Works of Cuteness and Delight

Works of Cuteness and Delight
Date of Scene:	29 September 2019
Location:	Earth Court Frat House
Synopsis:	In which Jadeite plans a Halloween party, and the rest of the household cheerfully heckles. Part him. Part each other.
Cast of Characters:	Jadeite, Kunzite, Kyouko Sakura, Naru Osaka, Nephrite, Mamoru Chiba

---

Jadeite has posed:
It's that time of year again, when the summer is (supposed to be) over and the fall is blowing in with cooler winds and shorter days. And of course, Halloween is coming.

Saburo is drawing out lopsided little bats on a pad of paper, torn between making them cute and giving them too many wings. For now he's settled on doing one of each, and he's doodling a little banner between them.

"What if there were little bats that swooped around the room? Too creepy, or just right? Fake ones, of course."

Kunzite has posed:
"They had better be fake," Kazuo comments from across the room, where he's reading an anthology (yes, print, not digital) and mostly pretending not to listen. "Lacrima is generally a guest, not a hired performer."

Jadeite has posed:
"You know, I bet I could play her in those commissions we talked about, and she'd really do it. At least once," he taps his pencil to his chin, making a show of thinking about it. "Nah, too much trouble. But what else? Spiders that crawl around the room?"

Kunzite has posed:
Kazuo lowers his book enough to eye Jadeite over it. Alas, even he needs glasses to really pull off that effect, and they are lacking. "The bats might be less likely to send guests screaming out the door. Or off the balcony."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"Can we have nothing crawling or flying about the place?" Kyouko says as she walks in from the hallway to the roof, wearing her workout clothes. "I mean, whatever happened to the corny but not actually scary halloween decorations? Gourds and plastic skeletons and shit. I really don't need to stab the wall out of reflex when I get surprised by some kind of realistically crawling spider."

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Besides, bats and spiders rather imply we have an insect infestation and they've moved in to help." Naru points out, leaning around from where she's puttering in the kitchen. Soup, by the smell, even if it's still a touch warm for soup weather, it's autumn, dammit!

Jadeite has posed:
Oh no, three against one! Up go Saburo's hands in surrender, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

"I just thought it could be fun to try a spooky scary Halloween party. But I don't want anyone to think we've got a bug problem so I guess I can stick to pumpkins."

But skeletons...

He starts doodling a cartoony skeleton next to the bats.

Kunzite has posed:
Kazuo lets out a very, very small sigh. "I'm not certain what will be stabbed out of reflex when one of us is surprised by some kind of realistically crawling pumpkin. But at least Naru will be less likely to send the health authorities after us for that. Or report us to Makoto."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"I'm fine with actual spooky. Like skeletons and demons." Kyouko says, as she wanders over to the kitchen to give Naru a smooch before coming back out to the main room. "But spiders and creepy crawlies are a different sort of spooky." She smirks. "Crawling pumpkins? Sounds like some Familiars I once fought in a particularly autumn-themed Witch labyrinth.."

Nephrite has posed:
"If there are crawling pumpkins, or talking pumpkins, or pumpkins that in any way resemble a Familiar, I am taking a swan dive off the balcony and there's nothing that anybody can do to stop me."

Neil crosses the room to lean over the back of Saburo's chair to see what he's sketching. "You're all forgetting the true meaning of Halloween, and that's candy. Keep it simple. And delicious."

Jadeite has posed:
"I'm humbled by your beliefs in my creativity, because I meant regular, non-crawling pumpkins. You know. The kind that are just orange and maybe have faces?"

He gives an exaggerated shiver and angles the book so it's easier to see his goofy little skeleton. It's playing music on it's rib cage. "If a familiar did it first, I'm definitely not trying it. Bad omen."

Kunzite has posed:
"I wonder why we might instantly consider the most alarming aspect of any decorations you might come up with," says Kazuo. As if Bearsharktopus were not still occupying a place of honor in his room. The mention of candy does cause him to glance toward the kitchen, though, studying Naru and Apatite thoughtfully.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"I hate to break it to you, Jaders," Kyouko says, leaning her shoulder on the wall. "But pretty much anything even vaugely spooky you could think of has already been a Familiar, I guarantee it. My advice is just to make sure it falls more on the 'haha spooky' side rather than the 'oh god spooky' side, and I think you'll be in safe territory." She says nothing on the topic of candy, but it is likely all involved know her opinions.

Jadeite has posed:
"I am capable of works of cuteness and delight," Saburo says pointedly. He flaps his sketchbook in example. "Exhibit one! There is nothing creepy or crawly about these skeletons."

There has not been enough time since Sharpteeth for all that.

"Haha spooky it is. Ghosts tripping over their sheets and were-chihuahuas? I'm leaving candy to the experts, lest somebody decide to hand over the dentist's bill they'll need after trying to eat something I made."

Nephrite has posed:
"Yeah. They ruined stars." The tone of Neil's voice suggests that he is still personally offended by this specific slight on the part of all witches everywhere.

But he grins down at Saburo's page, giving the sketch the kind of admiration it deserves. "Oh, I know you are capable of assembling an eldritch horror, the likes of which none of us may gaze upon. I don't understand Bearsharktopus, and at this point I'm too afraid to ask. Ooh, can it be a were-poodle?"

Kunzite has posed:
Kazuo mouths, silently, 'Were-chihuahuas.' He is undoubtedly deeply fortunate that Neil is focused in the sketches. Also that Neil might miss him giving the equally silent 'what have you wrought' look to Kyouko. There are enough blackmail photos floating around here already.

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
Kyouko meets Kazuo's gaze and shrugs while mouthing 'don't look at me' with a roll of her eyes. Then aloud she says, "I dunno about were-canines of any variety, but clumsy ghosts sound pretty damn amusing. Although if possible I'd like to steer the conversation back to 'candy'. Oh, and cute faux-goth makeup. It's the one time of year I get to pretend to be girly while also still looking badass."

Jadeite has posed:
"A were-poodle who meets a clumsy ghost... You know, actually, poodles are supposed to be anti allergy, but do you think other kinds of werewolves are allergic to themselves?"

His face is a perfect mimicry of the thinking emoji as he contemplates this thought -

"I'm good with candy. How much candy do you think we would need to fill this room? Because I think we should get that much, and maybe it will last us through the month and the party."

Candy. Cheap, delicious, chocolatey candy.

Nephrite has posed:
The stars must surely be in Kazuo's favor today. He's too busy giggling at Saburo's drawing. "Did they steal their buddy's shin bone to play rib-xylophone with? Is that why the other one's only got one leg?"

He pauses to consider the implications of Saburo's words. "A candy ball pit..." he whispers with childlike wonder.

Kunzite has posed:
Kazuo's mouth twitches at the corner at Kyouko's eyeball, and he lifts his book and turns his attention down to it again. Firmly.

Almost. "If you create a candy ball pit, Neil, leave the chocolate outside."

Kyouko Sakura has posed:
"If you fill this room with candy you can talk to Naru about how you ruined my diet." Kyouko says, primly. "She already thinks I eat too much sugar. I swear, a girl has like, three slurpees in a slow afternoon at work and suddenly its vegetables all week." She rolls her eyes, then blows a kiss at Naru to hopefully ward off any return-snark.

She pushes off the wall. "Anyway, I gotta go shower, I'm probably the scariest thing in this room at the moment if we go by post-workout smell. I'll see you guys in a bit." And then she is departing towards the elevator.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Don't make everything sticky, please," comes Mamoru's voice from the elevator, which means Kyouko gets the full brunt of his woeful expression. And he also messes up her hair.

He's carrying two shopping bags. One has a lot of newspapers and flour in it. The other has cheap acrylic paint and a whole lot of bright blue parachute nylon. He comes in and dumps them on the couch next to Jadeite. "I have your costume all worked out," he says to the blond, and then glances aside at Kunzite. "Which means you're off the hook."

Jadeite has posed:
Any further commentary about the artistic endeavors is wiped away by the visionary beside him, who has whispered the most magical of all words -

"A candy ballpit," he echoes, and cracks a grin at Kyouko, "What if the candy ballpit was on the roof and also you had to get through an obstacle course to get to it? You could burn off the sugar as soon as you eat it?"

Mamoru's woe is returned full force with a big pout. "What about making some things sticky?"

The pout deepens at the sight of the costuming materials. He has a feeling of potential despair. Potential. "What exactly is my costume?"

Nephrite has posed:
Neil clutches his chest. "You all wound us. Are you suggesting that we would have anything less than a carefully-controlled environment in which to deploy the candy ball pit? We have an entire month to come up with a way to make it feasible."

He nods down at Saburo, dropping his hands on his shoulders appreciatively. "Rooftop candy obstacle course! See? This guy gets it."

He eyes the contents peeking from Mamoru's bag. "Is he... a tent?"

Kunzite has posed:
Kunzite's costume is, apparently, a book. Given that he just shifted maybe half an inch down and lifted the anthology a little more.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru's gaze slides back to Jadeite, then up to Neil, and what is on his face can only be called a shiteating grin. "No no, that's stuff to make papier-mache horrors and whatever. The tent-looking thing is not a project. It's going to go on the roof. The fan and light are in the trunk of my car."

He pushes the blue-holding-thing-bag in Neil's direction, eyes glittering, and then crouches down in front of Saburo. "You, my friend, are insisting on having a party. Here. This is not my idea, so I don't actually have to be the host. On the other hand, if people see me, they will assume that I am, in fact, the host."

He reaches forward and claps a hand on Saburo's shoulder. "You're being me. Again."

Jadeite has posed:
The revelation that these materials are not the costume is everything. Saburo relaxes immediately, no longer having to consider a tactful way to run screaming for the hills.

"Well then, I shall make every horrific thing -"

Oh wait. He's got a smile on his face. And a crouch. That's a little concerning. That's -

Oh wait again, never mind. Saburo grins, imagining all of the fun he could get up to.

"I'll brush up my speech writing skills right away," he agrees.

Nephrite has posed:
Why a spee-- oh. Neil looks from Mamoru to Saburo. "Oh, Tuxedo Jadeite. That is exactly the kind of chaotic energy that Halloween was made for. To be clear, are we planning on letting anybody in on the secret, or are you going to both be incognito for the night?"

Kunzite has posed:
... somehow Kazuo appears to have lost another half-inch in height. Perhaps the chair is sinking. Or his book is warping physics. Surely no other explanation is possible.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I'm definitely being incognito," Mamoru says, pleased as punch, clearly. He straightens up and Picards his shirt. "Not sure as what yet, but definitely unrecognisable. Maybe I'll ask to borrow a Luna pen and be a Pretty Astronaut or something, I don't know. Or I'll be one of those medieval English bird mask guys."

He doesn't look at Kazuo. However, Kazuo has now slouched down far enough that he should see this coming. Perhaps it was an invitation after all.

He takes Kunzite's book and sits on him.

"At any rate, I'm positive you know how to make me cringe by knowing exactly where the line is between Mamoru-extra and Shakespeare at three in the morning extra. I mean I'd rather people didn't actually figure it out until after."

Jadeite has posed:
Saburo nods, grinning at Mamoru's chosen seat and the loss of Kazuo's chosen shield. "I was figuring as much - there's no point in being you to host if everyone knows that you're you."

He taps his fingers to his chin.

"Don't worry, I'll be good at the role. You hide out as something totally un-you, and I'll be You-ri on Ice. What are the rest of you going to be?"

Nephrite has posed:
What is clearly not being stated, here, is that Neil-as-Mamoru does not know that line. Neil gets his hands on a white domino mask, and 3:00 a.m. Shakespeare will be happening, regardless of the current day or time. Ham is both his duty and his purpose.

"Haven't decided yet. Maybe I should literally be Shakespeare so anything Saburo does will look mild by comparison."

Kunzite has posed:
If Kazuo were doing the wise thing, he should be warning Saburo to guard his costume pieces at the risk of his very life. Instead, he is ... furniture. Snagging his own book back would be somewhat undignified (and, irritatingly, Mamoru can manage a tiny bit of reach on him like this), so he settles instead for asking Mamoru warily, "Can you eat through a plague doctor mask?"

He does not comment about costumes. Possibly he will be a veiled and hooded looming figure proceeding in Mamoru's long-beaked wake, or possibly he will dress as something other than Death so that Neil doesn't make jokes about Kazuo not wearing a costume.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"You-ri on Ice," Mamoru repeats in delight, eyes widening. "Yes. That's awful. I literally thought you were going to just borrow the un-magic dinner wear." He carefully puts a bookmark in Kazuo's anthology, then hugs it to his chest so Kazuo will have to wrestle it away if he wants it back right now.

Mamoru foolishly believes Neil knows the rules next to the door and will follow them, no matter how many times he loses the race for player one.

Then Kazuo asks that question, and Mamoru's mouth opens for a second, and then he shuts it. Decidedly. His ears may have turned red from embarrassment at not having thought of that. "I'm sure I'll find a way," he finally says with dignity.

Kunzite has posed:
Kazuo pats Mamoru on the head. Literally. With due solemnity in respect for Mamoru's dignity. "Is there that much lace in Tokyo?" he asks Neil, likewise solemn. All of the solemnity may be an attempt to retroactively make up for the very faint strangled noise that someone CLEARLY NOT HIM made at Jadeite's joke.