[Kittyms]

Jak pushed the door open and leaped into the foyer of the mansion. He quickly took the lay of the land, admiring the architecture and considering the three doors around the room. When a man in a suit handed him a piece of paper and a pen, he signed it without even looking, and trotted off to explore every nook and cranny of the foyer.

"What is this?" Edward asked suspiciously as he was handed the same piece of paper. He glanced over it and saw the words "waiver". "Is there an actual risk of harm here?" He doubted very much that he or Jak could be seriously injured. The Palowockee was too agile and insubstantial to be hurt easily and, due to his condition, Edward had very fast reflexes and could heal almost any wound on his body. Without waiting for an answer from the man, he signed the paper and handed it back, giving him a polite nod.  

"Jak, where did you go?" the Slynx called as he stepped further into the foyer.

"Right here." The voice came from the shadows next to a door on Edward's left. He walked in that direction, his pupils dilating to compensate for the dimmer light. "Let's go in here first." Jak appeared suddenly, pointing one paw in the direction of the half-open door. Peeking through, Edward saw that the room beyond contained some comfy armchairs, lamps and a few dusty old books.

"Sure." Edward cautiously stepped into the reading room, with Jak following on his heels. He picked up the closest book and glanced at the cover. "A Study of Zombie Eating Habits. Gross."

{Orange Zone: 2
Moving to Grey Zone
Grey Zone (A): 1}

[Freezair]

Nectarine dragged his unusual twin along by the arm, scampering towards the house with an expression of childlike glee not precisely fitting the apparent age of his features. He bolted towards the door the happiest anyone had ever been to get the pants scared off of him.

"Hold up," Peaches said. "You can't just barge on in there. There are rules here, you know."

"Oh. Like, I can't scream too loud?" Nectarine asked, a whimperingly apologetic note in his voice.

"No. Apparently, we need to make a note of the rooms we visit and how much time we spend in them? Because there's--oh." Peaches suddenly cut off.

"Because there's what?" Nectarine asked.

"Never mind. You know what? Let's just step into the foyer for a little bit, see the directions, and g--"

But Nectarine plowed on through him and looked at the rules sheet hung outside the door. He may have only had the reading comprehension of a five-year-old--he was, after all, half feral and had difficulty wrapping his head around letters--he could still sound out the easily-comprehensible letters "P-R-I-Z-E."

"PRIZES! THERE ARE PRIZES FOR BEING HERE?" he cheered.

"...Yes," Peaches sighed. "...Yes, there are."

[Orange Zone: 2]

[Kittyms]

Edward dropped the book back on to the table with distaste and saw that there was an impressive library beyond one open door. Being a huge reader, he could hardly resist the temptation to explore a library with such an evidently vast collection, even if the subject matter was not to his liking. Without even bothering to consult with his companion, he wandered into the library and began pawing through books on the closest shelf. "50 Ways to Eat Spleens, How to Grow an Extra Appendage, Witches Brew, goodness, these are all horror-themed. Who used to own this house and were these really their original books?"

Jak glanced at the closed door that Edward had ignored in the reading room, then sighed and followed the Slynx into the library. He himself did not particularly care for reading, and amused himself by exploring the room. The Palowockee had just walked past an armchair resting in a corner, when he thought he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. He spun around inhumanly fast, and saw a creepy human doll sitting in the armchair. Jak was 98% sure that it had not been there a moment before. "Uh, Edward... Maybe you should see this."

"Weir of the Were-Lucain, Making Poison Apples..." The Slynx was still browsing the books when he heard Jak's voice. "What is it?" he said, his paws on Vampire Pets: Feeding and Breeding.

"Just come over here... quickly." Jak did not move his eyes from the doll, worried that if he looked away for a moment it would disappear again. It was a good thing he didn't have to blink.

{Grey Zone (A and B): 2
Orange Zone: 2}

[Freezair]

The promise of prizes was like a rare steak with a magnet stuck inside of it to Nectarine. With a howl that was decidedly more animal than human, Nectarine barged in the door, shouting, "PRIZES! I WANNA PRIIIIZE!"

With fur showing at his wrists, his fingernails elongating, and his ears going decidedly hairy and pointy, Nectarine tore past a young man and woman who looked like they'd recently come from some kind of school and barged through a door on the left side of the foyer. Looking more sheepish than wolfish, Peaches slunk after him, delicately righting a pot Nectarine knocked over and making sure no props had been broken.

When he stepped through the door, he let out the groan of a crushed soul.

"Oh, no."

The walls on the other side of the room were absolutely laden with antique china dolls. Breakable, expensive, dolls. Various aphorisms about Tuskows ran through his head as he pictured and overexcited Nectarine running wild in this place. Already, he saw one on the floor, thankfully intact, certainly a victim of his "cousin's" zeal.

"Why did I let myself get roped into this?"

[Moving to Gray Zone]

[Orange Zone: 2
Gray Zone: 1]

[ShadowStitches]

She strolled over to her friend, wondering what exactly would be so exciting about the Plantlife Thir seemed so enthralled by. "What is it?" she called over. "Not sure yet, I thought I saw...whoa!" Something sickly orange green jumped out at him, causing the young man to jerk backwards, stumbeling and landing on his but.

Neo herself felt like she just set the worldreckord in jumping hight without a running start (well...for human form, that was) and made a sound like a scared mouse. Thir, scrambeling to get up again, caught on what was happening and stared to outright cackle, and just stayed in his half crouched position for now.

"what?? whats going...oh." Neo glared at the cheap paper pumpkin. "Jumpscares...how classy."Thir still giggeled like a child, and finally got up. "works every time" "heh...yeah. you should have seen your face Mate" she chuckeled. Thir brushed off his pants, while setting back on track "oh, and you where the coolness in person. I saw your little stunt there."

(orange Zone: 3)

[Freezair]

"Nectariiiine!" Peaches called ahead. "Nectarine, you can't be in here! Let's go!"

Peaches strode purposefully down a small corridor absolutely overflowing with dolls. Although he swung his arms fiercely, he kept them pinned fairly close to his side to avoid hitting any of the dolls. The overall effect made him look like a grumpy action figure trying to be convincingly angry with only four points of articulation. But even though he tried his hardest not to hit them, the dolls seemed to move anyway. As he walked on past, they shifted in their spots, slowly thump... thump... thumping to face him.

Peaches froze as an especially large doll turned beside him, the movement ruffling its skirt.

Still moving like a doll, Peaches turned towards it with a scowl. "I'm sorry, but this isn't a good time," he said to it. "I know, I know. You want to be very scary. But that guy who just went tearing through here--my cousin? I know he may not look like it, but he's a real liability. He's completely careless and he's likely to break some of your very expensive props if he keeps this up. Look--I'm not a patron here, I'm just his chaperone. So I'd appreciate it if we could stop this whole ooky-spooky facade for a minute while I retrieve him before he causes any major harm."

The doll stared back impassively.

[Orange zone: 2
Gray zone: 2]

[Kittyms]

"All right, I'm coming." Edward reluctantly left the bookshelf and walked toward Jak's voice. It was then that he noticed the dolls. Porcelain dolls and other collectable human-shaped dolls were arranged throughout the library. That's pretty creepy, he thought approvingly. "Okay, what is it?" he asked as he sauntered up behind the Palowockee.

"This doll moved. I swear it was not in this chair one minute before." Jak pointed emphatically at the black-haired little porcelain cherub who sat in the armchair with an eternally innocent expression painted on its face.

"Truly?" The Slynx cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. "That is a very interesting trick." He walked around to the back of the chair and surveyed it carefully, but did not see any signs of tampering. "There are no shelves or alcoves in the immediate vicinity from which the doll could have fallen or been moved to its current position in the chair. This leaves us with only one possible explanation." Edward paused, one paw touching his fangs thoughtfully. "It must have been placed there by someone."

{Grey Zone (A and B): 3
Orange Zone: 2}

[Kittyms]

If he could, Jak would have raised one eyebrow. He settled for barking a harsh laugh. "Ha. That's impossible. I didn't see anyone."

"They would have to be faster than you... or maybe invisible." Edward stared thoughtfully at the opposite wall and Jak's eyes were on him. For a moment, neither of them was looking at the doll in question. There was a sudden maniacal child's giggle which made both pets jump in a manner that neither was accustomed to doing. Edward immediately felt abashed, and a little bit alarmed because he realized that the porcelain doll was gone.

"Where did it go?" Jak leaped onto the armchair, and thoroughly searched it, even ripping into the cushions. No dolls surfaced. "What is this trickery?" He felt both annoyed that he had been thoroughly upstaged in mischief, and also very impressed. Whoever was orchestrating this little show had done a good job.

Edward quickly flattened his ruffled fur and looked around. "I have an idea," he said, feeling a little tug of excitement in his stomach. Despite himself, the Slynx was starting to think he might actually be enjoying this little jaunt. "Look there." He pointed out some very small, almost imperceptible, shoe prints in the dust leading back in the direction of the reading room.

{Grey Zone (A and B): 4
Orange Zone: 2}

[ShadowStitches]

"its called a natural reaction." Neo stated, sounding almost a bit too defensive. "You know...reflexes and all that" Thir's smile grew wider and more cheshire cat like by the second.
"right. and that squeak was defenetly a terrifying battlecry to scare off Predators"
"Oh shush" Neo punched him playfully in the arm, but could not entirely cover up her hurt ego.

The two where disrupted by two more card cutouts, before finally finding themselves in the big entrance hall.
"Oh man..." Neo lifted up a obviously face spiderweb from a fake skull, shaking her head. "I really do not think this will get much better..." she cocked her head to the side, eyeing the pillars.
"gotta admit though...the house looks pretty cool so far."
Thir had his attention on the door to his right, eying it. "Righto. Lets start here, and then try to make a whole round?" Neo shrugged. "Sure, lead the way, sir"

(Transitioning to Red Zone.
Orange Zone: 4 Posts
Posts in total: 4)

[Freezair]

"Good," Peaches said. "Glad we understand each other."

He turned and began to walk away. The dolls shuffled.

With a padded THUD, a large old doll fell into his path. For a little girl of many years ago, it would've been huge and awe-inspiring--it was at least sixteen inches long, with a delicately-painted face and a lacy dress. But fine cracks ran through its face, one of its eyes was stuck permanently open and one was always shut, and dust and implacable stains marred its once-beautiful dress. Peaches knelt to pick it up and put it back on the shelf.

"Oh, for the love of... NECTARINE, STOP THUMPING AROUND UP THERE! You're gonna break somethi--"

"...Play with me, Daddy..."

Peaches frowned at the doll. "Look, I told you people, I don't have time to--"

"...Play with us, Daddy."

Every doll nearby slowly thumped to face him. The doll he'd picked up raised one creaky arm, her broken eye jiggling in its socket.

"Daddy, why don't you love me...?"

[Orange zone: 2
Gray zone: 3]

[Silver]

"Zombies don't hurry," Cantare explained with a giggle. Fritz gave his best zombie groan in agreement.

Sprout put his face into his free hand. How were they going to get anything done at this rate? Wait a minute. That's it! "Hey Fritz!" he called out. "What about that scary movie we watched, the one where the zombies chased after the guy with the chainsaw. Remember?"

"Oh yea!" Fritz cheered excitedly. "They ripped his arm off, it was so cool!"

"You mean gross?" Cantare muttered, mostly to himself. He never did understand their love of horror movies. They were either too gross or too scary as far as he was concerned.

Orange: 4 | 4 Total

[Silver]

"Those zombies could run." Sprout explained, not entirely sure that his point had gotten across.

"Oh yea!" Too bad they were already caught up in the time it took them to have that conversation. "What're you waiting for? Let's go!" Fritz quickly shuffled past Sprout and into the gate. Sprout opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but instead he just closed it and shook his head.

"Aww look," Cantare said, pointing. "It's a little kitty cat."

"That's not a cat, Cantare, it's just a decoration," Fritz rolled his eyes. Some people were too easily fooled.

Orange: 5 | 5 Total

[Silver]

"Well, it's still cute," Cantare said in a rather sour tone. Whether he was right or not, he didn't think Fritz had to be so rude about it.

Just as he said that, the supposedly fake cat hissed and darted away. "S-see? I told you!" Cantare shouted, his heart racing. He didn't want to let his friends know just how much the cat had scared him. It wasn't even part of the haunted house, and he was already frightened!

Fritz and Sprout looked at each other for a long second before simultaneously cracking up with laughter. Something about the unexpected nature of it all was irresistibly hilarious. This was just the beginning in what they could only assume was going to be a long night full of priceless startled reactions from all three of them.

Orange: 6 | 6 Total

[Silver]

"Let's go inside where the real scary stuff is," Sprout suggested, eyes cast upon the great door to the creepy old house. "I mean, arr, there be treasure inside!"

Sprout and Fritz both started laughing again, but Cantare still looked unsure. They had hardly been here a whole minute, and he was already pretty freaked out. That cat wasn't even supposed to be scary! Confident that his mask would hide the reluctance on his face, he followed along behind his friends as they charged toward the door.

"You open it," Fritz said, stopping in his tracks.

"No you," Sprout shot back.

"I'll do it," Cantare piped up. This was it! His chance to prove himself.

Orange: 7 | 7 Total

[FrostWynd]

Why did it have to be a haunted house? Couldn’t they have done something else instead of having to go in there?

Hanging around right outside the gates belonging to the said haunted house, a teenage girl was staring out at the old, dark looking exterior of the building. For the moment, she was currently alone and waiting for someone that was supposed to accompany her in there. But in all honesty, Tala was not looking forward to whatever was going to happen fairly soon. She just couldn’t stop thinking about the haunted part that was so helpfully written down on the banner above.

For both her and the partner that was going to go in there with her, they had mutually agreed to participate in a dare. Which only happened after Tala made them also join, as there was no way she was going in there by herself! But naturally, she made sure not to make that last part obvious at the time.

Orange Zone: 1