Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Trick-or-Treat: Hallowed Nights (Closed)

The Constant was, in and of itself, a maddening hellscape of ruin and despair. The survival rate alone was enough to destroy the minds of even the toughest characters out to prove themselves, but there was something inherently different about the otherwise perilous nothingness spawned by the unimaginative beings known to those select few survivors as --




Tonight, but for one single night only, the Florid Postern, in all of its grim, rose-covered glory remained an open gateway for those curious travelers willing to take a peek into what could be the harshest landscape in any existence ever traversed. And on this very opportunistic chance to deter those wandering, insatiably scientific minds, Wilson P. Higgsbury will be right there to greet them. He had every intention in his manic little heart of hearts to, hopefully, send them on their merry way back to a safety he could never have.

He brought his hammer down twice more atop the signpost he took careful pains to carve, securing it firmly into the ground. It relayed the warning message:

Spread haphazardly about a rickety, wooden tabletop were a peculiar set of trinkets, otherworldly occult paraphernalia, a vast assortment of unexplainable edibles, a rather gnarled-looking monkey's paw, and what seemed to be a blinking satchel. The bag's disturbing little face appeared to be stuck in something of a grimace, but it all looked so incredibly mundane, and yet unfamiliar all the same.

Wilson turned, noting the familiar sounds of the Florid Postern depositing its safe-guarded trick-or-treater, and with wide, wondering eyes, he craned to see who this poor, hapless individual coming to claim their souvenir could be.

"W-welcome to the Constant," he stammered at the other with a supplicating smile, making certain to keep an eye out for those ever-reaching shadows...

Sim was drawn in by the spooky look of the gateway, and those roses were a nice touch as well. It took her no time at all to decide that she wanted to investigate, gasping in awe when she found herself in what seemed to be another world entirely. "Zee Constant?" she inquired, a Russian accent thickly laced into her words, smiling in return at the host of a man that had greeted her. "Lovely magic trick," she cackled sweetly, "Zee portal zing, and all. You are one zat opened, yis?"

Her eyes wandered to the sign nearby, soaking in the words and seeming to space out briefly. Wise and poetic, she'd decided, but also incredibly ominous. "So!" Simeon yanked herself back from space, clapping her hands together gently, "Does zis Constant offer tricks or treats?" She made her way closer to Wilson casually, careful to retain a comfortable distance, but oh so curious to soak in the other being as much as possible. It wasn't every day that there was a gateway to somewhere so intriguing. The small femme had been lazy with her costume, wearing nothing out of the ordinary apart from black cat ears, a tail haphazardly pinned to her skirt, and a few whiskers drawn on each cheek. What she lacked in concern for dressing up, however, she made up for in curiosity and her love for spooky things.

The Constant was an open maw of all things sharp and jagged -- washed-out looking pine trees speckled the ground as far as the eye could see and wavered ominously to and fro despite it not being particularly breezy. Simeon's feet were planted firmly on an unforgiving terrain of wilting grass and stretching patches of earth that bore the occasional jutting boulder. One boulder, in particular, not too far from Wilson's trinkets, held an eerie glow, appearing iridescent in color and was the brightness the rest of the world seemed to lack.

He noted her costume and for a moment Wilson had to smile. The time where she had come from seemed to resemble the time here! What a relief, he thought to himself before finally registering that it was his turn to speak.

"Trust me, my dear," he said with a matter-of-factness, "if I could open up that gateway myself, I'd be back home sipping tea or perhaps working on one of my many projects. No, no I'm afraid that the Constant controls that portal. My guess is, They're recruiting."

He chuckled nervously at her next inquiry and clasped his hands together. The positioning could almost be mistaken for pleading. "Oh, it offers tricks all right, and if you want, most certainly the very rare treats. I suppose that all depends on how you're feeling at the moment, ah hah hah..."

Her eyes darted to and fro, washing over everything so that she could hold this memory as long as her brain allowed. Her converse had crunched along that wilted grass when she moved moments later, but she hadn't missed the glowing boulder nearby. She couldn't tell if it was beautiful or toxic, flicking her gaze back to him when he'd spoken to her. "Oh?" she mused, startled when he'd said the Constant controlled the portal. "How intriguing," she tapped her chin a few times thoughtfully. Recruiting for.. what, exactly? But she wasn't sure she wanted to know, given the ominous air of this area. She decided to laugh delicately instead, giving the male another bright smile, "Projects and tea, you say? Sounds cozy." Her brows rose with interest when she noticed the nervous tone to that chuckle.

Her gaze flicked to his clasped hands, remained there for a breath or two, and then flicked back up to his face to fully focus on his answer. "I do like treats," she grinned brightly, "However, tricks can be fun also." She made her way over to the table nearby if he hadn't protested against it, taking a closer look at the things that were on display. "Tell me somezing, yis?" she spoke again after a moment, "Which of zee um.. 'candies'.. would you recommend for zis wandering 'cat'? Am not familiar with any of zis myself." She was speaking about the mysterious questionable edible things and had pointed to them when searching for the right word.

Wilson watched her eyes follow his movements and noted just how keenly aware the young woman was of her surroundings. Oh thank goodness, he mused gratefully, this one has brains. Little does he know of the internal reference he had just made.

Once Simeon made her way closer to the crooked table, the two could depict a lot more about one another. For instance, her deep-set eyes were not the fathomless pits of stark sable like he had initially thought them to be, but were the bottomless blues of an ocean's well-kept secrets. He caught himself staring into them but quickly turned his attention to her wild and wandering inquisitiveness.

He recognized that specific kind of curiosity in himself. It was daunting, unquenchable, and despite the dangers of quelling that yearning to comprehend when it could very well be your undoing, knowledge of that sort was still so incredibly alluring. She was a kindred spirit, to say the least.

"Projects were my contributions to the world -- you see, I am a scientist! And one heck of a good one at that," he boasted with a wink. His sallow features were that of someone who looked to be rather malnourished, gaunt, and papery.

"I am so glad you asked," he said in an effort to ignore her spirit of curiosity about the Constant's notorious tricks. He watched her pale, cat-like hand gesture to a generalized area. "You mean the Candy Lice, or were you referring to that Otherworldly Jawbreaker?"

Both of which were certainly not choices for the squeamish... One a writhing, wriggling bundle of milky-colored 'treats' and the other a green-tipped tentacled globule that gave the appearance of something pliable but was most certainly not...

Ha! Simeon would have certainly had a comment if she'd heard him say that out loud, but she went on obliviously. Ironic subject, brains.

Her brows twitched slightly, furrowing subtly in curiosity as she noticed the way he'd stared into her eyes briefly. Eye contact was something very few ever kept with her for long these days, likely due to the way they appeared so abyssal from a distance. Her head would tilt ever so slightly as he spoke, another smile dancing its way over her lips when he boasted. The wink caused that smile to grow wider, slowly spreading into a pearly grin of amusement as her eyes sparkled. "Oh? Eez zat right?" she mused sweetly, "I wasn't aware was in zee presence of such greatness." Her tone was light and playful, her gaze taking a moment to really look the scientist over better. He seemed as though he'd seen better days, due to the malnourished demeanor, but he was certainly still charming in his own way. Perhaps it was the way that intelligence seemed to leak from his pores.

She noticed he'd skipped right over the subject of tricks but let that slide since he'd immediately changed the subject to the treats on the table. They were just as bizarre and intriguing as the world itself. "Zee jawbreaker," she cackled softly as she watched the candy lice writhe, "I don't often eat zings zat are still.. alive." The wiggling bundle seemed as though it would wiggle all the way down one's throat. No thank you. Her wording, she noticed after she'd closed her mouth, could be taken literal, but she didn't expect the male to focus too hard on the fact that she'd said 'often'. Luckily, Simeon didn't seem to be the squeamish type, as she'd eaten far worse 'treats' back home due to her own affliction. "Have you tried zee jawbreaker?" she asked curiously, reaching to touch the surface of it, poking it a time or two as if she expected it to move. "Eez maybe like gummy worm mixed with rock candy?" she leaned forward to get a better look at it without actually picking it up. She wanted permission first.

Mr. Koala only being a foot tall didn't seem to be noticed as he peeked out from behind Simeon's leg to look up at her and Wilson as he dropped his plastic pumpkin bucket on the floor and waved. "Trick or Treat!" He said giggling as he spoke about the candy they were talking about. "Eat the gummy worms, but don't eat the gummy bears, they didn't do anything to you!" He said smiling as he held his bucket up above his head wondering what they would drop into it.

"Greatness, huh?" Wilson blinked, but it was a little late to be modest now. He vaguely worried lightning would strike him down then and there if he took the joke any further. Knowing the Constant, it very well could happen. The waif of a man waved it off, a gentle smile, however, gracing his worn features in appreciation for the compliment even if it was in jest.

He watched her with amusement as she wavered in and out of decision until Simeon finally settled on the jawbreaker. "Ah, good choice, uh, ah," he struggled for a moment until he finally realized that he didn't have the young necromancer's name. Before he could inquire, however, she'd already begun examining the otherworldly piece of candy with interest and offered Wilson a question tinged with concern.

The scientist couldn't help but laugh, his dark eyes glittering like lit pieces of coal against the sickly pallor of his skin. "Of course, I've had these! In fact, I've had all of these -- I mean obviously they have no nutritional value, but it's rare to get treats like these in the Constant, so you appreciate what you get, y'know? Oh, and the Candy Lice aren't exactly alive. I guess you could say they're more enchanted than anything."

He smirked a bit as Simeon prodded the jawbreaker and the tentacles gave a little jiggle in response. "I think it likes you," he teased. "It's more like a hard candy, yes, and I think gummy worms are a near-perfect description for the little wiggly bits," he twiddled his semi-gloved fingers for emphasis.

Just as he was about to open his mouth and finally ask his charming visitor her name, a small-statured creature appeared from behind Simeon almost quite literally out of the blue. "Whoa, whoa!" Wilson stated with a look of surprise. "Where did you come from, little fellow? I never saw you exit the Postern. Aren't you slick!"

The look on Wilson's face seemed contemplative, almost comically so as he reached across the table and procured a delectable treat he hoped the newcomer would enjoy. "A delicious gummy spider because apparently, we do not eat the gummy bears," he said pointedly, dropping the candy precariously into the offered bucket.

"Greatness," she repeated firmly with a twinkle in those oceanic blues when she noticed his gentle smile. Good choice? Excellent! She hadn't noticed that he struggled with what to call her, at least not yet. She was too busy trying to figure out the makings of the candies.

His laugh drew her attention back, deep blue fixated on coal for as long as he'd allow his gaze to be captured. "Oh?? Extra special treats zen!" she bounced in place a time or two with obvious excitement. Extra special, because a rarity, her brain had decided. Wait.. they weren't alive? "Oooohhh," she cackled, feeling silly for her previous assumption. A tinge of rose had dared spread over her features, diminishing quickly due to poor blood flow as it were.

Her brow quirked up at the teasing, "It likes me? I like eet too~ Very much, yis." She snickered at the twiddled fingers, mimicking the motion herself, "Wigglyyy~" She was about to reach and prod the jawbreaker once more, but squealed delicately when something brushed her leg. How had the little floof gotten so close without her realizing it?? She blinked as she looked down at the new face, grinning in amusement when told that gummy bears shouldn't be eaten. "Ohh? Gummy worms are my favorite, anyway," she told them matter-of-factly, shooting a wink of her own at their host when he offered the koala a spider instead of either a bear or worm. Probably a wise choice.

Oop. She just realized something. She hadn't gotten the kind stranger's name. "Ah! How very rude of me!" she gasped, adjusting her cat ears that had started to slide slightly, before continuing quickly, "Hadn't even properly introduced myself... Simeon, or Simmy eef one prefers. What might your names be?" She wanted to make sure the little floof felt included too if he hadn't wandered off immediately after getting his treat. He was stealthy, that one.

Mr. Koala giggled and took the gummy spider, looking at it and then up to Wilson and Simeon. "Okay. I will go set the gummy spider free! Happy Hello Ween!" he said waving to them both as he dropped the candy into his bucket and dragged it towards the exit with little squeaking grunts dragging it with each step, the plastic pumpkin bucket as big as him and full now.

When Simeon reaffirmed her flattering remark, Wilson's typically colorless face tinged ever so slightly a shade of crimson. After being so regularly beaten down by the trials and tribulations here in this wide and ever-changing wilderness, it was wholly reassuring to know that someone else thought he had the wits to survive and the smarts to back it up.

"I dare say," he added, the vaguest inflection of an accent appearing in his tone. It was of English descent but worn away by the many years of isolation. "These are the kind of rarities that all of the Constant inhabitants look forward to. So you have something rather special to take back with you." With that final statement, he cupped the large candy in his hands and officially offered it over to Simeon.

He noticed a rosy flush spread faintly over her cheeks, as ironic as that may be for someone of her affliction. Wilson, ever the gentleman, would aid Simeon in an effort to play off her mild embarrassment. "It's all right, my dear, how were you to know? A lot of them look pretty awful even to me! It would be difficult to eat something like Candy Lice even in the most desperate of times. That or the 'raisins.' Eugh! The sad part of it all is, they're all still so tasty!"

He chuckled again, the sensation of being amused was somewhat unfamiliar to him, but refreshing all the same...

The wink Simeon threw was met with a grin as she interacted with what she affectionately referred to as 'the little floof,' who hurriedly claimed his prize, thanked them, and then began the arduous task of dragging his bucket back toward the exit.

Simeon cordially offered up her introduction, even permitted him a nickname -- how very intimate! He wondered briefly if he had one of those and for a fleeting moment Wilson frowned recalling his most prevalent 'title' given to him by the former Nightmare King. Nevermind. He didn't need a nickname after all.

"That name," he spoke guardedly, "wouldn't happen to be attached to a last name that begins with a 'W' now would it -- young koala! It is imperative that I have your name before you go, if you please!" He knew it had to sound absolutely ludicrous, but Wilson had his reasons for inquiring.

And with a flourishing bow, he finally said, "I am Wilson P. Higgsbury, gentleman scientist, at your service!"

Of course! Even Sim could see that this place was no playground, and if the scientist had been here as long as his demeanor suggested, he certainly had survival skills.

The accent caught her attention, another curious smile dancing over her features. She gasped in surprise when he’d given her permission to take something back with her. A pleased grin spread over her face, and she gently reached to accept it from him. A sort of chill seemed to seep from the pores of her pale skin in delicate waves as her hand was in close enough proximity. There was no icy clamminess however, if she’d accidentally brushed him in the handoff of the treat, just silken softness before her hand was drawn back into her own little bubble so that she could properly brush her thumb over the gift up close. “Will cherish zis forever,” she spoke again happily. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to eat it, because it seemed to be a crime to do so to something so rare. It would also serve well as a reminder of this place when she was back home.

“True, true,” she smiled when he aided in ridding herself of the silly feeling. She cackled again softly at the mention of raisins, squishing up her nose goofily in playful disgust. “Ha!” she grinned, adding in agreement, “Zee most curious zings usually are zee best.”

The small one seemed to be making his leave as quickly as he’d came, and the woman snickered at the comment of setting free the spider. “Yis, yis! Happy Halloween!” she cooed sweetly, “Safe travels!” The floof had quite the haul, and it was endearing to watch as he drug it away.

She’d turned back to Wilson in time to see the frown, a brow rising as she opened her mouth to ask if he was alright. “W? No sir, last name eez Smirnov. Eez embarrassing, but initials actually spell out S.O.S.” she told him sheepishly, elaborating formally as her Russian accent fully caressed each word, “Simeon Olyssia Smirnov.”

The bow earned him another amused grin. “Wilson~” she tried the name out, deciding it did indeed fit the charming fellow. Gentlemen? She could see that. “Eez pleasure,” she told him warmly. She glanced around again, hoping she hadn’t overstayed, but it was all so enchanting that it was hard to find the will to leave. Perhaps that was part of why Wilson seemed to have been here so long himself. “Do tell me Wilson,” she was saying, moving to lean against that table comfortably, mindful of the items on top, “What sorts of science projects have you created? Eef not too much to pry?” Curiosity killed the cat, they’d say, but Sim wasn’t a ‘real’ cat.

When their hands collided, Wilson did indeed feel a change, like touching that of sun-kissed marble on a crisp winter's morning. There was something in the smoothness of her skin that hinted to him Simeon's essential nature, the entirety of her being, and yet Wilson treated the encounter as a transient shift in the weather. He simply chalked it up to being nothing more than the autumnal chill settling in their bones.

"It's a little difficult to cherish a piece of candy forever, but I certainly think if anyone is up to the challenge, it'd be you," he shrugged playfully, rooting for her nonetheless in the name of science, of course.

Once Simeon had given him her full name there was an obvious look of relief upon Wilson's face. He wasn't masking the fact that had she given him any other, more condemning designation, he would have likely had some kind of aneurysm. Wilson was grateful that she didn't inquire as to the purpose of his inquest, and he had already concluded that she was intelligent enough to know that the Constant was no place for the faint of heart. She was a clever girl and judging by the look of her, not one to trifle with. Simeon clearly could handle her own in a tough spot, and even though the Constant liked those tantalizingly imaginative sorts such as the necromancer here, she was thankfully safe from its shadowy grasp. At least according to the working theory...

If the ever-observant Simeon happened to be looking at just the right spot at just the right moment, she may well notice, bathed in the tinge of blue moonlight, somewhere in the distance a tree shift unnaturally. It was very much unlike the other trees that surrounded it which all still seemed to sway with that consistently hypnotic back-and-forth motion.

To answer her question, however, Wilson belted out perhaps the most neurotic laugh he rallied all evening. "Ah hah hah hah, one that got me into trouble, I'm afraid. That specific scientific endeavor is the reason why I'm here. I listened to the wrong kind of advice."

Despite the disheartening revelation of Wilson's origins, there was something purely optimistic in his tired features and he continued, "But since I've been here, I've managed to make all sorts of wonderful things -- machines that help provide warmth, light -- and that's a really important one right there -- and super, incredibly smart crock pots!"

He laughed, but cut himself short. "Hang on a moment," he said while scanning the table's surface intently with searching, rummaging hands. Once his eyes fell on the item in question, he picked it up with haste and presented it enthusiastically to Simeon.


"Now here is something you can cherish forever. This is a snail scale," Wilson puffed up proudly but quickly deflated. "When you can find out its purpose, you'll have to let me know."

He stopped at the exit to catch his breath dragging the plastic pumpkin bucket. "My name is Mr. Koala!" He said smiling and waving. "Buh bye!" He said waving to both of them as he grunted making another tug as he started dragging the bucket outside and down the walk. It would be a long walk home.

"Take the Florid Postern," Wilson called out to the floof that was thankfully known as Mr. Koala. No 'W' in his name either. Phew!

"The portal will take you safely home! Be careful out there, of course. The world is a crazy place for an adorable little guy such as yourself! I hope you have a koala-ty Halloween! Heh heh..."

The fact that he hadn’t flinched away in itself was appreciated, and a brush of relief did reflect in her eyes briefly. Most she accidentally brushed seemed to make some sort of complaint or comment. However, today it appeared as though the chilly weather was her friend, helping disguise it in this instance.

He wasn’t wrong, but the faith in her regardless caused a pleasant grin to form on her lips. “True!” she agreed, “Difficult, yis, but impossible? I zink not! Hmm. Could maybe get tiny protective display box…” Or on more scientific ideas, she could inject it with something in attempts to extend its longevity. She tapped her chin thoughtfully with her index finger, “Challenge accepted.”

She noted the relief, but still didn’t press into why he’d been so nervous. Perhaps it was a quirk, she considered, some internal problem with the letter W. His own name started with one though, so she decided to let that mysterious question roll off her shoulders unsolved. Sim had her moments, certainly, but like anyone else she also had her own set of weaknesses. She wasn’t afraid of very many things, because she couldn’t technically be killed ‘again’, but that didn’t stop her from being careful when the need arose.

Speaking of careful, her eyes landed on the tree that shifted. Her lids narrowed as her guard spiked ever so slightly, brows furrowed in concentration as she studied the distant tree. Be it by choice or subconsciously, the woman moved a few steps closer to Wilson. She swallowed thickly, before shaking that eerie feeling away and turning her attention back to the scientist she was probably standing a bit too close to now. Oops.

Why too close? Well because that laugh hit her full force, and though it caused her to grin wildly, it has also caused her to flinch a bit. “Oh dear, zat’s zee trouble with advice,” she gave him a sympathetic smile, “Eez not always good.”

A soft warmth filled those ocean blues when he continued speaking. “How lovely!” she clapped excitedly, mindful of the candy she still held carefully in a closed hand. “Light eez important, yis.. Lots of zings go bump otherwise…” she murmured grimly.

“Hm?” she blinked, turning to look at the table too. Her eyes lit up when he presented a second gift to her. “Oh! Snail scale?” she inquired, tucking the jawbreaker into a zipper pocket of her skirt safely so that she could accept the scale with both hands so she wouldn’t drop it. She cackled when he told her the purpose was unknown. “Eez deal!” she nodded, also deflating a bit, “Zat said, how will I tell you? Does portal open often..?”

Wilson noticed Simeon's eyes widen and her expression suddenly fall. He recognized that look. It was one he and his fellow sufferers often wore, like that of frightened rabbits unwilling to leave the safety of their warren for fear of the dangers that awaited them.

So when Simeon sidled up next to him, Wilson accepted the motion as the smart thing to do -- power in numbers, after all. He wondered briefly what she could have seen out there in that bleak landscape. Then, with keen, glinting eyes, the gentleman scientist surveyed the area with a well-practiced vigilance finding nothing to be out of the ordinary. However, that hardly meant anything in a world as vindictive as this one and more oftentimes than not, looks were almost always deceiving.

A lesson well learned within the Constant is one to take to the grave, no matter how many times one may wind up in said grave. It was at that moment, the two, unbeknownst to either of them, shared more than just their tireless curiosity, but their questionable mortalities as well. Death was a curse, one of which could be experienced over and over again monotonously, but eternal death was a luxury they simply could not have.

He smiled appreciatively when Simeon displayed her exuberance first and then her sympathies for his other, more scientific pursuits. Despite the dark circles that ringed his impenetrable gaze, Wilson seemed content. No one had ever really taken the time to celebrate his achievements or there lack of for that matter.

"It is what it is," he said, not at all in defeat, but something more akin to acceptance.

Simeon seemed to emit that infinite spirit of determination when set to the task of deciphering the great mysteries that was the Snail Scale. Wilson vaguely wondered if it held any mysteries at all, though thankfully if there were any discoveries to be made, Simeon would be the one to find them, he thought with confidence.

"Oh, right!" he jerked back as though being pulled by some invisible force, his movements spastic and hurried. "You'll never be able to communicate with me without a proper link to the Constant, of course!"

The rather manic free-thinker tilted his lean frame practically in half and threw open a large, wooden chest. From it, he procured a wispy whorl of a feather with a charcoal tip. The plume itself was blackish in color, and yet upon closer inspection had a glossy indigo iridescence.

"Here we are," he exclaimed turning back to Simeon now. "This feather pen will allow you to write to me. I can't guarantee its longevity but if you can find a way to make it last, even more power to you. Don't worry about delivering the letter, by the way. The shadows will take care of all that."

His grin suggested a familiarity with this sort of self-deprecating lunacy.

Precisely! Power in numbers was one good reason for her closeness to the scientist for safety. The other? He was more knowledgeable about this place. If something rushed out of those shadows, surely, he would know how to handle it. Fear of dying certainly wasn't the issue, but even this zombie of a woman didn't want to deal with unknown monsters. It was true, permanent death sounded like a luxury sometimes, especially dealing with some of the 'quirks' that came with their curses. They were definitely more alike than either of them realized.

It gave her quiet warmth, and a pleasant sort of satisfaction, that appreciative smile of his. Sometimes everyone just needed to be celebrated for what they'd worked so hard for. She nodded in agreement to his words of acceptance, "Eez true."

Determination was one of the many qualities that made Sim who she was. That, as well as persistence, curiosity, and an insatiable need to solve puzzles. She'd figure it out, or die trying, she decided, as she cradled it delicately in her arms. Maybe it held no mysteries? If that be the case, it'd still make a lovely decor piece for her cozy little apartment back home. Her brows quirked when he jerked back, watching with interest due to the hurried demeanor. "Proper link?" she blinked a few times, but it had confirmed her suspicion that he likely didn't have a phone here. Even if he did, the chance that it would gather signal to her own would be thin at best.

Where had that chest come from? Had it been there before? Her focus fell on the feather he'd gathered when he turned back to her, shifting the weight of the scale to one arm delicately as she reached to accept it tenderly. "So gracious of you," she teased playfully, another grin spreading over her face, "Not one, but three lovely treats?" She was confused by his words regarding the shadows taking care of the delivery. Shadows as in.. dark arts? That was her first consideration, because she practiced forbidden magic herself and was no stranger to it. However, she also knew that it would be unwise to just assume the origin of any such shadows.

"Will write to you often!" she promised excitedly, tucking the pen behind her ear gently so that she could have one free hand. With that, she couldn't help but wonder how long she'd been here. "Ah! Probably shouldn't take up too much more of your time, friend," she laughed apologetically, "Was just too much fun chatting with you~" She didn't want to linger too long and risk being trapped here herself, especially since Wilson wasn't in control of the portal to the Constant.

She reached her hand out, offering a shake if he took it. "I will take my leave, however," she told him, "Before zee trees decide to do more zan just spook me." A playful wink was given to him before she gave one last wary glance over her shoulder towards that erratic tree from before. "Leave zee way I came, yis?" she wanted to verify.

Wilson smiled sheepishly at Simeon after she'd called him out on his over-indulgent generosity. He felt the urge to justify his reasons, "Well, I don't oftentimes get company unless you count the other poor sods stuck here with me. We all have our baggage though and it just makes for really bad conversation sometimes. It's always, 'oh, I'm so hungry' or 'who's taking watch tonight' or something along those lines. But it's not anything we haven't been able to deal with. All's fair!"

His expression softened, and Wilson took a few tentative steps toward the old ramshackle table. Much like the workbench and the contents haphazardly scattered about it, the suspicious trees veering in an invisible breeze, and even the Florid Postern with its horrifyingly undulating vines, the chest had not been any sort of trick of the eye. It had been there the entire time, but disregarded things tend to be overlooked, don't they?

Had Simeon thought to inquire more about the shadows of the Constant, Wilson may have been inclined to answer her, but she was right to show that sudden interest in leaving. Anyone of sound mind would. The Constant had a charm to it, particularly for those who reveled in the risks of the unknown. For the scientific mind, ignorance was their deepest secret, one that could only be mended by the opportunity of discovery. Simeon shared this sentiment with Wilson and for that very brief time she remained here in the hellish confines of this macrocosm of impending doom, Wilson felt a connection to the other side he'd not felt in so long.

"Oh, I certainly look forward to that, Simeon!" he nodded eagerly. "I'll try and find a way to communicate back to you. I have an inkling of how I might -- the radio, of course! I'll get the radio. I've just got to collect all the parts --" he was rambling at this point. Wilson quickly collected himself before he continued, "It was quite fun chatting with you as well. A breath of fresh air, I dare say!"

The wink, as was the rest of Simeon, shoddy costume and all, had been carefully stowed in his memory banks. He'd have quite the story to share with his companions, though Willow may not be so cheerful on the matter, but Wilson could care less. For one single night, one where the bright, silvery moon sat in an otherwise fathomless pit of a sky, and the Florid Postern so utterly obliging, Wilson P. Higgsbury was once again tethered to a world that had likely forgotten all about him.

"Uh, y-yes!" he reassured the other with an encouraging wave. "Take the Florid Postern. It will put you right back where you came from. Ah, uhm, take care, Simeon! And good luck. I hope you enjoy the rest of the holiday and just so you know, you would have made a better Catcoon!"

She cackled in amusement as he explained himself, a light and airy tone to her laughter, "Am just teasing~ Oh, but zat eez fair reason, yis." Oceanic blues softened considerably as she added warmly, "I don't often get gifts back home, so eez much appreciated, truly." She had nodded when he said it was nothing that he and his companions couldn't handle. She believed him, because why would she not?

It was probably for that very reason that she'd missed the chest when she first arrived. There were so many unique and exciting things to be seen, that something quite normal blended right in. Sim had watched him curiously when he'd taken those few steps, her gaze washing over the scientist's frame slowly as she aimed to take in every detail to memory. Perhaps she'd draw the lad when she got back home, but she was by no means a professional artist, so it was likely the picture wouldn't even begin to do justice to her newfound friend.

She could have squealed with excitement when he mentioned communicating back with her. "Oh good!" she grinned brightly, those eyes lighting up again. She wasn't sure what he meant by the 'radio' but she was sure it would become known when the time came. "Yis, yis! The radio!" she chirped sweetly, despite her obliviousness. She smiled warmly, happy that he'd had as much fun with their chat as she had herself. "Agreed, very much a breath of fresh air," she nodded.

As she had done with him, he'd also stored her to memory it seemed, though she was unaware of such a thing. She herself was probably going to drive her friend Nyx crazy when she gushed about the fellow, and no doubt would ramble on about strange, spooky trees.

She had paused when he spoke up again, turning just inches away from the portal to listen to his departing words. "You as well, Wilson! A Catcoon? Hmmm. Perhaps next time will do zat one!" She took another hesitant inch of a step towards that awaiting portal, biting her lip in thought before quickly blowing the gentleman scientist a kiss, finally stepping through that portal afterwards and vanishing into the night.