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Dan was glad he would never have to reanimate is boyfriend again. He had been really getting tired of reviving him after the smallest incident, like really, he loved the man but who keels over and dies after one laughing fit? He supposed Herbert's deadication was part of why he was attracted to him in the first place, but constantly bringing a person back to life takes its toll on a person.
Because of this, Dan was strangely glad Augustus the reanimator gel had recently engulfed the planet in a neon green slime, for now he knew dear old Herb was always surrounded by a protective atmosphere of Augustus. The neon slime was really doing wonders for hus mental health, not only was Herbert safe but meditation is so much more relaxing when you can simply float in some goo. He was also getting absolutely ripped from having to walk through and constantly carry Herbert through the thick goo.
One fateful night the pair were taking a break for sciency dead people stuff and were heading to the university's USAsia Festival's Moon Lantern Trail and parade.
Earlier that morning the two were sitting on the living room rug, hot chocolates close by, making matching lanterns so they could join the parade. They had brought up some skeletons they had stored in their spare bones bix in the basement and were using the ribs to form a structure for the lantern which they covered with some fresh skin. Dan's skin had a tattoo of a squirrel on it so it was really something, Herbert on the other hand was not as skilled at arts and crafts.
At the festival they lurked spookily in the corner at Herbert's insistence, their lantern's candles lit before everyone else's to give them that dramatic flicking lighting. That bit was Dan's idea. They had also brought their cat William to join the festivities and scare off any other students that got too close. He was perched on Herb's head at a jaunty angle to give a real sense of fashion and an indimidating air which was clearly effective, as once the parade had begun the students demonstrated excellent social distancing skills.
Due to Augustus's glorious presence, the lanterns glowed green, though Herb and Dan's lanterns shown a faint red too, because like I said, the skin was fresh. However, the overall effect was still a very green parade.
After much enjoyment and bone lantern related frivolity Dan and Herb were headed home when the thing that makes this particular night 'fateful' happened. The two walked hand in hand with their lanterns long forgotten, left for some unfortunate cleaner to report to the police. The moon was high, just like William the cat because ze somehow got some catnip while at the parade, probably while Dan and Herb were occupied. The moon cast a green light across the pair as they passed through an alley way but they were plunged into darkness right at the moment when Herbert, still with William on his head recieved a Telephone call! He was so suprised to get a moblie phone call in the 1980s that he would have fallen straight on his face had Augustus not been supporting him!
Also shocked, William leaped off Herb's head and bolted, climbing straight up through the gel to the moon, which Augustus had recently engulfed. Unfortunately, as the moon was a recent aquisition, Dan nor Herbert were small and cat like enough to follow William their :(.
Instead Herbert opened his moblie phone that shouldn't exist to find that someone called Dr Victor Gumboots had left a voicemail. Unfortunately, Herb was from the 80s and didn't know what voicemail was, so he and Dan spent the next few decades trying to work it out, until finally, moblie phones beame a thing. Turns out Dr Gumboots had the wrong number, but since Dan and Herb can't die they didn't actually waste that much of their lives.