So I want to give special thanks to the users who participated in the roleplaying topic on the forum known as the "3-2-1 Penguins! Forum Lounge".
Flying in space, the Rockhopper returned from yet another mission. Captain Zidgel gave his blog that update every time a mission is completed.
"Captain's blog, with my amazing leadership skills, we have helped those poor defenseless Notes out of treble...treble, heh, heh." Samantha was sitting in her seat, thinking about what to do next. She stopped her thinking to ask the captain something.
"When is the next mission?" Just then, Fidgel walked in, holding some envelopes.
"There are no new missions," he answered, "but we got some letters addressed to us."
"Is there one for me?" asked Kevin.
"There are letters addressed to everyone, one for all seven of us," answered Fidgel. He then handed out the envelopes to the other crew members. They opened the envelopes and read the letters. The letters had the same thing written on all of them:
"Dear whoever was lucky enough to receive this,
You are officially invited to a Halloween party on Planet Nightmare Fuel! There will be games, booths, projects, contests, and lots of other things that aliens of all ages can enjoy! You will not regret coming to this party!"
"Yay! We got invitations to a party!" exclaimed Zidgel. Kevin and the kids got pretty excited as well, saying things like, "This will be the coolest party ever!" "I'll most likely win the award for best costume on handsomest penguin!" "I can't wait to show off my new costume!" "I will most likely blow the party guests away with my performance I've been practicing!" and "Ooh! Spooky! Ooh!" Midgel and Fidgel, on the other hand, didn't get so hyped.
"Doc, haven't you noticed something in the invitation?" Midgel asked in a tone of concern.
"Yes, it doesn't seem to say who it's from," answered Fidgel.
"Do you think it's a trap, set by Cavitus?"
"Let's hope not," Fidgel looked at Zidgel, Kevin, and the kids as they talked among themselves about how fun the party would be.
"I bet I could scare everyone with my costume!" said Jason.
"Please! You can barely scare a mouse when you have it on!" Michelle taunted.
"Oh yeah? Make the scariest face possible!" replied Jason. Michelle responded with doing a T-rex roar and making her facial expression match it.
"Is that scary enough for you?" she asked.
"It is on!" answered Jason. This triggered a competition between the twins on who could make the scariest face. With Jason going all bug-eyed and Michelle responding with baring her teeth in whatever she thought was a scary way.
"I will definitely make those gals swoon!" Zidgel said with confidence.
"If they don't run away first!" replied Samantha. She ran off laughing.
"Hey, come back here!" Zidgel stood up from his captain's chair and attempted to catch Samantha. Kevin then crept up behind the clueless captain.
"Boo!" he shouted. Zidgel leaped from the ground, emitted a girly shriek, and ran away as fast as he could. Jason and Samantha started to laugh. Zidgel's actions managed to get some chuckles from Midgel and Fidgel as well.
"If I can get some laughs from the captain being so easily scared, it might worth it to go to that party," said Midgel. Fidgel thought about Midgel's statement for a few seconds.
"I always enjoy a good laugh when something like this happens to the captain," he agreed.
After that jump scare, Zidgel went back to sit on his chair. "Midgel, set course for Planet Nightmare Fuel!" he ordered.
"Setting course for Nightmare Fuel," Midgel replied, "Bons-" He was then cut off by Michelle.
"What about our costumes?" she asked.
"And burritos?" Kevin piped in.
"Captain, have you written a schedule for this week?" Fidgel asked. Zidgel was looking at himself in a mirror.
"Uh...well...I had a hair appointment I had to go to...so...no, I didn't," he answered. Midgel reacted to Zidgel's stupidity by facepalming. At times, he wondered why Zidgel was the captain in the first place. Jason, Michelle, and Samantha got a little confused about what they were going to do next.
"So, what exactly are we going to do first?" asked Samantha, "Get burritos first or the costumes first? Because I really don't know how this would work."
Fidgel thought about that for a moment and came to a conclusion, "We don't need to get costumes, we already have some in the storage bay. We will get the burritos."
"Good thinking, doctor!" said Zidgel, "Let's grab those spicy burritos!"
"Bonsai!" Midgel yelled. He steered the ship and flew it off into the distance.
At a space fast-food joint, Kevin was placing his orders for burritos. "I would need four extra spicy double-larges. Two prune trifles, and um...maybe another four, but stuffed with pickle relish!"
While they were waiting for Kevin to finish, the kids, Midgel, and Fidgel talked among themselves about what costumes they were going to wear.
"Have any of you decided on what costume you want to wear?" asked Midgel.
"I was thinking about dressing up as a novel character," answered Samantha.
"I would love to dress up as Captain Monolo!" said Jason. Michelle thought about Midgel's question for a few minutes. I can't decide whether I want to go as a princess or a noble. Wait, I know!
"I was thinking about going as a rag doll," she spoke up.
"I already have my costume!" Fidgel said in a sing-song voice. Midgel seemed uninterested in what Fidgel's costume would be.
"So, doc, what nerdy costume will you wear now?" he asked.
"Hey, my costume ideas are not nerdy and you know it!" Fidgel retorted. Michelle sensed another one of those arguments between the pilot and the scientist coming up.
"Maybe Fidgel's costume won't be that bad," she said.
"Speaking of costumes, what about Zidgel and Kevin? What will they dress up as?" Samantha asked.
"They're still buying Kevin's burritos," answered Midgel.
"Will they have enough money to buy them, though?" asked Jason.
"Don't worry, cuz, Zidgel will have more than enough money," Samantha answered with confidence.
On the other side of the room, the cashier calculated the price for the burritos. "That'll be $100, sir." Zidgel's beak dropped open the minute he heard the price. He was pretty much broke. How was he supposed to pay one hundred dollars?
"WHAT?! ONE HUNDRED? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS SPACE ECONOMY?!" he shouted. The cashier covered his ears in an attempt to block out the shouting.
"Please calm do-" he told the pissed off captain.
"The customer is always right, right?" Zidgel interrupted, "WELL, I SAY THAT I GET THESE BURRITOS FOR FREE!"
"Sir, according to planetary law," the cashier explained, "if you are unable to pay, I must kick you in one of your appendages for each dollar you cannot pay." Zidgel chuckled nervously when he heard what would happen to him.
"Um, just give me a second..." he told the cashier. He then slunk over back to the table where the others were waiting. Jason noticed Zidgel walking towards their table, "What happened over there, captain?" he called out.
"Oh, heh," Zidgel answered, "just a little argument on the pricing of the burritos, that's all!" He then turned to Michelle. "Hey, do you have any money?" he whispered. Michelle dug around in her front pocket.
"I have four dollars and a penny," she answered, handing what little money she had over to Zidgel. He stared at the money for a few seconds in disbelief.
"What? Why are you so poor?" he asked.
"Our Grandmum gives me Christmas money, not allowance," Michelle stated.
"Oh...yeah," Zidgel replied, "I'll pay you back later." He was about to walk back to the cashier until Jason walked up to him and handed him fifty dollars.
"Pay me back, though!" Jason told him, "That was saved up from my birthday."
"Thanks, Cadet!" replied Zidgel. He then went up to Samantha. "Do you have any money?" he asked.
"Nope," answered Samantha, "And even if I did, I wouldn't let you borrow any of it."
"Boo," Zidgel felt disappointed that he wasn't able to borrow any more money. He walked back to the cashier, wincing.