xrakkax
Elder Member
Across the room Lorenzo happily guided his adorable tease dressed in a tantalizing red cloak to the first game. The two took up bean-bags to shoot the target on a lever. When struck, it released the latch and the teacher sitting upon the paddle fell into the water tank. They earned several tickets as well as encouraging cheers from the students who were desperate to see Coach Earl get his due!
Next, they met up with Charlotte at a virtual knife-throwing game. The sisters, having a mother who built a career on staking hearts, knew just how to handle these weapons. Lorenzo found himself lacking in comparison. While Kaylee could strike a target like breathing when she had a bow, and she got more hits with a dagger than Lorenzo, this time around Charlotte shined as a natural flinger of blades. They parted on good terms though.
Thereafter, Kaylee and Lorenzo came to several more games. They built up tickets to get items they were interested in at the prize booth. Standing off to the side to enjoy a sampling of cotton candy before going to the Haunted House, both were witnessed to an intriguing moment in Lottie’s life.
It was after winning a ticket for an agility game that a shy Freshman came shuffling over in his Ash Ketchum costume, with a stuffed pikachu on his left shoulder, to speak with Charlotte. “Ahem,” he weakly coughed. “Sorry to uh, to bother you um—I’m Noah, and um,” his cheeks burned. He could barely look up at Charlotte. “Would you want to have a dance with—with me?”
The question came out so quietly that Charlotte nearly missed it. She stood, blank faced, for a good few seconds before it dawned on her what was happening. Wide mocha eyes took in the sight of the brave boy who fought his fear to talk with her. Had the time really come? Was she being seen as a woman? Then doubt came to crash onto her shoulders as her mind pointed out this was a Freshman; a baby, just like her, who might not know she was a Sophomore. She hadn’t met him before either, so there was a good chance Noah had only wanted to dance from watching her win so much. While not thrilled, Charlotte didn’t see a reason to shut him down.
“Sure, okay,” Charlotte sighed in agreement, taking his hand and leading them to the dance floor when a fast-paced song came on.
Cara, just coming to the snacks with Matt after several dances, cooed, “Aw, little Dove.”
Chuckling, Matt said, “Careful that she doesn't hear you.”
Arriving just in time, Paulo—between breaks from the Haunted House—and Elijah, who had been having a blast going around to ‘battle’ the monsters willing to play along, came for their own break.
Paulo asked, “Doesn’t hear what?”
Waving her hand dismissively, Cara said, “Nothing, Matt’s just being overly cautious. How have you guys been?”
“Great! We have a lot of fun pictures,” Elijah grinned. “Paulo and I ended up trying to make a chronological story, but we’re having trouble seeing how they all fit together.”
“Yeah, it’s been fun,” Paulo finished his drink and wiped his mouth clean. “But I gotta get back to the Haunted House now. Probably gonna ride the rest of the time that it’s open with Serenity. Danson is apparently annoying her since he decided to stay and keep an eye on the TARDIS he hid along the trail. See you guys!”
The friends said their farewells and Matt hummed ponderously, “Hey, we should find Tysha and get Charlotte, then go through the Haunted House. What do you guys think?”
Lorenzo shrugged and said, “Fine with me.”
“Sounds good,” Elijah smiled.
Cara sighed, “Okay, but this time if we fall into any portal, don’t just squeal in my ear. That hurt!”
Scoffing in mock offense, Matt protested, “I did not squeal.”
“Oh sorry, does ‘shriek like a little girl’ make you feel better?” Cara asked in false innocence.
“No,” Matt rolled his eyes. He muttered under his breath that Danson had a higher pitch anyway.
Speaking of the many-limbed devil, Tysha came laughing and tumbling over to them. “Hey guys!” She grabbed a cup to drink. “Whatcha up to?”
“Haunted House time!” Matt announced.
“Oh, Haunted House!” Tysha repeated happily, pausing to take a good swig of her cold beverage. “That’s great. When?”
“As soon as Charlotte comes back,” Elijah gave a nod.
The young girl did her best to make the dance with Noah worth the trouble he went through to request it, but as soon as it ended and they parted on good terms, she was glad to join back with her friends.
“You got a dance, girl!” Cara praised.
“Yeah, with a toddler like me,” Charlotte puffed, grabbing a snack or two, trying not to scrunch her face.
"Maybe he's just late to blossom too," Tallulah offered in defense of the Freshman who had been nothing but bright eyes for Charlotte. "Don't be so harsh on yourself, girl."
Even if Charlotte was less than pleased with her partner, Kaylee had to say she was excited for her sister to be asked to a dance. He might have been slightly younger than they were, but to her it still took quite a bit of courage to approach someone to ask for a dance. If anything, knowing she was a higher grade than he was made Kaylee respect the young man even more. Sure, he might not have been a chiseled, confident presence like Lorenzo was, but he still seemed nice.
“Enough about that though,” Charlotte said. “How are you guys doing?”
"The dance has been going great,” Kaylee offered, finishing off her punch and discarding the cup as she kept her place at Lorenzo's side. Just the thought of some of their more heated moments that were lost in the throng of bodies had her cheeks pink, though she played it off as she went on to what the group consensus was. "I think we're all going to head over to the Haunted House next." The party was still going and it only made sense to enjoy it while it lasted, although Kaylee already had thoughts of suggesting just what they do after the house.
Perking, Charlotte said, “Oh fun! Yeah, let’s do that—Wait, where’s Sam?”
Tallulah gave a nonchalant shrug at the question of his location. He was a nice guy and all, but she wasn't in charge of keeping track of him anymore.
Putting on the most serious face she could, Kaylee shook her head slowly. "We don't sit with Sam anymore."
Charlotte squinted in careful study of sister. Could this be a bluff?
Solemnly, Elijah said, “It’s a real shame.”
“I never thought he’d do something so…” Matt trailed off, shaking his head.
A break in the fellowship wasn’t something you didn’t tell the others! What could have happened?! Charlotte paled and gaped, turning to her sister and asking fervently, “What? What is it?”
Kaylee tried her hand at a Mean Girls impression before chuckling, "Kidding.”
Charlotte exhaled in relief first, then pursed her lips to try to stifle an amused grin at being tricked while the others had their fun laughing. She gave the closest of them a small smack on their shoulder. “Oh, to hell with you guys!”
Regaining his breath, Matt said, “Seriously though, does anyone know?”
Kaylee answered, “I think I last saw him at the games with a few of his friends. I don't think he's coming with?"
“Actually I think he might have been commandeered as one of the monsters for the Haunted House,” Elijah said. “Either way, he won’t be angry if we went since we can’t find him. Come on.”
On their way to the library they chatted casually about their night thus far. Lorenzo and Kaylee happened to mention Regina, Hugo, and Paisley. They reflected on their difficulties with Regina and the pantie-bra-rope they made for their revenge.
“—should have seen her face at camp,” Charlotte grinned.
“I did,” Lorenzo chuckled. “I was in the back though. It was very funny.” Not all of them were supportive of revenge pranks, but they had to admit it was amusing. Lorenzo certainly thought so! “Regina’s hot, but she does have a nasty side.”
If there was something that could put a more sour taste in Kaylee's mouth in so few syllables, she couldn't imagine what it would be. Even if there were undeniable physical features that some might find attractive (especially since her awful nose was surgically improved) that didn't mean Kaylee could ever find someone with such an ugly heart attractive.
The blatant praise of the physique of their frenemy only caught Charlotte somewhat off-guard. It wasn’t as if his opinion of Regina’s appearance wasn’t shared by many. It was just odd to hear him say so, and with no hint of caution. If anyone else had the same thought, they didn’t get to express it. Without paying attention they had already arrived at the Haunted House and passed through the threshold.
A ghostly wail in the distance stole their attention. The skittering of taps on wood painted images of spiders in their heads. Each of them naturally gravitated into a tighter group.
“Serenity and Paulo don’t mess around,” Cara muttered, feeling her body jolt when something woodshed overhead.
High above them were pale vaporous shapes swooping over, mouths agape in silent screams when they weren’t looking up, but any time a child glanced they pierced their ears with a shriek.
“Heads down!” Matt shivered, hoping he wouldn't be tempted to peek.
Lorenzo was thankful for his wolfish mask that worked like a visor. He also didn’t complain, keeping his eyes down all the same, what with his Little Red Riding Hood companion right beside him. The costume Kaylee wore gave him little reason not to comply.
Through the dips and highs of the Haunted House, they were all properly thrilled with the adrenaline rush of controlled fear. However, they still wanted to answer the big question.
“Did you see the TARDIS yet?” Matt asked them quietly as they turned a corner.
“Not yet…” Elijah answered.
They had gone through three whole scenes of horror and a single daring test of their nerves without a sniff of the tall police box. From what they knew from Serenity and Paulo, they had only two scenes left of horror and one more of daring before the trail ended.
“Wait,” Charlotte paused, seeing a bust sculpture of a familiar man in one of the scenes ahead of them. His shirt had a bow tie and he wore a fez hat. In his hand he held something long and metal.
They came to a stand-still. Matt asked, “What is it?”
“That’s the eleventh Doctor, isn’t it?” Charlotte pointed.
They peered past the statues of winged angels covering their faces in the graveyard to see it carved on the front of a tomb. Indeed, the ‘Raggedy Man’ stared out at anyone who passed with a knowing grin.
Everyone grew excited at the sight before them, even if it was from an old TV show. The frightening sight of the Weeping Angels was enough to root some in their place while others lunged forward to try and snatch up the sonic screwdriver. Less than familiar with the show specifics, but frightened nonetheless by just how eerie the statues were, Tallulah made the mistake of standing still before snowballing into something worse.
In a flash, the stationary statues flickered from their places when they were wholly unwatched. One of them happened to be halted just before they could reach Tallulah. The hands, tipped with Stoney claws, outstretched. Their faces were far from angelic; silent shrieking mouths lined with fangs, the apples of their cheeks bunched up their narrowed eyes between brows dipped angrily.
"These things are creepy!" Tallulah yelped, clenching her eyes shut before anyone could tell her not to blink.
The simulation did it's part for the angels to come and touch her, instantly dropping her from the scene by a portal in the ground and leading her to the end of the house for those who had passed.
More familiar after listening to exciting chatter for weeks, Kaylee snatched at Lorenzo's hand, yanking him so they were back to back.
Lorenzo inhaled sharply, glancing around, “What—,”
"Don't blink!" Kaylee commanded, using her peripherals to look at the statue. "We have to get closer but we can't let the angels get us."
Catching on to what Kaylee meant after finding Matt vanished when Lorenzo’s blink made him vulnerable to the angel just feet away, he decided to alternate between eyes so that he didn’t dry them out.
“Careful, careful!” Cara said as she formed a human wheel with all eyes outward.
Tysha had to chuckle, “Oh man, I can tell Danny had fun with this one!”
“Fun isn’t the word I’d use,” Charlotte spoffed. “More like sadistic satisfaction.” She kept her eyes on the angels in front of her as they stepped toward the sonic screwdriver. “Lorenzo, Kaylee—you guys alright?”
“Yes, we’re okay,” Lorenzo answered. “Should we follow you guys?”
“How far away are you?” Charlotte asked.
“Uuuh, I think—Oh shit!” Lorenzo’s heart jolted. The question distracted him enough that he forgot not to blink. A twisted-faced Angel now stood directly beside him, out of the visual scope of Kaylee. “I don’t know and I’m kinda panicking.”
Tysha said, “Just hold on. Maybe the screwdriver will do something.”
Slowly they shuffled over with only two close calls. Finally Charlotte was able to reach out and grab it. She didn’t know what to expect. Charlotte wiggled it around, tapped it, twisted, pressed buttons, and everything.
“Any luck?” Cara asked.
Charlotte huffed, “What do we do with it?”
“Point it at something!” Tysha said. “Think about the TARDIS.”
Doing so, in less time than she expected, they heard the familiar grind and whine of the blue police box. A portal opened and the TARDIS materialized.
“Woo!” Cara cheered. “Alright, let’s shuffle inside. Come on, we can do this!”
Artfully, they managed to shuffle all the way into the doors of the TARDIS, leaving behind the overgrown graveyard and the alien statues. Tysha made sure the door was fully shut before giving them the queue that it was fine not to worry about blinking now.
Each step to the screwdriver and then to the TARDIS had been torture to Kaylee. Never in her life had she wanted to blink so badly. The knowledge that her and her friends depended on keeping her eyes open was barely enough to get by. The times statues crept close her heart had thudded in her chest, worried they weren't going to make it all the way up until they were in the safety of the police box.
"Jeez, that was intense," Kaylee exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "I wonder how many made it through besides us?"
“I dunno, but that’s a problem for another day—Run!”
The trail ahead proved challenging. Dalek’s, Tin-Men, and many more monsters and aliens awaited them. There was a clever puzzle to undo, a possible appearance of River Song in the shadows, and a death-defying face-off with the struggles of morality. In the end Kaylee, Lorenzo, and Charlotte remained. Cara and Tysha were long since gone.
“This,” Charlotte panted, “Has got to be the best and worst experience I’ve had at a Halloween party.”
Lorenzo wiped his face of the sweat collecting under his fur. “You can say that again. I just hope we’re almost done.”
The last challenge apparently had to do with a simple choice between an apple or fishfingers and custard. They had to choose which to pack in the lunchbox of the holofigure of the Eleventh Doctor.
“I know which one,” Charlotte said, stuffing the fish-fingers into a baggy that she put into a paper bag, followed by a jar of custard. “There you go Doctor.”
The holofigure received it with a grateful smile, “Ah, thank you!” He said, before heading to the exit. Just before he left, he turned and said, “The TARDIS will bring you back to where you need to be. Have fun, good luck, and remember—bow ties are cool.”
As soon as the Doctor winked and left them, the children were treated to another grind and whine of sound. Once it stopped the door opened and familiar faces came walking in with gifts.
“Félicitations à vous trois!” Their Aunt Lauri beamed, carrying a package of prizes along with her husband.
"Congratulations indeed! Quite the clever and quick thinking from you all," Oliver joined in the praise as they approached the trio.
Similar to his wife, they both wore the black formal robes for the famed fictional school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with a sweater vest beneath and house-appropriate colored tie. Lauri’s yellow and black couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than Hufflepuff. For the British Lion, there was no question as to his house of choice, proudly wearing the maroon and gold colors of Gryffindor. In his movements to meet the students who had completed the house, the shuffling had caused Oliver’s tie to run lopsided, something to be corrected when he had his hands to himself again.
Lauri laid out the options for their gifts on the table along with Oliver. She folded her hands and stepped to the side so they might have a look. Hazel eyes were drawn to the displaced tie at her husband's throat who stood on the other end of the table. She adjusted her skirt to keep her fingers from reaching over. A small smirk spread, though Lauri tamed it smooth while in the presence of children.
"Well then, what prize will it be?" Oliver asked.
Still dealing with the adrenaline from their run, Kaylee only gave their aunt and uncle a grin before peeking at their options. One basket that was a movie theme reminded her of the giftcard still sitting on a shelf at home, never used with Joss. Deciding not to waste a prize on that, she looked past and settled on an elaborate snack box filled with all kinds gourmet snacks and treats.
"I'll take that one, please," Kaylee requested.
"Or course, dear. A prize well earned! And if memory serves me correctly, for a second year in a row, as well," Oliver recalled, handing over the box to her. "Von Helsing competitiveness, no doubt."
[After: when he had his hands to himself again.]
Lauri laid out the options for their gifts on the table along with Oliver. She folded her hands and stepped to the side so they might have a look. Hazel eyes were drawn to the displaced tie at her husband's throat who stood on the other end of the table. She adjusted her skirt to keep her fingers from reaching over. A small smirk spread, though Lauri tamed it smooth while in the presence of children.
[End]
Without skipping a beat, Charlotte chuckled, “Dad would say it’s from his side of the family.”
Lorenzo had heard them say such things at least once before. While he waited for his turn, he genuinely examined Kaylee’s face and Charlotte’s for understanding—adopted children couldn’t inherit traits through genetics—but came away with no satisfying answer to his internal question, simply resigning to leave that as a head-scratcher.
“Ooo!” Charlotte pulled up a pair of ‘conversation cups’ with a bundle of chocolate strawberries nestled into one and a couple of tickets to a Zoo tucked into the other. “Look, this says I could pick any Zoo I’d want! And it can be up to three days. This is great!”
Students came from all over. It was only considerate to make sure that, wherever they end up on the weekends or summer, they would be able to use their tickets at their local Zoo.
Lauri smiled, “Oui, you and one other could spend a date—,” Seeing the Charlotte wince, it became clear she had no expectation to use the other parts of the prize. That required interest from a guy. “—or, you can just go with a friend. Either way!”
Confused, Lorenzo asked, “Wouldn’t you be able to do that anyway? Aren’t your parents rich?”
“Well, yeah, but we have to earn our own money. They’d only take us to someplace like this if it had to do with school or something,” Charlotte explained, tucking the gift to her chest. “But I’mma use this for fun.”
No note-taking or studying, no droning shuffle with a large group of kids, no chaperone to submit to, no arguing over which animal to see first—You didn’t just bop around, you had to have a plan! One that touched on each animal you wanted to see, looping back to the beginning, or to any final destination you desired. Anyone who didn’t do this? Fools. With the power of these passes Charlotte had ultimate control. That, and chocolate covered strawberries were yummy. These had a variety too; white, milk, and dark.
Lorenzo chuckled, shaking his head. He took his time to choose a prize. There were many exciting baskets, jars, and solo gadgets left. “Hmm, this is hard! So many. I wish I could just sample them all.”
The young man often had that opinion. Charlotte recalled Lorenzo saying something similar when he was around to hear talk about Danson wanting to be Elite, among other times.
“Well,” Charlotte pointed to some of the gift-cards. “There’s the ‘Of the Month’ subscriptions. You can sample a lot of kinds of things over time.”
Perking, Lorenzo bent over to take a look. “Ah, a ‘game of the month’ would be great.”
The card itself was less money than renting or buying a single game. It would be useful to test them before deciding to buy. The fact that he got this free from the prize-pack only made it better. A whole year of surprises and different experiences!
With the prizes selected, Oliver went to gather the remaining ones that were left for any future students who made it through successfully. "Excellent choices," he nodded to the young adults. "Well, you three had better meet up with your mates before it gets too late. The dance will only last so long!"
Kaylee slid her basket of goodies over her arm, nodding at their aunt and uncle. "eah, we should get going. Time to go boast to the others," she chuckled, expecting Lorenzo and Lottie to follow as she headed to the illuminated exit of the TARDIS, her ensemble unintentionally even more completed now with her wicker basket in tow.
With the prizes selected, Oliver went to gather the remaining ones that were left for any future students who made it through successfully. "Excellent choices," he nodded to the young adults. "Well, you three had better meet up with your mates before it gets too late. The dance will only last so long!"
Kaylee slid her basket of goodies over her arm, nodding at their aunt and uncle. "Yeah, we should get going. Time to go boast to the others," she chuckled, expecting Lorenzo and Lottie to follow as she headed to the illuminated exit of the house, her ensemble unintentionally even more completed now with her wicker basket in tow.
True to the character of the wolf in that fairy tale, Lorenzo tracked Kaylee with hungry eyes, and for more than what was in her wicker basket, out the door. Charlotte took a minute longer. She had pulled the cups up to read what conversations these things were meant to make. Apparently they centered around developing a rapport with whoever drank with you. She considered throwing them out, but in the end she decided they would be good for regifting.
Lauri stowed the last of the packages of gifts and prizes in the cabinet where she and Oliver tucked beside, so that students weren’t brought out of the exciting atmosphere of the TARDIS until they passed the final test.
Turning, she grinned to see the tie had yet to be fixed. “Ta cravate, mon Amour.” Lauri sat atop the ledge of one of the consoles and gave the silk a tug. “It is in need of attention.”
Misty grey eyes were quite used to watching his Lamb and her behaviors, and didn't miss a certain twinkle in her eyes. "Oh? Attention, is it?" his brows perked in interest as he stepped closer to her, gently nudging her thighs apart so that he was centered between them. "And what sort of attention would that require, mon Agneau?" Reaching up, Oliver let his thumb and forefinger play along the knot that was already threatening to be compromised.
Very aware that they were out of the line of sight of cameras and their duties to children were temporarily suspended, Lauri allowed herself this moment of sultry mischief.
“What is there to do, except to tie it?” Lauri feigned innocence, reaching up to the silk. “Why don’t I help—Oh woops, regardez ça.” It slipped easily from his neck, piling onto his hands, winding around his fingers. “Ah, tsc, tsc, tellement malheureux. You may have to fix it yourself.” Lauri’s hand rested on his chest. “These fingers of mine; so slippery...” she purred. Her fingers slid down to his buttons, plucking them from their slits one by one.
The Lion's tail would have switched back and forth behind him if he had one, watching as his favorite prey presented herself for the hunt. "Slippery hands indeed," Oliver agreed thoughtfully, the tie still draped in his hands as they dropped down to her wrists. "Et nous ne pouvons tout simplement pas avoir ça, n'est-ce pas? [And we just can't have that can we?" he asked in a low murmur as practiced hands tugged the tapered silk, weaving it about her wrists until a makeshift restraint was nearly made, though still loose.
“N-non, nous ne pouvons pas avoir ça…” Lauri breathed, watching him with as much electric desire as he had for her.
Keeping his gaze trained on her, Oliver bent down to take hold of the end in his mouth, getting a grip and giving it a slow, even tug until they tightened about her, hungry eyes eager to devour his captive.
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Lauri went to swipe her hands over his head to encircle him, but Oliver caught her wrists gently. She feigned a pout, struggling to appear displeased, failing entirely. Her hands raised above hers until they hooked to the knobs of the dials above her. “Oo, le lion a attrapé son agneau,” Lauri smiled seductively. She shifted where she sat, feeling that heat rise. Her legs tightened around his hips. “Whatever shall I do now?”
Oliver smirked down at his wife and her playful allure, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth three times as one had slowly slid down one of her arms. "Oh, I can think of quite a few things to do with you, mon Amour. Rien de tout cela ne peut être dit à propos des enfants," he whispered softly as his lips dropped to just beside her ear. “Dois-je vous ramener à la maison pour être dévoré, doux agneau?"
Letting out a pent-up breath that flowed warm over his neck, Lauri sighed with longing, “You quicken more than my heart, mon Lion. Cet agneau est à votre merci.” She strained provocatively against the tie. “Here, or home—Ne me tourmentez plus.” Lauri nipped at his lips and tilted her head back, so that her throat might entice him.
The odds of a student finding the entrance to the Doctor Who trail was slim. The Haunted House trail, including the TARDIS, would be closing soon anyway. Lauri would take that gamble.
While he might have thought of them scurrying off to home, the moment Lauri's neck was bare, any sense of waiting was long gone. Oliver’s hands found their way to her hips and the waistband of her skirt, ready to face the odds of being found if that meant a well-deserved snack of his wife. "Maintenant, laissez-moi vous montrer ce que ma baguette magique peut faire, ma petite sorcière," he breathed before tugging her close for a proper session of being devoured and shown all sorts of magic spells while under the excited rush of not wanting a student to find them.
All while the Gryffindor ravaged his Hufflepuff, some students of the Von Helsing Academy were getting caught, here and there, trying to do the same in the closets and unlocked rooms of the school. The janitor, Mr. Marsh, had insisted on making sure no one got the chance! He came with his broom to shoo the randy troublemakers back to the Great Hall or their separate dorms.
“Lorenzo, the janitor is glaring angrily at you,” Tysha noted, gnawing gratefully on a snack Kaylee offered her. Bitterness over losing out on the TARDIS trail was short-lived.
Turning to see, Lorenzo flashed a sheepish smile at the man and waved. “Eh, guess so.”
The man pointed his fingers at his own eyes and then towards Lorenzo before stalking off in search of more wily children.
“Why do you think he’s grumpy with you?” Serenity asked. She had joined up once the Haunted House closed down.
If he had an answer, they wouldn’t know. The announcer blared out, “Ghouls and Monsters, it’s time to say goodbye.”
“Aww,” the students grumbled.
Cara nudged Kaylee, “After party time!”
Serenity looked around. “Where’s Lottie?”
Professor Taliesin's face popped right beside the young girl, startling her. “Right here,” Charlotte’s feminine voice spoke through the stoic professors lips.
“Ah!” Serenity gasped, stepping away. “Oo, don’t do that!”
Chuckling, Charlotte flicked the face away. “Oh that’s good.”
“Having fun frightening people?” Elijah asked, mirthfully.
“Frightening, tricking—This is the best costume ever!” Charlotte clapped twice.
Heart settling, Serenity smoothed out her skirt. “I don’t know if I agree…”
“Alright guys,” Matt draped an arm around Cara and pointed out. “To the vaults?”
“Aye!” Lorenzo cheered his favor. He gave Kaylee a wink and a grin.
"Hmm?" Kaylee had been pulled from her thoughts by Lorenzo's sound of approval. She'd been caught up in the question from Serenity about the janitors disapproving looks that had gone unanswered. Realizing everyone was rearing to go to Hiraeth Hill. "Oh, yeah sure. Let's head to the portal."
The friends migrated along with the herd of students trickling out from the Great Hall. In due time they got to the vault, passed through the correct gate, and came out on the hilltop.
Danson practically pranced out. He waved his sonic screwdriver in the air. “We have returned to planet Hiraeth!”
Getting tired of her costume, Tysha peeled it away. Underneath she wore a simple black jumper. “It’s nice out tonight.”
“Lot’s of stars,” Elijah smiled. “Serenity, Paulo—You wanna use the telescope?”
“Sure,” they agreed in unison.
“Oh come on guys, we do that all the time. It’s Halloween!” Charlotte protested.
Lorenzo, who had stuck close by Kaylee, asked, “What do you have in mind?”
Spoffing, Elijah said, “Probably a game.”
“A game—Hey,” Charlotte playfully scrunched her nose at him. She hopped onto a log to enforce attention. “Why don’t we play tag?”
Serenity peered around. “I don’t know, it’s dark.”
“All the more reason. We can have fun and practice our skills,” Charlotte pointed out. “Come on. We’re all here, we’re dressed up. This will be great!” She smiled, slowly shifting mocha eyes on Kaylee. She may or may not have a wicked fright in mind for her, but she said nothing.
"Tag sounds like fun," Tallulah agreed, standing up from the spot she'd taken around the fire pit. "I mean, come on. There's nothing to be scared of."
"I don't know, after seeing the haunted house I feel like you guys can be pretty scary," Kaylee answered, having abandoned her thoughts. For now she'd enjoy the night, whether that was running around with friends or slipping away once more with Lorenzo when it wasn't too noticeable. "We should just make sure we don't wander too far from the pit." The blessings of the hill might have been safe but that didn't mean she'd be careless.
Pursing her lips briefly, Charlotte tamed her disappointment at the suggestion. “Aw, come on Kaylee. Why not run in the woods? It’s not like we can’t find our way back.” The way Charlotte looked at her sister reminded Kaylee of a predator.
"Running through the woods from you sounds terrifying," Kaylee spoffed. "I might be taller but you're ridiculously fast. But I guess you're right. We know the area and if we got lost we could help each other."
Charlotte’s lips curled. “Hehe, excellent,” she muttered under her breath. Before Kaylee could ask what she said, she jumped down from the log.
"Or leave each other at the mercy of All Hallows Eve!" Tallulah offered in a spooky tone, her voice rising and falling.
Elijah chuckled. “That phrase is best understood as ‘All Holy Evening’, you know. It’s actually a blessed.”
“Oh don’t ruin the creepy affect,” Charlotte nudged him.
“Just sayin’,” Elijah smiled, nudging her back. “How about we say ‘At the mercy of Samhain’? It’s the pagan Celtic festival. There’s monsters and fairies and everything.”
“No, that sounds like someone is saying ‘saw-win’,” Charlotte waved him dismissively before picking up her voice to gain attention when the others began to chatter. “Alright, rule time! Bonfire area is the sanctuary. The person who is ‘It’ will count to one-hundred. If you are found and caught you must join the hunt for everyone else. You can only try to return to sanctuary after racing at least one-hundred yards away. We can use our Lithes to know how far you went, so no cheating!”
“Can we hide in pairs?” Serenity asked tentatively. “I don’t want to wander alone in the woods.”
“Hmm,” Charlotte tilted her head. “Alright fine, pairs.”
Lorenzo smiled and looked down at Kaylee. “Promise not to leave me in the woods?”
With all the rules being doled out, one had to wonder just how long Lottie had been planning the game. Kaylee might have teased her if there was more time, but everyone seemed quite ready to go. Her attention was grabbed by Lorenzo and that one-dimple smile that made her heart quicken. Holding out her hand toward him, a single finger was extended. "Pinky promise."
Lorenzo grinned, hooking his pinky with hers. He often found this trait of Kaylee’s to be adorable. “Great,” he said with a grin, shifting his hand up to give her arm a touch. His hold lingered.
“Alright guys!” Charlotte clapped. “Who will count?”
“You,” Elijah said.
“Uuuh,” Charlotte shifted on her feet. “How about we choose from a coin flip? Or pick a number between one and fifty?”
“Numbers,” Matt shrugged.
“Okay, anyone closets to the number I write down is ‘It’,” Charlotte went to their log seat and scribbled down a number. “Alright, give me your picks.”
One by one they offered a number. After the round Charlotte pointed to Paulo, “You’re It!”
“Okay,” Paulo chuckled. He went to sit on a log by the fire and covered his face. “One, two, three…”
Lorenzo clasped Kaylee’s hand and scattered like the rest of them. Elijah and Serenity ran off left. Cara and Matt went right. Tysha, having no one to run with, went on her own. Charlotte trailed after Tallulah. She kept close, whispering to her as they vanished in the woods.
The chase was on and with it came the thrill of being caught. A light adrenaline helped them run faster, combined with their extensive physical training and left the wooded terrain feeling more like a walk in the park. Kaylee's hold on Lorenzo's hand hadn't left, using it to gently guide him when they came upon a turn to make.
"We should find somewhere to hide soon," Kaylee breathed, feeling they'd gone a safe enough distance.
“Here,” Lorenzo took them between a tilt of a wide tree.
It’s branches dipped like a curtain, obscuring a flat rock with enough room for them to fit three people comfortably. They could glimpse through the autumn leaves almost all the way around. Furthermore, the tree itself had a strong trunk easy to climb. In a pinch they could scurry upward. Their Lithe’s would certainly help with that too.
In the distance they heard an echo of giggles and squeals. Lorenzo felt the hair on the back of his neck prick. He didn’t say a thing, but Serenity’s story from their first night came to mind.
Those creepy thoughts didn’t last long with Kaylee right beside him. Lorenzo grinned as he watched her. When she noticed him staring he didn’t waver from his intention to enjoy the sight of her.
Catching sight of his lingering look, the corners or Kaylee’s lips twitched upward. Something about the playfulness on his face and mischief in his eye kept Kaylee's gaze and a growing curiosity. "What? Something caught your attention, wolf?"
“Sí, una princesa con una caperucita roja.[Yes, a princess in a little red hood],” Lorenzo said. He leaned over and shifted the edge of her hood to expose more of her face. His finger teased her cheek and ran down her neck to her clavicle.
Shakily she inhaled as his finger brushed against her, cornflower eyes widening as Kaylee felt her grin growing. "And just what do you plan on doing with her?" Her voice was quick to betray the calmness she was trying to portray instead of her growing excitement and longing. Memories of what had happened the last time they were in the forest alone had not been forgotten.
“I am a wolf,” Lorenzo said, shifting close. He was a breath away from her face. “And one who has not eaten for some time…” Lorenzo’s lips hovered over hers, following the curved of her cheek, and when he had come to her jaw, he pressed his nose against her neck abruptly. The vibration of his sudden, deep growl rippled through her.
Before she could stop it, a soft almost whimper left Kaylee from the 'attack' of the wolf, though her body was doing anything but protesting. That growing heat he'd been able to summon time and time again was back with a growing hunger, one hand slipping past the fur of Lorenzo's wolf hat and griping the back of his neck at the base of his hairline. "And you think I'll satiate that hunger?"
Unlike before Lorenzo didn’t go ahead and make moves towards her just yet; their previous encounters proved that he couldn’t gauge how far she was willing to go. It was best to let her set the pace and he would follow.
“Only one way to find out, Princesa…” he spoke in a low, husky tone. The softest pinch, not even enough to leave a mark, grazed her throat. Lorenzo kept himself in place, waiting for some kind of signal.
Whether it was the adrenaline that had started as they were running through the woods or the yearning sensation she found she had in his presence, Kaylee might never know. What she did know was that she wanted to feel that rush Lorenzo was talented at spiking in her. In the moment she found a surge of confidence that she couldn't explain, her body seeming to move on its own. Before she knew it, Kaylee shifted and moved to suddenly be in his lap, legs straddling his waist on a move she'd seen her Aunt Annabelle pull on Uncle Yonten more than one time when they'd been celebrating. This time there was no Wesley around to shoo them apart or scold that kids were watching. Kaylee’s heart was beating in her chest as she tugged his hat and let it fall to the side.
"Then let's start with a nibble," she breathed before feeling just bold enough that she could lean in and match his lips with her own.
Having thought they would have gone a little slower, and that he might have to help stoke that fire she seemed to be afraid to burn, Lorenzo was taken pleasantly by surprise. He easily matched her energy. The little tease had finally found her courage to take what he suspected she wanted all along. Lorenzo would not disappoint her.
Those hands that restrained from roaming let loose. One inched toward her velvet center. The other gripped Kaylee’s hip. In-between ravaging her mouth and neck, he glanced up at her eyes to make sure she was still on board.
Yards away Charlotte and Tallulah, having been providentially caught by Paulo, were tracking through the woods to find the Little Red and her wolf to help hunt, as per the rules. That, and for one other premeditated, wicked reason.
Chuckling darkly, Charlotte informed Tallulah, “Okay, so when they start to run away I want to make sure Lorenzo is far enough from Kaylee that I can knock him down. I’ll steal his wolf hat, take his face, and catch up with Kaylee. Then I’ll act all goofy and confuse her! I’ll have her run in circles and stuff, this will be hilarious. While I do that, you have to distract Kaylee so she doesn’t know I switched with him—What’s that sound?”
The unidentified noises gradually increased as the two girls moved closer to the tree that was shielding the heated young lovers. Tallulah took only a few moments to make her presumption known. "If I had to guess, I would say that's the wolf and red-hooded girl you're after, Lottie," she stifled a giggle.
Hidden from sight of the world and oblivious if they weren't, Kaylee found herself being quickly eaten by the blazing fire. Where she might have pulled away for them to cool off and breathe, her body had taken over the controls and pushed toward what it wanted. The logic of them moving too fast or being caught was gone. Now Kaylee just followed a natural desire, her own hands brave enough to wander his torso between them, little sounds of approval and encouragement slipping out between heated kissing and exploring
“Oh—OH,” Charlotte blinked in realization.
Such sounds were only glimpsed. Mainly movies were her point of reference, and once or twice her parents when they thought they were alone. The strangeness of hearing Kaylee, let alone Lorenzo who seemed to be enjoying her participation, struck Charlotte as odd. What came as more of a surprise—maybe not, depending on how well someone knew her—was that Charlotte took mild offense. One of these horn-dogs had initiated the throes of passion during her game. Or so she would claim is the reason why she found herself not pleased. There could be a guess that a part of her felt jealous. Whatever the reason, Charlotte contemplated breaking up this intimate scene with the face of a particularly frightening monster; a ghoul.
The change in her mood could be easily read. Charlotte didn’t hold back the shadow that passed over her face. Wordless, Charlotte moved forward just as Tallulah meant to speak. She crouched low and blended into terrain. Only Tallulah could tell where Charlotte had sunk into the darkness. The girl moved silently, even if she didn’t have to. Lorenzo apparently hit a good spot. His own noises and mumbles of Spanish were enough to distract them both from Charlotte’s approach. At some point she had to pause though, feeling a sense of embarrassment as she came closer. Annoyance became her greatest anchor to resume her plan of attack.
Meanwhile, Kaylee became aware of Lorenzo’s rising excitement the more her body gave into the sensations his fingers sent through her from between them. His free-roaming hand only encouraged her, slipping and sliding over her chest and thighs. They could sense they were not the verge of going one step further.
“RREEEEE!!”
Kaylee’s passion shattered into a thousand heart-stopping fears when the shriek of a familiar monster split the sky. Snapping their heads to the side, the face of a pale ghoul, mouth agape, pushed through the branches.
The world had just about fallen away along with any regard when the sudden appearance of one of her biggest fears reared its head as it slunk into sight. The building desire vanished and Kaylee leapt out of Lorenzo's lap, unashamed to admit that she screamed bloody murder. Years of training were suddenly lost and she could only think to put distance between her and it. The thick trunk or the tree called to her and with her aid of her Lithe she began a quick scurry up, yelling at Lorenzo to climb with her, though her words were drowned out by the deafening pound of her heart.
Unfortunately, in her hurry, Kaylee had tipped Lorenzo backward. The young fellow rolled off the slate into the leaves gathering in time for winter’s approach. All they heard was a muffled yelp and muted thud.
Laughter erupted from the ghoul who clutched its stomach. The jerky motions of its merriment warped its features that adjusted to keep up the haunting facade. In-between blurs, it glitched, revealing an all too familiar face matching the giddy mirth of Kaylee’s sister, Charlotte.
Flicking away the ghoulish mask, Charlotte wiped at her eyes. “Ah, ha ha ha! You should have seen your faces!”
Kaylee had made it a good way up the trunk when Charlotte hadn't been able to contain her amusement. The realization that they were in fact not in danger quickly changed her confused facade to one of annoyance.
"Goddamnit Charlotte! You scared me half to death," Kaylee scowled down at her sister, shimmying her way back down the tree and giving her a healthy glare. "You're lucky I don’t haul off and start fighting you!"
Giving Lorenzo an apologetic look, Kaylee offered a hand to help him to his feet before she began cleaning off the leaves that he'd managed to pick up in his tumble. Lorenzo mumbled gratitude as he came down from the surge of panic and came to terms with the moment being ruined.
Charlotte couldn’t help but chuckle and roll her eyes, “Oh come on, it’s Halloween, Kaylee. Don’t be so dramatic.” She crossed her arms stiffly where she stood beside Tallulah. “Besides, I doubt you’d get farther in a fight in that dress than Lorenzo did up your skirt.” While it could be argued that her voice kept a steady, light tone, anyone with a practiced ear caught the pinch in her inflection.
The remark caught Kaylee's attention and she stopped in the middle of her efforts to clean Lorenzo to turn and face her sister. Cheeks reddened and her mouth opened and closed a couple times as if she was unsure just how she wanted to respond to that. For a brief second Kaylee considered telling her there was no need for her to be jealous that someone was trying to get up her skirt, but it was quickly shook away.
"Guess we're just lucky the most dangerous thing in this forest is your sadistic tendencies then," Kaylee said with a slightly forced smile that she was grateful for the darkness around them.
Pursing her lips briefly, Charlotte couldn’t decide if Kaylee was taking a shot at how short she was in comparison, and thus harmless, or if Kaylee meant to diminish concern over the implied threat Charlotte made regarding if they fought. Either way, the young girl didn’t take it well, saying, “Sadistic huh? Well maybe so, if you’re all there is for protection. What were you gonna do, squeal a ghoul away? But I guess it doesn't matter. You had a better plan; you don’t need to outrun the ghoul, you just needed to outrun Lorenzo.”
Wincing, Lorenzo cleared his throat, avoiding eye-contact as he picked up his wolf costume. He found interest in dusting off the fur. He did, in fact, fall prone when Kaylee freaked out, but he didn’t think it would do him good to enter into this squabble.
Kaylee's jaw dropped as Charlotte unleashed on her, no longer ready to keep things civil if her sister was so quick to pull out her claws. "Um excuse me? I can't help it that you thought this was a good idea and intentionally picked the one thing to terrify me," she placed her hands on her hips. "Did it annoy you that much to see us kissing?"
Before Charlotte could dismiss the first statement as Kaylee being overly sensitive, her sister struck a tender nerve. Gasping, Charlotte said, “Like I’d be jealous of that display of grunting and smashing mouths!”
Realizing things were getting heated fast, Tallulah slipped in-between the Von Helsing girls, holding up a hand to each. "Hey, hey! It was a prank, let's just calm down. Why don't we head back to the fire?"
“Well just be careful and let Kaylee walk ahead,” Charlotte said as she circled around to point in the direction of the camp, “We don’t want her to trip us if something jumps out of the woods.”
Brows furrowed and a scowl that could curdle milk shot across the woods. The words hurt more than anything else, but Kaylee wasn't about to let Charlotte know that. Instead, she spun on her heel and stormed off toward the fire.
"Wouldn't want to play this stupid kid game anyways," Kaylee muttered, only glancing at Lorenzo to make sure he was following this time around. In looking back to see Lorenzo picking up his pace, Kaylee could see in her periphery the stunned expression of her sister.
Tallulah winced at the back and forth, in slight shock herself. "Damn. Never seen you two fight. Is it always that cold?"
Without answering Tallulah, Charlotte sprinted towards Kaylee in a blur of shadow. She swooped her arms to loop around Kaylee’s neck. Though training fled before, now Kaylee ducked, just dodging the attempt to head-lock her. Charlotte went with the inertia. She tucked and rolled to her feet, quick to aboutface.
“Whoa!” Lorenzo knew better than to stick too close. He moved a good five feet from them.
Kaylee had been surprised, but she couldn't say it completely shocked her that her sister's anger had peeked out. "What the fuck, Charlotte?!" She asked as she slipped into a fighting stance, knees bent and prepared to deal with another attack. "What is wrong with you?”
“Take it back,” Charlotte demanded, her heart beating angrily. She raised her hands and curled her fingers tight.
It would have been a mature and smart thing if she listened to Charlotte's request, but in that moment Kaylee wanted nothing to do with being mature. "What's the matter? You want to play kid games and not have someone look at you like a kid? Maybe that's why only an oversized toddler wanted to dance with you when Elijah isn't giving pity dances."
Charlotte sprang from the ground in silent fury. Kaylee dodged the strike to her chest. Both engaged in quick movements that veiled the bubble of tears at the corner of Charlotte’s eyes and the forced anger that served to mask Kaylee's injured feelings from words that were truthful and painful. There were enough words said between the sisters that Lorenzo and Tallulah figured this might not end well.
Stepping closer to Tallulah, Lorenzo said, “When we get an opening just grab one. We’ll have to get them both at the same time if we want to prevent the other from taking a cheap-shot.”
It was possible, what with how fervently the two were trying to pin the other down. Kaylee had to do away with much of her skirt. Charlotte had gotten in too many hits because of the folds of fabric slowing her down. Once freed from the bustle of her costume, Kaylee matched Charlotte’s skill. Huffs, gasps, and grunts sparked among crashing into bushes and stone clacking against stone.
The downside of training together for years was that they knew each other as well as they did themselves. Every time Kaylee got close to a good grip on Charlotte she'd turn away and they'd have to start over. No breath was wasted on words, each too focused on their movements. At one point their tumbling ended with them slightly separated, and Kaylee was about to grab her sister's ankle and drag her back in range when a pair of arms around her caught her off guard, pinning her own arms to her sides.
"Whoa, that's enough brawlas," Tallulah urged, using her full body weight to keep her in place.
*Let me go," Kaylee grunted in protest.
"Not until I know you won't kill each other."
Lorenzo came to know the speed that Kaylee had been dealing with, only barely managing to hold Charlotte back when she made a step toward Kaylee. He wrapped one leg around hers and both arms latched tight around her upper body.
Wiggling to no avail on the ground, Charlotte eventually grew tired. Hair that came undone here and there skirted her face. She sniffed, “Let go.”
Like-minded with Tallulah, Lorenzo said, “Only if you don’t fight.”
After a seething moment of frustration and another bout of wiggling, Charlotte exhaled a huff, muttering, “Fine.”
Cautious, Lorenzo and Tallulah released the girls. They were in arms reach, just in case. Charlotte—bottom lip plump and clothes askew—swiped a long strand from her face, scowled, and then turned away. Her footfalls thudded through the woods until they faded entirely. No one knew if Charlotte would leave altogether or stay.
Sighing in sympathy for both sisters, Lorenzo offered Kaylee’s tattered cloak. “Want company on your way back?” There was always Tallulah in case Kaylee would rather have a girlfriend.
Kaylee watched her sister storm off and felt a pang of guilt hit her as the chance to breathe was presented. She had been quite outrageous with her behavior, something they'd have to confront at some point. For now, she tried to brush off some of the dirt and leaves that had gathered in her hair and clothes, before taking the cloak from Lorenzo.
"Yeah...sounds good," Kaylee nodded, though she sounded distracted. Brushing her cheek, a dampness told her she'd suffered a cut in the tumble, just enough to draw blood and would no doubt find a few more scrapes and plenty of bruises in the morning.
"I'll catch you guys back at camp," Tallulah nodded to them, figuring they could use a little space and also wondering if she could catch up to Charlotte.
Alone and walking slowly toward the fire, Kaylee glanced over at Lorenzo. "Sorry...for all of it, really. I abandoned you over a ghoul and then acted like a real ass with Charlotte." This apology would be much less painful than the one between sisters.
Keeping pace with her, Lorenzo said in a comforting tone, “It happens. I’ve had similar fights with my cousins. And as for the ghoul,” Lorenzo plucked a twig from Kaylee’s hair, “well, we’re still young, you know? It’s not like we’re supposed to hunt fairies and deal with Accursed people at our age.” They had prep in high school and, if they decided to pursue the career, they’d get into the real gritty work in the trade college. “You could always look at it as a chance to take this time to overcome the fear.” He added with a chuckle, “Maybe I can put on a ghoul face and try to seduce you next time.”
The thought made her spoff and shudder at the same time, shaking her head. "Ugh, please no. I'll do anything to work on getting over them, but I do not want to think of you as a nasty ghoul," Kaylee pleaded with him, feeling significantly better with his remarks. Looking down, she spotted his closest hand to her, slipping her own inside of it. "I'd prefer to keep you this way and just work on not turning into a scaredy cat when I get snuck up on."
Occasionally they held hands, but Lorenzo couldn’t recall exact moments. Most of the ones that came to mind were when it was practical. This felt somehow different. Or maybe for her it was the same, but not for him. Either way, he decided to go with it.
“Guess we’ll have to practice again sometime,” Lorenzo grinned, teasing a recreation of their heated moment. He paused just before they cleared the tree line to tug her closer. He brushed a smear of blood from her cheek and gave her lips a kiss. “Just let me know whenever you want to try again, Princesa.”
Just as she had before, Kaylee melted into the warmth of his kiss. "Mmm, well I won't say no to practicing more," she admitted, taking a moment to enjoy his bare chested presence once more. A realization hitting her made her make a face. "Although..after tonight I don't know if we'll be coming out here more. When mom and dad find out..." Her words trailed off while she was already imagining just how that conversation would go.
“Oh,” Lorenzo chuckled, this time a little nervously.
It all depended on how the news broke to the parents. Going into detail may be what Wesley needed to bar them from allowing certain young men dressed up as a wolf from attending future bonfire gatherings.
“Well then, in case I don’t get another chance,” Lorenzo murmured before gently slipping his arm around Kaylee to press her to his front, taking the opportunity to share a heart-fluttering kiss. When he parted enough to speak, he breathed, “Never mind...All that did is make me want more…” He grinned and that single dimple appeared.
Shuffling of shrubberies drew their eyes to a figure coming through the trees from the fire pit. Tysha’s familiar bouncy curls gave away who. She asked, “Are you guys alright? Charlotte won’t say a word and Tallulah said there was a fight.”
It took a moment for Kaylee to come away from the kiss and the grin that kept drawing her in, so that the fight resurfaced in her mind. "Um, yeah we're okay," she answered Tysha without pulling her eyes from Lorenzo. "Just a prank gone wrong. It'll be fine." Or so she hoped. Taking a hold of Lorenzo's hand once more with a lingering smile that said they'd find some way of continuing their practice sessions, she moved toward the direction Tysha had come from.
The three approached the fire pit where their friends were in concerned conversation. Elijah was doing his best to speak with Charlotte, but she was not fessing up. It happened that he laid down the offer to talk and got up to come to Lorenzo, Kaylee, and Tysha to get more insight.
“Hey,” Elijah greeted, hands tucked in his pockets. He observed the sorry state of Kaylee and could only imagine what they had done to each other. “Any developments?”
“Prank gone wrong,” Tysha repeated. It was basically what Tallulah had said as well.
Dropping his head with a shake, Elijah said, “I don’t understand it. She and I normally have an open dialogue.”
Lorenzo didn’t speak out of turn, but he did recall what was said before; pity dances to a charity case. “Just give her time...I think it’s something Kaylee and Charlotte have to work out anyway.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Elijah sighed. “Well, it’s late. I’m heading off then...Good night, and good luck, Kaylee.”
Seeing others shuffling to the portal, and noting that Charlotte was edging to do the same, Lorenzo figured it was best he left too. “See you around, Princesa.” He gave a kiss to the hand of hers he held.
"You better," Kaylee said with a smirk, feeling oddly more confident after their encounter even if it had ended in a slight disaster. The fact that he hadn't simply vanished had meant a lot to her in the end. For now though, flirtatious comments and kisses needed to stop, seeing him off to the portal before turning to face the elephant in the room.
Catching a better look at the damage she'd managed to cause during their wrestling, Kaylee winced. It was a moment she wasn't proud of in hindsight, with physical evidence they'd carry for a few days. Looking to the ground she kicked a small pebble as she began speaking. "I didn't mean those things I said, Charlotte," Kaylee kept her gaze down. "I was just mad and wanted you to be, too."
The anger inside largely diffused by the time they got to this point. For Charlotte it was merely a matter of coming to terms with giving her own apology. It sat on her tongue in wait, becoming a bitter taste the longer her spiritual tug-of-war between doing what felt self righteous and doing what was an act of love took.
The ambiance of the night filled in the silence between when Kaylee spoke and when Charlotte finally peered upward. Mocha eyes traced the scratch on Kaylee’s face and reminded her of the dark days of Hell’s Gate. The idea of losing Kaylee then was painful; the idea of losing her now would devastate her—and it would be because she did it. That realization shattered the emotional chains keeping her silent and still. Despite whatever remained of her negative feelings, Charlotte pushed passed them. She got up and wrapped her arms around her sister.
“I forgive you and I’m sorry,” Charlotte murmured sadly. “I got too invested in what I wanted from the game that, when I saw you guys, I felt ignored…” She trailed off, knowing the other things Kaylee had said rang true, but didn’t want to talk about her old complaint that felt more of a burden to mention than not. It hadn’t been the only reason anyway. “I never should have used the ghoul face, even if I wanted to play a prank. It wasn’t even my original idea.” It was apparent to them both it definitely had been chosen for such a purpose as to scare her the most. “You’re no heartless coward, Kaylee. I’m sorry for inferring it.” She pulled away to see her face to face, but kept a comforting hug in place. “Forgive me?”
The truce between the girls was visible relief on Kaylee's face. Even if she had been faced with potentially losing her privileges to come out to the hill, having her sister angry at her was the bigger threat. They'd find some other place to hang out if needed, but she wasn't going to just find another sister. Charlotte had been such a center piece of her life and not someone Kaylee was willing to lose over a dumb argument.
The healing aura of her embrace was welcomed and returned, exhaling softly and fighting off the verge of tears. "I will always forgive you, Lottie," Kaylee answered with a small sniff that turned into a wet spoff. "We should stop making Halloween nights so eventful."
Wiping her eyes, Charlotte said with a chuckle, “Let’s promise each other next year will be peaceful.”
Extending out her pinky finger toward her sister, Kaylee nodded in agreement. "Pinky promise," she swore, giving her sister another heartfelt embrace before parting away. "I suppose we should start heading home. Don't want mom and dad to start worrying."
“Yeah, you’re right,” Charlotte said, sipping from her pinky-hold to put out the fire.
The girls laced arms on their way through the portal. Despite their disheveled appearance they were smiling softly to themselves. It happened that, as soon as they entered the castle, the portal reopened behind them. Charlotte and Kaylee, curious, watched to see who came for a visit.
A familiar tall figure stepped in that the girls only saw on occasion. Frank Jackson, relative of Elijah, paused in mid-wave to see the girls all tattered. “Uhh, good morning you two,” he said, following up with, “Are you girls alright?”
“Yes,” Charlotte spoffed, tucking loose strands behind her ear. “We just had a small sibling conflict.”
Chuckling, Frank opened the door so that the three might all go through to the hallways. “Well, let’s hope that they get no bigger than this.”
“You and us both,” Charlotte nodded, walking out with her sister by her side.
Wesley’s voice broke through the moment, saying, “Ah, Frankie, good see—,” he dropped his coffee gaze onto his daughters. “—What the hell happened?”
While it had been easy enough to brush aside their encounter to Frank, the moment they were faced with their father, Kaylee wasn't sure they'd have that same confidence this time around. "Oh you know, Halloween tricks and pranks," she shrugged, hoping they didn't look like the complete disasters they'd turned each other into. "But everything is fine, just a little dirty. Would you like a cookie?" Her wicker basket still filled with goodies was held out to her father. A form of bribery or distraction? Perhaps.
What with Charlotte’s struggle to keep herself from snorting in mirth and Kaylee’s hopeful cornflower eyes, Wesley all at once knew he would rather handle this on a different day.
“Is that so?” Taking the cookie, Wesley said, “Well I’d like to hear all about it later. You two clean up and go to bed.”
Charlotte and Kaylee didn’t stay to see if he would change his mind. “Yes Dad. Night!” They’d have some time to work on what to tell him when it came down to it.
Frank chuckled deeply, “They’re good kids.”
Smiling, Wesley perked his brows once and motioned for Frank to follow. “Yes, they are.” He nibbled on the sugary confection while he walked. “How’s it going with Jada?”
“She’s been through a lot. Those two years away certainly took a toll on her. Today she managed to visit the chapel for mass and adoration,” Frank pulled out a little prayer card. “She gave me this.”
Wesley glanced over the image of a man of great strength sinking into a river from the weight of a toddler on his shoulders. “Saint Christopher, Patron Saint of Travelers,” he hummed thoughtfully. “She’s remembering more, isn’t she?”
“She is,” Frank tucked the card away. Jada remembered much of the day she, Molly, Oliver, and Lauri, with Kaylee, had helped break out that young boy. The infiltration, the escape, the chase, the drones that snatched her and the kid back to the compound. “Jada says after their successful escape they traveled towards Italy. They made it, but there’s a lot that is lost in the chaos. She doesn’t know where he went, only that she lost him near the end of Hell’s Gate.”
“Let’s hope she has a little something more to say, as she improves,” Wesley sighed, finishing off the treat.
The two had come to the elevator that would take them to the North Office. Frank pressed the button to summon their ride. “How have you been doing?”
“Tired, among other things,” Wesley admitted, stepping through the doors when they opened. He swiped his phone to command the elevator upward; the key to his everything. “Mainly from a cold, mind you, but I do feel a sense of exhaustion no matter how much sleep I get.”
“Do you sleep?”
“Well, maybe ‘sleep’ isn’t accurate. I’ve resigned to simply rest my eyes for hours on end,” Wesley swiped a hand through his hair. “When I do fall asleep I’m restless. I have an abundance of nightmares. Rosy thinks it has to do with the biochemical relationship that my body has with the trauma it’s been through, Yonten says it’s probably karma rebounding onto me, and I’m sure you’d say it’s the devil.”
Spoffing, Frank said, “Not so fast, Wes. While I admit I do believe the ‘devil’ is a contributing factor to suffering, he can only tempt; we have to make the choice. So, while the devil might take every chance to agitate us, we ultimately decide what to do with that agitation. From where I stand that means offering the suffering up to Jesus, to use for the salvation of souls.” The doors opened and the two walked through down the hallway. “Whether or not he is, though, I think we can agree there might be some truth to what Rosy and Yonten suspect. Science has many studies done on the environment, its effect on the body, and how that damage can be passed on to children through the parents. Decendents of survivors of the Holocaust have been known to suffer from ailments related to the trauma of their grand-parents and great-grand-parents who were in camps.” They passed through the doors of the North Office. Frank took the usual glass of quality liquor. “And, while I’m not a Buddhist, I do believe our wrongs can come back to us in some fashion. One way is that when a man begins to improve, it is then that the devil comes to cripple his progress. So you can always take this suffering as a good sign.”
Wesley felt a headache come on. He took a bottle of alkaline water to drink. “Well, if true, then I can understand why a person would not wish to suffer improvement, and why your Jesus has few friends,” he said with a chuckle, taking a seat with Frank on the couch. “Enough about that though. I brought you here to ask if you would help me on a project.”
Resting back against the soft cushion, Frank took a sip of his liquor. He asked, with a mildly amused smile, “What is it about?”
“In a word?” Wesley pulled up images that coaxed Frank into setting his drink to the side and leaning forward in surprise. “Legacy.”
Next, they met up with Charlotte at a virtual knife-throwing game. The sisters, having a mother who built a career on staking hearts, knew just how to handle these weapons. Lorenzo found himself lacking in comparison. While Kaylee could strike a target like breathing when she had a bow, and she got more hits with a dagger than Lorenzo, this time around Charlotte shined as a natural flinger of blades. They parted on good terms though.
Thereafter, Kaylee and Lorenzo came to several more games. They built up tickets to get items they were interested in at the prize booth. Standing off to the side to enjoy a sampling of cotton candy before going to the Haunted House, both were witnessed to an intriguing moment in Lottie’s life.
It was after winning a ticket for an agility game that a shy Freshman came shuffling over in his Ash Ketchum costume, with a stuffed pikachu on his left shoulder, to speak with Charlotte. “Ahem,” he weakly coughed. “Sorry to uh, to bother you um—I’m Noah, and um,” his cheeks burned. He could barely look up at Charlotte. “Would you want to have a dance with—with me?”
The question came out so quietly that Charlotte nearly missed it. She stood, blank faced, for a good few seconds before it dawned on her what was happening. Wide mocha eyes took in the sight of the brave boy who fought his fear to talk with her. Had the time really come? Was she being seen as a woman? Then doubt came to crash onto her shoulders as her mind pointed out this was a Freshman; a baby, just like her, who might not know she was a Sophomore. She hadn’t met him before either, so there was a good chance Noah had only wanted to dance from watching her win so much. While not thrilled, Charlotte didn’t see a reason to shut him down.
“Sure, okay,” Charlotte sighed in agreement, taking his hand and leading them to the dance floor when a fast-paced song came on.
Cara, just coming to the snacks with Matt after several dances, cooed, “Aw, little Dove.”
Chuckling, Matt said, “Careful that she doesn't hear you.”
Arriving just in time, Paulo—between breaks from the Haunted House—and Elijah, who had been having a blast going around to ‘battle’ the monsters willing to play along, came for their own break.
Paulo asked, “Doesn’t hear what?”
Waving her hand dismissively, Cara said, “Nothing, Matt’s just being overly cautious. How have you guys been?”
“Great! We have a lot of fun pictures,” Elijah grinned. “Paulo and I ended up trying to make a chronological story, but we’re having trouble seeing how they all fit together.”
“Yeah, it’s been fun,” Paulo finished his drink and wiped his mouth clean. “But I gotta get back to the Haunted House now. Probably gonna ride the rest of the time that it’s open with Serenity. Danson is apparently annoying her since he decided to stay and keep an eye on the TARDIS he hid along the trail. See you guys!”
The friends said their farewells and Matt hummed ponderously, “Hey, we should find Tysha and get Charlotte, then go through the Haunted House. What do you guys think?”
Lorenzo shrugged and said, “Fine with me.”
“Sounds good,” Elijah smiled.
Cara sighed, “Okay, but this time if we fall into any portal, don’t just squeal in my ear. That hurt!”
Scoffing in mock offense, Matt protested, “I did not squeal.”
“Oh sorry, does ‘shriek like a little girl’ make you feel better?” Cara asked in false innocence.
“No,” Matt rolled his eyes. He muttered under his breath that Danson had a higher pitch anyway.
Speaking of the many-limbed devil, Tysha came laughing and tumbling over to them. “Hey guys!” She grabbed a cup to drink. “Whatcha up to?”
“Haunted House time!” Matt announced.
“Oh, Haunted House!” Tysha repeated happily, pausing to take a good swig of her cold beverage. “That’s great. When?”
“As soon as Charlotte comes back,” Elijah gave a nod.
The young girl did her best to make the dance with Noah worth the trouble he went through to request it, but as soon as it ended and they parted on good terms, she was glad to join back with her friends.
“You got a dance, girl!” Cara praised.
“Yeah, with a toddler like me,” Charlotte puffed, grabbing a snack or two, trying not to scrunch her face.
"Maybe he's just late to blossom too," Tallulah offered in defense of the Freshman who had been nothing but bright eyes for Charlotte. "Don't be so harsh on yourself, girl."
Even if Charlotte was less than pleased with her partner, Kaylee had to say she was excited for her sister to be asked to a dance. He might have been slightly younger than they were, but to her it still took quite a bit of courage to approach someone to ask for a dance. If anything, knowing she was a higher grade than he was made Kaylee respect the young man even more. Sure, he might not have been a chiseled, confident presence like Lorenzo was, but he still seemed nice.
“Enough about that though,” Charlotte said. “How are you guys doing?”
"The dance has been going great,” Kaylee offered, finishing off her punch and discarding the cup as she kept her place at Lorenzo's side. Just the thought of some of their more heated moments that were lost in the throng of bodies had her cheeks pink, though she played it off as she went on to what the group consensus was. "I think we're all going to head over to the Haunted House next." The party was still going and it only made sense to enjoy it while it lasted, although Kaylee already had thoughts of suggesting just what they do after the house.
Perking, Charlotte said, “Oh fun! Yeah, let’s do that—Wait, where’s Sam?”
Tallulah gave a nonchalant shrug at the question of his location. He was a nice guy and all, but she wasn't in charge of keeping track of him anymore.
Putting on the most serious face she could, Kaylee shook her head slowly. "We don't sit with Sam anymore."
Charlotte squinted in careful study of sister. Could this be a bluff?
Solemnly, Elijah said, “It’s a real shame.”
“I never thought he’d do something so…” Matt trailed off, shaking his head.
A break in the fellowship wasn’t something you didn’t tell the others! What could have happened?! Charlotte paled and gaped, turning to her sister and asking fervently, “What? What is it?”
Kaylee tried her hand at a Mean Girls impression before chuckling, "Kidding.”
Charlotte exhaled in relief first, then pursed her lips to try to stifle an amused grin at being tricked while the others had their fun laughing. She gave the closest of them a small smack on their shoulder. “Oh, to hell with you guys!”
Regaining his breath, Matt said, “Seriously though, does anyone know?”
Kaylee answered, “I think I last saw him at the games with a few of his friends. I don't think he's coming with?"
“Actually I think he might have been commandeered as one of the monsters for the Haunted House,” Elijah said. “Either way, he won’t be angry if we went since we can’t find him. Come on.”
On their way to the library they chatted casually about their night thus far. Lorenzo and Kaylee happened to mention Regina, Hugo, and Paisley. They reflected on their difficulties with Regina and the pantie-bra-rope they made for their revenge.
“—should have seen her face at camp,” Charlotte grinned.
“I did,” Lorenzo chuckled. “I was in the back though. It was very funny.” Not all of them were supportive of revenge pranks, but they had to admit it was amusing. Lorenzo certainly thought so! “Regina’s hot, but she does have a nasty side.”
If there was something that could put a more sour taste in Kaylee's mouth in so few syllables, she couldn't imagine what it would be. Even if there were undeniable physical features that some might find attractive (especially since her awful nose was surgically improved) that didn't mean Kaylee could ever find someone with such an ugly heart attractive.
The blatant praise of the physique of their frenemy only caught Charlotte somewhat off-guard. It wasn’t as if his opinion of Regina’s appearance wasn’t shared by many. It was just odd to hear him say so, and with no hint of caution. If anyone else had the same thought, they didn’t get to express it. Without paying attention they had already arrived at the Haunted House and passed through the threshold.
A ghostly wail in the distance stole their attention. The skittering of taps on wood painted images of spiders in their heads. Each of them naturally gravitated into a tighter group.
“Serenity and Paulo don’t mess around,” Cara muttered, feeling her body jolt when something woodshed overhead.
High above them were pale vaporous shapes swooping over, mouths agape in silent screams when they weren’t looking up, but any time a child glanced they pierced their ears with a shriek.
“Heads down!” Matt shivered, hoping he wouldn't be tempted to peek.
Lorenzo was thankful for his wolfish mask that worked like a visor. He also didn’t complain, keeping his eyes down all the same, what with his Little Red Riding Hood companion right beside him. The costume Kaylee wore gave him little reason not to comply.
Through the dips and highs of the Haunted House, they were all properly thrilled with the adrenaline rush of controlled fear. However, they still wanted to answer the big question.
“Did you see the TARDIS yet?” Matt asked them quietly as they turned a corner.
“Not yet…” Elijah answered.
They had gone through three whole scenes of horror and a single daring test of their nerves without a sniff of the tall police box. From what they knew from Serenity and Paulo, they had only two scenes left of horror and one more of daring before the trail ended.
“Wait,” Charlotte paused, seeing a bust sculpture of a familiar man in one of the scenes ahead of them. His shirt had a bow tie and he wore a fez hat. In his hand he held something long and metal.
They came to a stand-still. Matt asked, “What is it?”
“That’s the eleventh Doctor, isn’t it?” Charlotte pointed.
They peered past the statues of winged angels covering their faces in the graveyard to see it carved on the front of a tomb. Indeed, the ‘Raggedy Man’ stared out at anyone who passed with a knowing grin.
Everyone grew excited at the sight before them, even if it was from an old TV show. The frightening sight of the Weeping Angels was enough to root some in their place while others lunged forward to try and snatch up the sonic screwdriver. Less than familiar with the show specifics, but frightened nonetheless by just how eerie the statues were, Tallulah made the mistake of standing still before snowballing into something worse.
In a flash, the stationary statues flickered from their places when they were wholly unwatched. One of them happened to be halted just before they could reach Tallulah. The hands, tipped with Stoney claws, outstretched. Their faces were far from angelic; silent shrieking mouths lined with fangs, the apples of their cheeks bunched up their narrowed eyes between brows dipped angrily.
"These things are creepy!" Tallulah yelped, clenching her eyes shut before anyone could tell her not to blink.
The simulation did it's part for the angels to come and touch her, instantly dropping her from the scene by a portal in the ground and leading her to the end of the house for those who had passed.
More familiar after listening to exciting chatter for weeks, Kaylee snatched at Lorenzo's hand, yanking him so they were back to back.
Lorenzo inhaled sharply, glancing around, “What—,”
"Don't blink!" Kaylee commanded, using her peripherals to look at the statue. "We have to get closer but we can't let the angels get us."
Catching on to what Kaylee meant after finding Matt vanished when Lorenzo’s blink made him vulnerable to the angel just feet away, he decided to alternate between eyes so that he didn’t dry them out.
“Careful, careful!” Cara said as she formed a human wheel with all eyes outward.
Tysha had to chuckle, “Oh man, I can tell Danny had fun with this one!”
“Fun isn’t the word I’d use,” Charlotte spoffed. “More like sadistic satisfaction.” She kept her eyes on the angels in front of her as they stepped toward the sonic screwdriver. “Lorenzo, Kaylee—you guys alright?”
“Yes, we’re okay,” Lorenzo answered. “Should we follow you guys?”
“How far away are you?” Charlotte asked.
“Uuuh, I think—Oh shit!” Lorenzo’s heart jolted. The question distracted him enough that he forgot not to blink. A twisted-faced Angel now stood directly beside him, out of the visual scope of Kaylee. “I don’t know and I’m kinda panicking.”
Tysha said, “Just hold on. Maybe the screwdriver will do something.”
Slowly they shuffled over with only two close calls. Finally Charlotte was able to reach out and grab it. She didn’t know what to expect. Charlotte wiggled it around, tapped it, twisted, pressed buttons, and everything.
“Any luck?” Cara asked.
Charlotte huffed, “What do we do with it?”
“Point it at something!” Tysha said. “Think about the TARDIS.”
Doing so, in less time than she expected, they heard the familiar grind and whine of the blue police box. A portal opened and the TARDIS materialized.
“Woo!” Cara cheered. “Alright, let’s shuffle inside. Come on, we can do this!”
Artfully, they managed to shuffle all the way into the doors of the TARDIS, leaving behind the overgrown graveyard and the alien statues. Tysha made sure the door was fully shut before giving them the queue that it was fine not to worry about blinking now.
Each step to the screwdriver and then to the TARDIS had been torture to Kaylee. Never in her life had she wanted to blink so badly. The knowledge that her and her friends depended on keeping her eyes open was barely enough to get by. The times statues crept close her heart had thudded in her chest, worried they weren't going to make it all the way up until they were in the safety of the police box.
"Jeez, that was intense," Kaylee exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "I wonder how many made it through besides us?"
“I dunno, but that’s a problem for another day—Run!”
The trail ahead proved challenging. Dalek’s, Tin-Men, and many more monsters and aliens awaited them. There was a clever puzzle to undo, a possible appearance of River Song in the shadows, and a death-defying face-off with the struggles of morality. In the end Kaylee, Lorenzo, and Charlotte remained. Cara and Tysha were long since gone.
“This,” Charlotte panted, “Has got to be the best and worst experience I’ve had at a Halloween party.”
Lorenzo wiped his face of the sweat collecting under his fur. “You can say that again. I just hope we’re almost done.”
The last challenge apparently had to do with a simple choice between an apple or fishfingers and custard. They had to choose which to pack in the lunchbox of the holofigure of the Eleventh Doctor.
“I know which one,” Charlotte said, stuffing the fish-fingers into a baggy that she put into a paper bag, followed by a jar of custard. “There you go Doctor.”
The holofigure received it with a grateful smile, “Ah, thank you!” He said, before heading to the exit. Just before he left, he turned and said, “The TARDIS will bring you back to where you need to be. Have fun, good luck, and remember—bow ties are cool.”
As soon as the Doctor winked and left them, the children were treated to another grind and whine of sound. Once it stopped the door opened and familiar faces came walking in with gifts.
“Félicitations à vous trois!” Their Aunt Lauri beamed, carrying a package of prizes along with her husband.
"Congratulations indeed! Quite the clever and quick thinking from you all," Oliver joined in the praise as they approached the trio.
Similar to his wife, they both wore the black formal robes for the famed fictional school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with a sweater vest beneath and house-appropriate colored tie. Lauri’s yellow and black couldn’t be mistaken for anything other than Hufflepuff. For the British Lion, there was no question as to his house of choice, proudly wearing the maroon and gold colors of Gryffindor. In his movements to meet the students who had completed the house, the shuffling had caused Oliver’s tie to run lopsided, something to be corrected when he had his hands to himself again.
Lauri laid out the options for their gifts on the table along with Oliver. She folded her hands and stepped to the side so they might have a look. Hazel eyes were drawn to the displaced tie at her husband's throat who stood on the other end of the table. She adjusted her skirt to keep her fingers from reaching over. A small smirk spread, though Lauri tamed it smooth while in the presence of children.
"Well then, what prize will it be?" Oliver asked.
Still dealing with the adrenaline from their run, Kaylee only gave their aunt and uncle a grin before peeking at their options. One basket that was a movie theme reminded her of the giftcard still sitting on a shelf at home, never used with Joss. Deciding not to waste a prize on that, she looked past and settled on an elaborate snack box filled with all kinds gourmet snacks and treats.
"I'll take that one, please," Kaylee requested.
"Or course, dear. A prize well earned! And if memory serves me correctly, for a second year in a row, as well," Oliver recalled, handing over the box to her. "Von Helsing competitiveness, no doubt."
[After: when he had his hands to himself again.]
Lauri laid out the options for their gifts on the table along with Oliver. She folded her hands and stepped to the side so they might have a look. Hazel eyes were drawn to the displaced tie at her husband's throat who stood on the other end of the table. She adjusted her skirt to keep her fingers from reaching over. A small smirk spread, though Lauri tamed it smooth while in the presence of children.
[End]
Without skipping a beat, Charlotte chuckled, “Dad would say it’s from his side of the family.”
Lorenzo had heard them say such things at least once before. While he waited for his turn, he genuinely examined Kaylee’s face and Charlotte’s for understanding—adopted children couldn’t inherit traits through genetics—but came away with no satisfying answer to his internal question, simply resigning to leave that as a head-scratcher.
“Ooo!” Charlotte pulled up a pair of ‘conversation cups’ with a bundle of chocolate strawberries nestled into one and a couple of tickets to a Zoo tucked into the other. “Look, this says I could pick any Zoo I’d want! And it can be up to three days. This is great!”
Students came from all over. It was only considerate to make sure that, wherever they end up on the weekends or summer, they would be able to use their tickets at their local Zoo.
Lauri smiled, “Oui, you and one other could spend a date—,” Seeing the Charlotte wince, it became clear she had no expectation to use the other parts of the prize. That required interest from a guy. “—or, you can just go with a friend. Either way!”
Confused, Lorenzo asked, “Wouldn’t you be able to do that anyway? Aren’t your parents rich?”
“Well, yeah, but we have to earn our own money. They’d only take us to someplace like this if it had to do with school or something,” Charlotte explained, tucking the gift to her chest. “But I’mma use this for fun.”
No note-taking or studying, no droning shuffle with a large group of kids, no chaperone to submit to, no arguing over which animal to see first—You didn’t just bop around, you had to have a plan! One that touched on each animal you wanted to see, looping back to the beginning, or to any final destination you desired. Anyone who didn’t do this? Fools. With the power of these passes Charlotte had ultimate control. That, and chocolate covered strawberries were yummy. These had a variety too; white, milk, and dark.
Lorenzo chuckled, shaking his head. He took his time to choose a prize. There were many exciting baskets, jars, and solo gadgets left. “Hmm, this is hard! So many. I wish I could just sample them all.”
The young man often had that opinion. Charlotte recalled Lorenzo saying something similar when he was around to hear talk about Danson wanting to be Elite, among other times.
“Well,” Charlotte pointed to some of the gift-cards. “There’s the ‘Of the Month’ subscriptions. You can sample a lot of kinds of things over time.”
Perking, Lorenzo bent over to take a look. “Ah, a ‘game of the month’ would be great.”
The card itself was less money than renting or buying a single game. It would be useful to test them before deciding to buy. The fact that he got this free from the prize-pack only made it better. A whole year of surprises and different experiences!
With the prizes selected, Oliver went to gather the remaining ones that were left for any future students who made it through successfully. "Excellent choices," he nodded to the young adults. "Well, you three had better meet up with your mates before it gets too late. The dance will only last so long!"
Kaylee slid her basket of goodies over her arm, nodding at their aunt and uncle. "eah, we should get going. Time to go boast to the others," she chuckled, expecting Lorenzo and Lottie to follow as she headed to the illuminated exit of the TARDIS, her ensemble unintentionally even more completed now with her wicker basket in tow.
With the prizes selected, Oliver went to gather the remaining ones that were left for any future students who made it through successfully. "Excellent choices," he nodded to the young adults. "Well, you three had better meet up with your mates before it gets too late. The dance will only last so long!"
Kaylee slid her basket of goodies over her arm, nodding at their aunt and uncle. "Yeah, we should get going. Time to go boast to the others," she chuckled, expecting Lorenzo and Lottie to follow as she headed to the illuminated exit of the house, her ensemble unintentionally even more completed now with her wicker basket in tow.
True to the character of the wolf in that fairy tale, Lorenzo tracked Kaylee with hungry eyes, and for more than what was in her wicker basket, out the door. Charlotte took a minute longer. She had pulled the cups up to read what conversations these things were meant to make. Apparently they centered around developing a rapport with whoever drank with you. She considered throwing them out, but in the end she decided they would be good for regifting.
Lauri stowed the last of the packages of gifts and prizes in the cabinet where she and Oliver tucked beside, so that students weren’t brought out of the exciting atmosphere of the TARDIS until they passed the final test.
Turning, she grinned to see the tie had yet to be fixed. “Ta cravate, mon Amour.” Lauri sat atop the ledge of one of the consoles and gave the silk a tug. “It is in need of attention.”
Misty grey eyes were quite used to watching his Lamb and her behaviors, and didn't miss a certain twinkle in her eyes. "Oh? Attention, is it?" his brows perked in interest as he stepped closer to her, gently nudging her thighs apart so that he was centered between them. "And what sort of attention would that require, mon Agneau?" Reaching up, Oliver let his thumb and forefinger play along the knot that was already threatening to be compromised.
Very aware that they were out of the line of sight of cameras and their duties to children were temporarily suspended, Lauri allowed herself this moment of sultry mischief.
“What is there to do, except to tie it?” Lauri feigned innocence, reaching up to the silk. “Why don’t I help—Oh woops, regardez ça.” It slipped easily from his neck, piling onto his hands, winding around his fingers. “Ah, tsc, tsc, tellement malheureux. You may have to fix it yourself.” Lauri’s hand rested on his chest. “These fingers of mine; so slippery...” she purred. Her fingers slid down to his buttons, plucking them from their slits one by one.
The Lion's tail would have switched back and forth behind him if he had one, watching as his favorite prey presented herself for the hunt. "Slippery hands indeed," Oliver agreed thoughtfully, the tie still draped in his hands as they dropped down to her wrists. "Et nous ne pouvons tout simplement pas avoir ça, n'est-ce pas? [And we just can't have that can we?" he asked in a low murmur as practiced hands tugged the tapered silk, weaving it about her wrists until a makeshift restraint was nearly made, though still loose.
“N-non, nous ne pouvons pas avoir ça…” Lauri breathed, watching him with as much electric desire as he had for her.
Keeping his gaze trained on her, Oliver bent down to take hold of the end in his mouth, getting a grip and giving it a slow, even tug until they tightened about her, hungry eyes eager to devour his captive.
TikTok
Lauri went to swipe her hands over his head to encircle him, but Oliver caught her wrists gently. She feigned a pout, struggling to appear displeased, failing entirely. Her hands raised above hers until they hooked to the knobs of the dials above her. “Oo, le lion a attrapé son agneau,” Lauri smiled seductively. She shifted where she sat, feeling that heat rise. Her legs tightened around his hips. “Whatever shall I do now?”
Oliver smirked down at his wife and her playful allure, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth three times as one had slowly slid down one of her arms. "Oh, I can think of quite a few things to do with you, mon Amour. Rien de tout cela ne peut être dit à propos des enfants," he whispered softly as his lips dropped to just beside her ear. “Dois-je vous ramener à la maison pour être dévoré, doux agneau?"
Letting out a pent-up breath that flowed warm over his neck, Lauri sighed with longing, “You quicken more than my heart, mon Lion. Cet agneau est à votre merci.” She strained provocatively against the tie. “Here, or home—Ne me tourmentez plus.” Lauri nipped at his lips and tilted her head back, so that her throat might entice him.
The odds of a student finding the entrance to the Doctor Who trail was slim. The Haunted House trail, including the TARDIS, would be closing soon anyway. Lauri would take that gamble.
While he might have thought of them scurrying off to home, the moment Lauri's neck was bare, any sense of waiting was long gone. Oliver’s hands found their way to her hips and the waistband of her skirt, ready to face the odds of being found if that meant a well-deserved snack of his wife. "Maintenant, laissez-moi vous montrer ce que ma baguette magique peut faire, ma petite sorcière," he breathed before tugging her close for a proper session of being devoured and shown all sorts of magic spells while under the excited rush of not wanting a student to find them.
All while the Gryffindor ravaged his Hufflepuff, some students of the Von Helsing Academy were getting caught, here and there, trying to do the same in the closets and unlocked rooms of the school. The janitor, Mr. Marsh, had insisted on making sure no one got the chance! He came with his broom to shoo the randy troublemakers back to the Great Hall or their separate dorms.
“Lorenzo, the janitor is glaring angrily at you,” Tysha noted, gnawing gratefully on a snack Kaylee offered her. Bitterness over losing out on the TARDIS trail was short-lived.
Turning to see, Lorenzo flashed a sheepish smile at the man and waved. “Eh, guess so.”
The man pointed his fingers at his own eyes and then towards Lorenzo before stalking off in search of more wily children.
“Why do you think he’s grumpy with you?” Serenity asked. She had joined up once the Haunted House closed down.
If he had an answer, they wouldn’t know. The announcer blared out, “Ghouls and Monsters, it’s time to say goodbye.”
“Aww,” the students grumbled.
Cara nudged Kaylee, “After party time!”
Serenity looked around. “Where’s Lottie?”
Professor Taliesin's face popped right beside the young girl, startling her. “Right here,” Charlotte’s feminine voice spoke through the stoic professors lips.
“Ah!” Serenity gasped, stepping away. “Oo, don’t do that!”
Chuckling, Charlotte flicked the face away. “Oh that’s good.”
“Having fun frightening people?” Elijah asked, mirthfully.
“Frightening, tricking—This is the best costume ever!” Charlotte clapped twice.
Heart settling, Serenity smoothed out her skirt. “I don’t know if I agree…”
“Alright guys,” Matt draped an arm around Cara and pointed out. “To the vaults?”
“Aye!” Lorenzo cheered his favor. He gave Kaylee a wink and a grin.
"Hmm?" Kaylee had been pulled from her thoughts by Lorenzo's sound of approval. She'd been caught up in the question from Serenity about the janitors disapproving looks that had gone unanswered. Realizing everyone was rearing to go to Hiraeth Hill. "Oh, yeah sure. Let's head to the portal."
The friends migrated along with the herd of students trickling out from the Great Hall. In due time they got to the vault, passed through the correct gate, and came out on the hilltop.
Danson practically pranced out. He waved his sonic screwdriver in the air. “We have returned to planet Hiraeth!”
Getting tired of her costume, Tysha peeled it away. Underneath she wore a simple black jumper. “It’s nice out tonight.”
“Lot’s of stars,” Elijah smiled. “Serenity, Paulo—You wanna use the telescope?”
“Sure,” they agreed in unison.
“Oh come on guys, we do that all the time. It’s Halloween!” Charlotte protested.
Lorenzo, who had stuck close by Kaylee, asked, “What do you have in mind?”
Spoffing, Elijah said, “Probably a game.”
“A game—Hey,” Charlotte playfully scrunched her nose at him. She hopped onto a log to enforce attention. “Why don’t we play tag?”
Serenity peered around. “I don’t know, it’s dark.”
“All the more reason. We can have fun and practice our skills,” Charlotte pointed out. “Come on. We’re all here, we’re dressed up. This will be great!” She smiled, slowly shifting mocha eyes on Kaylee. She may or may not have a wicked fright in mind for her, but she said nothing.
"Tag sounds like fun," Tallulah agreed, standing up from the spot she'd taken around the fire pit. "I mean, come on. There's nothing to be scared of."
"I don't know, after seeing the haunted house I feel like you guys can be pretty scary," Kaylee answered, having abandoned her thoughts. For now she'd enjoy the night, whether that was running around with friends or slipping away once more with Lorenzo when it wasn't too noticeable. "We should just make sure we don't wander too far from the pit." The blessings of the hill might have been safe but that didn't mean she'd be careless.
Pursing her lips briefly, Charlotte tamed her disappointment at the suggestion. “Aw, come on Kaylee. Why not run in the woods? It’s not like we can’t find our way back.” The way Charlotte looked at her sister reminded Kaylee of a predator.
"Running through the woods from you sounds terrifying," Kaylee spoffed. "I might be taller but you're ridiculously fast. But I guess you're right. We know the area and if we got lost we could help each other."
Charlotte’s lips curled. “Hehe, excellent,” she muttered under her breath. Before Kaylee could ask what she said, she jumped down from the log.
"Or leave each other at the mercy of All Hallows Eve!" Tallulah offered in a spooky tone, her voice rising and falling.
Elijah chuckled. “That phrase is best understood as ‘All Holy Evening’, you know. It’s actually a blessed.”
“Oh don’t ruin the creepy affect,” Charlotte nudged him.
“Just sayin’,” Elijah smiled, nudging her back. “How about we say ‘At the mercy of Samhain’? It’s the pagan Celtic festival. There’s monsters and fairies and everything.”
“No, that sounds like someone is saying ‘saw-win’,” Charlotte waved him dismissively before picking up her voice to gain attention when the others began to chatter. “Alright, rule time! Bonfire area is the sanctuary. The person who is ‘It’ will count to one-hundred. If you are found and caught you must join the hunt for everyone else. You can only try to return to sanctuary after racing at least one-hundred yards away. We can use our Lithes to know how far you went, so no cheating!”
“Can we hide in pairs?” Serenity asked tentatively. “I don’t want to wander alone in the woods.”
“Hmm,” Charlotte tilted her head. “Alright fine, pairs.”
Lorenzo smiled and looked down at Kaylee. “Promise not to leave me in the woods?”
With all the rules being doled out, one had to wonder just how long Lottie had been planning the game. Kaylee might have teased her if there was more time, but everyone seemed quite ready to go. Her attention was grabbed by Lorenzo and that one-dimple smile that made her heart quicken. Holding out her hand toward him, a single finger was extended. "Pinky promise."
Lorenzo grinned, hooking his pinky with hers. He often found this trait of Kaylee’s to be adorable. “Great,” he said with a grin, shifting his hand up to give her arm a touch. His hold lingered.
“Alright guys!” Charlotte clapped. “Who will count?”
“You,” Elijah said.
“Uuuh,” Charlotte shifted on her feet. “How about we choose from a coin flip? Or pick a number between one and fifty?”
“Numbers,” Matt shrugged.
“Okay, anyone closets to the number I write down is ‘It’,” Charlotte went to their log seat and scribbled down a number. “Alright, give me your picks.”
One by one they offered a number. After the round Charlotte pointed to Paulo, “You’re It!”
“Okay,” Paulo chuckled. He went to sit on a log by the fire and covered his face. “One, two, three…”
Lorenzo clasped Kaylee’s hand and scattered like the rest of them. Elijah and Serenity ran off left. Cara and Matt went right. Tysha, having no one to run with, went on her own. Charlotte trailed after Tallulah. She kept close, whispering to her as they vanished in the woods.
The chase was on and with it came the thrill of being caught. A light adrenaline helped them run faster, combined with their extensive physical training and left the wooded terrain feeling more like a walk in the park. Kaylee's hold on Lorenzo's hand hadn't left, using it to gently guide him when they came upon a turn to make.
"We should find somewhere to hide soon," Kaylee breathed, feeling they'd gone a safe enough distance.
“Here,” Lorenzo took them between a tilt of a wide tree.
It’s branches dipped like a curtain, obscuring a flat rock with enough room for them to fit three people comfortably. They could glimpse through the autumn leaves almost all the way around. Furthermore, the tree itself had a strong trunk easy to climb. In a pinch they could scurry upward. Their Lithe’s would certainly help with that too.
In the distance they heard an echo of giggles and squeals. Lorenzo felt the hair on the back of his neck prick. He didn’t say a thing, but Serenity’s story from their first night came to mind.
Those creepy thoughts didn’t last long with Kaylee right beside him. Lorenzo grinned as he watched her. When she noticed him staring he didn’t waver from his intention to enjoy the sight of her.
Catching sight of his lingering look, the corners or Kaylee’s lips twitched upward. Something about the playfulness on his face and mischief in his eye kept Kaylee's gaze and a growing curiosity. "What? Something caught your attention, wolf?"
“Sí, una princesa con una caperucita roja.[Yes, a princess in a little red hood],” Lorenzo said. He leaned over and shifted the edge of her hood to expose more of her face. His finger teased her cheek and ran down her neck to her clavicle.
Shakily she inhaled as his finger brushed against her, cornflower eyes widening as Kaylee felt her grin growing. "And just what do you plan on doing with her?" Her voice was quick to betray the calmness she was trying to portray instead of her growing excitement and longing. Memories of what had happened the last time they were in the forest alone had not been forgotten.
“I am a wolf,” Lorenzo said, shifting close. He was a breath away from her face. “And one who has not eaten for some time…” Lorenzo’s lips hovered over hers, following the curved of her cheek, and when he had come to her jaw, he pressed his nose against her neck abruptly. The vibration of his sudden, deep growl rippled through her.
Before she could stop it, a soft almost whimper left Kaylee from the 'attack' of the wolf, though her body was doing anything but protesting. That growing heat he'd been able to summon time and time again was back with a growing hunger, one hand slipping past the fur of Lorenzo's wolf hat and griping the back of his neck at the base of his hairline. "And you think I'll satiate that hunger?"
Unlike before Lorenzo didn’t go ahead and make moves towards her just yet; their previous encounters proved that he couldn’t gauge how far she was willing to go. It was best to let her set the pace and he would follow.
“Only one way to find out, Princesa…” he spoke in a low, husky tone. The softest pinch, not even enough to leave a mark, grazed her throat. Lorenzo kept himself in place, waiting for some kind of signal.
Whether it was the adrenaline that had started as they were running through the woods or the yearning sensation she found she had in his presence, Kaylee might never know. What she did know was that she wanted to feel that rush Lorenzo was talented at spiking in her. In the moment she found a surge of confidence that she couldn't explain, her body seeming to move on its own. Before she knew it, Kaylee shifted and moved to suddenly be in his lap, legs straddling his waist on a move she'd seen her Aunt Annabelle pull on Uncle Yonten more than one time when they'd been celebrating. This time there was no Wesley around to shoo them apart or scold that kids were watching. Kaylee’s heart was beating in her chest as she tugged his hat and let it fall to the side.
"Then let's start with a nibble," she breathed before feeling just bold enough that she could lean in and match his lips with her own.
Having thought they would have gone a little slower, and that he might have to help stoke that fire she seemed to be afraid to burn, Lorenzo was taken pleasantly by surprise. He easily matched her energy. The little tease had finally found her courage to take what he suspected she wanted all along. Lorenzo would not disappoint her.
Those hands that restrained from roaming let loose. One inched toward her velvet center. The other gripped Kaylee’s hip. In-between ravaging her mouth and neck, he glanced up at her eyes to make sure she was still on board.
Yards away Charlotte and Tallulah, having been providentially caught by Paulo, were tracking through the woods to find the Little Red and her wolf to help hunt, as per the rules. That, and for one other premeditated, wicked reason.
Chuckling darkly, Charlotte informed Tallulah, “Okay, so when they start to run away I want to make sure Lorenzo is far enough from Kaylee that I can knock him down. I’ll steal his wolf hat, take his face, and catch up with Kaylee. Then I’ll act all goofy and confuse her! I’ll have her run in circles and stuff, this will be hilarious. While I do that, you have to distract Kaylee so she doesn’t know I switched with him—What’s that sound?”
The unidentified noises gradually increased as the two girls moved closer to the tree that was shielding the heated young lovers. Tallulah took only a few moments to make her presumption known. "If I had to guess, I would say that's the wolf and red-hooded girl you're after, Lottie," she stifled a giggle.
Hidden from sight of the world and oblivious if they weren't, Kaylee found herself being quickly eaten by the blazing fire. Where she might have pulled away for them to cool off and breathe, her body had taken over the controls and pushed toward what it wanted. The logic of them moving too fast or being caught was gone. Now Kaylee just followed a natural desire, her own hands brave enough to wander his torso between them, little sounds of approval and encouragement slipping out between heated kissing and exploring
“Oh—OH,” Charlotte blinked in realization.
Such sounds were only glimpsed. Mainly movies were her point of reference, and once or twice her parents when they thought they were alone. The strangeness of hearing Kaylee, let alone Lorenzo who seemed to be enjoying her participation, struck Charlotte as odd. What came as more of a surprise—maybe not, depending on how well someone knew her—was that Charlotte took mild offense. One of these horn-dogs had initiated the throes of passion during her game. Or so she would claim is the reason why she found herself not pleased. There could be a guess that a part of her felt jealous. Whatever the reason, Charlotte contemplated breaking up this intimate scene with the face of a particularly frightening monster; a ghoul.
The change in her mood could be easily read. Charlotte didn’t hold back the shadow that passed over her face. Wordless, Charlotte moved forward just as Tallulah meant to speak. She crouched low and blended into terrain. Only Tallulah could tell where Charlotte had sunk into the darkness. The girl moved silently, even if she didn’t have to. Lorenzo apparently hit a good spot. His own noises and mumbles of Spanish were enough to distract them both from Charlotte’s approach. At some point she had to pause though, feeling a sense of embarrassment as she came closer. Annoyance became her greatest anchor to resume her plan of attack.
Meanwhile, Kaylee became aware of Lorenzo’s rising excitement the more her body gave into the sensations his fingers sent through her from between them. His free-roaming hand only encouraged her, slipping and sliding over her chest and thighs. They could sense they were not the verge of going one step further.
“RREEEEE!!”
Kaylee’s passion shattered into a thousand heart-stopping fears when the shriek of a familiar monster split the sky. Snapping their heads to the side, the face of a pale ghoul, mouth agape, pushed through the branches.
The world had just about fallen away along with any regard when the sudden appearance of one of her biggest fears reared its head as it slunk into sight. The building desire vanished and Kaylee leapt out of Lorenzo's lap, unashamed to admit that she screamed bloody murder. Years of training were suddenly lost and she could only think to put distance between her and it. The thick trunk or the tree called to her and with her aid of her Lithe she began a quick scurry up, yelling at Lorenzo to climb with her, though her words were drowned out by the deafening pound of her heart.
Unfortunately, in her hurry, Kaylee had tipped Lorenzo backward. The young fellow rolled off the slate into the leaves gathering in time for winter’s approach. All they heard was a muffled yelp and muted thud.
Laughter erupted from the ghoul who clutched its stomach. The jerky motions of its merriment warped its features that adjusted to keep up the haunting facade. In-between blurs, it glitched, revealing an all too familiar face matching the giddy mirth of Kaylee’s sister, Charlotte.
Flicking away the ghoulish mask, Charlotte wiped at her eyes. “Ah, ha ha ha! You should have seen your faces!”
Kaylee had made it a good way up the trunk when Charlotte hadn't been able to contain her amusement. The realization that they were in fact not in danger quickly changed her confused facade to one of annoyance.
"Goddamnit Charlotte! You scared me half to death," Kaylee scowled down at her sister, shimmying her way back down the tree and giving her a healthy glare. "You're lucky I don’t haul off and start fighting you!"
Giving Lorenzo an apologetic look, Kaylee offered a hand to help him to his feet before she began cleaning off the leaves that he'd managed to pick up in his tumble. Lorenzo mumbled gratitude as he came down from the surge of panic and came to terms with the moment being ruined.
Charlotte couldn’t help but chuckle and roll her eyes, “Oh come on, it’s Halloween, Kaylee. Don’t be so dramatic.” She crossed her arms stiffly where she stood beside Tallulah. “Besides, I doubt you’d get farther in a fight in that dress than Lorenzo did up your skirt.” While it could be argued that her voice kept a steady, light tone, anyone with a practiced ear caught the pinch in her inflection.
The remark caught Kaylee's attention and she stopped in the middle of her efforts to clean Lorenzo to turn and face her sister. Cheeks reddened and her mouth opened and closed a couple times as if she was unsure just how she wanted to respond to that. For a brief second Kaylee considered telling her there was no need for her to be jealous that someone was trying to get up her skirt, but it was quickly shook away.
"Guess we're just lucky the most dangerous thing in this forest is your sadistic tendencies then," Kaylee said with a slightly forced smile that she was grateful for the darkness around them.
Pursing her lips briefly, Charlotte couldn’t decide if Kaylee was taking a shot at how short she was in comparison, and thus harmless, or if Kaylee meant to diminish concern over the implied threat Charlotte made regarding if they fought. Either way, the young girl didn’t take it well, saying, “Sadistic huh? Well maybe so, if you’re all there is for protection. What were you gonna do, squeal a ghoul away? But I guess it doesn't matter. You had a better plan; you don’t need to outrun the ghoul, you just needed to outrun Lorenzo.”
Wincing, Lorenzo cleared his throat, avoiding eye-contact as he picked up his wolf costume. He found interest in dusting off the fur. He did, in fact, fall prone when Kaylee freaked out, but he didn’t think it would do him good to enter into this squabble.
Kaylee's jaw dropped as Charlotte unleashed on her, no longer ready to keep things civil if her sister was so quick to pull out her claws. "Um excuse me? I can't help it that you thought this was a good idea and intentionally picked the one thing to terrify me," she placed her hands on her hips. "Did it annoy you that much to see us kissing?"
Before Charlotte could dismiss the first statement as Kaylee being overly sensitive, her sister struck a tender nerve. Gasping, Charlotte said, “Like I’d be jealous of that display of grunting and smashing mouths!”
Realizing things were getting heated fast, Tallulah slipped in-between the Von Helsing girls, holding up a hand to each. "Hey, hey! It was a prank, let's just calm down. Why don't we head back to the fire?"
“Well just be careful and let Kaylee walk ahead,” Charlotte said as she circled around to point in the direction of the camp, “We don’t want her to trip us if something jumps out of the woods.”
Brows furrowed and a scowl that could curdle milk shot across the woods. The words hurt more than anything else, but Kaylee wasn't about to let Charlotte know that. Instead, she spun on her heel and stormed off toward the fire.
"Wouldn't want to play this stupid kid game anyways," Kaylee muttered, only glancing at Lorenzo to make sure he was following this time around. In looking back to see Lorenzo picking up his pace, Kaylee could see in her periphery the stunned expression of her sister.
Tallulah winced at the back and forth, in slight shock herself. "Damn. Never seen you two fight. Is it always that cold?"
Without answering Tallulah, Charlotte sprinted towards Kaylee in a blur of shadow. She swooped her arms to loop around Kaylee’s neck. Though training fled before, now Kaylee ducked, just dodging the attempt to head-lock her. Charlotte went with the inertia. She tucked and rolled to her feet, quick to aboutface.
“Whoa!” Lorenzo knew better than to stick too close. He moved a good five feet from them.
Kaylee had been surprised, but she couldn't say it completely shocked her that her sister's anger had peeked out. "What the fuck, Charlotte?!" She asked as she slipped into a fighting stance, knees bent and prepared to deal with another attack. "What is wrong with you?”
“Take it back,” Charlotte demanded, her heart beating angrily. She raised her hands and curled her fingers tight.
It would have been a mature and smart thing if she listened to Charlotte's request, but in that moment Kaylee wanted nothing to do with being mature. "What's the matter? You want to play kid games and not have someone look at you like a kid? Maybe that's why only an oversized toddler wanted to dance with you when Elijah isn't giving pity dances."
Charlotte sprang from the ground in silent fury. Kaylee dodged the strike to her chest. Both engaged in quick movements that veiled the bubble of tears at the corner of Charlotte’s eyes and the forced anger that served to mask Kaylee's injured feelings from words that were truthful and painful. There were enough words said between the sisters that Lorenzo and Tallulah figured this might not end well.
Stepping closer to Tallulah, Lorenzo said, “When we get an opening just grab one. We’ll have to get them both at the same time if we want to prevent the other from taking a cheap-shot.”
It was possible, what with how fervently the two were trying to pin the other down. Kaylee had to do away with much of her skirt. Charlotte had gotten in too many hits because of the folds of fabric slowing her down. Once freed from the bustle of her costume, Kaylee matched Charlotte’s skill. Huffs, gasps, and grunts sparked among crashing into bushes and stone clacking against stone.
The downside of training together for years was that they knew each other as well as they did themselves. Every time Kaylee got close to a good grip on Charlotte she'd turn away and they'd have to start over. No breath was wasted on words, each too focused on their movements. At one point their tumbling ended with them slightly separated, and Kaylee was about to grab her sister's ankle and drag her back in range when a pair of arms around her caught her off guard, pinning her own arms to her sides.
"Whoa, that's enough brawlas," Tallulah urged, using her full body weight to keep her in place.
*Let me go," Kaylee grunted in protest.
"Not until I know you won't kill each other."
Lorenzo came to know the speed that Kaylee had been dealing with, only barely managing to hold Charlotte back when she made a step toward Kaylee. He wrapped one leg around hers and both arms latched tight around her upper body.
Wiggling to no avail on the ground, Charlotte eventually grew tired. Hair that came undone here and there skirted her face. She sniffed, “Let go.”
Like-minded with Tallulah, Lorenzo said, “Only if you don’t fight.”
After a seething moment of frustration and another bout of wiggling, Charlotte exhaled a huff, muttering, “Fine.”
Cautious, Lorenzo and Tallulah released the girls. They were in arms reach, just in case. Charlotte—bottom lip plump and clothes askew—swiped a long strand from her face, scowled, and then turned away. Her footfalls thudded through the woods until they faded entirely. No one knew if Charlotte would leave altogether or stay.
Sighing in sympathy for both sisters, Lorenzo offered Kaylee’s tattered cloak. “Want company on your way back?” There was always Tallulah in case Kaylee would rather have a girlfriend.
Kaylee watched her sister storm off and felt a pang of guilt hit her as the chance to breathe was presented. She had been quite outrageous with her behavior, something they'd have to confront at some point. For now, she tried to brush off some of the dirt and leaves that had gathered in her hair and clothes, before taking the cloak from Lorenzo.
"Yeah...sounds good," Kaylee nodded, though she sounded distracted. Brushing her cheek, a dampness told her she'd suffered a cut in the tumble, just enough to draw blood and would no doubt find a few more scrapes and plenty of bruises in the morning.
"I'll catch you guys back at camp," Tallulah nodded to them, figuring they could use a little space and also wondering if she could catch up to Charlotte.
Alone and walking slowly toward the fire, Kaylee glanced over at Lorenzo. "Sorry...for all of it, really. I abandoned you over a ghoul and then acted like a real ass with Charlotte." This apology would be much less painful than the one between sisters.
Keeping pace with her, Lorenzo said in a comforting tone, “It happens. I’ve had similar fights with my cousins. And as for the ghoul,” Lorenzo plucked a twig from Kaylee’s hair, “well, we’re still young, you know? It’s not like we’re supposed to hunt fairies and deal with Accursed people at our age.” They had prep in high school and, if they decided to pursue the career, they’d get into the real gritty work in the trade college. “You could always look at it as a chance to take this time to overcome the fear.” He added with a chuckle, “Maybe I can put on a ghoul face and try to seduce you next time.”
The thought made her spoff and shudder at the same time, shaking her head. "Ugh, please no. I'll do anything to work on getting over them, but I do not want to think of you as a nasty ghoul," Kaylee pleaded with him, feeling significantly better with his remarks. Looking down, she spotted his closest hand to her, slipping her own inside of it. "I'd prefer to keep you this way and just work on not turning into a scaredy cat when I get snuck up on."
Occasionally they held hands, but Lorenzo couldn’t recall exact moments. Most of the ones that came to mind were when it was practical. This felt somehow different. Or maybe for her it was the same, but not for him. Either way, he decided to go with it.
“Guess we’ll have to practice again sometime,” Lorenzo grinned, teasing a recreation of their heated moment. He paused just before they cleared the tree line to tug her closer. He brushed a smear of blood from her cheek and gave her lips a kiss. “Just let me know whenever you want to try again, Princesa.”
Just as she had before, Kaylee melted into the warmth of his kiss. "Mmm, well I won't say no to practicing more," she admitted, taking a moment to enjoy his bare chested presence once more. A realization hitting her made her make a face. "Although..after tonight I don't know if we'll be coming out here more. When mom and dad find out..." Her words trailed off while she was already imagining just how that conversation would go.
“Oh,” Lorenzo chuckled, this time a little nervously.
It all depended on how the news broke to the parents. Going into detail may be what Wesley needed to bar them from allowing certain young men dressed up as a wolf from attending future bonfire gatherings.
“Well then, in case I don’t get another chance,” Lorenzo murmured before gently slipping his arm around Kaylee to press her to his front, taking the opportunity to share a heart-fluttering kiss. When he parted enough to speak, he breathed, “Never mind...All that did is make me want more…” He grinned and that single dimple appeared.
Shuffling of shrubberies drew their eyes to a figure coming through the trees from the fire pit. Tysha’s familiar bouncy curls gave away who. She asked, “Are you guys alright? Charlotte won’t say a word and Tallulah said there was a fight.”
It took a moment for Kaylee to come away from the kiss and the grin that kept drawing her in, so that the fight resurfaced in her mind. "Um, yeah we're okay," she answered Tysha without pulling her eyes from Lorenzo. "Just a prank gone wrong. It'll be fine." Or so she hoped. Taking a hold of Lorenzo's hand once more with a lingering smile that said they'd find some way of continuing their practice sessions, she moved toward the direction Tysha had come from.
The three approached the fire pit where their friends were in concerned conversation. Elijah was doing his best to speak with Charlotte, but she was not fessing up. It happened that he laid down the offer to talk and got up to come to Lorenzo, Kaylee, and Tysha to get more insight.
“Hey,” Elijah greeted, hands tucked in his pockets. He observed the sorry state of Kaylee and could only imagine what they had done to each other. “Any developments?”
“Prank gone wrong,” Tysha repeated. It was basically what Tallulah had said as well.
Dropping his head with a shake, Elijah said, “I don’t understand it. She and I normally have an open dialogue.”
Lorenzo didn’t speak out of turn, but he did recall what was said before; pity dances to a charity case. “Just give her time...I think it’s something Kaylee and Charlotte have to work out anyway.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Elijah sighed. “Well, it’s late. I’m heading off then...Good night, and good luck, Kaylee.”
Seeing others shuffling to the portal, and noting that Charlotte was edging to do the same, Lorenzo figured it was best he left too. “See you around, Princesa.” He gave a kiss to the hand of hers he held.
"You better," Kaylee said with a smirk, feeling oddly more confident after their encounter even if it had ended in a slight disaster. The fact that he hadn't simply vanished had meant a lot to her in the end. For now though, flirtatious comments and kisses needed to stop, seeing him off to the portal before turning to face the elephant in the room.
Catching a better look at the damage she'd managed to cause during their wrestling, Kaylee winced. It was a moment she wasn't proud of in hindsight, with physical evidence they'd carry for a few days. Looking to the ground she kicked a small pebble as she began speaking. "I didn't mean those things I said, Charlotte," Kaylee kept her gaze down. "I was just mad and wanted you to be, too."
The anger inside largely diffused by the time they got to this point. For Charlotte it was merely a matter of coming to terms with giving her own apology. It sat on her tongue in wait, becoming a bitter taste the longer her spiritual tug-of-war between doing what felt self righteous and doing what was an act of love took.
The ambiance of the night filled in the silence between when Kaylee spoke and when Charlotte finally peered upward. Mocha eyes traced the scratch on Kaylee’s face and reminded her of the dark days of Hell’s Gate. The idea of losing Kaylee then was painful; the idea of losing her now would devastate her—and it would be because she did it. That realization shattered the emotional chains keeping her silent and still. Despite whatever remained of her negative feelings, Charlotte pushed passed them. She got up and wrapped her arms around her sister.
“I forgive you and I’m sorry,” Charlotte murmured sadly. “I got too invested in what I wanted from the game that, when I saw you guys, I felt ignored…” She trailed off, knowing the other things Kaylee had said rang true, but didn’t want to talk about her old complaint that felt more of a burden to mention than not. It hadn’t been the only reason anyway. “I never should have used the ghoul face, even if I wanted to play a prank. It wasn’t even my original idea.” It was apparent to them both it definitely had been chosen for such a purpose as to scare her the most. “You’re no heartless coward, Kaylee. I’m sorry for inferring it.” She pulled away to see her face to face, but kept a comforting hug in place. “Forgive me?”
The truce between the girls was visible relief on Kaylee's face. Even if she had been faced with potentially losing her privileges to come out to the hill, having her sister angry at her was the bigger threat. They'd find some other place to hang out if needed, but she wasn't going to just find another sister. Charlotte had been such a center piece of her life and not someone Kaylee was willing to lose over a dumb argument.
The healing aura of her embrace was welcomed and returned, exhaling softly and fighting off the verge of tears. "I will always forgive you, Lottie," Kaylee answered with a small sniff that turned into a wet spoff. "We should stop making Halloween nights so eventful."
Wiping her eyes, Charlotte said with a chuckle, “Let’s promise each other next year will be peaceful.”
Extending out her pinky finger toward her sister, Kaylee nodded in agreement. "Pinky promise," she swore, giving her sister another heartfelt embrace before parting away. "I suppose we should start heading home. Don't want mom and dad to start worrying."
“Yeah, you’re right,” Charlotte said, sipping from her pinky-hold to put out the fire.
The girls laced arms on their way through the portal. Despite their disheveled appearance they were smiling softly to themselves. It happened that, as soon as they entered the castle, the portal reopened behind them. Charlotte and Kaylee, curious, watched to see who came for a visit.
A familiar tall figure stepped in that the girls only saw on occasion. Frank Jackson, relative of Elijah, paused in mid-wave to see the girls all tattered. “Uhh, good morning you two,” he said, following up with, “Are you girls alright?”
“Yes,” Charlotte spoffed, tucking loose strands behind her ear. “We just had a small sibling conflict.”
Chuckling, Frank opened the door so that the three might all go through to the hallways. “Well, let’s hope that they get no bigger than this.”
“You and us both,” Charlotte nodded, walking out with her sister by her side.
Wesley’s voice broke through the moment, saying, “Ah, Frankie, good see—,” he dropped his coffee gaze onto his daughters. “—What the hell happened?”
While it had been easy enough to brush aside their encounter to Frank, the moment they were faced with their father, Kaylee wasn't sure they'd have that same confidence this time around. "Oh you know, Halloween tricks and pranks," she shrugged, hoping they didn't look like the complete disasters they'd turned each other into. "But everything is fine, just a little dirty. Would you like a cookie?" Her wicker basket still filled with goodies was held out to her father. A form of bribery or distraction? Perhaps.
What with Charlotte’s struggle to keep herself from snorting in mirth and Kaylee’s hopeful cornflower eyes, Wesley all at once knew he would rather handle this on a different day.
“Is that so?” Taking the cookie, Wesley said, “Well I’d like to hear all about it later. You two clean up and go to bed.”
Charlotte and Kaylee didn’t stay to see if he would change his mind. “Yes Dad. Night!” They’d have some time to work on what to tell him when it came down to it.
Frank chuckled deeply, “They’re good kids.”
Smiling, Wesley perked his brows once and motioned for Frank to follow. “Yes, they are.” He nibbled on the sugary confection while he walked. “How’s it going with Jada?”
“She’s been through a lot. Those two years away certainly took a toll on her. Today she managed to visit the chapel for mass and adoration,” Frank pulled out a little prayer card. “She gave me this.”
Wesley glanced over the image of a man of great strength sinking into a river from the weight of a toddler on his shoulders. “Saint Christopher, Patron Saint of Travelers,” he hummed thoughtfully. “She’s remembering more, isn’t she?”
“She is,” Frank tucked the card away. Jada remembered much of the day she, Molly, Oliver, and Lauri, with Kaylee, had helped break out that young boy. The infiltration, the escape, the chase, the drones that snatched her and the kid back to the compound. “Jada says after their successful escape they traveled towards Italy. They made it, but there’s a lot that is lost in the chaos. She doesn’t know where he went, only that she lost him near the end of Hell’s Gate.”
“Let’s hope she has a little something more to say, as she improves,” Wesley sighed, finishing off the treat.
The two had come to the elevator that would take them to the North Office. Frank pressed the button to summon their ride. “How have you been doing?”
“Tired, among other things,” Wesley admitted, stepping through the doors when they opened. He swiped his phone to command the elevator upward; the key to his everything. “Mainly from a cold, mind you, but I do feel a sense of exhaustion no matter how much sleep I get.”
“Do you sleep?”
“Well, maybe ‘sleep’ isn’t accurate. I’ve resigned to simply rest my eyes for hours on end,” Wesley swiped a hand through his hair. “When I do fall asleep I’m restless. I have an abundance of nightmares. Rosy thinks it has to do with the biochemical relationship that my body has with the trauma it’s been through, Yonten says it’s probably karma rebounding onto me, and I’m sure you’d say it’s the devil.”
Spoffing, Frank said, “Not so fast, Wes. While I admit I do believe the ‘devil’ is a contributing factor to suffering, he can only tempt; we have to make the choice. So, while the devil might take every chance to agitate us, we ultimately decide what to do with that agitation. From where I stand that means offering the suffering up to Jesus, to use for the salvation of souls.” The doors opened and the two walked through down the hallway. “Whether or not he is, though, I think we can agree there might be some truth to what Rosy and Yonten suspect. Science has many studies done on the environment, its effect on the body, and how that damage can be passed on to children through the parents. Decendents of survivors of the Holocaust have been known to suffer from ailments related to the trauma of their grand-parents and great-grand-parents who were in camps.” They passed through the doors of the North Office. Frank took the usual glass of quality liquor. “And, while I’m not a Buddhist, I do believe our wrongs can come back to us in some fashion. One way is that when a man begins to improve, it is then that the devil comes to cripple his progress. So you can always take this suffering as a good sign.”
Wesley felt a headache come on. He took a bottle of alkaline water to drink. “Well, if true, then I can understand why a person would not wish to suffer improvement, and why your Jesus has few friends,” he said with a chuckle, taking a seat with Frank on the couch. “Enough about that though. I brought you here to ask if you would help me on a project.”
Resting back against the soft cushion, Frank took a sip of his liquor. He asked, with a mildly amused smile, “What is it about?”
“In a word?” Wesley pulled up images that coaxed Frank into setting his drink to the side and leaning forward in surprise. “Legacy.”
