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Post by Pearl Dragon on Oct 25, 2018 21:16:54 GMT -6
[Stenson follows the group to the cartoony house. If they make it to the door unscathed, he will stand beside Cassius and investigate one of the candies. He unwraps it, smells it, and then gives it a tiny taste by the tip of his tongue.]
As the door to the cat house opened, Stenson was surprised to see a child's-height cat standing, peering at them through slitted green eyes. For a brief moment, he was almost fooled into thinking the cat was some kind of creature, but soon he realized it was another costume. A sudden urge to grab the child and pull him out, perhaps ask him what this was and where they were, but before he could act on it the child called for its mom and ran off. The woman who approached instead was about as "motherly" as they get. Covered in flour and perhaps just finishing baking, the woman cooed and offered them candy, just like the first. Stenson accepted his after the usual "trick or treat" statement and then backed up a few paces as a grey cat suddenly knocked a handful of candy to the ground at their feet, all of which had also been pulled from a pocket....
Dust, whom Stenson had forgotten for the moment was with them, bent quickly to retrieve the candies, distributing them evenly to all but himself and Stenson. The officer didn't mind in the least, and in fact was glad to see that the others now had candy of their own. They still didn't know if they would need the candy later, or how soon, so it was safe to be sure everyone had a good amount. He only hoped that the pocket candy wasn't somehow dangerously different from the rest.
In no time, they were once again headed back, the memory of the lady or her child quickly fading with frustrating speed, and soon Stenson had given up the effort of trying to remember details of their identies. As they walked, more intricately decorated houses came into view, each more different from the rest. Stenson pulled his hat forward and pushed his glasses back against the bridge of his nose again. The children that crowded all around and ahead were becoming more numerous and soon it could become difficult to keep track of who was who. "Be careful everyone, don't get lost in the crowd..." He called to the others, but his voice was nearly lost among the rising laughter and chatter of the other children. Cassius, who had taken the lead, was headed for a cartoonish looking house, and Stenson hurried to join his side. He looked down and all around at the decor, watching and waiting for signs of danger, but so far it was maddeningly uneventful. His guard would lower eventually, the group's guard already seemed to diminish, and he wondered if this was part of the danger. He tried to keep on his toes, but the idea that all of this was just lighthearted fun got stronger and stronger with each house they visited.
If they made it safely to the door, Stenson would keep pace, standing beside Cassius as the gold badge knocked on the next door. While he waited, he pulled one of the candies from his bucket and began to discreetly unwrap it. The curiosity and need for answers was also beginning to grow inside of him, and he wanted to see just what kind of candy this was. If it seemed safe, he would bring it to his nose to see if it had any kind of chemical smell, and if not, would risk the smallest of licks, barely enough to get any flavor but little enough that if it were poisoned it would hopefully not be enough to kill him...If they were going to need these candies later, now was probably a better time than any to check the safety of these possible life-lines.
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Post by MP on Oct 25, 2018 21:49:37 GMT -6
[OOC: Aaron checks that no one is tailing the group and follows Cassius' lead to the next house. He suggests having Sara or the puppy smell test before anyone tastes the candy. Then he notices Sten already has.]
Aaron went to scoop up the candy at Sara's request, but Dust caught them first. The agent nodded his thanks as they were distributed. Still, his eyes were troubled. He looked down at his bucket, down at the two multicolored wrappers at the bottom, and thought about the note.
If certain candies could send them home, it stood to reason that other candies might do something else. The note had even encouraged eating them. Aaron wasn't sure he trusted advice from this place - however friendly it pretended to be. But there had been weapons in the maze. Tools to help them out. If there was an equivalent of that here, he didn't want to miss it out of paranoia or fear. But how to be sure? It could just as easily be another trap. All it would take was a single poisoned candy hidden among otherwise innocent treats. Poison, or who knew what else?
Back and forth he went, undecided, and all the more suspicious for the so-far harmless night. With a final glance to check that no one was tailing them, Aaron pulled briefly ahead to speak to the two leading agents.
"The candy might do something useful," he said, coming level with them. "But I don't know. Maybe we should..."
He trailed off. Stenson was already licking an unwrapped candy. Aaron repressed the urge to massage his temples.
"Maybe we should have the dog smell it first." He finished anyway. "Or Sara."
Their animal noses would have a better chance of detecting anything dangerous in the candy. Next time. But it was a little too late now.
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Post by Salandis on Oct 26, 2018 3:27:28 GMT -6
OOC [Raine agrees to join Disney and ShipIt for Disney Ships (oh baby?), and immediately drags Ari (With the rest, presumably) to the Castle house for more candy.]
Raine did flinch back at the strangely masked creature that appeared in the doorway, managing to not squeak. He held his bucket up expectantly, and watched greedily as he got four whole candies. The howl when the door closed did send a shiver down his spine, though, awakening old fire-lit stories of the Hound of Ulster. He stopped to help Ari to his feet before, cautiously leading him out of the front yard. He needed no urging to leave, and even less to avoid the creepy black slime covering the trees. He didn’t know, but his own mind had gone to the same memory as Ari’s, of the horrifying tendrils that had leapt from the water. It isn’t worth finding out what that stuff is any way, he told himself. There was more candy to get!
He was surprised to see Kail and Abby waiting when they got clear of the house, more so at the suggestion… And unpleasantly surprised at the strange crowd that had formed. Still... “Aye, ah agree,” he said. It would be nice to be on the same side as the Wendigo for a change, and maybe he could be reminded about that prior invitation to the manor. “Ah dinnae know if more will help – the last one of these included a creature that could’nae die, even with a pipe in its head. But if there’s more of us, we might confuse it some, yeh ken. And we best hurry – who knows what might happen if they run out of candy?”
Keeping hold of Ari, he led the group directly to the castle like house immediately next to them. Approaching the keep door, he rapped on it loudly. “Hullo the keep!” he called up. “We’re here fer tribute!”
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Post by tsukikoko on Oct 26, 2018 13:55:49 GMT -6
Dust increases the candy count for Sara, Aaron, Hahn, Cassius and Zavi by 1.
Hahn examines the candy. With his eye's special abilities, the young doctor can see that the candy glows with a bright, magical light, far more so than the surroundings he is in - which all pulse with a similar intensity of magic. The candy itself has no discerning features or markings on the wrapper, but as he turns it, Hahn would see that the foil shimmers between three colours; red, blue and gold. In fact, even when he holds the sweet treat still, those three colours swirl and shift between one another.
Stenson licks a piece of candy. As he unwraps the multicoloured, shimmering foil, the young gargoyle would find a smooth, round piece of chocolate beneath. Unremarkable at first glance, with no discerning markings and only the sweet smell of chocolate to meet his nose when he sniffs it. However, as soon as it touches his tongue, flavour explodes in his mouth and fires vibrant electricity along his nerves into the base of his skull. The most intense, incredible tastes are packed into that half second lick, somehow encapsulating his favourite sweet flavours, blended together with the smooth richness of the chocolate. Other than the swell of his pupils from the sugary delight, nothing happens to him. But he is left wanting to eat the whole thing...
Team Hodgepodge go to their side’s cartoonish-horror house. As they ascend the path, similarly to what Kail and Aberdeen experienced at the house opposite, various cartoon creatures such as ghosts, tentacled blobs, pumpkins, an ice cream(?), werewolves and vampires ping out at the children. Each one made of cardboard, loaded on a spring system and accompanied by a creaking sound, or the bing of a retro game system. Not only that, differently from the house across the road, there are puddles of what appear to be a dark green goo along the path and to the sides of it. Sometimes they appear as if from nowhere, rising up out of the ground. Cassius, at the head of the pack, is most at risk, but with a deftness befitting an acrobat he avoids each one as it comes and stops anyone else from stepping in it. The group reach the front door without dirtying any of their costumes. However, as they knock on the door, it does not open, but instead falls forward. Fake. Another section of the porch extends beyond. The size and dimensions of the space seem… too large to fit, given where the building is supposed to start. A trick of perspective? Not a second later, a candle lights up inside atop a single table, revealing a ‘Hang in there!’ poster with a kitten clinging to a branch. As the children stand in the doorway, the candle glows brighter, brighter, until eventually it burns an intense blue. Four pieces of candy abruptly appear in each child’s pail, signalled by a puff of blue flame. Just afterwards a window above opens and a girl dressed in a blue and white outfit that makes her look somehow translucent pokes her head out. She waves at the group of children. “Awesome! It worked! Though I think the amounts need a little recalibration… Well anyway, have fun kids, enjoy the candy!” The girl retreats back inside the house and on closer inspection the 'flame' turns out to be a piece of paper, made to look larger with air blown from beneath; where the light in their pails had come from was anyone's guess. The false door flips back up into position, leaving Team Hodgepodge to continue on their way.
Team Disney and Team ShipIt combine! Behold Team DisneyShips! They go to the castle. After having a brief talk amongst themselves and being led by one of their party to the house decorated as a giant castle, Team DisneyShips find themselves ascending a set of stone steps that seem far, far larger than they looked from the road or the house next door. But maybe it was just being children that changed their perspective? The closer they get, the louder a particular sound becomes; rhythmic, comprised of a number of different noises and, undeniably, music. The lyrics are muffled, indistinct, but the words that filter through seem to talk about a trapdoor and not opening it, staying away from it, being a fool if you dare. That kind of thing. One of the stones, just before the door, is a little cracked, possibly a trip hazard. Luckily, however, the young Raine’s foot just about skims over the obstacle, rather than stepping on it. Team DisneyShips successfully reach an enormous wooden door and the young Irishman knocks upon it. His knock is promptly drowned out, however, as a loud, booming voice sounds from within the property. “BERRRK!” Whoever the owner of the voice is, they sound monstrous, seeming to shake the very foundations of the castle. An elongated skull, perched in a recess beside the door, which at first glance appeared to be just another decoration, suddenly turns towards the gathered group. “Oh well now you’ve done it.” Sarcasm drips from the skull’s voice, punctuated by clacks as it’s lower jaw meets upper. The door opens and a large, blue blob of a creature with oversized hands and a set of white eyes with small black pupils perched atop it’s head. Both eyes blink down at the children before it, before it wrings its massive hands in distress. “Ohhhh globbits! I ‘aven’t time fer visitors!” It exclaims, before the skull says drily, “I do believe they’re children Berk. You best give them some candy so they’ll leave, before Him Upstairs gets upset.” “Children?! Boni it can’t be, well I never! Ohhh piffle, ah, ‘ere, ‘ere, take these and scoot.” The large blob of a creature all but throws three pieces of candy into each bucket, before making a shooing motion with its hands. “Now be off with ya before-” “BERRRRRK!!!” Again the booming voice, making the blue creature jump, the eyes and hands popping wide in a rather outlandish fashion. It begins to flounder and mutter various words that might have been gentle curses, before turning and waddling back inside the castle.
As they leave each of their respective houses, each group will find the crowd a little harder to avoid and navigate. Especially Team DisneyShips, who are further down the road at this point...
Cassius now has 8 pieces of candy. Stenson now has 7 pieces of candy. (one licked) Kail now has 7 pieces of candy. Aberdeen now has 7 pieces of candy. Aaron now has 6 pieces of candy. Sara now has 6 pieces of candy. Hahn now has 6 pieces of candy. Dust now has 5 piece of candy. Zavijah now has 6 pieces of candy. Simon now has 5 piece of candy. Raine now has 7 pieces of candy. Ari now has 7 pieces of candy.
Quick house summary On Kail’s side; Ghostbusters bubbles and tall trees cartoon-y, castle shrine and lanterns house.
On Cassius’ side; Necromancer cats cartoon-y overgrown with plants and fungi homely and softly lit house.
~~~~~
[OOC: Sara thanks Dust for the extra sweet, follows the group round to the cartoonish horror house and is very jumpy around the pop-outs that keep showing up in her peripherals. At the door she frets over Stenson as he licks the candy, but relaxes a little when he doesn’t start frothing. When the door falls and the candle starts glowing brighter the shifter is taking a step or two back, worried. She nearly shouts out a warning, but then is rather visibly surprised by the candy that shows up in her pail. With no sign of actual danger, the shifter is keen to go to the next house and carry on before this place changes its mind about being nice - there is a slight air of youthful excitement about her as she leads the way for the group to the overgrown house.]
As an extra sweet was placed in her pail, Sara blinked and made a small ‘oh!’ sound of surprise. She looked up and smiled at the boy who’d given her it, responding with words of thanks. “Ta very much luv!” Was this the person Aaron had spoken about, the man who needed rehabilitation? - it would explain why she still didn’t recognise him. Even though they were all younger, she couldn’t place any familiar features. Not that she had too much time to dwell, because the group were on the move again.
The shifter didn’t fare so well at this next house. Even though the scares were literally made of cardboard and had cute creatures with sweet faces on them, any movement in her peripheral vision made Sara squeak and shy away, her body and mind always anticipating razor claws and grinning fangs to be next to her. That wasn’t the case, but she was still more nervous than she had already been by the time the group reached the door. Her own costume claws did nothing to make her feel any safer. Luckily for the shifter, she didn’t land straight in any of those sticky, tar like puddles that seemed to be all over this garden.
At the door, she heard Aaron say something and turned just in time to see Stenson licking a piece of the candy. Her breath inhaled sharply, she reached out as though somehow that might stop him or take back what the gargoyle had done. Yet… he seemed fine. No sign of coughing, or spluttering, no horrific mutations. In fact, if the swell of his pupils were anything to go by, whatever it was tasted really good. Sara’s hand dropped again. Puzzlement flickered on her face and her mouth half-opened to suggest that yes, she could sniff it for next time, when the front door fell forward to reveal the space behind. Sara took a step back, worried about what might lie within. She kept expecting this place to turn, show its true colours, but it hadn’t yet and apparently had no immediate interest in doing so. Because inside was nothing but a table, candle and a poster. Did they… need to go in-
The candle was getting brighter.
Why was the candle getting brighter?
Another step back, a forming shout at the others to get back that died in her throat as light instead flashed right in front of her. She startled back even further, looked down in her pail and saw even more candy! How-?
A woman’s voice above, a window closed, the door flipped up again and… and… that was it. That was it. God it hadn't even been real fire. Aaron was okay, they were all okay. The shifter felt giddy, a little dizzy. She’d be teetering on an edge, expecting horrific things just like last time. When nothing emerged for her adrenaline to deal with, she found the jittery feelings had nowhere to go. Nowhere but out of her in a laugh. Slightly hysterical, yes, but a laugh all the same. But there was still so much nervous energy. Too much. Which led the shifter to bounce in place, then take a few steps back down towards the road in a strange half-run, half-jump. She called back to the others, looking over her shoulder to be sure they were coming. “Why aye man, next ‘ouse then? Come on, them lot across the way are gettin’ a’ead of us like!” She gestured towards where Team DisneyShips were. She wasn’t sure if it was hysteria or not, but she was actually starting to feel a little excited about getting more treats.
The crowd was just starting to get thick here, but Sara kept herself close to the house fences and within the eyeline of her companions, her xenomorph tail stuck up in the air like some kind of impromptu flag to make herself easier to keep track of as she moved next door. There were so many plants here, even the air felt humid and smelled damp!
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Post by MP on Oct 26, 2018 15:04:39 GMT -6
[OOC: Aaron discretely comforts Sara, is unnerved by the fake candle, and continues to follow Cassius’ lead. The wolf has seniority and has been a good leader so far.]
Aaron’s gaze was restless as they filed toward the house, flitting from the doorway to the props to every contour of the path in sweeping scan patterns. He stayed close by Sara’s side as they walked - close enough to feel her minute jumps and flinches every time one of the decorations popped out at them. When she shied into him ducking a grinning pumpkin, his hand closed over hers in a brief squeeze of reassurance. A false calm. The agent was just as nervous.
As they neared the porch, Aaron’s steps slowed, his shoulders stiffening as if he’d sighted a venomous snake. The sight of the candle sent icy bands around his chest. He couldn’t look away.
Paper - just paper, he decided with a suppressed shiver. His feet stuttered back into motion. But he still didn’t like to look. He kept his eyes half averted, standing as far from the fake flame as he could. When its light suddenly flared, his fear spiked with it, sharp and irrational.
Candy dropped into harmlessly their buckets. The candlelight faded, and there was no fire. There wasn’t. Aaron let out his breath, hardly aware he’d been holding it. He let go of Sara’s sleeve, realizing with a pang of shame that he’d seized it in a death grip, half shielding, half clinging when the candle flared.
Get a hold of yourself, he growled mentally. But the thought didn’t help. He felt small and ashamed, no matter how he tried to psych himself up.
Aaron’s expression flattened into one of stony watchfulness as they continued. He did his best to bury the emotions, watching the crowds with greater alertness to make up for his lapse. Watch the crowd flow, their expressions; make sure that no one strayed too far from the group. He was calm now, in control. But through his false professionalism, he was just glad that Cassius was there to lead them.
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Post by NightshadeVII on Oct 26, 2018 15:45:19 GMT -6
[OOC: Still not quite ready to approach the crowd ahead, Aberdeen suggest to the rest of team DisneyShips that they go to the Shrine and Lantern house, to check it out.]
Aberdeen watched the absurd scene unfold in front of him with a casual, if not slightly puzzled indifference that he didn’t allow to show. This place got weirder and weirder, to the point where it was almost a ridiculous parody if anything. But how was this so different from everyday life? Everyone wore masks at some point in their life, pretending to be someone or something that they were not, all in an attempt to please others or stay alive. The difference here was that the masks were physical, tangible things. In a way, he considered his outfit ironic, despite not knowing what he was even meant to be dressed as. The costume was a pretty thing, well-kept, with nothing about it that seemed off. Just like how the light could dance across the surface of the lake and mask the dark, muddy waters beneath. This costume of his was, almost metaphorically, an exaggeration of what he pretended to be. Something pretty and well-kept, something normal, with personality and emotions. It looked good on the surface, as long as you didn’t go further into it. But right now, this costume just seemed to gloss over the facts of his nature. But he didn’t care about these costumes or the decorations, didn’t care about the exaggerated nonsense. All of his reactions to it were forced out, faked and tailored to suit the situation. So while the creatures in the house talked, Aberdeen looked at them with wide eyes, mouth slightly agape, as if he was surprised. More candy was earned, as was the point of it all, and the door closed.
“That was... something...” Aberdeen said, while they moved away from the house, hoping that none of the other houses would be so ridiculous. He’d be able to pull of a reaction just fine, he knew that, but he just didn’t want to have to face something that exaggerated again. Then Aberdeen noticed the crowd again, closer and harder to avoid. Strange, but then again, he didn’t know the rules of this place. As it seemed to have been created to toy with those unlucky enough to get caught in here, it wouldn’t be a surprise that the laws could be changed to suit a purpose with ease. Either way, Aberdeen drew closer to Kail, not wanting to loose sight of him, Raine or Ari or get lost himself in turn, knowing that his chances of survival would diminish. He wasn’t ready for another death. Least of all here. At least in the real world, away from here, he had the scars to remember his last death, but everything that happened in here never affected the world he would wake up to. Every death here was redundant. It happened simply because it could happen.
“Let’s check out the last house.” Aberdeen suggested to the rest of the group as he looked at them and nodded towards the weirdly tranquil house they hadn’t been to yet. With all the lanterns and shrines, it looked so different from the rest. He figured that Kail might appreciate that as well, considering how he had reacted to seeing the crowd for the first time a little while ago. No need to unsettle him further. For now, it seemed like confrontation wasn’t necessary and Aberdeen hoped it would stay that way at least a little longer.
“Seems like there isn’t much else to do?” He looked around the small group, wanting to see if anyone had remarks or ideas. Otherwise, when and if everyone else seemed ready, the nøkk would begin to walk with them towards the last house, not expecting anything, but still wanting it to be as uneventful as all the others had been so far. Aside from the slime and the mangled violins.
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Post by beastly on Oct 26, 2018 20:43:16 GMT -6
{OOC: He gets his face gets stuck in his bucket, and tries to comfort his spooked friends.}
Simon gets very excited when more candy is put in his bucket. He wags his tail, and tries to reach it. his face doesn't quite fit, and his muzzle becomes stuck. He fights with it for a second, but gets distracted by his friend's distress. Being unable to lick them properly, he'll gently headbutt them. It's okay friends, it's fine!
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Post by okami1reeka333 on Oct 26, 2018 22:19:01 GMT -6
[OOC: she pets puppy who is sniffing her. When the false door was revealed, migit prepares for what she thought might of been an ambush before being out right confused by the sudden candies appearing in her bucket as well as the others. . . she tries to help Simon by freeing his head from his bucket. . . .Seeing that the crowds were pretty much ontop of them, she opts to just pick the puppy up and just about hide behind Sara. before setting puppy down at the porch of the home of overgrown greenery ]
zavijah:
to the nose of the curious Simon, she would smell faintly like the soot from a volcano. along with the candy in her bucket at the moment.
her ear twitched at the small huffs of air briskly brushing into her fingers before she glanced down. . . she slightly crouched down abit to scratch behind his ear as she walked, before before straitening herself up and following Officer Lucidus's lead. she was rather uncertain apon the soulless things suddenly lunging up and towards them, although luckily, the one who leads was more agile then the soulless things. when she glanced over to Stenson to see he was licking one of the candies he was gifted, she was concerned what they did, seeing the others suspect ill tidings with them. ". . . . hao was the candy? . . " she carefully asked. do you feel any different then prior? was it good?; the overlooming questions seemed to linger towards.
Apon the knock of the door, her guard rose at the fall of the false door, and the ignition of a strange candle. . .her gaze narrowed before her bucket began to rise abit in a defensive manner. she prepared to charge and attack to hopefully block or perry what was to come. protect the others if she could. and as tense as Sara's husband seemed. . . perhaps there was something to be fea-
four thuds echoed in each of their buckets. . . she blinked before looking at her bucket to see the candies, lowering the bucket and looking around to see who gifted them these candies, before glancing at the woman who popped in through a door and waved at them happily. " hwæt drýcræft sy þéos?. . . .(what sorcery is this?. . . .)" she uttered softly. she then follows the group before seeing the puppy seem to try and do something? apon a closer look, his head was stuck. . . .when he started to headbutt some of the others. . .perhaps he was distressed? not many creatures, dogs especially appreciate something over their face. . . .she carefully reached over to try and pull his head out of the basin of the bucket, while walking along with the group before gently letting go. . . .perhaps they will fair better at freeing him when they have stopped if she was unsuccessful. . . .
though with the approaching crowds. . .she was uncertain. . . so she opted to pick the puppy up and just about hide behind the ones she knows. huddling close behind Sara as to not become segregated from the group as she follows them towards the home with lush and overgrown greenery. . . .she was holding her tail up similar to a flag of sorts. . .and was generally in the middle of the grouping they were in. . . "apologies, little one, i will set you down when we have reached the next home. " she quietly stated.
whenever they do reach the next porch, she then sets the puppy down on the ground next to her.
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Post by jarahamee on Oct 27, 2018 1:18:24 GMT -6
[Cassius takes pride in the fact everyone has been kept safe by his efforts, and would set to lead them back, and on towards the house with Overgrown Shrubs]
Cassius put his athletic (very scaled down) finesse to the test while he avoided every trap before him! But it was not just he who was on the line; others were more important, and their safety was paramount to him. What he could avoid triggering he would, but that which he could not avoid, he carefully redirected the others. So far nothing had been actually harmful but they never knew. Maybe it was a false sense of security that was created this All Hallows Eve.
So many tricks and then, at last they were safe and sound and... actual magic was performed. Cassius was not sure what to expect but he was surprised none the less to see candy appear with paper flame inside of his container, but that is alright. Everyone was safe. He gave Stenson and Aaron reassuring shoulder-pats with his signature (far less disturbing) lupine grin before leading the group along the safest path back to the street with his new candies in tow.
The senior officer wondered, vaguely, why he could not remember anyone he had spoken to that night, but reminded himself there was no logic to the events of that evening. He then lead Group Hodgepodge down the sidewalk and onward into the yard with the overgrown plants and shrubs, and makes an effort to knock on this door as well. He would do his best to ensure everyone who follows is safe from any traps or tricks along the way.
He sniffed and continued with his signature caution, but did not hesitate too much. It was strange to live without the powerful omnipresence of the Beast but he also rather liked the clarity. This seemed to be a game in which they aimed to collect the most candies. At least that was his understanding. This was certainly a very... hedge-maze-looking house, and it seemed almost like an overgrown English garden by the look of it.
"Trick or Treat?"
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Post by kilnarak on Oct 27, 2018 1:20:12 GMT -6
[ OOC: Ari is glad to leave the Berk house. He also suggests, after the Shrine and Lantern House, that they cross the street and do that side rather than try to push through the crowd. ]
Ari followed Raine to the castle-house. It was clearly meant to be a spooky castle, it was almost cartoonishly so - how they'd portray a spooky castle on Scooby-Doo, pointy jagged spires and all. It almost felt safe compared to the last house, although as they approached it, the scale of the steps made it feel as if it were made for a giant and that was a little disconcerting.
"Oh. Thanks," Ari mumbled as Raine lead him around a cracked section of step that likely would have tripped him. He kept close to Raine as they approached the door, letting the red-head give voice to their demands.
When their knock was answered by a monstrous, booming voice, Ari near jumped out of his skin. His arms wrapped tight around Raine's arm, hugging it to his very padded pecs. The movement of the skull nearby only made him cling tighter - but the thing almost seemed friendly in comparison to that earlier voice. The blue thing that answered the door after a moment was perplexing - more 'Cookie Monster' than what the voice had sounded like, and when it spoke it certainly sounded less threatening. Before he could even begin to make sense of it, the blue-thing threw candy into their pails and that booming voice sounded again. Ari flinched and tugged a little on Raine's arm, more than willing to 'scoot and be off' as the blue-thing had suggested.
When they were back on the sidewalk, he finally gave voice to his thoughts: "What... What was that?" He kept his tight grip on Raine's arm, glancing from the red-head to the deer-boy and the snow-princess-boy. After a moment he glanced toward the crowds ahead uncertainly - not liking the looks of that chaos any more than Kail did. The last house before that was the house that looked like some sort of shrine, and he fidgeted uncertainly. "We um. We could always... back-track? And... you know, cross the street to hit that side, before we go up into that?" He gestured with a plastic-clawed hand, trying to indicate the crowd, then he resumed clinging to Raine's arm. "We... We probably need to get it all anyway, right? And... we missed a couple on this side too..."
He wondered what the catch would be, with the shrine-house. It looked tranquil from here but... Well it looked very Japanese-themed, with the lanterns and all. Maybe there would be a creepy well, and some broken girl with long dark-hair hanging in her face would climb out of it? Or maybe there would be mirrors and cameras involved? Under his mask, he chewed on his lower lip, then sighed. "Um. But... yeah. We should... do that one first and... and then... maybe cross the street?"
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Post by qhostqrowls on Oct 27, 2018 2:18:40 GMT -6
[Kail is confused and sulky about the apparent harmlessness of the situation, but agrees with Ari and Abby about going to the shrine house before backtracking to avoid the crowd]
Kail frowned through the entirety of the walk up to the castle. The expression only deepened at the skull, at the anxious blue blob, whatever it was. His ears were flat, both to block out that booming voice, and in clear irritation. The only upside was that the blob gave a generous amount of candy to them each. Still, Kail stomped down the stairs and back up the path, glowering as the group came to a halt.
The boy in the cat suit spoke up and Kail nodded, agreeing.
“Yeah, what the hell was that? Ain't this supposed to be a death trap?” he gestured back towards the house with its cartoonishly exaggerated features. “There ain't nothing deadly about any of this! Is this some kind of joke?”
He fell into a foul silence. Both cat-boy and Abby suggested going to the shrine house, which was a good idea.
“Yeah, let's do that lantern one, then go back. I ain't fighting my way through that.” he jerked his chin in the direction of the crowd, which they were almost a part of at this point. He followed after Abby when the group once again mobilized, slinking along the fence in order to avoid the milling trick-or-treaters. Once they arrived at the shrine house, he continued on with caution. Nothing had been deadly at all so far, but he wasn't about to be lulled into a false sense of security, and watched where his hooves landed, placing them with care.
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Post by Salandis on Oct 27, 2018 3:34:49 GMT -6
Raine was a little startled at the noise, but this was an otherwise harmless experience. And such a good amount of candy! Even Ari seemed a little more relaxed. Well, not really. He walked with the group out of the castle grounds, Ari still clinging to him tightly while Kail actually annoyed at the, well, childishness of it all. “What – what was that?” Ari asked, before suggesting they back-track to the houses that the agents had already knocked at. Abby In turn suggested going to the oriental-style house next door, walking in that direction.
“Ah dinnae thing we should backtrack, if we can help it.” Raine struggled to articulate why he thought it was a bad idea but gave up and answered the first question instead, raising his voice enough so he was addressing Kail as well. “Ah think that was… weel, it reminds me of a kids show, yeh ken. Ah think this place has themes from everythin' ‘spooky’ fer the season. But it’s as if the host is nae sure what’s spooky fer October, and what’s childish. Ah think that means we’re in fer a bit of a pot-luck, like, as to how scary any house is.” He thought for a moment, following Abby as he walked into the grounds of the oriental house. “That also means that the later it gets here, the more ‘adult’ the scares will get, just like on cable TV.” He looked at Kail as they picked their way carefully through the lanterns. “If yeh stick around a bit longer, Ah cannae see this stayin’ so… kiddy. It's nae immediately murderin' us, but the beings in charge of this place are nasty tricksters. Somethin' will go nasty by the end, ah can promise." Raine looked back at the gate, now hidden behind crowds of oddly unmemorable adults and children. "Leavin’ through the forest will get yeh sent home right quick, though, if a bit unpleasant like.” Raine shrugged, the sequins of his blue coat glittering. “Up tae you, but ah’m curious tah see just where the worm is tah this place. And beating some agents in a candy competition is also just nice and petty fer me.”
He almost walked into Elsa at the doorstep of the shrine. Reaching around him, he knocked hard on the wooden doorpost. “Trick or treat!” He sang out.
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Post by Marshmallow on Oct 27, 2018 4:21:52 GMT -6
[OOC: Walter does not appreciate the jump-scare cutouts and moves into a position that places Dust between him and the pop-up decorations. He is briefly intrigued by the 'magic trick' of mysteriously appearing candy, but is more interested in the mechanics by which they are deposited in the pail than the number of candies. He is tempted to test one, since the Cowboy seemed unharmed, but remains dubious. The constantly moving colors on the wrapping, and the way the candy seems to glow in his altered sight, much brighter than their surroundings, puts him off actually trying one... on himself, at any rate. He comments on the color shifts and aura to Dust speculatively, then follows with the rest of the group to the Overgrown House, making sure to keep Dust in his peripherals. His spectral eye flickers behind the mask. It is picking up so much magic, he actually starts rubbing the left side of his head to soothe what he knows will be a killer headache in the future.]
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Post by Pearl Dragon on Oct 27, 2018 11:39:24 GMT -6
[Stenson still follows the group to the garden house, but is distracted. After feeling torn, he is unable to completely resist the temptation of the candy and takes one for the team in the form of a small bite, he needs to know if it is completely safe. The bite is truly small, perhaps just a nibble, but enough to where he could get any possible center filling. Dr. Hahn, grab you're notepad!]
The moment the surface of the chocolate touched the tip of the gargoyle's tongue, it sent an unexpected explosion of flavor racing through his senses. The feeling was not unlike an electric shock, washing through his nerves with a jolt, especially across his tongue. The flavor was sweet with just a pinch of an addictively salty undertone to latch on and complement the chocolatey sweetness. There was a tartness too, like the kind you get from cheesecake, which only intensified the addictive qualities. Stenson pulled the candy from his mouth, the old grumbling that had been abandoned back at his home now rushing through his stomach with renewed force. He'd been peckish then, but now with that heavenly flavor lingering on the tip of his tongue, he felt he could eat a hundred of these chocolates. And that was only a small taste! He could only imagine what eating the whole thing would be like...
The best part was, even though it had been so strong and sudden from that little bit, there was no poisoned sickness that followed. Now pain or mutation, no immediate illness or threat of death. The chocolate was not only safe, from what he could tell, but it was incredible! He was instantly reminded of the note that he'd found, how it mentioned the deliciousness of the candies, and did not seem to warn against eating them. Perhaps, like the rest of this odd world, they were just deceptively safe? Meant to scare, but not to kill? There was no real way to know, of course, and now that he'd taken a taste, he couldn't stop thinking about it. He could feel the others watching him, and had barely noticed the cardboard jump scares or even the oddly bright candle that dropped even more of the delectable morsels into his bucket. He barely even noticed as they left and began to head to the next house. Cassius, thankfully, had helped lead the group around strange black puddles, which Stenson stepped carefully over and around to follow along. The crowd of kids became thicker around them, and now they were headed through the yard of some great garden.
While they walked, he approached Aaron, Sara and Cassius, holding out the candy. "This is incredible!" He hissed, a child-like smile spreading. "I'm-...I'm not sure how I can describe it, but it's amazing! And I feel fine, I-..I think they're safe." He looked back down at the candy in his hand, looking harmless and all the more tempting. After giving his report to the others, he fell back a few steps absently, allowing Cassius and the other agents to take the lead and continued to examine the candy. He gave it one or two more sniffs, taking in the chocolatey aroma. There was a torn argument in his mind, and eventually as the chocolate scent wafted through his senses, his grumbling stomach won out. He knew this was probably a bad idea, and most definitely stupid. He could already hear his supervisor chewing him out back at HQ, but he needed to know for the sake of the others if it was safe or not. If anyone were to eat these things without knowing for sure, he'd rather it be him than any of the others. Even the dog. And, why not now while things were "safe"?
Holding the chocolate to his mouth once more, he places his lips to it as if to give it a modest kiss, and then bit. The bite was small, maybe only a third of the round candy, but enough to get a taste of any possible center filling. The others approached the door, and knocked, stating their usual "trick or treats". Stenson heart, meanwhile, was pounding against his rib cage as he braced himself for whatever the candy had in store for him...
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Post by Sharei on Oct 27, 2018 12:08:42 GMT -6
OOC: Dust speculates with Hahn about the candy being magical, is unimpressed by the pop-out figures due to having a high startle point, and collects his candy. Then he proceeds to follow Aaron to the next house, noting the agent's distress, and puts himself in a defensive position ahead of them. He keeps Hahn in his peripheral, and scans for threats as they approach.
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