1st Annual Halloween Block Party!

[iam_senpai]

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

Comments

[chocolatechipbadass]

"I made 'em."

Why wouldn't she? This lady obviously has never heard of Tiny Tina, demolitions expert and Pandora renowned artist in the field of explodey boombooms.

"Pretty good? Pretty good? No, darling, the bonfire is pretty good. You got yourself a certified badass helm going on there. You gotta strut your stuff! Show folks you mean bidness!"

[rekindledtitan]

"You did? Where'd you learn that?" Doesn't sound like she believes you, Tina. She must be seriously out of touch.

On the other hand, she's kind of charmed by the kid's attitude. "Heh. Glad to hear a fellow soldier approve. Guess I'd better get out on the dance floor, if that's the way it is. Right after we get this firework business straightened out."

[chocolatechipbadass]

"Yeah, son. You just do a little mixy mix and a little shaky shake. A little packy pack and BOOOOOOM. Good times. Goooood times."

Tina fishes around in her little plastic candy bucket before pulling out another cracker and tosses it behind her without looking into the fire. There's a shower of crackling and sparks and Tina grins wider.

"Tell me that don't make everything so much more festive. You like it right? Course you do."

[rekindledtitan]

The pumpkin helps hide how appreciatively she watched that go off, but replaces it with a manic grin. That probably won't help her attempt to play it stern, but she tries to snap out of it and folds her arms.

"I'm kind of impressed, but that's beside the point. Think I'm required to confiscate those and- uh. Are your parents around here? Who're you with?" Well, way to be a spoilsport Blaze.

[chocolatechipbadass]

"Aw come on, don't be like that boo. That's cold."

Tina pouts a bit at the suggestion of confiscating her candy bucket. If it becomes clear that the manic punkin lady sin't messing around though, she'll fish around in it and hand over the last handful of fireworks she has in there among her actual candy.

"Naw son, no parents. Just me."

She says it simply, and with a shrug of her shoulders, though her free hand strays to the hat she's got on. There's no one like that in her life anymore.

[rekindledtitan]

"No getting around it, kid." Can't let children just go playing with explosives. She is 99% certain that is a real custom. Blaze will stare her down - manic grin and all - until the girl hands over her stash.

"...Thank you." Of course, now she has the fireworks, she can't resist holding them up for inspection. Even Ghost, who's being very mindful of his flammable hat, floats out from hiding to give them a curious scan.

Blaze, on the other hand, looks back down swiftly at Tina's revelation. "Just you?" That's much worse than the fireworks. Uh oh. "Are you trapped in the Nexus? And where did you get your costume then?"

The whole thing raises so many questions...

[chocolatechipbadass]

"Just make sure you tell everyone that you got those from Tiny Tina, Empress of Explosives. Tribunal of TNT. Badass of Big Booms!"

Actually she made all of those titles up on the spot just now. but she's pretty good at it. She seems a lot less concerned about the whole being here alone thing than Blaze does.

"I don't think so, shawty. I mean hell I live alone. Well. Sometimes Moxxi shows up or the Vault Hunters. But that's it."

[rekindledtitan]

"I'll make sure to do that." They look like good work, actually, especially considering the age of their maker... but that's the least of their concerns, now.

"Someone ought to be taking care of you- wait, what'd you call me?" She doesn't sound annoyed, just puzzled. And troubled. Coming from the world she does, it's not hard to imagine a dozen reasons this child could be alone. But she barely knows what to do with adult civilians: what in the Traveler's name is she going to do about this? It's not like the Nexus has any authorities to talk to. She shoots Ghost a questioning look, but the little bot's as stumped as she is from his flutter.

...Hughes. She'll have to talk to Hughes. Or Katsuya- he's a police officer, after all.

[chocolatechipbadass]

"I got it boo, don'tchu worry none about me. I've been living on my own for a few years now. Well, moreso now that..." A pause, and the light leaks out of Tina's voice for a brief moment.

"Now that Roland's gone and all."

[rekindledtitan]

Ghost looks up at that, while Blaze tilts her head at the kid. She crouches down for a second, fireworks still in hand, her voice softening as much as it can. "Roland?"

Brother? Friend? Protector? Either way, it's something to ask respectfully.

[chocolatechipbadass]

"...He died. Protecting the city from a bad man."

No shouting, no abundance of energy or inappropriate slang. Just a little girl clutching the beret she was wearing and refusing to cry. Roland wouldn't have cried. He'd have picked her up and told her to be strong.

"Moxxi helped me make the costume."

[rekindledtitan]

So maybe comforting people isn't her strong suit, but she can try. She puts her free hand on the girl's shoulder, offering what she can.

"It was well chosen," she tells Tina seriously. "It's a good way to honor those lost, at this time of the year."

[chocolatechipbadass]

"Yeah. Thanks."

She looks at the hand on her shoulder then, struggling to bring the energy she'd had before back. Tina hates others to see her like this. It leaves her feeling raw and exposed. The loud energetic crude Tina is what people expect. That's the eprson she wants to be seen as.

"So are you like an android or a legit robot lady because that is some serious tech and I'm jelly." It's not quite there, but she's trying.

[rekindledtitan]

She pulls back with a nod, not sure if comfort is what the kid wants after all. Maybe she just doesn't want to dwell on things. Blaze certainly wouldn't.

"I'm a robot, all right. A soldier built by humans long ago. People like me are called Exos where I'm from." She tips the kid a salute, jerks her head toward the little guy floating above her. "I'm Blaze-37, this is Ghost."

[chocolatechipbadass]

It's appreciated more than Blaze knows. Tina just doesn't know how to handle those feelings. She really doesn't want to cry in public, so sitting on the comment until she's alone and somewhere safe and private is definitely preferable.

"Kickass. I always wanted to be a robot. If'n you go boom just have someone put you back t'gether. Course, I probably don't need an excuse to be anymore obnoxious than I already am because I wouldn't have to worry about gettin' hurt. Eh, give an' take. Nice t'meetchas. I'm Tina."

[rekindledtitan]

"It's not exactly that easy," she says, but mildly- she's not eager to damp the girl's rekindling enthusiasm. "Good to meet you too, Tina. Always glad to find someone with a fighting attitude. Where are you, uh, based?"

She's still trying to figure out how to do the responsible thing for this kid. Whatever that is here...

[chocolatechipbadass]

"Outta Pandora. It's a lawless planet run by bandits fulla treasure that turns out to mostly be powerful baby eating alien artifacts."

Which explains how her role model is a dead Vault hunter and her ex-favorite serial killer of all time was named Sully the Slasher. Pandora's a fucked up place.

"It's pretty decent, s'far as homes go."

[rekindledtitan]

"Sounds like fun." She'd be much, much more enthusiastic if they were talking about her living there and not a young girl. "What kind of aliens are we talking about here? Weapons caches don't sound too friendly."

[chocolatechipbadass]

"I ain't never seen 'em yo, but Roland was with his vault hunter friends did an' it was biiiiiiiiiig! Tentacles and lasers flyin' every which way and the evil Atlas siren lady was like SCHHHHRK--! AAAAA my insides nooooo!"

Tina mimes a spike getting impaled through her chest while she does her voices.

"And then it ate her and went bye bye. The end. That was the story of the vault hunter by Tiny Tina."

[rekindledtitan]

She shouldn't laugh, maybe, but there she is doing it. "Sounds like a story I'd like to hear more of. But kid, you shouldn't be living by yourself. I'm going to talk to some of my friends round here, see if we can find you something better."