[Log] EVA Cast (Plus One!) At Halloween
WHO: Alicia, Asuka Langley, Haruhi Suzumiya, Misato Katsuragi, Rei Ayanami, Shade Man, Shinji Ikari,Toji Suzuhara, Yuki Nagato
WHERE: Hub, then Mikado's Haunted House (as done by the Relief Society)
WHEN: Halloween! Tuesday, October 31st
WHAT: Misato takes the kids off to the Relief Society's Haunted House event. Alicia tags along.
WATCH FOR: Misato's driving, doujin fodder
(Alicia and Shade Man need a tag, please!)
The gate leads up from the subterranean IPA parking structure swings up, allowing the ramp to disgorge a blue compact car. And disgorge is really a good term for it. There is a loud screech as it peels out, barely clearing the metal arm that's slowly rising, and almost spinning around as it swings toward the curb, near the front entrance to the HQ.
And with another screech, it comes to a shuddering halt next to the curb, in the 'NO STANDING OR LOADING' zone, naturally. The window rolls down, and Misato leans out, looking around. "Hey, kids," she yells, "where are you? Ready to go yet?" And she slams on the horn for emphasis.
Yeah, she's back to normal, for the most part. Good old Misato.
'Oh God,' Shinji thinks, 'She's going to kill us all.'
He is, none the less, in costume...don't ask how he got the Phantom of the Opera stank out of that shirt, its a launderer's secret...and only looking mildly grumpy. Its good seeing Misato back to normal, even if she's going to kill us all. Also, Shinji isn't entierly sure if the side effects of the milkshake last night-namely, Mint style hard to control telepathy- has completly worn off yet, and the last thing he wants to do is accadentily read the mind of one of his roomates, coworkers, or other people who can step on him with an Evangelion.
So he's a little distracted by that. "Um, are you s-sure this is a...g-good idea?"
Alicia is around.
Yes. Around.
Actually, she is still sort of clueless as to where anything /is/ in the Hub, even though she's figured out the concept of the Hub itself and where her particular Gate is. Cars, however, are still startling, especially when the driver is a poor driver and screeches loudly. She looks up, blinking, from her unfolded map.
Of course, other people probably do too, so she may just be local colour.
Rei has been dressed up as a witch in a violet cape with a high cap. The cloak wraps around her body, which has benefits regarding warmth; the outfit also comes with a somewhat chintzy plastic "wooden" stick, which nonetheless serves fairly well as a walking stick. She moves fairly steadily, but it is nice to have a fallback.
If Shinji is accidentally reading her mind, there isn't much in there.
'Oh god she's gonna kill us' Asuka thinks, 'At least it's Halloween, that probably means I'll make it out of this as a zombie at least.'
Asuka is dressed up as Lucy from Peanuts for her costume, with dyed black hair, and even a blue dress and ribbon! She is also, as a note, holding a football trick-or-treating bucket. "We have no choice, it's do or die... or do and die. So we might as well do and die." She mutters to Shinji. She glances over to Alicia--noticing that she looks absolutely confused. This isn't too odd, "It's Halloween!" She calls out to her in case she didn't realize it. Sigh, Asuka thinks, out-of-towners.
Toji Suzuhara is significantly less morose-looking than Shinji. This isn't very hard, as starving children in Ethiopia look happier than Shinji.
It may also help that, for at least one night, Toji Suzuhara is a man of the cloth. That's right, he's dressed as a Catholic priest. See, this is funny because he's from Evangelion.
"Of course it's a good idea," he says as if this were a perfectly ordinary situation. "We get candy, and all we have to do is hope the Major hasn't been drinking /too/ much today." ...okay, so maybe they are doomed after all.
"Pfft, it's a haunted house being run by those do-gooders. Orihime's a good gal, I'm sure it'll be fine!" Really! It's a charitable group, after all, right? Misato thumps the door. "Pile in already! Should be fun...." She trails off, looking at whoever it is that Asuka's yelling at, then waves to Alicia. "Evening, lady, if you're lost or something, the IPA can help you." She gestures to the building that she's parked in front of. "If you're looking to do something tonight on the other hand, there's a haunted house event being held by one of the charity groups."
Back to the others, she says, "Now, we're supp--Suzuhara, I haven't had anything to drink in two weeks, doctor's orders, so if you don't want me to drop off a pic of me in my bathing suit at your school locker within sight of Miss Horaki, you better not remind me of that fact." She's smiling. Shinji should know that smile. It's not a good one to be receiving. "Hurry up now."
Alicia, on the other hand, is a veritable collection of minds in there. Fortunately, they don't talk much, except to each other.
She blinks, slowly, at Asuka. "Happy Halloween?" she echoes, although it's more confused than an actual well-wishing statement. Apparently that is not a costume she's wearing and she always looks like a very lost medieval fencer. "I wasn't, ah, going anywhere in particular. I was just looking. Where's the charity?"
"That's not the right way to get candy," Asuka wrinkles her nose at Alicia. "You have to examine history and hit all the good houses early, then move on to the weaker houses, then you go for the ones that hold 'specials' for those who show up later. There are houses like that." She shakes her head, "Oh sheesh, you don't even have a bag or anything."
Shinji is giving Toji a look that amounts to an 'I told you so.' that has been looming since the beginning of their friendship. Now, Suzuhara, you see the true terror of Misato Katsuragi. He also nods, faintly, to Asuka, because she's essentialy right.
"O-one of the Tokyos, Miss." Shinji, who is dressed as Charlie Brown as seen in his description, says. He wonders if there is room in the Renault for everyone, and holds the front door open, motioning for Ayanami to sit there if she wants. Its safest, and she's still recovering, Shinji reasons, so it is best. "You sort of, um, sound like a bad guy when you s-say 'do-gooders' like that, Misato." Shinji also mutters, having hit enter too early.
Remember, kids: headwounds equal benefits! Rei steps forwards, slipping into the front seat and adjusting her fluffy purple cloak as she puts the faux-wooden staff between her legs, squirming it around so it rests comfortably.
Toji Suzuhara looks completely confused by Misato's threat. "....why would she be worried about that? I don't think there's a school rule against pictures in lockers...."
Remember, he's clueless about the whole thing. Poor sod.
Shinji's look, however, is misinterpreted as a warning, so he quickly decides to shut up either way. He does pause long enough to look at Asuka, however. "...specials? The heck are you talking about, anyway?"
There's a pause as Misato extracts a flyer from her purse and peers at it. "Says...over in the Paranormal area...a Mikado Tower." And she just tosses it in the back seat. She leans over slightly to grin at Asuka. "Ah, a budding strategist, are you? Keep it up, we could use your brains for that sometime, maybe...eh? Do I, Shinji?" She frowns a moment. "Suppose I do. Goody-two-shoes instead?" She shrugs. "It's Halloween, anyway, a little bit of evil ought to be acceptable."
As she waits for everyone to enter, she calls out to Alicia again. "You want to come along? Can't promise you a ride back afterward, but then, it's not really that far back to the Hub." Muttered to herself: "I think." Then out loud again. "I'm sure the kids could squeeze together a bit more in the back. And if you try any funny stuff, I'll shoot you in the face." Grin.
As for Toji...nah. She'll let him bring his own doom upon himself. "Sure," Asuka says, "we'd love to have you." She is remarkably accomodating, but Asuka knows how halloween works. More Candy = More Trading = More of what you want. Good Costumes = Extra Candy. She shakes her head at Shinji, "I can't believe you don't know about the specials. If you don't factor in time to Halloween Candy visits, you're just a noob." "Bag? Candy?" Alicia looks totally lost now, but they're offering her a ride!
Strangers offering a ride can obviously not be bad people. Plus, she has a sword.
"Well, all right," she agrees after a few moments. "That's, um, very generous of you...my name's Alicia." She dips into a silly-looking half-bow before walking over to the car. Are they /really/ all going to fit in there? She starts to unbuckle her sword-belt to avoid poking someone with it when she sits down.
Shinji Ikari smiles, a little, at Ayanami, and sees that they've gotten a new recruit. And Misato's already threatening them. "J-just don't laugh maniacly, and I t-think we're good." Shinji mutters, smiling tiny bit as he squeezes in. He knows he'll have to do the most squeezing, between the newcomer, Asuka's ego, and Toji's FAT.
Which is to say that Toji doesn't look like a skeleton. Oh Eva character designs, you so skinny.
"Not, um, everything's a competition, Asuka." Shinji meekly points out, and adds, "Oh, um, I'm Shinji. Nice to meet you, Miss." Squeeze squeeze oh man what am I sitting in?
Rei basks in the comfort of leg room.
She does scoot the seat forwards somewhat, as her legs are relatively small and they may need the space.
Alicia, fortunately, is extremely small and takes up little space.
Just like all of Alicia's alts. Smaaaall.
"Nice to meet you Alicia. That's a good name, has two A's like mine." Asuka agrees amiably. Unless...two a's... that might be too exact the same number of A's in her name. Asuka looks suspicious for a moment. She'll force Shinji to sit in the middle as she takes the more comfortable side seat. "Yeah, in Halloween you get candy, I'm sure you knew that already otherwise you wouldn't be in costume. Unless you just went to parties. Maybe this is your first time out. Hmmm..."
Toji Suzuhara luckily doesn't have a bulky costume, so he's able to squeeze right in. Well, okay, not too much, because he's the biggest non-adult member of the cast, but hey. He's trying. "Man, this thing could do with a sidecar..." he quips, before glancing down to fasten his seatbelt. Yeah, he's occasionally a square like that. "So, we ready to go or what?"
Rei remembers, after hearing several other clicks, to fasten her own seatbelt.
This is Misato's Sweet Ride. It'll fit everyone she wants it to fit, just because she says so. "I'm Major Misato Katsuragi. Just call me Misato." There is a crinkling sound as Shinji piles into the back seat. "Oh, crap, that was the breakfast muffin from two weeks ago, wasn't it...remind me to throw that out later, right?" Shinji, you may have gotten the stink out of your costume once...looks like you might have to do it again.
She gives everyone a few moments to buckle up...well, one person in the back might not get a seat belt, unfortunately. But that should just serve to make life more interesting. If, perhaps, shorter. "All ready?"
Whatever the answer, Misato stomps on the gas. "YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAA!"
Rei Ayanami begins following you.
Rei Ayanami says, "Everyone hit 'follow misato' and prepare for death :("
Alicia does not, because she has never seen a seatbelt before. Other people get it. She is also content to be wedged somewhere in the middle because of her size; she keeps the sword between her legs. "Actually, this is what I always wear - "
Then the Worst First Car Ride Ever begins. She holds on. Possibly to other people.
Alicia begins following you.
Alicia says, "Done. :D"
Misato Katsuragi says, "YOU'RE IN THE JUNGLE, BABY! YOU'RE GONNA DIEEEEEEEEEE"
Toji Suzuhara begins following you.
Shinji Ikari begins following you.
Asuka Langley begins following you.
Misato Katsuragi says, "That's all of us! Here we go. :D"
*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH*
Welcome to the Relief Society's Haunted House! Donated for the evening by
Dauragon C. Mikado, it looks fantastically spooky with evening settling in,
the house's shape illuminated by a full, silver moon. Most of the windows are
dark. Some are aglow with warm, orange squares of light. And some feature
lights that flicker ominously. Dare to come closer? Follow the path, and
ignore the leering jack o' lanterns that line the walkway.
Step inside and behold the massive clumps of fake spiderwebs strung up
here and there, along with the cartoonish cardboard cutout bats with the
round, corrugated paper bodies. Keigo Asano and Mizuiro Kojima greet people at
the door in vampire costumes, and pay particular attention to unaccompanied
young ladies. (Don't you feel special?) "Velcome to our Haunted House! Let me
explain how it vorks, ho ha haaaaa," Keigo begins. Mizuiro smiles serenely and
gestures, foregoing the accent. "Not all of the rooms are occupied. The ones
you can enter will be marked with a bloody handprint." He pauses at this
moment to comfort anyone squeamish with assurances that the blood is very
fake. "Each member of the Relief Society has set up a room with a certain
theme. Knock, and they'll let you in. Bring your candy bags, they're loaded up
there," he jerks his thumb to the stairs. Then the two step back. Let the
exploration begin!
Contents:
Jyuushirou Ukitake
Farplane Abyss
Vampire Loveseat!
Yuki Nagato
Haruhi Suzumiya
Ranma Saotome
Akane Tendo
Killer Kitchen
Ghost Room
Dark Crypt
Rei Ayanami has arrived.
Alicia has arrived.
Toji Suzuhara has arrived.
Shinji Ikari has arrived.
Asuka Langley has arrived.
Ranma Saotome thud
Ranma Saotome says, "eva rush"
Akane Tendo says, "HOLY--!"
Shinji Ikari says, "kekekekeke"
*vrooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMSCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH*
Haruhi Suzumiya says, "egads!!"
Rei Ayanami says, "WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"
Misato Katsuragi runs y'all over.
Haruhi Suzumiya says, "now EAT SPAM, SUCKERS"
"It's halloween every day where you are?!" Asuka gasps, predictably not wearing one. She nearly flies out of the car, but grips Shinji's arm so she doesn't, tightly.
There is, from outside, the sound of someone talking too damn loudly. This becomes slowly louder and louder, right up until someone swings the door right the hell open.
A golden hair ribbon, and short brown hair combed down...It's Haruhi Suzumiya. She is, mercifully, not in her playboy bunny outfit. Actually, she is dressed in something MUCH WORSE.
A long white robe covers most of her body, over which is a crimson sash of sorts, although from the ruffles in the cloth, it would appear that the interior of the sash is actually gold. The sash is pinned to the robe by means of a large heart pin, with gold-colored lines of plastic "radiant light" surrounding.
She smiles like an idiot, and winks back at her entourage of one. "I can't believe the others wanted to opt out! Can you believe that? Even Kyon begged off." Hmph! But, she is not as FURIOUS as she has seemed recently - indeed, she smirks, and says, "Well, I'll just have to make them write a humiliating message a thousand times! And Kyon will pay for lunch! Yes!"
She nods, sagely, which looks eerily appropriate given the costume. "C'mon! I bet there's all kinds of amazing ghosts in here!"
It's questionable whether Haruhi actually thinks there's really ghosts in here or is just playing it up for poor Yuki's benefit. (RE)
Toji Suzuhara says, "Haruhi is Jesus?"
Haruhi Suzumiya says, "Not just any Jesus, sir."
Toji Suzuhara says, "Buddy Jesus?"
Haruhi Suzumiya says, "Yes."
The door opens with the obligatory spooky creak... but there's nobody on the other side. In the darkness, there's nobody actually inside but a single empty chair in the middle of the room. A sign to the side of the entrance reads, in blood-spattered kanji, 'Please Come In!'
Asuka Langley says, "and people think -I- have the ego"
Rei Ayanami says, "Jesus fight."
Rei Ayanami raises the stick.
Toji Suzuhara is a priest.
Rei Ayanami is a witch, pics can be provided
Toji Suzuhara says, "So this should be amusing."
Asuka Langley says, "more like a bi--"
Rei Ayanami puts Asukero the Second in the tank.
Alicia says, "We do like pics."
And with GREAT POWER, the EVA folk plus one arrive on the scene, as the blue Renault leaves skid marks all over the parkway until it slides perfectly into a parking spot.
They are all alive, somehow. Misato is not to be thanked for this, but rather, berated. "Here we are!"
The driver exits, slamming the door behind her, and stretching carefully. "Ahhh, I haven't been able to drive for two weeks. That was refreshing."
Shinji thinks of something.
Turning beat red, he doesn't even protest Asuka shoving him in the middle. "Y-yes ma'am." Shinji squeeks at Misato. AND THEN THE TERROR STARTS OH GOD.
"How!" Shinji actualy shouts, desperately trying not to DIE, "Did you actualy get /worse/ at this?! Did you p-practice?!"
He then stammers a little as the car lurches to a stop, rubbing the back of his head. He's dressed, perhaps predictably, as a boy named Charlie Brown. See desc for a description with actual effort put into it!
Ranma Saotome says, "Clearly, Misato must race against Yukari."
Misato Katsuragi says, "She must indeed."
Rei fastened her seatbelt, against her usual habits. This is, it turns out, to her benefit.
She climbs, shakily, out of the passengers' side seat. It'll pass, she tells herself. It'll pass.
Asuka Langley is dressed as Lucy, of course. Somehow she manages to roll outside without any broken limbs or necks. "Oof. Seatbelts good idea in future...she's getting worse... Most def'..."
Alicia has never been in a car before, although she has used a horse-drawn carriage.
This was about the worst introduction she could have had.
Alicia was also wedged in the middle, near Shinji, and scrambles out after him. She brings her sword with him and rebuckles the belt around her waist. This is a good excuse to lean on the car for a moment and ask a little weakly, "Is it always like that?"
You switch armor modes to On Foot.
"Only when Misato drives," Asuka advises Alicia, "Normally it's less suicidal."
Yuki Nagato trails along behind Buddy Haruhi. She's wearing what appears to be a spiffy (and rather large) black trenchcoat, which trails down almost to her ankles- it's not buttoned up or anything, but is just left wide open, revealing the simple gray sweater and dark baggy shorts worn underneath. Then there's the rolled up socks and the battered, white-toed sneakers- and as a final touch, Yuki's wearing a white baseball cap. Backwards.
Silent Bob Yuki shrugs, voicing no opinion either way. Poor, unforunate (and totally uncounted by Haruhi) Mikuru is more or less hiding behind Yuki, coerced into being costume buddies with Yuki.
Toji Suzuhara, having buckled his seat belt as well, made it through mostly allright. He gets out and looks perfectly fine, going so far as to look at Alicia and say: "Don't worry, it gets easier with practice," before he approaches the door along with everyone else.
Either Misato does not hear Shinji and Asuka, or she is storing up her wrath for a very special occasion later on. Is that a vein twitching on her temple, despite the big grin on her face? "Wow, they really did a great job here," she says, whistling in appreciation. She is in, of all things, a nurse's outfit. Must have stolen one while in the hospital. White blouse, white skirt, white heels too, and she takes this moment to plop a white cap on her head. No doubt, Keigo and Mizuiro are drooling over her just a bit.
Her preparations now done, she glances around at the people she brought along. "So, where would you kids like to start?" She gives the two hosts a wink and strolls in the front door, trusting the others to be following close behind.
Normally less suicidal, really? Oh yes. Day of wrath indeed.
Haruhi Suzumiya does not count WIMPS among her minions, MIKURU ASAHINA!! Also, Haruhi is still ticked at you for being quantitatively more attractive than her in almost every way WHILE having eyes on her man.
Bitch.
She looks back as the newcomers arrive, looks them over thoughtfully, and decides, "Buncha norms. Nothing to worry about, then. C'mon, Yuki-chan, let's go!" And Haruhi steps boldly in the direction of "Oh hey is that bloody kanji on the walls!? Score!"
The room with the lonely chair, apparently.
"Oh," Alicia says, finally finishing her buckling the belt back on.
Mentally, she asks one of her mental passengers to remind her to never, ever do that again, except maybe on a wagon or a carriage. She's not going to trust Asuka /that/ much. She looks momentarily blank while she does this. Somewhere inside, Zunde is laughing at her.
Then she follows the others, looking around curiously. This reminds her far too much of some /actual/ haunted houses she's been in, but she's pretty sure a charity wouldn't be in a real one.
Unless... "Did you, um, bring an exorcist?"
Rei walks after the others, wobbling slightly. However, she seems to be recovering, and is not toppling over at any point. The stick helps quite a bit.
This is her first haunted house, but she seems to look at it without much fear.
"'Most def'?'" Shinji asks, giving Asuka an are-you-fo-rizzle? look. He then gives Alicia a nod of agreement with Der Redhead. He half looks back in the car, hoping Toji wasn't killed. There he is.
Shinji follows Misato, rolling his eyes a little at any and all drooling at his Guardian. Seriously, some people. The Third Child does look at the wobbling Ayanami with some concern, though he wonders if he should be helping her, or if that'd be rude, or BLAH BLAH BLAH INDECISION.
He then looks at the SOS club. "Pretty...elaborate costumes." Shinji mutters to the other Children plus Alicia.
"An exorcist? Ha ha ha, you're funny," Asuka laughs, which totally doesn't answer the question. "Huh, where? I don't even know where I am now." She frowns, looking back at Shinji, "What?" She looks back to Misato, "Let's go for the most dressed up houses. That's how it works best cause if they spend all that money on crap they'll probably pay even more for candy."
Hands in her pockets, Silent Yuki follows Haruhi's gaze back to the newcomers, her own stopping on the Third Child. Whether or not she inclines her head in a slight nod of recognition may or may not be a trick of the light, before she follows her universe's deity inside the house, Mikuru trailing along while looking like a whipped puppy.
The more curvaceous of the trio is wearing a black, skull-hugging cap, which keeps her bangs out of her eyes, along with a gray short-sleeved hoodie and a darker long-sleeved shirt underneath. Baggy pants and sneakers polish off the outfit, though the casualness of her overall outfit does nothing for poor Mikuru's current state of mind- she's stuck between hiding behind Yuki, her ultimate phobia, or being exposed to BLOOD ON THE WALLS.
Perhaps it goes without saying that there are tears in Mikuru's eyes.
Shinji Ikari shrugs a little at Yuki's nod-or-not, being entierly used to that sort of thing.
"She thought she was buying a maid." Shinji explains to anyone who might remember the buy-a-date thing.
Alicia looks after Haruhi and the crowd for a moment - she felt bad for the one in back - before her attention is snapped back to People Closer.
On one hand, she too wants to help Rei (she's a sucker) but, on the other hand, she's going OK on the staff. "I liked the robe," Alicia says, because she recognizes robes and always liked them, even if she doesn't wear them.
"Oh - oh, no exorcist," Alicia repeats. Now she /really/ hopes it's a fake haunted house because she doesn't feel like fighting ghosts tonight - but she's pretty sure real ghosts do not have charities or candy so it seems like a safe bet.
Rei says in passing, after Asuka speaks, "We are going to the haunted house." She then steps forwards again, towards it; perhaps the need to show up Asuka has given her renewed strength.
She glances at the trio loitering nearby, but seems not to find them too notable; she looks back to the doorway again.
Toji Suzuhara, meanwhile, has been steadily working his way further and further towards the back of the group. He's careful enough not to make it look /too/ obvious, however. Maybe he's just busy gawking at the surroundings, who knows?
"Evening, ladies," Misato says to the SOS members on the scene, shortly before they disappear into one of the rooms. They are, indeed, normal, if unbalanced inside in many wonderful and varied ways. Well. Alicia, apparently, isn't, but she doesn't know that.
"Let's see...." She looks down the block. Nothing's decorated. She looks the other way. Again, nothing decorated. Perhaps this plane is not generally acquainted with Halloween. "Well, Asuka, according to your guidelines, there's nothing except for the Relief Society haunted house around these parts. But they did say that there's plenty of candy to be handed out, so..." Thus she does indeed march into the front door, and into...the Dark Crypt. OoooOOoOOOoooo.
Dark Crypt
The interior seems to be an odd cross between a mausoleum and a
furnished mansion chamber, the hard-wood floor lined with a blood red carpet
and lit here and there by tiny lights that remind you of candles, though they
only serve to allow you to see where your going. The walls are lined with long
slabs containing black, polished caskets, set up in a way so that they close
in on visitors from both sides, forcing them to walk a steady line to where
the red carpet stops and a hole yawns from the floor boards, the edges are
fragmented at odd places to suggest it was broken in from the outside, or
inside? Above you, you sometimes think you can hear bats chittering, or
something moving around up in the ceiling. Past the hole in the floor is a
large alter is set into the floor, a coffin lays on it, but its much larger
than the others, a different color, too. A deep dark purple that has a sort of
shine to it, a pair of golden bat-wings mark the lid.
Toji Suzuhara has, quite mysteriously, disappeared somewhere between coming in and getting to the crypt. OooOOoooOOO...a mystery? Or a prank?
Fog rolls gently across the floor, you notice there is a red rich carpet below it, the kind you would see at a mansion or a castle. Along the walls, caskets are lined up in order, fencing the center of the chamber in from the sides. They are white, and polished looking. A larger, dark purple one sits at the far end, however, just before a gaping hole in the floor, was it supposed to be there?? Currently, a few of the lids are off, and there are strange noises going on under the floor. As if somebody's down there, scrabbling around. Oh, and mind the troubled Kresnik.
Shinji Ikari isn't a coward! Really. Well, not very often. ...he has /some/ courage, like the chewy center of an everlasting gobstopper.
He's only hiding behind Asuka a /little/. And its, um, in character! Yes.
"S-sure is, um, elaborate..." Shinji mutters, looking at the spoooooky crypt. Its hard not to be a /little/ nervous when some of your aquaintences and co-workers were actual, factual undead, see. "Maybe we s-should've done the kitchen first..."
Rei dislikes the red. However, the white caskets don't seem to dismay her. She looks back and forth as she steps in, letting the plastic-wood staff support her slightly. She also looks down towards the flooring, the white mist billowing over her ankles.
She stands just like that, looking downwards, for a while.
Asuka loves the red, but doesn't seem to enjoy the white caskets.
She doesn't seem to mind Shinji hiding behind her, she thinks it's awesome. However, she wanders in, making it clear as she gazes around that she doesn't find this scary at all. It's boring. Yeah. Sure it looks cool and... it's boring. Yeah. That's the ticket."The itchen? What do you mean by that? Kitchens can't be haunted."
Alicia has seen undead before, and haunted houses (well, houses with biological monstrosities in them and occasional ghosts; they may count). She is not afraid!
She stays close to the rest of the group anyway, which she is already thinking of as 'her friends' because that's the sort of person Alicia is...even though she doesn't even have all their names yet. Yes, she has already established to herself that she should not be scared, but she's easy to startle and, right now, is bracing for the eventual event that makes her do so.
"Why not?" Alicia asks Asuka. "Ghosts can wander. So can zombies, or vampires..."
The loss of one of the Children is not immediately registered with Misato. Instead, she just marches on in and takes a look around. "Very nice," she murmurs. "Excellent decor and mood. Creepy." She rubs her hands together, really seeming to enjoy this. Her eyes land on the hole in the floor. "Oh ho, what lies down below..." And she begins to make her way toward it.
It's not like she's particularly enamored of horror movies and the like, but she's taking to this quite well. Perhaps it's having been cooped up for two weeks in a hospital that's doing it, and she's just really happy to be out doing stuff. "No, Asuka, but kitchens can make for fabulous slaughterhouses." She spins around and is RIGHT IN THE SECOND'S FACE. "All those lovely knives...and blenders...tenderizing mallets...vegetable graters...butchering hooks...and blooooooooooooooooooooooooooood." Spin back to the hole and looks down, down, downnnnnnn. What have we here?
At the sound of the women's voices (plus Shinji) the remaining coffins begin to shake slightly, as if something's in there, too. Of course, there are bats in the ceiling, but it looks like nobody had noticed them, for they were previously perched, having harassed one of the former guests a great deal. They unfurl their wings and drop down, skittering around the room and screeching. Their bodies are round and black, two large, white eyes in the center of two wings, diving and screeching at everyone.
In the center of the room, the hole in the floorboards stir as Misato looks down into it, a decidedly silvery, yet gore and cloth tattered hand lurching out from the hole to try and grab Misato's wrist or ankle, whichever was closest. It wouldn't pull, but it might scare her off her balance, of course. And with this, the large purple coffin at the end of the room shakes a bit, as well. the lid slowly rising..
Misato Katsuragi says, "why did you have to separately designate Shinji's vo--oh wait"
Shinji Ikari says, "Hey, Misato, there's a message for you on the answering machine."
Misato Katsuragi bursts into TEARS.
Shinji Ikari says, "Damn, woman, its just the rental place saying you've got late fees."
Misato Katsuragi says, "It's code, I tell you! Kaji's saying that he's...he's..."
Misato Katsuragi says, "...got an STD. I'm going to kill him."
Misato Katsuragi says, "After the zombie lets go of my ankle, anyway. D:"
Rei Ayanami says, "Shinji, empty the furo before it's too late."
"Huh? They do? You know some? And not the 'shinigami' crud." Asuka frowns. Oh the irony. "Those don't count, they're just jerkwads." She intends to influence Alicia's thoughts as much as she can by being friendly to her--while speaking her REAL opinions on everybody else. Mmyessss... soon, Alicia, soon you will be... Asukacia! BWA HA HA A HA!
"Hey, no touchie." Asuka warns the hand, "Or there'll be a lawsuit, alright?"
"Guess you've never seen our kitchen, then..." The Third mutters, JUST loudly enough that both horrible ghouls who terrorise his once-pleasent kitchen can hear. And Ayanami, who Shinji probably suspects would make some sort of terrible vegetarian golem, if given half a chance.
Shinji has strange thoughts like that, sometimes, having an overdeveloped imagination on account of having spent nintey percent of his childhood alone. He's just on the part where Dr. Ayanamistien unleashes her terrible turnip-bats on an unsuspecting populence when...
Misato does her thing. "Should've w-went as Elvyra, Misato..."
Shinji doesn't see the zombie arm. He /does/ see the coffin open, and dwells on the irony of there being white, red, and purple-colored coffins in the room for about a second before cowering a little more obviously. Its just a haunted house its totally fake its totally fake and Asuka somehow SEES THE FUTURE so Shinji freezes his hand about an inch from her shoulder, sloooowly putting it back behind his shoulder. "Um, s-sorry, please don't sue."
"Kuchiki's n-not so bad." Shinji counters Asuka, then shrugging a little at Alicia in hopes of preserving her from the terrible fate the Second doubtless has in store.
"Cleavers," Rei says, as Misato lists things.
The bats come swooping for her and she ducks down, staggering a little and propping herself with the staff as she looks up with wide eyes. The hat doesn't fall off her head. She is silent during this, although she certainly LOOKS astonished, almost like a pantomime of it.
"What's a shinigami?" Alicia asks, Japanese not being high on the list of things she needs to learn, since Hai-Lan hasn't even been founded yet on Midgard. She edges away as she asks, though, because Misato is weeeeird. "It's - "
She stops. Bats! And, for what it's worth, Alicia was startled after all; she /did/ jump when they screeched. Alicia hates bats; she raises one hand as if to flick her fingertips at them, but is interrupted partway by a mental command from Silmeria, her primary mental passenger. She turns it into a shooing gesture instead, although it looks a little awkward. "Eeew," she half-whines.
Fortunately, Misato's too easygoing to go the lawsuit route, at least for tonight. She does, however, let out a yelp. "Aaah! Wow, you got me good there," she says, laughing a bit breathlessly. She stumbles back from the hand, bumping into the Children behind herself. "Well, I couldn't find a Mistress of the Night costume, or an appropriate wig...heh...."
She coughs, turns slightly to see the coffin lid rising. Her eyebrow goes up in concert with it. "Nice touch," she murmurs, fidgeting with her blouse buttons just a little bit. "Yes, cleav--wha--" And the bats.
She lets out a bloodcurdling shriek. No one told her about real live flying rats. "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
There's the blur of flailing limbs for a few moments, through the blur of flying bodies. When the moment passes, she's crouching on the floor, head ducked, arms thrown over herself. She slowly looks up, eyes wide, looks around, and giggles nervously. "Ahahahaha...ha...ha. Nuh, nice."
The hand had quickly let go of Misato, though it had been instructed to do so, the glaring red eyes coming from the hole in the floor boards didn't seem too pleased with having to let go, or maybe that was just how they looked, disappearing back into the gloom under the floor. It was what they were supposed to do, they were reaching the pinnacle of the attraction anyway. The star was about to introduce himself.
The lid of the purple coffin opened all the way, though no hand guided it. The lights flickered as a tall, black shape rose from inside the special casket, it looked like a man, however the billowing cloak and the large bat-wings fanning out from its back told otherwise. A pale face with a cropped widows peak, red glowing eyes and a white set of fangs greeted them, a chalk-white, clawed hand extended to his side as if in greeting. He immediately set his sights on the girls of course, but made no movement toward them. This was usually the part where everyone screams in terror, anyway.
Asuka says, "It's some sort of soul thing." She wiggles her fingers, "They uh... run around acting like jerks and only care about themselves. I don't know what they actually do. Punch undead people I guess. But they're mostly just jerks." She nods sagely -and- wisely. She doesn't seem to be getting scared--though to be fair she usually fights giant monsters. Plus she assumes this is all fake. "Yeah, that's right." She tells the hand before looking up at Shade Man, "Yeesh... What a fake costume."
Actually, she thinks as an afterthought, how the heck is he getting his eyes to glow like that?
"Ayanami!" Shinji shouts out, because that is his job in situations such as this. He takes a step forward, as if not entierly sure what he's supposed to be doing-the bats are, of course, seen, and nearly felt, but Shinji's too terrified to be terrified. "M-misato!" Oh man this is bad this is bad what should he /do/ isn't he supposed to be the man in the room can they all even f-fit behind him and what about that stark raving terror there, Shinji, and and and if Shinji were pulled in any more directions, his head would probably start smoking or something.
"G-ghost cops." Shinji squeeks out, as an after thought, and lumps forward, as if to somehow try and reach out to the scared members of the group all at once. He's half on autopilot here, and kind of hoping that the dracula guy's an automated thing. He gulps. "Um, w-wow, you, um, s-sure got us, m-mister..."
Rei's eyes are shrouded by the hat for a moment as she looks up towards the thing. She stares.
She doesn't scream. This may be disappointing.
Her breathing is rather rapid, enough that her mouth is half open as she pants. She seems strained rather than terrified. Perhaps it's just that having gone so long without emoting clearly, she /cannot show fear/. That, or she has never seen a horror movie, and isn't sure what this means.
It's all a show, she tells herself.
This time Alicia goes for her sword until she stumbles, as if shoved from the side that nobody is on. Bad Alicia, no drawing weapons inside. She already jumped before. This time she is less startled, although more scared until Silmeria basically yells at her not to be.
She, at least, does not scream. The victory is hers, or would be if Asuka didn't look so blase about the whole thing. She just stares for a few moments.
Then she says to Shinji, quietly, "That's not an undead." She thinks. Unless they've gotten better at hiding, anyway.
Misato's eyes just get bigger and rounder at the vampire rising out of the coffin. This she was expecting, so it doesn't quite get to her like the bats did. She already did her major screaming for this room, anyway. "Yeah, you sure did," she says, following up on Shinji's line. Slowly, so as not to aggravate her injury, she stands back up again, giving another nervous laugh. "Wow."
A backward glance at Rei does evince some concern, though. "You okay, Rei?" she says, in a low voice. There's something rather worrying about that reaction of hers. She walks over to the First's side and places a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder.
The cloaked figure before them now begins to advance, assured that they were scared quite thoroughly, the red eyes catching sight of Alicia--who seemed to be reaching for something. Oh, bother. Guess the Relief Society should have scanned people for weapons, no matter now. She stopped, though, so the show could go on. The vampire stepped on bird-like, taloned feet until he reached the hole in the floor, taking a bow and flourish of his cape as the zombie arms appeared through the floor, pulling themselves up into the light.
Not surprisingly, they were zombies, but ones made of metal, with ragged, intentionally decomposed synthetic flesh clinging to their skeletons, torn clothes and the like keeping them decent enough, for zombies anyway. This was not only to frighten further, but to show the whole show was animatronic, including the vampire himself, who was taking a courtly bow as his little servants showed themselves. His eyes even stopped glowing, just to drive this point home. He grinned at them broadly, white fangs gleaming.
Asuka smiles at Alicia slightly. This is a chance to prove her awesomeness, "Don't worry," She assures her, "It's all just tricks--though it might be more fun if you scream and stuff, that's the point." She looks back to the cloaked figure and SCREAMS at him as if she were truly, truly terrified. "The horror...!" She cries, "The horror! The dead....have risen from beyond the grave!" She makes a show of stumbling backward--in terror! 'Zombies,' Shinji thinks, 'Robot zombies.'
Some faint part of him is calling them pellet rifle farther, and to raise his ATField before the lead animatronic monster shows whatever special ability he has. This faint part of Shinji Ikari is incredlous when it is told that Shinji isn't in the giant robot, because what is the boy doing around robot zombies when he's not in the giant robot?!
The rest of him rolls its collective eyes at that, though it'd kind of like to know too. Are you looking to hurt yourself or something? Is the guilt over Ayanami and Blancmanche and Ray and Suzuhara and everyone else you fail every day so powerful? Do you just think that you need to be doing crazy things because they only accept you when you play hero?
Shinji himself goes "W-waugh!", tumbles back a step, and then rubs the bridge of his nose as he consciously realizes that the zombies are robots. "I'm so screwed up..." He then looks back at Asuka, frowning openly. "You don't have to make fun of us, you know..."
Rei is shaking a little. She looks at Misato, blinking a few times. She straightens up -
Something about the zombies, the way they lurch in that mechanically contained yet almost biological way, makes her gasp audibly. She is, for once, not helped by the sounds that Asuka makes, accenting the horror of the dead rising from the grave and coming to take her with them.
Her hands clench around the stave and she steps back, slowly, deliberately, and carefully. She stares right at the zombies, in case they make a move. She keeps breathing quickly.
Don't worry: the sword is peacebonded. There's a fancy ribbon tying it in. Alicia probably couldn't get it out without a significant amount of picking at it anyway. (Plus, with the ribbon, it looks like a prop when it's sheathed.)
Alicia's startlement and fear has started to fade despite her normal... well, weak and kind of wimpy nature. What she wants to do, but does not, is laugh at the robot zombies. Regular zombies are more disgusting than frightening, until you think about where they came from...and machinery zombies don't have that going for them. She hasn't seen a robot before, but she's seen golems, and they have some similarities.
And she still doesn't scream, so there. Actually, Alicia doesn't say anything at all. She mostly watches - people and robots both.
A quick whisper. "It's all right, Rei...they're not real, they're just meant to look real. Let it out, scream if you have to." Misato straightens back up; her concern for Rei's well- being has knocked the playing-along fright out of her for now. She instead allows the others to do their screaming as necessary, leaving the hand on Rei's shoulder, as a comforting presence.
Once that's done, and the animatronics come up to take their bows, she does applaud for them politely--but keeps her hip against Rei's, again to provide a touch of warmth, a reminder that someone's there with her. "Nice job," she says, smiling. "A good scare. Thanks for the show."
The vampire's shoulders seem to let go with a sigh of relief. Phew, they finally figured out it was all just for show. Guess he'd put a little too much scare into this show, though Sanji had been sufficiently freaked and still knew it was all ersatz, faux, fake. The vamp, or rather Max Shade, playing the vampire, put his hands together and bowed again.
"Thank you for coming," he said, in a heavily English accented voice. He looked over to Misato, who seemed glued to Rei, getting serious lesbian vibes there, that was always refreshing. Max knit his brow and plastered as big a smile as he could manage, stepping over the hole in the floor and proceeding to usher them out, if possible. He was lucky, hadn't been shot or stabbed or anything, maybe this whole haunted house robot thing had its good points.
Misato Katsuragi says, "Aw, man. :I More doujin fodder, great"
Alicia says, "Owned."
Rei Ayanami's Stand emerges.
Shade Man says, "Sorry bout that. ^^;"
Misato Katsuragi says, "Nah, that's okay. :)"
Rei Ayanami says, "It's fine, she is teaching me that sometimes people do NOT want to stab you with needles or strangle you to death."
Rei Ayanami says, "Also I'm cuter than Asuka."
Asuka Langley says, "only because people prefer blowup dolls to real people"
Rei Ayanami says, "I am not a doll :("
Misato Katsuragi says, "Asuka, no picking on Rei. :I"
"Huh? I'm not making fun of you." She wrinkles her nose, "You're acting pretty weird today, Shinji. Is something the matter?" She stops screaming but looks over to Alicia. She's kind of surprised. The girl is being less of a wuss than Shinji -and- Rei -and- Misato. It's almost as if she deals with ghosts frequently. Asuka's eyes widen, "...You're not one of those shinigami are you?" Oh dear, she worries, she might be one of those Karakura people and now she's going to have to apologize or something.
Shinji has been seeing little flashes of something in the zombies. Sometimes they're wearing red, strangley patterned spacesuits, and often have blond hair and blue eyes. They look shocked when you stick your leg through their cockpit. Some are faceless, wearing the heavy coats of Russian armored infantry.
They all scream "Monster!".
Shaking his head, Shinji smiles, weakly, at the Relief Society member who's only crime is being good at his job, and sticks his hands in his pockets. Some bitter part of his mind remembers that the other Children, especialy Asuka, were /never/ on outside Gate patrol as much as he was. They don't have kill records like his. They didn't scare the rest of the Squad nearly as much. He wonders if his Father wanted it this way.
"Nothing you'd care about." Shinji mutters, Secondwards, finishing heading out the door.
The question of what Rei likes to have sex with is a topic of intensive debate. Indeed, an article entitled 'The Strategic Eroticism of Ayanami Rei' has been written by someone who probably has at least some kind of educational credential, although it is only available in Japanese (and does not appear to show up on Google.)
However, it is arguable that she is a distinct and novel species which consists of a few dozen genetically identical individuals, only one of which possesses an animating force, as per the theories of metaphysical biology. This is, however, completely irrelevant, and is being included to demonstrate gratuitous erudition.
The results of the physical contact are unclear. Rei doesn't scream, but she does let out a long sigh, shakes her head once, and turns deliberately around to walk out the door. She pulls the cloak of the costume more closely around herself, and turns her head briefly, looking at Lucy-Asuka. She doesn't have much of an expression.
Then, after Shinji, on out towards the door.
Alicia is only /sometimes/ a wuss. Normally she just whines, and in fact she may have been doing that tonight; that's what mental conversation is for. "No, I told you, I didn't know what they are...well, I do now, because..." Alicia looks over at Shinji for a moment. Because he explained! But before, not so much.
Alicia glances back to Mr. Shade. She does not poke even though it comes to mind to try it, just to see what a mechanical undead feels like. She had the same thoughts with the robot zombies once she identified them as machines. "Um. You're welcome?" she says, awkwardly, before hurrying out with the others.
The hand lands on Rei's shoulder once more, giving a final squeeze, as Misato nods at Shade Man and turns along with the others, back toward the door. "All right...I think I spied a big basket of candy just next to the door...right, right there. Take some, not too much; there's still some more people coming and all." She marches along with the Children back toward the stairs leading up to the main floor, away from the crypt.
She is, perhaps, a little bit embarassed about the bats. But really, when you're being divebombed like that.... Aheh. Well then. The exchange between Asuka and Shinji is not lost completely; she frowns, thinking that, perhaps, there might need to be another talk somewhere in the near future. She files that away for another time.
And the final realization of the night is--Toji's missing. Her eyes narrow. That boy is in for some trouble, when she finds him. Or maybe she'll do the picture trick anyway. That class rep sure is a firecracker at times, and has an ear-pull worthy of intense study in combat training. "Okay, guys, let's see what else this haunted house has to offer...."
And so the scene fades tonight for this merry little band of adventurers.
WHERE: Hub, then Mikado's Haunted House (as done by the Relief Society)
WHEN: Halloween! Tuesday, October 31st
WHAT: Misato takes the kids off to the Relief Society's Haunted House event. Alicia tags along.
WATCH FOR: Misato's driving, doujin fodder
(Alicia and Shade Man need a tag, please!)
The gate leads up from the subterranean IPA parking structure swings up, allowing the ramp to disgorge a blue compact car. And disgorge is really a good term for it. There is a loud screech as it peels out, barely clearing the metal arm that's slowly rising, and almost spinning around as it swings toward the curb, near the front entrance to the HQ.
And with another screech, it comes to a shuddering halt next to the curb, in the 'NO STANDING OR LOADING' zone, naturally. The window rolls down, and Misato leans out, looking around. "Hey, kids," she yells, "where are you? Ready to go yet?" And she slams on the horn for emphasis.
Yeah, she's back to normal, for the most part. Good old Misato.
'Oh God,' Shinji thinks, 'She's going to kill us all.'
He is, none the less, in costume...don't ask how he got the Phantom of the Opera stank out of that shirt, its a launderer's secret...and only looking mildly grumpy. Its good seeing Misato back to normal, even if she's going to kill us all. Also, Shinji isn't entierly sure if the side effects of the milkshake last night-namely, Mint style hard to control telepathy- has completly worn off yet, and the last thing he wants to do is accadentily read the mind of one of his roomates, coworkers, or other people who can step on him with an Evangelion.
So he's a little distracted by that. "Um, are you s-sure this is a...g-good idea?"
Alicia is around.
Yes. Around.
Actually, she is still sort of clueless as to where anything /is/ in the Hub, even though she's figured out the concept of the Hub itself and where her particular Gate is. Cars, however, are still startling, especially when the driver is a poor driver and screeches loudly. She looks up, blinking, from her unfolded map.
Of course, other people probably do too, so she may just be local colour.
Rei has been dressed up as a witch in a violet cape with a high cap. The cloak wraps around her body, which has benefits regarding warmth; the outfit also comes with a somewhat chintzy plastic "wooden" stick, which nonetheless serves fairly well as a walking stick. She moves fairly steadily, but it is nice to have a fallback.
If Shinji is accidentally reading her mind, there isn't much in there.
'Oh god she's gonna kill us' Asuka thinks, 'At least it's Halloween, that probably means I'll make it out of this as a zombie at least.'
Asuka is dressed up as Lucy from Peanuts for her costume, with dyed black hair, and even a blue dress and ribbon! She is also, as a note, holding a football trick-or-treating bucket. "We have no choice, it's do or die... or do and die. So we might as well do and die." She mutters to Shinji. She glances over to Alicia--noticing that she looks absolutely confused. This isn't too odd, "It's Halloween!" She calls out to her in case she didn't realize it. Sigh, Asuka thinks, out-of-towners.
Toji Suzuhara is significantly less morose-looking than Shinji. This isn't very hard, as starving children in Ethiopia look happier than Shinji.
It may also help that, for at least one night, Toji Suzuhara is a man of the cloth. That's right, he's dressed as a Catholic priest. See, this is funny because he's from Evangelion.
"Of course it's a good idea," he says as if this were a perfectly ordinary situation. "We get candy, and all we have to do is hope the Major hasn't been drinking /too/ much today." ...okay, so maybe they are doomed after all.
"Pfft, it's a haunted house being run by those do-gooders. Orihime's a good gal, I'm sure it'll be fine!" Really! It's a charitable group, after all, right? Misato thumps the door. "Pile in already! Should be fun...." She trails off, looking at whoever it is that Asuka's yelling at, then waves to Alicia. "Evening, lady, if you're lost or something, the IPA can help you." She gestures to the building that she's parked in front of. "If you're looking to do something tonight on the other hand, there's a haunted house event being held by one of the charity groups."
Back to the others, she says, "Now, we're supp--Suzuhara, I haven't had anything to drink in two weeks, doctor's orders, so if you don't want me to drop off a pic of me in my bathing suit at your school locker within sight of Miss Horaki, you better not remind me of that fact." She's smiling. Shinji should know that smile. It's not a good one to be receiving. "Hurry up now."
Alicia, on the other hand, is a veritable collection of minds in there. Fortunately, they don't talk much, except to each other.
She blinks, slowly, at Asuka. "Happy Halloween?" she echoes, although it's more confused than an actual well-wishing statement. Apparently that is not a costume she's wearing and she always looks like a very lost medieval fencer. "I wasn't, ah, going anywhere in particular. I was just looking. Where's the charity?"
"That's not the right way to get candy," Asuka wrinkles her nose at Alicia. "You have to examine history and hit all the good houses early, then move on to the weaker houses, then you go for the ones that hold 'specials' for those who show up later. There are houses like that." She shakes her head, "Oh sheesh, you don't even have a bag or anything."
Shinji is giving Toji a look that amounts to an 'I told you so.' that has been looming since the beginning of their friendship. Now, Suzuhara, you see the true terror of Misato Katsuragi. He also nods, faintly, to Asuka, because she's essentialy right.
"O-one of the Tokyos, Miss." Shinji, who is dressed as Charlie Brown as seen in his description, says. He wonders if there is room in the Renault for everyone, and holds the front door open, motioning for Ayanami to sit there if she wants. Its safest, and she's still recovering, Shinji reasons, so it is best. "You sort of, um, sound like a bad guy when you s-say 'do-gooders' like that, Misato." Shinji also mutters, having hit enter too early.
Remember, kids: headwounds equal benefits! Rei steps forwards, slipping into the front seat and adjusting her fluffy purple cloak as she puts the faux-wooden staff between her legs, squirming it around so it rests comfortably.
Toji Suzuhara looks completely confused by Misato's threat. "....why would she be worried about that? I don't think there's a school rule against pictures in lockers...."
Remember, he's clueless about the whole thing. Poor sod.
Shinji's look, however, is misinterpreted as a warning, so he quickly decides to shut up either way. He does pause long enough to look at Asuka, however. "...specials? The heck are you talking about, anyway?"
There's a pause as Misato extracts a flyer from her purse and peers at it. "Says...over in the Paranormal area...a Mikado Tower." And she just tosses it in the back seat. She leans over slightly to grin at Asuka. "Ah, a budding strategist, are you? Keep it up, we could use your brains for that sometime, maybe...eh? Do I, Shinji?" She frowns a moment. "Suppose I do. Goody-two-shoes instead?" She shrugs. "It's Halloween, anyway, a little bit of evil ought to be acceptable."
As she waits for everyone to enter, she calls out to Alicia again. "You want to come along? Can't promise you a ride back afterward, but then, it's not really that far back to the Hub." Muttered to herself: "I think." Then out loud again. "I'm sure the kids could squeeze together a bit more in the back. And if you try any funny stuff, I'll shoot you in the face." Grin.
As for Toji...nah. She'll let him bring his own doom upon himself. "Sure," Asuka says, "we'd love to have you." She is remarkably accomodating, but Asuka knows how halloween works. More Candy = More Trading = More of what you want. Good Costumes = Extra Candy. She shakes her head at Shinji, "I can't believe you don't know about the specials. If you don't factor in time to Halloween Candy visits, you're just a noob." "Bag? Candy?" Alicia looks totally lost now, but they're offering her a ride!
Strangers offering a ride can obviously not be bad people. Plus, she has a sword.
"Well, all right," she agrees after a few moments. "That's, um, very generous of you...my name's Alicia." She dips into a silly-looking half-bow before walking over to the car. Are they /really/ all going to fit in there? She starts to unbuckle her sword-belt to avoid poking someone with it when she sits down.
Shinji Ikari smiles, a little, at Ayanami, and sees that they've gotten a new recruit. And Misato's already threatening them. "J-just don't laugh maniacly, and I t-think we're good." Shinji mutters, smiling tiny bit as he squeezes in. He knows he'll have to do the most squeezing, between the newcomer, Asuka's ego, and Toji's FAT.
Which is to say that Toji doesn't look like a skeleton. Oh Eva character designs, you so skinny.
"Not, um, everything's a competition, Asuka." Shinji meekly points out, and adds, "Oh, um, I'm Shinji. Nice to meet you, Miss." Squeeze squeeze oh man what am I sitting in?
Rei basks in the comfort of leg room.
She does scoot the seat forwards somewhat, as her legs are relatively small and they may need the space.
Alicia, fortunately, is extremely small and takes up little space.
Just like all of Alicia's alts. Smaaaall.
"Nice to meet you Alicia. That's a good name, has two A's like mine." Asuka agrees amiably. Unless...two a's... that might be too exact the same number of A's in her name. Asuka looks suspicious for a moment. She'll force Shinji to sit in the middle as she takes the more comfortable side seat. "Yeah, in Halloween you get candy, I'm sure you knew that already otherwise you wouldn't be in costume. Unless you just went to parties. Maybe this is your first time out. Hmmm..."
Toji Suzuhara luckily doesn't have a bulky costume, so he's able to squeeze right in. Well, okay, not too much, because he's the biggest non-adult member of the cast, but hey. He's trying. "Man, this thing could do with a sidecar..." he quips, before glancing down to fasten his seatbelt. Yeah, he's occasionally a square like that. "So, we ready to go or what?"
Rei remembers, after hearing several other clicks, to fasten her own seatbelt.
This is Misato's Sweet Ride. It'll fit everyone she wants it to fit, just because she says so. "I'm Major Misato Katsuragi. Just call me Misato." There is a crinkling sound as Shinji piles into the back seat. "Oh, crap, that was the breakfast muffin from two weeks ago, wasn't it...remind me to throw that out later, right?" Shinji, you may have gotten the stink out of your costume once...looks like you might have to do it again.
She gives everyone a few moments to buckle up...well, one person in the back might not get a seat belt, unfortunately. But that should just serve to make life more interesting. If, perhaps, shorter. "All ready?"
Whatever the answer, Misato stomps on the gas. "YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAA!"
Rei Ayanami begins following you.
Rei Ayanami says, "Everyone hit 'follow misato' and prepare for death :("
Alicia does not, because she has never seen a seatbelt before. Other people get it. She is also content to be wedged somewhere in the middle because of her size; she keeps the sword between her legs. "Actually, this is what I always wear - "
Then the Worst First Car Ride Ever begins. She holds on. Possibly to other people.
Alicia begins following you.
Alicia says, "Done. :D"
Misato Katsuragi says, "YOU'RE IN THE JUNGLE, BABY! YOU'RE GONNA DIEEEEEEEEEE"
Toji Suzuhara begins following you.
Shinji Ikari begins following you.
Asuka Langley begins following you.
Misato Katsuragi says, "That's all of us! Here we go. :D"
*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH*
Welcome to the Relief Society's Haunted House! Donated for the evening by
Dauragon C. Mikado, it looks fantastically spooky with evening settling in,
the house's shape illuminated by a full, silver moon. Most of the windows are
dark. Some are aglow with warm, orange squares of light. And some feature
lights that flicker ominously. Dare to come closer? Follow the path, and
ignore the leering jack o' lanterns that line the walkway.
Step inside and behold the massive clumps of fake spiderwebs strung up
here and there, along with the cartoonish cardboard cutout bats with the
round, corrugated paper bodies. Keigo Asano and Mizuiro Kojima greet people at
the door in vampire costumes, and pay particular attention to unaccompanied
young ladies. (Don't you feel special?) "Velcome to our Haunted House! Let me
explain how it vorks, ho ha haaaaa," Keigo begins. Mizuiro smiles serenely and
gestures, foregoing the accent. "Not all of the rooms are occupied. The ones
you can enter will be marked with a bloody handprint." He pauses at this
moment to comfort anyone squeamish with assurances that the blood is very
fake. "Each member of the Relief Society has set up a room with a certain
theme. Knock, and they'll let you in. Bring your candy bags, they're loaded up
there," he jerks his thumb to the stairs. Then the two step back. Let the
exploration begin!
Contents:
Jyuushirou Ukitake
Farplane Abyss
Vampire Loveseat!
Yuki Nagato
Haruhi Suzumiya
Ranma Saotome
Akane Tendo
Killer Kitchen
Ghost Room
Dark Crypt
Rei Ayanami has arrived.
Alicia has arrived.
Toji Suzuhara has arrived.
Shinji Ikari has arrived.
Asuka Langley has arrived.
Ranma Saotome thud
Ranma Saotome says, "eva rush"
Akane Tendo says, "HOLY--!"
Shinji Ikari says, "kekekekeke"
*vrooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMSCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH*
Haruhi Suzumiya says, "egads!!"
Rei Ayanami says, "WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"
Misato Katsuragi runs y'all over.
Haruhi Suzumiya says, "now EAT SPAM, SUCKERS"
"It's halloween every day where you are?!" Asuka gasps, predictably not wearing one. She nearly flies out of the car, but grips Shinji's arm so she doesn't, tightly.
There is, from outside, the sound of someone talking too damn loudly. This becomes slowly louder and louder, right up until someone swings the door right the hell open.
A golden hair ribbon, and short brown hair combed down...It's Haruhi Suzumiya. She is, mercifully, not in her playboy bunny outfit. Actually, she is dressed in something MUCH WORSE.
A long white robe covers most of her body, over which is a crimson sash of sorts, although from the ruffles in the cloth, it would appear that the interior of the sash is actually gold. The sash is pinned to the robe by means of a large heart pin, with gold-colored lines of plastic "radiant light" surrounding.
She smiles like an idiot, and winks back at her entourage of one. "I can't believe the others wanted to opt out! Can you believe that? Even Kyon begged off." Hmph! But, she is not as FURIOUS as she has seemed recently - indeed, she smirks, and says, "Well, I'll just have to make them write a humiliating message a thousand times! And Kyon will pay for lunch! Yes!"
She nods, sagely, which looks eerily appropriate given the costume. "C'mon! I bet there's all kinds of amazing ghosts in here!"
It's questionable whether Haruhi actually thinks there's really ghosts in here or is just playing it up for poor Yuki's benefit. (RE)
Toji Suzuhara says, "Haruhi is Jesus?"
Haruhi Suzumiya says, "Not just any Jesus, sir."
Toji Suzuhara says, "Buddy Jesus?"
Haruhi Suzumiya says, "Yes."
The door opens with the obligatory spooky creak... but there's nobody on the other side. In the darkness, there's nobody actually inside but a single empty chair in the middle of the room. A sign to the side of the entrance reads, in blood-spattered kanji, 'Please Come In!'
Asuka Langley says, "and people think -I- have the ego"
Rei Ayanami says, "Jesus fight."
Rei Ayanami raises the stick.
Toji Suzuhara is a priest.
Rei Ayanami is a witch, pics can be provided
Toji Suzuhara says, "So this should be amusing."
Asuka Langley says, "more like a bi--"
Rei Ayanami puts Asukero the Second in the tank.
Alicia says, "We do like pics."
And with GREAT POWER, the EVA folk plus one arrive on the scene, as the blue Renault leaves skid marks all over the parkway until it slides perfectly into a parking spot.
They are all alive, somehow. Misato is not to be thanked for this, but rather, berated. "Here we are!"
The driver exits, slamming the door behind her, and stretching carefully. "Ahhh, I haven't been able to drive for two weeks. That was refreshing."
Shinji thinks of something.
Turning beat red, he doesn't even protest Asuka shoving him in the middle. "Y-yes ma'am." Shinji squeeks at Misato. AND THEN THE TERROR STARTS OH GOD.
"How!" Shinji actualy shouts, desperately trying not to DIE, "Did you actualy get /worse/ at this?! Did you p-practice?!"
He then stammers a little as the car lurches to a stop, rubbing the back of his head. He's dressed, perhaps predictably, as a boy named Charlie Brown. See desc for a description with actual effort put into it!
Ranma Saotome says, "Clearly, Misato must race against Yukari."
Misato Katsuragi says, "She must indeed."
Rei fastened her seatbelt, against her usual habits. This is, it turns out, to her benefit.
She climbs, shakily, out of the passengers' side seat. It'll pass, she tells herself. It'll pass.
Asuka Langley is dressed as Lucy, of course. Somehow she manages to roll outside without any broken limbs or necks. "Oof. Seatbelts good idea in future...she's getting worse... Most def'..."
Alicia has never been in a car before, although she has used a horse-drawn carriage.
This was about the worst introduction she could have had.
Alicia was also wedged in the middle, near Shinji, and scrambles out after him. She brings her sword with him and rebuckles the belt around her waist. This is a good excuse to lean on the car for a moment and ask a little weakly, "Is it always like that?"
You switch armor modes to On Foot.
"Only when Misato drives," Asuka advises Alicia, "Normally it's less suicidal."
Yuki Nagato trails along behind Buddy Haruhi. She's wearing what appears to be a spiffy (and rather large) black trenchcoat, which trails down almost to her ankles- it's not buttoned up or anything, but is just left wide open, revealing the simple gray sweater and dark baggy shorts worn underneath. Then there's the rolled up socks and the battered, white-toed sneakers- and as a final touch, Yuki's wearing a white baseball cap. Backwards.
Silent Bob Yuki shrugs, voicing no opinion either way. Poor, unforunate (and totally uncounted by Haruhi) Mikuru is more or less hiding behind Yuki, coerced into being costume buddies with Yuki.
Toji Suzuhara, having buckled his seat belt as well, made it through mostly allright. He gets out and looks perfectly fine, going so far as to look at Alicia and say: "Don't worry, it gets easier with practice," before he approaches the door along with everyone else.
Either Misato does not hear Shinji and Asuka, or she is storing up her wrath for a very special occasion later on. Is that a vein twitching on her temple, despite the big grin on her face? "Wow, they really did a great job here," she says, whistling in appreciation. She is in, of all things, a nurse's outfit. Must have stolen one while in the hospital. White blouse, white skirt, white heels too, and she takes this moment to plop a white cap on her head. No doubt, Keigo and Mizuiro are drooling over her just a bit.
Her preparations now done, she glances around at the people she brought along. "So, where would you kids like to start?" She gives the two hosts a wink and strolls in the front door, trusting the others to be following close behind.
Normally less suicidal, really? Oh yes. Day of wrath indeed.
Haruhi Suzumiya does not count WIMPS among her minions, MIKURU ASAHINA!! Also, Haruhi is still ticked at you for being quantitatively more attractive than her in almost every way WHILE having eyes on her man.
Bitch.
She looks back as the newcomers arrive, looks them over thoughtfully, and decides, "Buncha norms. Nothing to worry about, then. C'mon, Yuki-chan, let's go!" And Haruhi steps boldly in the direction of "Oh hey is that bloody kanji on the walls!? Score!"
The room with the lonely chair, apparently.
"Oh," Alicia says, finally finishing her buckling the belt back on.
Mentally, she asks one of her mental passengers to remind her to never, ever do that again, except maybe on a wagon or a carriage. She's not going to trust Asuka /that/ much. She looks momentarily blank while she does this. Somewhere inside, Zunde is laughing at her.
Then she follows the others, looking around curiously. This reminds her far too much of some /actual/ haunted houses she's been in, but she's pretty sure a charity wouldn't be in a real one.
Unless... "Did you, um, bring an exorcist?"
Rei walks after the others, wobbling slightly. However, she seems to be recovering, and is not toppling over at any point. The stick helps quite a bit.
This is her first haunted house, but she seems to look at it without much fear.
"'Most def'?'" Shinji asks, giving Asuka an are-you-fo-rizzle? look. He then gives Alicia a nod of agreement with Der Redhead. He half looks back in the car, hoping Toji wasn't killed. There he is.
Shinji follows Misato, rolling his eyes a little at any and all drooling at his Guardian. Seriously, some people. The Third Child does look at the wobbling Ayanami with some concern, though he wonders if he should be helping her, or if that'd be rude, or BLAH BLAH BLAH INDECISION.
He then looks at the SOS club. "Pretty...elaborate costumes." Shinji mutters to the other Children plus Alicia.
"An exorcist? Ha ha ha, you're funny," Asuka laughs, which totally doesn't answer the question. "Huh, where? I don't even know where I am now." She frowns, looking back at Shinji, "What?" She looks back to Misato, "Let's go for the most dressed up houses. That's how it works best cause if they spend all that money on crap they'll probably pay even more for candy."
Hands in her pockets, Silent Yuki follows Haruhi's gaze back to the newcomers, her own stopping on the Third Child. Whether or not she inclines her head in a slight nod of recognition may or may not be a trick of the light, before she follows her universe's deity inside the house, Mikuru trailing along while looking like a whipped puppy.
The more curvaceous of the trio is wearing a black, skull-hugging cap, which keeps her bangs out of her eyes, along with a gray short-sleeved hoodie and a darker long-sleeved shirt underneath. Baggy pants and sneakers polish off the outfit, though the casualness of her overall outfit does nothing for poor Mikuru's current state of mind- she's stuck between hiding behind Yuki, her ultimate phobia, or being exposed to BLOOD ON THE WALLS.
Perhaps it goes without saying that there are tears in Mikuru's eyes.
Shinji Ikari shrugs a little at Yuki's nod-or-not, being entierly used to that sort of thing.
"She thought she was buying a maid." Shinji explains to anyone who might remember the buy-a-date thing.
Alicia looks after Haruhi and the crowd for a moment - she felt bad for the one in back - before her attention is snapped back to People Closer.
On one hand, she too wants to help Rei (she's a sucker) but, on the other hand, she's going OK on the staff. "I liked the robe," Alicia says, because she recognizes robes and always liked them, even if she doesn't wear them.
"Oh - oh, no exorcist," Alicia repeats. Now she /really/ hopes it's a fake haunted house because she doesn't feel like fighting ghosts tonight - but she's pretty sure real ghosts do not have charities or candy so it seems like a safe bet.
Rei says in passing, after Asuka speaks, "We are going to the haunted house." She then steps forwards again, towards it; perhaps the need to show up Asuka has given her renewed strength.
She glances at the trio loitering nearby, but seems not to find them too notable; she looks back to the doorway again.
Toji Suzuhara, meanwhile, has been steadily working his way further and further towards the back of the group. He's careful enough not to make it look /too/ obvious, however. Maybe he's just busy gawking at the surroundings, who knows?
"Evening, ladies," Misato says to the SOS members on the scene, shortly before they disappear into one of the rooms. They are, indeed, normal, if unbalanced inside in many wonderful and varied ways. Well. Alicia, apparently, isn't, but she doesn't know that.
"Let's see...." She looks down the block. Nothing's decorated. She looks the other way. Again, nothing decorated. Perhaps this plane is not generally acquainted with Halloween. "Well, Asuka, according to your guidelines, there's nothing except for the Relief Society haunted house around these parts. But they did say that there's plenty of candy to be handed out, so..." Thus she does indeed march into the front door, and into...the Dark Crypt. OoooOOoOOOoooo.
Dark Crypt
The interior seems to be an odd cross between a mausoleum and a
furnished mansion chamber, the hard-wood floor lined with a blood red carpet
and lit here and there by tiny lights that remind you of candles, though they
only serve to allow you to see where your going. The walls are lined with long
slabs containing black, polished caskets, set up in a way so that they close
in on visitors from both sides, forcing them to walk a steady line to where
the red carpet stops and a hole yawns from the floor boards, the edges are
fragmented at odd places to suggest it was broken in from the outside, or
inside? Above you, you sometimes think you can hear bats chittering, or
something moving around up in the ceiling. Past the hole in the floor is a
large alter is set into the floor, a coffin lays on it, but its much larger
than the others, a different color, too. A deep dark purple that has a sort of
shine to it, a pair of golden bat-wings mark the lid.
Toji Suzuhara has, quite mysteriously, disappeared somewhere between coming in and getting to the crypt. OooOOoooOOO...a mystery? Or a prank?
Fog rolls gently across the floor, you notice there is a red rich carpet below it, the kind you would see at a mansion or a castle. Along the walls, caskets are lined up in order, fencing the center of the chamber in from the sides. They are white, and polished looking. A larger, dark purple one sits at the far end, however, just before a gaping hole in the floor, was it supposed to be there?? Currently, a few of the lids are off, and there are strange noises going on under the floor. As if somebody's down there, scrabbling around. Oh, and mind the troubled Kresnik.
Shinji Ikari isn't a coward! Really. Well, not very often. ...he has /some/ courage, like the chewy center of an everlasting gobstopper.
He's only hiding behind Asuka a /little/. And its, um, in character! Yes.
"S-sure is, um, elaborate..." Shinji mutters, looking at the spoooooky crypt. Its hard not to be a /little/ nervous when some of your aquaintences and co-workers were actual, factual undead, see. "Maybe we s-should've done the kitchen first..."
Rei dislikes the red. However, the white caskets don't seem to dismay her. She looks back and forth as she steps in, letting the plastic-wood staff support her slightly. She also looks down towards the flooring, the white mist billowing over her ankles.
She stands just like that, looking downwards, for a while.
Asuka loves the red, but doesn't seem to enjoy the white caskets.
She doesn't seem to mind Shinji hiding behind her, she thinks it's awesome. However, she wanders in, making it clear as she gazes around that she doesn't find this scary at all. It's boring. Yeah. Sure it looks cool and... it's boring. Yeah. That's the ticket."The itchen? What do you mean by that? Kitchens can't be haunted."
Alicia has seen undead before, and haunted houses (well, houses with biological monstrosities in them and occasional ghosts; they may count). She is not afraid!
She stays close to the rest of the group anyway, which she is already thinking of as 'her friends' because that's the sort of person Alicia is...even though she doesn't even have all their names yet. Yes, she has already established to herself that she should not be scared, but she's easy to startle and, right now, is bracing for the eventual event that makes her do so.
"Why not?" Alicia asks Asuka. "Ghosts can wander. So can zombies, or vampires..."
The loss of one of the Children is not immediately registered with Misato. Instead, she just marches on in and takes a look around. "Very nice," she murmurs. "Excellent decor and mood. Creepy." She rubs her hands together, really seeming to enjoy this. Her eyes land on the hole in the floor. "Oh ho, what lies down below..." And she begins to make her way toward it.
It's not like she's particularly enamored of horror movies and the like, but she's taking to this quite well. Perhaps it's having been cooped up for two weeks in a hospital that's doing it, and she's just really happy to be out doing stuff. "No, Asuka, but kitchens can make for fabulous slaughterhouses." She spins around and is RIGHT IN THE SECOND'S FACE. "All those lovely knives...and blenders...tenderizing mallets...vegetable graters...butchering hooks...and blooooooooooooooooooooooooooood." Spin back to the hole and looks down, down, downnnnnnn. What have we here?
At the sound of the women's voices (plus Shinji) the remaining coffins begin to shake slightly, as if something's in there, too. Of course, there are bats in the ceiling, but it looks like nobody had noticed them, for they were previously perched, having harassed one of the former guests a great deal. They unfurl their wings and drop down, skittering around the room and screeching. Their bodies are round and black, two large, white eyes in the center of two wings, diving and screeching at everyone.
In the center of the room, the hole in the floorboards stir as Misato looks down into it, a decidedly silvery, yet gore and cloth tattered hand lurching out from the hole to try and grab Misato's wrist or ankle, whichever was closest. It wouldn't pull, but it might scare her off her balance, of course. And with this, the large purple coffin at the end of the room shakes a bit, as well. the lid slowly rising..
Misato Katsuragi says, "why did you have to separately designate Shinji's vo--oh wait"
Shinji Ikari says, "Hey, Misato, there's a message for you on the answering machine."
Misato Katsuragi bursts into TEARS.
Shinji Ikari says, "Damn, woman, its just the rental place saying you've got late fees."
Misato Katsuragi says, "It's code, I tell you! Kaji's saying that he's...he's..."
Misato Katsuragi says, "...got an STD. I'm going to kill him."
Misato Katsuragi says, "After the zombie lets go of my ankle, anyway. D:"
Rei Ayanami says, "Shinji, empty the furo before it's too late."
"Huh? They do? You know some? And not the 'shinigami' crud." Asuka frowns. Oh the irony. "Those don't count, they're just jerkwads." She intends to influence Alicia's thoughts as much as she can by being friendly to her--while speaking her REAL opinions on everybody else. Mmyessss... soon, Alicia, soon you will be... Asukacia! BWA HA HA A HA!
"Hey, no touchie." Asuka warns the hand, "Or there'll be a lawsuit, alright?"
"Guess you've never seen our kitchen, then..." The Third mutters, JUST loudly enough that both horrible ghouls who terrorise his once-pleasent kitchen can hear. And Ayanami, who Shinji probably suspects would make some sort of terrible vegetarian golem, if given half a chance.
Shinji has strange thoughts like that, sometimes, having an overdeveloped imagination on account of having spent nintey percent of his childhood alone. He's just on the part where Dr. Ayanamistien unleashes her terrible turnip-bats on an unsuspecting populence when...
Misato does her thing. "Should've w-went as Elvyra, Misato..."
Shinji doesn't see the zombie arm. He /does/ see the coffin open, and dwells on the irony of there being white, red, and purple-colored coffins in the room for about a second before cowering a little more obviously. Its just a haunted house its totally fake its totally fake and Asuka somehow SEES THE FUTURE so Shinji freezes his hand about an inch from her shoulder, sloooowly putting it back behind his shoulder. "Um, s-sorry, please don't sue."
"Kuchiki's n-not so bad." Shinji counters Asuka, then shrugging a little at Alicia in hopes of preserving her from the terrible fate the Second doubtless has in store.
"Cleavers," Rei says, as Misato lists things.
The bats come swooping for her and she ducks down, staggering a little and propping herself with the staff as she looks up with wide eyes. The hat doesn't fall off her head. She is silent during this, although she certainly LOOKS astonished, almost like a pantomime of it.
"What's a shinigami?" Alicia asks, Japanese not being high on the list of things she needs to learn, since Hai-Lan hasn't even been founded yet on Midgard. She edges away as she asks, though, because Misato is weeeeird. "It's - "
She stops. Bats! And, for what it's worth, Alicia was startled after all; she /did/ jump when they screeched. Alicia hates bats; she raises one hand as if to flick her fingertips at them, but is interrupted partway by a mental command from Silmeria, her primary mental passenger. She turns it into a shooing gesture instead, although it looks a little awkward. "Eeew," she half-whines.
Fortunately, Misato's too easygoing to go the lawsuit route, at least for tonight. She does, however, let out a yelp. "Aaah! Wow, you got me good there," she says, laughing a bit breathlessly. She stumbles back from the hand, bumping into the Children behind herself. "Well, I couldn't find a Mistress of the Night costume, or an appropriate wig...heh...."
She coughs, turns slightly to see the coffin lid rising. Her eyebrow goes up in concert with it. "Nice touch," she murmurs, fidgeting with her blouse buttons just a little bit. "Yes, cleav--wha--" And the bats.
She lets out a bloodcurdling shriek. No one told her about real live flying rats. "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
There's the blur of flailing limbs for a few moments, through the blur of flying bodies. When the moment passes, she's crouching on the floor, head ducked, arms thrown over herself. She slowly looks up, eyes wide, looks around, and giggles nervously. "Ahahahaha...ha...ha. Nuh, nice."
The hand had quickly let go of Misato, though it had been instructed to do so, the glaring red eyes coming from the hole in the floor boards didn't seem too pleased with having to let go, or maybe that was just how they looked, disappearing back into the gloom under the floor. It was what they were supposed to do, they were reaching the pinnacle of the attraction anyway. The star was about to introduce himself.
The lid of the purple coffin opened all the way, though no hand guided it. The lights flickered as a tall, black shape rose from inside the special casket, it looked like a man, however the billowing cloak and the large bat-wings fanning out from its back told otherwise. A pale face with a cropped widows peak, red glowing eyes and a white set of fangs greeted them, a chalk-white, clawed hand extended to his side as if in greeting. He immediately set his sights on the girls of course, but made no movement toward them. This was usually the part where everyone screams in terror, anyway.
Asuka says, "It's some sort of soul thing." She wiggles her fingers, "They uh... run around acting like jerks and only care about themselves. I don't know what they actually do. Punch undead people I guess. But they're mostly just jerks." She nods sagely -and- wisely. She doesn't seem to be getting scared--though to be fair she usually fights giant monsters. Plus she assumes this is all fake. "Yeah, that's right." She tells the hand before looking up at Shade Man, "Yeesh... What a fake costume."
Actually, she thinks as an afterthought, how the heck is he getting his eyes to glow like that?
"Ayanami!" Shinji shouts out, because that is his job in situations such as this. He takes a step forward, as if not entierly sure what he's supposed to be doing-the bats are, of course, seen, and nearly felt, but Shinji's too terrified to be terrified. "M-misato!" Oh man this is bad this is bad what should he /do/ isn't he supposed to be the man in the room can they all even f-fit behind him and what about that stark raving terror there, Shinji, and and and if Shinji were pulled in any more directions, his head would probably start smoking or something.
"G-ghost cops." Shinji squeeks out, as an after thought, and lumps forward, as if to somehow try and reach out to the scared members of the group all at once. He's half on autopilot here, and kind of hoping that the dracula guy's an automated thing. He gulps. "Um, w-wow, you, um, s-sure got us, m-mister..."
Rei's eyes are shrouded by the hat for a moment as she looks up towards the thing. She stares.
She doesn't scream. This may be disappointing.
Her breathing is rather rapid, enough that her mouth is half open as she pants. She seems strained rather than terrified. Perhaps it's just that having gone so long without emoting clearly, she /cannot show fear/. That, or she has never seen a horror movie, and isn't sure what this means.
It's all a show, she tells herself.
This time Alicia goes for her sword until she stumbles, as if shoved from the side that nobody is on. Bad Alicia, no drawing weapons inside. She already jumped before. This time she is less startled, although more scared until Silmeria basically yells at her not to be.
She, at least, does not scream. The victory is hers, or would be if Asuka didn't look so blase about the whole thing. She just stares for a few moments.
Then she says to Shinji, quietly, "That's not an undead." She thinks. Unless they've gotten better at hiding, anyway.
Misato's eyes just get bigger and rounder at the vampire rising out of the coffin. This she was expecting, so it doesn't quite get to her like the bats did. She already did her major screaming for this room, anyway. "Yeah, you sure did," she says, following up on Shinji's line. Slowly, so as not to aggravate her injury, she stands back up again, giving another nervous laugh. "Wow."
A backward glance at Rei does evince some concern, though. "You okay, Rei?" she says, in a low voice. There's something rather worrying about that reaction of hers. She walks over to the First's side and places a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder.
The cloaked figure before them now begins to advance, assured that they were scared quite thoroughly, the red eyes catching sight of Alicia--who seemed to be reaching for something. Oh, bother. Guess the Relief Society should have scanned people for weapons, no matter now. She stopped, though, so the show could go on. The vampire stepped on bird-like, taloned feet until he reached the hole in the floor, taking a bow and flourish of his cape as the zombie arms appeared through the floor, pulling themselves up into the light.
Not surprisingly, they were zombies, but ones made of metal, with ragged, intentionally decomposed synthetic flesh clinging to their skeletons, torn clothes and the like keeping them decent enough, for zombies anyway. This was not only to frighten further, but to show the whole show was animatronic, including the vampire himself, who was taking a courtly bow as his little servants showed themselves. His eyes even stopped glowing, just to drive this point home. He grinned at them broadly, white fangs gleaming.
Asuka smiles at Alicia slightly. This is a chance to prove her awesomeness, "Don't worry," She assures her, "It's all just tricks--though it might be more fun if you scream and stuff, that's the point." She looks back to the cloaked figure and SCREAMS at him as if she were truly, truly terrified. "The horror...!" She cries, "The horror! The dead....have risen from beyond the grave!" She makes a show of stumbling backward--in terror! 'Zombies,' Shinji thinks, 'Robot zombies.'
Some faint part of him is calling them pellet rifle farther, and to raise his ATField before the lead animatronic monster shows whatever special ability he has. This faint part of Shinji Ikari is incredlous when it is told that Shinji isn't in the giant robot, because what is the boy doing around robot zombies when he's not in the giant robot?!
The rest of him rolls its collective eyes at that, though it'd kind of like to know too. Are you looking to hurt yourself or something? Is the guilt over Ayanami and Blancmanche and Ray and Suzuhara and everyone else you fail every day so powerful? Do you just think that you need to be doing crazy things because they only accept you when you play hero?
Shinji himself goes "W-waugh!", tumbles back a step, and then rubs the bridge of his nose as he consciously realizes that the zombies are robots. "I'm so screwed up..." He then looks back at Asuka, frowning openly. "You don't have to make fun of us, you know..."
Rei is shaking a little. She looks at Misato, blinking a few times. She straightens up -
Something about the zombies, the way they lurch in that mechanically contained yet almost biological way, makes her gasp audibly. She is, for once, not helped by the sounds that Asuka makes, accenting the horror of the dead rising from the grave and coming to take her with them.
Her hands clench around the stave and she steps back, slowly, deliberately, and carefully. She stares right at the zombies, in case they make a move. She keeps breathing quickly.
Don't worry: the sword is peacebonded. There's a fancy ribbon tying it in. Alicia probably couldn't get it out without a significant amount of picking at it anyway. (Plus, with the ribbon, it looks like a prop when it's sheathed.)
Alicia's startlement and fear has started to fade despite her normal... well, weak and kind of wimpy nature. What she wants to do, but does not, is laugh at the robot zombies. Regular zombies are more disgusting than frightening, until you think about where they came from...and machinery zombies don't have that going for them. She hasn't seen a robot before, but she's seen golems, and they have some similarities.
And she still doesn't scream, so there. Actually, Alicia doesn't say anything at all. She mostly watches - people and robots both.
A quick whisper. "It's all right, Rei...they're not real, they're just meant to look real. Let it out, scream if you have to." Misato straightens back up; her concern for Rei's well- being has knocked the playing-along fright out of her for now. She instead allows the others to do their screaming as necessary, leaving the hand on Rei's shoulder, as a comforting presence.
Once that's done, and the animatronics come up to take their bows, she does applaud for them politely--but keeps her hip against Rei's, again to provide a touch of warmth, a reminder that someone's there with her. "Nice job," she says, smiling. "A good scare. Thanks for the show."
The vampire's shoulders seem to let go with a sigh of relief. Phew, they finally figured out it was all just for show. Guess he'd put a little too much scare into this show, though Sanji had been sufficiently freaked and still knew it was all ersatz, faux, fake. The vamp, or rather Max Shade, playing the vampire, put his hands together and bowed again.
"Thank you for coming," he said, in a heavily English accented voice. He looked over to Misato, who seemed glued to Rei, getting serious lesbian vibes there, that was always refreshing. Max knit his brow and plastered as big a smile as he could manage, stepping over the hole in the floor and proceeding to usher them out, if possible. He was lucky, hadn't been shot or stabbed or anything, maybe this whole haunted house robot thing had its good points.
Misato Katsuragi says, "Aw, man. :I More doujin fodder, great"
Alicia says, "Owned."
Rei Ayanami's Stand emerges.
Shade Man says, "Sorry bout that. ^^;"
Misato Katsuragi says, "Nah, that's okay. :)"
Rei Ayanami says, "It's fine, she is teaching me that sometimes people do NOT want to stab you with needles or strangle you to death."
Rei Ayanami says, "Also I'm cuter than Asuka."
Asuka Langley says, "only because people prefer blowup dolls to real people"
Rei Ayanami says, "I am not a doll :("
Misato Katsuragi says, "Asuka, no picking on Rei. :I"
"Huh? I'm not making fun of you." She wrinkles her nose, "You're acting pretty weird today, Shinji. Is something the matter?" She stops screaming but looks over to Alicia. She's kind of surprised. The girl is being less of a wuss than Shinji -and- Rei -and- Misato. It's almost as if she deals with ghosts frequently. Asuka's eyes widen, "...You're not one of those shinigami are you?" Oh dear, she worries, she might be one of those Karakura people and now she's going to have to apologize or something.
Shinji has been seeing little flashes of something in the zombies. Sometimes they're wearing red, strangley patterned spacesuits, and often have blond hair and blue eyes. They look shocked when you stick your leg through their cockpit. Some are faceless, wearing the heavy coats of Russian armored infantry.
They all scream "Monster!".
Shaking his head, Shinji smiles, weakly, at the Relief Society member who's only crime is being good at his job, and sticks his hands in his pockets. Some bitter part of his mind remembers that the other Children, especialy Asuka, were /never/ on outside Gate patrol as much as he was. They don't have kill records like his. They didn't scare the rest of the Squad nearly as much. He wonders if his Father wanted it this way.
"Nothing you'd care about." Shinji mutters, Secondwards, finishing heading out the door.
The question of what Rei likes to have sex with is a topic of intensive debate. Indeed, an article entitled 'The Strategic Eroticism of Ayanami Rei' has been written by someone who probably has at least some kind of educational credential, although it is only available in Japanese (and does not appear to show up on Google.)
However, it is arguable that she is a distinct and novel species which consists of a few dozen genetically identical individuals, only one of which possesses an animating force, as per the theories of metaphysical biology. This is, however, completely irrelevant, and is being included to demonstrate gratuitous erudition.
The results of the physical contact are unclear. Rei doesn't scream, but she does let out a long sigh, shakes her head once, and turns deliberately around to walk out the door. She pulls the cloak of the costume more closely around herself, and turns her head briefly, looking at Lucy-Asuka. She doesn't have much of an expression.
Then, after Shinji, on out towards the door.
Alicia is only /sometimes/ a wuss. Normally she just whines, and in fact she may have been doing that tonight; that's what mental conversation is for. "No, I told you, I didn't know what they are...well, I do now, because..." Alicia looks over at Shinji for a moment. Because he explained! But before, not so much.
Alicia glances back to Mr. Shade. She does not poke even though it comes to mind to try it, just to see what a mechanical undead feels like. She had the same thoughts with the robot zombies once she identified them as machines. "Um. You're welcome?" she says, awkwardly, before hurrying out with the others.
The hand lands on Rei's shoulder once more, giving a final squeeze, as Misato nods at Shade Man and turns along with the others, back toward the door. "All right...I think I spied a big basket of candy just next to the door...right, right there. Take some, not too much; there's still some more people coming and all." She marches along with the Children back toward the stairs leading up to the main floor, away from the crypt.
She is, perhaps, a little bit embarassed about the bats. But really, when you're being divebombed like that.... Aheh. Well then. The exchange between Asuka and Shinji is not lost completely; she frowns, thinking that, perhaps, there might need to be another talk somewhere in the near future. She files that away for another time.
And the final realization of the night is--Toji's missing. Her eyes narrow. That boy is in for some trouble, when she finds him. Or maybe she'll do the picture trick anyway. That class rep sure is a firecracker at times, and has an ear-pull worthy of intense study in combat training. "Okay, guys, let's see what else this haunted house has to offer...."
And so the scene fades tonight for this merry little band of adventurers.