[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/FaCzAxe.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/1Hvat1r.png[/img][/center] [right][b]Interactions[/b]: Edict [@AtomicEmperor], Britney [@Punished GN], Vashti [@Atrophy] [code]The Halloween Festival[/code][/right][hr] Linqian really regretted accepting getting Edicts family boat rather than just biting the bullet that was another possible Sloane encounter and getting the ferry. The whole journey was just fucking uncomfortable. Between the slight racism (overt in one case), the many introductions she really hadn’t been prepared for (discovering a hilarious nickname she'd save for later) and just the general feeling incredibly out of place for multiple reasons… Yeah. Never again. It was the drive by meet the family of her boss slash friend (?) that she hadn’t wanted. At least he’d very swiftly used his abstraction to deal with the worst offender, which left her just having to sit uncomfortably with him and his Uncle (who’d seemed pretty alright). But once they got on the island, Linqian had been in a good mood! She was three cans of beer in, having knocked back another two to cope with the boat journey, and a little bit high. It had all gone a bit to her head since she’d last eaten before going to work... Once again drinking on an empty stomach, which was becoming a bad habit. She’d [i]planned[/i] to eat on the ferry, but she wasn’t exactly going to pull out tupperwares of home cooked food on a mob boat. The tipsiness wasn’t so good when faced with this situation. Her rare good mood instantly plummeted. She wasn’t going to get her night of fun, was she? The crocodile, who Linqian recognised as Vashti after squinting a bit, was all up in Britney’s face. She hadn’t heard any of what had been said, but it was pretty obvious why Vashti would be coming after her. Just, could she not have done it on another day? She glanced over at Edict. His energy was noticeably different after spotting Britney. Calmer, less exaggerated. She’d already known this from the first meeting, but he was so not over her. It was even easier to see for her with the whole… Also not being over her ex thing. Which was delightful. But seriously, tonight? There went the possibility of getting laid too. Not that it had been her main goal, would’ve just been a nice thing to round everything off. Well, actually, no need to write it off. It wouldn’t be too hard to find someone if she still felt like it later. That wasn’t important. It was difficult to stay focused after the three beers on a near empty stomach, her thoughts flying to all sorts of unimportant places. [color=CD5C5C]Snap out of it.[/color] Edict was clearly planning to get involved - and already verbally doing so. She was sure Vashti would totally fuck off after being told to. The thing was, Vashti was crazy. Linqian really didn’t want to get involved. It wasn’t like she was a target, why should she put her neck on the line… But Britney had helped her a week ago. She’d been close to Jinhai. And if she walked away right now she’d probably at best lose her second job, at worst be thrown into the sea by a vengeful Edict after she didn’t help protect the ex he [i]clearly[/i] wasn’t over. Weighing up the risks quickly, she decided to go with taking on a pissed off crocodile over a possible bullet to the head and less money. [color=CD5C5C]”This is not how I wanted to spend my fucking night,”[/color] Linqian complained, mostly directed at Edict as if it was his fault (kind of was). Her hand went to her bag, before very quickly dropping. She was not going to pull out a gun in this situation. She didn’t even really know how to use a gun! She’d just do things the way she was used to. [color=CD5C5C]”You owe me so much booze after this.”[/color] The temperature in the area dropped to just below freezing. The rain turned into snow around Linqian. Everyone would feel the cold - Edict, Britney, Sabrina, Layla and Vashti. It didn’t discriminate. It wasn’t low enough to be dangerous, but it was uncomfortable. Especially if you were [i]cold-blooded[/i]. [color=CD5C5C]”Hey Britney, we keep meeting in these shitty situations when we should be having fun, huh?”[/color] Linqian’s words were drawn out as she closed the distance between her and the other group. She completely ignored Layla and got right up close to Britney and Vashti. Her body temperature plummeted to deadly levels, her warm brown skin paling. The tips of her fingers turned a more purplish tone. She suppressed a shiver herself, the combination of her own body temperature and the air temperature dropping not something she could completely resist. Britney and Vashti would be able to feel the cold radiating off her close as she was to them, water droplets on her outfit turning to ice. [color=CD5C5C]”Fucking back off, Vashti,”[/color] Linqian reached out to try and grab Vashti’s wrist. If she managed to, Vashti would first feel an intense pain and freezing cold. The longer Linqian holds on the more damage her freezing cold would do to Vashti's wrist. [color=CD5C5C]”You try fuck with one of us, you gotta fuck all of us.”[/color] Wait, that wasn’t quite right. Whatever. [color=CD5C5C]”Fuck right off before I shove my knee up your fucking crocodile ass.”[/color] [hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/QIUSezo.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/ycOCuCr.png[/img][/center] [right][b]Interactions:[/b] Emily [@Punished GN], Lila / The Maiden / Jasper [@NoriWasHere] [code]The Halloween Festival[/code][/right][hr] Luca winced as Emily misgendered Lila, which explained the whole situation. He’d totally understood punching someone over that. And Lila started becoming more herself again. It helped him calm down, positivity creeping back in and starting to patch up the cracks in his mental walls. It would be fine. They could still have a good night. He only half paid attention to what Babylon was saying. They could still have a lovely night! They could- [quote=Queen Bitch]"... [i]They do as I say of their own accord![/i] [i][b]YOU[/b][/i] are proof of that!"[/quote] Just like that, Emily’s words ripped off the tape that had barely covered the fractured barrier between his mind and the rot. She was right. He’d left because of what she was doing, and the rest had stayed. They could have left like him. They had that choice. If he could do it, when he was literally dying with no other options to save him, they could too. They chose to stay. They chose to help Emily. No, no. They had no choice, people like Carol had no choice, she was stuck in that body- of course she’d go along with it. He’d accepted he was dying, but why should anyone else? And maybe what Emily said was right too - it was justified because there were others doing worse! They were just trying to protect everyone. But no, how did that work… He couldn’t… [color=F0E68C][i]Oh, poor Luca. You’re just a coward that can’t see beyond your clouded judgement. You give excuses for people so that you can pretend that they have no choice, so you can feel better about caring for them. You lie to yourself so that you can pretend everything you do is good… that you’re oh so moral... [/i][/color] [color=6B8E23]No, shut up. I’m not lying to myself. I don’t think that way. I don’t. I just want everyone to be safe and happy. That’s all.[/color] [color=F0E68C][i]Ah, imposing yourself on them all, how valiant. Always has to be positive, doesn’t it, Luca? But you can’t hide yourself from me. You can hide all those feelings from everyone else, even yourself, but not me.[/i][/color] [color=6B8E23]I’m not hiding anything-[/color] [color=F0E68C][i]You’re resentful. You don’t want to die. You hurt everyone around you, yet expect them to not. Ah, so hypocritical.[/i][/color] [color=6B8E23]I’m not-[/color] [color=F0E68C][i]But Luca, Luca, you can’t ignore what you really are… deep down… you’re…[/i][/color] [color=6B8E23]I’m not.[/color] [color=F0E68C][i]...truly rotten[/i][/color] [hr][center][hider=Dust to Dust ][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_zHZwslwD0[/youtube] [sub]Dust to dust our bones will rust / And we shall start again[/sub][/hider][/center][hr] Luca’s emotional protection shattered, and the Rot pushed itself into his mind. It had always been inside of him, lurking and waiting and occasionally surfacing, but it had never been able to share control like this. Luca had been to mentally strong, too positive to give in to its constant prodding. But after ten years of corroding his mind, it had managed. Intense pain seized Luca as the rotting of his body intensified. It was like his skin was being peeled off bit by bit as burning torches were pressed into his sensitive flesh. His heartbeat slowed, thudding loudly in his ears as it struggled to function. Each breath felt like glass scraping down his throat. Spots of skin started to peel across his arms, blood sluggishly dripping down towards his hands. The edges of the wounds were a rotting yellow, slowly increasing in size. He felt so weak, but like he could [color=F0E68C]take on[/color] anything. [color=F0E68C]Destroy[/color] before he was [color=6B8E23]destroyed[/color]. There was a freedom in actively dying, pain and decay so blinding he became almost numb. Luca’s knees buckled underneath him as he struggled to keep control of his own body. He caught himself on one knee before he completely collapsed, fingers curling into the ground underneath him. Any plants that hadn’t already been trodden on disintegrated away. [color=6B8E23]”Stay away, I’m fine,”[/color] Luca gasped, holding up the hand he wasn’t supporting. It was directed towards everyone, but his gaze was on Jasper. Rotten yellow and green spilled into his eyes, writhing across it like mycelium. He struggled to stop the agony he was feeling from being written all across his face. But he- nobody could come near. If they tried to touch him... He couldn't control it. [color=6B8E23]”I’m fine. Don’t [/color][color=#6B8E23]w[/color][color=#859F38]o[/color][color=#A0B14D]r[/color][color=#BAC262]r[/color][color=#D5D477]y.[/color]” [color=F0E68C][i]Ah, but you should be worried.[/i][/color] Luca winced, head twisting round to meet Lila’s pitch black eyes. His left iris turned completely yellow-green, blood red veins surrounding it. He was in agony, the pressure to his head intensifying. His expression grew more and more pained, yet more and more devoid of emotion. Both Luca and the Rot coexisted, and it hurt him much more than he did it. [color=#6B8E23]"[/color][color=#729228]A[/color][color=#79972E]h[/color][color=#819C34]h[/color][color=#88A13A]h[/color][color=#8FA640]h[/color][color=#97AB46],[/color] [color=#A6B551]h[/color][color=#ADB957]o[/color][color=#B4BE5D]w[/color] [color=#C3C868]n[/color][color=#CBCD6E]i[/color][color=#D2D274]c[/color][color=#D9D77A]e[/color][color=#E1DC80].[/color][color=#E8E186]"[/color] Luca slowly, steadily stood up. He expressionlessly turned to Lila. [color=F0E68C]"Yes, let's. It's been too long, Maiden, you're looking especially lovely- We need to remind them who's in control."[/color] Luca’s hand shot out, grabbing a table for support. It instantly began to rot away beneath his fingers, cheap wood darkening and flaking away. The wood splintered into his fingers before it turned to dust. He struggled to regain a semblance of control before the Rot decided to use his body to destroy everything. He didn't want to hurt anyone. He wasn't going to destroy everything like the rot wanted to. It was still his body, this was still him. It would be fine, it would be fine, he wouldn't hurt anyone who hadn't already hurt him- Like Emily. There was one thing they were aligned on. Emily was the source of the problems. [color=#6B8E23]"[/color][color=#6F9026]Y[/color][color=#739329]o[/color][color=#77952C]u[/color] [color=#7F9B32]t[/color][color=#839D36]a[/color][color=#87A039]k[/color][color=#8BA33C]e[/color] [color=#93A842]G[/color][color=#97AB45]e[/color][color=#9BAD49]o[/color][color=#9FB04C]r[/color][color=#A3B34F]g[/color][color=#A7B552]e[/color][color=#ABB855].[/color] [color=#B3BD5C]W[/color][color=#B7C05F]e[/color][color=#BBC362]'[/color][color=#BFC565]l[/color][color=#C3C869]l[/color] [color=#CBCD6F]t[/color][color=#CFD072]a[/color][color=#D3D375]k[/color][color=#D7D578]e[/color] [color=#DFDB7F]h[/color][color=#E3DD82]e[/color][color=#E7E085]r.[/color][color=#EBE388]"[/color] Luca unsteadily lunged towards Emily and Babylon, trying to get around the twin to grab either one of them with rotting hands. [hr][center][h1]Trisha Vanburen[/h1] [img]https://i.imgur.com/eJhsguy.png[/img][/center] [right]Interactions: Adora [@Punished GN] [code]The Halloween Festival[/code][/right][hr] So far the Halloween Festival had been an absolute drag for Trisha so far. She didn’t exactly have many friends in St Portwell. Most of her actual friends were from college, and they lived all over the country now. She’d invited them to the festival but no one had been able to come… Which fucking sucked. She wasn’t exactly going to go with anyone in her family either. She’d rather die. So she was skulking around near the exit hoping to find someone she knew - it didn’t particularly matter how close they were, or whether it was someone she disliked. She just needed some entertainment. Ah. Wasn’t Sycamore Tree back in town? Perhaps she’d bump into a couple of them… that could be fun. Trisha had essentially burnt all bridges when it ended, lashing out when the thing closest to a home was destroyed. It still stung and she certainly wasn’t rejoining after Auri put out the call. After all, her brother’s money would be better at keeping her safe than any shitty coven. Her narrowed eyes spotted a familiar face - shockingly. Dressed up in a cute little blue dress. Trisha had thought Adora had shut herself in a room and died there! Hah! Now this would be fun. “Hey! Adora!” Trisha pushed her way through the crowd, shouting loud enough to be heard. She was wearing a somewhat stupid looking bee onesie, with the hood down and her hair tied back into a messy bun. A faint buzzing could be heard from underneath it to anyone who listened hard enough. “It’s been so long- wow! I did not expect to see you here. I can’t believe you’d come to something like this… You seemed like a complete loser ten years ago. Glad you’ve gotten better, really.”