T.R. Lansing (darkertides) wrote in horror_story, @ 2012-10-31 18:38:00 |
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Entry tags: | alternate universe, eden, group post, holiday: halloween, rob, tatum |
Halloween AU: Group Post!
Who: T. Robert York, Eden Williams, ANYONE ELSE (OPEN to dead and inactive characters, as well... everyone's invited to frolic in the comments below)
When: October 31st, Halloween Night
Where: The York Estate Home
What: Fifth Annual York Masquerade Ball and Fundraiser
Warning: Zombies
Rules: Anyone can hop in, as infected or uninfected. Fresh zombies can be sentient and verbal, but must hunger for human flesh. Feel free to be silly. Kill each other, loot the place, dance with the dead. Whatever you want to do. It's AU! Have fun with it!
It was a dark and rainy Halloween night, but the wet weather was no hindrance to the fifth annual York Masquerade Ball and Fundraiser. The party was already in full swing, populated largely by the country’s elite. Those with designer costumes to flaunt and generous pocketbooks to open to... which charity was it, again? Wildlife preserves? No, that was summer, not fall. Some kind of children’s benefit, then. Christine York could never be accused of not thinking of the children. Rob absolutely hated these things. Opening the estate home to the rabble was bad enough, but it was somehow particularly insulting that he be expected to participate in the theme. Whether it was fear of embarrassment, or just early onset curmudgeonliness, Rob wasn’t the sort of person who enjoyed dressing up.
After years of doing his damnedest to find loopholes to the dress code, only to have his mother chide him at length for lack of effort (apparently tuxedos did not count as Halloween costumes on their own to Ms. Marx, even when the names James Bond and Patrick Bateman were invoked), Rob had actually worn a real costume. His older brother had initially suggested Dracula, as that only involved adding a cape and fake teeth to the tuxedo. The idea of having fake teeth in his mouth, or fake blood come anywhere near him, was unsettling, however. So that concept was swiftly nixed, as were myriad others, and Rob ultimately found himself at party covered head-to-toe in the garb of a 17th century plague doctor. Safely hiding his misery behind a floor-length cloak and bird-beaked mask.
The only reason Eden was attending the function was because Stephen had talked her into it. She'd initially planned on being at her apartment handing out candy and watching scary movies. However, Stephen had convinced her to be the Beauty to his Beast, and bought her a lovely yellow ballgown. That pretty much sunk the deal, because when your man gives you an expensive gown to wear, you wear it.
Stephen had wandered off to somewhere and had left Eden to entertain herself with the promise that he'd return shortly. Whatever “shortly” translated to this time. She'd just gotten herself a glass of champagne when her gaze found Rob in his costume. Though she was unaware that it was Rob behind the mask, she still felt like striking up a conversation with someone wearing a less traditional Halloween costume. Interesting costume choices made for interesting conversation? Or so she hoped as she made her way over and gave him a smile.
"That costume looks like it might get a tad bit warm as the night goes on." The same could be said about hers, to an extent. Except her arms weren't covered, and her face was unmasked.
Eden Williams. Rob couldn’t even bother feigning surprise at that. Of course his brother would bring Eden. He personally thought she was out of Stephen’s league, but had never said anything aloud to anyone about that. The garish, floor-length ball gown was probably also Stephen’s doing. It had Stephen York written all over it, or embroidered... or beaded, as the case may be. The man was lucky yellow suited her skin tone. Most women wouldn’t have been able to pull it off. Doubtless, Stephen was off in some kind of matching get-up, though Rob didn’t immediately get the reference.
She hadn’t recognized Rob, or she would have hurried on. The few meetings between them had been awkward and stilted at best. He never knew what to say to his brother’s girlfriends, and the latest one was no exception. When she made the apt comment about the temperature beneath his cloak, he just nodded. Yes, it was warm. Yes, it would only get warmer. At least he could go to the restroom on his own. She looked like she’d need servants to help her lift that skirt. God, why was his mind even summoning images of Eden Williams having to go the restroom? It wasn’t like he’d been drinking. He didn’t drink.
When the sound of glass being broken effectively interrupted him from having to comment verbally, Rob was actually grateful. Save for the fact that a split-second later it would register that shattering glass was never a good thing. The subsequent scream was also likely a bad sign, indicating that the shattered glass hadn’t been caused by a catering error of some kind; it had been one of the windows.
Great. Just what the party needed. Hordes of undead.