Bruant Hall Halloween Hullabaloo

[Theo Crowhurst]

Event Kickoff: Halloween Town!

See the Event Activities here or at the bottom of this post! This is a free-for-all group thread, so jump in and engage in an activity and each other. After the 30th of November, we'll count everyone's pumpkins, but the thread will remain open until people conclude their interactions after that date.

Halloween always promised some ruckus or another. This was a lesson Theo had learnt early on in his career in the United States, strange forces on the move that had a little more power behind them here than somewhere else that didn't pay the 31st much mind. It had long been tradition in Easthaven to encourage the celebration under controlled circumstances, and through the years, the celebration had taken on the frivolities of the mundane.

Thus Theo was here, frowning at the haunted house and the garish glow-in-the-dark paint that splattered it, a light show turning it into a headache-inducing spectacle. The only basis on truth was that spirits did indeed haunt houses, and he wouldn't put it past a poltergeist to throw paint around.

“The perimeter's secure?” Theo asked, checking in with Aldane. The bog mummy stood beside him, positively beaming up at the garish haunted house before looking at Theo with a smile.

"Yes, boss, Aldane said cheerily, his Scandinavian accent shining through. I've got the dusty old boys at the wards. Nothing'll get through them. Maybe you can have fun for once?

“I'll try,” Theo groused but gave Aldane a respectful nod. The old veteran knew what to do, so Theo felt reassured that the undead agent would cover most eventualities. The festival would be uneventful, even if there would likely be mischief beyond its bounds. They only had to wait for the dark of the evening.

"Just try? You're no fun, boss," Aldane happily observed before giving Theo a jaunty salute and wandering off to continue doing his job.

“Bugger off,” Theo said, a laugh creeping into his voice as he turned away from the haunted house.

The broader scene of the Halloween festival was less garish, although no less decorated for the season. Already crowds were gathering, taking advantage of the food booths and the activities. Theo sighed, eyes scanning over the tops of the heads milling about.

Hop in at your leisure to find pumpkins and engage in the activities! This is free for all, so everyone can interact with anyone in the thread. Theo is just kicking us off!

If you're not interested in pumpkin hunting, you can also establish a thread outside of this one and enjoy the festival that way!

The Game is Afoot!
Upon entering, attendees are informed that a game of Tiny Pumpkin Hunting is afoot. Does it have a better name? Probably. Do you need to know? No. You’re off to hunt for cute tiny pumpkin jack-o-lanterns!

An attendant has explained to you the ways you can get your own cute little gourds carved delicately with the customary jack-o-lanterns face. Everyone starts with zero (0) pumpkins, and you can only gain pumpkins by participating in the main event thread and using the Strike & Cinder dice to a maximum of five (5) pumpkins.

Each of the activities listed below can be done several times in this thread, but you can only get the pumpkins once. You can only do one activity per post. No pumpkins can be won outside of the event thread.

Read the event thread!

• If you go apple bobbing and win (successful Strike roll), you gain one tiny pumpkin!
  
• If you frighten the “spirits” wandering the festival (successful Cinder roll), you gain one tiny pumpkin! These “spirits” can be dressed-up attendees or unwary spooky spectres enjoying the spectacle (all holograms, you hear the reporter for The Lighthouse murmur).
  
• If you go trick or treating (successful Cinder or Strike roll), you gain one tiny pumpkin! This activity can be done twice as a trick and a treat.
  
• If you wander into the haunted house, walking through without getting startled or jump scared (2 successful Cinder rolls out of 4) will gain you a tiny pumpkin!
  
• If you join in on the pumpkin carving, you gain one tiny pumpkin! Roll a Strike skill check to see how well you did.
  
• If you go pumpkin smashing, creative solutions on the smashing field (successful Strike or Cinder roll) will gain you one tiny pumpkin!
  
• If you join a beanbag toss game and win (3 successful Strike rolls out of 5), you gain a tiny pumpkin! The beanbag toss should be spread out over at least 3 posts.
  

How many tiny pumpkins you have at the end of the night (or the 30th of November) decides what kind of reward you gain!

[Don Pickens]

Don glanced around the area, his eyes seeming to gleam with childish excitement as his face portrayed a content smile. He passed some lady with hooves, a man with a long lizard tail, and another woman that was simply see through. Each one he glanced at, gave a small nod to, and then walked by. Each one he wondered, what was their deal what could they do and most important how would he kill them? The woman that was see through was probably a ghost, the way to deal with them was pretty well documented in the exchange book. Not too challenging. The hooved woman? Probably high agility so maybe a round from a sniper rifle? As for the lizard tail guy, Don bet that that freak was strong and maybe could heal or breath fire. Easy solution there, flash bang to stun him and then a full auto rifle into the dome until it stopped moving.

Don flashed a white smile at the swamp man he saw around the office some times. "Evening Aldane, hell of a party. You and the boys need any help just call me." he said, patting the larger man on the shoulder as he walked by. Aldane didn't say much and Don got the impression he didn't like his fellow agent much. That was fine, Don had thought up about six different ways to put the bog man down if anything came of it.

Halloween was such fun.

Though, Don wasn't in any costume. He was just in his normal casual wear. Jeans, a white button shirt, and a cream colored coat hiding two strapped pistols lashed around the man's shoulders from harnesses. When Don spied his boss Theo he waved at him with a wide friendly smile he'd perfected years back. "Hey Boss man. Happy Halloween." Don said, clearly already having a good time.

[Angela Dune]

Iron Will, Haunted House, No Spook, Partial failure (0/2, 1/4)
Halloween Costume

There wasn't any plan to meet up at the haunted house or anything, but by coincidence, several Exchange agents were converging there, including Dune's favorite bog man. Also, the Inquisitor and Don. She didn't swan over to meet them immediately because she was on a mission.

Instead, dressed to the nines, feeling hot as hell, Dune sauntered right past them with a wave and a grin and ascended the stairs of the haunted house. “The hell are you gentlemen standing around outside for?” she called as she pulled aside the flap at the front door, smoke curling around her heels. “You scared? C'mon!”

Dune certainly wasn't scared. At least, that's what she told herself. Exchange agent or not, jump scares could still get the better of a person. So as she slipped into the darkened maze of a house, she picked a pathway that seemed to be a hallway lit almost exclusively with glow-in-the-dark paint. As she touched the wall to get her bearings, she found it was not the texture she expected- something soft and kind of damp? She swallowed her immediate disgust and started down the hallway, intent on getting through without screaming. Not even once.

[Billy Broder]

Costume

Billy looked at the festival, not the lack luster fake event of dental gear to scare away the normies. No this was the real thing. A shindig of magic for magic, plus those magic adjacent. Billy was practically vibrating with excitement.

He was ready for Halloween fun too, sporting a comically cheap vampire costume, fake fangs, and slicked back hair. Billy figured with all the real going on tonight, an obviously fake vampire costume would be funny.

Though as he spied someone with real fangs he started to wonder if he wasn't sending a challenge to some of the more petty mortally challenged. Fact was, Billy was kind of terrified of Vampires.

Then again no better way to face your fears than by mocking them openly... at least that was what Spider-man comics always told him. He glanced at the cracked screen of his phone for any texts from Lin, a new friend he had invited to this Halloween bash.

She was pretty cool and hadn't let him drown on a beach not too long ago, so he figured they got along pretty well. Plus... well hopefully she showed tonight.

[Sarah Silvers]

Mim Cinder Roll: 9d6
3 passes = Tiny Pumpkin! (Trick or Treat)

Fallen Angel Costume

Mim ran her hands up into her hair, letting her slender fingers tousle her dark hair. Her lips curved into a sinful smile as she stretched like a kitten and then let her hair fall lazily back down around her shoulders.

She was showing off a bit and knew she was being watched by at least a few people. Some probably wanted her body. Given the crowd some might have wanted her blood or worse. But all of that was fine. It was just nice to be wanted. To be craved.

She was wearing a skimpy little number that openly mocked angels in favor of bad decisions and fantasizing about them for years and years after you made them.

Over one shoulder she wore a large black bag and she moved more or less with the crowd. She had been told more or less what to expect this night and she had high hopes for it overall. With so many... types of people and not-people away Mim planned to have her fun no matter what.

Case in point she approached a someone and ran a silver mirrored nail over her lips and between the edge of her teeth, batting her long fake eyelashes and saying in a lusty voice to one of the attendants "Trick... or treat." while eyeing him as if he were the treat.

The guy swallowed once then handed her a small, and honestly kind of cute pumpkin, which brought a girlish squel of delight from Mim as she cupped it- instantly forgetting the person that gave it to her- and placing it gingerly into her bag.

"My haven't they made a wonder of the saint's day, hahaha!" the witch laughed cheerily as she looked around for something else to entertain herself.

Pumpkins 1/5

[Brooke Hansen]

Costume
Strike Haunted House: No Spook: Exceptional Success

Her hair full of flowers, Brooke quickly followed Dune up the stairs into the haunted house. She stopped at the door as well, grinning back at the boss man and the others of the Exchange.

Inside now, it smelled of aged bouncy castle vinyl and decayed rubber. She wrinkled her nose and sniffed. The glow-in-the-dark paint and blacklight cast her in vivid purple and dark hues. The whorls in her skin were slightly more visible in relief. It gave her a painted look.

“Ohmygod why is it moist?” Brooke made a face and jerked her fingers back from the wall, wiping her hand on her white canvas dress. Continuing forward, a stroke clicked white light across a black room, the floor oddly angled. Beneath protective mats sat large teeterboards which clacked up and down as they walked.

[Mina Straus]

Costume

Mina struggled to think up a costume. All manner of horrors trickled through her mind from the bleed. It was difficult at times to look past that. She could have been anything, quite literally. But there was already too much nightmare-dredged ugliness in the world, she wanted to be whimsical tonight. Maybe the reference was dated, but Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego stuck like a thorn. She kept coming back to it.

Her costume was good, too good. It was crisp in the right places; the angle of the collar, the brim of the hat. The trench coat was vibrant red, and not over-saturated felt. She had a steel case in her hand that was designed to hold most of the classified documents. It struck a grain of truth because it was real as much as Mina could conjure to be. The other railed against such a trivial use of its power. That one pressed against the walls of her mind until it made Mina queasy. Yet the other calmed to resentful glowering after a spell. Small victories in hand, she joined the festivities.

[Theo Crowhurst]

[...] waved at him with a wide friendly smile he'd perfected years back. "Hey Boss man. Happy Halloween." Don said, clearly already having a good time.

Aldane departed, and Pickens arrived, his broad smile just irritating the Englishman. But Theo found it in him to twist his mouth into what approximated a smile, replying with a sardonic, “Bah humbug.” It made his thoughts clear.

[...] Dune sauntered right past them with a wave and a grin and ascended the stairs of the haunted house. “The hell are you gentlemen standing around outside for?” [...] “You scared? C'mon!”

She stopped at the door as well, grinning back at the boss man and the others of the Exchange.

And then Dune was swinging by, her outfit appropriately in character even if it erred on the side of modesty. He would've half expected her to show up like she was attending a frat party, but she'd pleasantly proved him wrong. Or maybe it was too nippy out for one of those ridiculous costumes advertised as sexy.

Hansen followed soon after, dressed in something Theo recognised vaguely but couldn't place. Some folksy thing, maybe? Was she doing a deep cut, as they called it?

“I'll leave the haunted house for you two,” Theo called after, turning to Don and arching an eyebrow at the man. “And you?”

[Perrine Cinege]

Strike Roll 4d6, 3 Passes - Complete Success
One (1) Pumpkin Down

If the principle was that spirits couldn’t cross over water, Perrine was positive that dousing herself in water for an apple would protect her. And if that wasn’t enough, she’d smeared dark liner all around her eyes (and had brought as phallic of a carrot as she could find) to ward off any spirits.

In fact, bobbing up from the water, she was (unintentionally) the scariest rabbit at the festival – in part for the bizarre approximation of a rabbit costume, in part because she was very clearly on a mission.

Bubbles fizzing over her nose as she let out the tiniest breaths, she dove deeper into the water for the apples – fighting the slippery surface of the fruits to get her teeth into them, before coming up – drenching the white faux-fur cape around her shoulders – an apple wedged between her teeth like the feral oryctolagus cuniculus she was.

Victory. She bit through the rest of the apple and tucked it away to receive her tiny pumpkin, a sense of accomplishment warming her. Or maybe that was just the hypothermia kicking in.

One tiny pumpkin down, her eyes turned to the stacked silhouette of the haunted house. If they had pumpkins down here, she was betting they had some in there. She made a beeline.

[Angela Dune]

Iron Will, (Spook) Exceptional success (1/2, 2/4)

“Ohmygod why is it moist?” Brooke made a face and jerked her fingers back from the wall, wiping her hand on her white canvas dress. Continuing forward, a stroke clicked white light across a black room, the floor oddly angled. Beneath protective mats sat large teeterboards which clacked up and down as they walked.

Dune made an aggrieved noise at Brookie's question, flapping her hand to shake the feeling. It wasn't actually moist, but it was so close. It was gross. When they reached the strobe-light room, she lamented, “Oh, this is awful in heels!” But she was undaunted.

Letting Brookie go ahead, Dune bent to take off her heels and then stepped out after her, arms wide for balance. When she reached her friend, she jumped into the space close behind her and grabbed her shoulders, laughing and shouting, “Boo!”

[Brooke Hansen]

Strike Haunted House: No Spook: Complete Success (Pumpkin achieved)

The wall wasn’t really wet. Brooke chose the word for the effect it would have and lit up with a grin at Dune’s aggrieved noise. Childish, but it was Halloween! As Dune bent to remove her heels, Brooke took the lead. She wore a pair of black and white Converse high tops which flashed from beneath her dress.

She teetered on the boards and took each slowly. It wasn’t so much the movement as the strobe messing with her vision. She’d have likely sprinted through the house without all the atmospheric bullshit.

Brooke tensed as Dune grabbed her shoulders and shouted boo. The jostling threatened her balance and the squeaking sound she made was a point scored to that rather than surprise. She laughed and skittered forward, the teetering boards urging her onward.

Beyond this was a claustrophobic dungeon themed corridor with tens of rubber manikin hands and arms jutting into the space. Gleeful, she wondered if any were just gloves with a real hand ready to grasp.

1/5 Pumpkins

[Algy Trevelyan]

Strike (Apple bobbing) Complete success

To Algy, the day was Nos Calan Gaeaf, which was similar in many respects to the historic All Hallow’s Eve. All about bringing the community together when winter sets in. The Welsh Heritage Society had their little celebration in one corner of the festival, and Algy had thrown the stone with his name in the fire and hoped it would be burned clean in the morning for good luck! If his stone were missing, he'd also accept that ill omen.

He'd not dressed for the occasion, the tradition not costuming in his time. But the spectacle was a delight, seeing all the different varieties of monsters, both genuine and fake, with the inventive solutions some used if they made their costumes from scratch. Algy stood out in his usual attire, a bomber jacket, a shield against the cooling weather, even if his inner fire negated the need. He had a cigarette behind his ear, unlit, as he could comfortably let his smoke escape in little curls without worrying about the mundanes.

As he left behind the mummers' troupe, bawdily singing of Yr Hwch Ddu Gwta or Yr Lady Wen coming to chase children and take their souls, Algy headed for another part of the festival. The dragon took a winding path, moving between booths offering magical items and enchanted objects, crystals and herbs. Eventually, he made his way towards the array of barrels around the booth, purporting to offer miniature pumpkins if they got an apple in a game of Twco Fala. Not a very impressive game of skill, but one Algy was happy to try, indulge in his inner child just a little.

Clasping his hands together as he approached the grinning attendant, the man offered his challenge to Algy, and with a little bow, the dragon accepted. The apple bobbing was messy as Algy braced his hands on the lip of the barrel and attempted to grab an apple in his teeth, head plunging into the water farther than he’d like. But he eventually emerged with an apple set in his teeth, grinning broadly and soaking wet as the water dribbled down his front. The laughing attendant gave him a miniature pumpkin and a small towel to dry off the worst of it, Algy stepping aside to let the next man try his hand as he took a bite of the apple and happily crunched down on his edible prize.

The little pumpkin he slipped into his pocket, the first of many Algy hoped.

1 tiny pumpkin

[Serafina Duarte]

Costume

Serafina left a good deal of the preparation to Billy while she handled the logistics. The stall comprised a pop-up pavilion opened on one side with a single trestle table within. The sign outside said Spiritum. Orange fairy lights wrapped the pavilion’s steel runners and a festive cloth adorned with black cats and full moons lined the table. Serafina sat in a camp chair behind the table, nestled in a dark brown robe. The hood covered her eyes. She’d wanted something warm for tonight, and the layers helped with the chill.

An aluminum display case sat on the table, an inset lamp shining on the jumble of crystals on a velvet cloth. The white light fought against the orange twinkle adorning the booth. Beside the display case was a plastic jack-o-lantern brimming with candy. Serafina reached from beneath her robes and walked a hand towards the candy. She found a Twix by feel and drew back.

[Gaius Merula]

Cinder (Scare) Complete success

One tiny pumpkin down, her eyes turned to the stacked silhouette of the haunted house. [...] She made a beeline.

Gaius had put on a manner of costume for the event, his black feathers shining in the lamplight and firelight as he perched on a stall near the apple bobbing. Black beady eyes followed the monsters in and out of costume, eerily quiet as he knew many would know he was no actual crow if they cared to look. There was no need to put on an act and play the animal.

The Roman could clearly see the revellers dunking their heads from his perch. It was amusing to see everyone degrade themselves for some small gourds, but he recognised the new manner of ritual these Americans had picked up for the holiday. Samhain had never been celebrated like this, but he supposed two thousand years and more of tradition didn't mind getting adjusted for the modern masses. Enough festivals and observances had suffered such indignities, and Samhain could hardly get spared from the same.

Better to be remembered differently than to be absent altogether. The closest for Gaius was Feralia, which he observed each February, giving the Manes what they were owed. But there was no surviving record of how Feralia was celebrated, so it moved into obscurity where Samhain persisted.

The brief dip into melancholic thoughts was interrupted as a girl hurried past below him, staring at the garish haunted mansion that Gaius was sure had no spirits to haunt it. Only trickery of magic and technology.

Mischief flared in the raven's mind, and he abruptly took flight, large wings flapping once as he swooped down to dive past her head, letting out a loud caw right by her ear as he swept by, aiming to frighten her. 'Twas the season, after all.

Delighted to see her reaction, he swooped up to settle on a nearby stall table, chuckling in a markedly human manner as he fluttered his wings and adjusted to look at the girl.

1 tiny pumpkin

[Emily Reyes]

Costume but darker lipstick.
Strike 3 passes, complete success

The laughing attendant gave him a miniature pumpkin and a small towel to dry off the worst of it, Algy stepping aside to let the next man try his hand as he took a bite of the apple and happily crunched down on his edible prize.

“Oh- excuse me,” Emily squeaked with a little laugh. The witch held a towel in one hand, and her silly broad-rimmed hat in the other, a bitten apple and a pumpkin pinned against her side with her arm. She’d been distracted with ever so gently dabbing at her face in an attempt to preserve her make up, and she was mostly successful, but overall, she was soaked. The water had gotten into her hair and dribbled down her front. It was horrible. And now she’d run straight into someone trying to get out of the line for the apple bobbing barrels.

Despite that, she was in good spirits and grinned up at the man, wondering—as she had been all evening with astonished delight and disbelief—if he was human or not. The bomber jacket didn’t give her much, even if no costume was somewhat out of place at a Halloween festival, but the curls of smoke were something, right? Or maybe she was imagining it—punch drunk from getting goaded into dunking her head into a barrel of water for an apple.

[Algy Trevelyan]

“Oh- excuse me,” Emily squeaked with a little laugh. [...] she was in good spirits and grinned up at the man, wondering—as she had been all evening with astonished delight and disbelief—if he was human or not.

Apple in one hand and towel in the other, the dragon mopped up the water on his face and hair before patting down his chest, notably more efficient than the delicate dabbing of the lady he'd bumped into as he dried off. Thankfully, not a bad jostle in that he'd only taken a few steps.

“Oh, no. Excuse me, love,” Algy offered in return, recognising his inattention in getting out of the queue had bumped them together. The dragon considered them equally to blame if she also hadn't been paying attention. “I see one of our local witches has had some success!” Algy joked, seeing her outfit and the awkward way she held her hat and prizes.

Her clothing was typical of the kind of women's outfits he recalled across many Halloweens, a sight he'd long since grown used to, even if he still noted it with a certain instinctive shudder of shock to the system. However, he'd usually only seen them at a distance unless Dune had been around to show off her customary disregard for modesty.

[Angela Dune]

Iron Will, (Spook) Partial Failure (1/2, 3/4)

Brooke tensed as Dune grabbed her shoulders and shouted boo. The jostling threatened her balance, and the squeaking sound she made was a point scored to that rather than surprise. She laughed and skittered forward, the teetering boards urging her onward.

Beyond this was a claustrophobic dungeon-themed corridor with tens of rubber manikin hands and arms jutting into the space. Gleeful, she wondered if any were just gloves with a real hand ready to grasp.

Brookie didn't seem too spooked, but Dune laughed anyway and followed her lead into the next room. At first glance, the dark space didn't seem too frightening, but when her vision resolved and she realized the walls were lined with hands, Dune made an 'ooooh' of anticipatory discomfort.

Tensed for a potential jump scare, she stayed close to Brooke, stepping up next to her and slipping her arm through hers. Leaning in, she put their shared thoughts to words, “Think any of these are real- Oh!” Dune squawked in surprise when one of them reached out and grabbed her wrist. Snatching her arm back, she slapped at the offending and laughed, “God damn it!”

Her heart was pounding with adrenaline, but at least she didn't scream! Hustling Brooke out of there, she tumbled into the next room, heels in her other hand. This one was a long hallway, the floor shrouded with smoke. Along the walls were coffins and kitschy skeletons, covered in cobwebs and half-obscured by dim light. Dune peered at each one with narrowed eyes, suspicious after the scare in the last room.

[Mathus Dascălu]

Cinder "Treat", Complete success, 1/5 pumpkins

Serafina reached from beneath her robes and walked a hand towards the candy. She found a Twix by feel and drew back.

He'd heard of Spiritum through the grapevine--a somewhat short grapevine from Emily, through Max, to him--but hadn't worked up the... well, 'nerve' wasn't quite the right word since he wasn't nervous, but it's what came to mind. He hadn't worked up the nerve to pop into the shop and reintroduce himself. It was a curious case where he desired to make himself known to the blind witch, but he was reluctant to self-identify as the werewolf by the shore all those months ago.

Now was his chance. Naturally, he'd read the sign over the stall, but confirmation came with the scent of the girl manning it. She was swathed in the robes of... he thought they were a Jedi? Appropriate for the holiday, and they worked for her, although he didn't know much about Star Wars. His was a passable interpretation of Marty McFly, with the orange vest and, as the nurses told him at the office, a 'Canadian tuxedo,' with denim on denim. Not that the young woman would see!

Approaching the stall, he watched her reach for a piece of candy, snagging one with little trouble. Reaching for the bowl, Mathus announced himself with a polite, “Trick or treat!” his Romanian accent relatively clear in every word. Would she remember that? It was quite chaotic. As he picked up a Twix, he continued, “So, this will sound strange, but we've met before. In February, under less-than-ideal circumstances. I never caught your name. Mine is Mathus.”

[Emily Reyes]

“Oh, no. Excuse me, love,” [...] “I see one of our local witches has had some success!” Algy joked, seeing her outfit and the awkward way she held her hat and prizes.

There was something freeing about the open secret of this festival, even if it had all the trappings of a kitschy, fake one.

That helped, honestly. It eased the impact of a magical festival. She might've fainted from the shock if she'd just walked onto Diagon Alley. Magic was still so new to her! But now, she could enjoy searching for the fantastical in the little things, from the man juggling little rings of light to the unmistakably skeletal hands of one seller in the marketplace.

Emily laughed at the tall, smoky man's casual identification, realizing with a thrill that the costume wasn't just a costume--even if she, a witch, did not wear this ridiculous get-up in her typical, day-to-day witchcraft. The 'our local witch' was charming--the implicit inclusion into a community always was--but she wouldn't want to become any representation of the local witch population. The shiny, sinfully tight fabric and plump cleavage were all just a silly promise she'd made to a certain werewolf, and even then, she wasn't sure if it fulfilled the promise. (She'd promised a short skirt but chickened out.)

“I certainly have, against all odds,” she agreed amiably and proudly as she patted the towel around her neck and tried to get her hair out of her face. “You as well- Our local pilot?” she guessed with a grin before asking curiously, “Did you get your pumpkin?” Emily didn't see one on him and had the faint air about her like she was ready to make sure he got his due.

[Algy Trevelyan]

“I certainly have, against all odds,” she agreed amiably and proudly as she patted the towel around her neck and tried to get her hair out of her face. “You as well- Our local pilot?” she guessed with a grin before asking curiously, “Did you get your pumpkin?” Emily didn't see one on him and had the faint air about her like she was ready to make sure he got his due.

Algy grinned at her laugh, toothy and pleased, as he ruffled his hair with the towel, drying off what he could. Whether she was a witch or not wasn’t of any substance. Today she was a witch, even if tomorrow she would return to what she was usually, whatever that was. No witch Algy had seen favoured sheer stockings and tight leather, but he imagined there had to be one who indulged from time to time.

The dragon only smiled beatifically at her naming him a pilot, aware enough that he carried the trappings with him if anyone bothered to put the pieces together. He caught her look, quick to reassure her with a nod of his head towards his pocket. “I did, tucked away safe and sound.” He was amused at her concern, especially for a stranger, but it firmly set her in a category of good people. He continued, cheerful, before turning a little sly, offering a wink. “There’s plenty more to win. You got any luck to share, witchling?”

A faint trailing line of smoke snuck out of his nostril, whispy and barely there. Being able to smoke freely meant there were no obvious plumes of smoke threatening to escape his gullet.

[Emily Reyes]

Cinder Treat! 2/5 pumpkins
CHARM Light

As she watched the smoke curl from his nostril, her dark eyes widened, as did her grin, a little wave of delight and astonishment washing over her. The night was so fantastical, that all she could conclude—all she wanted to believe—was that she was speaking to a very jovial dragon in human form. It just made sense for a dragon to disguise himself as a pilot in the modern day.

If it wasn’t true, it didn’t matter. They were unlikely to meet again and with the mood she was in, Emily was satisfied to believe that dragons, especially dragons as nice as this one, existed.

Reassured that he had his pumpkin, she tipped her chin down and peeked up at him through her eyelashes as he asked for a bit more luck. Charmed, she flushed a little, admiring the strong cut of his jaw and enjoying a bit of light flirting. Unfortunately, Emily didn’t have any, no spells off the top of her head or even in her book, but luck could be as much mundane psychology as it was magic.

Pulling her prize apple from the crook of her elbow, the witch met his eyes as she pressed a kiss to the waxy skin, leaving a faint impression of her dark lipstick. As she did, fruit lit up with a warm sunlight glow and lifted from her fingers to rise up to his eye level. “A little light for a dark night,” Emily offered playfully, surprised and pleased at herself and her impromptu theatrics.

[Algy Trevelyan]

Cinder (Fire) Partial failure (no pumpkin!)
Cantrip (Fire)

[...] pressed a kiss to the waxy skin, leaving a faint impression of her dark lipstick. As she did, fruit lit up with a warm sunlight glow and lifted from her fingers to rise up to his eye level. “A little light for a dark night,” [...]

Algy was charmed by her reaction and even more so by what she did next. Witches, fake or real, were always up to something when apples got involved. When she lifted the apple she'd caught, making to mark it with a bold lipstick print, Algy cocked his head curiously. He kept grinning, perfectly willing to see where the theatrics went, well aware of the trick-or-treat nature of the day.

His face brightened into delight when her lips touched the fruit, and a gentle glow erupted from it. Her bold print was still clearly visible, but Algy only saw it when the apple began to float. He let out an appreciative 'ooh', reaching out to nudge the apple to see how it moved. The witch's line had Algy grinning broader than before, clearly pleased.

“And something for you,” Algy murmured, lifting his hand and–initially–trying for something more ambitious to show off in return, but despite the day, his inner fire only flared like a lazy ember. Perhaps the day had only served to relax him, but he had other recourse. A snap of his fingers summoned his Dragonfire, smaller and more modest than her apple but not any less for it. It was strong and steady, no wind would extinguish it so long as Algy was alive. “May this fire ward your way.”

1 pumpkin

[Brooke Hansen]

Her heart was pounding with adrenaline, but at least she didn't scream! Hustling Brooke out of there, she tumbled into the next room, heels in her other hand. This one was a long hallway, the floor shrouded with smoke. Along the walls were coffins and kitschy skeletons, covered in cobwebs and half-obscured by dim light. Dune peered at each one with narrowed eyes, suspicious after the scare in the last room.

Strike Haunted House: No Spook: Exceptional Success

All while Dune and Brooke slipped down a corridor of rubber hands, Brooke thought what would happen if she was given free reign in a place like this. She tried to keep things together and play at being normal. This proved more difficult to keep in check at Halloween. The masquerade already stretched thin with costumes and make believe, and what happened on All Hallows Eve was easy to play off. Tricks and treats. It made Brooke want to skitter in thin places and lose bits of herself. She could terrify given half a chance. Brooke checked herself, it wasn’t worth the risk.

The hands lining the walls either pushed aside as they passed or made to grasp. Brooke laughed as Dune squawked, reveling in the scare with none of the danger. Another hand squeezed at Brooke’s shoulder. She giggled as if ticklish and ducked her neck, squirming past and Dune pulled her along.

A mausoleum opened before them; coffins half-open with ragged bone. Fog from a whirring smoke machine curled at their feet, agitated by their passing. In the half gloom, a coffin toppled forward as they came within reach. The front snapped open and a skeleton jutted out with a maddening cackle. Ruddy light lit from within the casket and danced shadows across the space.

Brooke tensed and rocked back, still holding onto Dune. The skeleton flopped at the end of its tethers a moment longer before the trap reset.

1/5 pumpkins

[Serafina Duarte]

Approaching the stall, he watched her reach for a piece of candy, snagging one with little trouble. Reaching for the bowl, Mathus announced himself with a polite, “Trick or treat!” his Romanian accent relatively clear in every word. Would she remember that? It was quite chaotic. As he picked up a Twix, he continued, “So, this will sound strange, but we've met before. In February, under less-than-ideal circumstances. I never caught your name. Mine is Mathus.”

Above the merriment which swam about them, Serafina heard the call for trick or treat. The accent, foreign, maybe eastern European, didn’t take her back to that February night. She’d been frozen, panicked, fearful for her life, and it was a true miracle she’d been able to bind the nian back in its prison with all that stress upon her. Yet as the man spoke, memories gathered like kindling for a fire. Serafina shivered. Realization sparked against the kindling and warmth gathered in her expression.

“Hello.” She said after the surprise, her hands occupied with the Twix wrapper, and remembered huddling against this man—this werewolf—as he got her to safety. Unlikely she would have survived the night without his quick thinking. She was unused to such excitement back then. “Serafina Duarte. It’s a pleasure, Mathus.”

[Emily Reyes]

Cinder Collection, Extraordinary success, Good component

“And something for you,” Algy murmured, lifting his hand and–initially–trying for something more ambitious to show off in return, but despite the day, his inner fire only flared like a lazy ember. Perhaps the day had only served to relax him, but he had other recourse. A snap of his fingers summoned his Dragonfire, smaller and more modest than her apple but not any less for it. It was strong and steady, no wind would extinguish it so long as Algy was alive. “May this fire ward your way.”

The fire in the man’s hand warmed Emily’s face, illuminating eyes bright with wonder she’d only been faintly entertaining until now. Now she was certain this man was a dragon in disguise. A true, honest-to-God dragon and the witch felt simultaneously very small in a world of unknowns and over the moon with delight.

Her treat felt shabby compared to a dragon’s fire and the witch’s immediate, overwhelming desire to preserve the gift brought her magic to bear around it. With her pumpkin still tucked in the crook of her arm, she pinned her hat under the other and reached out to cradle the flame in both hands. Then she offered the man, the dragon, a beatific smile. “Thank you,” she said softly, before her smile went shy as she added. “My name’s Emily. It’s nice to meet you.”

Pulling the flame close with one hand, she offered the other to shake.

[Algy Trevelyan]

Cinder (Trick) Complete success
Cantrip (Air)

Then she offered the man, the dragon, a beatific smile. “Thank you,” she said softly, before her smile went shy as she added. “My name's Emily. It's nice to meet you.” Pulling the flame close with one hand, she offered the other to shake.

It was subtle, but the dragon could feel it when the flame in his palm shivered under foreign magic and shifted from him to her. A true witch, then, not just one pretending to be. The revelation was a delight, even if Algy would not have been disappointed if she had been as mundane as they came. He watched her cradle it, taking in her joy and finding his spontaneous gift choice suited her.

The shyness was a surprise, but Algy just gave her a crooked smile and took her hand, shaking it in a firm and confident handshake, clasping one hand over their joined ones, before he pulled back. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, Emily. I'm Algy.” Reaching behind him, Algy snuck a little pumpkin off the table of the apple-bobbing man as he returned the towel, a subtle sleight of hand, returning to tuck it into her witch's hat with a wink. “You should win more of these pumpkins, Emily. I hear there's a surprise for those who gather enough. Perhaps I'll see you around town?”

Glancing over her shoulder, Algy grinned as he spotted a Spartan approaching, dressed in that ridiculous garb that had cropped up some years ago and heading straight for Emily with a sort of look of mischief Algy associated with friends up to no good. With a flick of his hand, the dragon sent the Spartan's cloak flapping up and over his head, hearing the indignant squawks of someone interrupted mid-mischief.

While Emily was distracted with the struggling Spartan, the dragon snuck away, confident he'd see her again if the fates decreed.

2 pumpkins

[Angela Dune]

Iron Will, 0 passes, critical failure 1/2, 4/4

Brooke tensed and rocked back, still holding onto Dune. The skeleton flopped at the end of its tethers a moment longer before the trap reset.

As the skeleton flopped forward, that was the final straw for the excitable woman. She shrieked and then burst out laughing, exuberantly grabbing at Brooke as she recovered. “This is an embarrassment,” she declared, hurrying along the corridor and into a darker hallway that led out into the open air. Laying her head on Brookie's shoulder, she playfully begged, “Don't tell the Inquisitor, I will lose my job.”

The older Agent wasn't truly embarrassed, knowing she could keep it together when it counted, but the haunted house did good work.

[Mathus Dascălu]

“Hello.” She said after the surprise, her hands occupied with the Twix wrapper, and remembered huddling against this man—this werewolf—as he got her to safety. Unlikely she would have survived the night without his quick thinking. She was unused to such excitement back then. “Serafina Duarte. It’s a pleasure, Mathus.”

The warmth blooming on the young woman's face was gratifying for a lot of reasons--though he knew she was a witch, that didn't mean she wasn't nervous about werewolves. That didn't seem to be the case here. Likewise, to be remembered fondly was just nice. As she introduced herself in return, he grinned even if she couldn't see it.

“Ms. Duarte,” he replied, recognizing the Portuguese surname and putting two and two together with her accent. “The pleasure is mine. I'm glad you were able to stay safe after that night.” And here was the uncomfortable part of this meeting. “I- I'm sorry I did not return for you. I was gravely injured.” Unconsciously, his hand tucked under his arm, next to his rib, where the wound still ached sometimes. That was unusual since his healing usually kept him hale and healthy, but the nian had been an otherworldly beast.

[Emily Reyes]

Strike Trick, 0 passes, critical failure

“Pleased to make your acquaintance, Emily. I'm Algy.” Reaching behind him, Algy snuck a little pumpkin off the table of the apple-bobbing man as he returned the towel, a subtle sleight of hand, returning to tuck it into her witch's hat with a wink. “You should win more of these pumpkins, Emily. I hear there's a surprise for those who gather enough. Perhaps I'll see you around town?”

[...]With a flick of his hand, the dragon sent the Spartan's cloak flapping up and over his head, hearing the indignant squawks of someone interrupted mid-mischief.

Algy was the kind of man to shake with both hands, a warming gesture. Emily grinned as he withdrew, wondering if his skin had been warmer than usual or if the air was just cold. A little enthralled with the suspected dragon aspect of Algy, she didn't pick out his clever sleight of hand, hooting in surprise when he tucked a pumpkin into her hat. She adjusted her grip on it to ensure she didn't drop anything.

“I'd like that,” she said in earnest to what, disappointingly, sounded like his parting sentiment. However, before she could say more--and think about putting the stolen pumpkin back--she noticed Algy's glance over her shoulder. Catching the little flick of the dragon's hand and the slight breeze on her damp skin, she followed his gaze to find Max getting a face full of his own cape. Emily burst out laughing, charmed that Algy picked the werewolf out of the crowd and put a stop to his mischief, but when she turned back around, the dragon was gone, and so was her apple.

Her mouth falling open, she went up on her toes and craned her neck to look around, trying not to feel too crestfallen. He'd said they might see each other around the city, so perhaps he was local. A local dragon! She certainly did hope they'd meet again. Still, for now, she quickly tucked her little piece of dragonfire behind the mesh over her cleavage for temporary safekeeping and marched over to the werewolf, looking determined.

“Looks like you've met your match,” she teased, trying to tug Max's cloak down again before he recovered, but she was too late. Instead, she overreached, and one tiny pumpkin spilled out of her hat, the other slipping the crook of her elbow. Yelping a little laugh, Emily tried to juggle them back into her arms.

[Lin Nari]

Costume

He glanced at the cracked screen of his phone for any texts from Lin, a new friend he had invited to this Halloween bash.

Nari had given Billy the number to one of her numerous personal phones. An indulgence, really, on her part. She found him both intriguing and pleasant to be around—two big points in anybody’s favor. One day, she might even find some use for him, but for now, they were simply friendly. Perhaps even friends, though that term meant many things to this dragon.

The dragon had every intention of attending the Halloween festival, but when she received a personal invitation to enjoy it with Billy, she was charmed enough to agree. After pushing past the ironic dentistry-flavored veil over the celebration, the woman let herself wander between the stalls for a few minutes, gazing around and soaking it all in. Once she had the lay of the land, she paused outside a haunted house just as a recorded scream echoed out of its open mouth to send the wizard a text.

I am nearby the haunted house.

[Max Kuryakin]

Costume

Strike (Preternatural Senses) Complete success

Max had planned his costume, even if the concept was relatively simple. He couldn't remember if it was Goki, himself, or someone else who suggested it, but both of them had embraced it. Max knew some people in the student theatre group, so he'd inquired there for props and gotten lucky enough that there'd been a cabaret version of 300 they'd had some years ago when the film and the following parody were things people thought about. He'd scored the hardware from there, helmet, shield, spear, and what few armour pieces there were. The cloak and the heavily historically inaccurate leather shorts had been up to Max, but he'd found them. His mum came in clutch for the cloak, but he'd bounced from various Halloween shops for his bottom half.

Most of the work had gone into making sure he looked good if he was going to walk around shirtless the whole evening. The kind of cutting tactic bodybuilders did right before a competition was something he knew in theory. Trying it in practice confirmed that Max wasn't all that into it, even if the result worked for the costume. He'd had Goki doing the same, so the roommates had made it work.

They'd arrived together, but Max had lost him in the crowd at some point when he'd gone to search out Emily. He'd milled about, stopping for pictures a few times–primarily people tipsy enough to dare come giggling with their request. Eventually, he'd caught her scent, following it past the haunted house to find the apple bobbing booths. It took him a moment, the costumes throwing him off until he caught her speaking, a turn of her head confirming that the not-at-all witchy-looking woman was Emily.

Max didn't recognise the guy she was talking to, but he was preoccupied with Emily. It wouldn't take much to sneak up on her, Max walking carefully with his shield and spear to not knock anything together and give up the game. The man, whoever he was, met Max's eyes across the short distance, his expression going amused and Max's face no doubt looking some manner of guilty, and then the only thing he was paying attention to was the rush of air and his cloak flying up and over his head.

Making the appropriate disgruntled sound of someone trapped in swathes of fabric, Max struggled against the heavy red robe. He heard Emily–or who he hoped was Emily–approach.

“Looks like you've met your match,” she teased, trying to tug Max's cloak down again before he recovered, but she was too late. Instead, she overreached, and one tiny pumpkin spilled out of her hat, the other slipping the crook of her elbow. Yelping a little laugh, Emily tried to juggle them back into her arms.

“What? Clothing?” Max joked, even as he finally managed to use the shield he was holding to sweep the cloak back over his head, his helmet staying firmly on his head. Switching the spear into the hand his shield was attached to; Max reached behind him to adjust the cloak and let it settle properly, even as he arched an eyebrow at Emily's sexy witch, grinning as she juggled her pumpkins.

Her skirt was long, not to code with the promise she'd made, but maybe she was keeping that in her back pocket for something else. Plenty of cleavage, Max fixing a surprised look at the little flame she had cradled there. Effective in making him forget the lack of short skirts.

[Emily Reyes]

Strike to catch the pumpkins, partial failure

“What? Clothing?” Max joked, even as he finally managed to use the shield he was holding to sweep the cloak back over his head, his helmet staying firmly on his head. Switching the spear into the hand his shield was attached to; Max reached behind him to adjust the cloak and let it settle properly, even as he arched an eyebrow at Emily's sexy witch, grinning as she juggled her pumpkins.

[…] Plenty of cleavage, Max fixing a surprised look at the little flame she had cradled there. Effective in making him forget the lack of short skirts.

Emily laughed at his retort, even as she managed to secure one pumpkin while the other bounced off her hand and rolled a few feet away. No, it was not clothes. In her experience, clothes were Max’s mortal enemy, but she realized that he hadn’t seen Algy’s little finger flick.

After tucking one pumpkin under her arm, Emily settled her witch hat on her head, and grinned up at the werewolf. She’d been in good spirits before, but now she was feeling the little dopamine rush from meeting up with Max and looking forward to an evening together. They’d been so busy that they couldn’t even come to the festival together, but now that she was seeing his Spartan costume in person, she wasn’t sure if she would’ve wanted to leave the apartment. He'd clearly worked to fill the Spartan costume out, which was… distracting. So this was for the best.

As he laid the cloak flat, her faintly gobsmacked gaze lingered on his bare shoulders and pectorals for a second before she realized where he was looking on her and remembered to fish the little flame from her cleavage. It flickered and gave off warmth, dangerous, she thought, unlike the branch she’d gotten from the fire elemental, but she cupped it easily, her magic sealed around it like a snow globe. With a proud grin, she handed her prize to Max for inspection.

“No, I think that guy was a dragon,” Emily whispered with quiet excitement. Then, following her errant pumpkin, the witch bent to pick it up from under a table.

[Max Kuryakin]

With a proud grin, she handed her prize to Max for inspection.

“No, I think that guy was a dragon,” Emily whispered with quiet excitement. Then, following her errant pumpkin, the witch bent to pick it up from under a table.

Even if Max caught her look, he only gave her a little smirk and didn't pursue the point, considering she was reaching between her breasts to take out the thing he was staring at. As she did, Max watched it closely, realising it was contained by something that kept her safe from burning, and it wasn't just a LED flame effect in a transparent ball or something. The entire time he'd been at the festival, shivers of magic had been jolting his senses, but stepping closer to Emily, he could feel it coming off the flame instead of brushing by him indistinctly. It smelled like Emily's magic overlaying something else, woodsmoke and jet fuel. Asphalt? Not unpleasant, but it reminded him strangely of Germany.

The werewolf took the warm flame, noticing how the consistency felt strangely squishy, like he wasn't touching anything, but there was still pressure against his fingertips. It somehow felt a little more tangible than the blob of emotion they'd eaten last winter, sheer energy trapped in magic. He was wearing a confused little frown, even looking at the little flame with no small amount of amazement.

“So this is like... Dragonfire?” Max asked, rolling it around in his palm and feeling the magic tingle against his skin. “I didn't see any horns or wings on the guy. Why do you think he's a dragon?”

Turning his hand, Max balanced the ball of fire along his fingers as he carefully rolled it over his knuckles before he rolled it back onto his palm and held it out to Emily.

[Emily Reyes]

“So this is like... Dragonfire?” Max asked, rolling it around in his palm and feeling the magic tingle against his skin. “I didn't see any horns or wings on the guy. Why do you think he's a dragon?”

Turning his hand, Max balanced the ball of fire along his fingers as he carefully rolled it over his knuckles before he rolled it back onto his palm and held it out to Emily.

Emily didn't take it right away while she was bent trying to retrieve the pumpkin from under the table. It was for the best that she didn't see Max gently juggling her flame--considering it was likely the most precious component she'd ever acquired, she might've scolded him for all the difference that might make. Instead, after palming the little pumpkin, she straightened and pulled at the skirt of her dress, ensuring the form-fitting material was sitting flat over her stomach, hips, and ass. Then, she turned around to find Max offering the flame back, and she puffed out a breath, blowing a lock of hair out of her face. She was juggling a lot of little objects right then.

“Alright, I don't know for sure,” she admitted ruefully, biting her lip and grinning shyly as she gathered her pumpkins in one arm and carefully rolled the flame back into her palm. “No wings, no horns, but he was dressed like a pilot, and he had--” With the little flame clasped in her fingers, she fluttered her fingers around her nose, pantomiming smoke. “--smoke coming out of his nostrils... Then, the fire, and I'm about ninety-percent sure he used magic to flip your cloak over. Dragon in disguise!”

Confident in her conclusion, Emily propped her free hand on her hip, her grin widening. Of course, all of that might be called circumstantial evidence, but she wanted to believe!

[Billy Broder]

Costume

Once she had the lay of the land, she paused outside a haunted house just as a recorded scream echoed out of its open mouth to send the wizard a text.

I am nearby the haunted house.

Billy looked at his found and grinned as he saw that Lin had messaged him. Haunted house, okay that should be easy to find. Most of the place was tossed out as a pop up festival and the haunted house woooooould be... Right over there. Billy grinned as he started walking over that way. Even knowing where Lin said she was it was a bit of a chore to find her, solely because her costume was so very different from what he had expected. Billy was like... 84% sure it was a character from a show or game but he wasn't real up to date with all that. Still, it was a pretty cool outfit.

Walking up in his cheesy dracula get up, Billy waved at her with a smile that showed off the clearly fake fangs complete with a bit of food dye running from the corner of one mouth. "Hey Lin, glad you could make it. Your costume looks great." Billy said. He glanced at her outfit as a whole then looked her in the eyes when he spoke to her. Her outfit may have been on the touch revealing side but to be perfectly frank that didn't seem to register in Billy's head. He'd seen a lot more skin back home and at some point in his life just learned to tune it all out.

"So, haunted house?" He asked pointing casually at the screaming shack of terrors.

[Don Pickens]

“I'll leave the haunted house for you two,” Theo called after, turning to Don and arching an eyebrow at the man. “And you?”

Don gave the ladies a friendly nod, a flash of white teeth specifically at Brooke and a quick finger gun toward Dune. Then they were off as they wandered toward the haunted houses. For his own part Don shrugged and then started to walk behind Theo. "And what? Leave you all alone on such a dangerous night? I wouldn't dream of it boss." Don said, the laughter barely hidden in his voice. He made sure to crinkle his eyes a bit with hidden amusement. He actually was fairly amused so it was an easy face to make, though most of his enjoyment still came from watching everyone

"Want to try this pumpkin stuff? Now that we don't have to worry about the girl's beating us in all the games?" he asked, his eyes not looking at any said games and instead trailing behind a woman sporting long beautiful feathers. She was entrancingly beautiful but all Don could think was a mix of tar or fuel to weight her feathers down before throwing a match to lite the woman up. Likely an easy kill provided she didn't hold any sway with fire. If she did... well shrapnel was also an excellent friend of flames.

[Sarah Silvers]

Cinder Roll (Misfortune/Trick) 9d6
7 Passes = Exceptional Success

Yet the other calmed to resentful glowering after a spell. Small victories in hand, she joined the festivities.

Mim swayed her way through the night air, the cool brisk evening prickling against her skin and only offset by the collected heat of activity and the press of nearby bodies. Mim knew the cold, she grew up with her sisters in a small little shack barely able to keep out winter much less hold in the heat of a fire. She walked through snow to pick dead wet branches with fingers so numb they couldn't muster the force to snap the wood. A little chill against her thighs was nothing to her. And she loved how she felt in the skimpy little costume.

Mim had one pumpkin in hand, she wanted another. She saw someone all angles and limbs collect a pumpkin in much the manner she had before, the price of asking, and a mean little smile passed her painted lips. She waggled her fingers at the person and a whisper of malicious power seeped into the night. A moment later a thin line tore in the person, or creature's, bag that let the small pumpkin fall to the ground and roll a few feet to Mim's devilishly divine heels. She bent her knees and slowly picked up the little orange bauble.

"Trick or treat." she said with an almost snide and superior tone.

Then her eyes flicked to a coat of long red and a big hat. Her eyes widened a bit as both the whips of Sarah and the mind of Mim recognized the outfit. In a few quick steps, one of which went a bit wobbly and almost cost Mim her ankle, stupid heels, as she approached Mina in her wonderful costume. Sarah had loved the show, the remake, and Mim had watched it, the original and remake, when she worked to learn more about the modern world. Her Sarah showing through a surprisingly innocent smile, the young woman clasped her hands together and quickly greeted the other woman.

"O-M-G I love your costume!" she said gushing!

Treated and Tricked, this well of pumpkins is dry for Mim!
Tiny Pumpkins: 2

[Max Kuryakin]

[...] “--smoke coming out of his nostrils... Then, the fire, and I'm about ninety-per cent sure he used magic to flip your cloak over. Dragon in disguise!”

While Emily was busy fetching her pumpkin, Max curiously took in her whole look from the back. All sheer tights and faux leather, ticking that sexy box even if there wasn't a short skirt. Probably smart with the little chill in the air, but this was much more Emily's stated style than what Max had teased her with all those months ago. Although, he couldn't help but smile helplessly at her as she spent a moment smoothing the form-fitting faux leather down. One benefit of wearing almost nothing at all, even as he appreciated the fall of the leather and fabric over her curves as his eyes followed her hands.

But she took the flame out of his hand carefully, juggling her pumpkins, and Max wished he'd thought to bring a satchel that'd blend in with his costume. He only had a little pocket for the essential things in his leather shorts.

“I feel kind of ridiculous disagreeing, considering, so we'll say you met a dragon” Max admitted with a laugh. A part of Max felt like all of those could be explained by standard Halloween trickery, but then he was a werewolf talking with a witch who did actual magic, so the cognitive dissonance of it all was fucking a little with his head.

To distract from the thought of dragons wearing human guise, Max instead asked, smirking, “Want me to hold your pumpkins? Got a good handful there.” Because all of Emily's pumpkins were on prominent display, and Max gave the deep dip of her dress an appreciative look.

[Theo Crowhurst]

[...] "And what? Leave you all alone on such a dangerous night? I wouldn't dream of it boss." [...] "Want to try this pumpkin stuff? Now that we don't have to worry about the girl's beating us in all the games?" [...]

Theo angled an exasperated look at Pickens but kept his lips tightly locked on any comments. Halloween's dangers were certainly not within the wards of this festival. They'd made sure of that, but the thought made the Inquisitor even more eager to get out of the festival, but there were some agents on patrol, and he'd always made a point of making his face seen, even if he didn't necessarily participate.

But as Pickens continued, he let out a small sigh, knowing he'd be better off participating in some things, although he wasn't about to dunk his head in a barrel today.

“The pumpkin smashing is the most appealing right now,” The Englishman muttered, glowering over at the haunted house before beginning to move. The festival sprawled around Bruant Hall, but the pumpkin smashing caught the attention of bypassers with prominent signs of bright colours, so it would've been hard to miss. “Scared of a mess, Pickens?”

He threw a lazy smirk in Pickens's direction, shaking off his ennui of the modern trappings of Halloween and attempting to settle into the spirit of things. And if the spirit was pumpkin smashing, Theo could hardly say no. He could already see someone enthusiastically lopping a pumpkin at a smeared wall, the gourd cracking open on impact.

[Lin Nari]

Costume

"Hey Lin, glad you could make it. Your costume looks great." Billy said. He glanced at her outfit as a whole then looked her in the eyes when he spoke to her. Her outfit may have been on the touch revealing side but to be perfectly frank that didn't seem to register in Billy's head. He'd seen a lot more skin back home and at some point in his life just learned to tune it all out.

"So, haunted house?" He asked pointing casually at the screaming shack of terrors.

Whether he looked at her costume or not made little difference to the dragon. It was more than what she'd worn when they'd first met, less than what might be typically seen on the street, and she gave little thought to how much skin it bared. It was perfectly standard for the adult Halloween costumes, though, and Nari liked that she could proudly wear her burgundy mane without questions.

Billy's height made him stand out first, and then she took in his vampire costume with an amused look crinkling around her eyes. It was not a high-quality costume, but it got the job done. What must true vampires feel while looking at him? Tilting her head back to meet his eyes--up and up and up, good God, some people were too tall--she smiled behind the fanged mask before pulling it down to let it hook under her chin.

“So long as you promise not to feed on me in the dark, vampire,” she replied with a sly smirk.

[Emily Reyes]

Costume but darker lipstick.

“I feel kind of ridiculous disagreeing, considering, so we'll say you met a dragon” Max admitted with a laugh. A part of Max felt like all of those could be explained by standard Halloween trickery, but then he was a werewolf talking with a witch who did actual magic, so the cognitive dissonance of it all was fucking a little with his head.

To distract from the thought of dragons wearing human guise, Max instead asked, smirking, “Want me to hold your pumpkins? Got a good handful there.” Because all of Emily's pumpkins were on prominent display, and Max gave the deep dip of her dress an appreciative look.

Considering, Emily also thought disagreeing at this point would be contentious--perhaps even an act of denial while they struggled to hold onto what was 'normal,' but she was guilty of that too--so she nodded and grinned, pleased when Max relented. Again, it was somewhat circumstantial, but what fun was there in arguing about it? She'd met a dragon and had the dragonfire to prove it.

Then they were on to the challenge of storing all her pumpkins, and Emily looked down at her armful, nearly missing the innuendo, until she glanced up and caught Max's eyes following the dip of her neckline. Even if she'd worn the outfit to show off, she still flushed and chuckled shyly, reaching up to pull at the rim of her hat, nearly folding it down. As she let it pop back up, Emily rallied, “I'd say yes, but you...” Pausing, she looked Max up and down from head to toe and tried not to linger, but her eyes were caught on the v of muscle at the base of his abdomen before she went on, very frankly, “Where would you keep them? You're not wearing any pants.”

[Max Kuryakin]

[...] “I'd say yes, but you...” Pausing, she looked Max up and down from head to toe and tried not to linger, but her eyes were caught on the v of muscle at the base of his abdomen before she went on, very frankly, “Where would you keep them? You're not wearing any pants.”

It was hard not to smirk as Emily got a little shy when Max wasn't subtle in appreciating her assets, and it widened when her eyes caught on the adonis' belt he'd worked so hard on accentuating. She'd tried to make it a businesslike evaluation of his lack of bags or pockets, but she'd failed in all the ways that mattered.

“You've got a point,” Max admitted, his smirk giving way to a crookedly aggrieved smile, looking down at himself and spreading his arms a little, shifting the shield out of the way. “I could bundle them up in my cloak? Or buy a bag and attach it to my shield straps? Won't ruin the cut of my costume, then.” He looked up at her, giving her a little wink, considering his costume was primarily his body at this point.

Neither of them had pockets for their pumpkin prizes, which seemed like an oversight.

[Don Pickens]

“The pumpkin smashing is the most appealing right now,” The Englishman muttered, glowering over at the haunted house before beginning to move. The festival sprawled around Bruant Hall, but the pumpkin smashing caught the attention of bypassers with prominent signs of bright colours, so it would've been hard to miss. “Scared of a mess, Pickens?”

He threw a lazy smirk in Pickens's direction, shaking off his ennui of the modern trappings of Halloween and attempting to settle into the spirit of things. And if the spirit was pumpkin smashing, Theo could hardly say no. He could already see someone enthusiastically lopping a pumpkin at a smeared wall, the gourd cracking open on impact.

Don Strike 7d6
7 passes = Exceptional Success

"Smashing pumpkins it is." Don said, idly wondering if he could work in a song lyric but realizing the moment had passed by the time he would come up with anything. He'd never been big on the band but new a few of their songs. It wasn't worth focusing on as he walked behind his boss, getting the mild sense that Theo tolerated Don at times. That was okay, Don liked how straight laced Theo was. While the man wasn't particularly playful like some of the other agents, he was professional and efficient. Don much preferred that in the field than any other mindset. That was probably why he had spent so little time thinking of ways to put his boss down if needed.

Don had probably clocked at least 42 total hours thinking of how he would kill his last supervisor. A very friendly man that was almost useless in the field, decent administrator but not worth his position when face to face with a threat.

When they found the pumpkins Don looked at the whole affair with interest. “Scared of a” Don glanced over at Theo as he started speaking, “mess, Pickens?” his boss asked. Don shrugged nonchalantly and walked over to the little contest. He picked out a nice little pumpkin with some fair heft and pulled it back as he seemed to wait for something. Then another festival goer threw their own pumpkin and Don lashed out his arm as he twisted his body. Eyes intently focused on the arc of his throw, his pumpkin sailed through the air to strike the other, launching Don's higher up and knocking down the other man's to the ground. When Don's clipped the upper section of the wall it made a satisfying splat and then slid down the wall to the ground.

"Sorry man, didn't mean to hit your pumpkin." Don said, blatantly lying to the other pumpkin tosser.

Pumpkins: 1

P.S. Sluggy was mean to me.

[Emily Reyes]

Costume but darker lipstick.
CHARM Light

“You've got a point,” Max admitted, his smirk giving way to a crookedly aggrieved smile, looking down at himself and spreading his arms a little, shifting the shield out of the way. “I could bundle them up in my cloak? Or buy a bag and attach it to my shield straps? Won't ruin the cut of my costume, then.” He looked up at her, giving her a little wink, considering his costume was primarily his body at this point.

Emily thought that most annoying thing about Max was that he was hot, he knew he was hot, and he knew how to leverage his hotness to fluster her. She watched the play of muscles under his skin as he lifted his arms, feeling her cheeks heat up, and had to glance away when he winked. It made her feel a little scrambled, although her body language was angled toward him in implicit interest.

Still, rather than dignify any of that with a scolding, Emily shook her head to his suggestions, grinning helplessly. Remembering what she'd done with the apple she'd given Algy, she decided that would be easier, less expensive, or 'costume-ruining'. Glancing down, she skimmed her finger over each tiny gourd, pushing a bit of magic into each. One lit up with a purple light while the other took up a greenish glow, and she let them float up from her arms. Then, finally directing her grin at Max, she stepped close and offered softly, “You look very handsome tonight.” See, two could play at that flustering game.

Pumpkins 2/5

[Billy Broder]

... Tilting her head back to meet his eyes--up and up and up, good God, some people were too tall--she smiled behind the fanged mask before pulling it down to let it hook under her chin.

“So long as you promise not to feed on me in the dark, vampire,” she replied with a sly smirk.

Billy smiled at Lin as she greeted him, then frowned and had to take out his fake teeth because they were about to make him spit everywhere. He covered his face up with his cape real quick and plopped them out into his hand and then into a pocket before wiping his hand dry on his pants. Man, capes were great! You could cover up all kinds of stuff with them. Like those teeth were funny sure but no one wanted to slobber everywhere. Billy lowered the cape and looked a little awkward. "Sorry." he said, not super sure what he was apologizing for but doing it anyway out of habit.

"Hey now, I'm an upstanding gentlewizard." Billy said in mock offense at Lin's hint at attempting anything toward her in the dark corners of the festival. Seriously, he was a nice guy, and not even a real vampire. What on earth could he do to her in the dark? Just preposterous. Billy turned toward the haunted house, and just to play off his 'gentlewizard' comment offered out his elbow for Lin to link up with if she so wanted.

"Vould you like to see my abode, my lady?" Billy said, really laying on the vampire accent thick as he swept out his cape dramatically toward the haunted house attraction.

[Max Kuryakin]

[...] she skimmed her finger over each tiny gourd, pushing a bit of magic into each. One lit up with a purple light while the other took up a greenish glow, and she let them float up [...] directing her grin at Max, she stepped close and offered softly, “You look very handsome tonight.” [...]

Unaware of Emily's disparaging thoughts on his self-esteem and suspicion that he was doing it all on purpose, Max's smirk turned into a soft smile as she didn't take his highly practical advice about the pumpkins. The magic's soft green and purple glow were as novel as it had been last Christmas when she'd picked a soft golden glow. She kept it thematic, revealing something about the charm Max hadn't known. She was manipulating colour as well as just light.

There was still a squirming feeling of unease in his belly, the urge to keep it all secret and hide, but he'd passed by a skeleton having a vertebra stolen by a kid for a prank, so there was more of that cognitive dissonance. He shook it off mentally, looking down at Emily with a soft smile as she stepped closer.

Her compliment hit him unexpectedly, making Max freeze for just a second before he relaxed, a flush of that knee-jerk bashfulness at receiving a genuine compliment that wasn't all that salacious. He'd been complimented multiple times walking through the festival, but that had been easier to bear with their suggestive suggestions and hands that pushed boundaries. It wasn't genuine, while Max knew this was.

“Thank you,” Max said simply, smiling sweetly, bowing his head forward in his usual bashful manner, but feeling the weight of his helmet tip forward as he did. Thankfully Emily was too short for the crest to hit her on the head. “You look gorgeous too, even if you haven't got that short skirt you promised.” The last had a twist of humour, as he didn't mind, even if he was disappointed he couldn't see the long line of her legs.

[Lin Nari]

Costume

"Hey now, I'm an upstanding gentlewizard." Billy said in mock offense at Lin's hint at attempting anything toward her in the dark corners of the festival. Seriously, he was a nice guy, and not even a real vampire. What on earth could he do to her in the dark? Just preposterous. Billy turned toward the haunted house, and just to play off his 'gentlewizard' comment offered out his elbow for Lin to link up with if she so wanted.

"Vould you like to see my abode, my lady?" Billy said, laying on the thick vampire accent as he swept out his cape dramatically toward the haunted house attraction.

Billy's mock offense just made Nari snort a gentle laugh through her nose. Of course, now that he'd taken the false fangs out, she would have to take his word for it—a gentlewizard dressed as a vampire and putting on that particularly cartoonish accent. Billy seemed utterly guileless at times, and Nari found that amusing.

The dragon laughed a little louder as he flourished his cape. Curling her hand through his offered elbow, she bumped her hip against his, tilting her head towards the haunted house just as the soundtrack unleashed a particularly bone-chilling scream. She grinned, showing off her own pointed canines. She couldn't simply take these out. “Yes, show me,” she invited, her hand trailing down to his, the woman turning to almost walk backward as she coaxed him along.

[Emily Reyes]

Costume but darker lipstick.

Her compliment hit him unexpectedly, making Max freeze for just a second before he relaxed, a flush of that knee-jerk bashfulness at receiving a genuine compliment that wasn't all that salacious.

“Thank you,” Max said simply, smiling sweetly, bowing his head forward in his usual bashful manner, but feeling the weight of his helmet tip forward as he did. Thankfully Emily was too short for the crest to hit her on the head. “You look gorgeous too, even if you haven't got that short skirt you promised.”

As Max got bashful, tipped his head forward, and returned the earnest compliment, Emily warmed. She suddenly desperately wanted to kiss him, her lips tingling slightly with the notion. However, she didn't think her face or lips would fit through the slit in his helmet, so she tipped her head up with a silly grin and settled a kiss on the bridge covering.

Reaching up, she smoothed her thumb over the burnished surface to make sure none of her lipstick smudged it. “I chickened out,” she admitted with a quiet laugh. Yes, she'd gone back on the promise, but this was better! “This has thigh slits, though,” she tried, trying to make up for her lies. “And look-” with a smirk, she half-turned and put her hands on her hips to show Max the plump shape of her ass in the faux leather. Emily was no slouch- she had certainly picked it to frame her better assets. “Not too bad, right?”

[Billy Broder]

... Curling her hand through his offered elbow, she bumped her hip against his, tilting her head towards the haunted house just as the soundtrack unleashed a particularly bone-chilling scream. ... “Yes, show me,” she invited, her hand trailing down to his, the woman turning to almost walk backward as she coaxed him along.

Billy Cinder Roll to avoid the spookiness 8d6
5 passes= Exceptional Success

Billy was a little surprised when Lin looped her arm through hid, some part of his mind waaaaay in the back clocking the little bump of her hip. Juniper bumped him a lot with her shoulder or hip but this was different. Felt different. In that little corner of his mind he tried to analyze why that was, but it wasn't something reasonable like the influence of arcane energies on the physical world. This was human interactions. So Billy's mind didn't get very far puzzling about it.

Meanwhile Billy was deciding that he liked Lin's laugh. She laughed a lot, though not very loudly from what he could tell. He wondered what he could do to make her laugh long and loud. Would it be as nice as her normal laugh? Dumb thoughts as she ran her hand down his arm and into his open palm, he briefly recalled the feel of those roaming tentacles on the beach, before she was almost pulling him toward the haunted house.

He squeezed her hand a little and picked up his pace to walk with her. His legs were long so it wasn't too hard. As soon as he opened the door a plastic skeleton lurched forward with a sinister laugh playing in time. Billy blinked a couple times.

That one might have actually got him but he'd been thinking about other stuff and almost seemed surprised not to be surprised. He glanced over at Lin. "I should warn you now, I have a few skeletons in my closet. Ah ah ah" Billy said, adding the cheesiest Dracula laugh to the end of his already cheesy joke.

He opened the door and waited for Lin to pull him inside, as he assumed she was likely to do.

[Brooke Hansen]

“This is an embarrassment,” she declared, hurrying along the corridor and into a darker hallway that led out into the open air. Laying her head on Brookie's shoulder, she playfully begged, “Don't tell the Inquisitor, I will lose my job.”

“Nah. Like, it’s a stupid place.” Brooke wrinkled her nose as they stepped away from the haunted house. She sent a scathing look backward on Dune’s behalf. It was weird though. Dune was fast becoming Brooke’s idol and to see her shriek at a cheap-ass haunted house gave her reason to pause.

Contrary to what Dune called an embarrassment, Brooke set her mind to understanding why. She fathomed it was something to do with the nature of danger. God knew Dune was better than that. Brooke watched her face down a raging Nian without blinking. The haunted house was so obviously fake that Dune couldn’t take it seriously. No danger, no threat, just cheap tricks. That made sense to her.

But Dune asked for secrecy and Brooke was eager to oblige. She pantomimed zipping her lips and threw away the key. And if anything, keeping this secret meant more to Brooke than if they had both skipped fearlessly through the haunted house, laughing as they went. Dune trusted her in this small thing and Brooke wouldn’t betray that trust.

1/5 Pumpkins