#at least the ones who actually celebrate it Tumblr posts

[narratwoda]

I watched Opposite Day and realized it would be Anthonym's favorite day of the year.

Plus :

[cheriladycl01]

Kinktober 31/10/2024 The Grid - Halloween Party

Plot: Halloween Party Couple Costumes

MAX VERSTAPPEN:

You both went to the party as the characters from Kill Bill, it was one of Max's favorite films and you were excited to dress up as the Bride. Originally you were going to go for the full latex outfit but because Max had a few parties in the same night you'd both be travelling between you had to do a bit of makeshift work.

"You look hot" he says looking over you as you unzip the bright yellow top you had on, just to show off a little more cleavage for him.

"Yeah?" you ask pulling the katana up and holding it in positions being goofy as he took some pictures of you.

"And i think dying your hair blonde ... good shout" he grins running his hands through your freshly dyed blonde locks just so you could pull of this Halloween costume without a wig.

LANDO NORRIS:

You wanted to be funny and go as Gru and Vector ... but no McLaren thought it was too 'silly' and wasn't a 'good image' for Lando as a now championship contender.

So you guys decided as you were only going to a small Quadrant Haloween party that you guys would go lowkey and just try and use as much stuff as you could from home.

Naturally you were both at home when he had the idea of both going as the game characters from Subway Surfers, out of all the games both you and Lando played you didn't expect to go as mobile game characters, something from Valorant or even Tarkov but no here you were with a red beanie, hitched up red underwear under low rise jeans and an empty aerosol can.

"Cant believe you convinced me into this" you shake your head, knowing all the girls there would be going as either really hot people or would be very funny like you'd intended ... but at least you were with Lando and you guys both couldn't escape the costume police you knew would be at the party.

"You love me babe now come on lets go jump some trains"

OSCAR PIASTRI:

When Oscar had met you when he first came to England you made of point of forcing him to binge your comfort show, Peaky Blinders with you which led to this years Halloween costume for the both of you.

While Oscar was the gentleman and got his outfit as show accurate as possible you took the hot slant on it despite having a shirt, waistcoat and jacket covering up the majority of your upper body leaving your legs to do all the hot girl work.

"We look good" Oscar smiled looking at you guys in the long full length mirror in your apartment as you guys were about to leave.

"You're right we do" you smile reaching up to kiss his cheek forgetting the bright red lipstick that was covering your lips.

"AH AH. Let them dry first" he says putting his finger on one showing the stain.

When you got to Logan's party you were met with such a different vibe. You and Oscar had decided to stay in America for Halloween which was a good choice as they were crazy for any kind of holiday celebration.

"Will anyone here know who we are?" you ask wondering if you're costume was too niche.

"Lets hope they don't, quick and easy conversations so we don't look rude and unimpressed" he kisses the side of you head, knowing how introverted you both are/

CARLOS SAINZ:

Of course you had to go as young Morticia and Gomez Addams. It was something you knew for a fact Carlos would look incredible in and you had the perfect features to pull of Morticia.

You guys were attending a Halloween Party that actually had a lot of the drivers at, it was in a club that had invited you all as a brand deal with F1 and you guys all didn't really have an excuse not to go.

You guys got an uber, which is a strange experience when you have a boyfriend who drives for a living.

So many of the other wags were there and a costume competition had been held which you and Carlos had ended up winning, you think Lando most defiantly forged the votes but you couldn't deny that you and Carlos looked like you both put the most amount off effort in.

CHARLES LECLERC:

Charles didn't ever really understand the hype for spooky season, enjoying other more family oriented holidays more such as Christmas or even birthdays.

But when you said that your sister was hosting a small party (that of course ended up being not so small at all) that she was dying for you to make an appearance at you had to go despite the late notice.

So there you guys were two days before ironing patches to blue and red tops you'd brought from the most accessible shops in Monaco and because you were bringing Charles and you wanted to match but with the lack of time options were thin.

So of course doing a really bad attempt at Sally and Lightening McQueen was the option Charles decided on and everyone at the party found you guys so funny especially once they realised who Charles was as a famous racing driver.

To say despite the 5 minute crafts outfit you guys put together you were everyone's choice of conversation both at the party and after.

YUKI TSUNODA:

Chef Linguine, absolutely not Chef Tsunoda and you as his Remi. It meant you got to dress up as a sexy mouse while Yuki could live his dreams of being a chef, dressing up in the whole outfit that you were surprised to see he just had in his closest already.

"You look like a cute mouse" he smiles looking over the white corset and sort grey skirt you'd opted for.

"Do i make a good Remi?" you ask sweetly and he nods.

"I still don't get why you didn't go as Collette" he sighs, thinking it would be odd for him to kiss you tonight when this was your outfit.

"Because canonically Collette is a better chef than Linguine because actually Linguine cannot cook without the rats help ... so I'm still not sure why i went as the rat. Maybe i should have gone as Chef Skinner" you groan now overthinking the whole costume.

FRANCO COLAPINTO:

Franco's nickname for you was 'princesa' so of course you going as one of the Disney Princesses made sense however when he said you guys should do Flynn Ryder and Rapunzel you almost lost your shit.

You were going to suggest the little mermaid as you'd love to see him in Prince Eric's soft pirate outfit but the Flynn outfit was just as exciting and you of course looked great in purple and could use your naturally blonde hair.

"Are you ready my Princesa?" he asks from the bottom of the stairs. You were expecting to turn round the corner with a soft graceful smile to see HIM awestruck at your costume.

Unfortunately god had other plans and it was you who was gobsmacked at your incredibly sexy boyfriend.

"Fuckkkkk Francoooo. Lets skip the party" you say running down the stairs to grip onto his arm.

FERNANDO ALONSO:

As an older couple on the grid who still loved a party and having fun you and Fernando decided old school was the best way forward. And for Fernando seeing you in sexy leather pants and a tight black top he was all but happy to keep pulling you away for sneaky kisses once you'd got to the club.

Nando was normally very ... sexually driven but this outfit of yours had turned him into some kind of beast and you were not complaining.

Especially when you guys got home that night.

ESTEBAN OCON:

Being the Marvel nerd that he was he'd asked if he could do Deadpool and you do Wolverine, which you did want to at first but when you couldn't find the right hairstyle and decided the outfit just didn't look good this year it fell through to be picked up another year.

Which is where his next idea came in, you'd both decided to go as Spiderman's he'd worn some grey joggers with him as the suit was pretty tight on him and he didn't want anything to come out in the media however you took the Spiderman look the whole way and for the whole night Estaban had to stay close to you warding off all the other guys who were watching you with what he explained to you as 'fuck me' eyes.

Taglist:

@littlebitchsposts @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @daemyratwst @lauralarsen @the-untamed-soul @thewulf @itsjustkhaos @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @summissss @gulphulp @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhhhh @georgeparisole @youcannotcancelquidditch @tallbrownhairsarcastic @ourteenagetragedy @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @eiraethh @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @dark-night-sky-99 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @laneyspaulding19 @malynn @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @tinydeskwriter @ironmaiden1313 @splaterparty0-0 @formula1mount

[eternalsams]

Scare Me If You Can ⇴ J.Seresin

pairing: Jake Seresin x fem!reader

warning/content: 15+, swearing, sexual tension?, fake blood, fake weapon, scare actress!reader,Jake is a kinky bastard, boner alert

summary: Jake wanted to scare his younger brother by going to the Horror Village, but he ended up being the one scared.

word count: 2.2k

a/n: English isn't my first language so please take that into consideration. I'm so sorry, this isn't as good as last year's, to be honest I don't think I'll ever make as good as last year.

tgm masterlist main masterlist

Jake has always loved Halloween. Since the early age of 5, when his dad told him he could dress up as a pilot, Jake was convinced Halloween was the best holiday ever. He then switched to dressing up as a sexy firefighter when he got into college. He actually slept with multiple girls thanks to that one shirtless firefighter costume. But when he got into the Naval Academy, he didn't have time or the energy to look for a new costume, so he forgot about Halloween for a few years. That until this year, when he managed to get some leave for the holiday, and now he was back in Texas with his family to celebrate the day before the return of the dead.

He only had the time to settle in his old room when his mom told him she was leaving to pick up his younger brother at the train station. Jake smiled and nodded, watching the woman who raised him leave the house. It had been a while since Jake didn't see his brother; with college and deployments, common free times were hard to find. But knowing Elijah would be there for Halloween made it so much better. So he waited patiently until his mom and brother came back, hid behind the door, and listened to them walk up the porch steps, talking about whatever. The door opened on him, and he waited for his mother to walk in before jumping on Elijah, shouting his name to scare him. The younger man cursed as Jake laughed before insulting his older brother. Jake wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulders, still chuckling. "Good to see you, Eli'."

"Come on, boys. Don't start." Their mom lectured them as she made her way to the living room. Elijah pushed his brother back and shoved him away, starting unintentionally a playfight with Jake, who locked his brother's head under his arm. "Boys, please. At least, do that outside." Mother Seresin sighed, her face peaking out from the living room. "Listen to your mother." Their dad's voice rang, and both boys stopped their heckling. "Well, I still need to welcome our young prodigy home!" Jake shoved his brother's shoulder. "If one of us is a prodigy, it's you, Jake." His mom chuckled lightly and Elijah's lips parted in shock. "Ouch, that hurts." He grumbled in fake hurt. "Well, Jake's the one with the nice house next to California beaches." Jake laughed and wrapped his arm around his younger brother's shoulders. "But we're very proud of you for getting into college, Elijah." Both Seresin parents laughed at the boys' banter, and the younger Seresin pouted. "Fuck off."

"Hey, watch your language in my house!" Their mom intervened before she walked up to them with a flyer. "Why don't you go see the attraction they set in town?" Jake grabbed the flyer from his mom's hands, and a smile stretched his lips when he read the words Horror Village. "Well, that seems fun!" Elijah snatched the piece of paper from his brother and nodded. "Alright, I'll go. Could be fun."

"Oh, you won't get rid of me that easily. I'm coming with ya!" Jake went to grab his jacket and Elijah's from the coat rack. "Only if I'm driving." The younger Seresin said as he caught his coat throw at him by his brother. "Not even in your dreams, buddy." Jake chuckled, grabbing his car keys and opening the door, letting his little brother walk out. He waved at his parents and joined Elijah in the car.

Jake had his hands sunk into his pockets, looking around like a little kid. The dim lights created the perfect Halloween atmosphere. He and Elijah reached the Horror Village's gates and multiple security guards were standing there, checking IDs and bags. "You sure you're old enough to be allowed there?" Jake asked his brother with a smirk, earning him a jab in the ribs. Both Seresin brothers passed the gates and a man came up to them to mark their hands and enunciate the guidelines. "No alcohol allowed. There will be actors in there, they can touch you, you can touch them. All the weapons you'll see or come in contact with are fake. If one of the actors goes too far, say 'blackbird' and they'll leave you be. Enjoy your night, gentlemen." The man explained and Jake nodded to the oddly specific rules.

The two brothers started wandering into the village, laughing when a scare actor would jump on a visitor and earning them screams. They eventually reached a food truck and Jake ordered a candy apple, curious when he noticed they made them black. "Aren't you too old for this?" Elijah asked when Jake thanked the lady in the truck as she handed him his candy apple. "I'll never be too old for sugar." He winked at his little brother and moaned in delight as he took his first bite into the sugar-coated fruit. "You're a child." Elijah scoffed as he noticed a cute girl a little further. Jake followed his gaze and chuckled when he saw the girl leaving with her friends. He also noticed the short skirt she was wearing and the way his brother's eyes lowered to her bare legs. "Trust me, buddy. You don't have time for this." He clapped his hand on Elijah's shoulder.

"Don't have time for what? Fun?" Elijah raised a brow with a smile. "For girls like her, trust me when I say she'd only play with you." Jake tried to regain his brother's attention. "Maybe I wanna play with her too." He grinned, a well-known spark in his eyes. Jake grimaced and groaned, seeing too much of himself in his little brother. "Gross..." He grumbled as he finished his candy apple, throwing the wooden stick in the garbage near them. "Come on, Romeo. We've still gotta visit that village." He gently pushed his brother forward and kept walking, passing by new actors who were running or staring at visitors.

"Isn't that one of those ladies from your game?" Jake asked, pointing at a lady a bit further. He recognized the revealing outfit from one of the horror games his brother often plays. Elijah sighed, convinced his brother got it wrong but when his eyes landed on you, he raised his eyebrows. "Well shit, you're right. It's one of the nurses from Silent Hill!" And just like you heard them, you turned to them, tilted your head to the side as your character would do. Only a blind person couldn't tell the blond guy was attractive, but unfortunately for you, you were working so no flirting. But you could still have a bit of fun with visitors. You put your hand on a woman's shoulder to hold yourself, startling her and wobbled to the cute guy. The younger man next to him couldn't help himself and looked you up and down but your eyes were only on the taller one. Your entire face was covered with dirty bandages and fake blood, hiding your face and adding realism to the costume.

When you finally reach the man, you faked tripping and held yourself on him, sneaking out a fake scalpel. His arms immediately supported you and as he was about to ask if you were okay, you brought the prop to his neck and a sound escaped your mouth. It was between a low whimper and a complaint. "I think she got you, Jake!" The younger man laughed as the cute guy watched you with wide eyes. "Alright, alright. You're good, I have to admit it." He swallowed and the tip of your prop grazed his Adam's apple as he did so. You smiled under your makeup and slowly pulled back from him.

You raised your hand to his face and ran your dirty finger down his face, leaving a trail of fake blood on his skin. You straightened your legs, appearing taller in your high heeled shoes and brought your face to his, another whine leaving your lips.

Jake looked away from you, feeling your body heat emanating from you and warming up his own body. He hated the way you made him feel. He swore under his breath and tried to remember the safe word the guy at the gates gave them. Blackbird. But it wasn't necessary because you pulled back, taking your hand off his face and your body off his. Jake felt like he could breathe all over again. He refused to look down at you, scared he might ogle right down your revealing cleavage. You waved off the two men and staggered away, blowing Jake a kiss before disappearing into the night. Jake exhaled loudly and calmed himself down while Elijah laughed out loud. "You should see your face!" The young Seresin clapped his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Shut the fuck up."

Elijah looked at his brother up and down and chuckled some more. "Forget I said that. You should see your pants!" He laughed as he discreetly pointed at his brother's pants. Jake looked down and noticed the slight bulge of his jeans and the straining his own body had against the clothes. "God damn it..." The pilot swore and readjusted himself discreetly, looking around to check nobody saw that. "The nurse? Seriously?" Elijah questioned, still laughing at his brother. Jake glared at him and looked over his shoulders to see where you went, but he couldn't see you anymore. "She was hot, okay? Now leave me alone." Jake cleared his throat and tried to think of something else than your body pressed against his and kept walking through the village.

Not even twenty minutes later, his eyes caught sight of you again. His breath got stuck in his throat and he stopped in his track. Elijah slowed down to check on his brother until he noticed you. A smirk pulled at his lips and he turned to Jake. "Why don't you go ask for her number if you like her this much?" Jake rolled his eyes at the suggestion. "She's working and in character, she'd never give me her number. Aren't you supposed to know the nurses don't talk in Silent Hill?" The pilot turned to his brother. "Maybe you could give her a reason to talk." Elijah shrugged and looked at something over the blonde's shoulder. Jake felt a slight tap on his left shoulder and when he turned, his right shoulder was then tapped. He turned around and fell face to face with a bandaged face he recognized immediately.

"You again!" He chuckled and felt his face warm up. He could practically hear his brother's smirk behind him. You stood there, staring at him, your bare legs looking like they could break with how fragile they looked. But again, it was all an act to stay in character. He watched you leaned closer, his breath becoming heavier as you got closer to his body. "Your costume is really great. Very accurate." He said, trying to fill the silence. You tilted your head to the side, notifying you heard what he just said. But loyal to your act, you said nothing, your mouth shut behind the bandages around your head. You watched him as he extended his hand to you with a nervous smile. "I'm...I'm Jake." He nervously chuckled, a soft blush creeping up his face. A low whimper escaped your lips and Jake's smile fell, realizing he couldn't have a real conversation with you. "Right..." He sighed, his hand falling back down along his body. Elijah tapped his shoulder and encouraged him to keep walking. "Come on, we need to finish the tour."

Jake nodded in defeat and took a last look at you before following his brother. You watched him leave, disappointed you couldn't talk to him or anything without risking losing your job. Your character wasn't supposed to talk so you couldn't mutter a single word to anyone in the Village. You only hoped he'd understand and not take it personally.

The next morning, Jake was waiting in line for his coffee, looking down at his phone and the stupid jokes Rooster was sending on the group chat. His fellow pilot travelled back to Virginia to spend Halloween with his wife and kid and now the whole squad had to witness the atrocity he called a home-made costume of him and his kid. Dressed as a chicken and baby chick. Jake quickly typed an answer as he took a step forward, feeling the line move. But he didn't stop in time and bumped into someone. He quickly looked up and made eye contact with a young woman before apologizing. "Very sorry." He apologetically smiled and the woman looked at him up and down. Jake knew he was handsome, he knew too well, but his mind was still on the masked lady from the night before so he didn't pay no mind. "Do I have to say blackbird for you to not do that again?" She smiled and Jake frowned in confusion. He took a long look at you and looked down at your form. His eyes opened wide as he recognized you. A smile stretched his lips as he finally got a face to put on your body. "It's you." He said, trying to learn the color of your eyes by heart. "It's me." You smiled at him and noticed how even more handsome he looked during daylight.

taglist: @hardballoonlove @blue-aconite @iliketopgun @callsign-hummingbird @roosterforme @senawashere @jessicab1991

@atarmychick007 @hangmansgbaby @callsigns-haze @callsign-magnolia @els-marvelvsp @djs8891 @phoenix-rising-starbird-one

@floydsglasses @hangmanbrainrot @selencgraphy @books4ever03 @shanimallina87 @averagewriter-inthedark @theglenaissance

[mochimouiemarty]

HAPPY HALLOWEENNNN!!!!!!

A few TWS before the actual art!!! Eye imagery in image one, uncolored blood in image one, one religious symbol in image two, bright ass weezer ass blue + colored blood(??) in image three

NOW LOOK AT THE SILLIES!!!!!

Owners of the OCs -> Character -> What they're dressed as:

@hadowoony - Vita, Scarecrow

@kyayamo - Gavril, Plague doctor - Valentino, Vampire

@feralacidsugar - Mick, Beetlejuice - Ian, Michael Myers

@sanudefinitelyhasadhd - Sanu, Vampire

@csvamaryllis - Amaryllis, Some sort of???? eldritch horror??? I took creative liberties..

@starri-soul - Balckthorn, Mima (Perfect Blue)

@tiredguyswag - Faheema, Pirate - Heera, Witch - Damian, Phantom of the Opera

@simonxkeyes - Ironmonger, Medieval King (how to draw kings guys...)

@melikedraw - Leona, S H R I P.

@anotheroneofthegaysharks - Thunderbird, Sheet Ghost (didn't know what to draw vro as so i just drew him with that one doodle of the Epic Battle between the Ghouls and Skeletons as reference :3)

Last but certainly not least..

@itsdappleagain - Python, Inflatable Dino!

And some silly doodles!!!

They include..

Veemper - Valentino, Sanu, Gavril, and Damian! BECAUSE WHY DOES EVERYOJE WANNA BE A VMAPIRE/silly

Utensil Gang - Faheema, Damian, Heera! They're gonna get you.

A few notes..

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THESE GUYS I'm so sorry If I got any of their facial features wrong, cuz for most of these guys it was the first time drawing em</3 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!! HAVE A GREAT DAY TO ALL WHO DONT CELEBRATE!!!! or. like. hope you had a great day, idk what time it is for yall when I'm posting this!!11!!1!1!1

also erm.. if you guys got some sort of notifications yesterday..... no you didnts..... totally didn't accidentally post the first draft of this yesteray.... nope..... nah........ definitely didnt.....

[maybe-boys-do-love]

So I shared, the Spanish-language horror visual references in this week’s Peaceful Property episode (which are great ghost story films for comparison in thematic elements, as well). The death this week, though, is yet another ghost story reference, this time in an English-language series with lots of commentary on class and the racial and gender politics of domestic work, The Haunting of Bly Manor.

����spoilers for both series from here on🚨

In Bly Manor, Hannah Grose, the estate’s maid is revealed late in the series to be a ghost, who had fallen into a well on the grounds. Although the series is based off Henry James’s Turn of the Screw and its celebrated film adaptation The Innocents from the 1960s and its celebrated 2000s remake The Others* with Nicole Kidman (in which the twist from the previous is that the governess main character is revealed to be dead), Hannah Grose’s death is a new addition in the Netflix series. It compounds the complex themes about class and domestic servitude in the original British story and adds issues of race to the proceedings.

Peaceful Property uses Baanchuen’s story for similar purposes. Migrant domestic work is an important issue in Southeast Asia. The International Labor Organization put out a report last year stating, “29 per cent of surveyed migrant domestic workers in Malaysia were in conditions meeting the ILO’s statistical definition of forced labour; as were 7 per cent of surveyed workers in Singapore and 4 per cent in Thailand. Indicators of involuntariness include not being able to quit your job, having to stay in the job longer than agreed, and being made to work without overtime pay, among others.” Shackles, like those on Baanchuen’s ghost, are an easily recognizable symbol of enslavement, indicating the extent of Aunt Phom’s cruelty.

But even under legal circumstances, domestic workers are one of the least protected group of laborers in Thailand and abroad. Taiwanese-American labor organizer, MacArthur “genius” grant recipient, and mentor/friend to BLM cofounder Alicia Garza, Ai-Jen Poo has a fantastic interview on On Being, in which she discusses the racialized, gendered, international, and cross-class dynamics that define domestic care work, which impacts the strategies to organizing for workers rights in the field.

“The average annual income for a home care worker [presumably in the US at the time of recording in 2020] is $15,000 per year. And I can’t think of any community that I’ve ever lived in where you can survive on $15,000 a year. It’s really quite extraordinary. And they’re there and see employers come home with a pair of shoes that are maybe more than they make in a week, and yet, their job is to care and support and love, and they do so. You can’t actually do your job as a caregiver if you dehumanize the person that is in your charge. And I think that that is so much of what’s needed in this moment. All of us need to understand that we have a profound set of challenges and inequities that we have to deal with and transform, but we have to do it with a boundless sense of compassion and humanity.”

I’d encourage some of my fellow watchers of Peaceful Property to heed Poo’s perspective on disrupting class distinctions and what the advocacy for equitable practices has looked like in her work. I’m a caseworker myself and have worked alongside people who had less privilege than me for caring wealthy people who never the less didn’t always recognize the value of those whose work they depended on and didn’t have the labor laws that might provide that guidance. There are a few pieces of work that explore this meaningfully (better than The Help, although Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer absolutely carved out depths in their characters stories that weren’t there on the page). Glad to see Peaceful Property making its attempt to explore these depths. It actually made me reflect on how many of the jobs after the first episode really focused on gendered aspects of labor—a wig-maker, assistants, food-making…

And for my Homepeach truthers out there, that gender conversation is not just about labor. Bly Manor is also notable for its queer romance storyline with a wealthier character running from her internalized homophobia/guilt after a car accident…

*Incidentally, The Others is also heavily influenced by the same Spanish film, The Spirit of the Beehive, as both referenced Spanish-language horror films in these weeks episode.

[imthepunchlord]

I had a thought of potentially what could've been for LoK's crew (krew? I don't like this sequel enough to know what this fandom calls them), and what I wish they did for season 1. And for this post, I am exclusively working off what I saw that first episode set up and imply.

So, Korra herself, I didn't like as a lead, but I did genuinely really like her in that very first episode. Which she was set up as a nice contrast to Aang.

Where Aang started with one element mastered, she knows three.

Where Aang had to spend seasons amongst the other nations to learn their culture and how to embody that elemental nature, Korra by set up, should have a solid idea of the culture of the other nations, and at least have 3 of the elemental natures down.

And where AtLA ends with Aang about to step into the messy politics of post war, Korra, by set up, should have a decent idea on how to go about politics, and be a decent politician and diplomat.

If the White Lotus has the agenda of preparing the next Avatar to be the Avatar that the world needs, more than just bending should be taught to Korra. And learning politics and about other cultures is an easy stand out to me on what should be taught to her.

But, if there's one thing the White Lotus didn't teach her, was social learning and experience.

Korra knows of the world, but hasn't seen hardly any of it

And she has interacted with people, but those were really the White Lotus members, the Gaang, her family, and any major figures that can come and see the young aspiring Avatar. She just has very limited social skills, especially with people her own age.

And Korra is just so full of wanderlust and lonely, and she's ready to embrace her role as Avatar, to be the peacekeeper of all nations and protector all people, but she doesn't genuinely really know the people. She doesn't know the world.

And when she has that chance to leave, she takes it.

And, hey, she has a good excuse to learn airbending, as Tenzin won't stay at the White Lotus to teach her, so she'll go to him!

And man, thematically, her needing to learn air while struggling with social skills is just so

while air is an element of freedom, festivity, and ideas, it's also an element that represents communication and social skills. And that's what she lacks. She's set up to have everything else, the empathy and expansiveness of water, the passion and power of fire, the precision and dedication of earth; now she just needs to learn air, and with it, connection and fun.

And so she goes to Republic City and she thinks she has this in the bag, she's a decent politician, she knows the other nation's cultures, she's the freaking Avatar.

Only she gets to learn that Republic City is a whole new beast of culture, and there's social etiquette she wasn't taught. Like, apparently, you can't go destroying a shop while fighting some thugs, you get in trouble for that. And it's bonkers to her that she's in trouble for this? Because this is what she was taught? To fight and defend those in need?

But it kinda works out as Tenzin gets her out, and it's agreed upon that she'll stay and get to learn airbending from him, and she'll get to stay at Republic City! She'll get a chance at new experiences, a chance to meet actual people, to genuinely learn of this world and--

she's immediately pulled into attending a gala hosted in celebration of her visit, meeting the rich of Republic City who are oh so eager to meet her. And this is where she meets Asami, who echoes her father's interest in having a close friendship with the Avatar, knowing it's going to boost their status and give them a powerful ally.

And Asami quickly gets to learn how naive and lonely Korra is. Korra is quick to accept anyone as a friend, as this party isn't about politics, it's a celebration of her, and it's her chance to make friends! And get a feel of the people here!

And Asami is quick to think she's got this in the bag, that she can manipulate Korra to meet her agenda and will have a powerful ally, only to quickly realize Korra will be a handful as she straight up punched Tahno in the face.

In Korra's defense, she was never taught how to deal with bullying as the White Lotus never thought she'd have to deal with bullying.

And as Tenzin proclaims Korra just can't go punching people in the face when they try to pick fights with her, Asami is learning then and there that Korra has no social etiquette. And if she wants to keep Korra as an ally, she's going to have to teach her how to go about society.

But the day after the party, Korra is grounded, and being the spitfire that she is, runs away to go explore Republic City. And through shenanigans I haven't thought of yet, she comes across Bolin and Mako, both of whom are floored and excited to meet the Avatar (though Mako won't admit it because he's trying to be "cool"), and Bolin is quick to realize not only does Korra not really know how to have fun, but it's her first time in Republic City, and it's his duty to be her guide and show her a good time, starting off their friendship.

And throughout season one of LoK, you have Korra learning social skills through Asami and the brothers. She learns the complexity and elegance of it through Asami, and the fun and open mindedness of social interactions through the brothers. And it bleeds into her learning airbending, learning to be more flexible, and not force her way forward.

And instead of the love triangles for their interactions, you got a petty silly rivalry between Asami and the brothers, as they're on an opposite spectrum of wealth and morals, and they have this idea that the other is leading Korra down a "dark" path with Asami seeing the brothers as "beneath" Korra while they see Asami as a snob who wants to "use" Korra (and she did initially and now Korra is her precious friend). So they're competing for Korra in the background, being passive aggressive, and Korra is just oblivious, thinking they're all good friends (and she's more focused on Amon who's clearly her Ozai to take out and she is so ready, she's been training for years!).

And throughout the season, Asami and the brothers learn to work together, to back Korra, to compromise and learn about each other, and they just become a genuine friend group, all who care about their very powerful though socially limited friend.

And when Asami's father shows his true colors and his villainy, and she looses all wealth and reputation, the Krew is there for her. She is welcomed into their home, finds their support and love. The brothers feel their small sad circle of family expanded to so much more and feel whole. And Korra's just, so happy to have friends. She feels happier. She's more whole. She grows wiser with them, learning things the White Lotus never taught, expanding her knowledge of the world and it's people.

They all had a rocky start, but now they're just thriving and whole.

[nu-carniviva]

Happy Halloween everyone! I'm staying home this year giving out candy to kids, so here's what I think the clan would do if they had to give out candy too :>

Also inspired by a tiktok I saw with the same concept but with Saiki K characters

Eiden: Eiden would do what you'd pretty much expect for someone in his position. He waits for kids to knock on his door before greeting them with a smile and complimenting their costumes while handing out candy. He starts to get bored after a while though. The kids are cute and all, but sometimes Eiden thinks back to his partying days and how he'd spend Halloween nights partying all night in a slutty costume. Oh well. At least he has Aster and Morvay and whoever else might be in the mansion to keep him company. It gives him an opportunity to talk about Halloween back in his world too.

Aster: Aster might take Eiden's place from time to time to hand out candy. But of course, in true Aster The Moneymaking Machine fashion, he found a way to make some money on the side. Sure, you can have one of the big fancy candy bars… For a small fee >:3 Though he knows not many people go out trick-or-treating with money, so he'll settle for a trade. A bunch of the other person's small candy in exchange for one big candy. I like to think Aster has a bit of a sweet tooth.

Morvay: I've always headcanoned that Morvay has a thing for candy. I wouldn't say he has a sweet tooth, but he does definitely have an oral fixation if that wasn't obvious already. He'd probably snatch up some pieces of the candy he's supposed to be giving out (either by request of Eiden or order of Aster) but they're usually things like lollipops. If a kid with a really hot dad showed up, Morvay can and will try to invite him inside for a… special Halloween treat. Freaky ass.

Yakumo: If you want the good stuff, Yakumo will be your very best bet. Halloween gives Yakumo the excuse to bake, and how could he pass up an opportunity like that? The word will eventually spread around the children of the Light Territory (maybe even the Water Territory if they're close enough) that there's a tall, kind man handing out yummy homemade treats and candies, they'll come flocking to him. Yakumo gets a little overwhelmed by the swarm of children at his door, but he's beyond happy that so many people are enjoying his baking. He might have gone a little overboard though, because despite all the treats he gave away, he has leftovers for everyone in the clan.

Edmond: Realistically, Edmond would probably be too busy with his knightly duties to hand out candy, as I'd imagine holidays are always pretty hectic for the knights. If he does get the chance, however, Edmond would be the type to stay outside the whole time passing out candy so he can keep watch in case any suspicious activity starts going on. Whatever amount of candy Edmond has for trick-or-treaters, he has double that amount at home for himself. How this man's teeth haven't rotted out of his head is beyond me.

Olivine: Naturally, the temple is the most popular place in the Water Territory for trick-or-treaters to visit. People of all ages swarm the temple for a chance to interact with Olivine. He's used to all the attention, but he'd be very grateful if someone else from the clan were able to help him pass out candy. He makes sure to compliment every person's costume with his signature gentle smile, and I'd like to bet that some people get so excited that they faint. It's a certainly eventful night at the temple, to say the least.

Quincy: Sigh. How troublesome. Quincy would much rather be celebrating the holiday with a nice, long slumber — or at the very least carving more pampos (Eiden got him into it. It's actually pretty calming) — but if he must pass out candy, he can't bring himself to say no. Fortunately, if he's in his own home, not many people are in the Wood Territory in the first place, and usually the ones who do visit are yokai interested in this strange human holiday. But if he's at the mansion, he'll be dealing with many more visitors. At least Topper is enjoying himself... And stealing some candy.

Kuya: Kuya is all trick, no treat. I'm not sure if anyone would actually be stupid enough to visit his home to trick or treat, but Kuya still gets his fun in by toying with anyone passing by. His little tricks range from something as simple as changing the layout of the forest to get people lost, to casting illusions so insane that people swear they're going to die that night. Maybe he'll cast an illusion of rabid beasts chasing people down and attacking. Maybe he'll cast an illusion of people's costumes coming to life and trapping the people inside to slowly absorb them. He miiiight be on better behavior if Eiden was around, but not significantly. There's certainly never a dull moment with Kuya around.

Garu & Karu: Costumes? Candy? Decorations? Candy? Spooky attractions? CANDY? Needless to say, Garu and Karu are interested. Garu loves seeing everyone's fun costumes and gives everyone lots of enthusiastic, tail-wagging praise. Karu, on the other hand, uses the opportunity to spread the word of his world domination to these tiny humans so they will have no choice but to cower in fear or offer to be one of his human slaves… Or so he wishes. Each time, the children are like "Haha okay mister. Do you have any candy?" Garu and Karu have one thing and common though: scarfing down candy. They aren't very subtle about eyeing the candy in every trick-or-treater's bag, and someone else in the mansion always needs to monitor them in case they start stealing too much of the candy they're supposed to be giving out.

Blade: First of all, Blade played a big role in decorating the mansion and you can clearly tell that from like a mile away. He made his own costume too… But nobody can ever figure out what he's supposed to be (unless he dresses up as Eiden, then Eiden will stare at him in horror.) All the costumes are suuuper cute to him, which will totally confuse kids wearing costumes that are supposed to be scary. Every time he gives someone their candy, he sings a little "candy for yooou~!" per person. I wouldn't be surprised if he spent the week prior making a bunch of little Eiden dolls to put into everyone's bags too. Everyone Needs A Little Darling !

Dante: Sun Lord Dante giving candy out to the children of the Fire Territory? Such a thing would originally be unheard of… Before Eiden came along. Now, for reasons Dante would never admit out loud, he feels compelled to hand out candy, or at least have one of his servants do it. Though if he is the one doing it, he's a little scary about it. Try as he might, Dante just does not have a friendly face or voice (but he swears he's trying.) Overall, Dante isn't a fan of feeding his people such sweet treats, buuuuut just doing it one night every 365 days wouldn't hurt. As long as everyone works it off the next day.

Rei: Like Quincy, Rei has no interest in handing out candy, as he believes there are better ways to be spending his time. Difference is, though, is that Rei does what he wants and truly does not give out candy. If he's home, he'll keep the lights off and work on the ground with a single little lamp on. If he's at the mansion, he simply won't answer the door. There's other people in the mansion, after all. If they want to give out candy so badly, they can do it themselves. But, for the sake of this post, let's say he decides to give out candy. Rei would just toss a candy bar vaguely in the direction of whoever is at the house and shut the door. The kid got their candy, so no complaints allowed.

[lesbicosmos-writes]

@deadboyween day 11

the day we've all been waiting for!!

day 11 prompt: halloween

summary: the girls wonder if the boys have ever done anything for halloween. they convince them to have a mini party at the office - including costumes.

notes: this fic brought to you by my love of comic!crystal being a nerdy cosplayer <333

also on ao3!

the case of the halloween party

“Do you think Charles and Edwin celebrate Halloween?” Niko asked, lounging on the floor of the office while Crystal was on the sofa, her laptop propped open on her lap.

The boys had gone out ‘to the library’ to do what they called ‘private ghost research’ – but both Crystal and Niko knew that was just their code phrase for a date – leaving the girls to their own devices back at the office. Niko had been reading but her attention span had depleted several minutes ago, while Crystal was trying to win a bid for a cursed teacup someone was trying to sell on eBay.

“I dunno. Wouldn’t that be a bit weird? Spooky supernatural beings celebrating a human-made spooky supernatural holiday?”

“I think it would be even better as a ghost,” Niko commented. “You could actually, properly scare people.”

“True. I wouldn’t exactly have taken Edwin for a Halloween kind of guy though.”

“Maybe we can try and do something with them! We’ve only got two weeks left! I think we can convince them to dress up, at least.”

“Good luck with that,” Crystal chuckled.

“Oh my god! We could go as Mystery Inc.!” Niko sat upright, clearly already making plans.

“Ah, um…I’d love to Niko, but I kind of already had my costume planned.”

“Oh. Do you already have plans for the day?”

“Not really. A lot of the clubs around here do Halloween nights so I was probably just gonna go to one of those if we weren’t busy. I’d rather do something with you guys though, clubs are no fun on your own.”

“What’s your costume plan, then?” Niko asked.

“Well, I used to be really into cosplay and-”

Niko cut her off.

“You were into cosplay?” she asked incredulously.

“Yeah?” Crystal shrugged.

“I thought you were like…a typical mean girl?”

“Well, I was a typical mean girl who happened to love cosplaying characters from video games.”

Niko stared at her girlfriend open-mouthed, her eyes wide.

“I’m in love with you,” she said simply.

Crystal laughed.

“I think you’ve mentioned that before.”

“How have you never told me you used to cosplay?”

“It just never came up, I guess,” Crystal chuckled.

“So, who are you dressing as?”

“Oh, just this character from a pretty niche game.”

“What game?”

“Yonda.”

“You play Yonda? I love that game!” Niko had moved forwards and was sitting beside Crystal on the tiny sofa.

“Really?”

“Yes!” Niko replied excitedly. “Ayumi was like...my lesbian awakening!”

Crystal’s face morphed into a smirk. “Well…”

“No. You’re not.”

“Mhm,” Crystal hummed, teasingly.

“Oh my god Crystal I need to see this right now,” Niko all but shrieked.

“You’ll just have to wait til Halloween babe,” Crystal said, leaning forward to press a kiss to Niko’s lips.

“Ughhhh,” Niko groaned, just as the mirror rippled and Charles and Edwin stepped through it.

“What’s going on?” Charles asked, perching himself on the arm of the sofa next to Niko.

“Oh, Crystal and I were just discussing Halloween costumes.”

“Costumes?” Edwin asked, the tone of his voice somewhere between confused and ever so slightly judging.

“Yeah? Don’t tell me you’ve never dressed up for Halloween!” Niko sat upright on the sofa.

“I’ve been trying to get him to for years but he just refuses,” Charles complained, shaking his head slightly.

Niko jumped up from the sofa and stepped towards Edwin.

“Edwin, you have to!”

“I was under the impression that this strange tradition of dressing up was only for events like parties. I’m afraid I don’t see the point of it when we have no party to attend,” Edwin explained.

“We can have our own!” Niko waved her arms in the air a little, turning to face the others to see their reactions.

Crystal had a smile on her face but reluctantly asked, “Who would we even invite, Niko?”

“Jenny!” Niko said, pointing to one finger as though counting.

Everyone looked at her expectantly, waiting for the rest of the hypothetical guest list. Jenny had moved her shop to London but she was still about the only person any of the group really knew.

“Okay I guess it’s just Jenny but still! I could bake! We could decorate the office! It’d be fun!”

Who could resist Niko Sasaki when she looked so excited and full of joy? Sure, it wouldn’t be much of a typical party, but it could be a celebration in their own way, so everyone eventually agreed that they would have a gathering on Halloween night. Edwin still insisted they kept the agency open just in case – there never had been a Halloween without a strange new case to crack in the many years they had been working together.

As expected, Niko got very into the party planning. She was planning on baking enough snacks to feed a small army – including finding a recipe and enchantment for biscuits and sweets ghosts could eat thanks to Tragic Mick. She and Edwin had been crafting decorations while Charles and Crystal went out to buy supplies.

“So what do you want to dress as?” Niko asked, cutting out skull-shaped bunting.

“I’m not sure. I don’t think I want to dress too differently, if possible. The idea is still a little silly to me, I must admit.”

“Everyone dresses up on Halloween, Edwin. It’s the one day a year where cosplaying is normalised – expected, even! But if you want to keep your style as much as you can, I think I have an idea.”

“What is it?”

“That’s a surprise,” Niko grinned. “You trust me, yeah?”

“Of course,” Edwin replied sincerely.

The surprise didn’t last very long. Merely one day later, Niko returned to the office with inspiration for Edwin’s outfit to show him, and he wasn’t as against the idea as she expected him to be. Crystal was there too, and was as excited about the costume as Niko was. But they all agreed to keep it as a secret from Charles – who was being very secretive over his own idea anyway.

Soon enough, Halloween arrived. The office was decorated with a mixture of lovingly crafted handmade decorations and ornaments bought from shops. Niko’s paper skull bunting hung across the doorframe and across the blank wall between the games closet and the desk. She had also made bats to hang from the ceiling by string. The four of them had carved pumpkins the day prior, to varying degrees of precision, which all sat along the windowsill. Edwin had intricately folded several little origami pumpkins and placed them on the bookshelves, while tiny plastic ornaments of skulls and bats and witches’ hats sat amongst them. A string of brightly coloured lights shaped like skulls were suspended across the window.

The largest of the decorations were two plastic hanging skeletons, which hung either side of the door. They had been plain when Crystal bought them, but she and Niko had crafted a tiny bow tie and book for one of them, and an earring, backpack and cricket bat for the other. Edwin seemed sceptical about the mini him-and-Charles, but grew fond of them after seeing Charles’s grin when Crystal hung them up.

The office looked different, but somehow the atmosphere hadn’t really changed – after all, it was the permanent residence of two ghosts in the first place.

It was 5pm, and the girls were currently both in the bathroom getting into their costumes, while the boys waited in the main room of the office, both still in their usual outfits.

“So like, you really never did anything?” Charles asked.

“Charles, I’ve told you several times over the years. When I was alive, Halloween wasn’t as much of a deal as it was now. It was a childish holiday. A few of the boys at school would sneak out to the cemetery at night, or play games in the dormitories, but people rarely dressed up or had parties like you do now.”

“Right. Sorry. I mean, it wasn’t like a huge thing when I was alive – not for my family, anyway. My dad thought it was stupid, so even if my friends did have a party I could never go. It always looked so much cooler in America, like it is in films and stuff.”

“Hmm,” Edwin hummed.

“So…what’s your costume?” Charles asked.

He’d been trying to get Edwin to tell him for a week, but he didn’t budge, insisting it was a surprise.

“I’m not telling you,” Edwin replied, a smug smirk on his face.

“You’re evil.”

“Oh really? Because I seem to remember you saying something different when you were kissing me ten minutes ago.”

“Oi!” Charles grinned.

The sound of giggling echoed through the bathroom door, and both ghosts turned towards it.

“Seriously, what are they doing in there?” Edwin asked, folding his arms.

“I dunno, mate. Girls and bathrooms, innit? They always go in pairs and take forever and come out giggling like maniacs.”

“So strange.”

“Yup.”

“How long does it take to change clothes? They’ve been in there for nearly an hour.”

Charles stepped forwards and knocked on the door.

“Hey, uh, are you two good in there? You’ve been in there ages,” he said.

“We’re fine,” Niko laughed.

“You better not be snogging!”

“Charles you can’t say anything, we know you were making out with Edwin like ten minutes ago.”

Charles opened his mouth to argue but ultimately gave up. “Okay fine, shut up,” he said instead.

More laughter erupted from the door, and Charles gave up, walking back over to the desk.

It was several minutes later when the door to the tiny bathroom finally opened. Charles and Edwin stood up straight, ready to see the girls’ outfits…

…only to find the two of them standing there with white sheets over their heads, holes cut out of the faces so their eyes could be seen.

Charles snorted, but Edwin didn’t seem as amused. Perhaps if you looked closer though…maybe there was a slight smirk hidden there on his face. Maybe.

“Very funny,” he said sarcastically.

“We’re ghosts!” Niko said, giggling.

“Yes, I can see that, Niko.”

“Come on, it’s a little funny!” Crystal argued.

“Fine,” Edwin gave in, letting that tiny smirk be more obvious on his face.

“Anyway, these aren’t our real costumes. Don’t worry,” Niko said, and both she and Crystal pulled the sheets from their heads and threw them onto the sofa.

Niko had the more recognisable costume of the two – a bright orange turtleneck and matching socks, along with a short red skirt. What with her usual bright monochromatic wardrobe choices, the other three had seen every main part of the outfit before many times. What they hadn’t seen before were the large-rimmed glasses that rested on her nose, or the short brown wig she wore that seemed to conceal her bright white hair so well, it was as if it wasn’t even there beneath it.

“Velma!” Edwin said, smiling.

“Yeah!”

Then the boys turned to Crystal, and both of their faces morphed into confusion.

“You guys have no idea who I am do you?” she laughed.

“I’m afraid we don’t.”

“Wasn’t expecting you to, don’t worry. I’m Ayumi from Yonda.”

“Are those words?” Edwin asked, one eyebrow raised.

“It’s a video game,” Niko explained.

“Oh, nice! Well, you look great. Both of you,” Charles said.

“Thank you,” Niko smiled.

“Right, now it’s your turn,” Crystal turned to the boys, a smile on her face.

“Do we really have to?” Edwin complained.

“Yes!” Niko exclaimed, ushering him into the bathroom and closing the door behind them.

Since the boys didn’t exactly get changed into their costumes, each had one of the girls there to help them alter their appearances, especially since they also didn’t have reflections. So, Niko joined Edwin in the bathroom whilst Crystal helped Charles in the office.

Edwin managed to get his costume right fairly quickly – Niko had made him practise whenever they got the chance and were away from the other two. Niko looked him up and down, smiling to herself.

“Perfect!” she grinned.

He was dressed as a traditional vampire, and thanks to some convincing from the girls (otherwise known as Niko’s puppy eyes – Edwin really ought to learn to say no to her), he’d also manifested a pair of fangs. He couldn’t alter his own body, but he’d managed to create a pair of plastic ones that fitted perfectly to his canine teeth.

“Oh my god you look so good!” Niko said, using a finger to dab some fake blood onto the corner of his mouth, so it dripped down his chin.

“Niko, is this strange sticky concoction really necessary?”

“Yes! How will anyone know you’re a spooky vampire without fake blood?”

“I think it’s fairly obvious from the rest of the outfit. And the fangs,” Edwin chuckled.

“Oh well. It looks cooler.”

Edwin wasn’t going to argue with her. Niko shuffled around him in the tiny bathroom before she reached the door. She knocked on it a couple of times.

“Hey, is Charles ready?”

“Nearly, just finishing up his…nearly!” Crystal replied from the other side of the door.

“Yay!” Niko grinned, placing her hands together in front of her like she was running some evil scheme. Edwin had come to fear that look.

“Ready!” Crystal called.

Niko opened the bathroom door, and both of them stepped out.

Edwin froze when he saw Charles. Charles seemed to freeze too, the two of them just staring at one another open-mouthed.

“Pick your jaws up off the floor, you two,” Crystal said, her arms folded in front of her.

“Shh let them ogle,” Niko said, that grin still plastered across her face.

In terms of style, Edwin’s costume wasn’t too dissimilar from what he usually wore; the blue sweater vest was replaced by a red waistcoat, and a frilly collar took the place of his bow tie. His trousers were black instead of pinstripe grey, and his brown coat was now black and had a higher, upturned collar. It was different enough to be considered a costume, but similar enough that it wasn’t too uncomfortable, and he wasn’t revealing any more skin than usual.

The same could not be said for Charles’s costume. He wore what appeared to be a teal surgical gown, only unlike actual surgical gowns, this one cut off halfway down his thighs. Under it, he wore fishnet tights and boots that resembled the ones Edwin usually wore. He had a pearl necklace around his neck, and bright pink rubber gloves on. And that wasn’t even mentioning the make-up. Of course, Charles always wore eyeliner, but this was different. His eyelids were painted the same teal as his outfit all the way up to his eyebrows, and he wore lipstick.

“He wouldn’t wear the heels,” Crystal tutted, shaking her head at him in disappointment.

Edwin recognised the costume from a movie Crystal had made them watch a few weeks prior. Charles had already seen it, had snuck into the cinema to watch it with a girl when it was playing on Halloween the year before he died. It hadn’t been a date; Charles was sure to tell them. They were just the only ones who wanted to watch it - all their other friends had claimed it was for queers. Charles had brushed it off at the time, but now saw the ironic truth in their claim, given both his recent revelations and the fact he knew that girl he snuck out with was now happily married to a woman.

“Mate, you look…” Charles began.

“Charles…” Edwin breathed, unable to tear his eyes away from Charles’s legs.

He’d seen Charles’s legs many times by now, but never like this and never in this context. It was overwhelming and he couldn’t figure out how to look anywhere else.

“His face is further up, Edwin,” Crystal teased. “Jeez, now I’m glad we didn’t go for the corset,” she muttered to Niko.

“Do you guys want us to leave you alone?” Niko smirked.

Edwin cleared his throat, finally managing to look somewhere other than his boyfriend’s legs in those fishnets.

“No, that won’t be necessary. Besides, Jenny will be here soon,” he said, hoping no one noticed the way his voice cracked a little.

Everyone noticed.

As Edwin and Niko headed over to the desk to lay out the food, Crystal stepped towards Charles – who was still silent and staring.

“Are you okay there, buddy?” she asked, the amusement clear in her voice.

Charles snapped out of it, turning to face her.

“Yeah. Aces, why?”

“Hmm…sure,” Crystal smirked.

It was nearly twenty minutes later when Jenny arrived. She was also dressed as a vampire, wearing a dark red corset top over a flowy white long-sleeved shirt with black trousers and a collared cloak. The shirt had several small bloodstains on it. She brought in a tray of pastries that were made to resemble severed fingers.

Niko came running over to her and took the tray from her hands.

“Oh my god! You and Edwin match!” she exclaimed, pointing between the two of them.

Jenny looked up to Edwin, who appeared to be looking for a book on their many shelves.

“Dracula. Neat,” she said.

“Just a generic vampire, I’m afraid,” Edwin corrected. “Although, I suppose it could be Count Dracula.”

“Right, okay.”

“Are you a specific one?” Crystal asked before biting into one of Niko’s decorated cookies.

“Yeah, I’m meant to be Carmilla.”

Everyone looked at her blankly.

“Carmilla Karnstein? From the book Carmilla? Like one of the first pieces of vampire literature?” Jenny asked, bewildered.

“I cannot say I have ever read it,” Edwin apologised.

“Well, you should. It’s a classic. And it’s really gay, so…”

Jenny turned around once more, taking one of the skull-emblazoned paper plates Crystal had found in a shop and moving onto the food.

“Is that blood…real?” Charles asked her, pointing out the stains on her shirt.

Jenny just raised her eyebrows and took a bite out of one of Niko’s cookies. Charles didn’t want to think about that too hard.

“Nice Frank-N-Furter costume,” she said. “Good to know you’re not entirely uncultured.”

“Thanks,” Charles replied. “So, what food is enchanted?” he asked excitedly, practically bouncing over to Edwin.

Edwin and Niko had successfully baked some foods that the ghosts could eat, and Charles had been incredibly excited about it for days. He really missed food.

“Aptly enough, the cookies shaped like ghosts. And also, the white marshmallows. Not the orange ones, though,” said Edwin.

“Brills,” Charles said, already reaching across the desk to take one of the cookies.

He took a bite, and the satisfied sound he made gave Edwin flashbacks he’d rather not be thinking about with other people in the room.

“These are so good, Niko,” he said, giving her a playful punch to the arm. “God, I missed food. Can you do this to anything?” he asked Edwin.

“I believe the enchantment will need a few tweaks depending on what item it is, but yes. Don’t worry Charles, you’ll get your enchanted spaghetti,” Edwin laughed, practically reading Charles’s mind.

“I love you, you know that right?”

“I do believe you’ve mentioned it once or twice before.”

“Are you guys just gonna keep flirting all night or are we gonna do more party things?” Crystal asked from where she was sitting in Edwin’s usual chair.

“We can multitask,” Charles argued, throwing an arm around Edwin’s shoulders and kissing him on the cheek.

Crystal was beginning to regret her involvement in getting them together. Niko walked over and perched on the arm of the chair beside her, leaning in to kiss her. Okay, maybe she could multitask too.

“Wow you guys, way to make a woman feel single,” Jenny said from the other side of the room. “You two are literally dead and you’ve got more game than me,” she looked over at the boys.

“Don’t worry Jenny, we’ll find you someone!” Niko reassured.

“Preferably someone who isn’t a psycho murderer who stalks me this time.”

Niko nodded, looking at the ground. Enough time had passed now that they could make light-hearted jokes about the Maxine situation, but it still left as much trauma as expected for Jenny. Niko still felt guilty, even though she’d been mostly forgiven.

The vague tension in the room was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Do we really have to take a case?” Niko groaned.

“I don’t think it is a case, Niko, don’t worry,” Edwin said, walking to the door while Charles reached into the games cupboard and pulled out a large green bowl, filled with what looked like tiny little trinkets.

Edwin opened the door.

“Trick or treat!” came the small voices from outside.

There were three small children: a young girl around nine years old dressed as a witch, a boy around the same age with a werewolf mask, and another girl who looked no older than about two wearing a pumpkin outfit. All three of them had similar burn scars on their faces and arms.

“Hey, you three! Happy Halloween!” Charles said, offering the bowl out to them.

They all took two tiny curios each. A green feather, an engraved brass ring, a chunk of amethyst, a tiny brooch with a leaf design, a small bag of pink dust, and a wishbone. All small harmless items the boys had picked up over the years but had no use for – but always brought joy to the faces of the young ghosts in the neighbourhood.

“You’re dressed up!” the older girl said, surprised.

“Yeah, thought we’d give it a go this year,” Charles said.

“What are you meant to be?” the boy asked him.

“Uhhh,” Charles stammered.

“Shouldn’t you three be running along? The night won’t last forever, you know. I heard the fortune teller down the road is giving out magical coins!” Edwin cut in.

All three children gasped.

“Really?”

“Yes, but they won’t be there forever so you’d better go quick!”

“Thanks Edwin!” said the girl.

“Bye Charles!” said the boy.

Charles gave the youngest a high five before all three of them leapt down the staircase excitedly.

When they closed the door and turned back around to face the room, they were met with looks of confusion from Crystal, Niko and Jenny.

“What-” Crystal began.

“The ghost children in the area come around every year, we always make sure we have trinkets to give them since they can’t eat sweets.”

“Hey maybe next year we can actually give them enchanted sweets!” Charles suggested.

“Wait, those three were ghosts? Did they all-” Jenny trailed off.

“The James siblings. They all died in a housefire a couple of years ago. Their parents were out shopping so they had a babysitter, but none of them survived the fire. Death came for the babysitter, but the children were all hiding in the rubble,” Edwin explained.

“Shit, those poor kids. I bet their parents feel horrific, oh my god.”

“That is precisely why we haven’t reported them to the Lost and Found Department,” Edwin said sternly. “The parents got into a terrible car accident upon getting the phone call about the children. They both survived, but only barely. They can see ghosts now, so the family is reunited.”

As Edwin spoke, Charles walked over to the window.

“Their dads are just outside, look,” he pointed across the road.

Everyone gathered around him and looked down. They saw the three children running over to two men stood on the opposite side of the road. They all showed their buckets to their parents excitedly, then pointed down the road. Their parents laughed, and the family all headed off down the road together.

“That’s sweet,” said Niko. “They’re still all together.”

“Precisely. It’s nice to know tragedy doesn’t always end in entirely pain.”

The others didn’t miss the way Edwin looked towards Charles as he spoke.

Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long before the boys insisted on a game of Cluedo.

“Not fair, you guys always win!” Crystal argued.

“Well, we’ve got thirty-four years on you, Crystal.”

“Also, it’s more a game of luck than one of skill. If you get a good hand of cards to mark things off, you’re already further ahead than other players.”

“Yeah, yeah, fine whatever. But if you guys win, you owe me, like, the entirety of the payment for the next case.”

“Deal,” Edwin agreed, and they shook on it.

“Hey! What about me?” Niko pouted.

“You win almost as often as they do, babe.”

“I keep telling you! You should watch more Scooby Doo,” Niko shrugged, leaning her head on Crystal’s shoulder.

The deal however, never got resolved. Halfway through the game, there was another knock on the door, and this time it wasn’t ghostly trick-or-treaters; it was a case. And surprisingly, it was a real one. Usually on Halloween, their cases were less often genuine supernatural encounters and more often paranoid older ghosts misunderstanding typical Halloween living-people things. But this one was real. It wasn’t difficult, and only took them an hour or so to solve, but it was real.

Someone nearby had been having their own ghostly Halloween party, but their decorations had all been possessed by mischievous imps that had begun causing havoc. But the Dead Boy Detectives had dealt with imps dozens of times before; they arrived, set a few traps, Edwin cast a few spells, Charles swung his bat a few times, and the job was successfully jobbed.

By the time they got back to the office, Niko had already beaten Crystal and Jenny at Cluedo twice, and they were currently tied one-all in a very intense Uno tournament. When Crystal won the fourth game, they decided to wrap it up.

Then, Niko suggested – well, insisted, but no one can resist her puppy eyes – that they play Monopoly. Her argument was that it was thematically relevant since the box they had was Beetlejuice themed.

The game was as loud and chaotic as anyone would expect, and Crystal and Jenny both nearly flipped the board twice each in the first half an hour. Charles was the first to go bankrupt, closely followed by Edwin. The other three swore they planned it in advance, since they used it to their advantage, sneaking off into the games cupboard for a snog and locking the door whilst Jenny was in the bathroom, Crystal was clearing away the empty food trays and Niko was distracted watching fireworks outside the window. They were in there for the entire last ninety minutes of the game, and when they finally stepped back into the room, both had incredibly messy hair, and both Charles’s lipstick and Edwin’s fake blood were smudged over both of their chins. Crystal had never been happier that they put a silencing spell on the cupboard a few months prior. But then again, it meant they had an excuse to disappear into there whenever they felt like it. God, she and Niko needed to get payback at some point.

“Could you guys not have waited until after everyone else left?” Crystal asked, her eyebrows raised at them.

“Hey, don’t look at me,” Charles put his hands up in defence. “It’s not my fault this one couldn’t keep his eyes off my legs.”

“It absolutely is your fault for wearing those tights.”

“And on that note, I’m leaving,” Jenny butted in, standing up from the sofa. “This was great, but it’s nearly midnight and unlike you guys who don’t seem to have a schedule, I have a shop to open at nine o’clock tomorrow.”

“Understandable. Goodnight, Jenny,” Edwin said, reaching to readjust his bow tie only to remember he wasn’t wearing one.

“Yeah, Niko and I should probably head off, too,” Crystal said.

“Do we have to?” Niko complained, but her face changed when she turned and saw that Crystal was giving her a look. “Oh. Yes. Definitely. We should go.”

“We’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?” Charles said.

“Yep. ‘Night guys! Great party, we should definitely do that every year!”

“I must admit it was…much more enjoyable than I anticipated,” Edwin admitted.

“See! Told you you’d like it.”

Niko hugged Edwin before she was practically dragged out of the room by Crystal.

“Oh! I forgot my jacket,” Niko realised when she and Crystal were halfway down the road, and she had begun to shiver.

“Here, take mine,” Crystal said, taking hers off and placing it around Niko’s shoulders. “I highly doubt we would wanna go back in there.”

Niko snickered, locking her arm with Crystal’s.

“Seriously, they’re insatiable! At least we’re more subtle about it.”

“Give them some slack, they’ve got over thirty years of built-up sexual tension to resolve!”

“I really don’t wanna think about those two resolving their tension,” Crystal practically gagged.

“Maybe you wanna think about me in this turtleneck instead?” Niko said suggestively.

“I-” Crystal stammered.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you staring at my chest all night,” she teased.

“Okay, shut up.”

“Hey, it’s allowed. I’ve been staring at you all night, too. I told you Ayumi was my gay awakening, and I was not kidding.”

“Glad you thought my costume was a success, then.”

“I think tonight was a success! I don’t think we’ll have any trouble convincing the boys to properly celebrate dress up again next year. Maybe we can even get Charles to do the full corset look!”

“I’d rather not be in the room, or even anywhere near the room, when Edwin sees that.”

“Fair,” Niko giggled.

Illuminated by streetlamps and the soft glow of pumpkins and decorative lights from nearby apartment buildings, the two of them walked back to their flat.

Maybe it was a little strange that two supernatural beings began celebrating a holiday that turned them into novelty ornaments or silly stories. Or maybe it made perfect sense: two ghosts, their psychic best friend, their other best friend who had literally died once, and reluctant older sister figure who just happened to have been possessed by Crystal’s demon ex-boyfriend one time and got herself involved with everything – celebrating Halloween as a strange little family.

[kan-be]

and there’s a special kind of sadness that seems to come with spring

it’s blorbo’s birthday yay 🥳 🥳🥳

[uniiiquehecrt]

Voice actors are NOT the same as actors.

It takes a specific kind of skill-set and training to be able to warp and meld the voice. It takes a certain kind of talent and dedication to hone that talent into the ability to meld the voice and invoke emotion with one's voice alone. Actors are used to using their voice secondarily to their body language and their facial expressions. It's all mirrored back on camera. They do have nuance. But it's a different kind of nuance and a different kind of training to produce that nuance.

Voice actors might get their likeness transposed on their character's design, and maybe their mannerisms might seep into the character's animation. But when it's all said and done: their presence is in their voice. They are bringing a character to life, showing that emotion in their voice, trying to keep a specific accent, drawl, pitch, tone in that voice and keep it consistent for their recording sessions.

The voice actor is like a classically trained musician who can play first chair in a competitive, world-renown orchestra. The actor (who fills the voice actor's role) is like a moot who played violin in beginner and intermediate high school orchestra and thinks they can get into Juilliard with that 2-4 years of experience.

This doesn't mean that the HS orchestra moot can't play. They can even be really good at it. Maybe they won competitions and sat first chair. But they are not in the same league as the person who's been training their whole lives and lives and breathes to hone their craft using the instrument and all of the training they've ever acquired to perfect it. They are not meant for the same roles. They are not in the same caliber. You do not hire the HS equivalent when you want to play complex music in a competitive orchestra.

Actors are not the same as voice actors.

And furthermore, actors - especially big name actors - taking the roles of animated characters for big budget films or TV pilots makes no sense anyways when - at least in the case of TV pilots - there's not a point to hiring a big budget actors anyways. That money could be used elsewhere (like paying your animators), and the talent that is brought onto the screen for X character could then be hired on to voice said character no recasting required.

I wouldn't say voice acting as a profession is in danger exactly, but it's certainly being disrespected and overlooked for celebrity clout, and this has ALWAYS been an issue. Shoot, even Robin Williams knew that much - which is why he tried so hard not to be used as a marketing chess piece for Aladdin and got royally pissed off when it happened anyways. People shouldn't go to any movie (but especially not animated films) because "oh famous actor is in it". People should go because it's a good movie and the voice acting is good.

People who honest to god think that voice actors are replaceable because "oh well anyone can voice act" or "I like xyz celebrity so naturally it'll be good" ... Honestly I just wish you'd reassess your priorities because you're missing the point and are part of the problem.

Voice Actors ≠ Actors.

[wonder-worker]

this is a Princes in the Tower and Edward of Lancaster stan account btw

[synthshenanigans]

JASH STICKER COLLECTION GAINS ANOTHER

Also they do adopt certificates for the lil guys u get which is p cool however rlly funny & rlly weird since its just his name

Heres where i got em!!! theres tons of diff stickers & stuff u should check out :D

also got crocheted pan flowers!! :D

[factorialsotherfandoms]

Mini-event tomorrow as well lol? But early. Guy Fawkes Night the 5th Novemeber! But the event is 3rd!

Remember, remember, the 5th of November,

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason

Why gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.

[57sfinest]

actually i do want to make this a post. it’s so interesting to think about harry from other people’s perspectives, especially if they’re people who were around him before martinaise. because the thing about harry is: he’s a spectacle. there is not a single person left to him who genuinely *cares*. but there are people who take an interest for interest’s sake. harry is the car crash that people can’t look away from, and it’s such a rich lens to view him through.

let’s exclude jean, judit and trant because there’s already enough you can say about them as the sole remaining members of the major crimes unit. think of the other officers who worked at the 41st. whether they worked in c-wing with him or not, they were exposed to him. they had to be around him in some capacity. as a lieutenant, he was “responsible” (i use that term loosely) for overseeing a number of subordinates under the rank system. 

like put yourself in the shoes of a patrol officer at the 41st. you know harry as, in a word, unstable. a deeply unreliable man of extremes with alarmingly few personal attachments to keep him in check. he’s also practically untouchable as long as he keeps getting results, which he does, at a cost. so there’s never any point in formally complaining about him- he’s never going to be corrected or fired, so you just do one of the following: 1) keep your mouth shut (if you’re polite or playing it safe), 2) only bitch about him out of earshot (if you’ve got something to say but you’re nonconfrontational), 3) start shit with him but in a “playful” way that is secretly sincere (if you’re ballsy/have known him long enough), 4) or start shit with him for real (if you’re jean, or have a death wish). 

and the thing about the last two of those options- *especially the 3rd, which seems to be the favorite of his fellow C-wingers*- you have to know him VERY WELL to pull it off without ostensibly getting your nose broken (or worse). you have to know his moods and his triggers and what exact cocktail of bullshit he’s displaying that day so you know where the line is for this particular shift. whoever figures it out first passes it along to everyone else- hey, you can fuck with him about dating today, but don’t bring up the drinking or last week’s case or he’ll go ballistic. and it’s just like... he’s a specimen. you may not know him on a personal heart-to-heart level, but you know him the way a zookeeper knows their tigers, or the way the falconer knows their hawk. you know when to feed and when to back away with your arms up. it doesn’t make things better, but it stops them getting worse. (for you, anyway).

then martinaise happens and if he comes back- his instability is still there, but it’s not the same. you don’t recognize the way he’s acting. maybe some things are not as bad as before, but all of it is different and it’s impossible to get a read on it. you have no idea how to approach him now, or if you should approach him at all. there’s a new layer to his unreliability and it’s somehow even scarier than before. there’s a tiny tiny calm in his storm, finally, and you don’t know when it’s going to break or what’s going to break it. you hear he’s finally actually kicking the booze and maybe you just scoff and move on, or maybe you let yourself root for him. really it all depends on how long you’ve known him, how many times you’ve seen him *try*. how sympathetic you are to his conditions and how patient of a person you are. how many times he’s hurt you (because that number is rarely going to be zero). no matter what, you’re going to be left wondering. you don’t know how much of him is gone. you don’t know how much is going to come back. you’re not sure how much of each you *want*.

[btsbs]

.

[dustoftheancients]

Travis' present came a day early

Happy Christmas Eve.

Please do not remove captions.