Gothic Romance Meme

[marlowe_tops]

Gothic Romance Meme

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again…


The story goes like this: There is a house. It may be haunted. The house has a resident, or two, who has some secrets. They may be charming, or brooding, often both. Someone may have been murdered. A newcomer arrives, either as bride, governess, or journalist, and they begin to unravel all the secrets and lies lurking within the house of Usher.

Locations may be in any country, in any era, but there must be a gloomy and opulent old mansion, and some sort of dark and terrible secret to be uncovered (or just ghosts. ghosts are always an option.)

The Newcomer
1. The new bride or groom. Your new spouse is charming and attractive, but do you really know all their secrets?
2. Tutor or governess to the estate children. They seem like such innocent children.
3. Companion—perhaps as a chaperone, perhaps merely as company, but you’ve been hired to come to some remote old house to keep an unknown stranger company. Probably just reading to them, or listening to them chatter on whenever travel is required.
4. Hired hand. You’ve been hired up from the local village—or perhaps the city—as a footman or a maid. Just an ordinary job. Nice house, though.
5. Distant relation. Thanks to your circumstances, you’re reduced to accepting hospitality from some remote relations of yours. They may never turn up to family gatherings, and you’ve never heard much about them, but they’re probably just reclusive.
6. Journalist. You’ve heard some interesting rumours about this old mansion in the middle of nowhere.
7. The neighbour. You know that things are not quite right in that old house on the hill. Perhaps you feel it’s your duty to interfere. Perhaps you’re just curious. Perhaps you are childhood friends with the house’s resident.

The Resident
1. Past transgressions. Perhaps a mad wife in the attic? Someone buried in the cellar?
2. The unquiet dead. Look, you just live here. You’re not responsible for the ghosts. Even if they do all seem to be related to you.
3. The monster. You are the thing in the house to be feared. Actual monsters or monster AUs totally an option here! Vampires, werewolves, beasts and horrors all possible. Perhaps put an ordinary face on when you receive your new guest.
4. Wildcard. Choose your own deep dark secret: maybe your character naturally comes with one.

Comments

[fioridimorti]

[Dropping his things to the ground, Shoichi uses it as an impromptu seat and tugs the plastic wrapping off of the lollipop.]

Oh, he'll pay me for the work, but it's almost definitely not going to be the usual amount. It'll be fine- I can probably make up enough and fill space with interviews around town for it to not look too suspicious.

[Sticking the lollipop in his mouth, he frowns around it.]

I should really find a different job at this rate... Journalism sort of happened by accident.

[technical_difficulties]

I can pay you the difference, if you want. A little extra incentive for your keeping things quiet. I know most people wouldn't believe you, but the ones who would are probably the ones I'd most like not knowing I'm here. [Spanner props his head on his hand as he watches Shoichi.]

What's your name, anyway? We haven't really been properly introduced. [And, after a pause - ] And what were you going to do instead of journalism?

[fioridimorti]

[Shoichi blinks in surprise. That, he hadn't been expecting. Really, one would assume that the threat of giant robot shooting would be enough.]

If you really don't mind- [Oh, wait, right- he leans forward a bit to offer his hand.] I'm Shoichi Irie. Engineering major.

[technical_difficulties]

[Spanner looks quite pleased about the engineering thing, and shakes Shoichi's hand.] Yeah, I don't mind. Besides, it's nice to meet another engineer.

I feel like that's got a lot to do with you not running. [Spanner wouldn't have run, either. He'd be too curious, and would have seen through a few things - much like Shoichi did.

That's why he pushes himself away from his control panels slightly, waving a hand.] Want to take a look at the systems?

[fioridimorti]

Maybe more than little.

[He grins back, because it's true. The second something strange happened, his mind was working overtime to answer the question how could this work? and, unlike other people, his knew enough to supply suggestions and take the edge off any fear.]

[At the offer, he jerks up from his seat.]

I'd love to- but it's alright? I mean... Isn't this supposed to be a secret?

[technical_difficulties]

[Spanner nods.] Yeah, it's fine. I don't think you're going to tell anyone.

Besides, I've never gotten to show off my setup before, and another engineer will actually be able to appreciate it.

[fioridimorti]

Then I'd love to look at it, especially when it's not pitch black and I'm not being chased around.

[Once is enough for him today.]

[technical_difficulties]

Help yourself. [Spanner beckons to the controls.] You can look at Gola Mosca too, if you want. Mini Mosca doesn't really like anyone but me messing with him.

[fioridimorti]

[Don't mind if he does... Shoichi goes to settle in the seat, looking over the wide array of controls before him.]

Anything I should avoid touching? I don't know if you've personalized your controls for certain things.

[technical_difficulties]

These buttons. [Spanner leans over his shoulder to indicate a set of buttons that's on a different panel from the rest.] These are the more lethal defenses - turrets, explosives, gas, things like that. They're pretty destructive and resetting them can be a pain, so don't mess with them.

Nothing else is going to really cause any problems, though...ah, except this panel, and the stick. [He indicates a small, raised panel next to a joystick.] Those are the controls for my Gola Moscas. [Shoichi will note the word is plural.] You may not want to touch that until you know what you're doing.

[fioridimorti]

[Carefully, he starts to go over some of the controls he recalls Spanner using just a few moments before. Ah, yup, these are for the cameras.]

How many units have you made? It seems like you'd only need a couple at most for a relatively small building such as this one.

[technical_difficulties]

[One can actually see Spanner thinking back and counting in his head.]

...I'm working on my tenth unit.

[Spanner, what even.]

[fioridimorti]

[Slowly, Shoichi stops messing with the controls and looks up at Spanner.]

...Why do you need ten?

[technical_difficulties]

I don't, exactly. [Spanner shrugs.] But I keep on coming up with new ideas, so I keep making new Moscas to try them in.

Besides, they might be necessary if anyone comes after me in here. Some of the people who want me to make weapons for them are really insistent about it. [Spanner's matter-of-fact tone doesn't betray any particular alarm or urgency in this, but if he thinks he might need ten or more Mosca units to defend him if these people come after him...one can infer the seriousness of what he's talking about from that.]

[fioridimorti]

[It feels like the longer he sits here and talks to Spanner, the more reasons he finds to be Extremely Concerned. For a second, Shoichi can't even speak, just stare. Eventually, he presses his palms together and then to his mouth as he exhales.]

[He has stumbled onto something much bigger than a haunted house, half by accident, half because he's stubborn and curious.]

What stage do you have your latest model at then?

[technical_difficulties]

I can show you, after you're finished checking things out in here. My workshop's in another room. [Spanner jerks a thumb over his shoulder, indicating a door behind him.]

He's my biggest yet. I'm calling it the King Mosca.

[fioridimorti]

[Going back to fiddling with the controls, Shoichi keeps talking idly as he takes in the screens.]

Should you be going for size in such enclosed spaces? I think if you're go any larger, you're going to start a demolition in the building.

[technical_difficulties]

Oh, yeah, I'm not planning on using him for the haunted house. [Spanner waves away that idea.] He's definitely not an enclosed space unit, unless you're talking about somewhere the size of a ballroom. Most of my Moscas don't actually get used in the house. The one you met was specifically designed to be part of the show, but the others are all legitimate weapons.

King Mosca's more like my ultimate weapon, until I design something better.

[fioridimorti]

Then where do you store them?

[Don't mind him as he tries to flick through the screens to find out for himself at the same time.]

[technical_difficulties]

In the workshop. It and the weapons range are actually beneath the house, so I could make them big. That door behind us leads to an elevator.

[Spanner, the extent of the operation you're running here is rigoddamndiculous.]

[fioridimorti]

...I want to ask what's backing this, but I'm also fairly certain that if I was told, I'd have to die.

[Seriously what the fuck]

[technical_difficulties]

[That gets a chuckle out of Spanner, and he doesn't laugh very often.] It's not that bad. I keep up some online correspondence with some companies I don't mind making weapon designs for. I send them blueprints and they pay me.

[Spanner must do good work, and get paid very well. Of course, Shoichi's seen some of his work by now, and it's obvious why Spanner weaponry would command a high market price.]

I don't mind making weapons for people, generally, but there's some guys I just don't really want to deal with. Usually people who want me to make weapons exclusively for them.

[fioridimorti]

[The more he hears, the harder it is to keep focused on the monitors. What a life to lead- doing such valuable engineering work for a variety of companies, being so wanted that you needed to make your own security, creating things like those Moscas...]

[Even with the obvious and clear dangers, Shoichi can't help but be a little envious.]

[Well, that's deciding it, then. Pushing himself up to his feet, he glances over to Spanner.]

If it's really alright if I take a look at the Mosca you're working on, then I think I'd like to right now.

[This isn't anything too unusual anyway, he thinks- a simple monitoring system with a lot of fancy tricks. The Moscas are where his real fascination lies.]

[technical_difficulties]

[Spanner beckons to him before he walks over to the door, tapping in a code with the speed of long practice; he's not particularly trying to hide it from Shoichi, but Shoichi still might not catch it. Then the door slides open to reveal a small elevator, which Spanner steps into.]

I wouldn't have offered if I minded. I've never gotten to give someone the tour before.

[fioridimorti]

[With how adjusted Spanner seems in this place along with the surely quick fingers that must have been needed for all his work over the monitors, Shoichi doesn’t even try to catch the numbers. He just slips into the elevator as well, trying to keep from crowding Spanner.]

But you probably weren’t expecting to give one today, huh?