open | pumpkins scream in the dead of night 🎃

[ornamentals]

WHO: Everyone!
WHERE: Persephone's Cottage (also known as, That Weird Farm Cult)
WHEN: Mid-October (before 10/15)
WHAT: Fun Halloween-themed activities put on by the Cottage crew to ring in the spooky season.
WARNINGS: None, excluding Kni's usual sour attitude.

[halloween is just around the corner, bringing with it a fine autumn chill and trees shedding their summer greens for warm oranges and reds. there's plenty to do in the city to celebrate the changing into a much more spookier season, but the festivities certainly don't end at the city limits!

the residents of persephone's cottage have, in the spirit of the season, put on their own fun activities for anyone visiting. it's a collaborative effort from everyone, but some are just a little more excited than others to be hosting fun autumnal activities for friends and not-yet-friends alike.

while the cottage is always decked out for halloween (thank you goodwill), at least now it's seasonally appropriate. pumpkins of various sizes and shades of orange sit everywhere as you come up to the property. closer to the cottage more and more of those pumpkins are carved with fun, fangy smiles and sinister eyes. there are so many of these carved pumpkins, in fact, that there is a table dedicated to them with a sign resting against one of the legs that just says 'FREE'.

inside the free jack o' lanterns is a surprise - could be candy, coins, or a fortune / misfortune cookie. if you're really lucky, some of the jack o'lanterns even have chicken eggs inside.

next to that table is another table, this one laid out with platters of apple and pumpkin baked goods, as well as shucked corn and other vegetables ready to be roasted over the bonfire nearby as the sun starts to set. there are also marshmallows and mugs of warm cider and hot cocoa ready to be enjoyed by the fire, and for those old enough to drink it, ask any of the adults for a cup of moonshine.

there are hand-painted signs sprinkled around the property pointing in the directions of all the activities one can find:

- the apple orchard, where various sizes of worn baskets and a random variety of reusable totes sit near the entrance for people to pick their own fruit. it isn't limited to just the apples, but any of the fruit trees they have growing despite most being way out of season.

- a corn maze with rumpled pumpkin-headed scarecrows littered throughout the corn, some of which are sporting familiar clothes that some of the cottage residents may recognize as their own, like a certain long, bullet-riddled red jacket...

- carve your own pumpkin station (where you can sit in silence alongside kni, if you choose to) and make your own funky faced jack o'lantern.

also in the spirit of halloween, almost all of the pokemon and even a few of the chickens are dressed in some kind of costume variations from orange and black and purple ribbons to little hats and bat wings and whatnot.

before anyone can leave, they will be offered (heavily encouraged) to take home a crate of various vegetables and fruits, on top of everything else they may have picked themselves.]

Comments

[whiteshroud]

[He'll scratch his jaw, giving Varian a handsqueeze with his other hand. It's okay]

Sorry, he doesn't mean anything by it. He's just a little heated right now. It's a bit like when Vash gets really into his feelings over small things.

[Just with babygirl anger rather than babygirl crying. ]

Hey, we're not saying you CAN'T. Just setting precautions just in case.

[asipofbride]

Joke's on you, Vash is in his feelings regardless. The beanpole doesn't leave his feelings. He owns property there.

[ the seal remains insulted but some of the spite is leaving him... Not enough to keep him from being a bastard, but, y'know. Some. Un picante. ]

Considerin' you're walking back into a pair of dead ends, I worry for you.[ he sounds very smug for someone who's worried. He may also be lying as part of his seal wrath. ]

Anyway, I'll save some cocoa for ya'll. Don't die.

[ and galumph, galumph, galumph he goes, rustling into the darkness. ]

[droptheious]

[ The hand squeeze does soothe some of Varian's ruffled feathers, and he lets out a low, slow breath.]

I'm not - okay, maybe I'm into my feelings a little bit, but I'm fine, I'm handling it.

[ He looks the way they're heading, towards the dead ends Wolfwood has mentioned. His eye twitches. He's clearly handling this just great. ]

They're not- no?? They can't be dead ends! Then they'll all be dead ends!!!

[Varian has lost track of everywhere they've been, they cannot all be dead ends. He's just lost and refusing to admit it. He watches as Wolfwood galumphs away, yelling back at him. ]

YEAH!!! WELL!!! THANK YOU FOR THE COCOA!!!

[whiteshroud]

Ohhh, cocoa! Thanks Wolfwood, I'm looking forward to that!

[He'll wave the seal off as he goes galumph into the darkness before looking back at his partner]

Well, only one way to find out if he's telling the truth. You still want to lead us through this right? Without any help?

[droptheious]

[ Varian's eye twitches, just the once. ]

Yes, Darling. [ That's said through gritted teeth. ] I still want to do this. I don't need help. But that - that seal interval is being shaved off my time, as that was beyond my control, and it's not fair the distraction is taken against me.

[whiteshroud]

Hmm... nope. It still counts.

It's a Halloween-based corn maze, it's expected there'll be distractions meant to throw people off. So I don't see why a seal one should get off your time.

I mean, when Seal Knights time their labyrinth runs, we don't shave off the time we spent fighting Greed to our total time. So why should you get special treatment-- unless you're admitting you need kid gloves compared to me?

[droptheious]

How is a SEAL anywhere near Halloween themed, Jun? You tell me what is Halloween themed about a seal and you tell me right now!

[ He raises his free hand to point a pointy finger at his beloved, the love of his life, the centre of his universe. ]

I see what you're doing, you little sneak. I can see what you're doing. I know what you're up to. You've got that smile you get when you're messing with me. I see it. But you won't get me, I'm not gonna fall for it. I'm not admitting anything!

[They're back to walking, still hand in hand, muttered under his breath: ]

Du kleiner Scheißer

[whiteshroud]

Halloween and Selkies both have strong celtic roots! In that sense, they're basically siblings to one another. There's plenty of creepy stories involving selkie too.

[SO. THERE.]

Hey, I'm smiling because I'm having a good time with you, Var. Aren't you having a good time too?

[He snorts, hearing that muttering]

Ich liebe dich auch, mein Schatz.

[droptheious]

[ Varian knows that he shouldn't indulge in his partner's "creepy stories" - he knows Jun's line between "creepy" and "nightmare inducing" is non-existent. But he's irritated and he wants to prove a point, so:]

Okay, you tell me one of the creepy stories and I'll decide if it's appropriately Halloween-y enough.

[He casts his fiancee a squinting look. ]

Fine. I am having a good time with you, I always have a good time with you. But I'll have a better time when I beat this maze and prove you wrong. Then I'll have a fantastic time.

[ Oh yeah. Jun knows German. Because he literally taught him that. Varian heaves out a soft little sigh, giving Jun's hand a squeeze as they walk. ]

ごめんね。愛してるよ、最愛の人. But that does not change my correct assessment that you're messing with me on purpose.

CW: GRAPHIC BODILY HARM

[whiteshroud]

[Really the content warning should be enough to give away how much of a mistake Varian made here, because he has a story armed and loaded]

Alright, well you know how if you hide a selkie's pelt, they can't return to their seal form and have to marry you? Well there was one selkie who a man tried it to, but she was so determined to get back to the ocean to see her kids, that she decided to wear his skin instead.

[ : ) how's that for creepy]

Haha, it's okay. And I assure you, I've done absolutely nothing to help or hinder you- per your request.

SURE IS THAT

[droptheious]

[ He should have known this was a mistake. He should have known before he even opened his stupid mouth. But he didn't. And now Jun has dropped that little nugget on him from above. Varian stops dead, as he digests that slowly.

Equally slowly, he turns his head to stare at his partner. ]

...Jun what the hell? [ He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, opens them. Walking. They're walking.] How about we stop telling spooky stories now?

[He pulls his tongue out in a little stink-face. ]

I strong disagree. The smile doesn't lie. I know that smile, My Love.

[ Oh look, they found another dead end. ] SERIOUSLY?!!!!!

[whiteshroud]

[Jun meanwhile shrugs and makes a look like he's totally innocent (he's not)]

What? You told me to tell you a creepy story. You know what kind of stuff I listen to! But fine, I won't say anything more~

[YOU KNOW ME BAD I LOVE THE HORROR]

I'm smiling because I'm having a great time! [Such a great time that he'll respond to the dead end with a cackle]

[droptheious]

[He is not innocent at all. Not even in the least. ]

I know, and that's on me. I should have known better and now I'm gonna have selkie nightmares. I chose that for myself and I accept this.

[ He really should have known better. Meanwhile, Varian is just GLOWERING at the corn wall like it's existing specifically to make his life miserable. ]

I can tell, my love. I can see you're having a wonderful time. [ He can't win this, he knows he can't, but he doesn't want to give up.

He sits down. Still holding Jun's hand. He's not giving up. He's just.

Reevaluating. ]

Okay, no. There HAS to be a logical way around this stupid maze. I just need to think about it.

[whiteshroud]

Ah, it's okay! Just don't try to hold a selkie against their will, and you'll be fine.

[Oh yes, he can see that glower. It does nothing to dampen Jun's good mood. In fact, it's quite the opposite. He's still grinning as he moves to sit down on the ground with Varian]

Haha, want me to be quiet while you think?

[droptheious]

Well, lucky for me, I already have the person who I want to spend the rest of my life with. And even if you did suddenly gain selkie traits along with everything else, I'd like to think I'm not holding you against your will.

[ Easy fix. Varian huffs lightly at the STILL GRINNING Jun. He's going to start drawing in the dirt. Is it a map? It looks like a map. ]

No that's fine, you can talk. I can feel the smugness coming off you regardless. What's my time? I'm gonna try to map it out.

[whiteshroud]

Of course! The bond we formed was one created by choice. A choice I'd happily make over and over.

[So there. Jun will watch him make the map. It is not accurate. ]

I'm not smug, I'm amused and charmed. [He'll look at his phone] Ah, still 25 minutes left!

[droptheious]

[ Oh. Well. Despite his mood, that does bring a flutter of happiness in his chest. It turns out even him being grumpy about not being able to win at something will be trumped by his feelings for Jun. A small smile tugs at his lips despite himself. ]

...Yeah. I'd make it over and over, too. No regrets.

[He pulls Jun's hand to his lips to press a kiss on his knuckles, and then it's back to the map.]

Charmed, huh? Is that what you're calling it? Charmed I'm annoyed? [ He scoffs, some confidence returning as he starts to put little X's on the dead ends on his map so far. ] 25 minutes? I've SO got this. Okay, so I know these are all incorrect routes, so this, this and this are routes that are still viable!

[ He looks at his map. Frowns. Changes one of the X's ]

Or... actually, no. Did he hit this one?

[whiteshroud]

[Juns smile will turn to a soft and affectionate one. He'll lean back enough so his head is now resting on Varian's knee. Look at him, being all cute and sweet]

That makes me happy to hear.

[Especially when Varian's frustrated right now. THe corn maze will not break them.]

Yeah, you're cute when you're fired up. [Which he is right now!]

And I'm not sure! I haven't been paying attention to the route since you insisted you got this.

[droptheious]

[Varian exhales in faux annoyance - but his fingers still find Jun's hair, threading gently and lovingly through the locks. The corn maze will not break them. ]

Yes, you've mentioned that. More than once, in fact. I've noticed you like it.

[ He casts Jun a LOOK. Before going back to his plans. ]

You are such a brat. [And yet he's still sitting here, gently stroking his partner's hair and not moving. ]

[whiteshroud]

[The loving smile continues at the fingers in his hair. He'll reach up himself and brush one of Varian's locks behind his ear]

I do. I like it a lot. Your eyes light up and you're so alive.

[To someone who usually ran in a much calmer manner, such level of passion was fascinating to see

He giggles] Yeah, but I'm your brat.

[droptheious]

[Varian hums softly, leaning into the touch, his smile turning a little lopsided. ]

Haha, is that a fact? Duly noted - I wasn't aware that I looked like that when I was mad. I'll take your word for it.

[He sounds so very amused, maybe some of the annoyance is melting away. A bit. ]

Yes, you're my brat. And you are distracting me from figuring a way out of this maze. [the last bit was murmured lightly as he leans in to press a little kiss to Jun's lips.

Maybe he's letting himself get distracted here... ]

[whiteshroud]

Mm, you do. I could take a picture, but something tells me that'd make you madder if I did.

[Especially right now when it's clear that anger is melting away. He just grins at that accusation.]

Haha, well mazes like this are meant to have challenges. [He'll return the small kiss before he'll stay a bit flirtatiously] Maybe I'm a siren meant to tempt you and lead you astray.

[Maybe Varian said no selkie stories but there was nothing about siren stories]

[droptheious]

You know, it probably would, but you'd have a good time with that, so I guess it would be a win-win for you, huh?

[That does pull a laugh out of him - he did give Jun a loophole there, and honestly...]

Well~ They are supposed to take the form of whatever you desire the most, so that very much tracks here. [His own tone turns flirtatious as he goes back to playing with Jun's hair. ] So, you're here to lead me astray, hmmm?

[whiteshroud]

Heheh.... you know, you have a good point there.

[Maybe he should try to take a picture of him sometime when he's like that. Or maybe not. He'll have to think about it

He'll chuckle and give him a smile as he looks up at him]

I mean, that's what I'm doing right now aren't I? Your time is ticking, and yet here we are~

[He'll then reach over to take one of Varian's hands and bring it to his mouth to kiss the knuckle of]

[droptheious]

[He'll have to see how brave he feels that day. ]

You really are. You're being very distracting, my love.

[The knuckle kissing brings a flush across Varian's face, because that is very charming. He knows if Jun keeps this up, he's going to be stuck here until his time runs out, and Jun will win victory this way. Not a terrible way to lose, but...

Varian lets out a low hum, leaning in to press a kiss at Jun's jawline... and then swiftly puts his hands underneath his partner and gets to his feet in one, swift motion. Jun now in his arms, bridal style, he chuckles, starting to walk. ]

Well! In that case, I'm gonna have to keep a close eye on your wily ways as I get us out of here.