Match of the Millennium

Description: Sensing danger both within and beyond the castle walls, Velvet and Honey decide to make their way out - only to be confronted by the bones of the restless dead, slain in battle against the Scots centuries earlier. Clutching rusted medieval weaponry in skeletal hands, the horde refuses to allow any to leave the haunted halls of Blackthorne Castle before the Halloween holiday is through, believing the living to be the men they once fought!

[HAYLEY]
BLACKTHORNE CASTLE, that sinister citadel, that foreboding fortress, that ... generally creepy castle, has drawn many a guest to a party hosted by none other than the mysterious Midnight Channel and the loquacious Lyraelle, it's master of scare-i-monies.

The outer grounds of the castle sit surrounded by the moss-covered walls of the ancient stone and packed earth, lit by the dim flickering of the exterior lights (are those real lanterns or just festive LEDs?). A winding cobblestone path coming from the castle properly (where the party was) cuts its way through unkempt grass and weeds, largely forgotten with time.

In any case, this particular portion of the castle near the exit is rather quiet, almost too quiet, as the festivities are all concentrated elsewhere---at least, what are still going on at this bleak, late hour.

[VELVET BLUE]
Velvet wasn't just invited to the next Midnight Channel after getting back from India and having time to settle in, he was also there to look after the resident queen of the Midnight Channel, Lyraelle. He hadn't spent a lot of time in this part of Europe, and the fall air here was much more humid here than what he was used to, he found it ennervating. Clad in a long dark jacket over his usual full-body suit and long heeled platform boots, Velvet probably didn't seem like the usual clientele that regularly visited the castle. They were most certainly not here for a vacation--but they /had/ gone out for a walk, which leads the strange figure to be out and about on the grounds. Bit of a loner, perhaps? Or just liked to get some quiet. The rest of the people were likely inside the estate for the event--which is when it happened.

The feeling of the spiritual energy was one thing, it sent the short hairs on the back of the neck up, even on a human--but worse was the confusion of where it had actually /come from/, and /why/. Likely, a crazy white-furred bat lady in a black dress and stiletto heels was the last thing one might expect, but they had less time to think about that and more about what came next.

Namely the low, deep gutteral moan that began to issue from the landscape as it bucked and heaved slowly. Yeah that's not good.

[HONEY]
Honey, on the other hand, might be a bit of a surprise pick! She hasn't shown up on the Midnight Channel before, but are you going to *not* give a fashion girl an invite? And, of course, *she* was perfectly willing to come to a party, even if it was full of Darkstalkers and other strange people.

After all, she's a bit of a rebel herself.

But right now she's out and about on the castle grounds. It's late, and even Honey's time is not infinite. She'll have to rest eventually, and while she is enough of a party girl to stay up all night, she wants at least a quick look through the grounds before she goes. She's never seen a castle for real before.

Honey is wearing an outfit that is charitably described as 'sexy witch' because of course she is. A corset that does a lot to accent her bust (which doesn't really need it), a flared skirt that falls to mid-thigh and trimmed with black lace around the lower edge, a pair of boots with high stockings and integrated heels. She moves surprisingly lightly and gracefully for someone in heels like that.

At the sound of something out there, she slows down, head tilted slightly. What did she hear? She isn't sure.

[HAYLEY]
That same ominous moan stirs, like something in the castle itself was crying out in discomfort. It starts low and distant. The shifting of earth, perhaps, or maybe old wood or stone straining from some new stressor? It grows louder, though, and louder again---becoming the moan of some unseen person instead as it echoes through the outer grounds. ... maybe it's a special effect?

The ground suddenly rumbles and groans again, buckling like a wave rolling across the surface of the ocean. It is gone again not a moment after it appeared. -- maybe everyone imagined it?

But then, something pushes up against the earth. It's small, at first, like a insect, but then larger. A mole? A groundhog? The shape of the hand that breaks the surface a moment later creates more questions than answers. That same skeletal hand sticks straight up, then curves back and digs its fingers into the earth before pulling up and crawling out of the earth, a worn skeleton dressed in tatters of some sort of armor from ages past.

And before long, another rises, then another. The restless dead, three in total, pull their rusted and worn weapons from the earth after them.

And then the leader rolls his neck. He seems to be staring at Velvet, then Honey, but it's hard to tell on account of not having eyes--or a brow to furrow.

%"Oi, you seeing this?" he calls to the other two. "Aren't these the strangest looking bunch of Scots you've ever seen?"

The skeletons start rattling amongst themselves.

COMBATSYS: The Restless Dead has started a fight here on the top side.

                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead0|-------|-------

COMBATSYS: Velvet Blue has joined the fight here on the right meter side.

                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead0|-------|-------
                                  >  //////////////////////////////]
                                  |-------\-------\0      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: Honey has joined the fight here.

                 [ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead0|-------|-------
[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Honey            0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[VELVET BLUE]
It was a really strange sound, to be sure--but one that was definitely the definition of 'ruh roh raggy' if someone had been around the actual undead before--which Velvet had. Not always the sorts that he suspected was here, since it already felt way off here--vibe wise. He starts running--the soil feeling loose and soggy beneath the grass, rounding the corner of one of the remnants of the outer, medieval stone wall--with none other than Honey coming right into sight. Was it a woman cosplaying--hired by midnight channel? Or was she one of the fighters that came as a contestant??

Velvet stopped his run, heels of his platformed boots skidding along through the grass as he comically came to a stop.

"Have to admit, I love those boots--also look alive, cuz' they're not," Velvet stuck out a dark-nailed finger towards the Jason and the Argonauts-esque skelebros that had assembled here from the ground, clad in remnants of medieval armor and wielding ancient arms. It was perhaps weird enough to cancel out the fact a bat-eared, yellow-eyed individual with a blue forked tail in platform heels had just rolled up and told her to watch the heck out. Or maybe not.

"Have you ever seen 'Thriller'? because this is gonna be a lot like that," Velvet drew the short katana-like blade from one of his boots, apparently not thinking the brit-skeletons were here for some meatpies and warm beer. No apparently Velvet thought they were there for a bit more than that~

The bat-eared performer launched himself up after slipping in front of Honey and tried to launch a kick at one of the skeleton's midsections!

[HONEY]
Bat ears don't seem to disturb Honey. Maybe she's seen worse (today). Maybe she assumes it's a costume (also given today). But she doesn't seem worried. "Hey, thanks!" Honey says, giving a little spin. "I made them myself. The whole thing, really! You've got to stand out a bit at a party like this. You, too! And the tail."

But there's a more obvious question than 'why do you have a tail'. Why is there a hand coming out of the ground? Seriously, why? That's not the normal place for hands! "Of course I've seen Thriller!" Honey says, "but I didn't expect to be living it!" Though if those skeletons could be defeated by dancing she'd be right in there.

"Who're you calling Scottish?" Honey's voice certainly has no trace of *that* accent as she looks at the armed, armoured skeletons. On one hand, it's dangerous. On the other hand, well, Velvet's already in there, and it doesn't look like the skeletons came to have a drink...

Honey rushes in after Velvet. She curls her hand just so and delivers a smacking punch that owes more of its expression to a cat's paw than a fist; it looks like she's batting at the skeleton, except hard enough to bowl it over, and bruise. Well, if it had flesh it would bruise. Honey has to privately admit she's never fought anything that didn't.

COMBATSYS: The Restless Dead Toughs Out Velvet Blue's Dragula!

                 [  |||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead0|-------|------=
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Honey            0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: The Restless Dead blocks Honey's Cat Scratch.

                 [   ||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead0|-------|-----==
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Honey            0/-------/-------|=------\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[HAYLEY]
"Oh, yeah, them's a weird couple of Scots, yea?" the second skeleton speaks up in turn, gesturing a bit with one bony hand (that is missing two fingers). He shifts a spear he's holding to one hand to do so.

"I don't care what they are," the third skeleton hoists a big warhammer. "They're TRESPASSERS!" This leads to a messy, noisy clicking of bones as the the three agree on that part and get ready to advance.

That is, until Velvet Blue plants his boot right into the middle of one--literally, the toes of his shoe sticking up through a gap in the ribcage as they skeleton proves a bit more awkward to hit that he seemed. The heel still hits a rib heavily through before the skeleton starts making a rattling cackle.

"Oh, we got some live ones, den! Let's have at!"

Honey's cat paw strike comes in a moment after, the skeleton reacting a bit more readily this time by raising a rusty old shield--which immediately caves in the middle with a cacophonous thump before rolling on across the yard. The skeleton looks at his hand where it was, staring unblinking (but not for lack of trying). "Well den. Guess that ain't gettin' much use, is it?"

He instead swings a sword overhead, aiming to smack Velvet first---provided he hasn't retreated already!

"You two back me up!" he calls to the others. "Ya gits."

COMBATSYS: The Restless Dead successfully hits Velvet Blue with Medium Punch.

                 [   ||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead0|-------|-----==
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Honey            0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[VELVET BLUE]
"These're higher quality undead than I thought--" Velvet has noticed them speaking but also seem to be able to follow orders--which seems to track with what he's seen so far. Someone called these things here--and they're not going to let anyone pass. His boot is perhaps too big to fit through the ribs, they're blockier than one might expect perhaps, especially from him--but it at least seems to have some effect.

"You /made/ that? My god--I need to exchange cards with you--if we make it through this!" Velvet is cut off by the sudden sword swing--which impacts his shoulder, just a hair higher and it would have likely swung right at his neck--and cursed loudly as he's bashed by it. It's not the sharpest of blades after all those hundreds of years--but it still has weight, and it can still hurt--but the darkstalker is still quick to recover.

"Fssst--ow, backup? YOU better backup--" Velvet swings his short sword up in an arc, trying to repay the skeleton back in kind. It dawns on him perhaps a second too late this is not the wisest choice, given the opponents lack of tissue.

[HONEY]
"Sure!" is Honey's immediate response to Velvet. "I've got a card, you can give me a call~ ... just probably not when there are skeletons around?"

They're kind of creepy. And gross. And attacking.

The skeletons do not attack Honey, preferring to go after Velvet first. She decides to show them why that's a mistake by rapidly stepping around them, keeping one hand raised like she was going to smack one of them again.

She does not. She pivots in place, presenting her back to one of the skeletons. Which would be a mistake, except for the twisting, thrusting movement she makes, swiveling to smash into its flank with her rear end. Hard. *Really* hard. "I've got your back!"

COMBATSYS: The Restless Dead blocks Velvet Blue's Medium Strike.

                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead0|-------|----===
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Honey            0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: The Restless Dead dodges Honey's Booty Bop.

                 [    |||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead0|-------|----===
[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Honey            0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[HAYLEY]
The sword does have weight--the blade is a bit lacking in the sharpness department. Perhaps it's greatest power besides being a bludgeon is the very real dangerous of tetanus. As the skeleton draws his sword back, Velvet has apparently moved already to counter-strike, swinging his own blade in toward the boney bother. It cracks down and while there's no flesh or muscle to cut through, the old bone and narrow starts to fragment, letting a ghostly green vapor pour out from it.

It staggers backward as though it's sprung a leak--and falls lifeless to the ground once more.

And then, the second skeleton is bopped by Honey's bottom, hit with such force that it goes flying across the courtyard. With the poor lighting, it's hard to tell what exactly happened to it. It seems to be a moot point, at the moment, however, as a group is replaced--another skeleton crawling out of the dirt to join the ranks. This one reaches up and lets loose a ghastly wail as it grabs at Honey's boot!

[VELVET BLUE]
"Woah--looked like it took the hit pretty well, sheesh," Vel has to momentarily feel a little bad about watching the skelington collapse, it's not like they really /chose/ to be here, or anything. He has to step back when Honey turns and attempts to just... booty bounce the skeleton away. One has to admire the strength and skill put into that sort of technique--and also the amount of booty required. Vel has to feel a little lacking watching it--especially as the undead soldier is knocked clear away by it.

"Feelin' a little inadequate here--" Velvet teases Honey as he swings one of those heavy platform heeled boots up to try and catch one of the spartoi with the very heel of his boot--their upper body leaning back to balance their weight!

COMBATSYS: The Restless Dead successfully hits Honey with Wail of an Untimely End.

                 [     ||||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead0|-------|---====
[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////////     ]
Honey            0/-------/---====|====---\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[HONEY]
"It's all practice, but it's all right if you look~," Honey shoots back at Velvet - just as the skeleton grabs her boot! Honey's attempt to free herself by hopping backwards doesn't actually pan out for her, the skeletal grasp inescapable!

Honey leaps with her other foot, momentarily supported only by the skeleton as she bounds high, trying to free herself from further attacks by the simple expedient of getting her other heeled boot on the skeleton's skull and riding it all the way to the ground, bearing the undead monster down by her body weight (such as it is; she's not very heavy) and kicking force. "Aaaah, let go!!"

COMBATSYS: The Restless Dead blocks Velvet Blue's Mule Kick.

                 [      |||||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead0|-------|--=====
[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Honey            0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: The Restless Dead endures Honey's Medium Kick.

                 [         ||||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead0|-------|=======
[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Honey            0/-------/---====|=====--\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[HAYLEY]
The heeled boot catches one of the skeletons solidly on the chin, spinning the undead's skull around completely several times before his head fall off--into his own arms.

"Hoi, rude!" it protests, talking despite its current beheaded state.

The one attempting to pull Honey to the ground find itself used as a stepping stool as she kicks, then stands, then slams the skeleton to the ground where it's fragile skull shatters on impact, worn as it is in the face of Honey's skill and strength.

But even as this happens, the skeleton holding his head lunges for Velvet, trying to grab hold of him. If it does, it's embrace has a certain, deathly chill to it. Icy, even, as whatever magic animating it seems like it's trying to sap some of the heat out of the living!

COMBATSYS: Velvet Blue blocks The Restless Dead's Keening of Winter's Embrace.

                 [          |||||||||||||||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead1|-------|=======
[     \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Honey            0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0      Velvet Blue

[VELVET BLUE]
"Oof--guess they didn't have plats back in the 12th century, did they!" Velvet seems to get a bit of a bravado boost from the hard time the skel has with receiving a full force kick like that, he's about to retaliate further when the nearest stop motion bugger makes a grab for him, clasping around his biceps. His eyes shooting wide open as they heat is rapidly sucked out of their body, Vel grunts and pushes his arms outward--throwing the skeleton's grip off, bringing their right leg up in an attempt to plant it against the ribcage of their bony attacker and kick him away, in a quick self-defense manuever.

No hands on the performer, pal!"

[HONEY]
Honey rides the skeleton down to the ground in a stomp, which has a better result than she was hoping for. Really, she didn't necessarily mean to break it.

But if it works, it works! In what may end up being a bad idea, Honey assumes this skeleton is disabled for at least a while and turns away from it, her skirt flaring out a little bit as she does a little spin in place. One spin, then another!

This one's a kick, though. She kicks high enough to reveal the black leotard under-layer as she delivers a head-high spinning kick at the ribs of Velvet's skeleton, assisting him with the kick away. "Need a hand? Or a foot, I guess!" Honey jokes, balancing on one foot after her kick.

If she's joking, she doesn't have to think about fighting living skeletons. Which, seriously, kind of creepy.

COMBATSYS: The Restless Dead endures Honey's Cat Tail.

                 [             ||||||||||||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead1|-----==|=======
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Honey            0/-------/-======|======-\-------\0      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: The Restless Dead attempts to interrupt Medium Throw from Velvet Blue with Hymn of Better Tomorrows.

                 [                |||||||||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead1|-----==|=======
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////       ]
Honey            0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: Velvet Blue reverses Hymn of Better Tomorrows from The Restless Dead with Pearl Edge.

                 [                      |||||||| ]
                 The Restless Dead1|--=====|=======
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Honey            0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1      Velvet Blue

[HAYLEY]
Velvet kicks the skeleton away and, for a brief moment, it flounders. Honey's spinning kick hits it hard in the ribs and sends it flying. It flounders before hitting the ground and practically exploding into a pile of bones as goes to pieces.

Even as it does, however, another skeleton erupts from the ground and tries to grab Velvet's leg in a vice grip!

While the skeletons have kept coming, there numbers do seem to be dwindling. Previously, they were pouring out of the ground to replace the (re)fallen, but there's not a new one this time---at least.

[VELVET BLUE]
Velvet does like to put on a good show--but even he has to be a little taken back by the sheer voracity of the attack--they just kept coming! He has to move with inhuman speed as he kicks one skeleton away, for it to explode into bones, Castlevania-style--then another erupts from the ground, reaching for him!

There is a yellow and white glowing line of energy scything a crescent through the air as Velvet draws his short blade from the sheath tucked in his right boot and completes the gesture before the eye can register--the skeleton's reaction arm goes flying, sliced cleanly at the elbow.

"Oof, gonna need to take 5 here soon," he wipes his brow with the sleeve of his suit, hand clenched around the hilt of the blade, chest heaving with respiration.

[HONEY]
Honey drops back to a two-footed stance once it turns out that she's not immediately going to have to kick a skeleton in the face analogue.

"Look out!" Honey calls, though it turns out Velvet doesn't need the help, given he's already just carved the arm off the thing. She winces, reflexively, even though it's a skeleton and nobody cares if their arms get cut off.

"Don't worry, we've got this! They're not going to keep us at THIS downer of a party!" Honey does a spinning pose for a moment before reaching out toward a skeleton, gripping it by the rib bones (eew) and flinging it upward in the air! As it falls, she hops forward, doing a handstand and driving her heels upward in a straight vertical kick for it to land on, a powerful throw-assisted blow.

COMBATSYS: Honey successfully hits The Restless Dead with Fierce Combo.

                 [                            || ]
                 The Restless Dead2|<<<<<<<|<<<<<<<
[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Honey            0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1      Velvet Blue

But one of the other remaining skeletons is closing the gap, barreling down on Velvet with that warhammer from before! It's companion, however, has less success. It's grabbed, one of the ribs disonnecting with a pop as it's flipped up, caught on Honey's boots, then kicked away to shatter into a pile of bones. The remaining skeleton, still wielding a warhammer looks at Velvet, then Honey, then Velvet.

It opts to charge toward Velvet, barreling down on him as it raises the warhammer high. It swings it down repeatedly with several thunderous blows...

after which, regardless of whether it strikes true or not, the skeleton falls apart, its energy apparently expended.

Perhaps they are safe...for now?"

COMBATSYS: The Restless Dead can no longer fight.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////        ]
Honey            0/-------/-======|=======\=------\1      Velvet Blue

COMBATSYS: The Restless Dead successfully hits Velvet Blue with Gravestone of Final Acts EX.

[      \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////                 ]
Honey            0/-------/-======|=======\=======\1      Velvet Blue

[HAYLEY]
The skeleton doesn't seem to immediately parse that it's missing an arm. Instead, it sits there dumbstruck for a moment as the limb sails away. It would likely blink slowly---if it it had eyelids.

But one of the other remaining skeletons is closing the gap, barreling down on Velvet with that warhammer from before! It's companion, however, has less success. It's grabbed, one of the ribs disonnecting with a pop as it's flipped up, caught on Honey's boots, then kicked away to shatter into a pile of bones. The remaining skeleton, still wielding a warhammer looks at Velvet, then Honey, then Velvet.

It opts to charge toward Velvet, barreling down on him as it raises the warhammer high. It swings it down repeatedly with several thunderous blows...

after which, regardless of whether it strikes true or not, the skeleton falls apart, its energy apparently expended.

Perhaps they are safe...for now?

[VELVET BLUE]
"Hey you're doing alright over there, you could say you've got some killer fashion, hon--ohshi--" Velvet is shocked out of his moment of wisecracking as one of the larger skels rushes him with a warhammer. Turning on his heel to move--a largish pebble slides underneath the sole of his boot and he is momentarily off balance. Now he's even more worried, from the look on his face.

The warhammer comes down and Vel puts his arms to brace for it in defense--but as it swings, Velvet is knocked back--through one of the nearby bits of stone statuery that are placed here and there throughout the 'gardens' of the outer ground, sending him tumbling down the hill a ways before he comes to rest on his back.

"Uhhhh..." Velvet weakly holds an arm up, the limb shuddering a bit before dropping back down. For a few more seconds, Velvet looks around, eyes staring into the gloom as he ponders the strange turns his life has taken--before slowly pulling himself up and to his feet.

"Ow... Are you okay, over there? Honey, baby? Kitty--whatever--" Velvet is both trying to make his brain work and deal with the remaining tide of pain that rolls against his shore.

[HONEY]
Honey continues forward, arcing her legs forward to touch down and bring her up to a standing position. The 'ta-da' is implied, because she doesn't actually say it.

"Are you okay over there...?" She isn't sure if she should just run over to Velvet or if that's asking for a skeleton to jump out of nowhere and ambush her. None show up. "I think we got all of them!" And she, at least, is in good shape. But then again she didn't just get hit with a hammer, so maybe that's not unexpected. She's still keeping her eyes out in case the dead rise again, though. "We can get out of here before they come back. The party was okay, but the ending sucked!"

She finally does give Velvet a hand up. "Kitty's fine~ I'll take either one. Oh, and because I promised!" Velvet finds a card being pressed into his hand - just her name, and a number. Maybe she really is a designer?

[VELVET BLUE]
"In need of some extra-strength Bayer and an icepack, but I'll be okay, I think," Velvet is hurt, but not so much that he's completely flattened. He looks around warily, not detecting any of the weird energy from the skeletons anymore. He takes the fashionista's hand and is grateful for the help, nodding to her.

"Thanks--hey, nice typeface on this--so we hitting the castle, or just bouncing? It's your choice, likely whoever's inside can get out now, since those guys are gone now," he nods, apparently they've managed to quell the invasion of the dead.

For now, anyway.

Log created on 20:18:18 10/30/2022 by Honey, and last modified on 07:49:03 11/06/2022.