How Green Becomes Wood

Cooger snorted, "As long as they don't try to force themselves into the party or trash his decorations, he'll be delighted. Do you know people come from all over the place to see here on Halloween? It's made the news before."
 
Cooger laughed, "I didn't know you were into that sort of thing, for a laugh. But equitable will this return of the favour be? Because I've seen horrible things and I'd rather not risk a nephew walking into it on accident."
 
"Alright, fair enough," Lex chuckled. "Maybe sometime when the minors aren't around."

"What miners?" Xander asked as he walked toward them, misunderstanding entirely probably for the better.
 
"We'll think of a good trick to get at him, don't you worry." Cooger teased, before looking at Xander, "We're just talkin' about what you should do for a living 'cause you're just a little guy. You'd fit well down a mineshaft."

As he made this joke, a rhythmic knock tapped against the door.
 
Xander glared at him. "You'll fit pretty well, too, once I kneecap you," he grumbled. He tried to force his spine longer. "Am not short."

"Sensative," Lex smirked after Xander as he headed for the door.

Xander wiped the scowl off, brought on the wide-eyed look, and opened the door.
 
At the door was Sloan and some of her closest friends from the gymnastics team, including Claire, all of them in a group costume. Like Sloan had hinted at during lunch, she now had more of her costume on. Including the classic princess cone hat. When it was Xander who opened the door, she slowly shut her eyes, feeling the deep pain of never being allowed to live this down. Amongst her gymnastics team, one girl was dressed as a mushroom, two were faeries, one was a knight, and Claire was dressed as a jester, complete with pumpkin pantaloons and a hat with bells on it. Her tights had horizontal black-and-white stripes and beneath her corset she had on a long, white shirt, but half of her outfit was pastel pink and the other was lavender, except for checkered pockets at her hips which were in pastel rainbow colours. Her hat and collar were adorned with bells and her belt hung with various odd trinkets. Stitched on the left side of the bodice was a red, heart-shaped patch, and a smaller heart was drawn on her right cheek with eyeliner, like it were just a little mole.

Sloan looked towards her team, having truly expected it to not be Xander who opened the door, and knowing it was too late now said, in a valley-girl type voice, "Good Sir, I traveled hence with my court on this night of trickery and delights for to make merry."
 
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A slow smirk filled Xander's face. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Well, well, your majesty. It's nice to see you and your entourage out this hallowed night of fright," he drawled. "Treats we have, but only to those that knows the correct phrase. Any other statements must be approved by the dark and twisted lord of this castle." He glanced toward Claire with her jester costume and felt that one was the best of the group, but they were all ridiculously cool. Not that he'd actually say that.
 
"It is humorous," Sloan rolled her eyes and checked her nails, "I believed I was traveling with mine jester but now that I have arrived hence, I see a second in the doorway. It would seem this world be full of jesters yet the one in advance of me is not as skilled with his jests."
 
"Aye, my fine lady, but I'm not the one who speaks to her nails as if they might answer back," Xander smirked, taking it in stride.

"Do I hear Sloan?" Alec called, coming over. He stopped at the door and gasped. "Wow! Sloan! Sloan friends! You guys look fantastic!"
 
"They make for more pleasant company than that of men," Sloan replied, smiling saccharinely at Xander before turning to Claire, "Jester, they expect us to grovel for treats as though we are but the common folks. Surely that won't do. Play on."

Claire stepped forward, jingling as she went, and throwing her arms wide said, "Trick or treat! Trick or treat! But it seems to us we only receive treats and never tricks, and what of those in their houses on this night of ghouls! What a night, when everything is upside-down! Perhaps the trick is we have the treats!"
 
Xander watched in appreciation of Claire's performance, properly impressed with her song, but when she finished, he commented, "That's a pretty good song, and I'm inclined to reward the jester, but I don't know. Aren't Jesters supposed to be able to do some fun dances?"

Alec didn't say anything as he watched Claire. She looked so cheery in that outfit. It was so colorful! And jingling. It was a lot of fun, but what was most fun was her smile as she spouted off her spiel.
 
"Dances?" She asked with a grin, "Who needs to dance when you have tricks!" She took a few steps back and her friends cleared some space, clearly familiar with these shenanigans, and went up into a handstand, angling herself so she could still face them while upside-down. She switched to one hand for a moment, "Ta-da! Upside-down!" When she got back on her feet, she laughed at herself and said, "Upside-down, I told ya! And on behalf of our court, we have decided no treats we will take but treats we will give!" Saying this she fished into her pockets and pulled out little clay creatures with big eyes and held them out to the twins. Most were Halloween themed, little ghosts, bats, or pumpkins, but there were non-Halloween ones like frogs, mushrooms, and stars, "We give trinkets to you, and that's the trick!"
 
Alec's heart did an odd little flip when Claire went upside down and looked at them with that mischievous smile, and he felt a little ill. He quickly attributed it to worry that she would slip and fall on the concrete. Just worry. That was all. When she turned herself right-side up and started handing out the cutest trinkets he'd ever seen, his knees went a little wobbly, and his cheeks flushed pink.

Xander laughed as he accepted the little clay creations. "Alright, that's a pretty good trick. You guys have a fantastic act going on."

Alec managed to recover and grinned broadly, forcing the odd feelings aside. "It's brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Now you have to accept some kind of reward." He quickly fished in the bowl and handed out the good stuff to the gathered troupe. "If you say no, you will seriously offended the king and queen of the Necropolis, and I don't think you want that!"
 
Claire was about to try and refuse for the spirit of the game, but the faeries, knight, and mushroom all in their own way told her not to ruin this for them. They all knew how amazing the treats at this house were on Halloween.

"I think I speak for my court when I say we accept, thank you," Sloan grinned and all her friends accepted the treat, "Honestly if we hadn't been offered a treat I'd have come back around later on my own. You aren't holding out on me."

"Right, my lady," Her friend dressed as a knight said after they had all accepted their prizes, "Other houses await, there is more merriment ought to be had."

"Fair well, our carriage doth call," Sloan chuckled, while they all gave their thanks and went off laughing to the next house. Claire turned around one last time to wave and then linked arms with Sloan, laughing at their great jest.
 
"Now that's was something else," Xander remarked, watching as the troupe headed off. He quickly remembered he should get a picture and snapped one on his phone. It wasn't a great one and slightly tilted, but you could see who was who.

"Yeah," Alec agreed quietly, watching Claire go arm and arm with Sloan. "Something else."

"Lemme close the door before the bats fly in or someone tries to knock on you instead of the door," Xander complained.

Alec started and quickly retreated indoors. "I'm going to sit down for a bit. My feet are getting tired."

Xander nodded. "Alright. What are the adults up to, anyway?"
 
Dark stepped out from the kitchen, "Daizi is changing Ivy's diaper, Lex and Cooger are in conversation, and I was just waiting. I heard Sloan's voice, so I figured you had it in hand: who was she with? I did not recognize most of them from school."
 
"Most of them aren't from school," Xander told him. "They were her gymnastics team. Pretty cool costumes. Themed and all that. I think she got the idea from you, so you should be proud."

Alec went into the living room and plopped down on the couch to rest for a bit and get his thoughts together.
 
"She's lived across the street from you and your shenanigans and had you as a teacher, influencing her and helping her to evolve her costume game," Xander said. "Here. Hold out your hands." He waited until Dark did as he asked before dropping the small clay creations into his hands. "Pretty awesome, right? Alec got some, too."
 
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