1st Annual Halloween Block Party!

[iam_senpai]

Perhaps it's the leaves of fiery golds and oranges drifting on the breeze, or the sight of various hard squash being mangled into festive ornaments, or even still the bowls of candy left out simply everywhere in the Nexus that signifies the import of today. Regardless of when you take heed, Halloween has come to the Nexus.

Neat little handmade signs and fliers of all kinds lead to a particularly festive sectioned off block with the Crossroads Cafe at the center. The brick building has more than its fair share of decorations hung from every available windowsill and door. Hanging skeletons, jolly Jack-O-Lanterns, orange and black streamers cascading down and blowing to and fro in the crisp breeze.

The doors are propped open just waiting to beckon you inside. What are you waiting for?

((See the OOC post if you have any questions! Backtagging and threadhopping are fine. Come on in and have a blast :D ))



Coats and Costumes
The Cafe
Bonfire
Dance Floor
Haunted House
Side Halls and Storage

Comments

BONFIRE

[iam_senpai]

Out in front of the cafe in the middle of what is usually the street is a large bonfire in a rather large fire pit. Plenty of tables are set up near the fire, showing off pumpkins carved in all manner of spooks and designs. Seems like folks are welcome to bring their own jack o'lanterns and other festive creations if they so please.

There's plenty of seating on one side of the large fire, though the other side gives way to a large, open area.

[twelve_not_fourteen]

People familiar with the earth hero of the screen, Indiana Jones might have to do a double-take while they’re relaxing at the bonfire. At a glance, it looks suspiciously like the nexus has a new arrival. You can blame that on Joshua Washington. Obsessing over every detail he could control. Tearing the khaki shirt and pants in just the right way to make them ‘screen accurate’. Searching for days to find just the right hat. Even dropping some of his own money into the look when balking was going on over the cost of authenticity.

If you look closely, however, you’ll see hair that’s just a little too shaggy sticking out from under the fedora. A tilt of the chin that comes from someone who feels the need to prove himself a little bit more than a respected professor of archeology might. And anyone who took note of the celluloid images closely enough to remember Indy’s physique would know that … the guy doesn’t quite live up to it.

But, he’s damn close.

Han Solo, is slouching in a chair and watching the flames dance around in the dark. The last time he’d been around a fire like this reminds him of the last time he had been on his home planet – for a holiday that was important to Corellians. He looks like he’s lost in his thoughts, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go say hi.

[westfallcorndog]

"Harrison Jones!"

Who's that shouting loudly and slurring his words? Who's that tall man swaying through the crowd toward a fedora he's sure he recognizes? None other than Harrowheart, of course. The glow of his blue eyes grows weaker the closer he gets to the strong light of the bonfire. He's looking definitely drunk already, if his lidded eyes and stupid smile are any indication. If not, there's always that half-finished bottle of bourbon in his hand.

He gestures with the bottle at Han and says loudly, "I! Was gonna go as Dr. Jones! Went to the costume shop an hour back and said..." He pauses for a moment, eyes shifting around slowly as he tries to recall what he said. "I said... 'I wanna be the guy who kills the nazis!' And they gave me this?"

Harrow gestures to his own getup before he shrugs, laughing. "Guess I wasn't too good with the words..."

He crouches down near Han and offers up the bottle as a cover for squinting at him. He knows this guy, right? He's sure he does, but something is clouding his vision and his thoughts, and the man looks the part of 'Harrison' Jones so well...

[brother_alone]

"I come bearing the first of many beers, bro. No need to applaud, I know I'm great."

It comes as no surprise to Josh that Han makes a fan-fucking-tastic Indy, but even he's a little bit impressed he'd managed to talk Han into nearly all of the bells and whistles that came with the getup. Sure, Han's got his blaster tucked into that holster instead of the revolver Josh wanted to get and he refused to let Josh so much as come near him with the intent of cutting his hair but aside from that..?

His best work yet, ignoring himself of course. He's damn proud of his own costume too, even if no one here's a big Night at the Museum fan.

[icebearforpresident]

Say hi? Absolutely not. Ice Bear is sneaking behind Han with his ghost costume on, which ironically, was also put together by Josh at the last second. Instead of being polite, the bear gently takes Han's hat off and puts it on his head in between his ears. Without missing a beat, the bear walks in front of Solo next, staring at him from beneath the white sheet.

"Boo."

Scariest bear ever? No. Far from it.

[smartass_captain]

Like Han, most of the costume choices made here tonight go right over Jim's head. But he does recognize the pilot sitting over by the fire and makes his way over carrying his own flute of champagne with him.

He'd tried to get a beer but Felix insisted he had to look as arrogantly rich as possible, so champagne it is for the moment.

"Glad to see you made it, Captain."

[zombots]

The nice thing about being an Aug is one can come up with some fantastic costume ideas. And there is Vaclav with a set of custom werewolf arms in place of his standard hands. It took a bit of work to do, and getting used to the new augs but the fur covered hands are impressive looking.

He is even gone as far as to use an animatronic facemask for added effect and tufts of fur that stick out of his flannel shirt. But for now he has got the mouth open, so he can try to enjoy some of the different treats that in and outside of the cafe. But for now, he is going to enjoy a nice bottle of beer.

If only there was more time, Vaclav would have put together something even more awesome but alas, time was not so kind to him. But he is just going to hang out on a bench with his beer in his furry hand, and he's hoping that some of the nice people he's met since his arrival will be here.

[red_room]

"Is that as heavy as it looks?"

Not someone he's met since his arrival, but there is someone approaching with her own drink in gloved hands. Not a bad view from the angle Vaclav is sitting in, most assuredly.

"Is all of this custom?"

[fuego_de_valor]

It's only natural that a fire Pokemon trainer, such as Candela, is attracted to a roaring bonfire. She's actually dressed for the occasion, but the team Valor leader doesn't expect anyone to guess who (or what) she's dressed as. If someone gets it, cool. If not, no big deal.

For now, she's content with drinking some warm apple cider while sitting next to the fire in a cozy camping chair. It might be hard to see, but there's a thin fox-like creature laying next to her, staring deeply into the flames. Neither seem too hard to approach; both trainer and Pokemon seem open to new or familiar company.

[juststeverogers]

Alas, Steve does not recognize the costume this lady is sporting but he's a bit culturally stunted compared to many others here. He's carrying a bowl of assorted candies around the fire and offering them to anyone he passes by.

When he stops in front of Candela, his gaze flits to the Pokemon at her feet.

"I'm afraid I don't think your friend here can have any of this, but would you like a piece of candy Miss?"

[zombots]

Vaclav is going to have fun with his werewolf costume, and with his face covered by the mouth of the animatronics mouth he ought to be set to do some scaring. That is the entire point of this holiday, or so he wants to think. And what more fun is it than to scare a friend or two.

He might not know what it is Candela is dressed as, and he goes to sneak up behind her and the fox-like creature with her. And he does his best to make growling and snarling noises from behind his mask. His clawed hands are extended, and as scary as he thinks he looks - a werewolf wearing a flannel shirt seems to be a bit of a cliché.

Sneak. Sneak. Sneak. Snarl. Growl. Rar.

Stealth isn't exactly Vaclav's forte, and he doesn't have a nifty glass shield or feet silencer aug.

[bratan]

As much as it seems that Adam might have a stick lodged up his ass somewhere, he does find sometimes to have a bit of fun. And Halloween was one of those holidays he remembers fondly while growing up. It was also one of those he remembers while doing community relations work with the children of Detroit while he was still a cop.

And while he could have followed suit with Vaclav to do something unique and he opts to go as a Halloween classic, Jason. Well a Jason who just happens to have black polycarbonate arms.

He also did make sure to contribute to the candy donation, but for now he's just going to enjoy the warmth of the bonfire and continue to nurse his beer.

He's sitting there at the fire with both his eye-shields back into his skull, and his eyes exposed and the mask pushed up over his head so he can nurse down a beer. And just once, maybe just once there is a thin smile on his face. And if he is going to make a better effort to break the ice with more people, now is a damn good time for the intimidating looking guy to do it.

[smartass_captain]

"That's like ancient horror legend type stuff right?"

The outfit may be the ruffliest thing he's ever seen in his life but he's trying to wear it like he belongs in the cloths, not in the practical synthetic fabric'd uniform he wears so much of his time. He's nursing a flute of champagne as he approaches, tipping the glass toward the man's mask.

"I think I remember hearing about those kind of stories."

[courtofmurk]

It's impossible to say when she got here or quite who she is, but there's a woman seated by a small table amid the dancing shadows cast by the fire. Her dress is grey silk, her face hidden by a matching hood and a silver fox mask, so that it's hard to tell what she might look like at all.

She seems to be watching the other guests quite carefully. Honestly, she seems rather shy... or perhaps she's just waiting for someone to pique her interest.

[rogueinladysclothing]

It's hard for Amelia to miss someone who seems to be hiding at the edge of the party. Being somewhat of an social outlier, the rogue has been trying to engage some of the others who show similar habits to get them more engaged. She's not very good at it, but the woman's muted curiosity as she watches the gathered crowd gives an Amelia an idea on how to start a conversation with the masked woman.

"Finding anything interesting here tonight?" she asks with an open curiosity. A small smile touches her lips as she steps a little closer. "Or is that what you're hoping for as you watch the crowd?"

[smartass_captain]

"Here."

A flute of champagne is held out toward the woman by a blonde man dressed in perhaps more familiar attire compared to much of the Nexus on this night. Jim Kirk has no idea if he knows this woman or not, but he does know that no lady should be left to eb bored all by her lonesome at a party.

"Enjoying yourself? If company's not what you're after I don't mind leaving. I just figured you might want a drink to go with your crowd gazing."

[the_faceless_one]

Someone has indeed brought their own Jack' O' Lantern to this event, to celebrate the spirit of Halloween at it's finest hour, but hasn't been very nice about it. There's a few broken pumpkins on the ground near one of the center tables, deliberately pushed off to make room for one specific pumpkin. It's a unsettling one that has a peculiar carving engraved into the gourd, being lit up by a glowing red light that's inside the pumpkin. There's some sort of black goopy Halloween prank ooze that's dripping from the cut pumpkin, giving it an eerie presense.

Who put this pumpkin here? A Halloween trickster? If you happen to be quick, you might catch sight of a sweater-wearing girl slipping away into the darkness.

Happy Halloween, Nexus.

[sumarusfinest]

When they told him there was a mess out by the bonfire Katsuya had taken a moment to finish his task before grabbing a small rubbish bin and heading outside to clean up whatever had fallen and broken.

The table is nearly barren save for a single pumpkin when he walks over, and Katsuya's gaze is on the mess on the ground at first. He supposes this isn't the worst prank to come on such a night, though admittedly he's disappointed that anyone would resort to petty vandalism. Why would they leave the other pumpkin though?

It's just sitting...

Oh.

Katsuya drops the trash on the ground. His throat working as he tries to swallow. Breathe. He turns around but by now there's nothing out of the ordinary anywhere. Just the party goers. Just the Nexus.

He hadn't felt any presence. Though Helios sends a disquieted shiver down his spine at the sight of the black ichor dripping from the pumpkin. The wards. There were wards on his door, letting him know if someone used it to come into the Nexus. Ever since the demon invasion. He had to check. Where is Radio? Ice Bear? Katsuya needs to find one of them to cover for him. Has to check to make sure nothing else has broken out of his world.

Silly Katsuya. As though there was only ever one way to and from the Nexus.

[chocolatechipbadass]

There's a little girl dressed in an oversized grey mercenary outfit skipping around the bonfire with a plastic jack o'lantern dangling from her wrist.

Who can resist fire, candy, and foooiiiine ass ladies in dressup?

"All around the burning plant the stalker chased the bandit, the stalker thought 'twas all in fun, POP goes the baaaandit~"

Did she just throw a firework into the bonfire? Judging by those sparks, all signs point to hell yes.

[speaksdinosaur]

Senator Doctoricus is relaxing on a bench with guitar in hand, and he is happily playing some Halloween favorites from Earth. The first thing he starts with is a rendition of The Munsters theme song.

At his side are a few pieces of candy, and a cup of hot cider to wash it all down with. A good party, The Doctor has always been a fan of a celebration. But beware he reserves the right to offer criticism.

But The Doctor seems to be in his zone as he continues to strum away at the electric guitar. And the little amp that is providing the sound doesn't appear to be plugged in anywhere.

[heirtothedragonsfire]

The fire attracts Isidor like a moth to the moon. She beelines for it like an outsider for an old friend. Josh isn't the only one who went for an Egyptian theme, with Isidor's costume paying homage to her namesake.

First order of business: She summons a ball of fire in her palm and leans in to offer it to the bonfire, allowing it to twist into the larger flames. The accepted offering gets a smile from her and she steps back to see who else is around.

[dembonyhips]

For all her lack of social subtlety and entire lack of social grace, Fortyskey's presence in the Nexus is surprisingly subtle, but this is also because of a goddamn demon invasion of her homeworld, and as a green fire slinging warlock who's eager to kick demon ass (and learn new and crazy shit she can use), she's been busy.

That said.

Hallow's End is her fucking favorite holiday, and this should come as no surprise to anyone ever. For her, and the citizens of the Undercity, it's a co-opted and mildly corrupted version of the Gilnean harvest festival holiday, adapted as a celebration of Freedom from the Lich King for the Forsaken.

Since then, it's also consumed and absorbed other celebrations and ideas (some of which are probably thanks to profiteering Goblins).

Such as costumes. An idea Fortyskey wholeheartedly embraces, because let's be honest here, shit's fun to roll with and she likes to think she's abso-fucking-lutely hilarious.

Why, you ask, dear reader and fellow writers?

Because she's definitely dressed for the occasion, especially after hearing about what Harrowheart did last year. That said, she's still a scrawny dead gal, so it's a little ridiculous to see her in such a fancy dress.

But Fortyskey has no fucks to give because she thinks this is an abso-fucking-lutely hilarious idea.

She's unsurprisingly easiest to find at the bonfire. As where there's flame, there's our fel-flame slinging resident Warlock.

[hisideal]

It can't be the cold that is making her tremble, or maybe it is. Usually she is rather resistant to all types of weather, but at the moment the fine hair on her arms are standing up under the fabric of her ill-fitting coat. But that sort of physiological reaction could be in response to all types of stimulation: the crowd of people that mill around, their exciting costumes and their emotional response. Even her own excitement at the celebration of this fascinating holiday.

Hope can't remember the last time she celebrated Halloween but she has vague swirling memories that it used to be filled with small sized candy bars and knocking on doors to yell: Trick or Treat! When a body appeared in the doorway with a bowl of treats.

Which may explain why she is carrying around a plastic pumpkin container that is filled with candy, a childhood accessory from this time of year, clearly - but whether it is filled with her own haul, or what she is eager to give, it's unclear. Shuffling forward in her over-sized shoes, she smiles the Tramp smile as she makes her way toward the crackling bon fire, hat being tipped in greeting and apology for floppy-get-in-the-way shoes.

[drehnifusbahi]

He pulls up a seat after spending some time on the dance floor, detaching his prop sword from his belt and setting it aside so it doesn't get in the way. For the most part he stares into the flames and sips at his cider. But if anyone passes by he'll smile and nod, and if they seem to be looking for anywhere to sit, he'll wave them over.

[riversideblues]

Marshal Eastwood is back in town, and Dean is feeling a thousand times better than he was when the meet and greet took place. He has a couple of bottles of beer, a bag full of candy, and he sure did bring the big candy bars to put in the exchange.

Sure, this job has everything to do with his job, but one never knows if the ghosts and spirits of the Nexus will be friendly or not so friendly. So, in hopes of things going just fine, Dean reaches for his bottle of beer and he tips back his hat. "Damn fine evenin' we got here!" He speaks with a mock western drawl, as he looks at the fire and the people who happen to be hanging out.

"Name's Marshal Eastwood, and I'm here to make sure, yawl are good!"