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

[chiaro_oscuro]

"You know," Ben says to Deet as he approaches, "that's a good look on you." He looks darker than he usually does himself, with the sweeping black cape and the fact that his head is missing, leaving only an empty space. The only light comes from the reflection off his gold belt buckle and the cutlass at his side. He's admiring Deet's wings and cloak.

He's leading his horse along behind, the creature obeying him more by magic than by any command. Even he would be more unsettled by it if it didn't make his job much easier. Magic in general makes things easier for him tonight. Riding comes much more naturally than it otherwise might for someone with limited experience, and there's a wildness he feels even more strongly than he did in the Viper's Pit.

"I was going out for a bit of a ride, seeing as I was magicked up a horse. May as well take advantage of that. But I had to compliment you on the way you're dressed. It's beautiful."

[vliste_staba]

She is her usual height of roughly two and a half feet, but her wingspan is comparatively huge, nearly eight feet from tip to tip. When Ben approaches, her feathers flare a little, and the glow in her skin pulses. A person without a head is a little unsettling. His voice is mild, though, and the horse doesn't seem afraid of her, so after a second's thought she folds her wings again and takes a few steps closer.

"Thank you? I don't usually have wings like this. I think something magic happened."

Glancing around her, she's relieved to see that the plants aren't withering beneath her feet or anything. It still seems likely to her that this is the work of the Darkening, but nothing hurts and she's not causing any harm. "Can I...pet your horse? I've seen pictures, but never a real one."

Deet is still Deet, even with the alterations she's undergone, after all.

[chiaro_oscuro]

"It's me, Ben. A lot of people don't recognize me on sight because of the magic. I see it had an effect on you, too. It was Loki, I think - but honestly, I like it. Makes it hard to recognize some of my friends, though. There are a lot of people who got turned into their costumes."

The horse approaches Deet curiously. He's a big black stallion with bright red eyes glowing in the darkness.

"Of course. He's perfectly tame - probably tamer than a real horse would be. The magic which made him also made him obedient to me, so you don't have to worry about him doing anything dramatic so long as I'm here with you." Ben's glad of that. He enjoys riding, but it's much easier with a steed as manageable as this one. The horse snorts, moving to make itself easier for Deet to touch. "I'll miss him when he turns back into wood."

He doesn't have space for a horse, so he would likely have given a real horse to the angels anyway to be cared for.

[vliste_staba]

"I'm used to recognizing people by looking at their face," she admits with an awkward laugh, but given her body has changed, too, she can't find any fault with his transformation.

"You don't mind it? I mean, I'm sure it's temporary, being without a head, but I don't think I'd like it." She trusts his judgment, though, and reaches up to pet the horse as high as she can reach. Which is mostly leg, but after it notices, it leans down to nudge her gently with its muzzle.

"You should name him, while he's here," she says. "Names are important."

[chiaro_oscuro]

"So am I - though I have ways of recognizing people without that. Other people with my powers I can recognize through them, and if you've met Rey we have a special bond between us that can let us know where the other one is."

The horse seems to be enjoying Deet's attentions, rubbing in to let himself be scratched more. He certainly seems like a real horse, regardless of his origins. He deserves a real name - Deet has a good point there. Ben's glad for the time they have together, however short it may be.

"You're right." Ben thinks for a moment. "I'll name him Daredevil. That's the name of a horse in the story I got the idea of the costume from."

[vliste_staba]

"I spoke to her once, but not for very long," Deet says. "If it's the same person we're talking about. She seemed very kind."

She laughs softly at the horse's nuzzling. "Oh, you're a big sweetheart...Daredevil is a good name!"

[chiaro_oscuro]

"She is. She was able to see good in me when very few people could, including myself. Rey's one of the kindest people in the Nexus."

Daredevil nuzzles in closer, letting Deet pet him. "I think he's more agreeable because of the magic that made him. He's named after a horse in the story I got the costume from."