nexus_crossings | 1st Annual Halloween Block Party!

Current Mood: Festive
Current Location: The Plaza

1st Annual Halloween Block Party!

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

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Alright, alright, alright! A public party, a public excuse for drunkenness! And Harrowheart has already got a head start on that. He's standing around near the edge of the dancing area with a bottle of some kind of golden alcohol in one hand casually taking swigs in between shimmying with passers-by in the hopes they might dance with him.

It seems this year he's dressed as some kind of patriotic superhero complete with overly-tight outfit and... a Texas belt buckle? Yeah, that's something Captain America wears, right? In some universe, maybe...

It's impossible to miss that spangly jumpsuit, especially when it's being worn by the Nexus's resident Ameriphile.

Steve seems to have lost Amelia at some point before while he was hanging up his coat and gloves and pulling on the eyemask for his own super hero inspired costume. It had been a right pain to get one in his size, but here we are.

"....Harrow...where did you find that?" Steve's equally parts amused, impressed, and shocked right now.

"Stever the Beaver!" Harrow shouts and throws his arms out at his sides. The alcohol in his bottle sloshes wildly but luckily doesn't spill from the narrow neck. "You can't fool me with a mask, I know that voice!"

He starts up the casual shimmying again as he explains, "Costume shop. 'Bout an hour ago. I said I wanted to be the guy who kills the Nazis and saves the Arc of the Government! They gave me this."

He motions to himself like a gameshow hostess revealing a prize.

"Whoever this is."

"In the flesh."

Steve moves to close the distance between them so that Harrow doesn't have to shout over the music to be heard. He has no idea whether or not it will stop Harrow from doing so, but he can try.

"You're Captain America, Harrow." He chuckles and shakes his head. "I had assumed the outfit was intentional."

Captain America?

Harrows eyebrows rise and his eyes widen with a fleeting moment of clarity. He nods eagerly and points at Steve. "Yeah! Yeah, that's what they said! Captain America. That's why I put on this!"

He grabs the ridiculous belt buckle he's wearing and jostles it to catch the light (and Steve's attention.) "Bought this thing a while back, been waitin' to wear it. I figured... America... Y'know..."

He squints one eye thoughtfully and says, "And I think they said he was from Texas? Y'know, 'The Lone Star State.'" He jabs at the star on his chest and laughs. "Idunno. All I know is it makes me look good." Harrow runs a hand down the outline of his body and finishes with a pat on his ass. That spandex.

"Think he's from New York, pal."

Steve does take a look over the very spangly belt buckle though, and he can't help but grin all the wider.

"That. That suits you a lot. And it fits with the costume. I gotta admit." His chuckle turns into a bit of a soft snort when Harrow claps himself on the ass. Steve can't help it. And it's clear that Harrow's got no idea of the significance of that getup. It's a nice looking shield he's got strapped to his back, too. Steve's own is worn under his cloak. He doesn't know anything about who he's supposed to be either, but a weapon seems like the sort of thing heroes would have.

"You do look the part. I'm impressed."

Harrow closes his eyes and smiles serenely. He has impressed his friend, and that's all he truly needs in unlife.

When his eyes open once more he finally gets a good look at Steve's little outfit. His free hand covers his mouth in thought while the other offers his bottle of alcohol to Steve for a swig or to keep.

"And you... Are... A rogue! A master of daggers and shadow! Am I right?"

"Maybe? I'm a 'sidekick', according to the woman who made my costume. I convinced Amelia to go in costume this year but she insisted she got to choose what to go as and drug me along with her."

Steve looks down at his outfit and then shrugs. The cape is a bit much, but the rest of the outfit isn't so bad. He likes being able to carry his shield around without it looking too strange though. Felt like it fit with the whole costume thing.

"So I think I might be a superhero too? Maybe? A junior hero?"

"A squire!" Yeah, that's a concept Harrow knows! "Every great knight has a squire studyin' under 'em, and every great knight's understudy becomes a hero some day! Like... Like... Uther and Arthas!" He paps Steve on the chest and smiles proudly at him. Little Steve, an Arthas in the making~

"So, Squire Steve... You gonna get drunk this year? I didn't see you drinkin' last year! Shoot, I don't think I've ever seen you drink. You should tryyyy iiiiit~"

Nudge nudge, hint hint, drink in face. Here comes the airplane, Robin.

Well, as long as a squire isn't a pseudonym for 'child' Steve is quite fine with the comparison. It sounds better than how the tailoring woman had described it when she was fitting him for it.

"I drink beer."

The reply is as straightforward as the eyebrow raise he's giving you Harrowheart. Why is this so shocking to consider? What is that drink Harrow is shoving into his face? Hard liquor? No go there. He's got to be here all night and that's a quick trip to Bad Idea city.

Harow stands up tall and shouts over other people's heads "So let's get this man a beer!"

Then he waits, smiling, in full confidence that eventually someone will bring him what he wants. It's only long past the point of awkwardness that he finally turns to Steve with a laugh and a shrug.

"Maybe next time, man. But I gotta say, it might do ya some good! Give ya a little more bravery to make a move on someone tonight." He raises his eyebrows and asks, "You have got your eye on someone, right? 'Cause tonight's the night!"

"I'll get one when I head back inside."

Steve's laughing though, smile bright on his face as he gives a playful little bap of a punch to Harrow's shoulder. Harrow seems to be in good spirits tonight, though how much of that is from imbibing said spirits is anyone's guess.

"Make a move?" His chuckle dies down, Steve shaking his head. "On who? I don't, Harrow. You know I don't."

Steve isn't the sort of guy women tend to look at when they're looking. And that's alright, he's pretty used to it by now.

Harrow ruffles Steve's hair and rolls his eyes. "Man, you sound just like Viatorus! Don't get all caught up in not bein' what you think a guy's gotta be! Girls love personality. If I was a girl I'd ask you out! You just gotta make the move!"

Oh no, he's looking around the crowd again. Like, seriously looking. He's sniffing the air, too, weirdo that he is...

When he looks back to Steve once more there's a huge grin on his face. "I'm gonna introduce you to some girls. Do my heroic duty. How about that, man? Whaddya say?"

"Well it clearly worked for Viatorus, he's getting married."

Oof! Tugged into a one armed hug and hair ruffled until it won't lay flat at all. Steve flails a bit, trying to dislodge Harrow and flatten his hair again. All of Steve's good friends tend to do this sort of thing to him. Huff.

"You know, Bucky tried that before too alla time. Would take me on double dates. It always seemed like the dames were more interested in him than me. I'm not so sure this is a good idea..."

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westfallcorndog - 2016-11-02 17:31 (UTC) - Expand

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juststeverogers - 2016-11-02 20:41 (UTC) - Expand

Despite all of the awkward interactions they've had in the past, Amelia's managed to loosen up enough to openly laugh at Harrow's antics when he comes wandering by with his bottle in hand. Even if she's not imbibing herself, she at least gets why other people do now. Still, if Harrow's looking for a dance partner, the rogue isn't one to say 'no' to dancing. It's one of the few social things she's even halfway decent at.

"Looking for a partner, Harrow?" she calls, her tone a little teasing. "Or are you just enjoying the music as you make your way around the floor?"

That voice he's sure he knows, but without the hair to go with it he's left smiling blankly, trapped in that awkward moment between confusion and recognition. Harrow takes in a deep inhale of the air and then it comes to him.

"Amelia! You got a costume this year! Color me surprised!" He beckons her closer with a wave of his arm.

"I like it! ... What is it?"

"It's an Earth villain or... anti-hero, I think was the other word I heard used to describe the character. Catwoman, is what she's called, and she's a thief." No reason to explain why that's appealing to the rogue.

"What are you dressed as? I'm afraid I don't recognize the uniform, though all the colors remind me a lot of Steve."

"Anti-hero," he repeats as thoughtfully as his addled mind allows. That's a new one for him. He's going to have to try to remember that, if such a thing is possible after half a bottle of bourbon and with more on the horizon. "Well, my compliments to the chef, 'cause Catwoman dresses fiiiiiine."

When he's through with laughing he points to himself and says, "Captain America. Some folks at a costume shop gave it to me. Guess he's some kinda, y'know... Hero of myth 'n' legend on Earth. Guess that makes me an anti-anti-hero tonight."

Her cheeks flush at the compliment. "I"ll, ah... tell my tailor you liked the outfit." Really, Amelia, can you not handle even one compliment tonight?

"Anti-anti-hero," she repeats, trying hard not to laugh and failing a little. "You could just say you're a hero, you know. I've heard rumors about this Captain America guy and I'm pretty sure that's what everyone else calls him." Not that she knows for sure, but that seems like an important thing to point out.

But since they're out on the dance floor, she has to ask: "So, does the hero dance?"

Harrow presses his fingertips to his chest, tilts his head down, and raises his eyebrows. Him? Dance? "I dance, 'course I dance! Bet I'd make a bad partner for you, though."

He bends down to set his bottle on the ground and wobbles as he stands straight again.

"See, 'cause I dance like this," he says and loops his thumbs behind his belt. He does some kind of exceedingly country-fried line dance that involves an awful lot of boot-kicking and staring at his own feet. He's through quickly, pauses for a chug of his drink, and then continues.

"But I figure you dance like this," he says, holding his arms out in front of him as if around the shoulders of an invisible partner. He attempts to waltz in a circle, gets briefly tangled up by his own legs, then catches his balance again and saves face with a deep bow for Amelia.

Edited (edit for clarity) 2016-10-30 02:03 (UTC)

"That first kind of dancing is actually closer to what you'd see on my world than you think. It involves a lot of moving around the floor and not getting terribly close to each other. Like... this." Despite the speed of the music, Amelia goes through the dance steps slowly, as is appropriate for the style of dance. When she finishes, she gives a half bow of her own.

"Admittedly, I prefer the second type of dancing you demonstrated, though I only learned it after coming here to the Nexus. There's a lot more to it, making it much more interesting." A tiny smirk tugs at her lips as she, in a motion very much unlike herself, offers a gloved hand to Harrow. "So, shall we dance?"

He runs a hand through his hair and looks down at her hand like it's the most intimidating dare in the world. He can't hesitate forever, though, and takes it with an uncertain smile. "Don't blame me for how bad this turns out," he says with a tiny laugh.

Then with a nod in her direction and a brow furrowed in concentration he says, "You lead, hun. I'll do my best to follow."

Well, this is... unexpected, to say the least, but she's honestly happier for it. Her face softens into a smile as she nods toward the dance floor. "I'll go easy on you, I promise."

The dance she leads Harrow through is one that adapts well to any pace of music and is a lot more in line with what he showed her. No fancy spins, no need to get too close, and, to top it off, Harrow can hold on to his bottle without worry of losing it to some nosy passerby if he were to set it down. Falling into the pattern of the dance is easy for Amelia, despite her restrictive costume, and she visibly relaxes as they keep going. Dancing is one of the few things she's come across that always seem to lift her spirits.

"So," she says when one song ends and another starts to play, "not too hard, was it?"

In fact, it's not! He follows her lead, watching her closely, and though he goes through the motions more slowly and uncertainly than she does, he manages to mirror her motions without too much difficulty. Walk, spin, skip (that's the hardest part), in. Walk, spin, skip, in. At first it takes concentration and quiet, but after he's got the pattern down he smiles and laughs at his accomplishment, no matter how meager. When it's through he bows in a similar way to her earlier and comes up grinning.

He shakes his head at her question and continues to smile. "Not too hard for a drunk corpse," he says with a chuckle and punctuates with a swig of his drink.

"That one from your home world? How about Nexus dances, then? Learn any since you got here, 'Melia?"

"It's adapted from one I learned at home, yes, though I've seen other Nexus-goers do something similar." Which isn't surprising, really, given how big this place is and the taverns she's hidden out in when she needed a little reminder of home. Most dances share movements and steps anyway, which makes it even easier to find things like what she knows.

She smiles wryly as she thinks about all the things she's learned about dance since she got to the Nexus. "I learned a few slower ballroom dances for the party on Halloween last year, but I don't think they fit the pace of the music." This is definitely not music meant for a waltz or a rumba. "What about you, Harrow? Do you have any good dances from your world that you could show me?" Try as hard as she might, she can't quite keep from grinning. Yes, drunk boy, she wants to see you dance.

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