh... I messed up buut its okay!!☆)

Also putting the song that sent me down the vampire joe rabbit hole👻🧛🏻‍♂️

[whitherliliesbloom]

it’s not even october!

[ ffxivwrite2020 ] ★ [ masterlist ]  ★ [ prompt #20 (free write) - shiver ]

[ wol & ryne ] ★ [ 1,779 words ] ★ [ highschool / modern au ]

ryne, illya and mentions of alphinaud, alisaie, gaia, aymeric and laurelis who belongs to @ancientechos​ and kirishimi who belongs to @windup-dragoon​.

alisaie wants to make sure every member among her group of friends visits her class’ haunted maze at least once - even the one who doesn’t do well with horror films.

“Please please please, Illya! You have to go with me! I-I don’t have anyone else to ask at this point!”

It’s not uncommon to find Ryne tailing her considerably shorter schoolmate with glasses around, nor would it be the first or last time she’s ever had to beg a favor for Illya.. but the desperation in Ryne’s voice would give unknowing casual observers the impression that what she was asking of Illya was something of a matter between life and death.

“Ryne.. if you’re that scared, why would you even want to go?”

“You heard Alisaie, right?? She worked really really hard on her class attraction.. She’ll be mad if we don’t pay it a visit at least once!”

The lalafell has serious doubts Alisaie would be so petty as to hold a grudge on her friends for not visiting her attraction... or maybe she would, but it certainly wouldn’t last long. Unsurprisingly however, of all people to take Alisaie’s threats seriously, it’d be the largely gullible, far too kind-hearted Ryne... who also happened to be one of the most faint-hearted of their clique, alongside a certain student council president that is.

Ryne was bubbly, outgoing, and popular with her peers to boot, not unlike Laurelis. But unlike the pink haired miqo’te, she doesn’t do well with any sort of scary attractions, horror films and of course, has never set foot inside a haunted house in her life. 

It’s not likely that this haunted maze attraction put together by a bunch of highschoolers would be quite as elaborate or scary as actual haunted houses - ones that she hears Alisaie and Gaia frequent during the annual scare festival held in the Black Shroud.. but it’d be insensitive to tell Sailor-Moon loving, plush hugging and sunlight loving Ryne that she has no reason to be as frightened as she is, not when Illya herself has no idea what to expect from the haunted maze.

“W-what about Gaia? I’m sure she’d be better company than me..” 

“She’s busy helping her class.. I asked Tataru and Kirishimi too! But Tataru is also helping her class’ maid cafe.. and Kirishimi says she’s busy too!” 

Figures.. and it just so happens that Illya was the only one on her shift break. Her class, who had decided on opening a little carnival game esque stall, had assigned her on a half hour break during this period where there weren’t quite as many people walking about in the morning. The crowds were certain to pick up later, especially in the afternoon when the festival would be open to the public. 

Illya doesn’t even think to suggest her boyfriend. He’d be far more hesitant on visiting the haunted maze than Ryne.. and he’s likely busy with his council duties anyway. 

“O-okay, okay. I’ll go with you.” The lalafell droops her shoulder in defeat, and Ryne’s face practically lights up with relief. 

-----------------------------------------

“Welcome, welcome. Entry for two, I presume?” 

A familiar sultry voice greets them outside the classroom, which has been thoroughly decorated by fake cobwebs, pumpkin and skeleton stickers as well as an array of other equally spooky props littering the little booth that stood right outside the entrance. 

The windows and doors have been covered with black drapes, vandalized well with splashes of paint that would sell as convincing blood to all but the particular observant eye. 

“U-um.. Yes.” Illya isn’t typically the one to lead the way while hanging with friends, nor is she the type to speak for anyone’s behalf. But she thinks it better with how her friend was already huddled behind her, shivering slightly. “They assigned you to collect tickets, Aymeric?”

He dramatically grabs his cape and wraps it around him, and she could just barely catch a glimpse of fake fangs beneath his lips as he smiles.

“Yes.. I’d have been happy playing a role within the attraction itself.. But my classmates said something about my face attracting more ladies.”

Oh, of course. 

With a slight tilt of her head, Illya tears off two of her tickets from her booklet and hands it to the taller elezen, who gives a elegant bow before opening the door to the classroom.

It’s pitched black, and the path ahead is obscured by yet more black drapes. From beneath the cloth however, light fog seeps out and causes Ryne behind her to squeak. They went as far as to buy a fog machine?

“Then, I bid you welcome.. to your doom.” Aymeric’s voice greets them menacingly, though he is quick to look up at the pair with a gentler smile. “Please take one of the lanterns near the entrance before proceeding.” 

Illya doesn’t consider herself to be particularly courageous or fond of horror flicks herself, especially not on Alisaie’s level. But she’s watched enough films and visited enough haunted houses (dragged by Alisaie’s insistence, of course) to know that she’s not nearly as jittery about ghosts and the like compared to Ryne. She’s been jumped by professional actors in full elaborate costumes.. seen more fake blood and guts then she’d have liked to admit.. an amateurly put together haunted maze shouldn’t prove too difficult by comparison.

But she finds Ryne’s nervousness infecting her, and the gardening club president gulps before daring herself to push past the black drapes and step inside the room. 

As Aymeric had instructed, a box of fake plastic lanterns had been placed on the ground next to an equally plastic looking skull, and Illya picks one up before turning to look back at Ryne, whose complexion had already turned as white as a sheet.

The door slams shut behind them, and the pair nearly jump out of their skin.

“W-why is there even a haunted maze??? It’s not even October...” Perhaps desperate for some form of conversation to keep her mind off their treacherous journey ahead, Ryne asks as she huddles closer to Illya.. though their height difference makes it rather hard for her friend to provide any sort of physical protection or barrier for her, it beats going at it alone.

“Well.. haunted mazes are typically a staple in school festivals.”

Illya finally walks ahead, much to Ryne’s dismay, and pushes past the first set of drapes to enter a dark corridor with a pile of skeleton bones and metal bars lining either side of their path. A dungeon scene, it would seem like, filled with the corpses of those who had been sent away here to die.

The girls walk forward at a brisk pace, passing about halfway through the dungeon when the lantern in Illya’s hand begins to flicker.

“A-ah!! No! The lantern is haunted too!” 

“I-I think it’s just the battery-”

“Ooooh... everything is out to get us... Illya, I’m scared...” 

Out of the kindness of her heart, and consideration for her already thoroughly frightened friend, Illya picks up her pace and begins to walk through to the next area.

Fake metal chains covered in blood hung from the ceiling, and the fog they’d seen from earlier returns, though this time thick enough to actually obscure the path. It gives even Illya some pause, who thinks it better not to mention the ominous whisper she hears playing from some kind of speaker behind them to Ryne. 

Their pace slows from the fog and the chains that threatened to strike them in the face should they move too quickly, and just as the lantern in Illya’s hand flickers once more...

“AHHHH!”

Their first screams within the maze, raised in pitch as a bloody corpse jumps from behind a curtain to startle them, before quickly retreating into their hiding spot, satisfied at the scare.

“T-that was... that was so awful!!” Ryne nearly sobs into her hands, while Illya takes a deep breath and a huff, before recollecting herself enough to glance back at the obscured curtain with a raise of an eyebrow.

She doesn’t recognize that student.. which means that she’s still somewhere deeper in this maze.

“Let’s keep going, Ryne.”

---------------------------------

The haunted maze was no bigger than the size of a classroom, despite the illusion of being far longer due to the winding paths and darkened halls. 

This class certainly spared no expanse when it came to making the maze as immersive as they could, and though it hardly matched up to the elaborate attractions of Scare Festival, Illya was still impressed enough with their effort to admit.. she can understand why Alisaie would be so insistent on her friends coming to visit this attraction.

But she still can’t help but shake the feeling that there was another reason.. something far more sinister, darker.. more malicious than the pure intention of showing off her hard work. 

“A-are we at the end yet???” Ryne’s voice is thin, as if she’d been screaming for an entire day now, and she looks about as ready to be done with the place as Illya herself is.

“We should be. By my estimation, this should be the last hallway.”

The two girls turn the corner, putting past the library of giant spiders and ghosts behind them only to find a giant coffin ahead of them, bathed in saturated red spot light and a dark red carpet leading up to it. It took even a moment for Illya to realize it was simply made of cardboard.. the spray paint and detailing of the outline of the box coupled with the lighting certainly sold the illusion of it being a real coffin well.

It was the only thing standing in between them and the exit, their last obstacle. 

But before they could rush their way past the coffin, a voice spoke out.

“So.. you’ve survived this far.”

The coffin door opens, and from within, more fog spills out. A spiked boot takes a step out, and just barely, they catch a glimpse of a bloody clawed hand grasping at the door of the coffin.

“But don’t count on your luck.. You only survived this far because I allowed you to. Now...”

The coffin door slams open, and the red spotlight shines upon a suited demon, who lets out a wicked laugh before charging towards the girls.

“I SHALL DEVOUR YOU BOTH!!”

“....Alisaie?”

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

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come to our attraction COWARDS 😈 @angelosxx tweeted:

So my class had to shut down our haunted house cause Ryne collapsed on the floor and wouldn’t let go of Illya or open her eyes 😅

- stop giving me shit bout my lipstick @gaiacore replied: 

....for real?

- cosplaycon2020hype!! 💫 💛 @ryneoflight replied:

you guys made it way too scary!! it’s not my fault!!  😭 😭 😭

-That Kiri Dumbass @betterthanestinien replied:

Oh damn wouldn’t liked to visit lol

[yszarin]

see below for thoughts on Love Bombing

- I do still miss “Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London”. though I suppose going back to it would probably just be the height of denial at this stage.

- oh dear this should probably not feel so real at age 23

- ooof complimenting people on the spot sounds terrifying. and also accepting compliments on the spot. I feel like I’m terrible on both sides of the compliment fence.

- ... dog! :D

- we couldn’t help but love it is very much the dog mood. sounded like static over that though. 

- corruption! :D I was hoping for a corruption statement last week and now there’s one here and I wish to roll around in it (and probably then take a very long shower).

- I mean if even an eldritch good doggo wants to come into my life and teach me more about unconditional love I am very down. 

- we never did that at school. feel like I’ve missed out. 

- ohhh, I like that the statement-giver seems to have done the follow-up for us, since Jon isn’t doing it anymore. those ~spooky extra details have been missing.

- okay but is the dog okay? I’ve decided the dog’s okay. 

- ooooh here comes a Knowing

- !!! Trevor! Julia! I wonder if Jon would bleed if they cut him? it’s been implied that hunters can kill monsters, so presumably they could do some damage where it counts, but I wonder if they can still do superficial damage?

- Daisy!!! and edging into scary territory. ahhhh avatar posturing!

- full of monsters. Soooo, Peter or Martin? We’ve not had very much hostage-taking lately, and that would be one of my favourite things to happen to Martin, so long as he did not then die, as I would not like him to die but also it would cut out a lot of the emotional investment I have in the Extinction plot. Peter would be interesting, would remove some direction, I’m not sure we’ve had all the good information from him, like some more information about the Lukases, but there are more Lukases where he came from who could provide that. I expect Melanie’s safe from the list, as she’s no longer infected by the Slaughter. Basira’s not been displaying any abilities, either. But who knows what Trevor and Julia would consider a worthy target. I expect we’ll see more from them soon, though, I’m sure they’re not just going to bop in, threaten Jon, and bop out again. 

- Jon talking her down from chasing after them is ahhh very good, I would like more of their interactions. and also Daisy with Melanie. Daisy with everyone.