In the middle of a shadowy and desolate forest, a lonely castle stands atop a crag. While its towering Gothic spires and bleak, dark walls present a foreboding appearance, tonight this castle will play host to a festive gathering involving characters of many strange and different natures from across many worlds.
But as the characters arrive for this party, they may find more than they might have been expecting. For the holiday is Halloween, and as the sun slowly sinks behind the trees and the shadows lengthen over the old castle, mysterious and spooky events will begin to occur, and the visitors will find themselves in for a Halloween night to remember...
Welcome to the latest installment of the Character Development Threads! These shared story exercises give you the opportunity to develop your characters, practice writing, and have fun alongside your fellow writers, no signups, profiles, or GM approval necessary. Want to join? If the thread's gotten long, there's no need to fear Archive Panic- just head on over to our discussion thread and say so, and we'll give you a recap of what's going on and good spots for working your characters into the thread; how you choose to do this is up to you. A little communication in endeavors such as these can go a long way towards having fun, helping others, getting that kink in your character worked out, getting your characters out of their comfort zone, or whatever you're here for, so if you ever have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask. We're all for helping each other out.
Character Halloween is a Halloween-themed casual thread. For those unfamiliar with the Character Development Threads, a casual thread is one primarily focused on character interaction; violence and physical conflict between characters are discouraged. Tonally, the thread is meant to be scary good fun: while it's Halloween-themed and spooky events are encouraged, they should be of a harmless nature rather than horror-based.
For more details, please see the trope page, which contains essential information about the thread. And feel free to stop by the CDT Discussion Thread.
I'd like to acknowledge the assistance of Crystal Glacia, Ryuhza, Night, Gault, Killer Clowns, Yomegami, Elfhunter, and Flowing Cotton, all of whom provided me with feedback during the planning of this thread.
- Current Time: 1:00 AM
- Current Weather: Dark and Clear
Thread maps:
Halloween has now ended.
edited 21st Feb '15 10:48:32 PM by nrjxll
The future of warfare in UC.
[Ballroom]
Priss waved casually to Moreena, having apparently once again forgot about the laser muzzle that formed the palm of the suit's hand, and was fiddling with the sound system with her other hand; not making adjustments, rather she was trying to determine where the music was coming from exactly.
Nous restons ici.
[Dining Room]
Harry looked between Kaguya and Recon, not quite sure what was going on with their latest exchange. Telepathy, maybe? He shrugged - it wasn't really his problem as long as they stuck to talking (of whatever sort), and while he wasn't really sure he wanted to be around Recon, he'd apparently been right in his guess that the dude wasn't actually the crazed murderer he looked like.
On that note - the avoiding Recon thing - we could move to the ballroom, since it's where everyone else seems to be going and there's clearly not a bunch of waltzing ghosts inside.
Or maybe that's why everyone's going there. As long as all they did was waltz, I'd guess that'd actually be kind of groovy.
Coming out of his thoughts, he looked from Recon - who, hey, apparently was a god of some kind - to Kaguya. "Hey, you all right there?" he asked her.
[Ballroom]
Priss could tell that the music was definitely not coming over the sound system she'd set up. It seemed to be getting slightly louder, as if reacting against her efforts to mess with it.
It's a bird.
[Ballroom]
So a demigod it was then, though the name Fūjin didn't exactly ring a bell. Moreena would have to look it up later.
She entered the ballroom, and waved back towards the armored girl, who was fiddling with some kind of machinery. Judging by it's design and placement within the ballroom, it was probably a music device of some kind, though the apparent lack of needles and wax cylinders seemed a bit strange.
Getting closer, Moreena realized that the music she had heard was coming from somewhere else. Perhaps the ghostly pianist from earlier was at it again?
"Found anything interesting?" Moreena asked. "By the way, I don't think I caught your name before."
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
Dining Room
Kaguya wound up almost jumping again when Recon pulled another teleporting act. This time, however, her shock was short lived.
"So you're going to blame us for getting startled?" she asked, trying but visibly failing to hide her annoyance, "If you really weren't trying to be scary, you could have just entered normally instead of...whatever that was. Or if you had to warp like that, the least you could do was get rid of the blood first!"
She didn't bother answering his question to her. Given the way he'd been acting so far, she wasn't in the mood to tell him anything about why she was here. Instead, she turned to Harry. "Let's see, there's this blood-soaked man who apparently likes messing with people and is mostly focused on me. What do you think?!"
edited 23rd Jan '15 11:17:24 AM by Yomegami
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
Eat my dust!
Recon raised his eyebrow.
"You really don't get it do you? From my point of view, it's 'snot me that's movin' too fast. It's everyone else that's movin' too slow. Would you start hobbling around like you had two broken legs just because some strangers you just met didn't like the way you moved?"
Recon shook his head, then blinked to the dining table.
"Well if you're so tired of the way I walk, there's something in the ballroom I have no interest in, so feel free to check that out. I'm gonna get some more snacks."
edited 23rd Jan '15 12:12:15 PM by gameknight102xx
"SAID CLOUD TO THE CARTOON PONIES AND UNICORNS WITH PICTURES OF FLOWERS ON THEIR ASSES. A DURR HURR HURR." ~Game Spazzer
[Castle ~ Third Floor (Grand Study)] (Oswald, Krajn)
"Really, think nothing of it." Oswald looked away, trying to wave it off, though a small smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I think most of us, in most cases, would rather be comfortable than prideful. And if there's anything that I can do to help a friend keep from shivering at every erratic draft, then it's done."
He turned, folding his arms tightly and facing away from the desk, his gaze wandering across the large—larger than ever—room. The bright moonlight streaming through the wide window, bathing everything in that vivid, pale shade. The silence, aside from the sporadic whistling of the wind, Krajn's quiet movements, and Oswald's own even breathing. The scene was almost picturesque, yet reaching a disturbing stillness.
Oswald waited a few seconds—as though afraid to disturb the rapidly settling quiet—before responding, "Maybe it was just to lure us along, but if that was the sole purpose, well, the phantom could have made noise at all and we'd have come. Or perhaps that is the only sound it can make..." his eyes suddenly filled with an overly dramatic look of poignancy.
To the rest of Krajn's new information, he nodded, "Mm, that's what I thought. But you're right, it doesn't add a terrible lot of significance to the message either way. I wonder if we're not reading too much into this playful little scribbling." he turned back around, eyeing the book with a frown, then flipped through a few pages, one by one. Then he flipped back a few pages, in the same manner. "Hrm. Don't see anything else here either."
He continued to frown down at the pages for a few seconds, then lifted his head and called out to the room, "Is that all you've got for us?"
this place needs me here
[Third Floor - Grand Study (Oswald, Krajn)]
Krajn tensed slightly, half-expecting a response to the challenge, but the room stayed quiet. Though it did seem a little darker; she glanced out the window to notice that there were a few more clouds than there had been earlier. Perhaps they weren't through all of the storm just yet. Unfortunate that we lost the candlelight, if so.
She remained quiet herself for a moment. It was oddly peaceful in the dark, more so than she really would have expected. But something Oswald had said nagged at her, like a scale half-shed, and finally she spoke up, though her voice was still quiet:
"You know, Oswald, I find myself hoping that the 'spirit' we are dealing with is not a ghost, as such. The idea that such things exist is... rather disturbing. It sounds like such an awful existence - remaining in one place, never growing, never changing. Not even being able to touch anything. I should much prefer a 'normal' death to that, I think. No wonder if it is... desperate to amuse itself with us."
[Dining Room - Ballroom]
Harry held up his hands at Kaguya's. "Whoa, dude, I know. It's just a polite way of... you know, trying to be reassuring and all that." Do youkai not do that? I could ask, but I think it would probably just freak her out more. From what he'd seen so far, Kaguya didn't seem to like a lot of things, but she really didn't like being reminded that she wasn't "normal".
Normal's kind of bogus anyway, but hey, whatever she wants.
Recon's suggestion to go to the ballroom matched his own earlier thoughts perfectly. Maybe he is telepathic. He turned to Kaguya and gestured in that direction. "I say we take him up on that."
Without waiting for her response - she'd come along or stay as she wanted, and as long as nobody was seriously bothering her it wasn't really his deal which - he set out for the ballroom, grabbing another soda as he went. Inside, there were no waltzing ghosts, but there was Priss and Moreena, the former of which seemed to again be fiddling with the sound system from before. He waved at her. "Let me guess: the music's not actually coming through that thing, is it?"
Dining Room -> Ballroom
Harry's reaction to her was enough to make Kaguya realize she was getting a little too worked up; definitely more worked up then she usually let herself get in public. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down before replying.
"Erm...Sorry, I, um...I'm a little nervous here...." she said, "Anyway...um...as I was saying, it's not like I have anything better to do right now. It sounds like a good enough plan...." With that, she got up and followed Harry out into the ballroom.
Just before exiting, however, she cast one final glance at Recon. If he felt more comfortable warping around, then that was fine by her. However, the fact remained that he chose to be smarmy about it instead of explaining it nicely, and that he was still covered in blood that he didn't bother to explain. She didn't feel the need to argue further with him, however; she disliked arguing as it was and there were better things she could be doing.
The only thing she noticed was any different about the ballroom from her last trip in here was the music. The source of it, if it even had a source, was no more obvious here than it was in the dining room. It was still creepy, but definitely not as bad as she was expecting. For now, she was content to listen to everyone else who was present discuss it.
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
Eat my dust!
Recon sighed as he munched on a celery stick, running his free hand through his blood-soaked hair.
"I wonder if there's a shower around here..." he wondered out loud to himself. His armor was self-cleaning, but unfortunately his head didn't come with the same feature.
Well, wishing for one wouldn't make one show up. Getting up, he disappeared from sight once more.
edited 23rd Jan '15 2:04:05 PM by gameknight102xx
"SAID CLOUD TO THE CARTOON PONIES AND UNICORNS WITH PICTURES OF FLOWERS ON THEIR ASSES. A DURR HURR HURR." ~Game Spazzer
The future of warfare in UC.
[Ballroom]
Priss sighed and left the machine lone, absently waving to everyone else again. "What's the point of setting up a sound system and playing spooky music if you're not going to be using the sound system TO play the spooky music?"
Nous restons ici.
It's a bird.
[Ballroom]
"That does seem rather strange," Moreena said, scratching one of her horns. "Perhaps it's supposed to emphasize the 'spookiness' somehow? To make it even more obvious that the music isn't natural? I wouldn't put it past our host to do something like that."
She looked over towards the dining room and noticed Harry and the red eyed girl. Had Recon finally scared them off?
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
(Exit post)
Rachel noticed an old grandfather clock chime midnight. Had she really been here that long? She needed to get home, and quick. Two quick slashes, and she emerged into a New York night, the familiar sights and sounds of a city that never stopped. Home sweet home.
Forward, boys! For God's sake, forward!
[Castle ~ Third Floor (Grand Study)] (Oswald, Krajn)
Oswald nodded slowly, his mouth set in a neutral frown.
"Well," he shrugged, "with the existence of ghosts, wandering spirits of the dead, et cetera et cetera, there comes the existence of some kind of lore surrounding them, typically speaking. In my world, I believe that it is most commonly told that a ghost is the result of a person who has died with unfinished business or deep regrets. Something that tethers them here, hmm? And then the story often goes that if the business is taken care of, the spirit is released to pass on into... into- well," he took a quick breath and spoke in a voice a little deeper than his usual tone, the great beyond, as they say."
He folded his arms, shrugging again and giving Krajn a half-smile. "So, even if it is a terrible sort of limbo, there's at least that bit of comfort in knowing that you can, one day, earn your peace. And if you are leaving behind loved ones to an uncertain fate, it may also behoove you to hold even the slightest amount of influence over their continued well-being. A temporary existence as a ghost in order to aid those you care about before reaching a final, eternal rest doesn't sound so bad, does it?"
Oswald paused for a moment, his eyes wandering towards the darkening window. "Oh, but- ah, not to assume that such is the case here. Could be something else entirely. Perhaps 'spirits of mischief' simply appear on Halloween nights, armed with naught more than a giggle-box and a penchant for graffiti."
He sighed, leaning back against his arms, which were pressed upon the desktop for support. Speaking almost inaudibly, he murmured to himself, "It was a dark and stormy night..."
this place needs me here
[Third Floor - Grand Study (Oswald, Krajn)]
Krajn, hearing Oswald's mutterings, hissed slightly. "'The rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets of London, for it is in London that our scene lies'," she quoted in an amused tone. "I don't actually know what that's from. Harry and Cecelia both seem to like it - or at least they like to make fun of it. I've heard it quoted almost every night we're on a planet and there's bad weather."
She shifted to a more serious posture and was silent for a moment, contemplating. "When you put it that way, no, being a ghost doesn't sound so bad, I suppose. Somewhat like being a Qvn Jxilkr, except more... personal. Which is still rather hard to imagine; there aren't a lot of people I'd feel such a great wish to help and protect for. Ghiln, still, most likely. Some of my teachers." Her head shifted to a more ironic tilt, and she hesitated, not quite sure whether saying the next thing that had come to mind would be at all a sensible idea
Then there was a sudden loud rapping sound from outside the room, and she whirled around with her fighting-sticks lifted. "Naturally."
[Ballroom]
Harry shrugged. "Or maybe the party supply guys aren't actually associated with whoever or whatever" - he barely bothered to put a laughably dramatic emphasis on the second word anymore - "is behind all the 'spooky' stuff. So it's not bothering to hang with with the sound system because it never wanted it here in the first place. Or something like that?"
He shrugged again and took a sip from his soda. "Anyway, let me know when you get that thing working... well, uh, I mean that in the encouragement sense, obviously I'd know." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, after all the buildup I'm curious to hear what party music from the 2040s - your 2040s, anyway - sounds like."
Current Time: 12:30
It's a bird.
[Ballroom]
"Party supply guys?" Moreena asked. She had assumed that the decorations had simply appeared from nowhere, just like the food. "Where they just as clueless as to who is behind all this as we are?"
"And yes, this place could use some proper party music. Did you say the '2040s'?
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
The future of warfare in UC.
[Ballroom]
Priss chuckled. "Do I look like I brought something that could interface with this with me? I was hoping it had something plugged in; selection of songs for various occasions at least...nope."
She glanced at Moreena. "Yeah, twenty-thirty-nine technically, but who's counting?"
Nous restons ici.
[Castle ~ Third Floor (Grand Study)] (Oswald, Krajn)
Oswald's eyes widened ever-so-slightly in surprise as Krajn took his words and continued on.
"Truth be told, I've only ever known the first few words." he said with a smile. "And I haven't got a clue where it comes from either, although you must admit it's an apt set of words for the occasion. I suppose that's why everyone remembers them, and why they've become so trite."
He was silent as Krajn offered her thoughts on the ghost business, though he was attentive, nodding slowly. He opened his mouth, but before he could add anything himself, the noise from the hall came.
"Ah, I guess we're done here." he said, pushing off of the desk and heading quickly towards the door, watching his feet as best he could as he went along. When he was about halfway to reaching it, he turned his head back toward Krajn, and then toward the large window. "I... give me just a moment. I'll be right there."
Then, he headed for the broken part of the window, treading carefully so as not to crush any of the scattered glass further into the carpet. When he had reached the window's edge, he carefully stuck his head out into the night air, closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths.
this place needs me here
[Third Floor - Grand Study -> Staircase Hall]
Krajn gave Oswald a puzzled look. What is he doing this time? She could vaguely guess it had something to do with the dusty atmosphere on this floor, but sticking your head out into that cold wind? Zrrrrrh.
She also was a little curious about what he would have replied to what she'd been saying about ghosts. Not that she entirely minded being cut off when she was, but still. Perhaps we can continue that later.
Lifting her fighting-sticks into a combat-ready position - just in case - she crept out into the hallway, tilting her head slightly as she stepped through the remains of the door. They never had figured out what about this study made such a heavy door necessary. Perhaps it had something to do with the great window, or perhaps there was something about those books... Or perhaps it's just another mystery of this night and place that we'll never be able to solve.
As she entered the staircase chamber, there was no immediate sign of what was causing the rapping - or rather what had been causing it, as it seemed to have stopped. Remembering her training, she looked to both sides, then up - and froze. Hovering just under the skylight was a familiar-looking ball of misty orange light. It seemed brighter than before, but was still transparent.
"Oswald! Hurry in here!" she cried out urgently, eyes very wide with excitement. "Quickly, in case it vanishes again!"
[Ballroom]
Harry winced. He'd been sure Priss said 2043, or something like that. Not that it really mattered, but still.
"So what's the point of setting up a sound system if you're not going to... I don't know, do whatever it is you're supposed to do to make it play music?" he asked. "I mean the party supply guys, not you."
He glanced at Moreena. "Yeah, they didn't seem to have a clue about any of this. Though... I can't remember anyone actually asking them about it." He frowned. "Kind of weird, that."
Speaking of music, is that stuff up there getting louder?
It's a bird.
[Ballroom]
Moreena looked rather thoughtful for a moment. "It seems quite odd to me that someone who can summon people from all across the multiverse would need mortal servants to put up decorations," she said. "Though I suppose it could be a vanity thing. Or perhaps a joke of some kind."
She shrugged, and spun around to take in the sights of the ballroom, her eyes lingering at the door to the dining hall for a while. Where had Recon gone off to?
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
Eat my dust!
[Ballroom]
Moreena would feel a familiar energy this time. The same type Rachel had used for her little demonstration in the dining hall. Everyone else would just see Recon seeming to step out of thin air into the ballroom.
His hair was damp, like he had just dried it off, and he had chamged into a blue shirt and light-blue pair of jeans, ever-present satchel still on his back. He looked over to where the sound system was, and lifted his right foot slightly in its direction, as if he was about to start walking towards it.
Instead of walking, however, he began to glide across the ground at a moderate-walking pace, like he has suddenly gotten on a conveyor belt of some kind. Only when he finally got beside Moreena would he stop and begin to look carefully at the sound system.
edited 28th Jan '15 10:57:25 AM by gameknight102xx
"SAID CLOUD TO THE CARTOON PONIES AND UNICORNS WITH PICTURES OF FLOWERS ON THEIR ASSES. A DURR HURR HURR." ~Game Spazzer
[Castle ~ Third Floor (Grand Study —> Staircase Hall)] (Oswald, Krajn)
There came an indistinct, but excited response from the study, followed shortly by the loud crunching of glass. A moment later, Oswald stepped into the chamber, his mouth-covering mask back in place.
His eyes immediately fixed upon the orange ball of light, brightly illuminated by it's glow, and he quickly lowered his mask once more. Slowly, he crept towards Krajn, keeping to her side, and not stepping any further. "Is this the spirit of mischief in all its misty luminescence?" he muttered to himself under his breath. Then, in a voice slightly more directed towards Krajn though just about as quiet, he said, "Should we try to communicate?"
gotta go
Edited by Ryuhza on Jul 21st 2021 at 12:23:01 PM
this place needs me here
[Third Floor - Staircase Hall (Oswald, Krajn)]
"Oswald!" Krajn hissed under her breath. "Don't talk about the phantasm as though it can't hear you!" She bobbed her head. "And yes. Let me try first, in case it's hostile." That seemed unlikely at this point, but still...
Moving very cautiously, she stepped out into the center of the room, not standing directly underneath the ball of light, but getting closer to it. She ordered her backup to started analyzing whatever information her passive sensors could provide. It wouldn't do much good - or at least, so she suspected - but it was at least worth an attempt.
She stared wide-eyed at the apparition. Up close, it seem to give off a slight chill, though not enough to bother her under the cloak. (In fact, the room was probably warmer than the study had been).
"Hello?" she said. "My name is Krajn, and this is Oswald. Can you hear us? Can you understand us?"
The ball of light soundlessly dropped until it was about level with her head, and she tensed. But it made no sound or other sense of acknowledging her presence. It just... hovered there.
"What else should I say?" she called back to Oswald, without turning her head.
Holding off on the ballroom for the moment.
edited 26th Jan '15 5:51:13 PM by nrjxll
[Castle ~ Third Floor (Staircase Hall)] (Oswald, Krajn)
Oswald tilted his head toward's Krajn, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Can it?"
Slowly, smoothly he moved closer, almost like a phantom himself. He remained just a small step or so behind Krajn.
"I wonder," he said quietly, though no longer actively trying to keep from being heard, "can our phantasmal friend even see us? Or does it sense the world around by some manner of perception that is alien to both of us?" his mouth opened slowly in a small, teeth-baring grin as his eyes stared at the glowing being with a strange, impassioned intensity. "Perhaps, even now, we are sending out a wild variety of signals that neither of us are aware of. Or," the look in his eyes dimmed slightly, "perhaps my imagination is simply running wild."
He fell silent for a moment, continuing to stare at the glowing apparition, as though mesmerized. "I only hope that such a being would understand the impetuousness of one who has never laid eyes on such a magnificent thing in all his life."
edited 26th Jan '15 9:58:02 PM by Ryuhza
this place needs me here
[Third Floor - Staircase Hall (Oswald, Krajn)]
"Oswald, you can't solve all your problems with meeting people with flattery," Krajn teased. I mean, it's just a ball of light. Yes, its existence threatens to reveal rather profound truths about the nature of life and the universe, but it's not that impressive in itself, I should think. Though of course, she wasn't going to say any of that out loud. She had no idea if flattering the 'ghost' would help, but there was no reason to actively insult it.
Growing more serious, she considered the entity, turning her head back and forth in thought. Oswald had made a good point, even if he wasn't quite serious - she still couldn't tell sometimes. Ghost or not, perhaps it was best to treat this being more as though they were in a first contact situation than a supernatural experience.
Though it had apparently understood their languages before... assuming it had been the one to deface the old book.
"If you can understand us," she said to the floating light, "can you do something to acknowledge it?"
The light remained motionless, still giving off that discomforting chill. But out of nowhere a faint breeze sprung up, whirling the dust underneath the light up in funnel shapes. As it fell back to the ground, parts of it landed on the floor in a thicker pattern - the pattern of a Classical Qrtxian glyph.
Yes.
edited 26th Jan '15 10:36:25 PM by nrjxll
Kaguya and Harry, since they were looking at Recon, would see a grey blur, then all of a sudden there was a noise like someone tapping on a soda can.
"S'not nice to litter, this is someone else's place after all," Recon chided, having appeared where the soda can was about to fall and caught it. Taking careful aim, he pitched the empty can like a baseball, flinging it perfectly into the nearest garbage can.
"Strrrirke!" he celebrated, before turning back to Harry.
"I'm not trying to scare anyone. S'not my fault you guys don't pay attention to your surroundings and have the reaction times of cold molasses."
Responding to Moreena's guess, he shrugged.
"Not too far off the mark, actually. I am distantly related to a god, he's my great, great, great, great, and several more greats, grandfather or something. Think the girl in the robes might know him, a real nice guy by the name of Fūjin, or Futen."
He looked at said "girl in robes", his face breaking out into a "I'm barely holding in my laughter" smile.
"Don't worry, I won't. Gotta respect a lady's personal space after all. Just curious though, if you get scared so easily, why'd you come here in the first place?"
edited 22nd Jan '15 3:47:10 PM by gameknight102xx
"SAID CLOUD TO THE CARTOON PONIES AND UNICORNS WITH PICTURES OF FLOWERS ON THEIR ASSES. A DURR HURR HURR." ~Game Spazzer