deercountry | Happy Halloween (Partially Open)

Entry tags:

reaper: vette

Happy Halloween (Partially Open)

Who: Reaper (

no_reload), White Alice (

wishforaneye) + anyone of the household that wants to join them
What: Halloween in December
When: Beginning of December
Where: Spare room at the Break residence in Darcmouth

Content Warnings: To be added. Alice is probably going to need them...

[It was probably a shame that Alice was so convincing. Reaper hadn't intended to be visible much in December, but her invitation had been tempting enough that he had given in without too much prompting. Honestly, he wasn't having a great time trying to sleep on rooftops now and again, especially with the gentle press of paranoia clinging to him when he was out trying to rest.

She had set them up in a spare room in the house that she was living in with a bunch of people from her world. There was a fireplace crackling merrily and warming the room. It was sparsely set up, which left it open for Reaper walking in and deciding right then and there that he was going to teach Alice how to build a proper blanket fort. It had been decades since he had made one for fun, which helped to liven up his mood once they grabbed supplies and got started on it. It helped that Alice was so gamely to try just about anything.

After that, he had let her set up the Omni with whatever movies that she had decided upon and he had brought up snacks and food that she was going to try. He had made classic churros like his madre made, sopapillas, conchas with dipping chocolate, dulche de leche and some American desserts as well such as shortbread, chocolates and other easily handled candy. He honestly was doing his best to see if Alice could become hyperactive from sugar; that would be entertaining.

After all the preparations were made, Reaper even went so far as to remove his armour and set it aside. Then he settled into their little fort and reclined with one knee resting over the other.]

What did you decide on watching tonight? Hopefully nothing too campy.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The intruding thoughts and feelings- there was only one way that Alice knew how to fight that, and perhaps for better or worse she had come upon Reaper when she had.

Given the lantern in the parlor, it made for a quick and safe trip to the house she shared with the others, not at all minding pulling the man along with her for a quick tour tat took them towards the kitchen. Of course the disembodied hand made an appearance there, ghostly as the appendage was Alice had helped it to a higher spot to watch as she asked little questions about the food.

The mood felt better, more herself, and she certainly was enjoying learning about new foods- and the blanket fort!

She was going to remember how to make one, she could share it with Alice.

Alice didn't sit in the fort yet, taking in the room as she turned on socked feet, a pair of shoes abandoned by the door. Warm enough in the house she didn't need them-]

I'm not sure what 'campy' is- Hocus Pocus is one, I learned about that one at the sleepover Xerxes put on here! [As she spoke her hands lifted, the room itself starting to darken and contort. Trees sprung from nowhere as the walls seemed to push back, a few 'stars' twinkling in the 'sky' above. No warmth was lost out of the room, the fireplace seeming to simply remain, as did the sheet she'd stretched out and hung to act as a screen.

All she really did was alter the way the room itself looked, after all.

It appeared to be very much like a scene out of some horror movie in the woods, where unexpected campers could be found.]

There, that's better. [Alice finally spun around, facing Reaper so that she could move and perc herself near the Omni to hep get things started.] I tried searching for Halloween movies- and there are movies with that title? Scream sounded interesting.

Maybe you can pick a few, too? Movies are a very new concept for me, but they're fun.

[Reaper was used to Alice peppering him with questions. She was so naïve to some aspects of the world, which was expected given her - and her sister's - history of being locked away. He was extremely tolerant of her questions and even made certain that she was included in the baking process by having her measure out ingredients, check the oven or stovetop.

As expected, she was extremely gamely about the pillow fort, and she seemed more than happy to drag in items to be used in its creation. As far as forts went, it was a good one for how little preparation that he had made to put it together. Some of his ones decades ago had been epic, but they had taken a lot of pre-planning.

All of her movies were old by his standards, classics even. He had grown used to watching old movies, since they were beyond the reality of war at the time Sometimes they just needed something silly with terrible visual effects to pass away an evening of leave where there was no point hitting up the local watering hole.]

You make the choice on movie to start. Those titles do sound like classic horror. [So classic, so he had to enjoy them.] Yes, Halloween started strong then went to dumpster fire territory pretty quickly. Horror has a bad habit of reusing a good concept until it's dead in the water.

[He shrugged because he frankly didn't care. They were easy to nitpick which usually made them easy to watch. Frustrating with the writing was bad, but whatever. He was just pleased to have a Halloween to offset the terribleness that was December.]

Well, some of the ones that are enjoyable would be The Ring, some of Bloomhouse's first films in any series they made. That's a lot to start off in.

How about we start with the first Halloween? We can go from there! [Start with something she hadn't seen. Classic- did that mean it was old or something? Hardly mattered since she was starting the movie— she paused before going in to the blanket fort, hopping to her feet and reaching in to the dark void past a few trees and opened the door she knew was still there.

Several fluffy black cats with bat wings scrambled in with a few mews, letting the door shut and vanish back in to the darkness, scooping one up in to her arms to carry back to the blanket fort, the others trailing after her. Ribbons were neatly tied in to bows around their necks comfortably, color not seeming to indicate anything really.

Alice plunked herself down beside Reaper, bat cat in her lap and purring as she scritched around wings and between ears.]

We can watch one of those after Halloween then! [Enjoy the curious bat cat blanket fort invasion. These were the few she had claimed from Elliot smuggling them into the house. Affectionate lot, really.] It's only fair you get to pick out which movies we watch, too.

Edited (shhh) 2021-12-05 02:33 (UTC)

Of course. I never get bored of watching the original Halloween. [It was a good starting point and it was poignant for how Halloween was supposed to be. It was also the first Halloween movie that he had watched with his sister when they were children, so it was fitting that he would do so again with Alice. He doubted anything about it would scare her, but it was good entertainment.

Reaper lifted his head from where it rested when Alice let in a bunch of weird cats. He initially drew his legs up higher because the Authority had been a force to avoid, and he watched her warily as she pet and snuggled with one of the little furballs. They did seem... different from the Authority, smaller and definitely more like cats that he was familiar with.]

I'll pick something we'll both enjoy. We can go back and forth on the movie choices.

[One of the bat cats mewed up at him and hopped up onto his belly, flapping little wings for balance then bee-lining for his face to nuzzle on the edge of his mask. At first, he remained frozen as if waiting for his powers to go dead around him, but no, it was just a small cat. A second clambered up onto his belly and began playing with a belt buckle.

Slowly, he gave in and pet them.] Are these your pets?

Then it truly does sound like a wonderful one to start with. [She was doing this, for a large part, because Reaper had missed Halloween. If she had found out sooner it would have been suggested, but better a little late than not at all; he had taught her about the holiday after all, amongst other things. Why not ensure he get to celebrate in even some small way with movies and food and whatever else?

So she let Halloween play before she fully settled with the bat cats, their company and additional soothing sort with the nerves she'd been feeling in and around the house. All the better to enjoy.

Even while absently petting the first and second to have clamored in to her lap.]

I like that, sounds fair, and off your picks I can learn a bit more as what counts as a Halloween movie.

[Alice hummed, picking the second cat up from her lap as little wings flapped as a paw planted on her nose, looking back towards Reaper with a small but incredibly warm smile.] Yes- the other boy in the house, Elliot, kept bringing them in, and so I've taken to claiming a few for myself. I don't think Xerxes has figured out there's more than one that's been living in this house with us yet.

[Very normal, if very fluffy, bat-winged cats.]

I had a cat before. Cheshire was my only companion for a long, long time. [She missed him, and it was why she'd taken wearing a red ribbon with a little golden bell on it around her wrist. It had been his, and had come along with her.]

You'll like it. [He wasn't certain that he had found anything so far that Alice didn't like at this point, which was interesting. She was basically gamely for anything.

And that she had thought to allow him to celebrate his favourite holiday after he had missed it on account of being dead was far more thoughtful than he would have expected from anyone that associated with him. He hadn't told her that it was basically the only holiday that he put any effort into celebrating these days, and they had entered into his most hated month.]

Halloween movies are about not always about the holiday itself but the spiritual hauntings and usually some kind of senseless murder of teenagers for doing stupid things.

[He watched her with the cats, and she seemed to be used to them. He expected that she was the one that had put ribbons on them. And so far, they were definitely not the Authority.] I take it that Xerxes runs this house?

[He was scratching his gloved fingers down the first cat's back as it began to knead on his chest. The second was still playing with his belt for the time being.] What happened to Cheshire?

[A pleased hum with that. Honestly, finding more things she liked than what she didn't was- well, it was nice. She certainly knew of things she didn't like, had been forced to deal with anyway, and could do nothing about. To finally find so many this she did like and could indulge in? That was a pleasant surprise, to be honest.]

So, they are things that would scare most people, or inspire some thrill in watching for those exact same reasons?

[If she had to take a guess from that description at least.

She set the cat back down in to her lap with the first, letting them settle and curl. Stroking over soft fur.] He found this house because my sister told him that we needed a suitable one. More so if we were going to live in this world. So in a way yes, because he wanted a place for all of us.

[Alice lifted her arm, showing that red ribbon wrapped around her wrist and tied in a neat little bow. The little golden bell jingled softly with the movement.] He died with me, it's sad he couldn't make it here, too.

But perhaps that at least means he's still somewhere. He was a very good cat, loyal and strong enough he came in to the Abyss to remain by my side after those two horrible boys- [Another bat cat lightly batted at the bell, at least distracting her from that little memory enough as she tickled lightly under it's chin.

The implication was clear enough, at least. More so with how her tone had began to darken, some little rattling of chains sounding in the air and falling silent as the cat played.]

The human mind can be its own worst enemy, and often things that are scary to some won't be scary to others. Some imagine hearing sounds or sights in the dark, and it is the fear of the unknown that makes them frightened.

[Most horror was trying to tap into that fear of the unknown, fear of what lurked in the darkness. He expected that Alice would not be affected much given the life that she had lived in the Abyss which sounded like a horror story all of its own. However, he was hoping that she would be entertained by them, the imagination of humanity to scare the living daylights out of themselves.

He nodded his head in understanding. So the Xerxes was the one that took care of the Alices, so that was the one to watch out for. So caretaker? Unwitting father figure? Odd friend? He would have to investigate and decide for himself.] Does everyone from your world live in this house then?

[He hummed in understanding, and he made a show of reaching out to touch the bell after the cat had began to play with it.] I've heard that sometimes pets, items and other things we cherish are given to us from the Pthumerian Sea. Perhaps Cheshire will make his way here to you.

[Honestly, from her descriptions of the Abyss and her own powers, he expected a cat like that would be dangerous. That was intriguing to him. Yet, he was aware of the press of her power, how it rattled the chains around, and he closed his gloved hand lightly over her own.]

Alice. Look at me. [He waited until she had.] Did you have revenge on those boys?

The Dolls were always that for people, stories to make children behave, not wander at night- those that found out they were real were driven mad by their influence. People can be so interesting that way- and dissapointing.

[A neutral sort of observation, but she did sound thrilled at the aspect of what was created to prompt those feelings. The stories of the Chains alone she had managed to catch fragments of had been interesting.

Still, her attention was pulling a little-] All of them that are here, yes. Xerxes is the only old one amongst us. ['Old' she says in a more human way than the fact she ad her sister, and even Oz, were far older.

It was an old bell, clearly had been worn and taken care of along with the ribbon; eve looped as the red ribbon was it still hung loosely. A tear or two falling, despite the faint smile fighting to hang on.] Maybe, he fought so hard to protect my memories, made himself my guardian. I'm glad he was there with me, in the end. He was so happy—

[Alice blinked a little rapidly, but did look up. More tears falling as her other hand reached up to catch them with the fabric of her sleeve.] I- one of them fell in to the Abyss, in to my room. That horrible little brother, it was his scissors I know it.

He fell in to my room- screaming how everyone was dead, laughing about it. [O o p s- while tears were falling, she was at least keeping some control.] So I screamed back, he was always a horrible, wretched little liar. I think I flung him back out at some point.

He had told me I had to play nice with them, even after what they did to Cheshire- Even after that, so it's only right that worthless boy go mad with what he had done! Let him be bound to that woman who twisted in to a Doll by the Abyss and feel worthless! [.... Yes and no, basically.] The other- the older brother, had good reason to be terrified of cats after.

Edited (why does there *always* turn in to three) 2021-12-06 17:52 (UTC)

You aren't wrong. But in our need to strive for greatness, we allow ourselves to be weaponized against the good we set out to do.

[If she had lived a life examining and creating people's worst fears then she was definitely going to love Halloween and all that it stood for. It had, of course, evolved over the years and meant something different to every person who celebrated it. Still, he considered this a good start.]

It seems he takes good care of you and everyone else then. [A baseline assessment, not committing one way or another. He preferred to meet people to decide for himself how much he might get on with them or if he would dislike them.

Then it seemed that they had hit on a subject of great distress for Alice. He dropped his hand away from hers when she looked at him with those tears streaming down her face, pain and anger evident. She didn't have to paint the scene in detail for him to understand that something tragic had occurred to her cat.

He moved the bat cats off of lounging on him so that he could sit up slowly, seeming to glide to a new position without making a sound. Tendrils of black smoke curled from his shoulders and hood. At first, he did nothing but watch her, and maybe a bit of old humanity he liked to deny triggered as he reached out to curl an arm under her legs and the other around her back as he picked her up and set her on his thighs where he could wrap an arm around her and gently rock her.

Two years ago, this would have been impossible for him. Before Chloe had worked on him.]

You did what you had to do to them. Your revenge is over, and you have a new start here that your cat would have wanted. [Comforting had never come easy to him, but kids made it a little easier. Paternal instincts cropped up in the weirdest way.] And if those boys ever struggle their way out of the sea... you and I can show them how rough we can play. Yes?

For a greater good, or what is held in the heart as making sacrifices what feels like it has to be done. I've seen it.

[Kevin had done so, murdering so many people under the illusion of fixing something, and had fallen so dep in to the Abyss he had landed at her feet. He then continued to weaponize himself, and even others, all for her wish.

Still a knight.]

He has. [So much so, and more than he may eve let himself believe or others see. Alice saw and knew how much care he put towards her, despite his fear of her still there. Enough that he had let her drag him blind through the streets just to enjoy herself and experience so many new things. The claim to be her uncle when mistaken as a father simply from their similar looks.

The cats on her own lap slipped down when she was scooped up, a little tumble on pillows, but they remained close. It was surprising to her, sniffling a bit as she still tried to wipe away tears with a sleeve, but she did lean in against Reaper as if it was all she could think to do with this now. Being held and rocked, allowed to have this and- well.

Had anyone ever tried to comfort her before? Hadn't simply watched or even tormented her further until something was ripped apart? No one other than her sister. Alice did relax, breathing calming before ever becoming something difficult to catch, leaning heavier against Reaper as she did-]

They were horrible, and Cheshire did only ever want me happy. [Children were children, and being a child with the Baskervilles... well, they didn't teach much other than having to get along if bothered with at all.

The tears were slowly, never breaking in to a sob, that hand with the belled wrist resting against Reaper, gripping a little. At least when she looked up, it was drying tears and- well, her pupils were slit, eyes a little bright from unshed tears.] Gilbert may not fully remember, and Alice likes him- but Vincent can most certainly choke on his scissors.

He can see how rough. [She might have forgiven Jack, but some grudges were going to hold tight.]

[Much of the time, he would sit down or stand nearby, leaving the kind of comforting to those that were better at it. He would give space but also his presence so that they wouldn't feel quite so alone. Children were difficult in that their problems often felt insignificant to him and his worldly issues, but they were also easier because comfort was more about time and attention then needing to solve their issue.

And maybe his attempts here was stilted and not particularly warm, but he had rocked away nightmares on children and grown men alike when it was necessary. He was definitely not winning any parental figure of the year awards, which he was thankful for, but he could soldier up some effort.

Alice seemed calmed by the closeness and the rocking, which encouraged him to keep at it for now. As she leaned more into him, he tightened his arm around her to make it clear that the memories would be awful but she wasn't alone with them. When she looked up at him, he pulled a corner of a blanket closer and wiped away some of her remaining tears.]

Who cares who likes who? They wronged you, and they will pay in return. There's a cost to being a little shithead, so they better hope they never arrive here.

[Maybe Alice wouldn't move against this Gilbert for the sake of her twin, but Reaper had no such scruples if it came down to it. He hadn't had someone to bully in awhile, and oh he expected Maul would assist in that. It could be a date or something.]

[There was a little laugh, and maybe it had sent a few of those unshed tears falling, but it was better and they were caught by the corner of that blanket. Something lighter, almost relieved in the sound of that laugh—]

They didn't like all of the attention Jack gave me, they were jealous because he'd found them and brought them. No one ever did anything to really punish them, just told we had to play nice. [She knew now why Jack gave her so much attention, of course, but that didn't make any of it right. Didn't make any of it better. Alice could forgive him for being the emotionless mad man that he was, for using her to get what he thought he wanted, but not those two.] So they used Cheshire to get to me.

I was so happy when he came to me in the Abyss, even if he was blinded from what they'd done. He was still with me- did return his sight with the gift of an eye at least. [Her powers were strange.

Alice remained leaning against Reaper, taking that comfort as if it was one of the most important things ever given to her. It wasn't lacking for someone that such comfort was unfamiliar to.]

Stupid seaweed head and sewer rat.

[The little nickname her sister had given Gilbert, and what Xerxes had a habit of calling Vincent- even if that later one was more some torn piece of memory.]

[Jealousy would explain some of the behaviour, but he had a low tolerance of children acting like little monsters as well. Some mental illness couldn't be prevented, but it could be dealt with. From his point of view, it was a lack of parental influence that was the start of the problem, but once a child escalated to the point of what Alice was insinuating... well, that was that in his books.

He used the blanket edge to wipe away Alice's tears until they had seemingly dried out. Then he lifted her chin with the side of his hand so that she looked at him.] And if they come here, they will pay for such a transgression as children or adults. However they come, they will know regret.

[He didn't pretend to know what the gift of the eye was, but he assumed it had something to do with Alice and her connection to the Abyss.] Perhaps he will make his way here to be with you again. Until then, you have these little strange cats.

[One of the bat cats was scrambling up his leg and crawling over to find a spot in Alice's lap, offering a little mew of greeting.]

You're allowed to know happiness in this place, no matter the trials and tribulations it might put us through.

[That certainly did brighten her smile from where it had been waning at the start of tears, a warmth there that it could be so easy to think it wasn't the threat that created it. Alice was a strange girl however, it was perfectly normal for her- and this was, well... A kindness, as far as she was concerned. One she appreciated and took to heart.

For better or worse.] Thank you.

[Aggressive, yet simple. An arm did move so that Alice could hug Reaper in her position, not breaking at eye contact as her head tilted in to that side of his hand at her chin. She meant it, that gratitude, with all of her heart.]

I would love to see him again, and let him just be a happy cat- and you're right. These little ones can't replace him, but they are very good company themselves.

[And affectionate, clearly. The one that made it in to her lap was getting scritches once comfortable, fingers moving through that soft black fur. Alice was the kinder between her and her sister to animals, despite how dangerous she could be, the gentler one between them; funny, in a way.]

So far I've been managing that, and you are a part of it, Reaper. I'm glad to have met you, and that you're here. All the more reason I want you to have even this little bit of Halloween to enjoy. [She was very glad to have him as a part of her life here, even only knowing him for a little while.] Even with this, I hope you are having some fun.

[Now that she had calmed and her tears had seemingly gone dry for the time being, Reaper dropped the edge of the blanket back down and eased his arm from being around her too tightly. It might get awkward, but his grip switched to support only given that she was leaning on him.

He nodded his head, and he decided that it might be worth looking into how things could come from the sea. Could she arrange for Cheshire to come here? They would have to find a way and maybe make offerings, but what would the cost be?]

It's not about replacing, Alice. These cats present new opportunities, and it's up to you to make the most of it.

[He tucked his arm under her legs again, and then he gently moved her back to sitting next to him where she could watch the movie that had been playing in the background since the grief had come up. Thankfully the bat cat stayed where it was and he leaned back against the cushion wall behind them more. He tucked an arm behind his head, letting two of the bat cats scramble up into his lap too.]

This is our Halloween. If it weren't for you, I'd have just missed it and carried on. Let's try to enjoy it, shall we?

New little friends who could use a home of their own, given that Nightray boy picked them up from outside.

[Elliot, a friend to cats. That at least had given him a rather high point in her eyes.

The cats were most certainly happy, given how the few that followed her about were so very affectionate, letting herself get comfortable again when set back in to place. That little golden bell jingled softly with every stroke over fur and bat wings. Just like that the moment had passed, and far quicker; no having to sob it all out until it tired her out or she simply forgot.

At the very least they hadn't missed too much-]

Yes, let's. Better to celebrate it a bit late than not at all, I think.

Exactly. New little friends. I assume that we all know that we need those, hmm?

[Even if it was just a bunch of stray cats. That was fine too, as long as she managed to find happiness after she had been sequestered away for most of her life. The Abyss seemed like a lonely place to grow up.

But she was in Trench now and seemed to be making the most of it. No more tears for now, and that was good. This had not been an expected turn of the night, and as uncomfortable as he was to try to soothe a teenager, she hadn't taken his head off so obviously something had gone right.

He sat back and allowed two little bat cats to find his lap and nestle in with some purring.]

Halloween can be done any time of the year apparently.

They're sweet little things, after all.

[Who enjoyed acting the part of gargoyles at times, and she has seen some out on the streets latch on to people's faces for so much as throwing a rock at them. All the more reason she was happy to keep them around-]

It's easy to get the blood they desire, too. [-... Yeah. She was more than happy to feed them their desired meal.

Alice hummed in agreement, one of those treats made for this -a concha- floated up and dipped itself in chocolate. All the better for her to take a bite from it once it was free-floating near her head. No need to stop petting the batcat curled in her lap just to eat, or worry about getting fur in it when going so hands free.]

It can! I think, if you would like, we can always hold a second Halloween in December. [Or any other month as far as she was concerned.] I like it very much, and the spirit of it is what matters most.

As long as they don't start to suck out souls, yes.

[He could still recall the Authority, and he was hoping that these little creatures wouldn't eventually become future iterations of them. Though, he would be fun and entertaining to avoid them again. He did so enjoy causing trouble now and again.]

And just whom are you stealing blood from to feed them, hmm?

[He was not at all put off by the idea. If that's what her little friends needed, then who was he to judge?]

We will have to see what the year ahead brings us, don't you think? [He might consider returning the Halloween favour to her.] You should, at some point, also be certain to celebrate Christmas. Most enjoy the gift giving and receiving part.

I don't think they've tried to.

[Alice lifted her hand from petting briefly, and in turn got the little bat cat in her lap looking up at her quizzically. Only for paws to wrap around her wrist with a demand for pettings to continue.

Nope, seemed fine to her. Going back to petting, fingertips scritching carefully here and there.]

Mostly whatever beasts I happen across. Some of them hunt on their own and come back here. [Easy enough to get.

She perked a bit.] I think we should yes- and I don't think I've ever celebrated Christmas before, either. Never celebrated much of anything, really. All of this has been a first- and it's been quite wonderful.

For the best. The experience is unpleasant.

[That was his first death in Deerington, and while it had been a worthwhile experiment, he wasn't looking for a repeat performance. The bat cats seemed to be quite different, felt different and they were currently much smaller than the Authority. Maybe they would shed their wings and grow into those assholes at some point. Not now, but in future.

He scritched the cheek and behind the ear on one of the cats in his lap, earning himself a purr and a bat as the little creature clearly wanted to play.]

They are cats, so I expect they can fend for themselves well. What sort of vessel to do you use to bring blood back?

[It seemed to him that there had been a distinct lack of celebration when it came to Alice. That was fine, since now she was free to celebrate whatever and however she wanted. There were no limits, right?]

Some favour the holiday much more than I do. You would do well to ask them their traditions. Most who celebrate enjoy talking about it.

I mostly know of being in an undying state against one's will.

[Alice didn't answer the question right away, instead she was observing what they had- ah ha. Tea was of course amongst the snacks as something to drink, and she watched the tea pot lift up, moving a hand as the tea inside was pulled out, remaining together in liquid blobs. Moving fingers as if drawing in the air, the tea following suit in to the little shapes drawn.

Yes, good.]

Usually I do this. Rather not stain any of our cups with blood, you know. I haven't found a suitable container yet, and so I've been making do like this until I can get it in to their bowls- some even like to chase after the blood like this. [They were having fun, keeping their instincts for hunting sharp- somewhat.

One made do with that they could and all that.]

Mm, I could. There's also the fun of making other traditions, taking an initial concept and making it more fun- or more tailored to your liking and those you like to spend time with. Right? [Given she was happy throwing Halloween in December, traditionalism wasn't something held on high outside of making something new to carry on it seemed.] Some traditions can be kept, while others may be better off broken and made new.

I do know this one is about giving and receiving gifts, at least. Christmas.

[Break is vaguely aware that Alice is having a friend over for a movie night, and approves. He very much wants Alice to make friends, especially friends who will not betray or manipulate her, and it's genuinely good to hear her prattling on about how this friend in particular had missed Halloween and this just couldn't stand so Halloween again a solid month later is necessary. This is downright pure and wholesome compared to how Break has seen this girl in the past and this household has a deep disrespect for what time any given celebration is actually supposed to happen, so if Halloween makes her happy, sure. We will have Halloween and its movies whenever we like.

That said, he has forgotten that this is happening tonight, and is not around for the majority of the evening.

When he finally does come home, it's in the wee hours of the morning, and both of Break's arms are loaded down with heavy bags from his illicit dealings down at the docks. By this we mean Break has gone grocery shopping. To that end he heads straight to the kitchen when he gets home, only to discover that someone has been using it as he heaves his latest acquisitions onto the table for sorting.]

Hey, hey, what smells so good in here?

[Is there anyone around to answer him? If not he will just hunt down whatever it is and eat it. Everyone around him is trained to expect this so it's their own fault if they've left treats around unchaperoned.]

[After many movies and discussions where even the many bat cats had curled up for the night, Reaper had put Alice to bed so she could sleep for a few hours. He was too restless to attempt sleep himself, and because this was a new place, he hadn't done his full preparations for safety if he wanted to sleep anyway.

So he was collecting plates of left over food and desserts to take downstairs to the kitchen. While she slept, he could at least keep himself busy cleaning up and maybe preparing something for the morning. Besides, he expected that the left-overs wouldn't last long given that there were many occupants of the household.

He glided his way soundlessly down the stairs just in time to hear a male voice from the kitchen. He would have expected most, if not all, occupants to be sleeping at this time in the morning. He stepped into the kitchen with an armful of plates, the top one loaded with left-overs.]

I borrowed your kitchen. I suppose the cost will be you having the rest of these.

[He moved into the kitchen like he owned the place, but he did make the effort to offer the full plate to... whoever this was. Alice had explained the people here: Xerxes, Elliot, other Alice and a smattering of others that came and went. That didn't mean he knew exactly who he was talking to.]

Alice is asleep upstairs in the spare room under a pile of cats.

[Mmmmmmmm, stranger in the house in the middle of the night.

This in itself doesn't actually bother Break much. Anybody who was here on shifty business would not be borrowing the kitchen, or roaming about freely. However, it makes a certain amount of sense if Break crosses paths with the one other forty year old terrible goose of an uncle in town on a mutual monster hunting expedition and brings him home for great "don't upset the niece" justice. He is having a little trouble figuring out who in hell is responsible for bringing home Reaper.

You can practically see the gears in his head turning, before "Alice" comes up.]

-- ah! It must be movie night. [Yes, okay, he remembers now. Go figure that Alice in particular would not be out making friends with, like. Other teenaged girls.* Break resumes unpacking the groceries, though he keeps a closer eye on the stranger than his treats.] Forgive me, I'd forgotten the date.

[*It will be a relief when Alice brings home Mabel Pines some while later, until Mabel coughs up literal glitter for whatever mysterious Mabel reason. At that point Break will give up on thinking of specifics and hope simply for "the best".]

[Reaper dropped the plate of leftovers from the evening off on a part of the counter space that was freely accessible. He was already making his way over to make certain that all the items that he had used previously had been fully dried so that he could begin to put them aware in their proper place.]

Halloween part two, yes. [He shrugged his shoulders to the apology. He saw no reason for it, but then again, he was in a personal habit of never apologizing for anything ever, even if it was something he likely should.] No forgiveness necessary.

[He eyed the other man from behind his mask.] You must be... Break? Alice has spoken of you providing housing here.

I don't know that "providing" is quite the right way to put it. It's not as though the house itself belongs to me alone. Rather, of all of us, I'm the only one with any real idea of what it takes to run a household. The boys are both aristocrats, and the girls had...a very strange childhood.

[He offers no further details about that and won't unless this guy shows he already knows them first. The Alices' story is their own, and while Break is aware that the pale sister has been chatting about it freely, better safe than sorry.

He likewise eyes Reaper.]

Mm, but I am Xerxes Break, yes. May I ask your name?

Edited 2021-12-08 23:36 (UTC)

I understand the girls given they are... well, their previous living situation was compromised. As for aristocrats... depending on their age, they are generally useless. [So he would at least give Xerxes credit for keeping the place together. It wasn't too messy either. It sounded painful knowing what he did about aristocrats, but that was his world.

Xerxes Break, hmm? An interesting name.]

I go by Reaper. [He was pulling used plates out from under the one containing the leftovers and put them in the sink to fill and allow to soak.] Are you a night shift type?

Reaper. [That sure is a name, but probably one of the least shocking ones he could have provided.] Mm. No better time for shady dealings down at the docks, right?

[Break says this, but what he is pulling out of his bags is baking supplies. Many, many baking supplies. Including some interesting spices that are rarely seen in the shops around here, at least at this time of year. He works for Lysithea, and a part of his job is to meet incoming supply ships on her behalf. With four mouths to feed and routine guests on top of that, of course Break takes a cut.]

They're all good kids, even the nobles. It simply takes time to learn to be less useless, that's all. It's not as though I'm not learning here, too. I wasn't the cooking-and-cleaning sort of servant.

Is that what you do? Shady dealings at the docks. [There was no better place to have some shady business that was for certain. All manner of information and trades could be found down there.

Yet, there was definitely a disparity between the claim and the items that appeared. He was still going about his business cleaning dirty dishes as he was not one to make a mess and leave it for someone else to clean up.] Are you a big baker?

[He understood that reasoning. Those who didn't have to means to learn wouldn't, so they needed to have opportunity. It was part of the reason he hung around with Alice who had been denied so much in her life.]

If you aren't a cooking and cleaning type, does that mean it falls to you now?

[The notion of "shady dealings at the docks" being his actual profession gets a sly grin out of him, and he relents. Alice clearly hasn't spilled too many solid details about Break if this is all news with no context to this guy, which is something he appreciates, but if this is going to be a practical adult alliance with arguably the most volatile of the kids in the center, certain facts should be straight.]

I am but a simple swordsman, and retired, these days. My proper "job" is at a bakery in town run by a certain young lady. [This would be Lysithea.] I scarcely knew my way around a kitchen at all before coming here, but I had decided it would be the most important skill I could learn in this place, so -- in exchange for lessons from her, I often meet supply ships as they come in, and bargain for things on her behalf.

[So you see, not truly shady at all. It's just that when Break gets involved in active diplomacy everything automatically starts feeling like it's associated with the bakery mafia. He just has that sort of feeling about him.]

As to whether it "falls to me"...I chose it, so it's no trouble.

Edited 2021-12-13 03:06 (UTC)

[Reaper had made certain not to pry when it came to Alice, expecting that she had had enough of that since her birth. Besides, she was chatty enough that she freely gave information that came to her, and he wasn't one to deny the value of that. And the danger of it. Still, he wasn't in a position to bother himself to curb the behaviour either.

He snorted at the notion that anyone with skills in combat ever actually retired. For one, this guy still practically looked like a kid in his books, and all parts seemed to be accounted for.]

Anyone that puts 'simple' at the start of their occupation is attempting to downplay their skills to limit questioning from my experience. No doubt you could take someone apart if you were inspired to take up the sword again. [He hummed as he continued to clean up. It was interesting that this guy was a baker or at least was learning the trade.] If you're in charge of feeding all the others here, it is important to know how to not poison them.

[Reaper still thought the story was shady. It was tip-of-the-iceberg stuff. If Break was down there negotiating for dry goods and whatever else, the guy had opportunity to negotiate everything else.]

Don't forget to instill in the young ones the importance to cleaning up after themselves.

[Aaaaaaah. This guy is a veteran of all sorts of nonsense, huh.]

Who says I ever put it down? I keep my hand in. You simply won't find me out and about with the Hunters, that's all.

[Regardless of what Reaper thinks, everything Break is bringing out of his shopping bags is, indeed, some sort of baking supply. The wildest thing to emerge is a small assortment of hand-carved wooden cookie molds, including one with a pair of bunnies, sure to amuse most of the kids in the house. You know, because of reasons.]

Is that some sort of comment on the state of the housekeeping? What a rude guest you are. Perhaps I won't offer you a bit of tea.

[Break's tone is flippant. He's no aristocrat and never has been; so long as everyone living in it is alive and relatively untraumatized he couldn't give less of a damn about what others think about the odd clutter pile or overturned couch cushion. But if this stranger thinks he can waltz into Break's home and start dropping pointers on how to "raise his kids", as it were, having met only the weirdest of the lot, probably Break will simply never speak to him again and move on with life.]

So you don't ply your trade with the sword openly. Good, perhaps someday you can show my what you're about.

[He wasn't too interested in leaving Alice for long even if she was just sleeping under a pile of bat-winged kittens. He had promised to make it a 'sleep-over' even if he might not sleep himself. She had put in the effort, so he was do his part to make it a good night and morning for her.

He kept his head turned enough from his cleaning to have an eye on Break the entire time, and he definitely was assessing the items of choice from the docks]

I just know that children must be reminded constantly to pick up their things. Most adults as well.

[He wouldn't be offended to not have tea, though he pointed to a plate of sweets that were considered leftovers. He had no actual commentary on the state of the household; after all, he literally built a pillow and blanket fort in one of the rooms, which could be considered a massive mess to anyone passively walking by.]

Take the leftovers as a peace offering then. I have no quarrel with you.

Edited 2021-12-29 18:34 (UTC)

Mm, perhaps.

[Break is most always open to spars. He is a long shot from being the strongest fighter in Trench, which is something he enjoys. At home he was known as Pandora's Strongest, and while he is horrifyingly good at what he does, it was due in part to a distinct lack of other swordsmen around for him to play with and one of the only ones that did turn up acted like it was a great honor to have the opportunity to try to murder him.

To be surrounded by so many fighters who could easily hand him his own ass is refreshing and fun. Break hates losing at things, certainly, but too many wins that come without a real challenge are boring.]

In any case, if you're to be looking out for any of my kids, I should think we're to be allies at the very least. Miss Alice in particular is a special case.

[Reaper was always curious how skilled others were in this place. For him, he let his reputation do most of the talking these days, and he had no reason to pull out his shotguns against Sleepers. He was open to spars, to be challenged and to learn something new about other Sleepers. Fighting was a good way to get to know someone was far as he was concerned.

However, he would wait for Break to want one rather than force one. He figured that they would be maneuvering around each other plenty if Alice was determined to have him come over more often. He expected that they could have a roaring good time and even keep it to bruises and minor cuts.]

She does seem very unique, yes. Anything that I need to know by your measure? You seem to know her well.

[ The other Alice wafts in mid-movie, attracted by snacks(snacks!) and also some rudimentary protective instinct. She was absolutely watching the setup periodically from around corners and scooting backwards when observed directly, in the manner of a feral alley cat. Reaper here is like six feet tall, like fifty years old, and was formerly walking about in clawed armor. Her conclusion is that... he seems all right. He has food, after all.

She's on top of the fort itself right now - whether or not it should realistically be able to handle her weight, it is doing so admirably. She sticks her head under during a point at which nothing exciting is happening. ]

Is there a monster in this one?

[Reaper had known she was there, keeping to the periphery while he worked with the other Alice to show her cooking and set up. He would more than welcome Alice's twin sister, though he hadn't broached the idea of how to tell them apart when he finally did meet them both in the same room.

He sensed that there was another in the room but not officially in the pillow fort that had been constructed. He glanced up when suddenly a dark-haired Alice's head poked down from the top of the fort, and he tilted his head.]

There's a monster in all revenge slasher films. Would you care to come in? Easier to grab some food.

Hm.

[ Alice goes under the lip of the fort and down the blanket wall like a gecko. A gecko intent on sopapillas; it looks like a straightforward kind of food. ]

So this is about revenge; I can respect that. Who's getting even?

[It wasn't just looks where this Alice was different, and Reaper appreciated that as he watched the dark-haired girl come inside. He offered her the choice of food that was here. She had been the one locked in the tower he recalled from his conversations with White Alice.]

Revenge is an easy to understand concept. People like those who deserve it to have their just desserts.

[He snorted softly and gestured for her to settle in.]

I don't do movie spoilers. You want to know, you can sit and watch. It will be worth your while.

So movies and food can both spoil, eh? Fine, I will join in.

[ She flops crossways and leans over the other Alice for optimal pestering. ]

What do I need to know about these guys?

It is true. Thankfully I don't think pop culture has made its way onto the Omni, so you will probably be safe from spoilers there.

[He didn't oppose the extra company. In fact, this was the first time he had seen both Alices side-by-side. There were already obvious differences. He was intrigued by the pair of them.]

This is a classic slasher. Limited background is this is based on a knife-wielding figure of urban legends called the Candyman. It's based in a US city called Chicago.

Candy... man...

[ Alice looks at the treats on display, then directly at Reaper. ]

Is this guy you?

[ She knows a lot of legendary mass murderers okay, it does seem to happen, it is a reasonable question to ask with about as much emotional weight as she put behind her other casual questions. ]

[Reaper snorted a sound of amusement. Now there was a comparison.]

I wish. His notoriety is worth its weight in gold.

[His name was far more known on his world in mercenary circles and in Talon, which was exactly where he wanted it to be. Oh, he had plenty of warrants out for his arrest, but good luck to anyone that actually tried to make good on that.]

When I kill, it's always for a reason.

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