OPEN MINGLE

[parodeity]

WHO: EVERYONE...
WHERE: the garden area generally!
WHEN: all month but particularly evenings
WHAT: pumpkin carving & trick or treat. also the skeletons are like There i guess
WARNINGS: probably badly carved pumpkins

Welcome to the garden! It looks pretty much as usual, except with more...spooky designs? There are a bunch of pumpkins gathered onto a table Dave dragged in, and he's hung up some truly shitty artwork of ghosts and various Halloween monsters. There's also a vague attempt at some paper chain decorations, which may be improved upon by people more capable of doing that.

He's also supplied carving tools (finally, a fucking use for his Pile Of Knives, thank you harpy quest) and some paint so people can trace out what they want to carve or like...just Go For It. Or paint the pumpkins. The world is your oyster.

It seems like the entire garden area (which takes up maybe two plots of land at this point) has been surrounded with a crude and somewhat shoddy fence, but it seems to be capable of keeping the skeletons out of the garden. It does look like the shambling skeleton horde sort of walked all over the strawberry patch before Dave put up skeleton defenses, though. Bummer.

The trick or treat trail has an actual trail with places for treat givers to hand out treats, with little signs posted in the various areas. There's the Strawberry Kingdom (with sadly trampled strawberries), the Onion Grove, and so on and so forth. People can even pick up really shitty maps for the trick or treat trail, even though you can literally see the entire thing just by glancing. The map sells the experience.

You can:
1) Carve pumpkins! There even seems to be some sort of pumpkin carving contest going on? The prize is a pet rock, though, so like. Maybe don't get too excited.
2) Paint pumpkins, if you're a loser who doesn't want to carve them.
3) Hand out treats!
4) Accept treats!
5) Pull tricks if you are so inclined?
6) Shore up the garden defenses if a shambling skeleton manages to finally knock over some fence. Please protect the plants, we eat those.
7) Just like, gaze at the shambling skeleton army outside the fences. It's a very nice view, maybe.
8) Do whatever you want, basically.

Comments

yellow

[unghost]

I. onion fairy cairngorm

[ There's a pair of chairs near the outskirts of this little gathering that they brought from their own house— which they are lounging in quite comfortably while they watch all the Fall shenanigans. They've got their new Fall Winter fit on, courtesy of the town, because like hell they're getting dirt and pumpkin and who knows what else on their regular clothes.

On the chair next to them is a basket of... somethings, some colorless and some not, but you can't get a look inside before they take the basket off the chair rather defensively the second you get too close. ]

What? Are you going to ask for something, or are you just going to stare?

[ They have treats to provide, but there's no guarantee it'll be anything tasty... ]

II. pumpkin carving(?)

[ Here's the thing they actually came here to do aside from judge humans and their weird holidays: carve some pumpkins. Though, the term "carve" here is used a little too loosely for their understanding. They're thinking more along the lines of chop up, slice in half, that sort of thing. For all that chic and ethereal beauty, they're looking pretty violent: they've got a big pumpkin set on the ground in front of them, sweater sleeves rolled up, and their big saw held up above them, ready to strike.

Please save this pumpkin from being completely demolished, and their clothes from getting tons of pumpkin guts on them. ]

III. pumpkin carving 2 electric boogaloo

[ Now that they've been so graciously informed of the actual practice of pumpkin carving, they're sitting more calmly along with you in the dirt to take another hand at it. That is, they are, until they pull the top off a pumpkin and see all the seeds and yucky guts inside, which they don't hide making a face at.

Then, suddenly, the pumpkin is getting shoved closer to you, like they're some kid pushing away their vegetables at dinner. ]

No way. You take that stuff out.

[ They're not touching any of it with a ten foot pole, thank you very much!! ]

IV. wildcard

( they'll be around being confused about halloween and trick or treating as well as skeletons because they don't even really know what bones are in full, so feel free to hit me with anything!! )

ii

[ditherer]

[as someone not familiar with halloween or this tradition, using a saw seems legit enough?? maybe??? who is he to judge.

so nah, he's just going to watch.]

What are you going to carve?

[unghost]

[ Oh, that gets them to pause for a second before they destroy it. They relax their arms a little bit, though they're still holding their blade up. ]

What do you mean, "what" am I going to carve? I'm just gonna carve it.

[ditherer]

... I think you're supposed to make art out of it, not completely destroy the pumpkin.

i

[heartsteals]

[ he doesn't actually have anything to give Cairngorm, because SOMEBODY doesn't eat food... but he figured they could at least carve a pumpkin together and get that quest out of the way. How hard could it be? He's never really celebrated Halloween before, but he's sure he can carve a big gourd without any problems. Cairngorm... will probably have several problems, but that's fine. They can hollow out the pumpkin or something.

Such are the thoughts in Lupin's mind, which come to a screeching halt when he actually spots Cairngorm. He's never seen them in anything outside of their uniform, which he'd always thought was a shame... but he didn't expect that to change anytime soon. He actually doesn't recognize them immediately, he's so used to seeing them in that outfit - which he regrets, because it means they definitely caught him staring at them for a second when he realized who they were.

They look cute in something more feminine... ]

Can you blame me? I don't think I've ever seen you out of uniform once in these past six months. [ Lupin, being Lupin, doesn't miss a beat anyway, although there is an admiring touch of pink to his cheeks. ] You look good. Those clothes suit you.

[unghost]

[ Well, that didn't exactly go as planned. Why won't he just go away... Their hands bring the basket closer to them, frowning and looking anywhere but his direction. ]

What are you saying all of a sudden... [ Their powder conceals most of any color that comes to their cheeks, so it's more like. The hint of color.The ghost of color. Barely noticeable and barely there. ] They're just clothes. Just because they're new doesn't mean you should stare.

[ They'd love to enlighten him on the fact that gems only wear uniforms ever, but that'll of course only prolong this conversation. They huff, looking more exasperated than mad. ]

I'm not staring at you, am I.

[ they see your waluigi get up lupin ]

[heartsteals]

[ wah... ]

Feel free to stare if you want, [ he replies with a quick wink, holding his arms out to the side just a little in invitation. ] I'm used to it.

[ not that he thinks he looks particularly stupendous in a plain lavender sweater, but he at least knows he looks handsome, as usual!! He wouldn't be wearing it otherwise. Lupin lets his arms drop to his sides again, slipping his hands into his pockets and walking over to them. ]

You getting a new wardrobe is almost as surprising as you deciding to hand out treats. What do you have there?

iii

[osuni]

[Okuni looks at Cairngorm like she can't believe what they're saying.]

But this is the best part!

[TAKING THE GOOP OUT IS VERY THERAPEUTIC... Okuni hauls Cairngorm's pumpkin closer to her so she can start scooping out the gunk anyway though because she's a nice person.

she gets through two handfuls before she attempts to fling the third in Cairngorm's direction......]

im crying. why is she like this

[unghost]

[ They were about to be glad that someone actually did what they said, when they're suddenly getting pumpkin guts thrown at them— ]

Wh— ugh, stop!! [ YOU'RE GETTING PUMPKIN ON THEIR NEW THREADS OKUNI!! They do what they can to cover themself, but they still get a huge big glob on their sleeve. ] What's wrong with you?!

[ Now they're just gonna. Try and take that pumpkin back, thanks. ]

III

[usedlick]

[Why is he getting a pumpkin shoved at him...

Connor looks up from his own pumpkin (which is being carved with a rather inhuman efficiency) to look at the one shoved at him instead. There's something a bit exasperating about being asked this (he is an incredibly advanced piece of machinery, why is he doing any of this at all?) but after a moment, his priorities change, and he accepts the task.]

Alright.

[And so he will put his hand in this gross goop and pull all the pumpkin guts out. It's only nice that he can't actually feel it.]

[unghost]

[ See? Things are great when people do what they say. They're quite pleased that he agrees to do it, not that it shows on their distant expression, especially when that expression sours as he pulls the guts out. ]

Ugh. [ There's a noticeable shiver, but they can't help but stare. They've never seen a plant quite like this before. ] I don't understand why this is part of the holiday if it involves such messy rituals...

[ But, the other seems used to it? Or at least, he was carving that pumpkin with incredible efficiency. Hmm. ]

You've done this before?

[usedlick]

[If he were somewhere with a connection to the internet, he could certainly research a very detailed answer to that question, but as he isn't, Connor only knows what he already has saved in his memory. Which isn't much, but enough to know that humans are quite attached to this sort of ritual, for reasons unknown to him.]

No, never. [He says this nonchalantly, as he scoops more pumpkin guts and lets them fall to the group with a wet plop.] But I've seen it done enough to understand how it works.

[He existed for one American Halloween, after all! So he knows enough.]

ii;

[dualtone]

[ Listen. Listen. Fushimi Saruhiko has never carved a pumpkin in his entire life. He would rather die than dull one of his throwing knives on a pumpkin, and he'd rather die twice than be caught having fun celebrating Halloween. All of that is fake news, and Fushimi wants none of it.

But like -- even so, Fushimi can't help but notice that Cairn is about to grossly misunderstand the concept of pumpkin carving, to the detriment of Cairn, the pumpkin, and anyone within reach of the pumpkin innards.

And so, with no small exasperation (standing a safe couple feet away, in case his warning isn't fast enough), Fushimi offers, helpfully (?): ]

That's not right.

[ And then, so that he isn't confused with being, like... helpful... he mumbles, less helpfully: ]

Probably.

[unghost]

[ Luckily for Fushimi and his clothes, glasses, and mood, they halt before slamming their blade into the gourd, resting the sharp edge on the top of the plant instead. ]

"Probably"? [ They deadpan, thoroughly unamused with that explanation. ] Well, is it right, or is it not? It's one or the other.

[ Huffing, they look to him, expectant for an answer in every inch of their body language. They're not exactly here to have fun, either, they're here to get the job done, which is part of why they're so demanding for a better explanation. ]

[dualtone]

It's not right for back home. [ Fushimi's home, obviously -- not that he's ever carved a pumpkin in his entire life, but like, he understands the theory, he understands the vague, if baffling concept of "carving pumpkins in an attempt to bond and have fun". It sounds fake as hell, if you ask him, but in a place like this, filled with absolute weirdos -- sure, it'd probably fly. ]

I don't know if it's what this place wants. [ He shrugs a shoulder up, because he doesn't really think anything about this place is as clear cut as being one or the other.

Except that it sucks. That's really clear cut. This place definitely sucks. ]

ii

[tropism]

You'd be so good in the winter for firewood.

[ so efficient. he will, however, point to the surface of the pumpkin. ] You're supposed to put a face on it, not split it in half, though if the latter's more therapeutic I won't stop you.

[unghost]

A face?

[ When their arms come down, their blade only hits the gourd lightly, barely piercing it's skin since they slowed their momentum down greatly as Giorno approached. ]

What do you mean by that. Like, draw on it...?

[ Is there. A different definition of the word "carve" that they're not aware of?? ]

[tropism]

[ he tries to think of a way to explain this to them that they'll understand, and finally comes up with, ]

.... you know how you told me about how gems are formed? It's like that, but with pumpkins, and only the gem's head.

ii

[thriftea]

Wait, wait, wait!

[And here is Ochako, Savior of Pumpkins, rushing right to Cairngorm's side, hands raised in that universal "calm the heck down" gesture. She's not about to jump in front of that terrifying saw, but she'll keep a smile on her face as she tries to, like, gently talk Cairn out of this? Heaven help us.]

Y-You're trying to carve a pumpkin, right? You can't do that if you destroy it!

[She's just sayin'.]

[unghost]

[ Oh. They actually let up easily at that, though they still look puzzled. Their blade comes to rest atop the gourd, both hands still on the handle. ]

I was told that the point was to cut it up. Does the method matter that much...

[ Humans!! And their weird, finicky, very specific traditions. ]

[thriftea]

[She's only carved two pumpkins so far, but even though the quality was... questionable, she suddenly feels like a total expert. Professor Ochako!]

It does! You only cut off a really small piece, because you need the rest of the pumpkin to... carve.

[She bends down, s l o w l y reaching out to tap the tippity top of the pumpkin—all while making sure to avoid that blade. She trusts Cairn, but she doesn't trust herself! One slip of her finger and—well! Best not to think about it!]

Why don't you start by cutting off the top? Just the top, though. You want to make a big enough space for your hand to go inside.

III

[withwisdom]

Oh!

[ and so the pumpkin is shoved to zelda, taking some time in the day to spend with cairngorm's quest. but oh dear, this is already looking like it'll turn out bad. it makes sense they'd be like this but still. ]

Haha, well, if you're sure? It's not harmful though, just messy. Are you sure you don't want to try?

[ new experiences are good gormy! ]

[unghost]

...I'm pretty sure.

[ There's still lingering disgust on their features, hands drawn into their lap. Whatever's inside there looks wet, and they don't want one bit of it on their hands, if it'll risk wiping any of their powder off. ]

What is that stuff in there, anyway...?

III

[inheritance]

[Izuku looks between the pumpkin and Cairngorm. What happened? They were so interested in trying to carve the pumpkin before this, Izuku can't help but be surprised by the sudden change in attitude.]

You mean the seeds? [He peers into the pumpkin, puzzled.] What's wrong with them?

[unghost]

[ Seeds? So that's what that stuff is. It just looks like mushy plant insides to them. Their expression remains grossed out, wringing their hands slightly. ]

I don't know if there's something "wrong" with them, but everything in there... looks really wet.

[ And it definitely didn't occur to them to bring anything to take all that gunk out. Izuku has always taken well to learning about gem stuff, so they're more inclined to elaborate— they hold out their hand to him, bright white aside from the solid black of their nails. ]

This white powder— gems put it on to protect us from the elements. It comes off if it gets wet.