PUMPKIN CARVING PARTY

[colemoss]

PUMPKIN CARVING PARTY

Working in collaboration, the Event Committee and the Crafting Club have arranged for an event this evening! After classes are over for the day, the atrium is cleared so the groups can do some setting up and it seems like there's a lot going on in there. Just what are these kids up to??? When the other students return, there are some drastic changes...

The atrium is now decorated for the season with artificial spiderwebs and floating black candles and other dark touches. In the center of the room, there now stands a large, gnarled, leafless tree crafted from paper mache and magic! It's quite spooky and atmospheric and, upon closer inspection, becomes even spookier because the contours of the bark suggest three strange faces and the branches will bend and creak and occasionally reach for a passerby, especially those on the second floor. When Susana Velasquez tries glibly talking to one of the faces, it responds in a deep, rasping voice like autumn leaves. Madison Ives, unprepared for this revelation, shrieks! But after it becomes clear that this was done by design, other students discover that the tree has stories and costume ideas and even little treats (or tricks!) to share. If one is brave enough to reach up and into the tree's small knothole, that is! Pumpkins are scattered around the base of the tree and the reason for that is readily apparent!

Around the tree, forming a loose daimond, there are four large tables dramatically draped in the colors of the four houses. On each, there's an assortment of pumpkin carving tools, sample patterns, and simple instructions which cover both safety tips and basic techniques. That's right: the Pumpkin Carving Contest is back! This year, though, students will be competing by house and year, so find your team and get to work! [Volunteer C] wants to do one spectacular pumpkin rather than a set of coordinated pumpkins or one normal-sized pumpkin with their teammates and uses Engorgio to make one of the pumpkins appropriately grandiose! Unfortunately...poor aim leads them to enlarge one of [Volunteer D]'s belongings on the first attempt instead. Oops? Hopefully [Volunteer C] knows the reverse spell too.

While the students work, they'll also have plenty of time to socialize, play, eat (cider and pumpkin spice cupcakes, along with vegan alternatives, are supplied), and get into the spirit!

HOW THIS WORKS: PUMPKIN CARVING!

The rules of the contest are:

• All entries this year are on a team basis. Teams are divided by house and year. Teams may carve up to ten pumpkins.
• Individuals within a team may carve whatever they like; however, points are being rewarded for a cohesive team presentation.
• It is not required for everyone to carve a pumpkin, but they should be clearly participating in some other way to earn points for their team.
• Teams will be given until 9:00PM to finish their creations and then it's time to clean up and vote!
• Teams may not use magic for anything except lighting their pumpkins.
• Mr. Hightower is supervising and reserves the right to tell teams if anything they're doing is too dangerous.
• Gentle Ribbonfin-style trashtalk is allowed, but no sabotage!

The winning team will be determined by a combination of IC participation, RNG, and voting:

• Teams that plan ICly will receive bonus points. Since this event is happening late in the day ICly and I am enjoying reading these conversations, these points will continue to be up for grabs through the end of today, Tuesday October 17. :)
• Characters may comment on entries they are particularly fond of to vote for them and earn that team some bonus points.
• A winner will be determined by 10:00PM EST on Wednesday October 18.
• The winning team's entry will be displayed in the atrium alongside the Halloween Tree throughout the rest of the month.
<b>Character Name:</b> <b>Year & House:</b> <b>Did their team plan ahead?:</b> If your team talked about their pumpkin plans, link the conversation for some bonus points! :) (The conversation only needs to be linked once.) <b>What is their contribution?:</b> Describe what your character is doing to help out their team, be it actual carving, digging out pumpkin guts, or just resisting the urge to grouse every 30 seconds. Photos are fun, but absolutely not required. Feel free to paint a word picture instead. ;) <b>How hard are they trying?:</b> Are they dialing it in, making a decent effort, or have they been practicing their carving technique all month? <b>Anything else?:</b>

HOW THIS WORKS: HALLOWEEN TREE!

By talking to the faces on the Halloween tree, characters can:

• Trick-or-Treat! Say trick-or-treat to one fo the faces and the tree will give the character a treat (a piece of candy, a small toy, or some other pleasant trinket) or a trick! To get their prize, the character must reach into the tree's knothole. Only the tallest characters would be able to look into the knothole; most will just have to put their hand in and see what's there!
  <b>Character Name</b>: Character Name <b>Approach</b>: Are you feeling lucky (punk)? How does your character approach the tree? Are they hoping for a trick or a treat? How do they reach into the knothole (or will they force someone else to do it for them)? <b>Anything else?</b>: Anything else!


• Ask for Advice!: ...but only about costumes. A character that asks who they should be on Halloween will receive a recommendation from the tree. Don't expect it to be perfect, though. It is just a tree. The tree will not force the character to follow through on this recommendation, but a bet with another peer might!
  <b>Character Name</b>: Character Name <b>Approach</b>: Taking advice from a tree, huh? Well okay! Does your character have any input before leaving this important decision in the barky hands of fate? <b>Anything else?</b>: Anything else!


• Ask for a Story! One of the faces is a bit chatty and it's charmed to tell ~spooky stories~. But only after dark. So gather around, students of Gooseberry, and have a listen! Some of these stories are from Gooseberry's amateur authors (including Zachary Zheng and any members of the Event Committee or Crafting Club that would've contributed) as well as popular campfire tales and short stories. Feel free to take the lead and have the tree tell a spooky story for the characters to react to!

While the pumpkin carving contest will only be going on for one night, the Halloween tree will be up from now until the Halloween dance! Feel free to reference it as needed and desired for treats, tricks, and other shenanigans!

» Pumpkin Carving: Where characters can find their teams and get carving! That's what they're here for, isn't it?

» Halloween Tree: Characters can take a break from carving pumpkins to get tricks or treats or chat with a charmed tree!

» During the Party: Any other character interactions that take place during the event can go here!

» After the Party: Any characters hanging around after the event or walking back to camp together or the like? Put it here!

» OOC - Questions, comments, concerns!

Comments

OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[colemoss]

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[heyitsnia]

"Ribbonfin-style trash talk" is forgetting to compliment someone.

Also this is super cute you guys did great. :)

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[cecaelian]

that was actually yanked straight from last year's event and felt appropriate given yesterday's conversation

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[heresie]

yeah im gonna need someone to break me off a piece of that

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[cecaelian]

THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER!!! The tree is so cool!!! ♥

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[colemoss]

THANK YOU FOR WORKING WITH ME AND HANDLING PUMPKIN-STUFF. ♥

Cole is glad that Ursula is much less scary than her cousin~ :)

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[browbeats]

THIS IS SO CUTE.

Our corporate office is auditing us at work so I'll be around more later but I just cannot wait for the ten cat butt pumpkins.

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[cecaelian]

HAPPY AUDIT!!! May your paper trails be easily followed. ♥

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[stclair]

i made a point of bringing a tablet to work today so i could draw a cat butt pumpkin to demonstrate

brb

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[sheepish]

i read corporate office as "coppertale office" and was like ???????????

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[cheerpowers]

This is SO COOL.

Can I have Ana for volunteer A?!

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[colemoss]

You got it~ Just talkin' to trees, Ana?

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[lilwitchhazel]

Ahhh 💖 Also I love that gif, I just keep watching it

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[colemoss]

♥ :D

(I was almost like: ICH AUCH. And then remembered we're not on the phone. It's not the saaaame.)

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[cheerpowers]

Omg I just noticed the gif! 😍 That's what I get for sneaking my phone at work lol

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[odder]

Scream this is so cute oh my godddd
I WILL not be around much today because I gotta visit a fresh niece in the hospital but I will try to help with operation cat butt and everything else when I am back tonightish

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[cecaelian]

FRESH BABY!!!

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[heyitsnia]

Congratulations on your new small relative!!!

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[colemoss]

HI BABY. ♥

That is, in fact, probably more important than wizard pumpkin carving.

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[gracesowerberry]

OMG. What have we done? Somebody protect Chad.

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[godzillabutworse]

I am crying laughing over the Coppertale sophs right now.

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[phin]

madison for character b? lol

♥ this is adorbs

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[iliya]

junior jays are so pure and good

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[ulixes]

important!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! did nia actually manage to convince the sr ebonhides to make an assassination of caesar

Re: OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS!

[cecaelian]

For anyone tracking this post, two hour warning on getting pumpkin carving forms in! ♥