yumemigaoka | 🎃 We're at Pumpkin Hill 🎃 You ready? 🎃

🎃 We're at Pumpkin Hill 🎃 You ready? 🎃

⭐ Who: Anyone!
⭐ When: Throughout October
⭐ Where: Hybrid Colours
⭐ What: HALLOWEEN GALLERY PARTY
⭐ Warnings: Too many eyes on a plush toy, typical Halloween shenanigans

✧˖°⋆.˚⟡ ࣪˖ Happy Halloween ˖ ⟡˚.⋆ ࣪°˖✧

All throughout October, Hybrid Colours' storefront is fully given over to the Spirit of Halloween. Surely they haven't gone out of business have they?! ... Then again your typical Japanese citizen would never think that Aleena had allowed the Spirit of Empty Storefronts Past possess her art gallery!!

WEEKDAYS

♫♪♬

Both the proprietress and her gremlin of an assistant have more reasonable costumes throughout the work week, though Nikki can be spotted outside the gallery between his food delivery jobs passing out fliers promoting their gallery's Halloween event.

EXTERIOR

When Nikki's not around to ~~harass~~ coax people into the gallery, a little umbrella, table and sandwich board is set up outside with cute little pamphlets and a new, handrawn promotion drawn on inviting people inside to take a break from the weather and browse the gallery featuring appropriately horror themed art! Upbeat Halloween songs and music plays on a pair of speakers outside, for anyone who just wants to window shop or loiter, Aleena's not going to judge you for needing to take a moment to build up the courage to enter; Art Galleries are intimidating, more so when they're trying to be!

Of course, for people who want an excuse to stay outside, there are a few flower arrangements outside. Close inspection will reveal that they're from Camellia!! Don't worry though, there aren't any unexpected cryptids floating around... Probably. For anyone too intimidated by the decoration, it's probably better to come investigate at the start of month before Aleena and Nikki get carried away...

INTERIOR

The entire gallery is covered in overgrown (both real and plastic) plants, cob webs and a number of other hand made decorations. The number of strange items caught up in the plants increase as the month goes on, so don't be too surprised to find vintage dolls caught up in the webs or even traditional dolls belonging to other countries. Where do these two keep all these items when it's not Halloween?!

The entrance foyer of the gallery is always brightly lit and while it's decorated just like the rest of the gallery, it's clearly set up such that those who are more easily scared can hang out here without feeling too awkward; after all, having the store in front makes it a great excuse to not actually enter the gallery portion itself! The usual Dream Sphere themed prints are on sale, but they've been moved aside to show off the cute horror art prints and merch for the season instead. Some of them are your typical cute Halloween flare, but on the top shelves there are some... genuinely creepy items for sale (cw: too many eyes). There's even a couple of gacha machines artfully tucked in a corner with some candy prizes... Wait, these are keychains?!

In the gallery portion itself, all the art pieces on display from Aleena herself and from various local artists are based around horror and Nightmares. No jumpscares to be found here, it's all 100% atmosphere, baby! The Halloween OST probably doesn't help, nor does the massive Were~~hog~~wolf statue in the back. It is a statue, right? It doesn't appear to move... And there is a 'do not touch!' sign located on it's base, so it's probably just a photo op. Right? Haha...

WEEKENDS

♫♪♬

TRICK OR TREAT

Starting on Friday afternoons heading into Sunday nights, Aleena can be found in full costume with Nikki joining in (though his are decidedly less fancy). The lights are dimmed and the spookiness is on full display! If approached and asked correctly at any time by anyone, Aleena will pass over a couple of candies and a coupon to various cafes located around Yumemigaoka. If you can catch him around the city, Nikki is doing something similar, though you won't get a coupon from him...

DAYLIGHT

Nothing much changes from the weekdays, other than Aleena's more elaborate costumes and the fact that she can always be found near the front to welcome people in. If asked, she'll mention that costumes are welcomed (or will compliment yours, no matter how haphazard it looks). There are more decorative lights on during the weekend and some drinks and food set out for people to enjoy while browsing.

NIGHTLIFE

There's (unfortunately) no alcohol on the premises, but Aleena's whipped up some cute themed drinks to match her costumes (a witch's cauldron of punch, mocktails served in science beakers and the like) and it turns out that there's a couple of small fog machines, billowing out towards the opened front door. Nikki is actually in the Gallery helping out with managing the food and making sure guests don't get too scared/caught up in the atmosphere! What a reliable Dreamer...

The eyes of the werewolf statue in the back start to glow as the sun outside sets. While it's been stationary this whole time, at nights on the weekend it seems to randomly come to life, swiping at customers and turning it's head this way and that. So it was a surprisingly well cared for animatronic after all! Truly channeling the Spirit Halloween energy here... It doesn't appear to be proximity based nor is there a switch on the floor to step on. What's causing it to come howling to life anyway?

✧˖°⋆.˚⟡ ࣪. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⟡˚.⋆ ࣪°˖✧

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[Ango's taste in art tends to run more towards punk band posters and (tasteful!) nude photos, but he has to admit that the gallery is pretty sweet (and not just because they're giving away free snacks). A lot of the artwork is clearly inspired by the Dream Sphere itself, with familiar locations rendered in moody colors and stylized lines.

He ducks into the shadows beside the werewolf statue to pour a flask of mystery liquid into his mocktail... only for the creepy statue to suddenly come to life and smack the back of his head, sending boozy green juice sloshing all over his Spirit Halloween Sexy Ninja costume. He really doesn't have the cleavage to pull off the skin-tight black bodysuit, but he makes up for it with confidence (or at least a complete and utter lack of shame... which is practically the same thing as confidence, right?)]

Hey, Nikki!

[Ango waves as he recognizes one of the few teenagers in Yumemigaoka who doesn't actively want to kill him (yet). The kid seems pretty chill, so maybe he'll help a bro out...]

You work here, right? So that purple-haired hottie must be your manager... when I ask her out, should I go for the suave approach or the funny approach?

[he pulls his hand out of the pocket of his punk werewolf(?) costume and gives Ango a wave]

Yo! [then he lets out a low whistle as he makes his way over] Man, look at that outfit! Maybe if you bulked up a bit, that chest window would actually do something for you. Everyone appreciates eye candy when it's available!

[does he mean it? who even knows]

Yup! Welcome to Hybrid Colours~

[he sweeps his arms out to indicate the gallery they were in. Then Ango asks about Aleena and Nikki's eyes get a mischievous gleam to them. He crosses his arms and taps his chin in thought...]

Hmm... Hard to say. But if you're going to ask the Boss Lady out in that outfit, I'd probably try and do something cool myself. You are a Ninja after all.

[Nikki, what the fuck-]

Something cool, huh...

[That's it! Girls love awesome stunts! Ango's stunt repertoire mostly consists of beer bottle balancing tricks, though, and this is a high-class establishment... he'll have to up his game.]

Too bad I can't do any of my Dreamer tricks here!

[The enhanced speed and agility would make running from the cops a lot easier, at least.]

I'm pretty sure I've still got some moves, though~

That would be fun though... Super chaotic, since some Dreamers have some wild powers, but could you imagine? [he might... also be thinking about how he could use his super speed to get away from the cops. Delinquency at it's finest.

Speaking of, Nikki's grin widens]

Oho~? That's pretty ballsy of you! Now I'm sort of curious what you come up with...

[Hahaaa, no pressure, right?]

Uhh, I used to be able to do a totally sick backflip on rollerblades... do kids still do rollerblades these days?

[Admittedly Ango was in junior high when he pulled that one off, but it must be burned into his muscle memory, like riding a bike or tying his shoes... right? He's able to pull off cool moves in the Dream Sphere after seeing them in ninja movies, so it's gotta be one of those mind over matter things!]

Nobody ever believes me when I say I'm a Dreamer...

[Because he's always trying to use his (non-existent) "Dreamer Discount" to get free food and booze.]

...so I've got to prove my ninja skills!

[maybe he ought to be nice and put an end to this before the store gets wrecked or the other visitors are scared of... And maybe before Ango hurts himself. That would just be terrible for everyone. Just because they were dressed up as doctors doesn't mean they actually are (if only Dream logic applied)]

Yeah, rollerblades are still things. I have a friend who's super into it. Prefer the skateboard myself though.

[Against all odds, Nikki might actually be concerned about what Ango's planning on doing. But he also really, really wants to see what the guy has planned... What a dilemma...!!]

Just a reminder that I gotta clean up everything after you're done, so try not to break any of the displays, 'kay?

[maybe there was an angel on his shoulder once... Who knows! Whether there actually was one or not, it's gone now and he is full mischief mode]

[Normally it's Ango's job to be a bad influence! This kid definitely has delinquent potential.]

I'm not gonna break anything... wait, that's it! Breakdancing is still cool, right?

[Without waiting for an answer, Ango drops to the floor and manages to execute a reasonably competent series of windmills followed by a backspin - not the most difficult moves, but not half bad for a guy who turned 39 a few days ago (shh, don't tell anybody).]

Ha, I still got it! Oooh, wait, I think I pulled something...

[Nikki's staring, eyes wide and honestly a bit taken aback that Ango actually pulled that off] ... [and lets out a low whistle once Ango finishes]

Y'know what? Even if mom's not impressed by that, I sure am. Wouldn't have thought you had it in you, old man.

[-oh wait, he hadn't meant to admit to that. No, his joke... The bit!!! Nooooo-]

Wait, hold on, you okay? Don't accidentally hurt yourself at someone else's venue, that's no good!

[Aleena's absolutely watching from the front of the gallery, laughing at them both, but she's also going to leave Nikki to Figure It Out Himself too. Gotta let karma run it's course every now and again (how else will he learn?)]

Huh, you guys put a lot of work into this.

[Maki's here for her second job, taking notes for the tourism department. She checks out the animatronic statue and raises her eyebrows.]

Don't tell me it's one of those that tracks you with its eyes too.

[Nikki makes a little 'V' sign]

Of course~ To the 'a lot of work' bit at least. As for the big guy... Don't worry, he's on the up and up, no hidden cameras or anything involved there!

It'd be fun if it was, wouldn't it?

[He scoots over to take a look at what Maki is writing while Aleena herself is chatting with some other patrons]

Heh. Guess so. I'd assume you were taking pictures to sell later if there were, like those thrill rides.

[She's not hiding her notes! They're just bits of phrases for ad copy.]

Oooh, those would be super funny, wouldn't it? [he sounds delighted by the prospect] But nah, it doesn't really go well with our theme. He's just a fuzzy guy who may or may not have a few tricks up his sleeves. Y'know... To balance out the treats that mom's giving out.

[and he's nosy! So after looking at them for a bit-] This doesn't look like it's for the DU. Something for the second job?

Yeah, something like that. Gotta gather notes for a feature on seasonal promos around the city. Never a dull moment at Tourism Yumemigaoka. Then again, compared to the DU it is.

Nice! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me or mom.

But I hope you're not just here for work; you should enjoy yourself too. Or recommend mom an artist or two to spotlight in the coming months. [a baited pause] Hoshino Ai doesn't count though.

What do you take me for? Saying "hey, have you checked out that idol Ai" is like "hey, have you tried this great new thing called breathing air." Or at least asking if you've heard of onigiri.

Onigiri? Oh, you mean 'jelly donuts'? [Nikki, no-]

[but he laughs after a moment]

But some people are kinda shameless... We've had a couple of people try to use Hybrid Colours to make their performers seem more 'approachable' or build up a Dreamer-esque veneer, so we just gotta cut that off at the pass some times.

Donuts are donuts. [She raises her eyebrows.] So basically you're looking for someone who's not gonna use you for clout. Hard to do in an industry like that.

Nah, there's no getting around the clout thing. But at least try to not make it super obvious that's what they're doing, y'know? Someone has to put their foot down somewhere. And it's not like it's hard to spot the people who are being super obvious with it.

True enough. And even if they don't care, their management sure will. Sometimes those guys are worse.

Oh, true! Mom's pretty good at the negotiating side of things though, so it's not like we've gotten out of a few pinches already.

So how are you enjoying the festivities? Everyone's a guest here, y'know, don't let the big guy back there scare you off any drinks. I have it on good authority that he only goes after bad boys and girls.

[wink]

[She shakes her head and smirks.] Doing all right. The refreshments look great, by the way, and you all went out of your way to make things look approachable.

Hehe~ [he does a little victory sign at Maki's praise] We'll be looking forward to your review from the Tourism board.

But only 'all right'? Hmm... Maybe we ought to think about putting in a costume corner next year.

Costume corner? What, like a competition?

Fun as that sounds, we don't have the space for it. More like a costume rental corner... So you can join in even if you can't afford a costume yourself.

Heh. Sounds like people would have fun with that kinda thing. You're full of ideas, aren't you?

Of course! [why he uses Engrish when his English is fine continues to be a mystery] Never hurts to have options!

What 'bout you? Anything you'd like to see? Or eat? You had some drinks right?

[She figures he's just trying to be cool. She's seen the type.]

Sure did. Thankfully they're not alcohol, no one's going around wasted. Those kinds of events are elsewhere, anyway. As for what I want, not sure -- you fishing for suggestions?

Never know when someone's going to bring their kid, so it's better to be safe than sorry. [he rolls his eyes] We had a BYOB policy a couple of years back, but after throwing out one guy too many, we figured that was as good at time to call it quits with the harder stuff.

[he gives Maki a wink] We like to go with the flow, but it never hurts to have some suggestions on hand to help improve the experience.

[snrk] Halloween does have that kind of reputation around here. Or at least it did. Things feel a lot cleaner recently.

Oooh, that sounds like a watercooler worthy story if I've ever heard one! Does the DU usually hold events like these?

Events, definitely. We've had a few. Oh, the anniversary party last year was a pretty big one, but every so often we'll do something for the community. Or just office parties, but those aren't so much work.

well, that Anniversary party was something all right... [haha~ getting stuck in the Dream Sphere was not on his Bucket List but there you have it] No funny drunken stories at any of the parties, I hope? Considering the usual demographic for Dreamers...

[oh, so he does realize he's underaged!]

I'd like to say most of us behave. Some people at the office I'm not so sure about, and I don't mean the kids.

... Is it the usual suspect?

[singular?! Also, bold of Nikki to say this like he isn't also a problem child]

Friend of his?

I like to think that I'm friends with everyone. [Maki, this is his house, he can't just admit to being a delinquent while his mom is several feet away]

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🎃 We're at Pumpkin Hill 🎃 You ready? 🎃

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