nexus_crossings | 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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Thanks for helping me haul those boxes over here the other day."

Josh rubs at the back of his neck and gives Adia a sheepish smile. He's glad he ran into her at the breakfast the other week. Some of that stuff he'd been having a hard time carrying all by himself. He's pretty thin for a guy his age.

"Mirror? Oh, yeah. Just over here." Josh will lead her to the women's restroom and gesture toward the door. "Should be a mirror at the sink you can use. I'll uh...just be out here."

"Oh, it was no trouble. If you need any help putting things away later, let me know." Adia is about average when it comes to strength, but she's had to do more manual labor over the past year and has built up some stamina. More importantly, she never, ever complains.

"Great, thank you." That's another thing to love about the Nexus: modern bathrooms. She pauses before opening the door, then turns back to Josh, a little concerned. "Do you think I need to... um, do anything else? I followed a tutorial online, but I don't normally put on a lot of make-up."

"Uh?"

Josh takes a look at Adia's face, eyebrows furrowing in thought. He's actually not at all uncomfortable looking at make up. He did his own, thank you very much. Having two sisters pretty much meant he grew up helping them get ready.

"You did a real bangup job from what I can tell, do you want any other effect? I can probably help you if you had something in mind."

Adia remembers his offer, from their conversation at the Meet and Greet. She feels a little inadequate in her outfit (since when did Medusa wear a casual green dress and ballet flats?) and wouldn't mind a pointer or two.

"Do you think you could, um, put a couple scales along here?" She points to her temples. "Or show me how? The tutorial suggested fishnet but I don't have any of that."

"Oh! Oh for sure."

He glances in the doorway of the ladies room to make sure it's empty aside form Adia before following her inside. He wants her to be able to see what he's doing, after all.

"Alright, just lean against this sink here. Are you right handed or left? I'll do your non dominant side and then if you want to try the other I'll let you do it. Otherwise, I don't mind doing both."

She should be able to more or less watch what he's doing out of the corner of her eye through the mirror. He was careful to angle them that way.

"Left-handed," she replies, leaning against the sink as instructed. "I can try the other side, sure," she adds, not wanting to take advantage of his generosity.

She watches him as best she can in the mirror, hoping to copy his handiwork. She'd be looking at her reflection, anyway, because it'd be awkward to watch his face while he made up hers. "Thank you," she says, at a moment that won't interfere with what he's doing. "This is... there wasn't anything like this, at the Nexus I remember. I want to celebrate Halloween properly."

"You're doing great. I'm actually real thrilled that you're getting into it."

josh flashes her a huge grin, crooked and hesitant and somehow so genuine on his face. He's honestly enjoying everything about the evening and it shows. He hands her the makeup once he's finished that side and holds out his palm for her to practice on.

"So you want to make this sort of shape here. Think flower petal, kind of. Skin tends to move and be a pain to draw on but if you go slow it should....yeah. Like that."

She smiles back at him, once he's done. "I don't know if I would have gone if you hadn't told me about it," she admits. "Parties aren't really my thing. But I'm glad I did."

Admiring his work in the mirror, she's surprised at first when he offers his hand for practice. Carefully, she paints scales on his palm -- a little crooked at first, but she improves with each iteration. "Oh, tell me about it," she says with a laugh. "I've tried the winged eyeliner look so many times. I always end up looking like a raccoon."

There's a smoothness to his actions helping Adia out. Years of being a big brother and taking care of his twin sisters coming back to him as naturally as breathing. He's happiest during moments like this, when he's able to be that caring brother without realizing it and spiraling back into depression over the loss of his family.

He positively beams when she gets the hang of it, then gestures to the mirror.

"Alright, you get that side finished, I'm gonna wash my hand off here at the sink and then we can head to the party?" His tone suggests that he doesn't intend on leaving her to fend for herself alone. Especially not once she's admitted that these things aren't her usual cup of tea.

Adia probably could have benefited from having a brother while growing up. Her only child status did nothing to ease her social anxieties. She has at least come out of her shell a little in Josh's presence. She seems much more ready to head into the party now.

Once she finishes her make-up, of course. "Okay. Thanks for letting me practice," she says gratefully before turning towards the mirror. "I'll need to find another reason to paint scales on my face someday. It's a nice effect."

"I love this kind of thing. There need to be more excuses for having fun, period."

Josh finishes drying off his hands and opens the door back into the hallway, ignoring the scandalized look of whatever lady was waiting her turn for the women's restroom. He's got a friend to escort.

"Where to first? Food and drink? Pumpkin carving? Bonfires? I'll warn you, if you want to hit up the dance floor I'm gonna need a few shots stat. You do not want to see me attempting to dance sober. No one needs that."

Adia takes one last look in the mirror, once she's done. She isn't going to scare anyone, but she's very satisfied with how it turned out. "Are there any other Earth holidays where people wear costumes? Or, uh... have spooky stuff?"

She follows Josh out of the bathroom. Any other day, she'd slink past someone giving such a look, but feeling emboldened, she just grins and says "excuse us" to the next woman in line. She takes a quick detour to her coat to put away her make-up case, but after that, Josh has her full attention. "Oh... food sounds good, actually. Although I would like to see a pumpkin carving." His comment on dancing makes her giggle. "That's okay, I don't really dance, either."

"Not holidays exactly? But sometimes there's events. Conventions or the like. People use those as an excuse to dress up too. Usually a bit more specific theme than Halloween, where anything goes."

"Food it is! Ice Bear and Officer Suou supplied most of the eats, naturally, so no one's gonna go home hungry." He will lead the way.

1st Annual Halloween Block Party!

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