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 Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:39 pm
[[Shadow Chateau]]
His overall goal and plan for the Halloween party was to float around, spewing out verses from the tale that he had miraculously jumped out of, scare various people, play tricks (of course), and incite the ghosts to do a little haunting too. Since the party had begun, Fletcher, Percy, and Ivette were no where to be seen. Which was odd, considering that it was a perfect time for them to be ghosting around. At the start of his next verse, Eiry was suddenly cut off by the applause from a lounging red spirit. The Red Death floated closer and, upon inspection, discovered it to be Aphismet. He could tell that voice from anywhere! Joyful and excited that someone was paying attention to his display, Eiry "jumped" into the couch beside Aphi and snuggled to his arm, wedging himself underneath the man's arm and next to his waist.
Despite the childish reaction, Eiry jokingly spoke with his deep, unbearably creepy, Edgar Allen Poe voice, "You're too kind, Sir. Too kind," before he switched back to his normal high-pitched raspy voice, "How are you, Uncle Aphi?"
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:44 pm
((Shadow Chateau))
The woman lowered her head as she listened to Jae, grinning from the spot-on immitation of the laughter. A bit of a giggle escaped her, giving a curt nod as the idea was hatched, feeling more than a little giddy at the idea of giving them a good tease. Anyone who knew Alex would know her love of teasing, especially of guys she considered friends, and the mischevious grin that slid into place only confirmed the fate of the poor guys in question.
Green eyes flicked towards two new arrivals; she recognize Rivener, who looked as dashing as ever, and...oh goodness, Munchies! It seemed that the Italian wasn't going to get to love on Parfait after all; with the addition of the three Frei's and a Gwee, she felt a little unwelcome. They all seemed to be having their fun, and she certainly didn't want to put a damper on that.
To Jae, she said quietly, "That sounds delightful. We'll have to see if we can convince Miss Croft, although I don't see why anyone brazen enough to dress like her would be against it."
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:49 pm
((Pools of Doom))
Alice could take a hint. Taking the offered card he slipped it into his wallet with a nod. "Thanks," he said earnestly. "I will. And sorry again. I'll, ah, just let you be then, shall I?"
Replacing his much abused hat the blond nodded in what he hoped was a polite and maybe point-winning fashion, his smile making the scar across his lips turn like misplaced down make-up, turning what might have been dashing into something comical as he turned to go.
Whew. The candy business was more dangerous than police work by far. He'd take rampaging zombies over angry women any day of the week.
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 8:53 pm
[[Pools of Doom]]
Looking back over his shoulder as Natsuki addressed him, Isikoro gave her a bemused grin before he carefully maneuvered himself backwards and sat himself on the bench. It was always a relief to be able to sit down and give his weak legs a rest from standing. The crutches helped him a lot, but he didn't refuse the opportunity to sit down. Slipping his arms out of the loops of his forearm crutches, Isi collected them between his knees and gathered them into a loose embrace as he leaned his chin on the top.
"Thanks, Natsuki," he said with a weak grin. It made him feel welcomed to be invited to sit down beside her. He knew that she did a lot of things and Isi really admired her, ever since the day they met on the beach. There was that one moment when she touched lightly upon the subject of his legs, but Isi had grown to let it go. That was nothing but an early mistake now.
Now, the harpy before him could almost make Isikoro laugh aloud with relief. He was glad to see another person who spoke Italian, but it made him smile even wider when he saw the excitement dancing in the other's eyes like little will o wisps. It also made him relieved to find another fan of his favorite Opera, "I agree, completely. Operas like Carmina Burana and I Pagliacci...They are pure beauty. I love I Pagliacci's Vesti La Giubba."
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:05 pm
((Shadow Chateau))
Roux looked mutely toward Rivener as he spoke, giving a small nod he held up Mitya-also so that the dark Raeven may see. The catopuss was a lighter shade of siamese than Mitya, and female. She mewled, a bit startled at suddenly being held up, eyes half closing as she was pet. She wiggled her little tentacle-paws, and squirmed, making long, over-exaggerated and agonized cat-sounds. She wanted down, there was something like her around here, it'd meowed! She'd heard it!
Roux frowned at Mitya-also, reaching out to pet her ears. His eyes flickered in aggrivation.. this Mitya-also wasn't exactly like Mitya afterall.. He turned his attention back toward Sevilin, still waiting for his answer as to what exactly he was dressed up as...
Parfait gave a startled sqwak as another Gwee dived down in front of her and proceeded to act like a complete nutter. She blinked her wide pink eyes unable to do anything but... stare. She tilted her head to the side when the song and dance was done, giving an inquisitive chirp and sniffing at the strange Gwee.
The sniff... was that...
Parfait stood straight up, eyes tearing away from the other Gwee to look around the room eagerly. Being such a tiny thing, she could only really have attention for one thing at a time and now all of her focus was trained on finding the source of the smell.
Parfait gave a loud call, far louder than one may think something so tiny could do. It wasn't the smell that she -most- wanted to sniff but it was still something very welcome! Parfait launched into the air to get a better perspective and THERE! She zero'd in on the familiar aroma of warmth, sweets, of spices and excitement and happiness.
Her mother!
Parfait made a bee-line for Ada Wong... for all the world looking as though Godzilla himself had miniturized and grown wings. If it wasn't for the obviouse excitement and glee in her manner one might be a bit worried that the target would get a tiny, adorible savaging.
As it was, Ada still recieved a tiny, adorible savaging as Parfait flew up to her face, reaching out to grab onto her nose with tiny, dull claws to act as an anchor so she could hover and lick the red-clad beauty's face all over.
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:07 pm
(Pools of Doom)
Be still his heart! The music of angels sung in the mouths of men. Bauta perched on the edge of the bench, spreading his wings behind him in a more comfortable position. Now that he wasn't concerned about his feathers being stepped on or accidently smacking someone in the face, it was easier to relax them. Such an inconvenience.
"You are quite correct. Vesti La Giubba is divine, there is such pain and strength in his song. There is much to be admired for his honor."
He shifted to make himself more comfortable, the heavy fabrics of his costume getting in the way of his perch. "You know, my family has owned a mask shop in Durem for many generations now. We have always supplied the theater troups and operas with their costumes. I have crafted their faces with my own hands many a time. Perhaps the next time I receive a request for the start of a new show, I will let you know. It would be a crime not to inform a true opera lover of a performance."
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:15 pm
[[Shadow Chateau]]
Aphismet forced a smile, even though it would not be seen through his mask. He was so used to pasting it on for his family that it came naturally now. "I'm well, Eiry. I'm incognito tonight though, so no calling me Uncle Aphi in front of the guests, okay?" He reached up and petted the top of the red hood, wondering how odd it would seem to a passerby to see this: a red Death snuggled comfortably against a Japanese Kami on a couch.
"Where's Isi?" he asked, not having seen the younger Delaran yet.
Riv lifted an eyebrow at the Mitya-also. It wasn't as cuddly as Roux would like, it seemed. Rivener felt bad, but he couldn't do anything about it. He simply tried to scritch its head more so that it would remain quiet, and content, in Roux's arm. The Scorpion then turned his attention to Sev as Roux did, and waited for an explanation of the cucumber-ness.
Munchies churred as the pink-eyed one came closer, her tail almost wagging happily. Almost immediately, though, the older Gwee turned away and flew off, leaving Munchies all alone.
Large doe eyes seemed to fill with water, and her little lower jaw began to wiggle. Her tail stopped moving, flopping to the tabletop dejectedly. Saddened beyond belief that she'd failed to make a new friend, Munchies let out a loud, heartbroken wail and then curled up on the table, grabbing onto her tail and chewing at it consolingly.
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:17 pm
((Shadow Chateau))
If Alex was going to say more, it was immediately snatched from her mouth as she heard a loud, familiar call. It was the call of a baby Gwee looking for its parental; having studied the critters for over a year now, she recognized the sound, startled to see Parfait take to the air in all her Godzilla glory. The young woman was expecting to see Chloe, turning her head to catch sight of that pink hair or those familiar eyes; instead, she got a faceful of Parfait.
Green eyes widened to the size of Parfait's, a fond and affectionate grin taking the place of her previously sly and wicked one. She raised her hands to curl around the small costumed body, ushing the Gwee gently against her collar bone, head lowering so the dragonette could continue her thorough cleaning. Nuzzling the small female in her hands, she sang a soft, quiet line that was not in her mother tongue, "Des jeunes vêtus en peau de bête." She crooned the rest of the words, sharing her own glee at Parfait's adoration as best she could. Alex loved to sing to to her Gwee, and Parfait had been no different before she became Chloe's little darling; it did the woman's heart wonders to be recognized by the baby dragon, let alone to receive such a fond display.
"Hey there sweetpea," she purred to the little creature, all smiles, seeming to have forgotten there was a party at all, "how's our gorgeous little girl doing tonight?"
((Edit @ 9:17PM PST for Aphismet))
At the second cry, this one slightly more distressed, Alex lifted her eyes (mindful of the Gwee still attached to her nose) to find Munchies looking quite dejected. She gave a soft laugh, still giving Parfait plenty of loving nuzzles as she cooed to the other Gwee, "Munchies you little diva! What's got your tail in a kink, cupcake?"
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:26 pm
[[Shadow Chateau]]
Munchies hiccuped and looked up as someone called her name. It was momma! Munchies spotted the other Gwee already hogging all the momma, and so she just hunched into a tighter little ball, chewing at her tail and hiding her head in her paws, giving a small series of cheeps and grrs to explain that She was just trying to be friends and then the mean one with the spineys flew off and now there's no room on momma cause the mean one is there and Munchies loves momma more anyway and she should be the one who is cuddled instead of spiney-meanie!
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:35 pm
[[Pools of Doom / Shadow Chateau]]
Isi watched as the harpy affixed himself onto the bench behind him, so he had to crane his neck upward in order to see him. Attempting to fix his perception of the guest, Isi scooted over to the side, closer to Natsuki, until he accidentally shouldered against her and felt her thigh slightly brush against his. Now, let's get this straight: Isi, even though he was at the ripe age of 14, did not pay so much as a needle pin's amount of attention to the chemical equation between women and men. He hardly paid attention to its very existence! So when Isi brushed against her, he did give a slight start at the touch. But it was because of the dim foggy memory of a mother he must've had so long ago, and not because she was dressed as Lara Croft.
Although the memory of a mother's touch was begging to be divulged, Isi's attention was quickly snagged by Bauta's mention of masks. His eyes lit up with a childish gleam of hope and brightened to an excited flame when Bauta mentioned his connection with the theater. He had never once been to a theater before! It always was too expensive for him to go, and to far away, and at the time, Old Maasi, his adopted grandmother, had lost her driver's license. "Really? Would you? And masks? You make masks? You mean the old venetian masks and galleria, right?" Isi asked, much like a child on his birthday.
”Igconitoe?” Eiry echoed, his mouth twisting as if he had tasted the life from a bad plant in Isi’s garden. His grey face was plastered with confusion at the appearance of the strange vocabulary word Edgar Allen Poe’s works had failed to teach him about. He knew he butchered the word, but it was a first time he let it roll from his grey lips, so he wasn’t concerned. He repeated it to himself in his head to try and search for the definition and then pasted it with the sentence Aphi had used it in, ”You’re hiding? OH! Is it like a big hide and seek game? No one must know who you are? I’m igconitoe, too. So you can’t call me Eiry. Call me: The Red Death!” Eiry squirmed gleefully in Aphi’s arm, making his minty ribbon loll absently across Aphi’s lap and he gave a happy mewl as the man gave him a pat on the head.
When the other asked of his other Uncle’s whereabouts, Eiry froze and looked around, as if noticing for the first time that he hadn’t seen Isi since he begged the boy for help when it came to dressing himself. He screwed his mouth into a contemplative frown underneath the mask and shook his head in defeat, ”No, I don’t know where Isi...I mean, Il Pagliaccio, is. He was putting on his make-up when I last saw him.”
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:39 pm
((Alex's Arms))
Parfait gave a muffled churr of happiness as Alex cuddled her, cooing and speaking softly to her. She enjoyed the cuddles and the kisses and eventually let go of Mom's nose when the other Gwee threw her little tantrum.
Parfait gave a small sound at the back of her throat, looking over at Alex in confusion. What was this about being mean? Loving Mom more? Parfait oggled the other Gwee in complete confusion, what the heck was she talking about?
And then Parfait remembered something. Once more all previous thoughts and concerns were wiped away as the tiny Gwee brain focused on something new. She turned back to Alex, giving a worried churr, bobbing her head slightly up and down as she began to chatter in anxious tones at the woman. If Alex spoke Gwee as well as she seemed to speak french then she'd understand Parfait asking about where her One was and about a big scary house and how things smelt funny and it was dark and her One was crying and how she'd gotten shoved out a window and flew forever and she was worried and upset and where was she?!
And then instantly it switched from worried to happy as she chattered Mom's ear off about how Natsuki had given her a parfait and the bath they'd taken afterward.
The diva on the table wasn't ignored, Parfait was just far too innocent to be affected by the other Gwee's fit.
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:46 pm
((Pools of Doom))
With Isi completely wrapped up in a nostalgic banter about opera and costuming with Bauta, Natsuki took a passive listening role, nodding at Alistair. While her thoughts traveled elsewhere, she hadn't realized Isi's shifting until he was right up against her. Had he been older, she might have insinutated he was being cheeky, but she was certain than the 14 year old brother of Aphismet, was anything but a budding pervert on the brink of puberty. Giving him a warm smile, she ruffled his hair playfully when he shifted with surprise.
"Careful, now Isi. I'm way too old for you," Natsuki said, leaning over and giving the sad Italian Clown a peck on the cheek. The kiss was light and gentle, and just enough to leave the faintest lipstick mark. It was very sisterly in nature, as the young woman had taken to the boy like most of the guys she'd met: like family. Hopefully, that would put a lasting smile on his face aside from the riveting conversation he was engaged in with Bauta. Uncrossing her legs, she rose to her feet, feeling the need to warm up her body on the dance floor.
"If you gents will excuse me. It's getting a little chilly out here. I'm going to head inside and warm up for a bit," Natsuki said, with her best English accent.
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:49 pm
(Pools of Doom)
At this angle, Bauta received quite the glimps of the, er, thigh. Oh dear. Such as lot of skin on that young woman. He fixed his eyes on Isi's face, smiling.
"Esattamente, il mio amico giovane." he said, carefully removing his mask and handing it to the young boy. The harpy matched his voice, dark and masculine, every hair in place. His eyes were a warm amber brown, the lightest feature against the burned carmel of his skin and his black hair. Perhaps some would call him handsome...though he would call them odd.
"This is one from my shop. My family has been making masks for...oh, for many years now. It is a tradition. The ancient carnival has always been such a big part of our lives, I have been learning the art of ancient Venice since I was your age. Maybe someday you could come to see it?"
Oh sweet Lord, she uncrossed her legs. THE SCANDAL. Bauta blinked, keeping his eyes trained on Isi and trying to keep his face composed.
[English Translation: Exactly, my young friend]
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 9:54 pm
((Shadow Chateau))
Of course, Alex did not speak Gwee. Even if she had the appropriate larynx and forked tongue, she couldn't possibly figure out that all those clicks, whistles and chitters actually meant something she could understand. What the zoologist did understand was tone and action, both of which drew her eyes from Parfait to Munchies, and then sharply back to Parfait. Her dark brows knitted together in escalting concern, having only heard this fever of pitch in babies when the parents were gone to get food...
...and then the Gwee was back to being content, confusing the poor woman further. She looked between the Gwee by her chin and the one pouting on the table, perplexed. Munchies wanted attention - she knew that noise from Lorenzo all too well - but Parfait was distressed about something. Where WAS Chloe? "Where's your human, Parfait?" she murmured to the pinkish dragonette curled against her skin, moving towards Munchies as she talked. "What's got you so upset little one?"
Wrapping Parfait into the crook of her elbow like a baby, Alex freed one of her hands and used it to scoop up the equally small and needy Munchies, plopping the little diva on her broad shoulder. She alternated her petting, making sure to pay them both attention, turning her head to give Munchies a little kiss on her cute cheek. Still, that strange distress signal from Parfait had her somewhat worried...she hoped she could find Chloe before too long.
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 10:13 pm
((Pools of Doom --> Junk Shack))
Alice shook his head as he slipped back inside. Well, it was certainly kind of her to give him a (somewhat) official invitation to the party, especially after all that mess. He took a look at the card again before putting his wallet away. He'd have to remember that. He'd have to call her some time.
The business world was still strange and new to Alistair, and it was often times a more cut throat place than he really knew how to deal with. He may have been a young man, but he had more grey hair from the last year and a half than he could ever account for from his old jobs.
He didn't regret it though. Not one bit.
Smiling to himself, his cheer renewed with the intention of finding a nice gesture to make towards the woman who took her work admirably seriously, the blond gangster glanced around the kitchens, reorienting himself.
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