-Twin/triplet switch plot. Teach the twins how to be in-sync with each other.
-Lesbian shenanigans.
On that note, I think Lillith and Lock should start out dating (gives a reason for the twins to be in the band, and why Lock puts up with Carmilla, since she and Shock being in the same room for longer than ten minutes are bound to give anyone a headache). This adds more of a double-whammy in terms of drama with our Mysterious Villain when they break up, as well as packs more punch when vengeful dating starts. It's also a slow burn that fits into Lillith's aforementioned rebellion because at that point, she'd be fresh from a break-up, and therefore less willing to tolerate her sister's usual antics.
As previously discussed, Shock gets clued into why this is vengeance against Carmilla.
-I'm probably not going to actually write lyrics, but you know their songs have titles like, "Screams of Hell", "Siren Song" (thinking this is one written to showcase the twins' abilities and training, since sirens actually, y'know, sing beautifully), "Wake the Dead", and so on. Definitely at least one about banshees.
-Date night! Beautiful crypt, and the potential of being caught.
Sets up more status quo, re: Lock and Lillith's relationship. They each get a taste of the other's life and live vicariously.
Lock is totally a sub. Lillith likes having some control. They get mutual benefit from it.
Drama seeds planted, re: both of them trying to keep their respective sisters in line.
-Mummy Boy's older brother is Sobki, and he looks like a decrepit version of Sobek. He is a sweetheart, and the only citizen nicer than Sally.
-Carver later weaponizing drama to fight Pitch by using a lightning rod device to redirect a storm at Pitch. Took Finklestein's tools and left a silly pumpkin in their place.
Trickster's mother was a prostitute. She loved them, but was very hands-off in her parenting, partially to keep them from the nature of her job. This has the caveat of the three not really having much in the way of moral guidance, particularly because she taught them (out of necessity) how to pickpocket.
"Go play until I call for you/this is important, do it."
One of her Johns made her cry. While the trio doesn't know in what capacity, they feel turnabout is fair play. Shock masterminded the whole thing with the expectation he'd get hurt, and wrangled her brothers into helping her because it'd be funny. They didn't expect the man to break his neck, or to be spirited away by the boogeyman for it.
They were forced to forget their old lives as a form of control, but respond to them same style of hands-off parenting. They bring Oogie things to eat and perform occasional tasks; they otherwise do what they want.
-Carmilla and Lillith:
Formal, polite, loyal to the Pumpkin King. They're identical twins, but different personality-wise. Like her namesake, Carmilla is a lesbian, while Lillith is bi.
Carmilla is also the only person in town who can rival Shock as the top bitch. Where Shock is calculating, devious, and mischievous, Carmilla is cold and polite.
Lillith is a bit stand-offish, but much kinder than her sister.
-Agatha is still the token straight. She doesn't like trouble, but if there's an opportunity for subtle vindictiveness, she'll take it. Of all the teens, she's probably the closest one to a sweetheart. She's also probably the most responsible one.
-Band:
Lock formed The Devil's Pitchfork as an outlet. He's going through a rebellious teen phase, and this is one area he has complete control over, since he can't overpower Shock, and he's tired of being bossed around by her, since after Jack, she's the closest thing to a parental figure the trio have.
Shock and Carmilla butt heads over the lead position. Carmilla has technical singing training, and is better in many aspects, but Shock can shriek and screech in different ranges, which Lock needs for his band. Also, she's his sister and he has an incentive to keep the peace so his band can actually function.
-Misc Halloween Town:
Harvest(?) and Behemoth are bros because of their pumpkin patch work.
The main Halloween Town musicians are fine with the kids creating their own band, as they aren't trying to compete. Halloween Town overall is supportive one, because many of the kids are doing something creative between Halloween prep, and two, if Lock, Shock, and Barrel are occupied with practice, they aren't causing trouble elsewhere.
Several years had passed since that fateful Christmas Eve. Halloween Town was changed by the knowledge of Christmas, and in time, other holidays. Every year on Christmas Eve, Sandy Claws made it snow as a gift to Halloween Town, and was a well-appreciated gesture among the creepy crawlies and macabre monsters.
It was far from the only change.
Oogie Boogie no longer lurked in the outskirts, destroyed by Jack as a final straw after the boogeyman tried to do away with Sandy Claws and Sally. Very few missed him - only three people in the entire town, in fact: his young henchmen, Lock, Shock, and Barrel. The trio came out with the rest of the town that first Christmas Eve to play in the snow, and even threw the first snowball right into the face of the Pumpkin King himself (much to Jack's amusement and laughter). For the first time in their devious little lives, they found joy in something other than trouble.
As the years passed, the little tricksters, no longer influenced by Oogie, became more playful at first, then began to test their new limits. If there was one thing the town could have been grateful to Oogie for, it was that he used to keep Lock, Shock, and Barrel both in check and occupied. When they weren't pulling pranks, they often looked for offerings to send down to the boogeyman's lair, or ran tasks for him, as under Jack's orders, he was forbidden to leave his underground home.
Now with more free time, and even more freedom than before, the sinister siblings occupied their time by finding new ways to cause trouble. More than that, something happened to them that rarely happened to the undead in Halloween Town.
No one - not even the trio - noticed it for many years. But there came a day where Lock came to Sally to help fix his shoes because they had mysteriously gotten too tight. Then Barrel found his shirt no longer covered his belly, and Shock realized the hem of her dress lifted above her knees. The changes were slow, gradual, but in time, there was no mistaking it: the tricksters were growing up. The common theory was it had something to do with Oogie's death. Lock, Shock, and Barrel had been with him for so long that perhaps under his influence, maybe even his power, they remained ageless, and as each year passed, a little of that influence left.
But no one knew for sure.
Several more years passed before they finally broke out of childhood and grew into teenagers. It made Halloween Town long for the days when the devious brats were small enough to crawl into spaces they weren't supposed to be and be satisfied with wrecking a few things and taking a few sweets. With age came maturity, nuance, and greater intelligence for more elaborate trouble.
In time, other changes came: the siblings better established themselves apart from their group.
Shock, always the most cunning, practical, and dominant of the three, completely declared herself as their ringleader after Oogie passed, instead of merely the guiding force keeping her brothers somewhat on target with their tasks. Her devious mind matured over the years from simple pragmatism to quiet calculation, which made any prank she was involved in a lot worse than it could have been had it been solely left in the hands of her brothers, and made dealing with her in person a hassle.
Barrel shot up like a weed, almost a head taller than his older sister, and no less round. He had always been the one easiest to get along with and sway over, and that didn't change much. In fact, it seemed Barrel had outgrown a lot of his need for trouble, or at least, wasn't up to the more obvious antics like his older siblings.
Lock, the middle child, and always struggling to crawl out of Shock's shadow, changed the most. From his outfit (some of the pieces stolen from mortals on ventures out on Halloweens past) and his newly-styled horns to try to appear taller than his sister, to his constant need to stick out from the group, he was the most reckless and noticeable, and often fought with Shock in public over her domineering attitude. But he found a way to channel that newfound rebellion.
Oogie's lair changed as much as its new occupants. Long gone were several elements in the casino. The giant roulette wheel was now stationary, and the yellow torture table in the middle long since removed. Many of the torture devices had been moved around or taken out entirely, though the lighting system remained to be re-purposed for a new kind of stage. Some of the old skeletons hung around the room, a mock audience to be entertained. The old chute had been replaced with a wider one, and then lengthened, the pipe circling the room at careful angles so those coming down from the tree house wouldn't get stuck or slide too quickly. The upper window now sported a rope ladder as a way out, with another rope ladder hanging from the bridge.
In the middle of the roulette wheel, several instruments had been set up, though it had taken time to get them all down here. Lock tuned his guitar as he waited for the others to arrive for the day's practice.
Shock controlled most of their other day-to-day operations. The Devil's Pitchfork was his idea, and something he could boss her over if she wanted to remain his lead vocalist - even if part of him would never admit he let her sing lead as a way to keep her out of his hair. Still, it gave him a petty thrill to have something to hold over her head for once, and Lock would savor it for as long as he could. And he had to admit, she had a great shriek, which worked for the style they played.
The chute rattled as someone came sliding down. Lock glanced over and saw the three-toed white feet first. Long pants with bones on them followed the feet, then a hoodie with a rib cage and arm-bones on the sleeves, and finally, a round, grinning face and wild green hair. Barrel somersaulted as he landed, then stood on his feet.
"You're actually on time for once," Lock said.
"Clown sprung my trap early," Barrel grinned. "You should've seen his face! It fell off and bounced into the sewer!"
Barrel frowned in annoyance that his older brother brushed him off so quickly. He tapped his fingers on a snare drum just to make noise.
"On her way with the others," he answered. "They got caught up at the witch's shop."
Lock rolled his eyes.
"Probably to catch up with her 'bestie', Agatha."
That got Barrel to snort with laughter. Shock and Agatha tolerated each other at best. Neither of the two witches ever stayed in the other's presence longer than they had to. Barrel climbed in his seat behind his drums.
"Guess I'll warm up while we wait for the girls," he said.
Lock just nodded and went back to tuning his guitar.
~~~
The Witch's Shop was the go-to for ingredients, potions, charms, and the occasional odd item. Shock hung out just outside the shop while she waited for the vampire twins, having no need to actually go inside today. Carmilla insisted she needed a refill of her throat spray to enhance her singing. Shock shared her opinion of such as she shared a cigarette with Carver.
"Delicate little Charmelia," she muttered as she handed it over. "'Oh, my voice is just so fragile without it!' Please. She's not doing most of the shrieking."
Busty, red-haired Madame Serpente made her rounds with a few other barmaids, serving drinks, picking up empty plates and tankards, and collecting coin. She kept her sharp, hawk-like eyes and bat-like ears out for any sign of trouble beyond tolerable means.
This Gaston fellow was a spectacle, but he hadn't broken anything, hadn't gotten into any fights beyond arm-wrestling, and her chairs and tables were still standing, so for now, she allowed his boorish displays and rowdy songs as her other guests were entertained, paying up (and handsomely, thus far), and making merry. She'd already had to throw out a few patrons who'd had too much, or drag them to their rooms if they'd paid for them. In fact, she had to leave the main floor for a moment to bring one such guest up to his room - at the very end of the hall, much to her chagrin - to unceremoniously throw him inside and lock the door with her spare key. Let his drunken ass figure out the bed if he didn't pass out on the floor right then and there. She trusted her barmaids to handle things in the meantime.
While Cassim reigned in his horse, Esmeralda escorted Lock, Shock, and Barrel to the tavern, with a quick promise to the skeleton - whom she learned was Jack on the way over - to keep an eye on them, now that their guardian had taken to the roof. The trio promised to behave...and made sure their backs were to the tavern wall as they crossed their fingers.
Phoebus's greeting and literal sweeping Esmeralda off her feet gave the three little terrors the perfect opportunity to slip away. Djahli bleated in alarm as he trotted after the three, trying to keep at least one in sight. While Phoebus twirled her, Esmeralda only caught sight of Shock's tall hat disappearing between two patrons, and a flash of red - was that a tail? - slipping under a nearby table. She saw no sign of Barrel, but with how quickly the three scampered, she doubted any of them would be where she last saw them for very long.
"Neither can I," Esmeralda said, once she pulled herself from Phoebus's arms, "and now you can practice handling any little ones we may have."
She waited for the inevitable confused look, before explaining.
"There were three children with me - two boys and a girl. They should be easy to identify; they're all wearing masks and costumes."
Esmeralda did a quick glance around the room to try to locate even one of them.
"And while I'm trying to help them find someone, it seems their main priority is getting into trouble."
She noticed Cassim had since caught up to her. Esmeralda excused herself to talk to Cassim, and was about to ask him if his bird could possibly spot the tricksters from above, when--
"No one needs to blow it out their ear like Gaston! For the love of Allah, shut! It!"
"Stop that horrible racket. I thought we were going to an inn, not a Karaoke hall.”
The entire tavern went quiet for a moment. Gaston was in the middle of yet another show of strength: two giddy women sat in his hands and enjoyed the view from over his head, though their giggles quickly became gasps.
"Shut it, rawwwk!" *whistle*
Gaston turned to see who had interrupted the merriment...only to be beaned in the chest by a nearly empty tankard. He set down the women, who quickly made themselves scarce.
"Who did that?" he demanded. "No one throws tankards at Gaston!"
Many patrons pointed toward the tall, hooded stranger in the blue cloak, with the red bird on his shoulder. A few pointed to the soldier in strange black and green armor, though Gaston noticed the cloaked stranger first, so he was the one he strolled up to.
He grabbed the front of the stranger's cloak and easily lifted him to eye level. He gave a sharp glare and gritted his teeth.
"And we were all having such a good time."
Esmeralda quickly tried to step in.
"He didn't do anything!"
A barmaid was about to try to de-escalate the situation, when the strangely-armored soldier requested a room. The barmaid glanced to - him? her? - and held up a hand. Strange; wasn't the soldier's voice different just a moment ago? And what was a "karaoke"?
"Just a moment, er, good soldier," she said, more concerned with stopping a potential brawl than worrying about the soldier's change in voice.
But it turned out the barmaid's assistance was temporarily unneeded as Gaston took in Esmeralda, and not-so-subtlely eyed her from head to toe.
"Well, hello," Gaston said, his anger quickly melding into dashing charm.
He kept his grip on the stranger's cloak, lifted him higher and struck a pose. Gaston placed his free hand on his hip and suggestively cocked it to the side. While it was apparent he was trying to impress, several of the tavern patrons looked on in amusement as they picked up on what caught Gaston's attention. Esmeralda had once taken out ten of Frollo's men on just wit and the occasional assistance of her fellow Roma entertainers.
And her fiance, Captain Phoebus - a formidable man in his own right - was right there beside her.
A few whispers went through the tavern as small piles of coin were placed for bets.
Esmeralda crossed her arms and glared, obviously not impressed with Gaston's boorish display. The children never left her mind, and she occasionally stole a glance to try to find one of them, but right now, Cassim was in immediate danger.
"Put him down," she said. "He's done nothing to you."
Esmeralda caught movement by the fireplace in one of her glances and saw the red boy - Lock. She watched him in the corner of her eye, though she kept a lookout for the other two.
Unbeknownst to her, Barrel managed to sneak into the kitchen and was already stealing food off of trays and plates to eat. Shock was surprisingly difficult to spot, even with her tall hat. Accustomed to accounting for it, she picked the largest patrons to hide behind as she scouted the room for the best place to start causing trouble. The silence bought her a moment to calculate how to get someplace not many would expect her to be...and with most of the room focused on Gaston, she had a clear shot to get where she wanted.
Madame Serpente came back down to an oddly quiet tavern, when she spotted a wild-haired, finely-dressed redhead making her way over to the drinking game corner. She did a quick survey of the room for the source of the trouble, and would have happily ignored the redhead had she not heard the distinct sound of a blade smashing through wood.
With the potential brawl in a current standstill, Madame Serpente made a quick detour to the group, where the girl made her drinking challenge. If the drunken entourage was silent before, their silence was even more palpable in the presence of the Madame. One or two even shrunk back in fear. The middle-aged woman loomed over the younger redhead, and leaned down until her sharp gaze met hers.
"That was a solid piece of fine oak," Madame Serpente said, her tone calm, but fierce. "Strong enough that even that buffoon--" she pointed to Gaston "--could dance upon it with all his might, and it'd hold strong."
She looked the redhead over for even the smallest sign of weakness.
"So you'd better drink up," she continued, "because I'll either be taking the repair costs for that table out of your winnings, or a week as my scullery maid."
Madame Serpente motioned for a nearby barmaid and made a few quick hand signs, before she started to push herself through the crowd towards Gaston and the other newcomers. The barmaid went to the bar, got two tankards of her strongest mead, and set them on the table.
"First round's on the house," she said coldly. "Madame's orders."
The challenger grinned as he grabbed his tankard.
"Hope you've got coin, girly," he said, "because a sip of this can weaken the hardiest men."
~~~
From the rooftop, and especially from the contrasting light of the moon, Jack would be able to pick out something: namely, dark things were shifting and moving in the alleyways and over some rooftops in the distance, picked out only by eyes - or eye sockets - trained to see in the dark. Yet as they moved and gathered together, even an untrained mortal eye would notice how parts of Paris seemed to disappear in shadow from this height.
More than that, something scampered over the rooftops in the distance, practically heralding the shadows gathering like a small storm cloud behind it. Some sort of cloth billowed behind the forefront creature. Sometimes, it would disappear behind taller buildings and reappear again, but one thing was clear:
Character Name: Gaston Movie of Origin: Beauty and the Beast (1991) Additional Sources: The 2017 live film Age: 28 Reference:d13ezvd6yrslxm.cloudfront.net/wp/wp-c… Personality: It’s perfectly fine to describe our Gaston As conceited and vain as can be But you’ve got to admit he’s got other points too Like his laughter and his devotees
He’s got boisterous charm and is quite tons of fun He’s everyone’s favorite guy He may not be smart, but he steals ladies’ hearts And at times, even some of the guuuuuys’...
Abilities: No one hunts like Gaston! No one punts like Gaston! No one lifts or pulls masculine stunts like Gaston! He is charming and fine and will utilize it! My, what a guy, that Gaston!
He can lift up three babes with only one hand And go toe to toe with the Beast He eats five dozen eggs, a feat that’s quite grand And still will have room for a feast!
No one’s buff like Gaston! Or quite tough like Gaston! No one ever has enough stuff like Gaston With his knife and his gun, he’s intimidating! Get out of the way of Gaston!
Flaws: No one’s lewd like Gaston! Or as crude as Gaston! Or conceited, or vain and quite rude like Gaston! He’s a jerk and a cad and a womanizer! Don't be a guy like Gaston!
Companion(s): N/A
Brief History: When I was a lad, I knew I’d be the best And fought, trained, and worked with my hands I learned how to hunt and I fought in a war And now I’m the most ideal man!
No one brawls like Gaston! No one stalls like Gaston! Loses Belle to the Beast and then falls like Gaston! I resent that last line! We’ll ignore it right now!
Say it again! I’m a man among men! And then say it once more! I’m your hero next door! I’m a super success Don’t you know? Can’t you guess? I’ll impress you all from dusk ‘til dawn! I’m the one guy in town who’s got all of it down-- And my name’s G-A-S...T… You know what? Spelling’s for chumps! Gaston!
Le Pomme D'Eve tended to be lively on any given evening, with song, dance, and drink. A popular spot for the Romani and Parisians alike, it was one of the few places in Paris where both freely mingled while Claude Frollo was in power, and remained the most popular even after a few more have cropped up since. The tall, busty Madame Serpente accepted coin from any who came through the door, and allowed all sorts of rambunctious fun so long as her tankards and furniture weren't broken, and fights were taken outside.
And they would be taken outside, because the Madame herself could lift the most hardy of men and toss them to the street if crossed. The only thing she'd ever said about the matter was, "I don't need door men. I've hauled logs up mountains; don't go thinking I can't handle your fat bum."
The tavern was more alive than usual, due to a boisterous newcomer who had come in for a drink and was staying for a good time. He'd only payed for about half of what had gone down his gullet, thanks to the various women who hoped to bed him, the various men who hoped to befriend him, and the other men who enjoyed the challenge of trying to drink him under the table (only some of whom had already passed out and been lugged outside to sleep it off in the gutter). Between regaling the crowd with tales of his feats of combat in battle and on the hunt, he had introduced them to a song that was apparently quite popular in his home town.
"When I was a lad, I ate four dozen eggs every morning to help me get large!"
The stranger flexed and posed to emphasize his perfect physique.
"But now that I'm grown, I eat five dozen eggs--"
He spotted a bench where about four women sat, and used both hands to lift it up over his head. Two of them gasped, one cried out in shock, and the fourth giggled from drink.
"--I'm roughly the size of a baaarge!"
He grinned as he placed one hand on his hip and held the bench - and four women - up in the air. Excitement and nervousness wafted from the bench as the four women shifted to maintain a proper balance. Several of the tavern's patrons stared in awe and cheered at the feat of sheer strength. The stranger laughed as he took the bench in both hands again and set it down.
Pierre held up his own drink as another round of the chorus started up.
"Who has the vitality and stalwartness of equine-- No, wait, that doesn't work. Whose fortitudinous robustness-- No! Gaah, curse the dimunitiveness of this simplistic tune! Who is lusty and brawn as--"
Suddenly Pierre noticed the rest of the crowd had finished their verses, and quickly started up the last simple word two beats behind them:
"GASTOOOOOOOOOONNNNN!"
Gaston let out a long, hearty laugh and downed another tankard of mead.
~~~
Esmeralda glanced to the children as the skeleton said their names.
Lock. Shock. Barrel.
Peculiar names, and she briefly wondered which was which. They gave no indication at the moment. She smiled as the skeleton took his ghostly companion to his shoulders.
"I was going to offer my cloak," Esmeralda said, "but if there is something strange going on in Paris, that would be a good idea."
Without wasting another moment, she turned to lead the group toward the tavern.
"Come. This way."
As they walked, Esmeralda noticed how Lock, Shock, and Barrel's bathing tub, while not completely silent, moved a lot more quietly than the thief's horse. A quick glance showed its clawed feet carefully picking its way over the cobblestones. Djahli trotted beside her, just far enough from the bathing tub that he could look up and keep the children in sight.
Esmeralda then turned back to the thief, and in particular, the red bird.
"And where did you say you and your bird were from, friend?" Esmeralda asked.
They heard the singing, laughter, and rowdy dancing before they even saw the building: a large, spacious establishment with two floors, a barely tended-to courtyard, and a well. In the back would be the stables, though there was a trough upfront being watched by a stable hand for guests not intending to stay the night.
"This is it," Esmeralda said as they rounded the corner, "and by the sound of things, the festivities came a little earlier tonight."
She made sure to stop far enough that the stable hand and any going in or out wouldn't see them just yet. Esmeralda turned to the skeleton and pointed to a part of the building still hidden in shadow.
"Some of the stones over there are more jagged," she said, "so it should be easier to climb up without being seen."
She then turned to the children.
"Lock. Shock. Barrel."
Esmeralda watched them for reactions to the names. In order, the red boy, the girl, and the smaller boy perked up.
"You can't bring your bathing tub inside," she said, "but we can probably hide it in the stable."
She pondered a moment.
"You seem to have some valuable equipment. Will it be safe?"
The children nodded in agreement.
"If anyone tries to steal from us--" Lock said.
"--They'll have to catch it first," Barrel finished with a giggle.
"That's if it doesn't run them over," Shock said with a wicked edge to her voice.
The three of them cackled, then quickly dug through their equipment for what they could fit in their pockets. Just from the sounds coming from the tavern, they sensed plenty of opportunity for trouble.
Esmeralda took a step back, but otherwise forced herself to stand tall as the skeleton addressed her. At the very least, he seemed polite and friendly, as she picked up from his jovial tone from talking with the thief, and it helped to allay her initial shock.
"I didn't mean to intrude," she said, though her heart was still finding its normal beat again. "It's not often anyone's on the streets after dark."
"Yes, nothing to be afraid of. Merely a thief and his talking bird having a conversation with an abnormally tall skeleton, his ghostly hound, and three children in a bathing tub in the middle of a dark alleyway. An utterly unbelievable situation, so you know that if you sought help nobody would come to your aid. Instead, why not join the conversation?"
"Raaaawk! Conversation!"
Esmeralda gave a glance to each person as the thief mentioned them. She already saw the skeleton and the children, but the little ghost dog had been out of her line of sight from behind the tub. Better prepared now after taking in the skeleton, Esmeralda smiled upon seeing the ghost, then glanced to the children, who initially spotted her first. This close, she took in their pale skin, dark eyes, and strange clothes - and that was before she spotted the sharp weapons sticking out of their "bathing tub," as the thief called it. Esmeralda briefly wondered if they or the skeleton unsettled her more.
She then turned back to the thief upon mention of this unbelievable situation. Discomfort knotted at her gut, eased only with the offer to join in. The thief was right; who would believe this if she told?
"I...see," she said.
From behind her, Djahli trotted up, intent on keeping his mistress from any trouble. Of the group, the little goat hardly gave a passing glance to the thief, as he was used to the type. He warily looked over the skeleton, then bleated with fear and surprise at his ghostly companion. Djahli ducked behind Esmeralda's skirt for a moment, only to carefully approach the ghost dog after the initial scare, as the skeleton's pet seemed more playful than scary. But of the group, Djahli very clearly liked the three strange children the least, giving them a scoff and a glare, to which they looked amused. Esmeralda took note of it, but chose not to bring it up. At the very least, with the weapons in their bathing tub, combined with their creepy stares and Djahli's instincts, she knew to keep an eye on them.
She turned to the children to answer their question, though she spoke to the group as a whole.
"I am Esmeralda," she said, then gestured to her goat, "and this is Djahli. We were simply making our way to a tavern when we spotted your torchlight."
She turned to the thief in particular.
"You look like you've come from afar," she said. "I can promise a good drink and some good company. Madam Serpente makes an excellent mead."
Esmeralda glanced back at the monsters. She wasn't about to try to break up their group, but they also couldn't blend in as well. Perhaps she could give the skeleton her cloak once they got closer. The children, however, were another matter entirely. It wasn't unusual for an occasional child to be at the tavern, particularly when the upstairs served as an inn and then some, but the children who came looked, well, living.
"I think I overheard something about an adventure and strange circumstances bringing you here?" she asked.
The three children nodded in unison.
"We're shadow-hunting!" the smaller boy said. "It took Sally--"
"--So we're looking for her," the girl added.
She perked, then added:
"She's a little shorter than you--"
"--With long red hair," the boy in red chimed in, "blue skin--"
"--And she's a doll!" the smaller boy exclaimed.
They spoke together as they asked:
"Have you seen her?"
Esmeralda found herself glancing from child to child as they spoke. They were completely in-sync with each other, which made her wonder if they could actually read each other's minds, or if they were very practiced improv artists. Nevertheless, she shook her head.
"I haven't seen anyone like that," she said. "I'm sorry."
"Rats!" the girl exclaimed.
"But perhaps one of my friends has," Esmeralda said, once more looking over the group. "We work all over the city, then gather at the tavern. You can join me if you wish, but you'll have to be careful. We're not used to seeing...beings like you."
The children looked at each other, then brought up masks to cover their faces.
"Is--"
"--This--"
"--Better?"
"...A little," Esmeralda said.
Perhaps she could brush it off as a game they were playing. At the very least, their creepy faces were hidden.
The path to Le Pomme D'Eve was long and winding through the streets of Paris. Danior and the others probably got there by now. Esmeralda turned a corner and started to pass by a nearby alley, when she saw light and heard voices. Djahli stopped beside her, and refused to go further. Something didn't feel right.
Esmeralda carefully glanced down the alley and saw...a rider, non-Parisian, and likely from a land in a faraway place, based on his clothes. He spoke to a tall, thin figure she couldn't quite make out from this end of the alley. Beside the tall figure, she noticed...another horse? One with three strange heads, all of them laughing.
"Stay here, Djahli," Esmeralda whispered.
Djahli gave a brief nod, and stayed put as his mistress investigated. Upon a second glance, Esmeralda realized the second being was not a strange, three-headed creature, but three children sitting inside...some sort of large tub. And must have heard a really funny joke based on how hard they were laughing. She stepped closer to get a better look.
"So, King of Thieves, what's your business here in Paris? Looking for some rare cheeses to pilfer, maybe? I wouldn't blame you, some of the kinds are just delicious!"
A thief, then? One of her own? It wasn't uncommon for thieves, cutpurses, and others of ill-repute to come to Paris to find the Court of Miracles, though those traits weren't required for those of Roma descent. She stood behind the King of Thieves, and from here, saw the darker pallor of his hand. It admittedly eased her.
"My companion and I are merely travelling for fun, oh lord of All Hallow's Eve. If we happen to discover some treasure along the way, well then who could blame us if we indulge?" he added with a wink. "Though it sounds as though the circumstances that led you here are the telltale markings of an adventure all their own."
All Hallow's Eve...? But that wasn't until the fall.
Esmeralda was now close enough to pick out the taller figure. She covered her mouth in a gasp, not because she now recognized the creature as a skeleton - the Court was littered with skulls and bones, being part of the old catacombs - but because of how he stood up and moved on his own, with no indication it was merely a costume.
Her gasp didn't go unnoticed.
From the other end of the alley, Djahli bleated in warning. The children saw her first.
The tricksters giggled again as Jack addressed them.
"We weren't--" Shock started.
"--Planning on it--" Lock continued.
"--Jack!" Barrel finished.
He pondered a moment.
"...Well, maybe a little..."
Shock whacked him with her mask.
"Hey!"
"What he means," Shock said, with her mock sweetness, "is we like our new friend."
Her brothers grinned and nodded in agreement. All three of them laughed, but it was cut short at the mention of losing the bathtub. The tricksters stiffened at the thought. They didn't need it, but it would inconveniently hinder their troublemaking.
Still, they shifted to make sure Jack couldn't see their crossed fingers behind their backs.
"We wouldn't--" Barrel started.
"--Want anything--" Lock continued.
"--Bad to happen to him," Shock finished.
"Just try it and see what you get, ya garbage pail rejects."
Iago got their attention again. The three of them laughed, but more with delight this time instead of the thought of potential mischief. Most people would be insulted. In Halloween Town, such phrases were often considered compliments.
More than that, though, a bird less than half their size was laughably threatening when they'd taken down targets easily four times greater than the three of them combined.
"I think--"
"--Iago wants to--"
"--Play with us!"
And by the looks on their faces, the three of them couldn't be more delighted at the thought. They vaguely paid attention to the conversation between Jack and Cassim, but "adventure" stuck out like a lit jack o'lantern on a lonely street.
Character Name: Prince Phillip the Dragonslayer Player: Big Dread Movie of Origin: Sleeping Beauty Additional Sources: The Grimm Fairy Tales Age: 23 Reference:tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.8VBsIv_OJd…
Personality:
Phillip is the picture of nobility and Courtly Love. His extensive education and indoctrination has made him into a man who is reflexively honorable of graceful. He has taken the lessons to heart and takes his role as heir and nobility of the land very seriously. He stands to protect the common folk from the chaos of anarchy, the evil of dark magic, and, themselves if need be. He strives to be honest and just in all of his dealings and to undertake all of his goals with passion and focus. His passion sometimes spurs him to what would rightfully be called foolish action, but, his fixation and some luck have carried him to victory in many pursuits.
Abilities: - Etiquette: Being high nobility demands a certain level of refinement and grace. Phillip has been schooled since he was a young boy and has internalized the lessons well. Phillip conducts himself with purpose, grace, and, respect in all dealings. These lessons extend past merely behavior as well, including all courtly things such as conversation, dance, and, dinning.
- Chevalerie: The art of soldiery and horsemanship, as taught to Phillip from the early age of eight years to his current age. He has been trained by the best and most experienced teachers in the land in all aspects military, should he ever needed to be called to arms by his father. While he lacks exceptional combat experience in war he has a educational and practiced basis of skill unmatched by those without the status and coin of royalty.
- Education: As his training in the sword and court, so too is his mind tempered. Early days filled with training for both body and intellect. Schooled in the classic texts of drama, poetry, logic, linguistics, and, history. Phillip’s education would be outmatched only by other more rich and powerful royalty.
- Malleus Maleficas: While he did not have education of this kind in his youth, he has dedicated himself to understanding and combating the forces of dark magic wherever he should find them. Quizzing the three fairies and those hedge-witches in his kingdom in matters arcane have expanded Phillip’s understanding of magic and cemented a strong sense of antagonism to magic of all kinds, but, dark forces most of all.
Companion(s): - Samson, the Steed: The trusty steed Samson, faithful and devoted companion to the prince. A horse bred and trained for riding as well as war is already a force on its own, but, Samson seems to possess an intelligence and loyalty uncommon in other equine examples. Samson himself seems to also have internalized the near fearlessness of his rider, galloping straight into the path of a dragon and braving the fires of hell without balking at the task. He now remains Phillips companion and friend in his frequent travels.
Brief History: Once just a prince, Phillip found himself embroiled in a struggle like nothing he had seen before. He learned in the course of a short time that the world was far stranger and more dangerous than he thought. The forces of evil, and, Satan were certainly alive and well in the world. Being armed with The Sword of Truth and Shield of Virtue, he slew the sorceress Maleficent when she transformed herself into a dragon and brought light to the kingdom of his now bride. This experience changed Phillip significantly. He started to wonder more about the forces of dark magic and began to see them around every corner. He saw that his ignorance was leading him to paranoia and fear, two traits unbefitting of an heir to the throne, and, consort to a queen. He dedicated himself to seeking out what knowledge he could from the hedge witches and wise women of his lands. The only way to defeat the darkness was to know it. While he spent as much time as he could in court, learning from his father and spending time with Rose, he always found himself in far flung hamlets learning what he could about the Great Enemy. In time, he had accumulated knowledge of the occult enough to corrupt him. However, he kept from using the powers and turned his wit to destroying that which he now knew instead of turning it to his own ends. His sword and shield, blessed and pure, turned aside the witchery of dark forces and struck down evil in a single stroke. Phillip The Dragon Slayer, soon gained quite the reputation as a royal witch hunter in the short time after his experiences with Maleficent.
