This year, Spookyville was having a... rather unusual theme in Lyre/Animalia: Attack of the Pumpkinheads. Clearly a spoof of old horror movies and video games like Zombies Ate My Neighbors, it had two levels of "intensity": One that was more child-friendly, with the heads of the pumpkinheads more like cheap decorations repurposed as masks, and one that was a bit more "intense", with the heads being a bit more realistic due to movie makeup skills. But altogether, the theme was the same: the pumpkinheads were out causing all kinds of trouble, and it was up to the visitors to defend themselves (and their candy), with one example being using squirt guns to defend themselves in the child-friendly one. Fortunately, there were a few "safe zones" that they couldn't enter for one reason or another, though that didn't stop them from ambushing characters in the streets.
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Hatsane Mako was one of the people to learn of this the hard way. She'd just arrived for her "Semi-private" concert and, after dealing with Dr. Fred and Manny Calavera, she was almost immediately jumped by a group of pumpkinheads. Fortunately, her time with Aiko on Ao Guang Island had taught her a few things about self-defense. Unfortunately, she still ended up with torn clothes and messed up hair, and the ambush was still pretty funny to watch. She was still going to have to clean/primp up backstage before the concert proper, so that wasn't too much of a disaster.
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Speaking of the Slaughterhouse, Layla was having the time of her life, both with her new form (and her plus-sized breasts) and enjoying getting railed by a few of the available studs (after making sure she was taking her birth control and making sure she chose studs outside her own species). While she was still 'boasting' about her new life with her friends, she remembered not to share the more explicit details. Though the requested "preorders" were causing a few headaches among Horizon Staff members.
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Miss Juliet was dealing with some headaches of her own. The two new girls had gotten their conversions (one skunk, one fox), but they had also gotten matching "sexy maid costumes" and were seemingly more focused on flirting with the customers at Belle's Bêtes than actual cleaning.
However, what made things all the more irritating was the fact that there were some people who were actually into that kind of stuff.
Fortunately, she had both her own wedding plans and Renardville's own Spookyville event to distract her.
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"So, William," said Charles as he, William, Hanzo, and Hide went on their current "adventure".
"Lord Ieyasu's most valuable treasure, an incense burner in the shape of a plover, has been stolen." said Hanzo, with William translating, "This is the third time it's happened. Both times, the thieves (first one human, second one yokai) were executed. But now we've tracked down the thieving kappa, but it escaped into the river."
"And the river leads into this cave." Said Charles, looking over at the cave setup for the adventure. But when they went inside, they found a tall lady seemingly hammering a nail into a straw effigy, before realizing they were there, turning, and screaming.
"Yasha!" yelled Hide in warning. "Don't let her impale you with that staff, or you'll be cursed!"
When the Yasha was defeated (as in knocked unconscious), the Kappa finally revealed itself and... gave the incense burner back to them?!
"Huh...?" said the priest who had accompanied them, but the kappa began speaking in a strange language.
"He says he's grateful." Hide translated, "Now that the Yasha is defeated, he doesn't have to steal things anymore."
"Are you saying that the Yasha forced him to steal that burner?!" asked William in surprise.
"Oh, no." said Hanzo, "This explains a lot."
Afterward, the kappa was let go with a cucumber treat and a pat on the head, while the Yasha was burned at the stake, both for witchcraft and masterminding the theft.
"Demons bullying other demons to steal for it is a new one on me." said King Louis XIV as the Yasha (actually an effigy) was burned.