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Post by Lizica on Oct 30, 2021 0:47:52 GMT -5
The moon is high and bright, the sky is clear, and you’ve already amassed a small but impressive collection of Halloween treats this year. The houses in this neighborhood have been generous so far, so you have high hopes for the next one up ahead--a stately old home painted in daffodil yellow paint. It has an assortment of cheery pumpkins growing in the front garden, and you can tell even from the street that its porch is covered in festive decorative spider webs. Any place that grows its own pumpkins and decorates so nicely has got to be giving away great candy. It even has a pile of scarves just inside the picket fence, like they might be generous enough to offer them to any trick-or-treaters whose costumes aren’t warm enough. You’re just about to approach the gate of the fence when a lady dressed like an ornate wall clock practically skips ahead of you along the sidewalk. “Isn’t this great?” she exclaims to you, grinning and twirling her trick-or-treat bag. “No more rented Fly-By-Night houses this year! I’m free! Nothing bad is going to happen to me this Halloween, I know it!” She reaches for the gate, but finds that it doesn’t budge. Before either of you can comment, the stack of scarves inside the yard suddenly sneezes. The beak of a plastic lawn flamingo pokes out through the knitted heap. “Are you here for de pardy?” his congested voice says. You can almost see a strange miasma of distorted air around his head, as if the flamingo’s headache is visible even to you. “Um...sure?” says the lady in the clock costume. Then she adds, “...Are you alright?” The plastic lawn flamingo suddenly gets defensive as he creakingly straightens up and glares blearily at the lady. “I’ll hab you doe dad I amb perfebby cababble of doig by job, Dracey.” “I’m not Tracy? I’m trick-or-treating door to door.” “Fine, whadebber,” the flamingo concedes. “De drick-or-dreat pardy. Dey’re in the greenhouse out bagk. Id’s still invidible, but de lady of de house put up orange stdreamers and pumpkins and flyers on de oudside.” He opens the fence gate with a wavering creak, and the clock lady gives both you and the flamingo an appreciative wave. “Thanks! The party sounds like a lot of--” But suddenly, just as she steps through the threshold between the street side of the gate to the lawn inside, she vanishes completely into thin air. Trick-or-treating around these parts has always meant some weird occurrences on Halloween (talking, sickly lawn flamingos, for one thing), but you kind of assumed that you’d at least be granted the graciousness of being able to see what you were walking into. A floating blanket approaches from above. In a motion half magic carpet, half ghost-in-a-ghost-costume, it darts toward the flamingo. When the blanket stops, a humanoid figure of air and magic forms around it. She smiles in a way that indicates she is not here for mischief. Her purple hair seems to move in an intangible wind. “Here’s the thickest blanket she has, and some shade from the moonlight,” the spirit says. She drapes the blanket over the flamingo’s existing cloth-bundle. When her hands are free, she reaches over his head and produces a fluffy cloud from the vapor nearby with a few dramatic waves. She turns to you. “Don’t worry; if you aren’t secretly a lawn flamingo, you can’t come down with what he has. “If you need to take a break from letting people into the yard, I can cover. You can go somewhere quiet. I can’t deny I’d rather be at the party, but I like greeting visitors too.” “Thangk you,” replies the flamingo. “But I’mb fine. At least all de visidors made id ondo de properdy.” Then, turning to you, he adds, “Are you comig in?” Well, the residents at this house at least seem friendly and well-meaning, even if you don’t really know exactly where you’ll end up in their greenhouse. Maybe this trick-or-treat party inside will be worth it? by Pixie and Lizica! This ToT house will be light RP with a puzzle! Here’s how the general setup will work: - You enter through the gate, and you will be transported to somewhere within the magical greenhouse in the backyard (except the center, magical flamingo hexes aren’t so cooperative). - A resident will greet you with a simple puzzle. - Once you solve the puzzle, you’ll be given a treat, and you’ll be narratively brought to the trick-or-treat party in the center of the greenhouse. (You can hang out there or RP there if you wish, but it is essentially the end point of this house.) You can assume there will be good signage to navigate there easily in-universe.Sickly Flamingo → English Translation “Are you here for the party?” “I’ll have you know that I am perfectly capable of doing my job, Tracy.” “Fine, whatever. The trick-or-treat party. They’re in the greenhouse out back. It’s still invisible, but the lady of the house put up orange streamers and pumpkins and flyers on the outside.” “Thank you. But I’m fine. At least all the visitors made it onto the property.” “Are you coming in?” |
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Post by June Scarlet on Oct 30, 2021 12:08:20 GMT -5
A young Speckled Zafara jumps up and down. "Can I go Jane? Please?"
Jane, a Red Xweetok, responds, "I suppose, but we'd best stick together Yibit, I'm not sure what's in store here."
Yibit grabs Jane's paw, and drags her forward. "Let's go!"
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Post by downrightdude on Oct 31, 2021 0:40:54 GMT -5
Snaw makes a glamorous entrance into the backyard.After the song ends and the music fades, Snaw skips over to the spirit. "I'm so happy I can transform into the tropical-shining Cure Snaw! But first, lets go and par-tay the night away!" Snaw twirls excitedly. Finally, the Halloween fun can begin!
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Post by Pixie on Oct 31, 2021 1:10:07 GMT -5
June Scarlet “Hab a good time, Roda, Nezzine,” the flamingo bids you, still a bit disoriented. Together, you pass through the gate and find yourselves suddenly inside the magical greenhouse at a strange junction between rainforest and arctic zone. You are met by a plant-adjacent organism with a rainbow of pastel quills, and a round toad hopping beside it. There is a mound of lettered tiles between the two, which the not-plant was cheerily distributing into small piles. By each pile, it taps into the soil a line of indents, a few extra-big and brighter colored in an unknown sequence. A large arc of tiles raises the question: “Why couldn't the witch say her magic incantation? She had–” O / O O O O / O O / O O O / O O O O O O LFIMIRAA O O O O O O O O ODACLUNR O O O O O O O O EWROEWFL O O O O O O O O NMIITHDG O O O O O O O O ATHERH O O O O O OThe toad stares intently at the closest pile, then pushes a few of the tiles around with a webbed foot. After only a moment, it hops away. Stumped, it croaks wistfully at you to lend a paw. Sickly Flamingo Key:
“Have a good time, Roda, Nessine.”
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Post by June Scarlet on Oct 31, 2021 17:53:34 GMT -5
Jane pulls out a notebook while Yibit inspects the toad. "Hello there Mr. Frogarott!" says the Zafara. Meanwhile, Jane starts writing down the clues and figuring out the answers. "Let's see..." Familiar
Cauldron
Werewolf
Midnight
Hearth
FIRAONWEOGHTARTH
A Frog in her Throat Yibit gasps as Jane reveals the answer, picking up the toad. "No, Jane, the witch can't have him!" she says, holding the toad safely in her arms. "It's just an expression, it means something like they're sick, they have a sore throat, or something like that, it's one of the stranger expressions around." |
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Post by Liou on Oct 31, 2021 19:25:18 GMT -5
EdgyLiou cling-clangs up to the house in spiky metal boots, with the bits of strategically placed chainmail clicking as they hang from their spiky armour bikini.
EdgyLiou stops dead as they realise that the bundle contains a bird. A vulnerable, sick bird. And the bird is being attacked by... maybe probably definitely a demon in disguise, you never know. EdgyLiou must protect the bird and nurse him back to health! So, grunting sternly in defense of the bird, EdgyLiou goes right in through the gate-
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Post by RielCZ on Oct 31, 2021 19:34:15 GMT -5
Dressed as a pizza with a bird on his arm, Riel walks up to the front steps of the mysterious house party -- and immediately feels the absence of a camera, for some reason. "Hi!" he greets the flamingo. "I'm here for the festivities! And hopefully nothing too whacky..."
"Oh, and I hope you feel better soon," he adds as he passes through the gate.
((Also Lizica, the clock costume is absolutely perfect.))
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Post by Pixie on Nov 1, 2021 0:47:42 GMT -5
downrightdude The flamingo blinks blearily into your spectacular entrance. “Dat’s quite an imbrezzive wardrobe, Goco,” he says. “Whad was dad abou’ cures?” The spirit, swaying and twirling to the catchy music and her mood visibly brightened by your energy, turns to the flamingo and shrugs. She joins you in dance once more. “It’s as good a night for a shining transformation as any!” Through the gate you go, and you find yourself in earshot of the party. Yet, the labyrinthine arrangement of the greenhouse makes the exact path there hard to make out, so you look around for any helpful signs, literal or figurative. You see two bright eyes staring at you from what seems to be a patch of void. On closer inspection, this void is actually an extravagantly fluffy black cat perched on a wooden bench. The tag on his collar indicates he is: Count von Mister Snuggles the Elaborate, Skillful, and Greatly Adorable. Mr. Snuggles places a word search in front of you, freshly torn from The Uffnewt Sun, followed by an appropriately sparkly pen. You can see kitty-fang indents in both, but the puzzle is unharmed. When you take the pen in one hand, he pushes his forehead into the free hand. He indicates with a plaintive meow that you are to keep petting him and are not free to pass until you solve the puzzle. Who are you to argue with such a majestic cat? Also, when there were tasty snacks to be had at the party, you could count on him to take you there after this bout of mischief. You see the following puzzle:
 Pumpkin | Corpse flower | Nettles | Nightshade Spider lily | Snake plant | Venus flytrap | Wolfsbane Doll’s eyes | Common broom | Moonflower | Witch hazel Bog torch | Lizard’s tail | Monstera | Brain cactus
Sickly Flamingo Key:
“That’s quite an impressive wardrobe, Coco. What was that about cures?”
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Post by Lizica on Nov 1, 2021 22:07:23 GMT -5
Liou “Are you goig do a pardy or a baddle, Laurie? You don’ have to look so stdern--” you hear the flamingo’s congested voice just before you suddenly find yourself in the middle of what appears to be a rainforest, the air thick with moisture and magic and crowded by vibrant greenery. You should be extra careful not to get your spiky costume caught on anything. You glance around to get your bearings. The front yard and its two inhabitants must be much further away now, but which way should you go? “$%w, =d wd8 5m#3mfm 3e ^xd$@$?” you hear a voice saying from up ahead. “3 $8km =d,” comes a second voice. “3’fm $mme 1#me@w dy @x3e^$ 4dgm 5%4p ykdg @xm =m%= #de^ %y@mk @xmw’fm #d$@ @xm3k km#mf%e4m.” “Km%##w?” replies the first. “#3pm 2x%@?” “#3pm @x3$ kd#m1#%w!” “=DXDXDXDXDXDXD!” they both chorus together. You follow the sound of the strange language, and find that the speakers are two sentient terracotta Chia Pets, and not of the Neopian variety. “S&77, sd47= bd4 7dd3 ^% %x^%!” exclaims the one with a bristly green moustache, turning towards you. “G4o% sx^% s& #&&=! ^ 3#1jx% 1# ox1#1#j ^ywdy!” “Xww,” murmurs the other one with lively sprouting eyebrows, “1c bd4 ^o3 w&, %x& d#7b #1jx% 1 #&&= 1o ^ ty&^3 cydw %x1o d#&.” “=DXDXDXDXDXDXD!” Huh. Well, maybe if you can figure out what they’re laughing about, they’ll help direct you through all this foliage. Sickly Flamingo Translation:
“Are you going to a party or a battle, Laurie? You don’t have to look so stern--”
RielCZ “Thang gyu, Rilen,” the flamingo tells you gratefully. “Hab a good time.” You stride through the gate and immediately wish that you could have additionally asked him where he got all his scarves. Freezing snow is suddenly up past your ankles, and the area around you is lined with quiet conifers and several hardy shrubs. Who decides to make a magical greenhouse cold?Hung between the conifers, however, is a line of orange and black streamers that guides you forward to a snowy junction. Here you find a wide array of tables that might be either ice or glass, several mugs of pumpkin spice apple cider interspersed across them, and a snowman dressed in a dapper snow sports jacket. The snowman seems to be trying to finish setting the tables--a large tray of unserved hot cider mugs is beside him as he bends in concentration over a chalkboard, writing and erasing and writing in frustration. You approach, wondering if this is the promised trick-or-treat party but low key hoping there’s a warmer location further on. The snowman looks up with relief that someone has come to help out. He shows you his prep chalkboard, and you notice that all the hot cider mugs are labeled with numbers one through nine. It seems that the snowman needs to set up the tables in a very particular order that includes each numbered mug on each table and on each row. A bit like... The snowman arms himself with powerful-looking heat-resistant oven mitts and strikes a battle stance. Well, alright, then--where do all these mugs go? Sickly Flamingo Translation:
“Thank you, Rilen. Have a good time.”
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Post by downrightdude on Nov 1, 2021 23:56:40 GMT -5
PixieSnaw stares at the puzzle. Was this a cryptic message? A word search? Or a secret meatloaf recipe? "I don't know who or what a 'coco' is," says Snaw, changing into a purple romper with balk boots.
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Post by Pixie on Nov 2, 2021 0:30:03 GMT -5
June Scarlet The toad surveys the solution to the not-plant’s puzzle from his protected perch in your arms. It seems perhaps slightly miffed at being indiscriminately lumped in with frogkind, but it looks like it enjoys the puzzle’s punny joke very much all the same, and gives an appreciative croak. The not-plant waves to you in thanks, and the toad hops away a little and guides you to a basket overflowing with an orange-and-black checkered cloth that is resting on a large, upside-down flower pot. You can hear the faint pulse of some low music notes coming from inside the cloth. Peering inside reveals a candy apple in wax paper, tied with a black ribbon. A handwritten paper tag on the ribbon indicates it is a “sound bite.” The toad croaks again in approval as you take the apple. Congrats! You’ve received a Sound Bite Candy Apple! You continue to follow the toad’s grateful gestures down the corridor, passing some helpful signage held by plant fronds, and soon you come to a large door. Upon noticing your presence, green tendrils of kudzu suddenly snake along the edge of the door and swing it wide open for you (though the kudzu recoils a bit when it sees the apple you’ve brought). Ah! This must be the trick-or-treat party at the center of the greenhouse. You walk into the huge space, and take in the change of scenery: an astonishing array of plant life touting streamers, from spectacularly tall bamboo to low-lying jolly pumpkins; a few long tables of food, much of it festively spooky; and other costumed visitors milling about. “Oh, come join us!” calls an elderly woman further in, dressed as...a rafflesia bloom with lots of letter-bead bracelets? “We’re just about to do the Monstera Mash. I hope you didn’t have trouble finding us tonight!” downrightdude Yes, Mr. Snuggles has a word search for you. The words to find are listed directly below the picture of the puzzle.
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Post by Gelquie on Nov 2, 2021 6:29:42 GMT -5
Some time later, a ghostly apparition finally appears, staring at the scene before them. They pause, then hand over a small box of tissues.
"Just in case it would help with anything," they say. "So it's a lawn flamingo cold? Get better soon!"
With that presumption that they assume was totally accurate, they go up to the gate. "Well, whatever's coming, I'm ready." With that, they begin to venture into the house.
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Post by RielCZ on Nov 2, 2021 22:02:44 GMT -5
Rilen... now there's a name Riel hasn't heard in a long time, but it brings back pleasantly murderous memories and makes him wonder how Barbara is doing. When was the last time he went sandboarding, anyway?
Shivering, Riel attempts to help the Snowman with the mugs. Maybe it's the cold, or maybe it's the fact he hasn't willingly played Sudoku in probably a decade, but a half hour later and Riel has only managed to place a couple mugs. (Nah, it's not the cold, Riel hails from Canada.)
"Er," the pizza'd individual sheepishly addresses the snowman, "Could you place down a few more mugs and then I can try to take it from there?" He grins. "You have the master vision in mind, after all."
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Post by Lizica on Nov 3, 2021 0:01:55 GMT -5
RielCZ The snowman nods to you and appraises the current table settings, circling the dining setup before returning to where he was next to you. And after a very long moment of serious, stewing consideration--he abruptly flips the table, upending all the mugs placed on it, and spurring a domino effect as one table knocks over the next, then the next, then the next. As you’re lamenting the destruction of all your hard work, the tables magically right themselves, and when you pick up the nearest fallen mug, you see that it hasn’t spilled a drop of cider. The snowman, meanwhile, furiously erases his previous creative vision on the chalkboard and shows you a new one. Who knew table setting was such a fickle, volatile art? We’re so sorry, Riel, Lizica accidentally deleted the original sudoku’s solution when she cleared her browser history, aaaugh. X'D;; We hope this one’s a little better, but this time the solution is definitely saved if further hints are needed!
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Post by RielCZ on Nov 3, 2021 1:15:49 GMT -5
Riel winces as the tables are flipped and the mugs go flying, but he then realizes no cider is actually spilling; what wonderful winter magic is this! Though, oh dear, the Snowman seem to be quite upset by Riel's seeming incompetence at proper patterned table setting... Thankfully, the cold creature hasn't given up all hope on the would-be pizza party-goer, as Riel is shown a new creative vision. Maybe Riel has a strengthened resolve to not upset the Snowman this time, or maybe some long-shelved Sudoku knowledge has suddenly come to light in his brain, or maybe the puzzle really is a touch easier, but the human races around the tables and sets the mugs down with ease this time. "There," he says, admiring the handiwork. "I think I've done it!" He gives the Snowman a thumbs up, and waits for the response. "Also," he adds, "I'm pretty thirsty after all that, may I have some cider to go?" |
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