LePouvantail

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Barrel grinned and took a hefty gulp of his wine. He suddenly felt a lot better about the whole thing. Agatha's current good mood rubbed off on him, and throughout the rest of dinner, Barrel found himself actually enjoying her company once they got the awkwardness out of the way. Without the stress of worrying about screwing up, it was easier to just talk and relax, like dinnertime was supposed to be. By the time he brought out dessert - with a quick sugary topping he took a few minutes to pull together - he was damn sure they'd have access back to the shop by morning. Not to mention he had a new way to squirm out of trouble in the future. Barrel decided to keep Lock's advice of "sincere gestures, sincere intentions" in his back pocket just in case he ever needed it again.

He hoped he wouldn't need it. Tonight had been pretty stressful.

Barrel was still in good spirits as he walked Agatha home and bid her a good night. Lock was still gone by the time he got back. Barrel briefly wondered where his older brother had gotten off to, before he decided he didn't care. Mission accomplished. With Shock and Carver still at Medusa's, Barrel went to tend to the scorpion nests he didn't get to due to dinner preparations to get that out of the way before his older sister got back.

~~~

Over the next few days, Lock finally got Lillith to speak to him again. After two weeks of silent treatment, he was desperate for affection and putty in her hands to make it up to her. Shock and Barrel figured they weren't going to see much of him until the next band practice. For Barrel, it partially worked out because it meant some reprieve from drum practice and his older brother's frustration. On the other hand, it also meant there was less of a chance of Lock and Shock picking fights with each other, which in turn meant the time he spent tending to the scorpion nests came with a higher chance of Shock lurking over his shoulder and watching for any screw-ups.

If anything, his accomplishment at securing access to the witch's shop again greatly lifted Barrel's mood and made his punishment a little less stressful.

For her part, Shock was still somewhat pleasant thanks to their fun on Halloween, having feasted again on trouble after having to serve their punishment. That she didn't go out of her way to antagonize Carmilla when they crossed paths in town spoke well enough of it. Overall, it seemed that Jack's lesson stuck with the three of them...for now.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

A wave of relief immediately washed over him. She wasn't mad, and she accepted the apology!

"Y-yeah," Barrel said. "Guess I should've just gotten that out at the beginning, huh?"

He let out a few giggles as he walked back to the table.

"Dessert's almost done," he said. "And nothing burned. So at least we got that."

Barrel relaxed into his usual smile. He picked up his plate and moved closer to Agatha, solely so he could be close enough to lift his glass and toast instead of being at the other end of the table.

"To things going well?" he asked.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Barrel froze with his fork halfway to his mouth.

She was afraid of ruining things? Why would she need to? Did he do something wrong? Did he say something that made her think that? Barrel didn't think so, but his siblings always said he was the dumb one...

"You didn't!" he blurted out. "I'm...I mean...um..."

Barrel quickly shoved the bite in his mouth before he really said something stupid. He felt his cheeks flush and tried to bite it back.

Why did he have to be the one to do this?

He swallowed hard, then awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

"...I thought things were going well. B-but if they're not...um...I'm...sorry? For whatever I did to make it not go well, and...um..."

Barrel felt the flush in his cheeks get warmer.

"I-I'll be right back," he said quickly. "I think something's burning."

Nothing was. He knew it, she knew it, and he didn't want to sit there and let his face grow anymore gray. Barrel quickly scampered into the kitchen. To keep up with the lie, he checked on the dumplings, then loudly closed the oven to be sure Agatha heard. He then went to the sink, flushed his face with cool water, then wiped it on his sleeve.

Damn it, he probably just screwed it all up. Barrel listened for a moment, and tried to clear his head. Or maybe he didn't? Just get in there and apologize. Get it over with. He carefully peeked out. Agatha didn't seem mad, so far as he could tell. Maybe...confused?

He shut the door and took a breath. Good, he could probably still salvage this. Barrel cleared his throat, put up a proper decorum, and went back to the dining room.

"Got it just in time," he said, to play on his earlier excuse. "So, um...I..."

Come on. You've got this. Barrel briefly recalled Lock's advice about sincere gestures and that things that made him feel better would make her feel better too.

"I guess...what I meant to say is I...I get it. I want this to go well too. So, um. Sorry. Again."

Barrel gave her an awkward grin to try to seal it.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Barrel dished up his own plate, poured himself a glass of wine, and took his seat again. He took a few bites before he realized the mood had deflated a bit, that Agatha suddenly seemed quieter. Barrel awkwardly finished chewing. He hoped he hadn't messed anything up.

"Is, um...everything okay?" he asked.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

"I do?" he asked.

Barrel reached up, and sure enough, she was right.

"No thanks," he said. "I got it."

He reached the tip of his tongue to lick off the residual filling. Barrel gave her an awkward grin, then noticed her plate was almost empty.

"And I also got the main course."

He quickly went back to kitchen to get the scorpion scampi from the oven. Barrel made a quick check of the rotten apple dumplings boiling on the stove. The extra time it took to get Agatha meant they were almost done already. With a frown, Barrel put them into the oven after removing the scampi to let them finish cooking and stay warm in the oven's low heat. At least they'd definitely be ready by the time they were ready to eat them.

Barrel came out with the pot of scampi and carefully set it on the table.

"One benefit of living with Shock," he said. "I get my scorpions fresh."

He chuckled as he dished up a plate and served it to Agatha.

"Almost worth all the head smacks."

Ennui for Yesteryear... Old Rp Partners that have Gone

This person wasn't from this site, but...she's gone. As in, passed away last year. We had all kinds of 1×1 games, from fandom, to our own stuff, to in-between. Our favorite thing, ever, was putting Poison Ivy and Scarecrow from the Batman universe together. That's a ship I won't do with anyone else, because no one does Ivy quite like she did, and it's a dynamic I don't feel can ever properly be recreated. I still love and enjoy Batman media, but it does get bittersweet at times. She would have loved the new Harley Quinn show. I can easily imagine the kind of things she'd have to say about certain characters and plots, and how we'd alter certain events for shipping potential. XD

There's so many other things I miss, like how she'd send me Polyvore links for costume ideas she had, the art we made for our games and sometimes collaborated on, helping each other with ideas for our original worlds, and late nights we spent just being there for each other when life sucked. We called and Skyped a few times. I still have her friended on Facebook. I never got to meet her IRL, but I knew when she passed after her fiance made an announcement. She had a lot of medical issues, so it was only a matter of time; just no one thought it would be so soon, especially since she finally seemed to be on the mend in some aspects.

I miss her. She was a part of my life for well over a decade.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Barrel finished his toadstool as she talked. He paid only enough attention to respond and watched her carefully. Agatha seemed to be legitimately enjoying herself.

"I'm not really good with directions unless I'm cooking something," Barrel said. "Even then I kind of wing it sometimes."

He shrugged.

"But that's how Sally taught me. Know the base recipe, and just have fun with it."

Barrel bit into his last toadstool. Upon hearing that dinner so far was nicer than what she usually ate at home, he had to hand it to Lock that he knew what he was talking about when it came to sincere gestures. Hell, that was probably a perfect in to apologize and get it over with. Barrel tried to swallow quickly so he could do just that when he saw Agatha reach for her glass.

Right, the wine! It should be chilled by now. Barrel tried to force the bite down cleanly as he stood up, the apology momentarily forgotten with the new task at hand.

"I'll get it," he said once he'd cleared his throat.

Barrel quickly made his way back to the kitchen. He went to get the corkscrew first to give the wine a little longer to chill, and cursed his siblings under his breath as he realized whichever of them used it last didn't put it back in its proper place. By the time he located it, retrieved the bottle, and popped the cork to bring the now-open bottle back to Agatha, he had completely forgotten about the apology.

"Thank Death for quick tricks," Barrel said as he filled her glass.

How do YOU do 1x1s?

While I tend to heavyweight most of my 1x1s and do most of the plotting and NPC-ing, I like my partner to have equal input so we both enjoy the plot, and if they have a great idea, it can be incorporated. We also each have our "assigned" main characters, then share the NPC-ing of everyone else. Sometimes, it's just easier to switch off some of the heavier NPCs, especially if one partner has multiple MCs that need to interact with them while the other doesn't at the moment.

Example: I have a 1x1 Nightmare Before Christmas AU. My main characters are Lock, Shock, and Barrel, my partner's are some of their monster OCs to play off of them. Depending on the scene, we share characters like Jack, Sally, Dr. Finklestein, and the witches, since they're heavyweight NPCs that our main characters end up running into often, and then the rest of Halloween Town as in-general NPCs as needed. Sometimes it's just easier for my partner to take Jack so LSB can play off of him, or I'll take Jack and Sally because more of their monsters are in the scene, but LSB aren't, or if it's a big crowd scene, we'll both play various Halloween Town citizens and switch off Jack as needed depending on what's easiest to keep the flow going. Just whatever needs to be done, we both have the power to do it instead of relying on one person playing this one NPC all the time.

Insatiable Thirst (Triad of Desire)

[Collab with the GM.]

Salvatore woke up to the sounds of laughter erupting from downstairs. After working long hours the night before, he was exhausted. Struggling to get out of bed, he looked at himself in the mirror. “Dratts!” He exclaimed, picking up his pocket watch to look at the time. Their party was starting soon and he was nowhere near presentable. “Damned If I had known he was bringing girls home I wouldn’t be so out of it.” Mumbling and cursing under his breath as he got ready for the soirée.

The night before, Salvatore drank almost two bottles of brandy mixed with blood. More than his usual intake. After all, someone of his stature had to indulge in the pleasures of the gambling and prostitution lifestyle. His and Lochlainn’s business had been growing these last few months. Businessmen, aristocrats, and investors were flocking nightly to gain some sort of business deal with two of the wealthiest men in London.

Hearing the sounds of glasses clinking while voices from the lower room got louder and made their way to his room. Salvatore, an Italian nobleman who stood at 5.7. He had a statuesque jawline that appeared to be chiseled by the Nordic gods. His hypnotic gray eyes could make any female faint without saying a word. His beard was neatly groomed almost to that of a five o’clock shadow and had dark wavy neck length locks that he kept pulled back into a ponytail. Tonight he decided to wear a pair of black suit with a tail coat.

“Here’s to hoping this night doesn’t have anything unexpected. I rather sleep than entertain.” He said as he grabbed his violin case and cane sword. The cane sword was custom made. A gift from his mother when she gave him the title Duke of Kent.

Outside the started to get cold, rain was coming. Salvatore descended the stairs as his eyes fell on to his vampire sibling, Lochlainn. “I see you’re ready to entertain brother. Ladies.” Acknowledging the guests his brother has brought home. “Breakfast or desert?” His eyes wandering over them hungrily.

“Guests should be arriving soon. No matter, I need to speak to you alone. In private.” Salvatore pulled Lochlainn to the side. "Something is in the air tonight. I can feel it. But I don’t know what. We must be on our guard for the unexpected.” Salvatore did a once over throughout the house making sure everything was clean and set up to their desires. Time passed and guests soon started to arrive by horse drawn carriages to their city home in Mayfair. One by one members of high society came in, all of whom were personally invited by Salvatore and Lochlainn.

“Oh look Earl Harrington is here. That will make for some interesting conversation. Is that Diedre Monaghan, I heard scandals about him and her being his mistress. He wasn’t on the guest list, unless you invited him?” He said to Lochlainn as they watched everyone walk in. “Well, in that case, it would be rude of us to kick him out. This might work in our favor after all. Miss Monaghan is looking for a new employer from what the other girls gossip about.” Salvatore was curious as to why such a couple would show up without an invite. Supposedly, word got out. It wasn’t a big deal. In fact, he had heard so much about Earl Harrington but never actually met him.

Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Lady Ashton, fiancé to Lord Delacroix. Things were going to get interesting throughout the evening. Once everyone was settling in, coats were hung and drinks were being poured, the festivities were underway. For the early part of the party, Salvatore played his violin. The music was beautiful and eerie. As he played, the hairs on his arm stood up, creating chills amongst his audience. Yet, he had no idea what his music had done until the door swung open.

~~~

Another weekend, another droll party. If it didn't mean another night on her back, Dierdre would have rescinded. Then again, she was already wondering if it would be better to let Earl Archibald Cassius Harrington ride her like a prized stallion and let him pretend his prowess in bed was worth what he paid. At least then, she wouldn't have to do much, and could spend the rest of the evening with a good book.

But such social gatherings were a requirement for a man of his standing, and she as his escort - she insisted on that terminology - was akin to a prize gem to be shown off. Her lavender gown was perfectly cut to her body, with black lace trim and strings of pearls to properly accent both the gown and her admittedly boldly cut bosom. She carried a matching fan in her lace-gloved hands. Dierdre sometimes went a little heavy on the powder, but she chose a subtle lip stain to assimilate herself into the upper class. Her dark brown hair was pulled into an updo, with two ringlets strategically hanging on either side of her neck to better frame her face.

Earl Harrington had spotted the hosts. Dierdre simply smiled and played her part, but found herself drowning out talk of business as she noticed Lord Delacroix and his fiance, Lady Ashton. A subtle smirk crossed her face. Dierdre quickly held up her fan.

I bet I'll still see him after the wedding, she thought.

She saw Lady Ashton turn in her direction. Dierdre quickly pulled up her fan and pretended to be interested as Earl Harrington spoke with Lochlainn.

"...while it pains me," she caught Harrington say as she zoned back in, "that I simply haven't the time to run it anymore..."

Dierdre did her best to look pretty and interested. Truth be told, she wanted some champagne, and looked away to hopefully spot a servant with a tray to imbibe from. She could probably get herself halfway drunk and still carry on any necessary conversation if needed. Her pursuit of a servant seemed to garner other attention. It took a moment for her to realize Lady Ashton was storming up in her direction. The young woman pulled up a bright, yet seething smile as she listened for a natural point in the conversation to pull herself in.

"Pardon me, Duke Lochlainn," she said, with a subtle curtsey to show him proper respect, "but I thought this was a party of good taste."

She gave a poised, knowing look to Dierdre.

"It seems a bit of refuse somehow blew in from the streets."

Dierdre kept up her fake, graceful smile as she turned to Lady Ashton.

"How would you know, having never set one pampered foot into them?"

"I know well enough when something doesn't belong," Lady Ashton snapped back, "and a lady of your…station has no business showing her face here."

"Of my 'station'?" Dierdre asked, coyly.

Earl Harrington quickly tried to diffuse it.

"Lady Ashton," he said, "Lady Monaghan has earned her place to--"

"Earned?" Lady Ashton snapped. "Earned? By lying on her back and offering herself to you? You call that earned?"

Dierdre never lost her smile. She hooked her arm around Earl Harrington's and gently patted his hand.

"I offer the Earl good company and grace on the harpsichord," she said pointedly, "as opposed to simply preening in front of a mirror."

Dierdre shot a quick glance to Lord Delacroix.

"I've heard it told your fiance also has an ear for music," she said. Her smile kept its sweetness. Her eyes, however, narrowed in for the kill. "What can you offer him in that regard?"

Salvatore looked over at the two females, his gaze falling on Miss Monaghan more than Lady Ashton. Lady Ashton spoke to the female in a hushed tone. “He does. Tonight we’re here for the glorious summer party our hosts have yet to grace us.”

As she was about to say something snarky Lord Delacroix chimed in.

“Darling, I want you to meet some of my business associates. The reason why he pulled her away was that he didn’t want her stirring trouble. They had managed to fix things when she found out about his scandal with Direfre, but she didn’t trust her one bit.

“My love, a low-life like her shouldn’t be here. You know how the Dukes prize their acquaintances on purity.”

Lord Delacroix cut her off and looked at her and stopped her in her tracks. “Now, I can either spend the time by myself and send you home, or you can be respectful and be civil. You don’t want trouble in the headlines tomorrow do you dear?”

Lady Ashton shook her head and nodded as she hooked her arm with his. She hated being put in place in such social situations. “Let’s enjoy tonight.”

Dierdre pulled up her fan again, as well as her most innocent demeanor.

"My harpsichord always awaits a listening ear."

Her smile became more genuine as she noticed the pink tint in Lord Delacroix's ears as he quickly pulled his fiance away.

Insatiable Thirst (Triad of Desire)

Name and Title: Dierdre Liliana Monaghan, often goes by DeeDee.

Age: 27

Ethnicity: Irish

Eyes: Dark brown

Weight: 176lbs

Height: 5’9”

Appearance: She has a sort of light tan color to her otherwise caucasian flesh and a slew of freckles, which she pales out with powder to better fit in. Dark, slightly wavy hair. A robust woman with a full hourglass figure, she often exaggerates it with a well-situated corset, and often has her dresses tailored to show a bit more of her bosom than most women.

Relationships: To be determined

Hobbies: When not servicing clients, Dierdre often makes and alters her own dresses, as it’s cheaper to do it herself than to pay for alterations for her fuller figure, and she can make them more comfortable and easier to slip in and out of (she will pay top dollar for a good corset, however). She has also learned to play the harpsichord and tries to at least minimally keep up with politics, world news, and some history, as a core part of her services include entertaining a client in all sorts of ways.

Personality: Dierdre puts up with no shit. She knows her worth and has no qualms with putting people in her place. Life has hardened her, so she has a realistic/somewhat negative view of things. While not inherently selfish, she’s a survivor, and will look out for herself first and foremost.

Abilities/Strengths: Having to move bodies and spending years doing laundry and making heavy beds has given Deirdre more physical strength than the average Victorian woman, and maintains it because it’s gotten her out of bad scrapes before. She is fierce and intelligent, and knows her way around both men and women in bed.

Weakness: She’ll put up with a lot (she has to, given her line of work), but when she loses her temper, her mouth often gets her into trouble. While she takes great pains to hide her Irish accent, it comes out when she’s angry. While she has some understanding of sociopolitical norms in the upper class, there are times where she’s, at minimum, tripped a stuffed-up lord, and maximum, threw a punch. She has a reputation for being “difficult” due to it. She also lacks formal education, which will sometimes get her respect as, “you’re intelligent for one of your background,” but it’s also easy to weaponize against her if she pisses the wrong person off.

History: Dierdre immigrated with her mother to England at ten, and learned very quickly how well the Irish were received: not very. For it, she learned to hide her accent. To avoid the long, fourteen-to-sixteen hour days at the factory where she and her daughter would almost certainly find themselves overworked and eventually maimed, her mother found work as a maid for a brothel. While the work was still long and hard, the pay was a bit more decent. Deirdre was able to go to school, but by the time she was twelve, she was coming home and assisting her mother as a laundress and cleaning the rooms after the clientele left. By the time she was fourteen, she stopped going to school to assist full time at the brothel.

Over the years, Dierdre became disillusioned with society’s notions of sex and love, for if it was so special, her place of work wouldn’t exist. While her mother tried to protect her, she became familiar with their more regular clients - a good lot of them married men - and how they treated some of their working girls. She and her mother wore gloves when handling soiled sheets to avoid catching disease when possible, and often tended to bruised and ill prostitutes until they were healthy enough to work again. Her mother at times offered her services as a working girl for a little extra money to both supplement Dierdre’s education where she could and afford a relatively decent lifestyle for them both.

Unbeknownst to her mother, Dierdre found a different sort of client: one that sought blood instead of sex. The first time, Dierdre had walked into a room she presumed was unoccupied and needed cleaning. She found one of the working girls moaning with ecstasy as a vampire drew blood from her thighs. The vampire later hunted her down, intent on leaving no witness alive. Dierdre bought her life by promising him a meal, and invited in a vagrant that often harassed the kitchen staff for scraps in for a hot bath, a hot meal, and a warm bed: the last he’d ever sleep in. Since then, Dierdre started her own side business - for a small fee of course - where she’d assist London by getting a few beggars no one would miss off the streets, and ensure the vampire clientele needn’t target the working girls she’d befriended over the years.

At seventeen, her mother caught pneumonia and died from it. Dierdre caught it as well and survived, but paying for the funeral left her in financial straits. Without her mother’s additional income, it became harder and harder to make ends meet. Dierdre in that time had blossomed into a tall, buxom maiden. With the funeral debts having eaten into her savings and no way to get herself back to the relatively comfortable life her mother helped her build, Dierdre made a decision. Men wanted young, beautiful girls to live out their fantasies, and she needed money. After discussing it with the owners, Dierdre used some of what was left of her savings to buy a nice dress and corset to properly show off her assets. She then sold her virginity to the highest bidder. After the owners got their cut, Dierdre was able to recoup the funeral costs. She also started her life as a working girl.

A bit to her dismay, Dierdre found she had a knack for it: not only for her physical prowess in bed, but in the soothing words and forced delight that made her clients feel better about getting her services. She also did well with the vampire clients, as her room adjoined to a smaller one where a sleeping vagrant became a feast and earned her more coin. The bodies would then be dumped on the streets away from the brothel or taken away from the Thames, where it was presumed they died of illness or were just another poor soul unable to afford a proper burial.

After a few years, Dierdre’s luck changed a bit for the better: she serviced a wealthy lord coming in after his mistress fell ill and was unable to perform. He requested her specifically. After that night, Dierdre found herself as the new mistress, and with it, a cushier life for herself, as well as wealthier connections. She was already charging more at the brothel for her services; now she could charge more. She currently longs for the day when she could build herself a big enough nest egg to disappear and live out the rest of her life however she desired.