#we carve our pumpkins while listening to spooky music

[rosicheeks]

Wanna go to a pumpkin patch with me? You can wear a big baggy jumpy and no bottoms to flash me on the way round

Jumpy??? 🥺

[canyouhearthelight]

The Miys, Ch. 109

Happy Spooptober, everyone!

I’ve been planning since about February to do another camping trip this month, for the season.  I was super fortunately back in May to have some stories left over to share, that I didn’t have the opportunity for last time.  So thanks go to @catolicabuena for your submission, and to @dierotenixe for the PERFECT character to add to this chapter.

As always, thanks go to @zazen-rabbit, @baelpenrose, and @charlylimph-blog for being the beta readers and cheering section I need every day, no matter what.

As a reward for the clear, focused argument Charly gave in favor of Shalt-kri’i/Ekomari hostilities being over cultural misunderstandings earned her a reward of her choice.  I don’t know what Arthur expected, but part of me expected her to ask him something like throwing the class a party, showing up to teach class in sparkly footie-pajamas.  Her response, instead, left me convinced there was a conspiracy between her, Conor, and other mysterious parties to keep track of the Terran holidays.

“It’s almost Halloween,” she immediately pointed out. 

How? How did she say that so certainly? I wasn’t even sure it was Friday.

Oblivious to my thoughts, she tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Today’s Tuesday - “ See!? “Which means Halloween is just under two weeks away? I think?”

“Your guess is probably better than mine,” I admitted. “Between the extra long days, artificial light, and consistent temperatures, I have no idea anymore.”

“She’s spot on,” Tyche confirmed, without even looking up.  We were sitting in my living room, digging into ice cream while all the guys were at work.

“How - “ I sputtered. “How are y’all keeping track of this?”

Tyche rolled her eyes, while Charly snagged my wrist and shook it. When my datapad popped up, she gave me the deadest stare I had ever seen on her face. “There is a calendar on this thing. You do know that, right?”

My face and neck burned so hot, I was surprised my hair didn’t catch on fire. “I keep it on the daily view, so I can see all my appointments.”

“Which is why she has me and Alistair,” my sister pointed out lazily before scooping up another spoonful of dessert. “By the way, this pumpkin ice cream is pretty good.”

I nodded, having had a scoop earlier.  We had been trying every flavor we could think of.  

True to form, Charly’s was a screaming purple that honestly scared me, sprinkled with gummy bears and some kind of acid-green syrup. Every time she leaned my direction, I couldn’t repress the flinch. “Pumpkin is a good point. We should go camping again, and carve pumpkins.”

I could almost feel my ears pick up. “You mean like jack-o-lanterns?”

“Duhhhhh,” she scooped up a large enough bite to convince me it probably wasn’t toxic. “I know we can’t have open flames in the lab, but we can still put emitters in them.”

“Where are we even going to get pumpkins in time?” Neither woman would look at me. “What did y’all do?”  I sighed.

“We did nothing,” Tyche insisted, chin jutting out stubbornly. “Now Sam….”

An audible smack sounded when I dropped my forehead to my palm. “How big?”

Charly gave me the widest puppy-dog eyes she could. “How big are what?”

“The pumpkins…”

“Pretty big,” Tyche smirked. “I don’t think I’ve seen even you carve any this big, honestly.”

I wasn’t a professional carver by any means, or even competitive, but I had done some pretty big ones in the past, so I was a little excited to see these.

 A couple nights later, sure enough, several of us were carrying our camping gear to the now-less-eerie clearing where our previous camping trip had taken place.  Even though Sam had decided not to join us, we were greeted by the sight of six enormous pumpkins around the edges of the space.  In awe, I approached one and ran my hand over it - I actually had to lift my hand, seeing as the thing came nearly up to my hips. “How long has he been growing these?” I asked.

“Just over three months?” Conor huffed, setting down our gear. “The things love our best guess of Von’s environment, turns out.”

“No shit,” I whispered before clearing my throat. “I don’t think we have large enough containers for the guts and everything in these.”  The deal with camping in the Lab was that we had to take out everything brought in with or for us.  While Grey agreed to allow the jack-o-lanterns to decorate the area for the next two weeks - ostensibly as a study of decomposition - if we couldn’t remove the waste from the pumpkins, we couldn’t carve them.

Something that felt like plastic beaned me in the face. While I rubbed my face, I glanced down at my feet where whatever-it-was fell. 

Maverick started apologizing before I could figure out what I was looking at. “Oh god, Sophia, I’m sorry! I meant to toss that on top of the pumpkin!”

With a joking scowl, I glanced at the vegetable between us. “How bad does your aim have to be to miss that thing?”

“Are you okay?”

“Only if you tell me what just hit me in the forehead?”  I tried leaning over to pick them up again, but Conor beat me to it.

“They’re composting bags,” Maverick admitted. “I brought them just in case. They were the only thing large enough and portable enough to at least get in here.”

“It looks like a roll of garbage bags,” Simon pointed out skeptically, poking the roll of pseudo-plastic Conor was holding.

Conor smiled and shrugged. “Pretty similar.”

Soon, we were spreading out and setting up our gear in  a familiar pattern. Just as the last bit of gear was stuffed into the tents or spread on the ground, Antoine’s head snapped up and over his shoulder. “Does anyone else hear that?”

Silence fell as we strained our ears to listen.  The others started looking around, searching for something, before I was able to actually catch what they were hearing.  Finally, I was able to hear what sounded like music, but it was in a minor key that sent shivers up my spine.  It was another minute or so before I could make out words drifting through the trees. 

“ -  a year, and then

A few weeks, doubled, and tripled again,

A fire was struck by a warrior’s band

Meant for food, warmth, and a place to stand”

“What the - “ Tyche started wandering toward the music, clearly expecting us to follow. “It’s beautiful, but so sad.”

Reluctantly, I followed, reminding myself that this was a lab, that the faerie ring we were standing in was manufactured as a prank.

 “Yet one bough too many was placed inside

The flames roared to life as they screamed and cried

Tore down the trees as the warriors fled

And only ceased by the river’s bed

 The warriors slain, charred skulls and bone

Have remained in the forest for years, alone

Yet a magic imbued in their ashen remains

That entered a child who hid in great pain”

 I glanced over my shoulder, and saw about half our group behind me, including - “Arthur, why do you have your sword?”

“Because it’s steel,” he shrugged, like that actually answered my question. “Which means it has iron in it, and we’re in space, so any fucked up space-fae might not know the difference.”

 “In order to warn those who may stay

In the trees embrace, and walk away

The girl reads the thoughts of those who stand

On the ashes of noses, bowels, and hands

 She sends them away with a haunted scream

That tears into souls with a power unseen

No one has entered who has not fled

Only to drown in the river’s bed”

 Because that line was reassuring as I realized we were getting toward the artificial lake. Totally want to hear about drowning in a river bed, on a Halloween camping trip, sang by a creepy voice I didn’t recognize.  A voice that we were steadily getting closer to, no less.

 “For what place is safer from fire and flame

Than the rushing of water, a power untamed

The danger evaded, the human is saved

As their lungs are filled with a liquid depraved

 To step foot in the forest is to invite death

For though the child has drawn their last breath…”

 Tyche came to a sudden stop, both hands abruptly on her hips.  She glanced back at me, one eyebrow arched, and twitched her head toward the lake.  The voice was incredibly close to us at this point, so I peeked past her as carefully as I could.

Even in the low light of the BioLab during simulated-night, I saw a bright gleam of silver trailing through the water, interrupted only by a thick, red-gold cable draped halfway down.

“Their soul remains as though chained to the ground,” Nixe smiled with her eyes as she wound the song to a close. “And they’ll tear you apart until you are drowned.”

“Very funny,” Tyche half-scolded. “You did that on purpose.”

A lazy flick of her tail accompanied a cool glance over the surface of the water. “Perhaps,” she replied calmly. “And perhaps not. I often swim at night. And I like to sing, it’s in my nature.”

“But a song about ghosts, and vengeance, and drowning?”

“I’m a siren, Administrator Reid.” A bright flash of teeth that my brain told me were sharper than I knew they were. “All of my songs are about love, and revenge, and how else do sirens take revenge?” Another lazy splash. “I can’t exactly burn people at a pyre.”

“I loved it!” Charly spoke up from behind me. “We’re camping for Halloween, so it was perfect!” I had to admit, at least to myself, that she had a point.

Apparently I wasn’t the only one. From over my shoulder, I heard Arthur murmur “Siren or not, you’re insane.” A brief pause. “But I love the spooky music…”

I couldn’t be certain that she heard the comment, but Nixe’s eyes suddenly snapped over my shoulder to the side where it sounded like Arthur was standing. “Iron has no effect on me, Educator,” she stated firmly, flicking her tail to make a point. “But I mean none of you any harm, so please put the blade away. One near-death experience is plenty, thank you.”

A metallic rasp told me Arthur had acquiesced. “Apologies, I didn’t know it was you.”

“Were it anyone else, you still wouldn’t need that sword.” She tilted her head. “I would be there first.”

“Okay!” I interrupted, trying to break the tension. “Nixe, we’re camping and carving pumpkins.  Did you want to join us?”

Another smile, this one less terrifying. “I appreciate the invitation, but I have plans tonight.  I do apologize for interrupting your evening.”

“We were just surprised,” Charly explained. “But it was beautiful and perfect and thank you!”

With a nod, Nixe turned her body toward the artificial lake. “I am glad the song was appreciated.  Good night.”

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[occasionally-writing]

Alec’s First Halloween

A/N: Whelp, Flufftober is finally over for me. It was fun and a lot of work and I decided to go out with a bang with a malec fanfic! This malec is from the books and the graphic novel! Just letting everyone know so there’s no confusion on why Alec has blue eyes in here. I hope everyone enjoys the fanfic and for now, I will be taking a small break until I begin writing again! Thanks so much for all the nice things you guys said here and on ao3 during my time working on Flufftober! Enjoy the fanfic! :D <3

Summary: When Alec goes to Magnus’ loft during Halloween, he comes in contact with the celebrating Warlock, who teaches him some valuable things for celebrating Halloween. 

Word Count: 1932

It was Halloween night. To Mundanes, it was supposed to be a night full of fun. People dressing up as the monsters the Shadowhunters would most likely hunt while getting candy from going to houses for trick or treating. Others threw supposingly fun parties but it all seemed a bit much to Alec...until he met Magnus. The Warlock was known for his extravagant parties and it being Halloween, Alec just knew that the Warlock was most likely planning something for the special night. Or...so he thought. Letting out a sigh as he passed more young Mundanes, Alec strolled into Magnus’ loft and raised his eyebrows at all the decorations his boyfriend had put on his door. It included flashing orange and purple lights along with what looked like zombies and mummies plastered on the word door. Rolling his eyes fondly, Alec took out his key and opened the apartment, reeling back in shock as he got blasted in the face with a cloud of fog from a fog machine.

“Magnus? What the hell?” Alec grumbled, waving the fog out of his face before he entered the loft, closing the door behind him tightly. The last thing they needed was to have the smoke get into the hallway and cause a panic among the Warlock’s neighbors. Glancing around the heavily decorated loft, Alec rubbed the back of his neck as the song, ‘Monster Mash’ was loudly playing around the room, literally vibrating the floor. He really hoped that Magnus put up a silencing spell or else...yeah. Stepping further into the loft, Alec called out for Magnus again until a voice called for him from the kitchen. “Magnus, is this much fog really necessary? It seriously looks like there’s a fire in your loft.”

“Aw, Alexander. Of course it’s necessary! It’s Halloween, ya know?” Magnus cheered, finishing up the last of the ingredients he needed for his special spooky punch. Stirring the liquid with a ladle, Magnus snapped up a little spoon and took a sample of it, humming as the sweet beverage coated his taste buds.  Letting out a fond sigh at this, Alec moved closer to his boyfriend and pressed into his side, staring into the plastic black cauldron as he examined the orange and fizzy concoction. Holding out the ladle, Magnus raised his brows as he waited for Alec to give the punch a taste. “Go on, it won’t bite!”

Staring at Magnus, Alec knew that his boyfriend wouldn’t give up unless he did what he said, so with a grumble, Alec allowed Mangus to give him some of the punch before he swallowed and closed his eyes, letting the sweet flavor come over him. It wasn’t that bad! Opening his eyes, Alec huffed when he noticed the smirk on Magnus’ face before he shyly leaned in and pressed a kiss to the Warlock’s face. Placing the ladle back in the cauldron, Magnus placed his hands on Alec’s waist while Alec wrapped his arms around his neck, bringing them closer while deepening the kiss. Pulling away with a pat to his boyfriend’s waist, Magnus pressed another kiss to Alec’s nose before he smiled at the flush that filling Alec’s cheeks.

“Come on, let’s have a little fun. Just you and me, okay?” Magnus asked, rubbing his thumb across Alec’s hips, hoping that his boyfriend would say yes. He knew that Shadowhunters  typically didn’t really celebrate many holidays and Halloween was including one of those holidays. Pulling Alec closer, Magnus pressed their foreheads together and gave his boyfriend a puppy eyed look, not feeling sorry for basically begging him. Rolling his eyes at the look he was getting, Alec sighed before he nodded, stepping back in shock as Magnus cheered and gave him a grin. “You won’t regret it! I have so much planned! But first, let’s decorate a little more okay? I have some fake spiders I’d love to hang around!”

“Okay...but if one fake spider ends up in my hair while we’re decorating, I swear I will punch you,” Alec muttered, shooting his boyfriend a warning glare that made the Warlock chuckle. Alec was a Shadowhunter and he fought many terrifying things, but spiders? Shaking the thought away, Magnus nodded and reassured him that he wouldn’t let him handle the spiders. Keeping his word, Magnus took all the spiders out of the bin while Alec handled the rest of the things. Using magic to have the spider hang from the ceiling, Magnus turned around once he was finished and noticed that Alec was tapping his foot to his spooky playlist while he finished up putting the jack o lanterns on the tables and plugging them in. “I think I’m done...what do you have planned next?”

Clapping his hands excitedly, Magnus cleared his throat before he summoned two pumpkins from who knows where, along with some pumpkin carving tools and a large bowl for the seeds. Arching a brow at this, Alec stood still as Magnus scattered some newspapers on the wood floor before he plopped down next to a pumpkin, looking up at Alec with a sparkle in his eyes. Blinking, Alec glanced around before he slowly moved towards Magnus, sitting down next to him as he pulled the free pumpkin towards himself. Handing Alec a marker, Magnus got one for himself before he got to work, making a cute design on the pumpkin’s bumpy skin. Peering to his side, Magnus frowned as he noticed that Alec hadn’t started and was only staring at him as he worked. 

“Aren’t you going to carve it? Unless...do you know what we’re doing?” Magnus asked, capping his marker for a moment so he could give his boyfriend his undivided attention. Flushing slightly as he was caught, Alec bit his lip and shook his head, staring at the marker in his hands as he fiddled with it. Frowning, Magnus hummed before he scooted closer to Alec, placing his chin on his shoulder as he thought about how he should explain it. Pressing a kiss to said shoulder, Magnus smiled and reached for Alec’s hand that was holding the marker, stopping the fidgeting. “Well, we’re going to carve these pumpkins. We’re going to separate the seeds from the guts and after we’re done making designs on the pumpkins, we’re going to clean and bake the seeds.”

“Oh...okay, I can do that,” Alec mumbled, shooting Magnus a thankful smile before he pressed a kiss to his lips, picking up the marker as the two of them finally got to work. Not really knowing what kind of face to make on his pumpkin, Alex furrowed his brows as he worked before he came up with an okay looking face. Turning his eyes to his boyfriend, Alec observed as Magnus grabbed the big carving tool and started cutting around the stem. Doing the same, Alec let the ends meet before he pulled the stem, watching as the top came out and the gooey orange cuts dangled from it. Cracking up at the disgusted look Alec let slip, Magnus grabbed the carving spoon before he got to work. “Do we really have to put our hand in that...stuff?”

Chuckling, Magnus shot Alec an amused look before he nodded, turning his attention back to his pumpkin as he spooned the guts out, separating the seeds with his own hands before he tossed them in the bowl. Shuddering slightly at the thought, Alec swallowed the lump in his throat before he grabbed the spoon, slowly slipping his hand in the pumpkin. Biting his lip to hide his laughter, Magnus watched as Alec scooped the guts and seeds out, hesitantly touching the slimy guts so he could get the seeds. It wasn’t long before the guts finally didn’t phase the Shadowhunter as he dropped the spoon and scooped the rest of the seeds out with his hand, sliding them into the bowl just as Magnus finished up cleaning out his pumpkin.

“Okay...now what do we do?” Alec asked, flicking the guts that stuck to his fingers onto the newspaper as Magnus stood up and picked up the bowl. Waving Alec into the kitchen, Magnus told him to quickly wash his hands while he took care of the seeds, letting cold water rinse over them, getting rid of any of the pumpkin guts that were stubbornly still sticking to them. Once he was sure the guts were cleared from the seeds, Magnus placed the seeds aside and washed his own hands, shooting Alec a smile once he noticed his boyfriend was waiting for him. Lacing their hands together, Magnus pulled Alec back into the living room and allowed him to lift the pumpkins off the dirty newspaper, snapping them away and into the garbage. “Do we start to carve now?”

“Yep, we start carving. Now be careful, and make sure to stick to the lines of the design you made,” Magnus instructed, putting more newspaper down before they sat back down, pulling their pumpkins close as they grabbed their tools. Letting out a hum as he listened to Magnus, Alec grabbed the small carving knife and began to slice around the design he drew on earlier. Doing the same with his own, Magnus squinted his eyes in concentration, letting the only sound around them be the music and the sawing noises from the tools they were using. It took a bit, but after he finished, Magnus put the tool down and wiped the sweat from his brow, pushing the pumpkin back to examine his work. “Not bad if I do say so myself! What do you think, Alexander?”

“Woah...that’s amazing, Magnus! While mine is um…” Alec mumbled, scratching his cheek as he compared his pumpkin to Magnus’. Cocking his head to the side, Magnus scooted towards Alec and got a good look at the design Alec had carved out. Looking away from the pumpkin as Magnus looked over it, Alec expected to hear his boyfriend laugh at him but when nothing came out of him, Alec slowly turned to face him again. Seeing the soft smile on his face, Alec sighed in relief before hands cupped his face, gaining his attention. “M-Magnus?”

“Your pumpkin carving skills are kinda low, but don’t worry it was your first time, okay?” Magnus whispered, shooting his boyfriend another smile as he pressed a kiss to his lips, blue eyes meeting yellow cat-like ones. Pulling away after a moment, Alec grinned shyly and nodded, turning his attention back to their pumpkins. If he was being honest, he was actually quite proud at how his pumpkin turned out. Letting go of Alec, Magnus stood up and nodded, snapping away the newspaper again before he picked up his own pumpkin. “And if I’m being honest, your pumpkin’s face is such a mood. Now come on, let’s place these out in the hallway near the door.”

Chuckling softly, Alec nodded and stood up, picking up his pumpkin as he followed Magnus. Putting their jack o lanterns outside the door on each side, the two stepped back and chuckled as they examined Alec’s pumpkin. Wrapping his arms around Alec’s neck, Magnus pressed a kiss to his boyfriend cheeks before he pulled him back inside the fogged up room. It was time to have some punch and get the seeds ready to be put in the oven. Letting Magnus pull him, Alec couldn’t help the soft smile that rose on his face. If he was really being honest, Alec knew that he wouldn’t mind celebrating Halloween as long as Magnus was with him.

[cowboyguts-moved]

how would your ocs get into the halloween spirit ?

wow what a great question (: 

sooo Lewis my baby always needs help with halloween especially around the time that he’s new in mystic overhang which is the fictional town part of our ocs live in. he needs help because he isn’t accustomed to the ways of halloween! he’s never celebrated it before he was 18 because of the very conservative and abusive way he grew up in his commune… so chris, his boyfriend will take him to stores to look at decorations and thrift shops for costumes and explain something about halloween that he hasn’t already gone over and lewis is really excited about it because dressing up for no fucking reason sounds weird and like it could be made up almost but he’s easily swayed into believing stuff because he’s a liiittle gullible, and he tends to go along with what other people want to do because he has trouble thinking for himself. so chris will suggest costumes until lewis likes the sound of one (he goes as frankenstein’s monster the first year he’s in the town in 1989 even though he doesn’t know what frankenstein is (: HFJBSFDJ it’s a simple costume and he loves the thought of being painted green and having cute pants with patches on them. and his hair at that point is already really short and PURPLE so (:) basically what he does the first few years is follow chris’ lead in costumes, decorating, candy buying, and going to parties and mistakenly drinking spiked punch!!! there’s also an annual mystic overhang halloween festival they go to that some people mysteriously disappear at (: that’s cause their town has a lot of dark secrets and happenings and something Peculiar is going on within it ha ha…. 

let’s see. church’s favorite holiday is halloween!! he’s a very morbid dude and he’s obsessed with the occult and aliens. i think he has specific music that reminds him of halloween from his childhood that he always plays… he loves music and i have a whole playlist for him (for chris, lewis and mikael as well) so he locks himself in his room at the trailer he and his brother live in and he blares it while he eats a hotpocket and stares at his ceiling that’s crossed with banners and streamers for halloween and theres a big ceiling light shining down on his face but he’s sleepy and content and the weather coming in from the small open window is cold and pushing the decorations around. he probably has books that get him in the mood too and he’s an avid reader, anything from bigger college books to Goosebumps really he just loves to absorb that stuff. church is a fly by the seat of his pants kinda boy, his plans are made On halloween night. he’s pretty cool and people like him and he gets invited or welcome to everything and it’s likely cause he smokes weed there HHHSDFHJ and that always gets you friends at those things. church is very dedicated to halloween though its important to him that it feels right and he follows his own traditions and some from being a kid. the right foods, the right decorations, music, books, pumpkin carving, summoning spirits in the living room and the like. after a few years he doesn’t put energy into much because he’s a generally SUPER depressed person and very cynical and angry but i think he always tries at least a little with halloween. uhh when tristan drew him in a halloween costume months ago he was a clown (: big surprise that i wanted him to be that

tan the man ie tanner works at a haunted house on halloween and amiyah, his gf does his makeup. he works there with other hockey players, his friends and does it all through mid september to halloween, i think he kinda has to? because he’s in hockey… but he loves it. he looks all bloody and decayed and carries a fake axe and he has overalls on its very cute (: but he’s very cold. i think in general tanner loves halloween especially how it revolves around the stuff he loves like d&d, lord of the rings, other nerd shit because there’s halloween themed stuff and editions of things etc that he’s apart of. and he also likes witch craft because his mom does and i feel like they have SUPER weird halloween traditions his mom makes them do but tanner secretly loves, i can’t even think of any right now except maybe salt circles where they all (him and his siblings) sit and hold hands and make mixtures for the pagan god and goddess. but there’s many others and he’s done them since he was a damn Baby so he loves it. 

tristan answered for his boys and girl (:

Chris:

okokokok so fuckhole chris has lived in mystic overhang for his entire life so he’s always been aware of the strange happenings in the town and he Loves it. he’s always loved spooky things like that, so when halloween comes around it’s important to him not only to celebrate it but to Feel it and Experience it within the creepy town that they already live in. he obviously spends it with lewis, and he helps lewis find what he wants to wear and be and i think thats his favorite part. but when it’s His turn, he really gets into it and he goes full out whether its dressing up in drag and being a naughty nurse with his puffed out curly wig and ruby red lipstick and the prettiest red pumps….. or even if it’s just a simple grey shimmer dress that cuts off at his mid thighs and shows his asscheeks a little because hes a whore and he likes that with little pink lace undies underneath so that he can flash lewis his grade a tuck job from across the room. he loves to decorate, too, i think. he likes to listen to certain records that remind him of october as well, dancing to them in his basement with lewis. and he loves to go to the parades with lewis too and the parties just to get drunk off his ass on bad beer and kisses ( the chocolate, too (: )

mikael:

HAHA okay now mikael, chris and lewis’ friend….. likes to get high. he loves to get high on halloween and dress up as serial killers! like jason and freddy and michael meyers. he likes to scare kylo a lot, and especially ben because ben gets so tense and spooked on halloween night which mikael thinks is FUCKING hilarious (kylo nd ben are their other friends we love them). he enjoys halloween, but i don’t think it’s his favorite holiday. he does visit church during, though, (church and him have a thing (; ) and i think he’s the one who always invites him out because he wants to go places with him during the cold candy filled night and smoke weed and eat kitkat bars under a bridge that has three homeless dudes playing flapjack under it. he enjoys seeing everyone’s costumes, i think because it reminds him of his foster home and when he’d gaze at all of his foster siblings in their own costumes ranging from princesses and angels to zombies and mad scientists and everyone had smiles on their young faces. 

amiyah:

amiyah LOVES to go all out for halloween, starting october 1st. she decorates her house and ignores the protests from her father, spiderwebs in the kitchen archway and pumpkin baskets full of candy on every surface that a hand can get to. she loves to take her brother out trick or treating on halloween, too. tanner joins her (and i think they did this even before they dated) and they all three go door to door and get candy. amiyah usually dresses up as some mythological or medieval thing, like elf princesses and witchy warlocks. shes also kind of a nerd when it comes to those things, but she’s much more quiet about it than tanner is. her and her brother watch a lot of scary movies together, too, to get into spirit. i think each year they have strict guidelines retaining to the movies they watch so that they HAVE to watch one each night of October or else it ruins the tradition.  criminal, their pet raccoon, will join them in their endeavor obviously. sometimes amiyah dresses him up too, no matter how many times he’ll try to hiss and bite at her (:

[ofcloudsandstars]

✧ *.🎃Samhain Solitary Rituals🎃*✧

As the air grows cooler and the winds begin to howl and rip the dead leaves from trees, we know the veil is thin and Samhain is near! After the equinox, which was equal parts night and day, Samhain marks the time of the wheel that we descend into the darker half of the year. It's this time of the year that communication and connection to the spirit world is a lot easier and we've grown accustomed to making wards to protect the home from malevolent energy in the form of jack o lanterns and lights. On a positive note it is a time to leave out treats and foods for passed away loved ones and to remember them. It's the final harvest full of well spiced comfort autumn foods as well as a 'New Year' since it's a sabbat that honors the natural cycle of death and sees it as a form of transformation.

A lot of us witches practice alone and have our own solitary rituals for each sabbat that we observe (or the ones we’ve created just for ourselves that we observe alone!) Like any solitary eclectic witch I do things my own different way but some of these things might line up with others practices. I do refer to some of the equinoxes/solstices/crossquarters by their celtic sabbat names but I celebrate them in a secular animist way and treat the wheel of the year I celebrate as more of an argrarian cycle and celebrating nature. I use sabbat names as a point of reference and also people that do celebrate these witches sabbats more traditionally might find value in my personal practice!  Here is my personal correspondences post and my personal samhain tag!

When I am alone and casting spells a lot of it is visualization/intent so my solitary rituals are more like activities I like to do then specifically casting a spell. If I am doing a spell with an activity based on it a lot would be listening to music to get in the mood and focusing on a candle while visualizing for a period of time! Eves are also important to my celebration as I like to stay up until midnight and cast a spell then!

Hallow's Eve

Tuesday October 31st 2017

Dressing up in your most witchiest Ok every year I'm a witch, whether it's just a lazy witch in my black clothing or an over the top kitschy witch with colorful hair and electric colored make up, but I just like to have these looks casually on Halloween day cause its amazing and a chance for me to be myself!

Pumpkin Carving! If you haven't already tonight is definitely the night for pumpkin carving! Write sigils inside your pumpkin for protective magic. I love this DIY for a pumpkin indoor lantern cause it shows how to rub spices like cinnamon and nutmeg inside to achieve that sent of pumpkin pie in the home. Use electric candles instead of flame if you want it to last the night since the flame's heat will cook the pumpkin.

Mini Pumpkin Tea lights Also an easier alternative to carving if you don't have much time. Even gutting the mini pumpkins takes a lot of time for me but doing so and filling them with a black tea light will make an excellent centerpiece either for your altar or feast table!

Making Candy Apples I associate candy coated sweet red apples with halloween (and caramel/maple sugar on granny smith for mabon) and I love how you can make the candy various colors like a poisonous black or vibrant blood red!

Setting sweets aside for spirits So everyone has spirits that chill with them and it would be great to show appreciation for the positive spirits that surround you. Set some sweets on a dish and make a tiny altar for them in your space.

Enjoying sweets while doing crafts! Enjoy some of that halloween candy for yourself! My favorite treats on this night are chocolate coated donuts, reeses cups, cider sugar donuts, red licorice and apple cider.

Watching a spooky or Halloween themed movie Or halloween themed film. My favorite will always be the 80s halloween special The Worst Witch with Tim curry. I watch it religiously.

Spirit Contact I wouldn't suggest using an Ouija board or doing any communication with spirits if you have never had experience. They can be rude and harass you, YET if you are experienced and know how to guard yourself, then this is a great night to play with an ouija board! (PS I think Ouija Girl has a great informative blog about working with ouija boards. Here is her FAQ page. But still, it's always better to do work with a medium or someone with experience than trying to figure it out alone). A safer experience for someone with no spirit communication experience is attending a seance! In NYC there are a few mediums that hold seances monthly. I love the one at Catland in Brooklyn, the mediums that host the event there are fantastic. It might be hard to attend an authentic one on Halloween night since a lot of people will want to just try to cash in on creating a 'spooky' experience, but if you really want, try to get in contact with mediums and ask if they host any seance events. Important to know: usually the spirits that chill around you are guides and family and they might have more info to give you then you might be ready for. My first seance I really don't know what to do with the info given to me but I really hope I make the best of it and don't mess anything up.

Witches Flight This is like an extension of the previous point where if you have never done this before just completely disregard this suggestion cause flying is dangerous. For many years witches have flown on Halloween night to other realms using flying ointments.

Protective Magic: Finally, protect yourself from the high spirit activity with crystals like black tourmaline, obsidian and spirit quartz. Do protective spells for any cats you see or live with especially black cats since they tend to be targets.   

Midnight Spell:

This sabbat honors the natural cycle of death and transformation. Focus on what you want to transform in your life. Magic on this night is very powerful so think about it before hand and make sure it is what you want for if you ask to transform something, you might find a lot of endings that suddenly occur in your life to lead to the transformations that you want. (There was a conversation on here I can no longer find but it was put  really nicely that death is not just some simple 'transformative' process it can be very drastic, often very uncomfortable and if you are not ready though you ask for something to change, you might not be ready for the new obstacles that will be thrown at you. Just know that you will be ready for what you ask for.)

Some spell activities can be shuffling the deck visualizing what you want to change and then finding the death card and seeing the card that follows will be your answer to seek how you can further bring that transformation closer.

I'm a mixologist and enjoy working with liquor for rituals. I find fire to be a great transformer yet instead of burning something I prefer blessing a shot of whiskey or absinthe with my intent then taking it like liquid fire to transform me within. If you do not like alcohol or can not drink it for whatever reason you can perform this with hot apple cider instead!

Samhain Day

Wednesday, November 1st 2017

Upon the day I like to dress in complete black. My makeup is very dark and I wear long black dresses and veils. Depending on how you want to honor the dead, dress how you wish.

Gravesweeping Visit your loved ones on this day and leave flowers and gifts on their grave! If you want you can also visit any cemetery, yet make sure to practice good graveyard etiquette. Leave a penny by the gate, do not sit or lean on any tomb stones, of course don't take anything from a grave. Be respectful of those whom are resting.

Close Your Garden This is a time to close the garden for the winter to come. Harvest the last fruits and herbs and bring in any delicate potted plants within the home.

Shadow Work Especially if you are looking to transform some aspect of your life this is a great time to do shadow work and look within if you are creating any obstacles for yourself. Get to know your shadow self, get to solve problems together. This is also an excellent day for divination and scrying.

Meditation and Energy Work by the base of a tree I love to do energy work on the days of the sabbats yet as the earth grows colder, the roots dig deeper and the world goes into hibernation. Sit at the base of a tree preferably with thick roots and feel it's connection to the cold earth beneath you. Dig into yourself and see what needs to rest and what needs to be healed.

Evening Celebratory Feast

So in many practices people like to host a dumb supper but instead I like to have a lively feast where everyone will share a story about someone they loved that passed away or a story of an ancestor in their family. At the end of each tale we toast our glasses to them! (And pour a little bit of drink to them or set aside a snack if they are not into alcohol.)

Hold a feast of rich comfort foods that are spiced and sweet like sweet potato mash, candied brown beans, pumpkin bread, smokey bourbon pulled pork or maple glazed beef brisket, roasted carrots and beets and (I personally love to make baked mac and cheese but its a fall comfort soul food for me). My Samhain feast is abundant with fall soul foods and sweet roots and spices. (here is a fantasy feast post and my personal feast post from last year)

If you are alone (as this is a solitary post), make a few fall dishes you deeply enjoy or cook the favorites of loved relatives that have passed away, eat some sweets and set out some offerings to passed away loved ones.

[serenefreakgeekao3]

Happy Halloween!

[Care For Me compliant! Happy Halloween to all of you! I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get this out today but here it is! The drabble none of you asked for but you’re all getting!] Check this out on Ao3!

Draco stands under the dim light of a flickering streetlamp, pulling his body-length coat tighter across himself. The windy chill blows past, as if immune to his attempts at staving off the cold, and continues down the deserted road to push a few pieces of litter across the concrete. Carved pumpkins sit atop steps that lead to apartments or stores, all glowing faintly with candles on the inside. Halloween decorations were strung up here or there, fake spider webs hanging above a doorway or a skull that lit up in the eyes sitting inside a nearby window. It was eerie, standing here on this popular street while no car drove by, or no pedestrian walked by and bumped his arm mumbling a soft ‘excuse me.’ He shivered, not just from the cold but from the odd feeling he felt while being surrounded by this creepy exterior.

“Boo!” A loud sound erupted from behind him and Draco jumped, spinning and stumbling back a little as his gaze falls on a white face, black slits where the eyes are. He stumbles and begins to fall once he hits the edge of the sidewalk, the step down onto the street, and he throws his hands out to find purchase on something to stop him from landing flat on his butt. At the same time that his hand lands on the metal pole of the streetlamp, the other comes across a large arm, grabbing a hold to steady himself as another arm, one that isn’t his, wraps around his waist and pulls him forward to steady himself. “Careful, I don’t mean to kill you.”

It took a moment of his beating heart and erratic breathing to take in what had just happened. The man in front of him wasn’t just a monster with a white face, but a man wearing a ski mask laughing softly underneath. He took this in, glancing down to the arm wrapped around his waist, and noticed the grip and the familiar sounding voice he knows all too well. “Damn it, Harry, you scared me half to death.”

“I noticed,” Harry replied, using his free hand to remove his mask and laughed once again, a bright smile plastered across his face. “I hadn’t meant to knock you over with my shout, like that one video game- what was it, Skyrim? Am I a Dragonborn now?” He chuckled again as Draco scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“I’ll ask Blaise, he’s the gamer, not me,” Draco responded, righting his footing and taking a step away from Harry’s grasp. Harry frowned when he dropped his arm as if he didn’t want to let go.

“Well, your roommate certainly loves to go on and on about it all.” He mumbles, taking the step Draco took away, toward him to close the distance once again, reaching down to take Draco’s hand. Draco just scoffs in return, narrowing a glare at him, though not withdrawing his hand.

“You scared me. I’m not forgiving you.” Draco mumbled, leaning forward slowly as if he couldn’t resist a magnetic pull toward him, breathing in a clove spiciness of his cologne.

“You admit to being scared? I’ll never forget this moment.” Harry mumbled, then laughed when Draco playfully pushed his shoulder.

“You’re a right arse.”

“You both are, now, are we ready?” The female's voice behind him had him sigh and lean forward, placing a peck of a kiss on Harry’s cheek before turning around and leveling a glare in Pansy’s direction.

“Where exactly are we heading to again?” He asked, squeezing Harry’s hand slightly before letting go to pull his coat tighter against himself. He took in her costume, a rather revealing outfit that was probably sold in an ‘adults’ store. She had half a button-up shirt, exposing her stomach and back, with a tie hanging all the way down to touch an even shorter skirt. Thankfully she had leggings that stretched all the way from under the skirt into her knee-high black boots otherwise she might have died from hypothermia.

“A party in the woods,” She mumbled, rolling her eyes, though smiling once Luna laced their fingers together. He took in Luna’s costume this time, it’s multitude of colours almost blinding him. Beads and ribbons hung from her hair, her clothes were loose and flowing, the fabric looks like a million different squares stitched together to form a dress with a belt around her waist to hold it together.

“It’s going to be fun. We’re going to drink and practice witchcraft. Today is the most filled with magic, they say.” Luna speaks almost dreamily, smiling up toward Pansy before raking her gaze across the two boys. When Harry speaks, he turns and takes in his boyfriend’s simple costume, a long black coat with a white ski mask.

“Okay wait,” He mumbles, holding up his hands and motioning to each person as he speaks, “A lawyer, a gypsy, and a doctor?” Draco pulls his white coat closer against his body. “Are we supposed to dress up as our wanted professions? Because if I got that memo I definitely wouldn’t have dressed up as a serial killer.” This caused a round of laughter before it tapered off, Draco leaning into his boyfriend and sighing as he took in the sight of his friends.

“You look utterly ridiculous Pansy.” Not having anything else to say, Draco settled on that to end the silence. She just shrugged and grinned, glancing down at Luna and placing a kiss on her head.

“Let’s get going then!” Luna said cheerfully, pulling Pansy with her as she began walking down the sidewalk ahead, Draco taking Harry’s hand as they fell into step behind the ladies.

The walk was silent for the most part, with a passing car honk or yelling in the distance, the occasional scream that Draco hoped was because of some Halloween prank and not a murder until Harry began whispering next to him. “I can’t believe it’s almost been a year since we got together.”

Draco rolled his eyes at the sappy tone Harry had, though tightened his hand on Harry’s. “Yeah, I’m surprised I haven’t broken it off with you either, considering how annoying you are,” Draco mumbled back in a teasing tone, a huff of a laugh escaping from Harry.

“You know what I mean,” He mumbled in return, pressing closer against Draco as they walked, “It hasn’t felt like a lot of time has gone by, is all.” Draco didn’t bother to answer, only walking in silence and listening to mumbled whispers from their friends ahead of them. He was glad that they were still together actually, that they had lasted this long. He fell quickly for the boy, though steadily after the first month of it. He honestly couldn’t picture his life without Harry in it now, and that was equally pleasing and scary.

“Do you really want to join the police force after graduation?” Draco mumbled, quieter than before and hoped afterward that Harry hadn’t heard it. Though, he knew he did when he felt a stiff posture beside him and a ragged sigh.

“We’ve talked about this already, Draco.” Fought about it before, was more like it, Draco thought to himself as he sagged slightly. He could easily picture Harry jumping into the fray of some criminal ring, shooting the bad guys and saving innocents. He could easily picture it, but he could just as easily picture Harry getting shot and ending up in the hospital, or worse. He didn’t want to lose Harry, there was too much risk in this. But after the countless arguments and the recent one ending in Draco crying against Harry’s chest he couldn’t muster up the energy for this, especially not on a holiday.

“Right then, sorry,” Draco mumbled, shrugging as they walked. Suddenly, Harry stopped and turned Draco toward him, leaning to press a quick but meaningful kiss against Draco’s lips. After a moment they were back to walking after their friends and Draco huffed, his cheeks flushed after the kiss even if it was normal or commonplace to do so now. He could never get used to Harry.

Soon after they turned down an alleyway, and Draco lifted his eyebrows as he noticed a treeline ahead of them. He had never noticed this before, and it was strange considering they were in the middle of the city. Was this some kind of park? They stepped out of the alley through the other side and into the trees and a weird feeling passed over him as if he was stepping through some kind of portal into nature itself. He glanced at Harry and wiggled slightly to show his discomfort and the face Harry pulled showed that he felt the same way. They glanced back to Pansy and Luna, who both seemed to be perfectly fine.

“Is this some kind of park?” Draco mumbled loudly toward them, glancing up toward the trees that now surrounded them, the canopy not revealing any sign of the sky. Luna just laughed gracefully in response, though the question fell unanswered. They continued walking and Draco pushed himself lightly against Harry, squeezing his hand and using his other to place on Harry’s elbow. Harry squeezed back, squaring up slightly as if it was his natural instinct to protect Draco from unknown dangers.

The air was quiet, filled with hoots from unseen owls or the chirping of crickets underfoot or nearby, and the chill Draco was accustomed to seemed to grow colder still as the night pressed on. Soon, they came to a small flicker light in the distance, and as they breached the tree line into a circular clearing they noticed candles placed at odd intervals around to light up the grassy expanse, showing around eight others already in the clearing. A table was set up nearby with many glass bottles of alcohol and a large bowl in the middle with plastic cups surrounding it, a red punch sitting inside that Draco considered was probably alcohol as well. Halloween decorations hung here or there, a fake ghost blowing in the breeze as it hung from a tree limb, a skeleton body lying across the grass toward the middle of the field. Light music was playing through a speaker next to the drinks table, a spooky music with no vocals that drifted through the conversations surrounding them. A few people perked up as they spied Luna, all coming over to hug her and welcome her and her friends to the party.

Costumed ranged from scary green-faced witch to Frankenstein’s monster, with a man dressed as a skeleton lying down next to the decoration and posing for a photo taken by a Harley Quinn copy. Draco pulled on Harry’s hand, nodding his head toward the drink table and grinning, Harry nodding along as well. They headed toward the table, checking out the drinks and discussing them as the witch mentioned before approaches smiling broadly toward them.

“Welcome! I hope you find the assortment to your liking. The party is only just getting started, more guests are to arrive soon, then we’ll begin the festivities.” She said, and as Harry thanked her for the drinks Draco laughed, shaking his head and plucking a red wine cooler from the selection.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the big bad witch? You seem a bit too nice for the job.” Draco mentioned, glancing toward her and smirking and earning an elbow to the rib from Harry. He protested weakly, offering his bottle to Harry to open. The witch laughs in response, nodding and sticking her hand out.

“The name’s Millicent. You’re the folks who came with Luna and Pansy, yeah?” Draco nodded, shaking her head and she just smirked in response. “I assume you’re Draco then.”

“Oh? They told you about me? How insufferable I can be, how rude I seem at first?” Draco suggested, taking the new open bottle and chugging a few drinks of it. The witch just laughs and rolls her eyes toward him.

“Something like that. And you must be Harry,” She grins, sticking her hand out toward him which he immediately shakes. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure’s all mine.” He replies gracefully, smirking toward her before popping open his own bottle and sliding an arm around Draco’s waist. Draco grinned at this obvious show of possessiveness and snuggled against Harry side as he took another few sip from his own bottle. As his boyfriend and the girl exchanged pleasantries, they quickly ended as she went to go greet other guests arriving. Draco finished his bottle, reaching for Harry’s and taking a drink to get a taste of it before placing it back in Harry’s hands.

“Planning to get drunk tonight, babe?” Harry asked, raising his eyebrows as Draco nodded, narrowing his eyes and running his hand over the bottles near him before picking one up at random.

“Why not, when everything is free?” He pressed the bottle against Harry’s chest, grinning at his boyfriend’s surprised laughter.

“You have plenty of money, you can buy any drink you want whenever you want to.” Was Harry’s response as he popped open Draco’s new drink, handing it off to him.

“Yes, yes, but these are free.” He reiterated, grinning and taking a drink of some sparkling orange drink.

The rest of the night progressed fairly evenly with drinks, some dancing here or there, and mingling with people Draco didn’t know but who were equally, if not more, drunk so it turned out to be fun. At one point Draco had wandered back to the drink table, watching Pansy shout out in joy while waving her tie around in the air to some dance playing, laughing and grabbing a drink as he noticed Luna smiling happily as she watched her girlfriend as well. The music had been turned up at one point, now playing slightly haunting but more like dance music now. He leaned over, yelling over the noise. “Having fun?”

“Yeah,” She yelled, bringing her hand up to her mouth and giggling. “You smell distinctly of alcohol.” She noticed in the same loud voice and Draco shrugged.

“Just enjoying the amenities,” Draco grinned, pulling her into a sloppy hug and backing up, “You smell distinctly of not-alcohol?” He phrased it more as a question than her inquiry.

“One of us has to be the sober friend.” She replied, laying her head on his arm. “It’s fun for me, watching you guys have fun.”

“Sure,” He drawled out, rolling his eyes but grinning anyway. Suddenly the witch wandered over, the only one seemingly not drunk, and paused the music causing a few disappointed groans.

“Now, now! Don’t worry! We’re about to do something fun!” She called out, and Luna squealed as if she knew what was about to happen.

“Oh, witchcraft!” Pansy called from the crowd, and Draco rolled his eyes, hugging Luna before backing up and looking for his boyfriend through the crowd.

“Slightly. Alright everyone, form a circle, it’s time to summon a ghost!” There were giggles and groans throughout the crowd, though everyone eventually stumbled into a circle, Draco finally catching Harry and lacing his hand through his boyfriend’s as Pansy and Luna came to stand on Draco’s other side. Everyone began sitting and Draco sighed at the slightly damp grassy floor, but Harry tugged him down anyway.

“Alright everyone, join hands!” Millicent said, grinning and taking the hands of the two beside her, Draco winking at Harry since their hands were already joined and lifting his left hand to join with Pansy’s right. Draco finally noticed that someone had put a crystal ball, a rather large one actually that Draco figured was just plastic, in the middle of the circle. “Okay, now, let’s all close our eyes and clear our thoughts.”

Draco closed his eyes, feeling the pressure in his right hand of Harry’s hand that he’s come to know so well, and the light grip as he held a drunk Pansy on his other side. He tried to clear his head, though his own intoxication seemed to have a mind of its own as random different scenarios flew through his head.

“If there are any spirits that would like to communicate with us, give us a sign.” Draco opened his eyes to Millicent’s words, glancing around the ground as everyone else opened their eyes slowly, most glassy from intoxication as he was. The crystal in the middle flared to life a bright blue colour before fading back to nothing. A few giggles were heard throughout the group, though Millicent just smiled. Draco rolled his eyes, obviously, the thing was battery powered.

“Can you show yourself, spirit?” Millicent asked as the noise died down, and Draco watched the crystal flare to life again, a bright red colour this time. Again Draco shook his head, shooting an amused glance toward Harry which his boyfriend returned. They kept sitting there though, hands clasped.

“I should’ve brought the Ouija board, then we could’ve asked better questions,” Millicent mumbled to some girl on her right, the girl giggling in response. “I give you permission to take over my body during this seance to speak to the party present.”

“Millicent, no,” Luna yelled out, horrified, and a few members chuckle or giggle in response. Draco shifts uneasily, glancing up toward Harry.

“What’s the worse that can happen?” Millicent replies, winking toward Luna before wiggling in her seat and staring at the crystal ball. Everything is silent for a moment before the crystal ball flares a bright blue, brighter than before until it falls unused and Millicent makes a choking sound. Everyone glances over, watching her eyes look up as she makes another sound, shaking slightly before throwing herself around as if she was in a seizure. Some girl to Draco’s right let out a loud shriek, and Draco tightened his grip on Harry’s hand.

“Ah, this feels nice,” Millicent said in a rough, low voice that sounded too scratchy for Draco’s taste.

“Who are you?” Luna asked quickly, almost angrily. Draco felt bad when he glanced away thinking this was fake. It was all just some performance to scare the people present, Draco told himself even as he tightened his grip on Harry’s hand once again.

“My name is Gerard Thompson,” The ‘not’-Millicent said, her head rolling around on her shoulders, her mouth transforming into an evil looking grin. Draco leaned over, feigning nonchalance as he lay against his boyfriend while watching this play out.

“How did you die?” Asked the girl who shrieked to Draco’s right, and Draco huffed, turning his head to breath in Harry’s sent to calm him down. His drunk mind spun in his head, and he wondered briefly if the whole plan was to get everyone drunk so they believed this nonsense. Though the thought quickly washed over as he heard not-Millicent speak again.

“I was murdered. Stabbed thirty-two times and left to bleed in this very forest.” He glanced around and saw a few shudders throughout the crowd, a few faces that either looked nauseous from the thought or possible from the alcohol. It could go either way.

“What do you want from us?” The girl sitting next to Millicent asked, seemingly completely invested in this. Millicent cocks her head to the side in an unnatural way, grinning toward her victim.

“I want revenge on the teenager that left me bleeding here. I want to cause suffering to all young adults wearing costumes this Halloween, mocking me with your liveliness and jovialness.” Millicent screeched out, turning her head and grinning in an evil fashion as she takes in every member of the group. Draco tensed as her gaze fell upon him, though it continued and Draco turned his head again into Harry’s arm. “I want to make you all pay. I want you to suffer. I want to stab you and leave you all bleeding here, with your bodies decaying as nobody finds your bodies for weeks, months even!” She begins cackling, louder and louder under a loud sound of thunder cracked and the crystal ball lit up a bright red, flashing for one moment before it died down, the silence surrounding the circle.

Draco expected laughter or incessant remarks of ‘got you!’ or ‘can’t believe you fell for that!’ But it didn’t appear. He heard Luna sigh to his left and Draco turned his head, burying it obviously now into Harry’s arm. A sigh was heard and there were a few murmurs he couldn’t quite piece together.

“This is a joke, right? Some kind of joke?” He heard a man ask to his right, and Millicent chuckled, her voice still low.

“The best kind of joke. The one where nobody wins.” It was quiet again, and eventually, Draco lifted his head to glance at Millicent, his head swaying on his neck from his still intoxication that hasn’t left him. “Now…”

There was a rustle of trees in the wind and everyone shifted nervously, glancing at each other before looking back to Millicent’s weird grin. The crystal ball was slowly lighting up in front of him, at first he couldn’t tell the colour but as it got brighter, it became obvious it was a dark red colour. It kept growing and growing until the crowd was bathed in the red light, casting an eerie shadow behind them and making Millicent’s green creepy face turn sinister.

“Now,” She repeated in the scratchy voice, “Everyone Must Die!” The thunder sound cracked again and the crystal ball turned off quickly, bathing everyone in a sudden darkness, a few girls and one man screaming as Draco yanked his hand from Pansy, pushing himself into Harry’s chest. It was silent for a moment as everyone blinked to try and adjust their eyes again, and finally, Draco heard the thing that made the most sense since this whole thing started.

Millicent started laughing, loudly, clutching at her stomach and attempting to breathing through his giggling fits. A few others were giggling, obviously knowing of the prank, and others started joining in laughing as they found it funny over time. A few plastic cups were thrown at her and she batted them away pathetically, laughing out a predictable, “You guys’ should’ve seen your faces!”

Draco grumbled angrily, burying his face into Harry’s chest and resigning himself to never leave. “I live here now,” He mumbled drunkenly, breathing in Harry’s spicy scent and a slight tang of strawberry alcohol.

“That’s fine by me,” Harry mumbled in response, leaning down and placing a kiss on top of Draco’s head. Harry’s arms wrapped around Draco securely and Draco smiled, scooting closer to cuddle with his boyfriend.

“Oh, get a room!” Pansy sneered toward them, though Draco replied with a quickly yelled, “No!” and wrapped his arms around Harry’s neck, picking himself up slightly to bury his head into Harry’s neck now, kissing the soft skin.

“That was so fun to do!” He heard Millicent say to someone off to the side and rolled his eyes.

“How’d you do the crystal ball thing?” A man asked, the one dressed as the skeleton.

“Pre-programmed the lights and sounds, and used a remote to click into the next one.” She added between fits of giggles, and Draco just tuned them out. He knew it was battery powered anyway.

“I wasn’t scared,” Draco mumbled into Harry’s neck, kissing the skin again.

“Of course you weren’t,” Harry agreed, nodding as his hand slowly slid upward, taking Draco’s chin and turning Draco to face him. Leaning in slowly they kissed under the half moon, surrounded by laughter and music starting back up. They kissed during Halloween, around friends they never thought they’d make, a happy family that loved each other even if they hardly knew each other yet. And they knew that another happy year was in store for them.

“Happy Halloween, Draco.”

“Happy Halloween, Harry.”

Tag List: @xx-thedarklord-xx @rmh8402 @drarryismymuse @dewitty1 @ramenbahman

[krovscastlerpg]

It's Anon hour, and since this is our last one before Halloween, we've got a mega-sized one for you guys! To participate, simply reblog this post, or post a link to your ask box, have fun!!

*Under the cut you'll find 100 Halloween starters and 100 Halloween questions! I'm sorry for mobile users who can't see what they are, the post was just too long not to put under a read-more, if anyone is on mobile and can't see the list, please send an ask to the main and we'll reblog a non-cut version that will //NOT// be available to be reblogged, please reblog THIS read-more version, thank you!*

Halloween starters

“I promised a reward if you did a couple’s costume with me this year. Well, I’m ready to pay up.”

“I’m not sure how, but you have melted chocolate on your neck. I’ll get it off for you.”

“You scared me, you jerk! Feel how fast my heart is beating.”

“I can’t look! I’m hiding my face in your lap.”  

“Bobbing for apples is so gross. If I’m going to swap spit with a stranger, I’d rather just make out with you.”

“Do you think I can lick my way down to the stick of this lollipop? Can you keep your hands to yourself while I try?”

“This is usually the part in the slasher flick where the horny couple sneaks away from the group… follow me, unless you’re scared.”

“I’ve never seen a sexier costume in my life. Keep it on.”

“They say you feel cold when you’re in the presence of a ghost. What’s it mean when you start getting hot?”

“How hard can you bite with those plastic fangs in your mouth?”

“Halloween is basically an excuse for you to walk the streets in lingerie –and I love every second of it.”

“I’m sorry, babe. Scaring you seemed like a funny idea at the time. Let me make it up to you?”

“The Ouija board just spelled ‘fuck’ and I think we should listen to it.”

​❝ i made pumpkin cookies! want to try one? ❞

❝ did you cut yourself carving the pumpkin? let me see it. ❞

❝ stay still i’m almost done with your costume. ❞

❝ help me decorate! ❞

​❝ it’s chilly out here, you need a coat. take mine. ❞

​❝ you sound sick. are you sick? ❞

​❝ let’s go get hot chocolate then go for a walk. ❞

❝ let’s go jump in the leaves! ❞

​❝ come in here where it’s dry! ❞

​❝ please, enough with the pumpkin spice. ❞

​❝ good morning. no, don’t get up, it’s raining, let’s stay in bed a little longer… ❞

❝ i don’t get scared. i’m practically fearless. ❞

❝ did you hear that? ❞

❝ we have to get out of here! ❞

❝ are you going to hide in my shoulder the whole time? or actually watch the movie? ❞

❝ don’t blame me! it was your idea to come in here! ❞

❝ what are you going as for halloween this year? ❞

❝ i wanna make sure that my jack-o-lantern is the best! ❞

❝ that guy in the gorilla costume has been following us for the past ten minutes. ❞

❝ aww come on! it was a prank! ❞

❝ please, please, PLEASE no scary movie marathon! ❞

❝ that wasn’t funny! ❞

❝ i’m not sure we should go down that hall. ❞

❝ i don’t like these woods. ❞

❝ i just saw something! ❞

❝ look at that intestine cake! ❞

❝ i’m a real vampire. ❞

❝ i made us matching costumes! ❞

❝ i think i just saw something move outside your window…is someone watching us? ❞

❝ did you hear there’s a masquerade ball this halloween? let’s go! ❞

❝ you shouldn’t go out there! ❞

❝ s-scared? me? i’m not..scared. ❞

“What is your greatest fear?”

“Do you dare me?”

“I don’t think we should go in there.”

“This was a horrible idea.”

“Is that really red syrup? Please tell me it’s syrup.”

“What was that noise?’

“I heard that he died right over there.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“Please don’t touch the human remains.”

“I’m calling it. We are lost in the woods.”

“Please take your mask off.”

“What’s that?

“You don’t want to know. Don’t look.”

“I dare you to go in there. Alone.”

“Please don’t leave me here!”

“I don’t want to end up like the others.”

“I never thought I’d fall in love with a werewolf.”

“Anyone who goes there refuses to talk about it afterward.”

“I thought vampires were supposed to burst into flames when they get staked.”

“I can’t stand blood.”

“Do you know any spells to get rid of this thing?”

“I… I think I have fangs.”

“And this is why you shouldn’t screw with the laws of nature.”

“If you wear that ‘this is my costume’ t-shirt, I swear to god…”

“Ew, I hate this flavor. Trade?”

“Stop crying, it was just some dude wrapped in toilet paper!”

“Wow, you sure put too much effort into this holiday.’

“Aren’t you a little old to be trick or treating?”

“I don’t think you should be having that much sugar…”

“Kind of makes me wish something interesting would happen. Like murder.”

“NO. NO OUIJA BOARDS!”

“I’ve seen scarier Hot Topic cashiers.”

“This isn’t right. Where are the slutty male costumes?!”

“No way. People who have sex at parties die on Halloween. That’s just movie logic.”

“Don’t tell me you’re not dressing up for Halloween.”

“It’s the mooost wonderful tiiime of the yeaaaaar~”

“I’m in pumpkin spice hell.”

“How many caramel apples do we need? Two? Twenty? Four hundred? I’m buying four hundred.”

“If you don’t carve pumpkins with me this year, we’re not friends anymore.”

“If you don’t carve pumpkins with me this year, I’m breaking up with you.”

“I drank a gallon of cider all by myself. I regret nothing.”

“Let’s do a couple costume this year.”

“Did you know they used to carve faces on turnips?”

“October is when the creeps come out of hiding. Hence, I am here.”

“Want to have a horror movie marathon with me?”

“You ever realize that the fall smell everyone loves so much is just the scent of dying plants?”

“We need to add more Halloweens to the year. 30 more to be exact.”

“I’m not really superstitious. I think the whole ‘spirits returning to earth’ thing is ridiculous.”

“Whether or not I believe in ghosts, I’m not going to risk it with a Ouija board.”

“You know, there are a lot of spooky legends about this time of year.”

“October is the best time for blankets and [hot beverage of choice].”

“Ah, October. The harvest season. Perfect for harvesting souls.”

“I want a pumpkin spice latte and I don’t care what anyone thinks.”

“I’m still undecided on my Halloween costume this year.”

“I don’t dress up anymore. That’s for kids.”

“Tell me the scariest story you have.”

“Do you want to hear something scary?”

Halloween Asks

Welcome to Dead House - Have you ever moved to a new home?

Stay Out of the Basement - Are you hiding anything…?

Monster Blood - How tall are you? Would you change your height if given the chance?

Say Cheese and Die - What is your favorite photo of yourself? Could you share it?

The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb - Do you believe in curses and bad luck?

Lets Get Invisible - Have you ever wished you could trade places with someone else for a day?

Night of the Living Dummy - Do you constantly try to one-up your siblings? If you don’t have siblings, do you constantly try to one-up other people?

The Girl Who Cried Monster - Can you recall a time that people did not believe you about something, even though you were telling the truth?

Welcome to Camp Nightmare - What lengths have you gone through to pass a test?

The Ghost Next Door - If you could choose how you were going to die, how would you go and why?

The Haunted Mask - What do you consider to be a “symbol of love” in your life?

Be Careful What You Wish For - If you had three wishes, what would they be?

Piano Lessons can be Murder - Do you have any musical talent? What kind of instrument(s) can you play?

The Werewolf of Fever Swamp - Would you adopt a stray animal? Have you?

You Can’t Scare Me - What is your biggest fear?

One Day at Horrorland - Do you enjoy rides? What is your favorite ride?

Why I’m Afraid of Bees - Do you kill insects or let them outside?

Deep Trouble - Do you like to swim? A pool or the ocean?

The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight - Do you have any bizarre family/close family friends? What do they do that’s so out of the norm?

Go Eat Worms - Have you ever ruined someone else’s hard work?

Ghost Beach - Do you have any unusual hobbies that other people may judge you for?

Phantom of the Auditorium - Have you ever been to or been in a play? What play(s) have you gone to/been to?

Attack of the Mutant - Who is your favorite comic book Super-Villain?

My Hairiest Adventure - How did you react when you reached puberty? How about when you started to grow hair in weird places?

A Night in Terror Tower - Have you ever traveled to another country? Where did you go and what kinds of things did you experience?

The Cuckoo Clock of Doom - If you could go back in time, where would you go and why?

It Came from Beneath the Sink - How often do you compliment others? How often do you insult others?

The Barking Ghost - Are you a dog person or a cat person?

The Horror at Camp Jellyjam - Have you ever tried so hard to win something that you realized wasn’t worth winning in the first place?

Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes - Have you ever been accused of something you never did?

A Shocker on Shock Street - What is your favorite genre of movie? What is your favorite movie of that genre?

The Headless Ghost - Do you enjoy scaring others? Or do you enjoy being scared yourself?

The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena - Do you prefer the cold weather or the hot weather?

How I got my Shrunken Head - Do you own any rare or bizarre artifacts?

Bad Hare Day - Are you into magic tricks? Can you perform any?

Egg Monsters from Mars - What is your favorite holiday?

The Beast from the East - What is your favorite outdoors game to play?

Ghost Camp - What is your favorite summer-time activity?

How to Kill a Monster - What are you allergic to (if anything at all)?

Legend of the Lost Legend - Have you ever gone treasure-hunting or geocaching?

Attack of the Jack'O'Lanterns -  What is your favorite Halloween costume (that you’ve worn or seen someone else wear)?

Vampire Breath - Are you forgetful and often misplace important things?

Calling All Creeps - Have you ever received and answered a strange call from an unknown number?

Beware the Snowman - What is your favorite thing to do in the snow?

How I Learned to Fly - Do you wish to be famous? Do you think being famous would ruin who you are?

Chicken Chicken - Have you ever done something that has caused you to regret it once you received the consequences?

Don’t Go to Sleep - What keeps you up at night?

The Blob that Ate Everyone - What kind of things do you like to write about (if anything at all)?

The Curse of Camp Cold Lake - Do you treat others with the same respect they treat you?

My Best Friend is Invisible - Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever gone ghost hunting?

The Haunted School - What is your favorite subject in school? What is your least favorite subject?

Werewolf Skin - Do you feel comfortable in your own skin?

I Live in your Basement - Are your parents extremely over-protective or are they under-protective?

Bat: If you could transform into any kind of animal, what animal would you be?

Black Cat: Are you superstitious? If so, what are you superstitious about?

Broomstick: If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be?

Candy Corn: What food disgusts you the most?

Cauldron: What is your favorite thing to cook?

Cobwebs: One place you would never want to get lost in in the dark?

Coffin: Are you claustrophobic?

Demon: What is your worst flaw?

Eerie: One thing that always creeps you out?

Fright: What is your biggest fear?

Ghost: If you could be reincarnated, would you come back as another human or an animal? If an animal, what kind?

Gravestone: Ideal way you'd like to die?

Haunted House: If you could be roommates with anyone of your choice, who would you pick?

Hocus Pocus: What is the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard?

Howl: Your favorite kind of dog?

Jack-o'-lantern: Do you have any scars? If so, how many?

Monster: What is your favorite scary movie to watch in the dark?

Mummy: Would you rather be buried or cremated when you die?

Potion: What is your favorite thing to drink? Alcoholic and non alcoholic?

Pumpkin: What is your favorite food around the holidays?

Scream: Easiest way to scare you?

Skeleton: Tell me one of your biggest secrets?

Spooky: What was your last nightmare about?

Trick or Treat: Tell me about the greatest prank you've ever pulled?

Vampire: Which one are you? Early bird or night owl?

Witch: If could have the power to cast any kind of spell, what kind of spell would you cast?

Wendigo: What is one food you always overeat?

Autumn: What is your favorite season?

Fear: Do you get scared easily?

Chocolate: What is your favorite kind of candy?

Werewolf: What is your favorite supernatural creature?

Shapeshifter: If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Under The Bed: What was your biggest fear as a child?

Decorations: Do you decorate? If so, how much?

Ouija Board: If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

Graveyard: Do you know any good scary stories?

Bones: Have you ever broken a bone?

Goatman: What is your favorite urban legend?

Horror Flick: Do you like scary movies? If so, which one is your favorite?

Haunting: Would you prefer to live in the city or the country?

Zombie: Do you think that you could survive a zombie apocalypse?

Spiders: What animal would you least like to be around?

Hellhound: Do you have any pets?

Brew: What kind of potion would you make if you had the opportunity?

Full Moon: Do you prefer nighttime or daytime?

Corn Maze: What is your favorite autumn activity?

Highway 666: What exciting places have you traveled to?

[mi6-cafe]

We are halfway through Occult October, so we thought it’d be a good time to remind people about our various events. Check out the rest of the MI6 Cafe’s October schedule!

Monthly Challenge: Occult October!  

What counts? Anything spooky, gothic, suspenseful, or supernatural; horror genre fancreations; or any Halloween-themed fancreations.

00Q, rare pairs, gen–everything is up for grabs. You can be inspired by canon, by artwork, by music, or by anything that grabs you and takes you down the path to Halloween horror or Halloween fun!

Not sure what to write? Check out our Halloween themed prompts here!

Be sure to tag your sexy fanworks with #mi6cafechallenge so we can find and reblog them! You can also use the tag #sp00qy, a wonderful tag created by @ato-the-bean.

Writer’s Workshop:

We held our third writer’s workshop, outline and resources here if you missed it. Stay tuned for the next one, which is about how to build original characters!

You can also join us from 11AM EST on Saturdays in the Slack for writing/drawing sprints, brainstorming, troubleshooting, and just plain helping each other get shit done!

MI6 Cafe Carving Spree

007 can show off his knife skills any time he likes, but those of us without a license to kill have to wait until October, when carving season is upon us.

This October, we’d love to see posts of any Bond-related pumpkins, turnips, or any other carved produce that 007 fandom can come up with!  

Autumn Recipe Exchange: October 16-23

@mi6caferecipes is at it again! This time, we’d love you to share your favorite autumn or Halloween-related recipes. Recipe exchange week is from October 16-23, but we will also be accepting Halloween treat recipes all through the month! Tag any recipes as #MI6CafeRecipes so we can find and reblog them!

Scary Story Readalong: October 28th

On October 28th at 8PM EST, we’ll ask you to join us in the MI6Cafe Discord with a scary or Halloween-related fanfic from Bond fandom! Suggested word limit for these is 3k or less, just so we can enjoy as many fics as possible–feel free to excerpt a passage from a longer fic if you like! Fics should also be rated M or under.

You can share a fanfic you’ve written or a fanfic you’ve read and admired, and in the grand tradition of telling stories around campfires, we’ll all gather around and read the stories aloud together. Lurkers are welcome–come join us for an evening of Bond Halloween fun!

Book Club: Thursdays at 9PM EST

The MI6 Cafe Book Club is reading Goldfinger and we are having an absolute blast. There are loads of giggles and snide jokes.

Interested in reading Bond books aloud, or listening to others reading the Bond books aloud, and having ridiculous fun while doing so? Come join us in the MI6 Cafe Discord on Thursday nights at 9PM EST! The new book is a great opportunities to try it out if you’ve been curious; lurkers are welcome! ^ ^

Movie Nights:

We have enjoyed some great movies so far and there are more to come.

Oct 22: Live and Let Die

Oct 29: The Man with the Golden Gun

Want to host a Bond or Bond-related movie? Just message @spiritofcamelot or @castillon02 so we can add it to the watch party calendar!

Rec Spotlights

We are always accepting recs to add to the MI6 Cafe’s Big Damn Rec List! You can fill out this google form to submit your rec OR you can edit the spreadsheet directly.

If you’re not sure what to rec,Occult October is a great time to give your favorite spooky fics some love!

[ajuicebox]

Seasons Tag!

I didn’t get tagged but I wanted to do it lol, that’s about the story with any tag I do

1. which season are you going to play with first? I think I’m going to start in summer! Just because that’s how it always started when I started a new world in sims 3,,,

2. from what you’ve seen in the trailer, what are you most excited about? I am so so so so excited for the florist profession, I’ve wanted to have a florist sim for SO LONG but I don’t like modding my game so I haven’t committed. And just having rain and snow and everything, new content is always exciting and seasons has been my #1 thing I wanted since I started sims 4.

3. what’s your favourite season irl? Autumn and winter hands down, I hate the heat

4. what’s your favourite flower/plant? I love peonies, roses, tulips, eeeeee, a lot of flowers. I love flowers.

5. are you going to create a new sim/family or are you going to keep your current household? I haven’t decided yet tbh, I feel like I won’t be able to get the full experience(tm) with my vampire family. Especially since my only human branch of that family died,,, so I think I might?? I guess we’ll see. I might pick up my other household I have again.

6. what would you like to see in this new add-on that we haven’t seen yet? I was really hoping for allergies but I already know we aren’t going to get that so... I don’t know, I’m excited for the idea of making our own holidays!

7. how do you feel about not having a new neighbourhood? I was kinda hoping for one but I think since we already have so many, it’s understandable why we don’t have a new one so I’m not upset ab it lol

8. snow, rain, sun or wind? raiiin, I live in Washington, what can I say

9. favourite refreshing drink in summer? I drink a lot of water but I also really love lemonade.

10. favourite hot drink in winter? Water, again, I really only ever drink water but I LOVE cider and peppermint mochas.

11. walk through the forest or by the beach? Both, I can’t choose tbh

12. swimming pool or ocean? Oof, this is hard because I prefer swimming in pools but it really depends where I’m swimming in the ocean?? If there are huge waves or waves at all there is no way in absolute hell I will enjoy swimming in the ocean because waves scare the heck out of me. But I prefer the ocean just because of the vibe y’know, sand and sun, can’t get any better than that

13. where would you like to travel if you could leave right now for a week? Bora Bora, Tahiti, just somewhere tropical

13. how is the weather today? Haha, it’s 63°F (~17°C) and overcast. Will be about that for the rest of the week.

14. what new traits would you like to see in the new add-on? I think green thumb would be good (idk if we have that already), but I dunno... Maybe weather preferences?

15. do you like to play with supernatural creatures like vampires and aliens? Vampires are my absolute love so yes, I love supernatural sims and I’m excited for more (Especially werewolves... The upgrade vampires got from s3 to s4 was so amazing, I can’t wait to see what they do with everything else)

16. what is your favourite thing to do during winter? Sit in front of the fire. If it snows then I love going out in the snow but it never snows here.

17. …during spring? Pop some allergy pills and keep my windows open at night.

18. …during summer? Go to New York!! I go to New York to visit friends every summer and it’s by far the best highlight of the season. We do a lot of stuff out there :)

19. …during autumn? Carving pumpkins, getting that spooky time vibe(tm)

20. have you already pre-ordered seasons? and if you haven’t, are you going to pre-order it or wait until it comes out? I wasn’t going to preorder it, but I caved when I bought other stuff packs because I don’t like having the pack shaded out on my main menu lol

21. in which neighbourhood are you going to play first with seasons? Hnnnngggghhh, I don’t know man... Maybe Brindleton Bay? That’s my favorite world next to the city.

22. do you listen to music while playing? and if so, what are your favourite songs to play to? Depends on my mood, sometimes I just need music but most of the time it’s off because I like listening to my sims ≧◡≦

23. what’s your favourite thing to do in the sims? creating sims, building, etc? Creating sims is by far my most favorite thing ever. Building houses is okay but I mostly just do it because my sims need a place to live haha. I really like playing big family legacies but it’s hard for me to get attached to my sims :/

24. what’s your favourite kit/pack/add-on? VAMPIRES, hands down the best pack I’ve had so far. I really like movie stuff, laundry day, and get together tho

25. and finally, what add-on/pack would you like to see next? I want new supernatuals, werewolves, fae, witches, the whole shebang. But I also really want university

[myvmk]

Disney Around The World

Updated November 1st, 2017

There's a whole new world of exploration this month as we soar into the various Disney Parks everywhere. It's Disney Around the World month on MyVMK! We have lots of exciting things that are sure to thrill your adventurous spirit. So come along with us and discover the magic of each of the different Disney Parks from around the globe. Please note that all releases will happen on the 1st, 8th, the 15th and the 22nd of every month at 12am EST. This will be the schedule until further notice.

MyVMK is now playable for our Mac users! A work around for Mac users has been made into a downloadable client. We have also made MyVMK Pal the official downloadable client of MyVMK. This is not the new client for MyVMK but is a temporary addition. Find out how to download the Mac client by clicking here!

This week in the "it's a small world" Imports, straight out of the Scream Floor itself, we have the Monsters Inc Hard Hat. And now... flown in from Japan just for you, we have the It's A Small World - Japan Boy, It's A Small World - Japan Girl and the amazing Disney Bear Duffy Pin! Last but not least, straight from our very own Toontown, we have the Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin Brick Wall 1, Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin Brick Wall 2 and Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin Dip Bucket!

  Come try your luck for this week's Host prize, a Tron Power Run Lightcycle Couch and the Consolation prize, a Lucky Cat - Duchess. Stay in line after the event for a special queue prize, a Casey Jr. Ride Car Red Couch.

  Join the MyVMK Staff for an impromptu game of Hide and Seek! All throughout the month, the staff will be hosting Hide and Seek games and hiding in public rooms only. Games will be announced as an in-game announcement and on our Twitter (@MyVMK) 15 minutes before the game begins. To win, you must walk up to a staff member that is hidden and say the following statement exactly: "I found you (StaffMemberName)!". Make sure to use the correct prefix (VMK_/HOST_/GA_). If you win, you will have the chance to choose one of the three exclusive pins seen above. You are allowed to win only two times per hide and seek event. The staff will not hide in rooms where players are already sitting. Do not "camp out"! This will ensure everyone has a fair chance at finding the staff members. Good luck out there, seekers!

The world is full of such wonderful Disney Treasure's. Grab a boat heading over to "it's a small world" Trades for the opportunity to obtain some of the most precious pins that we have found for everyone! We do not accept Free, NPC, or 1 Credit Pins!

Pull this month's exclusive pins from the Sword in the Stone! For a chance to win, ride the rides in the Fantasyland Courtyard and you will have a chance at getting a Sword in the Stone pin! You can use this pin to have a chance at pulling the sword from the stone, and if you succeed, you will win one of these pins as a prize or some credits!

Avast there mateys! Sail on over to the Pirates Treasure room for a chance to plunder some great loot! Collect them all or ye will be caught in Davey Jones Locker! Available all month!

The votes are in and we are really proud to anounce our 2017 Haunted House Compeition Winners!!

Best Overall Winner! Thorn

As dusk approaches, Master Gracy has invited all 999 Happy Haunts to materialize for your arrival! We'd like to open our doors to all of you as we welcome you to your own, personal Swinging Wake.

Best Overall Runner-Up! harleyquinn

Welcome to Red Queen's castle, where she keeps the remains of her victims once they lose their heads. Don't upset the queen or you'll end up here like the rest of them!

McLovin

Once the sun sets down the kids all run to the streets in hope of getting buckets full of candy. Will they get treats or tricked?

Bernardo_S_Rocks

Dare to enter? A cool shudder trickles down your spine. The grounds have been inhabited by the spirits of the deceased. Would you make it out alive or become one of them?

Angelo

Many people choose to not set foot upon 29 Neibolt Street. It may look abandoned, but Pennywise the Clown is watching you from inside. Missing children float within the sewers of the house. Turn away now, or you'll float too.

Dean

Ghostly Lane only appears for 1 night each year in this small town. No one knows how it gets there or who lives in these spooky estates. Do you dare knock on 1 of these doors for a treat?? Don't get tricked!

Best Theme Winner! Joela

In this town lies a mansion no human has ever seen. The ghosts that haunt it scare the trick-or-treaters away, in hope that they will be able to stay. "Everybody make a scene!" they chant. "This is our town of halloween!"

Best Theme Runner-Up! Ern

Spooky.

Confidential

Cut off from the outside world, you wander along a path that leads you to a seemingly abandoned mansion. Along side this giant is an old cemetary. You see a fresh grave... WAIT! Is that your name carved into it?!

scrubu

It was all fun and games until your ball rolled into the yard of the mansion across the street. Your parents had warned you about this place. You and your friends venture in but what could lurk beyond the steel gates?

Angie

Mansion of Lost and Found: Dare enter the mansion if you choose to seek ghosts and other creatures that creep. If you do, best be aware that you are in for a scare. Entering would put your life at risk, but it's nothing next Halloween can't fix.

Fotogirl

Climb up on the hay wagon and get ready for a heart pounding ride thru the spookiest property in MyVMK. Your journey will take you through the old cemetary and past the scary entrance to the most haunted house around these parts.

Most Creative Winner! MagicAvinash

You unfortunate soul! You have entered the ruins of what used to be the manor of a very powerful wizard. What remains is a magic orb that wields infinite power. All who have tried to capture it have been unsuccessful. Do you have what it takes?

Most Creative Runner-Up! Ken

Step into the Creature's haunted lagoon lair and feel the power of radiation take hold. Be careful where you step... you wouldn't want to end up as the Creature's lunch!

Cowboy_Pirate

N/A

kcoop

Welcome to Grimsly Manor. You are just in time for our Spooktacular Ball. All of our ghosts have been dying to meet you. Costumes are required.

GypsyRose

Hansel and Gretel trek across the haunted forest in search of the infamous candy cottage. As they finally approach they realize all is not what it appears to be. Evil lurks behind these sweet walls. They proceed with caution! >:)

Lily

Welcome to the Vampire Manor. You are one of our guests of honor. Or should I say meal of honor. The hedge maze is the only way of escape... But no one has ever seem to make it through. Some are still trying while others died inside those walls...

These are the Prizes for the 2017 Haunted House Competition

Winner Prize: Haunted House Comp Winner Pin Two Magic - Dancing Inferno Soulless Mickey Witch Hat Purple Room Pin - Halloween Refreshment Corner

Runner-Up Prize: Haunted House Comp Runner-Up Pin One Magic - Dancing Inferno Soulless Mickey Witch Hat Orange Room Pin - Halloween Refreshment Corner

Participation Prize: Haunted House Comp Participation Pin Mickey Witch Hat Green Room Pin - Halloween Refreshment Corner

Go and check out the Design a Pumpkin Contest 2017 on our official forums and enter for a chance to win an awesome forums exclusive medal and an forums exclusive in-game prize! You can find out more be clicking here! Good luck everyone!

  Create a Great Guest Room! Get Recognized!

Player created Guest or Game Rooms demonstrate originality in concept and design. Our judges are looking for creativity, so try using traditional items in different and unique ways. Rooms are judged randomly by MyVMK Staff every month and selected from player rooms.

November Best Guest Room

Join Jinx in “Duskmoor”! Welcome to Duskmoor; an eerie town inhabited by ghosts, ghouls, and the living of the dead. The creatures and spirits haunt anyone who dares enter it... beware!! Congratulations!

The Best Guest Room Winner receives: - 10,000 credits - A Castle Suite Guest Room Pin - plus furniture! - Best Guest Room Award Pin - Plus! A party in Club 33!

    Create a Great Game Room! Get Recognized!

Create a game room and play with friends and others, and a MyVMK staff member may notice your idea! Game rooms that get the nod offer a new game idea or a new twist on an old favorite. In all rooms we look for room owners who welcome everyone with a smile and show a willingness to answer questions about their room.

November Best Game Room

Check out “Gates of Valhalla” by Question. The Nordic Gods and Goddesses eagerly request you play them their favorite tune. In return, they agree to let you through the Gates of Valhalla. Match the song they play and the doors will open for you. They will give you two tries, don't mess it up! Congratulations!

The Best Game Room Winner receives: - 10,000 credits - A Castle Suite Guest Room Pin - plus furniture! - Best Game Room Award Pin - Plus! A party in Club 33!

This could be you! Find out the details on entering for Best Guest Room and Best Game Room by clicking here!

Ever wanted to know more about your favorite staff member? Now you can! Every month we will be interviewing a different member of the MyVMK Staff. Here is the most recent interview!

This lady is as lovely as they come. Say hello to this months staff of the month, GA_Lady!

What is your favorite thing to do around the Kingdom?

I love sitting in public rooms and listening to the background music! It's very nostalgic for me. :)

What is the best item for building your rooms?

Definitely the Lady and the Tramp tables and candles ;)

What has been your favorite HOST event thus far?

I love any maze! Guessing games are always fun.

What is your favorite mini-game in MyVMK?

Jungle Cruise

What is your favorite type of Guest Room?

I love trade rooms. There are always something special about getting that one item you've wanted forever. <3</p>

Favorite MyVMK memory?

My favorite MyVMK memory has to be playing Pirates with my friends. I've met some really great people throughout the years, including my significant other whom I now live with.

What is your favorite Public Room in the Kingdom?

I love the Halloween overlays on Main Street, however my favorite every day room is definitely the Elephant Bathing Pool.

What is your favorite theme on VMK?

Halloween months!!

What is your favorite Disney park?

I've never been to either (I know...so sad), so I don't really have an opinion. I definitely want to visit Disneyland first though.

Who is your favorite Disney Character?

Tiana from Princess and the Frog

Is there any advice you would give to players?

Don't ever give up on yourself! Keep trying and keep practicing at whatever you do and you can be whatever you want to be. Don't let anyone get you down

[skilletcreek]

October Events Begin This Weekend!

http://ift.tt/2gee8oa

Fall events in the Devil’s Lake region really kick off this weekend with Downtown Baraboo’s Fall Fair on The Square on Saturday, Oct 7th from 9am to 4 pm. But that’s just the beginning. There’s no excuse not to stay busy in October!  (Click on the links for details.)

Oct 6 – Fermentation Fest – Register online for over 60 classes, hands-on workshops, tastings, lectures, and demonstrations, taught by renowned chefs, fermenters, artists, chocolatiers, herbalists, bakers, and brewers.

Oct 6,7,8 Autumn Color Weekend – Mid-Continent Railway – There’s nothing comparable to enjoying the beautiful brilliant hues of autumn in the rural Sauk County countryside from the comfort of our restored vintage passenger cars. Join us for “leaf-peeping” in style along the unspoiled right-of-way of our historic former Chicago & North Western rail line.

Oct 7th – Second Annual S’more Fun Trail Run – Mirror Lake State Park – Join the Friends of Mirror Lake State Park and trail running volunteers for the 2nd annual S’more Fun Trail Run. There will be 5K and 10K runs as well as a 1-mile hike that is great for all ages. Registration is capped at 400 participants. Registration will be open until September 10, 2017, or until the cap of 400 participants is reached. Parked vehicles require a Wisconsin State Park admission sticker.

Oct 7th – Fall Fair on the Square – Downtown Baraboo – The craft fair includes 150+ artists and crafters from around the Midwest, specialty food vendors, a farmer’s market, children’s activities and performances, a variety live music and a full day of family entertainment.

October 7, 11, 14, 18, 21,25,28 – Baraboo Farmer’s Market – The Baraboo Farmers’ Market on the square in downtown Baraboo, gives consumers direct access to local farmers, growers and producers, thereby supporting local food production, promoting sustainable agricultural practices and healthful eating habits, as well as serving as a community gathering place.

Oct 12 – Wine With The Wolves – Oschner Park – Join us for a night of Wolf Talk paired with wines from Baraboo Bluffs Winery and light appetizers from The Barn Restaurant and Bar! Tickets are available at the City Parks office, The Barn Restaurant and Bar or if you pm message this page I will drop them off! $20/guest. All proceeds go to our beautiful zoo!!

Oct 13, Devil’s Lake Craggin’ Classic – Devil’s Lake State Park – The Craggin’ Classic Series is a nationally-touring, grassroots climbing festival presented by The American Alpine Club. Uniting Climber’s around the campfire at world class destinations. These special 3-day events celebrate all things climbing. Each Craggin’ Classic features climbing clinics taught by professional athletes and local climbing guides, parties with beer from local breweries, films, slideshows, presentations, music, local food, raffles, silent auctions, vendor villages, local crag stewardship projects, and high-fives aplenty.

Oct 14, Durward’s Glen Fall Festival – Enjoy the fall color and goods of the art vendors located throughout the grounds. Guided tractor tours of our historic grounds, artists and other vendors, bakery goods, brats and refreshments. Free event. Donations warmly welcomed. Event held from 10 am-5 pm.

Oct 14,15 Pumpkin Special – Mid-Continent Railway – Finding your Halloween pumpkin is more fun at Mid-Continent Railway Museum. Climb aboard the Pumpkin Special and make your way to Quartzite Lake where pumpkins from a local grower await your arrival. The conductor is available to help load your pumpkin for the return to North Freedom. In addition to the Pumpkin Special trains, an Elegant Dinner Train will be offered Saturday evening.

Oct. 20, 21, 22 – Fall Art Tour – Meet 45 area artists and watch them at work on this self-guided driving tour through Baraboo, Spring Green, Dodgeville, and Mineral Point . Potters, weavers, glassblowers, woodworkers, painters, jewelers, quilters, photographers & sculptors. Meet the artists, experience our workspaces, watch as we create unique works of art. A wide variety of high-quality artwork is available for purchase in every price range.We are proud to be celebrating our 24th Anniversary as one of the most popular art events in the Midwest.

Oct 21 – Friends Halloween Hike – Devil’s Lake State Park from 6 pm to 8:30 pm. Join us for lots of Halloween fun! There’s a lot to do at this annual event sponsored by the Friends of Devil’s Lake. You can go on a 1-mile torch-lit hike; show off your costume by the campfire while roasting a marshmallow or two, and listen to the songs of Campfire Kevin; enjoy some tasty treats sold by the Friends group, and find out about snakes! You can even make a snake to take home with you.

Oct 21 – Holloween Mystery Hike – Mirror Lake State Park from 6 pm – 8 pm. Annual Halloween Hike with Mystery Guest. Join us at the beach are to begin the hike and to answer the clues to WHO is the Mystery Guest at the Amphitheater. The Friends will have a concession stand with hot dogs, brats, chips, hot chocolate, hot cider and sweet treats for sale. All profits benefit Mirror Lake State Park directly. Park stickers are required.

Oct 21, 22 – Trick or Treat With The Big Cats – Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue – Will be held on Saturday, October 21st, and Sunday, October 22nd,2017 from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Come and enjoy watching the Big Cats carve there pumpkins, Trick or Treat while surrounded by Lions, Tigers, and Leopards. Enjoy good food, decorations, and scary music…This is a FREE event, but ” DONATIONS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED”!!! That way we can keep this a FREE Event. Location: 305 Pine Street, Rock Springs, Wi 53961.

Oct 28 – Tractors,Trunks and Treats – Sauk County Fairground – “TRICK OR TREATING”  WILL BE 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Admission is $1 per trick or treater. The event will run from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm Come trick or treating, have some lunch and stay and play some games afterward!

Tours?

If you’re looking for some spooky October tours, Baraboo Tours offers a variety of tours this month including “Haunted Downtown Walks” and the “Circus of Ghouls”.  Click Here for more info.

If you’d like to enjoy the fall colors at Devil’s Lake State Park from a truly unique perspective, you can book a private off-trail, adventure tour through Devil’s Lake Adventure Hikes.

from Devil's Lake State Park Visitors Guide http://ift.tt/2geek6S