Forums » Sci-Fi Roleplay » Trick or Treat: A Grelek's Halloween 🎃 (Open)

The changeling seems to know that it is being plied for information, and its eyes narrow slightly, chin tipping up in a show of arrogance. "The Dominion is compromised of thousands of populated worlds. Our subjects have many and varied traditions. It would be impossible, and disrespectful, to select just one to describe."

Of course, everyone knows that there is something most of the world's share in common in their religious traditions upon acceptance into the Dominion, but it's not the sort of thing one goes about confirming...

Sudalorm remained composed, d
espite sensing a subtle shift in the changeling’s demeanor,
as if his inquiry had been received with some quiet suspicion. He hadn’t meant any offense, and his posture held firm,
showing no sign of retreat. He genuinely sought only to understand their customs, regardless of what the being before him might think he'd use it for.
Still Sudalorm found himself left with little more than a vague answer, though he nodded in understanding, acknowledging the need for respect.

He resolved not to press further.
His mission tonight was one of peace, after all, and he wouldn’t create unnecessary tensions with his guests any further.
Satisfied, he turned his attention back to the Halloween setup.

Glancing over, he noticed the feline indulging heartily in the treats he’d laid out, the candy bowl nearly empty from their enthusiastic sampling.
Sudalorm retrieved the hidden stash he’d kept aside, his large hands carefully replenishing the bowl with more chocolates, candy corn, and marshmallow spiders.

Sudalorm felt a quiet satisfaction as he settled back into his vigil,
ready to welcome any other visitors who might approach in the finale hours of this festive day.

Inclining her head in a silent goodbye, the changeling turned and went back down the ramp, her business complete.

A human woman entered the cargo bay and looked around in curiosity. She was wearing a floor-length white dress with long sleeves and a high neckline, white boots, and she had her hair done up in a pair of spiral buns, one on each side of her head. She spotted Sudalorm and her eyes went wide in surprise. Quickly recovering, she glanced at the other woman who was in the cargo bay and nodded in greeting, and smiled at the cute kitty as well. She turned to Sudalorm, who seemed to be in charge here, and with a big smile on her face said, "Hey there, you ol' Space Pirate! Trick or Treat! That's an extraordinary costume, by the way! I'm really impressed."

As Sudalorm watched the changeling depart, he shifted his attention to the next figure approaching the ramp of his ship.
To his surprise, the newcomer was a female human, her appearance strikingly different from the others he’d seen so far.

When the human greeted him with a warm smile and a compliment on his costume.
Sudalorm glanced down at his attire, the dark pirate coat draped over his tall frame and the slightly askew fake beard attached to his smooth, pale face. His tendrils curled in curiosity,
intrigued by the human’s positive reaction, since he didn't think it was all that special himself.
He responded with a series of clicks, his wristband translating into a robotic voice.
“I am grateful for your kind words on my attire,” he said, inclining his head in acknowledgment.

This human seemed different from the others,
she was the first to arrive in costume herself, though he wasn’t entirely sure what she was supposed to represent.
Her outfit was simple yet elegant, and her hair was arranged in a distinct double bun-like shape.
Unsure of her costume’s significance, he still felt it polite to offer a compliment in return.

“Your own attire is...most interesting,”
he observed, gesturing to her clothing and hairstyle with an open hand.
“It is not familiar to me, but it is notable in style.”

He then directed her attention toward the array of treats laid out along the long table,
illuminated by the soft glow of his ship’s festive lights.
With a graceful, he invited her to take some, clicking once more as he added,
“Please, take 2 that you find suitable for this Halloween tradition.”

Sudalorm watched the human curiously, eager to observe what she would pick.

Shelley smiled at Sudalorm when he complimented her costume, but was surprised that he didn't know who she was supposed to be. "You don't recognize it? I'm supposed to be Princess Leia. Some of my friends are big Star Wars fans, and they talked me into dressing like her. They actually wanted me to dress up in an outfit from one of the later movies, but I decided to go for her original look."

"Thank you!" Shelley said when Sudalorm gestured to the table and invited her to take a couple of treats. She looked over the options, and chose a chocolate bar as her first selection. She was a little more indecisive on the next choice. She eyed the marshmallow spiders and said, "These are just marshmallows that are shaped like spiders, right? There are no actual spiders in them?" It seemed unlikely that there would be real spiders, but she wanted to make sure; the idea of eating a real spider was just too disgusting to think about.

Hanley led her crew of vagabonds up to the display, then flashed her badge to the viewer in order to show her identity peacefully.
"Take two and hurry along!" She instructed, and her watch brightly garbled and hissed as it translated it into chirps and blips.
"Thank you very much, happy Halloween!" Hanley made a peaceful hand symbol and small bow, and turned away after she also obtained some candies.
Shuttling her regular younglings away, she was grateful for a brief and bountiful interaction.

Crick glanced around and heard the new people entering. Too many. They looked up at the host with a mischievous smirk.

“Thanks for the snacks, but it’s getting a bit too lively here. You may or may not see me later.” The cat winked, stretching for a moment before they started to simply… disappear. Special cyber enhancements had allowed the cat the ability to mimic their surroundings as camouflage, the naked eye would struggle to see them.

For now, the cat had chosen to leave the party.

Sudalorm tilted his head, his tendrils curling with curiosity as he processed the human’s comments.
She had mentioned something about a movie,
a term he vaguely recognized from the briefings on human culture but hadn’t encountered directly.
He had no means to view such things aboard his ship, nor was he informed about famous figures from human fiction.

With a polite click, he activated his wristband’s translator.
“I regret to inform you that I lack access to human films,” his voice echoed with a calm, robotic cadence.
“My knowledge of such iconic beings is...limited, I am afraid.”

When the human asked about the contents of possible real spiders in the marshmallow treat.
Sudalorm was quick to inform, “rest assured, no real spiders were used,” he responded,
gesturing gently toward the treats. “The ‘marshmallow’ is a treat from an off-planet origin, so it may taste somewhat unfamiliar to mortal marshmallows.”

---

Sudalorm’s gaze shifted to the entry ramp as he noticed yet another figure approaching his ship,
this time accompanied by a small group. Observing their attire and the badge worn by one the leading humans,
he felt a quiet assurance that his mission was nearing completion.
These were likely the partners he’d been tasked with welcoming.
A faint click of satisfaction escaped him as he glanced at the bowls, mentally counting the treats remaining and confirming there would be enough.

The large alien inclined his head in a gentle bow,
his tendrils curling in greeting as his wristband clicked to life, translating his message in a smooth, robotic tone.
“Happy Halloween to you and your companions,” he said.

The group offered him nods and smiles, taking in the eerie yet festive decorations and helping themselves to treats from the bowls.
With quiet satisfaction, Sudalorm watched them depart, carrying a few treats in hand and leaving behind nearly empty bowls.

---

As Sudalorm finished watching the group of humans depart,
his attention was drawn back to the peculiar feline that had lingered near the treats.
The cat, ever nonchalant, announced its departure now that things had picked up.
Sudalorm’s large green eyes remained fixed on the small creature, watching as it attempted to vanish in a mysterious manner.

Of course, Sudalorm’s kind possessed a unique vision that extended beyond the typical physical senses.
As the cat tried to slip into the its surroundings, it was still visible to him, not by its shape,
but through the subtle emissions of emotional energy that all sentient beings exuded.
A faint, swirling cloud of ethereal colors pulsed around the feline, changing hues based off the hosts current emotion.
This "cloud" revealed the cat’s position clearly enough, like a black hole surrounded by a rainbow.
This skill Sudalorm’s people valued was heavily bound by confidentiality not to disclose to others.

Respecting the cat’s intentions,
Sudalorm refrained from acknowledging it, going along with the bit.
He maintained his steady posture, acting as if the cat had indeed disappeared entirely from his view,
though a faint glimmer of amusement flickered behind his green eyes.
Such attempts at concealment often brought him a quiet humor.

---

MISSION COMPLETE ✅
The once-full bowls of treats sat nearly empty, a soft beep echoed from Sudalorm’s wristband,
alerting him to an incoming transmission. He lifted his arm and tapped a button, and the clicking tones of his superior’s voice began to play,
a female Grelek, her layered clicks forming words of acknowledgment and final approval. She confirmed that he’d successfully completed his mission,
her tone of satisfaction marking it as a successful peace offering.
The transmission ended with instructions for Sudalorm to wrap up and prepare for his next assignment.

Satisfied, Sudalorm shut off the message and surveyed his setup one final time.
Methodically, he began cleaning up the now-empty bowls and gently packed away the remaining treats,
knowing they could not be consumed by him, and held no value for him and would be discarded later.
With care, he consolidated the leftover candies into a single bowl,
placing it out on the table for anyone who might want a last taste before he departed.

As he began taking down the colorful lights and skeleton decorations,
Sudalorm felt a quiet satisfaction in the small, strange celebration he’d hosted.
He now had a new understanding of the humans holiday, though he may not be assigned this mission ever again,
he was grateful to have learned so much tonight.

((RP will be closing up now, I'll let those get a few more posts in if they want though.
Thanks to everyone that chipped in and hope you guys had a great Halloween!!))