Log:This Spooky Old House: Exploration Edition, Part 4

This Spooky Old House 2020/07/20 	 Bran Phantom Blockbuster Blink Felix Kid Tengu Night Hound Chalmers Hornbeck

4

KT looks around at the others but remains quiet. Human Ghost Stories are not his favorite 'Pop Culture motiff' and finding himself in the midst of somehting similar has him following the others' lead.

With the other rooms accounted for he returns his eyes to the hidden door beneath the stairs.

Phantom stands before the hidden door. "There's got to be a way to open this. I mean, sure, I imagine some of you could smash right through. I don't know if Blink teleporting there alone is a smart idea after that last room. This place is weird."

Felix hangs out at the back of the group, idly tapping his baseball sized power rod against his leg as he watches behind everyone. He's a fan of horror movies. He likes laughing at them but not, it seems, being in one.

Blockbuster floats next to Felix, bobbing in the air on a column of dull red light. She keeps her attention mostly focused on maintaining the remaining three or so orbs of white light currently floating around her to keep the basement lit up for everyone else.

"Um, not to bring up another horror movie trope, but do we want to open this hidden door or the obvious one that the evil monster lurks behind because it's, you know, obvious?" murmurs Felix.

"What about just opening it from the other side?" Blink offers up her answer to the $1M question. It doesn't need to be a secret from both sides, -obviously-. "Don't worry, Phanny. I wore my big girl clothes today..." So she goes to see what's on the other side of the door.

BLAMF

The solution to all weird rooms, hidden doors, and late night munchie attacks.

"Not what I..." Felix trails off then mutters, "Never break up the party..."

"I thought we weren't supposed to split up..." KT says, cocking his head.

Bran listens quietly, keeping an eye out. "Well, if you have a link to her, you'll know what happens, right? Then you bash down the door if you have to.

On the other side of the door it is pitch black Blink discovers. Given her special senses, this is not a great problem. It is a bit cobwebby though. But despite all this, yes, Blink can easily sense the door handle on this side. Seems that a spring on this side that'll make the door pop open a little held in place by a latch.

Phantom facepalms and Blink teleports. "Yeah, every horror film ever proves that." He steps back from the door and nods to Bran, then looks to KT. "We'll listen for Blink. Get ready to go through that door if she's in distress." Then he looks back to Bran. "We should know if she's in trouble. Unless something can block me."

"It's okay. Blink isn't the cheerleader, she's like half-way down the kill list," opines Blockbuster.

KT nods and entwines his arms together and turn his hands into a great hammer to knock the door off its hinges at the first sign (or thought) of trouble.

While Blink is behind the secret door, you all hear someone coming down the stairs from above. Seems they're making no effort to be quiet but are rather light. All of you are in a good position to hear it, especially Blink, to whom the steps are coming from right above.

Phantom hangs his head back at Blockbuster's comment, suppressing a groan. "Does that put you at the top, then?" he asks with a half-smile, a little worried.

SPROING!

Ok, so it's probably not quite that loud when Blink flicks the latch to let the not-really-hidden-anymore-door pop open.

"No, the jock is nearly always the first, unless he dating the designate survivor virgin..." He glances over towards the base of the stairs from upstairs, bringing his power rod up.

"Totally. I'm a cheerleader and not white," replies Blockbuster to Phantom in a cheery tone of voice. She looks at Blink when the door opens and smiles happily, waving at Blink.

 Blink says, "Do we have more company? Doesn't sound like the zombies.. unless these ones are more ninja zombies?"

 The Skeleton says, "I can sense something coming down the stairs. It's magick though."

"Well, at least the jock is supposed to die when he's making out with the cheerleader or something," Phantom jokes darkly. He looks to Blockbuster and worries at her statement, his eyes widening. "You're doomed."

"This is a great relief. I am not a cheerleader, white nor have I engaged in any uncertified copulation." KT says as Blink unlatches the door. "So is seeing you, Blinky." He adds quietly as his eyes slide up toward teh sound of footsteps.

He whispers to Blink, "How often are teh zombies also Ninjas?"

Phantom falls quiet as he hears the others and whispers, "Stay near, I'll hide us if there's a mind behind it." He looks to explain to Bran, "Something's coming down the stairs that's magical."

From around the corner, at the base of the stairs, a very off white, more like dirt streaked piece of cloth gets waved by a skeletal hand.

Bran nods to Phantom and keeps an eye on the base of the stairs. What he can see of it, anyway.

Blink shrugs at KT, though adds, after Phantom's comment, in a whisper. "Magic Ninja Zombies!"

 Phantom says, "Do we go in the hiding place? It seems to know we're here, and I think Harrington has eyes everywhere. If it gets too close, it'll see us."

Blockbuster cocks her head to one side as the dirty hanky and skeletal hand poke around the corner.

Phantom says quietly to Bran, "It can't see or hear us at the moment, but if it gets too close, it'll notice us."

 Blockbuster says, "Should I... Shoot it?"

"Guys? What do we do?" he murmurs softly.

 The Skeleton says, "Can we fit Bran in here, Phantom? Cause, well, it makes sense if we can. I mean, he knows about you, right?"

 Phantom says, "He knows, but I'm stretched as thin as I can go."

 The Skeleton says, "Ah, never mind then."

"Maybe it won't attack me if I'm a zombie ninja too?" KT offers, pushing himself into a position to defend the others while giving Blockbuster a clear line to shoot.

The skeletal hand waves a bit more then a skull peeks around the edge of the stairs. It then slowly steps out fully continuing to wave the piece of cloth which it apparently tore off the remains of the A-line shirt, with brown stains, it still wears. This skeleton's chect was not hacked open. It looks around then turns to head towards the laundry room door.

Bran says, "Looks like...maybe talk to it?"

"We could go down these stairs," Blink offers up an idea. "See where they go? Or we could talk to Mr. Hanky there?"

KT shifts to match the Zombie it saw earlier and shrugs. "I guess I'll be the mouth. You shoot it if it hits me." He says before moving to talk to 'Mr. Hanky'.

Blockbuster bobs in the air, collecting a small sphere of cherry red light in her palm of one hand. She "juggles" the Cherry Bomb in her hands as she watches, eyes darting to and fro while the skeleton reveals itself.

The light that Blockbuster gives off down illuminate the landing to the set of stairs going down that Blink mentions. It quite cobwebby from what you all can see.

Felix sidles over to look down the stairs and also keep an eye on the other door as well. He seems to be letting you all handle Mr Hanky.

The skeleton's almost reached the laundry room door when it turns as KT crosses out of the 'invisibility field'. It's left hand makes an abortive dart down to its waist as if reaching for a gun before stoipping. The right hand continues to waves the piece of cloth.

Blockbuster maintains cover for KT, her Cherry Bomb coming to be gripped in hand as the skeleton goes searching for something at its... Hips? She narrows her eyes as she waves with her free hand for the others to move toward the stairs.

"That cheating mother...." Phantom begins to curse and cuts himself off.

The skeleton has two minds, both of which Phantom recognizes. Somehow, both Chalmers Hornbeck and The Night Hound are both in this skeleton.

Phantom drops the invisibility field. "Kid, wait! It's ...it's Chalmers. And...Night Hound? The spirits that were helping us."

KT notices the motion too though he stays on course.

"Hopefully you've decided that this acrimonious back and forth is only going to end up badly for... My bests till on #Code Dark." KT says. "I assume you kno-" He's cut off by Phantom to which he snaps his head back. "Oh?" He turns back to loook at Chalmers & Nighthound(?).

"So you're on our side?" He asks uncertainly. All these bones look a like to him.

The skeleton stops for a moment then points with it's left hand to the piece of whitish cloth in it's right hand. It remains silent, however, probably due to the lack of lips, tongue, vocal cords, and all the rest of that fleshy junk one needs to talk.

If only Blockbuster were sonokinetic instead of photokinetic! She could help The Skeletal Centipede verbally communicate!

Maybe?

The skeleton tucks away the cloth and moves it's hands slowly through a series of gestures.

"Hmm. Seems relatively universal." KT says about the Skeleton's white flag.

"Can someone tell me why its waving about like that? Is it broken?" KT inquires.

Phantom takes a step to get a clear view of the skeleton. "I...don't know what any of that means. Maybe I can still communicate with their minds...?" He focuses on trying to do that.

Well, it seems they were waiting to talk to you Phantom, as you not only knock down the door but rush into the parlor. Mentally, somehow, the two minds are occupying the same mental place. You sense that you are still only in the upper part of Chalmers mind but you are fully into the deep thoughts of the Night Hound. They speak in a strange tandem.

"It means: Do you speak American Sign Language, young man," says the combined voice.

Phantom speaks outloud for the benefit of the others. "No, I don't. I don't think any of us do...what happened to you two? You're...wow. This is bizarre. It's like you two got merged. Did you possess that thing?"

Phantom gets a mixed voice over of "Yes, I possesed it. Didn't know if I could," and "I'm just along for the ride, kid. Magick's not my bag."

"Oh, I get it," chirps Blockbuster at Phantom's question of the spirits in the skeleton. She smiles cheerily as she points at the ekeleton. "Of course it's a rental! It's a totally bare bones model!"

Blockbuster is the first to notice that Felix's put away his power rod and heading towards the staris down. She's the only one who notices him saying, 'As you command..." in a monotone.

While no one else hears that statement, Felix is walking into the landing and looks like he'sgonna head down the stairs.

Phantom can feel that one of the minds (Chalmers) is faintly horrified by BLockbuster's pun while the other mentally laughs.

Blink watches Felix head into/onto the landing with her and turn for the stairs. "So... you guys have fun with Rent-A-Bone. Felix and me are going to check out the other basement!" She can't let Felix go alone. Also, no one can gripe at her for going alone. Win-win!

Bran didn't hear Felix's comment, but he sees him heading toward the stairs downward, "Hey, maybe wait a minute?"

Apparently, Felix ignores Bran but neither does he respond to Blink. He just walks into the cobwebs, making no attempt to push them out of the way as he starts down the stairs.

"Other basement?" Phantom asks at Blink goes off after Felix. "Felix, what gives? I thought you were on board with the no splitting up call." He looks to Chalmers/Night Hound, registering the pun horror in one and shrugs. "She, uh. That was tame by her standards. Now what's up? I think we'll need to...uhh...commune and walk at the same time. Something's up with Felix."

Bran nods to Phantom, "Alright...well, I guess we head down, then?" He starts down after Felix.

Phantom cringes. "I really don't want to, but it looks like we gotta."

The skeletone goes still for a moment then darts forward trying to reach the stairs down it seems. "His will is here! It's focussed on someone over there!" the Chalmers and NIght Hound voice say. The skeleton pionts towards the southeast corner where most of Code Dark +1 still are.

"Hey, wait up!" Blink isn't totally grossed out by cobwebs, but that doesn't mean she wants to get a facefull of them. At least Felix is nice enough to clear a path by just walking through them so she can just walk after him. "Are you picking up something I'm not?" she asks him, aloud and over the link.

Bran concentrates as he heads down the stairs...reaching out with his mind to sense...

The active mind is located down from here...and up from here from where you stand, Bran. Down is closer by like a floor of building. It's a bit to the right as well.

The young gadgeteer and magic smith, Felix, doesn't respond to Blink over the link or verbally. He's not rushing down the stairs, but not going slow either. Just a steady walking pace.

Phantom looks towards Chalmerton. "Harrington? I figured he'd be watching us," he says as he jogs to catch up. "Wait, it's focused on just one?" He starts to pay attention to his team (and that includes Bran today) to see if he can sense what Chalmer's concerned about.

Bran stops in his tracks...and concentrates again...trying to lash out at the mind he sensed.

Bran nods. "I can sense it here again...but I didn't hit it."

The link that Bran established with the mind of Harringto snaps.

Phantom scans his friends and senses something. "< Bleep >. No wonder Felix is so quiet. That guy's contolling him. Somebody hold him back while I try and help break his mind out." He looks to Bran. "Do you know how to do that yet?"

Bran blinks. "Umm...break someone out of mind control? No idea. I woudl just knock them out. BAM! They're not controlled!"

 Blink says, "On it!"

KT nods. "That sounds fun to me!" He shouts before running to back Blink up with a second forehead flick if Blink can't pul it off.

Phantom laughs. "That is definitely a guaranteed method," he says as he tries to focus. "Maybe you can get an idea how if you can see what's happening, psychically speakin'."

Blink could get all fancy and warp space around Felix, sticking him in an endless (from the outside perspective) torus (aka hyperspatial hamsterwheel), but she's right there. So she just tries to grab him and hang on.

The skeleton that holds two ghosts looks at Phantom. One has the feeling that is wishes it had muscles or maybe eyebrows.

Blink was following Felix, anyhow, so just reaches up to grab ahold of Felix's wrists to stop him. She can be somewhat immobile when she wants to. "Stop! Wait for everyone else!"

Felix struggles against Blink trying to move forward. He mutters in a lifeless monotone, "He calls..." as he struggles.

"Oh. Felix."

With a little sigh, Blockbuster starts gathering up the light for a Cherry Bomb again. She frowns a little bit, sad as she's lining up a shot on the back of Felix's head.

The skeleton is now mixed up among the teens. WHich might be appropriate given the skeleton is no taller than any of the teens. It stops at the top of the stairs, not even setting foot on the landing.

Phantom strains to break Felix's mind free. "Shick. He's got a strong hold on him...I can't remove the suggestion."

Blink plants her feet and keeps her grib on Felix. "That's great. Take a message. Mark yourself offline or something."

Felix, for his part, squirms like an acrobatic weasel, trying to throw off the grab.

Blockbuster frowns under her domino mask as she peers at Blink and Felix.

"Can you, like, drag him off of the stairs, Blink?"

But to no avail, on Felix's part. He's still held by Blink.

"I can try!" Blink assures Busty. It's just not the same without the baby oil and/or mud... or being a spectator, which is her wrestling norm.

SQUIRBLAMF!

It's not the easiest thing to relocate with squirming things, but Blink really didn't have to go far. She just brings Felix back a few strides to the landing inside the door. That way no one's going down stairs. Along or in pairs.

KT moves to block the door.

But you're just a Blinken Boo!

When Blink and Felix have exited the stairwell, Blockbuster reaches out to boop Felix in the forehead with her Cherry Bomb.

"Wakey, wakey," enthuses Blockbuster as she tries to snap Felix out of it with her red photokinetic orb.

Bran gets out of the way, letting the others deal with Felix. After all, Bran's only real option to help Felix would be to blast his mind. Which might be...not the best option.

The cherry bomb goes off right in Felix's face, but at the last possible moment, he turns his head slightly. None of you are certain how much he's been affected but he's still squirming in Blink's grib.

KT winces whenever the cherry bomb goes off. "Perhaps it would be best if I hold our friend." He offers. "I can hold him up, off the ground... so he won't have any leverage and we won't have to blow off his adorable little face or liquifiy that spongy brain of his. I fear if we continue this course we might actually hurt him before we can 'knock him loose'."

He does sound legitmately worried.

There is a rusting sound from all around, one can hear doors slamming open and closed, a stench of death, the chill of the grave, and a voice that grates on one's soul that shouts, "GIVE ME MY PREY!"

Bran looks around...and focuses on the area by the base of the stairs heading up to the first floor. He concentrates...and lashes out again at the house.

"Adorable face? Felix may just die from that, KT," Phantom quips before hearing the grating voice demanding. He quickly locks on Harrington's mind and lashes out when he sense Bran doing the same.

"No," snorts Blockbuster to the ominous, shouty voice that comes from seemingly everywhere around her.

"You can show your, like, face."

Blockbuster plants her hands on her hips, spinning around in the air as she looks for a source to the voice. Her lips and pursed into perhaps the sourest frown any of her friends have seen on her face as her lights keep sputtering gently around her.

"Or keep being a whiny shick sack. I'll bop you in the nose, jerkface, either way!"

"If you wanna help, go right ahead. I'm not Ms. Muscles, here!" Blink thinks that's Phantom's or Blockbuster's job. She looks up at 'The Voice'. "Come get some, Harry-ton-of-halitosis!"

"Well that was my plan B. Compliment him into an Early Grave. Then this House will leave him alone." KT replies, crossing one of his pair of arms across his chest.

KT moves to take Felix out of Blink's clutches, using his spare arms to manuever him while doing most of the lifting with his tail after it slithers around Felix's waist.

Both Bran and Phantom can feel Harrington reel under the effects of your powers. But, unlike before, he doesn't discorporate. Instead, he seems to gather his will and yank on Felix.

And he does show himself at Blockbuster's demand. A spectral form appears near the base of the stairs up to the first floor. He's only partially visible, being hald blcoked by the wall he's standing in. What is revealed is an image of the besuited and distinguished businessman in the picture you all saw of him that alternates with the same man, wearing a dark brown stained robe with half his face blown off by a gunshot(?). In both images, the man's eyes are black pits that seems bottomless, cold, and evil. Said evil radiates from him like a miasma, the air colder now since he appeared.

Felix jerks in Kid Tengu's arms as an invisible force latches onto him. Fortunately, KT is stronger than whatever is tugging on Felix.

Kid Tengu uncrosses his arms and extends them to the ground. Millions of microscopic hairs wrap around and grip the surface, almost bonding him to it to enhance hsis grip.

"Somehting is actually fighing me... for control over Felix..." KT says to the others as he hoists him up to reduce Felix's leverage as much as possible.

"Its pretty strong... whatever its. So you BrainBoys ought to ..." He grunts. "You should make whatever you're doing quick."

Phantom focuses his mind on Harrington. "Give it up, Harrington! Your killing days are over!" he declares forcefully as he assaults Harrington's spectral mind. Nobody tries to take his friends.

The pushed mental black from Phantom drains the youth. Harrington, on the other hand, reels back as if struck physically then discorporates with a raging wail.

The force tugging on Felix suddenly ends as well. Possibly throwing Kid Tengu off balance.

Bran blinks. "It left again, yes?"

The ground cracks beneath KT's grasp and he wobbles as suddenly Felix is no long pulling against him unnaturally.

"Maybe? I don't think its holding on to Felix... not like it was anyway." He says to Bran.

"Yeah! Kick him in the braincrotch!" Blink throws up an arm and whoopse. Who says she can't be a cheerleader?

Phantom lets out a breath from the psychic exertion. "Yeah. Which means we're winning, right?" he looks to Bran and offers a tired smile.

The skeleton waves his hands to get attention then mimes holding one hand like he's holding something then punching it with one finger.

Felix, for his part, is still struggling against Kid Tengu. To no success, but he's still game to get downstairs it seems.

Phantom's mind is scattered enough, trying to manage the team, assault Harrington, and now going back to trying to understand the skeleton. Since Felix is awol mentally, he drops him from the mind link and tries to connect to the skeleton. "I don't know what that means."

 The Skeleton says, ""DO YOU HAVE A CELLPHONE/A NOTEPAD? I CAN TYPE/WRITE on it!...Oh, a mental link. How pleasant/snazzy. I, we, cannot cross the threshold of the stairs. Or rather, I, we, think if we do, it'll be a one way trip."

"Can't they just play charades? That seems easier than trying to teach us hand sign language," grumbles Blockbuster. She bobs in place, looking at the group before looking back toward Felix for several seconds. Gradually Blockbuster looks back at The Chalmers/Night Hound Express. "How many words is it? Did you realize that Little Timmy fell down the well in that other room?"

 Phantom says, "A one way trip to where...?"

The mental voice on the link from the skeleton sounds like an overlay of a cultured Canadian voice and one slightly New York accented CB drawl.

 Blockbuster says, "How many words is it?"

 The Skeleton says, "It's one word, sounds like prison/two words, sounds like soul trap. I/we'd prefer not to trapped. Barely holding on/cannot prevent. You have questions?"

 Phantom says, "What were you trying to warn us about outside, Chalmers?"

 Blink says, "I've got one. Is this just a one-way trip for you two, or should we all be backing the frak up?"

<LINK> The Skeleton says, "To not go into the house/what do you think he's be waning you about, kid? Harrington's a blood mage and killer/Harrington's a psycho."

<LINK> The Skeleton says, "You are still embodied souls, so you are safe, my dear. Well, as safe as anyoine bearding an insane maneating lion in it's den/No idea kid, I just beat up the bad guys. Not a mage. Left the mystic mumbo jumbo to my partner, kid."

<LINK> Phantom says, "It's a shame your partner's spirit isn't around to lend some advice."

<LINK> Blockbuster says, "Hmmmm."

<LINK> The Skeleton says, "Well, he's not dead right now, kid./Really? Whatever do you mean?"

Phantom realizes Bran can't understand what's going on and rubs the back of his head. "Sorry, Bran. We were in the Brainwave trying to understand Chalmers and Nighthound, but I'm tapped. I can't manage one more mind to add you at the moment."

Blockbuster floats over to Bran and plants a hand on his shoulder.

"Tag. You're it!"

She promptly tries to drop her end of the mindlink because Chalmers and Nighthound's joint speech is giving her a headache. Plus, it's probably better for the Mind Benders to be on the same page instead of the meatshield like her.

Bran nods. "I figured it was something like that. Since you all just seem...quiet. And staring at each other."

Phantom chuckles. "Well, it seems Blockbuster gave up her spot to you. If you feel comfortable joining in?" he asks.

Bran thinks about it. "No...that's okay. Thank you, though."

"Maybe we all just think we're dozy to look at?" KT teases.

Blink looks to Bran. "Nah, we're just checking each other out all the time. Hey, welcome to the club!"

Blink then eyes KT. "Hey, get out of my... right. Nevermind." She turns to look Blockbuster over, instead. Since they're all dozy to look at and can't have Busty feeling all left out. Not that Blink can blame her. The double-doozy is a pain in her brain, too. "So, got any ideas?"

Phantom nods to Bran. "Okay. The offer's there if you change your mind," he says, not pushing the issue. Blockbuster can feel an attempt to add her back into the Brainwave. "I'll try and remember to talk out loud." To the skeleton, he says, "Wait, what? He's alive? He could maybe help us, then! Who is he?"

<LINK> The Skeleton says, "Harrington's sanctum is on the third floor. I'd guess that where he is/What he means is that where the bastard's most powerful so be careful. Right, Chalmers?/Quite correct, Night Hound. Sorry, I forget you're not adepts/He means mages."

"No. I'm still trying to figure out one word that sounds like prison," sighs Blockbuster at Blink. She pouts a little bit, folding her arms across her chest as she bobs in place.

Phantom ponders what Blockbuster's pondering. "They were in disagreement if it was one or two words. Soul trap...hmm. Purgatory?"

"I still vote we burn this place to the ground. Then- no Third Floor." KT says, trying to be practical.

He looks to Blockbuster and lists, "Prism. Parison. Britton. Apparition...."

<LINK> The Skeleton says, "Yes, an artifical one and likely unpleasant/Roach motel is what he means, kids."

<LINK> The Skeleton says, "No, that might free Harrrington/the psycho/He's tied here for some reason. Something binds him to this place, keeps him from passing on/He's got something special here that keeps him here, is what the professor means"

Bran says to Phantom, "Does the skeleton guy know how to get us to the third floor?"

Blockbuster blinks at Phantom.

"I... Don't think that sounds like prison or soul trap."

Helpfully, Blockbuster floats over to pat Phantom consolingly on the shoulder. She gives him a smile and a quick kiss on the cheek before she floats over toward KT to contemplate with her fellow intellectual. Along the way, Blockbuster cheerily adds, "It was a good guess though, Phantom. Don't worry, KT and I'll figure it out."

"If Harrington is strongest on the third floor, why was he trying to lure Felix to the second basement? And why do I keep feeling like this was the way to the attic?" Phantom ponders. Maybe his head's not on straight. He looks to Bran. "He hasn't said yet. But he can hear you. He just can't talk, so you can ask him any other questions directly."

<LINK> The Skeleton says, "Yes, go down the stairs...or up the other set of stairs off the kitchen."

Phantom blinks a few times as Blockbuster kisses him on the cheek and stops talking after that, like his train of thought was broken by that. He finally smiles. "Well, glad to know the brains of the operation are on the job," he says sincerely.