Archive of Our Own ^beta

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A scruffy man can be seen hunched over a kitchen island as he stabs an orange sphere repeatedly. A string of curses escape his lips as the knife slips from his hand and falls to the table with a clang.

“Don’t you know you’re supposed to cut away from yourself, Geoff?” Asks a concerned bearded man as he enters the room. Geoff turns his head over his shoulder and mimics the concerned man before sticking his tongue out at him in jest.

“Do you know how many pumpkins I’ve had to carve so far today? I’ve had to carve seven! Seven freaking pumpkins, Jack! I’m up to my ass in pumpkin guts and I’m losing my mind.” Geoff whines, pouting his face as he crosses his arms over his chest. Perking up slightly as Jack crosses the room and places down a brown paper bag on the island next to him. “Is this what I think it is?” He asks Jack, eyeing the greasy bag with piqued interest.

“You mean did your best friend pick up Torchy's Tacos? Then yes, yes I did.” Jack answers with a smirk on his face before speaking again as he grabs the back bag from the honing in Geoff, “Torchy's Tacos that you will not have unless you clean up, it looks like you got into a fight with a pumpkin and lost.” He chuckled to himself as Geoff sighed in an annoyed tone before leaving the room to wash up.

A few short moments later Jack had cleared up the pumpkin guts and various orange pieces strewn across the table and set down plates and drinks. Having just taken a seat himself as Geoff returned to the room, “Dude, you’ve got to help me finish carving something before I completely lose it. You don’t want to see me when a pumpkin has enraged me. Got it?” He demands as his seat is taken across the table from a bemused Jack.

“Whatever you say, just dig in before the food gets cold.” He replies with his eyebrow raised. “Besides, I've already got an idea in mind…” Jack trails off not wanting to spoil the surprise.

“As long as you don’t show me up I’m sure it’ll be nice as dicks dude.” Geoff retorts through mouthfuls of taco. Not much conversation is had as the two wolf down all the food on the table, leaving nothing behind but empty wrappers and drinks.

Once the greasy taco mess was cleaned up and replaced with some fresh pumpkin guts it only took an hour to finalize their designs and carve them out. The duo quickly scooped up their creations and carried them to the front desk before placing them down for all to see. The larger of the two pumpkins had a Tetromino block design carved into the front, while the other, a much rounder and squat pumpkin, had a very crude but recognizable melting popsicle design.

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A cool breeze runs through the air as the sky begins to cloud up overhead. A duo nearby can be heard bickering in a backyard. One sounded annoyed as the other poked fun, clearly enjoying himself.

“For the last time, I’ve already told you I’m not carving pumpkins in my house Burnie! I don’t want that disgusting orange shit everywhere, I’ll never get all of it up!” A disgruntled man shouts, slightly annoyed at his current company as he stops raking a pile of leaves.

“Gus, it takes five minutes to clean up and you’re done, this is going to take much longer dude! You’re clearly missing the Halloween spirit” The other man exclaimed, gesturing towards the yard scattered with leaves as he tried to hide the smile creeping on his face from riling up his friend.

Gus rolled his eyes, clearly exasperated at the situation before leaning his rake against a nearby tree, “I’m not going to argue with you about it, just finish up that pile and while I go grab the bags.” Turning away as he headed inside with a loud sigh.

A few minutes later the man returned back outside with trash bags in hand, the other half of his duo nowhere to be soon, “probably ditched to go get some beers,” Gus rolled his eyes, annoyed, but not entirely unhappy at the idea of getting some drinks. Reaching down he pulled an orange bag out, opening it up and shoving a handful of leaves inside as he mumbled to himself.

After finishing up his current bag he began work on the next pile of leaves. A few small handfuls later he saw something shining in the sunlight, slowly leaning in to get a better look he reached for it.

“Ahh!” A shape screamed from beneath the leaves as it burst out from under its cover, Gus screamed loudly as he fell back onto a pile of leaves, as the now emerged shape began to laugh loudly. A stream of curses began to escape Gus’s lips as he shook his head before pulling himself off the ground.

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” Gus states as he tries to regain composure from his minor heart attack and resume cleaning up the leaf piles.

“Oh come on, you know I got you good dude.” Burnie boasted with a cheeky smile plastered across his face. Gus would deny it repeatedly as they finished up the yard, but there was an amused smile on his face too after a while.

A short while later they stood in the front yard admiring their handiwork. “Y'know, I’ll be the first to admit it, but these shitty orange pumpkin leaf bags aren’t half bad.” Burnie spoke with a grin looking over at his friend. Gus lifted his beer in agreement as the two clinked glasses.

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The sky rumbles as dark clouds obscure the sun, heavy rain beats down on the streets and buildings as a pair run by seeking shelter in a nearby café. The bell rings as the door swings wide open, no one else in sight as the two catch their breath. A voice in the kitchen shouts to let them know to take a seat anywhere they like and they’ll be right out. The pairing make their way over to a booth and slide in as they begin to dry off.

“Adam, do you remember when you told me I didn’t need to bring a jacket as it wasn’t going to rain?” A disgruntled man asks, eyeing his friend across the table in a half serious manner.

“Listen Jack, I’m not a meteorologist and I can’t predict the weather, you should know better than to trust me with the forecast.” Adam replies, trying to suppress his giggling at the site across from him. Jack is partially soaked, looking like he took an accidental dip in a lake. “If it helps you forgive me I’ll buy us some drinks to warm up.” He offered, eliciting a grunt in agreement from Jack as a waitress places a menu in front of them and begins listing off the daily specials. The two quickly place their order before being left alone again. The pitter patter of rain on the window blends in with the background noise as the two talk.

“All I’m saying is if you don’t dress up your cat for Halloween you don’t love yourself.” Adam jokes trying to tease Jack for not picking out a costume for his cat.

“I value having my skin un-shredded, thank you very much.” Jack retorts with a smile as he rolls his eyes. It’s not that he didn’t want to dress up his cats, but that his cats would never allow themselves to be dressed up in such a manner.
“That’s fair, I forget every kitty can’t be as perfect as Solaire.” Adam muses with a grin.

“You mean the same cat that locked itself in a bathroom you couldn’t get into without breaking something? That Solaire?” Jack asked, already knowing the answer. The waitress showed up just in time to prevent Adam from responding as she placed down their mugs. Once she was done the duo were left to themselves. Jack wraps his hands around his coffee mug, using the heat to warm up his hands as he enjoys the freshly brewed aroma. Raising it briefly to take a quick sip.

“I don’t know how you drink that stuff without sugar, creamer, or some sort of flavoring.” Adam grimaced at Jack and his coffee, opting to take a sip of his chai tea as Jack rolled his eyes at him.

“Not everyone needs a pumpkin spice latte to enjoy fall, but I will admit I might order some chai tea to go for myself. It sounds pretty good right now.” Jack smiles, acknowledging his friend's good taste in hot beverages.

The two talked a little while longer until they finished their drinks and the rain had died down. Each one ordered some chai tea to go and a pumpkin shaped pastry from the display case. With a drink in one hand and a pastry in the other they left the café in search of cat costumes.

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“The last thing I want to do today is end up in the hospital due to your cooking Chris.” A voice says from around the corner as a camera enters a brightly lit kitchen filled with various bowls and ingredients strewn about. Two friends can be seen helping each other with a recipe.

“Jon, please tell Griff my food isn’t going to kill her. I’m not a bad cook!” Chris exclaims in disbelief at his friend's concern as he continues heating up caramel squares in a microwave.

Griff stares directly into the camera with an apprehensive look on her face and just shakes her head in disbelief at Chris’s baking technique.

“Don’t worry I have poison control on speed dial.” Jon assures her from behind the camera half-jokingly. Zooming in on Chris removing the bowl from the microwave he watches as Chris sticks his finger into the heated caramel to tell how hot it is before reeling it back in pain, eliciting a disappointed sigh from Jon. “Griff please make sure Chris doesn’t burn himself again.” Jon pleads as Griff resumes helping Chris.

“You washed these apples off first, right?” Griff asks as she picks up one and looks over to Chris as he shakes his head no. “How old are you again? Because last time I checked you should be the age that you wash off your fruit before eating it.” She lectures him as he continues on with his recipe.

“I rinse off my fruit normally, but the hot caramel will just burn off the bad stuff, it’s like thermodynamics, it’s fine.” Chris explains as he takes the now skewered apple from Griff and dips it into the caramel, eliciting a laugh from Jon as Griff covers her face and mutters under her breath about Chris not knowing what he’s talking about.

“So Griff, you have your will all figured out right? Just wanted to make sure in case anything happens.” Jon teases as he’s pushed backwards out of the kitchen as the camera is abruptly cut off.

A short while later the camera is turned back on as it gets a close up of Chris’s now finished caramel apples. Their appearance resembles that of a typical caramel apple, the only difference being several large chunks of un-melted caramel and bits of sea salt scattered across the surface.

“All things considered I’ll give some props to Chris, it resembles the typical appearance of a caramel apple mostly and the sea salt isn’t that weird of a choice. Now for the taste test.” Griff gestures towards the sticky dessert as she takes a bite out of one as Chris quietly eats his own in the background. She chews it for a moment as a look of surprise spreads across her face. “This is actually really good, like no offense Chris, but I would genuinely finish eating this.” She exclaimed looking over to Jon in disbelief at her own words.

“I told you I know how to cook.” Chris states between mouthfuls.

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“Do you think this hat makes my head look too small, Meg?” A man asks his friend as he views himself in a nearby mirror. The hat itself was dark blue in color, made of a velvet material with a wide brim and pointed on top with a slight curl at the end. Turning towards his friend as he waits for an answer.

“Eh, I’m not quite sure that style really works for you Dan, I feel like a flat cap would suit your style better.” Meg chuckles as she takes in the sight of Dan with his new oversized witch hat. “Aren’t you supposed to be looking for a present for Gav?” She asks, raising one eyebrow at him as she resumes browsing jewelry.

“Well you know how I am, I’ll get distracted by anything. That’s why I asked you to come along and help. Gotta pick out something nice for him.” Dan replies as he joins her over by the jewelry case. The entirety of it is filled with various crystals and chains. His eyes shift back and forth as he scans the case for anything that’ll stand out. “Don’t these have like some sort of hidden meaning or something? I don’t want to pick out one that means I’m going to steal his cats or something.”

“I really don’t think you have to worry about picking out one like that dude, his birthday is in May so his gemstone is an emerald. But-”

“I’m not buying him a bloody emerald, he’s lucky if I get him a piece of gum!” Dan interjects cutting her off as he throws up his hands in defeat.

“Dan, you don’t need to buy him an emerald, just get him a crystal or two, take a look at the color on these!” She tries to persuade him as she pulls him back over to the case, pointing out a few she was looking over as she reads a description next to them. “Bloodstone is great for negating negative energy and instilling oneself with strength and resilience, sounds good right?”

He rolls his eyes as she finishes reading. “You don’t seriously believe any of that stuff, do you? It’s just a bunch of mumbo jumbo.”

“Not really, but affirmations are always nice and can be helpful. Like getting a thoughtful gift from a good friend, right? Plus it’s a freaking cool stone.” She answers back trying to get him on board with the idea.

“Ok ok, I can see where you’re coming from. Let’s just get it then.” Dan agrees as they call over an employee to open up the case for them. A few short moments and one transaction later they were out of the shop and onto the street. “Good thing I bought the hat as a backup plan just in case the stone is a bust.”

“I have a sneaking feeling that you bought that hat for yourself.” Meg replies with a laugh.

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Towels stained in various shades of color scatter the floor along with discarded clothes and costume packaging as two friends can be heard laughing in a bathroom. Of the two, the shorter one’s face has been painted red with details of black eyeshadow and lipstick, clearly a devil inspired costume. While the other was more natural with only a light touch of black eyeshadow, brown fur and hooves adorned each leg giving indication of a satyr inspired costume.

“If you get mascara in my eyes I’m going to scream, so please be careful Matt.” The shorter man threatened as his friend helped apply mascara to his lashes. Not being used to working with makeup made him feel out of his depth, but he greatly appreciated the help.

Matt just rolled his eyes at the comment. “I told you we should’ve asked Barbara for help, but no. Someone thought they could just look up a few tutorials online and wouldn’t have any problems.” He teased, all things considered his friend's makeup wasn’t turning out half bad. Breathing a sigh of relief he finished the mascara and took a step back admiring his handiwork. “Take a look in the mirror and tell me what you think Jeremy.”

Standing up from the chair Jeremy looked into the mirror, immediately enjoying the almost complete look of his costume. Matt wasn't half bad when it came to applying makeup he thought to himself. “Nice work dude, just need to apply our horns and we’re done. Might even have a chance at winning one of the costume categories.” He mused to himself with a smirk.

“Just a heads up, but the spirit gum I have is a little old so I’m not sure how it’ll hold up. I have a last resort just in case, but I’d really rather not use superglue on my skin.” Matt mentioned as he dug through his bag for the small bottle, taking it out once found. “Let’s do this.”

After applying the spirit gum and affixing the horns to their heads they waited for it to set. Once enough time had passed they turned towards the mirror taking in their finished horned looks. With a grin they each started to pose, the sudden movement slowly loosened the hold each horn had formed and they began to fall off landing on the floor. Eliciting a sigh from the pair as they looked at the other annoyed.

“Well, second times the charm or something like that.” Matt started as he reached into his bag once more and pulled out a new bottle. A short while later with their horns reattached and costumes fully adorned they headed outside towards a parked car. The moonlight illuminating the short path as a light breeze moved through the trees, wind sending a few leaves through the air and down onto the ground below.

Reaching into his pocket Jeremy pulled out his phone and pulled up a contact before pressing call. “Hey Barb, just for future reference, what's the best way to remove superglue from your skin?”

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“What do you mean you don’t want a sexy skeleton bartender? Everybody wants a sexy skeleton bartender at their party!” A hidden voice claimed as she dug through a container full of costume pieces. “I’m telling you right now Tyler that everyone wants to see a skeleton dressed up in a slutty costume. Just trust me on this.”

Tyler tried to hold back his laughter as his friend rambled about sexy skeletons and costume ideas while rummaging through a container. “Listen, Mariel, I support you on this. I was just saying if we go through with this we have to go all in.” He continued as he helped pull out a few costume pieces. “Do we want to go for a vampiric kind of costume or…?” He trailed off as he looked around at the various clothing pieces for inspiration.

“No, we want to go for something iconic, something recognizable.” Mariel stated as she paused to think for a moment until her face lit up. “I just had the best idea! Ok so, who is one of the most recognizable Halloween icons?” She asked Tyler with a grin.

“Uh, I’m guessing it’s not Garfield.” He joked as he began to think. “When I think of Halloween icons I think of Michael Myers, but he’s less sexy and more hunky? Who did you have in mind?” He asked as he looked back towards her.

“Motherfucking Elvira baby! The gays love her, the lesbians love her, everybody loves her!” Mariel gushed as she listed off all the reasons why she would be the perfect pick to dress up their skeleton as.

Tyler nodded along, agreeing with her reasoning. “So we just need big hair, a black dress, and some large balloons?” He suggested as Mariel gave a thumbs up in agreement.

After locating a black dress they placed it on the skeleton, making sure to cinch it right around the waist with a bejeweled dagger. Using two balloons they each blew one up to a comically large size before placing them inside the top of the dress. Using an obscene amount of hairspray they styled a black wig to stand up tall with long strands running down the sides and back of the skull. To complete the look they used blush to color in the nonexistent cheeks, eyeshadow around the eye sockets, and finally plenty of dark red lipstick around the teeth. Taking a step back they admired their work before giving each other a high five.

“Since you workout I’ll just let you lift and carry her over behind the bar counter. Be sure not to pop any balloons.” Mariel warned as she began to clean up the mess.

“I’m pretty sure I know better than to mess with the Mistress of the Dark.” Tyler rolled his eyes as he carried the prop to its destination.

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Three friends are hanging around a table out on a brick patio outside a restaurant as the sun begins to set, coloring the sky in an amber hue. Each person having just finished a large dessert and drink, looking almost miserable.

“I don’t know about y’all, but I don’t think I want to get up to move for a while. That black out donut nearly ended me dude.” One friend half joked as they looked around to heads nodding in agreement.

“Lindsay how did you manage to eat all of yours and then some of Michaels? He couldn’t even finish his.” A voice spoke out with slight concern, checking both plates to confirm that both donuts were indeed fully eaten.

“Ray, I didn’t even get a say in the matter, they just took the rest of my sin-a-bomb and devoured it whole. I’m going to order at least two to go, one for me and one for Lindsay. I can’t trust them not to just eat mine.” Michael claimed while laughing as Lindsay nodded in agreement with his claims.

‘Well, seeing as we’re all too miserable to move, I say let’s have some fun.” Lindsay suggested as they dug into their bag and pulled out a deck of cards, placing them on the table.

“Hell yeah, I love Cardcaptor Sakura!” Ray cheered as he reached out for the cards, only to have his hands swatted away by Lindsay. "What gives?”

“These are tarot cards dude, slightly different from clow cards.” They explained as they pulled out a sheet of instructions. “Figured now would be as good a time as any to try them out.”

Reaching over quickly Ray nabbed all of the cards from the table. “I can do a reading, just trust me, I have a vague idea of what I’m doing.” He insisted as Lindsay and Michael rolled their eyes and eventually agreed. “Alright, so Michael you can go first, I just need you to pick three cards from this spread.” He explained as he shuffled and then spread the cards face down across the table.

Michael reached forward and selected three cards from the spread, pulling them forward. “What now, do I just flip them over or something?” He asks Ray who nods in response. Flipping over all three of the cards Lindsay, Michael, and Ray lean in to get a better view.

“Let’s see, you’ve drawn the fool, the wheel of fortune, and the lovers card. Very very interesting…” Ray trailed off as he studied the cards thoughtfully for a few minutes.

“Well what does it mean Ray?” Michaels asks, interrupting Ray's train of thought.

Picking up the fool card, Ray began to speak. “The fool indicates someone who can be reckless and free, so in your case I’d say recklessness applies fully.” Eliciting an eyeroll from Michael and a nod from Lindsay. “Now for wheel of fortune it generally means inevitable fate or bad lack, but both of those could apply to you. As for the lovers card it could represent harmony or loss of balance. I mean it seems like y’all are pretty in sync with each other.” Ray shrugs as Michael and Lindsay agree with the last bit.

“Ok so what does it all mean then? Is Lindsay going to run me over with a car or what?” Michaels asks.

“Proba-” Lindsay starts before being interrupted.

“It means you need to watch out because Lindsay is going to eat your takeout dessert when y’all get home.” Ray laughs being joined by Lindsay as Michael rolls his eyes.

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“Jesus christ, was Xander always this fucking annoying?” Max groaned as he looked over towards Texas for some sort of hope that maybe there was a chance of character growth.

“Just you wait, he gets even worse.” Texas laughed as Max began to fake sob on the other side of the couch. “Pass the popcorn please.” He asked, interrupting the fake flow of tears from his friend. “You would not believe the amount of people who try to excuse his behavior just because he was a teenager. Like I was a teenager too at one point and I wasn't as bad as he is.” He continued as he grabbed a handful of popcorn to munch on.

“I just don’t get how Willow and Buffy stay friends with him. I mean at this point I’m rooting for some vampire or demon to get him. All it takes is one slip up Buffy, I’m begging you.” Max pleaded towards the television, the pair watching several vampires get staked followed by a punny one liner.

“Apart from Xander the rest of the show is pretty great overall, like the villains themselves are interesting and not overly crazy like some movies or shows. Most of the monsters are one-offs apart from the big bad, but the vampires are always full of personality.” Texas stated as the credits for the current episode began to roll.

Max nodded along before speaking. “Like a lot of supernatural shows go on for too long or just suck. Teen Wolf feels like a low budget version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer with forgotten plotlines, while True Blood started out strong and just fell apart by the end. Haven’t seen anything replicate the formula as well as the original.”

“When you think about it, almost all of the villains those shows had were just evil without much character growth or interest. I couldn’t tell you the names of those villains, but I could name at least seven from Buffy.” Texas started. “Spike and Angel work well because they have character arcs and aren’t discarded after a season ends. Y’know?”

“Yeah dude, having interesting characters makes for a good time. So what episode do you want to watch next?” Max asked as he scrolled through the seasons.
“Hush, Once More with Feeling, or Fear Itself are my picks.” Texas suggested as he refilled his popcorn bucket.

“Ooh let’s do Fear Itself, it’s October and it has Oz and Anya, therefore the perfect choice.” Max declared as he picked out the episode and pressed play.

“Did you know this is one of the few episodes without any vampires in it?” Texas remarked as the opening scene began.

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Warm fluorescent lights keep the open set dimly lit as a furry orange creature slumbers on a nearby cushioned chair. Orange hair covers the black cushion all over, indicating a preferred resting spot for the little furball. It’s tail twitching as it dreams of fish flavored treats, catnip, and gentle pets from familiar faces. Its sleep is disturbed as a hand reaches down to rub between their ears, ending just as quickly as it began with the giant walking away. Wide awake now it slowly stood up and stretched its legs and paws before hopping down off the chair quietly and trotted across the set after the giant. Catching up they rubbed against the leg and plopped down in front of their next step while purring for attention.

Huffing in slight annoyance the giant sighed as they reached down to pick up the cat, cradling them in their arms like a baby. “Joe, if I step on you it’s not going to be a good time, if you behave I’ll let you join me in the office, alright?” JJ asked Joe, giving the cat a quizzical look and earning a blank stare and blink back in response. The cat clearly did not understand, but it didn’t matter as the man set off towards his office. Along the short journey several faces passed by eliciting quick pets and coos at the adorable furball.

Gently lowered down Joe was placed on a soft cushion resting on top of a familiar desk. The office itself was small, but large enough to fit a desk with a couch and bookshelf next to a window that JJ was closing shut. Purple and orange lights lit up the bookshelf, running down its sides, but high up enough that he couldn’t reach to chew on the cords. Shiny purple tinsel garland was hung up on the walls, draping down in the middle between the high points as the string lights reflected off its surface. The office had made the mistake of hanging garland in easy to reach places, but Joe quickly rectified that mistake for them by knocking down several displays.

As the man sat down in his chair Joe had already closed his eyes, the noise of the keyboard in the background was that of familiar comfort for the cat. Having slowly started to drift back to sleep a small fluttering noise awakens him, sharp eyes scan the room as the noise continues. Quick and sudden movement in the corner of the window catches his attention, silently jumping down the predator stalks its prey moving closer and closer just below the windowsill. The source of the noise reveals itself with large lime-green wings as it tries to get back outside through the glass. Crouching down the predator prepares to jump onto the sill and catch its prey, just as he's about to jump a pair of arms swoop him up and pull him close, planting several kisses on his head.

“Whatcha going after little buddy?” Asks his captor as locks of blonde hair distract him for a moment. The intruder glances up at the window and spots the moth. “Hey JJ it seems like you have a little guy stuck in here.”

“Oh?” JJ asks as he looks up from his computer screen and follows his friends' gaze towards the window. “Oh yeah, thanks Barb. Mind holding Joe while I let him out?”

“Sure thing.” Barbara answers while watching JJ take care of the poor insect. Turning her attention back towards Joe she begins to talk to him. “Yeah I don’t think you would’ve enjoyed them as a snack, let’s go find you some treats.” Using the cat as a puppet she answers herself as Joe while speaking in a deeper voice. “Thanks Barb, JJ would rather do his job instead of paying me any attention anyway.”

“Listen, he receives plenty of attention when he’s trying to trip me.” JJ remarks with a chuckle at the pair.

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Heavy fog fills the air at a fall festival. Music, lights, and voices fill the space as the moon above shines through the dark sky. Two voices can be heard bickering in the parking lot nearby.

“What do you mean you lost your keys!? They were in your hand just a second ago, how did you just lose them?” Brandon cried out as he brought a hand up to his head in disbelief. “Please tell me you at least brought a flashlight Blaine, I can’t spend the night in a parking lot.”

“I have a phone dude, I can just use that. We’ll find it in no time.” Blaine replied as he fished out a phone from his back pocket.

“You just jinxed us, now we’ll never find the keys! Don’t you know not to do stuff like that?” Brandon sighed, slightly exasperated and tired from their long and eventful evening of festivities.

Blaine just shook his head with a grin as he continued searching the ground for his lost keys. Silently thankful that it hadn’t rained recently and made the ground muddy or else they would’ve been in some real trouble, though the fog was beginning to become a nuisance as it surrounded them.

“Alright I’ve calmed down a bit, let me help.” Brandon offered as he crouched down on the ground next to him. “I mean they couldn’t have gone far in the few seconds you got distracted. What even got your attention anyway dude?” He asked Blaine as he searched the grass.

“Well right as I grabbed my keys there was this big bird righ-”

“You got distracted by a bird?” Brandon interrupted with a groan and laugh. “You of all people would get distracted by normal wildlife dude.”

“It was a big bird! It flew right over us too. I thought it might be a vulture or buzzard, but what’s really weird was the red eyes shining down like it was looking at us.” Blaine continued as he moved to another area in the grass, using his hands to feel for any object.

“Uh, bird eyes don’t glow dude, if anything it was reflecting the light from the festival or it was a drone.” Brandon spoke a little taken aback by Blaine's description. “You know what, why don’t we just head back to the festival and call someone to get your spare key?”

“What? Why? Don’t tell me you're scared.” Blaine asked with a laugh after seeing Brandon's look of uneasiness. “You know what, let's just do your idea because I’m not finding anything out here with this.” He continued as he stood up, offering a hand to Brandon and pulling him to his feet after pocketing the phone in his pocket

“Great. Good. Awesome, let’s get go-”

“Wait, look, there it is again.” Blaine claimed as he grabbed his friend and pointed back up towards the sky as two red dots pierced down towards them.

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“You’d think more people would adopt black cats during Halloween, right Spoole?” Adam asks, looking over at his friend as he helped set up decorations for the adoption day. Black and orange streamers adorned the walls as paper mache pumpkins rested on the front counter out of reach of mischievous furballs.

“I mean I think that’d make sense, like I know there’s a superstition about black cats during October, but I don’t think that’s super common today?” Spoole shrugged as he placed a skeleton cat next to the adoption forms on the counter. “I’d be thrilled to adopt a black cat, I wouldn’t have to worry about their hair showing up on my dark clothes as much as with a white or gray cat.” He grinned gesturing towards Adams' dark colored ensemble with copious amounts of cat hair strewn about.

“Oh shit I didn’t even think about that, they might show up a little bit but not as bad as what I look like now.” Adam laughs at himself as he notices the fur all over him. “I do not regret cuddling those cats one bit, how could you resist something like that unless you’re a psycho.”

Spoole hummed back in agreement as they finished up decorating the area. The decoration boxes were cleared away and the floor was swept leaving the area spotless as they finished up their volunteer duties. Donning their hoodies they stepped out onto the sidewalk, breathing in the crisp fall air.

“You know, I feel like if we dressed up the cats in little Halloween costumes and posted pictures online we’d have more people come out.” Spoole suggested as they approached his car parked on the curb.

“I’ll tell you what, you dress up those cats in costumes and I’ll be happy to take their pictures for you. If I’m feeling nice I might even supply some first aid to your wounds afterwards.” Adam chuckled at the idea pretending to ignore his friend's unamused face. “Listen I agree it would probably get some people out to see the animals, but I have experience dressing up cats in costumes and those two rarely mix well.”

Spoole rolled his eyes in response as he slipped behind the wheel and closed his car door. “That’s a risk I’m willing to take if it gets those adorable, precious, and sweet cats in a good home.”

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t do it, just that we’ll need some protective gear, you know I want those kitties to go to a good home too.” Adam replied as he buckled in. “Let’s just go to PetSmart and get stocked up, but if they don’t have any cute cat costumes we’re heading to a different store, sound good?” He asked, sticking out his hand towards Spoole.

“You’ve got yourself a deal Ellis.” Spoole grinned as he grasped Adam's hand and shook it, sealing the deal.

“Good, we’re going to need to stock up on a hell of a lot of treats for this.” Adam teased as they pulled out onto the main road.

Chapter Text

“You’re not using this outlet right?” Miles asks as he pulls out a cable and plugs in his charger, his phone buzzing in response as it begins to charge.

“Hmm?” Brandon responds, clearly not paying any attention to his friend as he works on a black cauldron. His hands are stained with black paint as he tries to attach a chain to the rim on top.

Miles waves his hand in response not wanting to distract him as he takes a seat on the floor next to him. “That stuff isn’t toxic, right? You really should be using gloves you know.”

Brandon rolls his eyes in response as he finishes attaching the chains, lifting up the cauldron by its chains to see if it can hold its own weight. “You do realize you've been letting me use it like this for the past hour dude, right?”

“Well it seemed like you knew what you were doing and I didn’t want to interfere with your artistic process.” Miles shrugged in response as he quickly tried to change the subject. “So what do we have left to do? You’ve painted the cauldron and attached the chains, that means we’re all done?”

“We still have to hang it and test the fog machine, what good is a cauldron if there is no smoke coming out of it?” Brandon answered as he stood up to grab a tripod stand, extending the legs all the way out and locking them in place as he sets it down.

“So do we have a chiller set up for the fog machine? I’ve heard people use them and it’s supposed to make it even better.” Miles asked, trying to offer some help.

Brandon just shook his head in response before explaining. “So in theory fog chillers are a great addition to any haunted house or display, but the main use of a chiller is to get the fog to lie low to ground, you’re chilling it. Like you want the fog to be cooler than the air otherwise it’ll just float up and away, which is why they’re great during the early weeks of October before it’s too chilly out to use it.”

Miles nodded along trying to listen intently before speaking. “But if it’s so great, why did you say ‘in theory’ then?”

“Well that’s because we want the fog machine to produce fog that rises up, it’s a cauldron so it’s kinda like spooky steam, just more thick-”. Brandon explains.

“That’s what she sai-” Miles starts before being cut off.

“Shut up.” Brandon sighed as he placed the fog machine inside the cauldron gently. Stepping back he reached into his pocket fishing out a remote. “Now without further ado let’s see how it looks.” He grins as he presses the remote, waiting in silence for a few moments as his grin fades from his face when nothing happens.

“Isn't it supposed to do something?” Miles interrupts the silence, grabbing the remote out of Brandon's hand and begins pressing the button repeatedly.

Checking the machine over, Brandon picks up the cord and follows it back towards the outlet to see it lying on the ground next to a charging phone. Letting out a loud sigh he curses under his breath. “ Miles, did you happen to unplug the fog machine while it was heating up to charge your own phone?”

“Maybe..” Miles answered giggling.

Chapter Text

Fog swirled through the night sky as laughter and screams pierced the air. Flickering lights and the sound of rushed footsteps set the tone as two friends waited somewhat patiently in line.

“So how long is this going to take cause I want to see the live performance at the front of the park.” Blaine whined trying to gauge how much longer their wait would take.

“Well at the rate we’re going it should take maybe fifteen more minutes?” Griff replied with a shrug, estimating how many people were left in front of them.

Letting out an exasperated sigh in response Blaine looked around trying to distract himself from the wait.

“You know I suggested we just buy line skip tickets, but you said waiting in line is all part of the haunted house experience.” Griff replied in response to Blaine's over the top reactions.

“I know I know, I just forget how long it can take and I get impatient.” Blaine pouts. “Let’s just buy the line skip tickets after we go through Club Blood and see the performance.”

Griff nods in agreement. “This is themed after True Blood and Blade, right? I mean with a name like that it has to be.”

“I would think so? I’m expecting to at least see several vampires and several gallons of fake blood in there otherwise I want my ticket refunded.” Blaine threatens jokingly as they watch a few people run out of the exit screaming followed by more people laughing behind them. “So when we go in you’re going to protect me, right?”

“Yes Blaine I will protect you from the big scary fake vampire actor who isn’t going to kill you.” Griff teased. “However, if you push me down to run away or anything like that you will be going in first to every maze for the rest of the night, got it?”

‘Yeah yeah, you probably won’t have to worry about that.” Blaine tried to respond assuringly.

“If you make it through the haunted house I will consider buying some boardwalk fries for you. I’ll be buying some anyway, but I might get some for you too.” Griff offered, trying to get Blaine's mind off of being scared.

“That’s some good motivation right there, old bay seasoning on freshly fried fries is every amusement park's greatest delicacy. Plus it’s my cheat day so I can indulge a little bit tonight.” Blaine salivated as he imagined the fries all coated in seasoning.

They chatted as the line slowly progressed, the entrance getting closer and closer as the sounds and screams muffled behind the door got louder.

Moving in front of Blaine, Griff felt hands grab onto the back of their jacket as Blaine huddled in close and hid his face preparing to go inside as the door swung open for them. “Just try not to punch any of the scare actors in the throat or else we’ll be kicked out of the park.” Griff warned.

“I’ll try my best, but I’m not making any promises.” Blaine replied.

Chapter Text

“Dude, I’m pretty sure we’re lost, we can just take a shortcut and leave Trev.” Alfredo sighed as he followed his friend around a corner. Dried up stalks crunching under their shoes as they continued forward.

“Listen, I know what I’m doing Alfredo, I’m not going to let a corn maze beat me.” Trevor declared, trying to pump up his companion into finishing their journey. “Plus we paid fifteen dollars to enter this maze and get a t-shirt at the end and I’m not-I mean we’re not leaving here empty handed.”

Alfredo just groaned in response and threw up his hands in defeat, “Fine, but you’re buying me dessert from Gourdough’s if you can’t find the exit.”

“Deal!” Trevor agreed, sticking out his hand for the two to shake on it. Once done the pair marched forward along the winding paths, Trevor leading the way and choosing which turns to take. Fallen corn stalks crunched under their shoes as they walked while the moon above helped illuminate their route. Sounds of laughter and music grew louder as the two neared the unseen exit.

“I’ll be damned, you didn’t lead us in circles for a few hours like I thought you would.” Alfredo chuckled, clapping his friend on the back as they saw the two torches marking the exit farther off.

“Oh ye of little faith, I told you we would find the exit…” Trevor started as they rounded the corner and the path ended with a wall of stalks in the way. “Well, that’s not ideal.”

“Alright, instead of backtracking for thirty minutes, why don’t we just slip through these stalks to the path just on the other side. I can barely see it with the moonlight, but I know it’s right there.” Alfredo suggested, just wanting to eat some food at this point.

Trevor stopped for a moment and pondered their options. They could just take a shortcut and get their shirts and then some food or they could just backtrack and spend another hour lost in a corn maze, one definitely sounded more appealing than the other. “Yup, let’s just cut through the corn and leave. I’m tired, cold, and hungry.” He gave in, ready to finish the maze.

Alfredo raised a finger to his mouth motioning for his friend to be quiet as they huddled close, “More than likely they’ll have someone at the exit waiting for people to leave so they can get their shirt, so we need to be silent or else we might forfeit our chance for free stuff. We’ve spent too much time to be walking away from here empty handed.” He explained as Trevor nodded in agreement thoughtfully.

The two silently ventured into the corn carefully and treaded lightly over the fallen stalks, letting the moonlight guide their way through to the other side. Emerging uncaught they both cheered and raced down the path, rushing out of the exit towards the stationed attendant, stopping to catch their breath as the worker chuckled at the pair.

“Y’all know you were the last pair inside, right? Wasn’t sure when you’d turn up or if we would have to send in a rescue team.” He explained as he handed over the shirts.

“We were going to take as long as we needed to get these shirts.” Trevor explained as he shoved his new shirt inside his bag.

“You know you didn’t have to finish the maze to get it right? It came with your ticket…” The worker trailed off.

Chapter Text

“Why does it smell like lavender and vanilla in here?” Kara asks as she peaks her head in from the doorway. The room is dark apart from several lit candles arranged in a circle around Arryn.

“Because they were the only candles I could find in the office.” Arryn explained.

“Why are you sitting on the floor in the middle of a circle of lit candles? That seems kinda unsafe, especially since the room is carpeted.” Kara continued.

“Well, the only hardwood closed offices are being used for meetings at the moment and I’m trying to have a seance, but that keeps getting interrupted.” Arryn answered patiently. “Would you care to join me?”

“Take part in a seance during October? Uh yeah, of course. Crossing that off of my Halloween activity list.” Kara replied giddily as she entered the room and closed the door behind her. “Do I sit in the circle with you, cause I’d rather not catch my clothes or hair on fire, you know?”

“I mean as long as you’re careful you can sit in the circle with me, but we kinda need the candles or else the point is moot, ya know?” Arryn explained gesturing to the candles.

“Well, what about if we had some led fake candles instead?” Kara suggested while inspecting the lavender candle more closely. “There are some in the cabinet right behind you. I think they used them for an immersion episode or something like that.”

Arryn sighed and got up, filling the room with light as they flipped on the light switch. “Where were you when I spent forty minutes searching for candles and matches?” They asked as each candle was blown out and placed on a table nearby.

“Well, if you’re trying to find something specific just come find me next time.” Kara giggled as she helped place the new fake candles in a circle and turned them on. Taking a seat on the ground within the circle they faced each other. “So, what now? Do we need a sacrifice or something?”

“I don’t think we need one for this, but maybe another time. So from what I’ve been reading we need to join hands and chant.” Arryn explained as they took Kara's hands in their own. “But their instructions didn’t really give a chant to use, so I guess we’ll have to come up with our own?”

“Ooh I know just the one, trust me.” Kara exclaimed with a laugh before settling back down. “Just follow my lead.” She paused as Arryn nodded before proceeding. “Oh my god we’re back again.”

“Oh my god we’re back again…” Arryn followed along.

“Brothers, sisters, everybody sing.” Kara continued as Arryn stopped following along. “Why’d you stop?”

“I don’t think ghosts are going to show up if we’re chanting Backstreet Boys songs.” Arryn replied with a sheepish shrug.

“Listen Arryn, if these ghosts don’t enjoy the Backstreet Boys then I don’t think we really want to be talking to them, right?” Kara explained.

Arryn nodded along in agreement as Kara spoke, “Alright alright, you might have a good point. Let’s start over.”

Chapter Text

The sky slowly changes hues of oranges as the sun sets over the horizon. The passage of time brings on the darkness as a backyard loses its light. Lights flip on outside, illuminating a patio filled with various plants, not cold enough just yet to bring them inside. A door slides open as two figures step out onto the patio, heading over to a table as they drop off various supplies.

“Gav, if you’re cold you need to put on a jacket, you’re not bringing out a blanket just to drag it across the ground and get it all dirty.” Meg explained to him, pulling out a chair and taking a seat.

“But that’s what the washer is for, you put the dirty things in and they get all cleaned up. Plus it’s my blanket, not like one of the nice ones.” Gavin insisted as he turned to head back inside and grab his blanket, already having made up his mind.

“Alright yeah, just put it directly in the washer afterwards and don’t drag it around the house.” Meg said aloud, unheard by her companion. Reaching into her bag she pulled out several pieces of paper, some white and translucent while others were black and non see through. She took a sip of her warm orange spiced tea and relaxed as she waited.

Her peace was short lived, being interrupted as Gavin rushed back outside, this time with a blue plaid blanket wrapped around his upper body, Pulling out his chair he plopped down next to Meg. “So, what are we doing again?” He asked with a grin.

"You’d forget where you were born if I didn’t remind you.” Meg joked as she placed some supplies in front of him. “We’re making shadow lanterns, remember? You cut out a shape and place it on this translucent paper, then you connect the four walls together and place a candle in the center. The light will project out shapes like shadow puppets. We’re each doing two walls, that way we’ll have a finished product together.” She explained, making sure he was paying attention so as to not have to explain herself again later on.

“Oh yeah, pretty neat stuff. Just don’t copy my designs and we’ll be good.” Gavin teased as he started working on his cutouts for the lantern. “Mine are going to be scary, cause it’s Halloween and all.”

Meg just rolled her eyes in response, “don’t worry about me copying you, I already had an idea in mind.”

The two worked on their projects, joking and talking as their evening continued on. The once warm tea now cold as they each finished up their cutouts. Putting together the walls of the shadow lantern, Gavin placed a tea light inside, illuminating the outer walls and projecting their designs onto the space around them. One side was filled with stars and a crescent moon, the second side had the silhouette of four cats, the third side was the face of a carved pumpkin, and the fourth side was a spider web.

“Not half bad, don't you think?” Gavin asked as he looked over at Meg with a grin.

Chapter Text

“What do you mean you wouldn’t want to have a familiar? That’s like the coolest part of being a witch.” Blaine exclaimed at his friend, fully befuddled as to why Jon wouldn’t want one.

“Yeah dude, like you get to have a cool pet that helps you out with your magic and spells.” Jeremy chimed in, eliciting a groan from Jon as Blaine nodded in agreement.

“Guys. stop dogpiling on me, when I said that I wouldn’t want a familiar I meant like an exotic pet. For example, Blaine, you said you’d want to have a monkey, right?” Jon asked, waiting until Blaine nodded yes to continue. “That right there is the worst idea ever, you want an animal that’ll destroy all of your tools and throw around ingredients or something much worse.”
“Dude, it’d be my familiar so it wouldn’t be like some wild animal or something.” Blaine explained.

“Ok, but Jon kinda has a point. Think about it like this, the monkey you have wouldn’t be trained and you would have to get it to that point where it wouldn’t act out, right?” Jeremy explained, trying to get Jons thoughts across to Blaine.

“Exactly! Thank you!” Jon cheered.

Blaine paused for a moment, taking in the new info before speaking, “so… you might have a point. But if you wouldn’t choose a monkey what would y’all choose then?” He asked as the other two pondered their thoughts for a moment.

“Well, more than likely I would go with a tried and true familiar, like a cat. I mean take a look at how many depictions of witches have a cat with them. There has gotta be a reason as to why they’re the preferred compan-” Jon continued before being interrupted.

“That’s the most basic choice!” Blaine blurted out. “Why would you want one that everyone else would have too!”

“Yes! But it’s a better option than having a monkey wreck havoc!” Jon cried out. “Genuinely, do you think that having a familiar that’s cool would make up for the mess that it made?”

Jeremy hushed both of them before speaking, “dudes, there’s a simple solution to this problem. Just choose a familiar that is cool and hassle free.” He explained, now having his friends' attention. “What’s a cool animal that everyone likes? Besides a cat.” He chimed in at the end, earning a high five from Jon.

“Dogs?” Blaine offered.

“Birds?” Jon proposed.

“That’s right Jon, birds.” Jeremy grinned as he spoke. “I’m not talking Cardinals or Blue Jays, I’m talking about owls. The most badass creatures of the night. They can fly, they can find ingredients for you, they can hunt.”

“Alright, I’ll admit an owl familiar would be kind of cool. I’m on board with it, even though I still like the idea of a monkey.” Blaine agreed.

“Blaine, you can have the monkey as your familiar, just don’t come crying to your coven because it ate all of your eye of newt or whatever.” Jon teased playfully.

Chapter Text

“Gays know how to make good cocktails, it’s just a fact of life. Just like how a great pair of jeans never go out of style.” Texas stated as he positioned himself behind a bar. Various liquors and mixers lined the countertop, each one hand picked by him for several recipes.

“Let’s get this taste test started, it’s five o’clock somewhere!” Mariel quipped as she took a seat across him on a barstool. “So was there some sort of theme for these drinks or are we just doing regular drinks like cosmopolitans and such?”

Texas rolled his eyes with a grin, “do you honestly think any old boring cocktail would suffice for a Halloween party? I don’t think so.” He remarked as he started mixing several liquids in a glass.

“I didn’t think you’d go for the usual cocktails, but I just wanted to make sure weren’t doing something boring.” Mariel teased as she watched him work. “So tell me what’s the one you’re making right now?”

“This one is inspired by a classic fall treat, first you add green apple soda, then some caramel vodka and voila! You have a caramel apple beverage!” Texas explained as he mixed the drink.

“Isn’t that just a regular vodka soda, can’t you add dry ice or something to make it pop?” Mariel asked, not totally impressed yet.

“Oh come on, I thought you’d know me better than that, of course I have something up my sleeve.” Texas fake pouted as he poured a tiny bit of green dust into the glass, using a spoon he began to stir. The dust mixed in and created a green glimmering swirl as the carbonation helped it look very much like a witches potion.

“Oh damn, alright that’s pretty fucking cool.” Mariel conceded as she was handed the beverage and took a sip. “The fact it even tastes like a caramel apple is impressive and not even like the artificial flavoring kind, nice work!”

“Luster dust is my go to for spicing up the appearance of a cocktail, plus I wouldn’t be caught dead using dry ice for my drinks. For one you can’t even drink it safely until the ice has melted and some people are too stupid to understand that. Second of all, it's just too basic for my taste.” Texas spoke half jokingly as he took a sip of his own creation before moving it to the side and starting on a new drink.

“Alright what beverage is next on Texas’s Halloween Cocktail Menu?” Mariel asked, watching as he opened a few different bottles and mixed their contents together.

“This one is more of a cranberry and blackberry punch. I’ll admit it’s a little more basic, but it’s always a hit.” Texas explained as he sliced an orange into thin slivers and placed them in a pitcher. “You use cranberry juice, blackberry ginger ale, sliced oranges, and then for the final ingredient some prosecco. Add in a little purple luster dust and stir it all together and you have some punch.”

“So what I’m learning is that luster dust just makes all your drinks look like potions and that’s why people like them?” Mariel asked.

Texas shrugged before answering, “that and there’s plenty of alcohol, so yeah pretty much.”

Chapter Text

“Gah! Get it away from me!” Gavin squawked as he reeled back from his desk, knocking his chair to ground as he stood up abruptly and raced out of the room, nearly knocking Michael down as he entered the room.

“Gavin what the fuck! Did you see another piece of wet bread?” Michael grumbled after nearly dropping his lunch on the ground.

“There was a spider on my desk! It was huge!” Gavin cried out from the doorway, partially hidden and ready to bolt as though the spider could jump across the room and chase after him. “Please, you have to kill it for me Michael.” He pleaded.

Michael groaned in response. “Gav, how old are you again?”

“That’s not the point! I just don’t like creepy crawlies.” Gavin whined. “Please Michael, just get rid of it for me.” He begged.

“Fine, but if I get rid of it you’re buying lunch for me. I’m talking about a full size sub from jersey mikes too.” Michael negotiated as he approached the desk in search of the so-called spider.

“Fine, yeah, good. Just kill it already.” Gavin agreed as he watched him creep closer to the desk. His friend stopped and audibly sighing as he turned toward him with an unimpressed look on his face. “What is it, have you found it yet?”

“Gavin, this is the most harmless spider you could’ve found, it’s not even a spider at all.” Michael replied as he scooped up something in his hands off the desk and walked back towards Gavin, staying far enough away to prevent a freak out as he revealed the harvestman in his hands, eliciting a squawk from his friend as he backed out of the room cursing at him.

“That’s a bloody spider if I’ve seen one! They’re one of the most venomous spiders out there! Kill it!” Gavin cried out.

“Gavin, that’s a myth. They don’t even produce venom for crying out loud, you’re such a baby.” Michael explained as he headed towards the office exit. “These will not harm you in any way, shape, or form. Except look menacing I guess.”

Gavin rushed ahead of him, nearly stumbling over himself not wanting to be close to the creature. Reaching the exit he held the door open for the other to step through and out into the parking lot. The cold crisp air chilled both of them as fallen leaves scraped against the pavement. The pair walked across the lot until they reached a grass section with a small tree growing.

Kneeling down Michael placed his hand near the ground for the insect to step out onto the grass. “Alright little fella, you might want to get away before Gavin decides to stomp you to death with his shoe.” He halfway jokes, eyeing his friend to make sure he didn’t.

“Thank you Michael, I really appreciate it.” Gavin thanked him as the two headed back inside out of the cold.

“No problem dude, by the way I’ll take a toasted Italian sub with cheddar sun chips.” Michael reminded him.

Chapter Text

“Kerry, I swear to god if you don’t relax your grip on my arm you’re going to break it.” Miles hissed as he yanked his arm out of his terrified friend's grasp and held it gingerly against his chest.

“Miles please, I’m just scared.” Kerry pleaded as grabbed Mile's hoodie and clung closely. The pair had been walking along a haunted trail in the woods late at night. Red lights flooded the path before them as set pieces possibly hid devious creatures just waiting to jump out at them. Eerie noises and fog filled the air, as the two friends gingerly ventured forward.

“I can’t believe Jordan just abandoned you with me. Not cool at all, I’m not buying him barbecue after this now.” Miles swore as they creeped past a bloodied body on the ground, waiting for it to pop up and scream at them.

“Miles I don’t know if I can finish this dude.” Kerry stammered in Miles' ear as he clung closely to his friend's side with a death grip.

Stopping in his tracks, Miles turns towards Kerry and spoke to him, “I’m going to get you out of here dude, we’ve made it this far and we both spent money on the tickets. You’re going to get out of this alive, I promise you!” He assured him. “Just grab onto the back of my hoodie and keep your head down.”

Kerry acknowledged Miles instructions as he hid behind his friend and kept his head down, letting the other lead them forward. The only thing in sight for him was the ground beneath as the two began their awkward shuffle forwards. A chainsaw revved up as they passed a shack, an actor rushed out, growling as he circled the pair following closely behind until they left the area.

“See that wasn’t so bad dude.” Miles assured him.

“Maybe for you, but I could feel his breath on my neck!” Kerry whimpered, still holding on tight and shuffling behind.

“Kerry please, you’re choking me.” Miles choked out as the tension on his hoodie eased up. “Just a little bit farther now.”

The two pressed on down the path as Miles led the way. Occasionally stopping as Kerry kept choking him with the hoodie. Screams and cries escaped the pair as actors crept up on them, eventually the terror died down as the two neared the exit with Kerry breaking into a full on sprint leaving Miles behind as he escaped the haunted trail.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He sighed as he rushed after Kerry, catching his breath once he caught up to his two friends, finally reunited.

“What took y’all so long, I’ve been waiting at least ten minutes.” Jordan grinned as Miles stared at him disapprovingly.”

“You’re the one who left us to die back there!” Kerry barked at him. “You know what, let’s just go, Miles promised me barbecue and he’s not buying yours.”

Miles scoffed at Kerry, “yeah and I’m not buying yours either now. You can’t just leave the person who was protecting you the moment you see safety!”

Chapter Text

“Christ, how is it this hard to hang bats from the ceiling?” Andrew muttered under his breath to himself as he stood atop a stool with bat decorations in one hand and a roll of tape in the other. A small amount of bats were hung from the ceiling around the room as fallen bats littered the floor down below, having already fallen from the ceiling.

Entering the room Armando laughed loudly at the site before him, “I told you not to use the tape that came with them dude. We bought them last year and the adhesive doesn’t last more than two days once opened.” He grinned, picking up several of the bats off the floor and removing the old adhesive from them and discarding the waste into a nearby bin. “Listen, since it seems like you’re in a pinch I’ll help you out.” He offered with a grin.

“Awh, aren’t you just the kindest? What do you want?” Andrew inquired as he rolled his eyes. Grateful for the help, but still slightly agitated from his unfruitful endeavors in decorating hanging.

“Can’t a friend just help another friend out in their time of need?” Armando pondered aloud. “I actually just wanted to give you a hard time, seriously though, what can I do to help you out?”

“There’s some duct tape in there I need, if that doesn’t work I’m going to use a hammer and nail to make them stay in place.” Andrew answered as he pointed over towards a basket sitting on a desk. Waiting patiently as Armando fished out a fresh roll of duct tape and handed it to him. “Thanks dude.”

“Why is it that the adhesive that comes with decorations always sucks ass. Genuinely they’re always garbage and end up in the trash.” Armando asked as he picked up the packaging to look over.

Ripping off a piece of tape Andrew hung a bat from the ceiling and cheered as it stayed in place and didn’t fall to the ground below. “More than likely people will want to buy the decoration if it comes with some form of adhesive no matter if it’s crappy or not, you know? You’d think it would save you some hassle, but just ends up being even more of one later on.” He answered as he stepped down from the ladder to move to another area of the room.

“Yeah that’s fair, you think they would give better adhesive since you’re hanging up bats from the ceiling, they could fall and give some a concussion or something.” Armando explained as he watched Andrew work. “Like bats are a huge symbol for Halloween, they represent vampires after all.”

“Yeah, but they don’t represent the sparkly kinds which were pretty popular a while back. That might’ve brought their popularity down. Who knows, maybe they’ll make higher quality bat decorations in the future.” Andrew joked as he continued working atop the stool.

“So what are you going to do if this tape doesn’t hold them to the ceiling?” Armando asked.

“Don’t even joke about that dude, I swear to god.” Andrew warned.

Chapter Text

“Do you think there’s life out there somewhere?” Spoole asked as he stared out at the stars above, the sky twinkled like little lights like on a Christmas tree. The flannel blanket underneath had a slight roughness to it, but was comforting as he laid back on it.

“Yeah, probably so.” Josh replied as he took a sip from his mug. The drink provided some warmth on the cold night while they stargazed. Various opened snacks and treats scattered the blanket around them, most containers already pillaged and laid empty.

“Do you think we’ll ever meet another life form?” Spoole asked, pausing his stargazing to look over at his friend. A small lantern dimly lit the space between them.

“Probably not.” Josh answered with a shrug. In his mind there was no definite answer, but the odds weighted towards the more likely outcome of never meeting an alien lifeform. Seemingly satisfied with his answer he watched as Spoole turned his attention back towards the sky above.

“It’s cold out.” Spoole stated as he shivered from a light breeze, thankful it wasn’t more than just a breeze even though being out in the cold chilled him to the bone.

“You’re wearing a jacket aren’t you?” Josh asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Yeah, but it’s a windbreaker. I thought it would be warmer.” Spoole answered as he sat up to zip his jacket. It was always a hassle to bring something heavier if it turned out to be warmer.

“Here.” Josh offered as he placed his jacket on Spoole. He had expected something like this to happen as he dug through his bag for another jacket. Pulling it out he put it on and zipped himself up, lying back on the blanket to watch the stars. The two gazed in silence as they tried to make out constellations in the clusters above.

“You could’ve given me the jacket in your bag.” Spoole stated, breaking the silence.

“Maybe, but you wouldn’t have warmed up as fast.” Josh explained as he turned to look over at his friend again. Grinning as he caught a small glimpse of a smile from the dim light.

“Thank you.” Spoole replied, appreciative for the thoughtfulness of his friend and for thinking ahead and being prepared. “You’re not going to get this jacket back by the way.” He joked, even though it practically swallowed him up it was very comfortable and well insulated.

“You’re lucky I have a closet full of these.” Josh smirked, he knew he’d get the jacket back eventually.

“Hey Josh?” Spoole asked.

“Yeah?” Josh answered.

“Can we go get some tacos now?” Spoole pleaded, sitting up. Even though they had several snacks they could never replace a hot meal.

“Yeah, you go get the car started and warmed up and I’ll clean up things here.” Josh offered, watching as Spoole quickly took off for the car and taking it as an agreement. “If there’s life out there I hope they have good taste in music.” Josh thought to himself as he took a moment to take in the stars one last time.

Chapter Text

“Freddy Krueger isn’t scary, he’s just a guy with finger knives.” Dan complained as he plopped onto the couch behind him. Watching as Gavin slipped a disc into the DVD player before rushing over to the couch and nearly tripping over himself along the way.

“Of course he isn’t scary, but he is a horror icon. If we didn’t include him in our movie marathon it’d be like Christmas without Santa or something.” Gavin explained as he started the movie.

“But he’s the most easily avoidable guy, just don’t fall asleep!” Dan exclaimed, it just didn’t make much sense for a bunch of people to be easily defeated by some guy wearing an ugly sweater.

“Dude, you can’t just put off sleep forever, you have to fall asleep eventually or your body will just force it to happen.” Gavin countered. “Nancy is the only smart character in the movie unfortunately. That is why she’s the final girl and not Glen.”

“Well Glen couldn’t have been the final girl anyway.” Dan interrupted.

“You knew what I meant.” Gavin countered with a laugh.

“I mean Glen had one job and he fell asleep, that’s a bad friend. Like sorry mate I know you asked me to stay awake but I got bored.” Dan joked as they turned their attention back to the opening sequence.

The pair watched as one by one Nancy lost her friends and the fedora-wearing demon taunted her. Applauding for the special effects used during the scene with Tina in her room during a nightmare. Cheering as Nancy set up traps throughout the house for Freddy and finally bursting out laughing as Nancy's mom was pulled through the front door window at the end.

“How was this approved for release in theaters!? That was so laughably awful looking.” Dan groaned.

“Did they seriously not think pulling an inflatable doll through a small window would look bad?” Gavin laughed as he shook his head. “It’s a shame how such a small part can throw off the whole film, but to be fair the rest of it is pretty good.”

“I’m just looking forward to watching

Dream Warriors

and New Nightmare. Those are great, the others not so much. Freddy’s Revenge is a weird one, cause it’s not bad, but it also doesn’t feel like a Nightmare on Elm Street film even though Freddy is in it.” Dan explained as he listed off the films in the franchise.

“You don’t like Freddy vs Jason?” Gavin gasped from shock.

“Now hold on, I never said I disliked that film. I just consider it more of a crossover film than in line with the main series is all.” Dan answered, easing Gavin's minor shock.

“For a minute there I thought I might have to end our friendship and get someone else to do The Slo Mo Guys with. Just dodged a bullet there.” Gavin teased with a grin as Dan shoved him.

“Good luck finding someone else willing to let you test all of your video ideas on.” Dan retorted with a laugh.

Chapter Text

“You think the wine would make it easier to paint, but it’s having the opposite effect.” Ashley sighed as she looked over her canvas. Palettes filled with various paints scattered the table along with muddied water glasses.

“Is that really a thing? I just thought we wanted to enjoy a nice drink and paint.” Meg asked, glancing over at her friend's unfinished painting.

“The point of the wine is so that you relax and don’t care if you make a mistake.” Lindsay chimed in with a giggle. “Just sounds like your glass needs a refill.”

“Yeah, more than likely. My raven is starting to look like it flew into a window.” Ashley replied with a laugh.

“Isn’t that how most of your paintings turn out anyway?” Lindsay asked, earning a glare from one direction and a muffled laugh from the other as she grinned. “You know I’m only kidding, mine looks like a raven fell down a flight of stairs.”

“That’s why you finish your outline before finishing up your first glass, you get to enjoy the rest of the painting process as you sip.” Meg explained as she took a sip from her glass before continuing. “Also I’d like to point out that we decided on ravens because it seemed like the fun option to paint instead of easiness.”

“What’s the fun in attempting to paint something easy? Gotta go for the challenge!” Lindsay cheered, earning a shrug and nod from Ashley.

The trio continued their painting, chatting and laughing as their brushstrokes filled their canvases with color. The light slowly fading away as the sun set until it was pitch black outside. Glasses clinked as they were removed from the table and transferred to the kitchen sink to be rinsed out. The last of the paint had been applied as everyone cleaned up their brushes and tools, waiting as their works slowly dried.

“If I get paint in my backseat again due to it not being set yet I will go ballistic.” Ashley swore as she plopped back down in her chair.

“That's why it’s always easier to host, don’t have to worry about paint in my car.” Meg chimed in, taking her seat at the table again.

“Yeah, you just have to worry about guests spilling paint and wine all over your furniture.” Lindsay pointed out.

“Yup and that’s why Gavin will never be taking part in these wine and paint nights again, he can’t be trusted not to spill paint everywhere. He’d have the room looking like a paint explosion.” Meg shuddered at the thought as she spoke.

“Come on now, I’m sure he’s not that bad.” Ashley chuckled.

“Oh no, he certainly is. Notice how there’s a different carpet under this table from last time I hosted wine and paint night? Yeah.” Meg sighed with a laugh as she gestured towards the ground below.

“Well he was doing you a favor, the carpet didn’t match the room anyway.” Lindsay stated plainly, causing the other two to burst out laughing.

Chapter Text

“Why are we going to the farmers market to get ingredients when we could just go to the grocery store and get everything cheaper?” Griff asked as they watched buildings pass by through the passenger window.

“Well, for one thing the grocery store doesn’t sell fresh baked jalapeno cheddar bread.” Jon answered while keeping his eyes on the road as he drove.

“Good point, I’m never going to the grocery store again.” Griff decided.

“Also Texas specifically requested these ingredients from the farmers market and I did not want to be the one to upset him.” Jon continued as they pulled into the makeshift parking lot. The grass was still wet from the morning dew as they stepped out of the car, shoes squeaking beneath them as they headed under a large tent filled with various canned goods and baskets full of fresh produce.

“Hey look, we can get some pickled eggs and sausage.” Griff joked while holding up a jar.

“Don’t let someone else hear you say that or we might get kicked out. Those are a delicacy of the south you know.” Jon advised halfway joking. “You can make fun tomato aspic all you want though, that stuff is nasty.”

“Wait, what's tomato aspic? I’ve never heard of that before.” Griff asked as they inspected some herbs.

“It’s tomato and gelatin, served as is or with some other stuff thrown in.” Jon explained, shuddering at the thought of such vile food.

“Ok, that's enough to make me vomit, you shouldn’t be mixing anything with gelatin unless it’s fruit or some cake.” Griff retched.

“Tomato is a fruit.” Jon interjected.

“Ok. well you’ve got me there” Griff laughed as the pair delved deeper into the tent, finally coming across the coveted fresh baked bread as the aroma filled the air. Picking up a loaf already sealed they scanned the packaging, checking out the ingredients and price. “Dear lord, that's not cheap at all.”

“Well it’s freshly made without preservatives and things like that.” Jon explained.

“I eat McDonalds, do you think I care what I put in my body? I’m not spending ten dollars on a loaf of bread, Jon.” Griff stated.

“Well it’s a good thing I offered to buy one for you, we’ll see if you change your mind after trying some.” Jon rolled his eyes as he fished his wallet out to pay for the bread. They perused the rest of the produce as they made their way back to the parked car. Climbing back inside and settling in as Jon opened up the packaging for the loaf of bread and offered a piece to Griff. Watching intently as they took a bite and waited in anticipation for their thoughts.

“You know what, I would pay twelve dollars for bread if it always tasted that good, damn that’s great bread.” Griff confessed as they took another bite.

“See, the farmers market is worth it for this bread alone. Are you ready to go?” Jon asked as he put his key in the ignition.

“Yeah, wait…” Griff thought for a moment. “Didn’t we come here for something else.”

“Oh shit, we forgot about getting the herbs.” Jon gasped as they both rushed out of the car and back under the tent.

Chapter Text

“Why are you both on your phones during the ghost tour?” Burnie sighed as he turned to check on his friends following along behind him. The cobblestone pavement beneath their feet was mostly even as they walked.

“I’m just checking to make sure our guide has really done their research.” Gus explained as he shined his screen in Burnie's face, making the other recoil from the sudden light and curse.

“And I’m just making sure I don’t trip on this god awful path. I’ll be lucky if I make it through this tour without a broken ankle.” Matt complained. “I get that it’s a lantern led tour for setting the mood, but I have to be able to see where I’m going.”

“I made sure to book a tour without children allowed and now it’s like I have two with me.” Burnie mumbled under his breath with exasperation as he turned around to follow the rest of the group.

“Do you think the tour will end somewhere with good food, because I am starving right now.” Gus asked.

“I told you to eat before we came.” Burnie replied over his shoulder.

“Yeah and I asked you to stop in a drive thru on the way over, who cares if we’re a few minutes late. That’s why they have extended check in times, so you can get food.” Gus complained.

“Yeah, it’s not like we weren’t early for check ins anyway, we could’ve stopped somewhere.” Matt chimed in.

“It’s the principle of the thing, you eat beforehand, you show up on time and check in on time, you take the tour, and then by the time all is said and done we’d be getting food from somewhere. It’s not my fault y’all didn’t listen to me.” Burnie explained in an irritated tone, breathing a sigh of relief as he didn’t hear another peep out of them. He continued walking behind the group, listening to their guide tell stories of ghost sightings in this area and the history behind the apparitions. Several minutes passed by before he turned around to check in on them again only to find out they were no longer there. “Where the hell did they go? You know what if they get lost that’s their own fault.” He sighed to himself and pressed forward.

Finishing up the rest of the tour the group reached a park with several vendors selling food and drinks. Immediately recognizing two figures next to a booth he rushed over to them, “did y’all seriously just leave in the middle of the tour without saying anything?” He demanded.

“We sent you a text, it’s not our fault if you don’t check your phone.” Matt replied as he opened a bag of kettle corn and started eating. Watching as Burnie looked at them in disbelief. “You don’t have to look at us like that, we bought you a bag too.” He explained, handing an unopened bag to his friend.

“I told you it would be fine if we bought him some kettle corn.” Gus smirked as the group headed towards their vehicle.

Chapter Text

“Which cryptid do you think is the most popular these days? Like obviously Bigfoot and Mothman are the most obvious choices, but are there any others up there in the polls?” Kerry asked while sifting through various t-shirts in a building marked as a museum. The inside of the museum was a smallish room mostly filled with Mothman memorabilia.

“I’d say those two are fairly well known, the only others I could think of are Yetis and the Loch Ness monster?” Jordan answered, taking a moment to think. “I kinda consider Bigfoot and Yetis to be one in the same, just different regional forms like Pokémon.”

“You know what, I could see that. I had all but forgotten Yetis were even a thing. With Bigfoot you have tv shows that search for him and Nessie is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Scotland, besides haggis of course.” Kerry added as he finished looking through the shirts, moving over towards the posters and flipping through them.

“Think you’ll buy anything from the shop?” Jordan asked as he checked out the shirts Kerry just browsed through. “I mean it’s the Mothman museum, you have to pick something to buy and take home.”

“Nothing I see interests me yet, I don’t really need more shirts, but a new hoodie could be nice since it’s getting cold out.” Kerry replied as he continued browsing.

“Whoa, is that what I think it is?” Jordan asked as his eyes landed on a shelf nearby, leaving behind the shirt rack he rushed over to the newfound treasure.

“What is it? A Mothman bottle opener?” Kerry joked, pausing his poster viewing to turn towards his friend.

“Even better, it’s a lego Mothman figure, well, an off brand lego figure!” Jordan exclaimed, showing the box off and handing it to Kerry. “It does say ages eight and up so you might need someone to help you with it, but we can figure that out later.”

“Har har, you must think you’re so funny.” Kerry replied, rolling his eyes at the comment. “Honestly this is a great find, I think I’ll make it my souvenir from this place.”

“We traveled across several states just to buy an off brand lego set, I love it.” Jordan laughed.

“We also visited this museum, went on the bus tour, and took a selfie with that Mothman statue outside. I’d say all in all we did plenty while here.” Kerry countered.

“And spent plenty, I mean those fake legos aren’t cheap.” Jordan replied as he pointed to the price tag on the box.

“How the hell does an off brand lego set cost forty dollars?” Kerry cried out, slumping down in defeat before straightening back up. “Alright, I’m just gonna buy this and not even think about how much it costs.”

“You’ll just have to start a gofundme to cover the cost later. Don’t worry I’ll help you set it all up later.” Jordan quipped as they got in line to check out.

Chapter Text

“Guys, my marshmallows keep burning.” Barbara lamented as she watched the flaming blob slide off her stick and into the burning embers below.

“Barb if you keep burning your marshmallows we’re going to have to revoke your s’mores privileges.” Mariel teased.

“Yeah, we’re going to have to you into the station for murder, what did those poor little fluffy marshmallows ever do to you?” Miles demanded through fits of giggles.

“Don’t be so mallow-dramatic” Barbara punned as the other two groaned in unison over the egregious wordplay. ”Oh come on, you both need to laugh s’more.”

“Barbara please, I thought this was a safe space.” Mariel pleaded through fake sobs.

“There’s a fine of two hundred dollars for punning around the campfire, so pay up.” Miles demanded as he held out his hand for compensation, only for it to be slapped away by Barbara as all three erupted into fits of laughter. A sound stunned the group into silence as a hoot rang out from above, the source being hidden by branches and leaves high above the ground.

“Was that an owl?” Miles asked as he looked around for the source of the noise.

“No, it was a horse, of course it was an owl.” Mariel asserted, craning her neck back to see if she could get a better look for the creature.

“Hush you two.” Barbara demanded as she held her hands up to silence them, wanting to be able to determine which direction the noise was coming from. The group waited in silence for a few moments before giving up on their search.

“Maybe he’s wanting a lollipop.” Miles offered with a shrug.

“What the fuck are you talking about Miles?” Mariel asked.

“Oh yeah! Like the tootsie pop commercial.” Barbara added as Mariel stared at the two dumbfounded. “You know the one with the owl where it asks how many licks it takes and then it bites down and eats the entire thing after the third lick.”

“Oh ok, that explains it. Thank you for enlightening me.” Mariel noted, still confused.

“Listen, you just had to be there for it.” Miles joked. “How have you never heard of this before, the same commercial has been airing for like fifty years?”

“Probably because I don’t watch commercials and tootsie pops are awful candy, they are the only Halloween candy I would toss out after trick or treating.” Mariel explained with a shrug.

“You’d just throw them out!?” Miles exclaimed in disbelief. “Why would you commit such an atrocity?”

“It’s candy, how could you just trash them? Even as a kid you normally try to get your hands on anything that’s sugary and sweet.” Barbara added, joining in Miles' shock.

“Have you ever bit into tootsie pop? It’s like a million shards of glass tearing up your mouth.” Mariel explained as Miles started laughing.

“It’s a lollipop! You’re not supposed to bite into it like an animal.” Bara sobbed with laughter. “That’s why you don’t like them!”

“If they didn’t want me to bite it then why did they put the tootsie roll in the center!?” Mariel exclaimed to more laughter as she stood up and began to walk away. “Y’all suck, I’m going to grab more marshmallows since someone burnt them all.”

Chapter Text

“So you’d choose a toad as your own familiar?” Max asked as he took a seat at the table across from Matt, taking a sip from his soda.

“I mean yeah, I feel like it’s a forgotten companion, plus it’s just a cute little guy.” Matt explained, showing his phone screen with cute little toads to his friend.

“Interesting choice, I mean compared to Blaine it seems like a logical decision, easy to care for and easy to carry.” Max replied.

“Blaine sure does have a go big or go home kind of mindset. I will say it does make for some interesting conversations.” Matt grinned, thinking about Jeremy recounting the conversation to him earlier that day.

“That he does, but back to toads.” Matt said with a wave of his hand before continuing. “Wouldn’t having one put you at risk for warts? Isn’t that why a lot of witches have warts on them?”

“Oh wow, uh I never really thought about that, but is that a superstition or is it fact?” Matt asked as he took another sip of his drink.

Max thought for a moment before pulling out his phone and searching. “Ah, so it turns out that is just a myth, toads do not cause warts. Guess witches just have bad skin care routines.” Max shrugged as he pocketed his phone in his jacket.

“Could you imagine if Toad from Mario was your familiar? Just that high pitched voice talking to you every time you made a request or asked them to do something? That would be hilarious.” Matt laughed, imagining how absurd but entertaining the thought would be.

Max shuddered at the idea. “I imagine it would also get old and grating very quickly. Can’t stand to listen to someone who sounds like nails on a chalkboard.”

“Nah, haven’t you ever Toad sing chandelier? That is some captivating talent and vocal ability, top notch stuff.” Matt countered.

“Is that an actual thing from the movie or are you just messing with me?” Max asked, still not fully convinced they would make for a very entertaining familiar. If anything they’d be an annoying distraction.

“Oh I am not messing with you one bit, but it’s not from the movie. Someone used an AI voice program to make it sound like Toad is singing, there’s a whole bunch of videos covering different songs.” Matt explained, pulling out his phone from pocket to pull up the various videos posted on YouTube. Turning the screen towards Max once done.

“Oh no, that’s quite alright. I think I’ll manage without having my ears destroyed.” Max joked as he pushed the phone back down on the table and away from him.

“Your loss dude. It’s a shame you can’t enjoy a masterpiece” Matt replied with fake sympathy.

“Someone clearly has too much time on their hands to be creating such abominations.” Max concluded as he just shook his head in disappointment.

“If you think that’s bad just wait until you hear Jeremy do karaoke at the Halloween party.” Matt joked with a grin.

Chapter Text

Moonlight trickled through the leaves of the tree, illuminating parts of the shaded ground beneath. Wind swept through, sending dead leaves to the ground below as others were carried by the guest, spinning and twirling through the air until they landed on the sidewalk. A car door slammed shut as a figure rushed up the walk, the crunch of leaves beneath their shoes filling the silent night. Raising their hand they knocked on the door three times in quick succession, waiting impatiently as a figure approached the door and opened it to greet them.

“You’re ten minutes late Jack, don’t you own a watch?” Geoff asked as he faked annoyance at the other.

“It’s good to see you too, Geoffrey.” Jack replied as he pushed past him into the house, the sudden warmth being a welcome change to the chilling wind outside. Rubbing his hands together to warm them up he turned around back towards his friend. Bursting into laughter as he took in the full display before him. “So, please explain to me what your costume is.”

“It was a last minute change, somebody decided they were going to steal my satyr costume idea.” Geoff grumbled in response. Even though he had decided on the idea beforehand he never mentioned it to anyone. “Isn’t it obvious? I’ve got brown dog ears, a brown sweater with matching pants, and a collar. I had to rush all over town just to put this together.”

“Oh! You’re Scooby-Doo! I can totally see it!” Jack declared, before pausing as he noticed something missing. “Don’t you need a tail to go with it?”

Geoff just shook his head in response. “I’m supposed to be Scrappy-Doo! Hence the plain brown sweater and pants with no tail. He technically has a tail, but it’s really short so I don’t count it.” Shrugging as he checked his phone. “Just about ready to head to the party?”

“Yeah, just let me change real quick.” Jack replied, heading into the bathroom with a bag and closing the door behind him.

Geoff scrolled his phone absentmindedly, checking the clock every few minutes to make sure they weren’t behind schedule. He had allotted plenty of time to apply his eyeliner and mascara just in case he messed up, but Jack had messed with the timing of things by arriving slightly late. If they arrived late he’d just blame it on Jack when they got there. He turned towards the bathroom, putting his phone away as Jack stepped out in full costume, whistling as he took in the sight. “Somebody sure went all out for the contest.”

“If there’s a prize up for grabs I’m going to try and win it.” Jack grinned. “Think I have a chance?” A green cloak with silver detailing was wrapped around his upper body with a black renaissance shirt just underneath. A laurel crown rested on his head, the vines and leaves intertwined naturally together as antlers jutted out of the hair on top of his head. In his hand he held a tall walking stick with a stone placed at the top, wrapped in roots to keep it in place.

“What are you supposed to be? Some sort of nature spirit?” Geoff guessed as he shooed Jack towards the door much to his protests.

“Something like that, I’m going as the green man.“ Jack replied as he stepped through the doorway and out into the cold once more. “What’s the rush?”

“We’re going to be late if we don’t hurry up. Don’t you have a contest you want to win anyway?” Geoff huffed as he locked the door behind him.

“Oh yeah, let’s get going. If we’re late I’ll say it’s your fault” Jack teased as Geoff rolled his eyes and followed him down the path towards the driveway.