Touring Haunted Mansion, It's haunted alright...

Posted on Sun Nov 10th, 2024 @ 5:38pm by Ensign Kash th'Kaasniik & Ensign Dani Harper & Ensign Charlotte Dawes & Sub-Lieutenant Osirin Acainus & Lieutenant JG Kasper Andersen M.D & Lieutenant JG Jason Williams III & Ensign S'Niri & Ensign Tyler Williams

2,106 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Seasonal & Holidays
Location: Holodeck 3
Timeline: MD Alpha, Part 1

Kash, Tyler, Dani, and a few others who volunteered at the hayride strolled into the holodeck together laughing and talking about the kids' costumes and the jump scares they got throughout the night.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm thirsty," Kash said pointing at the drink table in the back. He was dressed as a Pirate from old Earth, though his outfit was better tailored than anything they would have likely worn.

"Sorry ladies, but I'll join Kash on this one. I need a drink after that hayride and the kids." Tyler said as they both made their way over to the drinks table and left the girls by themselves. An extremely private interest of Tyler's was fine arts and special effects artwork, so he had decided to attend the hayride dressed as a somewhat realistic human zombie that had the look of the recently turned undead, complete with ripped and torn clothing.

Kash was pouring himself some of the green-colored punch when he thought he saw a familiar face talking to one of the nurses on board. He felt the blood drain from his face as he quickly turned his back on the two of them. Kash's voice felt dry as he got Tyler's attention. "Hey, the exchange officer. Do you know much about him?"

Tyler almost spit out the remainder of the drink he'd just put in his mouth at the mention of Osirin. His face must have been a dead give away for having known the exchange officer in one way or another, "Uh, yeah, you could say I know a bit about him... I, uh, struck up a bit of a conversation with him after we all went out the other night." He scratched the back of his head and looked around quickly to see where S'Niri was before turning back to Kash, "How do you know him?"

Kash's antennae began to move slightly more than usual, taking in the environment of room, both as a response to Kash's own stress, and the signals that Tyler had started giving off. It appeared that Tyler might feel something more than friendship for the Akadian. The thought struck more of a nerve than Kash expected it to, and he thought it was best to keep the extent of their history with one another quiet for now.

"I was on exchange with them one summer at the Academy. An internship of sorts during Second Contact," Kash responded brushing it off as casually as he could. "I guess I shouldn't have been that surprised that someone from that program would be the exchange officer. It only makes sense, right?"

"Yeah," Tyler nodded as he coughed and banged on his chest to get rid of the drink that had gone down the wrong way, "It makes total sense. The guy has all the charisma in the world, so it's the perfect role." He did pick up on the fact that Kash's antennae were moving more than usual, maybe he was holding something back? "Wanna get some food to help with the drink?"

By both training and nature, Osirin was an observant man. So, it wasn't a surprise that he'd seen his two crew mates together. Their being together could have been a coincidence, and they were probably not talking about him. If they were Akadians, it wouldn't have been an issue. In fact it might have been an interesting encounter.

But, he and Kash hadn't parted on the best of terms.

There was only one thing to do. He walked towards the pair.

"How are the two of you getting along?" he asked.

Kash did his best to not overreact to Osirin's greeting, but his unexpected presence made Kash nervous. Hell, he would have been nervous to talk to him under any condition. It had been two years, and while Kash hadn't thought about Osirin in a long while, seeing him there looking more attractive than ever made Kash realize he still had feelings for the man.

"I was just telling Tyler that we knew one another from my summer internship. I didn't realize you were the exchange officer here. Small universe." Kash punctuated his statement by raising his cup of green punch slightly as a salutation of sorts and lamented over how awkward he just sounded.

Osirin thought of inserting himself between the two other men, but that would have been too forward and too awkward even for him. He was however unable to overcome the temptation to give the two a smart ass reply, though if he were being honest with himself it was to cover his own confused feelings. But, before he could do so, the trio's conversation was interrupted.

"Hello, boys. Having fun?" Now with a plate piled high with food in hand, S'Niri made her way over to the gathered group of junior officers. A little part of her wondered just how Williams might react. Squeaking like a rodent, maybe, a reddening of the face. Something cute.

At the sight of S'Niri coming up to them, Tyler really did spit out his drink. First Osirin, now her? Can this night get any more awkward for me?, he thought as he looked for a way to possibly exit the conversation. She looked amazing and he could feel himself go red, "It's been a good night so far. I love the costume, by the way."

"S'niri!" The voice was quickly followed by a red-headed Orion wrapping her arms around the Ferasion/Caitian hybrid. "I just did a couple of shots. I'm not drunk yet. But I think that should be the plan."

Dani put out a fist toward Kash, who returned the gesture, their knuckles colliding in a friendly hello. She looked over at Tyler and Osirin as if seeing them for the first time. "And who are these nice looking drinks of water?" She released S'Niri and gave them a friendly smile. "Hi, I'm Dani."

"This here's Tyler, and... I don't know you, exactly, but you're cute." S'Niri quipped, nodding in Osirin's direction. "Thanks for the compliment, by the way. I used to wear this back home when fighting people in the arena. Won my fair share of bouts. Go ask any of the guys I kicked to the ground, heh. So, Dani, you wanna get yourself drunk tonight, huh?"

"And I've got a head start. YOU need to catch up," Dani said winking at her friend. "So you're Tyler, and you then are...?" Dani strung her words out and waited for the dark-haired stranger to respond.

The Akadian, kept his expression neutral, though there were a thousand thoughts whirling inside his head. "I'm Osirin," he replied, one hand reaching out in the traditional Terran greeting while he ran a hand through his hair with the other sweeping it out of his face. "It's good to meet you."

Dani stepped forward and took his hand, lifting it slightly up in what wasn't quite a handshake, "The pleasure is all mine," she said with a wink before letting go of his hand.

"Anyone want to go upstairs and run through the haunted house part?" Dani asked looking around at the group.

"I have never been to a haunted house before, it should be fun. Why not? Anyone else want to go?" Osirin responded.

"Great! S'Niri, you're coming too, right?" Dani pressed. "Come on Kash, you too. Tyler, I don't know you well enough to boss you around yet, but you look like you're here to have fun, so let's go."

"Yeah sure, lead the way. Or that's what we're for," Kash retorted cheekily.

"How brave, offering to fight off the holographic goblins for me," Dani laughed.

"I will if you'd prefer. Most ghosts don't like me." S'Niri joked as they walked towards the haunted house.

Tyler grinned at Dani, "Good luck on bossing me around, this one here," He perked his thumb in S'Niri's direction, "Tried it and it didn't work either. But I say let's have some fun, so count me in."

"Of course it did. You're just being stubborn." S'Niri huffed.

When the group was getting ready to go, Dani looped an arm through Kash's elbow and dragged him along to the staircase in the back corner. "Oh hey wait. There's Char. I thought I lost her." Dani stopped the momentum toward the staircase and let go of Kash's arm momentarily.

"Char, you wanna do the haunted thing?" Dani pointed up the stairs. She knew that Charlotte was hoping to talk to a certain doctor tonight, but neither of them seemed to be taking steps toward one another, Dani decided to grab her friend and let said doctor see just how popular Charlotte was.

Charlotte smiled and put her drink on the nearest pedestal and ran over to the group. "Yes, thanks," she said relieved to have something to do other than mingle.

Kasper had been biding his time, not wanting to seem too overkeen but not too disinterested at the same time, and seized what he thought would be a good time to talk to Charlotte, "Hey, have you got a moment to chat at all?"

Charlotte turned to look at Kasper, then glanced over her shoulder at Dani. "We were just going upstairs to do the haunted house stuff. Did you want to come?"

The chat could wait until later, "Sure, let's go." He offered out his arm for her to take, in case she got scared, of course.

Charlotte eyed him a bit dubiously as he had taken his time approaching her, but she took a hold of his arm anyway. "There's no need to be scared. It's just a holoprogram," she said with a smirk."

When the group got upstairs the air was noticeably colder. One of the ghosts who had been mingling downstairs in a petticoat and top hat hovered to the front of the group. "Are you quite certain about this? The last time a group this size went through, not all came back. We still don't know what happened to poor Mrs. Pennington."

"I think we're taking our chances," Kash said flippantly.

"Then come this way," a deep voice seemed to come from everywhere as a dark cloud circled the group, weaving through the people before soaring off and through a closed door.

Kash stepped forward followed by Dani who was grinning from ear to ear as she quickly stepped toward the door beating Kash there and put her hand on the doorknob. "You guys ready?" She called out, opening the door before she got an answer.

The first room had a canopy bed set up in the middle of the room, the canopy torn and falling from the posts, and the coverlet faded and dusty. Cobwebs decorated the corners. The room was filled with porcelain dolls. They were laying down on the pillows on the bed as if someone had placed them there with care, a few more were perched on stands on top of the wardrobe, and two more were seated in a child-sized rocking chair.

Dani entered the room and began to look around. Kash stepped in behind her.

As the group entered the room, the dolls started to move very slowly, their eyes tracking each person.

"Really? Possessed dolls. That's a trope and a half." S'Niri scoffed. Evidently the little moving toys didn't scare her much if at all. She grabbed one of the dolls and squinted at it. Whether it was possessed, a hologram, or possibly just a really, really clever robot, she didn't seem to care. "So what's your deal, toy. Ghost. Whatever you wanna call yourself."

"Mama...Mama...Mama..." The words started to come from the doll as its head slowly spun around. As its head spun back around, its face had changed from the innocent doll's eyes and soft smile, to a monstrous snarl and eyes that glowed red. The voice immediately changed as well, to one far more sinister. "PLAY WITH ME MOMMY!!!" Suddenly, it grabbed onto S'Niri's arm and they both vanished.

Dani jumped at S'Niri's sudden disappearance as Charlotte gasped. Dani then stepped forward and waved her arms gently around trying to feel if S'Niri was still there and it was just an illusion.

"Transporter," Kash said. "One must be rigged to the program. I'd love to talk to the designer. That's pretty wicked."

"This is why I don't like dolls. My meemaw used to have tonnes of them around her house and they scared the crap outta me as a kid." Tyler admitted. "This is hands down a no from me." He shook his head vigorously.

~TBC~

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