Halloween Event (Pt. 2): Tricks and Treats

A trio of teens jostled each other about, laughing about one thing or another as they adjusted the simple masks they were wearing.

“Hey, get a look at this freak.” One of them said, nudging another with his elbow as a goth kid turned around the corner. “Bet it’s halloween every day for someone like him.”

The goth kid paused in front of him, his eyes dashing about as he tried to look for a way around the trio taking up most of the street. “Uh, you guys mind letting me through?”

“Yeah, look at all the makeup this pasty asshole is wearing.” The largest of the trio laughed, completely ignoring what the goth had said only to shove him back a step.

The goth froze in fright for a moment before coughing into his hand.

“Ah, what’s wrong? That little love tap hurt?”

“Apologies, I’ve never had the strongest of constitutions.” The goth told them with a weak smile and another cough.

“Then you probably shouldn’t be out at night. That’s when all the freaks come out.” The smallest of the trio warned him before stepping into the goth’s face. “Then again you’d fit right in with all of them.”

“You know it’s halloween so dressing up is kind of the idea.” The goth pointed out, before coughing into his hand.

“As monsters maybe, but not as… Uh, is he okay?” The apparently kindest of the trio asked, as the goth continued to cough with an increasing wetness to their voice.

“Oh, I’m fine… Heh…” The goth laughed, waving a gloved hand stained with black smudges as his long hair covered his eyes. “I just think it’s funny…”

“What is?” The smallest of the trio frowned, noticing that something was wrong as he saw a trail of black leaking from the side of the goth’s mouth.

“Well, you said Halloween is the day people dress up as monsters.” The pale teen explained with an ever widening grin. “So it stands to reason…”

The boy looked at them with pitch black eyes bleeding black and a bloody grin, “That today is the day monsters dress up as people.”

As two massive hands began to encircle them, the trio quickly turned tail and ran from the monster before it could catch them, tripping over themselves all the while.

Watching them flee as he wiped the ink from his face, the living cartoon couldn’t help but laugh at the retreating trio.

“Dumbasses.”

---

The little girl continued hopping down the street, leaping over every crack as she waited outside the store for her guardian.

Only to pause as she came across a little drawing on the ground that hadn’t been there just a few moments prior.

Looking up she glanced around the otherwise empty parking lot for whoever had drawn the little doodle, before turning her attention back to it when she couldn’t find anyone.

She blinked for a moment, before frowning curiously at the little man that had changed shape when she wasn’t looking.

As she continued to stare at the doodle, and as she stared at it it winked at her, causing her to jump in surprise.

The doodle mimicked her as it too jumped in fright, before seemingly cowering behind its hands at the terrifying little girl in a pink fairy tutu.

A small giggle escaped the girl as she watched the silly doodle, before eventually giving into her child like curiosity and poking it, causing the little doodle to stumble back with an affronted look.

This of course meant that the little girl had to poke it again.

Instead of letting her do this, the doodle leapt out of the way before shaking a finger at her, eliciting another giggle from the child as she continued to try and poke it.

After a few minutes of this the child’s guardian finally stepped out of the store and asked the girl what she was laughing at.

To which the child replied, “It’s a funny picture!”

“Oh?” The guardian asked, stepping up to look at said picture.

Only for said picture to explode off the ground from behind the girl, and take on the form of a towering inhuman figure.

“Oh shit!” The girl’s guardian cursed before grabbing the girl and quickly running away. The girl all the while waving good-bye to the doodle from over her guardian’s shoulder.

“Hopefully, that’ll teach them to actually keep an eye on their kid.” A voice told the doodle, earning a nod to the affirmative.

--- Joshua ---

Continuing through the streets, he couldn’t help but find an odd sort of amusement in casually walking through the streets in his full toon regalia. Something he knew most Masks actively avoided doing. (Then again I can’t be the only one going out as themselves for Halloween.)

This amusement was of course further heightened by the fact that every so often he would come across someone to play a friendly -or not so friendly- little trick on.

From a few of his high school bullies, who apparently couldn’t recognize him in his cabaret clothes -(Which is good to know.)- to the occasional child he’d entertain with his powers. A feat that while not necessarily the mischief he had set out to cause, still felt right to some part of him.

(Cartoons are for everyone, but that doesn’t change the fact that children are our biggest audience. It’s good to keep them entertained.) That same part pragmatically pointed out.

“True, but we should strive to be the kind of toon that all ages adore for ages to come.” He reminded himself. “We can be nothing less than a timeless classic.”

(Of course, of course.) He mentally nodded to himself.

“It’s just a shame the curfew means everyone is held up somewhere, otherwise we could’ve put a show on tonight.” He sighed to himself. “You know, supposedly other cities are packed on their Halloweens… The ones without yearly zombie or demonic invasions anyway.” (Really wish Chris clarified which of those this Halloween Haunt thing is.)

Not that he was stupid enough to actually go looking for it given how he could still in a rough-ish shape after his fight with TPK the day prior. (I’m just curious about what goes bump in the night.)

Speaking of curiosities, he found his being further peaked by the sight of