Cesc adjusted his top hat. He then adjusted his cravat, his collar, and tugged at the bottom of his vest hem. As he busied himself with pulling at his costume's dark blue coat, he felt a smack on his arm.
"Mon dieu," said Vivi with a laugh. "Are you getting married? Why so fussy?"
"Yeh. Nobody'd even know you were born in a cravat," added Shepard.
They were, the lot of them, not particularly spookily dressed for Halloween. In years prior, they had embraced the holiday's ghoulishness, going as dolls and zombies and pumpkin kings. This year, however, the theme held little charm, and resultantly, their outfits scared no one. Cesc felt ridiculously, magnificently dapper in his Recency costume, his hair dyed brown and curls combed to glossy perfection beneath his gentlemanly top hat. He held a silver-topped walking stick, which, as it was borrowed from a friend, he kept smoothing his thumb over to make absolutely certain it was safe on his person.
He looked down at Vivi with a smile. The woman had let her hair fly loose and wild for her costume, the gypsy Esmeralda. Her eyes were bright, artificially green for the evening, and her smile wide and engaging. Her coin-laden skirts tinkled softly, ethereal music, as she walked. She managed to talk Shepard into being her Phoebus, but only when the man realized he would only have to wear a white tunic and sheathed sword for the look.
"Well," Cesc said at last, "you were born naked. It doesn't follow you're the most comfortable showing up as such, ah?"
Vivi tilted her head and let out a low laugh. Shepard cracked a smile. "Ehn. More than that suit of armor you guys wanted me to wear at first."
Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 12:48 am
(( Ronan, Connor --> Arriving ))
"I still think you've got this backwards."
Connor adjusted the sleeve of his Captain America costume as the two of them walked into the party area, replica shield strapped to his back. "I mean, you act a hell of a lot more like this boyscout than I ever have. And dude, you as a trained killer?" A metal hand clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, technically I went to basic training just like you, so it's not too much of a stretch. And this way the hair colors match up." And it was true - Connor's dirty blonde hair matched Steve's remarkably well, and left a little messy Ronan's hair was more than passable as Bucky's. Sure, the selkie hadn't shaved his goatee, but a little scruff around it at least helped it blend in.
"And admit it," Ronan said with a grin, "You like being Cap." Connor shot him a look, squinting, but eventually sighed. "Fine, whatever." Even so, he didn't seem particularly unhappy. Ronan considered it a win.
Overall, the selkie was fairly happy with how the two of them looked. Sure, they'd had to spend a little extra to buy the movie versions of the costumes, but he considered it a small price to pay to avoid fake muscles and to see his friend happy. The earlier complaints didn't matter - Connor was the biggest nerd he knew, even if he rarely expressed it openly. It was going to be a good night.
Arana Kamina
Space Bat
Offline
Z o m b i k ii
Magical Girl
Offline
Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2014 11:32 am
Am I that old?
Callus looked around at all the costumes on display, but did not recognise a whole bunch of them, never the less Callus liked the enthusiasm people had shown. There was nobody here wearing a sheet with eye-holes.... Not yet anyway.
As Callus brought the cup to his mouth once more he heard a voice. Looking up he was slightly bewildered by why a stranger was talking to him; had he dropped something? Was this guy trying to make a sale? Collecting for charity or something? He put the cup back down on the table and flicked his bangs from his face to get a good look at the man who had approached him.
Callus pushed himself up onto his feet and turned to the man. One hand rested casually on the hip as his other reached out to him, offering the man a handshake.
"Callus Killmister."
Who was this guy meant to be?
"Would you like to take a seat, Ian?"
Cynnybun
Anachrophobia
Callus -> Axe (T e b i k ii) and Yves -> ??? (Logue) would like to enter the maze together!
Logue
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 3:17 am
Anachrophobia
I'm entering the hedge maze with Yves (crowbar)!
Logue
Fluffy Pup
Offline
Logue
Fluffy Pup
Offline
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 4:09 am
(( Yves --> arriving, lounge --> literally bumping into Callus (Biki) & Ian (Cynnybun) ))
Pale face illuminated by the soft glow of his cell phone, Yves squinted down at the screen, mouth slowly forming into a pursed frown.
In the lounging area, amid a sea of costumed people, he looked at his phone - that was what he did when he was in a crowd and feeling awkward, looked at his phone. It made sense, it gave the impression of a busybody and allowed him to look around while he scrolled through whatever app he'd opened up. He didn't want to admit that he was feeling a bit daunted by the place, large and foreboding, or the steady trickle of party-goers slowly entering the area.
In all honesty, Yves' resting, stern expression likely helped keep others away more than the phone would have. Not that he meant for it, he just had... a bristly look to him, especially when he was uncomfortable.
The sight of costumes did do his nerves some good, at least. He would have felt incredibly silly if no one else had dressed up. His hands fumbled with the buttons of his jacket; not that he could honestly call it a "costume," but he also wasn't quite ready to admit that this was one of his favorite outfits. The ornate, Victorian-esque attire could have easily been on a porcelain doll from a long, long time ago, and it gave a similar impression on the willowy Yves. When he'd looked in the mirror, he'd decided to roll with it, and had gone and enlisted a friend's help to complete the undead (er, living?) doll look, complete with paled, cracked skin, rose blush, and darkened, hollowed eyes.
She'd done a good job, he felt. He certainly looked like he belonged in a forgotten display case from the past. The outfit looked far too fancy and stuffy to wear, comfortably, right down to the modest heels on his high boots, but he had learned to dress up long ago. Yves rubbed his nose, remembered his makeup and wiped at it. This was so hard, how did anyone wear makeup on a daily basis?
As he fussed with his own nose, his heel caught on a stone, and Yves knew he had just done the worst possible thing.
Stumbling back, Yves caught himself on something - someone? - and leapt back up and onto his feet like a lobster out of a hot pot.
"Oh, my god," he breathed, face impossibly red. "I am so sorry, pardon me, I... are you okay?" The man was at least thirty times his size in muscle mass, so he probably was okay, but it never hurt to ask.
Good lord, he'd just bombarded the two gentlemen in the middle of their conversation. He waved his hands in front of himself, looking helplessly from one man to the other. "Ahh, I am so sorry, leave it to me to make a fool of myself! I, er... I'm sorry for interrupting!"
Then he saw the cane. "Ah?! Did my fat butt hurt you?!" he blurted, brows coming down into a glare. He'd tried to use a stranger as a landing pad. The night was off to an impeccably embarrassing start.
Cynnybun
T e b i k ii
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 9:11 am
((Cesc & co --> Ronan and Connor ))
Cesc turned his head toward Shepard to laugh in amusement, but as he did, his eye caught Ronan and his friend entering not so far away. The stag's smile grew warm as he noticed the selkie -- it had been a long time since he'd seen Ronan, and the circumstances of the soul capture had not been the happiest. Since there was no frei in tow, Cesc could only imagine the bark-soul had not yet grown into a Raevan.
"Ronan!" Cesc called, lifting his cane. He splayed his wings, just in case his dyed hair made it a difficulty to recognize him.
Shepard and Vivi turned as Cesc spoke, and Shepard's smile grew a fraction of an inch at seeing the duo's costumes.
"Pity Reks isn't here, eh?" said the Aussie.
Arana Kamina
Atmadja
Romantic Humorist
Offline
Rookeries Crew
Offline
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 1:18 pm
(( Duncan & Aina -> Cesc & co, Ronan & Connor ))
Duncan and Aina arrived shortly after the garden opened to everyone. It felt a fair bit silly, dressing as a stage magician at a place where true warlocks were present, but he felt a bit short on ideas.
Aina wore a loose ensemble of silk pajamas, cap and all, a teddy bear tucked underneath one arm. It was a much more fitting outfit than Duncan's, and the sentiment felt all the more punctuated as she stared up with childlike wonder at the jack-o-lanterns hovering above them as they passed the garden gates.
Then, there was noise. Aina's admirance of the jack-o-lanterns diminished somewhat as the ambiance of the party filled her ears. She kept her bowed slightly as Duncan's handhold encouraged her to carry on. She returned a confused glance when Duncan looked back on her, just to check-- this was, after all, her first time at a big gathering.
"It's a bit loud, isn't it?" Duncan asked.
Aina nodded-- the world would have been much quieter if Duncan had picked her up, if she had arms to hide her ears against, but Duncan much preferred walking with her instead. The Frei's nod was confirmation enough, though, and he focused on getting her to the lounge.
"We'll only stay for as long as you'd like, but I think you'll meet a lot of friends here," he smiled, "Both new and old."
Aina nodded again-- she wanted new friends, certainly, but rarely did she know them to be so loud. Instead, she searched the crowd for old friends, Raevans and humans she'd already met in the sanctity of quiet.
And, just ahead, she managed to find one. She was sure of it-- who else had antlers and spoke so magically?
"Cesc."
"Cesc?" Duncan looked down at Aina for confirmation, then glanced back up again toward the stag-- though he was with four other unfamiliar faces, Duncan waved toward them nonetheless. "Cesc! Hello!"
Aina protested with a surprised look up at the older man, but she immediately flicked her gaze down toward the ground again and placed a palm against one of her blushing cheeks. She could scarcely imagine saying "hello, it's nice to meet you" to so many people at once.
Atmadja
Arana Kamina
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 4:13 pm
(( Tatiana & Cam -> Arriving -> Really to anyone arriving... Tatiana likes to wave ))
Tatiana flapped her wings as she exited Cam's stuttering subaru, adjusting the tactfully allowed fly aways from her piled up hair. Braids and buns sloppily amassed under a grecian double headband, pinned in place by hand crafted clips. They added to her costume.
"Ahh-- Tats, a snake is slippin'..." Cam beckoned, already reaching up to adjust one of the many plastic snakes fashioned as bobby pins and hairclips.
"Fix-it, fix-it, fix-it," The hamsa mewled, brows furrowing over glitter and green made up eyes. She hovered lower allowing the shorter man to ditch his fake hooked hand and push an orange plastic snake further into the bed of hair.
The raevan was so excited- having spent the weekend at her uncles to complete the project. She panicked, touching a few other choice spots and giving her head a bobble to check the stability of her assembled head of snakes, "Is it good? All better?"
"Medusa ready, no worry lil'duck," Cam patted a bare shoulder blade indicating she can float at a normal height. He shifted uneasily, minding his balance-- maybe a peg legged pirate wasn't the best decision.
The hamsa didn't seem to give it much thought- whipping around and tossing her arms around the shorter man. Cam responded with an exhale as he returned the embrace, patting her on the back--
"Not yet!"
"Oh- h'kay, sorry darlin'." He grinned and resumed the hug.
Tatiana made the most of the situation, eyes widening at the small cluster of costumed people arriving already. She gave tiny waves and beaming grins to show teeth to anyone who happened to glance in her direction. Eventually she released her uncle and began to move towards the lounge.
"Poppa here yet?" She asked, searching the crowd.
"Naw, I sent him a message before we left. He'll arrive wid Doe, Ren an' th'baby." Cam replied, pulling his phone to check for any text from Harrison. Nope- but there was a picture image from Rory. She had kindly abided to his wish of hourly bar updates as 'What Ales You?' would be Captainless. And on the weekend before halloween.
Anachrophobia
Tatiana (Hockey Stick) and Cam (Pool Stick) will be entering the maze
Ren breezed in quickly ahead of the rest of her family, her translucent wings held high and draped with delicate netting that twinkled as it caught the light.
It wasn't that she was looking to avoid them - although the entire ride over had been slightly stifling with Keegan gurgling and cooing and doing whatever it was with his fists that Doe seemed so overwhelmingly enchanted by - simply that she had spent ages on her costume and the aurora was eager for others to notice.
Despite her naturally pale features, additional powder had been added to give her a slightly more haunted appearance. Along with this were contacts that blacked out her eyes entirely, shimmering scale patterns, webbing between her fingers and seashells that clustered around the base of her wings.
Most intriguing was the upsweep of her hair, rolled with delicate precision until the blues and greens of those glowing locks looked like the rolling sea-tide, tips frosted with chalk to resemble foam. Nestled gently (and pinned very carefully) into those turbulent curls was a little wooden ship with white sails.
Although it was not the most comfortable that she could have chosen, Ren felt very proud of her Calypso costume.
Meanwhile, behind her, Rosie the Riveter fussed over her little Red Baron in his daddy-plane.
"Ohhhhhh, I know he's already here and all, but do you think it's too late for him?"
Doucette reached out and adjusted Keegan's cap once more. For his part, Keegs made a gurgling noise and smiled at his momma, even if she was looking a bit silly with that bandana attempting to hold her curls back.
Cesc was just about to reply in the affirmative to Shepard -- he did wish that Iorek was there, and not just to see superhero costumes -- when he heard another voice hailing him. Looking over Vivi's shoulder, Cesc saw Duncan, and lifted his cane in a hello. A bright smile blossomed over his face as he saw Aina in her pajama getup, an excitement lighting his eyes.
Shepard was busy greeting Ronan and Connor, two men he had not met before, but Cesc's expression was not lost on Vivi. The gypsy turned her head to trace Cesc's gaze, and then her lips split in a wide, enchanting expression. A child! She had never seen a childlike Raevan. Immediately, her heart swelled with curiosity and fascination.
Rhedefre excused himself from Ronan and Connor as Shepard spoke to them (interrupting a simple 'Hey, how'd'ya do, my name's Shepard') and started toward Duncan and Aina. Vivi immediately slotted her arm around Cesc's, eager to be introduced.
Feeling formal in his costume, Cesc removed his top hat. "Duncan, Aina! What a pleasure to see you both." His eyes were bright and cheerful as he spoke. "I don't suppose you two have met Vivi?"
Vivi curtseyed, mirroring Cesc's formality, and her skirts chimed a little song as she did so. "What a pleasure, Duncan, Aina. It is that I am most enchanted to meet you~."
Rookeries
Arana Kamina
Atmadja
Romantic Humorist
Offline
Rookeries Crew
Offline
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 10:26 pm
(( Duncan & Aina -> Cesc & Vivi ))
Aina watched a bit sheepishly as Cesc hearkened to Duncan's greeting. She kept her teddy bear close to her lips as she watched the Sigel move toward them, but she eased considerably when only Vivi followed with him. Two people were certainly much better than five at once, and Aina marveled at the Frenchwoman every bit-- she was beautiful!
Duncan returned Cesc's greetings with a tip of his hat and small bow of his own. "And we are delighted," the older man smiled in earnest, an attempt to match Cesc's cheerfulness.
He grinned and turned toward Vivi at the introduction, then bowed again. "No, I'm afraid we haven't, though I do recall one Vivi LaCelle on the Lab contacts list," he chuckled and offered Vivi a deep nod, "It is an honor, Vivi."
Duncan glanced down at Aina, then swung her hand slightly in encouragement. Though Cesc and Vivi's beauty had marveled her into full attention, at first, now she had grown quite red and unsure. She offered Vivi a doe-eyed look before hiding her eyes against the comfort of her teddy bear.
"Would you like to say 'hi,' Aina? To Mr. Cesc and Ms. Vivi?"
She shook her head. "I dunno how..."
Duncan quirked his brows, his smile gentle. "You don't know how? You're sure?"
"Not to a queen," the Frei whispered, with utmost urgency, her voice muffled but clear enough through her plush.
Atmadja
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 10:47 pm
(( Ian -> Lounge - Callus, Yves ))
Oh man, this guy was actually standing up to greet him? Ian hadn't meant to be such a bother, he'd just thought he should say hello! He could feel his jaw tighten a little in anxiety but he smiled, offering his hand in return. "It's nice to meet you, Callus. He glanced down at the cluster of seats that the other man gestured to, nodding a little. "Oh, um, sure. Thanks." It was right to thank him for the invitation, right? The seats weren't Callus's, exactly, but... Ugh, this was so stressful. He should have just stayed by the buffet!
As he sank down into one of the plush chairs, Ian got a look around the garden. Many other people and Raevans had arrived, including a few he hadn't seen before. One in particular seemed younger than the others, and not just because she was talking to a Sigel. Something about her was distinctly childlike, and Ian found himself smiling a little. She looked rather shy.
His attention was snapped back when a third man arrived at the sitting area, rather abruptly. He'd bumped into Callus, and Ian startled a little as if to help him, but was too slow. The blond was already righting himself. He managed a quiet "It's okay," before the nervous man spoke again, and so he fell silent. Approaching one person out the blue had sort of drained him, and he didn't want to assert his presence when the other two were talking if he didn't actually have anything to say. He took a heavy sip of his cider, busying himself with continuing to glance around. All of the other costumes on display were so nice, some even amazingly intricate. He was starting to second-guess his rather simple ensemble, even if Caroline had assured him people would enjoy it.
T e b i k ii
Logue
Cynnybun
Anxious Kitten
Offline
alpha lyrae
Friendly Conversationalist
Offline
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2014 12:00 am
(( Claire & Aaron ---> Arriving ))
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Claire remarked in an undertone as she rearranged a plastic tub of homemade pumpkin haystacks in her arms, but any bite the message had was diffused by the small smile she was trying to hold back. The two were notorious during their early dating years for goofy couple costumes (much more entertaining to go as Captain Von Trapp and Maria or peanut butter and jelly rather than Romeo and Juliet), but the tradition had taken a hiatus in recent times due to scheduling conflicts and less festive moods. With everything changing in their lives thanks to the Lab, it only made sense to Aaron that the tradition be brought back with a vengeance. He gently prodded her in her exposed side, where he knew she was ticklish, which tore loose the laugh she was stifling.
"Not that there was much talking, more like giggling, if I remember correctly." He tapped his chin in false thought and moved to run his hand through his hair when Claire reached up to pull the hand away with her free hand.
"Hey buster, don't touch, it took ages for you to get that right," she gently scolded.
"Yeah I know, it's just weird though. Not only the wash out color but all the gel.. god, haven't used this much since high school," he replied with a shrug, but their attention was diverted as the duo entered the garden. The costumes around them were fairly impressive on the few Raevans, guardians, and friends they glimpsed on the way to drop off the cookies, but Claire could only laugh at the main attraction for Aaron at the moment - the refreshment tables. "Oh hey, the refreshment table looks sick. Looks like the sweets are over here, babe." She pinkened at the pet name and popped off the lid, sliding it under the bowl. "Guess who's gonna try aaaaall of these?"
Claire knew where it was going, judging by his widening grin, she tried to cut him off at the pass. "Oh my god Aaron, no --"
"C'mon, you know who it's gonna be --"
"Yes, but --" He leaned down, lips close to her ear.
"It's gonna be maaaaay," he crooned, jerking his thumbs at himself, and Claire, despite her complaints, snorted loudly. Of course they'd be at their first holiday get together with the Lab dressed as Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears; the puns were part of the ride.
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2014 1:21 am
(( Hedge Maze participants have been updated up to here! (Awesome costumes, everyone, omg) ))
Anachrophobia Captain
Offline
Z o m b i k ii
Magical Girl
Offline
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2014 11:26 am
Callus -> Lounge. (Yves, Ian)
You could tell a lot about a man from a handshake, and this one seemed rather nervous and unsure of himself. He lowered himself back down into his chair, resting his elbow on the table and placing his stubbled chin in the palm of his hand.
He was not really much at making small talk and even though he had invited this guy to sit with him, he had no idea what to do now. Should he asked about the weather or something? He raised his drink once more to try and break the awkward silence, but then he felt a small thud. Hot cider spilling out onto the table.
He looked over his shoulder to see.... a doll.
A bumbling little doll at that. Callus frowned a brow, not expecting such a heartfelt apology. Was he really that intimidating?
"Er. No."
He exhaled, trying to throw the man some kind of lifeline. In all serious more damage would have been done by a marshmallow, but he did his best to hold that statement inbetween his lips. He reached over and grabbed his cane, once again standing up from his seat. He hooked the now empty cup with his walking apparatus and swung it clear over the rail, into the black of night.
Soft steely eyes peered down at the new face, and he could not help but smile at his costume. Neria would not doubt find this guy adorable.
It took a braver man than him to wear ruffles, Halloween or no.
"No harm done." He stated, looking over his shoulder at Ian. "I am gonna get another drink. Would you like something?"
He asked before looking at the doll once more as if to extend the invitation to him with a small hum.
Reply
