ximilialog | 🦇🎃 🦇🎃 Halloween Mingle Log 🎃 🦇🎃 🦇

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🦇🎃 🦇🎃 Halloween Mingle Log 🎃 🦇🎃 🦇

CHARACTERS: Everyone!
LOCATION: All around the station.
DATE: Last two weeks of October.
CONTENT: Time for some Halloween holiday shenanigans: spooky decorations, scary movies, pumpkin carving, sweets and a costume party.
WARNINGS: None, will update if needed.

↠ I. Spoopy decorations | The whole station | Mid- October

[ Peter contacted Viveca to request some Halloween food and items in the next supply drop, but until it happens, he has decided to decorate the stations the old-fashioned way: making the decorations himself.
He can be seen in the communal room, surrounded by color markers, scissors, glittery papers in varied colors, and doing different kinds of arts and craft: cutting papers plates in the shape of black cats, doing some spiderwebs, ghosts, and even a few origami pumpkins. One of the markers has rolled off of the table and onto the floor, anybody who comes by should be careful not to slip on it by accident.
Or perhaps someone spots him in the kitchen, doing what Peter would call 'cooking' and any other normal person would classify as biological warfare. He's a bit of a messy cook, please ignore the chocolate stain in the ceiling (who knew souffle could explode?). He will clean the kitchen later, now he's busy adding the finishing touches to the spider peanut butter cookie cups, while the covered orange slices he's making for Yelena cool off in a tray.
There's flour in his hair, a streak of chocolate in his cheek and the apron he's wearing has seen better days, but Peter looks honestly happy, and he's humming a song under his breath as he works.
Another day, he's on a ladder trying to hang some paper bats and spiderwebs on the station walls. His right shoulder is still healing, so he can't raise it with ease, making the whole process a bit slow. some help would be welcomed. Maybe some orber happened to walk by Peter when one of the giant balloon spiders he was trying to stick to the ceiling falls off on their head. Or perhaps it was one of the bedsheet ghosts, obscuring their vision for a little while. Peter looks down once he notices; ]
Oh, oops, sorry about that. Could you give it back?

↠ II. Scary movie Night | October 3oth | Simulation room

Welcome to the simulation room, ladies and gents, and variations thereupon. The moment someone crosses the door, they'll find themselves transported to the wonderful 80s. Bright lights, colorful clothes and questionable hairstyles.
There's a massive theater across the street, and it's clear the place is the main attraction. The giant marquee sign and the movie posters on the walls announce four different movies available to watch: The Shinning (🎥), Poltergeist (🎥), The Little Shop of Horrors (🎥), and Night of the Living Dead (🎥). Grab some popcorn, something to drink or snack on, and take a seat. It's all free, worry not.
A sign at the entrance of the movies reminds people that this is fiction, that no real people or animals got hurt making the movies, and that zombies ( probably ) aren't real. No such claim is made about talking alien plants from deep space, because Peter did end raising one as part of his family, after all. Leaving the simulation is possible at any moment, just wishing to do so will make a door will appear, allowing to return to the control room.

↠ III. Pumpkin carving contest | October 3oth | Kitchen

[ On the large tables in the kitchen, pumpkins of different sizes and colors are waiting to be disemboweled, next to them there's also a large tray with the ghost cupcakes Peter promised The Doctor (11). Next to them, one could find several sharp knives and large, empty bowls perfect to use to keep the pumpkin entrails. That way they can be used later to make soup or perhaps bread. Wasting food when you are stuck in space is a crime, be mindful of the resources.
Or...not. Perhaps some orber gets fed up with how sticky is everything, or frustrated that their pumpkin isn't looking the way they wanted, and thinks it would be more fun to start a food fight. Peter's no one's dad, he will let people run wild and have fun as long as it's not the knives that start flying.
If anybody needs him for anything, or they have questions about what exactly is pumpkin carving, he's busy working on his own project, but he won't mind being interrupted. The music that can be heard comes from the Guardian's Zune, connected to a portable speaker on top of a shelf. It's now playing "Dancing in the Moonlight," the 1972 hit by King Harvest. ]

↠ IV. Party Time | October 31th | Common Area

[ People can choose not to come to the party in a costume, but it's highly encouraged. Viveca even brought costumes and supplies for the occasion in the last supply drop. The costumes are a variety of different ones, and not all of them are Halloween-related or even unique. Are you in the same costume as someone else? Damn, awkward. Maybe you can convince other people that you're doing some sort of group costume.

Like the rest of the station, the common area has been thoroughly decorated, although some decorations here are a little...off. There are balloons resembling eyes, ghosts, or pumpkins, and the eye ones sometimes follow people across the room or blink at them. The purple and black curtains as well as fake spiderwebs covering the walls are as normal as they get, but the plastic skeletons seen in corners or handing from the furniture are of a questionable nature. Some have the wrong number of arms and legs, others have horns, and a few show bones where no bone should be. The skeletons with top hats let out squeaky laughs at random, scaring the shit out of anybody walking near them. There are black paper bats handing from lamps that flap their wings on occasion and, to complete the look, LEDs candles of different colors give the room some ambient light. Viveca has tried her best to bring decorations for the party, but multiple universes make for a varied and complicated mix to chose from.
If there is a Halloween party, then of course the pumpkins are also a must. On one of the large tables, the different messy masterpieces created during the pumpkin carving contest can be admired or even grabbed if you want to take a picture with them.
On the left side of the room, there's a small stage with a haunted mansion backdrop, different boxes with spooky props, and what seems to be a Polaroid camera. Black cats and wolf plush toys, fake bloody weapons, giant glasses, plastic tombstones, all sorts of different hats, a vampire cape, and a plastic skeleton dressed as a firefighter are available to play and pose with. That's right, it's a selfie corner! Come take some pictures or drag someone to the stage with you to pose and complete the scary look.
The big cleared space in the middle of the room is the dancefloor. The music playing once again comes from Peter's Zune, so enjoy those 80s and 90s playlists, currently blasting Michael Jackson's thriller. Get out there and shake your bones, try not to step on anybody's toes.
For those who aren't into dancing or get tired, there are plenty of chairs available, party food, and all sorts of drinks -alcoholic and non-alcoholic- by the buffet and bar. There's enough candy to give people a sugar coma: pumpkin buns, fondant ghost cupcakes that make the person slightly see-through for 10 minutes after consuming them, Halloween brownies, candy apples that make people fall asleep for 30 minutes unless someone wakes them earlier with a kiss, pop rocks candy, oreo cookie bats, a variety of halloween themed drinks, and voodoo doll cookies...some of those might look like the orbers. If you find a cookie that looks like you, well...eat it or protect it, it's all about personal choices. ]

↠ Wilcard

[ If you'd like to do anything specific that isn't listed here, go wild. Just remember to add the appropriate warnings.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, ah... well, my experience isn't exactly normal. My parents were great, don't get me wrong, but... [It's always easier just to use his barrier before explaining, so he starts to glow] I was different from regular kids. So it wasn't always great.

[He drops the barrier and the glow stops] But the place itself? It's beautiful. I don't know if I can describe it. You know the sun room? It sort of reminds me of places on Earth.

[the glow is unexpected, and Blue's eyebrows lift, expression shifting to surprise as it happens. just as quickly as he'd fixated on the notion of a true account of Terra, gears have shifted to the possibility of something similar.

after all, Mu can glow, too. but this...this is definitely different.]

What...what power was that? [different from regular kids.] Were you...you're human? Or were you classed as...something different. [like Mu.]

We call it biotics. I'm human, I was just born with the power to... do things like that. So I was treated differently from other kids. I had to go away from home to learn how to use my biotics. I still see Earth whenever I visit my parents, though.

...

[Blue doesn't answer right away, a bit taken aback by these things. it doesn't entirely matter that this person is from a different universe, not really, because similarities and things that can connect him to others are not things Blue is keen on throwing away.]

You could still see them? [his parents.] And...you were still deemed human? Despite your unique abilities.

[that part he can't entirely relate to, save for the fact he dreams about it being the case.]

Yes. But I was pretty lucky, in that regard. Other biotics aren't treated that well.

[And even then, Kaidan spent a lot of his military career holding himself back. Focusing solely on the mission, working hard, following orders, not using his full power]

Sorry if this is presumptuous, but... do you have some unique ability, too?

[Blue hesitates, realizing he's been jumping around a lot - pumpkins, Earth, biotics. they don't even know each other's names. but getting swept away by some particular subjects is something Blue can't help but do - it's practically in his physiology to care, thanks to all the mental conditioning he'd been subjected to.

still, he dips his head in apology, putting a hand over his heart as he replies:] Forgive me. I'm...called Blue. And I'm what the humans in my universe call a Mu - a mutant, born of humans, but not human. Myself, those like me...we're deemed a threat to order and efficiency, so we must hide ourselves or risk termination.

Until just now, I...didn't realize there was anyone here who lived a life with near-to-similar circumstances...[he shakes his head a little with a bit of wonder.] And who has seen...that planet...

Oh. Ah, I'm Kaidan. Kaidan Alenko.

[It's fine, that's the way conversations go sometimes. And look where it led them! Kaidan's eyes widen as he listens to the other. We're deemed a threat. Well, he sure knows about that. It hasn't gotten so bad that biotics risk death if they expose their powers-- they're too valued by the military for that-- but he can still empathize]

Shit. I'm so sorry, that's awful. But I guess... I don't really understand what makes you so different.

Edited 2021-10-25 00:16 (UTC)

[Blue's expression pinches a bit, smiling a small, apologetic smile in response to Kaidan's own words. it's nothing he should be compelled to speak in such a way for, but...the sympathy is appreciated.

he looks to what work Kaidan's made of the pumpkin in front of them in silence and, after a beat, he too begins to glow. one of the carving tools shivers, glows, and moves a bit, turning and setting back down on the table.]

Things like this...and being able to feel the thoughts and feelings of others... It scares them. Or...it makes people like me scary, I suppose.

[His eyes widen a bit when he sees Blue is glowing. Kaidan watches the tools move around and settle again. And then that voice in his head. He's sort of getting used to that a little with the thought-text, but this is different. He stares at Blue for a moment]

I can't really do that, but... [He lifts a hand, and the half-carved pumpkin he was working on lifts up into the air, surrounded by a blue glow much like Kaidan's barrier. It hovers for a bit and then settles, the glow disappearing] It seems you and I have other things in common.

[Blue can't help but smile a little. Kaidan is no Mu, but having a basis of similarity beyond being stuck in a curious space station is something Blue is very keen on finding and keeping close to heart.

even so, remembering his apology to Finn, knowing he is apt to pouring his own hopes onto people with less regard for their own...it reminds Blue to keep himself in check. no matter how desperate he is to feel connected to others, he can't just...steamroll his will onto them. that's the kind of thing people feared Mu to do, right?

so...just a small smile, partly obscured by the way Blue dips his head.]

It seems so, yes... I'm grateful to know that.

[He smiles a little himself. He can sort of sense that longing to feel connected even if Blue isn't expressing it. It's the sort of thing Kaidan saw from his students. He nudges a pumpkin in Blue's direction, taking up a carving knife to get back to working on his own]

I'm around if you ever want to talk, or want to practice your powers with someone. You're not alone.

[his eyes flit from the offered pumpkin and back to Kaidan, hesitating a bit.]

Thank you...I appreciate that. [more than he can safely convey.] I don't think...there's much I can improve at this stage, but...I'm grateful to have some kind of...similar connection.

I know I could improve on some things. Maybe you can help me practice.

[His smile grows a bit more] Sometimes that's all you need.

[the suggestion warms him a bit, despite himself. with the way the mission went, Blue was fairly certain he was more liability than resource, but maybe there is a niche to fill here in some way. and even if not...it's a bit against his nature to refuse to help someone he has a means to.

so Blue fixes his thoughtful smile down on the littler pumpkin that was pushed his way, turning it a bit, feeling its curious texture. it's definitely alien to him, but it's...from Earth? from Terra. a Terra, not the one he dreams for. still...a similar connection.

sometimes that's all you need.]

...Would you tell me about it? The Earth you lived on. What...did it look like?

It's... [He closes his eyes for a moment, trying to think of how to start] It's so beautiful. There are mountains that reach the clouds, vast deserts, and the ocean is so big it can seem to go on forever.

The cities have tall buildings, sky scrapers we call them. I don't know if I can describe it very well.

There are still patches of nature, but we've expanded over a lot of the globe.

[Blue's eyes close, too. he wants to see what there is to glean from the surface-level recollections.

mountains and clouds, deserts and oceans...the kind of beauty he'd been hoping to see with his own eyes one day. he still hopes to, despite knowing it won't happen. can't happen.

his chest tightens with an ache of longing, head dipping a bit as he listens.]

Is the sky...really that blue...?

Yeah, it really is. The most amazing thing is looking out over the ocean, so it's just endless blue on blue. And of course all the colors it turns during the sunrise and sunset. Red, orange, I've even seen a little purple in a sunset before.

[He's quiet for a moment] We're fighting for Earth right now back home. I want to believe we'll be able to get it back one day.

[the mention of the conflict lifts Blue's head, and wet eyes blink and fix back on Kaidan with concern.]

Back...? It's been taken from you?

It's under attack right now. We have a force on-planet defending it, but our crew's been gathering help from all over the galaxy to fight back.

[He pauses for a moment, taking a breath] I think we're getting close. We'll find a way to win, I know it.

So that's...what's waiting for you. After this place. [if there is an 'after this place.']

[He nods, then starts to carve his pumpkin some more. There are a lot of worries when it comes to the situation on Earth, and he sometimes doubts the decision to come here. But if he really can fix his regret, then who knows what will happen when he gets back?]

[silence takes its place in the conversation, with Blue quietly taking account of those outward notions of Kaidan's uncertainty and worry for the fate of his planet, his own heart aching with sympathy for him.

Kaidan's got all the guts out of that gourd and can craft as he pleases by the time Blue speaks up again, his own gourd still untouched.]

The commander...and the machine called Viveca...have either spoken of when we are to be returned where we came from?

I thought it was when we managed to fix our regrets, but that seems dependent on finding the orbs.

[And he is having some serious doubts over whether they should keep doing that. But he doesn't want to unload everything he's been thinking about to this kid]

[Blue goes quiet again. the matter of those orbs is extremely hazy and a struggle to fully understand, even when spoken to him in the simplest of terms. there's just too many gaps for why and how that can't be answered - to say nothing of the boggling notion of magic at play.

while watching Kaidan's hands:] And...dependent on following every demand?

[even the unsavory ones.]

[His expression tightens. He's been thinking about that a lot since the mission ended]

If that's the case, then... I'm stuck here. Because there are some lines I won't cross, not ever. Maybe they're banking on us agreeing no matter what they ask of us, but I won't do that. There has to be another way.

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