unknownballad | ❝ Halloween-themed stuff! ❞

Vincent doesn't go out a lot. He's not the sort of freshmen to spend a lot of times at parties or events happening around campus. He's here on scholarship and he's determined to keep it. That's probably part of why he and Hayun get along so well. After weeks of staring at the pink-haired boy in one of his classes as they all filed out of the lecture hall, Vincent finally spoke to him. And they've been fast friends ever since. Hayun's also focused on his studies and not the sort of boy who's interested in partying.

Usually. They heard about a little Halloween-themed festival happening on campus and agreed to go explore it together, in costume! There's a little student-made haunted house in the student union building and even trick or treating in faculty offices. A few parties were happening both on- and off-campus in dorms, Greek Row, and private houses. Vincent's dorm hosts one which he, of course, invites Hayun to attend. There's silly Halloween music, bobbing for apples, Halloween trivia, a costume contest and other activities. And, sure, there's some booze to be had and no one's checking IDs.

Vincent's spent the whole day dressed as a mushroom.

Vincent's definitely not a terribly physical person. Being on his feet and wandering campus to try to see each and every Halloween activity before ever heading to a few of the many parties happening later in the evening is more than he can handle (especially in little kitten heeled mules!). Yes, our little underage baby did have a drink or two through the course of the night which is just making his weariness feel more like a bone-deep exhaustion.

He's barely out the door to make the trek back to his precious little strawberry dorm when he spots none other than his friend Rai! Rai, who doesn't necessarily belong heading in the direction of campus because, well, he's not a student. Is he here to check out the festivities, too? Despite his aching feet, Vincent perks up instantly, waving happily.

"Rai! What are you doing here?"

Yohan is as respectful as he can be of Hayun's time while he's in school. He's busy with his businesses and Hayun with his studies. They talk or text almost every day and video call at least once a week. Phone and video calls initiated by Yohan are almost always planned in advance. He doesn't want to interfere with Hayun's classes and studies. And there's quite a time difference to consider as well. Texting is far less intrusive for both of them.

And visits? Those are planned, too.

But not this one. This one is completely spontaneous. And the first time Yohan's made himself at home in the apartment he provided for Hayun. Usually, he stays in a hotel, but tonight he wants to surprise Hayun. The giant plush mushroom is not something he expected, but somehow it suits Hayun. Without knowing when Hayun would be back (he knows it won't be late because that's just not how Hayun is), he simply makes himself at home.

So when Hayun does come home, he'll find Yohan in pajamas, chilling in the plushroom reading the French copy of The Little Prince.

Meeting at the party is really for the best. If things go sideways, it's easy for them to go their separate ways. Things aren't completely smoothed over with them yet. Seung doesn't expect them to be. What he did to Jay in Japan was nothing short of cruel and he can't expect to be forgiven without some significant effort on his part. And even then, no one says Jay has to get over it. In the end, it's not up to Seung.

So they picked a time and place to meet, some party one of the people in Seung's study group is hosting. He didn't tell Jay what he'd be wearing. It's a ridiculous costume, to be sure. Jay will either find it amusing or absolutely distasteful. At least Seung's giving him a reason to bail on the party if they argue or just hit another bump.

The party's in one of those houses rented to grad students near campus. Five or six people live there; Seung only vaguely knows three of them. It's decorated inside and out with dollar store decorations. A for effort, at least. There's festive food and drinks a-plenty. Seung's got a beer in each hand and he's watching the door for Jay's arrival.

Halloween. The entire town stays mostly closed to it every year, only opening their doors if someone is truly in need of something. They have only the morning and the afternoon to get the town ready, after all. Lights and other decorations. Food and beverage stalls. Sweets and trinkets for the children, as well as activities they can partake in to keep themselves busy (as well as to work off the energy from all that sugar). They put together live music and clear away an area where people can dance. They find a safe space to have a bonfire. It's a lot to put together in about half a day.

Probably the most taxing task, however, belongs to the one person every year who's chosen to go deep into the woods to the dragon's river, and convince him to join in the festivities.

Every year, Nam refuses. Some years, he goes anyway. Every year, he mentions the festival to a certain bird and some years, he goes just in case that certain bird shows up. Of course it's not just about Gaja as Nam does like to occasionally be near the people he's gotten to know over the years in a more relaxed setting, but it's also not not about Gaja.

It's just after dark when Nam emerges from the woods and makes his way into town. Nam immediately stands out among the festival attendees, as he is not in costume as they are, but he is most certainly dressed up. His penchant for long, flowing clothing strikes once again with bold make up around his eyes continues the red and gold motif. Perhaps most striking of all is that he's not sporting his usual long, ashy blond hair but rather something shorter. And bright red.

Please make no mention of the fiery bird appearance he seems to have crafted.

If (when) Gaja arrives, he'll find Nam near the bonfire, complimenting costumed children on their choice of attire, paying special attention to those who've chosen to come to the festival as dragons.

[ DISCLAIMER: none of this is actual fae lore. it’s all made up by the player. please don’t come at me about ~inaccuracies~ ]

The natural cycles of the world have always been and will always be important to the Fae. Seelie and Unseelie alike, the Wheel of the Year dictates much. The light half of the year is presided over by the Seelie, while the Unseelie take power in the dark half. Spring and Summer, light and fertility are the Seelie’s domain. Autumn and Winter, dark and harsh cold belong to the Unseelie. This is the legacy of Kellan’s line: ruling over the world in the harshest of conditions, in the time of darkness, of cold, and of death.

And yet, the Unseelie revel in their time. The balance of power shifts at to them at Mabon, the Autumn Equinox, one of the quarter days of the year. From that day onward, they live and celebrate the Via Nocturna, the Path to Night. It is the fifty-six days between the start of Autumn and the longest night of the year. This night is both a celebration and a memorial for the Unseelie as it marks the pinnacle and subsequent waning of their power.

Exactly twenty-eight days into the Via Nocturna is the second biggest celebration of the Fae, and the most important to the Unseelie: Oíche Shamhna. It’s a night of revelry, feasting, and offering. The Winter is coming, a long, bitter time during which even the Fae can struggle. Even the Fae can feel cold and the pangs of hunger if the previous harvests haven’t yielded enough. So, they celebrate what they have and make offerings of it to the Greater Powers.

It's also a time of mischief. Masquerading has become a tradition to hide the identities of those pranking (or worse) others. The day’s been spent preparing for the feast and the giant bonfire that will light their way ‘til dawn. Music and dancing will fill the night, joy and gluttony from sunset to sunrise. It’s a time Kellan enjoys because, even if everyone knows his identity, on this night they pretend they don’t.

As the festivities begin, he finds himself wandering through the flickering lamp lights, by vendors hawking wares, tables burdened with drink and food. He’s dressed in his usual white; a simple robe decorated with shimmering crystals and beads, a fanciful headdress reminiscent of a halo, and a wire mask. Nearby him, of course, his loyal and beloved Suho and Sumin.

Matthias loves Halloween. It's a time for fun and mischief and that's really what he's all about at his core. And who does he have the most fun with? His boyfriend, Seong. To whom he sent a text earlier in the day advising him to put on a costume, they were going party crashing tonight!

When he meets Seong outside the young man's apartment, Matthias is dressed in red velvet from head to toe. It's topped off with a pair of corny devil horns, a tail, and a plastic pitchfork. He truly considered just wearing a red leotard but... on the likely chance he and Seong decide to get frisky somewhere tonight, well, that would be hard to get in and out of quickly.

"C'mon! I mapped out where some of the best parties will be."

Maybe it was a bad idea to take Jongwoo out to the Halloween festival. It's on a farm out of the city, where you can pick apples, find a pumpkin, go on a hay ride, get lost in a corn maze... There are all sorts of fun fall-themed things to do. But it's dark now. And it's more crowded than Seokyoon anticipated.

Annnnnd... Jongwoo's wandered off when Seokyoon wasn't looking!

He isn't surprised; Jongwoo has a habit of wandering off. That's what scares him. When Jongwoo wanders off like this, it's sometimes days before Seokyoon sees him again. Of course, because the theme is Halloween, no one pays much attention to a young man rushing around in a panic looking for someone. An actor on the cast, obviously. Never mind that all Seokyoon's panic is real and he's near to tears.

Snake's a pretty laid back guy. He doesn't like making big to-dos of things, be they plans, events, or holidays. But this year, he kind of wants to share the fun of Halloween with his new friend Aqua. With all that childlike wonder, it seems like something he'd like. So Snake arranges to meet up with him in a trick-or-treating friendly neighborhood. And, in the highly likely event that Aqua doesn't show up in a costume, he brought two sheets with holes cut out for eyes.

Edited 2024-11-01 17:46 (UTC)

@detricote

@electrique

@detricote

@callidus

@returnanew

@diversus & @dissimilis

@conturbatus

@briste

@adventicius