+ Trick or treat till the neighbors gonna die of fright! | OPEN +

[vitaelamorte]

Who: EVERYONE (if they want to live)
Where: EVERYWHERE (inside the mansion, knocking on doors)
When: 6/24 - 6/27
Rating: PG-13?
Summary: The Summerween Trickster has made his decree - Trick or treat...or die! This is a mingle log for Trick-or-Treating!
The Story:



On the morning of the 24th, everyone will find that the mansion was inexplicably decorated for Halloween...sort of. The idea behind the decorations is mostly the same, except that every jack-o-lantern is made out of a watermelon instead of a pumpkin. No, this is SUMMERWEEN.

For the first day it will be harmless enough, just a change in décor and a little spooky summer fun. However, by the second day there will be sightings of the Summerween Trickster, a creepy fellow made entirely out of unpopular loser candy, and he is not happy. In the entrance hall, there will be a giant jack-o-melon container with a counter and a count-down clock ticking away to the end of the event.

Your job, Wonderland, is to trick-or-treat for your lives. You have until the end of the event to deliver one million pieces of candy to the jack-o-melon before the end of the event, to appease the Summerween Trickster.

What was that? You'll just sit this out and wait for the event to end? I wouldn't do that if I were you. You see, the Summerween Trickster could be lurking around any corner. If he catches someone not fully embracing the spirit of Summerween (refusing to trick or treat, not wearing a costume, etc), they will not survive the experience. The Trickster will kill them and swallow them whole, making them part of his horrible loser candy body.

More details about trick or treating can be found here. This is a mingle post for trick-or-treating, if you'd rather use this than make a post! [Brackets] or prose are both welcome.

Comments

[closed]

[mypartnerincrime]

Chloe is in her usual white tank top, jeans and boots but she's also holding a folded sheet of white cloth behind her back. She steps out to meet Max in the doorway, careful not to let her best friend see what she's carrying. So instead of her usual lazy wave, Chloe just nods to greet Max.

"Nice costume Maxfly. Very spooky."

[closed]

[mypartnerintime]

First of all, no, not spooky! Max actually frowns slightly. She's not supposed to be spooky, she's supposed to look cool and like she could take on an army of Caspers.

Or, you know, slightly more threatening ghosts. Slightly.

She frowns even more when it occurs to her that Chloe's not wearing a costume. They had this whole coordinated thing planned out, and now she's worried Chloe's just gonna up and ditch it. "Hey," she begins, unsure. "You're supposed to be the spooky one. Where's your ghost costume?"

[mypartnerincrime]

Chloe looks at Max and does her best not to laugh. Instead, she feigns a confused look. "What are you talking about?" She takes one hand from behind (careful not to reveal the cloth) and gestures to her everyday outfit.

"This is my ghost costume."

1/3

[mypartnerintime]

"Wha-?"

2/3

[mypartnerintime]

Oh.

No.

Not cool.

3/3 wowser

[mypartnerintime]

Totally not cool at all.

Max tsks loudly. She stuffs her proton gun into its sling hard enough to damage the homemade costume. With a glare at Chloe she makes her way to the fridge, ready to start pulling out all the stuff they'll need to make the treats.

"That's terrible." Her voice is steady, but there's an obvious angry (almost furious) undercurrent in her tone.

[mypartnerincrime]

Chloe bursts out laughing as Max storms towards the refrigerator. "Aw come on Max! You know I was only teasing."

She follows Max to the counters and pulls out the white cloth from behind to show her best friend. "See? I have my real ghost costume here, don't worry."

Chloe puts the bed sheet over her, making sure her eyes can see through the two holes she hurriedly cut. She raises her arms and flails around, trying to catch her best friend's attention. "BOO-yeaaaaah! Punk ghost in the house!"

[mypartnerintime]

Teasing, sure. Like always. And sometimes, it's really horrid. She throws another scathing glare at Chloe as the girl flails nearby.

And not just a glare- in fact, she shuts the fridge and walks over to push Chloe; not forcefully, but maybe enough to stop that damn tomfoolery. "It's not funny."

[mypartnerincrime]

To say that Chloe is taken aback when Max pushes her is a bit of an understatement. Max may not see it, because Chloe's wearing her costume, but she looks pretty shocked. With the little that she can see through her eye holes, Chloe knows that Max is totally not kidding and that she may have gone too far this time.

Chloe removes her costume and sets it aside. She reaches out to Max, trying to get a hold of her shoulders. "Hey, I'm sorry Max. I didn't think... I didn't think it would upset you or anything... It was just a joke."

[mypartnerintime]

It worked insofar as it made Chloe stop hopping around like an idiot. But it didn't make Max feel any better- in fact the shove just added a little guilt on top of the anger. But that doesn't stop her from looking Chloe dead in the eyes. "It was a shitty joke."

She can't hold Chloe in eye contact for long- she averts her eyes, looking down and away from Chloe, as her best friend holds her shoulders. "I don't get how you can even make fun of that."

[mypartnerincrime]

Chloe squeezes Max's shoulders and looks at her slightly bowed head. She can't see her eyes but she can still hear her clearly. "Hey. I can joke about it because it's not true. I'm not dead. I'm here."

She pulls her best friend to a hug, hoping that Max doesn't pull away. "With you. Not dead," Chloe whispers.

[mypartnerintime]

Not dead- sure. Not dead only when Wonderland brought her in. Not dead until it decides to spit her out. Or worse, until it decides to kill her over and over until all her lives are spent and Chloe's left with nothing at all, or maybe something even worse than death, and tomorrow she could be gone, couldn't she- ! And she jokes about it!

She reaches up and takes Chloe's hands in her own. "Not dead..." she parrots back softly, and slowly removes Chloe's hands as she steps out of the hug and turns away.

The anger is still there. Now she feels like railing against the entire of Wonderland, all its residents and dumb fairy tale characters, about how stupid everyone is and how much bullshit is going on.

How unfair it all is.

She lets out a long sigh and leans against a kitchen counter, her eyes closed, back to Chloe.

[mypartnerincrime]

For a while, Chloe doesn't know what to do. Should she just leave Max alone?

Somehow, that didn't seem like the right choice. Leaving her alone is probably the last thing Chloe should do, seeing how they just had an argument over death and abandoment. So instead, she tries again to reach out to her best friend. Chloe hugs Max from behind, tightening her arms around her friend.

"Yes Max. Definitely not dead. And whatever Wonderland throws at us, we can deal with it, right?" Chloe takes Max's hand and gently pulls her to face her. "Because you're my partner in time... And I'm..."

Her voice trails off as she looks hopefully at her best friend.

1/2

[mypartnerintime]

Max allows herself to savor the hug, and she allows herself to be turned around, though she keeps her gaze downward. It's actually a happy event this time, or enjoyable at least. And there's really no chance of Chloe getting hurt...

Events like this only come around now and then... Max shouldn't waste it fighting over a dumb joke... God, she just wishes Chloe hadn't done that.

She finally looks up as Chloe speaks, first with the same frustrated and gloomy expression...

2/2

[mypartnerintime]

But then it softens. It's sort of sweet that Chloe remembered that.

"My partner in crime," she says after a pause, a small smile finally showing through.

[mypartnerincrime]

A smile. Alleluia!

Chloe seizes the opportunity. She holds both of Max's hands and gives them a squeeze. "So do you forgive me?"

[mypartnerintime]

"Forgive's a strong word," she taunts, her eyes narrowing, but her smile still there. It's not clear at all if she's just teasing. "First you have to promise that you won't make jokes about that."

And no, not just because Chloe died- but because it was Max's fault. It's not pleasant at all to have your guilt casually thrown around for laughs.

[mypartnerincrime]

"Don't worry Max." Chloe holds up her fingers in one hand, and draws an X across her heart with the other. "No more death-related jokes. Cross my heart."

Well, death-related jokes about myself, at least.

She gives Max a one-arm hug. "So! Shouldn't we start on those gummy bears? I can't imagine a Halloween without candy."

Because she refuses to call it Summerween. She will not disgrace one of her most cherished holidays no thank you.

[mypartnerintime]

Welp, she promised. But hey, if Chloe thinks she can get away with hugs and promises and cheesy lines... she's kind of right. Max definitely is nowhere near as perky as she was when she entered the kitchen, but neither is she downright mad. She doesn't quite return the hug.

But it's a good event, and she really shouldn't waste it feeling down. With effort she begins to set aside the lingering resentment at life.

"Summerween, supposedly," she mumbles. "I'm glad I get to spend Halloween with you." Since they fell short by a few weeks, back in Arcadia Bay... "Okay, before I fully let you off the hook, we need to have at least one picture... in costume."

[mypartnerincrime]

Chloe fake-groans but wears her lame-ass ghost costume anyway. The bed sheet is covering her all the way to her ankles. With her black, conmbat boots, she definitely looks like a punk ghost.

"BOO-yeah! So where do you want me, you evil soul-sucking Ghostbuster?"

[mypartnerintime]

Hey, if she thinks that costume is lame, it's totally her fault! Talk about least possible amount of effort put into a ghost outfit!

"Excuse me, I'm the heroic dudette that wastes soul-suckers," she argues lightly. Let's not mix up who the good guy is in this costume duo! "And you can... stand on this chair. Look like you're about to take me out."

[mypartnerincrime]

Chloe grabs the chair nearby, which is proving to be a bit tricky since she's underneath a stupid bed sheet. But she manages anyway.

She climbs up the chair then raises her arms and poses. "Alright Max. The punk ghost is ready."

[mypartnerintime]

In the mean time Max sets up her camera on a nearby counter, and starts the timer. She's got it memorized by now and can count off in her head before the shutter fires.

She takes position below Chloe with her proton gun (slightly dented) raised toward her best friend.

"Aaaand... action!" She takes on her best approximation of an appropriate ghost-busting pose, right in time for the camera flash to fill the kitchen.

[mypartnerincrime]

The flash fills the kitchen. Just in time too. Chloe accidentally stepped on her costume, causing her to lose balance and fall from the chair. Good thing it isn't that high. She lands right on her ass.

"Fuck." Chloe takes off her costume and rubs her behind, laughing. "That was not part of the plan."

[mypartnerintime]

Max gives her a hand up, not quite comfortable yet with a full grin, but at least showing a smile.

"I would be surprised if that was planned." Though that might be something Chloe would do just to cheer Max up. After Chloe gets on her feet, Max packs away the camera and picture, and turns again to her best friend.

"So... gummy bears?"