gooseberryhigh | 🎃 THE HALLOWEEN DANCE 🎃

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🎃 THE HALLOWEEN DANCE 🎃

THE HALLOWEEN DANCE

The sun begins to set just at 6:30, so by the time everyone's heading to the Lodge for the dance, the atmosphere is perfect. Mr. Covington (assisted by... Mr. Elmasry?) has lined the main trails with lit jack-o'-lanterns.

The Lodge's lights have all be tinted orange, purple and green, and a red carpet welcomes students into the building. Just inside, there's a podium where Mr. Hightower directs most students to proceed straight into the atrium. Those students who earned the VIP treatment, however, are sent upstairs so that they can descend via the stairs to an announcement and generous confetti. Ennis Harper trips and falls, but luckily is caught by Eve very romantically, earning applause.

The dance begins with a Choir performance, which caps off with Grace Sowerberry's solo to "Spooky". Casey Patterson and [Dance Character D] do an improvised dance to the the number that has everyone stopping and staring. But now that the dance is underway, everyone can help themselves to partying, treats, and spooks!

Riley Stamper knows better than to spike the punch after last year, but still packs a flask to get pleasantly tipsy. Hazel Keating, [Character G] and [Character H] also indulge from that flask, but only [Character H] is caught. Oops, that's a -15 points from their house, and they're sent to see a less than pleased Healer Mufferaw. He sobers [Character H] up, but gives them detention for their trouble.

In the vampire-themed area of the cafeteria, Milo Greer & Bianca Dubois gets the bright idea to hide in one of the plywood caskets to make out, safe from bad jump scares. Meanwhile, Ariadne Flint and Jade Otterwell successfully sneak into the VIP area by pretending to be a auction couple while the freshman bouncer is distracted.

HOW THIS WORKS

The dance begins at 7:00 PM, and ends at 11:00 PM. Staff will escort students back to their cabins at the end of the dance.

The lodge will be cleared at 2 PM so Event Committee can prepare for the dance. As per Ursula de Luca's request, Event Committee may store their supplies in a second floor classroom instead of the basement until the Molly situation is resolved. It's not as conveniently located, but nor is it haunted!

Dinner will take place at individual campgrounds with hot dogs and burgers cooked over the campfire. Vegetarian and vegan options will be available.

Once the dance begins, choir will be performing a set of Halloween-themed songs selected by Tally Prince.

There is a MACUSA presence, but staff will tell students not to bother the agents unless it's an emergency.

Dress Code & Rules: Chests and stomachs must be covered, and shorts and skirts must reach three inches below the fingertips. (Teachers may go easy on skirt lengths, but keep your booties covered, kids.) No real weapons are allowed, but toys will be approved by teachers. Nothing that can shoot anything, be it darts, water or magic, will be permitted. No aggressive magic is allowed at the dance.

During the dance, only the following areas are open in the lodge: the Atrium (main dance area), the cafeteria (which has been transformed into a maze), the hallway to the restrooms (east of the Atrium), the public restrooms, the hallway to the infirmary and classrooms (west of the Atrium), and the infirmary (emergencies only).

Anon and Brother will not be in attendance, as Brother shared with staff the spell to magically bar them from buildings.

VIP AUCTION COUPLES: The VIP couples (listed below) have access to the exclusive balcony area, and are asked to arrive together. As the pairs walk into the atrium, their names are loudly announced in a spoooooky Crypt Keeper sort of voice, and balloons pop overhead showering them in pumpkin and skull shaped glitter.

SCARE ZONES

Instead of a single haunted house, Micah St. Clair has led the creation of several themed “scare zones” in areas surrounding the dance. Costumed freshmen (and some other Event Committee volunteers) have been tasked with scaring anyone who passes through the area.

Many of these areas are inconveniently situated, so students who need to go to the restroom or want to sneak off to make out may end up being unpleasantly interrupted!

Please Note: the freshmen are not allowed to grab anyone or cast spells in the scare zones, and participants are expected to follow the same rules.

If we read your character threatening violence if someone scares them, we probably won't give you a scare. This is just to preserve the mood of the dance, and stop it from being derailed by a fight.

Event Committee characters may join in on scaring people, so you can play and arrange your own scares if you like. Just follow the same rules: no touching, no spells, no fighting.

Jenny will be assisting Meggie and Marin with playing the freshmen! Thank you, Jenny! ♥ If more of our NPC mods from Y1 would like to join in on the fun and lend a hand, email the mods and we'll hook you up. Scares will all be coming from goosefresh

» BEFORE THE DANCE: Event Committee gets the dance ready and everyone hurries to make sure their costumes are perfect.

» BEGINNING OF THE DANCE: The hallway leading into the atrium is decorated like the backstage of a movie set, with sheets hanging from the walls to disguise the log cabin interior. Walking out into the atrium reveals the main dance floor and the stage where Choir performs a set of spooky songs!

» THE ATRIUM: Bright, colorful and fun, the dance floor is styled to look like a Monster Mash movie party. The walls are plastered in classic horror movie posters, and there are two popcorn machines to drive home the old Hollywood feel. Above the dancers are green, purple, orange and black balloons that are suspended in mid-air, lighting up the dance floor with a multicolor glow. There's also a snacks table, that features Halloween themed snacks and punch.

» Dr. FrankenReece's Laboratory: Come trick-or-treat in Dr. FrankenReece's Laboratory! Inside, there are three doors. Behind one hides a candy prize, but behind the other two lurk danger. After you make your selection, Dr. FrankenReece opens one of the other two doors to reveal... Count Zachula! He has the spookiest tricks of all: probability and statistics. To those that will listen, Reece and Zach enthusiastically explain the mathematics behind the Monty Hall Problem. But even if you won't hear them out, you still get a choice: stick with your original door, or switch to the third door?

» VIP AREA: THE BALCONY: Possibly the only peaceful spot at the dance. The balcony has wrought iron tables and chairs that boast jack 'o lantern table settings with name cards reserving seats for VIP couples. The outdoor seating is kept warm with magic, and freshmen run from table to table taking orders and delivering treats and punch to the VIPs. No need to stand in line here! The mood is decidedly romantic, with only candles to serve as lighting. The VIP couples are:

Phineas Bones and Sofia Delgado	Cameron Carney and Charlotte Meer	Jaime Castillo and Avery Davenport
Adeline Foster-Hayes and Antonia Papadakis	Ennis Harper and Evangeline Bagman	Jefferson Key and Estella Morales-Tran
Concordia Knight and Violet McGonagall	Hieronymus Lee and Marie Patterson	Ursula de Luca and Ferdinand Ayers
Cole Moss and Ramon Delgado	Casey Patterson and ~~Fern~~ Hazel Keating	Olivia Sanchez and Riley Stamper
Todd Skynner and Calvin Evercreech	Spencer Sweet and Iliya Krum	Susana Velasquez and Madison Ives

» SCARE ZONE: DOCKS: Immediately outside the lodge, a thick fog blankets the area, almost impossible to navigate except for the magical lanterns bobbing in the mist, leading the way to and out of the dance. But be careful! Terrible amphibious creatures have emerged from the lake, and they have a taste for human flesh! (Creature from the Black Lagoon)

» SCARE ZONE: HALLWAY TO RESTROOMS: Through the low light, you glimpse a forgotten Egyptian tomb. Lockers have been papered over with hieroglyph designs, and skeletal statues stand guard along the walls. Wait—that golden sarcophagus at the end of the hall, right beside the entrance to the restrooms… is it opening? (The Mummy)

» SCARE ZONE: HALLWAY TO CLASSROOMS: A mad genius has taken over this area with ungodly contraptions. Thick black wires spread over the walls and ceiling, and dangerous electric bolts jump between exposed pieces of machinery. In the middle of the hallway is an infirmary bed covered with a bloodstained sheet… and something’s twitching underneath. (Frankenstein)

» SCARE ZONE: CAFETERIA: When you step inside, all colour drains from the room. A charm transforms your vision to mimic grainy black-and-white film. A winding, fake-cobweb-filled maze covers the whole cafeteria, and monstrous creatures prowl, looking for victims. The theme is apparently “every idea we couldn’t fit somewhere else.”

The Day the Earth Stood Still/Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The crowning jewel of the maze is a large wooden UFO that has "crashed" in the middle of the maze. Here, the freshmen are dressed up as aliens that pop out from behind fake bushes. The lighting is eerie and green, and there are magical mirrors framed by fake trees that give the impression that you have a doppleganger following you around. The charm slows down your reflection so it doesn't quite move in time with you.

Night of the Living Dead. Freshmen zombies shamble around a wrecked section of the maze, where a mural of a city on fire and siren lights portrays the apocalypse. The little ankle biters aren't terribly scary, but they will chase you around!

Nosferatu/Dracula. A corner of the cafeteria is made to look a little like a castle basement, with plywood coffins and caskets littered about. It's fairly quiet over here, with moody lighting coming from torches. Little fake bats flutter around overhead.

» AFTER THE DANCE: It's 11:00 and the dance winds down, and everyone hikes back to their campgrounds. Is there anything else your characters get up to in the late evening or early morning?

» OOC - QUESTIONS, COMMENTS & CONCERNS

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The second Jade caught wind of scare zones, she made it her life's goal and mission to hit every single one of them. She eyes the mummy at the end of the hall like a challenge. Barely holding back a grin, she keeps her back to the wall, sidling along it while tapping her toy blaster against her hand. Even if there's actually no one to witness this, it's important to never break character, and she's into being a daring space rogue this evening. "Aren't you a little wrapped up to come out here?" She quips, voice low.

Then she pauses, winces. Okay. So maybe Han Solo wouldn't do puns. Her witty banter needs a little work.

There's a snort from somewhere not too far behind her shoulder.

It isn't unkind but it is a bit muffled into the back of his fist. Honestly, he's pretty firmly in the camp where Han Solo's kind of a gigantic space-dweeb who wants to be a hermit and calls his space-car baby. So terrible mummy puns aren't too far off, in terms of character appropriateness.

"You plannin' on Rick O'Connell-ing this thing?" Bash inquires, his own voice pitched low. (Shit, The Mummy. Was that on his list yet? Jade would love the parts with the flesh-eating bugs.)

Jade turns her head quickly, not because she's startled, but to assess what the damage is, here. Her face goes for haughty, not ashamed. Jade Otterwell's never been ashamed of a thing in her life. And anyway, it turns out just to be Bash, which allows her to give a throwaway eye roll and forge on like nothing had ever happened.

Even if that does mean breaking character to straighten up, plastic blaster still at attention. "Who?" She demands, for what feels like the three thousandth time. One day she'd be able to hold a conversation with Lucas and Bash without making them stop to explain every other word.
Today's not quite that day.

Bash looks a bit more startled than she does, if that's any comfort. Jade's unflappable. Even mild flapping is enough to make his eyes go wide and hands curl in front of him in the universal gesture for 'don't shoot.'

"Sorry. Movie," he replies. Which. Obviously, Sebastien. He rolls his eyes at himself before spitting out a few more choppy sentences. "Late 90s. Kinda horror-comedy. There's mummies. Organ-stealing. Occasional shoot-out. Egyptian book of the dead."

"Oh." She hasn't heard of it, of course she hasn't, but it honestly sounds delightful. "Do you have it?" He had her at organ-stealing. "I want to go meet that one." She tosses her chin at the sarcophagus in a clear demand that he come too so she can shove him at danger if the opportunity presents itself, for the greater good.

Bang! The locker—er, I mean, tomb next to Jade and Bash suddenly flies open, and a vengeful mummy jumps out! Little rubber cobras fly everywhere!!! "Trespassers! You're cuuuuuuuuursed!" moans a tiny girl's voice.

"Course I do." The answer's immediate, showy in its mild offense. "What kinda philistine do you take me for?"

He's all set to continue on this length when the ~~locker~~ tomb next to them slams itself open, sound rattling around in the length of the hallway. He startles (goddamn, jumpscares) and bites out a thoughtless, "Jesus fuck!" Then, quickly: "Shit, sorry." And, again: "Wow. Okay. Starting again!" He glances at Jade, grinning and sheepish. "Ain't never been cursed before. Can't hold it against me."

Jade does not jump. She has actually been looking around and wondering what would come out of which locker. When the fearsome mummy does, she has the good grace to at least let her jaw drop a little. She smiles at Bash, whose jumping was pretty hilarious. “That’s all right. I’ll handle this.” She smirks and makes a point to step on a snake as she saunters toward the mummy child. “Baby, I’ve been cursed from day one, you’ll have to try harder than that.” She drops out of her Solo swagger to pick up one of those little cobras. “But I like your snakes.”

Bash, as someone that's had his whole life handled by strong women, has absolutely no problem with this, waving a hand forward in very clear indication that he has no doubts of her ability to handle this. Or pretty much anything. If anything, the mummified Freshmen have more to worry about than anyone else in this situation.

"The costume's pretty sweet too," he adds cheerfully.

Behind them, two more tomb doors open with sharp metal clangs. There's a scurrying of feet around them and the half-pint mummy slips away in the chaos with a giggled, "CUUUUUURSED!!" She drops a trail of plastic scarabs in her flight.

Jade has no choice but to break character completely and let out a very small but earnest peal of laughter at that. She’ll have to compliment the Event Committee freshmen later. Honestly she should’ve signed up to scare people. Maybe next year. She scoops up a handful of discarded snakes and beetles and offers them out to her adventure companion, with some newly feigned trepidation. “Do you think that we’re more or less cursed if we take souvenirs?”
He’s the one who’s seen the whole movie about mummies, so she assumes Bash has some expertise here.

Bash thinks this over for a few seconds, mouth pulling to the side and nose crinkled up in serious contemplation. Curses are serious business, after all. A person needs to put in some thought before deciding whether or not the risk is worth it. Which organs they're willing to lose, for instance.

"Probably more," he says, reaching out for a few scarabs. It's cool, he's got two kidneys. And it's probably more fun to be cursed with friends anyway. Real, bonding experience. "But where's the fun in not testing a hypothesis."

She nods in sharp approval, as it's a good attitude, and shoves the rest of the plastic crawling things into her costume's holsters. "You know." Jade muses, "We should've maybe asked her to specify what kind of curse. Please let me know which of your limbs rots off." She spares a glance at the mummy, and remembers. "Or, I suppose, which of your organs falls out."

The scarabs get stuffed into one of his pockets and he shrugs, looking ridiculous and even younger than usual in the stupid Eddie Munster shorts and slumping knee-high socks.

"You think Lucas'll still like me if I start losin' body parts?" he asks, and offers her his arm to continue on, real gentleman-like. Y'know, might as well get some use out of it before it potentially falls off. "Do you think it'd be conditional based on body part?"

She takes his (temporary?) arm as offered, switching her fake-blaster to her other hand. It's important to be prepared for any further interruptions. But she rolls her eyes, because she thinks they both already know the answer to this. She paints the picture for him anyway.

"You'll be in a wheelchair, limbless." She highlights the idea by tapping her gun against a locker. "Your liver will be sloughing out daily, I assume you'll be coughing it up. Probably you'll only be able to blink in morse code. I'll try to convince Lucas to leave the room, and find someone new and spare himself, but even then, for some reason, I think he'd still like you."

Edited (...sorry for her Support) 2017-10-30 03:11 (UTC)

Bash remains remarkably unperturbed through the course of this story, nodding along with his lips pulled into a thoughtful frown. The liver part's the worst bit - mostly because his brain's doing some visceral imagining of fluids - but otherwise, he's feeling pretty cool with the whole thing.

"Oh, I already know who you have to find to be his future trophy husband," Bash grins, pulling his attention back from where it'd gotten caught up on the wall hieroglyphics. "Y'know, provided somebody offs me as a gesture of good will. His name's João Vitor and he's a Brazilian male model and professional bodyguard."

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

odder - 2017-10-30 13:56 (UTC) - Expand

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

professionalcorpse - 2017-10-30 20:41 (UTC) - Expand

Dinah stands at one end of the hallway, fists clenched, her eye on the prize: the bathroom. There's probably a thing down there, but that's okay!! Dinah Danger is never scared!!! She just needs her THEME MUSIC.

Crouching low, singing something that sounds suspiciously similar to the Mission Impossible theme, Dinah creeps along the hall and only kind of screams a little bit when she hears something that only might have been a person SNEAKING UP ON HER.

Dinah's scream is echoed by Nisha's, a small shriek that stutters into a laugh and eventually a "DUDE," while she clutches her chest. It's not really the sort of look you'd expect on a Hardened NSA Agent who totally wasn't just sneaking up on her BFF. "You're gonna let all the MUMMIES know where we ARE."

"DUDE," Dinah says through heavy breaths, hand on her head, composure super regained. "Maybe that's the POINT." Her back is still to the wall, but she's TOTALLY COOL now, and she puts on the hardened face of a SUPERHERO VIGILANTE. "We gotta make the fight come to US, on OUR terms."

"Badass," Nisha says, loud. Louder than she would have, normally, which is already pretty loud - her way of agreeing with Dinah's 100% legit plan. She is completely ready to take on some mummies. Except... "Hey you don't think they try to get you in the bathroom huh?? Cuz like I really gotta go."

"Me TOO," Dinah says, her mouth a perfect O. "We're like SUPER TWINS now!" Or you two have both been drinking an absurd amount of punch tonight. "But we might have to just watch out for each other in the bathrooms. As long as I can trust that you're not a SECRET MUMMY." Dinah casts Nisha a sidelong look, as if making sure this was the REAL NSA Agent Nisha Nitro beside her. Such a hardened agent of the law seems like she would appreciate such caution.

For a split second, Nisha looks positively shocked at the accusation. But then she remembers she's supposed to be in character. "I APPRECIATE your caution," she says, conspiratorially (and conveniently). "But I am SUPER pretty sure that I'm not a mummy, cuz none of my organs are in jars."

Nisha purses her lips, thoughtfully. "You aren't a mummy, huh?"

"Wait, are organs in jars the only way to define a mummy??" asks and inches ever closer to the restrooms. She should probably inch faster, before this becomes too precarious a situation for her and the designated monsters. "Because that's kind of a super handy way to store your organs, you know??"

"Yeah, 'cuz, like, you could also be wrapped up in bandages and be the Invisible Man, instead." Nisha says, as though she is a Mummy Expert. But the kind that would appear on an episode of Ancient Aliens. Not, like, a PhD in Ancient Egyptian History or Anthropology or anything like that. Someone who read a lot of wikipedia.

She thinks quietly about organ storage as they shuffle slowly down the hall. "I bet you could put 'em in, like, tupperware, too?"

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🎃 THE HALLOWEEN DANCE 🎃

SCARE ZONE: HALLWAY TO RESTROOMS

Jade Solo+Open

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Jade Solo+Bash Munster

Dinah Danger + Open

Dinah Danger + Nisha Nitro

Dinah Danger + Nisha Nitro

Dinah Danger + Nisha Nitro

Dinah Danger + Nisha Nitro

Dinah Danger + Nisha Nitro

Dinah Danger + Nisha Nitro

Dinah Danger + Nisha Nitro