Happy Naberus! [Party post]

[labrathor]

There's a chill in the air and a distant howl, and the sun is nowhere to be seen. On the outskirts of the Plaza, grinning faces carved into squashes tempt passersby to follow their lighted path, leading visitors down twists and turns through darkened streets, fog swirling around their feet. Did you already pass this way before? Are you going in circles, lost forever? Doubling back on yourself will lead to much the same result. And you don't remember when or how, but your clothes have somehow become a costume - whether funny, horrific, or downright bizarre.

Eventually, you find yourself in a small street carnival, tucked away far beyond the beaten path. Lights and lanterns run the length of a darkened street, the smells of fried and baked treats in the air, a light haze of smoke gathering under the awnings of food stalls. Beyond the food stalls, a haunted house beckons the brave to venture into its dark, cramped corridors, the sounds of distant screams coming from deep within. To the other side, a mountain of pumpkins waits to be carved, scoops and wicked-looking knives laid out on a tall table. Further still, wooden washtubs full of dark red wine host a small flotilla of apples to be bobbed, leaving all participants with deep red stains running down their necks from trying.

But before you can investigate the many wonders this strange little celebration has to offer, you must first be confronted by the host.

What looks for all the world like a fleshy flower writhes in the entryway to the festival, already towering over most visitors at fifteen feet high. But then that flower opens, unfolding into the form of an even larger young woman, bloody handprints painted on her exposed skin and shards of glass seemingly jammed directly into her head, and papercraft severed limbs hang in a necklace around her throat. She grins at you with unrestrained glee. "Couldn't resist, right? This is the happiest time of the entire year! Happy Naberus! You do know what that is? The Orokin festival of death, darkness, and deviance." She peers down at those in her presence. "We're all equal on Naberus night now, under our masks. Who's to know who's powerful and who isn't?"

She straightens up and laughs, waving her arms towards the carnival behind her. "Don't say I didn't warn you!"



[ooc: Happy Naberus, Nexus-goers! This is a party post, so feel free to tag around under the activity tags or just with each other! And remember, everyone must have a costume to participate! You can make it as mundane or as terrifying as you like. If you are open to spooky and/or horrifying events happening to your character, please also contact me through DMs here or to Ael on Discord so we can plan it together beforehand. The horror side of this event is opt-in, and threads containing such content should be tagged in the subject line.]

Comments

[desertpowered]

When Paul comes, he has picked up a knife to cut pumpkins and he's dressed up as a great Arakeen sandworm. He smiles at the host, his own smile hidden within the vast toothy frame of the worm. It's been a useful costume, allowing Paul to move through the party relatively unrecognized to grab goodies and explore.

He selects a pumpkin and decides to set to work right away, skilled with the knife as he is with knives in general - skilled in a way that almost suits an adult. But he pauses before he begins, less scared and more curious.

"Is there anything I should know before I start?"

[labrathor]

Towering over him, glowing eyes turn to blink down at him behind gold-rimmed glasses. "You stab it," she explains slowly, as if to a small child, fleshy petals writhing. "And scoop out its guts!"

She pauses, considers, then adds, "The pointy end goes in the pumpkin." Just in case.

[desertpowered]

Paul looks undisturbed by the figure before him, though he's figured out that, unlike his own sandworm outfit, this one is not in a costume. "I stab it and scoop out the guts. Pointy end in the pumpkin." He nods, appreciative, respectful, and politely listening to the instructions.

And then he sets to work. Thankfully he added arm holes to the worm suit, so he's able to maneuver the knife with no problem. Paul's already decided what to carve. He's in an ambitious mood.

[coldsong]

Paul's carving is well underway by the time Loki and the children show up. Their arrival is heralded by Una asking all and sundry for whatever fresh pumpkinseeds they're not keeping, like an audacious junior vegan trick-or-treater. But they all like roasted pumpkinseeds anyway, and waste not want not, right? (Loki encourages this; Hazel would approve, and he still wants to curry favor with the Spirits, whether they choose to show themselves or not.)

Loki himself just sits down near Paul and tosses a fun-size candy bar into the mouth of the worm costume, heedless of whether the youth can catch it or whether it will bonk him in the head. "Trick or treat, bratling!" It's meant to be a friendly greeting.

The whole group of them, children and Loki alike, are dressed up as Captain America.

[desertpowered]

Paul is surprised by the candy bar toss. On the other hand, his reflexes are quick enough that he's able to make a grab for it...only to be plonked on the side of the head, since the worm costume hit his mobility. He shakes off the momentary surprise to grab the wrapped bar from the floor, unwrap it, and Loki and the kids will hear the sound of crunching, chewing, and a satisfied gulp. He licks his lips once the candy bar has disappeared, a subtle way of asking for more - not that he's been short of candy to eat, but he has the bottomless stomach of a teenage boy on Halloween.

He recognizes the Captain America costume and gives the flicker of a smile, a toothy mouth within a toothy mouth. Then he notices what the kids are collecting and thinks of a plan.

"If you want seeds, I'll help you gather them...but all I ask for is that you let me have a few for myself when you roast them."

[coldsong]

"You're such an opportunist," Loki tells him, rather fondly. "I think we can spare a few, if we can collect enough to be worth cooking up. I quite like them, myself, but I admit cleaning them is a pain in the arse."

Once they're clean, though, tossing them in oil and roasting them is easy as pie.

"Where are your arms in that thing? Can you reach out of the mouth?"

[desertpowered]

Paul nods, not disagreeing one bit. Being an opportunist is not something he’s particularly ashamed of - he’s a sly one. “Thank you. I would like to try them. It is the time of year where people have treats. Ah, old Earth traditions.”

This one in particular is one that he never learned about. Pity - it’s a lot of fun.

“I made sure to cut armholes. What do you think of the costume?”