The Spooky Night Scare Celebration

[de_lux]

Warnings: SPOOPY. Also potential violence and/or drinking.

Location: Various locations in Freesia, especially the Park and Cathedral.

Characters: Anyone and everyone and Lux.

When: Night of September 9

Summary: Most of Freesia is celebrating tonight. Ward off the darkness with lanterns and masks and maybe chat with the local light god.

In a change from their usual behavior, the citizens of Freesia are out and about during the night in order to celebrate another festival.

Called “Spooky Night,” the atmosphere of this holiday may seem familiar to some of Freesia's outsiders. Lanterns patterned after all manner of monsters and other creepy things are visible everywhere, resting on doorsteps, hung from trees, placed in windows, and there are smaller ones strung between buildings and across streets.

Equally creepy masks abound as well. They're mostly worn by the children, but some adults can be seen indulging as well, the eyes and mouths of their masks glowing like jack o' lanterns.

Most of the citizens seem to be enjoying themselves, chatting and laughing with one another, jumping around and trying to scare each other, drinking and buying snacks from opportunistic vendors. Many of the festive citizens have gathered at a bonfire in the park, but groups of people can be found just about anywhere tonight.

But despite the party atmosphere, you may want to pay close attention to the city tonight...

A: The masks and lanterns mentioned earlier aren't going to be hard to find. The lanterns are visible everywhere of course, and more can be found for sale in the shops and stalls, alongside a wide variety of masks. Most of the designs are generic monsters, such as ghost or skeletons or werewolves, but if you look around, well... Whatever you're afraid of, if it's something you can put a face or likeness to, you'll run into a mask or lantern of it eventually. Creepy as that might be though, anyone who dares carry or wear their fears will be rewarded with an extra bright glow emanating from it, something that may come in handy if they run into any of the Nox tonight.

B: If you head down to the park tonight, but stray away from the bonfire, you'll notice that the cathedral is active for once. A very small group of citizens has gathered there, primarily consisting of the elderly- and at least one person you may find familiar. There isn't any laughing or drinking going on in this part of town, and everyone in the cathedral is either silent or speaking to each other in hushed tones. As far as can be observed, they've gathered here to place candles and flowers everywhere.

C: Autumn isn't quite here yet, but the nights have been getting longer lately, the shadows deeper. Don't wander too far tonight and if you do, take care to bring some light with you. The Nox are especially active tonight and will happily attack anyone who wander into the shadows, local or not, not to mention breaking anything they can get their shadowy hands on. A few of the bolder groups will even stray to the edges of the festival in order to knock down the decorations. They're in a vicious mood tonight, but if you thought to pick up an especially spooky lantern or mask before confronting them, their viciousness will evaporate and you'll have them running scared instead.

Comments

option b

[de_lux]

There's a man watching the proceedings in the cathedral. Minus the tacky sunglasses, he's quite generic looking and the citizens gathered in the cathedral don't seem to be giving him any second looks. He isn't talking to anyone at the moment, nor is he involved in leaving flowers or candles. Perhaps he's free to talk?

[jonesiseverywhere]

Casey hadn't totally ruled out "evil cult" as a possibility to why they were here, though what kind of evil cult would give their shadow monster sacrifices magic to fight back was a question Casey hadn't totally worked out the answer to yet. Still, the cathedral being so lively was...strange. It seemed like a bunch of old people and some guy who looked kind of familiar and completely out of place.

He hastily threw off his hockey sticks and other equipment, stashing them in some nearby shrubs, before pulling his hood over his head and sauntering in. Not that he looked at all like he belonged here, but neither did the guy. Casey stopped next to him, non-nonchalantly leaning against a pew. He was sneaking glances, trying to figure out the best way to draw him out. You couldn't rush this kind of spy stuff...

[de_lux]

Lux briefly looked at Casey when the boy stopped nearby, but he seemed more absorbed in studying the altar at the end of the room, where the largest cluster of candles and flowers had been gathered.

Eventually however, one of Casey's sneaked glances caught Lux's attention and he turned to nod at the kid.

"Hello," he said. "Pretty, isn't?"

[unrecovered]

The park is usually festival central, and Wash can use a distraction. After a while, he makes his way down to the cathedral, taking off his mask as he enters; it's lit up, for once, and therefore worth exploring.

The first thing he notices is the volume, or lack thereof - it's quiet, almost like there's an actual religious service happening. The second thing is those godawful sunglasses in the back row. He never forgets a face; he never forgets anything; and, well, at least the quiet makes sense, if this world's god is there.

He reins his temper in as best he can and takes a seat next to Lux. "Hi! Good to see you when I'm not getting yanked around between dimensions. It's a nice change." His tone is too bright, too sharp - good to see you is obviously not the case.

[de_lux]

Lux gives Wash a quick glance up and down, which is more noticeable from the way he slightly nods his head than anything else. The glittery sunglasses do a marvelous job at hiding where exactly he's looking, and the calm expression doesn't help either.

"Agent Washington," he says. "Are you doing well?"

[panspermia]

One could probably forgive Greg for not paying much attention to the cathedral until now; there's never been much to pay attention to. The activity, hushed and somber as it is, still makes for a notable shift, and Greg can't help but peer in on it.

And on that guy sitting in back. Greg's not fantastic with faces, sure, but it's hard to forget those... fashion choices. He's gotta be mistaken, though, right? Why would someone like this only show up now?

Uncertain, hesitant, Greg approaches, and leans on the pew, glancing between the man and the proceedings. "So, uh. This some sort of... special occasion, I take it...?"

[de_lux]

Greg may notice that the proceedings, while certainly somber and formal, aren't hugely organized. No sermons are being made, and it appears to mainly be people milling about with their offerings.

By now, Lux is getting used to people approaching him, so he barely looks up when Greg speaks. He does, however, give Greg a nod.

"You are correct. This is Spooky Night." The calmness of Lux's voice, combined with the solemn air in the cathedral is almost able to make the name of the festival sound non-ridiculous. But only almost.

Re: option b

[letteropener]

"Hello."

The word was friendly, but not particularly warm, as the pony walked up to the man. She wished to understand, not quarrel -- but she couldn't say she was particularly happy about their current situation, and she wasn't going to pretend to be.

[de_lux]

The aisles space between the pews would probably be a bit narrow for Celestia, so at the pony's approach Lux stood up and walked towards her, pausing at the edge of the pew.

"Hello," he echoed. He seemed to think for a moment, then asked, "Are you enjoying the festival?"

Option C

[exuviiated]

Being surrounded by things he was scared of was nothing new, but this new twist-- making them pretty and harmless-- was, admittedly, interesting, and a better coping technique than simply avoiding them.

He grabbed a lantern shaped in the form of a large dog's snarling head, the light flowing from the tooth-stuffed mouth and eyes instantly doubling in intensity. With the security of light by his side, and slightly lighter pockets, he left the festival. Glass, plastic, paper from the decorations and masks were strewn on the ground-- some were soaked in the black ichor that contaminated the books in the library, proving the Nox didn't like this festival at all. Well. Aaron didn't quite like the festivals either, seeing as his first was shadowed and this one was creepy.

The shadows got darker as he got farther from the festival, which meant that the Nox were probably close. Humming a formless tune to himself, something comforting and familiar, he took a detour into the empty lot. It was dark, of course, but someone else might be here. The bright lantern would announce his presence far before his humming or footsteps, with how brightly it was shining.

Re: Option C

[barb_notbabs]

Another light was coming closer. Barbara's was shaped in the form of a witch. It went well with the green mask on her hip, which was the main reason she'd taken it. At least it offered an explanation.

She wasn't exactly in the spirit of the evening, all things considering. She didn't like any of what was happening. This didn't exactly seem like a night to travel around without any form of lighting, though.

"Who's there?" she called.

Re: Option C

[exuviiated]

The humming abruptly stopped. He had nothing against Batgirl, really, except for all the times she stopped Riddler's crimes and beat him up, and he wasn't in uniform, so she wouldn't know who he was. But he might know who she was, now, to add an identity to the voice. Not that it would be useful at all, because he was stuck here instead of back home. Gotham.

And she had a lantern too! Something to talk about.

"I could ask the same of you. I'm Aaron. Barnett. Nice to meet you."

A nod, a significant glance at her lantern. "Nice lantern."

Option A

[barb_notbabs]

Halloween. A wonderful holiday for most of the world - but when you spend your nights fighting masked villains, it takes on a slightly darker tone.

This wasn't Gotham, though. There weren't likely to be poison in the food, and the lanterns probably hadn't been tampered with by Dr. Strange. She hadn't seen any masks that looked like her super villains, though she was half expecting a Black Mask.

What she hadn't expected was a green mask. A green, feminine mask. She reached out to touch it, more than a little surprised.

The green mask wasn't shaped like Ivy. It looked like Barbara.

[jonesiseverywhere]

"They're messin' with us," comes a mumble to her side. "Tryin' to get in our heads, ya know? Freak us out."

It was impossible to miss her expression of shock and the way she freezes at the mask and probably they're trying to do the same thing to her as they're doing to him. He's leaning against the stand, tossing a weirdly-colored lantern up and down to himself with his right hand while shouldering a baseball bat with his left.

He may or may not bat it out of the park.

[barb_notbabs]

Barbara gives the mask another glance, before firmly looking away from it. It's still in her hand, even though she's not looking at it. She doesn't want to even think about that mask, or what it means to her. How it could have been her.

"And here I was just warming up to that..."

A, can become C

[panspermia]

Festivals are more than welcome any time of year, in Greg's book. Food, drinks, music, and most importantly, raised spirits all come with them, and he's someone who embraces it. The summer festival had been a little bit wearisome, admittedly, since he didn't really find anyone to go with, but... things are a little different, now. Some light-hearted spookiness can help shake off the remains of the genuinely nasty events in the last couple months.

So, he's eager to rope anyone he can into the fun of it; seeing the sights, sharing the snacks, playing at the booths, spending on trinkets. He'll shove a corn dog in your hand even if he's never met you, don't think he won't, they're too delicious not to share.

Greg's passed up some of the masks he found most disturbing in favor of a generic werewolf--he's trying to have fun, not exacerbate things--but he can't help but pause and give closer look at one lantern that sends chills down his spine. Casting a greenish light, the thing's in the shape of a hand.

[jonesiseverywhere]

Casey's messed with the stupid Technodrome-y lantern enough. He doesn't like it, he doesn't like that it exists, he doesn't like that the Technodromes exist or that this town knows about it or that it makes him feel things he'd rather not but what he really, really hates is that this town knows about it and is taunting him or trying to get inside his head or make him lower his guard or whatever they're doing.

Fortunately, it's shaped like a ball. Fortunately, he has a baseball bat.

Unfortunately, a paper lantern isn't a baseball. Instead of sailing over the festival and landing in the shadows where it can burst into satisfying flames and scald some Nox, it kind of goes upward in a really narrow arc before falling onto...Greg's head. Casey grimaces but it just kind of crunch-bounches a little and falls to the ground.

"Head's up!" he calls, late.

[panspermia]

"Buh--"

Thankfully, these lanterns are of a decidedly lighter and less solid material than their inspirations, and the hit is more a surprise than anything particularly dangerous. Greg blinks at the bizarrely sculpted ship, before picking it up and looking over to Casey.

"Yo! You uh, lose something?"

With the amount of damage Casey causes on a regular basis, his first thought isn't that the teen was actually trying to get rid of the thing.

A

[letteropener]

In the middle of casually browsing the masks, not certain if she could even find something that suited her, Celestia suddenly went very still.

The alicorn was face to face with a pony mask, this one of a dark unicorn with a horn to match Celestia's and a helmet that swept down her muzzle between her eyes. And those eyes, even cut-out as they were, somehow held cruelty within their inanimate form.

For a very long minute, all Celestia could do was stare.

A or C

[defactodefector]

Rose has seen a ritual similar to this one a few times, since Greg started exposing her more directly to humans. She's still not quite sure what the appeal is of trying to scare people, or why people would want to be afraid in the first place. In her experience, feelings like that are generally something that you'd want to avoid.

Still, most of it just seems to be for fun! You can find her admiring all the work that's been put into it. The costumes and decorations are so charming, like the... extremely familiar faces on those masks. Which is... extremely unsettling.

Of course, you might also find Rose closer to the outskirts of this little event, too- keeping things safe for everyone else by crushing a few stray Nox she spots with some boulders.

[diediediediediedie]

And tagging along, by force and under protest, is Peridot.

On a child's leash. She's got her arms folded and her feet scuffing the ground, which means she trips occasionally as she trudges behind Rose. She can't really see the masks that well from the ground, and when she tries to climb up the table...she almost immediately falls back down on her butt.

The masks are a little too familiar for her liking.

[defactodefector]

Rose just rolls her eyes at the tiny Gem, who seems determined to try to make things as difficult as possible. She can't quite remember where she found the leash at, but she's glad she's got it- it's helpful to make sure Peridot doesn't run off and get herself hurt or something, like she seems so keen on doing. "Peridot, please. You're supposed to be trying to appreciate this little festival the humans have set up, not throwing a tantrum. If you need help, just ask," She says, while just picking her up and setting her down on the table now.

Of course, now that she sees what Peridot was looking at... "Although... I am very curious where these decorations come from. They seem way too close to just be a coincidence." She frowns a bit, resting her hand on her chin as she examines the faces of some of her enemies, right by the faces of her closest friends and allies.

[panspermia]

"Doesn't it get a little lonely out here, by yourself?"

Greg's smiling as he approaches, candy apples in hand. Master of her magic or no, it's easy to feel safe when he knows Rose is keeping an eye out. Still, she keeps trying to do it on her own. Old habits die hard.

[diediediediediedie]

(Continued from here.)

"What?" Said Peridot, suddenly finding her movement radius reduced by quite a bit and Rose's retreating back. "Wait!"

Peridot yanks and tugs and climbs the pole and walks in circles and runs in circles but she can't find the strength in her legs to break the leash, nor in her tiny fingers to unlatch the clasp.

There is literately nothing for her to do but sit in one place and sulk, leaning on her arm with her legs crossed, watching and scowling at all the passing humans.

[panspermia]

After long enough, a person needs to stop, consider their life, and recognize they just need to stop asking questions.

Greg spends a few seconds staring at the glowering little alien tied to the pole, before heaving a sigh and walking over. He doesn't need to know how this situation came to pass. He has a pretty solid idea already, anyway.

"Hey there, Peridot. You want me to grab you something from the vendors?"