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
[Outside ~ Graveyard] (Oswald, Krajn)
Oswald tilted his head thoughtfully, his gaze set on a gravestone with a set of long-wilted flowers placed at it's base, dried up and slowly falling to pieces.
"For, I- ...I would say." he replied, then turned his head towards Krajn and added, "Reluctantly, mind you. I don't think it's ever much of a good idea to define a whole species's slant in regards to such a... vague idea. Certainly not one as unorganized as humankind. I have no way to tell you what lies within the hearts and minds of every human man and woman, nor could I tell you with confidence whether the majority are for or against 'natural' things. But I will say that those who are prejudiced in favor of things that are natural tend to be the most... outspoken. The most confident. They feel justified in their prejudice by the very nature of nature, if that... happens to make any sense."
He fell silent for a moment, returning his eyes to the gravestone. "Of course that assessment comes from my experiences alone, and I have traveled across naught but a tiny fragment of our planet; it's a completely incommensurate study for such a broad question." he pulled his head back for a moment, wearing a confused cross between frown and smile in both his eyes and upon his mouth. "I suppose then that my preferred answer is simply that, ah... I can't give you an answer."
Oswald offered her a shrug and a helpless smile, then continued to wander down the line of graves that he had been perusing. He waited a few seconds, and then, glancing once more at Krajn, asked, "Krajn? Do you mind if I ask you a question? Bearing in mind that this question is coming from an individual—myself," he tapped an outstretched hand against his chest, as though the identity of the inquirer somehow needed further clarification, "who has very little knowledge at all of your culture or even, ah... um, of your species?" He paused for a moment, before shaking his head and clarifying, "What I mean is that I hope you'll bear in mind that I am not trying to be offensive or ignorant with this question, if it happens to sound that way- although I am ignorant. But that's-" he huffed a short laugh, "that's not by choice."
every little word and every little step
PAINKILLER
[Ballroom]
"I heard about it from word of mouth. It was through my employer at the time. He said he was coming." He then realized how much later he showed up himself. Kommissar thought on it.
"Or perhaps he purposefully led me astray and sent me to some old castle- that happened to have a real party." The man shook his head at his own statement. "No, he would never..."
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
NO ONE SUSPECTS THE LAMP!
[[West Wing]]
“Don’t forget to tell them about the barrier on the box,” he said to Moreena, and turned to Nick as she began checking the locks on every door, “There’s apparently some kind of magic on the lock which burned her hand when she tried to force it, so we won’t be trying that any time soon. But there’s something valuable inside, that’s for sure, and I for one am definitely going to find out what it is one way or another.”
After Warren’s comment when Moreena found the Do Not Open door unlocked, he added, “Yeah, the host doesn’t strike me as someone who puts faith in the honor system. I’d prefer to stay clear of that room.” He turned to Warren, “But are we seriously going to look through every room in this castle? I think we’ll find most of the rooms locked anyway, so Dakota will have to break them all down…Oh my God, yes! I love that plan, let's go with that.”
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
It's a bird.
"I'm not sure it's just the box itself," Moreena said as she reluctantly turned away from the door. "It's like this whole place is resisting my powers, as if it doesn't like being tampered with." She threw a quick glance at her hand, which was now completely restored. "Physical violence seems to work just fine though. Let's go with that."
For a moment, she considered telling the humans about her suspicions regarding the castle's owner, but decided to stay silent. One person being terrified was enough.
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
The future of warfare in UC.
[Ballroom]
"Ah, to have faith in your employer. Truly a beautiful thing." Priss' sarcasm was obvious, but she switched it out for a less offensive tone. "I used to, but then...well, the obvious kind of slapped me in the face. What's your line of work? That'll have a lot to do with how wise that faith is, I expect."
Nous restons ici.
PAINKILLER
[Ballroom]
"I work under information brokers who give me clients to work with. They usually want someone dead or something that several people are after." The masked man began. These people didn't look like they'll present danger to his work.
"I've had employers in the past decide no to pay me, or worse- go after me. It's sad yet common for clients and employers to kill who they've hired. But this broker I worked with for a time was well-traveled, charismatic- the finest man I've known in a while. Our business partnership is over, but I would think he'd be here." Kommissar looked over at the door from which he entered in. He could be busy- or dead.
Herr's employer isn't going to show up, by the way.
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
[Ballroom]
"Whoa, and I thought working for FII was bad," Harry said. He thought for a moment. "It's kind of weird that none of us seem to have 'safe' jobs, isn't it?" Well, his job had been safe enough until meeting Krajn, but that was besides the point. "I wonder if that's a coincidence, or if our invitations were specifically selected because of what we had in common."
Actually...
He stood up and started to pace. "Hey, now that I think about that, maybe that's the point. What if we were all invited specifically because we had the sort of backgrounds that would make us a little more paranoid about this sort of thing. I mean, if you're trying to scare people for Halloween, you'd want people that you could scare - and yet aren't total loose cannons either, because they'd disrupt the place."
He carefully avoided mentioning the second possibility: that the 'host' happened to share Priss's views about what made the coolest horror fiction. The less time dwelling on that idea, the better.
[Graveyard]
But I... I was just being flippant. Mostly flippant. Krajn sighed. Oh, never mind.
She considered Oswald's next request curiously. His diffidence about asking suggested that it might be a personal question of some sort, but most of what he had said made it seem more probably to be a question about her species or culture. Unless it's some kind of personal question that might seem different to different species? That would make sense.
But I don't think so. Anyway, I've established that he didn't have an infatuation with me, so I doubt there would be anything awkward merely in the asking of a question.
Feeling the need to say as much, she inclined her head to him. "I don't see why I would mind simply being asked a question. So please, ask away."
edited 16th Nov '14 7:55:22 PM by nrjxll
[West Wing]
Nick quirked an eyebrow. A barrier, huh? Haven't heard about something like that since I left home. Now I'm really curious.
"So...your guys's solution to dealing with magic is using physical force..." Marie said, before shrugging, "Well, all we have are costumes and wrist bands. We'll just stand by and watch."
"Are you sure that's going to work?" Adam asked, "If it won't let you use magic...do you think it'll really let you use violence?"
[Outside ~ Graveyard] (Oswald, Krajn)
"That noise you make. The uh..." Oswald paused for a moment, clearing his throat before delivering, with somewhat weak confidence, an imitation of one of Krajn's hisses, "...that." His eyes wavered briefly over Krajn's face, hoping to detect some sign of recognition from beneath her hood. "What does it mean? Or- ...signify? I've heard you make that sound—that ah- well, I'm not sure quite what to call it," the look in his eyes told a bit of a different story, but he quickly pressed on, "I've heard you make it before, and I've wondered about it myself but I hadn't thought to ask before now."
He lowered his eyes for a moment, gently clicking his teeth together as he mulled over his thoughts. "I suppose it might seem like a strange question to you; maybe you don't even think about it, but I believe that it's important for me to ask. After all, I'd hate to be missing some sort of social, vocal cue here and, in turn, making myself look like a... well," he shrugged, "a babbling idiot. So, if you don't mind," he tilted his head ever so slightly, narrowing his eyes inquisitively, "what is it?"
every little word and every little step
It's a bird.
[West Wing]
"It seems to work on the doors at least," said Moreena. She walked up to one of the locked doors and grabbed the handle. After a quick push and a loud crack, the door swung open. She tried her best to make it look effortless, but didn't quite succeed. She hated being weak.
After sending in a new flame to light the way, Moreena entered the new room. There were no creepy dolls this time, just a collection of wooden crates and various pieces of broken furniture. There was one item of interest though. A large, ornately carved and decorated piano stood in one of the corners. Other than a layer of dust and a few missing keys, it seemed to be in good condition.
edited 17th Nov '14 11:16:35 AM by Corvidae
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
[Graveyard]
Krajn blinked, surprised. Is that all?
She tilted her head slightly to the left. "That?" she said. "That's simply the noise my species makes when we find something funny. Like... like a laugh among humans, I suppose. Nothing more."
Short post so as not to keep you waiting. I need to do a little thinking about where to go next, though.
PAINKILLER
[Ballroom]
"Now why would the owner want to scare us?" Kommissar scoffed, "To amuse themselves? Give me a break." The masked man sat down in a nearby chair. "I'd rather be working now. Although my last job was höllisch... Perhaps I will make the best of this party."
Yeah, short reply. He said 'hellish'
edited 17th Nov '14 2:17:54 PM by electronic-tragedy
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
Jolly Saint Nick
[West Wing]
Warren brushed the dust off the piano and looked at it curiously. He had a strange feeling this is where the music from earlier had come from. No, he thought, while coughing at the dust. can't be...can it?
Dakota wandered over to one of the crates and proceeded to smash it open with her secret robot hand. There was nothing inside of it, however. "Oh." she said, disappointed.
Happy Holidays to everyone! Have a great end of the year, and an even better 2015- you all deserve it!
[Outside ~ Graveyard] (Oswald, Krajn)
"Oh, like a laugh." Oswald repeated, slowly nodding his head, "I see, I see. Well that's a fine relief, for a while I was worried that there might be some less positive connotation weaved into that noise, but I suppose that's just my background on earth building up these sometimes helpful, often times hindering preconceived notions about everything of which I know nothing." he shrugged, "Ideally I, or anyone, would approach the elements of such—pardon my word choice—alien and unfamiliar cultures with a pure, unadulterated mindset, almost like that of an infant, but with considerably more astute communication methods. Unfortunately, that's far from the natural inclination, isn't it? At least for myself it is. I stand here, longing to know and understand more about all that surrounds me, yet I also long to be my own teacher. If I submitted in full to that inclination, can you imagine the sheer amount of things that I would get wrong?" he shook his head with a quietly amused snort, "In theory, the more I thought that I knew, the more I would build off of that, and the more I would get wrong, save for the most basic of observations. The sky is blue. Dirt is brown and isn't to be eaten. The noise that my friend makes probably means something important; something like, ' wow, what a bonehead. '" He glanced at Krajn with a slight smile, then turned his head back to the nearest gravestone. "I don't suppose you ever have that problem, do you? Or maybe I'm babbling again." paused for a moment, then murmured, "Laughing. Hmmhmmhmm..."
A few seconds later, he added, "Hey, Krajn, have you ever met a snake?"
every little word and every little step
The future of warfare in UC.
[Ballroom]
"People enjoy all sorts of things. You are a hunter, are you not?" Priss shrugged, which her armor, surprisingly, managed to do with her. "Is it purely the act of hunting for you, or is there a moment when your prey realizes it is doomed that you take pleasure in? That's not so different."
She grimaced briefly. "I wouldn't know, personally. The things I hunt...most of them simply don't seem to have the expressiveness to show fear, short of outright running away, and they never do that. Those which are able to express it, never do."
Nous restons ici.
[Graveyard]
"Yes, you are babbling again," Krajn said, and hissed. By her average standards she should probably have found it annoying when Oswald became like this, but actually it was oddly comforting. She'd have to think about why that was true, sometime.
Sobering, she tilted her head again as she considered his words in more detail. "I suppose part of the difference between us in that regard - if this isn't too presumptuous - is that I'm used to aliens. Er, I'm not used to aliens in the sense that I know many - well, I suppose almost everyone I know are aliens from your perspective... let me start again.
"In my reality, the existence of many different species of mindkind is a commonly known fact. So people probably aren't quite as ready to automatically fit a different species's behaviors into their preconceptions. I'm not saying that it's not something that people can do about other things - though I think I personally manage to avoid it, or at least that I try - but I suppose that's one assumption we don't make."
She was quiet for a moment, and was about to consider her words more seriously when she remember Oswald's other question. "A... snake? No. Isn't that an animal? How do you meet a snake?"
Will wait for Darkblood before posting in the ballroom.
edited 17th Nov '14 11:46:19 PM by nrjxll
NO ONE SUSPECTS THE LAMP!
[[West Wing]]
Michael looked at the room with amusement. “What, no taxidermy projects to showcase?” he said, “No creepy old-timey family pictures? You’ve gotta step up your game, man.”
He turned with a start as Dakota punched a crate open. “Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?” He pointed towards the piano, “That’s clearly the most expensive thing in the room. Break that first.”
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
PAINKILLER
[Ballroom]
Kommissar sighed. "It's the only thing I can do. There's no pleasure in it- it's just for the money." He folded a leg over the other, and rested an elbow on it. He rested his chin in an opened palm, pondering. "With my raising- it was inevitable. At first it was stealing and pickpocketing, I would never think it would lead to killing... I'm trying to get out of this life, to be honest." He leaned back and relaxed.
The masked man addressed the two others, "Are there others here besides us? I met a bull-like person and what appeared to be a reptilian female. Perhaps the invitations aren't just for hired killers."
Life is hard, that's why no one survives.
[Outside ~ Graveyard] (Oswald, Krajn)
Oswald slipped his hands into his pockets and tipped his head back, shutting his eyes and heaving a yearning sigh.
Eyes still closed and head still tipped back, he spoke musingly to the air, as though his words weren't entirely meant for Krajn, and that her hearing of them was simply a matter of coincidence, despite that they seemed to be directed at her. "I suppose that puts it head and shoulders above my reality. Interstellar contact... peaceable, if I'm not mistaken. Yes, that sounds very nice. When I was younger, I used to imagine living in such a world- or, among such worlds. For a long time, I even allowed myself to believe that my world—my 'Earth'—could potentially reach such a point as I had seen in my dreams, and what's more, that it could reach that point within my lifetime. But that was a good long while before I was able to... grasp... the full extent of just how backwards the world has traveled from where we once were, when they made those Sci-Fi movies and books and TV shows that I loved so much growing up." he lowered his head, his eyelids twitching slightly before opening up. "Well, I'd better stop now, or I'll get babbling again."
Moving and speaking with a suddenly renewed energy, he turned to Krajn and answered, "Yes, you're absolutely right. A snake is an Earth animal that looks a little bit like a living piece of scaly rope; head, tail, and very little in between—or so it looks on the surface level. As for meeting one, well," he raised his boot slightly, holding it about half a foot above the ground in front of him, "usually, at least in my experience, you run across them when walking about on a trail or in field, but if you aren't paying close attention then you tend not to see them until you're about to step on one—most are fairly small, mind you, and they blend in well." he set his foot back down, "When that happens, they have a tendency to, ah, make a hissing noise that's slightly similar to the one that you make, only when a snake hisses, it's not because it thinks that being stepped on is amusing. The hiss is actually a manner of warning sign, an intimidation method to deter potential predators, such as a large stomping boot. And one should typically take heed of such a sign, unless they're fain to become the recipient of a swift and painful snake bite. It happened to me once, actually." he turned his left leg to the side and jabbed with his tail towards an area on his calf. "The snake had no venom, but I certainly learned on that day the great value in watching carefully—very carefully—where I put my feet."
He took a few moments pause, then glanced at Krajn and said, "Now, I don't mean to imply that I was worried that you were planning on biting me. That would seem just a..." he gave her playful smile and raised his hand, thumb and forefinger pinching together a tiny amount of theoretical mass, "just a mite uncharacteristic of you. And of course, snakes are wild animals, whereas you hail from a very advanced space-faring species, far above anything I have ever known. I just thought it might help to explain those preconceived notions of mine, regarding that sound you make. Maybe you can understand, somewhat, why I might have been a little worried?" he grinned, "Again, not of biting, but of a general negative...ity."
every little word and every little step
[dining room]
"Worried," his whisper barely audible, breaking into a thin smile. "Worried," he repeated a bit louder, nodding, his smile wide. "Yeah, I'm just trying not to spend the whole night fearing for my damn livelihood, thanks." Henri began to fumble for his pockets. "Really, just picture yourself in my position. Would you be running around outside after dark trying to gather clues on the culprit? I would sure hope not, so indoors you go. I would hope you're trying to relax and, you know, come up with a plan for the morning. Think the situation through logically, despite coming to some very shitty conclusions anyway. Rest and not tire yourself out for your plan." There was the sound of paper sliding against paper, and he raised his hand, revealing a cigarette.
"Sorry 'bout the outburst," he added before waving the cigarette a little. "Do you mind?"
"Jack, you have debauched my sloth."
[Ballroom]
Harry looked back over at the masked man. "Whoa, hang on - hired killers?!" He hadn't been listening as closely to the conversation in the last few minutes as he had before, and it looked that had been a humungo mistake. "Dude, I'm just a reporter. And Krajn - she's the reptilian female you meant - she's capable of killing people, but it's not her primary mission and she's definitely not for hire."
He looked over at Priss. "And she..." he tried to remember whether he was thinking of her or someone else he'd met on one of these things, "doesn't she just hunt robots?"
Still waiting for Darkblood before making any serious changes here, but I saw a chance to respond here.
[Graveyard]
Krajn smiled. "I think I understand," she said. She wondered for a moment what he had meant about his Earth going backwards; if she guessed correctly, it sounded like a sad thought. "There are... well, there aren't with my species because we had a rather unusual origin. But with most species there are different things like that."
She leaned casually against against a thoroughly worn headstone. "Though honestly, I did not realize you were particularly bothered. I don't... I don't entirely understand your emotional patterns, Oswald. You seem to jump so quickly between them, and sometimes it's hard for me to tell whether you're being serious." She thought back to an earlier conversation. And now our roles are reversed again!
Another gust of wind blew across the graveyard, making a faint mournful noise as it did, though Krajn was much more bothered by the cold air than the sound. She shivered and looked up at the sky, trying to distract herself from both the cold and her slight awknardness at what she had just said. The orange and purple colors as the sun set were very... oh, what is the word? Pretty, I think.
She looked back over at Oswald. "So. Do you want to stay here, or keep moving?"
It's a bird.
[West Wing]
"That would be awfully pointless, don't you think?" said Moreena. Not that she thought Hei was serious, but she didn't like the idea of breaking an antique piano just for the hell of it.
Speaking of breaking things, this Dakota girl was smashing doors and crates in a way that seemed suspiciously easy for an average, young human. That, in combination with her reaction at Hei's accusations earlier definitely caught Moreena's interest. She would have to ask her about it at some point.
Taking a closer look at the piano, Moreena discovered that someone had hastily scratched a message into the wood, right above one of the missing keys. "GET OUT" it said. Lovely.
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
The future of warfare in UC.
[Ballroom]
"Mostly." Priss shrugged. "We freelance. Sometimes we take jobs that aren't robots, because they turned out not to be or because other people can't or won't handle it." She waved a hand expansively. "Got asked to deal with a guy that had a home-made Batmobile supercar and went on a murder spree through the local biker gangs once. Regular police didn't have the firepower to handle the issue, and the lead on the case wouldn't escalate to the ADP because he viewed it as practically a public service. Damn cretin if you ask me, but his father was the mayor. Someone in city government with more sense put out a contract to us to stop the murders. A one million consulting fee to KS Policing Services in the city budget for 2033, nobody in the city government will ever tell you a thing about who that was."
She tilted her head again. "Does anyone else hear a...crashing? Wood on wood?"
edited 19th Nov '14 5:35:21 PM by Night
Nous restons ici.
[Dining Hall]
Jackson stared in stunned silence for a few moments, before clearing his throat.
"N-No." he said, "You're fine. I shouldn't have said that. My apologizes." He cleared his throat, "I sincerely hope you find your memory again."
Switching topics, he rubbed the back of his head, "Uh...have you seen anything interesting since you came to the castle?"
[West Wing]
Nick saw the "GET OUT" message as well.
"Nice." Nick said.
"Nick, I really do think we should go back for Jackson..." Adam said.
"We'll be fine. Besides, I'm sure this is just a message to fit the Halloween mood."
Adam just sighed deeply, and Marie shrugged.
Sorry. Writer's Block.
edited 19th Nov '14 8:14:28 PM by MasterofChaos
Sorry this was a long time for a kinda short post. I was stuck.
And Darkblood's Victoria is the only person I think might still be in the entrance hall, Sonzai. You might want to PM them to check.
[Ballroom]
Harry looked confusedly at the masked man. He could guess from previous that the thing about Germany not celebrating Halloween was a time and/or reality difference, but as for the rest...
"Hold on a minute, dude," he said slowly. "Are you saying that you weren't invited here? That you... just showed up, or something like that?"
[Graveyard]
Krajn hissed again as Oswald. "Yes," she said in explanation, "I'm quite proud of my brains. Every Qvn Jxilkr has the appropriate physical enhancements for their position, but the mind... that's all mine."
She stepped over a toppled headstone and tipped her head as a thought struck her. "Although," she continued mock-thoughtfully, "I'm not certain if that's actually an advantage. These would be human zombies, after all, and I never can remember whether you're one of the species that's prejudiced for or prejudiced against 'natural' things. At least that's one problem we never had."
Did I get a little excessively serious there at the end? Oh well.