Erin was cowering behind Cassie once they had reached the Atelier. This place had the only thing that truly scared Erin to the core-- Puumpkinheads.

They stared at her. They leered at her. They wanted to cause her bodily harm! Erin was sure of it.

The cowering, quivering little girl was trying oh-so-hard to gain her composure. Why? She didn't want to offend Elly! Despite Elly's owning things that made her cry. In public. Elly was sweet if naive and, well, ditzy. She also had the key to many things Erin needed.

Today: The notebook.

So, she shuffled mary-janed feet behind Cassie and only cringed a little at her greeting. A deep breath... "Elly... it's us. Erin and Cassie."

She had been entirely prepared to be attacked by a swarm of pumpkin heads, so the sight of all the activity, not directed at Erin and herself, stopped her in her tracks. She snuck a look over her shoulder at Erin, bewilderment obvious on her face. Did Erin know what the heck was going on? Cassie didn't think so.

Then the James Bond pumpkin head broke away and headed in their direction. And bowed? Cassie inclined her head in return, still looking bewildered and confused. And then her eyes found that path. And the million dollar question is: Where does it lead?
Hopefully not into the lair of a crazed killer. No telling with those pumpkin heads..

She glanced at Erin again, before ambling towards the path. May as well check it out since they were there, after all. "I -think- it'll be okay.. Let's go on and see what they're doing." The path was nice enough, for winter. But she came to a dead stop when the courtyard came into view. "Wow. Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Not too far from the entrance of the golden courtyard.. was The Witch! She was laid out on a lawn chair, smile and sunglasses on her face as she basked in the warmth and glow of.. well, it wasn't certain where that warmth and glow came from, but it was there! A pumpkinhead worked to massage some sunscreen onto her bikini clad body, another fanned her face, another held a drink up to her so she could sip from the straw protruding from it.

The pumpkinhead that had motioned for the girls to go to the courtyard stepped (and had been following along) stepped forward towards The Witch, brushed past the other pumpkinheads, and poked her arm.

"Bababoobababooboobaaaaaa~"

The Witch smiled brightly as she pushed sunglasses to the top of her head. "Really~?" Without warning she swung out of the chair, nearly knocked over a couple pumpkinheads, and rose to her feet, immediately pitter pattering on towards Erin and Cassandra.

Big grins, big smiles! The Witch looked them over carefully and nodded.

"You two must be here for a makeover~!"

"Oh n--" and Cassie cut her off. Erin blinked and blinked again and came thisclose to making that famed Munch's Scream face. But she just turned it into a really strange looking smile. All her teeth showing. She looked like a possessed clown.

"Of course, Elly." Smilesmile. Erin grabbed Cassie's arm though, squeezing nice and hard. She was going to get her for this!! "I hope we aren't bothering you."

Those eyes of Erin's, however, must have looked a little loopy. She was trying to keep every Pumpkinhead in view!

Cassie didn't catch the possible implications. She was too busy realizing the possible consequences of her speaking before thinking. She'd realized it as soon as the words left her mouth, but unfortunately, she couldn't grab them and stuff them back in. Erin's squeeze only hastened her realizations. But she pasted on a bright smile, prepared to slog through it.

The rush of pumpkinheads was a bit disconcerting, but she didn't bolt. And she was prepared to fend for Erin! However, they weren't exactly carrying weapons. She accepted whatever was handed to her, looking a little pale. Then she perked up. Manicures? Pedicures? Wraps? That was cool with her. She hadn't had much time to stop and get a manicure lately. She was almost getting caught up in it now! She hadn't actually seen the results of an Elly makeover, so while Erin had her a little worried, it was likely that she couldn't entirely foresee the possibilities.

"Pampering is good." Nodding some, and smiling bravely at Erin.

"Pampering is the best~! I love to pamper and be pampered~!" The Witch exclaimed with absolute glee, those dimples quite apparent as widely as she grinned. "And I just change out here~!" A general motion around. "It's not like anyone will see~!"

Except the pumpkinheads.. but right, not all are as comfortable with that as she is are they? "I can set something up though if you want~" A wand was pulled from betwixt her bosom, never mind how she did that, and was waggled in the air. In her usual display of sparkles and orange smoke and a bright POOF! two small changing booths appeared before Erin and Cassandra. Perfect size for people like The Witch and Erin, but small for someone like Cassandra.

She flashed them both a smile before skittering off to speak with a pumpkinhead, and barked out a few orders, pointed, and he left to go fetch a few items.

May the gods help Erin and Cassandra.

Erin was happy with the dressing room! It was Erin sized! She slid in and folded her clothes nicely, leaving them in a clean pile. Once in the bikini she looked down at herself and frowned. Way. too. much. skin. A sigh and the robe was pulled around herself, tied tightly around her waist.

She shuffled out in now bare feet, smiling weakly at the two gathered, waiting for her. Man.. it was warm in that robe in all this sun? She looked around and when she couldnt' find why it was warm, she just shrugged.

"Okay, Elly, what next?" That strangely scarey smile returned, dimples and teeth bared. There was no way Erin was drinking anything the witch handed her, though... really.

"Oh, right, we're going to tan first. Okay." Cassie untied the robe and pulled it off. She was cool with being in a bikini. That wasn't naked, after all. She set the robe with the rest of the clothing, and went on and took a seat in one of the chairs that had been dragged out by the pumpkinheads, shifting around until she was comfortable.

The sight of the Elly pulling a little bottle out of the box made her go apitter-patter for a few moments, until Elly identified it as massage oil. "Massages are nice. Do you have a massuese here or something?" In denial about it being the pumpkinheads? You bet!

She glanced at Erin, trying to gauge her reaction to all that was going on.

The Witch looked... disappointed? She even pouted a bit at Erin's words. "What's wrong with the pumpkinheads~? They give the best massages~?" A hint of whine in her voice, surely The Pumpkin would offer her a slice of cheese if he were there. Hearing Cassie, The Witch turned towards her and pointed to the pumpkinheads who were ready to massage the ladies. "They are~!" More whining, and even a little foot stomp.

Bigger pout, The Witch glanced between the two, slowly, because they were in bikinis after all. The ego in her had to do some comparing and contrasting, though in the end, she nodded to herself, pleased with the results she came up with in her mind.. best never shared with the world. "Well, if you're not comfortable with that, we can always get manicures first~?"

Before she had a chance to bark out the orders, pumpkinheads were already dragging out manicure and pedicure supplies, and set them out on a small table (where'd that come from anyways!?) near those three chairs. Since Cassandra was already seated one pumpkinhead approached her with a file in his clothy hand, the other extended to take hers.

Another had grabbed a small bottle of nail polish. Red, no pink, no.. green.. no.. it was.. well, it wasn't any one color actually, it seemed to change. With that bottle, he ventured towards Erin and held it up towards her.

Erin could do this! She could! With a breath in and then out and then in and then out, she was able to sit and offer her hands to the pumpkinhead.

Someone stop the presses.

Smilesmilesmile. Weakly pushed out. She was shaking in her chair. After a few moments and the little hand massage that went with this, she relaxed back into the echair and closed her eyes.

Perfect.

This isn't so bad...