SPOOKTOBER 2023: Occult Night at the Oasis

[Meowmai]

Dining Floor

"So far, neither hope nor honor have treated me particularly well. But perhaps that's why I keep coming back to them?" wonders Lia, glancing up as if the ceiling might hold the answers she's seeking. "And they always make so much more sense in stories than in real life. Much more...tidy." It's not quite the word she's looking for, as mess is hardly something that bothers her. Less painful, maybe.

But the mycoid does seem comforted, or at least distracted, by Tespa's efforts. The fact that the oracle actually cares about her woes is a nice change of pace for Lia, and she smiles brightly at the suggestion of food.

"I do love art... but most humanlike food I've found is altogether too fresh. I can only gain nourishment from the dead and decaying, so I usually just search for garbage or roadkill." This is stated in a matter of fact manner that suggests little awareness of how off putting that might be to some. "Of course, this is a rather unusual gathering- perhaps there will be more variety in fare."

She glances at the numerous spirits fluttering around the edges of the crowd, barely licking her lips. The moment Lia figures out how to eat ghosts, she'll be loathe to settle for anything less.

"So! Shall we examine what food this place has to offer, and then retire somewhere more private to exchange your reading for my mushrooms?"

Dining Floor

"... Yes." Tespa finds herself quite ill-qualifed to say more on the subject. She doesn't know a lot about Lia's past and what she's been through, but it doesn't sound all that great. And the oracle is no therapist. Prophecy and dark magic was always her go-to solution for her problems, but those don't work so well for dealing with such abstract emotions and concepts. Especially when by and large, most definitions of hope and honour don't involve digging up and reanimating corpses.

Lia continues to reveal her weirdness while seemingly totally unaware to her utter bizarre nature, but Tespa is half-rotting so cannot really pass judgement. She merely raises an eyebrow at the mention of garbage and roadkill being her typical snacks. She really should have seen this coming, giving the mycoid was talking about crunching on bones earlier. "Uh huh. Well, I'm quite partial to humanlike food with the strongest of flavours. While it sounds like something you'd personally enjoy, I myself tire of my mouth tasting of rot." She wrinkles her nose, grey whiskers twitching. She's had to get used to a lot of disgusting smells and tastes over the years, and has never quite fully adjusted.

"But yes, that sounds like a rather pleasant plan." And with that, Tespa will lead Lia to the feast tables, piling her own plate high with the spiciest curry she can find, if such a thing is served here.

[Earl of Purple]

The Maze

Cheasadh gets the white bar! She is greatly pleased by this. And she's held close by Asami, which is... slightly less pleasing, but better than upsetting the star-girl, probably. "Yeah, it was lots of fun, wasn't it Asami?"

The can of worms about being a dark mage can wait, for now at least. Maybe an umbramancer using physical darkness?

[[brackets lover]]

[The Maze - Exit]

Asami is a little shocked as Russel hands her some candy, but quickly calms down and releases Cheasadh, accepting the offer with a nervous smile. "Ah," she says instinctively. After a short pause, she then casually bows and greets Russel, "Asami desu." Speaking in her native tongue, Asami had a slightly lower tone than usual.

When prompted by Cheasadh, Asami cheerily chimes in, "Yeah, I had a great time!"

Finally, she makes an aside in Micah's direction, "Don't magi-in-training have an infamously high death rate?"

[quillpleasant]

Dining Floor

"Oh, don't mind me, I just tend to muse out loud. So many thoughts, so little time," says Lia, waving a hand dismissively. She can tell that discussion of more emotional topics seems to make Tespa shifty, although she can't really understand why. Everything has so much meaning that it's hard not to get emotional about stuff.

She's also familiar with the distaste most people seem to have for decay, even if she can't personally relate. "I imagine it's a lot harder since you remember what it was like before being cursed? The living tend to dislike the taste of death. My kind is a special case." Of course, more so even than rot it's necromantic energy that Lia craves, the animating force of undead tasting like the sweetest honey to her. But anything rotten will do in a pinch.

Trailing after Tespa as they make their way over to the food tables, Lia peruses the contents warily. So much of this is hot and cooked and fresh- and therefor almost entirely inedible. However, she's able to change that. Grabbing a few random pieces of meat and overripe fruit, she dusts them with spores from her hand, accelerating the process of decay. Small gray mushrooms begin to bloom from the food, and she plucks one with evident relish.

Reconvening with Tespa, she gestures to the stairs. "I know there's private rooms up there- unless you have somewhere else you'd prefer to go?" For all Lia knows, there might be a special location needed for a reading. Maybe Tespa doesn't keep all her equipment with her.

[Gullara]

[In the Wake of the Bab Swarm]

The little (ghost?) recoils slightly when Cessie asks her question, almost as if Cessie had done something threatening. "It isn't nice to ask for someone's Name that's a tricky, mean thing to do."

Then?

She will VERY clearly turn her attention from Cessie to Jillian and reply to HER instead of Cessie. "I'm Annie!" Then she doesn't bow. Instead, she does her best curtsy which looks a little awkward BUT she has a princess dress and it is way easier to curtsy while wearing a princess dress than cowboy pants. She's making an effort, though, which is what counts in the end.

After that she looks back up at Cessie, her tone softening like a child trying to make up with someone. "I know you didn't mean it lots of people don't know the faerie rules since faerie rules are so silly."

It's true.

They are VERY silly.

[In the Wake of the Bab Swarm]

"I will, but it's proper for her to introduce herself first as she might already know us through Lucy." Cessie tells her daughter as there was an order in which you were supposed to introduce yourself in.
Then she turns her attention to Annie again. "Offering ones name is no meaner than offering up a hand or curtsy before someone like Jillian just did. It's a gesture of trust and exchange." And as Annie has given her name, even if it's not to her, she will return the gesture. Nearly mimicking the way Jillian bows. "Now, I am Cessie Mithar. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Annie." She introduces herself with a smile.

[In the Wake of the Bab Swarm]

Jillian wrinkles her nose. That sounds suspect. Why shouldn't she just say hi? But she won't question her mom out loud. She's satisfied that this conflict is resolving, though.

"Yeah, fairies got all kinds of silly rules." Lucy remarks, sidling up next to Annie again. "Just like your rules, Auntie Cessie." She adds impishly. Before she an receive any sort of scolding she continues. "Can Jillian and me go play with Annie?"

[Rebonack]

[Post Maze]

Khannie perks up when Micah mentions dark maging. "Wait, dark mage? Is that like a black mage? Like elemental blasty magic while wearing a pointy yellow hat? Or am I thinking the wrong thing?"

Any talk of magic is likely to catch Khannie's interest. Save for the sort that is inherently corrupting Khannie is fascinated with most any sort of magical theory. While the sort of magic she's really great at is limited the sort of magic she's interested in absolutely isn't.

Being a magic nerd is probably a purple unicorn thing.

[In the Wake of the Bab Swarm]

There is a VERY strong impression of Annie making a consternated face when Cessie dismisses fae rules. Which is impossible since Annie is wearing a mask AND she has no head behind the mask. Yet the impression remains.

None the less, she politely says, "I'm happy to meet you Missus Mithar."

And then when Lucy makes HER request there's a much more energetic, "Oh! Yes! May we?"

[Gold]

[Post-Maze]

"Maybe so, but no-one ever said I couldn't learn from others' mistakes," Micah coolly replies to Asami, seemingly unbothered by her offputting remark.

To Khannie, Micah shakes his head and says "No, the classical elements aren't my style. I'm mostly studying wielding dark energy, with a touch of shadow magic thrown in... and of course, ritual summoning."

[Shadowcaller]

[In the Wake of the Bab Swarm]

"The rules might seem silly but it's nonetheless important to know them if you want to get along with people. Since everyone got their own silly rules and adjusting to them is how you show respect." Even if they seemed strange and outlandish.

Unless of course they were fey rules of course. Since those were about taking advantage of people rather than respecting them in her mind.

Then she gives the trio a nod. "But yes, you may. As long as you stay inside this building, alright?"

[Morty]

[Post-Maze]

Brinika waves at Laurana, giving the little dryadeer one of her trademark toothy grins.

"Hi Laurana!" She then takes a look around the others. "Once everyone has had their fill of candy, I think it's about time to round up enough of our cousins for the song and dance number."

[Keeper]

Post-Maze

Jace would smile if his face made that expression. Zebes will help Laurana dismount and then the two of them will wander off to check on the rest of the party so as to not sour the childrens' time with ADULTS being around.

[Rebonack]

[Post-Maze Pre-Dance Number]

"Haha, I was looking forward to that it sounds cool. I bet you guys are gunna do a great job," Khannie says, encouraging her friend's big production for the year.

But then.

THEN!

Micah says a thing.

This may be Micah's first experience with an excited unicorn. Khannie's eyes widen a bit, her ears immediately snapping forward to give Micah her full attention, a broad grin spreads across her face showing off her slightly mismatched canines. "Woah no way! Really? Shadow magic's actually my specialty! I've got the magical butt-picture and everything to prove it."

Sure enough, emblazoned on the unicorn's hips is an image of a shadowy fox wrapped around a deep indigo circle.

"What sorta source are you using? I mostly dredge up primordial darkness from the bottom of the world and use little shadow spirits to help me shape and maintain it," Khannie explains. As if on cue a small cadre of vaguely vulpine shadows peek out of Khannie's own. "It's pretty versatile and helps me make the illusions I whip up act autonomously if I need 'em to. What sorta effects are you doing, mostly? Illusions? Conjuration? Evocations? Abjurations? I mostly do illusions but I've dabbled in the other stuff a bit. You gotta be imaginative to find cool ways to use your tools. Haha, like I'm using my illusions to talk right now. Without 'em I can only make deer noises."

[Gullara]

[In the Wake of the Bab Swarm]

There is a VERY strong impression of Annie making a consternated face when Cessie dismisses fae rules. Which is impossible since Annie is wearing a mask AND she has no head behind the mask. Yet the impression remains.

None the less, she politely says, "I'm happy to meet you Missus Mithar."

And then when Lucy makes HER request there's a much more energetic, "Oh! Yes! May we?"

[In the Wake of the Bab Swarm]

"The rules might seem silly but it's nonetheless important to know them if you want to get along with people. Since everyone got their own silly rules and adjusting to them is how you show respect." Even if they seemed strange and outlandish.

Unless of course they were fey rules of course. Since those were about taking advantage of people rather than respecting them in her mind.

Then she gives the trio a nod. "But yes, you may. As long as you stay inside this building, alright?"

[In the Wake of the Bab Swarm]

"We will!" Lucy agrees readily. "Come on, let's go." She beckons for Annie and Jillian to follow and marches off as if she has any clear idea of a specific destination.

Sakura comes up alongside Cessie again and says, "I did say you worried too much," with a light, teasing tone.

---

Lucy leads the girls off with such confidence they'll have a few moments before they realize she has no destination in mind. In the meantime Jillian steps closer to Annie to ask a question. "Why'd you pick to be a princess for Spooktober?" She asks with interest.

[Rebonack]

[In the Wake of the Bab Swarm ==> Dances With Babs]

Annie waves to Sakura and Cessie before turning, hiking up her gown a little, and hurrying after Lucy's much faster than dress-wearing-child-ought-to-go pace.

It would appear as though Lucy, intentionally or not, has lead the girls out onto the dance floor. There are grownups whirling around all over the place! And there's a pretty good chance someone might comment on how cute the kids are before shooing them away unless they come up with a CLEVER PLAN!

And it would have to be a REALLY clever plan, too.

Annie, at least, has the dress for it.

She's admiring all the people in all their fun costumes but then she's asked an important question! "Because princesses aren't scary; they're pretty instead. I didn't want to be something scary for Spooktober since I have to be something scary the rest of the year."

It's just terrible.

Where's the fun in dressing spookily for Spooktober when you're ALWAYS a spook?

Sucks the specialness right out.

"How did you pick your costume?"

[Gold]

[Post-Maze]

This certainly is Micah's first experience with an excited unicorn, and he's at least a little intimidated by Khannie's sudden enthusiasm.

"W-Well, like I said, I don't have as much experience with it as you seem to, but I found out that trading cards start to accumulate darkness when their owners stop caring for them, so I've been collecting ones that people have discarded and...

Micah pauses, searching for the right word to use. "You could say I've been cleaning the darkness off of the cards. Then, I store it all in this one card called Yami."

"As for what I can do with it now... not much, really," Micah admits. "I can make a room really dark, but even that's really tough to do it if I don't have Yami on me - which I don't, right now. But, that's why I'm practicing! Soon, I'll be able to do it as easy as reading and writing.

[Rebonack]

[Post-Maze]

This is what he gets for bringing up a subject that Khannie is really into. He brought this on himself, if you really think about it.

Anywho!

Khannie listens curiously. Darkness accumulating on cards people don't use? Oh right! He's a card game protagonist, isn't he? It makes sense that's what he would be utilizing for his protagonism.

"So is it like... emotional darkness or something?" Khannie asks curiously. Because 'dark' manifests in a whole buncha different ways. Sometimes as dark emotions. Sometimes as physically dark like a lack of light. Sometimes dark as in unknown or unknowable. Sometimes it's even used to represent the idea of power, like the dark clouds of a storm. It's a pretty flexible concept just like light is. "Or is this something more metaphysical?"

She's curious now for sure.

Micah is going to be bugged by a unicorn until she's content with this new knowledge.

[Earl of Purple]

Post-Maze

"I'm sorry, Asami. I need to go help Brinika round up some cousins to dance. It's my job to threaten them with embarrassing nicknames, like Nosenibbler and Butterbonce McSlimy." Cheasadh's going to try extricating herself from the star-girl's hug, though not especially hard so if she resists a lot she's stuck.

[Murkus]

[Post Maze]

Blue will go so far as to feed Khannie an unwrapped piece of candy, if that's not too weird. She's a unicorn, and they do indeed lack hands, so surely it's only sensible. She looks up at her dad with wide, needy eyes, as though he would ever say no. "Dad can I?"

Adir laughs. "Of course you can. Heck, Khannie, I might throw a few more of them at you if you need the help."

Russell blinks slowly as Asami introduces herself, and watches while she bows. He mimics the movement, smiles a mysterious little smile, and then toddles back over to his family.

Laurana perks up at Brinika's declaration. "You're doing singing and dancing?"

[[brackets lover]]

[Post-Maze]

Asami suddenly chuckles amusedly and interjects in Khannie's conversation, "I'm sorry, did you really just say 'primordial darkness from the bottom of the world?' Pffft, you're such a chunnibyou, Senpai!"

Asami had quit hugging Cheasadh since my last post, so the latter has nothing barring their escape. However, Asami does suddenly seem very worried. "W-wait, you're leaving me to fend for my self? What am I supposed to do, then?" she whines nervously, her tone of voice sounding oddly panicked.

[Morty]

[Post-Maze]

Brinika nods, looking down at Laurana. Well, not very far down. The little dryadeer is growing quickly, while Brinika can only ever get so tall.

"Yeah, though I'm not sure how much dancing there will be. Just our cousins shambling around pretending to be zombies. I'll be doing the singing."

[Rebonack]

[Post Maze]

Khannie puffs her cheeks out at Asami a bit. "Gunna admit I've got no idea what that means so I'm just gunna take it as a compliment and you're a really nice person for saying something so nice about me."

Hah!

You can't insult Khannie if she doesn't know what your insults mean! Checkmate!

But then she's distracted by candy! Getting fed candy by an adorable little girl beats the pants off of verbal sparring with Asami, that's for sure. If you can feed horses apples and if you can feed deer raisin bread then you can totally feed a unicorn fun-sized candy bars. Once her tiny candy bar has been properly disposed of she flashes a grin with those goofy mis-matched canines at Adir!

"Cool beans! I'm looking forward to it. We're gunna go all-out with the Thanksmas decorations. My auntie Geneva said she's gunna get some of her weather factory buddies from Carousel Court to come by and give us enough of a freeze for snow AND to turn the lake into a giant skating rink this year. It's gunna be cool as heck," Khannie replies. She's REALLY looking forward to Thanksmas this year. The fact that she's built kind of like a reindeer definitely has nothing to do with it.

[Earl of Purple]

Post Maze

"You can stay here, with Khannie and Micah, and watch the dance. Or you could go and get a hot drink or some more sweets from one of the tables over there." Cheasadh gestures at Khannie and Micah and then at the tables, just in case Asami hasn't spotted them yet.

[Gold]

[Post-Maze]

"Wouldn't that only be the case if she's not telling the truth, though?" Micah asks in response to Asami's comment. Khannie doesn't seem delusional, at least to him.

"Anyways, to answer your question, emotional darkness... sounds about right? It seems to work just as well as the literal kind, but it's not always visible - unless you know where to look."

Overhearing Cheasadh, Micah playfully calls to Asami "Yeah, Asami, what's wrong with hanging out with a dude and distaff of darkness?" Then, turning to Khannie, he whispers "A distaff is a girl horse, but you probably already knew that."

[[brackets lover]]

[Post-Maze]

Asami glances between Khannie and Micah once. While Asami's mask hid her facial expression, her poor posture, rapid movements and the fact she currently doesn't know what to do with her hands denote her feelings plainly. Suddenly, her outline became thicker and darker and thick chalky lines formed in a hash all over the side of her face, dramatically imitating shadows.

[Rebonack]

[Post-Maze]

Khannie still has no idea what the term Asami used means but who cares, right?

"It's weird how that works. Like, I've read about a couple different sortsa darkness magic and they all have pretty similar effects even though the sources aren't the same. I think, maybe, people just think of darkness the same way no matter where it comes from," Khannie muses. She's really curious about this card-based emotional darkness but as Micah said he hasn't got his power reservoir card with him.

It sounds almost like... neglect? Or something? Like how pokemon get frustrated if you just shove 'em in a box instead of being friends with them.

She's pretty sure there's at least one move that draws on that emotional darkness to clobber things.

"You really caught my attention now you're gunna have to show me some time."

But then! Asami is acting... bashful or something?

"I thought that was a filly or a mare?" Khannie whispers back to Micah. Then, a bit louder. "Yeah it's okay if you hang out with us Asami. I was just gunna watch the production and make sure the littles don't get into too much trouble. Not that Blue here would EVER get into any trouble."

Isn't that right, Blue? You are just the ideal bab.

[Murkus]

[Post-Maze]

"Never ever!" Blue declares when Khannie prompts, giggling and quite sincere. "And Thanksmas sounds like it's gonna be amazing!"

Laurana, meanwhile, just looks up at Brinika with those big dewy eyes of hers. "Can I sing too? I'm a good singer."

[Gullara]

[In the Wake of the Bab Swarm ==> Dances With Babs]

Annie waves to Sakura and Cessie before turning, hiking up her gown a little, and hurrying after Lucy's much faster than dress-wearing-child-ought-to-go pace.

It would appear as though Lucy, intentionally or not, has lead the girls out onto the dance floor. There are grownups whirling around all over the place! And there's a pretty good chance someone might comment on how cute the kids are before shooing them away unless they come up with a CLEVER PLAN!

And it would have to be a REALLY clever plan, too.

Annie, at least, has the dress for it.

She's admiring all the people in all their fun costumes but then she's asked an important question! "Because princesses aren't scary; they're pretty instead. I didn't want to be something scary for Spooktober since I have to be something scary the rest of the year."

It's just terrible.

Where's the fun in dressing spookily for Spooktober when you're ALWAYS a spook?

Sucks the specialness right out.

"How did you pick your costume?"

[Dances With Babs]

Lucy stops in place once they reach the edge of the dance floor, realizing at the last moment that this presents a barrier despite the porous movement of people. Where was she going again? She turns to the other two girls feeling somewhat lost for a moment.

Jillian's spatial awareness is more on point and she stops right on time to bump into her friend, placing a hand on Annie's arm to prompt her to pay attention and stop as well. "Huh? What do you mean scary?"

"Usually Annie looks lots different than this." Lucy chimes in, though it occurs to her not to elaborate for the sake of Annie's feelings.

[Gold]

[Post-Maze]

"W-well, if you didn't have anything in mind, you could always come by the shop and I could show you there," Micah tentatively offers.

"Those don't start with D, though," Micah quickly whispers to Khannie before giving Asami a warm and welcoming smile. Though his face is obscured by the shadows of his cloak as usual (despite it not being his regular cloak), the friendly expression is plainly visible in his eyes.

[Morty]

[Post-Maze]

Brinika isn't normally eager to share the spotlight. And Laurana isn't dressed as a zombie or Michael Jackson. But can she say no to those doe eyes? She cannot.

"Sure! You can be my backup singer."

[[brackets lover]]

[Post-Maze]

Asami shirks back in response to Micah's smile. "Umm, umm..." she says meekly before her corona starts intensifying, beginning to take on a sort of flickey strobe effect. It was just at the range where it started getting dangerous.

[Meowmai]

Dining Floor

"Oh, don't mind me, I just tend to muse out loud. So many thoughts, so little time," says Lia, waving a hand dismissively. She can tell that discussion of more emotional topics seems to make Tespa shifty, although she can't really understand why. Everything has so much meaning that it's hard not to get emotional about stuff.

She's also familiar with the distaste most people seem to have for decay, even if she can't personally relate. "I imagine it's a lot harder since you remember what it was like before being cursed? The living tend to dislike the taste of death. My kind is a special case." Of course, more so even than rot it's necromantic energy that Lia craves, the animating force of undead tasting like the sweetest honey to her. But anything rotten will do in a pinch.

Trailing after Tespa as they make their way over to the food tables, Lia peruses the contents warily. So much of this is hot and cooked and fresh- and therefor almost entirely inedible. However, she's able to change that. Grabbing a few random pieces of meat and overripe fruit, she dusts them with spores from her hand, accelerating the process of decay. Small gray mushrooms begin to bloom from the food, and she plucks one with evident relish.

Reconvening with Tespa, she gestures to the stairs. "I know there's private rooms up there- unless you have somewhere else you'd prefer to go?" For all Lia knows, there might be a special location needed for a reading. Maybe Tespa doesn't keep all her equipment with her.

Dining Floor

"Yes. Exactly. My old tastebuds may be wasting away, but they are, unfortunately, still the same ones from my youth." She peers curiously at Lia when she sets about making her own food grow mushrooms. "Can you just... sprout decay at will like that? How... wonderful." Idly, Tespa wonders what it could do for her own magic. Accelerated rot could pack a hell of a nasty surprise if laced into a curse or ray.

"A private room works, if you wish. I have my knucklebones upon me, and... one or two other things, which should be enough. If you want the complete, true experience though, we shall have to find some place outside."