boo

[bu773rfly]

Who: All troublemakers and part-time ghouls [that means open]

Where: The movie room, then the Quad

When: The very night of Halloween!

What: Get SPOOKY, get SLEEPY, get STUPID, it's a sleepover costume party.

Content Warning: none for the post; byocw (bring your own content warnings)

[It starts a few nights before, with a network post.]

10.27.xx 19:28:16 un:hudie

20:00....Halloween night...the movie room...

You'd better be there. You'd better be in costume.

10.27.xx 19:29:43 un:akapassionista

I can't wait to see everyone's Halloween costumes!! ♪♪(o*゜∇゜)o～♪♪

[You'd better. Because it's a party!

Kaede and Erika have dressed the room up for the spookiest night of the year. It's nothing professional - lights dimmed, music playing, store-bought balloons with jack-o-lantern faces on them, paper cutouts in pumpkin and ghost shapes stuck to the wall. A "bat" is fluttering around, but if you squint, it's actually just Erika's familiar with black paper stuck to her wings. There's some kind of plastic tub in the corner full of water and...apples? Is it supposed to be bobbing for apples? All in all, it has some kind of DIY charm to it all.

Of course, everyone's actually here for the refreshments, and there's plenty of those. Some Bender specials, mostly the non-enchanted fare, but you might find a couple of the milder curses and blessings on the table. Bowls of popcorn and chips and every other genre of snack food you can scrounge up at Fantasy Costco. Candy galore. A modest assortment of Faerunian treats familiar from missions. Paper cups and plates and napkins. Soda bottles and a water pitcher and a few big bowls of punch. (One is labeled "alcoholic". Be ye ware.)

And by the way, costumes really are mandatory. There's a sign out front saying so. If you came unprepared, there's a bin of costume components outside to choose from, capes and headbands and masks and whatnot, but they might not coordinate well. If you think you're getting in without making an effort, Kaede and Erika (themselves dressed in bargain bin warlock and bard kit, respectively) are ready and waiting to chase you down and apply whatever degree of force or Sleep they need to correct the issue, with costume accessories and water-resistant face paint in hand.


About two hours into things, the two get everyone's attention and move the party outside to the Quad. Out there they've got a campfire going, picnic blankets spread out for sitting on, ingredients for s'mores laid out, and...pumpkins! And tools for carving or painting them. A sign out by the campfire announces a contest for the best decorated pumpkins, but nobody ever comes along to apply judging standards, so everyone's just free to show off their creation.

Things wind down a little after midnight. You can head on home...or just sleep out here, between blankets under the stars. It's that cozy kind of night.]

Comments

[rockymountaindie]

A-and that's good, I didn't mean--

[ oh my god his foot is so far in his mouth he's swallowing it ]

L-look can't it just be enough that I don't like it?

[doubledsofjustice]

It could! But that's not what your reasoning was before, was it?

[Mia asks, raising her brows in question. She really isn't mad at him at all, just... challenging him.]

If it's not to your tastes, that's one thing. But supposed to is much different.

[rockymountaindie]

[ Arguing with lawyers sucks. Alex greatly resembles a kicked puppy right about now. ]

I... I don't know, okay? It feels weird to me, okay? I already don't like bein' in this, talking about it's even worse. It's the kinda thing guys back home would laugh at.

[doubledsofjustice]

Sounds like those guys are afraid to wear the skirt.

[Mia chuffs a short laugh of her own with a roll of her eyes, then reaches out to knock her knuckles against Alex's shoulder.]

Loosen up. I don't hear anyone laughing at you now.

[rockymountaindie]

[ He kind of jumps a little, but it's mostly because he's already tense. A moment's hesitation, and he admits- ]

I tried...explaining about it with Mista and he started saying stuff about swapping outfits and going a few rounds... Between you and him, now I'm just confused.

[ A moment, where he half-shrugs. ]

And I feel like a bit of an asshole.

[doubledsofjustice]

Growing pains. That's how it is sometimes, when the standards that used to fit get outgrown.

[She speaks a bit more gently now.]

When things start to get uncomfortable like that, perhaps you need to change the way you're looking at the situation. Things, and people as well, change depending on how you look at them.

Then perhaps you'll be closer to understanding.

[rockymountaindie]

[ He's quiet for a few seconds, soaking this in with a thoughtful expression. And, still quite embarrassed. ]

Is...it okay if for now I still don't really like it?

[doubledsofjustice]

Yeah, of course.

[Mia nods, smile still small and bemused, and shrugs her shoulders.]

It's just how you feel.

[rockymountaindie]

Yeah, okay.

[ But all this emotional honesty and confronting uncomfortable thoughts is exhausting, so, abruptly- ]

What, uh... What're you dressed as, anyway? How's some makeup a costume?

[doubledsofjustice]

[Mia..... smiles way too wide about this.]

Alex. You can't tell? I'm a ghost.

[STOP LOOKING SO PROUD OF YOURSELF]

1/2

[rockymountaindie]

[ One sec. ]

[rockymountaindie]

... Mia.

[ OH MY GOD THAT'S HORRIBLE. ]

[doubledsofjustice]

[Yes, this kind of reaction is exactly what she was looking for. Mia grins broadly, even chuckling a little.]

What? It was fitting!

[rockymountaindie]

Fitting my ass, you just wanted to make that joke.

[ But, he's laughing a little. Morbid horrible humor? Sure. ]

[doubledsofjustice]

[Mia keeps cracking up, though, covering her hand with her mouth.]

Alright, alright, I'm guilty.

[rockymountaindie]

Damn right, you are.

[ She's so proud of herself?? What a dork. ]