Dan turned back to his friend as he approached the door. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” he asked, flicking his eyes between him and the door.
Henry rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’m sure. The bet was about you heading in there alone. Nothing about going in there with me or there wouldn’t be a point to it!”
“I know, but…” Dan looked over his shoulder again. The decrepit manor house loomed overhead, a foreboding silhouette in the moonlight, “Well, it looks kinda cool honestly-”
“Right.” Henry said. “Head on in already, then, if you’re really not afraid. Stay in there for three hours, and you get the money we bet.”
Dan shrugged, and turned back to the door. He pushed it, wondering if it would be locked - but it seemed to be completely open, swinging open slowly, creaking with disuse. Dan swallowed hard. “See you in three hours then, I guess…” he said, before walking into the house, the door shutting behind him.
He was pretty sure that that had been Henry trying to freak him out. Henry, on the other hand, just thought Dan had closed the door behind him.
The entry hall was dark and dusty, but even in it’s ruined state one could tell it must have been grand. The main staircase on it’s own was nearly as wide as a small house, flanked by long hallways deeper into the home. Dan considered just finding somewhere to sit and waiting it out in there - the bet, after all, was just for staying inside and had nothing to do with exploration.
But on the other hand… that would bore him to tears. Either that, or he’d start imagining things to freak himself out. What was the point of entering a creepy mansion if you didn’t go exploring? That’d be like going to an amusement park and sitting in the parking lot all day. And besides, if you think about it the only real risk came from the house’s decay - rotting wood was a much more likely scenario than a vengeful spirit, and could be avoided with care.
The logical argument firmly in place, and definitely, he told himself, not just an excuse to go and see if there really was anything supernatural, Dan picked a direction and walked. It was a big place - even the entry hall had three different exits - but the decision was made much easier by the first two he checked being locked.
The double doors at the top of the stairs opened into a hall that, while it had evidently been in decay for quite some time, still bore evidence of an opulent past. While the white glow of Dan’s phone-flashlight washed the colors from the walls and furniture, and despite the fact that the wallpaper was torn in more places than it wasn’t, it was clear to see that whoever had lived there was very wealthy. It actually wasn’t quite as scary as one would have expected. True, the place being lit only by the flashlight would give anywhere an eerie feeling, and there was a creak in the doors and the floorboards, but it was a fairly open hallway rather than the claustrophobic environment one would usually expect from that sort of place.
For nearly half an hour, Dan wandered through deserted dining rooms, empty lounges, one dusty library that he entered and immediately left for fear of falling shelves, and a few other rooms. For all the dust and rust, the place was surprisingly intact - especially the master bedroom.
The door glided open silently, without the creaking that had characterized the home in general. The bedroom showed no sign of decay at all - if it was the only room you saw, it wouldn’t seem a stretch that someone had been curled up on the king-sized double bed just hours before. The room was aggressively red, from the smooth carped to the wallpaper to the bedsheets. Dan ran a hand along the sheets, and it came away without even a thin layer of dust. If the house wasn’t completely abandoned up until this point he might have thought that it was recently used.
Dan was sitting on the surprisingly still soft and springy bed when he noticed a door leading off of the bedroom. Opening it he found that, rather than a walk in closet or a private bathroom, it led to what seemed to be some kind of display room. It was smaller than the bedroom (although given the size of the master bedroom, it was still on the large side), and had the same sort of walls and floor, except for the back wall which was a massive mirror. What was different about it was that in place of a bed, vanity, and other bedroom furniture, it was filled to the brim with decorations; paintings covered in protective paper sheaths, more than one stone statue of a woman he didn’t recognize, a bust or two, several display cases filled with gems and jewelry.
In pride of place though, on a display stand right in the middle of the room, was an elegant hand-held fan. Dan was admittedly a bit confused by that - of all the elaborate trinkets and decorations in the place, why was a fan in such a nice spot? Moreso, it was completely spotless, despite not being in any kind of protective case like the other objects on display. It was a curious sight, at the least.
“Wonder what’s so special about it…” Dan muttered to himself as he approached the stand. He examined the display stand, looking for some hint of what the thing actually was, but there was nothing - no label, no name tag, no explanatory plaque, nothing.
He looked around, as if expecting someone to be there. Of course, the place was empty and deathly quiet. He picked up the fan, making a point to remind himself that it wasn’t like anybody owned it. The place was abandoned.
He rubbed the fan, feeling the old wooden handle and the soft fur on top of it. This wasn’t one of those cheap paper fans you got from the dollar store, that much was apparent from the materials alone.
The young man opened the fan, taking a moment to look at the elaborate flowery designs on it. They were remarkably well preserved. Dan had always been into the slightly weird, and the fan that seemed untouched by the years fit into that. He flapped it a little bit at himself, feeling a light breeze from it - although stirring up the stiff air this deep into the house was probably not a great environment for a fan in any case. Although, Dan suspected it wouldn’t have done much to cool him off anyway. No, this was a fashion statement and a status symbol - someone that had this probably had enough cash that buying something so frivolous was not a concern at all compared to style.
Looking at himself in the mirror, he honestly felt a bit silly. The fan looked like it was worth more money than he was, nevermind how he was surrounded by wealth that had somehow not been stolen in the decades since the place was last occupied. The pale-skinned brunette looked distinctly out of place.
Dan blinked as a vivid image passed through his head. A long haired blonde in elegant clothing, standing in front of the mirror and showing off, laughing in a distinctly… stuck up, sort of way. Right, that must have been the sort of person who’d own this kind of thing, he told himself. He had always had a particularly elaborate imagination, so he didn’t think much of how clear that mental image had been.
He looked at the mirror, then the fan. Well, he was alone in here for at least a while longer, wasn’t he? Nobody was watching, so he could have a bit of fun. He mimicked the pose of the woman he’d seen, standing straight with one hand on his hip and one holding the fan near his face. “Ahahaha! No, that’s not…” he muttered, clearing his throat, “Ohohoho!”
Dan grinned a bit to himself, stifling a laugh as he saw how silly that had looked. He didn’t notice the slight red glow that had begun to emanate from the fan, and from him. It hardly looked right, someone like him striking that kind of pose, with that kind of laugh. But, he reflected as he unknowingly wrapped a finger in his lengthening hair, that was fun! I’ll do it again, I think…
“Ohohoho!” he repeated the laugh, trying to sound like a rich lady out of some japanese tv show. It was awkward, but he felt like getting his voice a bit higher was making it work better. The image in his mind was back, and he was so focused on mimicking it he didn’t realize his short brown hair was growing rapidly and brightening in shade, or how his waist grew slightly thinner while his hips grew slightly wider.
Dan shook his head, the luxurious blonde curls now falling to his shoulder. It was sort of embarrassing to be doing something like this, even in a private space nobody had been to for years. But he was here, and he thought it looked nice. He took a different pose now, continuing the mental image - a dramatic, authoritative point with the fan closed, and then repeated the “Ohohoho!” laugh, as if he were making fun of some peasant.
Dan blinked, looking at the reflection in the mirror. Dan frowned. Something seemed… off, looking at the reflection in profile. The budding breasts, the lack of a bulge… right, that was it! Her hair wasn’t done right. Dan took a pair of bows from her pockets, not paying attention to how the jacket vanished as she did so, and wrapped her hair back. She had a nice set of twintails now, which she thought gave the look a bit more distinction. She took a more… coy, sort of pose in front of the mirror, fluttering the fan in front of her face. It had been months since anyone was here, but she was still quiet. It felt weird, seeing the place so empty… but she laughed all the same, making use of the time she had. “Ohohoho~!” she laughed.
Ah, but it felt nice to laugh! Times had been tough for the family in the last couple weeks, and Daniella was worried about a lot of things. She probably shouldn’t have snuck back to the mansion after they vacated it, but she’d left some things behind. She couldn’t well leave her favorite fan, her jewelry, all of it to whoever bought the place! Besides… she posed in the mirror some more, getting a good look at her twin drills of hair, cute face with blue eyes, and her enviable hourglass figure. She still looked every bit the noblewoman, even if an impoverished one, besides her clothes. Daniella whirled, in place, imagining her old clothes, and laughed once more, “Ohohoho!”
Daniella grinned as she finished her twirl, her elaborate, poofy and frilled dress settling. It was bright blue, a compliment to her eyes and hair, along with the sapphires studding her ample jewelry. Yes, this look would work, she thought as she examined herself in the mirror. It had been a couple days since her parents had left on a business trip, leaving her alone in the house (besides the help, but they hardly counted), but that was no reason she should allow herself to look sloppy! Or, for that matter, to get bored... She turned on her high heels to the door, striding past the portraits of herself and her family. She had a party to plan!
-------------------------
It had been well over three hours, and Henry wasn’t sure if he was annoyed or worried. Dan had gone in and he’d completed the bet without running out screaming, which was fair enough - he’d made a bet and Dan had beaten that fair and square. But he hadn’t come out and it had definitely been longer than they’d agreed. He wondered if his friend was trying to freak him out - he wouldn’t put it past him - or if something might have honestly been wrong. Ghosts and ghouls and other unrealistic concerns aside, it was an old house and might not have amazing structural integrity.
Henry waited. And then waited some more. And then a bit more. Eventually, he was fed up with waiting and went inside. “Dan? The bet’s done, you win, you can… come… out…”
He trailed off, as behind the creaky wooden door was a scene that was decidedly not the haunted house he had expected, but a grand manor lit by both fancy chandeliers and electric lighting. The floors looked freshly polished and as he closed the door behind him, it didn’t creak even slightly. He stared in slack-jawed shock. This place was… well, it had been abandoned! Did Dan find the power generator or something? But that alone wouldn’t explain the lack of decay.
Henry was still staring when he heard footsteps from the stairs. Looking over, he expected to see Dan, but any words he’d planned died in his throat as he saw a blonde young woman in an elaborate blue dress strutting down the stairs. “I, uh, hello?”
“Hm?” the woman said, looking at him as if only now noticing his existence. “Oh, Mother and Father must have sent some more help. Do they truly think I’m so helpless? How adorable of them. Ohohoho~”
“I, uh… sorry to barge in, but have you seen my friend Dan-” Henry began as she laughed, but paused almost imperceptibly in the middle of it. “-Daniella?”
“The only Daniella here is myself.” the noblewoman said, turning her nose up. “I appreciate the attempt to build a rapport, but pretending we’re already friends is quite amusing!”
Henry frowned, and turned a bit red at how she was clearly looking down on him. Where was Daniella? The one that was his friend, not this stuck up lady. “I don’t know what you’re assuming I am, but last I checked nobody lived here-” he began, but was cut off by the woman - Daniella.
“Ohohoho! You are quite amusing, servant. Just because my parents have gone abroad does not mean the manor is deserted!” As the laugh echoed through the halls, Henry groaned, thinking about how it’d get on his- her nerves as she impatiently put a hand to her hip. Unaware of the girl’s annoyance, Daniella continued. “I must say, though, they seem to have taken all the butlers and maids with them but for you. A pity. Come, we have things to do.”
Daniella whirled and started back up the stairs, and Henry followed her, fuming. “Look, lady, I don’t know who you think I am-” she started…
“The newest maid, of course! What else would a commoner stepping so confidently into my home be? Ohohoho!”
Henrietta wiped some of her long brown hair out of her face and sighed in annoyance. What a wonderful first day. First she had to figure out how to fit into the outfit on her own, and when she arrived she turned out to be the only one… “Don’t you think you could stand to be a bit nicer? If we’re going to be alone together for a while we should at least be civil-”
Daniella whirled in place, causing Henrietta to nearly run into her. The rich noblelady smirked, literally looking down at the 5 foot nothing maid. “Oh my, you’re adorable! Ohohoho~!” the noblewoman laughed. Henrietta blushed, suddenly aware of how her new employer’s body compared to her - Daniella was… well developed, to say the least, while Henrietta was distinctly petite. “And you’re blushing~ You called me a friend just after meeting, does that mean you have a crush on me?”
Henrietta’s mouth worked but no sound came out but for a strangled-sounding whimper of embarrassment. “I, uh, uhhhh-”
The noblewoman took a bit of Henrietta’s long, red hair, twirling it around her finger. “Well? I’m waiting~” she trilled. She gave the maid an examination - long red hair giving a nice contrast to sun-tanned skin and bright green eyes, and an adorably petite figure. She would be nice to play with. She leaned in and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Ohohoho~ So easily flustered~”
Henrietta stepped back quickly. “I, uh, huh, y-y-you said we had something to do, Mistress?” she stammered.
“Ohohoho!” Daniella laughed once more, and this time, no magical change occurred - no, the two were complete, and the world was now quietly adjusting to fit them. A haughty noblewoman and her cute maid. “Yes, yes! I plan to take advantage of my parents absence for a party, as one does. You will be helping to plan as well as making invitations, of course. And, if you do very well, you may have a reward waiting for you~”
“B-B-But your father will be furious…” Henrietta managed.
“If he ever finds out, yes… but you’ll never tell, will you~?” Daniella said with a sweet smile.
“O-Of course not mistress, I’ll take it to the grave!” Henrietta said.
“Good! Come then! We have much to prepare for!” Daniella said, before bringing a hand to her cheek and laughing once more, echoing through the halls.
“Ohohoho!”