Open(ish) Halloween Mingle Log!

[faceguy]

Who: Leo faceguy, Donnie purplexing and any TEENS or teen-adjacent characters
What: HALLOWEEN! Trick-or-treating and then Halloween Party!
When: Halloween!
Where: Central City
Content Warnings: potentially underage drinking?

Trick or Treating!


You're not too old for trick-or-treating, right? Leo may be 16 now, but he certainly intends to, and he's invited everyone he knows to come with. There's a pretty good group now, with kids he knows from school and other metas around the city, headed for the residential districts and maybe a bit later into the suburbs of Central.

Sure, there are gangs around, but with this many teenage superheroes in one place, it shouldn't be a problem, right? It's just some good ol' Halloween fun!

Halloween Party!



And after the trick-or-treating wraps up, it's time to party! School night? Who cares!

Leo and Donnie have taken over an old, abandoned warehouse (no worries, it's... probably safe!) and completely decked the place out. There's lights, cobwebs, sound and motion activated decorations, and snacks upon snacks. There's an even bigger crowd here than there was for trick-or-treating, since most of Leo's local meta school friends are more interested in a party than trick-or-treating. It's mostly the people who are cool with being friends with a turtle, aka the coolest people.

Feel free to dance, play pranks, eat food, maybe slip something into the punch... get up to shenanigans! And don't worry, they're pretty sure the warehouse isn't haunted. Any rumors to the contrary are just that: rumors!

[[OOC: This is a mingle log! Feel free to make your own starters! If your character is a teen or young adult, feel free to assume they got invited through the grapevine; knowing the turtles is not necessary. Otherwise, your character can be at a house that gets trick-or-treated or just come around the party to see what's going on. Party crashing is allowed.]]

Comments

[purplexing]

Donnie's more concerned about things falling apart, which is why he's not hustling Leo to hurry. He frowns as he peers around his brother once they get to the second level.

"...the suspiciously ominous light flickering over there? ...no," he adds, flatly. "That's a potential fire hazard. You can't just leave candles lit around here!"

[faceguy]

"I didn't!" He bristles, putting a hand on his chest. "Do you really think I would just do something like that? Light a candle?"

But before he can continue to register his displeasure with this, another light appears. And then another... and then more... until there are about twelve flickers, each one a slightly different shade of red-orange.

"...Okay this is getting weird."

[purplexing]

Donnie rolls his eyes. "I meant like a generalized you, not-" he starts to interject even as Leo continues to go off. At least until they both stop as more light begins to appear.

"...."

"...I...am inclined to agree."

[faceguy]

Leo blinks rapidly, but the lights do not disappear. His immediate instinct is to run, but he pushes that down. This has to be some kind of trick; ghosts aren’t really real, right?

Slowly, he goes forward, then waves a hand under one of the lights.

Back… and forth… and back and forth… and back and forth and back and forth and backandforthandbackandforthand-

“Uhhh, okay.” He dances back. “Those are definitely floating. You got an explanation for this?”

[purplexing]

"Wait don't-"

But nothing seems to happen, the flickering lights apparently not belonging to flames. Donnie's eyes widen before his brow furrows, and he tips down his goggles from under his dumb hat.

"Surely there has to be a logical explanation for this. And if not, then maybe it's..."

[faceguy]

When Donnie puts the goggles down, he’ll see that each flame is held by a person - or at least, the shadowy outline of a person. When one of them realizes Donnie can see them, they wave their free hand.

None of them have easy to make out features, but they all look like children or teenagers, based on their height and build.

“See anything?” asks Leo.

[purplexing]

"....."

Donnie trails off, his frown twisting uncertainly. He lifts his goggles and lowers them again, brow twitching slightly. Hesitantly he offers a wave back.

"Uh... Technically...?"

[faceguy]

“Technically?”

Before Leo can ask follow-up questions, the figures holding the flames start to move again, spreading out and starting to circle around Leo and Donnie. They move with quick, rhythmic steps, in time with the music floating up from the floor below.

“Whaaat’s going on?”

[purplexing]

Donnie yelps and steps closer to Leo as the flames move, or rather the figures holding them. He blinks behind his goggles, watching the movement uncertainly.

"Creepy dance ring...? I'm afraid I didn't get the memo as to what's expected of us," he says. "Do you know the Cha-Cha Slide?" He's asking the invisible figures as he subtly goes through the playlist, switching things up downstairs.

[faceguy]

As it happens, it seems the figures do know the Cha-Cha Slide… or at the very least, they’re following along with the instructions from DJ Casper and the Live Platinum Band just fine.

“A dance ring?” Leo repeats.

[purplexing]

"Huh." Donnie relaxes a tiny bit. It's hard to be scared of otherwise unexplainable figures when they're willing to dance the Cha-Cha Slide. Maybe he'll play Earth, Wind & Fire's 'September' next. They seem to be party playlist staples.

"Yeah, don't you- oh wait, you can't. Here," he says, pulling his goggles off to shove at his brother, even as he starts tapping his foot to the music.

[faceguy]

Donnie relaxing makes Leo relax, too; whatever's going on must not be that weird if Donnie isn't acting-

...No, never mind, that's pretty weird.

Leo stares at what's going on through the goggles for a few seconds, then he says, "Huh."

Another beat, and then, "Ah, man. Don't tell Mikey about this."

[purplexing]

"Why not? He'd be all over it," Donnie grins. It's a grin that clearly says he knows perfectly well why Leo wouldn't want him to mention it to Mikey. Just going to dance along here with the next bit of instructions. It's kind of cool, even if he can't see the figures, the light is still moving along with him.

[faceguy]

"Nope he's scared of ghosts and only a bad brother would tell him about it!"

He just doesn't want to hurt his poor little brother's psyche. Definitely no other motives here.

He watches the ghost dance a few seconds longer, then hands Donnie his goggles back.

"So, uh, I guess these guys just want to be invited to our party?"

[purplexing]

"I'm sure he's outgrown that phase," Donnie says dismissively, not missing a beat as he takes his goggles and slips them back on while he continues to dance.

"Never hurts to ask. Might be fun too, spice up some things! Hey guys, what do you say? Wanna join us downstairs?" This isn't a bad idea right? It's only vampires that do bad things when you invite them...or something.

[faceguy]

Leo would like to keep arguing about why telling Mikey about any alleged ghost encounters is absolutely not a thing Donnie should do, but then Donnie is inviting the ghosts downstairs.

It's

probably fine!

For the shadows' part, they stop their dancing for a few moments to all look at Donnie in unison. Then they spin around a couple times, still synchronized, before one by one they start to file down the stairs, bringing their ghost lights with them.

"Well, no turning back now," says Leo. "Let's go!"

[purplexing]

Should totally be fine!

...Donnie is no ghost expert.

He seems very amused by the response, watching as they start to head down. Part of him waits for screams. At Leo's prompt, he nods and starts along after them.

[faceguy]

There are a few startled responses from partygoers at the sudden appearance of floating lights, but most people just assume it’s special effects of some kind. The ghostly dance circle only seems interested in continuing their partying, though - they move to the main dance floor, reforming their circle and starting to make some of the other decorations float in time with the music, too.

“…Well, they’re haunting the place, but I don’t think they’re evil,” says Leo.

[purplexing]

Donnie leans against the railing by the stairs as they watch. "That's...good, I guess? Mass panic is probably not a good situation for a party, now that I think about it." He tilts his head. "...should we be concerned that they all looked like kids?"

[faceguy]

It definitely isn’t, especially because Leo is pretty sure this abandoned building is not actually up to fire code.

It’s… probably fine!

But Donnie brings up a good point. Leo grimaces.

“Central City’s a pretty dangerous place…”

[purplexing]

Just can't find decent abandoned buildings these days! Or at least those that weren't already claimed by some gang or another.

Donnie's expression mirrors Leo's own at that, and he looks back out at the crowd and the floating objects that designate where the unseen dance and hopefully enjoy themselves. He tips his goggles down again to watch.

"Right..." That still sucks.

[faceguy]

Ah, he’s looking pretty bummed out now… Not that Leo can’t help but share the sentiment. Still…

“Hey. We may not be able to bring them back to life, but we can give them a great Halloween, right?”

He gives Donnie a light shoulder bump.

[purplexing]

They do look like they're enjoying themselves, at least. How often do they get to have fun? Donnie pushes his goggles up, giving Leo a half-smile as he nods.

"Heh. Yeah. We sure can."

[faceguy]

“Yeah.” Leo grins. “And it totally fits the atmosphere, right? Who else can say they got actual ghosts to come to their Halloween party?”

He looks back down at the crowd, who see nothing amiss from the floating decorations.

“Uh, but maybe we shouldn’t advertise it. Heh.”

[purplexing]

Donnie chuckles at that. "Yeah, I guess we probably shouldn't. Wouldn't want things to get out of hand." He pauses, sliding a glance at Leo. "Or is this because you don't want to put out further proof that ghosts can exist?"