riverviewlogs | [OPEN] Halloween Haunt at The Apothecary

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[OPEN] Halloween Haunt at The Apothecary

who: Magnus Bane (

appetitive) & anyone who'd like to come!
what: Halloween & Samhain party featuring transformative potions
when: October 31st at dusk through November 2nd at dawn
where: The Apothecary (formerly known as The Quarantine Bar)
warnings: please tag threads individually as needed!

The Apothecary's Halloween Haunt

For the entirety of October, The Apothecary bar has been and will continue to be decorated in deep shades of purple and orange, not to mention a whole lot of black and an array of convincingly grim yet decidedly elegant decorations. The real party doesn't start until the sun sets on Halloween night, stretching past the witching hours and through the following day in celebration of the lesser-known Samhain. From dusk of October 31st to dawn on November 2nd, the bar is alive with magic largely thanks to the menu of six alcoholic potions whose effects are posted on menus around the bar. These menus will be placed in clear sight with moving images of each drink so that guests are fully aware of their magical properties—if someone hands you a mystery drink, you're encouraged (but not obliged) to find out what it'll do to you before partaking. Each potion lasts an average of three hours, or until an antidote is drunk. And though multiple potions can be "stacked" by drinking them without an antidote in-between, party-goers will be cautioned that some potions may mix to create strange results. Luckily, the host will be attending from dusk to dawn in order to sort out any dangerous effects.

While the drink menu is the main event, there will be plenty of other ways to find some ghoulish entertainment. Tables are laden with a variety of both sweet and savory appetizers which all paying customers are welcome to enjoy. Because of the length of the party, the kitchen will be serving a limited menu of main-course items during typical mealtimes throughout the days. And because no party would be complete without music, there will be a "live" skeleton band performing jazz, rock, and the occasional but obligatory Halloween song upon request—please use this power wisely and save your fellow party-goers from two hours of continuous Witchy Woman.

Given that this is a Halloween party, costumes are highly recommended and will be rewarded with a free drink upon arrival. If you come without a costume, bartenders will recommend trying the Monster Mash or Werewolves of London potions in order to get you more into the spirit of Halloween. Though the bar will be dotted with large couches, plush armchairs, and piles of floor pillows, dozing guests will be encouraged to go home and sleep between festivities. If you're unable to handle over thirty-six hours of continuous partying, go enjoy a nap and then return to the bar for another round later on!

◇MONSTER MASH FLAVOR flat, warm; spiced rum, cranberry juice, grenadine EFFECTS Forget your costume at home? Don't worry, because drinking this potion while result in a full-body change into a classic Halloween creature, with a twist: it's either the sexy version, or the scary one. Though the drinker will be partially recognizable beneath it, the change can be a costume of its own. Some common transformations include but are not limited to: vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches, demons, and Frankenstein's monster	◇THRILLER FLAVOR flat, chilled; whiskey, bitters, sugar, orange zest EFFECTS If you're craving a change, this is the drink for you. The potion will bring about a random shift in the color of the drinker's hair, eyes, or both. Differences can range anywhere from natural shades to neon hues, as well as a variety of patterns and multi-colored or mismatched options. And don't worry, any facial hair you may have won't be left out of the fun!
◇TIME WARP FLAVOR flat, chilled; light rum, creme de menthe, lemon juice EFFECTS For those party-goers looking for a whole new perspective on Halloween, this drink offers two unique experiences. When sharing with another guest, knock the glasses together and drink simultaneously for a body swap. Feeling really adventerous? Get multiple people to join in on the fun! If you're drinking alone, you'll find that your biological sex will change from male to female, or vice versa.	◇WEREWOLVES OF LONDON FLAVOR sparkling, chilled; vodka, chambord, sparkling limeade EFFECTS Get ready to howl at the moon, or maybe fly off towards it, after trying this drink. Shortly after imbibing, partakers will manifest any number of animal traits, though all from the same animal. Perhaps it's as simple as a pair of bird's wings, or a full set of cat ears, tail, and eyes. The potion will pick up on any animal-like traits you may have, so snakes and rats beware.
◇I PUT A SPELL ON YOU FLAVOR flat, chilled; gin, vermouth, creme de cassis EFFECTS This potion is for anyone who's ever wanted to live out their dreams of being a teenaged wizard at boarding school. Though it may take a few tries to get perfect certain tricks, drinkers will be able to perform low-level spells with their hands such as: levitation, creating colored sparks, turning items invisible, elemental manipulation, summoning or conjouring items, short-distance teleporation, and a number of other simple tricks. (Any violent abuse of these abilities will result in immediate and forceful administration of an antidote and expulsion from the bar.)	◇HIGHWAY TO HELL FLAVOR flat, warm; absinthe, sugar, heatless fire EFFECTS Though this drink doesn't contain a potion, does it really need to when you're drinking something that's still on fire? This shot of absinthe, though adorned with a multicolored and edible flame, will warm you through and have you breathing the same cool fire for as long as it takes the sugar cube to dissolve on your tongue.

◇DON'T FEAR THE REAPER

FLAVOR
sparkling, chilled; blackberry syrup, cola
EFFECTS
These shots are free of alcohol and provide an antidote to every other drink on the menu. One splash of this delightfully chilled and refreshing drink will reserve all transformative effects as well as void all magical abilities. And though it is non-alcoholic, it does not provide any sobering qualities.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[This is probably the strangest of the potions on offer, because it's so familiar but so different at the same time, and while Taako hadn't spent too long inspecting the changes in himself (again: Lup), he actually gets a bit distracted basically playing "spot the difference" with Cisco.

But he releases Cisco eventually, if only to quickly wave at the bartender to get them two non-magicked drinks (some fancy gin cocktail with elderflower, he's just making an executive decision for both of them), before he turns his attention back to having a conversation.]

I wasn't gonna come to a party as myself, my man.

[He's not that egotistical.]

Though, shit, I have had a few people mix us up, but does that mean I'm doing a Lup costume right now?

[He didn't actually think of it that way, but it kind of is?]

Okay, good point, shoulda thought of that.

[ He ought to have known that Taako would be coming in costume, as well, but it had slipped his mind. But it's no matter; they're both here now and they both look wonderful and Cisco laughs hard when Taako asks if he's technically in a Lup costume. ]

I think you are! And like, I've run into a couple people who definitely didn't recognize me for a while.

[ And then, before he forgets, Cisco pulls his phone from a very well-hidden pocket and holds it up, gesturing for Taako to get over next to him and pose for some selfies because, obviously, that is top priority right now. ]

How much did you mess with them?

[He'll take his answer off the air, by which he means post selfie-break, because that is absolutely a very important thing to immortalize, especially since Taako spent the time doing his cool mermaid make up.

He's definitely casting a little floating light to make sure they're well lit and everything, but Cisco should be used to this.]

[ Cisco is, indeed, accustomed to selfies with Taako being a protracted affair, so he doesn't rush things, lets his friend adjust how close they are standing, the direction they are facing, the angle of the camera, the tilt of their heads, and even the lighting thanks to that nifty spell.

In truth, Cisco kind of enjoys it - Taako takes the time to do it right, whereas Cisco's always been more inclined to snap a picture quickly while making some kind of silly face. He's always been more comfortable with making jokes than with trying to seriously present himself as attractive. Taking that long to set up a selfie implies a kind of self-confidence: to not to care if other people at the party look at them and judge, and to believe that if he does go through these various steps, the end result will be gorgeous.

So Cisco waits, checks there's no black lipstick on his teeth, and they end up with three or four really good shots. Only then does he answer: ]

Intentionally, none. Unintentionally, though...

[ And he grimaces, tilting a hand from side to side in the air as if to indicate "a little bit". He hadn't realized Bill didn't know who he was, but even so... he's not proud of the deception. But then, Taako's not likely to judge him for that, considering his own willingness to impersonate his sister.

Just then the bartender returns with their drinks, and they accept them, moving together away from the crush of people trying to order. Cisco leans in, all conspiratorial, to ask: ]

So how are things with Riiiiiin?

[Cisco is a much kinder person than Taako, who has been purposefully messing with people, though he hasn't let it get any further than harmless (in his opinion) flirting. He can tell from the grimace that Cisco didn't have a great time with the mix up, so he decides to just let it go.

Drinks are more important anyway, as is hot goss, but now it's his turn to grimace.]

All this dream bullshit is kinda fucked up.

[He won't go into details, because it's not his shit to talk about, but the implication is there; things were shared that should not have been shared and while it doesn't changes how Taako feels, he hasn't been sure about how to handle the aftermath.]

[ For just a moment, Cisco thinks that Taako is bringing up the dream bullshit in the way that someone would bring up the weather or current events, as a quick and bland way of changing the subject entirely. He almost opens his mouth to tease about Taako being so evasive, and how that must mean things are going well (since he was so insistent on not kissing and telling).

But then there's something in Taako's expression, and the tone of voice he'd used, that makes Cisco pause and reconsider. Perhaps not a change of topic, after all, but just a rather oblique answer. Cisco bumps his shoulder into Taako's, gently, asks: ]

You're tellin' me. So did you see shit, or did he see shit, or was it like, a double whammy?

[ He isn't going to pry for specifics, but he does want a general sense of just why this is fucked up - if it's a case of Taako seeing things he didn't want to, or of Rin learning too much about his past. Cisco remembers that it was Rin who had been nearby when Taako had run into the ghosts from Glamoursprings - if he had seen something else, something equally compromising, then that was just... too unfair. ]

He only got some stuff with Lup when we were kids, nothing like... nothing I care about.

[It's still dancing around the topic, but Cisco is a) smart and b) used to Taako kind of just being like this, even if it's usually to avoid his own feelings rather than trying to avoid saying too much about someone else's business.

Even this feels like admitting too much, and he shrugs, stiff and a little awkward before moving on.]

I'm pretty sure I managed to talk him into putting in an appearance at some point, but like, I dunno if he's really gonna get into Halloween. We don't have that kinda shit in Fearun.

[And unlike Taako, Rin doesn't have a lot of friends from Earth.]

[ It's not that hard, to put two and two together. If Rin had seen something that Taako didn't care about sharing, then the kinda fucked up thing was either Rin's reaction to it, or something of his life that Taako had seen. Either way, though, it seems like it is Rin's business, and not Taako's, which would explain the cagey answers. Cisco gives a nod, letting it go without further prying; the only acknowledgement he makes to the awkwardness is the way he slips his arm into Taako's, sipping his drink as he scans the crowd. ]

You gotta point him out if you see him. I promise, I won't grill him or anything, I just wanna say hi.

[ Cisco bats his eyes too-innocently, joking to try to lighten the mood. The truth is, he is wary of Rin if only because Taako is opening up to him a bit, letting himself be a tiny bit vulnerable, and Cisco can be rather protective of his friends - whether or not they really need it. But he isn't going to let that wariness impede his friendliness one bit. Not unless Rin gives him a reason. ]

Think of it as, like, cultural exploration, or somethin'. Halloween was always my favorite holiday on Earth. Costumes and candy, I mean, come on. You know that's totally my shit.

[ He finishes his drink, setting the glass down on a nearby table and then turning to Taako, eyebrows raised, a grin with just a hint of mischief in it spreading across his face. ]

Sooooo I might fall over 'cause of the shoes but what d'you say? Wanna tear up the dance floor with me a little bit?

[He appreciates the way Cisco lets him shift the conversation, leaning into him a little when their arms are linked, grateful as always that they don't really need to talk about any of this shit, they can just communicate it in other ways.]

If you can't spot the super handsome drow without my help, I'm taking you to get your eyes checked.

[Which is to say that Taako will definitely point Rin out to Cisco, or drag one of them over to meet the other if they happen to be in the same area at the same time and not busy. It's not like Rin is any kind of secret, and he trusts Cisco not to announce that Taako gossiped to him about their kiss.

What he doesn't need is any convincing about cultural exploration re: Halloween (he's hella down with all of this) or an invitation to dance. Taako quickly finishes off his drink, then slips his arm from being wound through Cisco's to take his hand instead, tugging him towards the dance floor.]

I'm gonna say that we have a couple hours to make everyone jealous as hell of how we're rocking these new bods.

[ So they hit the dance floor, and at first, there's a little discomfort. Cisco ends up knocking off his own hat a couple of times before he really gets the hang of it, but eventually he starts to relax, to stop thinking so much about who might be watching the two of them dancing, about what anybody might think. He just lets himself get lost in the music, and the fun of dancing with a friend. It's funny; Cisco loves dancing, and he and Taako have been friends for a while now, but somehow this is the first time they've really ended up on a dance floor together. So Taako gets to see Cisco actually just cutting loose, setting his worries entirely aside for a brief moment and just having fun without a single care. His dancing is a strange mix of intensely silly and surprisingly sexy, with very little in between.

After a while (half an hour? Cisco isn't really sure) he grabs Taako's hand, tugging him free from the dance floor and somewhere he can rest a little, leaning his back against a wall, head spinning. All the movement, plus the alcohol, and the lack of sleep from partying all of last night, have left him a little dizzy. Cisco takes off his large witch's hat and starts fanning himself, saying: ]

It's been ages since I went dancing, how come we don't do this every single night?!

[There are very important tricks to keep a hat on while doing strenuous activity, but considering this is just a costume and they're just dancing, Taako has more fun watching Cisco suffer than he would if he divulged wizardly secrets, so he keeps his mouth shut on the hat front, only occasionally using a subtle mage hand to fix it for his friend.

More importantly, Cisco dancing is great. There are a lot of people who get kinda awkward and unsure about dancing and while he gets it, logically, there's more fun to be had when someone can just go for it. That's how Taako rolls, so it works that Cisco is a little bit of a showman as well, and he's more than happy to just dance for a while without worrying about any other shit.

(The body does take a tiny bit of adjusting to, but he gets there.)

It's fun enough that he's almost reluctantly to leave, but he lets Cisco drag him away from the dance floor and only pouts a little bit during the process.]

I'm pretty sure your boyfriend would kick my ass if I took you out dancing every night.

[No he wouldn't.]

Yeah, right.

[ There are a few things that might lead Eddie to break with his usual tranquility and (attempt) to kick Taako's ass on Cisco's behalf, but taking him out dancing too much isn't even close to being on the list. So Cisco just rolls his eyes and admits: ]

Okaaaay, I guess it would get kinda old eventually.

[ He likes having nights where he can work until 4AM on some project, or play video games, or have movie marathons, or have nice nights in. But he is definitely going to have to make an effort to incorporate some dancing and clubs back into his routine. Somewhere in the last few years, Cisco had let himself become something of a homebody, and he's not about it. ]

C'mon, I wanna get snacks and look for more people that we know. Even though the food's not gonna be that good 'cause they didn't get you to cater.

[ That's not flattery, it's just a fact. Taako's cooking is really, really, really good. Cisco has had ample opportunity to learn this. Still he heads off in the direction of the tables, saying as he goes: ]

Hey, all this reminds me. I know all that memory crap has been 99% depressing bullshit, but I actually saw a kinda nice one near the end there. It was younger you, looking tooootally shy at this outdoor dance, and Lup set up a dance between you with this cute dude with horns?

Edited 2017-10-24 03:19 (UTC)

You flatter me.

[But Taako's grinning at the compliment, genuinely pleased because even if he knows his cooking is good, it's always nice to get some outside validation. He's totally ready to make some other joke about it, but then Cisco starts talking about a dance and a dude with horns and Taako fucking blushes, ducking his head.]

Please tell me you just saw the dancing?

[What does that mean!]

[ Do Cisco's eyes deceive him or is Taako actually blushing?! He's not sure, but then Taako bends his head forward like that, and the body language is unmistakable. He's embarrassed. Not smug, like Cisco had been expecting, or amused, or forgetful, but shy. And that right there? Is just about the greatest thing that's happened all night, including the dancing. ]

Yyyyes I did only see the dancing, what else did I not see, Taako, hmmm?

[ Cisco's voice is lilting and delighted, rushing through the question, at which point Cisco leans in, hand coming up to cup his chin in avid interest. It is so rare, to see Taako reacting like this, and Cisco intends to savor it thoroughly. What's a little bit of cajoling and trolling between friends? Goodness knows he's been on the receiving end often enough. Time for Taako to get a taste of his own medicine. ]

[Taako groans at having given himself away with his reaction, when he should've had the foresight to play this off as nothing and avoid Cisco cruelly tormenting him, since that's obviously what's happening here.]

There's absolutely nothing you did not see, and I'm gonna remind you I can turn you into a bug.

[Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.]

Riiiiight. Like I'm really gonna buy that.

[ Cisco can't help the glee in his voice, as he leans in a little closer still, eyebrows raising in friendly skepticism. He doesn't doubt that Taako could turn him into a bug, but he doubts that he really would. And besides, it's nice to have something fun to tease him about, just a little. ]

C'mon, Taako, that dude with the horns was like, super cute. Nothing to be ashamed of. And you know I'm like, literally the last person to judge.

[ Taako is one of the few people here who has any inkling of the fact that Cisco had been a bit, shall we say, adventurous in his youth. It's not as if he would judge Taako for having hooked up with some guy at a dance. He thinks about Taako's shyness in the memory, and how Lup had had to bring the boy over, and Cisco asks: ]

Were you, like... kinda new to the whole romance thing?

[Taako is hard to embarrass, most of the time, but this is a particular topic that leaves him feeling a whole lot of silly and a little bit awkward, though he is playing it up just a bit, for the fun of it.

Still, he's absolutely silent in his refusal to spill the beans, until Cisco asks his final question and Taako buries his face in his hands.]

I'm gonna turn you into a bug and I'm gonna drop you into the bottle of tequila and that'll be it, the story of Cisco Ramon coming to a tragic end.

So that's a definite 'yes', gotcha.

[ If it were anyone else, Cisco would take that opportunity when Taako buries his face in his hands to hug him, but he figures there's no need to push his luck quite that far. He really doesn't want to end up as a cockroach in a bottle of tequila, thanks very much. And while he does think those threats are hollow, he has no desire to actually make Taako uncomfortable. At least, not seriously uncomfortable. ]

Alright, alright, no need to waste a spell slot, I'll drop it.

[ ...In a moment. He just has one more thing he wants to get out, first. The teasing tone leaves his voice and he says, all warmth and fondness, now: ]

Seriously, though. You were a cute kid, and you seemed... really happy.

[ It had been nice, for once, to see something happy. Especially of Taako's life, when Cisco had seen so much that was bad. ]

[Softly, but with feeling:] Get fucked.

[But he doesn't really mean it and he's not even a little bit annoyed at Cisco, just feeling a bit ridiculous about this whole thing. He likes to pretend he's totally got his shit together, and awkward first kisses and fumbling make outs are not together.

So when Cisco gets all sappy on him, Taako uncovers his face to blow out a puff of air, still half-sulking, but mostly - yeah, he has to agree.]

It wasn't always, you know, amazing, but we made it work.

[Lup made things better.]

And I wasn't kid.

[He was like eighteen!! Rude]

[ Cisco has just come to expect it by now, that particularly when Taako is speaking about his life pre-cycles, he speaks about himself and Lup as a unit. It is almost never I, but instead we. It's not something Cisco can easily imagine, that kind of shared existence. At times he thinks about what a resource it must have been, to not be alone, the way Cisco had always been; other times he remembers how very vulnerable it had made Taako, to have a part of his heart be another person, who could be gone. ]

Yeah. [ He says that first bit seriously, and then, with a touch more humor, adds: ] I'm majorly jealous of the whole sister-slash-wingman schtick, not even gonna lie.

[ Though he supposes Taako paid her back, eventually, by giving Barry the nudge he needed. Taako's insistence that he wasn't a kid has Cisco grinning and shaking his head. He amends: ]

A cute young dude, then.

[ He turns his attention to the party's food selection, taking a little bit of everything so he can see what's good and what isn't, and because all that dancing has given him quite an appetite. ]

Okay like I promise I'm dropping it like any second but- and there's just no good way of asking this - that guy you were dancing with in the memory, what um... was he? Just so I know?

[Taako almost says something stupid about how much Lup helped get him out of his shell, before he realizes that he will literally never live it down and decides to just hum a non-committal response, letting Cisco get distracted by the food.]

Oh, he was a tielfing, they've got like, infernal ancestry? So someone in his family got down and dirty with something from the demonic plane.

[That's easy to talk about, he's explained tieflings to a few people before, since they don't come up in a lot of worlds, the way elves or dwarves seem to.]

Adventurous. The ancestor, I mean.

[ Cisco says it automatically, his eyebrows climbing when Taako says the demonic plane. That sounds like some spooky and potentially evil shit, to him, but maybe that's just an Earth prejudice. Hell, Taako's gone on dates with the grim reaper. Maybe hooking up with someone infernal is not a big deal. ]

Although, you know, maybe it's not? Is it? I mean, do people hook up with people from other planes a whole lot?

[ It's not an unusual topic for the two of them - Cisco asking for details about Taako's world, always curious to know more. As much as he'd love to keep teasing about this tiefling Taako had been dancing with, he knows when to leave well enough alone, and that vague hum was more of a warning sign than the overblown threats to turn him into a bug had been. ]

Man, in hindsight, Earth was boooorrrring.

At least your Earth has some cool shit.

[Superheroes and superpowers are a lot more exciting than just vanilla Earth, even if they come with their own set of troubles.

Taako idly picks up a cookie from the table of food and gives it a cursory inspection before taking a little bite.]

Travelling between planes isn't the easiest shit in the world, unless you're like, Kravtiz. But it happens every now and then.

True.

[ Most of the cool shit that Taako is probably referring to had only been around for the last year or so, but that's besides the point. There are other things, besides metas and superheroes, that make up a little for Earth's lack of magic and human-only population. Science. Movies. Video games. Still, Cisco wonders how different it would have been, growing up somewhere where humans weren't the default. ]

Or unless you're future me, from what I've heard. Apparently that shit's gonna be child's play someday.

[ He's mentioned this to Taako before - he's one of the few people that Cisco has told about that aspect of his powers - but it's not something he brings up very often. ]

Hey that reminds me I've been meaning to ask, can you drop by my workshop sometime so I can measure what frequency you vibrate at?

[ That's a normal request to have for a friend, right? ]

[Taako makes a point to roll his eyes very dramatically, gently teasing because Cisco's clearly so awesome and powerful!!!

But he's distracted from saying anything about it by the question, nearly spluttering at how ridiculous that sounds.]

Sorry, you wanna what? Shouldn't you be buying me a drink first?

[OPEN] Halloween Haunt at The Apothecary

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