Spooktober Spooktacular MMXIX

[Arkhosia]

Coquus Fi?

Still somewhat skeptical of the combination, Fidelia takes a cautious bite before concluding Jenette's correctness and finishing it off. "...huh, I didn't anyone had even tried cooking stuff with blood before. It's, er, not something I know very much about, admittedly. Cooking, I mean." In retrospect, she probably shouldn't have found it so surprising; hunger was an excellent motivator for concocting ways to eke out as much food and nourishment as possible out of every possible source of food you have. Not that an urban setting gave Fidelia much insight on food you actually had to catch and hunt.

[5a Violista]

[Well-provisioned food table]

"Yeah...it happens." Holly takes a drink from her own virgin beverage.

"If I ever get time off-" she's self-employed "-I might just fix it up myself."

And then!
She remembers something.
"Oh! Actually! So there's a huge group of off-clone Magtoks or something like that! Like, one with wings and one that wears orange and one that's a vampire or something. I heard that Eastside had contracted a bunch of them to help rebuild." She looks down at her own purple dress and gets to the important question: "So do you think I could join them? Would they let me?"


[Blood and food]

*waits for Saint Lazarus to post first*

[billtodamax]

Well-provisioned food table

God I would love to see that conversation. Nigel says, meaning it. Hey if you're a private investigator can't you just like... take time off? I mean if you've got pressing clients or something but you could probably squeeze it in right? Nigel asks, curiously. He doesn't know how this PI gig works.

[5a Violista]

[Well-provisioned food table]

Holly wonders of that group would also say an insult or whatever Magtok said over text.
She holds back a laugh. It would be pretty funny to see what they say, she has got to admit. She wants to see that conversation, too.

"Well, it's also a question of money," she says. "Not every job pays consistently and time off means time not working."
It's actually not, though: Not a question of money, I mean. Her other jobs pay well enough but she just does so many of them that there's never any time. Hence, not always getting back home each night. Sometimes she's in Riverside, but sometimes she's over at the ocean or doing things in Inside, and so on. She really needs a break, but if she stops juggling everything then it'll all just fall down.
...
Not that she'd admit that.
Especially not to someone who doesn't know she's a shapeshifter. That'd just give away half her personas for no benefit.

"I mean, sure, I probably could fit some time in but then it's just a question of when the cost is high enough to make it worthwhile, you know?"

[Reinholdt]

[Spooky Children]

Sasha can understand not liking getting locked into places. She doesn't like that either. Or at least, one place in particular. Getting sent to your Room is the worst.

She looks at the cat children joining them, but doesn't say anything. There's no time for introductions after all. And even if there were, she wouldn't know if she should be Kor or Sasha.

[Fifth Floor]

This early web isn't strong enough to bind the glove to the wall. It's definitely one of those that's hard to remove though. The kind of stick where everything you do to get it off sticks it to something else.

Just a little further in is a lot more webbing though. The fog seems to thin a little and it becomes evident that there are a number of cocoons adhering to the walls and ceiling. Cocoons that are decidedly five to eight feet high. Big enough to hold most humanoids. There's even a few that have fallen apart, their victims dangling free. Those bodies are decidedly desiccated. Drained of blood and liquified organs. These are corpses. Very real corpses. They can check to see if they're just props if the duo wants, but will only confirm the authenticity of the bodies if they do. And maybe step in more webs than they'd like.

"You're gonna die, with no one to love you and no one to cry. Alone by yourself on the bed of your death with the stench of regret on your last dying breath."

The voice falls suddenly very silent after that.

[Felandria]

"I've got some." Landon says shaking his bucket. "There's always tons at these parties though."

"He would know. This is his third year coming to these things. My first." Erelae explains. "But I love a good party, and who could pass up a chance to dress up?" She asks with a grin.

Well, if you need any help obtaining more candy, just let me know and we’ll do a Marvel Team-Up.

- - - Updated - - -

Magic_Hat is delight someone is taking an interest in him. "I'm Magic_Hat. No mister, and underscore between 'Magic' and 'Hat'. You don't want to say or write my name without the underscore. A horrible curse might befall you!"

Magic_Hat has enchanted his name so that weaker individual will pass gas upon uttering or writing his name without the underscore.

Magic_Hat is please someone is paying attention to him and his youtube videos. He decides to capitalize on the opportunity and shows the half-dragon "steamed hams."



Magic_Hat spots Felandria. In truth he's impressed with her costume. However he likes intentionally misidentifying others costumes. It's a running gag from Homestar Runner after all.

Magic_Hat says to Felandria "I really like your Michael Jackson from Thriller costume!"

Felandria is genuinely puzzled.

Whozzat?

I’m Scarlet Witch.

[Magic_Hat]

Felandria is genuinely puzzled.

Whozzat?

I’m Scarlet Witch.

Magic_Hat responds "But you're wearing a red Thriller coat!"

[billtodamax]

Well-provisioned food table

Ah hell, sorry. Nigel says, draining his second glass. You forget sometimes. Nigel feels like an *******! Are you happy now Holly? See what your lies have wrought?

Do you know the host? He asks, searching for a change of subject.

Spooky Children

Everyone likes candy. Olon says. Plus we already have some in our baskets so they know we want it. She looks around the group for more suggestions. You're a vampire right? What don't they like? Endok asks the cat-vampire. Olon meanwhile sidles up to Sasha. Could you do any spooky stuff to him? She asks, meaningfully.

Rath walks up to Omiko. Cute kids. She says, taking a drink of the wine.

[Recaiden]

[Spooky Children]

The vampire cat nods enthusiastically. "Vampires hate garlic. And mirrors. Does anyone have something shiny that you can see your reflection in?"
"If they have food here, probably they have garlic." Ventures the mummy.
"Ooh, vampires don't have shadows, so we could, uh..." the Margrave starts, but she clearly didn't think that one through.

Omiko nods to Rath, glancing jealously at the wine.
"They are, aren't they? Yours too." Although Sasha is creepy and making all her sensors complain. But it would be rude to say anything about it.

[Fifth Floor]

"Yeah, cobwebs are a particularly Spooktober kind of thing, and of course a drow will have decorated with the real thing." Nadas explains. Nothing to worry about. Just some more cool atmosphere to the haunted house.

Then they come upon the cocoons, and Nadas tries to get a closer look through the fog, without getting too tangled in the web.
"Are those..." Oh. Yes. Those are definitely real dead bodies.
Perhaps it's just more commitment to the Spooktober theme on the part of their homicidal maniac host, and they're not in any real danger. Perhaps these are just people that Ilpholin was already going to feed to her giant spider(s), and it doesn't mean they're going to die here too. But Nadas is starting to seriously doubt that.

Especially when the voice speaks up again. That was much, much creepier. Like it was toying with them. Like it heard their complaints and isn't just a speaker on a timer.

"Let's go the other way." he suggests, slipping a hand out of its glove and using it to draw his sword. Which starts glowing brightly to warn him that Sekhmet is nearby.

[bc56]

Fifth Floor

"Th-that seems like a good idea," Sekhmet stammers. She backs away from the cocoons slowly. She doesn't want to be eaten by spiders. "But what if it's all like this down here?"

[Deathkeeper]

[Second Floor- Kids]

"Yeah, it's not a requirement or anything," Brinika says reassuringly. "And there is candy here. Everyone can take some."

Second Floor- Kids

"We've not had any candy yet, why don't we all go get some together? Oh! I'm Cheasadh, that's my sister. What's your name?" Cheasadh leaves Brinika to introduce herself, but the two girls don't look very related. Particularly since one is a gnome and the other a goblin.

[Second Floor]

The crocodile looks at them, pondering. "Hrm. Hrm. Mm. Mmm...nope, can't do it, can't be breaking the rules." He presses his staff to his chest and stares down at the floor.
"Totototototototo di-di-di totototodile"
A small surge of water seeps in from the floor, getting nothing wet but forming around the tiny reptile until it hardens into a suit of shiny black armor with a ridiculously large collar. The staff stays though, and as he lowers it, it brushes against the dragon costume again. "Toto-ks, Daddy! Okay, I'm good to go. You can call me Ana...anakle...Nak. Or Riptide 'cuz that's what it means." he says proudly.

[Felandria]

Magic_Hat responds "But you're wearing a red Thriller coat!"

What’s that?

Poor Fel can’t be expected to know everything pop culture.

[Magic_Hat]

What’s that?

Poor Fel can’t be expected to know everything pop culture.

"So the kid is not your son?"

Magic_Hat is intrigued. It seems maybe a lot of the people here don't know about a lot of pop culture things. He has an idea.

"Thriller is a song I wrote. Yep. All me. I wrote it. I also wrote the Star Wars movie. But not the prequels. And the Dark Knight, but not Dark Knight Rises. And Logan and Deadpool. I also created the meme "Bart I don't want to alarm you but..."

This is gonna be a fun night for Magic_Hat.

[Reinholdt]

[Spooky Children]

Sasha thinks for a moment and then nods to Olon. Sophie was pretty rattled when Sasha did the thing she's thinking of to Sophie and that's kind of what spooky is, right? She thinks. The concept itself is hard to grasp.

[Fifth Floor]

When Nadas pulls his sword with a quiet shwing, a line of red appears off to the right. Like an eye opening. And there's another. And another. And another. Soon, eight large eyes of red are wide open and a sinister chittering sound can be heard. A chittering that turns into heavy, mechanical skittering getting way too close way too fast as a giant dire cyber spider starts to bear down on them. And it looks quite hungry past the carapace of metal.

At least nothing's blocking them from running back the way they came. Or further in since the giant dire spider came from the side, but there's a lot of webbing further in that'll slow them down considerably.

[billtodamax]

Spooky Children

Ok but wait until everyone else is ready, ok? Olon says to Sasha, before turning back to the group. Ok, let's get some of the food and uh... maybe one of the spider robots? We can probably polish it up enough. She says confidently, before heading toward the food table. Hey come help get a spiderbot. Endok says to the hedgehog, before trying to find the nearest spiderbot and corral it back toward the doors.

[Felandria]

"So the kid is not your son?"

Magic_Hat is intrigued. It seems maybe a lot of the people here don't know about a lot of pop culture things. He has an idea.

"Thriller is a song I wrote. Yep. All me. I wrote it. I also wrote the Star Wars movie. But not the prequels. And the Dark Knight, but not Dark Knight Rises. And Logan and Deadpool. I also created the meme "Bart I don't want to alarm you but..."

This is gonna be a fun night for Magic_Hat.

......You don’t look like George Lucas.

And George Lucas didn’t write Deadpool.

Felandria doesn’t know all pop culture, but she is rather enchanted by movies.

[Artemis97]

The Skeksis from outside wanders up to the conversation. Beady yellow orbs eye Felandria and Magic_Hat.

"Landon, go find the other children." It hisses out.

"Yes Father." Landon agrees, moving towards the elevator. The Dread Pirate Raril joins him at the elevator, and heads for the fourth floor while the young spiderman heads for the second floor.


[Fourth Floor]

Raril, dressed as a dashing Dread Pirate Roberts, steps out of the elevator and looks around for someone to talk to, and maybe a nice adult beverage.

[Second Floor]

Miles Morales... err... Landon Endrikson Xar'Cha steps out of the elevator with his plastic pumpkin bucket and heads right for the food table. It had been a long walk from the castle he lived in to Ilpholin's place in Riverside, so he was a bit hungry.

[Magic_Hat]

......You don’t look like George Lucas.

And George Lucas didn’t write Deadpool.

Felandria doesn’t know all pop culture, but she is rather enchanted by movies.

"But have you seen this?"

Magic_Hat inquires, pulls out his phone, and shows her this.*

*Warning: once you watch this youtube music video, you can't unwatch it.

[billtodamax]

Pirate Man

Hi, Nigel. Cool outfit. Nigel says, approaching Raril. He holds his hand out for a handshake. Probably this is some time after he was talking to Holly. He's dressed in a sort of half-assed Frankenstein outfit - an old torn band shirt, torn pants, some plastic neckbolts and a fake scar on his face. Do you know the host? I gotta admit I just showed up. Cool house though.

[Recaiden]

[Spooky Children]

The vampire joins the quest over to the food able to find some garlic.

The Margrave follows along as requested.
"There's one!" "Here, go around behind it and I'll chase it towards you." Then Endok can catch the spiderbot up and they'll get it nice and shiny.

[Fifth Floor]

Nadas turns to look at the light when the first eye appears.
But then it becomes all too clear what it is he's seeing.
"Aaah!"
And a moment later he's running back the way they came.

[bc56]

Fifth Floor

"Aieeeeeeeeee!" Sekhmet shrieks, turning tail and running without any real heed for where she's going. She doesn't want to be eaten by a weird part metal spider. She wishes she had never come to this stars-forsaken party.

[Fendrick]

Pirate Man

Hi, Nigel. Cool outfit. Nigel says, approaching Raril. He holds his hand out for a handshake. Probably this is some time after he was talking to Holly. He's dressed in a sort of half-assed Frankenstein outfit - an old torn band shirt, torn pants, some plastic neckbolts and a fake scar on his face. Do you know the host? I gotta admit I just showed up. Cool house though.

[Fourth Floor]

Raril, dressed as a dashing Dread Pirate Roberts, steps out of the elevator and looks around for someone to talk to, and maybe a nice adult beverage.

Lateef, the mummy who has possibly been stood in the corner for a little while, nervously shuffles over to where Raril and Nigel are stood.

Lateef is wrapped from head to toe in faded beige bandages. He has a foot of spare bandage hanging from each bandaged hand, and each foot. On top of the bandages, it is apparent that his low-effort costume is simply a black onesie with skeleton bones printed on it.

'H-hi. I'm Lateef. Cool party, huh?'

Lateef extends a bandaged hand to greet the two strangers.

He smells..... old. And his lips and eyes are a discoloured beige kinda colour.

[Earl of Purple]

Second Floor

"Nak? That's quite a cute name. Ooh, that's an awesome costume. How'd you do that?" It was really cool, too.

[Reinholdt]

[Spooky Children]

Sasha nods again. So compliant!

The spiderbot fusses a bit though. It doesn't like being cornered, captured, or polished. But since it has to be gentle with its attackers, it can't really stop them either.

[Kid's Food Table]

There's not much here in the form of garlic. Not exactly a common snack for children. They manage to find some garlic bread hidden away though.

What is here is Atropos Ivy Terenti Solomon the Third. The red hair, blue eyed six year old is quietly chewing on a cracker. She had candy earlier, but gave it away to someone else. She is currently dressed like an bunny more appropriate for giving out eggs and chocolate than Spooktober. She waves to Landon who may recognize her as the overdressed child from last Thanksmas. "Hi."

[Fifth Floor]

Mecha Squiggles gives chase to the fleeing party goers! He always seems just one step behind but never quite catches up to them. To be fair, they really are booking it and it's hard to keep up. Almost miraculously, the duo can just faintly see outlined in the fog a doorway leading to another section. A doorway that they could fit through but the monstrosity behind them certainly cannot.

[billtodamax]

Spooky Children

It's ok we're not gonna hurt you. Endok reassures the spider bot as he polishes it up with a bit of his shirt. It's silk!

Olon will gather up a big pile of garlic bread and take it back to the door, and once everything is assembled she'll turn to the mummy. OK, knock on the door, then we'll show him all of this stuff at once. Or um... maybe throw it at him? Olon did not really have a plan past this point. And then uh... you'll do your spooky thing, and then he'll have to give us the candy bar. She says to Sasha.

[Artemis97]

[Fourth Floor- Pirates and mummies and frankensteins oh my~]

Raril grins and is glad to shake hands with Nigel and Lateef. He's a bit more gentle with the mummy, afraid of damaging him somehow.

"I'm Raril, and the host is my daughter, actually. Ilpholin." The drow explains. "This is my first time seeing her place, though. Don't usually travel out to Riverside." Also it was shaped like a giant spider. Raril didn't like spiders, but for Ilpholin, he made an exception. Well, as long as they remained mechanical, he could deal anyways.

[Second Floor- Food Table]

Landon pulls up his spiderman mask to eat some ham and cheese on crackers. "Oh hi! I think I remember you from last Thanksmas. I'm Landon."

[Fel and Drow]

"You were the mayor here, weren't you?" Erelae asks. "Still are, maybe? I need to keep up with the politics around here better."

[Felandria]

[Fourth Floor- Pirates and mummies and frankensteins oh my~]

Raril grins and is glad to shake hands with Nigel and Lateef. He's a bit more gentle with the mummy, afraid of damaging him somehow.

"I'm Raril, and the host is my daughter, actually. Ilpholin." The drow explains. "This is my first time seeing her place, though. Don't usually travel out to Riverside." Also it was shaped like a giant spider. Raril didn't like spiders, but for Ilpholin, he made an exception. Well, as long as they remained mechanical, he could deal anyways.

[Second Floor- Food Table]

Landon pulls up his spiderman mask to eat some ham and cheese on crackers. "Oh hi! I think I remember you from last Thanksmas. I'm Landon."

[Fel and Drow]

"You were the mayor here, weren't you?" Erelae asks. "Still are, maybe? I need to keep up with the politics around here better."

Felandria waves bye to the youngling as he leaves to get more candy.

Yes, still the mayor.

The rebuilding has gone quite well, in as much as nobody has mentioned any issues to me, and one imagines they would bring those issues up with the mayor.

Also, I don’t think I’m up for re-election until there’s another election, as as long as nobody brings it up, I’m just gonna roll with it.

But if I need to campaign, I shall.

Besides the point, how are things with your work situation?

[Artemis97]

[Fel and Drow]

"Ah, I work with my brother trying to keep things at Delmah Phor running straight for the Matron." Erelae explains.

Sszinyon, in his skeksis guise, lets out a huff. His niece gives him an odd look before continuing. "Things are running fairly smoothly for now, but you never know when the next big trouble will hit. I've got to organize some people to come out here and take control of the wild lands we gained in a treaty a bit ago. Lots of tunnels and fertile ground. It'll make for good farmland to feed Delmah Phor and to ship the surplus back to Menzoberranzan."

[billtodamax]

Pirate/Mummy/Frankenstein

Really none of the three of them have imagination. That's like 1 through 3 of the most common halloween costumes. At least Lateef is a skeleton mummy.

Nigel is similarly happy to shake Lateef's hand, concluding the ritual. No way, your daughter? Well uh, congratulations I guess. I saw she was pregnant. Nigel says.

[Artemis97]

[Pirate/Mummy/Frankenstein]

Raril grins proudly. "She is! I'm going to be a grandfather. An exciting new step in my life."