𝖘𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖞 𝖌𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊

The distance between the men was palpable even though a hand was on Oryan's shoulder moments ago. They continued to hold their cards to their chest, neither wishing to reveal the hand they'd drawn. It was better this way or at least Jack certainly thought so. One thing that brought him comfort was knowing they'd met again in death, neither truly able to destroy the other as they already roamed as corpses. "That's what I like to hear," he grinned widely, knowing the words must've tasted metallic leaving his killer's lips. They had yet to escape one another. Their unfinished business was so rich that even fate brought them back together. "You have to open your mind to the possibilities." Jack's eyes grazed their surroundings and the extent of the hotel that had provided them with a place to enjoy the evening. "Stop thinking so much," the blonde boy nudged him with an elbow, grabbing a champagne flute for them both as they passed by on a tray. "All you need to know is that I'm here now. That's what matters, is it not?" An eyebrow arching curiously, wondering if they would continue to play the game or if his fun would be spoiled.

At least someone had understood the ways he'd become used to in Halloweentown. Things topside weren't nearly as spooky but far more exciting than anything he'd seen down there. As much as he enjoyed being the Pumpkin King, there seemed to be much more than just the world he spent his afterlife in. All sorts of questions arose as he discovered the things that had changed, and a new curiosity was unlocked. "Ah, you see, it's the most magical thing," he explained using his hands as props to his story, dancing them through the air. "Little white specks fall from the sky, a tree is adorned with decor, and boxes sit beneath it that are opened on a very special morning." That was what he had discovered thus far but was relearning what this holiday had to offer. Jack couldn't explain why it called to him, hoping once he learned more about the time of year that would become clear. "A job? Always good to keep one busy," he hummed shoving his hands back into his pockets and shifting his weight onto his toes. "Is our Oogie being a good host? I certainly hope so." Especially seeing as though it was his hand that ended Jack's life, he wished to make sure the woman was being cared for.

A light chuckle escapes her at his joke, though she knows there was some truth in how desperately Jack likely felt at wanting to do this night right. It was in their most basic being, the desire to celebrate Halloween the true and proper way they always have back in Halloweentown, but that didn’t mean any of the mortals or even monsters here in this realm were ready to handle it. “Perhaps we work our way up to a real fright. Start with small scares, every few days until next year they might be ready for the real deal,” she suggests. It’s a good thought, she likes to think, though she’s unsure how much Jack actually wants to stand out in this world. She herself was trying to do her best to blend in and hide as much as she could, so as not to somehow alert her father of her presence here. “If anyone can handle a task like getting humans into the proper Halloween spirit it’s certainly the Pumpkin King.”

He was curious as to what these people knew about Halloween and what importance it had where he hailed from. At least they had put in some sort of effort but the Pumpkin King wasn't impressed. Most of the costumes were something he didn't recognize or more about showing skin than scaring the pants off someone. At least she understood what it was that the day brought, going as far as matching his own theatrics which brought his grin to its widest capacity. "I am glad to have found someone who sees things as they should be," he agreed. "Perhaps this town isn't ready for the Pumpkin King yet. They are still trying to convince me that this is what a skeleton looks like." The man took hold of a plastic prop that dangled nearby, glaring up at his as his face scrunched in confusion. When he was at his best bones this was certainly not what he looked like but assumed they had no interest in knowing their fault. "Maybe Christmas could use some Hallowscheer that we can spread to those near and dear," he hummed in thought and turned his attention back to the girl. "How are you enjoying your evening? What do you think of their little Halloween vision?"

Jack's smirk was curling as his once friend continued to speak. If only he knew that his own transformation had brought Jack back from the dead. None of that would benefit the conversation and it was nothing that could be undone now, meaning they were stuck with one another again. Neither could die from a simple knife anymore and had bigger things to fear than death. "An old dog like you can still learn new tricks?" A wild laugh tumbled as a hand pushed into the shoulder of his comrade, finding the humor in the situation that Oryan lacked. They were always different but now it was becoming all the more obvious in their eternities. "Awe come on now Oogie, you know I can't show you everything up my sleeve." He swayed on his heels as he glanced over at the man who sent him to the grave. A smile was everpresent on his lips, finding the amusement in existence unlike many of those who were truly alive. "Don't tell me you're trying to get rid of me already? I just got here."

The blonde straightened his posture, standing tall beside the girl he had startled. While it wasn't his intention, it came naturally for Jack to lurk amidst the shadows and be as quiet as a mouse in his approach. A smile formed at her accusation, even a laugh tumbling out as it spread across his face. "My apologies, miss," Jack apologizes with his arms out to show he comes in peace before they settle interlocked behind his back. "You can keep your head today, it's not what I am after. I have one of my own, you see." He fights the temptation to take it off just for show, believing that would certainly scare her off and he'd be unable to get the information he sought. The man's eyes referenced down to her notebook before he spoke. "Something in your book, I can't recall how I know but I was wondering if I could take a look if you don't mind." Perhaps he could get away without explaining but Jack feared he would need to reveal more for the woman to understand his situation.

It was very strange, seeing the holiday that she had spent every day of her life celebrating back home finally have its turn in the moral realm. This was Sally’s first official Halloween being spent anywhere other than Halloweentown itself, and she couldn’t deny how desperately it was making her miss the little world she once called home. Not that she wanted to be mean about the way in which the human’s were celebrating this day, but well, it was just all so lackluster in comparison to the basic day to day life she had been used to in the past. She had simply thought that they would go far bigger than this, even the hotel sanctuary for monsters seemed a bit dull compared to what she had been expecting. But that was fine, really - now she knew what it was like in the mortal realm and she would be better prepared for next year. Perhaps she might even have enough friends herself by then to have a party of her own, show the humans how to really do Halloween.

As for now though, she was simply attending the party as her roommate’s plus one. It was a bit dangerous, coming to the Hotel Transylvania knowing there was a chance her father could be here tonight, but so long as Oogie was around, she should be fine. That was the thought she kept reminding herself as she wandered around the party, slowly sipping on the punch that had been offered when they had first arrived. It wasn’t a surprise that she didn’t really know anyone here, having hardly made any friends outside of Oryan and his three little henchmen, but the sight of a familiar figure brings a spark of anticipation and she finds herself approaching him for the first time since she followed him to this world. “Hello Jack,” she greets softly once she’s by his side, her usual warm smile already in place as she looks up at him. Whether he would recognize her from their brief encounters back in Halloweentown, Sally wasn’t sure, but she felt it was best to at least try a conversation. “They certainly celebrate… differently here than back home, don’t they?”

The party presented an opportunity to mingle and learn about this new world he'd found. Enough had changed where Jack was eager to see what this time had to offer him. While he was technically given a job, making sure Oryan didn't get into more trouble, he figured the ride along the way should be just as enjoyable. This hadn't been an official second chance at life but Jack was taking it like one. It also just so happened to be his favorite night of the year, when all of his creepiest and crawliest residents came to the surface. One of which included himself who was still observing everyone's costumes to take note of who hadn't put in any effort at all. It never ceased to amaze him how many people hadn't even tried to do anything original, putting on a suit and a mask that only covered their cheekbones then attempting to call it a costume.

That's what he had been busy scrutinizing when a voice rang him back. Jack knew her but found himself struggling for a name, hoping that a confident smile would forgive his forgetfulness. "A happy Halloween to you," he greeted giving a theatric bow to boot. The mention of their home made a chuckle trickle from his lips while his eyes shot back out into the crowd. "I haven't seen a single scare all night. It's like everyone forgets what this day is about." A disappointed head shake was given to the people who hadn't a clue that the Pumpkin King himself stood in their very midst. "I wish I could show them what a real fright is like but I don't think they could handle it," he half-joked, knowing his true form would send some running for the hills.

The party had been going fine, nothing really worth noting having occurred, which was a good yet albeit boring turn of events. Especially considering how big of a target they all were, hosting a hotel full of magical beings with the hunters so strong and out on the prowl. But Oryan was hardly concerned with that - in fact, he almost wished they would dare to attack again so soon. It would help spark even more upset within this community, making it far easier for him to get more bodies on his side. A war was brewing, and Oogie planned to be prepared for when it finally began. But he supposed he could acknowledge that perhaps tonight wasn’t the night to start it all. Not when this holiday was so important to so many of them. So he kept his opinions to himself, never once bringing up his business or plans to anyone, no matter how great of a recruitment opportunity tonight could have been.

It wasn’t until he saw the familiar figure of a man he would recognize anywhere standing off to the side, wearing a ridiculous mask that no one else would ever dare. For a brief flash of a moment, Oryan assumes he’s just seeing things - thinking all of this to be far too impossible to be real. But then he remembers Tramp and his own return from the dead and it suddenly seems far more plausible that he is indeed staring right down at one Jack Skellington. A man he himself had put in the grave years ago. Approaching him was a bad idea, one that went against the promises he had made to himself to behave tonight, but how is he supposed to not investigate? Answers needed to be had and who knew when or where Oogie would get the chance to see him again.

“Being dead seems to be treating you well there, Skellington,” he starts off with once he’s standing next to the younger man, not even bothering with hellos or fake niceties. Oryan’s eyes scan over his entire body, looking for any signs of decay or death lingering upon him, but he finds nothing of major note. Just like Tristan, he seemed to be fully alive again and back to his usual self. Though this felt somewhat different, in a way that Oogie didn’t know exactly how to pinpoint or explain. “You know, I’d be shocked to see you here again - but I should have known you’re too stubborn of an asshole to ever stay away for good.” It was a lighthearted joke, though it hardly held any humor considering he had been the one to kill the man in the first place.

The event presented the perfect opportunity to look for the man who put him six feet under in the first place. It was the very same that had brought him back now, something awakening in the woods when Oryan returned to base. While that was Jack's initial goal that evening there had become far many more things to get distracted by, such as the decorations which he clocked as less than spooktacular. He'd been poking at one of their skeletons when the man of the night spoke to him first. "I could say the same thing about you," Jack quipped, looking from the decor and to the man who quite literally had left a knife in his back. "You do look old though, I'd recommend dying young." For all the years that Oryan kept living, Jack was beneath the earth without a remembrance of what his appearance used to be. Instead, he had been able to come back into his body exactly how he'd left it and it had shown for his newly transformed old friend. "I know you've missed me, you can say it." A smile curled onto the edges of the man's lips and finally locked eyes with the hands who had killed him all those years ago. "You've probably been dying to see me."