grim grinning ghosts, come out to socialize (magica x donald)

[lifesa_witch]

De Spell Manor hadn't been touched in ages, and for damned good reason - at least, if you believed the rumors. It was, put simply, a haunted mansion. Anyone who attempted to stay the night usually left before sunrise, scared out of their minds, so it seemed feasible that no one would ever buy the mansion.

Tell that to Scrooge McDuck. He owned the property - far as he saw it - and he wanted to refurbish and sell the manor. Problem was, all the contractors were darned scaredy-cats, so he decided the best way to prove the manor wasn't haunted was to have someone spent the night and survive.

The ups and downs of working for family - the unlucky soul was one Donald Duck. He was not to leave the mansion if he ever wanted to see a paycheck again. So of course on the day he was set to "move in", it was a dark and stormy night. Cobwebs were everywhere inside the mansion, every door had a eerie squeak to it, there was the occasional growl of a rat...

... and deep within the shadows, the phantom waited. Well well well. How to drive out this latest fool?

Comments

[allthebadluck]

Donald couldn't help grumbling to himself, not bothering to keep his voice down and make his displeasure known. The mansion was a downright disaster, and he didn't understand why his uncle didn't just demolish the building and get it over with. That would surely take care of any ghosts that may or may not be lingering on the property, and he could just rebuild and sell it that way. Not that Scrooge would listen to him anyway. So here he was, forced to say in this mess of a place, on his own. And his uncle wouldn't even pay for anything, like food, or supplies, or anything useful to help out. So naturally he still had to take care of things himself, and while he was trying to clean up the bedroom as best as he could - might as well, if he was ever going to sleep there - he wondered what he was going to do about lunch...or dinner, or...anything.

[lifesa_witch]

Time to get things started. It would start with slow, small creepiness, before going into full-blown horror - not every person was scared by the same things, after all.

She slid into the room, and sunk into his shadow, claiming it for her own. The first step - getting him to see things that "weren't there." She'd move his shadow around at the corner of his eye, then freeze when he actually looked. She also began to drain all the warmth out of the room - a cold atmosphere was perfect for haunting!

Handsome fellow, to be sure, but she bet he was a coward like all the rest.

[allthebadluck]

Donald is a bit of a coward...but unfortunately he's also very stubborn. So at first, he doesn't even notice the little things that are shifting and changing around him. Even when he looked in the direction of his manipulated shadow, he was too busy being angry at trying to untangle his sleeping bag - how did it even get messed up this badly? - that he didn't think much of it. It was really only when the room started to chill that his temper faded, and he shivered a bit as he glanced around. Even then, though, he didn't seem to realize another presence in the room. "Darn old drafty house," he muttered as he got back to work trying to sort the meager things he brought with him.

[lifesa_witch]

Draft? He dared called her chilling winds a mere draft? Even worse, he ignored her shadow-work! It was twice the insult!

To hell with subtle. He deserved the full punch right off the bat.

All of the doors slammed at once together, and her voice began to echo in the winds.

GEEEEEET... OUUUUUT...

[allthebadluck]

That finally does get a proper reaction from him. He jumped with a startled WAK, grabbing a flashlight and holding it like a club as he looked around. "Wh-Who's there...?" he demanded. While he'd heard the rumors of the mansion being haunted, he was still on the fence about whether he believed them or not. Truth be told, he'd also believe it was just his nephews playing a prank on him.

[lifesa_witch]

There, now that was a proper response! A little more and he'd flee with his tail between his legs.

The reveal was usually her favorite part, so it was hard to hold back. A vanity mirror in the corner was covered in a tattered, dusty cloth, but that began to shake, vibrating more intensely with each passing second. The wind picked up, the doors slammed again!

LEEEEAVE... THIIIIS... PLAAAACE...

[allthebadluck]

His eyes followed the sound to the vanity mirror, and he swallowed nervously as he watched it rattling and shaking. The door slamming had him jumping again, but he slowly started to make his way towards the mirror.

"I-I...No," he said. As much as he would love to go, the threat his uncle gave him still hung over his head.

[lifesa_witch]

Still trying to play the brave hero? It'd be all the more satisfying to see him break.

Just as he took the final step toward the mirror, the cloth "fell" off, and she burst out at him - Magica De Spell, in all her shadowy glory!

"FOOLISH MORTAL! LEAVE BEFORE I PAINT THE WALLS WITH YOUR BLOOD!"

[allthebadluck]

He gave another surprised cry when she lunged at him, and he fell to the ground. But as he looked up at her, he blinked. "...you're just a shadow," he said.

[lifesa_witch]

... What.

"DO YOU HAVE ROCKS FOR BRAINS?! I SAID GET OUT OR I'LL DO ALL SORTS OF NASTY, BAD THINGS TO YOU!"

The mini-rant probably detracted from her scariness a tad, but now she was mad. Just a shadow? People had their hair turn white from this "shadow"!

[allthebadluck]

He couldn't help a glare, crossing his arms as he got back to his feet. "Like what?"

[lifesa_witch]

What a rude man!

"I'LL RIP OUT YOUR HEART AND FEED IT TO YOU! I'LL BREAK EVERY BONE YOU HAVE IN SIX DIFFERENT WAYS! I'LL POP OUT YOUR EYES AND MAKE YOU WATCH YOUR OWN DEMISE!"

Sure, it all sounded spooky - the doors kept slamming, the wind kept blowing - but... that appeared to be it.

[allthebadluck]

Somehow, he didn't seem impressed. So he held out his hands, completely opening himself up for an attack. "Okay...prove it."

[lifesa_witch]

... Her shadow appeared to deflate just a little bit.

"DON'T YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF SELF-PRESERVATION?! YOU KNOW, FAMILY, LOVED ONES, ALL THAT GARBAGE WHO DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU HURT?"

[allthebadluck]

He snorted. "Please. My uncle is the reason I'm stuck here in the first place."

[lifesa_witch]

"THEN GO BACK TO HIM! GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!"

She then reached out with her massive, claw-like talons and...

... could do little more than nudge him.

[allthebadluck]

The little nudge would get a slight brow raise from him, but he shrugged. "Sorry, can't. He's scarier than you right now."

[lifesa_witch]

Scarier than her?!

"HOW DARE YOU?! I WORKED REALLY HARD TO MAKE THIS MANSION TERRIFYING! COBWEBS, CHILLS, BLOOD ON THE MIRRORS, YOU THINK THIS IS EASY?!"

Gods, at this rate, he was going to make her cry!

[allthebadluck]

He at least seemed to realize that he was making her upset, and he held his hands up in a defeated gesture. "Sorry, it's uh...It's nothing personal. But a guy's gotta make a living, y'know? To tell ya the truth, though, if I wasn't so desperate, I would've been outta here in a heartbeat."

[lifesa_witch]

"You're just saying that!" Wibble wibble, sniffle sniffle. "You just said I'm a shadow, you don't find me scary at all!"

[allthebadluck]

If there was one thing he didn't know how to handle (among others), it was crying women.

"No really! When you first popped out of the mirror, I would've run if my uncle wasn't make me stay here."

[lifesa_witch]

"How can some doddy old man be scarier than me!" She crossed her arms, now sulking in the mirror, her back to Donald.

[allthebadluck]

He couldn't help a small snort. "You ever try to feed three boys with no money?" he grumbled a bit. "Or...really do anything when you're broke? If I don't do what my uncle says, I don't get paid. And if I didn't need the money so bad, I wouldn't even be here bothering you."

[lifesa_witch]

Now that made her glance back, if only a little. "...He's your own flesh and blood and he won't even help you out unless you work for him?"

[allthebadluck]

He snorted. "Maybe if I was dying. Maybe." He was also over-exaggerating - a bit - but considering he was only here because of his uncle, he wasn't feeling very charitable right now.