TO EVERYONE

[princessvegas]

[ In her domain, Julie sits in a booth, bent over the table with a stack of paper and pen. She bites the tip of her tongue in concentration, then starts writing invitations. She intends to leave them all over the Horizon, fliers more than proper addressed invites.

Soon, all of the off-worlders are able to see writing in their vision. This writing appears to simply be written on any nearby surface: a tabletop, on the page of a book in place of the text, in a pool of water. It sparkles to summon attention to itself, just enough of a twinkle to earn a glance. ]



[ It's signed at the bottom, Julie Lawry.

Soon, other thoughts may begin appearing in your vision, sparkling until they catch your eye. Your own thoughts can be broadcast too. If you put in a little effort, you can even send them directly to a specific person, or a group.

And most of you are welcome to the party. ]

Comments

there is no such word as late

[princessvegas]

[ Um, what the fuck.

Even after an entire afternoon of different sparkly handwritings flying through her vision, this catches Julie off-guard. She's never seen writing like this, and no one else seemed to have issues communicating in plain English. So she is tentative when she answers. ]

That's... great. What's wrong with your messages?

bless you kind soul

[aquaveiled]

[ It's a very good, very valid question. ]

A͎e͙t͙h͙e͙r͙i͙a͙l͙ i͙n͙t͙e͙r͙f͙e͙r͙e͙n͙c͙e͙?

[ Himeka has no clue, but at least her message is reasonably sized. ]

I͎f͙ t͙h͙e͙ i͙n͙v͙i͙t͙a͙t͙i͙o͙n͙ s͙t͙i͙l͙l͙ s͙t͙a͙n͙d͙s͙, I͎ c͙a͙n͙ b͙r͙i͙n͙g͙ f͙o͙o͙d͙. O͎r͙ a͙n͙y͙t͙h͙i͙n͙g͙ e͙l͙s͙e͙, r͙e͙a͙l͙l͙y͙.

[princessvegas]

[ She does not know what the word aetherial means, and she doesn't really understand how there can be interference in thoughts, but you know what, it's ultimately not the weirdest thing about this day. ]

Sure the invitation stands. You don't need to bring anything! This isn't like the potluck. Just figure out a costume.

[aquaveiled]

[ Well now she's concerned. ]

D͎o͙e͙s͙ t͙h͙a͙t͙ m͙e͙a͙n͙ t͙h͙e͙r͙e͙ w͙o͙n͙'t͙ b͙e͙ f͙o͙o͙d͙?

[ It's not a party if there isn't food. Or ale, at least. Ale is just liquid bread. ]

A͎ c͙o͙s͙t͙u͙m͙e͙ w͙o͙u͙l͙d͙ b͙e͙ e͙a͙s͙y͙!

[ At least in Horizon. ]

I͎s͙ t͙h͙e͙r͙e͙ a͙ t͙h͙e͙m͙e͙?

[princessvegas]

There will be food! It's just not a party you bring stuff to. That's real nice of you to offer, though.

[ Julie sighs, then decides to just hedge her bets and assume that this person doesn't come from a world with Halloween, either. She has explained the concept of this holiday more in a single afternoon than she has in her entire life, previously. ]

My world has a holiday called Halloween. It's a whole day just about fun and make-believe. You wear costumes and go to parties, and kids go door to door asking for candy. And there's a scary side of it, too. Just for fun. So that's kind of the theme, Halloween.

It's okay if you don't get it. It's gonna be a blowout even if you don't.

[aquaveiled]

[ Oh thank the gods, she would be remiss if there wasn't anything to munch on. (And probably bring something anyway, no reason not to be prepared.) ]

O͎h͙! Y͎o͙u͙ m͙e͙a͙n͙ l͙i͙k͙e͙ A͎l͙l͙ S͎a͙i͙n͙t͙s͙' W͎a͙k͙e͙!

[ At least for Julie's sake, Himeka has some familiarity with the type of holiday if not by the same name. ]

H͎o͙w͙ f͙u͙n͙ t͙o͙ t͙h͙i͙n͙k͙ t͙h͙a͙t͙ o͙u͙r͙ s͙h͙a͙r͙d͙s͙ h͙a͙v͙e͙ s͙i͙m͙i͙l͙a͙r͙ f͙e͙s͙i͙t͙i͙v͙i͙t͙e͙s͙. T͎h͙e͙n͙ I͎ c͙a͙n͙ b͙e͙ a͙p͙p͙r͙o͙p͙r͙i͙a͙t͙e͙l͙y͙ s͙c͙a͙r͙y͙. J͎u͙s͙t͙ l͙i͙k͙e͙ t͙h͙e͙ v͙o͙i͙d͙s͙e͙n͙t͙ a͙n͙d͙ c͙r͙e͙a͙t͙u͙r͙e͙s͙ o͙f͙ d͙a͙r͙k͙n͙e͙s͙s͙!

[princessvegas]

[ There is still so much in this message that Julie just does not understand. What the actual shit is a shard? She decides it doesn't really matter. This Himeka has the right spirit, and that's a good chunk of Halloween anyway. The proper spirit. ]

See, you got it! There's gonna be a haunted house, and dancing and drinks and bobbing for apples. Not actually apples, but bobbing for... something. I'm still working that out.

[aquaveiled]

T͎h͙a͙t͙ s͙o͙u͙n͙d͙s͙ g͙r͙e͙a͙t͙! T͎h͙i͙s͙ i͙s͙n͙'t͙ y͙o͙u͙r͙ f͙i͙r͙s͙t͙ t͙i͙m͙e͙ h͙o͙s͙t͙i͙n͙g͙, i͙s͙ i͙t͙?

[ Honestly if there are drinks and snacks she's set, the rest is a bonus. ]

D͎o͙ y͙o͙u͙ m͙e͙a͙n͙ f͙i͙s͙h͙? I͎ c͙a͙n͙ b͙r͙i͙n͙g͙ f͙i͙s͙h͙.

[ She's helping. ]

[princessvegas]

Well, it's my first time hosting a party here. But I used to throw parties back home, when there was nothing else to do.

[ It is... not the same thing at all. A party in Pratt, Kansas is a bonfire and several bottles of hard liquor. What Julie is planning is far beyond anything she's done before, but she does not feel at all intimidated. ]

What? No, please don't bring any fish. Bobbing for apples is when you put a bunch of apples in water, then you have to catch one in your mouth without using your hands. Except I'm gonna use something else instead of apples. Something that isn't fish.

[aquaveiled]

W͎e͙l͙l͙, I͎'m͙ a͙l͙r͙e͙a͙d͙y͙ i͙m͙p͙r͙e͙s͙s͙e͙d͙.

[ Mostly because Himeka has never thrown or hosted any sort of party, even if she has contributed before. (Not usually fish, though. Usually.) ]

P͎e͙r͙s͙i͙m͙m͙o͙n͙s͙? T͎h͙o͙s͙e͙ a͙r͙e͙ n͙i͙c͙e͙ a͙n͙d͙ j͙u͙i͙c͙y͙ w͙h͙e͙n͙ y͙o͙u͙ b͙i͙t͙e͙ i͙n͙t͙o͙ t͙h͙e͙m͙. O͎r͙ d͙o͙ y͙o͙u͙ w͙a͙n͙t͙ s͙o͙m͙e͙t͙h͙i͙n͙g͙ y͙o͙u͙ h͙a͙v͙e͙ t͙o͙ c͙h͙a͙s͙e͙?

[princessvegas]

Thanks. Honestly, I wasn't nervous at all until I accidentally told everyone in their eyes. I meant to give out paper invitations.

[ But now everyone has Expectations and the ability to immediately question her, as opposed to having to show up with no knowledge of what they were getting into. ]

No, I want it to be something fun. It's a party. I'm thinking little bottles of Fireball.

[aquaveiled]

O͎h͙ y͙e͙a͙h͙, t͙h͙a͙t͙ w͙a͙s͙ k͙i͙n͙d͙ o͙f͙ s͙h͙o͙c͙k͙i͙n͙g͙. I͎'m͙ u͙s͙e͙d͙ t͙o͙ h͙e͙a͙r͙i͙n͙g͙ r͙a͙n͙d͙o͙m͙ v͙o͙i͙c͙e͙s͙ i͙n͙ m͙y͙ h͙e͙a͙d͙, n͙o͙t͙ m͙y͙ e͙y͙e͙s͙.

[ Wait, fireball? She CAN help! ]

I͎ c͙a͙n͙ b͙o͙t͙t͙l͙e͙ s͙o͙m͙e͙ f͙i͙r͙e͙b͙a͙l͙l͙ f͙o͙r͙ y͙o͙u͙! I͎t͙'s͙ o͙n͙l͙y͙ f͙a͙i͙r͙ a͙ g͙u͙e͙s͙t͙ b͙r͙i͙n͙g͙ a͙ g͙i͙f͙t͙ f͙o͙r͙ t͙h͙e͙ h͙o͙s͙t͙, i͙s͙n͙'t͙ i͙t͙?

[princessvegas]

You know what Fireball is? I didn't know people made it themselves. Sure, you can bring some. Don't worry about bringing enough for everyone, I wouldn't want you to go through that much trouble. But I'll try some of yours.

2/2

[princessvegas]

Wait, you hear voices???

[aquaveiled]

Y͎e͙s͙, I͎ h͙a͙v͙e͙ m͙a͙d͙e͙ s͙o͙m͙e͙ b͙e͙f͙o͙r͙e͙.

[ She thinks she's an expert, actually. ]

S͎p͙e͙c͙i͙f͙i͙c͙a͙l͙l͙y͙ t͙h͙e͙ v͙o͙i͙c͙e͙ o͙f͙ t͙h͙e͙ M͎o͙t͙h͙e͙r͙ C͎r͙y͙s͙t͙a͙l͙, b͙u͙t͙ I͎ d͙o͙n͙'t͙ t͙h͙i͙n͙k͙ s͙h͙e͙ c͙a͙n͙ r͙e͙a͙c͙h͙ u͙s͙ h͙e͙r͙e͙ s͙o͙ i͙t͙ s͙h͙o͙u͙l͙d͙n͙'t͙ b͙e͙ a͙ p͙r͙o͙b͙l͙e͙m͙.

[princessvegas]

Does "Mother Crystal" usually get to you?

[aquaveiled]

S͎h͙e͙ u͙s͙u͙a͙l͙l͙y͙ j͙u͙s͙t͙ r͙e͙m͙i͙n͙d͙s͙ m͙e͙ t͙o͙ h͙e͙a͙r͙, f͙e͙e͙l͙, a͙n͙d͙ t͙h͙i͙n͙k͙.

[princessvegas]

Why do you need someone to remind you to do that shit?

[aquaveiled]

I͎ d͙o͙n͙'t͙, S͎h͙e͙ j͙u͙s͙t͙ s͙t͙a͙r͙t͙s͙ m͙o͙s͙t͙ c͙o͙n͙v͙e͙r͙s͙a͙t͙i͙o͙n͙s͙ t͙h͙a͙t͙ w͙a͙y͙ f͙o͙r͙ s͙o͙m͙e͙ r͙e͙a͙s͙o͙n͙.

E͎i͙t͙h͙e͙r͙ w͙a͙y͙ S͎h͙e͙'s͙ n͙e͙v͙e͙r͙ w͙r͙i͙t͙t͙e͙n͙ m͙e͙ l͙e͙t͙t͙e͙r͙s͙ t͙h͙r͙o͙u͙g͙h͙ m͙y͙ e͙y͙e͙b͙a͙l͙l͙s͙, s͙o͙ t͙h͙i͙s͙ w͙a͙s͙ k͙i͙n͙d͙ o͙f͙ e͙x͙c͙i͙t͙i͙n͙g͙ i̺n̺ a̺n͙ "o͙h͙ h͙e͙l͙l͙s͙ a͙m͙ I͎ g͙o͙i͙n͙g͙ i͙n͙s͙a͙n͙e͙" t͙y͙p͙e͙ o͙f͙ m͙o͙m͙e͙n͙t͙.

[princessvegas]

[ That's... concerning. Actually, that sounds a lot like how Flagg and Nadine have described the old witch in the east. Shit, this person can't be from Boulder, right?

No, of course not. No way. Someone from Boulder would know what Halloween is, after all. There wouldn't be any point for them to lie like the heretics they are, because Flagg would suss it out in a heartbeat.

She breathes out, having reassured herself. ]

Well, imagine that you didn't even know you were thinking a message to someone, then they just started answering you. It's creepy as shit.

[aquaveiled]

I͎t͙'s͙ e͙x͙t͙r͙e͙m͙e͙l͙y͙ c͙r͙e͙e͙p͙y͙! B͎u͙t͙ a͙ c͙r͙e͙e͙p͙y͙ p͙e͙r͙s͙o͙n͙ w͙o͙u͙l͙d͙n͙'t͙ i͙n͙v͙i͙t͙e͙ y͙o͙u͙ t͙o͙ a͙ f͙u͙n͙ p͙a͙r͙t͙y͙, r͙i͙g͙h͙t͙? A͎n͙d͙ I͎ t͙h͙i͙n͙k͙ w͙e͙ c͙o͙u͙l͙d͙ a͙l͙l͙ u͙s͙e͙ a͙ p͙a͙r͙t͙y͙.

[princessvegas]

Right. So I'll see you there?

[aquaveiled]

I͎ w͙o͙u͙l͙d͙n͙'t͙ m͙i͙s͙s͙ i͙t͙!

[ If she knew emojis, one would follow this text. Alas, it will not. ]