Achilles Come Down

Have you seen Alaine Castlemore lately? From what I’ve heard, they’re a Female Faerie. People around town have said that they’re Clever, Adventurous, & Charming but also Stubborn, Rebellious, & Fussy. Rumor has it, they’re Against rebuilding the glamour around Halloweentown. [Skylar Samuels, Thirty One, She/Her]

Lorna had been there for about an hour and she decided that it was time for a drink. She had gotten one at the start of the night but was in need of another one. She didn’t know how long she was going to be staying as she was getting a little bit tired already and she had no idea why. Humming to herself, she made her way over to the food and drinks station stopping when she heard the voice speaking to her. “Yeah, I had a drink already but I was thinking about another, or maybe something to eat, the food does look good.”She said looking over at her. “I like your costume by the way.”

Alaine smiled, taking a sip of her own drink. She was glad to have company. Even before she had become a faerie she had always wanted to be around people. Her parents had always had trouble with her having a ‘new best friend’ every week up until middle school. It wasn’t something she had grown out of much to their chagrin. “The food smells amazing but I’m afraid if I eat and then dance I’ll make myself sick.” She laughed a little before looking over to her companion. “Never too much of a good thing, right?” Though she was aware that was far from the truth. “I’m Alaine Castlemore.” She extended a hand with a bright smile.

Status: Open @halloweentownhqstarters​

Alaine had taken what felt like hours on her make up for the ball and was excited about the way it had come out. She always thought the people who could make monsters for movies must have had some kind of crazy talents and now she knew how hard it really could be. But she was proud of her work and couldn’t wait to see how other people had dressed for the event.

The first place she had stopped was at the food and drinks station, mostly for a drink but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t eying up the food either. She sighed and looked around for someone that she knew but didn’t spot anyone at first. Alaine was always up for a party but she usually liked to go with the rest of her friends. She heard footsteps approaching and decided to talk to whoever it was. “Drinks are pretty good if that’s what you’re looking at. Figured I’d finish mine before maybe trying to dance for a bit.”

~* Halloweentown Monster Ball *~

“Do you think so? I didn’t even notice any spotters,” But to be fair that made a lot of sense. Spotters for all the littles going through…or all the Frankies. Couldn’t very well have kids getting lost in the maze. “It was pretty bad. It was like there was dead end after dead end. I didn’t think I was ever going to get out of there…but I guess that makes me the loser so you get to choose your supper. What shall it be?”

“They probably try not to stand out too much. It’d ruin the experience. Or something like that.” She giggled a little. Some people put so much thought into everything. Alaine was lucky if she thought about what to make for breakfast. “Oh no. Well in case you ever get lost in a maze if you keep your hand on a wall you’ll eventually get out, one way or another! Hmmm. How about you pick? I’m curious as to what you like.”

&.

The blonde smiled sheepishly, her getting lost had very little to do with Evelyn getting distracted or the like, she had very little conscious say in the matter at all. “Maybe I should take to wandering with a guide in future, at least until I get the hang of it like you” She offers with a warm smile and a bright laugh “the people here are definitely kinder than the humans I’ve been dealing with my whole life.” Particularly the ones who had committed her to facility after facility considering her mad, Evelyn was sure she’d never forget the faces of the doctors as they frowned in concern at her. “I’ve been here about…two months? Maybe a little less. Time is moving so fast since I got here.”

“I would highly recommend it! It’s actually a lot of fun. Well as long as you’re not afraid of getting a little lost.” Alaine laughed and gave her a soft smile. She had never really been the type to be afraid of anything, even as a kid she was always doing dares and running off into trouble. It was just in her mischievous nature. “Oh! I guess some humans aren’t very nice. I mean I used to be one and I knew a lot of assholes.” She pouted for a moment and crossed her arms over her chest. “Wow, that’s like no time at all. No wonder you’re still so lost. It took me a while to get the hang of it and I still find new stuff all the time.”

Ozzie looked at the tiny glasses that had been set up on the table with a vague sense of disappointment. He knew that this was just a tasting, but still. They could at least pour a bigger fucking glass. Looking at one of the glasses, he took a sip and grimaced. Jesus christ. What the fuck was that?

To his left, he caught sight of a woman with an equal expression of disgust on her face. Ozzie pointed to the weirdly dark colored cider in front of him. “You tried this one too? It’s fucking disgusting. Cider should be cider. Let apples be apples.”

Alaine stuck out her tongue and then quickly covered her mouth and coughed. She still had the look of having eaten, or drank in this case, something disgusting. “Yeah, oh my gods. It’s awful. Like how did this make it past the testing phase. I’m all for a bit of cinnamon but this is going too far. I’ve drank better things on a dare. And let me tell you. If you let someone make whatever they want, they will put a lot of things you don’t expect in it.”

Even at the age he was at now, he was particularly picky when it came to his food and drinks. Perhaps he really was too spoiled growing up. He tried his best to expand his range of liked foods, but it only did so much. Pumpkin was something he wasn’t too keen on, though he did like the smell of it. Draven wanted to like it, most especially since everyone else around him seemed to like it, and yet he could not.

“It’s certainly not for everyone.” He looked over at the faerie, shrugging. “Did you pay for that? I’m sure you can get some sort of exchange. Apple cider can be a lot more pleasant if you like that sort of flavor.” He understood the reaction. Sometimes, even he couldn’t help but react that way.

Alaine looked up, surprised at the reply to her childish outburst. “That’s for sure. I wouldn’t say that I’m picky but pumpkin is pretty high on the list of things that just isn’t my favorite. I like it in pies and the occasional coffee.” She smiled and shook her head. “I did, but it was a sampler. I’m not surprised that there would be one or two I disliked. It’s a bit of a gamble and those are my favorite things.”

The festival was certainly something that Antonia was certainly taking advantage of, considering it gave her the chance to meet some of the other individuals surrounding Halloweentown. She barely spoke with anyone outside of the other professors and her students, so to say that she needed to interact with others was the understatement of the year. The Hard Cider Tasting was one of the first things that she had seen when she arrived and when she noticed the Pumpkin flavor nearly immediately. 

“Pumpkin Cider?” Antonia raised an eyebrow with a bit of a disgusted look on her face. “I mean.. I like Pumpkin and you’d think it would be good.. but I could see how it could be gross.” The woman let out a gentle laugh before continuing to speak. “Tell me.. what’s good here?”

Alaine made another face as she pushed away the glass with the foul tasting drink away from her. “Pumpkin cider.” She repeated, not able to keep the distaste out of her voice. “You’re a stronger person than I am. The only pumpkin I like is pie.” She laughed and quickly followed up her statement. “Hmm. I haven’t tasted a lot of them but this one has a lot of cinnamon and I think it’s the best of the bunch so far.” She raised up an amber colored liquid with a grin.

“I never really got the appeal of pumpkin,” Ophelia admitted, still sitting rather rigidly.  “Like…. It’s not that great of a flavor.  Why does the fall have to taste like pumpkin?  I think spiced apple cider is much more of a fall flavor.  And it’s way tastier too.  Pie is one thing, you can add cinnamon and whipped cream, but as a drink?  It just can’t hold up.”

“Me either honestly. It tastes so terrible unless it’s mixed with something else. I don’t think I know anyone who eats straight pumpkin.” Alaine shakes her head and picks up a different glass to taste. “Ooh, a good apple cider, now that sounds really good. The hard stuff is alright but if I’m drinking, I like stuff a lot harder than this.” She shrugged with a grin. “I think pie is the only thing I’ll give pumpkin.”

Status: Closed ( @mvnymvvns​ )

Alaine loved festivals like this one. Back home she used to go to everyone that they had, no matter how small or niche they seemed to be. Looking around, it was hard for her to decide where to start. But in typical Alaine fashion she found herself just floating from place to place and group to group, never staying in one place for too long. That was until she saw the face painting booth. She found herself drawn to it and quickly made it her next stop.

Though about 5 minutes in she found herself getting a bit fidgety. Sitting for long periods of time with nothing to do but wait was not her strong suit. Which is probably why, after another five minutes, as soon as she saw Sacha passing by she called out to him, earning herself a groan from the woman finishing painting her face. “Sacha! Look! Doesn’t it look lovely?”

The only thing that ever drew Roxi out during festivals was the idea of having a snack - and she didn’t mean fair food. Reluctantly, one of her witch friends had dragged her to the cider tasting. That small group of women were laughing and enjoying their beverages. Meanwhile, Roxi could barely take a sip without feeling disgusted.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a similar reaction to hers. Never the one to hide her emotions, the vampire laughed rather abruptly. “You aren’t lying, sugarplum,” she said, placing her glass back down on the table. “I get it’s not going to taste like my preferred drink but do they have to make it taste so damn perfume-y? I don’t want a pumpkin spray in my mouth every time I want a little bit o’booze. Damn shame. Hopefully the next one won’t taste like a toddler’s makeup kit.” Roxi pushed the near full cup away from her and stuck her own tongue out in an act of solidarity. “M’name’s Roxi, by the way. Gotta know the ga that has the same distaste as I do.” 

Once she saw that she was no longer alone in her distaste of the pumpkin cider, she let out a laugh of her own. “I’m not the type to lie. Well most of the time. A little white one here and there never hurt anyone.” She shrugged and picked up a different glass, smelling it before she decided to drink. She wasn’t cautious all the time, but she’d rather not go through that again.

“Oh? What do you prefer to drink? I’m usually a hot chocolate person. Though I try to only drink it sparingly.” Alaine put down the second glass she had picked up before looking up at her new companion. “I’m all for trying something new but there’s a limit even for me, and I think that might of been it.” She joked before continuing on. “Lovely to meet you Roxi. I’m Alaine. Glad to be in like company.”

Evani chuckled lightly. “Oh come on, it can’t be that bad.” She reached for her own glass with the same flavour and brought the cup to her lips. 

She took a small smell of it before her nose curled up. “Oh, that does not smell nice.” Evani told her, putting it back on the table. “I don’t even think I can try that one… Honest to god.” The brunette picked up the next drink and brought it to her nose, this one smelt better. 

“What about this one?” She asked her. “It at least smells better. I’m not sure about the taste.” Evani joked. She put the glass to her lips and took a long sip. After putting the empty glass down, she nodded. “This one is good. We should get them to get us another one in this flavour.” 

“I kind of wish I would have smelled it before I drank it.” Alaine shook her head, a sour look still on her face. “I don’t like pumpkin but I didn’t think it could’ve been that bad.” After the taste faded slightly from her mouth she laughed lightly. Well at least it was an experience. That was as much as she could say for it. She cautiously watched as Evani took a sip of another glass, hoping that it wasn’t as bad as hers was.

“Oh at least one of them is drinkable.” Alaine smiled and grabbed the same one raising it up in a cheers motion before taking a sip. “You’re right. This one I think I could actually drink. Maybe too many of them even. What kind of flavor do you think it is? Other than apple of course.”

Once they reached the number three Frankie quickly bounded off in the direction she had called. Dead end after Dead end she began to grow frustrated. She was a wolf dang it, she should be better at not getting lost and yet, here she was utterly lost. Every way looked the same. Smelled the same. Until by some miraculous way the blonde popped out of the corn maze onto the other side. Her breathing was ragged as she stood there catching her breath, at sight of the other end she had full sprinted her way out of that puzzle hell. “Remind me to never try a corn maze again..” she whimpered out, if she had been in wolf form her ears would’ve been folded down pitifully. I thought someone was going to have to come in a save me.”

Alaine kept her hand out towards the corn, making sure she didn’t get herself too lost as they continued running down their own paths. She was pretty quick but she also didn’t know how fast her opponent was so time was of the essence. Just when she thought she had been in there to long to come out on top she saw the exit and let out a small cheer before bounding out and looking for her partner. She didn’t have to wait long to see the woman following out behind her, looking a bit worse for wear. “Oh no, it couldn’t have been that bad could it?” Alaine couldn’t help but giggle softly. “They should have some spotters in there so you would’a been okay. Maybe you’ll do better next time!”

Ophelia loved the Harvest Festival, the one time of the year where she really allowed herself to mingle among the people of Halloweentown - and usually the weather was cool enough that she could wear gloves and not be so worried about accidentally turning someone else.

She had been eyeing the cider tasting when she saw Alaine’s reaction, covering her mouth quickly to try to hide the soft laugh that escaped her lips.  “Not a big fan of pumpkin, huh?”  She hesitated for a moment, before sitting across the table from the other.  “I can’t imagine expecting apple and tasting pumpkin is very nice though.”

Alaine made another face, still trying to get the taste out of her mouth. “No, not really. Unless it’s in a pie. Outside of that? Yuck. What happened to the regular flavors that go with apple?” She set the glass to the side, far away from her. She wasn’t going to drink that again. That’s for sure. “I feel like if you like pumpkin things it might be alright. But it just tastes like a juiced pumpkin. No thanks.”

Evelyn couldn’t help but smile with some relief at the kind stranger, it was refreshing for the blonde after coming back into consciousness and the unsettling feelings that it always causes. “I work in the morgue at the hospital, I wandered a little too far away on my break” Her smiles turns sheepish “I was hoping to get more familiar with the area and clearly that has not worked out in my favour.” It should probably be alarming how good Evelyn was at lying to cover up her ‘weird spells’, she supposed that had stemmed from her previous trauma outside Halloweentown. At some point she’d have to open up. “If you wouldn’t mind walking me back in the right direction at least I’d appreciate it, I’m sure at some point I’ll recognise something and could work my way back from there…”

“Oh! Don’t worry that happened to me for a while after I moved here. Though that was because I can’t resist checking in on something that looks interesting.” Alaine offered a smile and a soft laugh to the other woman. She had always had a soft spot for other people, despite it biting her in the butt every once in a while. “I think you’ll get the hang of it after a bit. Though it can certainly be overwhelming at first. A lot of people here are really kind and would definitely help you.” She took a look around and charted out the path back in her head. “Sure I can definitely do that for you. How long have you been here?”