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
Jolly Saint Nick
Warren jumped when the door opened and looked over a Recon. "What, exactly, happened to him in there, Moreena? He looks so..."
"He looks like he's under some sort of mind control." Dakota finished. "We sort of see it all the time with the cyborgs back home," she explained to the group. "Whatever happened in there must have been pretty rough."
Happy Holidays to everyone! Have a great end of the year, and an even better 2015- you all deserve it!
Parlor
As she further opened the package, Kaguya wondered whether or not all this paper in it would have vanished as well had she not opened it within the time frame on the label. Actually, she was almost wondering if the paper was the only thing in here. Wouldn't it have made more sense just to use a smaller package? Or was this thing really that fragile to require so much padding?
She almost missed the actual contents, but as soon as she found them she realized what exactly the labels meant by "unstable." After all, she couldn't imagine something made of what appeared to be pure light to hold itself together all that well. It was certainly very pretty to look at, but she had absolutely no idea what it was supposed to be.
Her first thought was that it was just meant to be a sculpture of some kind, which in that case she supposed she appreciated the gift but wondered what use it'd have if she couldn't take it back home without it vanishing. Besides, her current situation didn't really lend itself well to lugging around purely decorative items anyway, and she still didn't know who it was that sent it in the first place. Her second thought that it was a device of some kind, but she had no idea what use it'd have.
Then she noticed the note that came with it, which stated pretty clearly what it was and how it was meant to be used. So it was a communicator of some kind. Just as quickly as that question was answered more came up. Who, exactly, was it meant to be communicating with? Could she just talk to whoever she felt like talking to? It'd be awfully nice to speak to her adoptive parents again and let them know she was doing okay for herself (even if she was lost right now). Or maybe she could try contacting Hayate and chew him out for his latest "lesson."
That being said, the note just said "Tap dome to communicate." It didn't provide any instructions for contacting a specific person, and she certainly didn't see any way to input a number or anything like that on the device. Unless it read her mind or something to figure out who to contact, it was likely that it was only meant to converse with one other person and that she had no say on who that person was.
She looked over the device again and frowned. On one hand, she wasn't sure if she wanted to see who was on the other end. On the other hand, even if she couldn't get through to someone she knew, she might just get some answers as to why she was even sent this device in the first place. And again, it wasn't like she had anything better to do right now except maybe run around looking for the host, and she had no idea where to start on that search.
She took another deep breath before gingerly tapping the top of the dome as per the instructions. At the same time, she made sure Hayate was on the forefront of her mind, just to see if it really could read her mind (though now that she was thinking of it Hayate almost certainly didn't have one of these devices himself; maybe it had some way of letting him speak to her regardless?)
Unfortunately, it appeared that it was set to talk to only one person after all, and the person depicted in the hologram it was projecting was definitely not Hayate. For that matter, it wasn't someone she recognized at all. All she could guess was that this person was the one who sent this device to her, which was confirmed shortly afterwards when the woman said something about it taking a while to contact her and introduced herself as "Inzami."
The look of confusion on Kaguya's face at this point was extreme enough that one could picture a question mark appearing above her head. It was another few moments of silence on her part before she finally responded.
"...Just how long have you been trying to contact me? For that matter, why are you trying to contact me at all...?" She almost added, "And what made you decide on a giant centipede as a deliveryman?" but stopped herself. It was probably best to focus on one thing at a time here, and she couldn't think of a way to word that question that didn't sound rude.
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
[Parlor]
Looking at Kaguya's expression, Inzami said, "sorry for any confusion. As for how long it has been? That's a good question." She paused to think for a moment, then said, "how long has it been for you since you were at the Royal Hotel on Pax Island? I tried to send you a device like this then as well. Unfortunately, I think it disintegrated before you could activate it. This time I made sure they put all the warning labels on the outside."
"And as for why, I suppose it's rather silly," Inzami said, "but I wanted to apologize for Cyana's abrupt departure, and maybe answer any questions you had. It's probably been so long it's not a problem anymore, but I'm not one to leave any threads hanging if I can help it."
Danger: Intense gravimetric distortions nearby. Please reverse the polarity on your deflectors now.
NO ONE SUSPECTS THE LAMP!
[[West Wing]]
Should I tell them the truth? Michael thought, Naah, probably shouldn’t risk them making a connection later if things go sour. “Right now, Chicago, but I haven’t been there long. We’ve sort of moved around a lot since I was a kid; can’t say there’s really any place I’d say I’m from, know what I mean?”
He turned to the door as it opened, revealing Recon standing there. “Still have your hands, I see,” he said. He noticed the armor and duster and asked, “What’s with the new getup?” Recon ignored his question and looked down the hallway. The fuck?
"Seriously, what happened in there?" he added after Dakota.
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.
[Fear Room > West Wing]
"Something very interesting," Moreena said as she walked through the door. Her voice was cold as ice, the air around her still pulsing with anger. "And when I meet our wonderful host, I will show him something equally interesting of my own design."
She looked over at Recon.
"As for him... I'm not sure what happened. He appears to be quite obedient though."
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
Jolly Saint Nick
[West Wing]
Warren laughed a little, but it was more out of nerves than amusement. "Why not order him to snap out of it, then?"
Happy Holidays to everyone! Have a great end of the year, and an even better 2015- you all deserve it!
It's a bird.
[West Wing]
"I suppose I could try that," Moreena answered, and turned towards Recon. Did it have to sound like a military order, or would any command work? Well, she had to start somewhere.
"Soldier, you are dismissed," she said. Was that the proper term? "You're free to act normal again!"
She hoped that it would work so they could get on with finding the host. Her mind was already full of ideas for what to do once that happened.
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
Recon looked over at Moreena briefly when she gave the order, as if waiting for another order, before continuing to scan the wing.
He saw nothing of threat, so he simply reverted to staring at a random section of wall.
edited 1st Dec '14 12:49:10 PM by gameknight102xx
[West Wing]
Well this got disturbing really fast.
"M-Mr. Recon...?" Adam asked, though he wasn't expecting a response.
Nick nervously cleared his throat and turned to Marie. "Ok, uh...something's freaky in that room."
"Yeah, I think we all got that." Marie said, before scanning Recon again, "Hmmm...I'm not a huge expert on this stuff, but he's either in shock or under some form of hypnosis. But like I said, I'm not an expert."
"Now can we get Jackson?" Adam asked, "I'm sure he can help us figure this out."
"...I guess." Nick said, "None of us know what's wrong with him. He's been kind of in that blank state for a while." He turned to the others, "So, what now?"
[Path (Oswald, Krajn)]
Krajn tilted her head, but after a moment's thought actually recognized the reference from the time she'd spent around Cecelia and Harry. "No phaser," she said drily, "but I do have an implanted holdout CEW. Also programetal fighting sticks, if you truly feel the need for a machete. Though the forest doesn't seem that difficult from up here."
She shifted her neck noncommittally. "I don't want to go into the forest if you don't," she continued, "but I'm not entirely joking either. It would be quite an adventure. I don't know about you, but I like adventures."
She dipped into a bow, the moonlight again reflecting oddly off her costume's robes. "Although again, it is your choice. After all, I live but to serve others."
[Ballroom (Priss, Harry)]
Harry cringed again. He wasn't quite certain which of the fates he was imagining for the other manumitted S-classes - suicide, or just death because of this inability to repair injuries - was what Priss was implying, but either way it didn't sound like a happy ending. Though it sounded like their designers, at least, had got what they deserved. Despite (or maybe because) of the time he'd spent with Krajn, he wasn't entirely comfortable yet with the whole 'some people just need killing' thing she liked. But some people were certainly very difficult to feel bad about.
...Okay, this line of conversation just somehow got even creepier. Time to change the subject.
"So, uh, what do you do besides the whole robot-hunting gig? I don't think you mentioned anything - well, except maybe something about music? But I get the sense it's a part-time thing."
Jolly Saint Nick
[West Wing]
Warren looked at them. "You three should go and get your friend. If we all come and bring Recon with us, it'll panic the other guests."
He paused and looked around, though not at anything in particular.
"Not that causing panic in this place will be very hard, will it?"
Happy Holidays to everyone! Have a great end of the year, and an even better 2015- you all deserve it!
[Outside ~ Path] (Oswald, Krajn)
Oswald's brow arched slightly, "Program... metal? Mmm. I think I like the sound of that." He gave her a smile, and glanced back at the forest. "Well, anyway, the machete's purpose isn't so much for hacking our way through—as you've said—the forest's light and fairly easily traversable underbrush. It's more of a defensive tool; one good for deterring threats. Not so much from wild animals, mind you, but..." he narrowed his eyes, his mouth forming a strange sort of frowning grin. It almost looked as though he were just baring his teeth, "there are stranger—and some would say—more dangerous things to encounter amongst the forest denizens than, say, a bear."
He continued to gaze in silence down at the forest, arms folded as they often were, tail flicking aimlessly back and forth. "Regardless," he said, rather suddenly, "I noticed scant little to be wary of when I passed through earlier. Not so much as a vague sense of foreboding." He glanced at Krajn, a small smile tugging at the edges of his mouth. "As for adventures, I'm rather keen on them myself. But one must always consider the risks, if they are, as we are, afforded the luxury to do so. After all, if you're feeling a little chilly now, getting lost in the woods as the night edges in and that storm creeps closer is not going to do you any favors."
Oswald fell silent again, frowning in his deliberation. "But... hmmn." he raised his eyes to the sky, then turned his head to glance back at the castle, before once more allowing his gaze to settle upon the forest. "Perhaps we can manage a quick little foray before it becomes too dark. After all, that is, in a sense, why we're still out here, isn't it?" He glanced at Krajn, then back at the forest, and began to nod slowly. "All right then, lets."
With that, he began to descend further down the path and towards the forest. "A life of servitude, huh? I think I know that feeling myself."
this place needs me here
NO ONE SUSPECTS THE LAMP!
[[West Wing]]
“Gee, thanks for being so descriptive,” Michael said, in a sarcastically monotone voice, “Now, I’m totally prepared for whatever’s inside.” He turned to watch Recon as Moreena gave him new orders, but he didn’t seem like he was complying. At any rate, he wasn’t being hostile, so they could still keep on…
Michael yawned. Oh no, he thought and pulled out his cell phone. Half an hour left. Shit, already? And just when things were starting to get interesting too. How did we spend so much time here anyway?
“Actually, I’ll come with,” Michael said after Warren’s suggestion, “I feel a nap coming and it’s not like I’ll be much use over here when it hits.”
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
The future of warfare in UC.
{Ballroom]
"Reverse that. My real job is...well, I've got a band, I front and I do the singing. They play the instruments. Rock, mostly." Priss chuckled. "Armor's a sideline. Pays well, though."
edited 2nd Dec '14 11:15:58 AM by Night
Nous restons ici.
[Path -> Forest's Edge (Oswald, Krajn)]
"Do you?" Krajn asked absently as they made their way down the path. "That's interesting."
At the moment, she was more focused on sending commands to her smartcloth. Pieces of her sleeves began to pull away, flowing down her arms like a liquid. They took on a silvery color as they went, and began to congeal in her hands. The process was rapid (though not actually as rapid as it could have been in theory) and before they had reached the bottom of the hill, she was holding two forearm-length silver metal batons.
Glancing back over at Oswald, she refocused, noting with slight concern that she seemed slightly tired. "Er. I mean to say, what exactly is it you mean by that? I was humorously referring to my role as an agent of the Qvn Jxilkr. Do you do something similar?"
She craned her head forward. "Actually - what is it that you do?"
They arrived at the forest's edge as she finished speaking. The trees creaked noisily in the wind coming from the direction of the storm. A few of them were strung with bright orange lights, but most were not, leaving the forest behind them in impenetrable gloom. Thunder rumbled in the distance, but the grounds were otherwise silent except for the hooting of a solitary owl.
[Ballroom (Priss, Harry, a worker)]
"Whoa, hang on," Harry said. "So does that make you, like, a superhero, or something? Rock singer by day, robot-hunter by night?" He grinned hugely. "That is totally most excellent, my man!"
'...Unless she's all srsbsns about it and hates the comparison. I mean, it's not like I haven't been there myself. Oops. Still, I did agree to present the unfiltered Harry, right?
As he waited for a response, he noticed two men enter the ballroom, pushing carts filled with what seemed to be Halloween decorations and party supplies. One of them continued on through one of the doors on the other side, headed for what he guessed was the dining room. The other moved into a corner and began setting up the decorations, first taking what looked like some kind of music player and placing it on a table.
It's a bird.
[West Wing]
Ordering Recon to go back to normal apparently wouldn't work. What was up with him? Moreena had encountered mind control magic before, but nothing that just activated on it's own like this. Unless the room had done it to him somehow? And why did he follow her orders?
"Yes, go fetch your friend," she said to the teenagers. "I will keep exploring the rooms around here."
She turned her eyes towards Recon. "Stay close, and try not to kill anyone."
What did Hei mean about 'feeling a nap coming on'? Going to sleep at a time and place like this didn't seem very smart. Humans were strange.
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
Recon's eyes turned towards Moreena when she gave that last order. A helmet sprang up from his armour, then a full-on gas mask. Then, with a sound like a powerful wind blowing through, he disappeared from sight.
However, those with extra-sensory powers would be able to detect him. He wasn't gone, he was still there. Just like he had explained earlier, he was exploiting the holes in their senses, staying out of sight and hearing but still "staying close", just like he had been ordered to.
[Outside ~ Forest's Edge] (Oswald, Krajn)
Oswald glanced at the peculiar shifting of the sleeves, watching with quiet interest out of the corners of his eyes. When it came time to answer Krajn's question, he frowned hesitantly and looked away, then looked back at Krajn, and then away again.
"Ah... nothing impressive." he said, slightly hunching his shoulders. "Unskilled labor in one place or the other; wherever I can find it. You could call me a migrant worker, although, on the whole, my travels take me in a singular direction." he paused for a moment to search the sky, then, finding what he was looking for, he turned and pointed karate-chop style in a general direction, declaring it, "Northward."
Resuming his walk, Oswald turned his attention back to Krajn and continued."Of course, there are a few detours now and again, but generally speaking, I work in a small towns and other settlements. Sometimes for weeks, sometimes months. I make enough money to get by. Enough for room and board, and a little extra for travel supplies. I form a plan, save up, and then move on. It's not high living, but it keeps me on my toes. Hell of a lot of work though, and not always the friendliest of employers."
He paused for a few seconds, before sighing and shaking his head.
this place needs me here
Jolly Saint Nick
Dakota watched Recon get covered in armor and then vanish. "Did I miss something?" She asked.
Warren laughed awkwardly again to lighten the mood. "I wish my followers could do that. It'd be pretty convenient..." When Wei mentioned his "nap", he glanced over his shoulder at him with a frown. "You're going to go to sleep? At a time like this. In a place like this. ...Yeah, whatever, have fun with the nightmares, demon killer."
Happy Holidays to everyone! Have a great end of the year, and an even better 2015- you all deserve it!
[Forest's Edge (Oswald, Krajn)]
Krajn peered into the forest, but even her enhanced vision couldn't penetrate the gloom for more than a short distance. Part of her regretted that she wasn't going in it by herself, while another part of her was glad for the company. She held her fighting-sticks loosely, the programetal on the one in her left (and dominant) hand reshaping its upper half's edge slightly into a narrow blade.
"What is in the north?" she asked Oswald, speaking a bit louder than she had planned. She certainly wasn't spooked by the forest, but she did want to be able to focus on something besides it. "That is, why do you keep going in that direction?"
Wait...
She bowed her head slightly. "Also, er, I should say that I am sorry to hear about your troubles. I suppose they actually aren't quite the same as what I was referring to."
edited 2nd Dec '14 6:48:38 PM by nrjxll
Parlor
"Pax Island...?" Kaguya repeated, sounding no less confused than she did a moment earlier. The name did sound familiar, but like nearly everything else pertaining to this turn of events she couldn't quite remember where it was or if it even existed. "...I've only been on this journey for...a couple of months at best, I think. Yet I don't quite recall ever being to a place by that name...." She frowned. "Given all I've been through lately, it, um...gets a little difficult to separate it all."
Then Inzami mentioned someone by the name of Cyana. Now that sounded even more familiar than everything else thus far...oh. Oh.
"...Actually, I do remember Cyana-san. I still can't remember how long ago it was when I met her, but everything else is pretty clear to me now. Though...I was almost wondering if was a dream since then, given that it was a little crazy. Since we're having this conversation now, though, I guess it wasn't...." She shrugged. "Anyway, I...really don't blame her for taking off like that, given how Hayate-sama was acting. Not that I'm really blaming him either; he was trying to make sure I was safe...but I do wish he hadn't cut our time together so short like that."
She sighed, before shaking her head. "...Since you brought her up...I take it that means you know her fairly well?"
Icon by Civvi the Civilian!
It's a bird.
[West Wing]
Moreena closed her eyes. Recon had surprised her twice already, but she would not be caught unaware a third time. She reached out with her true form, gently flowing across the folds of reality. Those with an affinity for magic might sense her presence, though it would be hard for most mortals to realize what was going on.
The walls of the castle still blocked her, but if Recon was still in the same room she would find him. Ah, there he was. He wasn't invisible or anything, just somehow ridiculously good at staying out of sight. It was quite... elegant actually.
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
[Outside ~ Forest's Edge] (Oswald, Krajn)
"No?" Oswald said, his voice rising slightly in surprise. "Hmm. Well... perhaps not. I do spend many of my days working for others, but, ultimately, it is for the sake of furthering my own personal aspirations. I suppose that's a part of what makes it all so bearable." He waved the thought off after a moment, saying, "Regardless, there are plenty of less capable people out there who are caught in situations far, far worse than my own. Uou needn't take pity on me."
As he walked, he raised his head towards the sky again. "As for north, I'm headed for Nova Scotia. I hope to find someone there. Someone who I might know, or who might know me." he shrugged his shoulders, "It's a little vague, perhaps, but for now, it is all I have in the way of direction. I don't know what I'd do otherwise."
He paused for a moment, glancing at a tree strung with lights and murmuring, "Awfully colorful." before turning the questions onto Krajn. "So what about yourself?"
this place needs me here
The future of warfare in UC.
[Ballroom]
"Ah. Superheros generally work for free, yes?" Priss grinned. "Granted I do perform a public service without getting paid sometimes, but I'm only a vigilante about a third of the time as opposed to a corporate merc the rest. Besides, I'm in it for the bloody vengeance. Not the most noble of motives is that?"
She watched the worker...well, work. "So I guess we got here...early? Maybe?"
edited 3rd Dec '14 4:28:14 PM by Night
Nous restons ici.
One moment he was there, the next he was at the door, not even hesitating before opening it. He stood in the doorway, looking at everyone outside.
He stared at them all with the same empty eyes, before his eyes wandered to the rest of the west wing, already deeming the other guests as no real threat.
edited 30th Nov '14 3:34:47 AM by gameknight102xx