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Elli arrived at the festival a bit out of breath, having rushed down as soon as she could. All throughout her classes she hadn't been able to concentrate at all and as soon as class had let out she had been confused about the notes she'd taken (which had been mostly doodles) and hadn't managed to catch what the homework was. She'd spent the better part of the afternoon before the festival running around and trying to find someone in each of her classes to get those from, and the time to head down to the festival had come and gone while she sorted it out.

Then, to make matters worse, she hadn't been able to find the wig she'd bought to go with her costume. Next year she would be too old to dress up and head down to the festival (some said she was already too old) and she wanted to have the best time she could this year! In a fit of desperation, she'd spoken with one of the other arkham students, pleading to borrow a wig from them. It wasn't perfect but it would do in a pinch.

With her dress on and make-up in place, she looked remarkably similar to Morticia Addams from one of her favorite shows. She was more than pleased when the attendant at the entry booth recognized who she was, flashing a bright smile once her breathing evened out. There weren't many buckets left, but a pale purple one caught her eye and she opted for that one. Another few steps into the festival and one of the older nightmares handed her an adorable little ghost trinket. She warmly thanked them and slid it into her bucket. Once she got back to her dorm, she'd be giving it a couple modifications, but after that it could hang in her windows.

Rubbing their sore arm Glitch continued down the path, rookie by his side the whole way no matter how fast Glitch was going for themselves. It was getting to the point where many of the Freshlings were heading home and only some of the older kids were sticking around. This made things more difficult, because it also meant that a lot of houses were turning out their lights for the night and Glitch would have to walk farther between houses to gather candy.

Glitch: "Fiddle sticks, hurry lets get a move on rookie. No time for breaks."

Caretaker: "Glitch would you mind holding up for a second. Some of the other kids are starting to get tired and want to go back. What do you want to do?"

Glitch: "I-I"
Having been drawn out of there imagination yet again was putting them at a loss for words. It took them a few seconds to regain their personality having been jarred out of character so quickly, but they replied none the less.

Glitch: "I would like to keep gathering candy even if it's just by myself."

Caretaker: "I don't feel comfortable with you trick or treating by yourself."

Just as they said that a group of two Freshlings from the Academy walked by. Sivar and Azuura, from what Glitch had remembered. Calling the two over Glitch's caretaker asked if it was alright for Glitch to go with them. Sivar didn't seem impressed, but Azuura on the other hand was extremely happy to have another tag along.

Caretaker: "If you're going to stay out here you have to follow your group of friends and go home when they do. Do you understand?"

Glitch had nodded quickly starting to feel impatient and wanting to run along to the next house.

Caretaker: "Okay then, you know the curfew and I'll be up waiting for you all to get back home. Go have a good time."

Glitch having gotten grabbed hold by Azuura had also done the same to Sivar and ran forward with the two with added enthusiasm by the added party member.

Azuura: "THIS IS GONNA BE GREAT!!!!"



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After sliding into a black hoodie and track pants what was left for Sivar to do was to paint the few parts of his face black that his mask didn't already cover. It was a simple skeleton costume with not a lot of hard work or imagination put into it, but Sivar didn't really feel the pressure to put much effort into the evening anyways. Even so, wearing something like this would be warm and comfortable throughout the evening. As well you have to consider the rush he was put into having just decided to go the day of.

This lack of enthusiasm didn't seem to affect the friend who was at the center of the outing instigating this all. They had gone to the trouble of gathering all the pieces of a baseball uniform. They had the entire uniform from the cap down to the socks and kleets. It wouldn't be so scary if it wasn't for the face paint he had on and the blood splattered baseball bat they made with a bit of red paint. Sivar tried to look unimpressed and put on his best dejected face, but that didn't seem to affect the situation much. And now that the two of them were leaving the dorms he felt worse off than the embarrassment of going having the least interesting costume by far out of the two of them.

Sivar: 'Whatever, its not like I want to be here." Sivar thought to themselves. Lazilly grabbing a pail on his way out Sivar half heartedly kept pace with his friends a few steps ahead.





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The next house along the road was pretty quiet. Someone had gone to the trouble of setting up decorations in this yard, but they had not decided to sit outside or anything like that. There were carved pumpkins on the front walk, and friendly plastic skeletons posed in a variety of positions along the porch rail. Most of them were seated, some with their arms wrapped around each other, or a head leaning on a shoulder. Two even appeared to be kissing! There was black and orange crepe paper hung up around the porch eaves as well. The kids crowded up the steps, with Xenophon and Jurvik ending up in the back.

When they got to the door, the homeowner smiled at them. Her bowl of candy was nearly empty. "You two are cute. Parent and child?"

Jurvik nodded. "Yes. It's our first Haunted Hallows together."

The lady beamed at them and fished a pair of bracelets out of her bowl. She handed an orange one to Xenophon, who gleefully slid it on his rest, and a purple one to Jurvik. Jurvik slipped it on. "You two are just too cute," the lady murmured. "Don't you be losing each other now."

"Hadn't planned on it, ma'am. Happy Haunted Hallows!" They waved good-bye to the nice lady and followed the pack of children down the stairs and back onto the sidewalk.



Batholith was getting tired of just trick-or-treating. He led his young friend over to the games. A dart table had attracted his attention, and the crowd was starting to thin out. Bath liked darts. It wasn't that it had been his favorite game, exactly. His favorite game had probably been hearts or something like that. But throwing darts was something he was good at. Mostly because it related to certain...other skills he had picked up on the streets.

A quick inspection of the darts satisfied him as to their safety. They would not pierce his skin or his flesh. Tapping them against the board at the front of the booth confirmed that the enchantment on the darts ensured that they could pierce only the balloons on the far wall. So what would the optimal strategy be? Pick a color balloon, and aim for it. That sounded like a good idea. He tossed the dart in the air to get the weight of it, aimed, and threw it at a bright red balloon. It made a satisfied popping sound. The game master picked up the piece of paper. "Candy and a stuffed animal!" They reached for a purple bat on the wall.

"Actually, my friend has that one already. Do you have the brown one?"

The game master chuckled. "Seems like a lot of people are collecting those this year! We do have a brown one, yes. It seems to be one of the less popular ones, poor thing." They picked up a brown bat and a bag of caramel eyeballs. Bath accepted them with a thank-you and put the bat and the eyes in Foras's pumpkin pail. "Would you like another go?"

Bath grinned. "I'd love another go." Amygdale meowed at his feet in agreement.

"Am not," Anchriesel muttered at the freshling. Bloody cheek. He'd have to figure out some way to dump the brat at some point--but not now. Chries looked around for something to do, and settled on a bobbing for apples game. "Come on, Perigor. Let's go check that out." They were standing in line around the bucket when Chries realized that this might be a very bad idea indeed...

But it was too late. They'd set their buckets--and the pumpkin--down and tucked their arms behind their backs. A bunch of other students, mostly juniors, were gathered around the tub. A couple of them smiled at Chries and waved. He smiled and waved back. They turned away from him and giggled. Chries tilted his head. Who were they, anyway? Why did people always giggle at him? It was sort of off-putting. Like, did he have broccoli stuck in his teeth or something?

He had no time to ask as the game master called "GO!" and the participants ducked their heads towards the bucket, trying to catch the apples with their teeth. The game master counted loudly in the background. Chries lunged forward and just barely grabbed a red apple with his teeth. He held it up high and stepped away from the tub.



Bobbing for apples? Peri had heard of it before, but no one had ever said what it involved. For some reason, he'd always assumed it required a blindfold. But apparently it didn't. It just involved water and apples and a lot of squawking. Seemed like Peri's kind of game, actually. He leaned over the tub, arms tucked behind his back, until the signal to go. Water splashed all around, getting his costume soggy wet. The teenagers were laughing a lot, and screaming. But Peri was a steely-eyed hybrid of action. He was going to get an apple as a prize, gosh darnit!

Er, gosh darnit! Nope, not that one, then. Come back here, you frickin' apple! What seemed like a frantic hour passed in frenzied seconds until finally, teeth sunk into a sour green apple, Perigor backed away from the tub, triumphant.

The game master called an end and waved the successful students towards him. "You can keep the apples," he laughed. "But you there, the blond Imp, you were first. Here you go!" He handed Chries a stuffed vespercat and a lollipop. An orange vespercat! Peri was jealous. What he wouldn't give for a vespercat plush like that! But oho, what was this? "You were next. So this is yours!"

He handed Perigor a stuffed vespercat with a popcorn glove hanging from it. He squeezed it tight and grinned at the game master. "Thank you!" he gasped.

There was muttering from the other side of the tub. A pack of juniors were leveling filthy looks as they received lesser prizes. "He was the last one to grab an apple!" one girl hissed. "He only got a prize because he's the youngest!"

Peri felt his cheeks burn. He snatched up his pail and his pumpka, stuffed his new plush in the pumpkin, and turned away from the girls. So he was the youngest. So what? He'd cheated somehow, apparently, that was what was what. And he hadn't even meant to! He just wanted to win a prize!

A clawed hand settled on his shoulder. "Come on," Anchriesel murmured. "Let's go, Perigor."

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Nibbling on the cotton candy as she walked alongside the caretaker, Pepper covered her mouth as she yawned. She had certainly done a lot of walking today and it was nearly bedtime. There was probably time for a few more houses before the caretaker would take her back to the dorms. She would just have to make sure these last few ones gave out really good treats!

Determined not to miss out on the next few houses, Pepper let the caretaker hold onto her half eaten candy and strode right up to the next house. There was a bowl sitting on the porch, but nobody in sight. Peeking into it, she didn't see anything but black. Was there even still candy in it? The demon put her hand in tentatively, groping about until she felt something. Pulling it out, it was. . . a rock. Oh. . .Well, it wasn't a horrid rock, all smooth and shiny, but it wasn't candy. Not even the gross kind she'd gotten. "Thank you. . ." she said anyway, disappointed. As she was about to turn around, a plush came flying out of the bowl as well and into her face. Stunned, she looked down at the toy that had fallen out. A . brown bat plush? But, she had already gotten the rock from it? Maybe it was for little ones who said thank you regardless of whether or not it was a treat they had gotten?

"Thank you!" she said, much brighter now, as she stored the new toy and her rock into her pail. That was much better than just the rock! Feeling much more enthusiastic, and a lot less sleepy, she bounced back to the caretaker to finish the rest of her candy as they went to visit the next house.

Tarin looked around as Quilo led them out into the hall and debated their options.

"I suppose we could go--go...--go..." she had to let go of his hand as she started sneezing out of control, her face swelling just slightly. "I...I...Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!" her head bobbed each time another sneeze erupted out of her. "I better go outside..." she sniffed and then sneezed again. "I fink I'm awergic to somefing in here..." she sneezed several times and waved away any attempts at help. "I'll...be fine...Achoo! Go enjoy da west of it...Achoo! See you waiter."

She quickly turned and bolted back through the kitchen and outside as she continued to sneeze. Her nose and eyes streaming as she finally got outside and managed to find somewhere to sit down and clean her face and take a few deep breaths. She wondered absently what had set her off, sounded like something she'd have to ask Momma Rosie about and get a trip to the doctor to get some tests done. She sniffed again and opened her first aid kit and pulled out a tissue to blow her nose and pat her eyes dry.

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Tarin was surprised as she tried to lean back and get her breathing under control again that there was a squeak from her back. She jumped a bit and watched as a brown nezubat crawled around.

"Another one?" she said with a sigh then glanced up at Astonish. "Need a friend?" she got a chitter in return as the pink bat seemed to chew out the brown one.

Tarin sighed and then jumped as yet another bat swooped down on her, this one colored like Quilo's. "Okay this is just ridiculous!" she said with a huff.