For clear reasons, Halloween was generally the most profitable time for the Mooncake, and this year was no exception. The entirety of the Candy Land level had been completely revamped for October. Among many other modifications, the sealed chocolate river had been tinted red, cotton candy spider webs stretched between the chocolate bark trees that now housed hanging gummy bats, the hard candy melons had been replaced with pumpkins, and the shrubbery had been set up to spray out sugary confetti and laugh evilly if someone took a few too many cream-filled flowers. Even the non-edible parts had been dressed up; the usual blue light of the health scanners at the doors were now an eerie green and purple, with the welcoming voice sounding a lot more sinister; and the Lollybots roaming around replacing the eaten setpieces were painted in ways reminiscent of all kinds of spooky creatures–witches, demons, ghosts, you name it.
Normally, Candice would be running around like a peep with its head bitten off. But this year was different. This was the first Halloween she was celebrating with her girlfriend Janine and their child Jabez, and she wouldn’t miss that for the world. She nearly doubled her usual seasonal staff to make sure everything was covered in her stead. The bean counters balked at the staffing costs, but Candice had paid them no mind; if she'd been in this for the money, then Candy Land wouldn't even exist!
"Don't be afraid to tell me it's getting overwhelming." Candice reassured Janine as they both put the final touches on Jabez's Sprinkles Pixie costume. "I won't deny it'd be an understatement to say it gets busy this time of year."
Janine chuckled as Jabez tried to reach for Candy Fairy!Candice's lollypop wand. "That'd probably be a bigger concern if I was here alone..."
"Well I've no plans to leave you here alone." Candice replied, playfully bopping her wand against Janine's Tooth Fairy wand. "And I intend to keep it that way!"
As Janine gratefully put her arm around Candice, Candice pressed a button on her comlink to officially unlock the doors. As the massive room darkened, Candy Land was now open to the public!
Normally, Candice would be running around like a peep with its head bitten off. But this year was different. This was the first Halloween she was celebrating with her girlfriend Janine and their child Jabez, and she wouldn’t miss that for the world. She nearly doubled her usual seasonal staff to make sure everything was covered in her stead. The bean counters balked at the staffing costs, but Candice had paid them no mind; if she'd been in this for the money, then Candy Land wouldn't even exist!
"Don't be afraid to tell me it's getting overwhelming." Candice reassured Janine as they both put the final touches on Jabez's Sprinkles Pixie costume. "I won't deny it'd be an understatement to say it gets busy this time of year."
Janine chuckled as Jabez tried to reach for Candy Fairy!Candice's lollypop wand. "That'd probably be a bigger concern if I was here alone..."
"Well I've no plans to leave you here alone." Candice replied, playfully bopping her wand against Janine's Tooth Fairy wand. "And I intend to keep it that way!"
As Janine gratefully put her arm around Candice, Candice pressed a button on her comlink to officially unlock the doors. As the massive room darkened, Candy Land was now open to the public!
Marlowe wasn't sure hegot the Halloween thing right. Humans liked ti dress up and the theme was usually scary. But sone dressed up in non scary ways. Then thete were supposed to be sweets - that concept he was familiar with! - but why candies would be associated with scary atmosphere.. that he failed to grasp.
Oh, well. In the end it was about having fun, and THAT suited the macaw just fine.
Plus, this would be the chance to catch up with a packmate he had not seen in forever.
It only left one question: what costume to wear? He had thought long about it until Subira called him to see something on Rohan's computers - a popular kind of masks thay came with a beak! That was just perfect, since he had a break, and the other accessories looked just as easy to find.
So when he followed the indications to the Candy Land level, his biking gear was concealed by a long dark cowl that swept around him, and his beak and feathers jad been darkened with coal. With additional goggles (they were Bruin's) and a wide brimmed hat (that Molly and Ailith likely toom from someone in the village, but Marlowe did not ask), he looked quute convincing as a plague doctor... a very idle, relaxed plague doctor who hummed the jingle he had heard in the elevator.
Oh, well. In the end it was about having fun, and THAT suited the macaw just fine.
Plus, this would be the chance to catch up with a packmate he had not seen in forever.
It only left one question: what costume to wear? He had thought long about it until Subira called him to see something on Rohan's computers - a popular kind of masks thay came with a beak! That was just perfect, since he had a break, and the other accessories looked just as easy to find.
So when he followed the indications to the Candy Land level, his biking gear was concealed by a long dark cowl that swept around him, and his beak and feathers jad been darkened with coal. With additional goggles (they were Bruin's) and a wide brimmed hat (that Molly and Ailith likely toom from someone in the village, but Marlowe did not ask), he looked quute convincing as a plague doctor... a very idle, relaxed plague doctor who hummed the jingle he had heard in the elevator.
As Marlowe exited the elevator, the health scanner hummed as a sheet of green and purple light moved over him from top to bottom. As it disappeared a creepy computerized voice chirped "Welcome...." as the doors opened, revealing the dark candy forest. Two figures, hand in hand, stepped out from the shadows, in fairy costumes that were, admittedly, not totally out-of-place in the creepy atmosphere.
Both were wearing skirts ending spikes, with similarly-colored spiked ankle and wrist bands. They had pointed ears and long antennae growing from their foreheads. One was multi-colored, albeit washed out, with a wand topped with a similarly colored orb; while the other was white as a ghost and whose wand was topped with what looked to be some kind of non-curved fang.
"Welcome to Candy Land!" Hissed the multi-colored one.
"Tread carefully, for there are temptations around every corner!" Snarled the ghostly-white one.
From the arms of the the latter came a giggle that, in any other context would have sounded completely innocuous; but in a dark eerie forest, being greeted by two menacing-looking fey, you'd be forgiven for taking it for an evil laugh.
Both were wearing skirts ending spikes, with similarly-colored spiked ankle and wrist bands. They had pointed ears and long antennae growing from their foreheads. One was multi-colored, albeit washed out, with a wand topped with a similarly colored orb; while the other was white as a ghost and whose wand was topped with what looked to be some kind of non-curved fang.
"Welcome to Candy Land!" Hissed the multi-colored one.
"Tread carefully, for there are temptations around every corner!" Snarled the ghostly-white one.
From the arms of the the latter came a giggle that, in any other context would have sounded completely innocuous; but in a dark eerie forest, being greeted by two menacing-looking fey, you'd be forgiven for taking it for an evil laugh.
The plague doctor continued to hum a funny jingle as he took in the surroundings.
Ooo... this place looked groovy!
Before be could take in all the details however, two figures sprang toward him, and it was the suddenness of their movements, more than their appearance, that caughtvhim off guard: His neck feathers bristled, and his pupils narrowed behind the goggles, in the alnost dinosaur-like expression of a parrot ready to defend himself.
A split second later he realized the white fairy loojed familiar, and he made s chirping whistle before uttering: "Welcoooome... " in an almost idebtical replica of the conpyterized voice that had greeted him.
Ooo... this place looked groovy!
Before be could take in all the details however, two figures sprang toward him, and it was the suddenness of their movements, more than their appearance, that caughtvhim off guard: His neck feathers bristled, and his pupils narrowed behind the goggles, in the alnost dinosaur-like expression of a parrot ready to defend himself.
A split second later he realized the white fairy loojed familiar, and he made s chirping whistle before uttering: "Welcoooome... " in an almost idebtical replica of the conpyterized voice that had greeted him.
Upon hearing that near-perfect mimicry of the earlier computer, Janine perked up and slowly approached the visitor.
"Marlowe?" She murmured, almost as if she dared not believe it. "Is that you?"
Confused by Janine's break in character, Candice stepped closer herself to take a better look at the visitor; realizing only then that he wasn't wearing a mask--he actually had a bird beak!
"Well what are the chances?" Candice muttered with a chuckle, in disbelief that their first visitor happened to be another anthro!
"Marlowe?" She murmured, almost as if she dared not believe it. "Is that you?"
Confused by Janine's break in character, Candice stepped closer herself to take a better look at the visitor; realizing only then that he wasn't wearing a mask--he actually had a bird beak!
"Well what are the chances?" Candice muttered with a chuckle, in disbelief that their first visitor happened to be another anthro!
The poaguet doctor whistled merrily - in a very non-plague doctor way - and approached Janine, his eyes laughing behind the goggles. "Did you recognize me by scent of my costume is that bad?", he joked, before opening his feathered arms for a hug, if she wanted. "It's good to see you again, Janine!"
"It was more the near-literal parroting that gave you away." Janine chuckled as she gladly returned the hug, though she had to pull away quickly as Jabez started playfully tugging at Marlowe's feathers.
Turning back around to see Candice's bemused face, Janine gestured to the visitor. "Sweetie, this is Marlowe, one of my old packmates!" she said excitedly before turning back to Marlowe "Marlowe, this is my mate Candice, and this is my cub Jabez" she said as she held up her cub proudly, who then proceeded to curiously sniff this new friend.
At this, Candice visibly brightened and approached as well, holding her gloved hand out for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Marlowe!" She said "Good to see more of Janine's old pack doing well!"
Turning back around to see Candice's bemused face, Janine gestured to the visitor. "Sweetie, this is Marlowe, one of my old packmates!" she said excitedly before turning back to Marlowe "Marlowe, this is my mate Candice, and this is my cub Jabez" she said as she held up her cub proudly, who then proceeded to curiously sniff this new friend.
At this, Candice visibly brightened and approached as well, holding her gloved hand out for a handshake. "Nice to meet you, Marlowe!" She said "Good to see more of Janine's old pack doing well!"
Marlowe gladly held Janine in a hug until something tugged at his feathers. With a surprised chirp he turned to look at Jabez and chuckled. "Burt and Daren told me about your lil tyke, it's how I knew where I'd find you... hello nice to meet you", he greeted Candice, bowing his head a little and fluffing his feathers. "So you are tge alpha of this place, if I get it right?" And since Jabez was curiously sniffling him, he laughed and lowered himself to hide behind a shrubbery... only to stick his head out again, chirping: "Peekaboo!"
"I don't normally call myself "Alpha"" Candice replied with a shrug "But I can't say you're incorrect in saying that..."
"Did they now?" Janine replied with some surprise. "Now that you mention it, I do remember them giving me a number of someone they said was an old packmate, but it's been so busy with the Halloween rush that I never followed up...." she said sheepishly.
Meanwhile, Jabez watched curiously as this new visitor approached a shrub. When Marlowe ducked behind it, Jabez looked around, wondering where he'd gone, only to be startled when he re-emerged, giggling with delight.
"Did they now?" Janine replied with some surprise. "Now that you mention it, I do remember them giving me a number of someone they said was an old packmate, but it's been so busy with the Halloween rush that I never followed up...." she said sheepishly.
Meanwhile, Jabez watched curiously as this new visitor approached a shrub. When Marlowe ducked behind it, Jabez looked around, wondering where he'd gone, only to be startled when he re-emerged, giggling with delight.
"Yup, I ran into them some time ago, they got a cool place now... As do you", he added, looking around at the decorated Candyland. "I'll be curious to see how this looks when it's not holiday too!" Turning to Candice, he asked: "Say, is there anything with fruit I can try? Mango, mayhaps?"
Hearing Janine say she forgot to call, he laughed reassuringly. "It's no problem, this looks like a busy place to watch after! We have nothing quite like it where the pack lives now... we got ourselves a nice den on the mountains, Seth's and Ros's mates helped us move there..."
Amused by the way Jabez seemed to like his game, he squatted behind the shrubberies and then jumped out again, trilling "Peekaboo!" anew, his feathers fluffing slightly.
Hearing Janine say she forgot to call, he laughed reassuringly. "It's no problem, this looks like a busy place to watch after! We have nothing quite like it where the pack lives now... we got ourselves a nice den on the mountains, Seth's and Ros's mates helped us move there..."
Amused by the way Jabez seemed to like his game, he squatted behind the shrubberies and then jumped out again, trilling "Peekaboo!" anew, his feathers fluffing slightly.
At Marlowe's inquiry, Candice proudly gestured to the gummy bats hanging from the trees. "Take your pick!" She replied "I'm not sure if we have mango specifically but all of them are made with their respective fruit!"
"You're telling me!" Janine replied to Marlowe's remark about it being busy. "If a holiday can be in any way connected to candy, then you can bet things will be chaotic here on the Mooncake"
"'Chaotic' is putting it lightly." Candice chuckled.
Once again, Jabez watched with amazement as Marlowe seemed to disappear, only to gasp and laugh when he reappeared.
"You're telling me!" Janine replied to Marlowe's remark about it being busy. "If a holiday can be in any way connected to candy, then you can bet things will be chaotic here on the Mooncake"
"'Chaotic' is putting it lightly." Candice chuckled.
Once again, Jabez watched with amazement as Marlowe seemed to disappear, only to gasp and laugh when he reappeared.
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