Spooky Scary Skeletons!

[magpiemythos]

Loki had no idea if any other places were having Halloween bashes, but that wasn't gonna stop him from having his fun! Pub-crawls were a thing if that were the case! The Viper's Pit had been decked out in the spirit of the season, the drinks, boozy and non were themed for the holiday, and aside from the magically drugged glitter one could play with down in the club, there were all manner of edibles.

While the changes were mild inside the building itself, the field had undergone the most changes, from the disappearance of the arena and bathhouse to the forests normally vaguely in the middle distance having been drawn in much closer, ringing a large open field where several bonfires were crackling merrily, each stocked with comfortable places to sit, as well as marshmallows, skewers, and several options for meats to be grilled over an open flame. To the east of the clearing was an expansive-looking corn maze, and standing vigil over it from somewhere in the vague center was a large Victorian-looking house. Anyone who wanted to go snooping would find the maze and home both charmingly haunted by costumed staff looking forward to the chance to scare the pants off some unsuspecting partygoers.

Nothing about the place seems off, or strange. Bats fly about overhead, the moon is large and positioned quite perfectly to make the haunted house look charmingly spooky, and the woods that spread around the clearing are just begging for people to dare to creep down it's paths, jumping at the shrieks that echo from the maze, or just their own imaginations running away with them. Not that there seems to be anything scarier than some mild-mannered wild-life like the owls hooting in the trees- it seems the woods are more designed for a nice nighttime stroll for folks who might want a bit of quiet than anything.

Of course everyone wore costumes. They did right? It's a costume party after all! And if anyone didn't have one, the staff of the bar were quite happy to furnish some of the spares they had on hand, even if it might be something so simple as an animal headband, a pair of wings, or a sheriff's badge and toy gun.

No one was quite certain when things started becoming weirder. Not specifically, and no one was sure why it had happened, given the first sign of things going wrong? Was one of the poor unsuspecting waiters who'd been wearing a cute little bear headband? Was suddenly now a very large, and very confused grizzly bear in a darling little vest trying to balance the tray he'd been carrying on one paw, and attempting to sort out how to get all the drinks off without tipping them onto the customers, who were now a table of animals of varying sizes and shapes, as well as one very bewildered knight, whose plastic armor was suddenly much more realistic and cumbersome.

And from the yelps of surprise and alarm echoing quickly through the Pit and the yard, it was clear this was not an isolated incident.



((ooc: Costume bash! OOC info is here leave any questions in there! Feel free to tag either pre or post-costume realism! For toplevels please use the Trick Or Treat system! If you're just wanting cute fluff or maybe minor spooky stuff, just leave 'Treat' in your toplevel's subject line. If you're here for scary chases and angst, or being a monster to hunt folks for fun (keeping in mind the AVF is in effect!) just post 'Trick'! If you're open to both just put both in! Hopefully this'll make it easier to match up what folks are hoping to play with here even if you're going in otherwise blind. The costumes will revert come sunrise with no ill effects- happy hauntings!))

Comments

[liverfree]

Prometheus is looking for Thor, as a matter of fact, his cousin from another pantheon, as he likes to think of him. Dressed as Bob Ross, he weaves through the crowd, palette in hand. When he stumbles upon a large, friendly dog, instead of the God of Thunder, he isn't sure what to think.

"Hey, buddy." Prometheus smiles curiously at the over-sized pooch. "Need some help?"

[pirateangelbaby]

Oh, it's Prometheus! Were he in full possession of his faculties, Thor would think it strange and probably embarrassing that he recognizes his friend by smell even before he speaks, tail wagging in greeting. The dog has no such hangups, simply pleased to be in the company of someone he's fond of.

Up close, those familiar with Thor will find the resemblance to be enough to identify him. One-eyed, shaggy golden hair, and a front leg that seems to be an incredibly advanced prosthetic for a dog. His demeanor is much more relaxed than it has been for some time, though, fluffy tail sweeping back and forth happily. "Woof!" he answers, trotting close enough to nudge his head into Prometheus' hand.

[liverfree]

Prometheus's keen gaze notes the scarred eye and advanced prosthetic and blinks in surprise. "Thor! Is that you?" Since when did Thor shapeshift?

...since Nexus magic, apparently. Prometheus sighs and says a silent prayer to the Fates for not having him transform, too -- not that thinking he's Bob Ross would be the worst thing, ever.

When Thor nudges his hand, the Titan laughs and scratches Thor behind the ears. "Oh, boy. Looks like you've gone to the dogs, my friend."

[pirateangelbaby]

"Arf arf!" Thor answers, leaning into the ear scratches. He recognizes his name, tail wagging a little harder, and this is probably the happiest he's felt in a good long while.

Something to be embarrassed about later, probably, but in the moment the dog's mind is too simple to understand any of that.

In the meantime, what's this? He sniffs at the paintbrush props, the faint scent of horsehair still on the bristles.

[liverfree]

As long as Thor isn't doing anything that Zeus would do while in an animal form, Prometheus would tell him not to worry about. Hopefully the transformation is temporary, but everything the Titan knows about Nexus magic seems to suggest that.

"Well, my friend, there are worse things to be." He catches Thor sniffing at the paintbrushes and pulls them away. "Sorry, that's part of my costume. I need them to paint happy little trees. But hey, maybe we can get some snacks instead, what do you think?"

[pirateangelbaby]

Worse things to be indeed. When Thor has all his marbles back, he may need to tell his friend the story of when Loki turned him into a frog. For now, he seems content to lean against Prometheus's legs to encourage more petting, tail wagging.

Damn, there go the potential chew toys. His ears physically perk up at the mention of snacks though, his nose wriggling as if he expects to be able to smell them just from the word alone. "Aroo?"

[liverfree]

A froggy Thor would be a funny story to share, although Prometheus is glad that his friend is currently a dog out of all possible animals. Prometheus likes dogs -- one of the few animals his brother got a hundred percent right from the get-go. He laughs and gives his friend all the scratches his doggie heart desire.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." The Titan beams, then looks over the snack table. "Let's see... probably should avoid the chocolate... oh, hey!" There's a nice charcuterie board that Prometheus carefully removes the olives and cheese from, leaving the tasty shaved meats and some baby carrots which are probably safe for dogs. "Here you go," he says, lowering it to the ground for Thor. "Good stuff, huh? I won't make you do any tricks for it."

[pirateangelbaby]

Sniff sniff. The dog props his twitching nose on the table’s edge, his good eye watching Prometheus picking over the offerings. The chocolate gets little interest from him, but the meat...! His tail thumps heavily against the table legs as he snaps up the meat and noses skeptically at the carrots, eventually crunching one down.

It does not take long for him to make the offered snacks disappear, tongue swiping up the last of the crumbs with zero regard for his dignity. The dog’s mind is too simple to understand why being happy and content has been a rare thing as of late, but he is reveling in it now. What’s next? Tail lazily swooshing back and forth, he noses around the various decorations and comes up with a plastic pumpkin about the size of a baseball, and nudges Prometheus’ hand with his nose. Let’s play a game!

[liverfree]

Prometheus can't help but chuckle when Thor only eats one carrot, concentrating instead on the meat. "A feast fit for a king," he remarks, while noshing on the cheese and olives.

Not expecting much conversation-wise, the Titan is surprised and delighted when Thor brings over a plastic pumpkin. "Did you want to play fetch?" he asks, absently rubbing the top of Thor's furry head with his hand. "Why don't we head outdoors where there aren't as many things to knock over."

Moseying out of the Viper's Pit, Prometheus uses the back entrance where the area is free of most revelers. "Now that's more like it," he says brightly. "Plenty of space for my pitching arm."

[pirateangelbaby]

"Woof!" Thor agrees, looking up at Prometheus hopefully. His tail wags faster when it's made clear that his offer of play has been accepted, trotting ahead a bit and glancing back every now and then to make sure he's being followed. His gait doesn't seem to suffer any for the false leg, though he does nearly collide with the doorframe on the way out.

Outside, the fresh smells of wind and weather make his nose twitch, and he's momentarily distracted before Prometheus speaks, and he's refocused on the game. He barks and leans down a little in a playful bow, his good eye on the plastic pumpkin. The moment it leaves Prometheus's hand, he's off, sprinting after it, ears flopping with every bound.

[liverfree]

Prometheus is glad to see that the prosthetic limb is functioning well through the transformation, although he does wince a little when Thor nearly collides with the doorframe. Not that Prometheus didn't have to duck constantly through entrances in the early days of humanity.

The Titan doesn't hold back when he throws the toy pumpkin, sending it soaring halfway past the cornfield maze. "Yeet!" he shouts with a laugh, because he feels like it and no one is going to call him out on it for abusing slang, least of all Thor. He's sure that Thor will bring it back in no time.

[pirateangelbaby]

Thor would have been disappointed if the pumpkin hadn't been thrown far enough to run after it, no matter how difficult it is to keep an eye on it with only one to speak of. Enthusiasm thoroughly undampened, the dog gallops across the chilled ground in not quite the right direction.

He turns when he hears the sound of the pumpkin hitting the ground, though, pausing long enough to reorient himself and go after it. Nose lowered toward the ground, he slows to a trot and begins to search in tightening circles, homing in on the scent of his friend. Here it is!

With the toy carefully held between his teeth, he runs back to Prometheus at nearly the same speed, a triumphant bounce to his step.

[liverfree]

Prometheus watches, hands on hips, as Thor hunts down the plastic pumpkin. There's enough light from bonfires to see the dog's shadowy outline as he circles around, but it's not until Thor comes running back that the Titan spots the toy clutched in his mouth.

"Hey! Good boy!" Prometheus claps his hands and crouches down a little so that he can give his friend a good scratch behind the ears. "Great job! You want me to throw it again?"

[pirateangelbaby]

The responding bark is muffled a little by the pumpkin in his teeth, and the dog nudges it into Prometheus's hand, completely unashamed at how damp it is now. The petting is received with a hefty lean, tilting his head to let his friend have better access to his ears, but keeping his eye on that pumpkin.

"Bark bark!" What a silly question. You don't just throw a ball once, do you?

[liverfree]

Prometheus tries not to make a face at the doggie drool, technically godly drool, as he finds a spot to hold the toy that isn't quite so soggy. Thor gets another good scratch, then a boom of laughter at his response.

"What am I saying, of course you do! All right, then, go long!" He throws the toy halfway past the corn maze, happy to play fetch with Thor as long as he wants.

[pirateangelbaby]

There's no hesitation in the dog as he bounds off in pursuit of the ball again, tail wagging like a fluffy banner. For this moment, and all the moments that follow as he hunts down the little orange plastic pumpkin in the darkness beyond the fires, Thor knows nothing but the thrill of the chase and the satisfaction of returning victorious.

It's been far too long.

He may not remember all of this once he is restored to his normal form, but what he will remember is a carefree evening spent in the company of a friend.