Boys and girls of every age, Wouldn't you like to see something strange

[exsithstential]

WHO: Imports
WHERE: Helix Station, Maurtia Falls
WHEN: Evening of 10/16
WHAT: Swear-In Ceremony, with a bonus Haunted House!
WARNINGS: Violence and other spoopy stuff.





The Festival


An orange moon slowly burns into life as the sun begins the last few moment's of it's descent, washing the sky in beautiful splashes of fading twilight hues. The white walls the Helix Station glow in the warm autumn light as throngs of costumed children and their families parade through the large front gate and into the festively decorated courtyard within.

Laughter and squeals of anticipation and delight ring out from the gaggle of children in a never ending chorus as their attentions dance between the kitsch decorations of gremlins and skeletons, to the ImPort Heroes in attendance. But at least the parents and guardians seem to be doing a good job of keeping the beaming or bashful kids from bothering ImPorts too much as you make your way into the facility. Though do be prepared for an autograph request or three. Unlike some of the previous Swear-Ins, this is no media circus. While there may be a reporter or two in the crowd, asking for a few quick shots with imports and their adoring fans, this gathering is for you and your new rosy cheeked best friends. Just a bit of seasonal fun and the added benefit of helping a local children's hospital by contributing to their charity.

STALLS

Colorfully decorated stalls line the exterior of the courtyard, offering the attendees a wide variety of activities, entertainment, and gifts. While most of the stalls are managed by groups or individual imports contributing with their time and goodwill (mostly), several also offer refreshments and snacks manned by droids or volunteers from the hospital staff or children's family.

A few honorable mentions of ImPort run stalls:

-Hazel and the Doctor's Face Paintings
-Kanaya and Helena's Fangtastic Bobbing for Apples
-Manolo and Sabriel's Performance Cake Walk
-Stan's Photo Booth of Terror (And extortion)
-Lucifer's Mystic Magic Mirror of Mystery
-Fraiser and Kowalski's Totally Scary Puppy Petting Zoo

And of course there's also a stall with informative pamphlets and a chipper Government representative ready to register any willing imports and talk about the benefits inherent to doing so.

There are also plenty of open stalls if you want to add to festivities!

HAUNTED HOUSE

Just inside the main building, the lobby area and adjacent rooms open into the main area of the Haunted House. Despite the spooky imagery and haunting ambiance, this floor is rather tame. There may be a few motion sensor activated skeletons that pop up and startling the careless, but otherwise it's all kid friendly.

This however is NOT the case with the upper floors. Which prohibit native participation completely. If that doesn't chill your blood then the fact that you have to stop by a booth near the elevator to "check in" and received a warning that only those that are seeking a true test of terror should enter, might.

However the droid representative will NOT offer any additional information to imports, save that all participants will be given thirty minutes to escape before "time is up". They will NOT be telling anyone that:

-Immediately upon exiting the elevator, you will find yourself seeped in power dampening fog, leaving you de-powered.
-That the upper floors are inhabited by wandering animatronics with monstrous appearances that are programmed to hunt the imports trying to find their way out.
-As the thiry minutes tick by, the animatronics will become faster and hunt the imports with more tenacity and ever increasing perception. Early in the hunt it's possible to hide or avoid most animatronics. This becomes less effective as time goes by.
-Any imports that are unable to escape the animatronics will NOT be hurt. When an import is captured they will be hauled to a secret exit which ends in a shoot that deposits the character outside, near Stan's Photo booth. (Who might just have a series of photos depicting your character in various compromising states of terror.) However the participating imports will be unaware of the lack of danger they are in until this happens. Which means you might even see some imports being hauled off kicking and screaming into the darkness.

Imports that manage to evade the animatronics long enough to find their way out of the maze of corridors and rooms will find themselves in the haunted house lobby, where they will be presented with a plush version of one of the monsters that had been hunting them. Not so scary now, huh?

Attack on Helix Station

Just after midnight as the festivities hit full swing, several masked men slip over the wall and into the facility. While mostly concealed, to any ImPorts sharp enough to notice them, it quickly becomes apparent that these men are armed to the teeth and full of bad intentions. Moving with precision, skill before any import can alert the others, the gunmen take up positions to cause as much damage as possible. However as they ready their weapons an alarm blares through out the facility. In that brief moment of confusion the gunmen hesitate. And in the span of that hesitation, several security droids suddenly march out into the facility through side doors hefting snub nosed weapons cradled in their arms.

An electric blue flash suddenly illuminates the courtyard as a blast from one of the droid's stun weapons strikes one of the gunmen, who crumples.

And then chaos erupts.

Seeing them as the clear and present danger the gunmen focus their fire on the advancing security bots, but as several defense turrets pop out from concealed slots in the walls, their position quickly becomes untenable. While strong in numbers, the gunmen scatter into groups through out the facility to take cover. A few of them drop smoke grenades to cover their escape, but the blinding cloud is short lived. As contaminates are detected in the air, several purifiers cleverly disguised within the decorations will activate, drawing in the smoke and laying the terrorists' movements bare.


As the gloom recedes, Revan stalks forward out of the smoke, a sheathed katana clenched in one hand
and his expression blazing as he marches towards the nearest group of soldiers.

"WE ARE UNDER ATTACK!" his voice booms strangely loud, carrying over the entire courtyard with the force and command power of someone used to leading warriors into battle. "IMPORTS!" With a fluid motion he withdraws the sword and tosses the scabbard aside.

Little did these bastards know that they were ready. With a small army of Imports, comprised of RISE and volunteer security forces, at his back Revan gave a flourish of his blade before dashing forward.

"TO ARMS!"

[ooc: More info as well as plotting posts can be found here!]

Comments

edgar | snowpiercer | unsettled (vaguely unsettling).

[lifeatsteak]

a. HAUNTED HOUSE, TAKE ONE

[Anyone who met Edgar when he arrived will notice that he's, well, much cleaner these days. His clothes look like they've been laundered in the last millenia, and he's no longer streaked with blood and dirt. His hair is still a mess, but there's no grime in it. He no longer smells distinctly homeless. He's moving on up in the world.]

[Still, those are all exterior features. On the inside, Edgar is just as curious and wide-eyed as ever.]

[He's still on the first floor of the haunted house, not even reacting when the skeleton cutouts jump up at him.] What's this, then? [He's walkng briskly toward the warnings about the next floor, and the horrors waiting ahead.] Yeah, yeah, sure, let's go. [He turns to whoever's nearest to him.] You coming?

b. HAUNTED HOUSE, TAKE TWO.

[Edgar's heard ghost stories before, but it's hard to really find them frightening when you live in such close quarters with friends and what passes as family. When the animations come, he's ready.]

[Did you know that they just leave axes lying around, here? They do! They're just hanging on the wall in these red glass boxes. Edgar's been exploring since he got here a few days back, and he's definitely come across this several times. Eventually, the temptation is too much, and he breaks the glass and steals one. He's been carrying the thing in his jacket ever since.]

[Were you under attack from an animatronic monster? With possibly way, way more deadly force than strictly necessary, Edgar buries the sharp edge of his axe in the head of your attacker. The thing begins spitting sparks, and Edgar kicks it over with equal parts spite and disdain.] Fucking things. You alright, then?

c. ATTACK ON HELIX STATION.

[And now they're being attacked. Edgar doesn't know what for, and is honestly planning on sneaking out the nearest window, when it becomes clear that not everyone here can fight. Those idiots might be in trouble.]

[Edgar finishes the pumpkin cookie hanging out of his mouth before joining the fray.]

[He finds a nearby table filled with pamphlets and snacks, and turns it over, attempting to shove it right into a gaggle of attackers. He pulls out the axe again.]

[Was that... your table? Were you trying to hide behind it? Or maybe you had the same idea as him, and he cut in the way. In the midst of the chaos, Edgar shrugs in awkward apology.] Uh. Sorry.

HELLO MY SORRY FRIEND I mean a

[instars]

[She doesn't really care much about haunted houses. When your family is made up of the real thing - hell, when you're the real thing - they lose their appeal. But it doesn't matter; it's her birthday tomorrow (although does that count as her birthday, when she just turned 19 a few weeks ago in her world? She's not sure) and she decided it might as well be a place she turn up.

She smells the skin of him first, not as dirty as the last time she met him, and she's just outside of his range of vision. It helps, too, that she's dressed mostly in black today, with only a silver spiderweb dangling from her right ear as any indication of money. It's harder, here. She hasn't gathered up the cash to be so flush as to, well.

Be as fashionable as she likes.]

I hadn't decided yet.

Hello.

hollow laughter.....

[lifeatsteak]

[Edgar looks her up and down. He recognizes her too, of course. There's a momentary rise of pride within him at that, at the idea that he looks much cleaner, much surer of himself than the last time they met.]

[He studies the signs, and resists the urge to sound them out. He can read them all in his head, if he tries.] Probably shouldn't. Says it's dangerous.

[He grins. Yes, that is a challenge.]

[instars]

Yes.

[Well, he can read, that's a good thing. He's actually much cuter, now that he's not hoarding a box of twinkies like a dog with a bone. She takes note of that, but Saya always takes note of that sort of thing.

She turns a bit - she's still wearing ridiculous heels, but these are boots instead of pumps - and tips her head, just a fraction.]

But it can't be as dangerous as stealing snack cakes, around here.

[lifeatsteak]

[He laughs. He hadn't expected wit. Front Sectioners are never witty. They're just sort of glazed over and hollow inside. Good for her, then. She's still the enemy, but good for her if she isn't a totally pointless human inside.]

Gotta be prepared for anything, here. You could kick 'em to death. [He means her ridiculous heeled shoes. Edgar starts walking toward the entrance, expecting her to follow.]

[instars]

[She looks down at her shoes, and gives him a nod, mostly a tip of her her head.]

It would be nicer if it had some kind of spikes at the head, for that. Better I step on things. It's enough pressure to break a man's bone.

[The things she knows. But she's following him, since he doesn't seem so hostile today. Pleased enough to laugh - that's a good sign.]

[lifeatsteak]

[It never occurs to Edgar that he can tell her off. She wouldn't listen to him, anyway. The only power he has is in denying requests, but in this bountiful world, anyone can do anything.]

[With all the subtlety of a runaway train, Edgar takes the axe out of his jacket's interior pocket.] Yeah, 'spose that'd be something to see. [He walks over the threshold, and the mist descends.]

[instars]

[She doesn't seem bothered or stunned by that - he may be an imPort but he doesn't really scare her (it's hard to scare her anyway), and she doesn't think it's really aimed at her - but the mist, well.

It doesn't scare her.

It alarms her, certainly. She can feel her lungs filling with air and something is different just from that, and when she takes her next step-

-she tumbles on nothing, like a marionette with cut strings, sprawling over the ground. When you've had supernatural balance for four years of your life, and limbs powered by hydraulics, losing it while walking in heels is startling thing.

She folds around herself and picks herself up so she's sitting, legs bent oddly around her, and she looks baffled for a moment.]

What happened?

[lifeatsteak]

[What happened? Edgar leans closer to her, and takes an idle sniff. No drugs that he can sense.] Dunno. Whatever it was, hit you hard, eh? [Totally not gloating, here.]

[instars]

[She looks at him, and she blinks, fast, because now she feels like she can't see, and she can't smell anything at all-]

This room is doing something strange. Something happened.

[There is actual emphasis on that last word, something she's meticulously managed to not do at all. It's not fear. It's confusion, it's a strange sort of bizarre wonder.

She moves slowly, one leg first, then the other.]

Don't you feel it?

A

[tadeadshi]

[The downstairs haunted house was cute. Fun! And great for walking Hiro through and laughing at him jump. The upstairs though... Anything labeled for imPorts only has him wary after this long.

He gives a smile to the newer imPort. The guy seems enthused at least, he doesn't want to ruin that.] I dunno, there's a lot of other stuff to look at too, y'know?

[lifeatsteak]

Guess so. [Edgar says, like he hasn't filled his coat pockets with the various free cookies and snack cakes offered at the stalls.] I wanna see what this lot thinks is dangerous. Good to know and all.

[He really doubts anything in this comfortably fed, well-lit environment can really phase him.]

[tadeadshi]

[That... is usually never a good thing to try to find out.]

I don't know that it'd be 'dangerous' so much as just fun geared to imPorts. It's a festival and all, you know?

[Yeah ok Tadashi you keep telling yourself that.]

[lifeatsteak]

[There's a moment's hesitation flickering over Edgar's features. Did he read the sign wrong? He thought he knew that one.] Said it's a test. That's what that means, doesn't it? Wanna see what they think is a test, here.

[Don't leave him hanging, bro.]

[tadeadshi]

[Man he.... Really was trying to avoid all this. He looks back to the sign with a slow breath. Right. Okay.

This imPort looks new so maybe it's better Tadashi goes with him. He starts making his way to the entrance, taking his limiter bracelet off and stashing it in his pocket.]

Okay, then let's go.

[lifeatsteak]

Sure you want to? [It's not Edgar's job to drag in the unwilling.]

[tadeadshi]

Don't worry, I'm sure.

Can't be too bad, right?

[lifeatsteak]

Depends, [Edgar says as the mist descends,] how bad's 'too bad'? [Is it a genuine question, or is he being a smartass? It's sure unclear from his tone.]

[tadeadshi]

[Tadashi's on edge just having his limiter off, but trying to keep calm. This is fine. He can help with this.]

'Too bad' was one swear in being attacked with a gas toxin that brought most of the building down on everyone.

B.

[increscents]

[ This.... was not the kind of haunted house Hayley was expecting. In this city, though, things go wrong all the time. Do the people running this even know their robots are freaking insane?

Hayley's busy dodging one that's hot on her tail. It feels weird not to have her powers. She can't access anything. It's like being blind. Her powers aren't just added on, they're what she is. Who she is. It makes her feel slow and sluggish.

But she's also stubborn as hell.

When she stumbles, she doesn't cry or scream as the thing sets on her. She rolls over, a growl on her lips. She slams her boot out into the chest of the thing, making it fall back. Right into the axe of another boy. ]

Good timing. [ Her breathing as heavy as she climbs off the floor. ]

Been through worse. Would like to find my way out here, though.

[lifeatsteak]

Sounds about right. [This girl has the right attitude, that's for sure. You get hit, and you just keep going until you can't go anymore.]

[Edgar spins the axe in his hands. Another animatronic has spotted them, and is shuffling in their direction.] You got a weapon?

[increscents]

[ For a second, she tries to focus. Tries to call her claws forth. Her teeth out. Anything. ]

Nothing. [ She answers, shaking her head.

Then she scrunches her eyes and points at him. ]

Hey. Aren't you the smelly kid that just moved in?

[lifeatsteak]

[Edgar sighs a little, but he's smiling. He can't decide whether to be annoyed by that assessment, or to revel in it.]

Smelly bloke who saved your arse just now sums it up better, don't you think? <[He hands her his axe.] Sharp bit goes in heads, alright? Don't lose it, now. [He smiles at her-- cocky, childish, and rawly confident-- over raised fists, ready to fight.]

[increscents]

Doesn't make you smell less. [ She shrugs off. You drive her heightened senses a little crazy, Edgar.

At least they're down now.

She takes the axe, not really debating it when she's weaponless, and swings it a little too easily. She may not have super strength, but she's not weak and she's not unused to the weight of a weapon. ]

Just remember to get behind me if it's get too mcuh. [ She flashes her own cocky grin and a wink. ] Now come on.

I'm not dying in a fucking haunted house.

[lifeatsteak]

Thanks. [He gives her a little salute.]

[Edgar pulls another weapon from his jacket, a shiv, clearly home-made.] Oh, me get behind you? I'll try'n pencil it in after crying into my handkerchief. [He walks swiftly, his steps matching hers. He's not afraid, he's determined.]