Prepare to Be Scared

[sauerfacedcyborg]

Who: Ziggy and his Outlands Survival class
What: A holiday special feature on the origins of Halloween
When: The last week of October
Where: A classroom
Warnings: Talk about spoops? Shouldn't really be anything unless students get out of hand.

[For the last week of October, the usual field manuals and reference images from Ziggy's Outlands Survival class have been replaced by store bought Halloween decorations. The focus of the class this week? Halloween, and its origins in particular.

The papers, and lecture, focus on the Irish holiday of Samhain, the druidic tradition that inspired much of Halloween. If anyone wanted to know the origin of trick-or-treating, well, apparently it evolved from 'guising', during which people would dress as spirits and perform songs in exchange for offerings in the spirits' names. Jack-o-lanterns were originally turnips, and meant to scare off malevolent spirits. Bonfires were used as divination and protection.

Why all the focus on the deceased? Because Samhain was said to be the day when faerie – the Outlands – was closest to Earth, and the barrier the weakest. It's said that on that day, portals to the Outlands could open without warning, and existing doorways stood wide open. That's why the holiday is so important to cover in this class. With as many of the other old myths that are at least frequently true, the ways the ancient Celts protected themselves from fae and other dangerous Outlands creatures are worth studying.

...And, in the spirit of the holiday, he's provided supplies for students to make their own Samhain masks or grotesque lanterns Though he doesn't seem to trust the class with pumpkin guts, as the gourds he's brought for everyone are plastic.]

Comments

[buddinghopes]

... Plastic, really?

[Lia seems almost disappointed at this revelation... She won't complain too much, but still...

It's a little disappointing, since she could've saved stuff from the real deal, okay!!]

[sauerfacedcyborg]

I don't want to subject the janitor to whatever...creative efforts the students here can come up with using the insides of real ones.

[buddinghopes]

... Fair enough. Still a little disappointing, but fair.

[She pokes the plastic pumpkin and makes a face.]

Not everyone would, uh, be interested in saving that stuff like I would.

[sauerfacedcyborg]

They're in plentiful supply in town, so you don't need to worry about coming up short on festive ingredients.

[buddinghopes]

[She nods, humming thoughtfully as she looks at the plastic pumpkin, what to do for the face...]

Hey, so do you like Halloween?

[sauerfacedcyborg]

...It's been a long time since I've celebrated any sort of holiday. I don't necessarily dislike the traditions, but it typically just represents an increase in my workload.

[buddinghopes]

More work... yeah, I think I get that, actually.

[It's vaguely familiar, thinking back on some stuff from home. This is the first time she's actually gotten to celebrate the holiday in at least a couple of years, after all.]

Back when I worked for the Peacekeepers, I usually had to work through Halloween night especially since there was a bigger risk for stuff happening.

[sauerfacedcyborg]

Before I came to work here, I was a Hunter for hire. I took on the jobs that were too much for regular humans, so naturally my services were more necessary during periods when the Outlands were closest.

[buddinghopes]

[She nods, starting to draw out a face that's slightly more simplistic than she'd normally do.]

What's the weirdest job you've had to take during times like this?

[sauerfacedcyborg]

Probably the haunted house operated by fae who didn't quite understand that the danger was supposed to be simulated.

[buddinghopes]

... Oh, that sounds like a mess.

[YIKES]

[sauerfacedcyborg]

It was. I'm just glad I wasn't in charge of the cover up. I have a feeling shutting down the 'attraction' was the easy part.

[buddinghopes]

... Yeah, probably. I know covering stuff up was the one job very few people in the group I was part of actually wanted...

[...]

Probably for the best, there were some really bad liars in the group.

[She snorts.]

[sauerfacedcyborg]

Fortunately for me, this body of mine is difficult enough to pass off as mundane under inspection that I'm rarely given assignments that involve more than passing interaction with the public.

[buddinghopes]

Small blessings.

[And now to get started on actually carving...]

Plus, trying to deal with people can be kind of... difficult sometimes, even without, uh... the whole 'can't be passed off as mundane' thing.

[sauerfacedcyborg]

I'm...aware. I was never very good at it.

[buddinghopes]

[... Yeah, it's not difficult to imagine at all. Not that she's just going to say that.]

For what it's worth, though... you have a really reassuring presence. Not just in the 'oh, what a capable fighter' sort of way, either, it just feels like I know we'll definitely be safe with you around. It's... nice.