[Eevee55]

Username + id: Eevee55 + 1033286
Chicoon Participating: Sara
Choice: Spooky hallway
Word count/art size: 561 words
Art/Writing: "Mystra!" Sara says happily when she runs into her friend from camp. "I am glad to see you again!" When they learn about the latest mystery Mystra has come across, they immediately agree to help. "Of course I will help you." Sara looks over Mystra's notes and map, and though the strange symbols confuse her a bit, she still does her best to gain as much insight as she can from the information. Sara nods, recalling how they had noticed a blue glow earlier. "I think I saw it earlier! I thought it was super cool, and now that you mention it, I am rather curious about what was causing it!" Sara wonders what kind of creature might be causing a blue glow- was it a ghost, perhaps? Or a skeleton? Or something else entirely? Hopefully one of the former two, Sara decides. Though normally Sara would be a bit more nervous, it was getting closer to Halloween, so she had a slightly higher tolerance for spooky occurrences. ...As long as they did not involve triangles. Yeah, Sara was still not quite entirely over the whole triangle thing with the Chinati. But this was a perfectly normal maze that sometimes had a cool blue glow and which most certainly did not have any triangles- Right...?- so Sara is actually feeling quite excited about this.
...Maybe it is a little bit strange that Sara is more nervous about triangles than a potential ghost or skeleton. But for Sara it made perfect sense this way. After all, no ghost or skeleton has ever threatened her or upset her friends! So really, this was the logical reaction.
Sara examines the two paths before them. One was creepy and run down. The other was well-lit and not very scary looking. From first glance, the second path seemed like the safer option, while the first path was honestly very spooky. Perhaps the first path was more likely to be the one where they would find a ghost or skeleton, though. Or, at least, whatever it was that was making the blue glow. Unless whatever it was was something that was not at all scary, and then the second path would be the more likely choice. Maybe. Though either way, if the source of the glow didn't want to be caught, it would have an easier time avoiding people in the spooky hallway, since it was darker and harder to see there, so maybe less people would go that way? Hmm, it was kind of difficult to guess which way the mysterious creature would go without knowing what it was... When Mystra allows her to choose which way they go, Sara makes a choice that might surprise Mystra based on their adventure back at camp... This time, Sara was not choosing the cautious, most likely safer route.
"This way!" Sara announces enthusiastically, starting to lead the way down the spooky hallway. "After all, we are much more likely to be able to see the blue glow this way. The other hallway is so well lit, we might end up missing it!" ...It seems Sara really is excited about solving this mystery, if they are willingly going down such a spooky path. Or maybe she just really wants to meet a ghost or skeleton. Or maybe Halloween somehow makes them braver? Regardless, it is time for an adventure!

[sweathie]

Username + id: sweathie 703858
Chicoon Participating: sweaty
Choice: normal hallway
Word count/art size: 507 words
Art/Writing:
xxxxxSweaty turns to Mystra as they watch the blue glow disappear. Sensing her discomfort in the maze, he places his hand on her shoulder before beginning to speak.
xxxxx"You know, if I was living in this maze, I would probably want to go down the well-lit hallway," he says. "I don't spend a lot of time underneath the stairs in my basement, y'know? It's gross."
xxxxx"I think you're right," Mystra responds, nodding. "I think I would prefer to go down the normal hallway as well. Because it's the right option, of course, not because I'm scared."
xxxxx"Of course not. I'm not scared either."
xxxxx"Okay, if you're not scared, why don't you go first?"
xxxxx"I'm not scared. But I think you should go first. If something comes up from behind, it'll get me first, right?"
xxxxx"Uh-huh," Mystra nods, before leading Sweaty down the normal hallway. However, as Sweaty's feet cross the threshold into the normal hallway, he gets a deep shiver down his spine.

xxxxx"Did you feel that?" he asks, his wings closing around his face. He slinks down to the floor and curls his tail around his feet. "You know what, I don't care if you felt it or not. Something's not right about this hallway."
xxxxx"Not right? What do you mean?" Mystra asks, turning around.
xxxxx"It's just not right. I don't trust normal-looking hallways. There could always be something you don't see... lurking around the corner. I think we'd better take some time to check."
xxxxxMystra sits down as Sweaty begins to pace the normal hallway. He drags his hand over the wall, feeling the cold stone, hoping to find something secret... nothing. He picks up a pebble from the floor and throws it down the hallway. Another pebble. A third pebble. Maybe four or five pebbles, Mystra begins to lose count.
xxxxx"The hallway is empty," she calls out. "I'm sure of it."
xxxxx"And I'm sure it's NOT empty," Sweaty retorts. "I just haven't figured it out yet."
xxxxx"No, I can GUARANTEE the hallway is empty. Look around you! There's nothing here. Just tile floors and stone walls. We could be here for a hundred years and find nothing. If you're so intent on looking for out-of-the-ordinary clues, then we should go down the other hallway! Surely you'll find something weird in that one!"
xxxxx"No no, it's in this hallway. This unassuming, empty hallway is, in fact, not empty OR unassuming," Sweaty condescends. "I mean, it's not like you built this maze, Mystra. How would you know if there were something more in here? I can't know for certain until I run more tests. If you're so intent on going down the scary hallway, you can go by yourself, but I'll be here. Throwing pebbles."
xxxxx"Fine. Do that, then," Mystra sighs, standing up to head down the scary hallway. However, as she nears the scary hallway, the fear that was momentarily replaced by annoyance returns and she walks back down the normal hallway, sitting at Sweaty's side while he throws pebbles down the (not) empty hallway.

[case]

Username + id: case // 108699
Chicoon Participating: Everett
Choice: Normal hallway
Word count/art size: 195 words

Art/Writing: Everett took a few minutes to study both options. If they were a creature, would they want to go down a scary path, or a well lit path? Shrugging their shoulders, Everett motioned toward the normal path. “If I was a creature running away from you, I would go down the path with lights! That way I can see where I was going.” Nodding to themselves in approval, Everett strolled along the path. They became more confident as they continued their journey. “Why would the creature go down the dark path? It would be easier for you to spot the strange blue glow you were talking about earlier.” Everett glanced over at Mystra. “Does the creature appear to be glowing, or is the glow moving by itself?” Suddenly, Everett had a lot of questions. They continued to babble on as they walked, occasionally tripping on their own feet. Not one to enjoy walking, Everett soon began to drag their feet. “How much longer, do you think?” They pulled out a piece of pound cake from behind their ear. “I was saving this for bedtime, but I think I will eat it now. Want a piece?”

[Caeleesi]

Username + id: Caeleesi / 309551
Chicoon Participating: [img=https://toyhou.se/18347265.plutonium-asai#55876526]Pluto[/img]
Choice: Spooky Hallway
Word count/art size: Clean Line/Color + Shading + BG
Art/Writing:

[bakuraas.]

Username + id: bakuraas. + 876991
Chicoon Participating: Kaydrys
Choice: Normal Hallway
Word count/art size: 527 Words
Art/Writing:
Before they had even gotten properly into the situation- in fact, as soon a Kayrys saw Mystra, she was greeted with a short hug by Kaydrys. "Mystra! It's seemed like so long since the Chinati incident, it's so nice to see you!" He was definitely overjoyed by seeing a familiar face before noticing anything more about the situations they were in. He admired her set up, finding interest in the makeshift camp that had been set up in the maze- somewhat wondering if Mystra carried this stuff on her all the time. However, once Mystra started explaining that there was a mystery to solve, he was on board, happy to help a friend on an adventure just like last time. As Mystra explained the mystery so far, he nodded along, listening to the other chicoon and following her words as best he could. He leaned over to look at the map and notes as well, pointing slightly at some areas in order for him to try and remember as much as he could so that he wouldn't have to ask to look at the map every other second. He then processed the glow comment properly.

"Well yes, it does make sense that it would come from something in the maze, and a creature is a good theory considering that it seems to be very...active, if Sylvestris' comments on it were anything to go by... he says hi, by the way. If I were to make a guess in some capacity, it seems to be wandering and flickering in some capacity, not being able to follow exactly even if completely in the dark, though maybe it's the most visible in the darkness." He looked at the hallways, thinking for a good moment before nodding. "Yes, with that in mind maybe we should go down the well lit hallway, it might be where it went and why you lost it, maybe the lights got mixed up and you couldn't see the glow go into the bright lighting. I would ask one of my companions to check the spooky hallway... but I don't want to do that to them, I'm sure you understand." He sighed, picking up his among'sus who had already started to strut towards the spooky hallway as if it could get away with it. "Seems I need to keep an eye on all of these guys, don't want any of them getting lost... and goodness it is rather easy to get lost this time aroun isn't it?" He seemed to just now realize this, shaking slightly with the realization.

"Well, that just means we'll stick together even better! You can stay close to me, and I can hold onto my companions so that nobody gets lost! And if we get to somewhere dark, you can hold onto me until we get back to the light again! That sounds like a good way for everybody to stay safe... hopefully." A pause, he seemed even more nervous at the words he said, but he tried to stay positive. He was with Mystra, and she was a specialist in these sorts of things! It would definitely work out just fine!

[PrincessAlexis]

Username + id: PrincessAlexis #19227
Chicoon Participating: [https://www.chickensmoothie.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=124&t=4752169]Aztec[/url]
Choice: spooky hallway
Word count/art size: 552 words
Art/Writing:

Aztec has been getting into the flow of the maze now. As he works his way deeper he realizes that areas with drafts are either close to the front of the maze or else close to an intersection where there are multiple places to turn. He tries to log these in his memory bank as places to return to later, and go back and try different routes. He also realizes that while he cannot climb the walls, he can run pretty fast on the ground and slide down areas which don't have cracked tiles, which helps him to move quicker and hopefully get closer to the prizes that he has heard are being stored here and may be found along the lengths of the tunnels, though he knows that the biggest and best rewards will only be achieved upon completion. Fine by him, he will probably be the first one to find his way to the exit, if he has his way, and oh but he usually does!!

As he continues onward he encounters a very pretty chicoon, and she introduces herself as Mystra. Her coloration is a gorgeous greenish with lots of dark elements and some brighter accents, and when he looks at her he feels as though he is seeing the moon over a forest of pine trees, something very lovely indeed. Her wings flutter when she sees him, in a friendly manner that he quite likes, and he sees that she is holding a map. The path is not marked on it but some parts are crossed out and other things have been written. He can tell that she is trying to find her way and has crossed off areas she already explored, which she knows don't hold what she is looking for.

"I'd be happy to assist you, m'lady," Aztec remarks, dipping his head and fluttering his wings briefly at her. The two chat briefly and then she tells him it is down to one of two options, either they could go ahead and go down the hallway which looks pretty bright, if a little beaten up with the holes in the walls and the grass sprouting, else they could go down a much more run-down, dark and dangerous looking route.

Aztec meets her eyes. "Mystra, listen to me, all the best things in life require struggle, toil, threat and hard work. Nothing worthwhile comes easy, unless it is a blessing from the gods. But this place was made by others, not by those overseers above with the power and influence, it was probably constructed by chicoons like you and I. Let me tell you, I think that the creepy route is the way to go, and that will lead us to the treasure we seek."

In all honesty, Aztec wasn't able to verify what was the best path to go but he felt that she would at least appreciate his bravery, if nothing else. And if she got scared, maybe she would cozy up to him a bit. He puffed up with pride, trying to look brave, and waited for her response. She seemed amenable to going, though she hadn't said it outright. At that, he trots forward and begins going down the derilect hallway, looking back over his shoulder to see if she were still following.

[-Aeris]

Username + id: -aeris + 800027
Chicoon Participating: Winter
Choice: spooky hallway
Word count/art size: 520 words
Art/Writing:
Winter had a wonderful morning, started the day with a nice breakfast, had plans to be lazy all day long and nap, and here he is, in front of a maze. He does wonder why he's so drawn to impulsive events, and he's secretly yelling at himself for coming here, but alas, it's too late to go back. Winter trotted towards the well-lit camp, where there was a tent, some bags, boxes, and even a little campfire and it is also where a familiar face greeted him, 'Oh hey! its you' - he shouts remembering that past event wherein Mystra was his partner. 'M-Mystra! good to see you friend' Winter greeted excitedly, thankful he doesn't have to enter this maze alone. As he listened to the chicoon in front of him, he wholeheartedly agreed she was a cryptid expert and from her story, it seems like they have another mystery to solve.

Winter decides to explore her camp for a moment, looking at all the tools and trinkets she brought here and surprised by the sheer amount and size of the items. He was puzzled at how she brought ALL of the things in her camp since this place is FAR from the town, 'you're secretly a magical creature and you're undercover aren't you?' he muttered staring at Mystra with a perplexed face before bursting out and laughing.

He continues to listen to Mystra as she explains about the weird blue light and how she's been following it around. Winter nods and looks at the maze before turning his gaze back to the map in front of him. He has seen the weird blue light several times but it seems every time you try to follow it, it disappears, almost taunting him and testing his patience. Winter turned his gaze back to the maze with its two entrances and glanced back at the map. "It doesn't seem like the normal hallway would lead anywhere so let's go through the creepy rundown hallway first, but we need to get some supplies and LOTS of food. I have a feeling we'll get lost and possibly get hungry along the way."

Winter starts off by packing a backpack filled with nothing but food and water, as well as some lightsticks, matches, and pens. Why pens you may ask? well, Mystra gave him the idea of a painting of walls of the maze when they pass through a corridor, it should 'hopefully' lessen the chance of them getting lost. He thinks it'll help them solve this mystery quicker and give them time to regroup if ever they need to go back to the camp. What about the lightsticks and matches? well, the maze looks so dark and he's not a fan of running willy-nilly blind through the maze, plus it'll hopefully lessen the 'scare-factor'.

As he secured the bag on his back, he turned to Mystra who was packing all of her books, map, pens, a lantern, and other trinkets into her bag. Winter laughed to himself, he basically is a walking fridge while Mystra is a walking desk. 'You ready to go?'

[shadedk9]

Username + id: shadedk9 652370
Chicoon Participating: Forum/viewtopic.php?t=4696423 Honeydew
Choice: Spooky hallway
Word count/art size: 123 words
Art/Writing:
Honeydew took a long moment to take in the words that Mystra said. They looked down either hall and felt their stomach drop. "Hmm... Are you... s-sure it's a creature? I'm not sure Im ready to face a creature. Especially when other have described some creatures here as having..." Honeydew hesitated and swallowed loudly. "Having large sharp teeth..." They finally finished. Honeydew sighed and eventually made a decision. "I suppose we should go down the ... scary path. It seems more likely to have something worth checking out. Even if I'd prefer the... less scary path. Honeydew hesitated and took a look at Mystra who smiled at them warmly. "Okay. let's head down this one then". Honeydew began to head toward the Scary path.

[Ki-san]

Username + id: Ki-san 1025193
Chicoon Participating: Izumi
Choice: Spooky hallway
Word count/art size: 430
Art/Writing:
Flicking his tail back and forth, Izumi silently kicked himself in the butt. He thought to himself he never should have followed Burst into this dang maze. He was lost and swore he was going in circles already. At least his robes kept him extra warm while trucking around this maze. He turned a corner then turned another to find himself coming upon a opening. As the sound of his paws softly hitting the floor of the maze was all he focused on, he was startled out of his thoughts once he heard a voice speak to him. Izumi looked up seeing he had made it to the opening and looked forward to listen to the chicoon who spoke in front of him. But once his eyes re-adjusted to the dimly lit area, he couldn’t believe who he saw. It was Mystra!

He was unsure if she could tell it was him in this low lighting, let alone from the robes he wore. Pulling back his hood he continued on listening to his friend as she was the same as ever. Always looking for that next adventure. Izumi felt tingles run down his spine, as the sense of adventure called to him again. When Mystra asked if he was willing to help her, he smiled, “Of course Imma help you! We did find the Chinati after all!” He proudly reclaimed to her. He hoped she was happy and just as excited for this adventure as he was. He brought his tail up so they could have more light to see the map.

Listening as she explained how she had been tracking this weird blue light around the maze, Izumi understood that they would need to find out the source of who or where it was coming from. Studying her various markings on the map he spotted the fork she spoke about on the map. Given the choices, he looked back up at her. “No problem I can lead us through this. Hopefully we find some really cool things to bring back to our friends!” His head wings flapped slightly as he smiled. Izumi turned to look at the hallways that were mentioned by his friend. He figured going down the lit up way could possibly lead to another opening. So he went against it. He padded over to the dark hallway. “I know it’s not the best idea to start our search by going down dark ominous hallways..but I reallly wanna know what’s down here. So..” He pointed toward the dark hallway confidently, “Let’s head this way my friend!”

[redtruck]

Username + id: redtruck 701230
Chicoon Participating: Bosko
Choice: spooky hallway
Word count/art size: xx words
Art/Writing:

Bosko must have gotten more turned around than he originally thought because, between one dead end and the next, he finds himself in an open room, one that's occupied by another Chicoon. She's sitting under a small tarp in a clearly just put-together camp, flipping through a book with a level of focus Bosko could only dream to achieve. Approaching the Chicoon, her head snaps up and she perks up, going from studious to cheery in a matter of milliseconds. Waving him over, Bosko sits beside her and learns her name is Mystra. Enthusiastically, Mystra tells him that she's glad to have bumped into someone else, and about her plan to try and find out what alleged creature she's convinced is causing the mysterious blue glow that lives within the labyrinth walls.

She dog ears the page of the book she's reading and rushes to grab a map and several pages of chicken-scratch notes. Mystra explains to Bosko that she has been mapping out small portions of the maze bit by bit and that her notes are the odd findings she's come across, like the glow and spots where it shines brighter than usual or holes in the walls, scratches, half written words in an odd language, bumps that look like damage coming from the inside out. It's all very frightening, but trying to be brave, Bosko acts unbothered by all of her scary findings, and he does his best to only come off as intrigued.

Clearly trusting that Bosko is courageous enough to accompany her through the maze, Mystra walks with him down a few pathways until they come to a fork in the road. On the right is a well-lit hallway that looks particularly well-maintained, carrying significantly fewer cracks and blemishes along the walls and floor compared to most other trails Bosko has followed in his brief, confusing time in the labyrinth. On the left is a dark, dreary hallway that seems plucked right out of Bosko's worst nightmares and horror movie binges, with only one dim candle showing that it's a hallway at all. Bosko ducks his head down and looks away so Mystra can't see the mortified look he gives the ground or his nervous swallow.

She inquires which way they should head, and to Bosko's horror, his feet grow a mind of their own and step toward the spooky hallway. Mystra strides right up beside him with a visibly brazen attitude, encouraging him for his decision and asking why he chose it.

Grateful for the opportunity to stall, Bosko tells her about the frightening hallway being the most realistic option without a doubt. Surely, some scary cryptid maze haunting bioluminescent magical beast wouldn't go down the nice hallway, especially not if it isn't showing itself to her or any other wanderers of this spooky realm. Continuing, he notes that if the creature is a predator of some kind, it would be better for it to hunt in the dark confines of never-traveled hallways deep in the pits of the labyrinth. The more he talks, the more Bosko starts to believe himself, and in whatever horrors they may discover within.

Emboldened by his woven tale, Mystra gestures to the terrifying hallway, and in they go to find the apparent monster within. [545 words]