11/01/1934

[boyinthehall]

WHO: Theo and Freddie
WHERE: Starting in their room
WHEN: Morning after halloween
WHY: Because Brotimes

Comments

[highfivepriest]

Of course he should have expected demons on Halloween. It was so blatantly, stupidly obvious that one of them would pop up, so in-line with every single obtuse superstition and urban legend, that at first he thought he'd been brilliant to assume it would be too obvious even for the demons. It hadn't been the night of hellfire and satanic debauchery the nuns from his middle school had tried to terrify children with, but it was still not a night he wanted to repeat

[boyinthehall]

"Boo," Freddie said. It might as well have been the sound of his breathing. He chortled before taking a couple of steps back. "Good morning Theo. My my, you seem to be quite removed from your usual self today. What ever could have possibly happened to you last night that you wake up late enough to miss your first class?"

Freddie swirled, arms spread wide, so that the sheet billowed around him. He came to a stop to look at Theo again through the ghosty eyes. "My waking somewhat late is nothing unusual. But you, you Theo. Why, I think I just might have to check whether we'll be seeing the leaves pick themselves up off the ground and reattach themselves to the trees!" He practically flounced over to the window to draw the curtains aside and peer outside.

[highfivepriest]

Theo brought the watch up to glare at it anyways, not quite ready to take anything seriously from a young man twirling around in a bedsheet. But Freddie was right; it was too late to even bother heading to his early-morning class once he got himself showered and presentable.

"Halloween is not worth half the attention people give to it," he stated, and collapsed back into his pillow. Already he was trying to call to mind which teacher's morning class he had, which student in it owed him a favor, and if that teacher was bright enough to notice a change in their attendance book than what they'd marked down. At least a copy of notes and homework, and some upstanding excuse fitting an outstanding student. Ugh, what a hassle.

"...And there's also no reason you should use me as an excuse to not go to class, yourself."

He'd been kind of dreaming of peace and quiet. Impossible with Freddie around.

[boyinthehall]

Freddie shrugged. "Why Theo, I'm quite aware of the statement to each their own, but how could you be so negative about a glorious day such as Halloween? Why, if I didn't know any better, I might even venture to say that something may have happened on a particular Halloween to give you such an impression. Or perhaps...Perhaps something happened the night before, which just so happened to be Halloween, to put such a spin on your opinion as well as keep you balled up beneath your covers until such a time

[highfivepriest]

He didn't bother giving Freddie an answer at first; the look in his eyes made it obvious he considered Halloween glorious only in the way it inspired otherwise upstanding people to set up horribly inappropriate costumed parties and drink until gloriously smashed. Freddie would get a more fleshed-out answer later, for certain.

Eventually he heaved his usual sigh and threw back the tangled blankets, slid into his slippers, and did his best to ignore how his spine popped and ears crackled as he got to his feet. Aequitas was clinging and hovering from its' corner in the back of his mind as soon as blood rushed to his head and left him dizzy, and Theo caught himself raising a hand to shoo at his shoulder - which he quickly and (what he thought of as) seamlessly switched to brushing lint and stray goosefeathers from his pajamas. "Give me a half hour."

Before Freddie could ask, he clarified. "I need a shower, but I refuse to eat breakfast in the cafeteria here if I have the time. Just... go run off and haunt the laundry room until then?"

[boyinthehall]

Haunting the laundry sounded like ab absolutely brilliant idea. Except barely anyone was ever in the laundry room. He gave Theo a smile that stretched from one side of his face to the other. "The laundry room is a little mundane for my tastes, but you certainly have the right idea there. Haunt another location I shall! I'll be back in just under half an hour, and I'll report all the details to you." A giggle. "I'll just have to remember not to lose myself in what I'm doing. It won't do for me to be missing when you get out of the shower now, would it."

There was no way Theo was going to be an escape artist today. Even if it was a little, he intended to get details. Oh yes indeed.

[highfivepriest]

"Far be it from me to keep you from your deserved right to roam the halls after oversleeping." He'd offered the laundry room as a rare moment of pity for his other schoolmates. That brief flash of concern died away as soon as Freddie agreed to just go somewhere else for the time being. Surely the other boy didn't need to be told to stay out of trouble every single time.

Aequitas chided him over the dull ache in his back while he fetched clean clothes from his closet. A quick shower to take care of the necessities, and surely he'd be able to sneak back in and lock the door before Freddie could return. His casual wave over his shoulder as he stepped out the door was hopefully enough to keep his roommate from following. "I don't want to hear any screaming while I'm gone."

[boyinthehall]

Freddie ran a hand through his hair, and flashed a mock-defeated grin at Theo. "Though you may not want to hear the screaming, I can't guarantee that there won't be any. Well. If you hear any screams they must be some very spirited people indeed. Either that or you have extremely good hearing if you find the screams audible over the sound of rushing water. Well, enjoy your shower!"

He waved at Theo through the sheet before ducking out of the room. Due to it being a weekday, there weren't many people hanging around the dorms. He did manage to startle a freshman, but that really was about it. There wasn't much he could do in the less than half hour allocated to his haunting.

And as promised, he made his way back up to his room before the half hour was up.

[highfivepriest]

"Like a hawk," he stated in that serious, flat tone he was fond of, his eyes seemed to follow Freddie even after the door had closed

[boyinthehall]

Freddie spread his arms wide from under the sheet as he shrugged. He smiled, but he knew Theo couldn't see him from under his costume. He supposed he could throw it aside for the year, but it was still a good costume. The few people still trailing around the dorms certainly got a scare out of seeing something white scooting around in the corners of their vision. The occasional giggles they heard seemed to make them stop and turn around. Priceless. Perhaps it was the magic of the day after Halloween.

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't." He made a sound like he was purring, rolling his r's as he kept his eyes on his roommate.

[highfivepriest]

"I'm sure they never would have been able to describe you at all if I asked, what with how subtle you are this morning," he tutted as he hung up his bathrobe and tucked his neatly folded pajamas in his hamper.

Amazing how Freddie could roll his R's even when not saying a word that included one. It was one of his inclusive yet useless talents, like how he always seemed to know when Theo's care packages came in before he himself did. Theo flipped his shirtcollar up and draped his tie around his neck, his fingers deftly tying the neat knot as he scrutinized down his nose at Freddie's wall of clocks.

"Tell me, the bakery on North street, or the coffee shop by Hanford and Sons' Antiques?"

Yes, he was skipping. Yes, Halloween had been that terrible.