[ToxicShadow]

"This is a lot like the room I found you in!"

Toxic couldn't sit still. Her eyes flicked left and right as she took everything in, in a hurry. There were so many dolls, some pretty creepy, and there were mannequins, too. There were boxes and boxes of ribbons and buttons. Everything was so interesting. Oh, and the wallpaper! It was such as attractive selection. The black and white stripes matched the woman's stockings.

Grey Zone: 8
Green Zone: 17
Orange Zone: 5
Total: 30

[ToxicShadow]

"There aren't any stuffed animals in here for you to hide with, but it's got a similar feeling, doesn't it? You could probably still blend in, if you wanted to. I don't think anyone would find a tattered cat plush out of place, among all this."

Cheshire didn't really get a chance to respond, before Toxic began pulling him into the room. He chuckled. "This really is your sort of thing," he mused. She had strange tastes, all right, and this place was perfect for her.

Grey Zone: 9
Green Zone: 17
Orange Zone: 5
Total: 31

[ToxicShadow]

"Of course it is!" Toxic agreed with him. "Just look! It makes me wish I was more talented in sewing, actually. Do you think we're allowed to go through the boxes?" She couldn't help but to wonder.

"I don't see why not," he answered. "As long as you don't actually take anything, I'm sure it's fine."

That was probably easier said than done. Toxic collected ribbon, as it was so very useful when it came to her preferred fashion. She tied ribbons in her hair, on her neck, sewed them onto her dresses, all sorts of things. And buttons, there were awfully pretty buttons, too.


Grey Zone: 10
Green Zone: 17
Orange Zone: 5
Total: 32

[ToxicShadow]

Toxic wasn't a thief, though. Even though she knew she'd find something that she'd want to take, she wouldn't just take it. Although, the idea did occur to her to maybe grab something she really liked, and ask the person that seemed to be coordinating the event if she could keep it. She wouldn't ask for anything more than a ribbon or button, but those things were cheap and simple. It would make a cute souvenir, if they allowed it.

"Do you mind if I take a look through things?" She asked, glancing back at Cheshire.


Grey Zone: 11
Green Zone: 17
Orange Zone: 5
Total: 33

[ToxicShadow]

"Go ahead, Alice," Cheshire told her. "You should be enjoying yourself here. So, I'm not going to tell you not to."

It was only then that Toxic let go of the man's hand, but only after dragging him over to a box that she wanted to look through. When she let go, he retracted his hand, and assumed a position standing with his hands together, behind his back. It was a casual pose.

She knelt down in front of the box she'd picked out, and began to rummage through things.


Grey Zone: 12
Green Zone: 17
Orange Zone: 5
Total: 34

[ToxicShadow]

The box was filled with all sorts of ribbon! Some thin, some wide. There were many different patterns and colors, too. They were all cut to different lengths, some very short, while others were relatively long. She even found full spools of ribbon that looked to be brand new.

She found a pretty ribbon that was a decent length after a few minutes of digging. It was red, not too bright, but not too dark, either. It was covered in place lace. To be honest, it matched some of the outfits that she usually wore.


Grey Zone: 13
Green Zone: 17
Orange Zone: 5
Total: 35

[ToxicShadow]

After holding it in her hands and admiring it, the woman nodded her head. Yes, it was perfect. Standing back up, she turned to Cheshire and held it out. "What do you think?" she asked. "Doesn't it look nice?"

Cheshire had remained quiet while she looked through the box. He'd taken in a bit more of the scenery, somewhat tempted to look around on his own a little more. His eyes returned to her when she held the ribbon out to him, though. "It looks like it would suit you."


Grey Zone: 14
Green Zone: 17
Orange Zone: 5
Total: 36

[ToxicShadow]

Toxic smiled upon hearing his answer. "Good. Would you help me tie it?"

She hadn't voiced her idea to Cheshire, so he looked at her with a bit of disbelief. It wasn't like her to run off with something that wasn't hers. Though, it was very much like her to find a simple object and adore it. She was the sort of woman that really admired and loved these sorts of things and became attached. She'd get ridiculously excited over obtaining such things, too. It was easy for him to conclude that this little ribbon fell into that category for her.

Grey Zone: 15
Green Zone: 17
Orange Zone: 5
Total: 37

[ToxicShadow]

Seeing the look in his eyes, Toxic realized what he was thinking.

"Oh! I don't plan to just take it." She began to explain herself. "I'll wear it on my wrist while we're here, so I don't forget about it. That way, I can ask that person that we turned our waivers into when we leave. Maybe they'll let me keep it, if I ask them. And, if they say otherwise when I ask, I can return it to them."

"Wouldn't it make a wonderful souvenir?"


Grey Zone: 16
Green Zone: 17
Orange Zone: 5
Total: 38

[ToxicShadow]

Listening to her idea, seeing the sparkle in her eyes, Cheshire couldn't really disagree with her. Supposedly, for entering the haunted house, they were going to be giving away prizes. Similar to the haunted house where he had been found. Well, Cheshire supposed that he had been her prize back then.

"They'll probably let you keep it, like a prize. If not, I guess I'll offer to pay for it." After seeing her excitement, he didn't want her to be disappointed, in the end.


Grey Zone: 17
Green Zone: 17
Orange Zone: 5
Total: 39

[ToxicShadow]

"Yay! Thank you!" The woman hopped forward, grabbing onto one of Cheshire's arms and hugged it. It was only just a moment before she let go, and held the ribbon back out to him. "So, help me, please?"

He did as she asked. When he took the ribbon, she held out her arm. Carefully, he brought it around her wrist, and he made it so that the ribbon on both sides was the same length. It was too long to be tied on her wrist as it was, so he wrapped it around several times, before it was short enough to tie. He made a neat little bow on her wrist, worn over the glove she was already wearing.


Grey Zone: 18
Green Zone: 17
Orange Zone: 5
Total: 40

[ToxicShadow]

"There you are," Cheshire told her. The ribbon was all nice and neatly tied, and he moved his hands away from her.

Toxic brought her arm closer to herself, to see his handy work. She nodded, happy with it. "Awesome. Thank you." The red stood out against the rest of her outfit.

Afterwards, she looked around the room once more. She definitely liked it better than the library, but she wasn't so sure what they should do now. The room had nice scenery, but it wasn't exactly scary, either.

Grey Zone: 19
Green Zone: 17
Orange Zone: 5
Total: 41

[ToxicShadow]

Hm. Now what should we do?" Aside from being nice to look at, there wasn't much else of interest in the room. "Should we keep wandering around?"

"If that's what you want to do," Cheshire answered. Being in this room made him think back to the day they'd first met. At the time, he couldn't believe that someone wasn't afraid or grossed out by looking at him. With his more human appearance, Cheshire didn't look all that creepy. Aside from th matted and bloody fur of his tail, he looked pretty normal.

Even now, she treated him kindly, as she did everyone else that she was friends with. Nor did she care if he spent his days pretending to be a stuffed toy, just to eventually move and freak someone out.


Grey Zone: 20
Green Zone: 17
Orange Zone: 5
Total: 42

[crow]

"Taking a reaper to a haunted house..." Melody frowned disappovingly. "You took me here to make me work, didn't you?"

The two of them were standing at the door to what looked for all intents and purposes like a normal reading room. Or, well, Tanner was standing. Melody was drifting along beside him. Though he was technically the taller of the two, she rode a bit higher because of it. He was dressed in full costume as a cross between a greaser and a zombie, awful makeup and all. She... was herself. Reapers had neither the need nor the ability to put on costumes, as far as she knew, and it wasn't as if she needed it. No one could see her anyway.

Well, except for Tanner. That was different too. She still by and large thought it wasn't a good thing, especially since it was only because he'd almost died one too many times. But he seemed to have calmed down since they started talking, funnily enough.

Orange: 20
Red: 20
Green: 10
Blue: 5
Grey: 1
Total: 56

[ToxicShadow]

All those thoughts seemed to be going through his head a lot since they had arrived. "Why aren't you afraid of me?" Cheshire spoke his mind, before he could think better of it.

The woman, who had been considering their options, stopped and looked up at Cheshire. "You aren't someone to be afraid of, that's why." She didn't have to stop and think about her answer.

"Most people are afraid of me, on sight, but you weren't."

"I told you back then, didn't I?" Toxic continued.  "I like strange and creepy. You're not actually scary. You like to scare people and you're a little odd, but you're a good person. Besides, aren't we all strange?"


Grey Zone: 21
Green Zone: 17
Orange Zone: 5
Total: 43