Horror 101, Monday

[chosehumanity]

"When we talk about monsters, the first image that jumps to mind is usually something slavering and ugly out of Lovecraft," Mitchell began, idly. "Or the monster within ourselves, whatever. It's about fear, and there is very little people fear more than death. Death is this intangible thing, just this close to touch, this... big inevitability. Everyone dies. But what happens when we pass that veil, when we've stepped through that door?"

Mitchell took a moment to himself, then continued. "Ghosts. The souls of the dead. They are maybe the most basic of all ideas of horror, of terror. They've been written as malevolent, they've been portrayed as benevolent, but they are always frightening reminders of our own mortality, of our longing for longevity, immortality, and our fear of it. Even in our age, a lot of people are frightened of what flits by them in the dark. We won't live in houses where someone died, we hide from the knocks and creaks of our houses in the dark."

"We have stories that were kept from long before the beginning of our calendar about ghosts seeking out revenge on those who killed them while they were alive. The ancient Greeks once considered them mere whisps of something or other, but the legend of them quickly molded them into something haunting. The Romans thought they could be used as fuel for curses, and since there have been many stories about ghosts driving people out of their homes."

He shrugged a shoulder. "I could tell you about the renaissance, and that whole rubbish about necromancy, but it wouldn't teach you much. I could speak to you about all the films, but let's face it - if you're from this time, you'll have seen ghost films. You'll have heard of seances, of people coming together to call ghosts towards them to talk to them about what became of their families. Ghosts can be frightening," he finished, "But often it's more our own expectations that get the better of us. After all, how terrifying are idle noises and random movements?"

He hopped off the couch. "I asked you to meet me in the Danger Shop because we're doing things differently this time around," he said. "No films. No discussion. I'd just like you all to go in there."

He pointed at the door behind him.

"We'll see how you react."

[[ wait for the ocd up! ]]

Comments

Sign In

[chosehumanity]

Like you're a whisp of yourself.

Re: Sign In

[wantstodirect]

Tony Foster

Re: Sign In

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Effy Stonem

Listen to the Lecture

[chosehumanity]

It's not that big of one today.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[awakestheghosts]

Chloe's eyes were getting wider and wider as he talked.

Oh no.

Explore the Haunted House

[chosehumanity]

It's a dark house, if modernly furnished. Go on your own or find a partner and mod your own ghostly troubles - tables moving, messages appearing on the wall, whispery noises in the dark. (You can use Annie's Prequel as a guideline if you need more)

Re: Explore the Haunted House

[wantstodirect]

Tony was so not going through this stuff again. "I think I'll sit this one out," he said.

Re: Explore the Haunted House

[chosehumanity]

"Is that some trauma I'm hearing?" Mitchell asked, lightly.

Re: Explore the Haunted House

[pastmewrong.livejournal.com]

Was like the carnival all over again, having a whole haunted house set up. Little more realistic than the average, but...

Effy squinted a little into the darkness, and idly brushed her hand along a sideboard as he passed, keeping eyes open for the 'haunted' part of this.

Re: Explore the Haunted House

[fratboybitch.livejournal.com]

Alex figured he'd be okay in the haunted house as long as there weren't any vampires jumping out at him. He could do ghosts and ghouls. Just no vampires.

Re: Explore the Haunted House

[bitten_notshy]

Jack wished he had the supplies at hand to keep ghosts away, but he supposed that was rather against the spirit of the exercise, no pun intended.

He wasn't afraid at all until he hit the cold room with GET OUT written on the walls. That sent a shiver up his spine -- he wasn't too proud to admit that.

Re: Explore the Haunted House

[awakestheghosts]

It took Chloe several moments of Chloe fighting not to hyperventilate before she started moving around the house.

It couldn't really have things in there that would mess with her, right? Mitchell would never allow it.

Re: Explore the Haunted House

[not-jaded-yet.livejournal.com]

This was scary enough that Jennifer was quite nervous as she explored. Her normal sense of nigh-invulnerability was definitely shaken.

Reach the End

[chosehumanity]

Upstairs, in the attic, there's the source of the noise. If you manage to make it through the rest of the house without taking off, you might find someone lurking there...

Re: Reach the End

[vanillajello]

Ghosts. Of course today's topic had to be ghosts. What else could it have been, when Kate was all messed up and one of the reasons for her massive state of confusion was a boy who'd apparently been raised by the fucking things?

Still, the haunted house was a pretty good distraction. Kate got through it okay, if increasingly creeped out – at one point singing quietly to herself to keep the whispers out of her ears – and therefore not really stopping to examine anything too closely.

She made it upstairs fairly quickly, uncertain about what she expected to find.

Re: Reach the End

[chosehumanity]

From behind a shut door down the hall, there came the slow, mournful thump of someone's death rattle set to music.

There were more slogans sprayed along the walls.

Re: Reach the End

[furnaceface]

Jono was quite alright with things lurking and going bump in the night, thank you. So far as he was concerned, he absolutely counted as one of those things himself.

So, while he was possibly a touch jumpy by the time he'd reached the attic, he had, in fact, reached the attic, and was feeling... Well, possibly a little pleased with himself, as a result.

Re: Reach the End

[chosehumanity]

Then all Jono really needed to do was survive the dulcet tones of Bauhaus as they flowed from the door at the back of the attic, sombre and succinct.

Talk to the TAs

[chosehumanity]

When they ping in like the ghosts they're not!

Re: Talk to the TAs

[stylin-wizard.livejournal.com]

Alex was there, wondering how Justin would fare in today's class. He was a monster hunter after all.

Re: Talk to the TAs

[awakestheghosts]

Chloe was here and a bit worried about today's lesson.

Talk to Mitchell

[chosehumanity]

Who's already pinged in like the dead man he is.

OOC

[chosehumanity]

Why yes, I did just use all of my Annie icons on purpose.

If you're up for some SP, hit 'Reach the End' for a ghost encounter when I get home. OOooooOOOooooo...

Re: OOC

[glacial_queen]

Are we having Gilbert fun yet?

Re: OOC

[weetuskenraider]

GILBERT. :D :D :D <3