The Extended Exploration

“Gift shop!”

Everyone looked up.

Set into the wall ahead of them was a wide, brightly lit shop window, glowing almost aggressively against the warm tones of the hallway. The display inside was… interesting.

Lacy lingerie was draped artfully over headless mannequins, satin and lace in every imaginable cut and color. Sleek boxes sat stacked beside them, emblazoned with silhouettes and coy taglines that left very little to the imagination. Rows of ‘novelty’ items, wands, plugs, rings and dildos, were arranged with almost museum-like care. A few of these ‘objects’ were ridiculous in shape or size, others were sleek and modest.

Dominating the center of the window was a massive sign in flashing pink letters:

TRANSFORMATION UPGRADES SOLD HERE

A thick, blinking arrow pointed directly at the door.

The whole place felt… tacky, somehow. Like good taste took one look and walked away.

Esme stared at it for a long second, then snorted.

“Even in the afterlife,” she muttered, “commerce finds a way.”

“Inside!”

Before anyone could respond, she threw the doors open with far more enthusiasm than necessary. One of them tore clean off its hinge and clattered to the floor as Lyn zoomed straight into the store without looking back.

The group exchanged looks.

Eleanor’s mouth tightened immediately. “Well,” she said stiffly, “this is an inappropriate place for a lady.”

Babs barked out a laugh as she made her way to the entrance. “Oh don’t be a square, this is hilarious.”

Sylvie had gone bright red, hands hovering uselessly at her sides as her eyes darted anywhere but the window. “I-I don’t know...”

Even Cassandra was flushed at the sight of such degeneracy, but she lifted her chin sharply, nostrils flaring as if offended by her own reaction.

“Hmph,” she said, squaring her shoulders before marching straight inside.

Eleanor hesitated, clearly torn, until Jocelyn drifted up behind her and gently yet firmly ushered her forward.

“Oh relax, Ellie,” Jocelyn whispered. “Think of it as… cultural enrichment.” She smiled, holding her shoulders as they passed through the now-destroyed front door.

Inside, the store was even more overwhelming.

Shelves stretched out in every direction, packed tight with goods of every imaginable category. Beauty products sat beside snack displays. Plush toys were stacked next to sleek, locked cases filled with toys of all colours and sizes. Clothing racks spilled over with outfits ranging from cozy to ceremonial, to deeply questionable (seriously, why would anybody want an Elmo suit with the crotch ripped off?, and for 3000BP no less.) Gift cards hung from rotating stands. The further shelves blurred together into a maze of color and shapes, though some sections in the distance looked oddly bare, as if picked completely clean.

It was chaos.

Immaculately organized chaos.

Jason turned slowly in place, trying to take it all in. “This place is… big.”

“Welcome…” a low, tired voice drawled from just beside them.

Everyone jumped and they turned to see… Lyn?

She was hovering behind a counter near the entrance now, posture slouched, her oversized hat tilted slightly forward. Her eyes looked duller somehow, half-lidded, like she hadn’t slept in days.

“Welcome to the Emporium,” she continued flatly.

“O-oh,” Mika said hesitantly, glancing between the counter and the slouched figure behind it. “Does Lyn manage the shop too…? Along with the help desk?”

“Oh no,” Jocelyn replied immediately, shaking her head. “That’s not Lyn.”

She zipped forward, then reappeared holding another small blue girl under the arms like an oversized doll, lifting her into view.

“This is Lyn,” Jocelyn announced proudly.

“Lyn!”

Jocelyn beamed and turned her slightly toward the counter. “And this,” she added, nodding toward the tired-looking one behind the register, “is Joss.”

“Hi…” Joss said lazily, lifting one hand in a slow, half-hearted wave without looking up.

Jason squinted, rubbing his temple. “Wait. Let me get this straight,” he said slowly. “You have two assistants. They both look exactly like you. They’re identical to each other. And you named one Lyn and the other Joss?”

“Exactly!” Jocelyn said brightly.

“…Why?” Esme asked flatly, one brow raised.

“They’re cute!” Jocelyn replied instantly.

“CUTE!”

Joss rolled her eyes.

“Anyway!” Jocelyn clapped her hands once. “Let’s focus on the important stuff, like everything you can buy here!”

She gestured broadly, and Lyn immediately zipped off, pointing excitedly at each item as Jocelyn listed them off.

“Clothes to impress the Master!”

“Transformation upgrades!”

“Aphrodisiac chocolates!”

“Normal chocolates!” she added quickly. “Those ones are free, actually.”

Sylvie visibly relaxed at that.

“And,” Jocelyn continued, “each of you will eventually have your own personalized section. Featuring Tailored items and exclusive goodies~”

April’s ears twitched. “Eventually?”

“Well, that feature isn’t available yet,” Jocelyn said breezily. “It’s Day Zero. Come back later when you all have more VP.”

Joss finally pushed herself upright behind the counter, arms crossing as she looked over the group. “She means when the system finishes calibrating,” she muttered. “Personalization takes time.”

Mika tilted her head, not even hearing what Joss had said, but rather the way she said it. “You sound… different from Lyn.”

Joss snorted softly. “Yeah. She’s my older sister, I’m nowhere near her level yet.”

“What do you mean, nowhere near her level? I’m speaking to you right now.”

“It’s true,” Joss shrugged, “she’s smarter, faster, knows where everything is.” She gestured vaguely toward the hotel beyond the walls. “I just run this crummy shop.”

Jocelyn leaned in towards the counter and ruffled Joss’s hair affectionately.

“She’s being modest. Joss is very good at managing the shop.”

Joss groaned and slumped back onto her stool.

“Anyway,” Jocelyn said, straightening. “Feel free to browse… later. For now, the tour continues!”

Lyn snapped back to attention instantly.

“Follow!”

Before anyone had time to react, she shot for the exit at full speed. The remaining door didn’t stand a chance—splintering off its frame with a sharp crack as she zipped through it and vanished down the hall.

Everyone stared at the wreckage.

Joss didn’t even flinch. She just rested her chin in her hand, watching them go.

“…That was the last one,” she muttered.

A collective hush washed over the group as they arrived at their next destination. The quad.

Night had fallen, but the outdoor space was bathed in a warm amber glow from tall, old-fashioned lamps lining the paths. The space was enormous—a sprawling grassy field divided neatly into four quadrants by stone walkways that all converged at a large circular fountain in the center. Water drifted upward in slow, elegant arcs before splashing back down with a soothing, echoing rhythm. The grass looked impossibly soft. Perfect, like it had never known drought, mud, or neglect.

Beyond the fountain, the quad stretched farther than it reasonably should have, warm light pooling across grass and stone alike. The air was cool but comfortable, carrying the faint scent of water and greenery. Somewhere overhead, something rustled softly—though there was no wind to explain it.

At one edge of the quad stood a greenhouse.

It loomed like a half-remembered dream, its tall glass panes glowing with a faint, ghostly blue light. Pale vines crept along its frame, leaves drifting lazily in the warm night air. A soft shimmer passed across its surface, making it look almost unreal. It was there, but not quite.

One by one, they took notice of the shimmering object. Jocelyn followed their gaze and smiled. “Ahh, yes. The greenhouse.”

She clasped her hands behind her back. “That’ll unlock once you’ve all accumulated enough points.”

“How many?” Cassandra asked.

“Two hundred,” Jocelyn replied cheerfully.

There was a brief pause.

“Two hundred?” Mika repeated, ears flicking.

“Yes this is one of the larger stretch goals for you gals to work t'wards”

Cassandra scoffed in Jocelyn’s direction, lifting her chin. “Hardly. I’ll have it open in no time.”

Jocelyn’s grin widened instantly.

“That’s fantastic news, Cassandra! I can’t wait to see you submitting yourself to your Master. The points would practically give themselves away!”

Cassandra’s face flushed hot at the implication, color blooming across her cheeks as several of the others glanced her way.

“Cassandra Byrne shall not lower herself beneath some common boy,” she snapped, straightening further. “I shall earn my keep through dignified methods.”

“Oh sure, sure,” Jocelyn replied with a lazy wave. “Good luck with that.”

Jocelyn clapped her hands, drawing everyone’s attention away from the glowing greenhouse.

“And speaking of future investments,” she chimed, pointing her cane across the quad, “let’s direct your attention over there.”

A section of the path curved away toward a lower terrace bordered by smooth stone railings. Beyond it lay a wide, open pool area, illuminated by the same warm orange lamps. The water shimmered invitingly, perfectly still, reflecting the night sky like polished glass. Lounge chairs lined the sides, paired with small tables and neatly folded towels. Steam curled lazily from one end, where a hot tub section bubbled gently, separated by a low divider.

Palm-like plants and soft lantern lighting gave the space an almost resort-like feel, wildly at odds with the surreal hotel they now found themselves living in.

“Pool access unlocks at eighty VP,” Jocelyn announced cheerfully. “Perfect for relaxation, sunbathing, swimsuit competitions, dramatic emotional confrontations, or whatever else you lot get up to.”

Babs gave an approving whistle. “Now that’s more like it.”

“I’m glad it caught your interest!”

Sylvie turned bright red almost immediately, already imagining swimsuit scenarios she could write about with all the women surrounding her.

Beside Jason, April shifted uncomfortably.

“…Cool,” she said, though her voice lacked any real enthusiasm.

Jason glanced at her. She’d wrapped her arms around herself, shoulders drawn in tight.

“You okay?” he asked quietly.

“Hm? Oh- yeah,” she said a little too quickly. “Just… not great with water.”

Cassandra, however, said nothing.

She stood perfectly still, eyes fixed on the water’s surface, expression unreadable.

“Inside!”

The group jumped at the announcement, but quickly gathered behind Lyn and followed her back through the quad doors and into the main lobby, the warm lighting and polished floors greeting them once more.

Without slowing, Lyn spun in place and pointed dramatically upward.

“Upstairs!”

The group obediently shuffled toward the staircase as Lyn hovered upward, completely neglecting to use the staircase.

April slowed the moment the steps came into view.

Her hand immediately shot out, grabbing the railing in a white-knuckled grip. She placed her foot on the first step cautiously, like it might suddenly vanish beneath her.

Jason, right beside her, did exactly the same.

For a moment, they both just stood there, clinging to opposite sides of the railing.

April glanced sideways at him. “…You too?”

Jason grimaced. “Last time I went up these stairs... things went very badly.”

“Hehe… I’m just not the best with stairs.”

They both took another careful step upward.

And another.

April kept one hand glued to the railing, the other hovering slightly as if ready to catch herself. Jason moved just as cautiously, eyes locked on each step like betrayal might be hiding in the next one.

Behind them, Babs huffed. “You two gonna move it along?”

“We’re being careful,” April shot back.

“Y-yeah, what if they’re broken?” Jason added.

“Whatever.” Babs sighed as she shoved between them, taking the remaining stairs two at a time.

Mika hopped lightly up a few steps, tail swishing behind her. “They look fine to me.”

Esme passed them with a quiet sigh, hands tucked under her arms. Cassandra followed with perfect posture, refusing to acknowledge the stairs as anything worthy of concern.

By the time April and Jason finally reached the top, both exhaled in relief.

Everyone else was already waiting, varying degrees of impatience written across their faces.

At the top of the stairs stretched another hallway, softer lighting lining the walls with four doors spaced evenly along it, with an elevator at the far end.

The first door looked mostly normal, dark wood, brass handle, except for the cluster of scratch marks gouged into the surface around the knob, like something frequently tried to claw its way in. A polished sign hung at eye level:

POLTERGEIST

The second door was… wrong.

A flat, unnatural grey that seemed to swallow color around it. Even the warm hallway lighting appeared muted near its surface, like the brightness simply refused to touch it. A small sign read:

WRAITH

The third door was its complete opposite.

Brilliant white, almost glowing, its edges shimmered faintly as if light itself pooled around it. The surface looked smooth enough to be carved from marble. Its sign read:

APPARITION

The fourth door, however, looked completely ordinary—painted wood, clean brass handle, nothing strange at all.

Except for the heavy lock fixed to it.

No sign.

At one end of the hallway stood the elevator: an old-fashioned lift with ornate metal lattice doors and polished brass trim.

At the opposite end of the hallway, the corridor stretched away into total darkness. No lamps nor glow, nothing to mark where it ended. Just a quiet, lightless void swallowing the passage whole.

Eleanor noticed it first.

“…Uh,” she said quietly. “Why is that section so dark?”

Several heads turned.

The warm, welcoming light of the hotel simply stopped a few meters away, cut off so cleanly it looked deliberate. The floor, walls, and even the ceiling vanished into blackness, as if the building itself simply hadn’t been finished yet.

Mika’s ears flattened slightly as she analyzed the sight in front of her.

Sylvie took an instinctive half-step away from it.

Babs squinted down the hall. “Let me guess, something else to ‘unlock’ for this stupid game.”

“Nope,” Jocelyn replied lightly.

Everyone looked back at her.

She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes this time.

“That part of the hotel isn’t open to guests.”

Cassandra folded her arms. “And why not?”

“Because,” Jocelyn said, twirling her cane lazily, “some things are better left alone.”

Silence hung for a moment.

Then she clapped once, the cheerful tone snapping back into place.

“But none of you need to worry about that! You’ll have plenty of areas to explore without wandering into unfinished business.”

Eleanor glanced back once more at the darkness, a faint chill crawling up her spine.

For just a second, she could’ve sworn something in the shadows shifted.

Then Lyn popped up in front of them again, shattering the mood completely.

“Bedrooms!”

Jocelyn clapped her hands together while Lyn pointed excitedly towards the doors.

“And this,” she said brightly, “is where you’ll be staying for the next seven weeks.”

Lyn drifted toward the first door and slapped her palm against it.

“Poltergeist!”

The door swung open on its own.

Inside, the room looked—at first glance—like a perfectly normal hotel suite: large, cozy, warmly lit, with soft carpets, comfortable couches, and an enormous shared sleeping space beyond an archway.

Then everyone noticed something was… off.

Nothing was touching the floor.

Not fully, anyway.

Every object in the room hovered an inch or two above where it should have been. The couch drifted lazily in place. A chair slowly rotated in midair. Books bobbed gently above a shelf. Even the rug floated slightly above the ground, rippling as if caught in a breeze.

April blinked. “Why is everything floating?”

“Because this is the poltergeist room, of course!” Jocelyn chirped. “Poltergeist-class rooms have unstable physical properties. Objects don’t really feel like obeying gravity all the time.”

Sylvie leaned in cautiously and poked a floating pillow by the couch.

It drifted away, spinning slowly until it bumped into Mika.

“Oh! Sorry!” Sylvie squeaked. Face turning red.

Mika giggled in response. “It’s fine.”

“Anyway!” Jocelyn clapped. “Next room!”

Everyone filtered out, and the door swung shut as Lyn marched to the next one and slapped her hand against the grey door.

“Wraith!”

The door slid open silently.

The entire room beyond was grey.

Not dim. Not colorless from lack of light.

Just… grey.

Walls, floor, furniture, everything existed in sharp monochrome, like they’d stepped straight into an old noir film. Even the lighting felt flatter, causing the shadows to appear deeper and more dramatic.

The only color present was themselves.

Their clothes, hair, skin tones—everything about the group popped vividly against the muted world.

Their reflections in a mirror looked equally strange, bright figures standing in a black-and-white world.

“…Whoa,” Esme breathed. Completely taken aback.

Then, behind her, just in the corner of her reflection, something moved.

A shadow stretched across the far wall, long and thin.

But nothing was there to cast it.

Sylvie squeaked. “Did you guys see—”

“Ah, yes, another little quirk of the wraith suite, I call them lingering impressions, shadow creatures essentially, they are harmless… mostly.”

“Mostly?” Jason questioned.

“If you ignore them, they tend to ignore you.”

Another shadow slid across the wall behind them, taller this time.

Sylvie immediately stepped back into the hallway, not wanting to set foot in there again if she could avoid it.

“Ah, good idea, Sylvie, let’s move on to the final room!”

Everyone shuffled through the door one by one until they had gathered in the hall once again.

Lyn marched straight to the glowing white door and slapped her palm against it.

“Apparition!”

The door opened without a sound.

At first, the room beyond looked normal.

Comfortable suite layout. A large bed, two ornate wardrobes, couches, lamps, and desks. The lighting was soft, and the decor was a myriad of warm colors. For a second, Jason wondered why this one had such a dramatic name.

Then the couch flickered, and half of it faded transparent.

Sylvie blinked. “Wait—”

The couch solidified again, but now the table beside it began to fade, its surface becoming misty until the far wall was visible straight through it.

Jocelyn grinned. “Apparition-class rooms operate on fluctuating physical presence.”

“Huh?” Babs enquired.

“Meaning,” Jocelyn said, drifting inside, “objects don’t always fully exist.”

Right on cue, one of the wardrobes slowly became translucent, the hangers inside suddenly visible through the door without it ever opening.

“Anything and everything is susceptible to the effects of this room.”

She waved her cane lazily, and the bedsheets faded until they were almost invisible, revealing the mattress beneath.

Sylvie’s face immediately turned scarlet, and more potential avenues for her writing flooded her mind.

Jocelyn smirked. “Some items become more or less see-through over time without warning, Furniture, bedding, clothes left lying around… all fair game.”

Mika’s ears twitched. “Does it affect people?”

“Nope,” Jocelyn replied. “Only room objects.”

She paused, then added sweetly:

“Usually.”

Jason blinked. “Usually?”

But Jocelyn had already turned toward the door.

“Anyway! Apparition rooms are very popular with couples, adding a little spontaneity to their stay.” She winked back toward them as she left the room.

They filed back out into the hallway, the apparition suite door shutting behind them with a soft click.

Jason glanced between the three labeled doors again, then over at the fourth, the plain locked one at the end.

“…Wait,” he said. “Why are there only four rooms up here?”

Mika blinked. “Yeah… there’s seven of us.”

Jocelyn waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, there aren’t four rooms.”

Everyone stared at her.

“There are three,” she clarified brightly, pointing her cane at the doors. “Ignore that one.”

She gestured vaguely at the locked door.

April frowned. “Then why is it here?”

“It’s not,” Jocelyn replied instantly.

Esme raised a brow. “That’s not convincing.”

“Well, tough!” Jocelyn chirped. “Because you’re not using it anyway.”

She clapped her hands once, echoing down the hallway.

“You’ll be sharing rooms. Building bonds, creating drama, improving viewer engagement, all that good stuff.”

Babs groaned. “Great.”

Cassandra folded her arms in response, about to raise her voice when Jocelyn snapped her cane downward, and a glowing screen appeared in the air.

“Team assignments!” she announced.

The names shuffled rapidly before settling.

Jocelyn read them out with theatrical flair.

“Team Sparkplug: Barbara Dalton… and Mika Tanaka!”

Babs glanced sideways at Mika.

“…Sparkplug?”

Mika perked up, and her lips curved into an ‘o’ shape”

Babs shrugged. “Eh. Could be worse.”

Her eyes briefly flicked to Cassandra.

Across the group, Cassandra scoffed loudly.

Jocelyn continued.

“Team Hellfire: Eleanor Whitmore… and Cassandra Byrne!”

Eleanor turned politely toward Cassandra, extending her hand. “It appears we will be rooming together.”

Cassandra lifted her chin. “Seriously? I’m stuck with the hag?”

Eleanor retracted her hand, looking hurt.

Jocelyn grinned wider.

“And next! Team Study Buddies: Sylvie Langford… and Esmerelda Medrano!”

Sylvie froze.

Esme blinked once, then shrugged. “Sure.”

Sylvie squeaked quietly. “O-okay…”

Her brain was already racing with writing ideas again.

“And finally…”

The screen flickered, then displayed one last name.

“April: April.”

Everyone blinked.

April blinked hardest. “Wait. Just me?”

Jocelyn nodded brightly. “Just you!”

April squinted suspiciously. “So… I get my own room?”

“Nope!” Jocelyn chirped. “You’ll be rooming with whichever team is missing their partner on date night!”

April deflated slightly. “Oh...”

She crossed her arms. “But what about tonight? There’s no date.”

“Oh, that’s simple,” Jocelyn replied. “You’ll just room with one of the teams for the night!”

Jason winced. “That sounds seriously cramped…”

Jocelyn waved him off. “Probably. But that’s not my problem.”

Jason sighed. “And how exactly are you going to decide that?”

Jocelyn’s grin sharpened.

“Like so!”

She slammed her cane against the floor.

A blindfold instantly materialized over April’s eyes.

At the same time, the others suddenly found themselves repositioned, now standing in a loose circle around her. Several of them tried to step away but discovered they couldn’t move.

“Wait, what!?” April yelped, hands flying up to her face.

Jocelyn floated above them, speaking like an overexcited game show host (so not all that dissimilar to normal, really). “Whoever April lands on gets a bonus roommate tonight!”

“That doesn’t sound fair—” Jason started.

Lyn interrupted.

“Spin!”

Jocelyn ignored Jason entirely, grabbing April by the shoulders and spinning her.

Once.

Twice.

Then faster.

And faster.

April blurred into a dizzy whirl of color and motion until even the onlookers felt a little sick watching her.

Finally, Jocelyn let go.

April staggered forward immediately, completely disoriented.

She lurched toward Mika first.

Mika squeaked as April nearly crashed into her, but at the last second April swerved wildly to the side, trying to correct herself—

—and promptly walked straight into Esme.

Face first.

Directly into her chest.

Her hands flailed for balance and ended up grabbing whatever they hit first, which unfortunately included Esme’s rather generous ass. She gripped hard, trying to straighten herself up, getting a generous handful of goth booty-meat.

“Ai! Watch yourself, estúpida!” Esme snapped, grabbing April’s shoulders and shoving her upright, causing her to topple over.

April froze, mortified as her brain caught up with reality.

“I–sorry! I couldn’t see! Or walk! Or anything!” She turned to the side, clutching her stomach, trying not to gag as the world spun around her.

Behind them, Babs snorted. Mika’s tail wagged wildly as she tried not to laugh. Sylvie looked like she might actually die a second time from secondhand embarrassment.

Jocelyn clapped happily overhead.

“Well! Looks like April will be bunking with Team Study Buddies tonight!”

Esme steadied April with one hand, then looked up at Jocelyn.

“…And which room exactly are we supposed to be sharing?” she asked flatly.

Jocelyn blinked.

“Oh! Right.”

She snapped her fingers.

“That’s for the audience to decide! They’ve been voting this whole time. Look!”

A massive screen materialized above them once again, casting shifting light down the hallway. A bar graph danced across the display, options rising and falling as votes poured in. Numbers along the side ticked upward so quickly they blurred, options trading places every second as audience preferences battled it out.

Sylvie stared up nervously. “They’ve been voting this whole time?”

“Of course!” Jocelyn beamed. “Viewer engagement never sleeps!”

The bars jittered one last time—and then froze.

A loud chime rang out.

VOTE CLOSED

The words stamped themselves across the screen.

Jocelyn spun dramatically, pointing her cane at the results.

“And the results are in!”

Vote here!

Team Sparkplug

Team Hellfire

Team Study Buddies