This is Halloween!

[we_bring_hell]

The Bar loves her holidays, but she is also capable of respecting religious strictures. That's why she put a lot of thought into finding a Halloween costume for Harrow that works with her face paint and general insistence on the monochromatic.

Harrow, for her part, is baffled by the white-pinstriped black suit and the oversized bow, but the gloves are very cool, and the buckled shoes suit as well. She has no idea what's going on but she can live with this.

The Bar seems even more unusually populated than usual, and there are a lot of gourds around. Hm.

Comments

[herald_ingress]

Ingress does a spin, because Gideon is, indeed, taken, but Ingress does not mind an appreciative look. Or several. She's had a fair few tonight from others, and she's going to do something about it, damn it.

"Why, thank you, thank you. I have to say I feel pretty awesome too."

[we_do_bones]

"You could stop a fleet with that look," she says, honestly. Damn! Those legs!

"Harrow said it's from a comic?"

[herald_ingress]

"Yes, Wonder Woman is a comic super hero. But I met the real person here when I was a girl. That happens a lot at Milliways - the characters you think are from books and movies end up being real people in their own worlds."

[we_do_bones]

Is there anything in Gideon's realm of understanding that's like this, even a little, even at all? She guesses it would be like Matthias Nonius strolling in for breakfast one day, but also not really because she's always thought he seemed like kind of a drip.

"Well, whoever she is," she says, admiringly, "you are pulling that off."

[herald_ingress]

She dips a little curtsy.

"You and Harrow match. She's the Pumpkin King from a movie, and you're the woman he loves."

It's very sweet.

"Do you even know why you're in costume?"

[we_do_bones]

Does Gideon look a little extra stupid and pleased at that? Is there a faint blush turning her blue cheeks a light purple?

"Harrow said it's some holiday with skeletons and death," she says, editorializing as usual. "It all sounds very Ninth, except for the costumes."

[herald_ingress]

Yes, yes there is a faint blush turning those blue cheeks a light purple and it is so cute Ingress could die.

"Halloween," she says, nodding, "and the costumes are part of hiding from evil spirits, I think? Or just having fun and showing off, with candy. Both works."

[we_do_bones]

"I like it," Gideon says, decisively. "They should do this at Canaan House. Maybe getting dressed up like a cartoon character would help Silas Oktakiseron get the stick out of his ass."

Not likely. The Eighth is definitely the kind of House that would hand out pocket Bibles or carrots instead of candy.

[herald_ingress]

Ingress doesn't know who Slias Oktakiseron is, exactly, but she can imagine.

"I think that's why it happens here, like this," she snickers. "There are a lot of people who would never dress up otherwise."

[we_do_bones]

Imagine a jar of mayonnaise with a superiority complex and you've pretty much got it right.

"What's the best costume you've ever gotten?" she asks, then shakes her head and smacks her forehead with her open palm. "Damn, I almost forgot! I didn't get around to it before, but thanks, Ingress, for helping Harrow with that sword. It meant a lot to her."

[herald_ingress]

"As a kid, I got to be a pretty adorable dragon once. Oh, no thanks are needed. I was glad to share my expertise," she grins.

It definitely helped her save face!

"What are your needs otherwise - armor, arm braces, that kind of thing?"

[we_do_bones]

She shakes her head, even as she takes Ingress' arm and steers her over to the Bar. "I never trained with much armor. Bracers, maybe – but if I'm going up against the thing that killed Isaac...I don't think there's armor that could stand up to it. And anything that might have half a chance would be too heavy. I need to be able to move."

[herald_ingress]

"I was thinking leather - something nice and light - but apparently dead animal skin is not the best idea to wrap oneself in during necromantic battles. Oh, you could borrow something from a different world. A- oh, what is it called... A bulletproof vest. Or something that protects your organs and skin from any kind of shrapnel. I know for me, when I'm worried about rocks and debris flying around scratching me up, it takes away from my fighting."

[we_do_bones]

"Maybe something I can wear under my robes," she says, doubtfully. "And I'd have to practice with it, try to get used to it."

[herald_ingress]

"Certainly," she agrees. "It's simply an option. When you're here, you might as well take advantage of what you can get here that no one else in your world knows about."

[we_do_bones]

She looks a little guilty. "Ah, you know, I should tell Harrow...and you might as well know, too.

"I squirreled my two-hander away in my trunk when we left the Ninth. I still have it with me at Canaan House."

[herald_ingress]

"Good, now you have two. Use whichever one is more comfortable, and then you'll have a back up, just in case."

[we_do_bones]

"Two swords are always better than one sword," muses Gideon, with imperfect logic. "You should see the collection Camilla the Sixth has. Damn! She could practically fill the whole forge here."

[herald_ingress]

"Really? I love swords. One day I'll have room for a whole wall of them."

[we_do_bones]

Gideon's sword was the only thing she had for longer than she can even remember, and she loves her sword so much she could friggin' marry it.

"Her bed was covered in weapons," she says. "Turns out I'm not the only one faking being a cav."

[herald_ingress]

"You don't strike me as fake, Gideon. Like, at all. How about 'not official' instead?"

[we_do_bones]

"It's fine," she says. "I'm real enough for Harrow and me and that's what matters. And I'm rumbled at Canaan House anyway: Dulcinea figured it out and I think the Sixth always knew."

And she doesn't give a shit what Silas Oktakiseron thinks.

"Besides, what can anyone do about it there? The Second might try to fine me, I guess, but they'd have to stop focusing on how people are getting murdered to care."

[herald_ingress]

“They’d better not try a thing.”

The talk of murdering is upsetting. Ingress wishes she could do more to help.

[we_do_bones]

"Ugh, sorry," says Gideon, at the look on Ingress' face. "'Wandering into a party and killing the mood by talking about death' is unforgivably Ninth, yikes. How about instead..."

She takes Ingress by the shoulder and turns her about so they're both looking out over the crowd. "You tell me which of these suckers you've got your eye on."

[herald_ingress]

Ingress throws her head back and laughs.

“There are a few who could do with a good snogging. I’m rusty with my pick up lines, so I might just go up to the lumberjack over there and say ‘hi, wanna make out?’ That will probably work. Oh, or maybe the pretty black cat in the corner. Ooh, or the sexy witch by the fireplace.”

While the lumberjack presents as male and the witch as female, the black cat either or somewhere gloriously in between. This is like a candy store where everything is delicious!