Chapter 2: Ghostly Attraction

The mansion was quiet again, the unsettling silence only punctuated by the occasional creak of the old floorboards beneath their feet. It was as if everything had returned to normal. But it was far from it. Emmy, who had immediately started making herself at home in the living room, was all smiles and glances toward the shadowy corner where Tango had appeared.

TSOTI leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching the interaction with a look that could've been described as 'unimpressed' but was probably just his default expression. Violet was beside him, still laughing at the absurdity of it all.

"Do you think she actually knows what she's doing?" Violet asked, her voice a little too light for someone in a haunted house.

"Emmy doesn't know what she's doing half the time. But it doesn't stop her from trying," TSOTI replied, glancing over at Emmy, who was already chatting with the ghost as if they were old friends. "I swear, if this turns into some weird ghost romance movie, I'm out."

Violet giggled, nudging him with her shoulder. "Come on, let her have some fun. Maybe Tango's not all that bad. He could be... different."

"Sure, I'm sure ghosts just love hanging out with annoying teenagers," TSOTI said dryly, but the faintest smirk tugged at his lips. He never could resist teasing Violet, even if she was the only one who could get away with it.

Emmy's voice called from across the room, overly loud and entirely inappropriate. "So, Tango! Do you, like, haunt people? Or are you just here for the aesthetic? 'Cause, honestly, the whole 'moody ghost' thing? Not doing it for me."

Tango's spectral figure flickered slightly, and for the briefest moment, TSOTI saw an expression of confusion on the ghost's face. He was used to the usual horror movie tropes, where the ghost tried to frighten everyone, but Tango didn't seem interested in any of that.

"I don't do the haunting thing," Tango replied, sounding almost... casual. "I prefer company, honestly. Haunting gets old."

Emmy's grin grew. "I love a good rebellion. I'm totally in, then."

Shade, who had been standing awkwardly near the fireplace, cleared her throat. "Uh, maybe we should all just, you know, check out the rest of the house? Not that I'm scared or anything, but... the longer we stay in one place, the more likely this place is going to try to kill us."

Leefy, who had been unusually quiet, chimed in, their voice light as always. "Yeah! What if there's, like, a cool attic? Or a hidden room? Maybe we'll find some treasure!" They immediately brightened at the thought, their enthusiasm infectious.

Violet grinned at Leefy's optimism. "I'm down. But, like, Emmy, if you're gonna make out with the ghost, we need to know now, so we can all get a head start on leaving."

Emmy rolled her eyes dramatically. "I'm not that easy. Geez." But her eyes stayed locked on Tango as she spoke, and the way she tilted her head made it clear that the ghost had her full attention.

TSOTI watched as the group—except for Emmy, who was too engrossed in Tango to care—moved toward the hallway, where the old mansion's grand staircase loomed. They started to move cautiously, trying not to make too much noise. But of course, that never worked. A floorboard creaked under Leefy's foot, and Shade spun around with a glance that could've killed.

"Shhh!" Shade hissed, trying to keep her voice down. "We don't know what's here, remember?"

"I'm just trying to see if there's a cool secret passage," Leefy defended with a shrug, grinning like they hadn't heard a word Shade just said.

Meanwhile, Emmy and Tango stayed behind, the atmosphere between them light and oddly intimate. It made TSOTI uneasy. Tango's calm demeanor and the way he seemed to look at Emmy like he was really paying attention unnerved him, though he wasn't entirely sure why.

Violet nudged him again, her voice quieter now. "Are we going to do something about this? Because I'm pretty sure Emmy's about to make out with him."

"I'm not the relationship counselor," TSOTI muttered. "You should talk to her."

"Do I look like I'm ready for that conversation?" Violet shot back with a grin, though it didn't hide the concern in her voice.

"Just don't let her make a bad decision, okay? I'd like to keep my sanity intact," TSOTI said, walking ahead of her toward the staircase. He could already hear Emmy's laugh from behind him. He hoped the ghost wasn't putting some sort of spell on her.

Tango's laugh came softly through the air, just barely above a whisper. "You're a curious bunch. I haven't had this much fun in ages."

Emmy's voice followed, teasing and playful. "Oh, I bet you don't meet a lot of people like me, huh?"

"I meet a lot of people, but they don't usually make it past the door." Tango's voice was almost too smooth, like he was enjoying this conversation just as much as Emmy was. "So, tell me... why are you really here?"

"Because I was invited by a bunch of idiots who wanted to play with ghosts," Emmy replied with a grin. "And clearly, I'm the only one having fun."

TSOTI couldn't help but roll his eyes as he heard this. His gaze flickered back to the hallway, where the others were slowly heading up the stairs. The tension was building, and TSOTI knew it wasn't just from the eerie atmosphere of the mansion. There was something different about this ghost. And it was making him uneasy.

"TSOTI, you okay?" Violet asked, her voice cutting through his thoughts.

He paused, staring at the staircase. "Yeah. Just... keep an eye on Emmy, alright?" He didn't want to sound like the overprotective type, but this felt different. He wasn't sure why yet, but he knew something about this wasn't right. Ghosts didn't just invite people in for casual conversation. And Tango, well... Tango seemed to have his own agenda.

Violet nodded, her smile fading a little. "I'll keep an eye on her."