Hallow’s Eve event.

Kite could smell the various aromas drifting towards him as the winds blew in the direction of him and his ship.  Night had taken over Ace of Spades but this night was different in so many ways. Throughout Fiore the holiday known as Halloween spread its holiday spirit across the country like a plague, but in a good way. From the top of his ship he couldn’t make out in detail what exactly was going on as far as what exactly was being set up in Ace of Spades but he could see a lot more orange colored lights illuminating the buildings. Last year he had participated in the events and they were eventful, no pun intended.

Looking down the neck of the ship to where his dragon companion Turq the Turquoise dragon typically perched himself to sleep. Curled up in a ball the dragon rested but that would soon be interrupted, “Hey Turq. I’m going into town” with a small chuff Turq lifted his head and locked eyes with Kite, “Yeah? What for?” by his tone Kite could tell he wasn’t interested in going himself but humored Kite keeping him in the loop. Kite pointed towards town with the light up and glowing as well as the smell of cider and other spices flowing in. “Seems like Halloween has come to town. I’m going to check it out to see what’s there to do .” After a few audible sniffs Turq caught the scent Kite had mentioned, “Ah  yes. I can smell it now. I’ll stay behind and watch the ship.”[/color] he’d lay his head but then spring it up as quick as he put it down, “Could you bring me some of that… what do humans call it? Cider? I heard that it’s white tasty and I’d like to try it.”  Kite would give a salute to the dragon, “You got it. I’ll grab you a gallon or two” he’d say as he took one step over the edge and dropped down to the ground and started to make his way into town. After a short walk down the Main Street he would hear the sound of screaming and chose to investigate. Upon arrival Kite saw close by the start of the line for a roller coaster. “Well now. This looks interesting.” he’d say to himself as he took place in line and would wait for his turn.

Wc:400

Wearing the same Jane Easter costume that she had worn for the past several years because there was no need to fix what was not broken, Victoria walked through Ace Of Spades and looked around at all the decorations and all of the costumes people were wearing. She walked along with her ponytail swaying left and right behind her as she went. As she walked she observed both the decorations adorning the town and the costumes other people were wearing.

Victoria saw decorations such as fake cobwebs hanging between buildings, fake spiders the size of a large dog hanging from the sides of a few buildings, skeletons leaning against lightpoles and sitting on empty benches, and even animatronic black cats perched on fences glaring at passersby with glowing gold or red eyes and hissing at them occasionally. She spotted one with red eyes and was reminded of Umbra, the zombie cat she had met in Sombras Manor a lifetime ago during a job with the Order of Lightbringers cleric Amberlin.

As she walked through Ace Of Spades Victoria saw a tall and muscular guy dressed like Carl Farmer, the male protagonist from the Malevolent Tenant video game series, a quartet of Fortunate Meteor cosplayers dressed as the female protagonists who were the focus of the anime, and standbys such as sexy librarians, sexy nurses, vampires of both genders, a detailed werewolf costume that could have easily passed for the real thing, a few pirates with toy cutlasses in their belts, and even a detailed mecha cosplay of a tall white mecha suit with a red vertical crest on top of the helmet and large backpack thrusters. The suit was made out of real metal and had two sapphire blue lights where the eyes were. Victoria liked all of the costumes and decorations and was really getting into the spirit of the event, but the real draw was the activities the festival offered... she was going to see what she could find and participate in the most interesting ones.

The brunette chose to check out something called the "Rollercoaster of Emotions" and found herself waiting in a fairly long line, but she was distracted from the prospect of a lengthy wait by a familiar face. She studied the guy's features closely and soon recognized her guildmate Kite.

"Hey Kite!" Victoria called out to the blue-haired guy and waved at him with her right hand so that he would spot her... not that it would be too hard. She was one of the few people in the immediate area wearing a blue costume and the only brunette to do so. Still, she wanted to make sure that Kite saw her amid the crowd of festival attendees.

Victoria's Costume:

[Post Word Count: 454]
[Victoria's Word Count 454/2,000]

Kite had found himself standing in a rather lengthy line for the roller coaster that had been constructed around the perimeter of town. “I have to say it’s pretty amazing how this all comes together.”  he would say out loud to no one in particular. He always found himself amazed by just how lively the town got when carnivals like this came to town as well as the event itself. The ability to set up such attractions like this was always a marvel in its own right. One of the people waiting in line behind him would respond to his comment, “Isn’t it? Ace of spades never holds back when it comes to these sorts of things.” Kite would turn back to look at the man dressed up as a classic Frankenstein like monster, “You can say that again. Shouldn’t expect anything less.” he would reply with a thumbs up at the costumed individual. “Woah wait a second. Your costume is amazing. You look like you’re the former Guild master…” he’d say in amazement before really focusing on Kite and it dawned on him, he wasn’t dressed like the former guild master but that he was in fact him, “Wait. You are him! What’s a guy like you doing here?” Kite would shake his head and give a chuckle, “A guy like me? Don’t be silly, I'm just a working wizard like anyone else. Plus I wouldn’t miss a fun time like this.” Kite wasn’t one for fanfare but it was nice to be remembered as someone sort of important. To him it wasn’t a big deal but to the average person it must have been like meeting a celebrity, especially a hometown hero sort of scenario like this.

While he was waiting patiently in line for the ride the movement of the line was slow going and while he wasn’t impatient he did want to see what else was in this festival and was tempted to leave his place in line but he was soon taken away from this train of thought as he heard his name being called. He turned in the direction of who had called out to him and it was Victoria Sheridan. He saw she was wearing something different this time around, an all blue military looking uniform with her hair in a ponytail. Lifting his hand into the air with a wave, “Hey!” it was always a good time when she was around with the exception of their last job where she had some desire to shoot him but that was more the house then Vic herself. He would make a gesture with his hand to beckon her up to where he was in line,”Come on up let’s go on this thing together!” if they were both going to go on this ride it would make sense to go at the same.  Might lead into them just going around the festival together which would only be a fun time he was sure. “I didn’t know anyone else was going out tonight. Your costume looks great by the way. Who are you supposed to be?” he’d ask genuinely curious to the character she was portraying. He himself did not dress any differently so he sort of stood out in comparison. “What do you know about this ride?” he would ask curious if she had more insight to the ride they were about to find themselves on.

As they conversed while waiting in line the time to wait went by much quicker than prior and before they knew it, it would be their turn to hop into their car to take up on the roller coaster.

Wc:610
Total : 1010

"I'm Jane Easter from the Malevolent Tenant game series. I've recently started playing the first one in the trilogy and it's pretty good. The voice acting is a bit hokey and the developers had an obsession with card games because some of the puzzles are out there, but it's still a good game. I can't wait to play 2 and 3." Victoria informed Kite who she was dressed as and gave him a brief opinion on how the Malevolent Tenant series was. The voice acting sounded like most of the voice actors and actresses were bored while reading the script and some of the lines were pretty corny. The puzzles tended to lean towards being themed around card games at the game's midpoint... Victoria had had to play a game of blackjack against a robotic dealer to get the key to a door protecting both a journal entry and an item that advanced the story. On another occasion she had had to play a few games of Texas Hold'Em poker with Carl Farmer and a few robotic gamblers to get another key.

The brunette did not get the obsession with card games and gambling, but in the game it was explained that the mansion's owner made his fortune through winning high-stakes card games and deciding to protect sensitive areas and information with puzzles based on what had made him rich. It was odd reasoning, but odd reasoning was better than no reason at all. Besides, Victoria did not play the game to be a detective or read an award-winning story. She played

"I don't know anything about this roller coaster, Kite. I arrived in Ace Of Spades a few minutes ago and sort of wandered around looking at people's costumes until I got in line here." Victoria confessed to Kite that she had no idea what was in store for them. Moments later she thought about that and spoke again.

"In fact this is my first roller coaster ride ever." Victoria added another confession hot on the heels of the first one. The brunette got plenty of excitement from the work she did, so a ride where she could only sit still and be unable to interact with anything sounded more than a little boring. Maybe this roller coaster would have something that set it apart from the others of its kind.

[Post Word Count: 392]
[Victoria's Word Count: 846/2,000]

After Kite was joined in line by Vic he had asked her about her costume. Kite listened as she enthusiastically began to explain that she was dressed as a character named Jane Easter. Kite was unfamiliar with who that might be but before he had the chance to ask she started to go on in detail that she was a character from a video game series titled “the Malevolent Tenant” and it was a game series that she had just started to play but was only on the first game of three. Kite nodded as she spoke about the game and some of the features she didn’t like such as the voice acting and in game puzzles but truth be told he didn’t have much in the way of experience in games but he did seem interested,”I see I’m glad that you seem to like it. What kind of game is it?” he would ask to continue on the topic of this game. He would follow it up by responding with “I don’t play many games but if you like it so much maybe I’ll check it out.” he had no idea if he would be good at it but he would give it a shot.

He’d listen as Vic answered the question regarding if she knew anything about what the roller coaster was about to which she would state that she had only arrived in Ace of Spades a short while ago and had just been wandering around the town taking in all the costumes. “Oh?Were you in costume elsewhere before getting here?” was she on a job or had a previous engagement that happened to involve a costume? He could only ask. He put his hands out to the side, “I’m the worst. I didn’t come equipped with a costume this time.” he would give a slight chuckle feeling like he was actually under dressed for the day’s event. Looking around at the different booths and shops that were open for business specifically for this event he noticed some were in fact costume shops, “Maybe after this ride I will have to get into the spirit of Halloween.” Looking back at Vic he would give a thumbs up, “If you have any suggestions perhaps you can lend a hand for me in picking out a costume.” Right after mentioning that, Vic would add that this was her first roller coaster ride ever. Kite would smile and laugh a little bit, “Oh really? Well you are in for a treat!.” Kite would state just as the previous set of cars would arrive back at the loading station, “They are great for a quick thrill and when you toss magic into the mix these things can get quite fun.”

Kite walked up to the loading station to get onto the ride, “Next riders please step forward!” one of the carnival hands would call out to the two Sabertooth mages. “Please keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times and please do not use magic on anything you may or may not see. We don’t want any damage to come to the tracks or others enjoying the ride.” he said in a very low monotone voice. It was easy to guess that this was definitely not the first time that he had said that exact set of words this evening. Kite would approach the roller coaster car that had two seats arranged next to each other but stopped to let Vic go first, “After you.”  he would say taking his seat after she was all set. Raising his arms to allow the safety harness to lower down and lock into place. The car would depart from the station slowly at first following the track which led to the first step incline that the car would slowly pull up to the top of the elevated part of the track. “Here we go!” he would shout as the car let loose and went down the track but it was instant that he realized this ride wasn’t a typical roller coaster ride. As the car went down quickly the vestige of a large dragon would fly up to meet them with its mouth wide open to eat the cart. Kite knew the dragon, it was the same that had killed one of the former guild masters and attacked the guild hall. To say it started him would be an understatement, ”What the hell?!” he’d shout as the illusion passed by they came up to their first loop wreathed in the same flames that Kite had been burned with as a child during his stay with the one who gave him his flame demon slayer magic which were very hot despite being a blue flame.

wc 794
total wc 1804

"Malevolent Tenant's a kinda strange game. It's a game where you play as a police officer exploring a mansion nestled in the mountains where people have been disappearing, but it turns out that there's a good reason people are disappearing. It's not a first-person shooter but it's got first-person shooter elements to it, especially when enemy fights come up. I'd say it's a lot easier to manage than third-person mode where you have to point the weapon up, let the enemy get close, and hope you get a headshot when you fire." Victoria told Kite a little bit about Malevolent Tenant. It was a game series the blue-haired mage would have to experience for himself to fully understand. Victoria had not played the first one all the way through, but so far it had been well worth the money.

"As far as a costume goes, it depends on what look you're going for. I've seen guys dressed as knights wearing actual metal plate armor, pirates, vampires, even a werewolf. And that was just what I saw while waiting for you." Victoria started off.

"I don't know what to tell you. I don't know if you want to stand out from the crowd or if you want to just be part of the festivities without drawing too much attention." She continued. She then had an idea that she was going to share so that she might actually be helpful.

"On second thought, is there a TV show, video game, or anime series you like?" Victoria asked her guildmate in an effort to be somewhat useful instead of being no help at all. However, their conversation was cut short when their ride appeared. She boarded the roller coaster at Kite's prompting and sat down. Moments later her safety harness automatically moved into position and moments after it did the ride started off slowly. The brunette was kind of bored already and the ride had just started... she hoped that it would pick up soon.

She need not have worried because when the vehicle reached the first peak it got exciting in a hurry when it suddenly descended. The brunette was now wide awake, but a sharp increase in speed was not the only thing she was experiencing. She heard the sound of barking and felt her face drain of color as she saw a pack of seven German Shepherds running towards her while barking.

"DOGS?! WHY DOGS?!" Victoria blurted out in a panic.

Victoria quickly put her arms over her face and screamed in horror as they approached... she had dreaded dogs ever since she was a street kid and she continued to dislike them despite being older, taller, and in possession of two forms of magic.

It did not matter if the animals were wild dogs or domesticated ones... if it was a medium or large breed of dog Victoria wanted nothing to do with it. She wanted the canine in question as far away from her as possible and she wanted it to stay away from her. The brunette saw the pack draw closer and shouted at them.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Victoria shouted at the German Shepherds running towards her with no signs of slowing down.

[Post Word Count: 536]
[Victoria's Word Count: 1,382/2,000]
[Total Word Count: 2,340]

Kite paid close attention as Vic went on to explain what the game Malevolent tenants was all about. His experience with games was very minimal all things considered but he did know the basics. The plot of acting as a police officer exploring and investigating a mountainous area looking into the disappearance of people was quite entertaining as a theme. She went on to explain that the game wasn’t a first person shooter as a genre but the elements of one or third person did exist in the game but her preference was first person. Kite nodded when she finished her breakdown of the game, “I see. The theme seems pretty neat. I’ll have to give it a whirl.” he said to her as he thought about where he would set up a gaming area in Tailspin. “When I get back to the ship I’ll have to set up a gaming station. Maybe in my bunk or in the lounge area of the ship.” he would make it a point or order when he got back to have EDI assist with integrating a gaming setup later. Kite just found his new obsession.

He had asked her opinion regarding a costume and seeing if he should find a shop that deals in them.   However she didn’t have any real opinion on the topic stating it’s more of his preference on whether he’d prefer to stand out or not. He wasn’t going to get out of line but after she asked if there was a character that he liked from an anime or show he totally had a character pop up in his mind for who he wanted to dress up as. “I think I have an idea but first thing is first.” he’d state as he pointed up to the roller coaster tracks, “We gotta conquer this beast”

The coaster started off tame as most do, the slow suspenseful climb to the top with the speedy drop down the tracks. However this wasn’t typical at all. The illusion of the dragon that attacked the hall years ago and the fires of the demon king licked at his skin again, the heat could be felt like it did back then, Kite was sure Vic might have been able to feel it but looking at her she was faced with her own issues. He watched her yell out why it had to be dogs and covered her face yelling at them to stay away from her. He couldn’t hear the dogs himself but seeing Vic panic like that was not a sight he had ever expected to see but there wasn’t anything to be done between his inability to detect what she was seeing and the fact it was an illusion. Without much in the way of options Kite reached over and held Vic’s hand with the intent of calming her down, “It’s okay Vic. I’m right and they can’t hurt you.” he would say to her trying to comfort her but despite his magic being of flames and heat the feeling of the flames made him feel cold to the touch. This ride couldn’t end soon enough.

Wc 525

Victoria was in the grip of panic when she felt a strong hand grab one of hers, something that only momentarily pulled her out of it. The pack of German Shepherds was still after her and it looked like they were gaining on her. Victoria wanted to get away from them as quickly as possible, but the rollercoaster seemed to be taking its sweet time going anywhere.

"THEY'RE STILL CHASING ME!" Victoria yelled while gripping the mystery hand and raising her free hand above her face so that if they did catch up to her her uncle and sisters could recognize her body. Raising a hand might not do much good since the dogs looked strong enough to rip her arm off before going right for her face. She did not want to die on a rollercoaster, but if the dogs caught up with her she might not have much choice.

"I HATE DOGS!" Victoria firmly asserted her hatred for canines as the ride continued. There was no telling when it would stop, but she did not know if she would survive to the end. Even if the pack did not catch up to her the brunette's heart rate was rather high and she was unable to calm down on her own.

"WHY COULDN'T IT BE A SMALL BREED CHASING ME? WHY COULDN'T IT BE A PACK OF SCOTTISH TERRIERS OR DACHSHUNDS?" Victoria lamented that her canine pursuers were from a medium breed instead of a smaller, cuter breed like the ones she had mentioned. Victoria was not afraid of them... in fact she found the breeds she had mentioned to be kind of cute. They were not threats like German Shepherds, Rottweilers, or Dobermans were.

The brunette felt the mystery hand holding her own and calmed down enough that she did not say anything else, but her breathing was still rapid. Her heart rate was also pretty high and she was riding a strong adrenaline rush due to being chased by an animal she feared. If this ride ever ended she was going to go look for some alcohol to drink... or a lot of soda. Soda would be nice. It might not do wonders for her heart rate, but the worst she could get out of consuming a lot of soda was a serious caffeine rush.

[Post Word Count: 388]
[Victoria's Word Count: 1,770/2,000]

The roar of the dragon could be heard in the distance or what seemed like the distance and it was fast approaching once again. He knew that it was dead, he was present when Sabertooth’s Ibara had turned up his flames with his dragon force and felled the great beast.  What it was more than anything is what the beast had represented, powerlessness, hopelessness and death, the death of his beloved friends. However the flames that continued to lick at his skin as they did when he was a child, were a different matter.  He didn’t have any recollection of being afraid of these flames, in fact he hated them. He would attempt to eat the flames by trying to breathe them in but there was no sign of them budging. “I should have guessed illusory flames wouldn’t be consumable, worth a shot.” He came to the conclusion that it was possible the ride itself was enhancing the fear and traumatic effects that these triggers would normally have. Even still with his own panic making his breath quicken and his adrenaline spike he had enough sense to notice Vic’s state of terror. He felt how tight her grip was on his hand after he took hold and he could sense that this fear of dogs that she was having was deep rooted.

He watched as she lifted her free arm above her head trying to protect her face from the dogs that she said were still chasing her in this illusion that was being produced by the roller coaster. As she began to state the sort of dogs she would have preferred be chasing her over the medium sized dogs he could assume she was facing down. There was no way he could attack an illusion and although he might be able to nullify effects of magic he had no clue what was causing the illusions and he couldn’t nullify what he couldn’t see so he did what he could only think would be relevant. Taking his free arm he would wrap it over top of her arm that was acting as protective cover for her face, trying to add an additional comfort and cover. He would even let his aura flare a bit trying to add a bit of heat trying to add to the calm, which was difficult to do with these blue flames licking at him. “It’s okay Vic. They won’t get to you. I got you.” he hoped she would be able to hear her. He could feel the ride slow down a bit telling him that the ride was almost over, ”It's almost over Vic just breathe.”

As soon as the ride came to an end he would remove his arm from around her and force the safety restraints off of them before helping her up and out of the train car. “Vic let’s get you out of here.” as he walked her off the platform he would look back at the coaster with disdain in his glare. He’d be back later to deal with this coaster.

It was safe to say that Victoria was freaking out big time. The German Shepherds were keeping pace with the roller coaster and did not look to be getting tired at all no matter how far they ran at what looked to be top speed. The brunette was so freaked out that she could not scream any more, only stare at the tireless canines who seemed to be able to chase her no matter how far the roller coaster took her. Victoria wanted this ride to stop and stop soon before her blood pressure got any higher.

She was doing her best to hold on when a mystery arm wrapped itself around her in a protective embrace. Whoever the arm belonged to was going out of their way to make sure that she survived the ride and she was not going to turn down the timely assistance. The arm gave Victoria enough strength to actually calm down some and go from "I'm going to scream my lungs out!" to "I'm really stressed, but I can make it through this!" She continued to feel severe anxiety, but she was going to make it through this thanks to whoever was helping her.

When the ride finally stopped after what seemed like an eternity she could see who her mysterious protector was and it was none other than Kite. The brunette blushed as the blue-haired guy helped her out of her seat and helped her get away from the ride. While she was embarrassed that she was in such a bad state that Kite had to help her get out, she was glad that he was kind enough to do that for her. She was also glad to be away from the ride and those German Shepherds... speaking of which, she had not seen them since the ride had ended, but she was not going to complain.

"I'm glad that's over, Kite." Victoria said with audible relief on her voice. She could not wait to get away from the roller coaster and do something else, preferably something that did not make her see German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans, or any other medium or large dog breed. She also could not wait to get a drink... it did not matter if it was soda or something stronger like a special Halloween mixed drink.

[Post Word Count: 388]
[Victoria's Word Count: 2,158/2,000]

To say the least, Kite wasn’t a fan of the ride or the profound effects it had on Victoria making her seemingly relive a past event that was traumatic to say the least. It was the ladder that really set Kite’s blood ablaze, he was never one to take someone hurting his friends lightly. He understood it was the nature of the ride so it wasn’t deliberate by any means but that wasn’t enough to prevent it from earning his ire. Immediately after Kite’s arm reached over and protectively held onto Vic, he felt her relax just a little bit, enough to make it through the ride and calm down enough to not scream in horror. He could even hear the loud palpitations of her heart settle a bit, he was glad. He was useful to someone he cared about and in truth this also acted as a means to distract himself from what the ride was making him experience.

Right after the ride finished he had decided to help her out of the roller coaster car and while doing so he noticed her cheeks were flushed a bit. She would state as they left the ride that she was glad it was over. “Yeah me too.” he would say to her as he looked back at the line of people getting on the coaster. He wanted to burn that thing to the ground but that would have to be revisited later, he would look back at her, “You weren’t doing so hot in that ride. I don’t know what you experienced but are you alright?” he would ask her as they approached a nearby stand that would be serving beverages and other concessions for guests of the town. “Want a drink with me before finding something maybe more fun to do?” she looked like she needed a drink much more than he did.

Looking around the area he noticed a shop nearby that sold and specialized in costumes. “A reminder to all costumed guests! The Halloween costume contest will begin at the end of the night. Come one come all!” A voice over a speaker lacrima could be heard echoing throughout the fareground. “Oh maybe I should get a costume!” as he said that out loud he would smack his fist into his hand signifying that he had an idea.

After leaving the cart the ride had taken place in and the site of the ride the brunette's heart rate was finally beginning to go down. She was finally able to hear herself think because now her heart was not pounding so hard that she could hear the sound in her head. Victoria heard Kite's question about her status and turned to face her guildmate.

"I'm doing a lot better now that I'm away from the ride. I haven't experienced anything that intense in a long time." Victoria told him that she was beginning to recover from the experience and dropped a hint about her past, which held the experiences that had given her her fear of dogs. Unless he specifically asked about her past she was going to keep that to herself. She did not want everyone to know that she was afraid of a common animal because it was more than a little embarrassing for a tomboy like her to admit that any medium dog breed could scare her so badly she started screaming. The ones that elicited the worst reaction were German Shepherds, Rottweilers, or Doberman Pinschers, but she also feared less dangerous breeds like Border Collies or Saint Bernards because they were medium-sized breeds too.

"Sure Kite, I wouldn't mind having a drink with you before we find another activity." Victoria readily agreed to that idea. She did not care if the beverage was soda, punch, or something stronger... she just wanted a drink. She was sure that they would have plenty of options to choose from when it came time to make a beverage selection.

It sounded like Kite wanted to procure a costume because Victoria heard the blue-haired mage make a declaration to that effect. Victoria was on board with that idea because she would not have to endure being chased by dogs whether they were real or not. The worst she would have to do was make her way through the crowds and wait in line at the shop they ended up visiting.

"Sure thing, Kite. I'm ready to go with you to look for a costume whenever you're ready." Victoria notified her guildmate that she was ready to go whenever he was.

[Post Word Count: 370]
[Victoria's Word Count: 2,528/2,000]

As they departed the roller coaster using the designated exit Kite made sure to walk next to Vic but slightly behind in pacing as a means to put himself between Victoria and the roller coaster that really affected his friend. After hearing Vic confirm that she was feeling better now that she was away from the ride he gave a sigh of relief, “Yeah that ride was no joke.” he would say rubbing his right hand over his left arm where he could feel where the flames licked at his skin. He was even still a bit paler than usual if Vic decided to look carefully. That being said Kite knew to leave well enough alone but he couldn’t help but be curious as well as concerned about how Vic reacted on the ride. She had exhibited unbridled terror so he felt compelled to ask; “You don’t have to tell me anything since it’s not my business but if you don’t mind my asking what did you experience on that ride?” he would look over at her, softening his expression after asking. If she chose not to share the information then he wouldn’t pry out of respect for her privacy but again it was his concern that warranted him to at least try to ask.

Before going to one of the many concession stands for their refreshments he would take the lead and lead them to one of the many costume shops in the fairgrounds. Luckily with how their shop works they would use magic to conjure up a custom costume for the customers. “Oh this is perfect! Let’s go in here real quick and I’ll be all suited up.” he would grin, “you want to wait here or come in with? I already have an idea so it shouldn’t take very long.” he would reassure. Once they interacted with the shop owner Kite’s appearance would shift. His clothes would be replaced with a brand new outfit. His pants and boots were replaced with a pair of black combat pants with matching zip up combat boots. His shirt would be replaced by a long black compression style shirt with a long neck and a black tactical vest with a white skull painted on the front. He was now decked out in the outfit of the Discipliner, one of his favorite comic badasses. Turing to Vic with his arms out, “So what ya think?”

After getting his costume on, Kite spotted a booth that was set up like an old saloon style bar reminiscent of something you’d see in an old style western movie. They had a variety of beverages ranging from old school soda to the harder hitting, with the premier beverage being called Halloween punch. “This place looks neat, let's go here before we get the costume.” taking one of the seats on the barstool he would lean on the bar itself looking over at the barkeep who was dressed up as an old time prospector from some gold digging expedition. “Howdy folks. What ya be havin’?” with a smile Kite would place the coinage on the bar and respond, “I’ll take an old fashioned. And whatever she would like.”. He’d state making it clear that the drinks were on him. The bar keep would look at Vic for her order, “What’ll it be miss?”

"I saw dogs, specifically German Shepherds. I'm afraid of them because they chased me a lot when I was a street kid. And by "kid" I mean six to ten years old." Victoria told Kite the sight that had filled her with terror. German Shepherds had been the breed that had chased her through the back alleys of Capital Crocus the most and she had grown to fear them over the four years she had lived by herself on the streets. She had been chased by wild ones and she had been chased by tamed ones used by bored rich people to get a twisted thrill out of chasing someone who had no means of defending themselves.

"I'll tag along with you to get a costume, Kite." Victoria told him. She expected it to take him awhile to get what he needed for the look he wanted, but to her visible and considerable surprise he was ready to go in a matter of minutes. When Kite finally geared up and show her his new costume he looked like he was ready to take on anyone... not that Victoria minded. She was visibly impressed with how the look suited him and the quality of the attire.

"I'm seriously impressed with that costume, Kite. It looks like it came right off of the set of a movie or something." Victoria responded favorably to her guildmate's look. It looked like he had had it specially made just for him and had the quality to match. She had commissioned her Jane Easter costume at a specialty tailor and it had cost Victoria quite a bit, but it paid for itself each Halloween. Victoria was seriously digging Kite's costume... she wondered where it was from, but she would ask later because right now he was up for a drink and so was she.

The brunette followed Kite to a place to get drinks and immediately noticed the Wild West vibe that permeated the place. Some might find it hokey, but she thought it was actually kind of cool... in a really retro way. Whoever built it had put a lot of effort into making it look authentic, something that Victoria liked in a costume or in a place.

Victoria took the seat to the right beside her guildmate and faced the person running the establishment. The costume looked as authentic as the establishment, but the big draw for her was the selection of beverages. She had a wide selection to choose from and after thinking the matter through she decided to follow Kite's lead and try an old-fashioned soda.

"I'd like an old-fashioned soda too, please." Victoria requested. As much as she wanted either a Screwdriver or a shot of vodka after what she had been through, she would stick to soda because that drink was more socially acceptable... and affordable.

[Post Word Count: 476]
[Victoria's Word Count: 3,004/2,000]

Kite listened as Vic answered his question regarding what she had experienced on the ride; he wasn't expecting to quite hear that it was dogs that caused such terror.  However she would clarify that as a child she lived on the streets, even referred to herself as a street kid and that during that time period for the span of four years these German Shepherds would chase her. He would grow a bit angry but then would feel sad, he had no clue that someone as cheery as Vic had such a tough upbringing. “I’m sorry that happened to you.” he’d say plainly. He didn’t wish to pity her or make it seem like it was but it was saddening to know that the ride he invited her to join him on would dredge up such terrible memories for her. “If I had known the ride would have done that I’d not have invited you to join me. I am sorry.” his tone was remorseful as he felt he was partly to blame.  

At the costume store he has gotten outfitted quite quickly after entering the establishment. Feeling like an absolute badass he exited and showed it off to Vic, who was astounded by how he looked in his costume. She gave him quite the compliment in regards to the quality of the costume being that from a movie set. “I have to say I didn’t expect it to look this authentic. Definitely look like the vigilante hero from the comics.” he tested the costume’s  range of motion before walking with her over to the old school bar.

“Comin’ right up!” the bar keep would exclaim as he slid the tankard down for Vic to catch. “Enjoy miss!” He would say to her before going back to cleaning glasses. Lifting up his beverage to her in order to share a cheers, ”Cheers to a better night going forward!” Kite would wait for her to clink her cup with his before drinking her soda. He thought this was nice but he wanted to find something fun for them to do.

“Come on Vic let’s go play a game” he says as he reaches for her hand and leads her to a stand that has the sign for bobbing for apples. As soon as he and her were next he would dive in to see how well this would go and after a few tries he managed to snag an apple between his teeth and it was lucky that it was a normal apple. ”Aw yeah! I got a good one” he’d celebrate as he looked over at Vic to see how she did.

The member 'Kite Wilhelm' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'Normal Dice' :

Victoria Sheridan rolls one Normal Die for Bobbing For Apples.

The member 'Victoria Sheridan' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'Normal Dice' :

"It's OK, Kite. You weren't the one responsible, so don't blame yourself. If I got anything out of the experience it was learning to run for long distances without getting tired. That's a good skill to have in our line of work." Victoria told Kite that while she appreciated what he was trying to say he should not have to shoulder the blame for what other people did to her. Kite was a good guy and he did not deserve any of the blame for the events in her past. Neither did her guildmate deserve to feel guilty over inviting her to the ride when all he did was try to share an event activity with her.

"And don't feel bad about the roller coaster either, Kite. You had no way of knowing that something like that would happen." Victoria assured him that he did not bear any responsibility for what had happened to her. Unless Kite wished to discuss the matter further the brunette was willing to let the matter go so that she did not bog down the night with tales of woe and received her drink around the same time her guildmate did. He offered a toast to her, one she readily returned.

"To a better night!" Victoria returned the toast and carefully clinked her glass of soda against his before drinking it with the same ease she drank alcohol. Once the glass was empty she set it down and let herself be guided to the stand where the Bobbing For Apples game was being hosted. Kite took to the game with enthusiasm and went into the metal trough without hesitation.

Victoria watched as he made a few attempts that did not quite succeed before finally grabbing an apple with his teeth. She watched with bated breath for an unpleasant surprise to be sprung on her guildmate, but to her relief there was nothing special about the apple. It was just an ordinary piece of fruit.

Encouraged by his success, Victoria decided to participate in the game and leaned over the trough, somehow keeping her hair and her costume beret from moving as she leaned down and hovered over the trough full of water and apples. She gradually leaned further down and came within range of an apple, which floated out of reach just as her teeth closed around the stem. Victoria tried again with a second apple and met with a second failure, missing the stem by a margin so slim it was painful. The brunette tried one last time to get an apple with her teeth and succeeded in grabbing a stem with her teeth. When she finally succeeded she held onto the fruit and turned to face Kite, showing off her feat of dexterity and precision.

The third time was the charm.

[Post Word Count: 468]
[Victoria's Word Count: 3,472/2,000]

Kite listened to Vic’s response to his apology to which she stated that he wasn’t the one responsible and that he shouldn’t blame himself. He was aware that was the case, he only just recently got to know Vic so the time in her life that she had to endure such traumatic events had long passed. However the next thing he would hear her say would elicit a small chuckle as she mentioned that she had gained the skill to run longer distances without getting tired. With a bit more of a smile from that, “More stamina is never a bad thing to have that’s for sure.” Furthermore she attempted to put him at ease in regards to how he was feeling about getting her on that roller coaster. She made the point that he had no way of knowing that something like that was going to happen but that didn’t exactly provide complete relief but he wasn’t going to say anything more about it. He was more than sure that the topic of dogs and the roller coaster would be best left for another time. “Maybe we could talk more after the festival about it if you’d be up for it.” he would say to her on the way to the bar.

After toasting to a better night at the bar Kite downed his strong beverage as Vic downed her soda and they progressed onto a much more pleasant event compared to the Coaster, the bobbing for apples game. With a bit of determination Kite had managed to pick out one of the apples from the troth that they filled with water and the apples. Luck smiled upon him as he plucked out an apple with no deformities or worms. Pulling the apple out of his mouth he would take a bite out of it and munch on it, “Oh honeycrisp my favorite.” He’d watch as Vic stepped up to the troth and began her attempts at nabbing an apple with her teeth. He calmly chewed on his apple during her first attempt. During her second attempt he got slightly more tense in anticipation for her success but the apple escaped her by the smallest of margins. “You got this VIc!” cheering his friend on. He would throw up his hands as she plucked the apple out of the troth and it was lacking a nasty worm as well. “Aw yeah! Go us!”

After the completion of the bobbing for apples game Kite walked with Vic looking for the next attraction to try out and the one that caught his attention was this strange game where three coffin lids were on the counter and a piece of candy was placed under one of them. In some form of magic the candy would shift under the coffins and either be in the same spot or under a different one. The contestant would have to pick the correct coffin and if they selected the correct one get the candy as well as one of the tickets. “Let’s try this one out. If we win we get some free candy haha”

Once they were up for their turn Kite would try it first, “Lady luck let's see how much you like me.” He would shift his eyes between the coffins as they lit with magic and once stopped he would select the coffin on the right. “That’s the one.” The coffin would lift itself up and reveal there was no candy under it and instead a puff of smoke and an obnoxious laughing skeleton would pop out for a cheap jump scare “Lady luck struck out again. No surprise”

The member 'Kite Wilhelm' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'Normal Dice' :

Victoria Sheridan rolls one Normal Die for Coffin Up Candy.

The member 'Victoria Sheridan' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'Normal Dice' :

After her success in Bobbing For Apples she followed her guildmate over to the Coffin Up Candy area and was feeling good, so she was up for this game. She listened to how things worked be explained to Kite and watched his game play out. She was silently rooting for him as the coffins rotated and involuntarily held her breath as he made his selection when the time came. She watched it open and instead of a piece of candy he got "treated" to a tiny skeleton leaping out of the coffin before mocking him with a prerecorded laugh that was grating to the ears.

Victoria listened to Kite's lament that luck was not with him as she walked past her guildmate to try her hand at Coffin Up Candy. She patiently listened to the explanation of how the game worked and when the coffins were opened up kept her eye on the one a piece of blueberry candy had been placed into. When they started to spin thanks to the use of magic the brunette did her best to keep track of the one with the prize inside, but she blinked at the wrong time and lost track of it. Now she was going to have to rely on sheer luck to win at this game.

When the coffins finally came to a stop and stood in place Victoria took a quiet breath and raised her right index finger, pointing it towards the coffin standing in the middle of the three. It opened up and instead of a piece of candy she got the same "reward" Kite did when a small skeleton sprung out of the coffin and a high-pitched and annoying laugh played as if mocking her lapse of concentration. The brunette took another quiet breath and turned around to face Kite.

"I struck out too, Kite. I suppose you can't win 'em all." Victoria said to Kite in acceptance of the game's outcome. She was kind of hoping to walk away with some candy, but it was just not meant to be. At least the game had been entertaining and the small skeletons inside the coffins were kind of cute in a weird way. However, their laughing was not something she wanted to hear again for awhile.

[Post Word Count: 380]
[Victoria's Word Count: 3,852/2,000]

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