Spooky Tidings

Posted on Thu Dec 2nd, 2021 @ 9:11pm by Commander Liala Ziyal & Lieutenant Commander Mel Torma & Lieutenant Commander Timia Svidi & Commander Raiden Kosugi & Lieutenant JG Eira Cortez & Captain Callisi Verra & Emmah (Svidi)

Mission: A New Legacy
Location: Holodeck
2287 words - 4.6 OF Standard Post Measure

One of the old traditions on the Arcadia was a yearly party centered around an old earth traditional holiday. Since Timia was the only one of the senior officers who was still here she felt it fell to her to host the party.

She booked the holodeck and loaded up a creepy house program. Dressed in a torn black dress she had painstakingly set up her makeup, showing what seemed to be open sores and ashy gray skin, she was going with a Zombie. Timia entered the program and looked around with a smile.

She stepped forward in the entry way and listened to the creaking wooden floors, and cob webs hanging every where. There was smoke seeping in through the gaps in the floor boards, and the sound of giggling little girls, bouncing around from room to room and up the stairs.

She loved how crazy this place was. It was fully of creepy surprises, and was programmed to randomize them through the night and even year to year. She wanted to make sure no one knew what to expect and had a good time. There was food and drinks, places to sit and some music playing as she entered the larger hall, the walls lined with creepy paintings of all sorts and from all planets. Timia looked up as a shadowy figure skittered across the floor and waited for the party to begin.

Liala had been told of this tradition, an old Earth one that she had heard of but never truly practiced. She had heard you had to dress up, she'd seen it too but wasn't sure what the protocol was for her, or any idea what to put on.

She had heard of someone called Harlequin, and where as she wasn't scary per say, but she had seen pictures. Her hair was in bunches one side pink, one side blue., her make up that of a faint clown face but nicely done. She had shorts on, a small t-shirt with a holster. With her she carried what appeared to be a long wooden stick of some kind styled drawings on it. She felt severely underdressed but still the holodeck doors opened and she walked in.

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"You're sure it's all fake?" a worried voice asked.

"I did all the reading, and while the holiday has a basis in monsters and ghosts, by now it's all theater." came the reply. "Besides, I even helped you pick out a costume that was decidedly NOT scary." a giggle.

"I mean, did it have to be so, so different? I mean, thank you but, it's gonna feel weird."

"Trust me, after a while, you'll be having enough fun to forget you're wearing it."

She did the reading, did the research, then did a little more research. Oh this was interesting. But what was with all the dressing up? And all the candy?

Well, she wasn't one to turn away candy. Well, maybe mostly turn it away, gotta watch the figure. Though, still, to get into the spirit, to get morale up a bit... might as well indulge. So a little more research. Hmmm, no, no, no, certainly not. No, no.... okay, that could work, certainly would work for Mel. Though what for her... She didn't like how it drew attention to, oh wait, wait that might be perfect. Hide it in plain sight. Oh this was going to work out perfect. Replicating the costume pieces, and then the make up. Now, the final piece: The jargon. She practiced for the whole day before the event. She had it pretty down pat, languages were a gift. She helped Mel get into costume, and helped with the make up. And then it was time...
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Raiden was trying to figure out what costume he wanted to wear for the Halloween party, he bounced from the Phantom of the opera, to a pirate costume to Ghostbuster costume, then he paused. There was an old time comic that he loved to read. It was the Green Hornet. The one character that he truly loved though was the chauffer aka bodyguard of the Green Hornet, Kato. And he loved watching Bruce Lee in action.

He got the whole costume, the driver's cap, the chauffer's uniform and the mask. Raiden gave an approving nod, he felt he looked good, and headed for the party.

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The holodeck doors opened, admitting the latest ghouls and ghosts to the affair. Mel was dressed like, well, like a pair of characters. One form was sporting a blue top under a white apron, striped white and red socks, and her hair was styled and died in a big red curly mop, while the other wore blue pants with bit white buttons, a plaid shirt with a black ribbon bowtie, and the same white and red striped socks. Each one wore a name tag....

Ann... Andy...

Callisi came in behind the pair sporting a long coat over a low cut shirt, wearing a necklace of sea shells that enticed the view down. Tight cloth pants (but regulation for swordfighting), and proper boots for a pirate lord. Red, leather, and gold trim really was her style. A wide tricorn hat rested atop her head, and a plentitude of earrings jangled from her lengthy ears as she took each step. A plastic cutlass hung on her hip that bounced slightly with each step the rabbitess pirate lord took.

"Yar. What shindig be this that not be inviting Captain Cutlass Callisi?" she gave her best pirate speak. Practice did make perfect.

Cortez was the next to walk in, taking a chance to fix the waves in her blue streaked silvery blonde hair. Having done some research, she'd decided to go as Emily from an old animated film called The Corpse Bride and had managed to alter a floor length wedding-style gown to reflect the characters dress, accurate down to the exposed ribs on one side. Her eyes were ringed with a mixture of blue and black shadow, her face contoured slightly to accentuate the cheekbones and characters decay.

She came inside and admired the decorations: it was an odd custom but she'd heard it was fun so she grabbed a drink and waited for more people to arrive.

Raiden stepped inside, taking in those who had arrived, and smiled. He loved seeing the variety of costumes so far. He walked over to get a drink and then started to make the rounds.

"Greetings ladies you look lovely tonight." Raiden said with a smile.

Above his head were spider webs, and unbeknownst to him a rather large hairy spider about the size of a man's hand was drifting down towards him.

Cutlass Callisi gave a nod towards Raiden, as she raised a drink towards him. The Kato costume went over her head, but she appreciated the look. However, it was the twin forms of Mel that looked a little worried. The pair pointed upward at the approaching arachnid. "Ummmm, umm, Raiden? There's a ..."

Noticing the direction that Mel was pointing, Raiden slowly looked up and back pedaled when he saw the arachnid drop even lower.

"Woah!" Raiden exclaimed, it having startled him. He put his drink down, quickly took off his jacket and moved to envelop the spider and take it somewhere else.

"I'll be back." he stated, before Raiden went away with spider in his jacket under his arm. He came back shortly putting his jacket back on.

"That was some big spider there." giving a slight shudder. "Not that I am afraid of spiders, but that was huge!" he exclaimed.

"Surely the great Kato is able to handle a little spider." Liala teased as she came over. She had an interest in old Earth 'favourites' if you wanted to call them that, popular culture. She had loved the Bruce Lee era as well and knew exactly who Raiden was. Some thought it unusual for an alien to know such old things but she had a long life ahead of her and delving into the past was always just as fun.

"Personally anything with more legs that me gives me pause." Liala admitted. "Tholians for instance."

"Hey, does that include me?" Mel asked, turning to glance over at Liala. Callisi, seeing where this was going, gave a smirk, "If you think 'More Legs' is an issue, I wonder how you'll handle 'No Legs'." a pause, "There's a species in the Delta back home, that only has a humanoid form while in an encounter suit. Otherwise, they're entirely fluidic."

Mel gave a bit of a pout, "That's all well and good, but I want to know if that 'More Legs' jab includes me."

Timia was pleased with the turn out and the fact people were having fun and enjoying it so far. She blinked when a bit of static filled the air, three raggedly women with gray half burnt hair and flashed in to existence around the room. They all looked towards the balcony above, and then started to scream a haunting scream, before blinking out of existence, and reappearing in other parts of room, their scream starting to resonate.

It was chilling and it sent shivers up Timias spine. Her eyes followed their point and she could see a well dressed man standing above the crowd with a cold and chilling look in his eyes. He looked at them below as if they were all meat about to be slaughtered.

Raiden chuckled at Liala's comment then turned towards Mel, "She is speaking about that spider you, thankfully pointed out to me." he responded. "I can handle most spiders but.. don't like them dropping on my head."

The scream of the banshee startled Raiden, and he jumped, wondering why he was feeling so on edge tonight. This actually was bothering him. He glanced up and noticed the man above in the balcony just watching. Maybe it was due to his encounter of with what he termed an Oni when as a child.

"Oh Goddess, yes! The spiders I meant!" Liala exclaimed at Mels comment. "Mel I am sorry, wasn't being legphobic... is that a word?" she asked rhetorically. "I'm a little creeped out by insects... makes for interesting diplomatic work though." she said remembering an occasion where she had to deal with a couple of species of that kind.

Mel gave a pair of smiles, "No worries, I think all words are made up at some point, so it's a word now." the Dalacari giggled, "And I understand what you mean. I'm not a big fan of spiders..."

"... either. We have something like them back home, but they spin the most beautiful webs you've ever seen. They're prismatic, shining like a rainbow." she recalled. Callisi gave a smirk, "We have spiders back home too. I'm not afraid of them, but I don't like 'em."

Her glance then settled on Raiden again, "And... thank you. For the compliment." she dropped out of her pirate cadence for the moment, just enjoying the company.

Raiden gave another smile, "You are very welcome. And webbing that is prismatic? That sounds beautiful." And just as he was about to make another comment, three ghostly apparitions rose from the floor one on each side of Raiden, and the other rising even further above, taking on the shape of a raven. The one on his left was a skeleton. The other on his right, was a greenish glowing ghost with reddish eyes.

Mel gave a nod, "The creature's webbing has microscopic ..." she paused when the ghostly show continued, and then she found her voice, ">.. microscopic crystalline structures in it. They make the strands strong enough to catch prey, and..."

"... the pretty light show it puts off in the early morning might help distract prey and snare them in the web. Though, entomology wasn't my field of study back home..."

"... because bugs are icky."

Callisi gave a giggle. "Mel Torma, you hold how many accreditations? And you just used the phrase 'Bugs are icky'?"

Mel giggled, "Look, I come from a long line of proud predators, reaching back to the earliest periods of mammalian life on Dalacar. I can dislike them if I want." she 'justified'.

There seemed to be a clattering sound starting from far away as a wind started to sweep through the house, knocking things off the tables, and every door and shutter slammed closed tightly with a slam. The lights flickered and buzzed above, and the candled seem to struggle to stay lit.

it startled several crew members to yelped and groaned in nervousness. Timia smirked, this program was a blast. She turned to the Ensign next to her and saw her yanked off her feet, and disappearing through the wall. The girl gave off a scream which was cut off as soon as she was pulled through the wall. "Oh my god!" she said nearly dropping her drink.

Raiden heard Timia's startled cry and turned to see what was what, only to be met by the reddish eyes of the green ghost which opened up its large mouth in a spooky grimace. The skeleton suddenly shoved Raiden into the ghost's gaping maw and both Raiden as well as the green ghost vanished, leaving the skeleton and raven there, the bird settling down upon the skeleton's head, quoting "Never more."

Liala had jumped a little too at the sound of the scream from Timia but then smiled and laughed to herself. This party was definitely full of surprises and fun. It was nice to see the crew let their hair, costumed hair and all sorts, down and have a little bonding time with each other. Hopefully the party would fade long into the night...

FADE OUT