“Have you lost your mind?” Wendy crossed her arms, staring down at Captain, lazily draped across the couch.
“It’ll be fun!”
“What the hell is so much fun about begging for treats from strangers who’d just as soon spit on you?”
“It’s not the candy that’s fun, it’s the dressing up, sneaking into the Corporate Sector in costume, and… well, yeah, getting free sweet stuff is a bonus, but it’s the whole experience that you have to think about.”
“You aren’t selling me on this at all. Besides, costumes or not, we’re too old.”
“Then I could just take the Twins, maybe pick up Bit.”
“Why are you so keen on this?”
“Why not?”
“Corporate Security.”
“A teenager taking three younger kids out trick-or-treating? Come on, Wendy.”
Wendy rolled her eyes, “You don’t know the routes.”
“Follow the kids carrying bags of candy.”
“There will be barriers set up, permissions check points.”
“Yeah, because we haven’t been getting into places we shouldn’t be for our entire lives.”
Wendy sighed. “Where are you going to get costumes?”
Doubt crossed Captain’s infuriatingly self-assured face. “Ah.”
“He’s already a pirate,” Twist commented from the chair in the corner, a leg thrown over the chair’s arm. She’d been chased off her usual busking spot, and decided to come home and relax a bit before trying somewhere else. “Just need some stuff for the kids.”
“And where is he going to get that stuff?” Wendy asked.
Twist looked at Wendy, then Captain, and then back at her book. “Borrow something.”
“When you say borrow…”
Twist shrugged, “We know somebody who has a bunch of costumes and stuff.”
Wendy’s jaw dropped. Captain laughed.
“It’ll be fun!”
“What the hell is so much fun about begging for treats from strangers who’d just as soon spit on you?”
“It’s not the candy that’s fun, it’s the dressing up, sneaking into the Corporate Sector in costume, and… well, yeah, getting free sweet stuff is a bonus, but it’s the whole experience that you have to think about.”
“You aren’t selling me on this at all. Besides, costumes or not, we’re too old.”
“Then I could just take the Twins, maybe pick up Bit.”
“Why are you so keen on this?”
“Why not?”
“Corporate Security.”
“A teenager taking three younger kids out trick-or-treating? Come on, Wendy.”
Wendy rolled her eyes, “You don’t know the routes.”
“Follow the kids carrying bags of candy.”
“There will be barriers set up, permissions check points.”
“Yeah, because we haven’t been getting into places we shouldn’t be for our entire lives.”
Wendy sighed. “Where are you going to get costumes?”
Doubt crossed Captain’s infuriatingly self-assured face. “Ah.”
“He’s already a pirate,” Twist commented from the chair in the corner, a leg thrown over the chair’s arm. She’d been chased off her usual busking spot, and decided to come home and relax a bit before trying somewhere else. “Just need some stuff for the kids.”
“And where is he going to get that stuff?” Wendy asked.
Twist looked at Wendy, then Captain, and then back at her book. “Borrow something.”
“When you say borrow…”
Twist shrugged, “We know somebody who has a bunch of costumes and stuff.”
Wendy’s jaw dropped. Captain laughed.
“Hey, Doc,” said Captain, “Mr. S home?”
“Yeah, come on in,” Dr. Watts opened the door with a smile. “Hungry or thirsty?”
“Both?” Bit said. The Twins nodded.
Dr. Watts gestured they should sit at the kitchen table. As he started pouring three glasses of water, he called, “Sherlock! Your Irregulars are here!”
Mr. S came out if his bedroom, dressing gown on over his clothes. “Ah. Good morning. Is something wrong?”
“People never come here just to say hi, do they?” Twist smiled. She'd decided to come along, half to see what Mr. S’ reaction would be, and half because she thought Captain was going to need an extra lookout on this stunt of his.
Mr. S did his weird half grinning thing that meant he was amused. “Not often. And yet, I don't think this is purely a social call.” His gaze went straight to Captain, an expectant brow raised.
“How come you don't think Twist is up to anything? Why's it gotta be my fault?” Captain good naturedly protested.
“She schemes less than you.”
Captain grinned at that, and shrugged. “We need costumes.”
“For?”
“Trick or treat.”
Mr. S stared at him. The Doc laughed, and sat down at the kitchen table with the Twins and Bit. “Captain's taking you trick or treating?”
Bit nodded, “In the Corporate Sector.”
“Ahh. That'll be fun, assuming you don't get caught. You'll have to swipe a couple bags, stick to the zone the bags are assigned to. Only hit the houses with the same colored lantern as your bag.”
“Watts,” Mr. S might have been scolding him, if he hadn't been smiling, a bit bewildered.
“What? I remember doing this as a kid, it was fun.”
“You also lived in the sector.”
“So? Non C doesn't have anything like it, and it wouldn't be safe if it did.” Watts smiled, “Besides, they're your Irregulars. You think they can't pull this off?”
Mr. S sighed, returning to his room. “You're supposed to be a positive influence, doctor!”
“Says who?”
“There needs to be at least one in their lives, and it certainly isn't me.” He emerged with a pile of clothes draped over his arm. “Let's see what we can assemble.”
“Yeah, come on in,” Dr. Watts opened the door with a smile. “Hungry or thirsty?”
“Both?” Bit said. The Twins nodded.
Dr. Watts gestured they should sit at the kitchen table. As he started pouring three glasses of water, he called, “Sherlock! Your Irregulars are here!”
Mr. S came out if his bedroom, dressing gown on over his clothes. “Ah. Good morning. Is something wrong?”
“People never come here just to say hi, do they?” Twist smiled. She'd decided to come along, half to see what Mr. S’ reaction would be, and half because she thought Captain was going to need an extra lookout on this stunt of his.
Mr. S did his weird half grinning thing that meant he was amused. “Not often. And yet, I don't think this is purely a social call.” His gaze went straight to Captain, an expectant brow raised.
“How come you don't think Twist is up to anything? Why's it gotta be my fault?” Captain good naturedly protested.
“She schemes less than you.”
Captain grinned at that, and shrugged. “We need costumes.”
“For?”
“Trick or treat.”
Mr. S stared at him. The Doc laughed, and sat down at the kitchen table with the Twins and Bit. “Captain's taking you trick or treating?”
Bit nodded, “In the Corporate Sector.”
“Ahh. That'll be fun, assuming you don't get caught. You'll have to swipe a couple bags, stick to the zone the bags are assigned to. Only hit the houses with the same colored lantern as your bag.”
“Watts,” Mr. S might have been scolding him, if he hadn't been smiling, a bit bewildered.
“What? I remember doing this as a kid, it was fun.”
“You also lived in the sector.”
“So? Non C doesn't have anything like it, and it wouldn't be safe if it did.” Watts smiled, “Besides, they're your Irregulars. You think they can't pull this off?”
Mr. S sighed, returning to his room. “You're supposed to be a positive influence, doctor!”
“Says who?”
“There needs to be at least one in their lives, and it certainly isn't me.” He emerged with a pile of clothes draped over his arm. “Let's see what we can assemble.”
The two little twin ghosts in ragged clothes shyly held up their bags, an unearthly expression on their faces. The small zombie boy with them held out his bag after a nudge from the pirate standing behind them. The makeup was excellent, almost disturbingly so. The dark gypsy draped in multiple colorful scarves, kept looking around the street. Probably bored, forced to take relatives out.
“Your costumes are amazing. Who did your makeup?”
There was a pause before the pirate said, “Uncle. He does a lot of makeup work for his job.”
“Well, it's very impressive.” Candy dropped into the bags. “Happy Halloween!”
“Thank you!” the children’s faces lit up, and they hurried to the next house.
“Your costumes are amazing. Who did your makeup?”
There was a pause before the pirate said, “Uncle. He does a lot of makeup work for his job.”
“Well, it's very impressive.” Candy dropped into the bags. “Happy Halloween!”
“Thank you!” the children’s faces lit up, and they hurried to the next house.
