CJ Emhoff

She was sure that he could see her heart shattering when he mentioned not liking dogs at first, still she playfully nudged him when he breaks into a smile. Of course, now she had to make it a point to pull a prank of the same nature later on now. "We'll have to make sure we get one of those big chocolate chip cookies on the side too, just to make sure your temptation doesn't become too much. I've got some ice cream we can scoop on top too. Whatever it takes to keep my Chewy safe," she says, nodding. That and perhaps she wanted an oversized chocolate chip cookie with ice cream on top, sharing it with CJ was just an added bonus.

Daphne's gaze had wandered over to the couple arguing over the cost of getting their names in fancy font and she wanted to tell them that perhaps it was a sign that it wasn't the best idea to do that. She looks back to CJ for a second, then glances down to the designs he had picked as potentials. Each one was a great option and his reasoning behind them were also pretty good. Though she once more playfully nudges him when he mentions eating Chewy, "I'm starting to change my mind about this Twilight-athon." She says in a stern voice, before breaking into a smile. Small bit of payback for the earlier prank, "Gotcha." Her gaze drops back down to the book, turning to the second one he had chosen, "I think they are all great choices, with pretty solid reasons behind them, but this one here is my favorite. However, I fully support whichever one you pick."

Before she knew it, the time had come for them to take their seats in the back rooms. As they were walking, Daph turns to CJ, she leans in a bit, "Let me know if you feel like you need a hand to squeeze or anything. I promise I'm not trying to be funny, but you know...everyone reacts differently to tattoos. I giggled during my first one," she chuckled, "needless to say, the artist was both confused and relieved." Now in the room, they were each escorted to one of the two chairs. She showed her picture to the artist sitting next to her, made polite conversation a bit, then lowered her shirt a little, nothing scandalous, but so they could have access to the right spot. The buzzing of the guns fills the room now. Daphne turns to look at the other, "How is it going over there?"

Outside the visible tattoos on his arms already— all not very big, and the couple that littered his body hidden mostly by clothing — this one, option two was going to be the largest. "You giggled? You're a freak." He joked, lulling into a nudge all the same. Not two weeks ago he'd rounded a night out again here too, the Jets logo around his ankle an indication of intoxication supreme and a pool lost. Not the worst, but damn it if it didn't hurt. "I didn't hate getting the one I got here —" he started, raising an arm to point to the shirt covered spot along his ribcage. "Kinda a good burn. Told it was one of the worst spots pain wise but as I found out don't agree. But this guys a biggie, might take you up on that." He'd already had too much in his system it seems when the artist, Joe, was wiping the blood away left and right, shaking his head with a knowing not again tell in his eyes. Just one of those nights— CJ turned to watch Daphne like a pro seemingly barely winse. He answered her, "Solid. Like gold, don't feel a thing. Nope, not like it's burning to the bone, nah, just you know, rippin' through my veins. Stir Frying the hell out of my arm." He said with a forced chuckle and a wince, a wince of many winces to come. Through gritted teeth and a gum show of a smile, pointing with the free hand, "You're mad. I know that's gotta kill."

"You got me there." she replies, matching his wide grin, happily accepting defeat. Although, in truth, Daphne did not think he'd actually turn on her. Even if they were stuck on the ride as zombies. She thought about telling him that but instead left it in the back of her head. All she could hope for is that he didn't actually think she could picture him as a villain in any realm, apocalyptic or not.

"You want to lock it in with a pinky promise? Cause..." she lifted her pink up, jokingly wiggling it. "And yeah, fuck him!" Her gaze travels to the corner he nodded towards, but Daphne ends up snorting when she spots the Jason zombie instead. "Technically, if you ask me, I'd say so." Just then someone from behind them clears their throat, quickly passing them up, it ends up being a Freddy zombie. Daphne watches the person power walk away for a moment, before turning to look at CJ, and suddenly she bursts into a small fit of laughter, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

For some reason, at the invitation of going to Black Lotus, Daphne found herself biting the inside of her cheek so as to stop herself from smiling a little too much. She clears her throat, casually replying, "I think that sounds like the perfect ending to a zombie filled day." Then her dog pops into her mind. "Fair warning, if you're coming over my place for the Twilight-athon, Chewy is going to bombard you for pets. He's such a spoiled little dog." Daph shook her head but smiled regardless. "Perhaps we should snag some take out or pizza before heading to settle in for the movie." She teasingly adds, "I gotta make sure we keep your brain cravings at bay."

MINI TIME SKIP TO BLACK LOTUS

The Black Lotus Halloween special had really taken off, keeping the shop a little busier than usual. "Okay, so we've got a couple of minutes before we are up." Luckily, it was just one person ahead of them. "Do you have an idea of what you'd like?"

He caught her pinky promise enthusiastically before she could put it away, that laughter stalled when an oomph from behind calmly plowed through, no fucking way, was all he could think of. His expression clear to that when his gaze followed the zombie Freddy Krueger. "You're kidding me right?! That's fucking weird." He mused, breaking into a perplexed fit of laughter too. That dust settling, and just like that they had new plans— relieved at that because he wanted to keep hanging out with her and also had been getting an itch as well for a new tattoo, two birds. "Oh, oh I don't like dogs. Can't do it. Nevermind." He said sternly until he wasn't, breaking into a smile. "Hell yeah, pizza or it's Chewy. No one wants that." ~~~~~ the black lotus~~~~~~

The time was ticking and almost their turn, girls he maybe recognized comforting each other over the heavy rock music that played overhead. A couple arguing out front about the cost of their names in fancy font, the place was bustling truly. CJ skimmed through one of the design books, Daphne the expert obviously, he leaned in, flipping where he had three fingers bookmarked, "alright. you tell me, we got this. He got men, eough said. This. It's me. Totally, deep in my bones. Or, that one." He shrugged, "In case I eat Chewy."

"On me?! Whaat! We are supposed to be a team. Through thick and death, I thought!" Daphne exclaimed, jokingly. She brings a hand up to her chest, "I feel betrayed. What world are we living in when you can't even trust your own zombie partner in crime?" Her tone was laced with playfulness and a slightly over dramatic bit. Although she truly couldn't blame him for turning on her, the song could be quite maddening after a while.

For a second, she swore she felt a small shift in the air around them. CJ looked the same and different all at the same time. Daphne couldn't quite put her finger on what it was though, so she kept her casual and playful demeanor. Maybe she would bring it up later, just so she could clear her head of the thought. She can't help but to lightly laugh when he admits to having fallen asleep because she had definitely done the same thing before. "Well, you don't have to worry, I can tell you with full confidence that I could never hate you. I can't say that I haven't done the same. It's actually kind of funny, because the one thing you are not supposed to do when Freddy is roaming is to fall asleep, but you know what? I think we could beat Freddy if he tried invading our dreams."

After all, they were zombie partners in crime. The fact that he made it to Freddy Vs. Jason was pretty impressive in it's own. "I say it counts. I liked that one too, even if you could just guess what the ending was going to be. It's definitely part of my Halloween movie rotation. Who doesn't like a good ol' cheesy horror movie? "

He was kindhearted, funny, easy to talk to, and like a breath of fresh air. Part of her felt like they had known each other longer than what they really did. "No? If you're ever interested in killing a couple of hours... I'm up for watching them with you some time. They are just the greatest thing to watch with a cup of wine, perhaps a joint or two as well, if you like that." Admittedly, that's kind of how she watched a lot of her movies these days. Hearing him mention the butterfly tattoo caused a warm smile to spread on her lips, "I'm afraid I am once more putting it off for something else. One day, though, it'll happen. For now, I kind of want to do this," she pulls her phone out to show him the picture, "in the spirit of spooky season. What do you think?"

"A dead world." He answered her, wide grin on his face, even though it was clearly rhetorical. Somehow their fictitious Disney nightmare realm became at least a bit metaphorically speaking very real. He almost felt bad for being the bad guy in their zombie world. Reminded of the tik toks he'd get sent by his sisters. Always choose the bear right? "That's a lot of confidence. Never's bold. I think I'll hold you to it..." he said, adjusting the position of the chomped up surfboard. "Yeah hey, fuck Freddy." He said loudly, almost a chant before going suspect quiet again, "...watch him turn that corner—" nodding in the direction of the crowd of zombie folk bar hopping, making a face when instead there was a Jason zombie in place mixed in, mask up to chug down a can of beer. "Alright close enough. Guess Jason won huh? Might've been onto something there, should've stayed awake." He said through a surprised laugh. CJ leaned over, cupping the phone in his hands to see the picture of the bat tattoos. "I think they're fucking sexy. Sexy spooky." He said through a light laugh, rolling up his wet suit to expose a blank canvas of skin, "I was actually gonna see if you wanted to hit up Black Lotus right now —you get yours, finally, I'll get something. I'm good on my zombie-watching for the year. Maybe take you up on that Twilight-athon...what'd you think?"

benji-parsons-deactivated202502

“If you’ve got access, nail polish remover’ll take super glue off your skin pretty painlessly. Or, like acetone? If not, yeah, you might be kinda fucked.” Benji chuckled softly, shaking his head. “It’s a little late, I know, but dude, you gotta invest in some spirit gum if you’re gonna keep gluing things to your head.” He blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out which Zombieland guy he might look like. “...Jesse Eisenberg? I’ve never gotten that one before, but thanks…unless you meant Woody Harrelson, in which case…I’ve never gotten that one either, but also, I can’t really see it and you might need to stop with the beer. And if you meant Bill Murray….well…nope, never got that one either and you’d really need to stop with the beer.”

He rocked slightly with the nudge and he squinted over at Courtney and then ducked his head because that would absolutely disguise the fact that he’s a six-foot-tall undead Kurt Cobain. “Oh shit, maybe she didn’t see me.”

CJ filed away the necessary products to combat this soon-to-be irritation in skin form. Never thinking of the consequences until it's far too late. "Spirit gum? Like the Halloween pop up store? That Spirit? I don't know man, got mad side-eyed last time I was in there. Should probably keep an eye out for a PMS'ing blond that works there." He laughed when he rolled through the cast of the movie, that beer he showed already well and done with with the final crush of his hand. "With all that man, maybe I did mean Bill." He joked, wafting a hand over the dead and gone facepaint on the other guy. "You alright bro? No rifle in hand, got a guitar though..." These kind of interactions were why he he came to the Zombie crawl every year, people let their guard down. The masks, the face paint and costumes brought out an inner child or lack of inhibitions as it was. "Could've been Britney." He assured halfheartedly with a chuckle as he watch Courtney barrel down the pier with her band of friends. "I need a refill. You want?"

#chat: benji

ROLE MODEL - Slipfast (Official Lyric Video)

I had this dream where everything crashes And I start to wonder when it'll happen If I'm being honest, I like the feeling Of letting it all burn down

#youtube #musings #music

nancysandoval

with: open to all location: spirit halloween when: late evening

Seasonal gigs were the worst, and one that only lasted a month? It almost wasn't worth trying at all, except for, y'know, the obvious bills. Between entitled parents asking about costumes from kids shows she'd never heard of, and annoying tweens trashing the store nightly, Nancy was beginning to think that this was her own personal Hell, crafted to punish her for years of bad behavior. At least having a box knife clipped to her belt made her feel sort of butch, she guessed, that was a fun change of pace. Nancy sighed as she teared into a box of costumes that needed to be shelved, looking up and scanning the nearest racks only to pause when she spotted a customer. Immediately, her eyes narrowed into a warning look at the item in their hands. "If you're thinking about opening that -- don't."

He was this close to popping open the seemingly freshly stocked Terrifier costume, finger wedged in the plastic handle when he heard the scold.

CJ looked one direction at first to the tweens a couple feet down pretending the silly string was something else but, they were clearly long gone. It was just him. Him and and now her, with a demonic feeling death stare, could've been the Spirit of it all with that one but she sold it. "Come on, what if it doesn't fit? I'll fold it up nice."

#chat: nancy

"If we terrorize people at Disney then we won't have anyone to operate the rides for us. Can you imagine being stuck on the 'it's a small world' ride," she jokes, using air quotes at the mention of the ride. The idea of going to Disney with him was sounding better by the second and a part of her wished they were actually making said plans.

"Congrats on passing your drivers test and not losing a limb. I happen to think your limbs are perfectly fine just where they are but watch out roads of Asbury Park. CJ is on the loose." Daphne teased, chuckling a bit. "Oh, you did? That's awesome! What a perfect way to start the season. Did you enjoy them? You can't tell me the ending to the first one isn't just.." she holds a hand up to do a chefs kiss motion, nodding a bit as well. She really was a sucker for a classic.

"It's been alright on my end. I've been thinking of getting a new tattoo, but otherwise I haven't been up to too much. Been kind of laying low, you know? Now that spooky season is among us, I figured it's my time to come back out. Although," she leans in, as if she's about to whisper to him her biggest secret, "I've been getting this urge to drink and watch the Twilight movies. Keep that between us, okay?"

CJ winced at being trapped on the sing-along-hellscape that was It's A Small World for longer than the five minutes it took to make it through normally. "Alright well I'm turning on you then on that one—there's no way I'm doin' it again. Your zero pulse neck is mine." He teased, but pointedly aiming a gunslinger finger at her white as snow neck. There wasn't any way she could know her words triggered something akin to sad in him. Sobering really was more like it— the accident, he was reminded at random would never actually leave his conscience. His expression though unchanged and the corners of his lips upturned in an easy smile, though he swallowed hard and he could feel himself staring. "Thank you, thank you." The jester's tone easy enough to toss out there as it broke the millisecond daze he'd allowed himself to go into. "And if I told you I kinda, sorta, maybe a liiiitle, fell asleep? Would you hate me?" The marathon as it turned out not the best idea to start at 2 AM with a couple blunts and some red wine in. "Does it count I liked the one with Jason? Corny as hell but that was the best part." She was an interesting one, sweet but also maybe an actual vampire or some shit. Charmed a little. He met her with the secret, bringing a finger to his lips when she revealed her shameful truth. "Twi- twilight?- never heard of it." Teasing, he whispered too with a shrug. "...Is this the same tat you were thinking about before, when I met you? What're you doing now?"

benji-parsons-deactivated202502

“Mm, I meant…uh…” He trailed off, not exactly sure what he’d meant at this point. Then he simply nodded. “Guess it’d technically have to be a triple-tap, huh? To take him out. Like in Zombieland.” Absently, he began picking at the edge of a cardigan-sleeve. “You look real good, by the way. I like the…” He moved his hand away from the sleeve to gesture vaguely around his head. “You know.” Then his attention was drawn to a passing zombie in a red dress and curly wig. “Aw man, poor Annie…wonder if Sandy went Cujo on her or what?”

"Oh yeah triple-tap, double-tap. Zombieland—" CJ said, making a gun out of thumb and pointer to unload on his own zombified skull. Also completely having forgot about that movie entirely until this very moment. "Oh yeah, thanks man. Did it myself. Didn't have anything but super glue so uh yeah, probably fucked myself with that one—" he had to laugh at that point, no sense in dwelling on possible future skin irritations and more "hey you kinda look like the Zombieland guy. If you squint and without the Cobain hair." He told him, maybe it was the same kind of awkward delivery. CJ swigged back the final dregs of his can of beer, plucking it from the flesh eating themed coozy passed out by The Buzz (Radio Station) and co.

His attention turned then to the little orphan's red curls and her dog equally deranged in it's attire. "Now that's killer, Annie don't fuck with the dogs, never—that one," he nudged the guy with the back of his hand, pointed only a couple bodies back, "Found your Courtney."

#chat: benji

Daphne snorts, "Are you kidding? It would be a crime if we didn't hit up Venice Beach first. Also, I want to go to Disneyland after. But after that we can go terrorizing people." She chuckles, warmly smiling. Well as much of a warm smile as she could give off, given the face paint she had on currently. "How have you been since we last ran into each other?"

"Wait, what do you mean ,we not doing any Disney terrorizing? Thought that was the whole gig." He asked, teasing of course their little makeshift scenario now though sounding the most ideal—flesh eating aside. "Good. Good? I don't know how to answer that, haven't lost a limb by shark yet, have passed my drivers test. Oh you'll like this one, watched all the Elm Street movies, the remake too. Forced to tackle this spooky season head on with the 'classics' as I'm told." CJ laughed, finger quotes very much present. "What about you? How you been?"

samfitz

"Not at all," Sam said. He was not above dating moms, in fact as far he was concerned he preferred the older ladies than ones his age or younger. "Yeah he's in for sure. Nah, he doesn't know I asked you. Why?" Did CJ have beef with Petey that he didn't know about?

He tried to play it off casually, a bit lost for words in how to say Petey and him had their own Private Idaho weekend turned toxic with a beer bottle to the jugular down in Atlantic City with Talia no less—that bit surely to be omitted. "Two weeks ago I guess, we kinda got into it. Guys probably freaked, I lost him a lot of money too...haven't talked to him since."

#chat: sam

stressed-b

#fc #so intense #lsdmf

"You think so? Thank you!" Daphne had tried her hardest with the makeup portion of her costume, spending a total of three and a half hours on it earlier that day. "Look at you, though, you're pretty much giving me a run for my money! You wanna be zombie mates in L.A? There's no way you're not coming with me. We can go around terrorizing the unsuspecting citizens, no brain is safe from us. "

He barely recognized her —the girl with the scream tattoo— in fact took a good stare down for five minutes for it to click as it was. Pleasantly surprised by the revelation, "Oh hell yeah, my zombie stomach is already growling. You got that whole sugar skull thing going no one will suspect while I tear up from behind. Can we hit Venice Beach first?"

ariyasnakhon

"Alright, alright," Eliana laughed. "Enough. The more you talk like that, the more sarcastic it sounds." Truthfully, she was pushing it with her costume - barely on theme, but close enough she was able to leave her house feeling only slightly embarrassed. "Vampires are undead. It works... sorta." But hey, each element came from her closet and it gave her the chance to make the same joke about how mornings suck (get it?!) over and over again. "There's no sorta when it comes to you." She said, pointing at him, thoroughly impressed. "Sick, dude. Who knew zombies could accessorize so well?"

#chat: eliana #loool oh i understand that a lot a lot

CJ wiggled his eyebrows at the call out, and took a big ol' sip from his frozen mimosa in hand— maybe he was being sarcastic, maybe she clocked it precisely. "Vampire? Thought you were Hugh Hef." he joked, giving himself a once over, lamenting on his get up in a way that said he agreed, "Do zombie's have a choice? But yeah, you're right, I nailed it." He had to laugh at his go-to saying that was very much on the verge of being worn out at this rate. "You wanna go see if we can score some stuffed bunnies at the Retro or something, Vampire Hef?"

hollisjones

Hollis paused mid-chew, glancing up with a raised brow. "Pigeons? Hell, guess I better eat faster, then." He muttered, smiling and shaking his head. Though, his smile faded as quickly as it appeared at the mention of cameras, eyes darting up to where they might be hidden. "Yeah, I get it. Don't wanna get you in trouble or anything, man." He wiped his hands on his jeans and stood up, grabbing the half-empty bag of fries. "I'll move down a bit. Don't want to cramp your style or nothing." He gave a half-hearted smile. "Didn't mean to make your job harder. Though I'm willing to be I ain't nowhere near as stressful as a handful of kids. Them things can be ruthless."

CJ shrugged at first, the pigeons at the end of the day always the shores nuisance or as folklore went a greater presence with a deeper meaning...but then, CJ thought, what bird didn't? "Ha, oh man tell me about it." CJ instantly perked up with the children of the corn - aka Asbury's tween generation - discussion, taking the couple movements down with the stranger. "They're hella ruthless, oh man, last week. I was just watching over the shop for an hour if that and there's this kid, I know his family, he came in with a couple buddies and they walked out with wax, a whole wet suit, on the sales rack but still and some pookah shells—" Getting it off and out off his chest was a relief, glancing at the cameras previously discussed. "I ended up buying the stuff...point being yeah, uh. All of it's a fucked, appearance's trump...anything. I'm sorry about that."

#chat: hollis

henleyelgin

There was something familiar about this person's voice, pinging an alarm in his hindbrain that told him to back off while he still had the chance. But Henley faltered, feet remaining glued to the soda-sticky floor as he looked around the chilly -- and, yes, otherwise empty -- theater. "This is my assigned seat," he said, looking back down at the hooded figure. "If I sit in another spot, someone might come in and I'll be in their seat." Was he being painfully pedantic about the social rules set by the theater or practicing some much needed assertiveness? Even Henley wasn't sure, but still he insisted while thrusting his receipt in the other's direction, "I have my ticket, see?"