the ghosts of gothic halloween 🎃 chapter 1

[flair]

A North event... A North Halloween event... Helios really was like "Let's just end Bella's career" huh. Thanks much to my proofers, Euni and Ryuji!



Ren: Finished! Will, look, look! I drew it really well!

Will: Wow, what a cute black cat... It really is well-drawn. Why not tape it to the window?

The Halloween decorations sure are piling up. There's still a lot of materials left though, so how about we work together with Akira and—... Wait, what is he doing anyway?

Akira: Boo!!!!!

Will: Eeek!? A-A pumpkin ghost!?

Akira: Heeheehee, gotcha, gotcha! Scared ya good, didn't I Will? ♪

Will: Akira...? Ugh, don’t scare me like that. And jack o’lanterns aren’t meant to be on your head, you know...

Akira: But look, it fits perfectly! I thought I'd be able to spook the both of ya wearing it.

Hey, Ren, you were scared too, weren’t ya?

Ren: I... I wasn't. I saw you put it on.

Akira: Huh!? What the heck, you really saw? Darniiit, and I thought you'd piss your pants too!

Ren: I wouldn't have. I'm no scaredy-cat.

Akira: What the heck are you sayin'? You're the BIGGEST scaredy-cat. You can't even go to the bathroom at night on your own~!

Ren: Wh... I so can! Idiot! You liar!

Akira: You really callin' me an idiot!? 'Cause it takes one to know one!

Will: H-Hey, Akira, Ren... Don't fight...

Ren: But Akira—

...?

...Hey, did you hear that just now?

Huh? Will? Akira?

Where did you two go...?

!!!

...Who's there?

(S-Someone's crying... Who? ...Where's it coming from?)

???: .̠̱̟̮̯͘.̘̀.̺̻̣͖͈̲͘͢.̷͎̼̮̜̹̖͟.̗̯R͟͞҉̣͎̜̫̘͓̬͇̰i̷̟̗͕̼̯̘̥͝G̷̡͖̗̥͈̙͖̖͖̕ḫ͇͉͚̖́ͅT͚̲̝͓ ̵͎͙͟Ḩ̴͕̞̘͝e̻̣͙̬͖͚̬̖͠Ŗ̴̧̯̭̞̼̻̻̞ͅe̞͉̪͚͍̘̯̬̟͜.͏̝͕̺.̩̫͜.̠͕̲̘̤̤̖͕̭.̯̤̖͔͜.̨̘͖͚͉̱̫̕



Ren: —!?

(What was that just now...

...A dream...?)

Gast: Hm? ...Ohhhhhhh?

Ren! You woke up all by yourself!?

Ren: ...?

Gast: Al-right! Now ain't that something else? Grats, Ren!

Ren: (So it really was just a dream...?

Of course it was. Akira, Will, and I were all kids...

I vaguely remember this. When we were younger, the three of us made Halloween decorations—)

Gast: How the hell did you wake up? Your alarm clock's not even set...

Ren: ...

Gast: Huh, you ignorin' me!?

Actually, you don't seem that happy about wakin' up on your own. Oh, or is it - are you holdin' back 'cause I'm around?

You oughta be happy. If you're just gonna ignore me anyway, you might as well jump for joy, y’know?

Ren: ...I'm not holding back.

It's annoying to answer you. Don't talk to me first thing in the morning when you're so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Gast: Ahhh, I gotcha, my bad. Well, go splash some water on your face to wake yourself up - we've got some time before morning training...

Ren: You don't have to tell m—

Marion: Gast, Ren. Are you awake?

Gast: What's up, Marion? It's rare that you swing by our room, y'know?

Marion: So you are. We've got business, so come to the living room.

Gast: What, right now? Wait just a sec, I haven't finished decidin' on how to style my hair...

Ren: I want to wash my face...

Marion: (Sigh)... You've got forty seconds to get ready. Any longer, and I'll whip you.

Gast & Ren: !!!


Chapter 1 -> Chapter 2