doubled_speed: (Default)
Tommy Shepard ([personal profile] doubled_speed) wrote in [community profile] thespherelogs2019-10-18 08:24 pm

[Mingle!] Haunted House!

Who: Everyone!
What: Haunted House!
When: 7-10 PM for the House, Open until Midnight for post Haunting Refreshments, October 15th through 31st
Where: Haunted House in the Abandoned Domes
Notes: Mingle Log, so everyone have fun! Don't forget to not injure your haunted house staff. And leave tips. Speedy the ticket Sloth is a growing baby so just leaves, let's not spoil him.

It's an event that has been almost a month in the planning. What started as only talk on the network and mumbles in work groups comes to fruition with announcements starting early on the thirteenth and continuing on from there.

Do you consider yourself BRAVE?
Are you strong of HEART?
Can you handle the terrors of HELL?



The Approach


Hell is promised, and when you arrive at the entrance to the dome your fellow residents have slaved in for a month, it's Hell they delivered. A version of it, at least. The outside is done up a lot like your normal 'Halloween Obsessed Neighbor Going Overboard With Spooky Decorations' kitsch. They're trying to set an atmosphere here, but the real hell is a line that has formed because, as the teen working the front table points out, to go through the 'Horrors of Hell' you have to be in a group of at least two and at most five people. Also, please don't injure any of the workers, the teen insists, as they're all just volunteering their time for the love of the event. And if you enjoyed you experience, be sure to take some of the leaves from the bowl of the table and offer them to the nice little baby sloth that the teen is watching over, hanging from a PVC and rope creation that is Speedy's baby-sitting rig.

Once you're settled up with your group you can enter and move through at your own pace, and really, hope you're big on choices because there is one right away. A big, hand-scrawled sign. But don't worry, you can reenter later or even another day to experience both paths.

<----- HELL! -or- HOUSE! ----->




Paved With Good Intentions - Hell Path


Those who go left are treated to something a bit less seen for the traditional Haunted House. Then again, the traditional Haunted House doesn't tend to play up the whole human cliches of hell. Through some really fancy illusion work once people walk through the door it's all fire and brimstone and tortured spirits. Massive, fiery, winged demons swoop through the air, whips and lashes and pitchforks in hand to take a jab at anyone around and always, always missing at the last possible second. The creatures dart and dive at you, herding you along the paths through a tour of all hell has to offer. You know, molten rivers, suffering people tied to painful spires of pointy rock and overseen by their own personal demons.

The further in a group goes the greater the horrors. How brave are you when you're faced with a massive magma demon rising up out of the lava, a massive metal mask and horns standing out from its head, roaring as it makes a grab at you? Do you scream? Do you faint? Do you cling to the person going through the experience with you? What are you going to do when one of the creatures grabs at a trailing piece of clothing you're wearing, and they prove to be solid?

Try not to stray from the path the demons are guiding you down, taking you on your own personal tour, because moving too far from the well worn path means that the rattling you can just barely hear will get louder, and skeletons will start to approach. Only some of those are illusions. Others are absolutely real, though they tend to be the ones that have no arms and far further back, so they're not a threat.

The path seems to lead down, and as you go you pass through a dark corridor and things get a little more Dante's Divine Comedy, because somebody has clearly been reading. Here you pick up your tour-guide for the rest of your trip, a tired and worn looking person, features hollow and pale, who will explain that you've reached the place where souls are punished for the sins of their lives. What started as impersonal torments above comes to punishments poetically fitting the crime. The stranger leads you first through lust, a smaller area than before, filled with scantily clad demons of various styles, howling and dancing in the throws of a massive storm. The winds threaten to haul you off of the narrow cliff you walk along, and while they never quite do it, the stone under you may occassionally crack and seem ready to dump you into the malestrom. Down and down the path winds until you come to the next level.

Here you get a lovely two-for, Dante's third and fourth circles of Inferno combined into one. Massive, rotting forms of people guilty of gluttony wear shackles at their wrists and ankles, linked up by chains to other souls, those guilty off greed. The latter struggle to drag themselves up the steep incline of the cliff, trying to win themselves free, and weighed down by their slothful companions. Through it all the storm continues, hail pelting the sets of illusory sinners, sharp rocks cutting at skin as people crawl and drag each other around. For a moment it seems like someone might win themselves up to you and your guide, a hand reaching for your ankle before the weight drags them back down. Oh well.

Another tunnel and you enter the final circle, because hey, some are just a lot harder to portray, even with illusions and creative minds. Here the sounds are overwhelming, the cacophany of pained voices and metal on metal of war itself. Violence is here, and here the guide stands back. Here you must venture alone. If you can brave the battle and win to the other side, freedom from this horror awaits you. But beware, none have ever done so. Don't worry, it's just flavor. Take up whatever fallen bit of rubber armor and weapon you wish, and try to win your way past enemies, illusion, skeleton, and actors alike. You're not in any real risk of course, but it's definitely a heart-pounding experience whether you try and fight and thus get your own, specially prepared 'demon' to try and hold you back for a minute or two, or if you try and duck and dodge and weave. Either way you'll eventually make your escape. If you're not great at winning it yourself, at times the tide of the battle will shift for you, seeming almost to make a path to help you get out safely. And when you make it through the glowing arch at the far side...

Please proceed to Post Spook Meal Time



But The Rent Is Good - House Path


For those in for the more traditional experience, the path to the right goes from zero to ghosts with a bone to pick in no time. This is a far shorter experience, only about four rooms compared to a massive expanse, but it's still spooky. The tour starts in an entrance hall filled with things that move without any discernible method, creepy gusts, and sudden bursts of wind. Of course as some of those things that move are suits of armor and creepy statues that get closer when you aren't looking at them, it might be best to move on quickly.

Further on is a dining room, and it's set for a ghastly feast. Within moments of entering the room things start to fly. Not even metaphorically. No, it's a red mist moving through the room, chairs and tables and decorations all hovering and whirling around in mad patterns, never touching anyone of course. And with it all a horrifying wailing noise overlaid with whispered threats are just at the edge of hearing. The longer the room is lingered in, the more likely it is that 'sharp' instruments will make swooping passes at people, but don't worry, they're rubber.

Flee the dining room and there is still the kitchen, which is the designated actor room for the event. Remember, don't attack your Haunted House volunteers. Within moments of entering there's rattling in a door that no doubt leads to the pantry, and it soon creaks open in a properly spooky manner. A man, or woman, will stagger out, looking half dead and covered with blood, and wielding a butcher's cleaver. Given the pot on the stove that's bubbling and has what looks like an arm sticking out of it, you probably want to flee the shuffling footsteps and maniacal laughter. But hey, at least you know what the source of the ghosts probably is.

And in the final room there's time to cool down a bit. Literally. It's something like a walk in freezer that you've been herded into, meaning there are hunks of meat hanging all around you from chains. What starts as pigs and cows soon gives way to hanging and dismembered human torsos. Which is definitely a problem because, soon enough, the creepy cook will be after you again. Best to just try and hide behind these grisly sides of meat and make for the brightly lit and open doors at the far end and you'll find...



Post Spook Time Meal! - After Either Route


Freedom from either path means reaching a final area where someone has managed to get a local restaurant to help donate time with a bit of a mixer. Swap stories about your experiences as you enjoy volunteers moving around in overdone demon and spooky ghost costumes, all carrying snacks and drinks. Enjoy eyeball-frosting cupcakes, jello brains, and 'steaming' goblets of green liquid that turn out to be warm drinks of one style or another the gray 'stone' goblets turn out to be slightly alcoholic, and the white 'bone' ones are all non-alcoholic. Anything you can imagine to take normal foods and make them spooky can be seen here, and even some tables with kids spooky party cliches like 'boiled eye' peeled grapes, or a bowl of crushed oreos with gummy worms in them.

Once the hauntings shut down at ten also make sure to give your performance volunteers and organizers applause. After all, Loki worked SERIOUSLY hard on the illusions for hell, and Tommy had to move around REALLY heavy statues and suits of armor super fast, and Wanda did really great at making things move and fly around in the haunted dining room, just as some examples.

Costumes are of course welcome, and if you didn't wear any coming to the haunted house, there is a whole rack of simple costumes and costume ideas to enjoy, everything from a combination strap on angel wings and halo to a fake axe to the head headband to the spookiest costume of all: a name tag that says 'IRS Auditor'. Enjoy yourself, mingle, and share your stories of spooky encounters!

Oh, and after ten, be sure to come over to the quiet little booth in the back to take pictures with Speedy the Baby Sloth no flash photography please. A sign will helpfully inform you that all spooky noises for demons and ghosts were made using natural sloth noises that had been messed around with in audio mixing software to make a plethora of scary noises. He's a very talented little voice actor.
wasinnocent: (charis102_2)

[personal profile] wasinnocent 2019-10-26 10:58 am (UTC)(link)
She holds a hand up in a gesture of defeat and let the subject die there. "I feel like it won't be a real apology gift unless you think of it yourself. It has to come from the heart." She lets out a tiny huff of a chuckle. "That sounds like something that would come out of the kid running this thing's mouth."
morethanatrickster: (loki_008)

[personal profile] morethanatrickster 2019-10-27 05:42 am (UTC)(link)
"Tommy?" He laughs along with her, but nods all the same. "It really does." But Tommy's a good kid, and...his first friend here; his first friend in general in a very long time. "He makes a valid point at times, but if you mention to him I told you that I'll turn your hair pink."
wasinnocent: (charis73)

[personal profile] wasinnocent 2019-10-27 06:00 am (UTC)(link)
"He's a positive thinker. Or just perseverant and faking it." At the very least he was an amusing kid. She'd always had a soft spot for children, even male ones. Coda tended to favor women but Tommy didn't seem that bad. "Go for it. Kheran's can't dye our hair easily, maybe I'd like a change."
morethanatrickster: (loki_044)

[personal profile] morethanatrickster 2019-10-27 06:43 am (UTC)(link)
"He endures. It's endearing." And he believes in people who doesn't deserve it. He's...something of a gift, but they don't need to discuss that.

"Oh?" He grins. "Is there any particular color you'd like to try?"
wasinnocent: (charis50)

[personal profile] wasinnocent 2019-10-27 07:08 am (UTC)(link)
"How cute. You really like the kid." It was hard to not tease him. Really hard. But it was actually kind of cute that he seemed fond of the kid.

"You're putting me on the spot. Never really thought about what I'd try. But I'm definitely going to be telling Tommy eventually."
morethanatrickster: (loki_043)

[personal profile] morethanatrickster 2019-10-28 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
Sometimes her empathy was annoying. Like now. He breathed a sigh, shaking his head. "Yes, but you're not supposed to notice that."

Well, then. "What's your favorite color?"
wasinnocent: (charis17 copy)

[personal profile] wasinnocent 2019-10-28 04:19 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, right, it annoys you," the grin on her face doesn't fade in the slightest. Maybe he'll eventually catch on to the fact that she does it to tease him.

"Red. Deep red."
morethanatrickster: (loki_043)

[personal profile] morethanatrickster 2019-10-29 03:08 am (UTC)(link)
"Ah, the color of blood." He chuckles, exaggerating the word. "Or wine, depending on your perspective." He just didn't comment on the rest, because commenting on it annoying him at all was more admission that he cared for.
wasinnocent: (charis17 copy)

[personal profile] wasinnocent 2019-10-29 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
"Go with both. My two favorite things." Well, not really, but she was at least enjoying herself. Besides, you're meant to be spooky in a haunted house, right?
morethanatrickster: (loki_015)

[personal profile] morethanatrickster 2019-10-31 07:35 am (UTC)(link)
"Naturally." He chuckles, but doesn't do anything remotely akin to transforming anything. Instead, he takes a cocktail from a passing helper and smirks before taking a sip. "I'll try to remember the color scheme."
wasinnocent: (charis26 copy)

[personal profile] wasinnocent 2019-10-31 10:22 am (UTC)(link)
She shakes her head and chuckles. "Why does that sound vaguely ominous?"
morethanatrickster: (loki_015)

[personal profile] morethanatrickster 2019-11-02 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well," he smiled, taking a sip from his acquired cocktail, "I am the God of Mischief."
wasinnocent: (charis141)

[personal profile] wasinnocent 2019-11-03 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
"Just like I'm the goddess of vengeance right?" She laughs and shakes her head. "Mortals are weird."
morethanatrickster: (loki_047)

[personal profile] morethanatrickster 2019-11-03 05:34 pm (UTC)(link)
"If that is due to your life-long odyssey to avenge your sisterhood, then yes, I suppose so." He chuckles, nodding. "That they are. A man tosses around a bit of lightning and suddenly he's the God of Thunder. Granted, they also call him the God of Fertility, which simply means my dear brother has always enjoyed mucking about with humans."
Edited (all words that start with 'al' mean the same thing, right?) 2019-11-03 17:35 (UTC)
wasinnocent: (charis102_2)

[personal profile] wasinnocent 2019-11-04 11:02 am (UTC)(link)
"It was due to a lot of reasons." She shrugs and then laughs. "They're not bad for that kind of mucking around. As long as you don't let yourself get too attached."
morethanatrickster: (loki_055)

[personal profile] morethanatrickster 2019-11-07 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"Such as?" He rolls his eyes, shaking his head and scoffing slightly. "Their arrogance hardly makes up for their usefulness in that regard."
wasinnocent: (pic#4331950)

[personal profile] wasinnocent 2019-11-08 05:08 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, come on, you had to have gotten that," she gives him a smirk and then shakes her head. Sometimes he was amusingly naive about the subtle sexual hints she made.
morethanatrickster: (loki_002)

[personal profile] morethanatrickster 2019-11-09 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Had to have gotten-wait. Was she implying that-? His eyebrows rose slightly and he smirked. "Well, I suppose one must take their amusements where they can. The humans were your only options, weren't they?"
wasinnocent: (pic#4150818)

[personal profile] wasinnocent 2019-11-11 09:04 am (UTC)(link)
"Unless I wanted to fuck someone from the Brotherhood again, and nobody wants to do that." Raven was a fun romp before he'd revealed himself to be completely insane. And evil. Mostly just insane though. Why did she constantly fall for insane men?
morethanatrickster: (loki_015)

[personal profile] morethanatrickster 2019-11-13 12:19 am (UTC)(link)
"Fair enough," he smiles, preparing to deliver his next comment with as smooth an entrance as possible. He was very good at smooth, at least when he wasn't talking to an empath who could sense how nervous he was about it. "Though here you do have...other options."
wasinnocent: (charis50)

[personal profile] wasinnocent 2019-11-13 03:20 am (UTC)(link)
He was so good at hiding things, even from himself, that if she weren't an empath she'd have probably thought nothing of his nervousness. It was unlucky for him that she was an empath and so she felt it. Maybe the right thing to do here would be to give him a break. Too bad she was more interested in her own amusement than giving anyone a break.

She moved a bit closer to him and smirked. "Suggesting something?"
morethanatrickster: (loki_034)

[personal profile] morethanatrickster 2019-11-17 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
Given all that had happened in his recent history, to say he'd been too busy for such frivolities was a bit (or a lot) if an understatement. That being said, he was fairly certain she wasn't simply toying with him, and if she was he'd turn her into something untoward and unfortunate.

He moved his horned helmet to a side table as she moved closer, a mischievous smirk pulling back the corners of his mouth. "I might be at that. What do you think it may be?"
wasinnocent: (charis75)

[personal profile] wasinnocent 2019-11-17 08:34 am (UTC)(link)
She moved closer and in a low, mischievous, voice replied to him. "I thought maybe you were going to volunteer your brother." Of course that's not really what she thought, she's not that dense. It did seem like the more amusing thing to say at the moment though.
morethanatrickster: (loki_070)

[personal profile] morethanatrickster 2019-11-19 08:38 am (UTC)(link)
He chuckles, teasing, though his tone is slightly annoyed when he responds. "Ah, but Thor's interests lie elsewhere. You, my dear, are far too capable and beautiful for his palate." Harsh? Perhaps, but Thor had passed up the lovely Lady Sif for...Jane Foster.
wasinnocent: (charis90)

[personal profile] wasinnocent 2019-11-19 11:47 am (UTC)(link)
"That so? Too capable and beautiful for him?" It's a miracle but somehow she stifles the laugh that wants to come out. He's full of shit, or at least she thinks he is, but it's amusing nonetheless. "So, does that mean I sound appealing to your palate?"

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