SystemofEleven

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Carver set the real witch's broom near the shop door, just out of easy line of sight, before stepping into the store.

"Welcome to the W--wwwwhat happened to you?" Agatha stared. Pumpkin guts dangled over Carver's head, cage, and vines. She also had a large bit of dark fabric slung over one shoulder; the exact color and pattern were indistinguishable beneath an even worse mess of juice and guts.

"I need a bottle of my dad's special all-purpose detergent. I know he usually reserves it for particularly sticky chemical explosions, but I don't think the normal stuff will be enough for this," Carver said with a grin.

"What did you do?" The witch came out from around the counter to take the... hoodie, apparently, from Carver to examine. She blinked when she straightened it out and recognized whose it was.

"I won a food fight," came the cackled response.

"I hate to imagine what the area looks like where this food fight took place..." Agatha continued staring at the mess all over the piece of clothing.

Carver snorted. "Not too bad, actually. I didn't miss a shot. Barrel's cleaning up his part, but he only has the one top, so I guess I have to wash it for him now."

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Carver nodded and made to follow him out. Once he was firmly on solid ground, she dropped down and latched onto his shoulders to ride him back to where they had been clearing the patch of debris.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

She grinned and poked him in the belly. "Might even make you jump."

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Carver smiled a tiny bit and leaned into her friend's back. He was pretty sweet, for all he was misreading the situation. But at least his exuberance prevented the skellington from pushing the envelope. She didn't acknowledge Jack again as they headed for the Big Pumpkinhead.

"I'm glad I can stay, too. It's much more fun with you than running around doing errands for people." Carver patted him on the shoulder before detaching herself from him to slink up the twisted vines at the base of the monolithic gourd toward its mouth.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

The vines around Carver's cage twitched as she narrowed one pair of her eyes. So much for things changing. Of course Jack was right back to being passive aggressive and coming right out with his accusation. She wasn't slacking off, she just... got distracted. And it's not like they were filling the gut buckets so fast she had to be constantly running back and forth to keep up.

He had gotten something right in his sarcasm, though: Shock probably would appreciate the change of pace. So if he was hoping the other girl would divvy out punishment for him, he was wrong.

Probably.

It depended on how he worded it when he told her. Shock might punish her just for the heck of it.

Oh right. Jack was still there.

"Thanks," she mumbled.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Jack pulled himself from his reverie as they started to move away from him. He made a sound that resembled clearing his throat -- an interesting feat since he technically didn't have one -- and finally announced his presence. "Hello Behemoth, Carver."

Carver whipped her pumpkin head toward him, but Behemoth soon turned completely around to face the Pumpkin King and ended up blocking her view. She turned her head forward again and climbed higher up so she could see over his shoulder. She watched Jack suspiciously. How long had he been standing there?

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Carver didn't want to be put down, but she did lower herself on his back so she could reach down with her vines to pull weeds or clear out old stems and leaves. When Behemoth found a pumpkin he thought would work for a full face sculpt, she peeked her head around his side to examine it. He helpfully lifted his arm to make sure it didn't block her view.

"That looks great! Plenty of room for variant depth and fully detailed features," she grinned. "Can we set it aside somewhere?"

Jack watched quietly from the edge of the pumpkin patch. He'd been informed one of the tricksters hadn't come back from an errand she'd been sent on, and still had work she had yet to finish near the carving stations. It didn't take much effort to find her. He hadn't heard her giggle so much outside of mischief in... Years, at least. It was simultaneously strange and relieving.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

"Of course not mean. Just fun!"

Carver titled her head in thought for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, it's probably getting to be time for a new head. Let me know if you find any that'll work particularly well for flesh-forming."

Banding Together in Halloween Town

She patted him with a vinetip. "We wouldn't cause you too much trouble. Especially when we're out; the humans are more fun. Way easier to pull things over on them."

She giggled again as she rode along with him to the compost heap. "Glad someone appreciated it! Don't worry though, that's not the kind of trick we could pull off twice."

...Well, she could think of a couple ways that they might be able to, but it wouldn't be nearly as fun the second time around. She hummed quietly to herself, idly wondering how they'd ever top it.

Banding Together in Halloween Town

Carver rested her chin on the top of his ax. "Are you going out on Halloween? Do you want to hang out with me and the gang?"