Ghoulies and Ghosties and Long-Legged Beasties (IC)

[Heritage]

Date: October 31st, 2009

Lynn had put way too much thought into this party, but she loved Halloween, loved the brownstone, and she really wanted to introduce her new teammates to her old ones.

Who knows, we might have to save the universe together someday.

The interconnected rooms on the main floor of the brownstone were perfect for this kind of gathering; there was plenty of flow, lots of seats and counter space, and lots of shady corners if people wanted to have a little alone time with their SO's. She's spent most of the day putting up cobwebs and decorations, and running to the store for essentials. In the week before, she and a few fellow teamates had visited IKEA to furnish the place a little better, and it was really starting to feel like home.

Lynn prowled the floor in her Goth zombie catgirl get-up, which was kinda gross and kinda sexy at the same time; she was especially proud of the whip-like skeletal tail she'd glamoured up. Mangy black ears perched on her head, her lips were purple and skin pale puke green, and she wore tattered black tights.

Two large stainless steel bowls of treats were set up on the sideboard by the front door, one healthy and one sickly sweet, for any neighborhood kids who came by; there had already been a few, with parents in tow, of course.

It was almost 7 pm; Lynn hopped up on a kitchen stool by the front door, idly gobbing SweetTarts as she waited for the doorbell to ring.

[quotemyname]

Colt leaned up against the door frame to the room and watched Grim set up. She hadn't seen him because she was facing the other way, and busy concentrating on a cobweb. He decided to make himself known. He held up a hand and greeted her. "How," He said.

When she turned, she didn't see the cowboy she expected. Instead, Colt had an Indian headdress on, complete with turkey feathers galore. The headdress ran nearly all the way down his back, past his thin leather vest and the cloth he wore around his waist. From the look of the warpaint on his face and chest, Grim guessed, Colt had gone all out on the costume. Especially once she noticed he had replaced his boots with moccasins.

[blink]

Nadia looked at the clock in her room, it was getting close to 7:00pm on Halloween. Unlike the residents of Freedom City, she hadn't grown up celebrating Halloween. It wasn't a Russian holiday even though she had heard that it had been gaining some popularity these days. During her years in this city, she had at least gone out of her way to make sure there was a well stocked bowl of candy available on the night. She had certainly liked the kids who showed up at her door dressed in their various outfits. Yet, even so, she hadn't ever embraced the holiday.

When she had received the first invitation, her first instinct had been to ignore it. However, she had been trying to open up to her team mates, especially to make the kind of bonds that would be critical when situations got tense. So against her instincts, she was going to go to the party. Of course she'd be expected to come in a costume which she had pondered for the better part of the week.

In the end, she decided to go simple. A red and white trimmed leotard with a hammer and sickle on the chest would pass as an Olympic gymnast. To complete the costume she pulled her hair back in pony tail and applied some decorational glitter to her face. With a sigh, she looked at herself in the mirror and tried to convince herself that this would be fun.

It was a slightly apprehensive and dour gymnast that made her way up to the kitchen. It took her a moment to recognize Colt in his Indian guise along with Grim's amalgamation of zombie and catgirl.

"Hello..." she said. "Is festivities already starting?"

[Gizmo]

"You can't have a housewarming without a houseplant," Ellie Espadas informed her brother as they walked down the street to the brownstone apartment. "It's an accepted societal norm."

"It's surprisingly heavy, is what it is," Erik groused, shifting his grip on pot of the sizable fern their mother had insisted on sending along with them. He suspected that this was part of her way of dealing with one of her children finally moving out, even if was only a fifteen minute walk or so away, but Erik frankly wished she could have chosen a plant that wasn't big enough to count as another housemate.

The swordsman known as Jack of all Blades wore a black, silver studded charro outfit with a gold ribcage printed on the shirt and matching bones running down the sleeves of the jacket and the fingers of his gloves. Black El Día de los Muertos patterns adorned the cranberry collar and sash, while a similarly decorated band wrapped around his wide-brimmed sombrero. His face was obscured by greasepaint, creating a grinning calaca skull dotted with red and black designs. The prop vihuela strapped to his back completed the outfit.

The younger Espadas wore a torn tan jumpsuit, belted at the waist. Her left hand was covered by a black glove, but her right sported a deathly pallor and wicked claws. The pale makeup covered her face as well, contrasting with black lipstick and lines of faux stitches. A streak of white ran through her long black wig, which fell over the tank of green slime she wore like a backpack. A tube connected the tank to a modified water pistol that hung from her belt, and a tag on the front of the jumpsuit proclaimed her to be a 'Peoplebuster'.

"You don't have to come to this thing, you know," Erik told his sister. "If you've got another party, something with your friends..."

Ellie waved off his concerns. "Not parties full of actual superheroes, hermano," she grinned. "That pretty much trumps everything. Who'd have thought you'd have such cool friends, huh?"

Her brother raised an eyebrow, although it was difficult to see under his makeup. "You do realize I'm a superhero, right?"

"Yeah, but you, Erik, are totally lame," she snorted. "It's not your fault I inherited all of the awesome in the family, but still..."

"That's 'you, Jack, are totally lame,'" he reminded her. "I can't keep my mask on all the time, but I don't need anybody looking us up in the phonebook. Which means for the evening, you-"

"Are 'Jill'," his sister finished for him. "Bit on the nose, but if it helps you sleep at night, ya big baby, fine."

'Jack' grunted noncommitally as they finally reached the brownstone. Fumbling with the oversized plant to free a hand, he rapped on the door.

[ex3lev3n]

Kristian had been in his room all day, knowing that a house full of strangers and "uninformed" civilians would be parading about the brownstone in Halloween garb, and it set him in a foul mood earlier, though he got over it. Looking through his personal affects he found a set of old urban camo BDU's and a stock M-16 just waiting to be used, though he thought against it after Jack's pronounced dislike of firearms.

Instead, he took the disguised Razorcycle out for a spin when the sun fell below the horizon, went downtown and grabbed a generic "grim reaper" costume from off the rack. By the time the first guest arrived, Kristian had already altered the store-bought costume and was decked out like Death itself.

"You can't have a housewarming without a houseplant," Ellie Espadas informed her brother as they walked down the street to the brownstone apartment. "It's an accepted societal norm."

"It's surprisingly heavy, is what it is," Erik groused, shifting his grip on pot of the sizable fern their mother had insisted on sending along with them.

"Let me help you with that... Jack," he croaked in his course, vigilante voice, appearing from a shadow.

[Gizmo]

Though his sister gave a start, Jack responded to the sudden appearance of the deathly apparition with a grateful nod, passing the potted plant to the younger man. "Thanks, Kris, thing's a bit unwieldy. Just set it down wherever; we can find a decent corner for it later." The calaca mariachi gestured with his free hands. "Jill, this is Kristian, Kris, my sister. She's about the same age as you, wanted to come check out the, ah, new pad and all."

Jill extended a hand before realizing that Kristian's were busy with the massive fern. "You're one of Jack's... housemates, then?" She gave the funereal teen an appraising look, not bothering to conceal her attempt to figure out which of the Interceptors she was speaking with.

The siblings followed the reaper into the larger area of the kitchen. Jack offered the gathered party goers a brief wave. "Hey folks, looking festive. Ah, this is my sister Jill; our mother sends her regards and a really big plant. It's very... leafy." He pointed out the others in turn. "That'd be Lynn, who set this shindig up, Colt, who's going for the ironic costume thing, and Nadia, who is extra Russian today, I guess."

[ex3lev3n]

Though his sister gave a start, Jack responded to the sudden appearance of the deathly apparition with a grateful nod, passing the potted plant to the younger man. "Thanks, Kris, thing's a bit unwieldy. Just set it down wherever; we can find a decent corner for it later." The calaca mariachi gestured with his free hands. "Jill, this is Kristian, Kris, my sister. She's about the same age as you, wanted to come check out the, ah, new pad and all."

Jill extended a hand before realizing that Kristian's were busy with the massive fern. "You're one of Jack's... housemates, then?" She gave the funereal teen an appraising look, not bothering to conceal her attempt to figure out which of the Interceptors she was speaking with.

"Yeah, something like that. Nice to meet you, Jill,"he said to the young woman as he hauled the rather large potted plant from the hallway to the kitchen then into the living room, looking for some direction from Lynn as to where to put the "house-warming gift".

The siblings followed the reaper into the larger area of the kitchen. Jack offered the gathered party goers a brief wave. "Hey folks, looking festive. Ah, this is my sister Jill; our mother sends her regards and a really big plant. It's very... leafy." He pointed out the others in turn. "That'd be Lynn, who set this shindig up, Colt, who's going for the ironic costume thing, and Nadia, who is extra Russian today, I guess."

Oh... wow. Whispering to Nadia as he walked by <"Looking good, soldier.">, he put the plant down in accordance to Grimalkin feng-shui.

[quotemyname]

"How," Colt responded to the newcomers, holding his hand up. He drew a fake peace pipe from a bag at his side. "Chief Sitting-Bull appreciate welcome gift. Chief Sitting-Bull welcome strangers to teepee. Strangers welcome to peace pipe." With a smile, he held the plastic toy out to them.

Reckon its a good deal'a fun not havin' ta be serious fer once.

[blink]

Nadia had waved to both Jack and Kris as they walked in, admiring their costumes. The creativity of her team mates impressed her as did their sense of style, she almost wished she had gone to more effort on her simple costume. However, it had all seemed quite silly, dressing up like kids, at least until everyone started arriving. Now, she could almost see the fun in it.

As Jack finished introducing them to his sister, Nadia replied, "is good to meet you, Jill. Will have to talk later."

At some point she wanted to have a chat with Jack's sister. She was positive that Jill would be an excellent source of information...

Nadia was still muddling that thought through when Kris walked by and quietly commented on her looks. She blushed, again wishing she had spent more time on the costume. While the comment was innocuous, it was the sort of thing that she had only shared with the soldiers she had worked with. Since coming to this country, that friendship and banter had been lacking as she rarely respected the people she had been working with.

"Jeto - nastojashhij kompliment, pribyvajushhij ot smerti neposredstvenno," she replied with a hint of a smile. "Ja ne dumal, chto dela ploti kasalis' ego."

---

((Translations: "That is quite a compliment coming from death himself" "I didn't think matters of the flesh concerned him."))

[Gizmo]

The skeleton teeth painted on Jack's lips twisted into a smirk as Kristian carried the plant past their glitter wearing comrade. He couldn't make out what the young man had said, nor would he have understood the Russian if he had, but from Nadia's reaction the swordsman had a pretty good guess as to the gist of it. She's got to have the better part of a decade on him, he mused. The smirk became a full on grin as he admitted to himself, Not that that would have stopped me at his age.

The smile fell a few notches as Colt got into character. Chief Sitting-Bull not familiar with concept of cultural sensitivity. It occurred to Jack that the other-dimensional cowboy was operating with an entirely different set of cultural norms. It was easy to imagine he had simply walked out of a western film, rather than a world with a complete, alternate history. "Y'know, Colt," he said aloud, "I never really got the chance to ask you about your world. We've been so busy showing you how this one works, but we don't know much about your old stomping grounds beyond stetsons and flying motorcycles."

Jill gave Nadia a broad smile. "You want to hear embarrassing stories about Jack, amirite?" She elbowed her brother in the ribs. "I should have brought that album of baby photos Mom loves pulling out."

[blink]

Colt was from another world?! For a moment Nadia turned and stared at the cowboy turned Indian for a long moment with her mouth hanging slightly open. Frankly, she had just figured it was some kind of shtick, not a reality. That would be something worth keeping in mind as his perceptions what was right or not would be very different from the rest of the team.

She was still staring at him when Jill responded to her, "Pictures would be nice, but knowing more from family is always..." she said looking back at Jack with a sly grin, "...good."

[quotemyname]

Colt's gave Jack a rare look of consideration. "Ain't much ta say on that subject, partner. Reckon if'n ya seen one'a them western's ya got a good indication."

Colt smiled as he put the peace pipe back in the bag. Jack could see the grip of his revolver, Jericho, sticking out of the the bag. He should have expected it, Colt never left home without that damn weapon. "Folk's round here expect ma world ta be diff'rent. Truth is it ain't. We got all the cool toys y'all do, an' some ya don't. The big diff'rence is that folks'n my world don't bother with trivial stuff so much. That an' if'n somethin's still workin, we don't throw it out. We just make it better."

Colt drew Jericho from his bag. He held it forward for Jack to look at. "Now I know ya don't like guns but just humor me an' take'a look." As Colt turned the weapon over in his hands, Jack could see various tiny switches and buttons on and around the grip. "Reckon this is as good'n example as any. A gun's a gun. The simple ones work the best. Ain't no reason fer laser sights in'a world where folks're all deadeyes."

Colt smiled as he put the gun back in the bag. "Like y'all say'n this world. 'If'n it ain't broke, don't fix it.' Why invent a new gun if'n this'n shoots just fine."

[Gizmo]

A wry quip about Jack's reluctance to share personal information died in Jill's throat as Colt produced his firearm and she bit her lip. Her brother was generally affable, projecting a carefree disposition, particularly while in 'Jack of all Blades-mode', but she knew that guns were the worst of his hot buttons. To his credit, only someone who knew him as well as she did would have noticed the stiffness as he replied to the marksman. "Preaching to the choir; I stopped weapons development at 'pointy end faces opponent'." Jack leaned against the kitchen counter, shifting his prop vihuela out of the way. "I guess I wasn't wondering about tech so much as history. Here the 'Wild West' days died partly because things got too settled and crowed out there. Was your population that much lower?"

[quotemyname]

"Y'all could say that," Colt leaned back against the wall crossing his arms once more. "We certainly never ponied up ta civilization as much." Colt smiled. He was glad his teammates had an interest in what made him who he was.

"At home, we usually build one big city, then let a load'a small towns spread out 'round it. We got police'n all in the big cities, but them smaller towns're lucky if'n they got a sheriff. Life's tough, y'all could get robbed, shot, 'er worse." Colt frowned, remembering how tough life as a kid was for him and his mother. "Tends ta keep the population low and the bounty huntin' business good. We ain't bothered with the whole government thing cuz we don't need it. Folk's protect themselves, or they hire men ta do it for'em. Works just fine fer us." Colt shrugged in a very matter of fact fashion. Indicating that in his world, its just the way things were for better or worse.

[Gizmo]

Jack let out a low whistle. "Jeez..." The idea of justice going to the quickest draw or the highest bidder was pretty tough to accept. Then again, he wondered, how different is that from the way we do it in Freedom? With the number of super criminals and vigilantes in the city, things seemed to come down to who could hit harder more often than not. Maybe most of us don't charge the people we're protecting, but we don't really answer to anyone, either. What makes powered brawls different from frontier justice?

The calaca mariachi's eyes lit up behind the hollow-looking rings of black face paint. "Wait, do you have Hallowe'en back home? El Día de los Muertos, anything like that?" The whole disguises and intentional creepiness had to be a little odd out of context, especially since a sizable portion of Colt's exposure to their world so far had come at the hands of costumed heroes.

Jill walked over to stand next to Nadia and Lynn. "So..." she said, pursing her lips and nodding expectantly. "What do you two, y'know... do?" The teen wiggled her fingers and made a 'zapping' sound effect.

[quotemyname]

Colt nodded at the question. Even though it seemed like a strange question to have to answer, but, "Reckon we do. Ain't much dressin' up or trick'o'treatin'. But folks put on parades sometimes."

Colt pressed on, trying to make his point. "My home ain't much different than this'n. Really all's that change is the little things."

[blink]

Nadia cocked her head sideways at Jill, trying to understand what the girl was asking. Then it occurred to her that Jack's younger sister wanted to know what heroic powers she had. It was an odd question since Nadia had spent most of her life not trying to be noticed. With the enthusiasm that she was being asked it even occurred to her that she might in fact even be a role model. That would be something...

With a brief thought, she blinked right behind the young girl and shifted her looks to match Jack's sister.

"Can be moving around very sneaky... is good for... well good for many jobs."

She smiled and shifted back to her own looks. If she had been thinking, she wouldn't have had to work at a costume at all. Still, she was hesitant to use her powers frivolously and it would be a long time before she ever got used to the concept of just goofing around.

[Heritage]

This was starting to get fun; just seeing her teamates in different costumes was worth the price of admission alone, but just having an opportunity to tak, as group, was preiceless. Without much thought, she pointed at an open spot of the floor for poor Kris to place the huge fern, thus saving his spine from permanent injury.

Colt's discussion of his homeworld was pretty cool (and very eye-opening - yikes!), but Jack's little sister was a far more intriguing subject.

"So..." she said, pursing her lips and nodding expectantly. "What do you two, y'know... do?" The teen wiggled her fingers and made a 'zapping' sound effect.

"Can be moving around very sneaky... is good for... well good for many jobs."

Grim frowns and crossed her arms.

"Aw man, now she's just gonna thinking I'm copying off the Russian girl! Fine, whatever!"

She winks, then does the same trick as Blink (well, not the teleporting part), but when she becomes 'Jill', she has the same costume, right down to the backpack!

"I know, I said having two shapeshifters on the same team would be tacky, but I was shouted down, kicked down a flight of stairs and locked in a closet."

'Jill' shakes her head in mock-disgust.

"These guys are all jerks."

Grim's disguises melts away into mist, leaving her zombie catgirl form behind; preening her hair like a diva, she adopts an upper crust British accent.

"But I shall endure, and make the best of a bad situation; after all, one does what one can."

Finally being herself for a change, she leans over to Jack's little sis and stage whispers.

"Seriously, two shifters in one house, with this many cute guys? it's gonna be insane, girl!" :twisted:

[Gizmo]

Jill eyes widened in surprise, then her face split into a broad smile. "Ohmigod, that's fantastic!" the teenager exclaimed, bouncing on the ball of her feet and clapping.

Jack glanced over from his conversation with Colt and rolled his eyes. "Now there's exactly what I need, 3.1 surround sound..." he sighed.

"Being a super wet blanket doesn't actually count as a power, hermano," his sister responded sweetly. Jill turned back to Lynn. "Too bad about my brother bringing the average down," she drawled, placing her gloved hand on her hip and giving Colt and Kristian an exaggeratedly appraising look. "I suppose it's not a total loss, though, hmm?"

"No," Jack stated, pointing a finger at her. He immediately turned to face his male housemates, repeating, "No." After a moment's pause he looked back to the shapeshifters and narrowed his eyes pensively. "Also no. Just... in case."

[quotemyname]

"Heh" Colt smiled and began laughing. "Hahahaha" Soon he couldn't contain his laughter. "Y'all're crazy, know that?"

Colt shook his head and moved to the next room to pour himself a drink.

[blink]

"Someone was locking you in closet?" Blink said, not quite picking up on the sarcasm fast enough.

However, she was somewhat pleased by Jill's reaction. It was like doing a little magic trick, something one of their guides had done for them way back. He had been able to pull flowers out of anything... of course they were poppies, but that was all that seemed to grow in that country anyway.

However, Grim's follow up comment left her more perplexed. She never had really considered using her shifting powers for anything more than missions. It wasn't something that she had ever used in a game... or for that matter, in any of her scant few relationships. She almost cringed thinking of some of the requests that could come her way.

"...perhaps keeping shape shifting low key is better thing, no?"

It was Jack's interaction with his sister that interested her quite a bit. The young girl seemed dismissive of Jack's abilities which appeared to at least rub him the wrong way. She understood family and how they could get on each other and hoped that this was nothing more than simple sibling banter.

With all seriousness she replied to Jack, "is fine. Will be saying nothing."

[Heritage]

“Relax, Jack, no one is gonna drag you’re little sis into the crazy sexual maelstrom that is our world.â€Â

She makes a bored face, and then recites like she’s back in middle school.

“No bedhopping, no bodysnatching, no cradle or grave-robbing, at least not for the first year; that was the deal.â€Â

She winks at Jack, then continues. “So Jill, maybe you can fill me in here: what exactly does Jack do? As far as I can tell, his powers are limited to a lack of shame when it comes to wearing sprayed-on pants.â€Â

[Gizmo]

Jack placed one leg out in front of the other and pulled the pant leg up just enough to reveal his ankle. "Hey, it'd be a crime not to," he grinned.

"As far as I can tell, his primary reason for existence is grossing me way out," Jill sighed, rolling her eyes. "Beyond that, he hits the bad guys till they don't get up no more." It was obscured by the twang of her affected drawl, but there was a note of genuine pride in her voice. "Plus he has a tendency to absorb ridiculous amounts of bodily injury, which I'm expected to fix," she chided accusingly.

"I manipulate energy into semi-solid, sword-like constructs, Lynn," Jack explained, ignoring his sister though the corner of his mouth quirked up affectionately. "As a rule of thumb, if it's glowy, I can stab folks with it. Fire, electricity, laser beams, eldritch energies beyond the ken of mortal man..."

[quotemyname]

"Hey now, don't sell yerself short!" Colt called from the other room where he was pouring from a bottle of soda.

Colt came back around the corner once again with a plastic red cup filled with root beer. "Y'all can't knock his uncanny ability fer bein' in'a right place at the right time." Colt said as he raised the cup to his mouth. "Reckon that takes real talent."

Colt took a sip and suddenly looked surprised, "Huh! Sarsaparilla!" He exclaimed.

[ex3lev3n]

Beneath his rubber skull mask and black make-up, Kristian grinned at the quasi-intimate conversations going on. He had been the shyest in the time they had spent together, not for lack of wanting to know his teammates or vice-versa, it was just not how he was wired. Single-liners he could manage, in depth communication... not so much. Especially when half the team were smoking hot girls older than him. He never had time during his training to form any sort of "romantic" relationship, though he was at that age and the urge did tug at his thoughts from time to time.

He looked between Nadia and Lynn from across the room where he set the potted plant down, and for a moment he let his imagination have it's fun before he heard something that brought his attention back to the real world.

"I manipulate energy into semi-solid, sword-like constructs, Lynn," Jack explained, ignoring his sister though the corner of his mouth quirked up affectionately. "As a rule of thumb, if it's glowy, I can stab folks with it. Fire, electricity, laser beams, eldritch energies beyond the ken of mortal man..."

Energy manipulation. Mutant ability, most likely. Interesting.

He had tried to ascertain the strengths, weaknesses, and superhuman abilities of his new team since he'd arrived and had a fair working of what the others could do, but he had never seen Jack make lighting swords or anything of that nature.

"Could you show us how it works... Jack?" the reaper asked as he walked towards the others, an air of unsubtle challenge in his hoarse voice.