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

Entry tags:

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

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

_{[Good, because the cat costumes he'd wrangled Ash and Ember into are adorable in Anders' humble opinion and it'd be a crying shame to have it all end in some random encounter between the crimson jitterbug here and a creature extorting them for candy. Then Anders would have to murder one or both of them, and that'd put a serious drag on this otherwise cheerful celebration.]}

I'm sorry, it's hard to take you seriously like that. _{[He can't resist cracking a smile at Barry.]} There's a lot going on with the suit and the stripes. Not that I'm not glad my cat seemed to have inspired your look.

_{[Awfully judgemental for a guy in a cat suit, but Barry is an assault on the eyes, he really is.]}

But hey, if you're serious about giving them fish, they're serious about eating it.

_{[Anders isn't sure quite what to make of The Flash. He doesn't expect fish to be involved, but he bends down to pick up Ash anyway in the event the other intends to speed off as quickly as he'd appeared.]}

[ it's a good thing anders picks ash up from his feet. the second he does, and lifts the cat far enough away they both won't end up harmed by him taking off, barry disappears in a gust of wind and a golden streak. ]

[ what anders doesn't see: barry ends up getting a fish. or tuna, to be exact. although he can run on water, he hasn't perfected the art of flash-fishing just yet. (perhaps an insomnia activity for a much later time?) so, he settles for asking the closet for a fish — one fit for two cats, and finds himself given two small fish. uncertain if this is good enough and cat-friendly, as barry's never quite had a cat in his life, he takes it back to anders. ]

[ within seconds of his departure, perhaps not long enough to let the wind settle and anders fix his hair, barry's back. what anders does see: the flash, in his mad hatter costume, kneeling, placing a large plate with the two fish on top of it. ]

[ and he stands, brushing his hands together. looking down at his costume, it's only now it appears anders' words have hit him. ]

I think clashing patterns and colours is going to be in. I can tell the Kardashians are going to say it works.

[ he knows he looks horrible, but barry's used to wearing odd things. it's his normal, almost. ]

Uh--

_{[And... he's gone. Ember yowls petulantly from his spot on the floor, brightly-colored top hat slightly askew on his head.

Anders shares a look with his two cats. This trick-or-treating thing is getting to be a lot more than he bargained for, even considering Wonderland's generally high levels of weird.]}

Right then. Back to--

_{[... Oh.

Like an optical illusion, there the masked man is again, back just like that. Is that a plate of fish he has with him? Oh sweet Maker, it is fish. Anders can't decided if he should laugh or scratch his head.]}

No wonder I haven't seen much of you around, the way you just appear. _{[Laughter wins out.]} Did you really just zip over to the second floor to get fish?

[ was that not the right thing? ]

Uh. Yeah?

[ he sounds and looks uncertain, even though he appears quite comical. with the mad hatter clothes overpowering his flash suit that's skintight in comparison, barry's expressions, whether serious or otherwise, will be a source of amusement. ]

[ if only he had a mirror and a selfie stick. ]

[ he glances down at the cats. he can't tell if they're happy, he's never quite had a cat. they're fluffy and they seem to be okay with being dressed up as wonderland characters, but are they taken with the fish? ]

[ he looks up, and arches his brow, definitely uncertain and questioning of whether or not he took a joke too far. ]

Is that … not cool? [ he throws a hand over his shoulder, thumb jutted out. ] I can take them back. I'm sure a bird ... or something ... will eat them.

_{[Barry doesn't need a selfie stick because the image of the young man(?) looking genuinely at a loss under layers of retina-searing colors will forever be burned into Anders' memory. The other's bemusement draws more incredulous laughter out of him.]}

No, no, the fish are fine. You're probably not getting those back no matter how fast you are--

_{[And to prove it, both cats drift to the plate, sniffing and then beginning to nibble without a moment's hesitation. Anders doesn't have the heart to pull them away from their surprise snack even when the frills of Alice's pinafore start to get greasy with fish oil.]}

I just can't believe you went out of your way to feed my cats. _{[Granted, "out of Barry's way" means a half second out of his day, but still.]} I didn't realize you were an animal lover.

[ yes, he is a man. can't you see his junk? ]

[ don't answer that. ]

[ to be crystal clear: he could steal those fish back. he's the flash, the man who can break the light and sound barriers. but he isn't too keen to break the cat barriers. they seem happy, even though he can't quite tell in their current get-ups. ]

I'm a lover, not a fighter.

[ he shrugs his shoulders. he's never had a pet before, aside from a goldfish and the neighbourhood cat … isn't this what you're supposed to do? but anders hasn't said otherwise, and so barry makes like elsa and lets it go. anders, after all, could easily kick the fish away if he found it suspect. they're his cats, after all, and aren't people super territorial over them? ]

And I am the Mad Hatter. Like … I should act more like him, right? Tea-time's around … [ he lifts his arm and looks at his wrist, covered in a long sleeve he tries to shake back. he looks at his batman watch and scrunches up his face, humming for a long moment. ] It's six somewhere.

_{[It's hard to miss his junk when he's wearing what amounts to a giant red condom. Apparently the candy monster hadn't considered that a valid costume.]}

Well, whatever the case, thanks. They appreciate your patronage. _{[Said over the wet smacks of cats chowing down.]} I think you may have just made a pair of friends for life.

_{[Anders' approach to cat ownership is fairly laissez faire, and he lets them carry on, not terribly concerned. It's a good time to take a little break, besides. It gives him a chance to keep an eye out for that creepy scarecrow-looking thing on legs if it should come back this way.

His attention turns back to... Actually, Anders realizes he hasn't asked yet.]}

Are you still going by The Flash? When you're not going as the Mad Hatter, of course. I hope your tea party go a bit better than the one in the story.

[ it's really, really, really weird being the one who doesn't remember being here before. barry's usually the one who remembers everything — he's the one who walks along the breaches into alternate worlds, the one who travels back in time and is the only one who remembers anything. ]

[ maybe he should be feeling a little uneasy, but barry's a little excited by this sudden twist. ]

Uh.

[ he glances down at himself, momentarily distracted by anders' commentary. looking up at him, he seems uncertain, but that eventually shifts into confidence. ]

Yeah? Yeah. I am. The Flash. I'm the Flash.

[ of course, it's a little weird to have to reintroduce himself, though. he doesn't know how much anders knows, although he suspects he's acquainted with the flash and nothing more. ]

[ he's also incredibly used to everyone knowing who he is on sight. again, it's exciting. maybe he's doing this whole returning to wonderland thing wrong. ]

[ but if he wants to separate the flash from barry, maybe he should tack on an apology: ] Sorry ... I kind of ... ran up the rabbit hole the wrong way? [ he narrows his eyes, sounding unsure. ] Right way? I'm still getting my bearings. Again.

Are you sure? You looked like you were having a moment of deliberation there.

_{[This guy's difficult to get a read on--not just because of the costume concealing his features, or the unusual vibrating, or the red lightning. Anders has little context for The Flash or his abilities in general and it leaves him at something of a loss.

But Flash here seems like a good sort for a... inexplicably super fast masked man. He'd just brought Anders' cats fish, for crying out loud.]}

Well, the name still fits, that's for certain. I'd say welcome back, but...

_{[He gestures at the collective inanity of the mansion.]}

I was considering rebranding. Maybe going for the Fastest Man Alive? Or maybe just Fast? But then people may get confused with the Fast and the Furious movies, and that'd suck. For me. That'd suck for me, because they're pretty good … Or the first three are.

[ truthfully, he's taken aback by the situation. as cool as it is to be known in a world the flash doesn't exist in, he has to wonder what he did before. did the flash save people? did the flash reveal his identity? given anders' behaviour, barry doubts anders knows who he is. ]

[ at least that's normal. ]

[ lifting his hand to the back of his neck, he pulls at the collar of his mad hatter costume. it's a little hot underneath all these layers. ] Did we know each other really well? Sorry I don't … remember. Been running too fast. It's a ... side effect ...

Edited (HOW EMBARRASSING ...) 2016-08-01 10:02 (UTC)

You could sneak it by Thedosians well enough. We don't have movies. Or Alice in Wonderland. Or Halloween, for that matter.

_{[So if Barry is looking to poll a demographic, look no further. Throwing his fellows under the bus is the least he can do after Barry had led the Trickster away and fed his cats. Fair is fair.

The response has Anders crossing his arms with a lift of his eyebrow, seemingly oblivious to how ridiculous it looks in his heavy, striped costume.]}

That's what you get for running in the halls. You could slip on the stairs or get amnesia. But I take it to mean you don't remember being here once before. I won't take that personally even though we went on a lovely garden walk and shared each other's deepest, darkest secrets.

_{[The part about meeting outside is true, at least.]}

Oh my god.

[ he sounds devastated by this fact: losing his memories of taking long, romantic walks with anders in the garden. he'd clutch his pearls if he had enough room to wear some. ]

[ but his answer's in there, somewhere. anders may not outright inform him he knows barry allen is the flash and the flash is barry allen, but he gets his answer. anders doesn't know who he is, and barry thinks that's the best way for these things to be for right now. ]

[ the cats, on the other hand … hopefully they don't talk like the cheshire supposedly does. ]

[ he lifts a hand to his face and continues to appear devastated. ]

I can't believe — Wonderland made me drink a Forget Me potion! I'd never forget you. I don't know how to quit you — except I … guess … Wonderland made me?

_{[He waves his hand with a look of agreement as if to say he completely understands why Barry wouldn't want to leave his company. He's charming, he's witty, and he can do magic tricks. Who wouldn't want to bask in his glory?]}

You wouldn't be the first. I'll forgive you--this time. But don't wander off again... without sharing with us how you got out, at least.

Cross my heart and —

[ barry doesn't so much as move his head, but his attention and gaze flicks to the side, settling over anders' shoulder. he'd thought he'd seen the door move, perhaps even vibrate — then again, when he's vibrating his entire body, it's difficult to see the world through a sharp and clear lens. ]

[ in a gust of wind and golden lightning, he's in front of the door that stands behind anders. glancing over his shoulder, it's with a wave of his hand he beckons his friend toward him. ]

Trick or treat, come on. Something tells me there's a tea party behind this door.

... What?

_{[By the time Anders asks what the pause is about, he's talking to thin air. Flash is gone in a literal flash. Uhhh. This is still going to take some time to get used to.

Once he's blinked the after-images of red and gold from his eyes and found where Barry's gotten to, he squints after him.]}

What is it? It looks like a door in a hall full of doors.

[ barry looks at anders, eyebrows creased together, as he cocks his head toward the door. dude, play along, he wants to say. use your imagination. hop onto this magic carpet ride. ]

[ as much fun as it is to stand in a hallway and chit chat away, it's important they play by the rules. barry doesn't know how much candy cheshire cat and his friends have collected, but he's a superhero — he has to make sure that the cats, at least, will be left alone by the trickster. the decision's made so quickly because that's how fast barry thinks: sometimes he can't quite filter his actions and thoughts, and ends up leaving someone with little to no context as to what he's thinking. ]

Think there's a treat behind this door. Come on, Cat. Bring my friend Alice along for some tea.

Edited (why do i have YOUR typo curse) 2016-08-08 08:10 (UTC)

_{[He's already on the magic carpet ride and he wants off. The worst part about this event is that he's collecting candy that he can't even eat thanks to this evil candy glutton roaming the halls. How unfair is that?]}

For a minute I thought you'd seen something interesting.

_{[But Barry has a point. He's already had one brush with the Trickster, he's probably not eager for another so soon, and with the cats happily distracted by their food, Anders is down two trick or treating partners.]}

All right, all right, I suppose break time's over. We better go get that treat and put an end to this candy hunt sooner rather than later. _{[He puts his head back. Now he's a proper Cheshire Cat. Spreading his arms, he adds:]} And it'd be a shame not to take advantage of the theme we have going on! How do I look?

_{[Good enough to net some candy fish?]}

[ the flash takes the time to give anders a once over. for a human dressed up as a cat, he doesn't look all that bad. he can even pretend he's a real human-sized cat. it'd be better if anders tried to do a meow. ]

[ later, when this is all over, barry's going to realise he had a lot of fun with two cats — one who seemed to be a mother of a small litter, and another who was dressed to kill. ]

[ with a hm, the flash smiles. thumbs up, he nods, ] Catty.

[ get it? ]

[ the flash raises his hand, covered with a long sleeve that suggests the coat he's wearing is too long for him. flicking his hand back, he tries to push it away, until he ultimately gives up on the flopping material and merely uses it to shield his knuckles. ]

[ … which are already covered by his red gloves. ]

What do you think? Trick or treat behind this door, Chesh?

_{[Good answer! It's impossible to tell since the outside of his mask is always smiling, but Anders is smiling inside of it, too.]}

'Catty' was what I was going for. Don't you agree, kitties?

_{[... They're still ignoring the rest of the world, and so Anders takes their wet, smacking nibbling sounds as agreement. Yes, your master is very clever with this costume ideas, thank you for saying so.]}

It had better be a treat. All four of us deserve one. Look at us, we're dressed up and participating! We're doing our jobs!

_{[There had better be a pot of candy at the end of this extortion rainbow, that's all he has to say about it.]}

Cross your toes and tails.

[ barry opens the door — ]

[ what lies behind it is the following: when barry opens the door, a whole bucket of confetti will pour down onto him, made of the flash colours — reds and yellows, some whites and blacks — with lightning bolts drawn on them. but the bits of paper spark like they're made out of electricity, and stick to their clothes like they're made of static. ]

[ barry glances upward, the bits of paper still pouring out of the bucket. it won't stop until he closes the door, which he keeps wide open as he peers inside and finds the entire room is coated in those colours. glancing over his shoulder to anders, he shrugs it. ]

I think this is a treat? Maybe?

[ lbr, it's a treat, since wonderland has a "do not harm any cats" policy put in place. ]

[ and what will be thrown at their feet is candy also in those colours. ]

_{[How do you cross a tail? Isn't that just tying it in a knot?

Anyway. For once Anders isn't the one getting everyone into trouble by accidentally setting off booby traps. There's no time to wonder at this demotion in his job description before Flash is opening the door and letting loose a wave of sticky confetti.]}

For whom?

_{[He steps back as it continues to pour out like a freak rainstorm. Fallout from the confetti-bomb end up on his boots, and he has to cast a repelling barrier to get them off. Yikes, red and yellow polka dots do not go with blue and purple stripes.

By the time he's done, there's a thump on the floor. Candy. Oh. Thanks for burying the lead, mansion.]}

I think I'd like this holiday more if the mansion wasn't trying to get us eaten alive.

[

]

[ closing the door, barry's candy's in his hand — literally. he's unwrapping it and pops it into his mouth. with a shrug, he regards anders, ] I don't know. It's not so bad. Trickster's kind of on the slow side.

[ as if to show off, he speeds, golden yellow and with a force of wind, to the door beside the one they'd opened. he turns around on his feet, normal-paced mind you, and gestures with a hand for anders. there's a slight blur to it, a crackle of kinetic energy, a golden streak left in its wake very much like lightning leaves behind a fading stain of itself. ]

Want to try your luck?

The slow side for me or the slow side for you? Because those are two differ-- _{[Ah, Maker, he's not listening again, is he. All this buzzing around is trippy to watch and even worse to talk over. Anders voices an obvious thought:]} Why aren't you collecting all of the candy for us? You could have this wrapped up by midday.

_{[Seriously, this guy could be up and down the hall knocking on doors before Anders could get to one. Don't mind him as he bends down to collect the rest of the candy at his tediously normal speed.]}

Maybe you'd better do the next one. If an actual lightning bolt comes out this time, I'll be back here. With the cats. Ready to revive you.

_{[Disappearing at the first sign of trouble with a quip and a grin is the Cheshire Cat's specialty, after all.]}

[ if an actual lightning bolt comes through the door this time, barry would prefer it hit him than anders. in actuality, he'd rather it didn't hit either of them at all. despite it being the reason he has his powers, it'd scared him. thunder and lightning still does. ]

[ his expression, of what anders can see, doesn't give anything away but cheer. he looks at him with a smile. in his hand is a candy, and he's already eating it. ] I've already collected them all. [ and he's in the process of eating half of it. never mind that, though. the flash likes to live on the wild side, so much so barry allen often follows. ]

[ with a wave of his hand, he gestures for anders to come over. ] I never thought the Cheshire Cat would be afraid of a door, much less opening one.

Last time I checked, the counter was still going.

_{[Clearly the Flash hasn't collected enough, but they seem to be at an impasse in terms of visual cues. Anders sees a smiling Flash, and the Flash sees... a smiling plastic head. But behind it Anders is definitely raising an eyebrow in Barry's direction. Can he feel the waves of silent judgement? Can he now?

... How about now?

At the wave, Anders pointedly plants a hand on his waist in token resistance to anything that puts him in danger of getting confetti'd before sighing audibly, the sound muffled by the heavy fur head of his costume.]}

Fine, fine. Someone has to stick up for the feline race and prove they're not afraid of anything. All right, stand back. I've got this. _{[Anders plants himself in front of the door, knocks, and with the air of imperious authority of a door-to-door solicitor, he says:]} Trick or treat!

_{[The door swings open but he doesn't get a chance to see what comes flying out before he ducks. All he knows at first is that it's colorful, solid, and arrowing right for his head--self-preservation takes care of the rest.]}

What in the Maker's name was that!?

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

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