![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
After conferring with Detective Pumpkin, you join the gathering in the Room of Dreams and Nightmares. Everyone is here, from Mugwortius the Monster to Catherine Catrina Catalina the Cat to the weeping banshee housekeeper.
Detective Pumpkin stands next to an upright, open coffin, in which Velmarina the Vampire is bound.
"I'm most disappointed," Velmarina complains. "I wanted you to gather us all up before dramatically pointing at me."
"You would have escaped in a flurry of bats," Mugwortius points out, waving a sludgy hand. "You always do that. What I don't understand is why you killed the Spirit of Halloween."
Velmarina rolls her eyes. "Let the Spirit explain that for themself."
"Enough!" Detective Pumpkin says. "It's already Halloween, and without the help of my new investigator—" she gestures towards you— "I wouldn't have been able to solve the murder in time. But thanks to this amulet, I can perform the ritual to resurrect the Spirit of Halloween."
She lifts her hand, on which glitters an enormous pumpkin-orange diamond.
Catherine Catrina Catalina stretches adorably. "That would be the ring the Spirit of Halloween gave you on your, ahem, friendship anniversary?"
Detective Pumpkin can't blush. Her head is literally a pumpkin. But her candle flickers.
"It's a practical, magical amulet," Detective Pumpkin says defensively. "The Spirit thought it would be useful for my work."
She busies herself with the preparations. You help her lay out the array of festive bonbons and tiny pumpkins, surrounding the Mask of Masking and the bound Velmarina.
Then you step back, and Detective Pumpkin steps into the circle. She touches the amulet ring and says, "The culprit is Velmarina the Vampire, with the Mask of Masking, in the Room of Dreams and Nightmares. The trick has been uncovered. Bibbity bobbity boo!"
With the final "boo", a horde of ghosts flurries through the room. They dash hither and thither in gusts of cold wind and flapping sheets—then vanish.
The bonbons and tiny pumpkins float into the air. Small orange lights dance between them.
"Spirit," Detective Pumpkin breathes.
And the Spirit of Halloween appears.
They look different to everyone. You might see a witch, or a devil, or a fairy, or a clown. A sexy mime or an amorphous wisp of shadow. A memory. A friend. The Spirit of Halloween is whatever Halloween means to you.
Upon resurrection, their first words are, "I'm sorry."
"Why?" Detective Pumpkin reaches out. "You've done nothing wrong."
The Spirit of Halloween clasps Detective Pumpkin's hands. "Velmarina killed me because I wouldn't shut up about you. I've been annoying her for years, talking about my crush on you without ever doing anything about it."
Silence falls. Except for the weeping banshee housekeeper.
"She what," Detective Pumpkin says, flabbergasted. Then her voice softens, her candle flickering intensely. "Your crush on me?"
"They're insufferable about you," Velmarina says, ruthless.
"We have a lot to talk about," the Spirit of Halloween says fondly. "But first, I have one spooky job to take care of..."
The Spirit of Halloween lets go of Detective Pumpkin's hands enough to gesture skyward.
Bonbons and tiny pumpkins fly away through the windows, streaming orange and purple sparkles. They light up the sky on their journeys to every corner of Halloweenland—
While in Trick or Treat Manor, surrounded by friends, the Spirit of Halloween and Detective Pumpkin lean in for a long-awaited kiss.
As the bonbons and tiny pumpkins arrive at their destinations, they transform into gifts for lucky Trick or Treaters. The murder mystery is solved, and works are revealed. Please enjoy the tricks and treats in the collection!
Detective Pumpkin stands next to an upright, open coffin, in which Velmarina the Vampire is bound.
"I'm most disappointed," Velmarina complains. "I wanted you to gather us all up before dramatically pointing at me."
"You would have escaped in a flurry of bats," Mugwortius points out, waving a sludgy hand. "You always do that. What I don't understand is why you killed the Spirit of Halloween."
Velmarina rolls her eyes. "Let the Spirit explain that for themself."
"Enough!" Detective Pumpkin says. "It's already Halloween, and without the help of my new investigator—" she gestures towards you— "I wouldn't have been able to solve the murder in time. But thanks to this amulet, I can perform the ritual to resurrect the Spirit of Halloween."
She lifts her hand, on which glitters an enormous pumpkin-orange diamond.
Catherine Catrina Catalina stretches adorably. "That would be the ring the Spirit of Halloween gave you on your, ahem, friendship anniversary?"
Detective Pumpkin can't blush. Her head is literally a pumpkin. But her candle flickers.
"It's a practical, magical amulet," Detective Pumpkin says defensively. "The Spirit thought it would be useful for my work."
She busies herself with the preparations. You help her lay out the array of festive bonbons and tiny pumpkins, surrounding the Mask of Masking and the bound Velmarina.
Then you step back, and Detective Pumpkin steps into the circle. She touches the amulet ring and says, "The culprit is Velmarina the Vampire, with the Mask of Masking, in the Room of Dreams and Nightmares. The trick has been uncovered. Bibbity bobbity boo!"
With the final "boo", a horde of ghosts flurries through the room. They dash hither and thither in gusts of cold wind and flapping sheets—then vanish.
The bonbons and tiny pumpkins float into the air. Small orange lights dance between them.
"Spirit," Detective Pumpkin breathes.
And the Spirit of Halloween appears.
They look different to everyone. You might see a witch, or a devil, or a fairy, or a clown. A sexy mime or an amorphous wisp of shadow. A memory. A friend. The Spirit of Halloween is whatever Halloween means to you.
Upon resurrection, their first words are, "I'm sorry."
"Why?" Detective Pumpkin reaches out. "You've done nothing wrong."
The Spirit of Halloween clasps Detective Pumpkin's hands. "Velmarina killed me because I wouldn't shut up about you. I've been annoying her for years, talking about my crush on you without ever doing anything about it."
Silence falls. Except for the weeping banshee housekeeper.
"She what," Detective Pumpkin says, flabbergasted. Then her voice softens, her candle flickering intensely. "Your crush on me?"
"They're insufferable about you," Velmarina says, ruthless.
"We have a lot to talk about," the Spirit of Halloween says fondly. "But first, I have one spooky job to take care of..."
The Spirit of Halloween lets go of Detective Pumpkin's hands enough to gesture skyward.
Bonbons and tiny pumpkins fly away through the windows, streaming orange and purple sparkles. They light up the sky on their journeys to every corner of Halloweenland—
While in Trick or Treat Manor, surrounded by friends, the Spirit of Halloween and Detective Pumpkin lean in for a long-awaited kiss.
As the bonbons and tiny pumpkins arrive at their destinations, they transform into gifts for lucky Trick or Treaters. The murder mystery is solved, and works are revealed. Please enjoy the tricks and treats in the collection!
no subject
Date: 2024-10-31 05:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-31 05:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-31 05:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-31 05:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-31 05:31 pm (UTC)Now off to go read ...
Thank you for running this exchange!!
no subject
Date: 2024-10-31 05:33 pm (UTC)Happy Halloween!
no subject
Date: 2024-10-31 06:00 pm (UTC)And who among us has NOT wanted to explode in a flurry of bats to get out of a situation?
no subject
Date: 2024-10-31 06:16 pm (UTC)Happy Halloween!
no subject
Date: 2024-10-31 06:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-31 07:25 pm (UTC)Why is this so touching. ♡♡♡
Thank you for running this flawless exchange again, and happy Halloween! :D
no subject
Date: 2024-10-31 08:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-31 08:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-11-01 02:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-11-01 07:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-11-01 08:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-11-04 10:51 pm (UTC)