The Halloween Party

[Jude Dorrian]

Jude prised himself from her grasp- a little reluctantly, he had to admit- and massaged his temples, inhaling deeply. His ears were still ringing slightly, and he was beginning to feel a bit annoyed at himself. Of course there was going to be loud music. Of course he should've been prepared for it. But he'd been so caught up in the preparation for the party...
He'd humiliated himself in front of Ailith.
"Enhanced senses," Jude mumbled apologetically. "Really, they're a pain at the best of times, and I forgot my ear-plugs..."
All the ear-plugs actually did was muffle the sound, but after all, that was all he needed. He sighed, and looked back at the room. He could still hear the thumping of music.
"Sorry about my sister," he muttered. "She's really... yeah."

[Ailith Rayner]

Ailith tried to prevent herself grinning. It wasn't happening. She'd actually forgotten the comment in trying to get Jude out of the Room. The fact that Jude remembered ... it was ... well she didn't know what it was but somehow it made her pulse rate rise.
"It's OK. I should talk to her sometime. She seems ... friendly. You two close?"

[Jude Dorrian]

He supposed confessing that he'd basically been her surrogate father growing up would seem a bit of an off thing to say to Ailith, especially considering that they didn't know each other overly well yet.
Emphasis on the yet.
"Close enough," he shrugged. "She gets on my nerves sometimes though. What about you? D'you have any siblings?"

[Tamika Dombrovski]

"What do you mean what do I mean?!" Tamika asked, slightly nastier than intended.
"Well it's not everyday someone comes out with something like that. Have you taken anything, Mika?" Will asked calmly, being patient for fear that Tamika's drink had been spiked or something.
"Will. I have not got anything mind affecting in my system. I can see spirits. For crying out loud, I can see most of the people killed at battle are in this dammed room with us!"
Tamika said that a little louder than she meant and a couple of people turned round to look at her. "Yes?!" She snarled at them, they turned away muttering something about how rude she was. At this point Will thought it would be better to go speak in the hallway, before Tamika snapped at anyone else. They left the room, shuffling past many people and stood silent for a couple of seconds.
"Tamika, you honestly can't believe..."
She sighed and fidgeted with her dress hem. "I spoke to my aunt, this is my third gift... Will, I don't want a power like this. I don't want to walk around seeing the dead and dammit, I've only seen him a few times but I hate seeing Anton around you and knowing I can't help him!"
As if on cue, Anton appeared behind Will, still telling Tamika he wanted to speak to Will.
"Anton wants to talk to you Will," Tamika said softly. Her tone and attiude totally changed as she mentioned this to her friend, she could hardly be nasty when this was such a touchy subject to raise.

[Ailith Rayner]

"Nah, just me. Sometimes I think I would like one but then I look at other examples of brothers and sisters and I think 'phew'!"
Ailith had always thought she'd love a sister. She got a bit lonely as often female company was hard to come by in the Watch House, and in the Assassins School everyone shied away from company altogether. Now that she was here she could see how siblings interacted and it was definately a love-hate relationship.
"Shall we find your ear-plugs and maybe sunglasses wouldn't be a bad idea?" Ailith suggested. She could have stayed here all night, she wasn't much of a party-girl, but coming to Orchid Hill was something of a personal revolution; so much of her personality had morphed. New place, new identity? No, that's not what this is...

[Will Wright]

Will looked at her friend in bewilderment.
It couldn't be.
It shouldn't be.
It was not natural.
Then again neither was the fact of what Kira and her were still trying to figure out but had gotten a little side tracked.
Will sighed trying to calm herself down, when Tamika spoke again.
"Anton wants to talk to you Will," Tamika said softly.
Will just stared at her for a few minutes before she sank to the ground. She put her head in her knees and put her arms around her head. She started crying. Tamika sat down beside her.
"Will, are you ok?" she asked softly.
"Am I ok? Am I....yeah I'm great. You just tell me you can see my dead boyfriend and that he wants to talk to me," her voice was full of sarcasim and hurt with the tiniest hint of anger.
Suddenly the warm fuzzy feeling passed through her again. She got the faintest smell of him.
Anton, is that you? she thought as she turned her head every where expecting to see him.
Her eyes finally rested on Tamika.
"Is he trying to talk to me?"

[Jude Dorrian]

He nodded meekly, and looked back at the room. "Lee's a conjurer," he sighed, "if we went and found him..."
He trailed off and looked over at Ailith.
"Or we don't have to go back in. Tameron will be waiting to pounce, and I'm pretty sure you don't wanna be stuck with my little sister following us about the place."
It was a little unfair on Tameron, he supposed, whom he knew was determined to meet this girlfriend of his, but he didn't care. Ailith didn't need to be bothered by his sister right now.
She could wait.

[Tamika Dombrovski]

Tamika nodded slowly. "He wants to, but he hasn't been on the other side long enough to know how to manifest himself..."
She thought for a moment before speaking again.
"Will... I know I only just discovered this gift and all, but I've seen psychics let spirits take over there body... I can try and do this for you if you want, so you can talk with him?" Tamika offered.
Will looked up teary eyed and disbelieving, "Mika, please don't tell me this is some sick joke you're trying to play."
Tamika's mouth dropped as Will said this, "What, you think I'm horrible enough to do that?! I'm just trying to help you Will!" She snapped.
Will sighed, "Okay, Mika, I'm sorry... Can you try the taking over thing?"
Tamika nodded and stood up, "Anton... You probably haven't learnt to do this where you are and I haven't learnt to do this here, but I'm letting you into my aura, can you try and take over my body?"
Anton nodded at Tamika and as she moved away from her physical body, he entered it. Tamikas body doubled over, coughing and stumbling before becoming more steady after a couple of minutes.
"Will?"
Will looked up, the body no longer had a Russian accent, but instead had a south London accent like Antons. "Anton, is that really you?"
"Well, me in a girls body, but me nonetheless!"
They both laughed and Will stood up and hugged Anton.
"Will, I just want to let you know I'm sorry for going out onto the field. I'll always be with you and I love you, I just wish I had of had more time with you..."
"I love you too Anton, I always will."
Tamikas body went limp and she slipped to the ground, gasping for breath. She took a drink of her punch. "Well, that was an experience..."

[Will Wright]

Will sank back onto the wall.
"Thank you Mika!" she called as she locked the door to her dorm and jumped onto her bed.
"Anton, I love and I always will. It's hard being here without you. Why? Why didn't you listen to me? Why did you go out onto the battlefield?" she asked the air as sleep enveloped her and her body.

[Ailith Rayner]

Ailith laughed, but not too loudly, "I honestly would like to meet your sister sometime. Besides where would we go? And we're all dressed up." Ailith's grin turned to a frown as she thought of something, "Are you OK? Will it still hurt you to go back? If it does I don't mind doing something else. We could just... hang about."
If it was going to cause Jude pain to go back in that room even with the ear-plugs and whatever there was no point in going. He wouldn't be totally enjoying himself and therefore neither would she. Ailith was not one for keeping dreary company. Unless of course it was in her job description, which, unfortunately, it often was. But it wasn't all that, she didn't like to see anyone in pain especially Jude. He was always so funny and helpful and upbeat and ... well you get the picture. If he asked her, she would spend the night with him out here, regardless of the fact that she spent so long getting ready for this thing and she looked like a...

[Jude Dorrian]

Jude scratched the back of his ear, wriggling his nose. "Nope. Fine. See? We'll go back in and find Lee."
Inhaling deeply, steadying himself, Jude straightened up, and walked purposefully back into the room. A wave of dizzying colours and sounds swept over him at once; but he forced himself to move forward, squinting wildly in the dark. He found it easy enough to pick out Lee's loud, carrying laugh through the confusion, and followed the path to it.
Suddenly, Lee's face had morphed into sight.
"Jude, you okay?"
"Ear plugs?" Jude said hopefully, squinting at him. "Sunglasses possibly?"
"Sure thing..."
Soon, the world was reduced to normality, and Jude could breath easy again.
Almost.
Tameron was on her way over.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

As Madeleine saw Jude approach them, she leaned forward, pulling herself up on her toes to reach Lee's ear.
"Thanks, for that," she whispered, knowing that he would hear her over the music. "I think that's the first time anyone's defended my honour... and I kind of like it..." she added, with a smile, before Jude showed up in front of them, looking like he was in severe pain.
She frowned at him, as Lee said, "Jude, you okay?"
"Ear plugs?" said Jude, squinting. "Sunglasses possibly?"
"Sure thing..." Lee said, taking an arm from around Madeleine's waist to conjure him up a pair of dark shades and ear plugs.
"You okay?" Madeleine asked, concerned.

[Ailith Rayner]

Ailith followed Jude back into the room. It blazed with sound and light. God knows how Jude was feeling because even Ailith was squinting at the overwhelming bass and lighting.
Lee had conjured what Jude needed and Madeleine asked, "You okay?"
Jude replied totally himself, "Enhanced senses, Maddox, m'dear. It's not all a walk in the park."
Ailith smiled glad he was going to be OK. She scanned the room and saw a girl of about 4ft9 with brown hair and freckles dressed as a tabby cat, complete with ears and tail but significantly more coverage than Madeleine's version, bounced over to Jude, stretched her paws wide and beamed at him, "There. The bloody tabby cat. Happy?"
He eyed her up and down. "Effort, sister. Effort."
"Couldn't be bummed trying," Tameron replied happily. "Urgh. Otherwise I could've ended up like Madeleine."
Ailith bit her lips together stopping laughter. So this was Jude sister... unless Jude had another petname for females she hadn't heard. She was forward and funny, just like her brother. Ailith liked her.

[Madeleine Baudelaire&Russ Ford]

Madeleine couldn't help but scowl slightly at Tameron. "Thanks very much."

[Jude Dorrian]

"And you're Ailith!" cried Tameron, turning to her and shaking her hand enthusiastically. "Wow! You're prettier than I thought."
"Is she meant to take that as a compliment?"
"You can both take it in your stride," replied Tameron brightly. "Though, gosh, she's sort of out of your league. How can she think about you like... that?" She shivered theatrically. "Okay, yuck. That's just creepy."
"Try the thought of every horny guy my age eyeing you up in the excuse for clothes Maddox has got on," grumbled Jude. "Not fun."
Tameron wrinkled her nose. "Jude, do me a favour, and never work out. Then, hopefully, Ailith will stop thinking that way, and I'll never have nightmares again."
He snorted. "Only if you never shave."
Tameron considered him for a few moments. "Deal."
"Sorry, guys," Jude said, turning to the others. "Really, I am."