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They say on a certain night, on a certain planet, on the eve of a certain moment, a night for past whispers and the dead come alive.
Just as well, it was also the night a certain Stoneheart had the fright of his life.
—
“Not in the holiday spirit?”
It’s almost a surprise to him. Almost.
Madam Jade is dressed up, but not in some fake and low quality costume, no, it was gossamer and silky, and somehow extremely apt, a large witch’s hat with beads hanging off the brim like water droplets. She looks beautiful if he’s being honest, silky threads over the bodice of her dress like a spider’s web with an ankle length train.
But seriously, who uses pearls of all things as a decoration for a costume?
“Not at all Madam, I have quite the full schedule today, it didn’t seem appropriate to wear a costume for the shareholder meetings…”
She smiles a little smile, knowing, always so knowing.
“I see, that’s a shame, it’s an eve full of myths, children love this sort of thing.”
He’s not a child. Hasn’t been for a long time, really, and well…
He thinks it's ridiculous, of course. The dead are the dead, no one to bring them back, not even a feat an aeon is capable of, and yet the office is full of cheer and treats, decorations hung up in some cubicles, and the bravely playful in costumes.
Well, even if he didn't prescribe to the notion, that didn't mean he had to berate and be a killjoy to the festivities of others, right? So even if he’s wearing his typical fitted Stoneheart uniform, he doesn’t give his employees the side eye or judgment, more of a passive smiling viewer as they share candy and treats amongst each other. He did have a few of the employees he’s worked with relatively frequently attempt to hand him some treats as a gift, but he’d hadn’t eaten any of it yet, left stashed in his desk drawer.
“You should come by to the Children’s Hallow’s Eve Event later, I’m hosting the party for them.”
Ah yes, of course, the ever industrious Madam Jade, fostering the future’s hopes, one sweet at a time.
Before he can go further on into his musings, a perfectly manicured hand with deep violet nails holds a hand out in front of him. He looks down at her proffered hand before slowly raising a palm up beneath hers, a caramel drop in golden wrapper landing softly in the center of his glove.
“The children will certainly appreciate it if you come in a costume and with some candy in your pockets.”
If Jade says so, then who is he to refuse? He doesn’t, because there’s always a return on favors, and he always needs more favors. Debt doesn’t disappear so quickly after all, so he clears his schedule of the more unnecessary meetings for the evening and heads out to look for a last minute costume. Even if he hadn’t planned on it initially, if he’s going to dress up, he’s going to dress up well. Still, he fishes his phone out of his pocket in the hopes of roping in one more.
“Doctor, have any plans tonight?”
—
“How did I ever let you convince me to join in this madness?”
He grins with darkly painted lips, fangs gleaming and eyes amused, straightening out his cape with a brush of his silk gloved hands, a velvety and dark extravagant cape fanning behind him.
“Come now Doctor, you can let loose tonight, even the dead have come out to play.”
He says theatrically as he points to the main lobby of the event hall, an arch with fuzzy spiderwebs, red laser eyes gleaming in the arch below it as toy spiders swoop down on unsuspecting children or visitors as they cry and shriek in joy.
And oh, the children. Madam Jade was certainly correct that the children enjoyed it, all dressed up in various costumes and going around booths prepped up as houses where they’d ask for a trick or a treat.
Some of it was quite precious, princesses with glittery fairy wings, dragons made of felt material, small hands holding an orange rounded tub starting to fill with sweets and treats.
His companion turns a surly face to him, pinching the bridge of his nose mildly. He’s in his lab coat, even his laminated id tag hanging off his neck, the only indication it was a costume was a half assed makeup drawing of stitches on his cheek and arms, done by his truly. Madam Jade had said to come in a costume, so…
“I’ve only just gotten out of the lab, and now, you’ve dragged me to a function not even you are a believer of.”
Yes, his erudite companion says that, but even if he’s rubbing his face in mild annoyance, Ratio is ever so careful not to smudge the makeup. Aventurine feels a tinge of warmth at the kind gesture, though he’d never say so. Instead, he slings his caped arm over his shoulder, the taller man barely budging though he makes a face.
“You’re liable to scare the children, put on a nicer face and hand out candy like you don’t loathe it.”
He grinned, touching the corner of his own lips lightly, and Ratio gave him a look , he was not ever one to simply conform to other’s beliefs, and Aventurine admires that about him, but even he wouldn’t spurn innocent children. His companion sighs a moment before fixing his face to a more friendly image, well, less severe at least, that wouldn’t prevent a child’s approach.
Naturally Topaz is another familiar face amongst the crowd, little spiral horns, a red jacket and black button up with slacks, springy black wings, and a flippy tail.
Demon Topaz is already a favorite amongst the children, Numby’s cute appearance a popular distraction as she happily pets children on the head and hands them small hard candy treats with colorful wrappers into their hands or their candy buckets.
She happens to spot the duo and leaves the crowd a moment, Numby occupying the children as they seem more interested in petting and playing with the trotter.
“I didn’t think I’d see you here.”
Her comment is more aimed at Ratio, but her eyes slide over to Aventurine, and he knows he’s already been made.
“Guilty as charged.”
He smiles, hands raised as she shakes her head slightly.
“Should’ve known, but ah well, you’re at least dressed appropriately for the occasion. Here..”
She digs into her surprisingly deep pockets, and starts to hand the both of them a literal pocketful of candy.
“Come on, stop standing around, use your flashy costume and make a kid’s day. There’s a lot to go around, and this is a pretty big charity event for Director Jade.”
So he does, twirling in all his vampire glory, pristine and surprisingly expensive costume, to entertain children and pass them sweets. It…surprisingly reminds him of something buried deep in his memories as he rolls a yellow lemon drop in a clear iridescent cellophane in his hand before dropping it into a girl’s waiting palm.
—
His hands are rough, but nimble as he carefully picks the vivid red tube-shaped flowers from its place hidden amongst the sparse and sharp shrubs. He cradles it in his small palms before returning with an excitement in his steps, and an eagerness in his heart.
“Sister, look, look what I found!”
His willowy and kind sister looks up from the small hearth of fire she’d been tending to with curious eyes, a metal tin hung over a dirt dig, keeping the fire alive with dead leaves, where a thin soup with small petalled plants and roots boil away. Her smile brightens at the curve, and it brings his heart a flutter of joy, pride in bringing just a bit extra to one of the most important people in his life, but then her eyes narrow, and he realizes his mistake.
“Kakavasha, did you go out beyond the border into the empty lands again?”
Her voice is scolding and concerned, hands cupping his cheek in tender care, rough from work, but he loves it anyways, puffing just slightly as he leans in a little.
“...It wasn’t that far, there’s still so many things to find without going too far in.”
He protests a little, looking up at his sister with a pleading look, her gaze softens, the harshness crinkling from its scolding into a furrow.
“I know, but it’s still much too dangerous, creatures are burrowed deep in the ground, there’s no cover for miles, and the Katicans leave traps for anyone daring enough to walk through for the simple fun of it. You mustn't keep venturing so far, little brother, even if Gaithara happens to look over you…”
He sighs, frowning a little, but he knows his sister wholeheartedly worries for him, so he bites his lip and eventually nods.
“Okay sister, I’m sorry...”
She takes a breath, calming a moment before leaning back and raising her hand to gently caress his hair.
“Now, let’s reap the rewards you’ve seized today.”
He looks up, and he smiles with a laugh as he presents his prize once again.
—
It’s the after party now, children having long left the venue, only a few patrons remaining to mingle and talk a little business before ushering off for the night, and he’s leaning against the bar, a burgundy wine in hand, something sweet and mellow.
Jade comes around, thanking them all for joining her for her successful charity event, bolstering the children’s futures, and he simply smiles and nods. Topaz is obviously happy to help, and Ratio is just…he’s just there.
“Thanks for keeping me company, Doc.”
Aventurine smiles, pleased that he’d had some company on a long night. Ratio sighs a little, but he simply nods.
“I'd prefer it if in the future I’d be given advance notice…or not an invitation at all.”
But he’d come, and Aventurine appreciated it, about to offer him an extra consolation when he noticed someone in a simple fitted sheet of a ghost costume shuffling anxiously near the hall. Ratio glances at him questioningly as he passes the doctor the untouched wine to his hands instead and trots over to this seemingly lost guest, though they seemed a bit older than the children that’d joined in the event based on their height and stature of the silhouette. Even so, he puts on a genteel smile, speaking softly as he steps a comfortable distance to them.
“Hello, are you lost?”
She looks up silently, and he assumes they’re a she, because he has the strangest feeling that he’s correct. It suddenly hits him that she’s kind of…small, her silhouette captured in a silly and flimsy white bed sheet, worn shoes shuffling on the marbled floor, not even a candy bucket in hand. He can’t see into the eyeholes because they seem to have been colored with a black pen with a see through like material.
Somehow, she feels out of place, but he can’t find it in him to do something as cruel as send her off without so much a gift or word. Even if she seemed older than the other children, it seemed more necessary to share something with this ghost as a kindness. His hand digs into his pocket, looking for any sweet he may have leftover, shuffling roughly and retrieving his hand out as he grasps around a candy wrapper, but spilling another brightly colored treat onto the floor as well.
The candy makes a light tapping sound as it rolls against the marble to the ground in front of him.
“Oh.”
He leans down to pick up the dropped piece, intending to give her another fresh one when he feels a hand softly caressing his hair. He freezes, shock causing him to hold his breath, the strangest feeling of deja vu hitting him, a memory so precious and hidden in the dark suddenly coming to the forefront. He needs to look up, he has to, but the hand is still softly caressing, and it’s the most difficult thing in the world to suddenly lift his head.
The fist in his pocket trembles suddenly.
He fights the strange desperation, about to twist his head up, when a hand covered in a sheet is raised eye level to him, covering his field of view. He’s silent, the gesture automatic tonight as his hand comes, palm up.
—
Oh dear, oh dear, she thinks. She needs to see him, she needs to find him, she needs to..
So many things she needs to do, and so very little time and ability to..
Her worn heel scuffs the pavement, this alien city so vibrant and alive, so different from what she's used to, but there's still a lingering hope, and a lot of longing. Her feet take her as they will, a plain ghost among children dressed in puff and sometimes dreams with tape.
She's still not sure why now, and how, but she must go, she must go, she must go, she has to, it's unthinkable not to.
The night is not so long enough for her to wander, she searches, looking for that someone, a dear part of her, like a magnet she follows and misses desperately. Her tepid steps and worn shoes eventually take her to an extravagant hall, a feeling that she should go in here, an irresistible command as she passes silently, patrons seemingly ignorant of her strange appearance. That’s when she sees him, a stranger, a not-so-stranger, and she can’t find the words.
He’s older, finely grown, someone she’s always been proud of, but there’s an air about him that she notices, never able to hide from her. She has only one thing in her hand, and she realizes now what it is she can only do.
He's meandering, he's adrift, and though she can’t be his savior, she can give him something irreplaceable.
—
“Gambler, are you all right?”
A warm and familiar hand lightly touches his shoulder, Aventurine doesn’t jerk or twitch, definitely not, as he straightens, looking around subtly. He silently schools his emotions, easing his clenched fist, his accelerated heart, as he turns back to his companion.
“Yes, I’m perfectly fine.”
—
In the dark of the night, when he's settled comfortably in bed, dreaming away his sleeping hours, a memory floats in.
It's a good day, the sun isn't so harsh, and they can take the opportunity to search for a rare treat amongst the sand and rocky cliffs, gathering the few crimson and tube-shaped flowers they could, to squeeze the sweet sap from its petals and boiling it of its impurities to extract small hardened pieces of colored sugar.
Is it sadness, is it happiness? He’s not sure, but when he wakes, tears drip from his eyes.
That sweet had tasted as honeyed and as warm as he had dreamed and remembered, that time when his sister's smiling silhouette blotted the sun.