|
Post by kilnarak on Oct 23, 2018 15:06:46 GMT -6
[ OOC: Ari reads the note, then is distracted by Raine. He breaks down crying, then tries to explain the note to Raine. He'll follow wherever Raine goes for now. ]
Ari's eyes quickly scanned the note, looking for anything that might help him survive. A 'fun , spooky event' - fun for who? Certainly not him. From the sound of it, all he needed to do was survive until the moon fell - or find some sort of special candy? He wondered how much of the candy would be laced with poison, or maybe razor blades and shards of glass.
He had begun to tremble with the thought, his gloved hand twitching and crinkling the note. He forced himself to smooth it again, fold it, drop it back into the pail. It was at about that moment that a familiar face approached him, although it took him a moment to realize who it was. He looked up sharply at Raine, stared hard with wide green eyes. Ari had been a small child, and like this they were more equal in height.
"Y-You're... here too? A-Again?" His voice quavered, and then abruptly he was bawling again. He flung himself at Raine, wrapping his arms around him and sniffling into his heavily-sequined shoulder. "A-At least," he mumblingly agreed, his child's voice thick with tears. "I-It almost looks... It almost looks okay but it won't stay okay will it? It-It's gonna turn bad..." He clung tighter, his voice rising in a keen at the end.
The other children - who likely weren't children - were talking but he couldn't focus on what they were saying. He couldn't focus on anything except clinging to Raine and trying to stop crying. He worried - absurdly - that he would ruin Raine's nice costume, but he couldn't seem to make himself let go, his plastic claws catching on the gaudy embroidery and sequins on Raine's vest. It felt like a long few minutes before he finally began to stop crying, and slowly began to ease his grip on Raine, then to draw a more comfortable distance away. His hand drifted down, then caught a grip in the other child's billowy sleeve, not quite ready to entirely lose contact.
"We-We need to... We need to get out of here but... but the... the note said not to try to l-leave..." He tried to explain the note, speaking a little too quickly sniffling and stumbling over the words. "W-We go home if-if we last the night or-or if we find some... animal-themed candy?"
|
|
|
Post by beastly on Oct 23, 2018 16:01:52 GMT -6
[OOC: Simon-puppy joins the group Aaron's created, sniffs people, and even if he doesn't totally understand what he's saying, Simon is just happy to be here.}
When the bucket appears around Simon's neck, he yelps. Oh! A bucket! The wolf pup stuck his nose into his bucket, then looked up as he picked out a familiar, if younger, voice from the children. He trotted over, fighting to get his muzzle out of the bucket, and plopped himself down next to Aaron, after giving him a good sniff, and sniffing Sara's feet for good measure. He knows this guy, and he's acting like he's in charge, so! Simon will take it. He hasn't read the note, because he's mentally a wolf for the most part, but he's excited! There's all kinds of good things in the air, and he's all for finding candy! He wants to investigate all the other kids too.
As Aaron talks, Simon's tail wags faster, and he gets on his feet again. From what he understood, they're going somewhere. Good! He wants to explore! He'll pace around the small group they have going on.
|
|
|
Post by Pearl Dragon on Oct 23, 2018 17:50:03 GMT -6
[Stenson finally notices his note, and takes the lead under Aaron's instruction. He takes a head count and begins to walk towards the first house.}
Despite the razor edge of his nerves cutting deeper and deeper into his insides, Sarah's sudden outburst and excitement over the various outfits and child's features helped tremendously to ground him back into a focused state. Zavijah's question followed soon after, and Stenson found that he latched onto it almost instantly with an answer, more to stabilize his own understanding than hers.
"Ah- I'm fine. These are for a holiday, the one you're looking at, Halloween. You use these to collect candy." Stenson glanced down at his own bucket and noticed a slip of paper within it, which he quickly scooped out to read. The meaning was clear, and didn't seem to have any hidden meanings, other than the mention of mysteries, but at least the instructions were brief and simple. Trick or treat.
Looking around, he noticed the fence and forest beyond, and had already decided the option of leaving the brightly lit and rambunctious streets was a far more dangerous choice than to follow the directions on the note and begin their task of trick or treating. His only hope was that this year's paranormal event, as Aaron put it, would be less....traumatizing. Maybe this whole thing was like a roller coaster, and whoever was behind it was partial to variety... To his greatest relief, Stenson had yet to spot Kit, adult or child, and breathed a small sigh of relief. Nothing could have made him more content with his situation than to know she was safe at his house and not thrown into this new nightmare after still recovering from the previous years' Halloween "festivities".
"Stay together. Stay sharp. Keep a head count. We need to get people moving. It's not safe to stay put for too long." Aaron said, speaking now as if this were just another day on the job, to which Stenson was grateful. Now that he had a task to focus on, his years of training and experience as an officer slowly steadied him and he raised his arms in the air to get the attention of any who might not be watching. "Alright, everyone! Let's stick together, we need to move!" He called, his child's voice a comical mimicry of his usual tone of authority. Any adult might have looked at him and laughed themselves to tears before pinching his cheeks, the thought of which left him feeling embarrassed and silly. He noted a few familiar faces, most with some difficulty due to the much younger appearances. The ones that stood out as possible victims to this were those who stood looking lost, differing greatly from the hordes of oblivious and chattering children streaming past them in small groups. Not everyone here was from the real world, that was obvious. He noticed a red-head standing with a Black Panther costumed child who stood crying against the other, Aaron and Sara, Zavijah, Dust (which he noted with a quick, awkward glance. Their last interaction hadn't ended too well...), a dog that now sat panting at Aaron's feet, a fur-covered werewolf standing alone nearby (was that Cassius??), a sickly thin child in a deer costume joined by another slim child dressed in an icy outfit, and finally a plague doctor standing silently close by. That made 12 total including himself, and Stenson committed the number to memory. If more victims showed up, he hoped they did so soon and didn't get left behind...
With the group number noted, and hopefully all ready to follow if they wished, Stenson turned to Aaron. "Behind me, don't let anyone fall behind if you can help it." And then, lowering his voice, "if any others show up...they may not-" he stopped himself, reluctant to finish the sentence knowing that there was a very real possibility Kit could also show up late. But they had to move, and if the others made it out, he would come back to make sure Kit hadn't somehow arrived. This he knew could mean his own death, but he wouldn't leave her if it came to that. "Let's go." Leading the group, Stenson took a deep breath and looked towards the closest house. If it was candy they were after, then it was candy they would get. And he began to walk. Soon he stood craning his neck up to peer at the door, joined shortly after by Cassius who set his knuckles to the wood with a few brisk knocks and a toothy smile. A smile Stenson had a hard time returning.
|
|
|
Post by Marshmallow on Oct 23, 2018 20:09:50 GMT -6
[OOC: Walter makes sure Dust is alright, laments his lack of note-taking materials, puts his mask back on and follows along with the main bulk of the group.] -----
"Doktar?"
Walter wasn't expecting to be addressed. None of the children seemed to be anyone he knew, and certainly none had given more than a cursory glance in his direction. He hadn't realized that more were yet arriving even as his attention diverted, stepping into this bizarre phenomenon as abruptly as he himself had. He had only just finished examining the note in his hands when that child-like voice called out to him, familiar if only for the use of his dialect if not the tone. The miniaturized scientist looked up from the paper, his own odd eyes meeting a familiar fiery gold gaze.
He blinked. "Staub, bist du das?" he asked in a moment of confusion. "Was ist hier los?"
More curious than alarmed, the young doctor stepped over to examine Dust more closely. He was clinical at first, falling into his role despite the change in their physical age. He looked the red-haired youth over for signs of injury or anything else more anomalous than a Halloween costume, and clicked his tongue in distaste at the bruised cheek.
Once satisfied that Dust was more or less unharmed, he drew a step back, a contemplative frown worn on his face. There were questions on his mind, but now seemed hardly an appropriate time or place. Walter filed them away for later. His attention returned to the note, to the bizarre "rules" to this even more bizarre phenomenon. Just who or what had summoned them here? How? And to play children's games, no less? Reflexively, a hand went to his chest, where ordinarily a coat pocket would contain an array of pens with which to keep notes. When he found none, his frown deepened. Just how was he meant to enjoy supernatural phenomena when he couldn't document anything?! First priority would have to be finding a notepad and pen.
Other rising voices pulled his train of thought off track. One of the children called out for Dust - prompting new questions in the doctor's mind - and seemed to be gathering others to himself. It appeared that the Godzilla child was somewhat experienced with odd occurrences, and was trying to get everyone into some semblance of order.
“This is a - some kind of paranormal event. A survival test. There’s a strong possibility we’ll be hunted.”
Survival test? Hunted? Had something like this occurred before? The way the boy spoke, it certainly seemed to stem from personal experience. And training - he sounded like an Agent. That realization put the doctor on edge. Not that he expected to be hunted here, when the arresting officers were children themselves, and trapped in the same potentially dangerous game. But to say he was comfortable among their number would be an overstatement.
Still... If the situation did indeed become dangerous, there was safety in numbers. He stowed the instructions in his pail, motioned for Dust to follow, then made his way toward the bulk of the group following the agents' example. On an afterthought, he pulled the plague doctor mask back down over his face. His spectral eye still glowed from behind the tinted plastic goggles, but it was at least somewhat muted.
|
|
|
Post by jarahamee on Oct 24, 2018 0:20:16 GMT -6
[Cassius decides to knock on a door, side by side with Stenson. He has decided to try hitting up as many houses as he can to maximize the chances of escape and prizes.]
Cassius read the note, digested the information, and noted the persons here. They were not immediately familiar, but after a few moments, he was able to discern who was who. Jones, Telmore, Sara from the department, a few he did not know, but he had the feeling it would be more evident soon. He searched his mind, feeling for the familiar presence of the Beast, but not sensing anything besides the very vague echo of something at the very back of his mind.
Collect candy, go to the houses, wait out the night.
That was what he discerned. Live and collect talismans to go home early. Maybe everyone could find their talisman before the night ended, and did not need to suffer the fate they had endured last year. That would be his goal.
He held up a hand. Telmore had addressed the others, but he had something to say as well.
"If we all stay together and visit all the houses, we have the best chances of finding the items that will send us home. I do not think today will be benevolent but usually they follow their own rules. We should visit our first houses. Usually on these nights candy is distributed evenly among children."
This was a pagan holiday that had been changed and used by modern peoples for enjoyment. This night, it was thought that spirits intermingled with the human world, and today was no different. Perhaps he could expect to be tricked rather than treated. Cassius had a sudden thought; a flash of the searing pain of his leg rotting off his body while he lived, the amputation. He would not be a fool this time.
He found the first door with the lights on, and made sure others were following him, before knocking on the door, bringing him side by side with Stenson in his cowboy outfit. He gave Stenson a toothy-looking grin, showing off that he had both missing teeth and some pointed adult teeth growing in jaggedly. His eyes shined brightly from within his werewolf visage. He was far too small to be scary but he did have some fierce-looking claws.
"Stenson..."
Cassius paused, and then knocked on the door, somewhat hard. Loud enough to be noisy.
"Trick or Treat?"
|
|
|
Post by Salandis on Oct 24, 2018 2:53:19 GMT -6
[OOC: Raine comforts the distraught shifter, then suggests to the non-agents to group up and try a house opposite. Because why not have a little friendly competition?]
Raine held the young panther gently, patting his back and murmuring comforts. It helped, a little, to deal with someone else’s breakdown first. It gave him time to stuff his own incipient breakdown back into the deep past where it belonged. While Ari composed himself, Raine studied the other children he could see. Aaron was gathering up Sara and some other children that looked vaguely familiar – agents of the WDSA, perhaps? He made a note of the unfamiliar faces; the dragon child staying close to Sara; Cassius, of course; and the grey child dressed as a Sheriff – wait, he knew Stenson Jones, if only remotely. A puppy had joined them, somehow stuffed into a wolf costume, which puzzled Raine greatly. A young boy in an Elsa costume stood near Kail, and the plague doctor was conducting an examination of an unfamiliar child dressed as a soldier.
“This is some kind of survival test,” Aaron took the voice of authority, corralling his agents and trying to project some kind of order. In general Raine approved of that, since the events he had been invited to in the past had been punishing to people caught alone, and equally bad to people staying in place. This one looked… actually quite benign. There was the injunction against leaving, and keeping moving seemed to be a wise decision, but unless the houses held some kind of lovecraftian horror this could actually be somewhat pleasant.
Ari finally calmed down enough to stammer out the rules, and Raine looked over his own note in confirmation. This all seemed oddly benign for a Halloween event, and he watched as the group of agents pushed over to the first house. “Weel, this doesn’a seem as bad as it could be,” He said confidently. “We’re not in a nuthouse, in a swamp, or in a death maze as yon told me of. Just collect candy till moon set. Ah can handle that, Ari me lad. We dinnae even have ta eat the candy unless we want ta.” He steadied the shifter, giving his shoulder a squeeze before taking hold of one of his paws with his own bucket-hand. The mask had, oddly, already risen to fit his face again. “Now, I’ve an idea. Ah think this could even be fun, or at least there be no harm in enjoying it before it turns intae the hell-pit we all expect it tae.” He turned to look at the kids not grouped up with the agents, and grinned.
“Hey, Bambi, Elsa,” he called out. He waved broadly enough to include the other two strangers, the plague doctor and soldier, then pointed at the house opposite where Cassius had rang the doorbell. “Ah bet we can get our side of the street cleared before yon agent squad – and get more candy too, aye. What d’yah say?”
|
|
|
Post by qhostqrowls on Oct 24, 2018 3:43:57 GMT -6
[OOC: Kail (surprisingly) listens to Raine and takes up the challenge, making his way over to the first house after terrorizing Abby for a bit. He’s ready to get that candy]
Kails face scrunched into something between a frown and a snarl as he read the note. As if he was going to listen to this scrap of paper. He wasn’t going to play their games, and crumpled the note into a little ball which he dropped into the bucket at his hooves. He looked at the fence, the forest beyond, and was greatly tempted to start scaling it and sprint off just because the instructions had said not too.
But he was distracted as someone called his name. The child that stood cautiously near him was familiar, despite the young features. Pale, long black hair, and so blank about it all - it could only be one super. “Aberdeen?” A wide, toothy smile stretched across his face at the sparkly costume the nøkk was wearing, and he leapt closer to give him a friendly shove. Back onto familiar habits, to distract himself. “Look at yaself! What the fuck are ya supposed to be, huh? What is this place, have ya been here-“
He cut his ramblings off to stare at the other group of children as their conversation grew louder. The commanding tone of their voices, and the grey shade of the cowboys skin...he realized with a lurch that they were agents. And the grey one was Stenson, for sure. His eyes narrowed to icy slits, large ears swiveling forwards, alert, fixating. He was pretty sure the one dressed as a wolf was Cassius, who he’d also had an altercation with.
“Hey, Bambi,” He turned, still scowling. The fact he had responded to the name irritated him, and he frowned at the redhead for a moment. That accent - was it Raine? Yet another individual his last meeting had not gone so smoothly with. Still, he grinned slightly at the babyish face, the shorter then usual stature, and crossed his arms, stance cocky and uncaring. He was deeply embarrassed and confused by the entire situation, but he’d be damned if he’d let it show. It was easier to bluster confidence and pretend he wasn’t bothered by his weak form.
“Nice costume, Raine, can ya get it any tighter? And yeah, of course.” He shrugged, glancing at the house. The challenge made it easier, and his eyes were bright with a maliciously competitive light. “We can clear it way faster then those bastards. C’mon Abby, let’s go.” The young wendigo latched onto Abby’s arm with one clawed hand and tugged once, encouraging him to follow. He gave no backwards glance to the agents, the rest of the group.
He didn’t really care who came with him- he didn’t know the one with the metal arm, or the one with the mask pulled over his face, so they were fine by him. It was with springy, fast steps - disgustingly fawn-like - that he trotted his way across the street, leaping up the steps and slamming his hand against the doorbell of the first house. It didn’t matter what was inside - he was fully expecting some monster, but it was better to get it over and done with.
|
|
|
Post by NightshadeVII on Oct 24, 2018 14:13:28 GMT -6
[OOC: Aberdeen is generally suspicious of everything that’s happening. Agrees with Raine, but suggests they keep an eye out, just in case. Aberdeen goes with Kail to the house, and asks Kail to try and not get himself killed. He then braces himself for whatever might be lurking behind the door.]
Surprised, and almost put off to find the note written in his first language, Aberdeen looked away from the note. The words seemed unreal to him, something he hadn’t seen written by any other hand but his own in years. Discarding the note without second thought, Aberdeen returned his gaze to Kail. There was a moment of silence, before Kail recognized him, a familiar grin splitting across the wendigo’s face. Soon a friendly shove followed, reminding the nøkk that some things, or some people, really didn’t change. If even if he wanted to, he couldn’t relax even as a Kail began to talk. “Well, uh, I have no idea what I’m supposed to be”, Aberdeen chuckled, amused by how true that statement was, “Bambi suits you. As for this place? It’s-“
Then Aberdeen noticed, how Kail’s eyes narrowed to slits, the wendigos small body tensing as he fixated on what he saw. Perhaps he wanted to lunge at the group, with his small claws as one of his only weapons. There was that harsh light in his eyes, a vendicitive drive perhaps, that lurked beneath his thoughts. However, the nøkk placed a hand on Kail’s shoulder, a gentle but firm touch, and stepped in front of him in order to block Kail’s view of the group, hoping to gain eye contact. Even in this childlike body, Aberdeen’s eyes had the same cold, distantly melancholic look in them, contrasting so violently with the rest of his appearance. It was eyes that didn’t belong to a child. “Don’t, Kail.”, the words were quiet, but the tone steady, as Aberdeen looked at him, sending the wendigo a pleading look.
“Hey Bambi, Elsa” a voice called out, causing Aberdeen to turn his head, following the sound, more of an instinctual movement than anything else. His turquoise eyes, both rounder, and now also wider than they used to be, were perhaps an almost unsettling sight in the half-dark, as he blinked slowly, proving that he was listening. At the mention of agents however, Aberdeen quickly scanned through the people here, hoping not to see someone he recognized. This place was already hell on earth, it didn’t need to be worse. Satisfied with not finding one familiar individual, he could listen again. The stranger’s plan seemed sound, allowing them to stay in a larger group, but then again, what would the size of a group matter here? If they were going to die, Aberdeen doubted there would be much fighting that.
“Right.”, Aberdeen nodded, “the sooner we start the better, I suppose.” Barely had he said that before he noticed the change in Kail’s demeanor. Now he had something other than the agents to focus on. “C’mon Abby, lets go.” Kail said, tugging at the nøkk’s arm once with his clawed hands. The nøkk nodded, following the wendigo, keeping up with the other’s bouncy steps with relative ease. However, the nøkk didn’t focus on walking, instead, he kept scanning the area around them, as if expecting some kind of monster to jump out at any second.
While the two approached the house at a steady pace, led along by Kail’s determination, Aberdeen turned to look at him, brows furrowed in an adult expression that didn’t belong on his face at the moment “Kail, I say this a lot, but please don’t do something stupid. I’ve been here before, last year. It was different, but I don’t trust this at all.”, Aberdeen said, voice hushed, but intense, “something will probably try to kill us, and it’ll be hard to kill it. Especially like this.” He gestured to their fragile bodies, to get his point across. Short legs and weak arms would do nothing, if and when this place turned against them. But even then, Aberdeen figured it better, to let Kail know what this was. Knowing Kail, he might listen, he might not, but it had to be worth a try. “So keep an eye out.”, Aberdeen added, “Unless of course, you want to die a horrible death.”
The nøkk grimaced, as Kail knocked on the door and prepared himself to react, in case they needed to get away from whatever they might meet.
|
|
|
Post by Sharei on Oct 24, 2018 15:24:23 GMT -6
[OOC: Dust takes #36 by the arm and goes to Aaron, where he questions him about the event.]
Paranormal event.
Survival test.
Hunted.
Dust didn't like the sound of any of that, but at least it was something he was good at and not more 'normal people' nonsense.
"Ja," Dust replied, reaching for Dr Hahn's arm and aborting the gesture at the last moment. A flash of guilt, sharp-edged with the knowledge that he'd done something wrong, passed over his eyes. What had he been thinking, trying to touch someone without permission? And one of the medical team, no less! The asset glanced automatically over his shoulder, expecting a guard, then realized abruptly that there were no more guards. There would never be any more guards.
Dust shivered despite the fact that he couldn't feel the cold and touched Dr Hahn on the arm with a gentle tap to draw his attention. It would be alright to do that much.
"I'm going over to Aaron," he said, glancing in Raine's direction but choosing to ignore the invitation. "Stay with me-"
Dust shut his mouth with a click as he stumbled over something at his feet. He glanced down. It was some sort of festive pail. He picked the object up, his eyes sliding sideways to how Dr Hahn was holding it, then mirrored the gesture. One hand closed around Walter's wrist as he marched them both up to his liaison - a boldness he would never have had in the time that Dr Hahn had known him.
"Aaron," Dust said once he had made it through the crowd to the agent's side. Even as a child he felt unusual among the lot of them, for where they were round and soft he was thin, just barely nurished and toned with compact muscle. The scars he had as an adult were still mostly present as a child. There were shadows beneath his eyes. Dust tried not to think about the obvious differences in their upbringing. "What sort of paranormal event are we dealing with? What sort of opponents should I expect?"
|
|
|
Post by tsukikoko on Oct 24, 2018 16:11:16 GMT -6
Sara, Aaron, Zavi, Hahn, Dust and Simon team up and discuss, or sniff each other in a puppy’s case. Nothing particularly happens here. The night continues uninterrupted, nothing jumps out to spook them. Carry on.
Raine and Ari have an emotional meeting, Raine suggests some friendly competition. Excellent.
Stenson begins walking towards the houses. There are a multitude of choices on either side of the road for him to venture forth to; the first house Cassius is already stood at and the first house opposite has Kail bounding up (described in the paragraphs below). The house beside Cassius has very much a cat theme going on; black cat images in various poses and states of aggression are visible in the windows, the yowling of cats fills the front garden, a fake body, half concealed by foliage, can be seen being ‘eaten’ by animatronic demon cats. That kind of thing. Whereas the house beside Kail is full of tall, fake trees covered in a strange black substance that stretches onto the path and the house itself. Eerie blue lights bathe the area, giving it a solemn, otherworldly look. Particles of what might be dust, or tiny bubbles, float through the air, but never seem to stray past the front gate, despite the breeze. Further down on either side are more cartoony houses, with pop-out ghosts and ghouls made of cardboard, should the gargoyle wish to stray that far down the road. He decides to join Cassius.
Cassius and Stenson approach the first house and knock on the door. Around them are a multitude of spider webs, laughing pumpkin faces and skeletal hands that reach out of the grass nearby. Fake lightning sounds and the hooting of owls filter out of a speaker system on the doorstep and when the door opens it is with an overly dramatic creaking sound. A woman appears at the door, wearing a tattered sorcerer's outfit that may be a nod to necromancer, given the pieces of bone jutting out of her pockets. “Ohhhhh what a darling little wolf you are! And such a proper looking sheriff, oo, I’m certainly glad I don’t have a bounty on my head!" She giggled. "Let me get you your treats.” She reaches behind and to the side of her door, where presumably a bowl of sweets lay and at first has three in her hand, which she nearly distributes, before noticing the discrepancy at the last second. She glances between the two boys, “Goodness, that just won’t do. Here, dearies, let me make sure it’s equal.” Her other hand dips into a pocket and from within a fourth piece of candy is withdrawn. She drops two into Cassius’ pail and then a further two into Stenson’s. Each one is round, about the size of a marble and covered by a thin wrapping that shimmers between red, blue and gold. The woman then waves at the young werewolf and gargoyle, before closing the door. Interestingly, as soon as she is out of sight, Cassius and Stenson would both find it impossible to remember any discerning features about the woman. That she was a woman and dressed as a sorcerer of some description but, if they tried to recall specifics, would find her memory blurry and indistinct.
Kail and Aberdeen also approach a house, with the intent to knock on the door, but acquire a new colour scheme on the way. The wendigo speeds up the drive with his less than enthusiastic ‘friend’ following behind, darting past a rather distinct car - with a white chassis, a red stripe down the side and a number of lights flashing on top - and then what appears to be the remains of a giant… marshmallow? At the steps leading up to the front door, with his focus so set on his task, Kail fails to notice how one of the steps seemed to click as he walks on it, or the small hatch built in a fake wall beside the door. He had just knocked, when the hatch slid open and with a loud, laughing shriek, a big green blob with relatively small, red eyes, a cartoonishly wide grin and a massive tongue shot out. Closely followed by a stream of green goo that splatters all over the wendigo’s face and chest, though it does avoid going in his eyes. The arc of trajectory continues, splattering over Aberdeen’s shoulder, the side of his face and his backside and legs. Somehow, both candy pails were completely clean and unaffected… unlike the rest of them. Only a second or two after that, the front door swings open, revealing an elderly couple wearing ghostbusters outfits. They see the two costumed supers and immediately begin to chuckle sweetly, explaining that ‘Slimer got them good!’ and ‘not to worry, the goo will come off by itself in about 20 minutes’. The woman then reaches behind her back and produces a bowl of sweets, before dropping two into both Kail and Aberdeen’s bucket. Each one is round, about the size of a marble and covered by a thin wrapping that shimmers between red, blue and gold. The couple then smile broadly at the costumed wendigo, before closing the door. Just as with Cassius, once the door is closed, Kail would find it impossible to remember any discerning features about the pair. Vague memories of their costumes, but if he tried to recall specifics he would find the memory similarly blurry and indistinct.
Cassius now has 2 pieces of candy. Stenson now has 2 pieces of candy. Kail now has 2 pieces of candy. Aberdeen now has 2 pieces of candy.
~~~~~
[OOC: Sara holds Aaron’s hand tightly, listens to him speak and then notices the puppy and gives him a rather tight hug to help calm herself. She then answers Dust’s question. After that, indicates they should head towards the cat-based house to have a crack at this trick-or-treating, encouraging Aaron and the others to go with her.]
Sara found herself juxtaposed. She wanted Aaron here, desperately wanted the cool, calming nature of his presence. At the same time, she wished he were near anywhere but here. Last year had been terrifying enough. Now, with his hand warm in her own, all she could think was how horrific it would be to feel that hand torn from her grasp, or watch him... die. Just like she had watched Pandora. Images of how he had been torn asunder by Viktoria also flickered across her vision in a horrific showreel.
A whine began to bubble, but the shifter swallowed it, trying to listen to Aaron’s words instead of her own thoughts. Panicking had caused nothing but disaster last time, she couldn’t let herself panic like that again. Couldn’t watch him- any of them- oh god…
A shiver ran through Sara’s body, one that she tried and failed to contain. She looked away, only to then notice a snuffling at her feet. Her eyes widened, what had been a whine in her chest rising instead as a semi-contained squeal of joy - tinged with just a note of desperation. If that wasn’t the cutest thing she had ever seen! He was in a little wolf costume and everything! Her hand fell away from Aaron’s, only so she could wrap both arms around the fluffy creature. The comfort she derived from that hug was immeasurable and she began to coo into Simon’s fur (not that she knew it was him), trying to soothe her own tension as much as express how cute she thought the canine was.
She hadn’t failed to realise that Cassius and Stenson were already well on their way to checking out the houses, as were two other children who had been… slimed? Well, they didn’t look hurt at least. In fact, no-one seemed hurt, none of this had descended into chaos yet, maybe this was… different. At least for now, things seemed okay, which made the shifter feel a little braver. Again the geekiness about her costume reared inside her, along with a touch of legitimate excitement about trying out trick-or-treating. She’d never really had chance to before, not properly.
A new voice joined the group, one she didn’t recognise and made the shifter’s gaze snap up. His question, while not directed at her, made a terrible chill run down Sara’s spine. Any excitement she’d had extinguished and died as she thought about what might be here to greet them, given the horrors of her last experience. She swallowed, hugged the puppy a little more and spoke up in answer. Her voice lost it’s usual accent, becoming clear and well enunciated to be sure she was understood. “If it’s anything like last year; horrific, twisted monstrosities will tear you apart and there will be little you can do to stop them.” She fell quiet again, but Aaron’s words rang in her head. They couldn’t stay here, couldn’t stay still for long and already two of the agents had moved away from them. For the moment, the best they could do was play the game.
Releasing the puppy, the shifter stood and took hold of Aaron’s hand again, a tiny smile touching her lips despite it all. Here was a mask she could wear. False, but needed. Because the alternative was to panic and run into death, or curl up here in despair and also die. “Alreet then luv, I’m gunna give this ‘ole trick-or-treatin’ thing a bloody go, like. Cass and Sten ‘ave gotten a’ead of us already, ya know, figured maybe we should keep up with ‘em.” Her head tilted in the direction of the house covered in cats, since that one appealed to her in more ways than one. Then, she addressed Dust and Hahn, not wanting to leave them behind either, “Comin’ with us?”
|
|
|
Post by Pearl Dragon on Oct 24, 2018 17:21:55 GMT -6
[Stenson heads back to the group, dragging Cassius with him if the wolf lingered too long. Once back, he agrees with Sara and then offers to take the lead once more in case danger was ahead. He knocks on the crazy-cat-person's door.]
As they waited with bated breath, Stenson glanced nervously at their surroundings. The yard and porch were decorated with impressive attention to detail, from spiderwebs stretching across gaps and corners all around, a variety of jack-o-lantern faces piled and peeking at them from where they were placed, and even a loudspeaker that sat nearby, perhaps to play spooky music to complete the ambiance. Nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing, yet, dangerous. It wasn't until the door began to creak open that Stenson snapped back to attention, plastic pumpkin clutched tightly in one hand and the other grasping open and closed. The others had hung back, to which Stenson was grateful. If something bad were to happen, they at least were at a safe enough distance and could run if necessary.
Before them was a woman, dressed in a costume that was equally as intricate as her home decor. She looked like some kind of sorcerer or necromancer, and Stenson's silvery, orange-rimmed eyes flickered briefly to the bones protruding from her pockets.
"Ahm...trick or treat." Stenson murmured alongside Cassius, his voice sounding much too weak and pathetic, silly in its childish tone.
“Ohhhhh what a darling little wolf you are! And such a proper looking sheriff, oo, I’m certainly glad I don’t have a bounty on my head!" The woman said in a giggle, "Let me get you your treats.” As she reached to retrieve the candy from behind the door, Stenson made quick mental notes of her face, features, hair, height, age, and whatever else that might come in handy for a report if they got out alive. Anything to help the WDSA track down the culprit behind these Halloween "attacks".
“Goodness, that just won’t do. Here, dearies, let me make sure it’s equal.” She said, hesitating to add the candy in their buckets. A fourth candy was then plucked from her pocket, and Stenson felt a sinking dread fill his stomach. That was not where she pulled the first three...But, before he could mark which candy she'd pulled out, all four were quickly covered in a hand, separated and then dropped two each into their pails. Stenson pulled his bucket back, looking inside.
Identical. With a sideways peek at Cassius' bucket, he saw that those too were the same. Whichever one had been pulled from the woman's pocket was now lost among the four. And who knew what any of those candies did, or whether they would need to eat them later. Kit had explained that last year there were medicines which their group had been forced to eat at times, hoping and praying they weren't poisoned or worse than their ailments. What if this were the same? Eat the candy or die? OR eat the candy AND die??? Stenson stepped back from the door and turned quickly to leave. He grabbed a good amount of fake fur on Cassius' costume to drag the Gold badge with him. "Thanks." He barked at the woman and then bolted back the way they had come.
"We got two pieces of candy." Stenson said as he jogged nervously back towards Aaron and the others. He held up one, showing the shimmering quality of the wrapper and then dropped it back into the bucket. "All the same. No danger-" Just then he noticed their group was now split, and the ones who had gone separate were suddenly blasted with green goo on the porch where they stood. Stenson's eyes widened and he pointed, shocked. "What are they doing? Don't they know they could be killed!?" He wanted to run to them, but ultimately it was too late. Still, they seemed ok, albeit a bit gross...
He looked at Sara, worried, and nodded at her suggestion to begin heading to the next house. The cats that covered the yard ahead gave him the creeps, but the last house seemed harmless enough, perhaps this one was the same? "I can go first again, just be careful. And RUN if you see any danger, got it?" He turned, casting an agitated glance at the ones who had decided to split, and then made his way to the next yard. He couldn't force people to follow directions, but he had to hope they'd be able to take care of themselves if things got bad on their side of the street.
The cats were EVERYwhere. Some even eating a dead, fake body in the bushes, making Stenson wonder if the person who lived here was all that right in the head...they had a sick taste in decoration, at least the last one was more kid-friendly. Climbing the stares, he waited for the others before slowly approaching the door. If all was clear, he would volunteer to do the honors with this one, bracing himself for whatever might happen. Meanwhile, he began to habitually go over the details from the last door and was alarmed to find that he couldn't remember anything about the woman other than her costume, filling him with frustration. What did she look like again? She had blonde...no, grey,...or was it red hair...no, it had to be....maybe brown?...Agh! And she was how tall? Taller than him, that's all he could be sure of. How could he forget so easily!?
|
|
|
Post by okami1reeka333 on Oct 24, 2018 17:46:38 GMT -6
[OOC: zavijah quietly listens before just following the group of agents, seeing she was more familiar with more people of that group then of the other(s) goes to try for whichever house Sara seemed keen apon going to. Safety in numbers? ]
zavijah:
her ear twitched and she quietly sighed. perhaps it was foolish to even make an attempt to suggest anything of the sort, for most of her words fell apon deaf ears. she knows nothing of what is occurring. . . though for the most part, it seemed in some aspects they agreed. . .for nao all they can do is play along. . .Stenson did answer or explain what the bucket was for. . . to collect candy. . .from what she could tell, those whom are from the homes here. . . but what is candy? she glanced between the others whom she knew not of and took note of their faces, masks and auras. . .
Sara seemed scared. . .but for the most part, her beloved was present. . . .although seeming terrified as well, perhaps the two will be alright seeing they are joined in this realm. . . . should they not allow fear to overwhelm themselves or the words they exchange with eachother. she watched as one of the segregated groups left and approached a home before a strange green substance was cast apon them. . . then glanced back over to Stenson as he hurried back towards them, dragging Officer Lucidus with him.
the small puppy did not go unnoticed by her either. . . seeing hao Sara picked the puppy up and seem to do the strange act she did when they encountered eachother at the beach. . . what was it called again? there was a part of her who wanted to attempt to pet the small creature and another part that bantered with the part who wanted to pet it. perhaps if it grew tired she can carry it, pet it as they went so it would not be left behind.
When Sara mention apon heading for a home, she merely nodded and followed after her and Stenson towards the house. Haoever of all the looming questions that seemed to take prescient . . . .what is candy? why must they collect it? perhaps they are segments of a tool, or perhaps food? or perhaps the toll they must pay to leave this realm? she pondered this as she glanced around the alarmingly unusual amount of cats in the yard as they walked.
|
|
|
Post by jarahamee on Oct 24, 2018 20:59:18 GMT -6
(Cassius is pulled away from the house to the rest by Stenson. He then follows Stenson to the Cat-house, allowing the others to join them and knocks.)
The werewolf collected his candy pieces, pondering the flavor, and rolled them around in his hand as he nodded in thanks to the figure of the woman who quickly became indistinct to him. They seemed friendly but the entire situation was strange. If he had ever attempted to judge the will of a deity (and he had, once or twice), it was that they were to visit every house, and not linger too long in a single place. And each house seemed strangely distinct to him, but he decided that he liked it. There was a certain amount of contained chaos, and he wondered if the inhabitants were also going to be of a similar ilk to the cat people.
Cassius allowed himself to be tugged along by Stenson. Telmore was trying to direct the group. Just as well. Their attempt to be orderly and protect the weak had gone...poorly, lst year. If he spent too long considering it, the entire situation was somewhere beyond odd to him. All he could do was watch while some of the children were covered in slime. They seemed fine but he imagined worse was to come in the future.
"... They...look ok, but we should stay together."
With that, he turned to the next house. He then took in the yard. Cats everywhere. Terrifying, powerful cats. Was this some kind of a strange witch? He wondered, taking in the body being eaten by cats. Social commentary? He noticed that some of the others had joined them and tried to get a sense of who they were. No luck. He would have to ask them, he was sure. He missed the Beast's keen nose and biting commentary. Just a little bit.
The yard seemed so much larger now that he was a child. He glanced over at Stenson, who seemed shaken by the proceedings, and stood by his side as they approached the door. Stenson looked worried. He touched his arm briefly, as if offering him comfort. His own expression was alert and intensely focused under his wolf mask, and he made very brief eye-contact before reaching out to knock on the door with him. If this all went south, they could flee if they needed to. He was still in control of the situation, and if he needed to be, he could still be dangerous, even in this weak child shape.
He rapped on the door sharply with his child knuckles.
"Trick or treat?"
|
|
|
Post by beastly on Oct 24, 2018 21:22:49 GMT -6
(Ooc: Simon enjoys the attention, and decides the shapeshifter girl is his new best friend)
The puppy was a little surprised when Sara hugged him, and made a small squeak at that noise she made He sniffed her a little bit, nose poking here and there, cold and wet. He soon concluded that she was not harmful, and he enjoyed the cuddles. This was turning out to be a great night!
As he wagged his tail and listened, he did his best to pay attention to these other kids. Some of them also smelled familiar, while others... others smelled off, like something was wrong. He would have to get a better sniff later.
When Sara let him go, he licked at her free hand, then followed her. He wanted to follow these nice people!
|
|
|
Post by qhostqrowls on Oct 24, 2018 22:00:17 GMT -6
[OOC: Kail gets slimed, and promptly drags Aberdeen with him to the next house. A little more cautiously then before. As if he's going to let some goo stop him from winning their unofficial competition!)
Kail didn't notice the click under his hooves until it was too late, preoccupied with the challenge and with Aberdeens nagging. As usual, he was being miserable, talking of "horrible deaths" and all. He'd opened his mouth to chide the other, but the second his knuckles left the door a green blue with a massive grin and lolling tongue shot out of a hatch, covering both him and Aberdeen in a gush of goo. He startled backwards, stifling a yelp, and watched the....ghost? Disappear into the night with wide, pale eyes.
But as the door clicked open behind them to reveal two elderly humans, he forced a smile onto his face, more a sharp toothed grimace then anything else, and expectantly held out his pail. His entire skinny frame was tense and coiled, expecting something worse, even as the couple chuckled and cooed harmlessly. Nothing happened, no death trap, no monster. They simply received some candy and that was it.
The second the door was closed Kail wiped the majority of the goo from his face with a sharp flick of his wrist, splattering it on the sidewalk. As aggressive as the motion was, for most part he was unbothered by their sliming - it hid some of his bambi costume and didn't seem to be a malicious or toxic substance. The only thing that was bothering him was that everyone seemed to have noticed the embarrassing incident. No matter. They had gotten their candy. He shook himself like a dog would to attempt to dislodge anymore of the substance, clawed fingers curled tight around the spotless bucket.
Once his face was clean he checked in his pail again - two pieces! The wendigo checked Aberdeens pail to find the same amount and same type. All fancy and shiny and everything. Already he wanted to eat it - but decided agaisnt it, for now. If it was a competition they would need all their pieces at the end of it.
The fawn turned and, in a much more cautious manner, trotted down the steps and the path, back onto the street. "Shake it off, Abby! Let's go get some more candy!" He called back, waiting for the nokk to join him. His gaze fixed on the third house on his side of the street. Raine and his friend were headed for the second one, and he skirted the pair. It was with a stalking gait that he made his way towards his target house, eyeing the decorations and looking carefully for any more traps or hatches, wanting to avoid anymore surprises.
|
|