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Doors Verse ([info]doorsverse) wrote in [info]doorslogs,
@ 2013-10-18 21:51:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:plot: halloween

Who: Everyone!
What: The Halloween plot
Where: Passages → The RMS Mauretania
Notes: This is a group log, so anything goes as far as adult content. Please provide locations and warnings, whenever appropriate, in subject lines. Characters may only be in one place at a time, not in multiple threads simultaneously, and you must post using the “doorsween” anon account. This post is anonymous; no names, accents, or defining fonts, please. Lastly, comment with "dibs" on threads you intend to hit, and feel free to exit your characters from threads at any time.



The Mauritania is a ghost ship.

Launched in 1938, it's been decades since she sailed the oceans, and yet the doors of Passages open onto the night-darkened deck of a ship that is barely afloat. She tilts, she lurches, and she is cobweb-lined from her deserted bridge to her silent deck. There is no land to be sighted from any railing, and no light save that from the stars overhead. The promenade winds around the upper level in ominous silence, and haunting music can be heard beyond the doors that lead into the ship's interior.

Promenade; Elevator: It's a curious thing, this ghost ship's elevator. Opulent and splendid, it takes up the entire center of the grand entrance, and it is meant to carry passengers down into the belly of the ship. But it doesn't work just right. Sometimes, the elevator drops impossible lengths. Sometimes, the elevator stops altogether for hours at a time. Yet somehow it's always empty and awaiting new passengers.

First Class; Baths: The upper-level, with its height and distance from the ocean, feels safe and bright. Classical music can be heard in these halls, though there is no orchestra and the ballroom is ominously dark. Laughter leads passengers to the one mostly-lit area in first class, where a swimming bath leads to smaller, more private Turkish bath. The lights here are quiet, flickering and barely there, and shadows dance elusively in the depths of the pool, while ghostly laughter can be heard in the private bath stalls.

Second Class; Theater: Down a level, the second-class floor is louder than the elite first-class floor. Here the air is thick with cigar smoke, and glasses can be heard clinking from the open doors to the smoking room. But it's the theater that draws passengers on this floor. It is cramped and entirely dark, save for the monochrome film on the screen, hauntingly devoid of sound, where a collection of terrifying collages and darkly sexual imagery fill the screen.

Third Class; Dining: Claustrophobic stairs lead down to the narrow passages of the cramped third-class rooms, where the air is heavy and thick, and where the lights flicker and cast the hall into windowless darkness. Here, the ghostly gears of the engine room can be heard sputtering dangerously, and the sensation of the ship's tilting is most pronounced. At the end of the hall, the dining area gives the illusion of windows where none exist. Chairs are pushed aside to allow for dancing to soulful and intimate music, while ocean water teases shoes and heels.



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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-21 09:43 am UTC (link)
The rumble, the word, the thought, sent a wash of ice along her spine, but though she perhaps paled slightly in the wake of it, she refused to react further. "I am quite certain," she replied, firm but not as sharply antagonistic as she had been to start. "And if you attempt to think that you are, then you are horribly mistaken." She had no master. She was certain of it. There was no one to fill such a role.

Her hands flattened against the front of her dress, as if the simple motion could somehow ward off the things he spoke of. She shook her head once, decisive, denying that simple praise would be enough to undo the straps of her armor, the delicate ties and buttons up the back of the silk and satin that enveloped her. Her face flushed, she could feel the heat suffusing her cheeks and she knew they had grown pink. It was hardly proper for a princess to blush like a small girl, but she couldn't keep the color away from normally pale skin.

"Positive," she attempted to recover. Ice, steel, and armor. Three things she hoped that she could rely on to get her through this. A situation that was slowly slipping away from her as she remained confronted by him. And yet she refused to admit that perhaps there wasn't quite so much of the warrior in her as she might hope. Perhaps, indeed, she was more the pampered and delicate princess than she wanted to confess to. But all she needed to do was convince him that she was warrior, and she could leave, find someplace quiet. Hide away. Yes, that sounded right. Tuck the princess away, keep her from the dragons outside. She only had to play the game for a moment, and she was certain she could do that. "I thank you for your concern, but I am quite content with what I have. Any perceived unwillingness to answer is simply a desire to keep my thougths to myself." Her voice had grown softer, less steely by the end. It wasn't pleading - not yet - but neither was it the edged blade that it had been before.

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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-22 12:37 pm UTC (link)
"That depends on your definition of ownership," he hissed. That same smoky drawl continued, hard to read in the absence of facial expression. There was a bit of an amused inflection in the tone, but the undertones held more.

While she seemed to hold herself quite upright, morally rigid perhaps, he noted the blush, watched her falter. She was not as confident as she appeared, not quite a mighty warrior or one so settled in her ways. He was intrigued, stepping closer to the woman, but not enough that she could catch him off guard.

"You lie," he replied. "Your body is giving you away. You are considering your options, and I am in them. No wonder you want to keep them to yourself. Letting those thoughts surface could be dangerous." With a quick snap, he disappeared, and reappeared behind her, just by inches this time. He was showing his magic, a light display, yet a powerful one. He could certainly keep up if she ran, or perhaps he would let her, reappear later just to terrify and entice. He was the cat, and his mouse wasn't sure if he was friend or foe, just the way he liked the game.

"What are your thoughts screaming at you now?"

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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-22 12:51 pm UTC (link)
She tried to hold her ground, to keep her feet planted, but when he moved forward toward her, one heel inched back, shifting her weight away from him. "It depends on nothing," she insisted, attempting to regain the steel that was so steadily melting away from her.

"I do no such thing. I am not considering anything, especially not that contains you." Fighting and attempting to stay strong, but she worried that it was a battle she was swiftly losing. The truth was closer to what he was saying than her own words, but she refused to admit it to him.

When he disappeared, reappeared, a scared mouse sound escaped her throat and she whirled, trying to find him from the location of his voice. She turned, her dress flaring out to brush his legs with a hiss of fine material studded with beads and embroidery, then backed away a swift handful of steps, trying to watch him in case he disappeared again. Her heart thundered, pulse racing in a way that felt hard enough to be seen or felt by someone else. She'd forgotten the short sword at her waist, forgotten everything except the man confronting her. "My thoughts do not scream," she said, voice slipping down to a whisper as she gave him another lie. She folded her hands in on themselves, careful fists to try to steady herself.

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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-22 05:50 pm UTC (link)
A laugh issued from the man, low and hollow. He noted the weapon that she had ignored. It was time to make a move. He watched her back up, waited until she stopped, and with a pop, he reappeared in front of her. His hand moved to grab the sword easily, pulling it from it's sheath at the hilt. "Now what do your thoughts scream?" he asked, lowering to an icier tone.

"Never lose sight of your weapon, and never fight with an unknown enemy until you have judged their skill - if possible." Again he laughed, still not revealing his face. "Now you are scared though, and you should be. It seems that I do have the advantage, and I am only getting started."

The warlock moved back, examining the sword that he had claimed. "Let's judge my mood. Is it good or bad? Will I kill you? Would it surprise you to know that I haven't decided yet? I may just want a prize, a small token really. Are you prepared to give me what I want?"

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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-22 10:42 pm UTC (link)
She nearly stumbled back at his sudden appearance directly in front of her, a gasp escaping before she could think to calm herself. She pulled away as he drew the sword from the sheath, only remembering that she was armed once it was gone. What were her thoughts screaming? Run. But she knew how sometimes running didn't work. How it could be bait for a chase. And so she stayed where she was, even though her heart beat even harder at his tone. (Familiar, too familiar.)

She wanted him look at the sword, wishing intensely that she had it, even if she was uncertain now that she could wield it. "I don't know," she replied, voice now what it should be, hesitant and soft. She paused, light eyes wide as they watched him. "What do you want?" She knew suddenly that she would say yes. Depending on what it was, she would say yes. Though she would not admit that to him.

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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-23 05:56 pm UTC (link)
The man paced back and forth before her, mocking her with the sword he had claimed. She was an easy target now, too terrified. It pleased him, but it also bored him. "I'm still considering what I want. There aer so many choices that work for me." He had a dark sense of humor, evident in his tone, and the way he enjoyed himself. "I could take anything from your armor to you life, to the beating heart carved out of your chest by your own sword."

He moved quickly, twirling the sword once. She found it at her throat. He pierced enough to draw a drop of blood. Removing the sword, his finger moved to her throat watching the blood pool on his nail. He licked it off the nail. "It's as red as anyone else's, Princess, and not any sweeter. I'll take all of it if I want to." He could have anything he wanted to. He was the Warlock. His magic was the most powerful, and that power was infinite. He was drunk on it.

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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-24 01:57 pm UTC (link)
She was scared. Her heart hammered in her chest so hard that she worried about it being heard even through the steel of the armor that covered that side of her body. But the threat of being hurt, of having her armor taken away, in the next moment it didn't seem as much of a worry. She swung back again toward stubbornness, haughty princess steel, as if her own mind could not be made up from one moment to the next, and she shook her head. "You think there is anything here to take?"

The pain of the sword at her throat was a fraction of what she'd felt before, and she clung to the stubbornness, to stay still as the blade came toward her, held against her. She couldn't stop the slight flinch, but she didn't back away, simply stared at him down the length of the sword. It was the touch, finger to throat, that drew a reaction, a quiet inhale and slow blink as the red of her blood transfered to his nail. She stared as he licked it away, but then shook her head. What she was disagreeing with though, even she couldn't tell in that moment.

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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-24 09:44 pm UTC (link)
"There is always something to take, but today I am feeling like an artist. I think a new tattoo would look beautiful on you, and if you stay still you live. If not - ," he shrugged simply. He reached for her arm and yanked it towards him. "At first, I thought to use your sword, but I think we will do just fine with my wand instead."

He looked at her, still not allowing her to see his face, just a flicker of glowing eyes. His eyes were a warning not to cross him. "If you fight me, I will tie you down with your intestines." It was a statement uttered almost casually, yet his grip was a display of strength. He drew his wand, pressing to a pale wrist sending a searing sensation into her skin. "Are you so certain that you are so much better than I?"

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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-24 10:08 pm UTC (link)
She began to draw away as he reached for her, but with the fullness of her skirt, he caught her before she could avoid his grip. She stumbled forward when he yanked, caught herself before she fell, but it left her nearly on her knees, looking up at him and the spark of his eyes within the hood.


"Don't," she whispered, the words wavering and faltering even before the threat and the pain. She tested his grip by twisting her arm slightly, trying to pull away, but then she went quiet again, staring up at him. "I won't," she said, a different edge to her voice, something... almost interested. But then the pain started, and she squeezed her eyes shut, tipping her face away. Her arm jerked reflexively, away, though not nearly enough to be an attempt at escape. "No," the word emerged with a whimper.

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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-25 09:22 pm UTC (link)
For the first time, his eyes truly lit up, glowing white orbs under that hood. "Did I give you a choice?" he nearly screamed. It was the first real show of emotion from the man who had been icy during the whole encounter, teasing with barbs that were uncaring and unfeeling. "You don't get a choice." He had no time for women who shut him out. Silly little princesses who thought they were above everyone, he would take them down, one by one. He had the power.

He jerked her arm roughly, digging into it now, drawing a line over her forearm, letting it burn in for longer than was needed. He followed it with another. It was a rough sketch, but it was her sword, the one he had taken because she forgot to pay attention. It definitely wasn't beautifully etched, but it was finished. His grip was still strong and solid. "It's a reminder of how much you submit to me, and don't try to deny that. I'm still debating on sparing your life."

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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-25 09:49 pm UTC (link)
The shouting made her startle and wince away, falling down to her knees. She was used to quiet danger, not loud outbursts. It caught her between fear and confusion, but still cringing down to make herself smaller, disappearing into the fabric of her full skirt.

The burn along her forearm drew another sound from her throat, even as she tried to squeeze her eyes shut and stay silent. Each inch brought another gasping sound, tears beginning to push from her eyes and track their way over cheeks that had gone too pale in her pain. Her lips parted, wet and trembling, to allow herself to pant, attempt to breathe through the pain. "I'm sorry," she finally managed, familiar whispers, habits of things she'd said before. "I don't deny. I..." Her arm throbbed again and she cut off for a second as she swallowed it back. "I don't deserve being... spared."

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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-26 01:33 am UTC (link)
The man stood, hesitating. Her tears were an undoing of sorts. He had broken her in spirit, as his own had been broken by the need for power. He disgraced her the way he disgraced himself along the way, and now she was broken. "You will be spared. You are no challenge to me." He also couldn't kill. He didn't have it in him. As much as he wanted to finish what he started, he couldn't.

He waved his wand over her arm, uttering a spell that would cool it. The mark remained, but the pain would recede. "Never forget to fight. You have to earn your jewels like you have to earn this sword. Consider this sword my gift."

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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-26 01:44 am UTC (link)
It wasn't the words, but the ceasing of pain that made her look up, shoulders still hitching with tears she refused to vocalize even though they slipped down over her cheeks. Her arm ached with remnant pain as she tried to listen to and understand what he was saying to her.

It took the last spark she had within her to find her voice, meek and quiet, though the words held an intensity that she could not let go. "I hate you." It was so quiet that the distant hiss of water against the ship's hull nearly drowned her out. She finally drew her arm back to her body, cradling it against herself and staring down at the mark. "I hate you," she repeated, mouthing the words toward her skin, herself, as her dress continued to swallow her as she made herself as small as possible. She shook her head to the thought of earning jewels or gifts. No. There would be none of that.

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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-26 02:05 pm UTC (link)
The warlock shrugged, unconcerned with what she liked, wanted, hated, or any other emotion. "You will be in line with the others, just another girl, but you will remember me. However, by tomorrow there will be another girl." That was important. He wanted to be remembered, even if it meant in a mark carved on her skin.

"I will leave you with this. If you were a little more - cordial - when we met, this would have ended differently," he said, giving pause around the word, deciding it was the right one. "We could have simply had a drink." He took several steps backward, keeping his eyes on the girl, who now looked more peasant than princess. "I hope you enjoyed my work as I have. It had been a pleasure." His voice was laced with mocking cruelty, pointed like the tip of the sword he possessed. "Have a lovely evening."

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Re: Elevator to First Class
[info]doorsween
2013-10-26 02:36 pm UTC (link)
She spat at his feet before he made his exit and glared at him, like she couldn't quite decide whether to be meek or stubborn, swinging back and forth between the two. She gathered her arms beneath the layers of skirt so that she could rise without tripping on them. And she looked down her nose at him, hiding that her arm still throbbed red with its new mark. "I will forget you. You are hardly a man to remember. I have known both better and worse and you have no place within their ranks."

With those words, she turned away from him and slipped into the shadows around the edges of the rooms, disappearing from him.

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