((OOC: Music to read by: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAaFt57plQA ))

It was the perfect Halloween night.

Mashups of classically Halloween and recent songs put to darker tones rang out from Castle Gould. There in one large dining hall was set the gothic place settings for guests to enjoy deliciously wicked treats. Heavy black curtains hung low as spider webs stretched between the chandeliers. Two large bars made up like an alchemist’s lab in the central lobby served adults glowing, smoking libations of a dangerous sort. A deep orange red glow emanated from the DJ’s stage and the smoky, wafting false flames of the Hellish theme at the dance hall.

Outside guests wandered to see the decorated grounds, teaming with Jack O Lanterns, skeletal remains, and actors hidden in not so innocent statues of various monsters! Many took their turn in the Mad Hatter’s Maze! A deranged crew of Lewis Carroll’s favorite characters chased / helped you through the long, winding attraction! Twinkling violet lights, looming gargoyles, and hidden secrets awaited you in the hedge.

Evil knights warred outside the Hempstead estate as a foul King ushered you into his realm: explore the richly designed but terribly haunted house! A bedroom held the Queen’s ghost and the tower was the playground of the evil warlock! Every room was cleverly crafted as you wove your way through tricks, devilish actors, and even the occasional treat. At the end of the spooky walk through was another hall made up for the King’s throne room complete with servants offering wine, mead, and finger foods. But watch out for that basement torture chamber, filled with history and danger!

Many had worked hard for this and all deserved the fun. The Haven organization, the city, various contributors, and many volunteers had worked diligently for two days after weeks of preparation, invites, vetting visitors, setting up with vendors, ensuring security, and of course decorating… Devon was certain not to let the night be ruined by bad weather. Oh no.

The last few days he’d done a few trips around the city, the island, Connecticut, and even at great risk… Jersey. Tempest had been influencing the developing weather patterns, manipulating the jet stream, and encouraging away the humid, warm air that was lingering. Tonight there was cool, autumnal temperatures, the faintest breeze, and a smattering of clouds to play over the moon.

In the dance hall it was getting warm as partygoers danced excitedly. A mashup of Rob Zombie’s Dragula echoed along as two vampiric young ladies took an impressive turn at the center of the floor. People laughed at the purple people eater chasing those at the edge of the room into dancing. Some simply lingered near the doorway to the lobby, drink in hand. They’d join in soon.

Too. Many. People!


L was not having a good time. Three people had asked her if she was lost, or where her mommy was. She'd replied with a flat expression and a stiff middle finger every time as she'd passed, and it had worked so far. There were people @$%^ing EVERYWHERE here. Haven didn't seem to spare any expenses when it came to events like this, and it really brought the crowds out. It wasn't like she was surprised, though. Ellalouise was no fool. This party was plastered all over he internet as the place to be if you aligned yourself in any charitable or mutant contributional works, or if you just liked a really big party. It was promised to be just the sort of thing shed hate. She'd just... been invited. Personally. By Devon. 

She flushed a bit, and then shook her head quickly. After a moment she reached up to adjust to ribbon in her hair, the accouterment to her freaking adorable Alice costume. Part of the reason she'd willed herself to leave the house was to be seen in public in this well-crafted marvel of a costume dress. She'd paid most of her highly limited stipend for this dress custom off of MResty. She'd even with the rest, and allowed two of her MMO memberships to lapse for now. She was getting out a bit more, after all.

Dress shaped motivation only did so much for the eternal preteen, though, so she'd opted to be one of those doorway lingerers with drink in hand. They'd turned her down for anything adult, so it was just misty punch, but she couldn't get sloshed if she tried anyway so she wasn't about to complain. 

No instead she just stared into the room, a slightly bored and closed off look on her face as the rager howled on before her. Yup. Looked like they were all having tons of fun. If the dude in the purple people eater costume tried to get her to dance she was going to punch him in his big ol' stupid eye.

((OOC Note: Please feel free to skip the first part of this post, and go straight to the dashes. It’s mainly background to set things up for me. It got long.))


Dupe: verb. To deceive or trick.

The new face was a little bit more than a deception. It had involved a lot of shifting, of muscle, of skin and bone. And the shifting had been over the entire body, and not just the facial area.

Lenna had lived a life full of pain, but even she had been forced to admit it. In the end, the process of shifting her to a new identity had been more painful than anything she’d ever experienced... and she’d killed her best friend and big sister accidentally!on purpose with a katana. In the rain. And that’s a whole other kind of pain than what most people go through on a day to day basis.

The entire process of identity creation had taken over an hour. It had felt longer than that. Though she’d been informed that it would hurt, and that it would shave a year from her life for every required shift, Lenna still had not been prepared. Maybe the woman had made it more painful, to get back at her for the comment?

When she’d first met the face changer, Lenna had made a stupid joke about it being an elaborate trick to disguise her and deceive others. A dupe. And since the face changer worked for SUPER, that made her a... you guessed it. A SUPER duper.

The woman had explained that she did not fool people with her face changes, because they were not fantastic costume changes. They were more than that. They were actual appearances she had received, either through theft or through willing donation. Which made her more than a SUPER duper. It made her little Miss Taken Identity. Her words, not Lennas. And since lenna was one of her cases...

Lenna had not laughed at the face changers joke. She’d made the Comment. If Miss Taken Identity was in charge of both changing faces to AND from the new identity, did that make her super de duper? The woman had responded with bone searing pain. Little Miss Taken Identity, the face changer, first of her name, Queen of taking herself too seriously and stealer of bodies hadn’t liked that. She hadn’t liked that for over an hour. Ow.

Why had she changed her face? Her entire being? Too many people had seen her other world self and made connections. Apparently, her other self had been covert everywhere it counted but with relationships... and her relationship with the New York Underworld. SUPER couldn’t take the chance or her getting attacked again, and blindsided while on a mission. They’d give her a new face and a brand new identity. Which was really great! Because they had a mission for her to test that new face on.

—

Devon Haddon was hosting an event for the Haven organization. SUPER was always interested in what he was up to. Lenna has been sent to meet and mingle with people at the event. It was a great way to establish a new alias, and to make connections.

The costume she had chosen for her new face was a classic. Americans just love revealing costumes for Halloween, and Lenna? She liked Star Wars. Princess Leia had always been a badass to her, and what better way to honor a classic badass than by dancing around in a skimpy outfit for the occasion. She had gone as Slave Leia. Her new body was a 10. She had it on good authority. She’d brought a light black wrap, to stave off the chill, but it could be checked at the door.

Her new identity was a wealthy socialite new to the New York scene, fresh from Europe. Her name was Ivy Vanderhees. She was 5’9”, two inches taller than she was used to. Ivy had long blonde hair that usually came down to her shoulders, but it was done in the classic Leia-do. A long braid that hung over one shoulder.

Confidently, Princess Leia scanned the crowd, looking for people to interact with (but one person, in particular). The place was set up well. People looked like they were having fun. Lots of dancing, lots of glamour and glitz. Something... purple. No, she didn’t get that reference. Then again, she missed a lot of references like that. Too dated, too American. She’d grown up out of country, after all. She didn’t see who she was looking for immediately.

Lenna!Ivy walked, smiling and saying polite nothings to everyone she passed. Making an entrance, making an appearance. Crafting personality and brand. She smiled at a woman in an Alice in wonderland style baby blue dress that probably felt warmer than her costume... just in time to see her flip a rude gesture at some nice-looking person. It didn’t seem like the darling child was having much fun. Lenna avoided the girl for the moment.

‘Best let her cool down,’ Lenna thought. Also, she thought ‘maybe she should wear a sign that says “eat me”, just to tell off people that bother her without resorting to the bird.’

((OOC: My genderbent male Maleficent inspiration but add wings. ))

“This is bound to creep everyone out,” Devon chuckled, a darkness in the laugh, as he approached the doorway and sweet, innocent Alice. He held two drinks, each a bubbling smoky concoction of glowing green liquid. “I got you a real drink and I’ve spoken with the staff,” he said with a grin, offering up one of the two. “I hope you like Midori.”

Cradled in the crook of his arm was a staff of gnarled, knotted wood fifty-six inches long. At its top was a multifaceted stone, looking much like a multicolored dragon’s egg. It fit his costume well. Devon had let his dark hair grow long, some eight inches, a well-moussed and tussled mess that offset the large curled back horns atop his head. His eyebrows had been arched, make up applied to whiten his flesh, and elven-like ear points added. A jacket of black and steel studs closed tight over his abdomen. A belt held up the sheen of his black leather pants, though a few spikes ran along the belt as well. The sleeves of the jacket ended at such steely thorns as well. Spiked plating at the shoulders met a collar that was more decoration than armor for it also bore a brilliant topaz gem over the rest of his bare chest. Stunningly a pair of iridescent violet, midnight blue, and black raven’s wings hung at his back, occasionally shifting as if real.

“Looks like things are really moving here,” he added, drink moving to his lips and the staff now in his other hand. “The maze is amazing, have you been through it yet? Or were you going to dance?”

Old Megan had loved parties. Dancing, drinking, sweaty bodies pressed up against each other in a deafening, dimly lit setting. She had lived for it. And then... Roach happened. And the X's. And that damn dream her life seemed to circled around constantly like water in a slowly emptying sink. She had stepped away from the public eye for protection because she wasn't entirely stupid. You couldn't have both. She valued her personal safety more than music and drunken hookups.

Or, well... she had.

Roach was dead. What had been driving her for so many years was gone rotting... and she was faced with the fact that she was utterly, hopelessly bored. She had no life, wasn't fully comfortable trying to slip back into her old shoes, and was still stubbornly bitter about the whole thing. And then L happened. A little feisty blond who was too short and too cute to possibly contain all of that rage had popped onto her radar, and now she had something to do. Someone to focus on who wasn't a freakin' ghost. Since the first time they had met, she had taken to stalking keeping an eye on the woman. Her normal comings an goings, what she tended to do in her off time.

She was a shut it. It was almost comical. Megan didn't blame her though. She was a bit of a recluse nowadays herself.

It was through one of her watching sessions that she happened to overhear about a certain party. Some sort of charity event that the woman had bee invited to, which she was apparently very excited for. Seemed like she had a schoolgirl crush on some guy. Having nothing else to do with her life currently, Megan decided to see what this party was all about...

--

The day of the event came and she was prepared. Her costume was finished, handmade from her own silk and the softest furry fabric she could find. Since her unknowing friend was going as Alice she had chosen to go as the Grinning Cheshire Cat. It was a far cry from her usual attire, but it did feel good parading herself around in something different.

Considering that she hadn't wanted to flat out buy a ticket, she'd opted to simply borrow one from someone else instead to get herself inside. Having small, hardly noticeable hench-spiders to do that word for you helped a lot, to boot. Once inside, she snagged herself a fruity looking drink that matched the purple in her costume and made to linger around the edge of the crowded room, keeping her eyes peeled for a small blonde.

Three prawn was not a fan of parties. She had also never been too big on Halloween. When you looked like some scifi extra in the day-to-day, dressing up as some sort of spectacle wasn't exactly a priority.  But money was money, and Devon was paying her. So the prawn stood at a respectful distance from her rather devilish boss, wholly unrecognizable.

Jack had painted her shell,  up to her elbows and knees, a muddy brown. This coordinated with the swaths of dirty black robes that concealed her, a great hood pulled up around her head, and concealing her face. At her side, a plastic scythe. She was the grim reaper

And perhaps Devon should've disagreed to such a costume, because anyone could draw their hood and try to get close to him-- but no one was as massive as Jack. Shear size alone would distinguish her from any imposters. She slid past her friend/employer, and the apparent child he'd handed an alcoholic beverage.

"Hm."

The "grim reaper" chose to stand a few yards off, where she could give the two their privacy, but could still keep an eye out on the crowd. The great thing about the costume is that people only gawked at her for being tall and hooded, rather than looking like some hellborne cricket. It was totally within character to stand around and stare quietly, too. The downside was that it greatly reduced her field of vision, so Jack would probably turn her head to the left, then to the right to survey her surroundings. At least her arms were free.

A lot of things were happening all at once. It was a party, after all, and the little blonde couldn't help but find herself intimidated by it. It was funny, she'd found herself in a state of life in which she feared absolutely nothing a well-adjusted person would be terrified of. Falls off of high cliffs? Spiders? Getting shot, stabbed, or drowned? Giant people dressed as the grim reaper lurching around?  None of these phased her. This, though, this was scary. People, bouncing around like idiots. Flirting and smiling and judging everyone around them quickly before deciding who they would interact with. 

She didn't often win when it came to those quick judgments. Maybe it was her smile. Even now she almost caught the eye of someone brave enough to come dressed as slave Leia. She jumped a bit when Devon appeared over shoulder and spoke, shaking her from her thoughts and running contrary to her belief that no one would approach. She turned to look and blinked a few times at his attire. Goodness, he really went all out...  He handed her a drink. An honest to goodness grown-up drink, and told her he'd talked to the staff. She seemed almost in shock for a half second before reaching out and grabbing the beverage. "T- Uh, Thank you. I don't believe I've tried it before. Wow, you look..." Good? Don't tell him he looks good, that's creepy, he's your therapist. "Like a Disney villain." She hid in her drink, wincing into the beverage. Idiot.

Her eyes passed over to the imposing figure behind him and off to the side, and she recovered quickly. "I haven't had a chance to go into the maze, actually." Typically places like that stopped her at the door and asked if she had a guardian to walk her through. Maybe that would be different now that Devon had chatted with the staff... Was that a thing? Could he really just override all of the crap she had to deal with with a wave of the hand? Lord that sounded nice. "I hear I would fit in well, though. Dancing, however... Well, I'm not so sure about that."

She looked over to the spare kiddy drink in her hand, set it on the nearest surface area, which it probably didn't belong on, patted it as if to tell it to stay, and then referred to herself with her hand. "Not sure who wants to dance with the 12 year old."

People passed by, talking and laughing. She had stopped a little ways away from the girl in the Alice costume. A man approached the young girl, trailed by a shadow only someone blind would have missed. Lenna calmly noted Death over her shoulder, then settled her eyes back on Devon Haddon. At a lull in their conversation, she approached.

The woman smiled, all teeth. ”My, but don’t the two of you have fantastic costumes?” She said warmly. ”Devon Haddon, I presume?”

The hulking reaper nearby couldn’t be anything but a bodyguard, with their size and the way they stood close and watched. Lenna made a point to look unthreatening.

”This really is a great party. Ivy Vanderhees, pleased to meet you. Both of you.” She added, with a small nod to Alice.

Quietly, she said to the girl dressed like Alice. ”You might want to favor a sign if you’re having problems with chasing off rude people. Just a thought. Couldn’t help but notice them giving you trouble. Maybe something in-character, like ‘Eat me’?” Lenna smirked. A hint of humor hadn’t been able to help itself from creeping into her voice. ”That’d show them.”

She didn’t bat an eye at the underage drinking. After all, she’d drank as much at her age too. What even was the drinking age in New York?

Devon gave Jack a small nod and smile as he drew close and moved a bit past. Devon wasn’t one for ignoring anyone, even a bodyguard. Of course she wasn’t simply a bodyguard, Jack was a friend. Seemed she took an interesting note of his passing the drink. She’d find out soon enough how much L was different or rather, never got to be any different than what she was now.

>> "T- Uh, Thank you. I don't believe I've tried it before. Wow, you look... Like a Disney villain."

“Thanks, I was turning Maleficent male so I figured I’d mash up the animated and the recent live action too,” Devon grinned. “And the maze would definitely fit you. We could give you a fake knife and you could chase people around with a deranged laugh!” he chuckled. “I mean… that sure sounds fun. Wasn’t there a game about a violent Alice?”

>> "Not sure who wants to dance with the 12 year old."

“Anyone who talks more than a moment with you will realize you aren’t,” Devon suggested, “Though I know conversation isn’t prone to happen on the dance floor. I’m sure some won’t mind though. Different is what it’s all about after all.”

He paused, noting the attention of a young blonde. She looked familiar and not only because of the Leia costume. Star Wars. You couldn’t really beat Star Wars. He’d reviewed something about this woman. A smile blossomed brighter on his paled face as she approached.

>> ”My, but don’t the two of you have fantastic costumes?” She said warmly. ”Devon Haddon, I presume?”

“Yes, and yours as well,” Devon bowed his head, ignoring the mispronunciation of his last name.  He made no facial express as to the mistake either.  Merely the young man remained smiling.

>> ”This really is a great party. Ivy Vanderhees, pleased to meet you. Both of you.”

“Ah I thought you looked familiar,” Devon nodded. “We greatly appreciate your donation. We’ve helped more than a few individuals seeking asylum or refugee status here from eastern Europe. Thank you Ms. Vanderhees.” With a soft pivot both of his wings stirred as if really attached to him. He would have made introductions but unfortunately Ivy had already engaged in a little advice.

>> Maybe something in-character, like ‘Eat me’?” Lenna smirked.. ”That’d show them.”

Devon laughed and gestured to his side, “This is Ms. Gartner, EllaLouise Gartner. She is a woman accustomed to the scolding of rude people. And my associate who has come to shuffle you off this mortal coil is Jack.” A blue winked in Jack’s direction.

The dance floor may have been far more compelling to not-so-young EllaLouise as she was advised by one socialite only to be introduced by another. Grim Death stood cautiously watching the Leia-like as the partying masses danced in a throng twisted up on itself in the hellish fires and twisted lights of the dance floor.

A heavy, beating bass accosted the floors and ears as the DJ spun up a remix of Marilyn Manson’s alternative Sweet Dreams. What dream was this really? Did the fugue state of the revelers please them past the hum drum human morality? Such was not for dear, sweet EllaLouise.

But there was someone different on the dance floor, her short stature eerily set apart. A glimpse or two of her caught the costumed-Alice’s attention only for the figure to be lost in the crowd for a few stanzas. But then there she was: a damaged porcelain doll in black and white, her unblinking blue-gray eyes finding L’s as if studying the very trace of dark color in them.

Marilyn’s husky voice whispered and echoed somehow through the hall as the strobe lights flashed.

Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to be used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused

The girl seemed to smile as she stopped dancing, though the guilty uncaring carried on around her. Her face was somehow whiter – no, the cracks were shining and then suddenly brilliant. The light radiated white as the strobes flashed, hidden within the luminous party atmosphere. It flowed out as the girl’s head rolled on her shoulders and her mouth fell open though seemingly silent against the blaring music. People suddenly shouted, their dancing a chaotic mass as the girl was lost in the commotion. Limbs flew, people dashed aside or crumbled to the floor.

Some powerful malevolence, perhaps fueled by dangerous cracks in rifted reality or psychic mindscapes tortured a year prior, flowed through all not Adapted or saved by them. Their minds blanked and found they could only imprint upon that which they wore. No, not what they wore, but what they are. Bodies took on their costumes as long knives melded to the fingers of one man. Whiskers and cat ears become part of the girl scratching at the floor. A zombie clutched at suddenly all too real exposed organs.

Screams, hollers, howls, and deranged laughs filled the night as a clown ran by, honking his nose.

((OOC: Yes, that's right! Not only is your mind like that of your costume, but so too had your physical body morphed! Note this does not grant any new abilities save for possible survival of exposed organs if a zombie, limited ability to walk through walls as a ghost, etc.))

This was not Jabba’s palace. Too clean. Too bright. While people were dressed strangely enough to aliens or scoundrels or scantily-clad dancers, the whole thing seemed off.

When whatever had happened to alter peoples’ various realities occurred, Leia had not noticed the odd doll girl. Her eyes had been focused on a man dressed in a spiked jacket of black, with a suspicious-looking staff too ostentatious to conceivably be utilized in a fight. He had been speaking, and she supposed it had been important. A part of her had probably taken in what he’d said, and filed it away as useful information. For the life of her, Leia could not recall what he’d said. Or why she was listening. Or why she was here when her last memory prior to all the sudden chaos... had been her kneeling by a throne, bound by a collar and chain next to one of the seediest thugs in the galaxy. A galaxy She now assumed was far, far away from here. Wherever here was.

The smell was better, but the plan had been ruined. Her infiltration of the palace had been for nothing. And Han... Han was still a prisoner for the Hutt. Leia seethed. Then, she surged forward to seize the man with the staff and the daintily-arranged eyebrows by his lapels.

Maybe Han had changed her a little. Maybe the imprisonment on the Death Star, and the experience of seeing her entire world and everyone she’d ever loved atomized into base chemicals and space dust had made her more violent? And maybe she’d just always had a temper, and a sense of righteous indignation. It had served her well in the senate. Maybe she’d gotten it from her father.

Bail Organa had always been committed to honesty and justice. Even if it had meant being an integral part of the creation of a rebellion specifically meant to go against the emperor and his Empire. An empire that did wrong, that trampled on planetary rights and ruined lives. Destroying planets, by exploiting their resources and polluting their environments to the point of collapse or self-implosion... or flat out destroying them. Zap, kaboom. The memory of Alderaan flashed through Leia’s mind.

Maybe she was a bit more violent than a true Star Wars fan might have characterized her as? Or maybe Lennas understanding of the character was in some way flawed, or built up around her own personality and how she would have reacted out into those sorts of situations. Either way, her voice was dangerous when she asked the man in the Male Maleficent costume her next questions.

”Where is Jabba’s palace?” Leia asked, and followed it up right away with another pressing question. ”Where’s Han?!

Leia released the man’s lapels, and took a step back to give him space to answer. The senatorial side of her told her what she’d just done was highly undiplomatic. But she wanted answers, and now.

Devon had winked in Jack’s direction when he caught a flash of the strobe in his eye. As it faded – or rather didn’t – did he realize something else was happening. How many hours in the last year had he warred with himself over his failures last Halloween? How long had he practiced and worked to better his mind for new defenses, better focus, clarity of the mind’s eye?

Not long enough.

He felt it like the white light was burning away everything past his eyes but unfortunately it was too fast for him to hit the panic button. Security wouldn’t be alarmed though little did he know how many were affected. His last thought as Devon was lost in the white haze were the numerous innocent people around him.

Maleficent remained disturbed. Why was she in this macabre, reeking place of humanity? It was false even for them. False fire as if this was some hellish party? What did they celebrate? Had they captured him in the night? At least another dark spirit lingered nearby, clad in darkness and knowing of Death. Maleficent gave a quick nod in its direction.

Some woman yelled at him. She grabbed him and his nostrils flared as his top lip curled in a snarl. His wings burst open as they found a breeze he had not felt before. “Unhand me, human,” the snarl continued. But he caught sight of all the other creatures dashing around, screaming, the chaos… Was this place under attack?

“I do not know yet why I am here, human, but I know not of this palace, this Han you speak of,” he shook his head and with his right hand, pushed her away forcefully though not violently. His attention turned to the little girl at his side, “You… Beastie… How come we by this frightful scene?”

((OOC: Tag! EllaLouise Gartner Lenna "Chief" ))

L had been a little overwhelmed; going from staying in a house alone with only faceless voices online with whih to conversate to suddenly... well, the party of the year, was a bit of a culture shock for her. Still, Devon was there, and having someone she knew to talk to was a comforting anchor.

She smiled at the thought of running through the maze with a knife, but quickly chuckled it away, opening her mouth to respond when Princess Leia approached and inserted herself into the conversation. L stepped back to allow the woman her own space, looking off to the side as they made introductions. She instinctually gave the bloodline-trained curtsy as she was introduced, and then looked up to Jack as They were introduced as well. 

Ivy, her name was, made a quick aside to her, and she smiled a bit. Goodness, the people of this scene were certainly a bit crass, weren't they? She didn't mind. The refined often had their heads too far up some places that common sense started to seem something to disparage. Trickle down economics, indeed. She looked at them for a moment, and wondered if maybe she was starting to third wheel. She worried about those things a lot in social situations. The scantly clad princess had clearly come to talk business, or do something in order to gain some sort of social or political clout; people didn't headhunt the person in charge for conversations unless they had some ulterior motive. 

Maybe she should do what Devon had suggested, and join the dance floor? It was intimidating out there, though... and... was that... strange... a girl? A doll? Her eyes... Almost hollow. She was looking at her. They were looking at each other. Goodness, that was a feeling she handn't felt in some time... Not since she was a little girl, riding in a car back home.

Fear.

There was a bright flash.

Ellalouise's eyes morphed from jaded, slightly surprised, and just a bit fearful to...Curious, somewhat lost, and... fascinated?

"Oh... Oh my!"

It was chaos! So many things were moving, twisting, flowing! Little Alice was truly shocked! She did not feel safe, no, not one bit! A single hand moved up to cover her mouth as her wide eyes darted about the room.

A woman next to her grabbed a quite devilish looking fellow and started asking questions. He stepped back from it and addressed her. She froze for a moment, and then spoke. "Oh, I simply do not know! Only a moment ago I went down the rabbit hole, and I seem to have landed in this dark place! Strange, though... I seem to remember... A... doll..." She zoned out, staring into the crowd...

"Whatever should I do?!"

Jack had nodded back at Devon when he winked her way, smiling beneath the swathes of cloth. She raised a saint, brown-painted hand in salutations. This costume was the best idea ever-- the saucer-eyed looks from the two young women were priceless, absolutely priceless.

The delight was short-lived. Something was off. The light… something was wrong with the light, something seemed tense about Devon, which raised alarms for Jack. She had to get closer, she had to protect him. She had to be sure he was ok--

Something snapped. That was the best word They had for it. One moment, They were not entirely themselves. But now… now They were. A skeletal hand tilted the great scythe downward, gliding down the hallway. Wherever They were, was in an absolute uproar with a sundry of beasties. Many of them were, however, mortal. Death surveyed the rings of light, invisible to mortal eyes, with detached intrigue. Who might they escort tonight? It was written in those unseen halos, in a language unknown to man.

They drifted, unphased by the calamity around them. Periodically the darkened good would pan left or right, scrutinizing the light that wreathed each denizen’s head. A particularly devilish man nodded at Them. Death returned the gesture. It was not his time. Thus his name continued to swim just out of reach, amongst infinite others.

“Good evening, child,” the reaper crooned. All beings were children compared to Them. The hood lifted marginally, as if it was surveying the man's horns, “It is not quite your time…”

Their voice was immense, like the collapsing of an ancient tree, or the thunderous wave of an ocean. And yet… somehow familiar. At one point, everyone would become familiar with Them. They hummed, and bobbed away, as if pulled by an unseen the. Someone's hours were winding down… and, naturally, it was a call that Death had to answer.

There was a loud crashing sound in the lobby as a number of bottles fell and smashed to the floor. Tempeficent glanced in that direction before his frown deepened. He wrinkled his nose at the fluttering confusion of the beastie nearby. She eventually answered him but not with very much detail.

>> "Oh, I simply do not know! Only a moment ago I went down the rabbit hole, and I seem to have landed in this dark place! Strange, though... I seem to remember... A... doll..."

“I see no dolls,” Tempeficent said curtly. The thing wanted to play with toys.

>> "Whatever should I do?!"

“That is your decision, not mine,” he replied, glancing to the woman who had grabbed him. “Perhaps she will handle you,” but he didn’t wait to hear her response. She seemed stunned by the chaos.

>> “It is not quite your time…”

Tempeficent laughed, “Indeed. And I shall not let it come to be so here amongst these mortals.” He wrinkled his nose again and looked away from the warring, ranting, running people of the floor and the raised stage. Some were climbing up into the lights.

He turned and strode into the lobby, the bars flipped over and the fresh air of the outside flooding in through two large open doors. There were screams in the darkness but also wild laughter and the howls of wolves. He smiled, and continued forward. “Come if you must, beastie,” he said, unsure as to why.