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[1]
The evening after Halloween, while a spooky atmosphere still fills the air, Dido Sybil invites her friends, allies and workmates to a campfire cookoff in the little forest by Saikhama base.
Together, the party builds a merrily crackling fire in a stone-ringed pit. Hot Dogs and Marshmallows are toasted on sticks and harmonicas are played.
As the sun recedes behind the trees, and shadows gather around the flickering campfire, Dido pulls out a flashlight and shines its beam under her chin.
"Gather round, gather round," she proclaims in a gravely voice. "Don't stray from the light, for we're going tell spooky stories tonight–!"
In a more cheerful voice, she continues: "So who wants to go first?"
[2]
Eventually, it's Dido's turn. "As bizarre as it sounds," she says, "this is a true story."
Dido clears her throat. "When I was a child, I lived in a skyscraper, a mansion of glass and steel run by my mother. Back then, mom was always flying off to business meetings in the Sprawl or working late hours in the office, so I spent a lot of time alone. Whenever I got restless, I'd explore the skyscraper, wandering up and down stairs, poking my head into various rooms, riding up and down the dumbwaiters. The skyscraper was huge, and I rarely ever ran into anyone."
Dido pauses for effect. "One night, I was walking down a hallway...and realized I was being followed by a blue ball..."
[3]
[Tell your own spooky campfire tale here! It can be a classic spine-tingler featuring psychopaths who leave hooks dangling on car doors, or something from your character's childhood or unique folklore tradition?]
The evening after Halloween, while a spooky atmosphere still fills the air, Dido Sybil invites her friends, allies and workmates to a campfire cookoff in the little forest by Saikhama base.
Together, the party builds a merrily crackling fire in a stone-ringed pit. Hot Dogs and Marshmallows are toasted on sticks and harmonicas are played.
As the sun recedes behind the trees, and shadows gather around the flickering campfire, Dido pulls out a flashlight and shines its beam under her chin.
"Gather round, gather round," she proclaims in a gravely voice. "Don't stray from the light, for we're going tell spooky stories tonight–!"
In a more cheerful voice, she continues: "So who wants to go first?"
[2]
Eventually, it's Dido's turn. "As bizarre as it sounds," she says, "this is a true story."
Dido clears her throat. "When I was a child, I lived in a skyscraper, a mansion of glass and steel run by my mother. Back then, mom was always flying off to business meetings in the Sprawl or working late hours in the office, so I spent a lot of time alone. Whenever I got restless, I'd explore the skyscraper, wandering up and down stairs, poking my head into various rooms, riding up and down the dumbwaiters. The skyscraper was huge, and I rarely ever ran into anyone."
Dido pauses for effect. "One night, I was walking down a hallway...and realized I was being followed by a blue ball..."
[3]
[Tell your own spooky campfire tale here! It can be a classic spine-tingler featuring psychopaths who leave hooks dangling on car doors, or something from your character's childhood or unique folklore tradition?]
Tags:
From:
2
[Sielje's eyes are wide. Not that she is scared or anything...]
From:
[This is based on a weird dream I had a few days ago]
Dido's eyes widen as she talks, conveying a sense of confusion. "It wasn't a toy or a tool. I'd never seen it before around the house, which was weird. Still I didn't think much of it. I kicked it down the hallway, and continued on my way."
Dido sips some beer, then continues her tale. "I went to the family library, this big hall lined with velvet chairs, bookshelves, and those ladders that zoom back and forth on wheels. I spent some time climbing up and down the ladders, reading book titles to see if mom had any wizard grimoires..."
Dido takes another sip. "That's when I heard the floor creek behind me. I clung to the ladder and looked behind me. No one was there. I looked left and right. No one was there. I relaxed and started climbing down the ladder. I looked down to see where I was going...
...and there, at the foot of the ladder, was the blue ball."
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[Or are they? Sielje knows not, maybe it's different on Earth.]
What have you done with it?
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Dido shudders slightly. "The thing is, when I picked up the ball, it was cold to the touch...and I could have sworn it was humming. Vibrating, even."
Dido shrugs. "Anyways, I decided to go upstairs to the family greenhouse. It was brightly lit and full of exotic flowers, vines and palms: there I could run about and pretend to be a daring explorer!"
Dido coughs into her fist. "I was swinging a stick through a cluster of thick ferns when my food struck something hard. The fern leaves concealed everything, so I had to bent down and feel what was there with my finger."
Dido takes a long swig from her bottle...then reaches down towards the fire. "I felt something round. Something cold...something humming."
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...
[Sielje's wonderings are cut short at the last sentence.]
It was alive! It was definitely alive... and trying to chase after you!
The horrors of Earth, how could you live with them and remain sane!
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She clears her throat and continues the story: "Anyways...I freaked out, as you can imagine, and ran away screaming. I tore out of the greenhouse and ran down the nearest flight of stairs, trying to find my mom, or a security guys...anyone!
I hit the bottom of the stairs and ran across the stairwell to the next flight. And there, resting in a corner, was the blue ball! I ran past it, screaming, heading down the next flight of stairs...and at the bottom of that flight of stairs was another blue ball, larger than the first!
I pushed open an exit door and ran down a hallway. The hallway walls...were coated with masses of blue balls, hanging there like barnacles or tree mushrooms! Everywhere I ran was infested with blue balls!
I ran into a closest, shut the door and locked it. I waited there in the dark, panting, leaning on a metal shelf, waiting for my heart to beat slower. My fingers scrambled against the wall, looking for a light-switch. I found one and flicked it; the closet I was in lit up.
And the shelves were stacked full of blue balls!
Before I could scream, something cold struck the back of my head. And–!
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Dido shudders. "But I've never been able to play dodgeball since. And sometimes, when it's dark out, I think I see..."
Dido drinks from her bottle, then frowns and shakes it upside down. "Say, Sieljie, could you grab me another beer?" She asks, pointing at the sealed water cooler next to the Ankaian Knight.
Do you open the water cooler?
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...
...
[Sielje was sitting with an enthralled expression, fascinated morbidly - until the end of the story.]
It was... but a dream?
And here, I suspected...
[She opens the strange cooling device absent mindedly.]
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...and there, among the beer bottles, is a blue ball.
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[The cooler is swiftly closed. Sielje hesitates and lifts the lid up very carefully...
The ball is still there.]
It was no dream, no dream at all!
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Dido presses her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle guffaws in vain. She bends over and laughs helplessly.
"The look on your face–!" She chortles.
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[Sielje looks betrayed and highly embarassed at the same time.]
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Dido sees Sielje's look of betrayal and leans over to pat her knee. "Oh, Sielje," she says comfortingly. "I wasn't trying to mock you. Being scared is what makes All Hallows Eve fun!"
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[Sielje glances at the cooler suspiciously.]
Do my eyes deceive me, or did it move?
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She changes the topic quickly. "But don't worry about being scared, Sielje: All Hallows Eve..."
She frowns in thought. "It's a day where you're supposed to shut off all your bravery and courage and let yourself feel fear! Your heart races, your limbs are light and springy, every sense is sharp and vivid...its an enjoyable experience of sorts!"
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[Sielje's eyes dart towards the portable cooler, drifting away only to face it again.]
Are you sure it is ordinary and not moving?
You may wish to check. Just to be sure.
[She sounds hesitant.]
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She tromps over to the cooler and opens it up.
What does she find inside?
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...
[A light tap on your arm, Dido. And when you turn around - a creature with a blue smooth surface for a face is mere inches away from you.]
(Totally not Sielje with her helm on backwards)
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A breathless moment, and she giggles in nervous relief.
"Ooh..." Dido gasps, pressing a hand to her heart. "Well played, Sielje! Well played!"
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[Sielje removes the helmet. Despite her matter of fact tone of voice, she looks rather pleased with herself.]
We will call this even.
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[Sielje nods, though she stares at the treat curiously.]
Is it meat? Is it sweet?
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3)
"Spooky story about scariest thing ever..."
[Her tone was low and... did the lights flicker? They shouldn't have flickered right?]
"Is tiny thing... angry... chained up... trapped in cage. Always looking out at world. Could not touch, could not feel. People laugh at it. Say useless. Say broken. Say not live long."
[Interitus' voice grew hushed as she looked around as if afraid this thing was going to pop up out of nowhere.]
"Then tiny thing used cage to break and kill. Live out of spite. Destroy things, humiliate people who laugh at it. Died doing so... but..."
[Then the lights shut off, Interitus' eyes suddenly glowing a bright red in the dark!]
"TINY THING BROKE OUT OF BODY! WALK EARTH! NOW SCARY GHOST THING!!!!"
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Re: 3)
Then the lights go out for reals! And glowing eyes!
"Um!" Dido stammers. "Uh, so what does this Scary Ghost Thing do? Besides walking the earth?"
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"Scary Ghost Thing stronger than was in life! Still can kill! Might even... be here."
[The last was somehow whispered to Dido from behind her.]
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Dido flails around and swings her marshmellow-roasting stick behind her! Hopefully no one gets a facefull of sticky smores!
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"Mmmm! It all true though."
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[Interitus playfully sends a 'THHHBTTTHHHT' at Dido. Or... at least she tried to. The marshmallow kind of made her mouth a little too gooey to do so.]
"Bweh. Don't want. Halloween too scary. Ghosts. Goblins. Ghouls. Pumpkin monster. Happy playing with friends and eating."
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3
Do you remember when earth's second moon hatched and it turned out one of our natural satellite is actually a giant eyeball?
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She shakes her head, clearing unpleasant thoughts from her like cobwebs. "So what did you do when you found out, Walt?"
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She peers at Walt with narrowed eyes. "You aren't a Walt that came from a parrallel universe where things are slightly different, are you?"
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(...is it true? Is there Reiner's initial on the underside of your watch?)
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"Okay..." She says, slowly and carefully. "My watch does have an 'R' on it...but I've never met this Reiner guy, so I've got no idea what his last name would be!"
She stares intensely at Walt. "C'mon then: if Reiner existed, if you knew him, tell me what his last name is!"
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She starts pacing about. "So we've got three possibilities here, Walt: one, you're totally razzing me. Two, you're a Walt from a parallel universe where several moons, Amnesiac German, and immortal Prussian Nobleman exist...or someone deleted this Reiner guy from history!"
Dido shudders. "Really hope it's the second option. Of course, we'd have to get you back to your universe somehow..."
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3 (not mine but whatev)
The last human alive sat alone in a room, because everything else was dead.
Then he heard a knock at the door.
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Sincerest form of flattery and all that...
"Who told you that one?" she asks Mizuki.
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