Work Text:
"Water bottles, food, and any kind of ingestible substances, as well as weapons or accessories that could inflict harm to oneself or others, aren't allowed to be carried during the session. In case you find yourself in possession of any of the items previously mentioned, we have assigned lockers ready for their use in which you can leave your belongings safely. Please, raise your hand now if you need them." Sayaka, poised in her usual -now mastered- professional role, explained along the movement of her covered left hand, gloved with short black latex. Her midnight hair was perfectly fixed to the back of her head and fell down freely over her silk cape. Two wide and long violet bangs decorated her face by it's sides and finally rested over the big silver slopes Midari convinced her to use, as well as the vampire costume she was currently wearing because of the other's wishes of working in Halloween classics that night, even though it was still October's first week.
Not that they ended up doing any proper classics anyway, since her friend had to conform on being a half dressed Silent Hill nurse due to not being able to work with something covering her whole face.
Midari was now standing next to her with her arms crossed, enjoying a blueberry bubblegum and letting Sayaka finish her part of the speech while scanning with no shame each one of the new group of clients from head to toes with her judging eye. She smirked to herself after what she found, Sayaka too busy answering questions and giving final instructions to notice her reactions this time.
"No more questions, comments, concerns? Excellent. We can start then." Sayaka then turned expectantly to Midari, who coincidentally woke up from her inner thoughts when the person she was looking at returned the gesture after she was passed the speech over.
"Oh shit." Midari cleared her throat, tossing the bubblegum in the nearest trash can and replacing her amused smile it with a bored expression. "Alright everyone, choose your members and make four groups of five." A choir of disappointed 'awws' and objections echoed immediately, making Midari mutter a grown ass adults while rolling her eyes in an annoyed gesture. "Once you've got your groups," she headed to the center of the room and pointed at the corridors around them, "choose one of the neon color signs on the floor and follow it until the end. Foolproof rules, even for toddlers like yall." She threw her hands in the air, her boring expression making her deadpan tone a comical one. "Enjoy."
Sayaka threw a bunch of confetti behind her with her arm's length confetti gun. A small confident smile on her face the whole time.
"And what if we get lost? We won't have anyone to ask instructions after all." A blonde girl asked with a brow raised, arms crossed, one of them with a red-eyed girl clinging on to it. There was a silver-haired girl next to them too, and Midari couldn't help but notice how she looked to the other side suddenly, clearly annoyed by something.
"Well..." A smirk appeared on Midari's face, "you'll just need to follow the blood!" Midari answered with a cackle, her movements matching her Halloween character. Her laugh and motions stopped abruptly seconds later with a loud gasp, and the salon filled itself with silence. "But don't touch it, even if it's for making someone get lost in purpose. We don't know if it'd link you to a real crime." She added with a mischievous chuckle. "Right, Sayaka?"
The mentioned was still standing next to her, the polite smile on her face never fading. However, it was just a facade since her mind was already full of unnecessary chaos to even pay attention to her friend. A drop of cold sweat slipped down the nape of her neck.
What is she doing here?
Unfortunately for her, as if the thought worked more like a summon, dark violet eyes with charcoal undertones met cerulean ones, and the crowd disappeared around them. Sayaka felt herself float out of the main room of the mansion, an out of body experience. Her breathing stopped, letting a pink hue spread in her cheeks freely. She didn't know what to say, but she didn't want to leave the state she was in.
"Sayaka?" Midari called with an eyebrow raised, noticing the hypnotic state of her friend. The people were already in their way, leaving both colleagues alone. "Hell calling Sayaka..." She sang, moving one hand in front of her.
Sayaka startled, almost jumping, and looked around, trying to find someone. Midari laughed under her breath and shook her head.
"If I didn't know you, I'd say you were in a deep fucking journey to the moon and never coming back, if you know what I mean." The dark-haired walked slowly to towards her friend and shook her head. "Or more likely over the moon. Damn, you're so doomed, she made you her new toy."
Sayaka closed her eyes and turned around to her post, sitting on her chair. Midari followed her with a knowingly smirk, both hands on her hips. She whistled to fill the emptiness of the room.
"Well, while those losers run for their lives, I'll go buy a snack. You comin'?"
"No, thank you. Just bring me one of those chicken burritos, I liked them the last time." Sayaka said while taking out her phone, struggling with her gloves when trying to unlock it. The night couldn't be more embarrassing.
"Whatever you say." Midari walked to the exit, taking her large blood tainted knife with her. Sayaka didn't bother to ask if it was fake. "Oh, and tell Momobami she owes me!" Midari added with a cackle, closing the main door of the mansion and leaving Sayaka alone in the big salon, who immediately regretted declining the offer.
Before the mansion would turn into a haunted attraction, it used to be part of a rich lineage that, in one of its ups and down's 'had to sell the property as soon as possible', or that's what their boss told them on their first night shift. Sayaka never believed in ghost stories and Midari either, so the information basically got in one ear and left from the other. However, when they started experiencing things related to the other versions of the same story, ones their older colleagues knew, they began to respect the subject.
Supposedly, the original family sold the mansion to get rid of multiple curses their ancestors linked to the place, but truth was that their souls were the ones carrying the pattern, so the family never really escaped it's fate, returning always to the grounds as sons or grandsons from different families. Some say the family's reincarnations are destined to die in the mansion as long as their spirits keep a connection to the place, and they're still trapped in the corridors and the pictures on the walls and ask for your help if they notice your presence. Others say that if you see directly into the lake behind the house, you'd be able to see the faces of the dead ones, and if you stare too much your soul gets trapped as part of the picture. And in other versions, there are rooms that never existed but somehow you remember them when you leave the house.
'Well, knowing all that I'd turn this into a haunted attraction too.' Sayaka had said to herself in the solace of her room after hearing the stories for the first time. However, being it a blessing or an ironic curse, sometimes she doubted to even going to work due to the new information. The paycheck was worth it at least.
Too worth it for being a harmless attraction. Thankfully, she did not care about the business's wasted expenses.
She took one of her latex gloves out and left it over the surface of the table. '2:10 am' screamed the digital clock next to her in a painful bright red color, the dark background making it even more agonizing to read. She bit her lower lip, trying to ignore the urge of looking around so she didn't get paranoid.
That's when she heard little, fast steps.
Running.
Her heart sank like a rock in a well and she froze on her seat. The noise was coming from the second floor, the one that was forbidden to go to but had a large, big staircase in the middle of the room. She took some air, trying to pretend she didn't hear anything at all, and looked for her headphones in her bag. She cursed under her breath after finding out she didn't take them with her that night.
She looked up.
A terrifying scream left her soul on instinct and immediately fell backwards when noticing someone in front of her, too close to her. She closed her eyes, but the impression was still lingering in her mind.
Her back immediately felt the painful outcome of her reaction, on the floor.
A sweet giggle got her attention and she slowly opened her eyes, blinking twice before adjusting her vision, her heart still racing. A silver cascade clouded her and her pupils went wide, the state of alert enhancing the cocktail of sweet feelings in her stomach once she recognized the entity.
"You're too skittish for being a vampire." Kirari said, her smooth hair fixed in her usual odd braids. Sayaka opened her mouth to reply, only to find her thoughts interrupted. "I like your gloves though. Would you mind if I wear the one you are not using?" She asked after taking it, then examined the fabric and chuckled. "Who would have known. Better keep this a secret." She added with a wink, but Sayaka felt like she wasn't talking to her.
"W-What are you doing here? The tour is about thirty minutes approximately. It's just been ten." Sayaka inquired, not knowing if thanking or hating the girl in silence for not mentioning her fall.
"And here I thought it was obvious enough. Anyway," she teasingly walked around the large table and sat on it so she could be in front of Sayaka. She rested her gloved hand on her chin, "nobody said we weren't able to go back. Unless you forgot to add it at the end of the instructions."
Sayaka stood up, noticing she was too close to the silver lady. She blushed and went one step back, making Kirari's smirk go wide from ear to ear. It wasn't the first time they had encountered each other like that, especially since the other knew Sayaka had a crush on her for ages.
It happened a long time ago when the 'Hyakkaou Haunted Mansion' was still new and people from everywhere wanted a ticket. Sayaka didn't want to go at first, but Runa and Midari surely did. 'It'll be alright, Igarashi! Don't be a coward.' Runa had told her, only to tease her more. True thing is, she wasn't expecting to fall in love with one of the Momobamis, who Sayaka didn't know was going to be part of her old friend group at the time either.
A dark spark crossed Kirari's eyes before closing them quickly. She cleared her throat, and gave Sayaka a polite smile. "I apologize. I should go back with the group, but I'm afraid I could get lost in that maze. Would you be my guide? I know you can. It'd be an unpleasant surprise if you didn't know the mansion's map considering you work here."
Sayaka greeted her teeth. Of course she knew the mansion's map, it was one of the requirements for the job. But certainly, Kirari would also know. Her sister cared deeply about the place and used to be a sponsor a pair of years ago. That's why Sayaka knew the other was no idiot and definitely knew about the maze's solution. So why calling for her help?
"Of course." She looked right into Kirari's fake frivolous expression, thinking carefully about what she was about to say. "Let me guide you with your group, but once you find them, put some effort to stick with them. You paid for this visit after all."
Kirari didn't say anything but got off the table and stepped forward until their noses were almost touching. Sayaka opened her eyes and tried to calm down the blush on her cheeks, failing miserably when realizing the other could hear her breathing as well. Kirari linked one of her arms with Sayaka's and started walking. The purple-haired followed her by her side, her lungs stopping for a second at the sudden action.
"Are you afraid of the dark, Sayaka?" Kirari inquired, at what the mentioned just frowned.
"No, why is that?" Sayaka lied, she was actually a little bit afraid of the darkness, but it was nothing the other should know about. Kirari just chuckled in response, both of them disappearing into one of the adjoining rooms.
Five minutes later, Midari was back with her order and Sayaka's. She took a seat at the table and opened both with a wide smile, knowing that her friend was not coming back for the rest of that night.
"Lucky dumbass." She said, taking a bunch of fries and opening her messenger. 'Yomozuki' you could read clearly at the top.
Ikishima (2:15 am): The peach got the magic box. Pay me in the morning little maggot.