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March 2019 Test Drive Meme

MARCH 2019 TEST DRIVE MEME

Welcome to March’s Test Drive Meme! This month's Test Drive's theme is: IRISH FOLKLORE.

All Test Drive Memes contain at least one clue to the Deerington's upcoming in-game events for the month! Keep your eyes peeled! But...not literally.

Characters may die during TDMs, but you do not need to count it towards a game-canonical death unless you want to. Consider it a freebie. All TDMs can be considered game canon as TDMs introduce minor aspects about the world of Deerington that can be revisited by characters later on in the game. You may also use TDMs for your application writing sample as well as AC.

CW: Demons, ghosts, bleeding from the face

Don't forget to tag content whenever necessary. Have fun!

Prompt One
Prompt Two
Character Arrival
Master Navigation

KISS ME I'M IRISH

Did you know that Penobscot County has the highest Irish population in Maine? 38% of residents identify as Irish and they will not let you forget it. Deerington is apparently ready to embrace that, setting up a St. Patrick's Day block party for everyone to participate in! There's plenty of traditional Irish foods being serves, such as a hearty Irish stew with a side of delicious brown bread, bacon and cabbage, colcannon (easily the most delicious mash you'll ever have), and honey roasted ham! And, of course, there's plenty of drinks (both adult and child friendly) to wash it all down with! Help yourself to a pint, it's on the house!

And don't worry, it won't do anything funny to you this time.

If you're not interested in the food, though, there's still a kissing booth that's ready to go! But it looks like someone is missing from the seat. Whoever wanders too close to the booth, whether on purpose or accidental, they will find themselves drawn to it, and if they linger too long, they might even take a seat. How kind of you! If the seats already filled, you'll find yourself inclined to pucker up, even if it's not someone you'd normally give a smooch to. It's a holiday! Maybe you're just in the spirit. Each kiss is 1 credit and all donations go towards helping the hospital get up and running properly again, because let's be honest - it really needs all the help it can get.

People may also notice that the Bettys are around and are trying particularly hard to get people to wear something green. If they don't see them already donning it, they will start to offer them green flower crowns, green and gold pins (with real gold! Bite it if you don't believe us!), green body paint, green anything they can get you to wear, and they'll be particularly pushy about it for some reason. You can ignore them, of course, and eventually they'll walk off to try and talk someone else into taking their gifts.

If you are wearing green, then you're in luck! Everything will go just smoothly for you.

But if you chose not to, there's a bit of trouble to be had. The party might go normally, but shortly after, things start to get a little strange. You start to feel like you're being followed - hunted, even. You can't see them, but eventually you'll hear them, and that's almost worse. The sounds of tortured groans, screams of agony, and they seem to be getting closer. You'll start to feel invisible hands on you, grasping onto you with what feels like inhuman strength, and the very air will start to be sucked from your lungs. The closer you get to death, the more the creatures begin to materialize - rotting, skeletal figures with yellow eyes and faces that look like they belong to demons. The Sluagh are known for going after sinners most frequently, but sometimes, they'll simply take what they can get - and that seems to be you.

If you're lucky, someone who is wearing green will find you, and they'll be able to not only see what's attacking you but help you fight them off. The Sluagh seem to be weak to anyone who is proudly portraying the color favored by the Celtic gods, the connection to nature their undoing. Hit 'em with a tree branch and watch them scurry off.

TO WEEP, TO WAIL

For those who are walking home after the sun is down, whether drunkenly from the party or from the obligations of work or school, there will start to be strange sounds coming from the emptier portions of town - weeping from the graveyard, sniffling down alleys, or anguished wails from the fields out by the run down farm houses in Clark Acres. They echo through the otherwise strangely quiet streets of Deerington, but rather than feeling like you should run, a strange power pulls you forward.

Each sound eventually materializes into a woman; what form she takes can vary, though. The ghostly image of a pained, beautiful young woman who calls for her lost lover, or a cloaked, monstrous looking figure that bleeds from its eyes and screams over love betrayed, or perhaps that of a motherly figure, wailing for her children.

Regardless of how she may look, the result of getting closer can go one of two ways; if you approach her cautiously but with good intent, the woman will not attack you. Perhaps all she wants is a shoulder to cry on or a sympathetic ear to hear her tale. Those who are kind and don’t spook her will be rewarded with a small, polished piece of sandstone, a perfect size to fit in the palm of your hand. A small thanks before she disappears. Whenever you hold or rub the stone, you’ll be given a feeling of peace and any anxieties or troubles you may be having will temporarily ease.

Those who approach with ill intent or who approach too quickly will find that the banshee is quick to become aggressive. Her screams will raise to such a pitch that your head will feel like its splitting open and blood will begin to trickle from your ears, eyes, and nose. It will feel like the pressure is caving your body in on itself. The only means of defeating the banshee is touching her with gold. Whether it’s a ring, a necklace, or even the gold lining of one of the pins the Bettys gave at the party, the moment that the gold touches the banshee, she will disappear in a puff of smoke. If you don’t have any gold, you’d better hope you can outrun her - otherwise, it’s not too long before you really will be crushed from the inside out, and there’s no real coming back from there.

Character Arrival

You can read how all characters arrive in Deerington here.

There is not a collective "all these characters showed up at the exact same moment" occurrence in Deerington. Since characters fall asleep, die, or pass out at various times throughout all their worlds, it wouldn't make too much sense if they arrived in game all at the exact same time. There should be some discrepancy between character arrival, whether by a couple minutes, hours, or even days up to a week.

The players are entirely in control of how/when they want to play their characters arriving in Deerington. For TDMs, you can play it like your character has just arrived and that can be maintained as your game canon, or you can wait until game events for that moment. Or you don't need to acknowledge it at all. The flexibility for character allows a bit more of an organic feel to the character arrival situation, so please play it to whatever feels right for you.

If you are interested in having an "arrival" introduction for one of your TDM prompts, you are more than welcome to explore that option.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Im so sorry but I have to ask because it's too funny not to

does having green hair count as wearing green

This is going in my top ten favorite questions ever asked on a TDM.

Yes. Yes, it can definitely count. Go headbutt some Sluagh, you crazy diamond.

GOD BLESS AMERICA AND ALSO MAINE

a) Gimme a Kyuss
[ Let's face it. Without a swam of fangirls doting on Kashima at every corner, and without the ability to give affections to said doting fangirls, well... things have been a bit lonely. The prospect of an empty kissing booth is, honestly, pretty tempting even without some mysterious force drawing people into it. So, eyes dodging left and right, Kashima slips into the booth and takes the seat with pride, grinning with excitement since honestly, these things are kind of fun! And she could use a little fun in her life..... Plus, helping out the hospital is kind of cool, right?

As you pass by, whether you did your best to ignore whatever princely stranger is sitting at the booth or approach willfully, Kashima is determined, and will, if necessary, half leap out of the booth to shout- or just speak normally: ] Heeeyyy! You want to donate a dollar to charity and get a kiss????

B) Wailing, wandering
[ Still new to the town, Kashima is lost, now only more lost as the strange echos have chased the poor thing into the woods, and the poor thing is cowering behind a tree, peeking out at any stranger.

You, yes, you there. You seem friendly, making your way wherever you are going at such a late hour. Or maybe you seem just tough enough that ghosts will leave you alone!!! Hauntingly, frightened, a voice comes from behind the tree, peering out from behind it with a grim expression. ]

H- .... Hey......... C-can I walk with you?

[ ooc; PM or

yogsothoth if you have questions or wanna plot a thing. ]

Edited 2019-02-28 05:44 (UTC)

Arrival
To say that waking up in a strange place, especially after certain intimate phone calls and being hit in the back of the head, doesn't disturb Lucifer is a complete understatement. He's disturbed, all right. Usually flitting from place to place is done with intention, not... seemingly just happening. Doubly so the whole dream thing; he can dream, all right, though not quite about things like this.

Right. Time to pretend he's done this on purpose, ended up... wherever this is. Some sort of collective unconscious beyond what he's already familiar with.

It's why he's approaching people at random, asking, "Hello there. You wouldn't happen to have any salve, would you? I've got a nasty burn on my back."

Kiss me, I'm Irish
If there's one thing Lucifer loves, it's a party. An excuse to dress up, even more so than usual? He's here for that. That's why he'll be seen around town in the most godawful suit imaginable.

Anyone who also happens to be wearing green will get him cheerfully approaching with a, "Enjoying the festivities? I love human superstitions! Can't get enough of them."

Anyone who isn't dressed in green will also be cheerfully approached, only this time with a, "I'm surprised you're not dressed up. Those women around here are very persuasive, don't you think?"

To Weep, to Wail
Walking home late at night from a club isn't a rarity for him. Well, it's rare that the party isn't happening in his own home, but he can't exactly miss Lux right now. He'll make a note of trying to build something a little like Lux later on, right now, there are other things to focus on. The soft sounds of crying, for one. It's enough to make him pause, taking a couple of cautious steps towards the noise.

"Hello? Are you all right?"

He can't see anybody, but just the same...

Edited 2019-02-28 06:44 (UTC)

i.

[A kissing booth is usually.. not something Toshinori would be interested in. If it weren't for that sign mentioning the credit going towards a new hospital, he wouldn't have approached at all. Of course he just planned on donating what he could without the trouble of making someone kiss him for it but that was before he realized there wasn't anyone actually manning the station. He waited around for fifteen minutes before making a decision-- one that didn't even need prompting from any outer force-- and takes a seat at the kissing booth counter himself. If it's to help build a hospital, he doesn't mind doing things even like this. Heroes help those in any way they can, even if sometimes.. it can lead to some very uh. Interesting. Situations.

(ooc note: anyone under the age of 18 will get their head pat rather than a kiss and maybe also will get bad life advice for free)]

ii.

[You're not wearing green and you're on the brink of death. The suffocating feeling of something around your throat, the sight of your vision starting to close in with those skeleton's looking at you with their bright yellow eyes. "This is it", you think. "This must be the end..."

...but it is not the end.

For, before you're able to lose consciousness, a fist suddenly drives right into the being that had been trying so hard to kill you in the first place.]

Do not worry, young citizen...

[A low, reassuring voice rings out and when you look up, you see him. A man that looks.. well. Kind of like a skeleton himself. Long blonde hair framing his face and black eyes with bright blue irises shining through. He's completely covered in green-- a flower crown, three boas, four rings, some bracelets.. he couldn't say no when he was offered, so now he's got more than what he knows what to do with and even though he looks weak enough to fall over in the wind, he smiles with the confidence of a man who has fought in many, many battles.]

For I am here!

iii.

[Toshinori was a Hero. Was, having retired recently but all the same, he can't say no to a person in need. Whether it be a child looking for their lost mother, a kitten stuck in a tree, or the ghost-like form of a woman, sobbing and wishing her dearly beloved would return to her. At first, when Toshinori stumbles upon her he was on guard, expecting her to be another one of those things that had been trying to kill people before. But she didn't seem.. malicious. She was weeping quite a bit and the sight of a woman crying tugged at the old man's heartstrings, even if she was plainly not corporeal. Maybe it was a Quirk? Or maybe it was someone who just looked like that to begin with. Either way, he approached her softly and carefully, walking with quiet footsteps to not startle her too badly.

"What seems to be the matter, young miss?"

That's what started the conversation, and he sat next to her on a grave as she told him of her woes. Their conversation lasted longer than he could have imagined and she thanked him when it was over, placing a stone in his hand that encompassed him immediately with warmth and comfort. He holds it in his palm and closes his eyes, letting out a sigh as memories of his passed mentor fill his mind. It's probably quite the sight, this man who looks as though he could be dead himself sitting in the middle of a graveyard.. the moon casts a nice glow as well, really setting the mood.

He won't mind if you'd like to join him for a little while. He'll even share the comfort of that stone, if you look particularly weary or in need of it.]

[ How convenient, as Allura now lives in an area of town that isn't at all far from the park. You know, trees. Lots of trees! Perfect hiding places. And she's also very, very used to the sort of horrifying antics that take place. Caution can be exercised as well as one can, but never fully anticipated.

Ghosts...are definitely not the worst thing that she's encountered here. And she's tired.

Though she is not expecting a voice to come out of seemingly no where. Allura jumps slightly and whirls around, ready to face whatever--

Oh.

It's...just a person. (Probably.) A very scared person, apparently. Allura sighs, relaxing. ]

Yes, of course. Are you...lost?

[Normally, Diamond tends not to wander out at night. The lack of sunlight makes them instantly sleepy, but there's been a sense of restlessness coming over them that made sleep difficult.

So, wandering! They don't encounter any ghostly spectres this night, mostly because Toshi totally got to her first, but they do pick up the sounds of talking and peek around in time to see the woman vanishing and Toshi sitting around there like that.

With no thought to if it might be strange to suddenly approach and speak to a stranger out of nowhere like this, Diamond wanders up. The moonlight reflects oddly off their hair, making it sparkles and shine even in the dark.]

Who was that?

[Izuku is tired. He's tired, exhausted, and hasn't fully recovered yet from the harrowing experience of the transfusion of the cure that saved his life what was just a week or so ago by now. He's no longer sick, but his body isn't exactly well, either, but staying in his apartment for days on end was too much for someone as normally active as him to bear. He didn't have his strength back to do his daily exercising or anything so he could tell he'd have a lot of ground to make back up...luckily for his sanity, though, he'd had a way to ease himself back into being semi-normal again.

At the urging of Shinichi and Sam, Izuku had enrolled himself at Deerington Highschool shortly after recovering from the virus which meant he had a responsibility now to attend school, both to get an education and income from it. It was also something to make him leave the apartment, at least long enough to stretch his legs before going back home to rest some more. It's a little ironic that he's actually got one of the star rocks from before in his pocket, something he now keeps on his person always. It's more bitter-sweet than comforting really, showing him visions of home that feel more like dreams than reality.

This is why, when he starts to walk back to his place and happens upon the same area that Toshinori had come across the ghostly woman, he stops a good few yards off. He can see him, sitting there, but it doesn't...feel real at all. Everything here feels as real as real can be, but the combination of the stone and his own disbelief make it hard for him to believe that who he thinks he sees is actually there. Especially not here in a graveyard.

So he calls out to him, not realizing that his hands holding the straps of his backpack had begun to shake.]

A-all Might-!

[He also doesn't realize that he's started running towards him, nearly tripping himself up immediately on loose stone or over his own sneakers.

It can't be real. This can't be real.

Is it so cruel as to not to be real...?]

Conserving the magical healing chocolates from February was the name of the game, so Wade had left the house in his suit and all his errands had been put on pause when Darlene had started talking to him about how he'd needed to wear green. Then the flowercrown had been offered up and Wade had forgotten completely why he'd left the house in the first place. Give him an hour, he'll get back on topic... probably.

He doesn't expect for someone dressed almost as badly as him to start talking to him like they're already buddies. To be fair, no one's a stranger to Wade, so it doesn't bother him in the slightest. Maybe the guy was just curious about the big red body condom and the green flower crown. Either way, he lets out a snort of a laugh from behind his mask.

"I'm sure you're gonna stop loving them whenever the other shoe drops," Wade remarks a bit dryly. "Nice suit," says one weirdly dressed guy to another.

Bucky's spirits aren't quite as high as Lucifers, but he's got a green flower crown slowly tangling its way into his long hair. Truthfully, he'd come in hopes he could find an alcohol strong enough for his metabolism, but so far he's mostly just been wandering around watching everyone from the sidelines.

He gives a small smile when he's approached, though. "I think this one's more of an excuse to get drunk. You aren't human?"

[Diarmuid is an Irish thirteenth century monk, and what is this? That is to say, despite this entire event being the pinnacle of St. Patrick's Day (a saint he knows well, and a true martyr of his faith — a hero!), most of the festivities are very lost on him — he's not sure where the green comes from, and the kissing booth is... Well, he is hardly familiar with such a thing.

When the girl calls out, he nearly startles at the surprise of it being aimed his direction, and looks around him as if he expects a different person to be the aim of her intentions... Ah.

So he is the one being called out to. He steps forward, hands clasping the strap of his leather satchel that hangs full over his cloak and robe, and studies the small booth with some trepidation.

Get a — kiss?]

I can provide a kiss, if it is for charity.

[It does not specify what sort of kiss, so... It's not an issue! He has kissed many! Granted, he's never kissed even the brow of a woman, but it should hardly be any different than the brow of one of his brothers...!]

Laura's smacking noisily on chewing gum behind him as he walks around — which is probably very annoying, but you know, she lives to please. After a moment of him randomly approaching the very strange and unpleasant pastel townspeople, the girl in glasses says as he approaches earshot: "How'd you get hurt?"

She can smell it under the terrible cologne smell that permeates in her oversensitive nose. The backpack-wielding child may not have 'salve', but she does have ointment saved over from a particularly unpleasant town-wide crisis a month ago. It's important to be prepared, ¿No es verdad?

Kiss me I'm at a party

OK, Gwen doesn't really know what to make of this strange place. But she's not one to turn down a party, so there she is! Dressed in an appropriately green t-shirt under a pink hoodie, with a dainty little flower crown to boot, she's ready to go! She'll be strolling along, avoiding the beer by trying all the food (she's a growing girl and growing girls get hungry). She might even get suckered into sitting at the kissing booth. It's a good thing she has chapstick in her backpack, because she's gonna need it!

"Alright, step right up! Smooches for a good cause! Kiss me I'm... Well, English-American, technically, but isn't everybody Irish around this time of year?" Never mind the fact that it was definitely not this time of year a day ago back on Earth-616.

The one who wails

[ On her walk home, Gwen is struck by the appearance of some strange wailing noises. This sounds like something worth investigating. More importantly, this sounds like something worth investigating in costume. She dons her Gwenpool garb, draws her gun, and seeks out the source of the noise. So, just to recap: she's approaching with good intentions, mostly. But she is also wearing a mask and carrying a weapon. Who wants to join in and see how this will go? ]

Network: video; un: nopantskilla

[ Gwen needs to figure out more about this place, and about the people who are here. So, she decides to try asking a question on a public forum. ]

Yo, Deerington-ites! Gwen Poole here. I've got a question: Is there anyone else here who has some experience traveling to different universes, who can tell me if that's really what's going down here? Because the last time something like this happened to me, it was on purpose, not some weird sort of dream-hallucination.

Also, does anyone know where I can get some swords? Asking for a friend.

Peace! [ She flashes a peace sign and cuts the feed. ]

[ ooc: will match prose or brackets. hmu @ objectpermanence for other ideas or plotting! ]

Edited 2019-02-28 11:58 (UTC)

[ Gwen hadn't thought to wear green. It clashed with her pinks-and-purples-and-blacks #aesthetic. So she was an easy target for the creepy crawlies who want to suffocate her and drag her to some nightmare dimension or something. She panics, trying to reach for her gun but not quite making it.

Thankfully she's saved by-- a really tall blond guy who looks half like a skeleton himself. She coughs, rubbing her throat as she catches her breath. ]

...Th-thanks for the assist. I totally had that covered, though.

( I'm still catching up on 2x52 so pls no spoilers and feel free to pm me if you have any questions etc )

KISS ME, I'M IRISH

It could be that she's tall and has a five-foot long greatsword strapped to her back, or it could be that she is made up of shades of black, white and grey in a sea of so much vibrant green, but Yasha feels more out of place than usual. There are things here she has never seen before, and though humans certainly make up the bulk of many towns she has wandered through, to see no tieflings or half-elves or any of the other peoples from home here is odd.

A stronger word than odd would suit, probably. Words aren't really her thing, though, and she's torn between wariness and worry and the part of her that's delighted by the brightness and colour. A pot of something green and waxy is thrust at her, and she murmurs a quiet thank you as she dips her fingers in and slowly drags it over the black line that runs from her lip to her chin. She can't see herself in the mirror, but she's pretty sure she's now appropriately festive, even if it's not to a standard Jester might approve of.

Eventually she finds her way to the food, watching carefully for any tell tale flashes of colour that might signify any of the others were in this crowd, but there's nothing. At least there's a chance for nourishment, though she eyes it a little cautiously.

"Have you... seen any rats?"

ROLLS TO ATTACK A MOTORBIKE.

This is strange. Caleb, maybe, would know what it is. He has magics and spells and is as clever as he is awkward. It is not like anything she has seen before, and Yasha circles the motorbike a third time as she tilts her head curiously. It shines, and there are so many different things lined along these roads. Even the material of the roads is different, and she crouches down to inspect a puddle under the thing, dipping her fingers into it and sniffing at it. Like oil, by texture, but probably the worst smelling oil she's encountered in a long while.

Whatever it is doesn't seem very stable, either. Standing, she sets one foot against it and shoves; the motorcycle topples and then crashes down onto its side.

"I don't like this," she murmurs, though admittedly it's about her circumstnaces generally moreso than the weird construct she just tipped over. It must have been defeated before she arrived, because even now it doesn't stir.

WILDCARD.

Edited 2019-02-28 13:17 (UTC)

[A: Kiss Me, I'm Irish]

[There's still a fair amount of Deerington that Lucina has trouble grasping, but a large party out-of-doors like this? Not hard to understand at all. The fare is simple yet hearty, something she is appreciative of, and while she keeps very, very far away from the kissing booth (why you would randomly kiss a stranger is beyond her), that doesn't save her from the Bettys and their gifts of greenery.

Seriously. Lucina has a lot of blue going on in general with her hair, it's no surprise that, even if she hesitantly accepted the first Betty's pin, more would still come over to her and insist she wear a few more things. It's...getting really awkward, honestly. Not to mention that those masks are creepy.

Oh, and would you look at that? You don't seem to be wearing any green, and the Bettys haven't come at you yet. (Hopefully the Sluagh haven't, either.) Lucina comes over and gently removes one of the flower crowns that had been plopped onto her head, or a string of green beads, and offers it to you.]

Excuse me? I've been told repeatedly that at this sort of celebration, we're to wear green. Would you like some? I have...a bit too much.

[She just wants to share, and maybe. Keep you safe from the scary masked women.]

[B: To Weep, To Wail]

[The graveyard in this town is a sad and dismal place. Not just because it's where the dead are left, but the sheer state it lays in...Lucina can't help but ache for it. It's why she comes here often, trying in her own small way to clean up the graves in as an unobtrusive way as possible. After all, it's what she would want for her parents, if their resting places were left this way.

It's not much of a surprise for her to hear such wailing there, though the sound is...almost otherworldly. When she finds the ghostly woman practically prostrate before a set of small, crooked headstones, a chill runs through her body, but she doesn't run.

This kind of scene is too familiar for her to fear it.]

Madam...excuse me, but...do you need some help?

[Her approach is as gentle as possible, though Lucina has no idea what she could be dealing with, and soon she finds herself sitting by the little headstones while the woman weeps on her shoulder, words unintelligable through the tears yet holding a grief Lucina understood all too well. Perhaps you see her attempt to put an arm around the woman from afar, or perhaps the woman disappears once you catch sight of Lucina, staring at the empty air in puzzlement, a small stone now resting in her palm. It's. Kind of a bizarre experience, to be honest.]

kiss me, i'm irish (for today, anyway)

Are you gonna finish that?

[a question you might find yourself being asked, because the minsu thinks that the "five-second rule" is about the time between bites. there is really only one thing that matters to him: the food. and minsu likes the food here, all the meat and potatoes and bread, hearty food that's heavy in his stomach. even when he's finished eating, he makes himself a sandwich for the road - bread and bacon and ham and bacon and maybe just a little more bacon to finish it off.

his cheeks are bulging with a mouthful of it as he approaches the kissing booth. minsu looks at the booth itself, then the empty seat.

and then he plants himself in it. he does stop chewing to pucker his lips at anyone passing by. that's how you do it, right.]

to weep, to wail

[minsu's not afraid of the dark. fortunately, he's not afraid of ghostly, ghastly women either. he's more worried than anything, careful with his approach and crouching down in front of her.]

Ah...

[but he's not sure what to do next. just watching her is enough to give him the sniffles and make him blink quickly against his own tears. minsu looks around for help, someone else who will hopefully approach as carefully as he did and get her to stop crying.

and then maybe give minsu a hug too. it's been a long day.]

Gwen is also of the 'let's pretend this universal jump was on purpose' mindset. It's why she's just casually chilling on a park bench, avoiding all responsibilities or obligations, when a guy comes up to her asking for salve.

"Uh... nope. You should probably go to a doctor. Get that looked at."

Welp. That sure is a Xena Warrior Princess looking somebody kicking over a motorcycle. Gwen thinks it's probably best if she intervenes.

"Uhhh... Hey now. No need to go tipping vehicles over. Everything alright here?"

[ Gwen hears sniffling and crying, and the Big Dumb Hero in her can't help but want to investigate. She strays from the sidewalk to find a creepy looking woman sobbing, with a guy crouched in front of her looking miserable as well. ]

Uh... Pity party of two? Everything okay over here?

Block Party

[ Grant Ward had always suspected that death wouldn't be the end of everything; that it wouldn't bring him peace. Coulson had crushed the life out of him and he had hoped -- thought that would be it, but nope. He's here now. Here in this weird little town, in this messed up little world. How long has it been since his arrival? A few hours? A day now? Or two? Maybe three...

Keeping track of time just seems a heck of a lot unnecessary after all that's happened.

A stranger offers him a bottle of beer and Ward takes it with a smile and a nod in thanks before continuing down the street. Like everyone else here, he's simply checking out the festivities. It all feels pretty damned surreal, but this town, this place -- it doesn't seem all that bad.

He might get something to eat. Or wander a little too close to the kissing booth. Or get a green pin affixed to his jacket. Or lose that damned pin and be a prime target for the Sluagh.

Just about anything can happen really. ]

[A]

[It’s not that Sora didn’t want to wear any green to the party it’s just that Sora is a little late getting there and is making his way to the party right now. He’s been getting lost quite frequently in this new place with streets and places he doesn’t know. He hasn’t had a chance to get to the party in a timely manner and because of that he finds himself wandering about without a spot of green on his person.

Sora looks over his shoulder for what feels like the tenth time because he swears he can feel someone watching him. Or following him? And it’s creepy how the wind howls just enough that it makes it sound like something’s growling.]

Talk about a step up from Halloween Town… Where is this place?

[He hurries down the street and turns the corner but as soon as he does Sora feels a hand grip his arm and he’s suddenly yanked backwards. He yells and starts to flail his arms and fight against whatever it is.]

Hey--!! Let Go! What's going on-?!

[But suddenly he feels his lungs sapped of breath and Sora inhales awkwardly as that grasp starts to drain him of air. He struggles… Help! He might need a hand here!]

[B]

[Sora has seen his fair share of spooky things in his lifetime so he doesn’t feel that particularly afraid of ghosts. Sure, he feels a little unease in his stomach and he’s not quite sure how he should approach the ghost of the lady swaying before him but he’s certainly going to try.]

Uhh… Are you alright? It’s pretty lonely out here, maybe you’re lost?

[Making friends with ghosts that look like they could kill you seems like a great idea. But ghosts are spirits that used to be people and maybe she just needs to talk to someone who will listen.]

[These parties are never just parties, there's always a catch. Last month had just been a reminder that, even if something seemed safe, it wasn't. She's still dealing with slight bruising around her neck, but it's easy to cover up this time of the year. The bruised ribs were no joke either, but Skye couldn't sit still long enough. There was always something going around here, and Skye never did well just stewing in her own thoughts.

This time, she doesn't eat anything that is put out, nor does she let the Bettys put anything on her. She was already wearing a deep green scarf anyway. Despite being out here, Skye is still in her own head. Well, until she spotted someone she never expected to see again. At first, her eyes drifted past him, because of the facial hair, but then she does a double take and...]

Ward?!

[She's not sure what emotion is winning out here, relief or concern. Either way, she's hurrying over to where he was and doesn't think twice about wrapping her arms around him. ~~Sorry if you're holding something, Ward.~~ Standing on her tiptoes, Skye buries her face into his neck.]

You're actually here.

[She's still unsure if that's a good thing or not. Right now it seems like relief is winning out though as she's on the verge of crying because of it.]

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