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
[Ballroom]
Harry glanced at the ball of light and shrugged. "'Dude' is a gender-neutral term. Didn't mean any offense by it."
How does a ball of light even...? Nevermind, I'm not sure I want to know.
"Though as far as the decoration thing goes," he continued, "I'd say this place is seriously decorated. And then there's stuff like the piano. It's kind of weird that the host hasn't shown up yet, but they did a groovy job with the castle." He grinned. "Of course, maybe that's the way it always is, and they're just lying in wait until the witching hour when they can come forth from their crypt to feast upon our innocent blood... or something like that. Though I guess that wouldn't be a problem for you."
Noticing the new arrival, he glanced over and said "Nice mask. I'm Harry Carter, and this is Priss and... uh, a ball of light."
[Outside ~ Path —> Outside Graveyard (Oswald, Krajn)]
"Yep." Oswald said, giving Krajn another uncertain sidelong glance, "That would be what I was doing. And, no, I didn't mean to imply that you were inordinately slow, it's simply that... well, I've got a bigger stride, and ah... I'm one bushy beard away from being a mountain-man. I trod over this kind of terrain day in and day out— not uncommonly at speeds well above the average amble. I know the footwork one needs to maintain their balance in that sort of, ah... high velocity scramble. That's all that I was getting at."
He glanced down at Krajn hopefully, but came away with tightly clenched teeth and a groan in his throat. A few steps later and he murmured, "Maybe I should just keep my yapper sealed for a while."
He slowed down along with Krajn as they neared the quiet graveyard. He glanced at the alien again and sighed, pressing a hand against his forehead and shaking his head, "I apologize, Krajn. I ought not assume about that which I do not know. I suppose that I consider swift footedness to be one of my few honestly marketable talents, and so... well, that's where my overweening talk takes its root." He was quiet for a second or so, then turned towards her, his eyes steady and serious. "But I mean you no disrespect."
every little word and every little step
[Outside Graveyard]
"As well you shouldn't," Krajn muttered. She was taking a moment of satisfaction at his apology - both for its own sake and for the pleasing effect on her ego - when she looked at Oswald again. He was somewhat more difficult to read than a normal human, but he seemed genuinely upset, more so than he should have been.
No! Stop, stop, stop. This is exactly the sort of thing that gives you trouble with people.
She sighed and blinked both eyelids in a quick wince. "Agh. No, I'm sorry, Oswald. I have a certain... a certain tendency to show arrogance about my abilities. I should be able to control it more easily in situations like this, but..."
Why did they never teach me how to handle situations like this? Much more difficult than anything physically dangerous.
She looked at the graveyard in embarrassed distraction, but didn't really notice anything there. "Please, don't take it too seriously when I... well, when I take things too seriously."
They/Them
[Ballroom]
Nel glanced toward Kommissar, "Hey, name's Nel. Or at least everyone calls me that."
Nel chuckled at Harry's comment, "Funny, but I doubt the guy I know that would have authority over that sort of thing would extend his reach to this place," she thought on that, "Wherever it is."
Note to self: Pick less edgy username next time.
PAINKILLER
[Ballroom]
The man in the red mask approached, and bowed slightly. "Pleased to make your acquaintances." He never thought he'd meet such a wide variety of sentient beings. "Thank you, I'm dressed as myself. Not many people compliment the mask- they mostly ask why I wear it. That or they look at me in horror." Kommissar unbuttoned some of his coat open.
"You were speaking about the owner? Shouldn't he or she be at their own party? It sounds... Strange that they aren't." He has been in many situations, and this one was fishy to say the least. He thought for a moment. "Perhaps this is a trap, or part of an elaborate trick. Isn't Halloween such as that?"
I guess this means I need to put Kommissar on the trope page for this thread?
edited 13th Nov '14 5:53:48 PM by electronic-tragedy
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
[Dining Hall]
Jackson's eyes widened.
"So...you literally just woke up here?" Jackson asked, "And you have no idea where you were going beforehand?" He blinked. "Doesn't that bother you a little bit?"
[West Wing]
Arriving in the West Wing, Nick noticed that there wasn't anybody there. Except for Hei and another person.
"Oh. Hey, Hei." Nick said, before looking around, "Oh! Doors! Fun!"
"Looks like none of them have opened yet." Marie said, "Are they locked?"
"Well, there's only one way to find out." Nick approached one of them, "Heh. This should be fun."
Adam stayed behind with Marie, nervously watching Nick, Hei, and Moreena as they scanned the room.
edited 13th Nov '14 3:01:59 PM by Masterofchaos
[Outside ~ Outside Graveyard (Oswald, Krajn)]
Oswald blinked in surprise, craning his neck back. He stared at Krajn for a few moments, brow raised and nostrils flared. Then, a small grin appeared upon his mouth.
"Now how about that?" he said, folding his arms, a slight smile still lingering in the corners of his mouth. "It sounds as though we possess similar problems, doesn't it?" he glanced away, surveying the sky as though he were birdwatching. "Well, keep me in check whenever I run my mouth, and I'll send a nudge your way if ever you seem to be taking things too seriously. A metaphorical nudge, mind you." he added with a wink.
He directed his long face towards the graveyard, and the rickety little house that stood beside it. "Now, how about that graveyard? If that truly isn't a gift shop, then perhaps it's someone's summer house." he glance back at Krajn, offering her a pleasant, if slightly teasing smile. "For vacations and the like. It does have a lovely view."
every little word and every little step
The future of warfare in UC.
[Ballroom]
Priss nodded to Kommissar. The mask...somewhat amused her actually, reminding her of a -55C's face just a little. She then looked back to the ball of light. "Your reassurances do slightly less for the more...corporal among us. Besides, he invited a Saber. I'm guessing that means he knows what he would get...and that means less Dracula and more Aliens. The horror movies always work better when the protagonists are competent and it doesn't matter."
Nous restons ici.
Jolly Saint Nick
[West Wing]
Warren didn't say anything as he and the others left the doll room. He was thinking about the strange box and it's weird affect it had on Moreena- a goddess, of all things!
"Maybe we're not supposed to open it," He suggested, thinking of it as some sort of Pandora's box.
Dakota shrugged. "Or maybe it's just anti-magic."
Happy Holidays to everyone! Have a great end of the year, and an even better 2015- you all deserve it!
[Ballroom]
"And here I was thinking that we could rely on you and your armor suit to keep the rest of us safe," Harry said. He shook his head. "Tubular, man."
He chuckled, but underneath it, was increasingly nervous. He was pretty sure there was no such thing as ghosts - or vampires, or whatever - but the absence of an owner did make him a little suspicious, especially after the events of the last few months. Sure, the invitation hadn't been for him specifically, but that didn't entirely help, particularly with the music still giving him the creeps -
-Wait a minute...
"Hey, the music's stopped," he said. "Uh, obviously."
[Outside Graveyard]
"Quite pleasant, indeed," Krajn said. She gave Oswald a slightly askance glance, wondering slightly at his sudden shift into a more playful manner of speech, before dismissing it. "I say we explore it. The graveyard, I mean, not the house - that might be rude. Unless you're" - she hissed - "too scared, hrmm?"
She shivered involuntarily as the wind briefly picked up, and tightened her cloak. Alternatively, it might be better to go back inside before it becomes any colder. But she certainly wasn't going to say as much in front of someone else.
They/Them
[Ballroom]
Nel made a motion that would suggest shrugging were she in a humanoid form.
"I never heard any music."
Nel shook angrily again, "I swear, when I find this guy they're going to get smacked so hard." She trailed off, "Excuse me for a moment."
The little ball of light fluttered to the other side of the room. For a brief moment, Nel screamed in an unholy burst of anger. From her form, many smooth and glossy pink tentacles lashed out and curled back in to the light of her body. After a brief moment, she stopped and returned back to the group.
"Sorry, this whole experience is being a thorn in the side of my immortal coil."
Note to self: Pick less edgy username next time.
PAINKILLER
[Ballroom]
Kommissar was aware of the music, but its sudden ceasing sent a chill down his spine.
"I suppose I'm not the only one unnerved by this place." Kommissar crossed his arms. He continued, "I suspect that it is the owner's intention- to scare us." He wagged a finger to emphasize his point.
"Now, I don't get scared easily. I've seen many things-" The man paused. He didn't want to mention anything personal- or anyone he's seen that day. "So no trick is going to scare me." He felt in his coat again, as if feeling his dagger gave him comfort. The temptation to pull it out was great, but he figured he'd only make the other party-goers more unnerved at him.
edited 13th Nov '14 6:12:59 PM by electronic-tragedy
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
[Ballroom]
Harry recoiled, startled, when the ball of light briefly... What, erupted? Went tentactly? "Uh," he said. "You all right there?"
Okay, ball of light dude - no, Nel, the name is Nel. Seriously, get with the name thing, dammit - Nel is now officially the scariest thing in this castle. For the moment.
Please not let it stay for the moment.
He shook himself and turned to the masked man. Speaking as much for his own benefit as anyone else's, he replied "You do realize that being scared is kind of the point - or at least a point - of Halloween? It doesn't prove evil intentions on the part of our spoooookily absent host."
[Outside ~ Outside Graveyard —> Graveyard] (Oswald, Krajn)
"Scared?" Oswald repeated, huffing the word out with a laugh and flicking the end of his pointed tail. "Really, scared- come come, scared of what? The living dead?" he shook his head and, after giving the perimeter of the graveyard a cursory glance began marching towards what looked to be the entrance. "I'd be better off worrying about a loose tombstone toppling over and crushing my foot. Or inhaling dust from rat droppings and getting sick. Come, let us go." he took a deep breath and then declared, loudly—as though he were announcing to the whole of the graveyard—"For our path of exploration, investigation, and wandering around is resolute, and this graveyard will hold no bastion for fear. We move... onward!"
He pointed his open hand ahead in a swift karate-chop motion, and, wearing an almost cartoonishly serious frown (in a rather vain effort to hide the cartoonishly vivid smile that filled his eyes), marched to the graveyard's gates. "If that doesn't wake the dead, I don't know what will."
every little word and every little step
[Graveyard]
Krajn stared blankly at Oswald. His sudden shifts between emotional postures - awkwardly honest, effusively flattering, and bombastically humorous - were quite disconcerting. As another chill breeze caused her to shiver, however, she decided that there would be time later to worry about that sort of thing; for now, the best use she could make of the dying sunlight would be to explore the graveyard.
So resolved, she let out a quiet hiss and followed Oswald into it. "From what I've read about this holiday, I doubt that the dead would be waking just yet anyway," she said. She sent a signal to activate the voice modulator built into her Zhrrq Z'hrrn costume, giving her lowered voice a sinister echo. "For it is only when darkness falls that the uneasy dead shall rise from their graves to... to do whatever it is they actually do. The readings don't entirely seem to agree on that." She hissed again. "I hope it wouldn't be eating brains. I'd certainly be in trouble then."
Though, she thought, looking at some of the morbid statuary decorating the graves, joking about this probably would be a little harder at night. Halloween might have a human tradition, but she suspected this place could be quite unsettling in the dark. It was fortunate she wouldn't be out here then...
The sun blazed a brilliant autumnal orange as it began sinking fully towards the horizon, illuminating the castle and its grounds in warm light - but also casting long shadows from the eastward side of every standing object. In the distance over the forest, clouds had begun to gather, but as Halloween day approached its end the sky was still clear.
Current Time: Sunset (One Hour Before The Sun Goes Down)
edited 13th Nov '14 9:12:21 PM by nrjxll
The future of warfare in UC.
[Ballroom]
"The armor's less impressive than it sounds without the helmet." Priss shook her brown curls out a bit. "Still got the built-in weapons, the jets, and the enhanced strength, of course. But not sure I'd want to fire off a shaped charge three feet from my eardrum, y'know?" Though it did also have an emergency beacon that would trigger if Priss' vitals stopped or the suit was badly damaged. Then it was a tossup whether the other Sabers would show or think it was too dangerous...in which case Linna would go to her boyfriend, confess all, and instead it'd be a platoon of SSD armored troopers.
She tilted her head again, closing her eyes, listening closely. "It has. I can live with that. Way too nice a piano to be mistuned that way."
edited 13th Nov '14 11:33:04 PM by Night
Nous restons ici.
It's a bird.
[West Wing]
Three young humans had entered the room. A girl with an eye patch and a fake sword, a boy with long red hair and a striped jacket, and another boy with a skull mask and a fake scythe.
Moreena exposed her sharp teeth in an amused grin. Depicting death as a scythe wielding skeleton was a common thing in many worlds. Some of the religious artwork from back home even showed her carrying a scythe. She chuckled at the idea.
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
NO ONE SUSPECTS THE LAMP!
[[West Wing]]
“Of course, we’re not supposed to open it,” Michael said to Warren, “since, you know, it doesn’t belong to us. I’m not even sure if picking it up isn’t illegal. But the thing is…there’s only one thing I can say for sure about the host, and it’s that he doesn’t want this box to be opened. I can’t think of any better way to spite that guy than to go ahead and open it.”
As he stepped into the hallway after Moreena, he heard someone call out to him. He turned to find Nick heading his way, with Adam and Marie behind him.
“Hey, there,” he replied, “got tired of waiting around?”
If I knew how I know everything I know, I'd only be able to know half as much because my brain would be clogged up with where I know it from
Busy busy day, sorry.
[West Wing]
Nick nodded. "Yeah. My friends and I decided to try to look around. Jackson decided to sit out on this one."
Adam waved at everyone, including Warren and Dakota. "Hello."
Marie waved as well, before noticing the doors again, "So I'm guessing you guys are trying to open the doors. Do you need some help?"
It's a bird.
[West Wing]
"We are looking for the key to a box we found," said Moreena. "I suppose having more people with us couldn't hurt."
She walked along the wall of the room, checking some of the doors as she passed. They were all locked, and given what had happened earlier she was hesitant about unlocking them with magic.
"I'm Moreena by the way. And that's Warren and Dakota." She waved an arm in their direction. "I guess you've met this guy already?" she asked, pointing at the man who was apparently called "Hei".
She checked another door, expecting it to be locked as well. It wasn't. Looking up, she saw that it was the door with the warning sign.
"Ah, of course," she said. "The door we're not supposed to open is the only one that's not locked. That makes perfect sense."
edited 15th Nov '14 2:53:15 AM by Corvidae
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
Jolly Saint Nick
Sorry for not posting yesterday, guys!
[West Wing]
Warren nodded to the new members of the group and looked at the Do Not Open door. "Man, our host really wants to screw with us, doesn't he? Well, apparently he does want us in that room. Now, let's look at some of the other rooms, shall we? I don't want to give this guy the satisfaction."
edited 15th Nov '14 9:47:33 AM by Sibuna
Happy Holidays to everyone! Have a great end of the year, and an even better 2015- you all deserve it!
[Outside ~ Graveyard] (Oswald, Krajn)
Oswald's brow furrowed at the sudden and rather unexpected change in—or embellishment of—Krajn's voice. It took him a few confused seconds to sort out what had happened, but once it was done his small smile returned, imbued with an almost childlike enthusiasm.
"Got a lot of those, have you?" he remarked at her 'brains' quip, glancing at Krajn out of the corner of his eye. He walked among the gravestones, observing the burial sites carefully to avoid treading directly on top of them. Possibly to watch for any displaced dirt or bony fingers sticking idly through the ground as well. "Well, if nothing else, that might provide you with something to bargain with. Of course, that only applies if these zombies happen to be in the mood for any bargaining." he paused for a moment, tapping a finger against his mouth as he eyed a gravestone. "Although, if it is indeed brains that they're after, then they might not be the brightest stars in the ground. Personally, if I ever came back to life and had to claw my way out through several layers of dirt, I think I'd enjoy a hot omelette, or a nice soup. Brains, mm..." he shook his head, "not so much."
every little word and every little step
[Outside the Castle (Path) >> Entrance Hall]
A medium-sized boxy spacecraft hovered down onto the path in front of the Castle. It was colored in blue and black, and had the letters 'IDDS' marked along the sides in white, along with an assortment of lights for good visibility.
A large door opened upward on the side, as a giant green centipede walked out of the ship. He was at least seven feet tall, just as wide, and easily three times as long. He was carrying what looked like a tablet and a small white package of similar size with two of his forward-most arms/legs. Other than that, he only had on a small blue hat, which had the letters IDDS written on it. The door on his ship shut shortly after he left, as he walked towards the Castle.
He walked into the Entrance Hall, his numerous feet moving in a wave-like fashion, barely fitting through the doors. Once inside, he said, "sorry to be a bother, but I have a package for a 'Koizumi Kaguya' or maybe 'Kaguya Koizumi', (I never get the order of these names right)" he said, holding up a small white package, about the size of a tablet, with a few yellow and red labels on it, using one of his forward-most arms/legs. "Does anyone know if she is in the building, and if so, where?"
Then, looking around, he thought, hey - it doesn't look like anyone's actually here!
Is there anyone in the Entrance Hall still? If not, he'll keep looking.
Danger: Intense gravimetric distortions nearby. Please reverse the polarity on your deflectors now.
PAINKILLER
[Ballroom]
He addressed Harry,"In Germany, we do not have a holiday such as this. Only when I traveled to America did I learn about Halloween."
Kommissar diverted his attention to the ball of light. He wasn't startled by what Nel did, but it was... Unnerving, like the castle and its atmosphere. "...And on the subject of being scared, I do not enjoy it. I would rather use my fear more productively. But if the owner wants to toy with us, then so be it." He reached into his coat and merely flashed the dagger. "If there's any danger, I will deal with it my way." He sheathed the blade in its spot.
The masked man sighed. He promised himself he wasn't going to show it. "I apologize. I am a bit on edge."
edited 15th Nov '14 5:45:09 PM by electronic-tragedy
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
[West Wing]
"I suggest we check the other doors as well," Moreena said while heading out towards the main room. "The key must be hidden somewhere in this place."
She turned her head and glared at the strange box for a few seconds before continuing out. She was used to being weaker than normal while stuck in a physical form, but the way that thing had reflected her magic back at her... well that was just annoying. Not to mention embarrassing.
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.