Spooky Simulacrum

[Lady Angel Heart]

A. Check out the big door.  

[Random Nobody 13]

C. Skip this room and go see if something is over by the door.

 

[Midnight Holographic]

E. Follow the hall to where it bends and ignore the doors.

Sonata could have sworn that he came in right behind another animal and yet when he entered the dark strange hallway he couldn't make anyone out. Asides from the sounds of his foot pads hitting the marble floor there wasn't any other noise to indicate that someone could be in here. He found himself walking at a brisker pace, hoping to catch up with another animal who might have pressed on ahead a little farther than himself. Going passed the first door, then the second, before quickly passing the third and forth until he came just shy to the bend in the hallway. Everything about this place was making his fur stand on end and the anticipation of rounding the corner made him hard stop before reaching there. What if it wasn't another animal on the other side. There could be nothing or no one, but he felt as though there was.  

[Lillypuff]

A. Investigate the furniture and paintings of the room.  

[polliwoggi]

You decide to skip the food but have a look at the other bits and bobs about the room. The furniture itself is, as you thought, quite worn and rather decrepit looking. The cushions actually seem to be molding, and a couple of them are even partially rotted away. As you travel around the table, you notice that each is in a similar condition, with no signs of being recently used or cleaned. The table itself is much the same; it's honestly almost surprising that it holds the weight of the food, given how run down it is. Must have some supports hidden inside.

The paintings take your attention next as you make a note to check the fireplace after. You start nearest the door, gazing up at the tall portraits; each is seemingly made to life size, and quite realistic in style. Each depicts a monstrous animal leering down at you from their place on the canvas. One in particular catches your attention, and you pause to stare at it; you could almost swear that it was breathing with how realistic it is...

It blinks.

In an instant, you find yourself no longer on the floor, but being dragged upward by a set of very strong tentacles! Before you know it, the painting - or rather, the creature in the painting! - has lunged out at you, grabbing you and removing you unwittingly from the dining room. A shutter slams shut behind you, leaving you in complete darkness with this beast! Then, a moment later --

A soft light clicks on above, and the 'creature' is revealed to be nothing more than a tall octopus with a very convincing mask. Once you've calmed down enough, he laughingly tells you that you've lost the game - no more haunted house for you, but at least you got a good spook out of it!

DEAD END

Lillypuff

 

[polliwoggi]

Finding the dining room to be a bit too creepy, or maybe suspicious, for your tastes, you decide that checking out that door is your best bet after all. You high-tail it across the room, not even stopping to look further at the odd food or the paintings adorning the walls. What you find is a door, indeed - a small, staff service door set in its alcove, clearly designed to be out of the way.

As you open it, the smell of food becomes stronger, though with it the smell of rot as well. You can't imagine that they're actually holding rotting food in a tourist attraction, but it definitely smells like it. It's enough to make most citizen's stomachs turn, and the source is soon apparent; beyond the small door lies a large kitchen, but a rather unpleasant one.

The make of the kitchen is quite different than that of the previous rooms; it's lined with, as far as you can tell, white tile, and the counters - lining two walls - and island in the center are all made of smooth steel, as is the wash basin directly ahead, just to the left, and the large stove and oven at the back of the room far to your right. However, it is only by the grace of a few clean spots that you are able to tell this, as most of the flat surfaces in the room appear to be heaped with what looks like various forms of rotting vegetables and meat.

Whether or not it's real notwithstanding, it looks very convincing, down to the seeping, brown fluid that drips in several places to pool upon the floor and the dark-red smears over the tiled walls. The pots and pans of the area are in disarray, most having been knocked from their holders and left to settle into the rot piles, and the same for what little silverware you can see in the place.

One pot does still seem to be in service, however, settled upon the stove as it is. A cloyingly sweet steam rises from it, clashing harshly with the scent of the room, and occasionally a sizzle of something hitting the heat below sounds out into the room.

There is a pair of metal doors ahead, beyond the wash basin, likely leading to a refrigerator from the looks of it. Another smaller door is set next to them, and while you're not certain if there's a door, there is an alcove in the back, near the stove. It is, however, nearly pitch black, and the dull, flickering orange light above doesn't help you see what's beyond very well.

Do you:

A. Investigate the rot piles.
B. Check out the bubbling pot.
C. See what's in the ... fridge?
D. Look past the smaller door.
E. Have a gander at the dark space.

Nashawryn

oceyyyy

dickory

Nymphiea

FrostyPeaches

Random Nobody 13

 

[polliwoggi]

Having nothing really to go on, you decide to check out the third door and see what's beyond it. Thankfully, it's unlocked, and it lets you in with little effort. The room beyond is surprisingly not dim, but well lit from a set of lights above.

The space appears to be a library, with the walls filled with well-kept bookshelves rising to the tall ceiling above. An equally tall ladder rests against one of them, allowing access to even the highest books above. In contrast to the hall behind, the area seems to be well kept, and smells not of dust or mold but of old paper - honestly rather pleasant, if you like that sort of thing!

In addition to the wall shelves, three more tall free-standing shelves make up the majority of the room, though you note a study area to your right, with a large desk covered in several papers and a pair of hefty books. A plush-looking leather chair sits behind it, and it even has its own table lamp for better vision! There are also some small knick-knacks on it - a miniature globe, what appears to be a small, stone skull of some sort, and a ... succulent?

The floor here is different, too, you note. Instead of the smooth marble tile, it has transitioned into a deep hardwood. Looking around for anything else, you notice something peculiar - there is a slight wearing in the wood, it seems. You're not certain, but you think there seems to be a particularly well-walked path leading between two of the bookshelves...

Do you:

A. Look closer at the bookshelves themselves.
B. Take a look at the desk and its contents.
C. Try and follow the worn trail to see if it really is a trail.

Green Minuet

 

[polliwoggi]

The best is last, right? You hope so, anyway, as you choose that door to go through.

This room is quite dark, lit only by a single lamp, which sits upon a piano in the center back of the room. That seems to be the general purpose of this room, as it's rather open, with the spacious area giving way for not only the piano, but a lovely, golden harp to the right of the room. The front wall, directly to your right and left, is adorned with several stringed instruments mounted carefully against it - seemingly more for decoration than use, though you do notice a cluster of music stands in the front right corner.

The walls are bare, leaving little of interest; the paint is white, though cracking in places, yet in better condition than the hallway that you entered from. There is a singular shelf, near the back, stacked with what looks like a few books, some papers, and at least one metronome, though you can't tell what else is there as it is hidden behind a cabinet door. It seems the primary focus of the room is the instruments themselves, as otherwise the only notable furniture are a pair of chairs pushed aside near the music stands.

Do you:

A. Investigate the piano.
B. Check out the harp.
C. Look at the guitars more closely.
D. Have a look at the shelf.
E. Go see if there's anything on the stands and chairs.

Scapanorhynchus

 

[polliwoggi]

Opting to ignore the doors, you hurry down the spooky hallway to see where it goes; the answer to that is not very far - you're greeted by a steel-blue door with an imposingly large handle.

Going through, you're met with a dazzling sight; it takes a moment to adjust as your eyes are overwhelmed by a bright, glittering wave of light. As you adjust, your senses are otherwise overwhelmed with a feeling of both falling and being utterly grounded at the same time. You seem to peer into infinity, and it takes several moments for your mind to understand that you haven't stepped into infinity, but in fact into what appears to be a hallway - or a room? - made out of mirrors.

The effect is quite extreme, and it takes a bit of getting used to before you realize you don't even know where the lights are coming from. You reach out, and finding nothing directly in front of you, take a few more hesitant, groping steps to gain your bearings. Eventually, you bump into a pane of glass - okay, not that way. You spend a bit doing the same, using the door as your guideline for direction until you figure out that the small room seems to be a junction for two hallways, one going deeper forward into the Simulacrum, and another branching off to the right. Neither has any distinctive markings about it - they're both simply seemingly infinite hallways of innumberable mirrors.

Do you:

A. Go deeper forward.
B. Head off to the right.

sheepcakes

Midnight Holographic

 

[polliwoggi]

Not wanting to take any chances with that ... thing, you edge around the walkway to the large door. You glance at the plaque, affirming that it is, in fact, too worn to read. With a shrug, you pull the heavy thing open and shuffle through quickly; it closes behind you with a thick thud, leaving you in the darkness, alone.

It only lasts for a moment, though, as soon a light flickers to hesitant life overhead - followed by another, and another, lighting a white hallway with matching tile. It takes a moment for you to comprehend what's before you, as it's a sudden shift - no longer do you seem to be in a mansion, but in a hospital hallway instead, at least judging from the numbers on the doors nearby and the lone, unattended gurney several feet ahead.

Only as your eyes adjust to the dull fluorescence do you realize that something is ... off about everything. The walls are not sterile, as they should be, but marred with dull water stains; the floor is speckled with dirty brown splatters, and you notice a puddle of something dark underneath the gurney, as well as on it. A metallic twang hits your nose as you look over everything, and it pulls at the back of your throat as you squint into the darkness past the lights above.

You turn, testing the door behind you, finding that it no longer budges under your touch. From where you stand, there seems to be six doors within view, and beyond that only inky black. Three of the doors seem to have broken handles, however, leaving you with thankfully fewer choices on your journey.

Do you:

A. Check the first door on the right.
B. Check the second door on the left.
C. Check the third door on the left.
D. Investigate the gurney.
E. Venture deeper into the darkness.

Lady Angel Heart

 

[polliwoggi]

You decide that maybe that ... whoever it is, well, isn't actually anything bad after all. Maybe they're another player in the game, not sure where to go? Whatever the case may be, you slowly head around the walkway, approaching the shadowy figure cautiously.

It doesn't move, apart from turning to keep its eyes on you. A knot churns its way into your stomach, and for just a moment you rethink your choice, but in the end you decide to follow through. You offer a hesitant smile as you approach, and a single arm in greeting as it gazes down at you silently; you manage a squeaked-out greeting, though the degree to which your voice shakes surprises even you.

The figure is placid, for a few long moments, and just as you begin to lower your arm it reaches out lightning-quick and snags it with a long, dark ... claw? You tug at the grip, but as you raise your gaze, you can see that a too-broad grin has spread across the strange person's face - or what you can see of it, as only the glint of sharp teeth really tells you that there's anything in that shadowy mess.

A second later and your vision goes dark; you struggle, not realizing at first what has happened - the figure has snatched you up and, it seems, covered you with its cloak. By the time you break free, it's only because the strange person has let you free - in a place you don't recognize, with flickering lights above and an odd smell in the air. A thud behind you heralds the closing of a large door - it seems as though you can't return from whence you came, now, but at least you're still in the Simulacrum. That's ... a good thing, right?

You look back to the figure - still there, it seems - and they smile widely at you again before hissing a single, soft word at you.

"Friend."

You have been taken to the hospital route here. However, you seem to have a new friend along for the ride! You'll be receiving this citizen in drop-offs very soon~

Marzipanz

 

[oceyyyy]

Not liking that someone or something has been here recently, Spoop decides to stick to the shadows, dodging the rot piles along the way. Hopefully the cook didn't have the same idea.

E. Have a gander at the dark space.  

[Nashawryn]

Pew Pew is intrigued by everything in the kitchen (except that rancid food, gross). The thing that caught his attention the most however, was the shadowy area in the back. Pew Pew immediately headed that way.. He decided to E. Have a gander at the dark space.  

[dickory]

D!