perhaps it was a morbid curiosity. the kind of ill feeling that came with pressing on a bruise too much, the desperation of seeing just how bad it could get. or good. there was, strangely enough, even the prospect of something neutral if she let herself think of such a thing.

because, while she had the propensity for an overreaction, she had yet to properly judge the personalities of the unknown players of carroll's field. she'd undershot claude, overestimated everyone with the last name reynolds. she pushed open the doors to the church, dwelling in the truth that her world had pushed off kilter, and there was no righting it. but, she could try.

"ezra, right?" she spotted the man with the collar near the altar she hadn't stepped foot near since her confirmation. the whole scene was unfamiliar, refracted with light from the odd windows of the building. "or is it father ezra?"

(I got inspired to write our entrance into this grand party hosted by @tricksytreatz ! Do enjoy, and don't forget to celebrate with the appropriate tags!)

Ezra was glued to her bed.

She had done so much already, and yet the month still had a few days left. What else could she do? Seek thrills at haunted houses? Checked twice. Lurk in the Halloween stores that popped up? Check... a lot of times, she lost count. Eat an ungodly amount of candy apples and candy? Best believe that is checked. Dress up all fancy and spooky? Check, she practically does that every day. Meet people she considers friends? DOUBLE CHECK AND TRIPLE CHECK, BABY.

The young woman brushed a piece of silver hair out of her eyes. What else is there to do, she pondered as she tapped her pen against her tablet screen...

A pixel envelope popped up on her screen: "You've Got Mail :)", a tiny sticker that accompanied it had read. Ezra tilted her head, her eyes flickering at the notification. Naturally, she pressed on it, scanning an amethyst-purple invitation written with amber ink that a friend had forwarded...

She got invited to a Halloween party. It was truly an anniversary gala, yes, but THIS was huge...

Without missing a beat, Ezra spam-summoned Baby Saja, pointing frantically at the invite. "...I don't see the hype, jagiya." Baby shrugged, popping a cotton candy lollipop into his mouth. "BABY. Don't say that... This is MASSIVE." Ezra dramatically threw her hands onto the soft sides of his soft, nonchalant face. "I promise, after the party, I'll get you as many fire noodles as you want." She tilted her head at him, hoping he'll buy into that promise (she wanted an excuse to see him in a suit, in all honesty).

Baby pondered for a moment, then sighed. "Okay, you win this round, jagiya." He grinned and booped her on the forehead. "WOO!" She cheered and bounded off to the closet. "You'd better eat those fire noodles with me, though!" He called after her, inciting a dramatic wail of horror (she was nevertheless excited for that, though).

Hours later, they managed to find the mansion, arriving in the blink of an eye (courtesy of Baby's teleportation skills). Ezra brushed her long, pleated skirt and fixed her apron, while Baby fixed his clip-on tie. He didn't really get the chance to get formally dressed during his time as an idol, so this was new to him.

However, he tried to hide the admirable glow in his face upon seeing his date in a dress she had previously held off wearing for a more... dangerous occasion in the future. It didn't matter in the moment. They both loved these looks on each other.

"Ya-ha! The murderous maid and bludgeoning butler have arrived on the scene!" Ezra dramatically spun and posed, showcasing the absolute oomph of her skirt. "Mmmm, yes... couldn't you have picked a more 'family friendly' name for our costumes, though?" Baby polished a headstone as they walked on the stone pathway to the gates. "Well, we gotta be on-theme! It's Halloween, and everything is super scary!" Ezra raised her arms and put them behind her head...

Their relaxed demeanors screeched to a halt when a Boo popped up in front of them.

Ezra let out a violent scream and nearly tipped over in fright, but Baby caught her by the waist with one hand and adjusted her posture. "She's fine. This is a normal reaction." He spoke to the ghost as he popped a lollipop into his and her mouth. "Huhuhuuu! Welcome! Our hosts wanted you to have these, as they'll need just a bit more time to prepare..." The ghost handed them two Gameboy consoles before dissipating.

Ezra and Baby stared at the screens of the old handheld consoles. "Sick." They jinxed, Ezra being enthusiastic at the old piece of technology, and Baby... not exactly knowing how to work it.

Regardless, their path would soon pave the way for other guests' arrivals...

STAY LIKE YOU MEAN IT: an ARCWELL playlist. original world developed by @abconceuponatime. a corporate romance story, coming soon. severance meets mad men meets skyfall meets death note. full track list under cut.