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Post by Odin Reeves on Oct 29, 2007 4:27:27 GMT 1
Boredom ensued as the gambit clad Reeves made his way down a long spiraling staircase. The marble floor caused loud echoes that disappeared in the crowds as his steel-toed boots connected firmly with each step. He was in no hurry, made noticeable as his hand glided over along the railing. His fingerless gloves were tucked deep into his pockets, right beside a deck of fake playing cards, making it able for him to feel the smooth, slightly cold texture. There was no part untouched, allowing for his hand to sail down without friction or disturbance. Like the rest of the house the railing was kept in perfect condition, not a chip out of place.
Strolling into the parlor Odin made his way directly through the double doors into a more table occupied room. On one side there was healthy food, on the other the junk that teens usually put inside themselves. Feeling a tad bit hungry from his exploration Odin made his way over to the healthy side, if nothing more then to check out what they were offering.
Almost immediately Odin grabbed a plate, seeing the host had even put together a create-your-own-sandwich-bar. Starting off first with a foot long sourdough bun he lined the edges with a ring of a ranch peppercorn dressing, then within the ring a thin line of mustard. Spreading the dressing along he took the excess and spread it across the other side of the bun. Next he topped off the bottom with lettuce, not shredded lettuce like you’d find at subway, but full leafs. Next, and the most surprising of all, Odin put two pieces of hot chicken onto his sandwich. Already his mouth was salivating, and yet there was more. He topped off the chicken with several strips of bacon, tomatoes and then pickles.
Grabbing a knife he cut the sandwich turned sub in half and made his way back out into the parlor, already mowing down on one half of his overloaded sub. Sitting down against the wall he brought one leg up and rested the side of his boot on his thigh, using the bent leg as a table for his plate as he held his newly acquired snack with both hands.
The food here was truly magnificent, and after seeing the other selections and supper choices in the dinning room Odin knew, absolutely knew that he’d have to go back for seconds. That is unless something more interesting caught his attention. Then again when you have a metabolism like him it’s best to get your fill, especially when the foods free.
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Post by Tiao Lei Shen on Oct 29, 2007 5:30:21 GMT 1
"What the...?"
The scantily clad girls turned zombies wasted no time in latching onto Tiao, dragging him into the room as they rambled on about some sort of magical candy land. Their behavior certainly took him off guard at first, causing him to look around frantically as the pulled on his arms. Outwardly Tiao protested being led into the room, but as the girls continued their rant it became more amusing. The attention actually became somewhat flattering to him, though he couldn't show that of course.
After his verbal- and limited physical- resistance seemed futile, Tiao dropped his arms once in the room, taking a good look around him. It was indeed an equivalent to the candy land, mountain, or whatever. His eyebrows raised at the huge content of sugar in here, but it only took a few more moments before his wonder faded and turned his gaze to switch over both the fairy and cowgirl.
"That's uh, wonderful, but I don't eat sweets."
Tiao flashed a small smile before giving a quick look over his shoulder to the doorway. Valencia's friends were here, and that made him wonder if she was still with the mass of men downstairs. He tried to brush it from his mind quickly, as he turned back to the girls, picking up a chocolate bar. He gave it a quick wave over the girls' faces before dropping it back down.
"What's your guys' deal with the candy anyways? Seems like you're excited about nothing to me."
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Vince
Dreamer
Junior
Posts: 117
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Post by Vince on Oct 29, 2007 6:17:28 GMT 1
"Well, They do say the best bathing suit is none at all, and in your case that would be most overly true."
Vince would give a small chuckle and a most wicked smirk at the comment, but he would soon right himself. Still holding onto the small girls hand he would give her a small tug and point her at the Ball room.
"Jesting aside, There are more things here than a pool and if you'd care to dance...."
Vince would smirk, his eyes gleaming at the large Ballroom which wasn't too surprisingly not being excessively used. It seemed their host had forgone a DJ and typical music set up in his Ball Room for a more traditional orchestra. Not that Vince minded, he actually knew how to Waltz half way decently.
He only hoped he calculated his comments out to counter each other. Obviously his first comment wasn't in the best taste, but it was in good fun and might even lead to Annette giving him afew more hints as to her thoughts of what was going on in the place.
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Post by Valencia Donahue on Oct 29, 2007 7:18:28 GMT 1
((OOC: NPC’s FTW w00t!!))
[GLADYS]: “Shun the nonbeliever!”
[RUTH]: “Shuuuuuuuuuunnnn~”
[GLADYS]: “SHUUUUUUUNNNnnnah!!”
The fairy and cowgirl began to make dramatic gestures implying that Tiao simply didn’t understand the sugary goodness that’s known as Candy Mountain. Obviously, they were avoiding straight answers by continuing with their hyperness, in spite of them not eating anything sweet up ‘til that moment. Ruth and Gladys didn’t know too much about Valencia’s relationship with Tiao, but if they knew that Tiao was under that mask, well… Let’s just say that though Valencia wasn’t too keen on getting any sort of significant other after Agon, Ruth and Gladys believed that there’ll always be plenty of other fish in the sea. The lesbians began to skip random circles around the Blue Spirit, all the while singing and saying weird things as if bursting into song would do any good in convincing him that Candy Mountain was made of pure sweet wonders that he was denying.
[RUTH]: “Oh when you’re down and looking for some cheering up! Then just head right on up to the candy mountain cave! When you get inside you will find yourself a cheery land! Such a happy and joy filled and perky merry land!”
[GLADYS]: “They’ve got lollipops and gummy drops and candy things! Oh so many things that will brighten up your day! It’s impossible to wear a frown in candy town! It’s the Mecca of love the candy cave!”
[RUTH]: “They’ve got jellybeans and coconuts with little hats! Candy rats, chocolate bats it’s a wonderland of sweets! Ride the candy train to town and hear the candy band! Candy bells it’s a treat as they march across the land!”
[GLADYS]: “Cherry ribbons stream across the sky into the ground! Turn around it astounds it’s a dancing candy tree! In the candy cave the imagination runs so free! So now Blue Spirit will you please go into the cave!”
…Although there was no cave to go into, per se, the two just had a weird habit of memorizing catchy songs they find online. They both just gave him a big group hug and began to rock from side to side as if it’d help. It sure beats spontaneously combusting like a bunch of singing pieces of licorice would. But since they know better deep down, they figured that there was little else to do here aside from stare at the edible works of art before leaving (or eating some of the pieces and hoping no one would notice). Little did they know that there were cameras hidden in the room, watching their every move as though this whole room was a bloomin’ trap…
Meanwhile…
Annette giggled a tiny laugh after hearing Vince’s li’l joke and Sean’s cool melted into boiling, fuming, and steaming peeved. If Annette wasn’t amused, Sean would’ve mauled Vince right then and there for suggesting something so crass. Vince lives for another day… However, as the folks who know better, it’s pretty obvious that he’ll be living longer than that. Vince 2, Sean 0. The small editor’s face lit up when offered to dance. She felt flattered. She wasn’t developing feelings for him because she still had a job to do, but Vince really had charm and class.
[ANNETTE]: “Oh! You know how to dance? I took Ballroom for my Performing Arts requirement, but quit since there weren’t enough guys in the class and the guys that were in that class were either with their girlfriend or several heads taller than me. So… I’ll try not to step on your feet, but you’ll have to bear with me.”
Sean’s jaw dropped. Annette didn’t even acknowledge him. Was he unimportant? Was this a secret, hidden sign for him to stay close and keep an eye on her anyways? This was a bit much for his brain to handle, so he decided to keep close. After all, he didn’t like Vince and his charisma. While Annette and Vince danced, the little editor would lose track of her mental counting and think about other things.
[ANNETTE]: “Hoo! Clumsy clumsy… Those organization people make me so nervous… Every time I mess up, they look so… Annoyed! It’s not like they’re dancing too! Maybe one or two of them are, but still… It’s like they’re judging some sort of dance competition. Geez! Can’t they give us a break and let us have fun?!”
Meanwhile… On [red]Odin’s[/red] end…
Garrett Avci, a director of a certain institute of exotic culinary arts, watched Odin out of the corner of his eye fervently as the teen carefully selected the ingredients to his sandwich. He gulped his steak and stroked his stubbled chin while examining the Gambit’s body structure. The costume made it tricky, but the general shape was still there. Heavyweight. Works out. Who knows how long he’s been eating healthy, but Garrett assumed that the teen must’ve been raised that way if he was that thorough in making his sandwich. Fit as a fiddle. He growled under his breath…
[GARRETT]: “Tough and lean… Taste might be disagreeable… No good changing the diet at this point… Ah well. It takes a really skilled gourmand to make anything palatable. I think my people can manage.”
Garrett’s steely eyes followed Odin into the parlor, which annoyed him because he didn’t want to draw too much attention to himself. Nonetheless, his present position wasn’t any different in comparison, so he finished his steak, wiped his mouth with a sleeve, and picked out some gristle caught in his teeth before treading heavily to his… Person of interest. Teens continued to compliment his costume (in which he ignored) and other organization members hoped that they weren’t worth a look while a few nudged a nearby friend. By the time Garrett made it to the parlor, his large build made people do a couple double takes between Gambit and “Sabretooth”. He cleared his throat, which sounded more like a low rumble than anything, then stood in front of Odin…
[GARRETT]: “While I was in the ballroom, I couldn’t help but notice how much care you put into your food. I’m Garrett Avci, director of the Chase Institute of Exotic Culinary Arts. Who taught you how to cook?”
A modest proposal, anyone?
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Post by akira on Oct 29, 2007 20:18:25 GMT 1
~No way is she this excited about talking to me... I’m not THAT entertaining.~ Akira thought as he watched how Lisa was acting. He had started glancing around the room again still looking for anyone he recognized, but still saw nobody. It still didn’t occur to him that almost everyone was wearing a mask of some sort, and maybe that was why he couldn’t see anyone he knew.
Akira listened to what Lisa said and then watched her actions again after she went quiet and he thought he noticed a slight twitch, but he paid no attention to it since it was pretty common to a lot of people, then she began to talk again, but seemed to change subject rather quickly at some point ~Wonder what that was about.~ Akira thought before speaking himself “Well I don’t do aerobics, apart from what we have to do in gym, but I do a lot of walking, running and other cardio work.” Akira began to wonder if this woman had another agenda on her mind, he was almost sure of it, but he doubted she would tell him anything. “May I ask, is there a certain reason for these questions? Or is it simply curiosity?”
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Post by Tiao Lei Shen on Oct 30, 2007 6:47:42 GMT 1
As the shunning ensued, Tiao Lei Shen couldn't help but let a smile surface, preempting a sharp exhale that almost sounded like a laugh. Of course, they did nothing to truly answer his question as they danced and sang around him. Then, he was swarmed with a group hug, proceding to rock him back and forth as they continued to sing. Once they let him go, he cleared his throat, lifting the mask off his face again, hanging it around the swords on his back as he turned to face the ladies once more.
"I'm not sure which would be stranger: whether thats something you guys are making up on the spot, or something you memorized."
He took a few steps the opposite direction, giving them his back for a few moments as he searched over the varying types of candies and treats that got these two women so excited. On the other hand, they were also excited and perky about getting Valencia in that accident.
Valencia...
In the short moment of silence, Tiao had thought he heard something like gears move in the room. He took a brief glance over the walls and ceiling, but quickly shook his head as he deemed in unimportant. He picked up a pixie stick, examining it before dropping it back on the table. He was curious to try the sugary treats, but without ever tasting it there was no real craving and as a result he decided against it. Instead, he hesistated a moment, turning back to the two girls with a furrowed brow.
"Hey...why do you think all this stuff is in this room opposed to downstairs? Shouldn't this junk food be with the other refreshments?"
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Post by victor on Oct 30, 2007 7:30:47 GMT 1
"And that's what you eat when you are dead..."
He sang softly and sadly, his voice the voice of a lonely lunatic in an asylum. Ah well, looked like nobody was up here. And he had such high hopes.
Victor wandered on down the hall, continuing to sing in his creepy, melancholy voice, when he suddenly heard the distinct sound of female laughter. Definitely not Valencia. These voices were high and giggly, the voices of girls who were distinctly feminine and having the time of their lives. He was interested, but he may as well investigate. A big old mansion filled with guests and a mysterious host? Let the snooping begin!
Victor crept down the halls, keeping to the edges of the walls where the shadows were the darkest so as not to be seen. He kept his breathing to a minimum and was careful to walk on the carpet and not to let his cape rustle or his boots click. He must not be detected under any circumstance. He slunk toward the female voices.
Down the furthest hall, a bright light shone. Victor slipped down the hall and peeked around the door, making sure he couldn't be seen. There were the two girls from earlier-the cowgirl and the faerie-and they were in the process of "shunning" the guest who had tried to intimidate the others earlier. But that wasn't what caught Victor's eye.
The room was stuffed with candy. Mother of God, he had never seen so much candy in his life. It was stacked all the way up to the ceiling! In wrappers, boxes, jars, jugs, bags, all sorts of things, it was almost obscene! A dentist's worst nightmare! The girls were singing something about "candy mountain". Childish, but true. More like Candy Universe. Victor was almost tempted to go in and grab some for himself, but doubted the figure from before would approve of that. Judging from his actions earlier, he would be apt to try to punch a few holes in Victor's ribs if he so much as acknowledged his presence. So without a sound, Victor withdrew his head and slipped back into the darkness, back down the hall.
Back down the hall at a safe distance, Victor decided to do some more snooping. Candy Mountain, eh? Maybe there was more...
So he slowly opened a large, black door.
Victor almost screamed when a VERY realistic ghost suddenly flew out from the back of the room and tackled him. It wasn't just a sheet with holes either. It was the real deal. A tall, gaunt, pitch black figure with a black, ripped shroud for a body. The hands had been reduced to bones. And the face was pale white with black eye sockets and an open, shrieking mouth. It hadn't been hung from the ceiling. It had been seated on a chair at the back of the room. When Victor had opened the door, a string connected to a spring trap on the chair had set it off, launching the grim figure onto him to say Hello. Ingenious.
Trembling from the shock of such a surprise (Mr. Joaquin apparently had a penchant for pranks), Victor wrestled the "ghost" off of himself, entered the room and shut the door. It was bright in the room. Bright enough for him to see that the room was another "Candy Mountain."
"Hijo de puta." Victor cursed under his breath in awe. Another place like this all to himself. And it was all his! Well, he didn't have much of a sweet tooth, but he could make an exception this time. He picked up a box of fruit flavored taffy. Oh what a gift! What a-
In a high pile of candy, something moved.
Victor set down the box. He approached the mountain of candy and looked closely. Yes, something had moved. But what? Victor reached up and cleared away the candy as best as he could. When he still couldn't see enough, he used his leg to knock out some of the candy from underneath the mountain-it hadn't been well stacked-to find the object behind it.
A camera was there.
A camera? What was Mr. Joaquin up to? This was a party to combat obesity and have fun! Why would there be multiple rooms filled with candy that would have cameras? Victor knew there would be nothing dangerous here, but still...
"The game is afoot." Victor said in a fake British accent. He began to dig around the room, clearing the candy away from the floor with his foot, being careful not to break anything. He was no detective, but he was curious as to what was going on.
Victor suddenly saw one of the most tantalizing candies in the world-at least to what he had read about it-in the exact center of the room in a large jar. In front of it was a note that read: "FOR MY GUESTS..."
Like he would fall for that. Victor picked up a box of caramel corn and tossed it at the jar. The moment the box hit the jar, Victor saw that the jar only leaned back instead of falling back. It had been attached to an invisible wire. A moment later, something opened up in the ceiling and a red substance-paint from the looks of it-fell from the ceiling. Victor rolled his eyes. This was like something out of a movie.
Another note floated down from the ceiling. Victor caught it, being careful not to step in any of the wet muck. It read: "GREED FOR SWEETS LEADS TO RUINATION. LIVE HEALTHY AND PROSPER."
"Hm, should I warn those girls or let them figure it out on their own? Then again, that guy dressed as Zuko looks clever enough to spot it. I'm sure he could probably catch on. But then again..."
Victor continued to weigh his options as he pondered what to do with Mr. Joaquin's eccentric approach to fitness.
OOC: The "tantalizing candy" is just whatever comes to whoever's imagination.
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Post by Valencia Donahue on Nov 2, 2007 5:44:34 GMT 1
((OOC: Sorry for the wait. Happy Halloween, folks.)) Lisa had this smiling facial expression that most adults would wear whenever they had no idea what was just asked of them. In Miss Kirkland’s case, she knew exactly what Akira was talking about, but had no idea as to how to answer. Nonetheless, she was still pleased to hear that Akira kept his heart in the sort of condition she desired. She regained her composure and clapped her hands slowly as if to make a point and responded the best way she could think of… [LISA]: “Why Akira, you have a good point there! I’m asking more about you than you are asking about me! How rude, it must have felt awkward for a complete stranger to be asking you such personal questions. Yes, you can say it’s for curiosity and in a way, out of personal interest because I work with heart surgeons all the time, but I assure you that I’m just making a conversation. Mr. Joaquin did intend this to be an occasion where we promote good health, after all. Please… I’m an open book! What would you like to know about me instead?” This woman was like one of those ladies who appeared way too cheerful and positive than you wanted them to be… Like telemarketers and such. They usually mean well, but everyone draws a line for them at some point. Meanwhile…Tiao removed his mask and it took a couple seconds before it completely registered to the lesbians that they were hugging (and rocking) a Pillar. When it did, they merely continued to grin and prance around while the Blue Spirit inspected the room. Eventually, Tiao asked them something that Valencia would usually ask… Since the two were more likely to pull her into situations like these and all that. Gladys adjusted her glasses and Ruth looked around again before telling Tiao… [RUTH]: “I thought about it for a little, but maybe it’s part of some surprise?” [GLADYS]: “It’d get more attention instead of the other food?” The fairy and the cowgirl looked at one another quizzically, then at Tiao as if to check their answers. Upon finding that he didn’t have all the answers, Ruth scratched beneath her hat and Gladys pulled out a wand from her wings. She tapped her lips in thought, then poked a few things with her wand. It wasn’t long until she stopped and pushed her glasses up her nose. She shook her head and turned to walk away, not noticing something flying out of the pile of candy aimed at her back— [RUTH]: “GLADYS!!” Meanwhile…[ ]: “ ‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. ‘Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!’ ” A middle-aged man sauntered down the halls of his mansion, reciting his favorite poem as he listened to the sound of the party going on throughout his home. Jabez Joaquin was decked in white from head to toe, with snowy white hair, pallid white clothes, and most noticeable of all, abnormally white eyes. He had white decorative horns on his head and some white wings to accompany thing look. Most would say he looked more like a humanoid dragon than the famed Jabberwocky. He had a cane with him and a servant that snickered loudly after hearing that one of his pranks got triggered in one of the rooms. The undead servant couldn’t hold it in any longer after receiving a report that another booby trapped room got set off. Mr. Joaquin stopped in the hall and the servant stopped laughing to investigate what the man just sensed. The servant stared down the dark corridor and questioned his superior… [SERVANT 1]: “What are we looking at, sir?” [MR. JOAQUIN]: “There’s someone further down the hall. It’s not moving, so I can’t tell what that person’s gender is, but there’s someone.” The undead servant made a face as if what he heard was strange but nonetheless very reasonable. He was about to check with the other servants and the cameras to find out who the person was, but Mr. Joaquin continued to walk instead. The servant put his plan on hold to not be left behind. Valencia was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall to keep pondering about where her coin went. After some time, she figured it best to take the initiative and head back to where the real party was going on. The servant finally noticed what his master was talking about and almost called out to the wraith to identify itself until Mr. Joaquin stopped him. [MR. JOAQUIN]: “It’s a she. Now… I think it’s best that I check up on my guests instead of ruining my image by pursuing them.” The servant shrugged and mouthed out silently “you’re the boss” and kept following Mr. Joaquin as he went on his way. The white Jabberwocky wandered the halls and greeted whatever guests he was able to come across until he finally made it to the door leading to the library. The servant was about to open the door for him until Mr. Joaquin once more stopped his aide. [MR. JOAQUIN]: “It’s quite alright. I would like to remain unnoticed as much as I can on my own. Please, do help the others. I heard that they have their hands full and some of the more ‘important’ guests are catching on.” The assistant bowed humbly and headed off towards the main parlor as Mr. Joaquin entered the library where the partygoers were playing billiards. He hovered around the fringes of the room, letting his silent footfalls be heard only by the use of his cane. The cane was carved in the shape of a dragon. Jabez Joaquin looked on at Santiago, Zerreth, Li, and all the others as they enjoyed themselves. He smiled quietly, pleased with himself.
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Vince
Dreamer
Junior
Posts: 117
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Post by Vince on Nov 2, 2007 22:32:35 GMT 1
Vince had let himself enjoy the dance for a time, savoring the annoyed and dejected look of the large bouncer that was guarding the small girl he had set his eyes upon. The wicked smirk was on his face, until he noticed exactly what Annette was speaking of. His grin would fade somewhat, his eyes covertly scanning the area as they continued.
"Perhaps your earlier assumptions were right...they watch much too closely."
Vince would feel their eyes on him, becoming much too conscious of the situation. They were selecting them, as he knew their agitated looks were more for his dance partner than himself. His mind was working over time, various voices lending their opinions. His world was verbal, it was only natural his thoughts were too.
"Did you have any leads before coming here?"
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Post by Tiao Lei Shen on Nov 3, 2007 20:19:31 GMT 1
Between the three students in the room, not one of them knew for sure the answer to Tiao's question. To promote good health, as a surprise, or to keep the other food from being jealous-- none of them were more right than the other. Well, besides Gladys. She had to be way off. Tiao gave a small shrug as the two girls looked for justification on their answers. At that, the three went back to their own thoughts.
Tiao wandered a bit more, though not distancing himself too far from the two girls. The more Tiao thought about it, the stranger the whole situation was. The owner of this house was always strange to Tiao, but did that make this situation more normal, or more strange? The pillar began to think he was over analyzing, and thats when Ruth gave a shout.
Tiao Lei Shen whipped around, springing off the balls of his feet. When fighting he relied on instincts, and not analyzing. As a result, Tiao's mind hadn't even registered what was going on until his body was leaping at Gladys. His right arm wrapped around her as he dived to the ground, pulling her down with him just as Tiao's hair felt a rush of air go right past his head. He landed with a hard thud on the ground, both his and the fairy's weight crashing down on his left side. There was a terrible sharp pain in Tiao's left elbow, causing him to grunt through his clenched jaw.
Tiao slowly rose to his feet, his right arm extending to help Glady's up. Whether she took it or not, Tiao's arm wouldn't stay out long for it would quickly go to his elbow joint, squeezing in an effort to have the pressure relieve some of the ache. He clenched his jaw, turning his head to the source of whatever had flown by, several pieces of candy blown to the ground. He turned his head back to the two girls, expecting to find their faces as confused as his.
"What the hell was that!?"
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Post by Odin Reeves on Nov 3, 2007 23:14:18 GMT 1
Taking one last bite of one half of his sandwich Odin set down the crumble remains of the edge of the bread, containing just a bit of sauce left on it with no other ingredient’s present. With his plate already half empty he was tempted to head back into the ballroom and collect something else to top off his sandwich, perhaps some salad or a baked potato. When he heard the low grumble he looked up, assumingly at an enemy from his favorite comic book series. When asked who taught him how to cook he looked a little confused, as all he did was choose the ingredients to his meal, yet answered without retort despite the fact.
“It’s from my mother that I learned how to cook, though, to be honest all I did here was pick out the ingredients. Everything else was already prepared, from the chicken and bacon, and the vegetables were nice and fresh.”
Despite this party being to promote good health and all that jazz Odin hadn’t been expecting to ‘run’ into anyone from health institutes, and that made him wonder who else was wandering around this party looking for healthy teenagers. For that matter, what exactly was their purpose for being here? Analyzing was to complicate for Odin, his mind wasn’t suited for it, and it showed in his grades. So rather then thinking it through more then he had Odin lifted the second half to his sandwich and took another bite. After swallowing and clearing his throat he looked back up at Garret Avci.
“So, what can I do for you director of the Chase Institute of Exotic Culinary Arts?”
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Post by victor on Nov 4, 2007 3:28:25 GMT 1
No sense staying in this room anymore. If there were two of these candy stuffed rooms in the mansion, then there were more of them no doubt. Logically, each one of them would have cameras and traps, although whether the traps would be of a different nature or be the same paint styled trap he wasn't sure. But there was no sense staying here.
Victor left the room in a hurry, going back out into the dark hallway. As he came back out, he heard one of the two girls down the hallway cry out, followed by a thump. Evidently they had learned that the price of entering "Candy Mountain" was a high one. Assuming the Chinese man dressed as Zuko hadn't saved them.
Victor wandered down the hall, observing the various doors here and there. He eventually came within range of the door where the two girls and the irate Zuko were. Knowing better than to disturb Zuko-Victor could tell from earlier he was not the kind of fellow who enjoyed being in the presence of men when he was around women or girls-he kept quiet. He pushed open a door.
"Holy God." Victor exclaimed aloud. "Something up my alley!"
The room was just as dark as the hallway, but it was the room he had been seeking: the art gallery. Paintings hung in rows along the walls, antiques were perched on tables and candles added to the haunted house effect by being hung from the walls. Victor walked down the wide passageway, looking over the various paintings. Most of the paintings appeared to be ancestral-Mr. Joaquin was definitely from a illustrious family from the paintings-but some of them were of recognizable figures throughout history. Mr. Joaquin apparently got out more than Victor thought he did.
Victor stepped on one part of the carpet and something opened up in the ceiling. Victor stepped back just in time as a life sized mechanical version of the Grim Reaper swooped out of the ceiling and swung a VERY sharp looking scythe at him before being withdrawn back up into the ceiling. Okay, now Victor was beginning to feel a bit weirded out. Mr. Joaquin was an odd one, that was for sure. Grimm's fairy tales odd.
Victor stepped over where he had stepped before and continued down the hall, only when he stepped on another area of the carpet, a panel opened up in the wall and a cream pie flew out of it. Victor ducked and the pie splattered on the other wall.
"Okay, that's it. This is getting out of hand." Victor thought. "Mr. Joaquin, you give Willy Wonka a run for his money."
He thought he heard footsteps approaching, but he couldn't be sure...
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Post by Valencia Donahue on Nov 4, 2007 18:32:25 GMT 1
The small Tracker editor muttered something unpleasant under her breath when she slipped because she could’ve sworn that the heel of her shoe broke. Annette tried to cast the distraction aside when Vince spoke again though, which reminded her to stay on track. That was the thing about Annette… She’s really focused, but the smallest distraction can reveal how her attention span mirrors her height. Annette looked around at the eyes on them. Now that Vince mentioned it, the fishy factor she was looking for was under her nose all this time. Not that she knew why they were staring at them like vultures after their carcasses, but there was something to write about right there.
[ANNETTE]: “No, I came here off of my own hunch. But if you want a clincher, some of the other newspaper groups are here too. Obviously, I’m not the only one who senses an editorial to be written. Unfortunately, I can’t put my finger on anything at this party aside from suspicions and the only time suspicions count as ‘proof’ is if it’s in the Howler.”
Annette looked around to check if anyone was watching, then spat somewhere in derision of even mentioning the other newspaper. If there were some things she agreed with Richard Maxwell, editor of the Keystone Predator, it included how much the Howler got on their nerves and how Sean—Wait, where is Sean? The bouncer had two left feet when it came with dancing, but he was still oafish in his bouncer-ing in regards to Annette.
Somewhere, deeeeeeep deep in his skull somewhere, he was plotting vengeance upon Vince for making a fool of him. As for what was foremost on his mind, Sean tried to navigate (hazardously) through the ballroom floor traffic known as the line of dance. No blinkers, no turning signals. Hell, the headlights weren’t even on. If the organization members weren’t busy gawking at specific people, Vince, and Annette, they probably would’ve pulled Sean over and given him a ticket for speeding through a red light in the wrong lane while making an illegal U-turn after 4 PM.
Meanwhile…
Tiao tackled Gladys while Ruth did what instinct made her do in order to defend her girlfriend. She jumped in the way of the volley of red paintballs, then fell to the floor looking as though she got shot and was bleeding profusely. The cowgirl screamed a bunch of things that’d never air on television and got onto her knees to check for injuries. Being the tomboy or the “guy” of the lesbian relationship, she was used to situations where she got bruised, especially with Valencia involved. However, it was one of those times where her more feminine side kicks in and she complains…
[RUTH]: “DAMMIT!! This BETTER wash out of these jeans or I’ll be on that rich guy’s ass about shooting paintballs at guests!”
Gladys had a rough landing, but she personally preferred being saved by Tiao to getting shot in the back. The fairy accepted the Pillar’s assistance, then dusted herself off before answering Tiao, then tending to Ruth.
[GLADYS]: “I just poked a bunch of things… My back was to the candy, so I guess it came from the direction of the gumballs. Ruth, are you alright!?”
[RUTH]: “I’m fine… I got hit by worse things before and you know that, Gladys! Now, I think it’s good idea to get out of this room before we push out luck more than we already did.”
The other lesbian nodded and provided Ruth support as they headed to the door. They were on their toes more this time, ‘cause it was more obvious than ever to them that Mr. Joaquin (or his aide, rather) believed in other things beyond spooks to be planted throughout this mansion. Once they were out in the hall though, the pair looked to the unmasked Blue Spirit…
[RUTH]: “Dude, I’ve known Valencia for a while now and I know when she’s trying not to be dead weight when she’s hurt. You alright?”
[GLADYS]: “Yeah… You just got out of the hospital, didn’t you? If anything, we shouldn’t be stressing your injuries!”
Meanwhile…
[GARRETT]: “I do have to admit, Mr. Joaquin’s chefs did an alright job this time… I suppose. I’ve tasted better veal, though.”
The monster of a man was mildly amused at Odin leaning against the vertical surface. There was always something about the stoic persona that Mr. Avci couldn’t always associate to. Where others would beat around the bush or dance around questions, Garrett appreciated Odin getting to the point because he too wasn’t one for wasting time with idle words. He smirked, flashing one of his fangs briefly before responding, totally at ease and dauntless. What he said next unveiled another aspect of his character and though very animal-like, it wasn’t as though he was mentally deficient. It may be hard to believe, but it could be proven.
[GARRETT]: “I’m not one for playing twenty questions, so I’ll tell you that I’ve eaten many things in the course of my lifetime. I’m more renowned for eating ‘taboo’ cuisine like insects… Offal…”
Here, he began to inspect one of his nails before mentioning off-handedly…
[GARRETT]: “…And human flesh.”
Whatever curious eavesdroppers dared to listen in on the conversation tried to search Garrett’s features for any sign of humor and found none. He very frank and honest about what he said and could care less if people branded him for being a cannibal. If anything, he dared people to say it in his face.
[GARRETT]: “My personal belief is that ‘if it tastes good and you can eat it without dying, it is edible’. However, I may die indirectly if I pursue my culinary interests involving the harvest of human carcasses. Death penalty. And I need to stay alive long enough to convince the world that consumption shouldn’t be ruled by fear, like children who are picky eaters. In a nutshell, I would like to legally attain your body in order to eventually devour after some proper preparations. Of course, attaining your body should only occur after death.”
…And that was the nice way of putting it. The bluntest way he could’ve said it was “I want to eat you”, but it would’ve given off the wrong message. Garrett didn’t feel it was necessary to mention that if Odin turned down the “legal” offer, the director would resort to illegal means. He told the truth in wanting to get Odin’s body after he died, but left out details like whether the death would come through natural causes or otherwise. There was so much more to it, like what’d happen to the rest of his family, maybe his friends, and other factors too. The man shined his nails against his shirt and stared at Gambit casually, letting all this information sink in. Sure, Garrett chose to cut to the chase instead of using Mr. Joaquin’s suggested script to approach his interest, but the gourmand felt that he made the right choice.
Meanwhile… On [red]Victor’s[/red] end…
Mr. Joaquin’s aide was more intent on going after people than letting them slip through his fingers. That was the Withers way: don’t let opportunity knock, then move on to the next house while you’re taking your sweet time getting to the door. Mr. Withers, the undead servant, muttered as he headed to where the paintings were in hopes of finding the “person that got away”. He would’ve used his resources, but had a vague feeling that all the traps being set off would lead him right to his target anyways. Mr. Joaquin had the right idea of testing the hardiness and agility of his guests, but Mr. Withers felt a smidge annoyed that he wasn’t doing much more than that. No “you impressed me” or other things like that. Hell, he even instructed his wealthier guests to not make any of the younger guests uncomfortable in any sort of way.
[MR. WITHERS]: “Pffft… Like taking his customers on a safari or excursion and telling them not to touch or kill the animals while he’s fattening them up… Sheesh. Did he even see how things are going on in the ballroom and gardens? Resistance is futile with those people! If I wasn’t being paid handsomely, I would’ve made a bigger deal about it too…”
The servant continued onward until he made it to the gallery where his most recent trap got set off. It was the grim reaper trap and he had to admit, it was one of his more favorite (and expensive) tricks. Mr. Withers grinned in the dark and stealthily hurried over to the sounds of trap after trap being set off. Once he made it close enough to see Victor, he was a bit disappointed to see that it wasn’t the wraith he saw earlier. In fact, he had mixed feelings seeing the Spanish nobleman… Well, not excessively injured.
[MR. WITHERS]: “For the love of Allah, if you’re going to put my traps to waste, at LEAST get hurt or something!”
…Mr. Joaquin would’ve preferred if none of his guests got injured for a variety of reasons, but of course, Mr. Withers took pride in the mechanisms he constructed and the actors he organized. It was like how trappers wanted their traps set off by big game, not random twigs messing up how sensitive they were. Oh well. You win some, you lose some.
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Post by akira on Nov 5, 2007 22:22:36 GMT 1
~I should be careful about what I’m saying, wouldn’t want to sign myself up for anything.~ Akira had absolutely no idea why Lisa seemed so excited but he listened to her anyway. Hesitating for a few moments after she finished speaking Akira had a quick thought before speaking ~I know she is gonna lie if I ask her about her organization or whatever, might as well say something off the top of my head.~
“Don’t worry about asking me questions; I have been asked more and weirder things in the past. As for asking you a question? I’m not too sure what to ask so how about this, seeing as you were invited here, you might be able to shed a bit of light on this for me, I have been hearing a lot of people saying that this Mr. Joaquin has some sort of hidden agenda planned for tonight, you wouldn’t by any chance know anything?”
Akira knew that even if she knew anything she would more than likely lie about it, why spoil the surprise. Akira rested his hands on his holstered guns once more and shifted his position a little bit until he was more comfortable.
(sorry again about the lateness Valencia.)
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Post by Tiao Lei Shen on Nov 7, 2007 1:41:38 GMT 1
Initially worried about the mass of red around Ruth's midsection, Tiao was a bit surprised but relieved to hear the mass of curses thrown out by the cowgirl. Gladys checked on Ruth's well being, giving Tiao time to examine what had just happend.
Tiao Lei Shen turned back, moving towards the gumballs Gladys had pointed out. He carefully pushed the excess gum to the ground, staying on guard in case there was yet another surprise attack. Sure enough, Tiao had spotted the barrell of what he assume to be a paintball gun (hard to say for certain, as he had never been paintballing) with rubberbands around the trigger area. He didn't have much more time than that however, as he turned, giving Ruth a nod in agreement of vacating the room.
Tiao followed from behind as the two lesbians tip toed their way out of the room. As he came to the door, Tiao stopped, turning back as he began to hear the mechanic noises again in the silence of Gladys and Ruth's gentle steps. In the far corner, Tiao spotted a glare from the light. It was only a flash, lasting no more than a second. Still, in that second Tiao was aware of the surveillance. Yes, Mr. Joaquin was a rich man and cameras wouldn't be a strange thing, but added with the recent surprise it had become and eyebrow raiser. Tiao's eyes did the opposite however, narrowing in on where the glare had come from just before stepping out the door and coming up the rear to the couple.
As he walked out the two quickly checked on his status, reminding Tiao that he had been clutching his arm. He quickly let go of his elbow, feeling some of the pain rushing back. He clenched his jaw at both the pain and the weakness of showing it, turning his gaze to the lesbians.
"I'm perfectly fine, I don't have any injuries." Tiao scowled, pausing to take a short breath before speaking back up. "Speaking of which, maybe we should find Valencia. She could be in trouble...assuming her entourage didn't lay down on the bed of nails for her."
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Post by victor on Nov 7, 2007 7:06:17 GMT 1
The manservant looked even more decrepit than the butler that Victor had come face to face with at the door earlier. If the butler looked like Charon, than this man was the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, although it was far from Christmas. He looked rather peeved, although Victor did not know what he had done to irritate him. Trespassing perhaps?
“For the love of Allah, if you’re going to put my traps to waste, at LEAST get hurt or something!”
Ah, so there was the gist of it.
"So you've been setting up these traps and cameras?" Victor asked. "I must say I am impressed. Your master has an... interesting way of promoting health. In fact, I actually sort of enjoy his methods."
Victor stepped forward, stopping to look at a large portrait of Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory" (only somebody like Mr. Joaquin would have been able to purchase a portrait of that). His intellect told him that if there were traps like the Grim Reaper trap around in the mansion, there were bound to be others like it. Ones that were perhaps, worse, the kind that only Hircine students could escape with their instincts and abilities.
"I don't mean to intentionally set off your traps you know." Victor said to the manservant. "It's just that... well, almost everyone knows about the Hircine students. Our instincts and reflexes generally allow us to anticipate such things. I read a lot books, so I'm slightly more accustomed to traps. Of course that doesn't mean it's impossible to catch me."
Victor turned to face the manservant. Lowering his voice as the door was still open, he said: "And all the while, I can't help but feel if the traps are a punishment for those who pursue the various "Candy Mountains", throughout the mansion, then logically, there must be some other fate for those who follow a healthy eating and living habit at this party and in life, right?"
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Post by Valencia Donahue on Nov 7, 2007 16:49:05 GMT 1
That frozen smile plastered onto the thin woman’s features remained as another uncomfortable silence came between Akira and Miss Kirkland. This woman along with other surgeons and the like practice the art of removing people’s hearts. She specialized in repairing hearts and transplanting artificial hearts, but none of those skills compared to her research and experimentation with other people’s hearts. Furthermore, she, like many if not all of the shady adults at this party, had a hand somewhere in organ trafficking. Lisa needed hearts to experiment on and healthy hearts to give to her rich customers. With her delicate and even unreal exterior, it was hard to tell if she had a heart of her own, a fake heart, or someone else’s heart, but in the end… Her eye twitched again as she came up with another lie. [LISA]: “I… I wouldn’t know what Mr. Joaquin has in store overall, but I’m sure it’s something everyone will enjoy!” The bony blonde woman was invited here to study potentials and eventually hunt them down to steal their innards. She, like many others, thought it was extremely risky for Mr. Joaquin to hold such an extravagant and public event for the purpose of selecting the most prime meat bag, but what can you do when it came to the Jabberwocky… The only constraint he gave was to not harm any of the teenaged guests, which left the other guests the option to only gawk hungrily for the parts and such that they took for granted with their own, original bodies. Lisa smiled gingerly at the cowboy, finding it more and more difficult to keep up her façade in front of Akira. The boy was thinking much more than she wanted him to. Meanwhile…Ruth and Gladys laughed amongst themselves at Tiao’s comment as they continued on their way. Whatever injuries Tiao had were probably the healing-up kinds, so they decided not to pester him too much about it. Then, something got triggered in Ruth’s mind… Ruth remembered when she called and screamed everywhere for the Pillars, probably for the first and only time she’s ever been at Hircine High. Valencia was in the parking lot that rainy day when her ex, Agon, tried to kill her. Save for the few brave souls that intervened to a degree when Agon’s gang got involved, no one came to Valencia’s aid and if luck weren’t on her side, she would’ve been knifed badly and electrocuted. Hearing Tiao talk about Valencia made her feel sick and even a bit angered… Why did he care about Valencia now instead of then? Ruth was a reasonable person and understood that the Pillars couldn’t be everywhere, but she still understood that things were wrong and there was a reason why she wanted to side with Stern during the finale. She wanted things to change so that Valencia wouldn’t have to keep thinking that she’s invincible and so that everyone can be at peace. The Watchers made things worse in spite of the drop in fights. Ruth kept thinking away until Gladys’s concerned looks woke her up. Ruth smiled at her girlfriend and hugged her closer. She still didn’t know what to think about the Pillars though. Things just kept getting worse and with the news buzzing everywhere about Revelation— [GLADYS]: “Ruth, I don’t know about you, but after some cleaning up, what say you to jumping into the pool to freshen up?” [RUTH]: “Huh? Oh! That doesn’t sound like a bad idea, but what about you, Tiao? What do you feel like doing?” Yes, he suggested looking for Valencia, but maybe he did it out of consideration… Since the two were friends with her and all. What did he really feel like doing? Ruth didn’t know how he thought of her, especially because she didn’t witness him throwing people in the parlor earlier. After being reminded of that fateful day, if Tiao had feelings for Valencia, Ruth would probably be pretty darned critical about it. Meanwhile…Mr. Withers scrunched up his face and kept muttering and cursing quietly under his breath as Victor went on about how his traps didn’t get him. Sure, rub it in, buddy. He rolled his eyes when Victor brought up the Hircine students. The aide knew that the place had potential, but so did a bunch of other schools. Cartford was one of the better examples. Seriously, they didn’t have Watchers messing up the quality of their students by browbeating them. Not like the servant was silly enough to say this aloud, of course. Wouldn’t want to say much more than he needed to. It was his job. He half-heartedly began to make rude hand gestures at Victor until the teenager turned around, causing the aide to swiftly fake cracking his knuckles. Victor then implied something that Mr. Withers knew all too much about, causing the man in the dark to chuckle. He shook his head and made it a mental memo to inform Mr. Joaquin about how the word got out faster than it should. The aide knew that this event wouldn’t go quite right, considering how certain people like Garrett Avci, Ms. Leone, and Mr. Tall were like… And this was omitting the others who just couldn’t keep a secret if their life depended on it. Mr. Withers gave a deep bow and looked up at Victor with a glint in his eye. [MR. WITHERS]: “Indeed you’re right, my good sir! Mr. Joaquin pretty much encourages people to make the most of their good health while they still have it… Y’know, to do fun things with their lives instead of wasting it away~ Doing stupid things like making donuts with their cars and becoming couch potatos~ Okay, maybe it was harsh of me to set up these traps, but let me tell ya, missing Mischief Night just isn’t my thing. I apologize for nearly offing you like that and Mr. Joaquin would kill me if he found out, so let’s set off on a better foot?” He stood up straight and offered a hand. He added another smile for good measure. [MR. WITHERS]: “I can show you around~♪” …He also added a bribe, just in case.
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Post by Tiao Lei Shen on Nov 9, 2007 0:54:53 GMT 1
Tiao hadn't noticed Ruth's angst, as he was distracted by his own. The pillar had given a suggestion, only to be laughed off by the two girls. It occured to him that they probably thought he wasn't too serious on it, but it irked him nonetheless. Had Tiao even been aware of Ruth's frustration, he would not have even known why. Until recently, Tiao had little contact with Valencia. He knew little about her past incidents, one being the ruckus that caused MacMillan to recruit her. What Tiao didn't know, was the reasoning for that ruckus, and the failure he would feel about not being around to protect a student...especially her.
Ruth and Gladys spoke up to Tiao once more, surprising him with how quickly they fell back to their perky selves. What Tiao had wanted to say again was "I want to find Valencia," but didn't. The pillar was having trouble coping with actually caring about someone himself, especially after Charlotte. Even though he knew Darren knew, Tiao hadn't told a soul about his feelings for Valencia. A physical enforcer, a hardened warrior, Tiao was still a teenage boy. He wasn't about to embarass himself with letting two of the most talkative girls in the entire school know one of his true, deeper aspects.
"...I don't care."
Was all Tiao offered, his face forming a scowl. He wanted to find Valencia, but he didn't want to tell them. While he could search on his own, Tiao's male instincts kicked in (something the lesbians probably wouldn't appreciate), making him reluctant in leaving the two girls to go find another possible danger.
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Post by akira on Nov 10, 2007 21:30:02 GMT 1
Akira watched how Lisa reacted when he finished speaking, silence. Just as expected, followed yet again by another twitch. ~Lying to me again I see… no matter. ~ Akira had a father in the army, he knew all about when people were lying and when they were telling the truth, but then again, this woman hadn’t been straight with Akira since they began talking ~Time to get out of here, before I get sucked into something I’m gonna regret.~ Akira began looking around and finally spotted some of his friends he was with earlier, one of them looked at his direction and Akira began to nod his head back slightly hoping he would take the hint and come over, but he didn’t.
“Well I guess it was just my wishful thinking then, never mind eh?” Akira chuckled slightly and placed his hands in his pockets. Grabbing his phone in his right pocket he knew it well enough to know how to send a text without looking, and proceeded to write the following message “Dude! Come and get me out of here!” Hopefully they would get the message soon, letting go of the phone Akira took his hands out of his pockets and moved them to behind his head and rested his head in them. ~Gotta keep her talking until they get here.~ Akira thought quickly before sprouting out yet another question “Well, do you happen to have any more questions about me you would like to ask?” Akira smiled slightly after saying this as if to seem interesting in what was happening.
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Post by Odin Reeves on Nov 11, 2007 0:10:44 GMT 1
Clearing his throat Odin made a soft coughing sound before he leaned forward and placed his plate down on the fine tile floor. The china make a soft ‘clink’ as the bottom edge hit, and it reminded Odin of the sound of a ring bell signaling the beginning of a fight. The fact that Mr. S. Tooth enjoyed eating flesh was disgusting to Odin, and he could tell just by looking at the man that he was at least ten years his senior, if not fifteen or twenty. Odin would surely outlive him by natural means, so Garrett Avci seemed to be implying that Odin’s death would occur in an unnatural way. That was a threat; Odin didn’t take kindly to threats. Even more so he didn’t like the guests this Mr. Joaquin was inviting to his party. This wasn’t a promotion of health; it was a gathering of subjects.
Turning his head to the side he looked up at Garrett Avci, his contacts hiding the intent of destruction fuming in his eyes. As his fists tightened on the opposite side of his body, hidden to Mr. Avci by Gambit’s pants and trench coat, he began to think of the ways to hurt this guy, this intruder to his peaceful nature.
“Would you like to see a trick?” His fists loosened, he stood from the comfy cushion of an assumable expensive chair, and pulled out his trick deck. “There’s nothing to special about this deck.” He said, holding it up in front of Mr. Avci. The outside case was the flimsy cardboard you find regular playing cards in. Pulling out the tab he slid the cards, all 52, as one into his hand, keeping them relatively together, only having to straighten it a bit.
“But it seems to always push the Ace of Spades to the top. Perhaps it’s predicting death or misfortune, or simply a warning.” He chuckled lightly, showing how he didn’t believe in such things as he lifted the top card. Sure enough it was the Ace of Spades, which isn’t uncommon, as he could’ve placed it there earlier. But then he took the Ace of Spades out, biting it and keeping it between his teeth. Lifting the cards so that they faced Mr. Avci he spread them out, being careful not to let them fall as he showed that there was in fact no other Ace of Spades in the deck. Leaning forward slightly he placed it in the middle before pushing the cards back together. Then held it in his palm without shuffling it.
“Now this is the tricky part, as there’s no logical way for the ace to have returned.” Smiling he placed the cards down on the chair cushion, ignoring the glass table to it’s side as he took of his trench coat. No longer with sleeves he picked up the desk and held them so that neither could see the face of the cards. Spreading them out like a Chinese fan he smiled and put his finger just above the middle card, then with a look of focus and determination he concentrated and pulled his finger above the other cards, making it seem like he was moving the Ace of Spades.
“Now, answer me this Mr. Avci,” Closing the cards he looked back up at the large man, a smile no longer on his face. “Is the Ace of Spades there, or not?”
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