nexus_crossings | Spooky Scary Skeletons!

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!))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He Headless Horseman nods - or, rather, tries to. It's ungainly, to do it without a head. "Hello, Aziraphale. It's me, Ben. How are you enjoying Halloween? I've had an interesting time." In good ways and bad ways, true, but Ben's been enjoying himself in the chaos.

Ben doesn't have any way to identify himself - his blaster and lightsaber have been magically replaced with a pistol and sword, respectively. He's not exactly thrilled about that, but it matches the look. "Glad you like the look of the uniform. I was one of the lucky ones in that I kept my head. Not literally, of course."

"Ben?!" Aziraphale blinks in astonishment. "You've read The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?"

Yes, leave it to the literary angel to focus on Ben reading an Earth story as opposed to the fact that he's currently missing his head.

"Oh, well..." He titters a bit at Ben's joke, absently smoothing out his ascot. "Yes, we are fortunate. You'd give everyone a terrible scare if you were acting as the actual Headless Horseman. I recognize the uniform, actually, although I wasn't involved in that particular military conflict. What, um... what's it like without a head?" He did, after all, almost lose his once over crepes, so he can't help but wonder.

"A while ago, actually. I've read a few Earth books." Ben shrugs a little. "I thought it would be an opportunity to dress up - figured it wouldn't hurt to socialize. And it isn't as bad as what I was caught in at the Café 80s."

At least this time he chose to wear this outfit, though the magic changed it to look more authentic.

"It's awkward. I have to find other ways to identify myself to my friends, and most people I've met haven't recognized me on sight. You should have seen the look on Galahad's face when he met me like this. But thanks to the magic, I can talk and even eat just fine, though it tends to unsettle people. Leave it to Loki to make Halloween a little more interesting than usual."

"Well, if you ever need any literature recommendations, feel free to ask," Aziraphale replies, smiling brightly. Although the rest of Ben's reply has him looking confused. "Not as bad? Dear boy, you're missing your head. Is that really worse than a touch of eyeliner?"

If Aziraphale had to choose between losing his head and wearing that far too casual suit again... "Well, on second thought, perhaps I see your point..."

At least it doesn't sound like it's as much of a hindrance as it could be. "How are you able to eat without a head?" he asks, morbidly curious. "And I can imagine Galahad's expression, yes... a headless horseman is quite a few steps beyond a banana costume. But I don't think Loki is responsible for this. They popped out of my hat earlier, transformed into a rabbit. Whatever magic is at work, it's affecting them as well."

"At least I look properly intimidating for the season. In the Cafe, I looked ridiculous, though some people seemed to think the eyeliner didn't look half bad on me. And I learned more about Eath culture and Earth music than I particularly wanted to know. But I'd be happy to take recommendations for books if you have any." Ben knows Aziraphale's in the know about books, and he's curious. Earth's an interesting planet.

"It's really quite simple, Aziraphale." Ben draws a small candy from a pocket of his coat, unwraps it, and neatly drops the piece of chocolate into his collar, where his throat would be. "And it's an interesting party trick at that."

He turns the subject of conversation over to Loki. "Yes, I saw that at the Viper's Pit. When I talked to them, they said it was an accident, and they were hit by the effects, too. I suppose that's the Nexus for you. But at least most of it's relatively harmless."

"There is something to be said of getting to choose one's outfit," Aziraphale agrees. "If you enjoyed Irving's tale, then I'd recommend Edgar Allen Poe, who was also a writer of the mysterious and the macabre." A bit too spooky for Aziraphale's tastes, but he'll give credit where it's due to Poe's haunting, gothic style.

And speaking of macabre, the angel can only watch in stunned silence as Ben tosses the candy down his throat quite literally. "That's... hmm. Quite the party trick, yes..."

Fussing a bit with his ascot, he tilts his head curiously at Ben's words. "Well, other than some transformed party goers, I haven't noticed anything unpleasant. How has it been for you?"

"Poe, I've heard of. I've read Austen and the Brontës, a hint of Irving, as well as a touch of Daphne du Maurier...but I have to read Poe. He sounds like my type, let's say."

Hey, an edgelord has a reputation to maintain as such. Ben folds his arms, thinking over Aziraphale's question. He's had a good time, for the most part. From his limited experience, Halloween is a pleasant Earth custom.

"It's been an interesting experience. I'm much the same person, except I have a horse now, and I'm much better at riding than I would be normally. It's probably a side effect of the transformation. But it's actually not a bad thing at all." Ben's enjoyed going outside, stretching his muscles and spending time with his new horse.

"Ben! You have been reading Earth literature." Aziraphale sounds immensely pleased. "Austen is one of my favorites. You should look into Georgette Heyer, if you enjoy romance and mystery set in that time period. She wrote her novels over a century after the Regency Era, but they're historically accurate. I would know, I lived through it."

Aziraphale is not surprised that Ben has enjoyed such novels. The restraint of emotional expression in many of the characters is something that he suspects Ben can relate to. And the angel, too, to some extent.

"Oooh, a horse." The angel grimaces. "I've never been one for horseback riding, every horse I've ridden would much prefer to wander off-path and nibble on some bushes, not that I blame them, it's what I'd do if I were a horse. But they don't have horses where you're from, do they? Did you have experience riding other animals?"

Spooky Scary Skeletons!

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