redacted ★ party at the haunted m*nsion

[infreefall]

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[infreefall]

[ you can't come to a haunted manor and not be appropriately dressed.

anyway ochako stops long enough to wave up at rabbit and mob before bouncing away to explore the first floor. when you're locked in an attic for the entire mini-event you miss your chance to properly explore, okay. and this is so cool. a real haunted mansion!! ]

I'd say we should tell ghost stories, but we kind of lived one last night, huh?

[dianxias]

I think ghost stories sound fun! Perhaps the ghosts that were here yesterday are still lurking about, curious as to what we might tell them.

[ unfortunately for us all xie lian is in his halloween costume also! ] Ghosts do always tend to be the nosy sort!

[infreefall]

[ she sees xie lian and just. stares at him for like a solid minute. this is. so funny.

but she also has a very serious question for him: ]

Do you arm wrestle?

[dianxias]

[ ... ]

Ah? Well, has it changed any, since I was younger...? [ he puts his elbow on the closest flat surface and wiggles his fingers. ] It's been a long time, but perhaps there was someone...

[infreefall]

[ ochako does an excited little hop and heads right over, setting her elbow on the side opposite of xie lian. ]

On three?

[ she will lose instantly. ]

[dianxias]

[ oh no. ]

...Are you sure? [ but he holds out his hand for her anyway.... ]

[infreefall]

Yeah! My shoulder's pretty much healed, and this is my other arm anyway, so it'll be fine.

[ she's so excited. why is she so excited. ]

One... Two... Three!

[ ochako is probably stronger than the average girl her size but she is, still, just a teenager and not a martial god. ]

[dianxias]

[ she's so... she's so excited, xie lian can't deny her. he is also instantly fond, because ochako is a heroine who takes right after her new weird god grandpa. kids these days are so energetic.

.... also he'a martial nut, too, so! of course he's gonna arm wrestle her. he grins.

and, as she counts...xie lian puts about... maybe 20% of his strength into it. she can feel the strength of her arm, which is impressive, but - yeah it takes him like two seconds to smack her arm down. ]

Ah. [ oops. ]

[supremity]

[ Hua Cheng is vibing, wearing his salvaged costume - it's a little dirty still, and has a set of claw marks and various tears in it that actually sort of... lend to the aesthetic? There are bandages visible underneath, but still, San Lang sexy. He's lounging on one of the, like, broken lounges.

Ignoring the bubbles. ]

I could certainly tell my fair share of authentic ghost stories. [ hums ]

[infreefall]

Authentic how? What happened yesterday, you mean?

[ me realizing that ochako still has no idea what hc or xl are, ]

[supremity]

[ Xie Lian, that's fair. He's not going out of his way to tell people that. Hua Cheng?

He laughs a little, lolling his head. ]

Ah, no. I'm a ghost - just a little more alive while here in the Realm.

[infreefall]

[ she blinks in surprise and just

leans over to poke him? as if to confirm this? ]

So how's that work with you two?

[supremity]

Hm? Gege is alive. [ Placidly allowing her to poke, it's mostly obvious where he was injured yesterday, considering. ] I'm a high-ranking ghost, so I do have a physical form, rather than something see-through - is that what you mean?

[infreefall]

How can a ghost have a physical form? [ poke poke. ] Isn't that, like, cheating?

[supremity]

I earned it. [ vibes with the pokes ] Some spirits are able to manifest a physical form through other means - age, sometimes, but there's any number of ways available to us - but every few hundred years, thousands upon thousands of ghosts gather to fight one another for the right to become the strongest kind of ghost.

rings bell MEMSHARE GET YA GHOST CITY MEMSHARE

[supremity]

[ Hua Cheng had to go and collect his stupid dinosaur from underneath a piece of furniture it got itself stuck under, and upon doing so with the damn thing -

Popped a bubble.

The fog escapes the bubble, and our scene is set in a red-lit city, ghosts everywhere, stalls and shops galore.

And there are some very familiar faces in this memory.

... Hua Cheng actually doesn't look bothered by this memory being shared! He laughs, even, and it's a genuine, lighthearted laugh. Even as his stupid spinosaurus in its stupid outfit is chewing ungratefully on his fingers. ]

[dianxias]

[ by the time you come out of this memory xie lian is on the floor and covering his face with his straw hat.








someone please murder him tonight ]

[supremity]

Gege, gege, I'm sorry - [ He's still laughing, as he comes over, crouching down to stroke his back gently. ]

[dianxias]

You are so insincere!!!! San Lang ah!

[ he's still hiding behind his hat. stop perceiving him. ]

[supremity]

I promise, gege, you still will not find a more sincere person who is more sincere than me in this world.

[ please come out ]

[dianxias]

[ ...


he peeks out from behind his hat, and starts to smile, even if he's mortified, looking up at hua cheng -

and then e-ming the spinosaurus decides to REEEE and attack the jangles on hua cheng's boots. ]

[supremity]

[ Smile, smile, the children get to watch the adults be disgusting -

And then Hua Cheng about punts the damn dinosaur, excuse you, you menace. ]

You..! That damn sword is more behaved than you!

[infreefall]

[ o-oh my god

ochako just. goes completely still. she is completely paralyzed. how does she reply to that? should she reply to that? probably not? it seems inappropriate? aaa

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ]

[dianxias]

I'm--I'm a little hungry.


[ as he just abruptly gets up and goes the completely wrong direction to go get snacks

goodbye ]

[infreefall]

[ struggling to hold in her completely inappropriate, not at all nervous laughter, ochako's protest is pretty weak. xl might not even hear it? ]

That's... the wrong direction...