The monster mash, it was a graveyard smash

[assistanting]

Who: April Ludgate-Dwyer and everyone ever
Where: Realside Ballroom
When: HALLOWEEN
Rating: PG-13?
Summary: ITS A HALLOWEEN PARTY
The Story:






[it's no secret that halloween is april's favorite holiday - she'd been planning this since her network post in september. she'd been ignoring the network and the tapping on her own mirrors in favor of just having this one stupid thing, and she really does go all out. it's a testament to the fact that when april puts her mind to something she can do anything she wants (with the help of a few gracious wonderlanders, and the magic here) and somewhere, leslie is just so proud, she's probably exploding. gross.

when characters arrive, they'll find the ballroom transformed into a creepy halloween paradise - tons of pumpkins, fake spider web (or is it???), fake dead bodies (or are they???), and a plethora of other decorations carefully handpicked by april. she didn't just ask the ballroom to do this, she worked out every detail.

there's an open bar and more candy than you ever needed in your life, plus a bunch of different Halloween themed food (spagehtti for brains, apples for bobbing). there's a dance floor playing a mix of mostly halloween music but also some other stuff even she can concede her taste in german death reggae isn't for everyone. and honestly, she actually wants people to have a really good time.

april is dressed up as moritica addams from the addams family and will actually be around mingling with people and being sociable - maybe that's the true horror of the holiday.]

Comments

[vampdetective]

Scout's honor.

[Not that he's ever been a boy scout. Eaten a few girl scouts, definitely.

Now really isn't the time to revisit that.]

Here.

[He reaches deep into one pocket for the key, offering a show of trust as he steps forward to unlock the door and let it swing free.]

[sponsored]

[ she's not sure what she expected, but faith hesitates as the door swings open, bracing for-- something. some primal instinct in her is screaming trap even as her lungs feel more able to take in air.

one boot, and the next, until she's past the door and wondering just how able she is when it comes to attacking anyone. ]

Right. Thanks.

[ hesitation gone, she starts heading for the exit. ]

[vampdetective]

Wait!

[He won't keep her, not if she wants to go-- but he exhales slowly after calling out to her, a grimace fixed in place.]

You don't-- have any more questions? About who you are, who I am? If you really don't remember--

[He sighs.]

I'm probably the best one to help you fill in the blanks.

[sponsored]

[ faith stops as she reaches the door, considering her options. bolting seems like a good one, but angel's not wrong: she's not sure how to get out of this place or where home even is. ]

M'hungry. Gotta be a pizza place around here we can talk at, right?

[ a public space would be nice. ]

[vampdetective]

There's a diner a few floors up.

[She does have to say it for him to know what she's getting at. Public is better for this kind of thing-- it'll keep the both of them on their best behavior, should they need the help, though he's not sure he will this time around. It's her turn in the hot seat.]

Can get just about anything you want there. It's up on eight.

[sponsored]

Rather uh, talk around other people. No offense.

[ she gestures toward the door, stilted. she's got a better shot with robert smith here that alone, right? and despite her protestations, faith doesn't actually want to be alone. ]

[vampdetective]

None taken.

[He'd probably feel the same way, if their roles were reversed. His shoulders hunch forward as he moves, heading through the doorway-- if she doesn't want to give him her back, fine. He'll offer her his. If she pulls anything, he's confident he can put a stop to it without things exacerbating, at least with her in this state.]

Coffee might do you some good, too.

[sponsored]

Couldn't hurt.

[ it does offer her some measure of ease-- until they don't head outside. faith hesitates, finally, just outside the diner. ]

...What the hell is this?

[vampdetective]

[He looks at her for a moment, doubtful before he gestures to the door itself, offering a sheepish half-smile.]

The diner?

[Oh, Wonderland.]

Just head inside, see for yourself. Everything is tucked inside one big mansion here.

[sponsored]

[ well. not like she's never been to a mall ever, so maybe it's not so strange. sure, yeah. she's gonna go with that justification for now because weird mansion with diners in it is less a priority than who the hell am i? ]

Right, whatever. As long as they have a decent burger...

[ which is exactly what she orders once they're sitting. who needs a menu? bacon burger and a coke, not that hard. her eyes move to angel, then. something about this is familiar, somehow. ]

You getting anything?

[vampdetective]

I, uh--

[Don't eat? At least not often. He shakes his head, and rather than offering up an explanation, he orders coffee for himself-- which, to be honest, is most of what he spends his time in this diner drinking.]

You'll feel better once you've eaten. [Even if it doesn't bring any memories back.] In the meantime-- any questions you've got, I can do my best to answer.

[sponsored]

Not really sure where to start.

[ what does she normally care about? with too many choices, faith decides to pick the one right in front of her. she leans back, wiggling to get comfortable in the booth and pulling one foot up under herself. ]

How'd we become friends?

[vampdetective]

[Of course she picks that one. He grimaces, leaning back in his own seat, arms folded across his chest.]

Fighting vampires.

[Might as well be blunt about it-- with the most simplified version of the story he can offer.]

Occupational thing.

[sponsored]

[ imagine the blankest look that ever blanked.

now scribble like white crayon over it to make it more blank.

and then erase it all. super blank. so blank. it's the blankest of blank faces. has blank stopped sounding like a word yet? because it's THAT BLANK ]

Yeah. Sounds like a great way to make a pal.

[vampdetective]

[About the reaction he expected, really. Bear with him, Faith.]

You don't believe me.

[Fair, really.]

You don't remember anything at all about who you are? The word 'Slayer' doesn't even ring a bell?

[He can only hope that the title itself helps her make some connection, even if it's a small one.]

[sponsored]

[ recognition lights in faith's eyes at that, and she sits up a little straighter as her interest piques. the concept of vampire hunting doesn't feel wholly foreign to her; it's hardly something she feels the need to attack. ]

Just didn't think killing vampires together would make us besties is all.

[ because despite this underlying hostility faith feels toward him, it's clear he regards her as friend. that he cares about her. for whatever reason, it had made her ignore her first gut instinct toward him. still, she smells some measure of bullshit here... ]

[vampdetective]

It was a little more complicated than that, but it was something we had in common. Meant we crossed paths a lot.

[And fought even more, for awhile there, before they'd found kindred spirits in one another.]

We weren't always friends, but we got there eventually.

[sponsored]

[ she nods, but her focus stays on angel. the answer is actually kind of acceptable, but she's still feeling like she's missing a big chunk. still, there's something she's more curious about... ]

Am I any good?

[vampdetective]

[He raises an eyebrow, surprised by that particular turn of questioning, but a smile actually pulls at one side of his mouth in response.]

Yeah, you are.

['The best' would be the cliched answer, the one most people might offer in his place, but slaying isn't that objective. Most things aren't, he's found.]

You've got the kind of drive that's hard to come by. Tough to match.

[sponsored]

[ there's a brief pause as she makes a choice. then: ]

Had a bunch of dreams. Like, me but not me. Died a couple times.

[ not that it's all that disturbing; people have weird dreams all the time, right? only, these felt real. faith's eyes drift down to the table as she remembers. the details are vague: shadows of women slaying vampires and the vampires sometimes winning. but the feeling remains. drive and toughness. ]

[vampdetective]

Sometimes dreams can be like memories trying to make their way back to the surface.

[He can't say for sure if that's the case this time around-- but sometimes.]

Slayers often have dreams. Prophetic ones, or warnings. Dreams that are supposed to push them towards their calling.

[sponsored]

Sounds like a crap calling.

[ the only trade off being she gets to murderize things. ]

That mean you're one too?

[vampdetective]

I-- not exactly.

[Oh, where to begin.]

I hunt monsters, but I'm not a Slayer. Not chosen, like you were.

[Chosen in a different way, for his own purpose. He exhales.]

I'm a vampire. Doesn't mean I condone what the rest of them do.

[sponsored]

[ o-oh. ohh. okay then. that's. well, she should probably be freaking out but there's only one thing that comes to mind... ]

That why I kinda wanna punch you in the face?

[vampdetective]

[He winces, just a little.]

Yeah. Probably.

[He's used to it.]