[OPEN] Residential Halloween Party

[fanstheflames]

WHO: EVERYONE.
WHAT: Resident run Halloween Party, as well as after party!
WHERE: District 2 restaurant, and also around the city.
WHEN: October 22 to October 31
WARNINGS: To be warned in character threads!

FLIERS GO OUT with the announcement of the university's Halloween Party, and the final preparations for the resident Halloween Party are put into motion. Word is put out that they'll start their party on the exact day of the university's, and on that day, fliers are put around today with a location and time, and message.

THEY'RE TESTING YOU. STAY AT HOME.
IF YOU WANT TO TEST THEM BACK, COME TO OUR PARTY. SEE WHAT THEY DO.
STAYING BACK IS ALWAYS SAFER.
People will do what people will, and in this place, intentions matter most.

But it's just a little party, right? What's the worst that could happen?

... AT THE PARTY.

The Halloween Party takes place at a restaurant with an open courtyard, a high wall to give some privacy, but the sky above is clearly visible, every door opened wide. Precautions even taken, with cinder blocks by the courtyard's double doors leading in and out, with a blanket and pumpkin on top for decoration, of course.

Your typical Halloween decor covers every inch, inside and out, and even on the outer wall to make clear you've found the right place: fake cobwebs cover the walls, there are glowing orange lanterns strung from the ceiling, dotted every now and then by hanging bats (yes, these are also fake) and there are jack-o-lanterns making all sorts of weird and delightful faces at you on countertops and on top of some of the tables. There’s even a skeleton in one of the corners gesturing to the bar! He’s got a cool top hat! He also has a sign propped up against him that reads PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

There’s food! There’s drinks! There’s merriment!

It should be the most inoffensive Halloween Party, by all accounts. And for some--who intend to go to the university's event--it will be. But for those who intend to stay away....

1. COMPULSION. It starts out small: you think about what's happening at the university. Sure, you may wonder what's happening and about the other people there, that's normal, but sometimes, you find your mind drifting: why aren't you there? It would be good to go, wouldn't it? You're not even sure why you wouldn't want to go, and you may even find yourself abruptly bringing it up in the middle of another subject to the person you happen to be talking to. Hey, why don't we go to the university? Don't they have a party going?

But then, you may catch yourself, or need another person to snap you out of it. And then you might become more aware of how insistent the thought is becoming...and how you're talking about what's happening at the university, even while trying to watch out for it.

2. IN COSTUME. You've come in costume--what's a Halloween Party without one? From your zombie outfits to your vampires (um, rude? Call the local vampires), maids to cats, there's nothing too serious nor silly for Halloween. You could even just have something simple for the mood--a pair of ears on, or a pumpkin pin.

Whatever you're wearing, over time you start to feel...let's say in character with your outfit. Are you just feeling giddy from the drink? But small instances start to become more insistent: This isn't just a costume, this is who you are. And maybe a person or encounter can make you snap out of it...

But what will happen before then? And how long will you be your regular you?

3. TRICK OF THE EYE. It's reasonable to be worried. There's an expectation that the city will find some way to screw with this party, but is it just your anxiety making you see things out of the corner of your eyes, or is something playing tricks on you? These visual tricks can continue through the night, either staying as small scares to catch you off-guard, or...

...they can become more than tiny glimpses: where you start to see people, figures science-like in nature, faces that appear to be watching you. People who aren't there when you try to approach them, or are gone when you blink. Or are they there? Is it other residents staring at you? Though they might insist they don't have a clue what you're talking about--or accuse you of doing the same.

4. PARANOIA. Slowly but perhaps inevitably, you feel a prickling on the back of your neck. And you can’t shake the insistent feeling that something terrible will happen if you stay here. But where is that feeling coming from? Did Robby put something in your drink when he handed it to you? Is Tsuruno’s smile concealing something more sinister? Can your hosts really be trusted? They might be throwing you under the bus here. Or maybe they were working for the City all along…

In that case, maybe it’s best to distance yourself as quickly as possible?

5. HAUNTINGS. It’s a nice party, you’re enjoying yourself, maybe bobbing for apples, maybe making out with that cute vampire in the corner (contain yourself, Midnight). Or you could be a killjoy and you’re just waiting to see what will go wrong, in which case you might be able to duck the caramel apple that comes soaring at you. Or the plate. Or a chair? While you won’t be able to pick up on anything supernatural beyond a chills and the distinct feeling that Someone is watching you…

It’s a little hard to ignore when things keep getting tossed at you with increasing regularity with no real source behind it. And you may find yourself being tossed–

Right out of the party. Wow, maybe the university party has bouncers that are a little more polite.

... IN THE CITY.

The party has ended! The one at the university is, apparently, going strong for multiple days! But you’ve resisted! You decided to go along with this experimental idea and made it through thus far! But the horrors persist, don’t they?

And maybe they’re a little more stubborn than you are.

1. COMPULSION. You went to the party, or you never did--it doesn't matter. For some reason, you can’t get the thought of going to the university party out of your head. And maybe it’s light, at first. Just a passing thought. Or maybe you find yourself unconsciously heading in the direction of the university, or even start having it come up in conversation.

“Hey how are you” totally sounds like “Halloween party at the university”, right? Doesn’t this actually sound like a good idea, the more you think about it?

2. DISORIENTATION. Something feels… off. You only paused for a few seconds, so why has it been an hour? Despite your best efforts, your focus keeps slipping away in increasing intervals, and the more frequently this happens, the more time you feel like you’ve lost, even if that person you’re with helps you fill in the blanks. And if no one’s there to assist? Well, you felt like getting lost today, surely!

3. TRICKS. As the day drags on, you may find yourself turning on your heel at the sound of… a familiar voice or a bit of nostalgic conversation, the joyful sounds of a party. But no matter which direction you hear it from, when you turn around, there’s no one there.

It gets worse. You start to see things, flickering across your line of vision, suddenly there. But it’s nothing friendly or warmly nostalgic. They’re flashes of your worst fears, more and more insistent, and these will only increase in frequency the longer you hold off on going to the university party. Is it really worth being stubborn over? This could all be resolved so very quickly.

4. IN COSTUME. If you were at the party, you find it difficult or even undesirable to take off the costume. If you weren’t at the party, you’ll still find yourself dressing up to get into the Halloween spirit, which maybe you didn’t actually give a damn about before? Such is the magic of the holidays.

But it’s more than just a different outfit. You’re starting to acquire characteristics of that outfit. And maybe you can feel those fake vampire fangs digging into your lip with increasing sharpness. Wow, that face paint for your zombie costume is starting to look alarmingly legit! That growl that just came out of your throat might have been wolfish and convincing, but surely you’re not actually turning into a wolf–right?

Don’t worry, it’s not actually real. But you should really go check out the university! Haven’t you been through enough?

Comments

vanessa ives | penny dreadful (cw; snake imagery)

[matermali]

{ i'm a dream and so are you and so are we
courtyard — by a case of mistaken identity

[ Although recent moods had been sunk so low, Vanessa did enjoy working on her green and gold Medusa costume with Badou. It may be the most skin she's ever exposed to the public, but accountability seems to have vanished of late, and she's still inclined to enjoy the season...only something is continuously teasing her attempts at cheer. It's always when she's on the verge of settling down. When she entertains thoughts of initiating conversation or perusing tempting snacks, a lurking shadow in her periphery beckons her to turn. These events, these visions incessantly plagued her even before arrival, and they are always accompanied by the eerie sensation of unseen eyes upon her.

For Vanessa, this sense has a haunting familiarity. What's even more disquieting is when the fragmented spectres become whole and her gaze finds a figure that shouldn't be here, even less so than her. Their attire goes beyond a masquerade; they're some manner of scientist or physician? In this sudden presence, the oppressive weight of scrutiny feels almost suffocating.

She has been a pawn in one too many scientific endeavors, and without a moment's hesitation, she launches forward to seize the arm of whoever it is that thinks to hold her for observation once more. ]

Stop it.

[ Yet, just as she hisses out her command, the illusion of an intruder dissipates, leaving another unfortunate soul in her grip; someone she certainly did not intend to assail. If they refrain from immediately knocking her in the face, she's ready with an apology.

She may even remember to...let go. ]

{ a transition to a different sphere of consciousness
restaurant — through a poltergeist in distress

[ Whether it’s to seek solace from any embarrassment her behavior has caused, or simply to take a break from the sensory overload of the party, Vanessa is seizing a moment to catch her breath while sitting in a booth near a quieter spot of the restaurant. A cup of coffee that has gone tepid rests untouched by her folded arms.

It’s only for the reflection in her periphery that she catches the threat in time, ducking just as a fork from one of the tables flies over her head to clatter against the windowpane. Now that is something to break her peace, and that’s when she notices someone else nearby.

Quickly standing, she casts an ice blue stare through the gold visage of her mask. There’s a mild alarm in the rasp of her voice, but it remains hushed for the moment. ]

Was that you?

[ She's quite curious if not. ]

{ ooc

[ Wildcard her anywhere at the party. For plotting, please feel free to PM me, hit my OOC TL, or find me at cherto. Please bring me the horror. Here's her TL at the haunted house.

If you want your character to pick up on Vanessa's dark supernatural vibe or have her sense anything specific from yours, I welcome cross-canon trouble. It may be good to check her Permissions for a list of severe content warnings, but they'll be added to the tags as needed. ]

courtyard;

[lupusintus]

Vanessa, it's me.

[ Far from lashing out at her, he clasps one of his hands over hers and forgoes his usual formality with her name in public to bring her the rest of the way out of her stupor. Sharp eyes scan her face and then the area around them, looking for whatever had her so on edge. When Ethan doesn't find anything that he can see, he gives her hand a little squeeze and aims to steer them away from the immediate area. ]

What happened? Did someone attack you?

[ He knows better than to question her visions: if she reacted in such a way then something was there. Maybe it wasn't any longer, but it had been and that's enough for him to want to get her away from the scene of the crime. He offers her his arm and, by proxy, himself as her escort for the duration of the rest of the evening. It was something he was unable to do once before, when she requested it of him, so he is going to remedy that now.

Still, he can't resist the temptation to look over his shoulder to see if whatever it was reappears; it doesn't. Maybe his costume is too intimidating. ]

[matermali]

[ The offered arm is charming under any other occasion, but she's still in fight or flight mode, with the muscles in her jaw tight as she glances him over. Seemingly assured of one true thing at least, she'll still shake her head and press a hand to his arm—only to assure him that she's fine. He may be real enough, but so was what she saw.

Vanessa can't help but look behind him as well, of course, before stepping past him to slowly scan the courtyard. These fastivities are rather paltry than what she has seen in England, but she knows how well danger can hide behind harmless facades. ]

I saw someone. He looked— [ But what about the face? She can't remember. Did he have one? ] It looked...familiar.

[lupusintus]

Someone from home or here? Either way, we shouldn't be anywhere near here.

[ Ethan eventually puts both hands on her shoulders in an attempt to stop her from moving. If it's something that she can see and he can't, how is he supposed to protect her from it? Without waiting for her to say anything else, he takes her hand and starts walking in the opposite direction from where she was originally standing. Distance is good but not foolproof and, while he isn't sure if it will be effective, it's something.

Ghost, goblins and spooky creatures are a staple when it comes to Halloween, he isn't sure he wants to stick around to see what cruel trick this place plans on pulling next. Least of all when one such entity seems to be targeting someone he cares about, not that anyone here has any say in the matter. The City will do as it pleases, as it has, for as long as it sees fit -- they're pawns on a chessboard. His free hand falls to a pouch at his hip where he's hidden a set of knives. ]

Tell me if you see it again.

[matermali]

[ The attempt to physically pull her away is somewhat alarming, and Vanessa is quick to shake his grip off. Beyond puzzled, she steps back with a tip of her head to glance him over. He really has been acting odd since arriving; it isn't her imagination. ]

Whatever has come over you?

[ Did he forget how she first found him? What sort of woman does he take her for? Her visions have always guided them, one way or another. If it's to a greater danger, then that's where they need to be. Where else will they fight? ]

We face danger every day in what we do. Do you think walking a few paces away will keep the city from reaching us? You can either help me or you can cover your eyes, but if you wish for me to tell you of anything I see further, than you cannot treat me as if I were a small child.

[lupusintus]

What's come over me is the fact that we're standing in an open area, I'd feel better knowing whatever that was couldn't attack from all sides if it wanted to. Look across the courtyard, there's a wall over there and you can still see the surrounding area perfectly fine. I trust you and I trust what you saw but I don't trust this place.

[ The sharp retort to her little tongue lashing is on the tip of his tongue -- but he bites it back somehow. He doesn't have his weapons and her power has been limited, they can't afford to trudge through here recklessly or without a plan of action. Ethan has to remind himself that while he's seen things she has yet to experience she is still in the dark. Still, the fact that she thinks he intends to flee stings a little. ]

You said it yourself, that it looked familiar. From where? A friendly face wouldn't have unnerved you this much. I didn't see it but, come hell or high water, I will stand out here with you all night to make sense of it. I'm not walking away until I know it isn't a threat and I'm not covering my eyes.

I've thought of you as a lot of things, Vanessa, but never a helpless child. [ What does that mean? He momentarily yields. If she wants to stand in the middle of an open field then so will he, even if he doesn't agree with it. ]

[matermali]

[ The claim that he doesn’t think her a child is met with an incredulous stare. He had only just stopped her from investigating the person she had just seen, then attempted to drag her away against her will, all while claiming to know better than her the danger of her visions or where they might lurk. At a public party, no less, which would never have passed in London. Whatever protection he thinks he’s offering by standing her next to a wall is imaginary at best. Perhaps her visions are, too, but she won’t know if she hides and waits for them to come to her. ]

Then do not treat me as one. I have no intention of standing here all night, and neither will I continue to explain myself. How can you not want to find the one responsible for our entrapment?

[ There’s a lingering stare as she wonders what has made him so easily spooked. That sort of behavior is only a hindrance, no matter how well-meaning he is. The tension in her features soften, a flicker in her eyes when she speaks. Whatever this is for him, she knows he does it because he cares. He cared back at the cottage, too, when he taught her how to kill and then condemned her for doing it too well. ]

Do what you wish, but I will be the one to choose where I go.

[ The only way she’ll learn anything is if she follows the leads, and of course she doesn’t expect a friendly face. The hope was always to find the enemy. How else will they escape? So she slips past him to head back to where she was when she first witnessed the strange scene, hoping to pick up on any lingering energy. ]

[lupusintus]

What will you do when you find them?

[ Dear lord, just let the crass American man protect you in his own way, woman. The fact that she slips by him keeps her from seeing the face he makes, an expression torn between exasperation and resignation. She could banish him to the furthest reaches of the Earth and he would still find a way to watch over her, to be her protector even if she did not agree with his methods.

True to form, after allowing her to take a few steps forward, she'll find him catching up with a sigh. The idea of not having cover bothers him but the idea of her going somewhere alone conjures up unwanted memories and mistakes he isn't keen on repeating. So, for the time being, he chooses to follow her lead and scan the area ahead and to the right of them, searching for the one that she saw. ]

Where you go, I go. I might not agree with it, but I trust you implicitly. What am I looking for?

[matermali]

[ When his own way tries to control her own way, that is the sort of protection she will do without.

Stopping where she was before he pulled her away, she glances around to gain her bearings once more on everyone's location. ]

You? Nothing.

[ Which does include interrupting her. He has never been involved with this part of her work beyond being there should something attack, and sometimes even he can't help with that, such as with the Nightcomers. In this case, he may not be able to fight it, but a wall certainly isn't going to be the deciding factor in that. ]

What I do depends on what I find. Should the hope not be to speak with them? I promise you, what I saw would be more reminiscent of our good doctor than of anything you may be imagining.

[ Which does not mean they aren't dangerous, as she has intimate experience with dangerous doctors, but they didn't look ready to act on anything.

For now she can't sense anything, and it's strange for her to feel disappointment, but she does. She will walk a slow perimeter of the courtyard before stepping into the restaurant proper to glance around. She had thought to hear something within only a moment ago, but at least currently, there is no one else inside. ]

restaurant

[miyagimagic]

[ Honestly, Daniel was just approaching Vanessa because she was sitting there all by herself. He did figure she was taking a break from the more energetic teenage hustle and bustle parts of the party, but that doesn't mean anyone should have to go without company, right?

Especially when it seems like she truly did her best to dress up - unlike Daniel, who is.. well, he isn't dressed up at all. He's just wearing his usual clothes. H-He's chaperoning the kids, okay!

But filed right under things he didn't expect to happen while approaching her is something just.. randomly flying through the air. Daniel does turn his head to try and see if any of the kids got a little too wild, but then his attention is drawn right back to Vanessa instead when she speaks up.

The hushed accusation has Daniel looking a touch flustered for a moment - a weakness for strong women, really - before the man quickly shakes his head. ]

No, that's-- Maybe one of the kids got a little too wild. [ Well, not like he actually saw that happening, but of course Daniel is normal enough to assume that before his brain would move on to the conclusion of 'party's haunted.'

His fluster softens into something a little more concerned. ]

Are you alright? It didn't hit you, did it?

[matermali]

[ While Vanessa is the sort to catalogue every minute detail of a person's composure, both presented and hidden, she is far too interested in what just happened to cue into anything beyond his concern. Even that is ignored while she steps away from her booth to scan their immediate surroundings. ]

Quiet.

[ It's a whisper with intent, but lacks the rough edge that might normally accompany such abruptness. There's no frustration in her tone or her steps, not even with the invisible company. She's only enthralled by something bordering a hunt, and her gaze is unblinking while she steps near him to further peruse around the tables. His presence may have prompted this activity.

The creak of a chair shifting against the floor keeps her from noticing the mug that's about to fly right at her. The coffee inside may not be hot, but the projectile alone could make a smart landing if someone doesn't interfere. ]

[miyagimagic]

[ At least just her hushed utterance of that word is enough to make Daniel actually go quiet. Mostly because he's a little confused by what's going on here - or rather, her reaction to it. It was so easy for him to dismiss something randomly flying around as just kids being kids, perhaps due to his constant exposure to said kids, but Vanessa seems to be thinking of something else entirely.

For a moment he worries that she might want to hunt down the kid culprit to give them a scolding, but as Daniel is considering that and considering what to do about it, he does notice the mug as he's looking around.

And there's one good thing about this situation, you see - it's that Daniel has great reflexes due to all of his karate training over the years. ]

Look out..!

[ It means that despite the suddenness of the mug's movement, the man reaches out, catching the mug right out of the air in front of Vanessa - even if it makes him turn a little bit due to the excess power of the halted movement.

But that mug definitely was not accidentally yeeted around by a kid. Daniel saw it. It's like it moved by itself, somehow.

It's a thought that's so strange that this time it is the cause of the man's silence, staring at the mug that's now in his hand. ]

[matermali]

[ Looking just in time to witness the catch, even Vanessa’s eyes will widen a bit. She can’t think of anyone from home, other than perhaps Ethan, to have such smart reflexes. No doubt that would have caused some injury had it hit her, so she ought to thank him instead of merely staring at him.

A bit of the lukewarm coffee had splashed out, but most seemed to have spilled out on the floor during the toss. Fortunate then that it hadn’t been a full cup, although coffee stains are the least of her concern. ]

Impressive. You ought to have dressed as Perseus. [ A little smile tugs at her lips, despite the invisible danger lurking about. ] Although I don’t believe he is meant to save the monster.

[ Reaching for his hand, Vanessa attempts to gently pry the cup free. ]

Are you hurt?

[miyagimagic]

I, uh..

[ Not exactly the most intelligent of answers there, huh. But Daniel is genuinely still kind of baffled by what happened here just now. His brain is so busy trying to process it that it doesn't have time for silly little things like forming sentences.

It's only after a quick look down at the cup in his hand - right as Vanessa pries it out of his hand - that his brain snaps back in place enough to speak again. ]

No, I'm-- I'm fine.

[ Just a little startled. And maybe he's going to have a few sore muscles tomorrow, considering the speed he caught that cup at, but it's worth it. It's not him he's worried about, after all, and he's quick to turn his dark concern-filled eyes towards her instead. ]

What about you? [ In the middle of all the chaos, his brain completely forgets to contemplate that part about Perseus. It's a little too much right now. ] You're alright, right?

[ That feels like the most important part right now. ]

[matermali]

Entirely well, thanks to your impressive speed.

[ Lucky that the mug had been mostly empty and what was there had spilled out during the initial tumble. Nobody wants coffee stains on this costume.

It's clear enough that this isn't the sort of thing he's used to confronting, so once the mug is set down, she'll lightly touch her fingers to his elbow and gesture to a table. The booth she was sitting at needs to be wiped up, but that can wait a few seconds.

So far she can't sense anything unusual in the air, no strange vibrations, so she might as well focus on something that she actually can address. ]

I am to assume you have never before seen dishware fly about. It can be unsettling.

[miyagimagic]

[ Thanks, Vanessa. Daniel does need a moment to sit down, so he'll do exactly that after her gesture, looking very much like his brain is taking a few moments to process all of this.

It's so much to process, in fact, that it seems to take a moment before Daniel's brain even arrives at an incredibly obvious conclusion about what she just said. It makes him surprised all over again, looking at her as he speaks up with: ]

Are you saying you are used to it?

[ And from the way she's saying it - and with the circumstances they are in right now - he assumes she doesn't mean dishware fly about because someone is throwing it.

Which makes the entire matter only even more strange. Vanessa, what is your life.. ]

[matermali]

I may admit that often when such events occurred, I was left with little memory of them.

[ Her life is Hell, or at least as close as it can quite literally become. One rarely becomes used to losing control to the Devil.

After placing a few napkins to soak up the coffee on the floor, which should not be a priority beyond slippage right now, she'll sit across him with a cautious poise and reach up to untie her mask so that it can be set aside. ]

Enough to understand that we are not alone, though I believe that it ought to be a keene reminder that we never have been.

[ The power in this city is sentient, omniscient even. If there is a captor to point to once discovered, she will need to demand how such things are possible before they are taken care of. ]

I have been seeing things. It is something else similar to what I have once known, but until now the shadows have normally been still within the City’s walls. Have you experienced anything unusual in the past few days?

a

[strongroots]

[ Things are...off, to say the least. More than the unnerving sensation that had been nagging at Robby, easy to dismiss as worries. He's had them, since he's gotten more involved with the plan: when what started as some defiant way to snub the city was given time to brew, and the reality and dangers became more a possibility than some idea aired as a means of acting against their abductors.

Robby's been worried for a while, making excuses and hoping the best regardless, but also accepting that he's played a part in this coming together. Finding a certain strength to do his part, and yet tonight--tonight, he's been plagued by an ever heavier uneasiness, an inability to settle for long.

Waiting on bad news, his eyes open at the bodies and faces around. He tries to hide his worries behind a mask of a host (god, a mask would've been good, but instead he'd opted to be a cowboy), but he's biting at the back of his bottom lip, telling himself over and over--he's just imagining things.

And yet, that's not where his mind is at all when he feels a hand around his wrist, startling him, face turning at the woman peering at her from behind her mask. His mouth opens, but he fails to immediately speak. ]

I--

[ And he fails to say anything of substance after, like he's caught by her command. Stop the party? Stop doing this to them-- ]

[matermali]

[ There's something to be said for the power that a gaze can wield, how it can invite and yet also trap. Vanessa's victims may not turn to actual stone, but she has long been able to hold beings captive with her eyes alone—people, demons, monsters. Whether they manage to spy something Other behind the mirrors in her eyes, or whether the truth of their reflection has compelled them to stillness, even she couldn't say.

In this case, there's suspicion that something else is already at play with his attention just as much as it is with hers. It's a bit worse to know that she's startled a youth, at least once Vanessa has stared for long enough to assure herself that he is who he seems to be. ]

No, forgive me, I—

[ Despite the apology, her jaw is tense when finally looking away, turning so that she can see if whatever she's witnessed is creeping up behind her. ]

Have you seen anything strange this evening?

[strongroots]

[ She turns her head, and Robby's eyes follow to only see other people, but the lack of a figure to decide as trouble doesn't particularly put Robby as ease--even the apology doesn't really change much about his expression. He latches onto her question instead, his brow furrowed, lips rolling together. ]

--I think the city's done something, [ is his answer instead, even if he follows it up with: ] I mean--something's not right. I don't think so. We knew something might happen...

[ And yet he's telling himself that, forcing himself to believe it's--okay? He's meant to be okay with this. ]

[matermali]

'Something' always happens.

[ At least it does in Vanessa's not-so-little world, and little has been happenstance.

At the moment, nothing unusual is teasing at her senses, but she isn't soon to forget what she just saw. The dread it inspired will also linger, though her expression remains little but tense as wariness keeps her ever scanning. ]

There was someone here.

[ Turning back around, she's bound to begin circling Robby as if she'll spot some minute detail that explains why he was part of the vision. ]

You saw no one?

[strongroots]

[ He doesn't move from his spot, but Robby follows how she moves from it, twisting to look at her, but not the entire circle around. There's a way that she does it--or is it his heightened anxiety?--that makes him on edge; that when she asks what she does: ]

What? No--I wasn't talking to anyone, I wouldn't do anything.

[ It's defensive, seeing an accusation where there might've been none. Does she suspect him? comes across in him, and would she think that of him? ]

The city's playing tricks on us.

[ Surely, rambling by making excuses will help his case. ]

[matermali]

[ Her steps are predatory—there's no imagining that. But she isn't hunting him. Someone else is responsible for this, of that she's certain, but there could be some connection to the boy. There isn't enough to go on just yet to know.

In frustration, she'll stop to look beyond him and scan the courtyard before glancing to the restaurant. ]

More than mere tricks. These games that devils play are always dangerous.

[ There's nothing to see now. Not even any shadows taunting her, as if now they hope to have her question her sanity. It wouldn't be the first time. ]

Is the building warded in any way?

[strongroots]

[ He sucks in a breath, knowing he should be so on edge, but Robby doesn't know how well that helps. He's had nerves for a while, some he's admitted to, but then pushed down. The worry of what could happen due to this experiment, and now--what more could?

But a question. Focus. He's the kind to look aggravated in his concern, eyebrows dipped and his lips pinched. ]

Someone put up a barrier so she knows if anyone comes in and out of the party who shouldn't be here. I don't know how it works, but--you wanna talk to her?

[ It's maybe worth seeking her out to see if something hasn't tripped with her. Or has something happened to her? Robby hasn't even thought to look. ]

[matermali]

It includes this courtyard, then? Mm, I do think I ought to still speak with her, yes.

[ While there's a mild relief that they were wise enough to put up a ward, she doesn't know what sort it is. If it allowed something like her entry without permission, then what is it that this ward protects against? Who counts as shouldn't?

Her attention returns to him to ask, but on actually taking a proper look at the boy and not the risk, Vanessa takes a pause. She is barreling ahead and not considering that these are not the sort of threats that everyone is used to confronting on a daily basis. Youth does not suggest innocence, but lack of experience cannot be scorned.

Stepping to his side, her voice is much softer in her whisper. ]

Though, perhaps it can wait. There seems to be no immediate threat. Merely shadows, and I fear no shadow. Would you prefer to sit for a time?