nexus_crossings | Spooky Scary Skeletons!

Loki had no idea if any other places were having Halloween bashes, but that wasn't gonna stop him from having his fun! Pub-crawls were a thing if that were the case! The Viper's Pit had been decked out in the spirit of the season, the drinks, boozy and non were themed for the holiday, and aside from the magically drugged glitter one could play with down in the club, there were all manner of edibles.

While the changes were mild inside the building itself, the field had undergone the most changes, from the disappearance of the arena and bathhouse to the forests normally vaguely in the middle distance having been drawn in much closer, ringing a large open field where several bonfires were crackling merrily, each stocked with comfortable places to sit, as well as marshmallows, skewers, and several options for meats to be grilled over an open flame. To the east of the clearing was an expansive-looking corn maze, and standing vigil over it from somewhere in the vague center was a large Victorian-looking house. Anyone who wanted to go snooping would find the maze and home both charmingly haunted by costumed staff looking forward to the chance to scare the pants off some unsuspecting partygoers.

Nothing about the place seems off, or strange. Bats fly about overhead, the moon is large and positioned quite perfectly to make the haunted house look charmingly spooky, and the woods that spread around the clearing are just begging for people to dare to creep down it's paths, jumping at the shrieks that echo from the maze, or just their own imaginations running away with them. Not that there seems to be anything scarier than some mild-mannered wild-life like the owls hooting in the trees- it seems the woods are more designed for a nice nighttime stroll for folks who might want a bit of quiet than anything.

Of course everyone wore costumes. They did right? It's a costume party after all! And if anyone didn't have one, the staff of the bar were quite happy to furnish some of the spares they had on hand, even if it might be something so simple as an animal headband, a pair of wings, or a sheriff's badge and toy gun.

No one was quite certain when things started becoming weirder. Not specifically, and no one was sure why it had happened, given the first sign of things going wrong? Was one of the poor unsuspecting waiters who'd been wearing a cute little bear headband? Was suddenly now a very large, and very confused grizzly bear in a darling little vest trying to balance the tray he'd been carrying on one paw, and attempting to sort out how to get all the drinks off without tipping them onto the customers, who were now a table of animals of varying sizes and shapes, as well as one very bewildered knight, whose plastic armor was suddenly much more realistic and cumbersome.

And from the yelps of surprise and alarm echoing quickly through the Pit and the yard, it was clear this was not an isolated incident.

((ooc: Costume bash! OOC info is here leave any questions in there! Feel free to tag either pre or post-costume realism! For toplevels please use the Trick Or Treat system! If you're just wanting cute fluff or maybe minor spooky stuff, just leave 'Treat' in your toplevel's subject line. If you're here for scary chases and angst, or being a monster to hunt folks for fun (keeping in mind the AVF is in effect!) just post 'Trick'! If you're open to both just put both in! Hopefully this'll make it easier to match up what folks are hoping to play with here even if you're going in otherwise blind. The costumes will revert come sunrise with no ill effects- happy hauntings!))

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War stumbles back from the blow, having not expected Sailor Quinn to fight back quite like this. She might even bruise for that one! Her grin pulls wider as she resets her stance and swings her sword in a wide arc as she recovers.

"Peace is an illusion. A respite between battles. Destruction is necessary to stamp out the weak and lift up the powerful. There can be no growth without pain." Sliding one foot out in front of herself, War ducks low and thrusts upward with her sword, aiming toward Sailor Quinn's midsection with full force. The blow likely won't connect, but the point is to cause strife and this fight is well on its way to doing that.

"Not on my watch! I will protect the weak, and guide them to their destiny, so they can become stronger on their own!"

Sailor Quinn dodges back at the thrust of the sword. She lifts a hand to her tiara, and uses a Senshi spell... "Moooooon Tiara Magic!". The tiara becomes a magical energy weapon at her command, flying towards War with the intent to perhaps knock the warrior back again.

The attack has the desired effect. War falls back a few yards, grunting in pain as she regains her footing. This is an intriguing contest of strength and agility, and it makes her all the more eager to win. Few opponents can stand to her might or will, so she's not about to stand down until one of them is proclaimed victor.

(A small part of her mind tells that it would be best to back off before either of them get truly hurt, but War dismisses it as easily as a request for mercy. War bends to no one but her master and Sailor Quinn is not that.)

"Ha! You would leave them to their own devices and hide them under your wing like chicks? No one can grow in the shadow of their mother. All must face the world head on!"

Now recovered, War rushes forward again. Rather than her standard attack patterns, she leans into the battle knowledge locked into the mind that is only partially hers. She feigns an attack after coming up Sailor Quinn's side and then drops low, swinging her leg out to catch the Guardian's ankles or knees in a hard sweep. Connected attack or no, it allows War to take a knee and thrust upward with her sword in an effort to keep the other woman off balance.

"And they can face that world... with love, friendship and compassion." Sailor Quinn steadies herself when War rushes forward. The feign attack works, and War does catch the Senshi's knees in a sweep. But luckily years of gymnastic training protects the body, as she quickly ducks and rolls to the side, missing the thrust of the sword.

Sailor Quinn uses the crouched position of how she rolled, to use another one of her Senshi attacks. She twirls the mighty Senshi Hammer, and calls out... "Rainbow Moooooon Heart Ache..., aiming an energy beam of rainbows and hearts at War.

Unable to dodge out of the way completely in time, War summersaults backwards and away from the senshi as she's hit by the energy attack. She grunts in pain as she gets to her feet, her breath coming in soft pants. Her grip on the hilt of her sword tightens and as her anger flares, so do the flames on her weapon.

"You are a fool!" she yells. "All will fall before the horsemen when Armageddon comes and no amount of love can save you!"

War raises her sword high in the air and then slashes at the ground in front of her. A wall of flame sprouts at her feet and with a great cry she pushes it forward at Sailor Quinn, laughing all the while.

Sailor Queen takes a slight step back when the wall of flame sprouts around War. She has faced many enemies in her time... and why she can't remember them all right now is not important. All she knows is that she has to find a way to end this battle.

And there is something inside of her that makes Sailor Quinn stand tall. And walk forward... towards War. Towards the wall of flame.

"Love. Will. Save. The. Day." The words are said, as she forces herself to walk through that wall of flame. They are said as she bears the pain of the searing heat lick her skin. They are said as burns appear all over her arms and legs (they won't stay long, luckily as Harleys healing ability still protects her).

And she makes it through the flames to stand before War. And then in a move that is either incredibly stupid... or incredibly smart... she wraps her arms around the other woman. And hugs her.

The part of War that is one of the heralds of the apocalypse is filled with glee to see her enemy do something so incredibly stupid. To take so much damage while one is still in the middle of a battle, willingly, is one of the worst things a person can do. To do so against her is even more foolish. A laugh bubbles up from deep within her as she watches the flames pass over the senshi and dissipate on the other side after they've done their work.

But the part of her that is still Amelia is aching to see this. Tears run down the woman's cheeks as Sailor Quinn approaches and she reflexively wraps her arms around Harley in return when she's pulled into a hug.

"You idiot," she mutters through gritted teeth. "I could kill you where you stand." Her grip tightens for a brief moment until she manages to breathe through the desire to run her sword through the both of them to ensure she wins. "I won't, but I most certainly could."

"Yes. You could." Sailor Quinn responds. Not breaking the hug. There is a strange sense of … familiarity … that makes her pause slightly.

"If death were to claim me... then I would rather it be at the hands of a brave warrior."

"I don't want your life," she says quickly, surprising herself. She is War, of course she wants death and chaos. But not from the woman hugging her. She wants something else entirely from their time together and it doesn't involve death or pain for either of them.

A frown pulls across her face as she reaches around Sailor Quinn to sheath her sword. As much as War wants to continue this fight, she knows it's over, and that quiet part of her that knows something is wrong is glad for it. "I'd rather fight with you than against you any day."

Sailor Quinn takes a step back, letting War sheath her sword. The burns on her body haven't healed quite yet. But they are slowly disappearing.

"I would be honored to fight at your side."

The sentiment makes War smile, a softness coming to her face as Amelia begins to break through. The rogue doesn't have full control yet, but she fully recognizes who's in front of her now. "Then we'll make plans to fight together. In the future, when this very strange night is over."

Sailor Quinn might have some sense of familiarity. But the part of her mind that is Harley is not quite back yet. (She took a left turn and down a rabbit hole for fun)

"I would like that. For now... I must ensure the rest of the night is safe for others here."

"Please take care of yourself."

Spooky Scary Skeletons!

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