[open] today is gonna be the day that you're gonna shut the fuck up about autumn

[fource]

WHO: Quatre + you
WHERE: all Porter cities, wherever
WHEN: throughout October
WHAT: bad Halloween candy, roombas, dogs, and other assorted threads
WARNINGS: will update if anything comes up!

a. the year is after colony 195 and human beings still insist on giving out pennies to trick-or-treaters
[Halloween was never a big holiday back home, but it's hard not to get into the spirit in this world. Quatre's found himself in the candy aisle of the supermarket trying to stock up for trick-or-treaters, but for some ignorance-induced reason he's found himself in front of a stretch of what could most generously be called "crappy old lady candy." The basket tucked under his arm has boxes of raisins, trailmix, those rock-hard lumps of double bubble, packs of toothbrushes, and circus peanuts; Quatre's currently weighing a bag of jumbo candy corn in one hand and the weird hard candies that only exist in the bottom of a grandma’s purse in another, when he turns to ask] Which do you think is most popular?

b. breaking: roomba violates all three laws of roombotics
[After some slight reservations, Quatre's fully come on board with the roomba rebellion, and he's taking their demands perhaps too earnestly. That's why he shows up in a Halloween store carrying the household roomba in a picnic basket, walking thoughtfully down an aisle of witches hats before picking one up by the tip.]

What about this one? [The roomba whirs tentatively.] I'm sure we could try it on.

[Sure enough, he sets the basket down on the ground to lift the roomba out for a better view.]

c. but seriously who names a dog popcorn?
[Someone in this business made the (correct) observation that the only thing more charming than therapy dogs is seasonally dressed therapy dogs. Hence the various hospitals, nursing homes, and university campuses filled with stressed-out students across the Porter cities get visits throughout the month from a bunch of well-behaved puppers in cute hats and capes alongside their handlers (in less cute hats and capes).

Except today's pupper (a curly-haired terrier decked out in a pumpkin costume, complete with hat) isn't quite well-behaved enough to put up with dressup, apparently. In the middle of their walk, her hat tilts forward into her line of sight just enough to remind her that it's there and she hates it, and she starts trying to gnaw it off her own head.]

Popcorn! [Quatre chides gently, but when he reaches down to straighten it out she yanks the leash out of his hand and starts alternatively fleeing down the sidewalk and pausing to tear the hat into tiny pieces, darting off whenever Quatre tries to run after her.] Popcorn, stop!

d. wildcard me blazer
[Hit me up at spoilers for plotting or just toss something at me here and we'll roll with it!]

Comments

heropa 12: earlier, still with roombas

[fource]

[So, roombas.

Quatre’s always been mildly polite towards their house roomba-- apologizing if he knocks something over when it’s in the room with him, mostly, or saying hello if he passes it on his way into or out of the house. After all, he’s used to talking to machines even if they don’t show any sign of answering back, but he never thought much more of it than that.

Then the roombas gained sentience and staged a revolution and long story short, now Quatre is sitting cross-legged on the living room floor across from the roomba in an attempt at negotiations. The living room is covered with regurgitated furballs (Quatre’s fault, given his job) and dust bunnies. It looks like they’ve reached an impasse.]

It’s really a very nice name, [Quatre is saying earnestly, while the roomba responds with a skeptical whir.] I’m named after a family member. It’s not a bad thing. [He looks up when he notices that they’re not alone, eager to pull in a roommate to back him up.] Hello! Could we get your opinion on something?

[recommendations]

[ Momo has avoided the mess with the roombas for the most part by not being home very much, between her various schooling and internships. She's just getting back from one now, when Quatre stops her in the living room. ]

Hm? Sure! What is it?

[fource]

We're negotiating. [Quatre says it cheerfully, while the roomba buzzes in something that might be agreement or just a grumble.] The roombas are standing up for their rights, and--ah, I hope you don't mind, but we've already discussed wages. I can cover it if you're not able to chip in, especially since I'm responsible for most of the pet hair.

[This time, the whir of the roomba is almost certainly agreement, at least until Quatre smiles winningly up at Momo and asks] Anyway, what do you think about passing down the names of people that are important to you?

I had to do some research for this tag...

[recommendations]

Oh! [ She'd seen Skeets' announcement on the Network. So this must be the results of that revolution. ] Yes, I can help. My latest internship is a paid one.

[ She comes into the room fully then, kneeling on the floor beside Quatre and the roomba. ]

That's an interesting tradition. It's not really something people do in Japan. Not the whole name, anyway. Often, a parent will take one of the kanji in their name and use it in their child's name, but the pronunciation will be different. Like... a father named Eiji and a son named Takahide. They both have the same kanji, meaning "hero" or "outstanding," but in the father's name it is pronounced "Ei-" and in the son's name it is read as "-hide."

for duo: terrorist boys continue to be extra af

[fource]

[They've found an empty lot outside De Chima that suits their purposes perfectly-- far enough away from anything that they're unlikely to have a stranger stumble across them, and remote enough that Quatre would be able to feel them coming even if they did. And paved, so they can clean up more easily afterwards.

It would have been impossible to tell Duo everything that happened during the Mars mission over the communicators-- not enough privacy on the ship's return, too much risk that their messages could be intercepted, and truthfully too hard for Quatre to focus with the nanites still malfunctioning. Here in the privacy and security of the middle of nowhere, Quatre tells Duo all of the facts, going back to March when the missile first launched towards Heropa, to their initial transmissions to the Phobos base, the development of the engine (heavy on the specs, of course), both the OTO's attempts to sabotage it and the interpersonal issues that came up among the imPorts working on it, through to the mission itself: their last attempts to communicate with the base, the information they got from the computer networks, what they encountered on the base, down to the trip home. Just two pals debriefing on a shitty space mission.]

...the diagnostics confirmed it. We overworked the engine and the one we've built already is no longer functional. Which you know already. [Almost absentmindedly, he pulls off the label on the next floppy ('Operation Alke Disk 11') and drops it into the pile growing in the box at his feet; there's a second box still full of floppies to go through once they finish up the first. He makes an ironic gesture with the floppy in his hand, then watches for when Duo's ready for it. The remains of disks 1 through 10 are scattered across the lot, along with the spent shells from Duo's gun.] And that's about it. 622 and Jacob are recovering, as best I heard. It looks like Ambassador Galla ported out.

[With that, he tosses the disk up into the air like a frisbee, free hand level with his eyes to protect from any stray shrapnel damage.]

and fashionably late

[hellraiser02]

...A shame about the Ambassador. She seemed like a real reasonable kinda lady. --Fore!

[Duo clicks his tongue with a hiss just as he lines up his shot, a tiny squint, and a cracking smash as the bullet impacts the tossed disc. The shots themselves, of course, were muted-- deserted or not, the echo of a gunshot was bound to attract someone nearby.]

[Duo drops his arm to wait for Quatre to ready the next disc, twirling it hazardously around his pointer finger. The safety was back on, of course.] Radiation sickness... No joke, nanites or not. Nothing else came back contaminated? All those experiments you guys ran into?

[fource]

[Quatre hums in agreement, watching a stray piece of the floppy wing off on impact before the bulk of it landed on the ground with a plastic crunch.]

No, as far as we can tell. [He shudders as he thinks back to the rows of animals riddled with tumors in their cages, the panic and spiraling emotions of the human test subject reflecting everyone on the ship.] Most of the animals were dead when we got there. Only the case of samples left the base with us, but the doctor claimed that the they wouldn't survive the freezing process. We'll have to see if it was a bluff or not. The human subject... [He peels off the next sticker a little slower, frowning down at it as he does.] I don't know how they can justify it to themselves. What they were doing up there.

c

[a_good]

[Halloween's a little baffling to Norman. He's gotten the point of other holidays he'd never experienced before (marking a specific time of year, commemorating something, food), but Halloween seems more confused. It's not just an autumn thing, or about food. It's also about scaring people, like with ghost stories? Not really for him, especially after what happened back home, but he gets some of the impulse. But it's also about dressing up as different things? Which is harder for him to wrap his head around.

Which is to say that Norman gives the dog trotting down the hospital hallway in a witch hat and cape a very openly confused stare before looking up and seeing Quatre.]

Oh! Is he yours?

[fource]

Not exactly! [Quatre says cheerfully. He himself is in an attempt at a scarecrow costume-- in other words, a flannel shirt underneath his official Hounds For Hurting Hearts vest, with some stray scraps of tan fabric at the wrists meant to approximate straw. He's already abandoned his hat.] We work together. This is Walnut. [Walnut wags his tail happily when he hears his name] He visits patients to cheer them up and make them feel better. It's nice to see you again.

[a_good]

[Honestly, without the hat it's hard for Norman to tell if Quatre's outfit is a costume or a fashion choice (though the vest, of course, is clearly uniform). Norman's seen a few service animals in the hospital, but the idea of having them visit patients is new to him. It's a nice idea, though - it would definitely have cheered him up those times he was stuck in bed back at Grace Field House. He's discovered that he likes dogs.]

Hi, Walnut! [He would try petting, but that would mess up the costume. Norman turns his attention back to Quatre.] It's nice to see you, too. Are you here a lot?

[If he hasn't seen them before, maybe they go around to different hospitals?]

A

[itistolaugh]

[ A very cool, normal way to make a good first impression on the nice young man politely asking a question is the furiously slap all his groceries out of his grasp. ]

Do you want a house covered in eggs and toilet paper?

[fource]

[what

Completely caught off guard, Quatre has no idea how to react to any of this-- not the fact that all of his prospective Halloween candies ("candies") are clattering around on the ground, not the fact that this stranger knocked it out of his hands, not even how eggs and toilet paper relate to his question??]

I'm-- what?

[itistolaugh]

[ She wags a finger under his nose. ]

You think kids want toothbrushes and raisins? Are you planning on handing out pennies, too?! My god, they'll eat you alive!

[ Harley gives the packages dropped the floor a derisive kick, and flings her arms out to gesture wildly at the entirety of the candy aisle. ]

No! If you want to make it through the night you need the good stuff! Chocolates! Gummies! Sour bombs! And if you get the full-size bars, you'll be like unto a god.

B

[symphonyinme]

Oh, it's too cute! A little compu-cutie.

[She may be the mother of three human children, but that doesn't mean she is biased. Dressed up robots are also adorable.]

How old is he?

[fource]

I-- I don't know, actually. [He looks down at the roomba with its little witch's hat, as if the roomba would respond.] It was in my house when I arrived, so... at least seven months now. Probably longer, there was someone living in my house when I got there.

[symphonyinme]

Aw, such an adorable age. My girls- and boy- were just bundles of giggling pee at seven months. You've got to go trick-or-treating with him- her- it!

A

[am_i_a_monster]

Hi, Quatre!  Not dog training today, huh.  Let me see. 

[Abigail looks at the candy corn and the hard candies carefully as if she's studying it thoroughly and then smirks.] 

Is neither an option? 

[She glances down at his basket and nearly laughs.  She looks at him again, doing her best to keep composed.]   

You're not going to eat that stuff yourself, are you?  Are you shopping for older patients at the hospital?

[fource]

Hello Abigail! I'm off today. [He says it cheerfully, though he can't help but feel that he's missing something here (somehow) given how she reacted to his basket.] No, I'm preparing for trick-or-treaters. I heard it's traditional to give out candy on Halloween.

[He reconsiders the options in his hands, frowning thoughtfully.]

Why neither? The store stocked a lot of them, so I thought they must be popular.

[am_i_a_monster]

It is.  Is this your first time celebrating Halloween?  That's exciting.  It's one of the best holidays.

[She shakes her head.]

I think the store stocks a lot of everything, knowing that people will need to have something to give out.   And I think there's a lot of these because no one has been buying them.   A few people might buy these kinds, so they won't be tempted to eat them themselves, but they're not popular.

[She gestures to the basket.] 

Dentists give kids free toothbrushes, they won't want to get more on Halloween.   I like raisins personally, but kids won't seem them as a treat.  Those other candies aren't treats either.

[They're barely candy.]

Do you want to come with me to the next aisle and see what's there?

d, let's quantify good

[lesterzeppelin]

[ After learning the conditions of his true powers at Fanport, Lester's been Restless. How does someone measure "good?" How can "good deeds" unlock his true potential? He's been nothing but good since he's arrived. He's selflessly given his son free meals all day every day; he feeds his roommate so she won't survive on alcohol and cigarettes; and he sells pieces of his hair to eternally devoted fans.

(How could any of this not be labeled good?)

At some point, though, he has to channel that restless feeling into something more productive than raging at a friend - and so when he arrives at Heropa #12 today, he's dressed as if he's prepared for a long work out. Faded band t-shirt for Empire of the Sun, sweatpants, sneakers, and he's even carrying water bottles for good measure. ]

Hey, Quatre. [ He grins, holding out a water bottle as a peace offering. ] I thought we could go for a run.

[ something's up, because Lester never volunteers for a run out of the goodness of his heart . . . ]

[fource]

[This is a (pleasant) surprise! He knows it's Lester before he opens the door, of course, but it's a very athletically inclined Lester.] Really? [he asks, even as he automatically takes the water bottle and steps out of the house.] Sure, if you'd like. 

[Like usual, Quatre looks more like he's ready to go to a business internship than any sort of athletic activity in a simple button-up shirt and kakhis. It'd look like a sign of how much he believes in Lester's commitment to going on a run, except he dresses like this a lot. He's done a lot of athleticism in business casual clothing in the past, after all; he just honestly doesn't see the need to keep Lester waiting by getting changed.]

So what's going on? [Because something's up, Lester.]

[lesterzeppelin]

[ Part of Lester feels like he should wait - after all, he didn't text his friend beforehand. Let alone give a proper heads-up that they should dress for an athletic sort of occasion.

But, truthfully, he's not expecting Quatre to break a sweat this afternoon. ]

Not much. [ Okay, blatant lie - Lester's heart is racing faster, and not just because he's exerting himself more than usual. There's a Reason for this excursion, and it may be a matter of life-or-death. ] Well, more than "not much," but I'll tell you more when we get to the park. Think there'll be many people at this hour?

a

[knaval]

You're asking me?

[this tall idiot, who throws out old clothes and buys new ones instead of washing them? who still barely knows what halloween is? he is holding a really big tub of cheese puffs. he's planning to just unscrew it and leave it outside wherever he's staying on halloween.]

Just get both.

[fource]

[Look, Riptide seems like the sort of person(/being) who would have opinions on things, even if those opinions neither reflect the most popular approaches nor make logical sense. At least he's offering a solution!]

That's true. There's nothing wrong with having more options. [With a nod, Quatre puts both of these terrible excuses for candy into his basket.] What's that one you're holding?

[knaval]

[he shifts, holding the tub so quatre can see the brand name and... the really messed up ingredients list, if he looks close enough.]

My treats. Just gonna leave 'em outside the door. People can just grab handfuls. I ain't gettin' up every five seconds.

[...]

Probably won't be in, either.