> Boasting Challenge 5: If the Goth House were not a bar - what might
> it be? The winning story should be a scene in a different setting
> (i.e. Is the Goth House a school? What happens there? -or- Is the
> Goth House a pleasure ship? Where is it going and why? -or-
> something else...)

Zophiel's challenge reverberated through the deserted halls of the
Goth House and on to realms beyond, where creatures might yet listen,
and stir... and indeed, one listened... and one stirred... and one
came again into the place, rising up from the cyber-deep. The Goth
House shuddered as the presence of the outsider passed into its
substance to inhabit it once again...

Rennyb blinked and looked around... it'd been awhile since his
consciousness had been summoned to this context. What was happening
here, he wondered? He rose from his chair, refreshing his outer
semblance from the ghost to which it had decayed. Formlessness took
form and shadow became substance and of a sudden the young mage was
again enfleshed in this space.

He turned this way and that... noting the empty setee, and the fire
burned low. The echoes of curious cats and dreaming waifs lingered a
bit, but again, the place was more still than it should've been...
Rennyb turned around once again, his brows knitted... clearly, some
stimulus was needed to jolt the House back to life. Offhandedly, he
lobbed a swirl of golden fire into the bar.

The polished wooden counter exploded in a great roar, disintegrating
into a million flaming slivers. Glassware shattered with the sound of
harpstrings. A great plume of smoke roiled upwards to unfurl across
the rafters.

The fury was over as quickly at it had come, but the effect lingered
to be sure. Ash and cinders fell like sullen rain, while the virtues
of various and vintage liquers burned red and green and silver in the
aftermath of the sorcerous fire...

"I was going to say, 'What if the Goth House were a museum, with each
wonder and delight laid out for inspection?'" Rennyb announced rather
loudly to no one in particular. "But then I thought, 'What if the
Goth House were a circus, with each chamber a pavillion of mystery
and spectacle?'" he continued, his feet crunching over shattered
glass as walked. "But methinks it is adventure this place needs...
For what better than epic to stir the blood of storytellers!? 'What
if the Goth House... were a war zone?'"

Rennyb released a thunderstroke into the DJ booth. The music died in
one screaming distortion as the mixing equipment sparked and melted.
The scent of burning plastic filled the place.

Rennyb walked briskly towards the door, sparing a glance for
Cassandra and Sebastian who crouched down in the coatroom wondering
how the House would respond to Rennyb's 'stimulus'?

"Come now, ye hundred shining and not-so-shining ones who dwell
herein... Dominions undefended are dominions lost!" So speaking,
Rennyb turned and clawed at the Tarot tapestry, rending it corner to
corner. The wound bled...

"I hope you two have something with more punch than coathangers in
there," Rennyb said to the two in the coatroom with a grin. "I'm off
to rally the troops!" Then Rennyb vanished.

Looking through the space he'd just vacated, Sebastian noted the pool
of ichor spreading from the mauled tapestry... and noticed something
else... something black and taloned was stepping through the rip...
something snuffling and hungry... something foul with the stench of
damned things, dragging implements of rusting iron in its grip...
And there were others coming behind...