take a loook at halloween events of gaia past!! l pg12-14 check out our first Inaugural pumpkin carving contest l pg24-25
the dish on days of gaia past with davidicus bellefonte l pg26-28
Hi there!
behind th
I am so happy to welcome you to the very first issue of Your Gaia [Magazine]! My name is Kloob and I am one of the people who helped contribute to this amazing publication. So many people have gathered together to work on Your Gaia and I cannot express how grateful I am towards each and every one of these amazing people. Without them, there would be no Your Gaia. So to each and every one of you, thank you so much! There have been a few setbacks along the way but that did not matter to our staff, they took everything in stride and still came out on top!
KLOOB vice captain
A long time ago on Gaia, there were a few well known magazines – Gaia Online Magazine, Gaia-Zine, Gaian Informer and several more. These magazines created an awesome sense of community on Gaia, they brought together so many different parts of Gaia’s community and that is our mission here at Your Gaia. Gaia has faced some dark times recently with their most recent change of staff, and hopefully this magazine will be able to allow light to shine through the dark clouds and reunite the community once more. Our very first issue is going to feature a lot of amazing content. The staff put in a lot of work to be able to present to you with what we hope will be a smashing success! So, without further ado, please enjoy reading our very first issue! If you like what you see or would like to offer some ideas that you think could help us improve, please be sure to give us your honest feedback. Thank you so much, Kloob
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GAIA
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he scenes
MAGAZINE
Hello!
I can’t believe it’s finally here, the first edition of Your Gaia [Magazine]! My name is Feigning Innocence, but most just call me Fei. I hope you all enjoy reading the magazine as much as we enjoyed putting it all together! As Kloob mentioned, we had a bit of a rough start with our crew and there was a lot of confusion about where to go and how to get there. The magazine was started by CinnamonMountain. When Cinnamon had some IRL (in real life) pull her away on an unexpected hiatus, most of the crew members, myself included, weren’t entirely sure what to do. The only thing we knew was that we wanted to keep going because the magazine seemed like such an awesome, fun project to work on! So I stepped in to take over until Cinnamon comes back and wow, I did not expect running the magazine to be as much work as it was. Honestly, I would have been lost without three people helping me along the way. Firstly, Kloob, our fearless Vice Captain who has been around to help and answer any questions I or the crew might have. Literally. EVERY. SINGLE. QUESTION. Even the silly ones. He’s been such a huge help with keeping us going and we honestly would not have been able to come this far without him! Second, JaKayZombie. People, this gal has been a rock to me. I’ve been bouncing ideas off her from the very beginning and the very first thread I helped build for the thread. She’s one of the most patient, insightful people I have ever met on Gaia and I cannot properly express in words how much I appreciate everything she has done to help us get this first issue off the ground. Without her as my left hand, I’m not sure we could have come this far.
FEIGNING INNOCENCE head of editors & a grx artist
Last, but certainly not least, Smutty Cannibal Prince (whose username I always misspell). I’ve known this lady for a long time so I knew she’d be an asset to the magazine. Even before she joined, she was giving me advice and helping me solve problems. She brought to the table the organizational skills we lacked, new ideas for advertising, and enthusiasm that has often left my head spinning! All of that said, the crew as an entirety has been such a pleasure to work with! You can learn more about them in the next few pages and throughout the entire magazine see the amazing work they’ve submitted, from interviews and looks at days of Gaia past, to some new perspectives on Halloween traditions and even a few easy recipes! I hope you enjoy the magazine! Thank you so much!! Fei
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meet the crew: head of President Vice President
Artists
cinnamon mountain
kloob
the_wings_we_seek
feigning innocence
jakayzombie
smutty cannibal prince
f f f o o o d d d hea Editors hea Promotion hea Advertising
f o d a he Graphics ?????? 4
f o d hea Writers ??????
Graphics
feigning innocence
Writers
caimbrie
??????
sodapop DR3AMS
im lagging
smutty cannibal prince
??????
music-ecstasy
lady ruee
breathe disaster
Artists ?????? limina mortem crimsonqueen97
tessart
xylerz
?????? saffrons_curse freaque_of_nature
saffrons_curse
the_wings_we_seek
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TABLE OF contents:
behind the scenes l pg2-3 meet the crew l pg4-5 cats, costumes, witches l pg8 word of mouth l pg11 reminiscing gaia l pg12-14 on the spot l pg16-18 comic: halloween inspiration l pg20 13 songs for halloween l pg21 pumpking carving l pg24-25 speaking with: davidicus bellefonte l pg26-28 spooky reads l pg29 save the candy corn l pg31 nanowrimo l pg32-33 all hallows’ eve l pg34
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art commissioned from the_wings_we_seek for the gaian killphill
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Y P P A H N E E W e n i O z a L g a L m gaia HA r u o y from
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Cats, and costumes, by Im Lagging and witches, oh my! Everyone knows the stories surrounding black cats; the superstitions that come with those witchy yellow eyes and sleek black fur are well known for a reason! Solitary elderly women were once considered witches, and a black cat were always alongside them. In the Dark Ages, people believed that Satan spoke to these “witches” in the form of a black cat so he could roam free alongside men when he needed to. Because of this, it was considered bad luck to see a black cat though in some countries it’s actually the opposite and a black cat can bring you luck.
These potion stirring, trouble making women didn’t start out as such terrifying creatures. The witch we’ve grown to know stems from a Pagan goddess known as “The Crone,” or “Earth Mother.” She was worshiped and honored during Samhain (All Hallows Eve), as a symbol of wisdom, change, and the turning of aging seasons. Ancient civilizations would celebrate with food and rituals.
in the dark ages, people believed that satan spoke to witches It’s believed that on All Hallows Eve, spirits could easily enter the realm of the living and disguise themselves as men. They would go from door to door asking for food or money, and if you declined you faced the possibility of being cursed or haunted till your dying day. It was also thought that we dressed up as goblins and demons to trick the malevolent spirits into thinking we were one of them, so they’d leave us alone and it wasn’t until the 1950s that the holiday became commercialized. Children now dress up as spooks and ghouls and everything in between to go door to door and beg for treat.
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Yet as each year went by, and she became more known, “The Crone” got morphed into an old, bitter, children hunting monster. I hope you enjoyed this small collection of myths and speculations! H a p p y Halloween!
On the screen! When October 1st rolls around a majority of you gaians are probably going to break out those horror and halloween themed movies. It’s tradition to most, watching their favourite horror flick or curling up on the couch to watch a fun family based halloween movie. There is something about October that puts us all into a spooky state of mind. Here are a few movies that will help put you in that classic halloween mood: first off, let’s get to the less spooky halloween themed movies. You’ve got your oldies: Casper, Nightmare Before Christmas, HalloweenTown (personal favourite), Hocus Pocus, Addams Family, and Beetlejuice. These are movies you’ve at least heard of or grew up watching in October. Then you have some of the ‘newer’
movies: Haunted Mansion, Monster House, Coraline, and Corpse Bride. Of course the ‘newer’ movies aren’t really halloween themed, but they are as close to horror as you can get with children.
In the last few years, a small number of productions have amped up their game in the horror world. AMC and FX television networks have brought some terrifyingly good horror series to the table. We all know of American Horror Story where each season is Now let’s get into the juicy stuff, its own unique mini-series revolving the classic halloween and horror around a different scary theme every themed movies that are must sees: season. The Walking Dead is another Blair Witch Project, The Exorcist, favourite, if you are into blood, gore Dracula, Nightmare on Elm St, and zombies. Scream, Friday The 13th, Halloween, and IT. These are movies most of you We have yet to see some real ‘scary’ have watched, but if you haven’t.. I television shows until the premiere of suggest you get on that. The final ‘The Exorcist’. You read that correctly. set of halloween and horror themed FOX television network has launched movies that you might enjoy are; a series based around William Blatty’s The Ring, The Grudge, Sinister, The 1971 novel. As someone who is into Conjuring, Don’t Breathe, Annabelle, horror flicks and enjoys a good horror Saw, Lights Out, and Blair Witch movie, I was worried I’d be extremely (2016). disappointed but I was wrong. I was on the edge of my seat and literally H o r r o r curled up in bed under the covers with t h e m e d each episode. I have not watched a television shows horror fiction television show like this are almost to date. I highly suggest you watch at impossible to least the first episode, which aired come by, or on September 23rd, 2016, if you are at the very into horror fiction. Another television least, well show that recently made it’s debut is written horror ‘Aftermath’. It aired September 27th t e l e v i s i o n on Syfy and Space (for Americans and shows. Movies Canadians respectively). It is another are great for a one of those ‘end of the world’ one time kind of types of shows, but you can forget deal, however about zombies. This show has got having a horror some pretty interesting supernatural television show beings. I haven’t quite figured out is more exciting. what it’s all about but it definitely You get to be sparked my interest. If you are into on the edge demons, ghosts, the world blowing of your seat up - this show might just be for you. each episode, wondering what is going to happen next.
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The crisp of an evening night alit with the flickering of a fire, is never quite as alluring unless you’re settling into its warmth with the promise of a story. Many of us remember the hushed whispers during the most intense parts of stories past, likely just before the events reach their climax or are left off with a bone-chilling question, or the unbridled fear we feel after a blood-curdling scream, eerily placed at the end of a story for added effect. The shadows we may or may not see dancing across the treeline, unseen figures hiding just beyond our sights, even the rustle and snap of a twig or branch somewhere in the short distance just beyond the shadows, the source never to be seen or found…all these things and more are enough to give us chills at night, even warmed by campsite fires. Stories have been told since the dawn of mankind, remnants left behind of our ancestor’s past, painted -both figuratively and literally- all around us: in caverns, in the places we live, even in the way
our lives operate from day to day. It is, without a doubt, these such stories that make us quiver and shake in terror even as our hearts pound with adrenaline and fear, and this time of the year seems to bring out the spooky in all of us as each story is just as captivating as the last, and just as unnerving when one begins to think on the little details. What tales can you remember more clearly than others? Or have you crafted any legends that have lasted through your years? Do they consist of things that go unseen, traipsing through the shadows of the night? Or perhaps a wailing banshee of old Irish legend, there to forewarn of death yet to come? Do you favor wrong turns taken by ignorant campers, or natural disasters that seem to have some supernatural driving force behind them? Perhaps haunted treasures cursed by sailors past as their ships
were dragged to the dark depths of the seas, forever lost to time? Whatever your preference is, always keep one thing close in mind: whatever you use your story for, be it to spook others or to bring ease of mind, have fun. Is that not what our ancestors intended as they bonded over recounts of impressive feats or the creation of the stars and earth around us? Be creative and enjoy your tales of fiction or fantasy, and whatever it is that you spin, don’t be afraid to share it with friends and strangers alike. You will be sure to find it more well-received than you expect.
by Lady Ruee 11
: a i a G g n i c
s i n i Rem
a
e c n i r p l nniba
c y t t u m by s
This year, for the first time in a hundred years Halloween falls on Friday the 13th and what better way to celebrate than reminiscing 13 years of Gaian Halloween? There isn’t one. Halloween events on Gaia have brought many firsts to Gaia and many changes that have helped the site grow and become better over the years. Each year the event is unique and the stories can be from simple fun to a complex creation that spanned many months to build up to. A walk through memory lane will likely spark smiles and a few frowns, but all in good fun. Halloween in 2003. As Gaia’s first Halloween event this was a simple time. Gaians were introduced to the first holiday NPC - Jack. An NPC that embodies the Halloween spirit and presents himself in nearly every Halloween event. Just as it should be. For the first year of Halloween on Gaia Jack offered to trade grab bags for candy that Gaians could collect at shops or all around Gaia. The items ranged from shoes to a piece of candy corn you could wear on your head!
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In 2004 Jack was still around to trade grab bags for candy; however, a threat emerged on the scene to interrupt the trick-or-treating. A zombie outbreak! Shortly before Halloween “Labtech X” sold vials of a mysterious green liquid on the marketplace that Gaians could purchase. Nobody knew what these vials did or what they were for. On Halloween Gambino hosted a Halloween Party for all to attend. It was a splendid party only interrupted by a false alarm once. Though as “Labtech 013” rose from the dead and began attacking things quickly got out of hand. Uncomfortable with the situation Gambino issued shotguns for protection. Sometime in the chaos of the fight for survival it was found out that the vials of green liquid could be used to treat the infection - though just a little to late. With medication and weapons on their side the human Gaians were being overrun. There was no other choice. Gambino ordered a fail safe and
within minutes a missile had destroyed the mansion and the zombie infection. After the incident [NPC] Cindy Donavinh for Gaia Action 9 News made her first appearance to report on the situation. It was calm once more. Another year passed. Gambino rebuilt his mansion and hosted another Halloween Party! This time hoping to be better than the last. While he hadn’t intended to keep it a secret it was revealed that he had rebuilt the underground research lab. The very lab that “Labtech 123” had recreated the G virus using Grunny DNA… for this event Gaians were to capture loose Grunnies for items. The more Grunnies collected the closer they came to turning which was signified with a Grunny eating the top of the Gaians head. (Yuck!) This event led to some Gaians becoming elitists and declaring other Gaians as leechers if they had too many fewer Grunnies than themselves. This elitism caused users to ban other users from threads and eventually made it difficult for some users to complete the event. It was later revealed that users were supposed to work together to collect all of the items. In 2006 it seemed that Gaians had learned their elitism lesson. It was back to common ground and held an air that was much more fun for all Gaians. In this Halloween event aliens invaded! It started out as any other October month could, cows and bulls escaped and began to appear all over Gaia towns and a few days later they were disappearing again. All that was left of them in many areas including Durem Caves North and The Great Wall of Gambino were crop circles. [i]Spooky[/i]. Throughout this ordeal Gambino decided to create an energy drink called “Red Bino Energy Drink” inspired by the “Young man and the Sea” comic. In response the aliens introduced “Zurg Energy Drink” for Gaians. It turns out that these drinks were related to becoming Alien or Human. During the actual event Humans were allowed to tip cows and zap aliens while aliens were allowed to probe both cows and humans. All the while Gaians were able to trick or treat for Jack’s Grab bags. 2007 brought one of the longest Halloween events that Gaia has ever seen. It all began in July when PM’s were sent to some users from some elusive vampires. Nobody was sure what these PM’s would do but it would be revealed later that they would help create some vampires. Along with these PM’s the comic “Convergance” was released. Throughout the rest of the year, including during the Summer event, other comic updates would be made leading up to the Halloween event. These releases were “Damian” and “Unveiled.” The story was quite elaborate and packed full of mystery, suspense, and wonder! From shootings to disappearances the atmosphere was quite eery. As part of the reveal, Gaia also created a short animated trilogy featuring the main NPCs for Gaians to watch. Instead of just reading everything that was happening, for the
first time ever, Gaians could watch it happening! The event featured an all out war between the vampires led by Vladmir Von Hellson who had declared that all Gaians would either succumb to vampirism to or become cattle for their vampire masters and humans fighting back against their oppressors. Sadly, this event was compared to Halloween 2005 as elitism struck Gaia once more. This time, though, the war was more than vampires versus humans as the elitists fought out their superiority complexes with a plethora of mules, dirty tricks, and nasty words. Between this and the massive influx of users in town due to Jack declaring it safe ground, this event crashed Gaia multiple times and led to multiple glitches including the one that brought Gaians the “Leaving Gaia” screen after the event. This year also brought with it the first Gaia Run Costume Contest. At the end of the day though it was still fun for many and with it’s conclusion [NPC] Cindy Donovanh announced that Vladmir Von Hellson was dead and with his death a shaky truce had come over everyone, but only time could tell if the peace would last. Halloween Hysteria of 2008 seemed to bring back the fun spirit of Halloween and was an absolute item jackpot. During this event Gaians could become vampires, dark elfs, zombies, or choose to remain human in support of their favorite group and battle it out in the forums. In addition to [NPC] Jack’s annual grab bag exchange each group offered a different selection of items that could be earned. Gaia also released zOMG! Items for the event and a special aquarium item that would change the music. As a bonus it would also turn all of your fish into skeletons! A jackpot that would lead into other Halloween events offering so many new items. In 2009 The King of Halloween, NPC Jack himself unleashed two demigods upon Gaia for his entertainment purposes. One was a benevolent guy attempting to stop the maleficent girl from sending forth hordes of demons. Gaians had to choose whether to save Gaia from the darkness or to cloud the light. This event was mission based with a reward that was clearly stated - the winning side would be allowed to keep the event skin of their team and it would be soulbound whereas the losing side would not. According to developers this was supposed to help the friendly competition of the event despite some Gaians claiming it would lead to elitism. While there was some of that, when the event concluded (with the demons reigning supreme) a survey was released for the event that showed positive results. Fun fact: This event was also sponsored by Skittles and was the main candy for the trick or treating grab bag trade with Jack. Due to “Byproduct 2113” being dumped into a graveyard souls were unable to escape their bodies and were left to misery in their own personal hell, for years and years. In 2008,
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that was rectified when an antidote was found and put on the graves. This allowed the souls to wander but after years of torment they were angry and wanted to vent it to Gaians. Thus the Halloween event was underway. For this event, all of the ghosts had their own journals and posted in threads around Gaia as an introduction, as the event officially started it was up to Gaians to to come together and free the ghosts by overpowering them. Once all of the souls were released, each ghost posted a thread apologizing for their behavior and thanking Gaians for their help. It was up to the Gaians to choose the fate of the multitude of Ghosts by voting in polls set up in said threads. To let them peacefully fade away, suffer for eternity, or a third option that condemned them to an afterlife based on the life that they had lived. Compared to previous years, this event had a hugely positive success rate and was the first to be featured under a Hot Topic upon opening rather than the events forum.
an all out battle as Gaians and NPC’s were recruited to fight on behalf of the holiday giants. Eventually the battle ended, and with it, Halloween town was bombed and destroyed, making it inaccessible to this day. This was the year that Gaia decided the battle system would be a permanent fixture on Gaia and events, likely due to the positive feedback they received during copious surveys throughout the years and right before this event.
The Masquerade, held at the Von Hellson Manor, in 2011 was a smashing Halloween Party. Though, according to the comic, residents of Gaia were hesitant to attend another gathering because of the chaos in previous years. Though they were persuaded and it was a grand event indeed! Recently there had been a release of Gro-Gain Max (supposedly a spin off of the evolving item Gro-Gain), a supplement of many benefits! And a minor side effect of lycanthropy. As the moon rose in the night of the Masquerade party there was a werewolf outbreak and humans had to defend themselves or risk being turned into a beast! This was the first event to use Gaia Alchemy to create items for use in the event.
2015 brought forth an event based entirely in Lake Kindred with a forum for discussing the event elsewhere. Gaians had to discover the reasons behind pumpkin reaper’s and other kin popping up. To fight back the bosses and retake the Kindred labs. It was an event that involved alchemy for Lake Kindred and developing levels and skills for the Lake Kindred game on Gaia.
Vampires returned to the scene during Halloween 2012 in defense of humans against a group of dark elves known as the Kuro Gang.. They claimed that the Kuro Gang was up to no good while the Kuro Gang retaliated that it was vampires that were up to no good. A comic release hinted at the dark past between the two groups which left Gaians with a slightly less biased account to help decide which cause was worth supporting. While the tension grew between the two races, they rallied Gaians to fight along with them. To join their team! After a tiring battle it was the Kuro Gang and their supporters that came out on top…. Barely. Many Gaians found this event to be boring or lackluster compared to previous events, but overall it did well. Sadly, this was the first year that Towns was not an option for trick-or-treating, due to the development of Towns 2. In 2013, the Easter Bunny declared war on Jack just before Jack’s Halloween bash in Halloweentown. The event was a gold sink as Jack asked for donations to make the Halloween Bash the best party ever. After the Easter Bunny declared war it was
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Halloween 2014 took us back in time to the first Halloween on Gaia! A reminisce of the good times, but something was all wrong and everything was different. Angels and Demons were locked in a bloodthirsty fight to control the spirits roaming Gaia. Once again, Gaians were forced to choose sides and fight for the future of Gaia! In order to do so they had to collect soul candies and defeat bosses. It was a tiring and close call, but in the end, Gaia was saved.
As the largest event every year, it can be expected that Halloween on Gaia will always be an eventful one. As a Gaian you must prepare for the worst, expect the best, and ultimately have a good time battling, discovering, and earning all that you can! Remember not to let the competitive spirit ruin the fun of the events though and try to keep elitism to a minimum. Everyone new, old, just learning, or seasoned veteran deserves to enjoy the fun that befalls Gaia every Halloween! And don’t forget your grab bags from Jack every year.
By Limina Mortem & JaKayZombie Your Gaia [Magazine] is a webzine designed by gaians, for gaians. Every month we’ll feature an “On the Spot” feature that asks random gaians really random questions. Some will relate to our themed issues, some will be general opinion and some will be just plain fun! We hope you enjoy hearing from your fellow gaians and if you’re interested in answering our monthly questions, keep an eye out in the forums for our threads! My first question is about sweets. We want to know what the favorite candy of the gaian community is. It doesn’t come as a surprise that chocolate gained the most of our votes. Check out some of the answers: Limina Mortem “SNICKERS! I heart snickers. And all chocolate-based candies.” - Boba Fett Style “Anything CHOCOLATE!!!! :D (except ones with a coconut filling. Yuck!)”
Princesse Poison “As long as it is more than half chocolate, then it’s probably a favorite--I have a lot of favorites. It’s not really candy per se, but I love me some chocolate dipped shortbread.” Urd Tanzanite “Oh I love sweets. If I have to pick just one, Galaxy chocolates are the best. I like locally made fruit-flavored candies too like durian.”
Ping of Death My second question is a bit more intrusive. I know Jack is coming back to life on Halloween so let’s see what expectations gaians have of him: Limina Mortem “More wonderful ORANGE items. No venom. Jack wouldn’t approve such a garish display. Also Pumpkins, lots of them.”
Menstrual Cramps “He’ll most likely prank someone, again. But I really hope he’ll show up in Lake Kindred, so I can steal his candy!”
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Princesse Poison
“Probably a cameo appearance, this year’s Halloween Event seems to be more Zurg focused due to the end of the Summer Event. I personally want to rebuild Halloweentown, but perhaps next year we can finally give Jack back his home.” Xashowd “I hope, he is planning to haunt us and we have to fight with all our spirit against insane paranormal activities. He will probably make some Kins go wild and attack us, so just in case, I am giving my Sakura Fluff some more training.” Paperworm Are you still reading??? Now I’m scared. Let’s move on! The trends in gaian halloween outfits are as follows: Limina Mortem “I am going to be a butler at the Heart Break Cafe! “
Hassli “I always cosplay, so for Halloween, it’s no different; I just pull out even more cosplay for the season. Last year I made my Gaia avi match my IRL Halloween cosplay (I was Sabitsuki from .Flow) and this year will be no different (I’m going as Clear from Dramatical Murder)” Pengaana
“My favorite Halloween item is the Kandy Korn Hat, and I’ll probably wear it with some orange hair this year. “ Hirurari “Now that I have my monster OC items, I think I’ll start dressing up my slimeboy for every holiday/special occasion. I just need to find him a decent costume.” sterek “I prefer to dress up as a witch. I have tons of witch costumes in lots of colours planned!!!” sterek
on the spot continued on the next page
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Hello! My name is JaKayZombie! I wanted to know what Gaia meant to you Gaians! Check out some of the answers below! JaKayZombie “A chance to let out your inner child and or release your inner fantasies.”
Caffeine Shadow “Halloween is the one day where children can experience fun memories of their childhood. Creates memories for their future to reminisce back upon. Halloween brings friends and families together c:” II Aigoo II “Halloween means the occasion to let out your inner prankster and tease the hell out of everyone while looking like something you’d always wanted to dress up as.” Glenn Ree “Halloween is a time to be something that you wouldn’t normally be. You can indulge in secret desires that you normally could not, like being a super hero, a scary monster, or a sexy bombshell. We dress up and take on a new persona for a day, we purposefully trigger the flight or fight response, we eat disgusting amounts of candy, and all of this is perfectly acceptable for that one day.”
Dapper WolfMan
“Free candy!!! And dressing up, scaring people is also fun but not the other way around haha and the only time when you see a lot of people out at night.”
K01N
JaKayZombie
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So, that’s it for “On the Spot” this month! Limina and I hope you enjoyed hearing from your fellow Gaians! If you have any questions in particular you’d like to see next time, please send your suggestions to our Magazine mule, YGMag, or keep an eye out for us in the forums!! Sometimes we even give prizes to those who give us some awesome, thought-out answers!!
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13 Songs for Halloween
By Saffons Curse
When it comes to Halloween themed music, there are a number of familiar tunes, such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London,” and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put A Spell On You,” not to mention the songs in well-known musicals like Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Nightmare Before Christmas. However, too much of the same can grow repetitive and stale, no matter how great they are, if new things aren’t added into the mix to spice things up. Here’s a look at some spooky jams you may have overlooked! HorrorPops - “Walk Like A Zombie,” a 50s doo-wop style love song between the protagonist and a zombie. Mick Gordon - “Lycanthropy,” Videogame music isn’t typically a source I look to for music, however misguided of me that may be, but I was lucky enough to discover tracks for Killer Instinct, and if songs like this one don’t fit in with Halloween music, with a sound that pays homage to black-and-white horror movies while staying modern, then I missed that memo. Diablo Swing Orchestra - “Voodoo Mon Amour,” a unique genre fusion of metal and swing, this song is very theatrical and upbeat. Creature Feature, a band dedicated to Halloween-themed music, with songs about the Chthulu mythos to gravediggers to classic B-Movies like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Honestly, their whole discography could be your playlist if you really wanted.
Da Tweekaz - “Celebration of Sin,” a hardstyle song with a healthy splash of Spanish influence, with references to Dia De Los Muertos, this song is right at home with Halloween dance playlists. Murderdolls - “Die My Bride,” Murderdolls’ sound would be at home with the likes of Rob Zombie, in that they’re over the top, theatrical and have fun with horror imagery. Carach Angren - S”pectral Infantry Battalions,” a symphonic black metal song about ghost soldiers that sounds truly menacing. Nurse With Wound, not what you’d typically expect to be called music, NWW is of a genre known as dark ambiance, which is filled with skincrawling noises arranged specifically to creep you out, which can be a welcome alternative to the ‘Spooky Sound Effects’
available at local stores. Mortiis - “Smell the Witch,” this industrial song has a dark edge to it, while maintaining a terrific beat for parties. Ghost - “Year Zero,” a Hail Satan song that’s as catchy as it is sinister, Ghost’s entire shtick is praising Satan and they do it well, perfect for a holiday that runs rampant with red devil costumes. Alan Parsons Project - “The Raven,” this progressive rock song uses the story of, you guessed it, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven. Morteth - “Ruins,” This instrumental piece, featured on Welcome to Night Vale’s weather section, has ominous undertones, skirting that line between lovely and eerie perfectly. Ghoultown - “Bury Them Deep,” if you’re looking for something with a Southern bite to it, this gothabilly band has you covered. They’ve even made a song for Elvira! And there you have it! Hopefully among these thirteen spooky songs, you’ve found something new to add to your own playlists. There’s plenty more out there, so don’t hesitate to look, perhaps in ways you didn’t originally consider. For instance, looking up songs related to popular archetypal costume themes like doctors or pirates might reveal some new gems with which to personalize your playlist.
Happy Halloween! 21
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PUMPKIN carving There are many ways to decorate pumpkins. Some people choose the traditional way, carving the pumpkin, while others choose a new style, painting and decorating the pumpkin. To help some of you out who might not know what to do with your pumpkins this year, here is a list of different ways you can decorate your pumpkins.
site lets you download templates that you stick to your pumpkin, and using a toothpick you punch out the outline of the design. After that, you take the carving tools and carve away! There are some cool templates such as mummies, werewolves and even Frankenstein!
Let’s start with the traditional. Over the years, pumpkin carving has evolved from the simple ‘triangles as eyes, spiky teeth for a smile’. Although many still like to do it the simple way, we are seeing more and more pumpkins with outrageous and unique designs such as cats, certain characters, and even lettering. If you lack the skill to do these unique and fun designs, you can find printout papers that will help you at pumpkinpile.com. This
If you aren’t into the whole pumpkin ‘guts’ thing and despise cutting into them, then decorating the pumpkin might be an alternative if you wanted to get fancy. Decorating pumpkins has become a very popular, from painting different designs, to making your pumpkin look like a minion, or even giving it a hat; people are turning to this alternative rather than getting messy. You might be asking, how would one see these pumpkins in the dark? Well, the answer is simple. Spotlights. Getting small spotlights and pointing them towards your pumpkin will illuminate it at night. You can get creative with the spotlights too. If you’ve chosen to decorate it in a ‘scary’ manner, a red spotlight would be perfect!
click here to check out OUR GAIA O’LANTERN’ CONTEST! 24
g FUN!
By Breathe Disaster & Feigning Innocence
GAAAAHHH!! It’s almost Halloween! I don’t know what happened guys, one minute I was chilling at the beach every day and now...now it’s cold at night and I’m terrified to go outside lest all the spooks and monsters try to catch me! What’s that? What do you mean, carve a pumpkin? What will a pumpkin do to stop the evil spirits from haunting me?! ..... Stingy Jack, you say...yes...he played tricks on the devil?! What foolishness is this!!? You mean to tell me that Stingy Jack tricked the devil twice over, and got away with it? And when he died, God wouldn’t allow him into heaven? And the Devil made a deal never to claim Jack’s soul? Hm. So what happened then? The Devil made Stingy Jack walk the earth forever? He gave Stingy Jack an ember to light his way and Jack put that coal in a carved up turnip? So now people carve up pumpkins and leave them outside to ward away creatures like Stingy Jack, huh... Wait! You have to keep helping me! What in the world should I carve into my pumpkin? Should it be scary? Or funny? Or something else all together? Do you think maybe you could give me some ideas? Maybe send me some pictures of what you carved? Please? All you have to do is take a picture of the pumpkin you carve for Halloween and send it to me! I could really use your help, friend!
rules:
o1. Follow all Gaia ToS o2. Quote “YGMag” with the entry form below and your picture o3. Picture must include a piece of paper with your gaia username o4. Limited one entry per person.
prizes: Grand Prize:
10 Billion Gold 1 Surprise Halloween Item
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Places: Publicaiton of winning pictures in next
issue of Your Gaia [Magazine]
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So, the other day I was searching through the quest thread forum, trying to see what other people did to get you gaians into their threads. It was there that I ran across Davidicus Bellefonte! His shopt has over 2000 pages! I thought for sure that if anyone had some good advice, it’d be him, so I wrote up a quick PM and somehow here we are, because he consented to let me interview him! So, without further ado, here is a little bit about Davidicus Bellefonte! You joined Gaia in 2004, so you’ve been a part of the Gaia community for more than 10 years. What did you think of Gaia when you first joined?? It was confusing at first, I had never been on a website like Gaia before, or even heard of one similar. There was so much to explore! The maps had a big impression on me back then, I really felt like the World Map of Gaia made it feel like a new internet-home.
What do you miss most about the old days?
The prices! Haha, I joke. (A little). Back when I began, there was this really close-knit community feeling. A huge interest in the manga/storyline of the website, and so much to do it felt. So much activity with the forums that you had something to do anytime you felt like it. For whatever you were interested in. Nowadays a lot of the forums are slack, and quite slow.
What aspect of Gaia do you think is the most different from when you first joined the site?
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The way we make gold. Back in the day, saving gold was incredibly hard. Making minimal amounts of gold took a lot of time to accumulate and be able to buy that one or two items you really wanted from shops. I’m talking from the Gold Shops. If you had the $2.50 to mail off to Gaia, you could get your Donation Item (Monthly Collectible as it is known now) and you felt like you really had it going on! Haha!
DAVIDICUS BELLEFONTE
owner of prestigious: a quest thread I only joined in 06’, but I vaguely remember there being holiday events? Do you remember the Halloween events? What was the best one, in your opinion? The worst?
Halloween 2004, my first and most memorable event. It was insanity. Manga storyline, Zombies, Guns, forum battles. I remember that as one of the most fun events I had even had pleasure to partake in. I had joined in August, 2004, and this Halloween event was my first, and honestly I feel like that event really sealed me in as a regular member of Gaia. What forum(s) did you spend the most time in when you first joined? What forums are you in the most now? When I joined I was really into the Roleplays in Barton Town. I used to enjoy School Roleplays (I was in High School then), and a lot of Taverns. I spent many nights hanging out there meeting people. Now I’m a regular Gaia Community Discussion, Charitys/Quests, and often the random Chatterbox post. I love GCD. When I thought Gaia was drying up, GCD became a well of new people to meet for me.
The forums have changed a lot in just the past few years, so I can’t even imagine what’s changed from 04’ on. As far as the forums go, what do you think has been the most significant change? I think the locations of things, and just overall activity. We’ve had a lot of forums through the years come and go, but I think the biggest change is, in the earlier years, activity and posting was nonstop! A lot of forums now on Gaia are very, very slow. I think that has to do with the dwindling number of users on-site. I kind of miss the more fast-paced posting.
check out david’s shop!! interview cont.d on next page
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There are a lot of different opinions on the whole Gaian Inflation issue. Where do you stand? If you think there’s a problem, what do you think are some possible ways to correct the issue? I think it’s a problem. I’d like to see absolutely 0 gold generators, and from there a lot of gold sinks. But I understand the need for sales as well. I think we as Gaians are comfortable now. Where item inflation it. I know it’s very hard for new users, and users without Gaia Cash, which is a little saddening.
Favorite Item? Least favorite?
You know, I don’t have just one favorite item. I have so many items I love for different reasons. But I’m so sick of Philosopher’s Caches at this point. Now that I’m done with alchemy I never want to see one again. X’D
If Gaia staff/mods ran an event to bring back one piece of Gaian history and revamp it for the more modern site, what do you wish they’d bring back? Why?
Oh I’d love this, I want the storyline of the Von Helson Twins to be brought back! They were my favorite, and still are! Bring them back into the manga, and then a series of events related with them would make me one happy camper!
What has it been like to watch Gaia grow and evolve? I read on the Gaia wiki that Gaia used to be an anime list site. I can’t imagine what that was like, especially seeing the site as it is now.
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It’s been interesting. I remember the links from the Early Early times, but it quickly evolved into an RP based site, and then the items for avatars became more and more, we got Evolving items, and those were huge at first. Now we’re at a point where the community almost demands items daily because that’s what we’re used to. I remember a much more relaxed Gaia, where items came when they came, and it was huge news for the entire site. It really felt like it made items just that much more special when released. I still love Gaia, and I will always no matter what happens. It’s had over ten years of my attention and through good and bad, I’m going to always be a Gaian at heart.
spooky
reads! By Limina Mortem
It’s that time of the year again, the time where the dead come back to life and the creatures of the darkness lurk outside their graves, seeking prey. It is also a time man who hungers not only to feed, but to live. After all, of celebration, when we revel in sweets and enjoy what is immortality for? the company of our most beloved ones. For the more adventurous of us, below is a short list of fiction writers 4. Bram Stoker whose gruesome stories are bound to keep us awake for dozens of nights in a row. A small piece of advice, to be Everyone heard about Dracula? I can see you nodding so read after midnight. let’s proceed. This is one of my personal favorites, mostly because I have travelled around his home country on many 1. Stephen King occasions. His house is not a place to find yourself in after dark though, take my word for it! Bram Stoker portrays Stephen King is not hiding anything. He doesn’t the predator not as a charming man, nor as a glittering revolve his stories around metaphors, nor does he try to immortal. His Dracula is a monster, one that somewhere conceal the truth. He is a man not afraid to be realistic deep, past the spider webs and the coagulated blood, has with a subject that is more often than not the subject of a functioning heart. The story becomes interesting when controversy. Maybe you’ve never been afraid of clowns, that heart finds a woman worthy of it. but read IT and you might change your mind. If you think aliens are humanoid creatures, I suggest you do not 5. Edgar Allan Poe even dare to open Dreamcatcher. I bet you did not even consider aliens can live inside a human being, waiting Are you afraid of being buried alive? Have you to be born. Hint: they are not born the way we know it. ever wondered how being locked up would feel, only However, since we live in an era of technology and most your thoughts and a dwindling air supply to keep you of us possess a smartphone and spend a considerable company? I know someone who did. Poe is mysterious amount of time on it, you should definitely put The Cell and poetic. His written terror is based on psychology, on your reading list. in how our mind betrays us in our hour of need. That’s where his inspiration is born from. Some suggest he was 2. Jack Ketchum also a time traveler, for many of his stories came to life years after his death, but who knows? A Premature Burial This author is more rooted in the physical realm as we is an interesting read if you’re ever stuck at home! see it. Vampires and ghosts are not the only creatures that can be frightening; a human can be just as terrifying. It is more possible for us to be hurt by one of our own than an extraterrestrial, and that is what makes Ketchum worthy of this list. Try The Girl Next Door. 3. Anne Rice This woman has more than 30 books published and she is still going. Her first book was met with numerous rejections until her manuscript was finally accepted for publication. If you are a fan of handsome vampires that wither under the sun’s burning rays but can make your blood pump during the night, then I think all the books featuring Lestat are mandatory. Despite his race he is a
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Advice Column Hello!
Are you in need of some every day, general advice? Having a hard time of it and not quite sure how to go about getting on with life? Your Gaia [Magazine] is asking for submissions to YGMag (the magazine mule) for those seeking advice or need questions answered that they’re not comfortable asking someone IRL. None of the YGM crew are professional counselors and if at any point you feel that you are in need of professional help, we urge you to find it and can help you find some resources to do so if you’re not even sure where to start. Please send all submissions to YGMag and follow all Gaia ToS. This is a free column - you do not have to pay to be given advice. While all questions will be read and answered, not all will be published
The iconic Halloween treat Candy Corn often ends up on lists of the worst Halloween Candy for reasons this writer doesn’t understand, but here is a reason to gobble it up with all of the other delicious candy of the season! Originally created by George Renninger, Candy Corn has been around since the 1800s. Although it wasn’t until the turn of the Twentieth Century when Goelitz Confectionery Company (now known as Jelly Belly Candy Co) picked up the recipe and brought it to the masses. Originally called Chicken Feed, the treat was a successful attempt to appeal to largely rural Americans and could be eaten year round! Now it is iconic to the the Halloween spirit as much as dressing up and carving pumpkins are. Why should you save them? The answer is simple. Candy corn, while not many people’s favorite on its own, is a versatile and flexible treat that can be mixed into milkshakes, drinks, cakes, and nearly any other dessert you can think of. All it takes is a quick Google search to hunt down some of these amazing and simple recipes! Though, we’ll save you the trouble and give you two to start with: Butterfinger Bars
while you grab the chocolate from the freezer. Dump the mixture on the chocolate and spread quickly so that the chocolate doesn’t melt. Put it in the fridge for 15 minutes. Pull it back out and pour the rest of the chocolate over the top and put back in the fridge for 15 minutes. Lastly, pull it out, cut it up, and enjoy!
Hope you have a great Halloween and remember, you don’t have to wait until Halloween to enjoy delicious Candy Corn. National Candy Corn day is October 30th!
Butterfinger Bars: 1c. Candy Corn ½ c. Peanut Butter 9oz Dipping Chocolate Parchment paper laid over a cookie tray First you are going to melt the chocolate and put ½ of it on the parchment paper. Spread it out and let it cool in the freezer while you mix up the middle. Next, melt the Candy Corn in the microwave for 2 minutes in increments of 30 seconds being sure to pull it out and stir each time. It will get really easy to stir as it gets hotter and hotter. Then pull it out and mix it with the peanut butter. After it is mixed well let it cool just a bit
by Smutty Cannibal Prince
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National Novel With November fast approaching, writers all over Gaia are preparing for battle. A battle of determination, a battle of strength, a battle of will, a battle to slay a mighty beast and conquer their inner demons and stand triumphantly at the end! A battle to write 50,000 words on a single novel length project… in one month. A daunting task that leaves many writers quivering in their boots from fear, anticipation, or some odd combination of the two. This mighty beast destroys over half that come to the battle, but many can slay this beast and stand proud to say with a draft held high, “I wrote a novel.” This is not an easy feat though and the Gaian veterans of this war have some tips to succeed, but first the battle ground must be prepared. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an annual event hosted outside Gaia in November and to officially sign-up for participation one must create an account on the official NaNoWriMo website and “create a novel” or give them a little info about it for that year. After that, peruse the website and become familiar with it. There are some helpful tips, tricks, links, and forums to help brandish your weapons and prepare you for the battle ahead. However, in this writer’s opinion, the place to be when the onslaught begins… is cozied on up on Gaia!
if you feel this beast beneath your power level and wish to increase the difficulty there are other annual threads such as the Word of the Day Challenge hosted by Gaian Morsuaile and the Traveling Shovel of Death to keep you on your toes. If you feel NaNoWriMo beneath your level or just wish to increase the difficulty then participate in the Word of the Day Challenge hosted by Gaian Morsuaile. An annual thread that was originally created by HiddenHiinxed, Morsuaile has been running the event for the past 5 years and says their favorite part of the challenge is waking up with hope for an “inspiring or easy” word and reading through the entrants sentences. Morsuaile decided to begin hosting the thread after HiddenHikinxed was no longer active in the writing community to give back to the writers that she “loved to hang out with.” For writers new to the Word of the Day Challenge Morsuaile offers this advice: “Don’t panic when you first see a word, think about it for a few days and it might just perfectly fall into place. And research words you don’t know, it can take you places you might never have thought of relevant to your story, which are often great for inspiration.”
This is for a few reasons. The first and probably most important is that Gaia has a community that revolves around NaNoWriMo and for the last several years has featured the event as a Hot Topic to help bring that community together. As many veterans will tell you, while this is a solo battle of words it is always better to go to the battlefield with comrades. Along with the Hot Topic forum all to ourselves, every year, there is an official NaNoWriMo thread led by veterans and full of encouragement and daily pushes to reach your word goal. We are incredibly welcoming to new people and old ones alike and love to cut down the 1,667 daily words required to defeat the beast. The thread offers a host of activities such as Word Wars, Random Excerpt Time, The Hot Topic forum and places to write to keep you on track to ensure that for NaNoWriMo you have everything you need to succeed. Additionally, Gaia has been doing
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Writing Month
prepare your pens and keyboards!
covers topics across the board and is full of people that can relate to your woes, excitements, and help you plow through a sticky plot situation. Before NaNoWriMo begins officially in November there are even artists and short story writers in the forum wanting to draw characters and write snippets about your OCs for your novel. Let me tell you from experience that having a character doodled before NaNoWriMo can assist in motivating you to the finish! There are those that can help you plan down to the last detail. There are those that will help you charge forward in the heat of battle without the extra padding that comes with planning. Because, on Gaia, we are a community that wants to help everyone conquer their goals and slay the beast that stands before them.
Now, some tips from our veteran warriors: “If you can, spread your wordcounts throughout the day at specific times. Like I remember I would write a chunk in the morning before breakfast, then I’d write another at lunch, then twice more--one before dinner and one after. It made it more manageable that way then trying to do it all at once.” - Goddess Rukus
Something small for 5,000 words. Something large for 50,000 words. You’ll want to finish. Pacing: You might think the early bird gets the worm but i can tell you from experience that moving too fast is not the best thing for everyone. I’ve gotten half way through 50k before in the first week or so just to realize that i’m completely worn out and lost inspiration and everything else that could possibly go wrong. ” - W00FlE “Leave yourself notes – While writing, jot things down that you want to fix or elaborate on later. This helps you move forward without dwelling on points you haven’t completely thought out yet. Also! At the end of your day, write down what comes next so it doesn’t feel like you’re starting from scratch the next day.” - Morsuaile “Encouragement! For you, for your fellow Nano writers: just in general. If what you wrote sucks, you still got it down to improve on later. If what you wrote is great, then fantastic! Show interest in the work of others - they’re all trying as hard as you. Force yourself out of the midmonth doldrums and any other slumps you get. Don’t let them win.” - Lady Lagomorph
All of us wish you luck in this fight, this battle against your inner editor and the 50,000 words that stand in your way. Join together to conquer the writing woes and celebrate your victories. Even naming a city can be a relief in the midst of NaNoWriMo and remember this is only a rough draft - it isn’t going to be perfect.
For those that conquer this beast, we at the magazine have a special treat: The chance to have an excerpt featured! To enter send a screenshot of your winners badge and an excerpt of 500 words or less to smutty “Rewards: This is cannibal prince before December 15th. The members a good thing to have of the magazine will then vote on the winning excerpt when practicing NaNo. and it will be featured in the January edition of Your Rewarding yourself for Gaia Magazine! Please note, all excerpts will be kept progress is a good thing anonymous during voting. to keep you motivated. Image courtesy of National Novel Writing Month.
by smutty cannibal prince
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By Lady Ruee
Halloween is commonly viewed as a time of mischief and fun, a time to celebrate the thin veil between the realms and a time for parents and child, friends and members of our communities to spend a night together without worry of judgement. For decades, centuries even, we have immersed ourselves in the common traditions that once belonged to our ancestors, and while they are far from what they used to be, we all often find ourselves seeking thrills of all forms during this time of year. While there is speculation and mystery that shroud some of our more obscure activities, it seems most of us can agree on where some of our favorite pastimes have come from. In the time leading up to Halloween day, it is not u n co m m o n
to find consumers purchasing or crafting their own costumes, preparing for the day they finally may be found knocking at the doors of friendly neighbors in search of treats, exchanging them for riddles, tricks, and talents alike. Do you remember that one riddle you always spouted off? Or perhaps even the first costume you found yourself wearing while going doorto-door? What about those of you that were the first ones to decorate your houses in hopes of being greeted by the bright young spirits of your community? What comes to mind when someone mentions a haunted house? The ever-present need to prove yourself stoic in the face of unnerving surroundings, or the sense of dread from knowing you ultimately will be a situation you may or may not have forced yourself to suffer through? Whether you are finding yourself on the end of a fright, or whether you are the one doling out the spooks on your own, the earliest roots prove one common factor that we follow even to this very day: provocation of fear. In Ancient Egypt, this incitement of a heightened state of terror was widely used to deter grave robbers and body snatchers from the great wealth closed away within the pyramids. This tradition was continued by the Romans and the Greeks, their culture steeped in legends of monsters and myths, labyrinths and mazes, and fantastical gods that could both create and wreak wrath upon entire worlds. The Renaissance era even became captivated by the idea of spirits, employing mediums and clairvoyants to channel their way into the world of the unliving. Haunted hayrides originated when Celtic and Pagan traditions transitioned into the Catholic religion during the dark ages. Bands of traveling performers would often find themselves re-enacting the most bloody and bone-chilling plays with the intent to frighten people into staying true to their devout morals. These traveling mistrals also birthed the creation of the common Jack-O-Lantern that adorn many houses within each neighborhood or city. Did you know that this actually came from our European roots when turnips used to be carved and hung to ward off evil spirits and demons alike? When the settlers came to the Americas, they found turnips to be scarce and in their place found pumpkins to be both plentiful and more easily sculpted into their wards. Whatever you may find yourself immersed in this Halloween, be it outside or in, I hope you have a very spooktacular night!
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