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 Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:02 am
[[Shadow Chateau]]
"Problematic? What could it possibly be?"
Again, Isi pulled a tight frown of thinking over his white face as he scanned the crowd. "Well, we didn't let each other see our costumes because we wanted it to be a surprise. Though, Eiry wandered into his room...He said that he saw something white and red on the bed and then he had rearranged the clothes as a trick...He didn't say much more than that." He shifted awkwardly because the baggy clothes had gotten tucked into a ball underneath his arms. So he stretched out the fabric on his arms and then slipped his arms back into the grips. That was better. Isi also shifted his clown hat, equipped with little fuzzy ball on the front, back into place as it had gotten thrown out of place and was slipping back, relieving some of his gray stress hair that he hadn't had before.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:54 am
((Shadow Chateau))
Alex shrugged at the question, smiling benignly. Sure, she had an idea, but that was part of the wonder of a trick and a treat; she couldn't spoil the surprise!
"White and red? Tsk!" That was far too vague. "There's a Raevan outside that's white and red, 'Lazrus' or somesuch. We're going to need a wee bit more information than that." She grinned cheekily, green eyes sweeping over the room with all the sly intention of a detective. "His derrière had best be part of the festivities. I'm going to be mighty disappointed if he's being shy!" Alex was, for the most part, paying far too much attention to costumes and trying to pin what and who they were to have noticed the strange change in Isi's hair, for now.
Long, scarred fingers continued to trace languid patterns on Munchies, still slumbering on her chest. "If our little Princess here was awake, she could probably sniff him out. Alas, it's up to we humans to blunder this one." Alex smiled encouragingly at Isi, noting how quiet and reserved he was from the last two times she'd seen him. She chalked it up to Eiry having bowled him over, trying - for once - not to stick her nose where it wasn't welcome.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:23 pm
[[Shadow Chateau]]
Isikoro shook his head and moved forward, his grey eyes scanning for his brother. He wasn't excited about finding him, for he had to tell him about the cracked window, but he knew it had to be done. "How many costumes could possibly be white and red?" he mused aloud to himself. There were a couple people in costumes drifting about. Then he saw someone relaxed on the couch. Isi was about to speak up and point out the masked figure, but then he heard the rest of Alex's rambling. Isi paused and he listened closer to what she was saying. Shy? His brother, shy? When was the last time she saw him? Ever since his hair had bleached to white from Edgar's encounter, Aphi had been less and less of the shy person that he once was.
As Alex continued happily and reiterated what she thought of Aphi and his activities. Protective, Isi interrupted her by giving her a slight look of annoyance. "Aphi's not shy now. Do you have any idea of what we've been through lately?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 12:29 pm
((Pools of Doom))
We`rika put his own beer down (perhaps the fifth, but he probably lost count awhile ago) and grabbed the woman a fresh one. "Sure go righ' ahead... I brough' 'em fer everyone, bu' I seem ta be th'only one enjoyin' 'em..." He wiped the lid and handed it to her, his inebriated eyes not trying very hard to conceal their ogling. "Well aren' ya a feisty thang..." We`rika purred appropriately. "I be' my Raevan would like ta mee' ya... He used ta watch th'old Ba'man cartoons..."
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 1:16 pm
((Shadow Chateau))
Alex lofted a slender brow at Isi, a little surprised by his words although her expression remained pleasant. "Now Isi, how could I possibly know? The last I saw him was when I gave him Munchies. I don't have the phone number here, and...heck, the only way I got the address was from the invitation!" She chuckled to herself, not bothering to add that he did have her card - it was entirely possible the young man simply didn't want to talk to her. No need to spring such things on Isi, as it seemed to defensive to her.
"So, I apologize for being out of the loop, but no, I don't know what he's been through." Despite the her smile being intact, her eyes showed a different shade of concern. "Is he okay? I mean...with you guys throwing a party, I guess it wouldn't have occured to me that something was wrong." That last part was meant more for herself than the annoyed clown, but hey, she was only human, and there was only so much she could do with limited means of contact and dealing with their seperate jobs.
Pursing her lips into a faintly sheepish smile, she asked the youth quietly, "Can you forgive me? That was very inconsiderate of me to assume everything was just peachy keen. Anything I can do to stop being an ignorant sfottere?"
((Sfottere is Italian for 'twit.'))
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 1:30 pm
[[Shadow Chateau]]
Tiredly, Isi nodded his head, "I can forgive you. That's alright, Alex, it's not your fault."
Isi turned his head away from her, peering at the figure sinking into the couch just a couple yards away. The person's back was turned to them, the couch facing the window for guests' for viewing pleasure. Isi gulped and he waited a moment, trying to piece himself together and collect his thoughts. His face bitter, he knew, but with his make-up on he simply looked like a tragically perturbed clown. "A lot of things have happened since then, Alex. A lot of things. We're throwing the party half to get our minds off what's happened." On purpose, for he didn't feel like explaining it all, Isi reached up with one hand and took off his hat, letting his wispy hair fall out. When they met at first, Isi had only a couple streaks of gray, but now the entire top of his head was different shades of stormy skies. Then, a moment afterward, he replaced the hat and tucked his hair back underneath the rims so that it could hardly be seen.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 1:48 pm
((Shadow Chateau))
"It's none of my busi--" The Italian's mouth gaped, then snapped shut as Isi took off his hat, revealing hair that was no longer a natural white, but grey with age. Alex look genuinely shocked and at a loss, eyes too wide, her eyebrows hidden by the fall of her shaggy bangs. She could not, for the life of her, imagine what would so age Isi so that his hair was grey; the woman herself had suffered in turns, but she still had ever strand of raven-wing black. It had to be something more than mental, something physical, something Alex truly could not even pretend to grasp.
He was so young...so terribly young, and Alex felt her heart break for him. She had no idea what he had endured in his past, but she could tell by his voice and his very words that the youth in front of her was far more mature than most who would ever walk through the doors to his home. She didn't want to extend pity, or sympathy, as that she learned the hard way; no, the Italian wanted to extend strength to the broad-shoulded boy. Shifting the slumbering Gwee towards her shoulder, Alex extended a hand towards Isi, uncertain. "Can I...can I hug you, Isi?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:15 pm
[[Shadow Chateau]]
"I'm not the one you should be worried about. You should be concerned with Aphi. Aphi's changed much more than mine. I still have some of my natural brown hair here at the bottom and underneath...Uh...What?" Isi wasn't sure if he had heard the young woman right. Hug him? Why would she want to hug him? What was she trying to do? Perhaps it was... Did she...Isi stiffened at the thought of receiving pity from this woman. He choked on his words. But...perhaps she wanted just to give comfort. The boy felt his stomach clench up. He knew that comfort was what he needed, but Isi had its definition sorely mixed up with pity. Deep inside, Isi found himself silently yearning for it.
Locked in internal debate, Isi gulped and he nodded tensely, too prideful to say 'yes'.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:47 pm
((Shadow Chateau))
Aphismet had suffered the same, if not worse? Alex's concern knew no depths; she would have liked to have told Isi that she was concerned for his brother, but she didn't quite trust her voice. There was a nasty knot of fear, pain, guilt and a strange type of pride in her throat, not permitting coherent words. It was just as well, as she'd undoubtably find someway to say the wrong thing.
Her heart nearly leaped for joy when Isi permitted her to hug him. It may seem odd to anyone else, but Alex knew better. The extended hand slid around the boy's shoulder, drawing herself to him rather than pulling him forward, enfolding Isi in a two-armed hug (once she was certain Munchies was secure around her neck and shoulders). It wasn't a weak, insecure hug, nor was it a suffocating, too-tight hug. Alex hugged Isi like he was her own brother, holding the boy affecionately and giving him a gentle squeeze. The party was to forget the problems, and so the woman would not talk about it. Instead, when she found her voice, she stated the truth of the situation fondly, "It's good to see you again, Isi."
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 3:06 pm
[[Shadow Chateau]]
Isi stumbled forward into her hug as if he were a toddler, being dragged along to somewhere he didn't understand. As soon as their bodies pressed together in a gentle sincere embrace, Isi felt the tenseness in his body relax. Little by little, he warmed up to the hug and found it to be something that he had been looking for that day. He laid his cheek against her shoulder and enjoyed the few moments of being held while somewhere in the back of his memory the flashes and glimpses of a mother's arms pervaded his mind.
"Thank you..." Isi said into the fabric of her shoulder. Isi opened his eyes and as he did so, he finally realized who it was on the couch, "That's Aphi!" he said. Breaking free gently from the woman's hug, he hooked his arm around hers to drag her over to the couch. He was grateful for being able to realize that it was his brother. For some reason, maybe pride, he didn't want to be held in the hug for too long less he melted completely and let down his defenses.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 3:38 pm
((Shadow Chateau))
The woman smiled to herself, also comforted by the embrace. It showed her that Isi would get through whatever plagued him, and that it hadn't pulled him apart, which surprisingly made her feel much better. The boy was strong, she had no doubt in her mind, and the pride she felt for him took over the rest of her darker thoughts. It made it easier for her to smile, which Alex did dazzlingly as he spoke to her. "My pleasure," she remarked kindly before she was distracted by his sudden outburst. He'd found Aphismet!
She found herself being pulled along, and couldn't help but laugh a little, hanging onto him while supporting Munchies. Alex felt lighter after having stopped to talk to Isi; even if they weren't exactly best of friends, she knew she could rely on him to be honest and straight forward. The Italian respected that above most anything else in the world, and Isi likely had no idea how much fondness she held for him because of it. Turning her eyes over the figure on the couch, she could almost physically feel her heart cramp from Aphismet's body language, some of her upbeat nature cringing in the slightest. He was completely shrouded, hardly a line of skin visible, even his head covered to the utmost.
She had a feeling this would be more difficult than offering a hand to Storei.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 4:16 pm
((Monster Mash))
Zanen reddened slightly as the other gave her a scrutinizing look, and quietly let out an inward, relieved sigh as a smile graced Sia's lips. Her eyes narrowed for a moment as a particularly incandescent light moved over her pale face, momentarily blinding her. Temporarily distracted, Zanen almost missed Sia's name.
She mentally chastised herself for her short attention span, as Sia went on: "...pleasure to be of your acquaintance." Zanen tilted her head consideringly--was it just her or was there an undercurrent of nervousness in the woman's tone? The vampiress wouldn't have taken Sia for an anxious and shy character like Zanen was--especially with such a revealing costume. Or at least, by her standards--it was revealing, which wasn't really saying much. Of course, she would never have the guts to wear something like that, no matter how pretty it may have been.
The teen frowned as she contemplated whether or not she should ask her elder if anything was wrong. Ultimately deciding for it, Zanen shyly looked up at Sia and queried, "Ah--is something wrong, Sia? You sound rather...nervous."
After a moments afterthought, she added, "Anything I can help with?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 4:18 pm
(( Shadow Chateau))
Aphismet sighed and settled into his seat, his head falling to the side in time to spot two people coming towards him. The Clown was easily recognizeable, not only because Eiry had already told his true identity, but because of the tell-tale gait the small white-faced boy had. Isi. Aph smiled softly, relieved to see that his brother was fine.
The woman Isi was dragging along, however, was more of a surprise. Alex! Looking like... Good thing Aphiès face was hidden, as a glimpse of a long graceful leg sent a blush to his cheeks. He didn't know she was so bold! And around her neck, the unmistakeable Munchies had fallen asleep. Hummm, Aphi had been sure he'd left the little gwee upstairs...
Ah, well. She didn't seem to be bothering anyone, so Aph decided to leave her in Alex's care for now.
"Hey, you two. Isi, very nice costume. I wouldn't have recognized you if it wasn't for Eiry giving you away. But, shouldn't a clown be smiling more? Here, sit with me for a while." He patted the couch next to him before turning his furry mask to Alex. "Alex, it's great to see you again. And I have to say, that's quite the costume."
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 5:05 pm
 (( Entrance/ Shadow Chateau/ Living Room )) He liked attending the parties and get-togethers held by the Labfolk, as much as he refused to admit such an embarrassing social fascination with the lot, but dressing up was really not his strong suit. No; standing out the way a costume would make a person stand out was something Ravi had come to dislike very, very much. He'd even suffered from a mild nervous ache in his stomach on the drive over, worried that he might be pointed out for his costume, yet simultaneously worried that the devil horns and tail he'd bought for himself at the costume shop were too sparse. He'd dressed in all black so that he'd at least fit the spooky mood of the holiday... or so he hoped. People didn't always dress creepily for Halloween anymore. He didn't even want to think about what We`rika might be wearing to the party (though he did grin just a little at a few of his theories on the Huichol's attire).
Oh, why did it even matter? They were all there to have fun, anyway, not poke fun at others who were dressed badly (he tried to convince himself). Besides, they'd probably all be hopelessly drunk since there were never one of these get-togethers without alcohol (oh, God, maybe he should steer clear of We`rika, then). Did anyone even know who he was (after all, he still had yet to get his soul...)?
Stressing about a Halloween party was something a prepubescent girl would do, and Ravi was definitely not prepubescent. ...Nor female. Nope. So he'd put those thoughts in the backseat for now, especially as he had finally reached he destination and had parked his car. Stepping out of his vehicle, he took off his sunglasses, shivered a little from where the cool air met with his bare skin, and approached the Delaran House. To be perfectly sincere, the house fit its role perfectly. There was something about the area that gave Ravi a chill associated with more than just the temperature. Once it got dark enough, this house would really look creepy. Had the lab rented this house out, or did someone live here? He felt awkward entering, since he didn't really know, but he knocked on the door, nonetheless.
After a few moments, he opened the door softly and slowly, being careful not to bump into any things and/or persons which might be close to the home's entrance. He was, after, more than a little late. He shut the door behind him and took in the interior structure of the building. It was certainly very spacious, and also decorated for the occasion. He saw a few signs that stood out in particular, but what really caught his attention were the three figures on the couch. A clown, a fluffy fox-faced person, and a very voluptuous young woman all perched upon the cushions with a closeness that did not suit their attire. Their faces, though not completely downtrodden, did look a little grim. Had he walked in at a bad time?
"H-hello," he offered, stepping towards them and the couches. "So this is the [Lab]otomy Gala, hmm?" He took a seat not too close to the others in the living room. He wanted them to have their space in case he wasn't welcome at the moment.
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 6:08 pm
((Shadow Chateau))
Alex smiled at Aphismet, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She didn't know what she was expecting, but the cool and calm greeting didn't quite calm her nerves either. In the classic Alex manner, she stood in front of Aphismet and reached over to fluff his mask, grinning lopsidedly. "Sweetie, I'm not quite sure what you are, and I don't think 'cute' is what you were lookin' for either." At the sound of a familiar voice, she turned at the waist, unwittingly giving Aphismet a further eyeful of leg.
"Happy Halloween," she greeted the man, looking over the new-comer to see if she recognized him. Unluckily for him, she did, as there weren't too many people who had that awesome shade of red hair. Green eyes narrowed mischeviously, flipping her shaggy hair back as she moved to take a seat with the men, not on the couch (as she wasn't invited and was still edgy and worried about Aphismet's condition), but situated so she could see all three equally. She crossed her exposed leg over her covered one, smiling in a fashion more reserved for Ada than her socially inept self. "Ravi," she purred, "showing your true colors tonight, are we?"
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