Yoshiko wanted to go trick or treating.
Riko'd be lying if she said that she was surprised, but at the same time, maybe she was a little bit. After all, they were teenagers; by all accounts they were "too old" for such a thing, not that there was necessarily any rule against it. It was more a case of what people would think, seeing a group of teenagers out knocking on doors asking for candy.
At least they should've been a group; Yoshiko had asked both Riko and Mari to join her over their separate subunit group chat. And in fact it was Mari's own insistence that Riko join them, since she was originally going to back out.
Yet just as the sun was beginning to set outside, painting the clouds an array of oranges and pinks, Yoshiko showed up, alone.
"Mari said she couldn't make it," the 1st year said, strutting into Riko's home as soon as the door opened and leaving the other girl a bit floundered at the entrance. She turned, the many layers of her frilly skirt swishing with her, as she asked, "Wait, what do you mean she can't make it? She was just as up for this as you were."
Yoshiko shrugged, having planted herself on Riko's couch in the living room. "She just said she ended up making plans with Kanan and Dia that she couldn't skip out on." Riko sighed, already feeling annoyed at how the night had started. But the night was still young and Yoshiko still wanted to go through with the event, given that she'd still shown up rather than texting a cancellation.
In fact, Yoshiko had shown up in costume, though her choice of outfit left Riko slightly confused. "Actually Yocchan, why are you dressed like a vampire?" Yoshiko smirked as she leapt to her feet, giving a twirl to show off the costume. The simple black cape on her back twirled with her, curling around her dark pant-clad legs before she held it open, leaving her long sleeved, white frilled shirt clear to see.
"It seemed appropriate, given that such creatures of the night are similar to fallen angels," she chuckled, showing off the plastic fangs she had protruding from her top lip, "Abominations of god, doomed to lurk in the shadows, and while vampires may live forever, they too are fated for hell once their immortal lives are ended."
"Uh...okay. But why not just go dressed as an angel anyway?"
Yoshiko's eyes narrowed and her smirk fell. "That would be admitting that Yohane is nothing but a facade! To go out in "costume" would be denying my true self!" Riko couldn't help but roll her eyes at the dramatic performance. However, she then jumped when Yoshiko suddenly pointed a finger at her, saying, "And what of you? What creature have you decided to adorn upon yourself?"
"I'm not a creature, Yocchan, I'm a maid," Riko deadpanned, as she brushed down the skirt of her dress, "To be honest, I didn't really want to have to go out and buy a whole new costume, so I just picked out one of the outfits we wore for an old photoshoot." Specifically, it'd been the shoot from nearer the start of the year, a valentine's shoot; an overly frilly dress in pink and cream with extra petticoats to give the skirt extra lift, a corset around her waist, and shiny pink shoes with ribbons wrapped up her leg.
However, she'd foregone the overly elaborate bonnet that they'd worn with the dresses during the shoot, and instead switched it with a smaller headband that they'd worn with a different set of dresses during the same shoot. She'd also taken the colder weather into consideration, adding a pair of thick white tights and a shawl for her shoulders.
Yoshiko circled the girl, taking in the outfit as though she were seriously appraising it, before she finally nodded. "Perhaps it's a little lazy to simply re-wear something else, however, it is also practical if you already have something on hand," she mumbled. She then hit her fist into her open palm, a satisfied smile on her face.
"Well it's fine! We're good to go then!" Yoshiko cheered, picking up the plastic pumpkin pot she'd brought with her for candy collection, then racing out the door. Riko simply sighed, picking up the plastic bag she'd dug out for the outing, and followed after her friend.
The night had not gone well for the intrepid trick or treaters. Aside from a few kind souls - plus one or two misunderstandings when the two pulled up at a house alongside a group of children - their haul was rather paltry. Eventually, with the lights of the houses going out to signify the end of the night's event, the two migrated to the cafe where Aqours ended to meet after school, if they weren't training or practising.
"I can't believe we barely got anything," Yoshiko huffed, slouching in her seat, her barely filled pumpkin sitting on the table. Given a better outcome, she would've gladly emptied the contents onto the table, then encouraged Riko to do the same (Figuring out who gets what back when they then split the pile again would've come later). However as it stood, she simply left the pot and its meager spoils be.
Riko sat across from Yoshiko with her own limp bag hanging off her lap, frowning at the girl's pouting expression. "I mean, I kinda understand. We're both a little too old for this sort of thing," she said, grimacing as she recalled at least a few of the houses laughing them off, or even chastising them for trying to take away from the little kids that were out celebrating. Yoshiko's pout morphed into a scowl as she cried, "Does that really matter?! We were out to have fun!" She then reached into her mouth, pulling the plastic fangs off her teeth and throwing them onto the table, grumbling, "The glue for these tastes awful."
Unsure of how to respond to Yoshiko's gripes, Riko took a drink from the water she'd bought. The two sat in silence, taking in the bustle of the cafe around them - the workers behind the counter, families with tired kids enjoying a chance to sit down in the warmth.
"Hey," Riko piped up, catching Yoshiko's attention away from a family pouring over the candy they'd collected (And Yoshiko would later insist that, no, she wasn't jealous!), "why didn't you do this with Ruby and Hanamaru? Were they busy?"
Yoshiko scooched herself into a proper sitting position, only to them slump onto the table, half burying her face in her arms. "No. But I wanted this night to be just you, me and Mari. But when Mari couldn't make it, I did try and call Ruby and Hanamaru, to see if they'd join in." Yoshiko then pouted again as she continued, "But apparently, some brat kids decided to prank Ruby's house really early on, and it freaked her out. She absolutely refused to leave, which is why Hanamaru was with her, since Dia was busy."
"I see," Riko frowned, "That's a shame." Neither said anything after that, but before another quiet period settled between them again, Riko then said, "I'm sorry tonight didn't really work out." Yoshiko shrugged, yet didn't respond. Her entire attitude spoke for her though.
"Maybe we can try again next year?" Riko suggested, though she couldn't put too much oomph into it; by then she'd be a third year, and Yoshiko a 2nd year, and there'd be even less of a chance of them getting any kind of decent haul.
Yoshiko again simply shrugged.
Riko just turned back to her water, sipping quietly and watching the moonlit waves outside the window.
It wasn't till the cafe was beginning to close that the two finally made to move. Riko offered that they go back to her house to sit for a bit, perhaps even watch a movie to make the most of the rest of their night. Yoshiko didn't argue.
They wandered along in silence, Yoshiko still feeling too down to converse, while Riko let her thoughts drift off, musing over the night's happenings.
It was as they neared Riko's house - the sound of giggling from both Chika and You greeting them from Chika's room as they passed - that the 2nd year got an idea. Glancing at her still downcast friend, Riko nudged the girl and motioned for her to hurry as she sped ahead. "Come on, we're almost there!" Perplexed, Yoshiko hurried after the girl.
They stopped at the door, but rather than open it for them both, Riko turned to the other and said, "Wait here for a bit, please." Pouting, Yoshiko said, "Eh? Why?"
"Just please, I won't be long," Riko responded, giving her friend an apologetic smile before she quickly entered the house, closing the door behind her. Yoshiko grumbled some, curious as to Riko's actions, yet frustrated by the cold wind that began to pick up and made her wrap herself in her own cape, which didn't help her already sour mood. All she could do though was wait for Riko to return, hopefully to let Yoshiko into her house before she froze in the cold.
Rocking back and forth on her heels, kicking at nothing on the ground, examining the small details on the door, Yoshiko tried to bide her time. It felt like Riko was taking forever!
(In reality, it was only a couple of minutes, but that was still time wasted to the fallen angel!)
Finally, her phone buzzed in her pocket, making her jump in surprise as she wasn't expecting it. She dug it out quickly, fumbling with it slightly due to her numb fingers. It was a text from Riko, simply saying, "Knock on the door." Yoshiko's curiosity finally seemed to override her irritation, and she rapped on the door with surprising enthusiasm. She waited with bated breath, though the wind still caught her and made her shiver.
There were some quick thumps from the other side, and then the door opened; Riko stood in the doorway, her shawl discarded, holding a glass bowl full of chocolate bars big and small, and cookies, and even a bundle of strawberries wrapped in clear plastic. Despite the blush on her face, Riko beamed at her "visitor" and said, "Ah, you must be a trick or treater!"
A stupid smile began to grow on Yoshiko's face as she figured out what was happening, though she still snapped to attention as she realised she still had a part to play. "Oh, uh, yeah! Trick or treat!" She held out the pumpkin pot for Riko, who smiled back and began to carefully pour the contents of her bowl into Yoshiko's pumpkin through the small opening.
Yoshiko chuckled, trying to help with the transfer as best she could as she said, "You didn't have to do this. The movie would've been enough."
"Maybe. But do you feel a little better now?"
"Hm...yeah." Both girls laughed, finishing the exchange of sweets as Riko finally allowed Yoshiko into her home. Shoes were left by the door as they moved into the living room, Riko pointing out a small cabinet near the tv, offering the choice of movie to Yoshiko. Not that Yoshiko was much impressed by the selection, which she made clear to her host, "Geez Riri, you've not even got any good scary movies here! How we supposed to get in the spirit without a scary movie?"
"Well I'm sorry me and my mom don't do horror. You'll have to pick the next best thing or something else," Riko responded, though there was good humour behind her retort. She giggled at the other girl's drawn out, "Fiiiiine," as she began the ascent up the stairs so she could get changed.
When she returned, dressed in her pajamas, she was also carrying another pair, folded in her arms. Yoshiko was still sat on the floor by the tv and the cabinet, her cape discarded onto the sofa, and a small tower of dvds in front of her.
"Okay, so these are probably the best movies we could watch tonight, no offense to you or your mom's tastes, so we just have to pick from these," she announced, turning to face Riko as she heard her enter. Yet surprise quickly crossed her features as she registered the folded pajamas being held out to her. She took the pile hesitantly, with Riko saying, "These are an old pair of mine. They should fit you, since given the time, you're probably not gonna make it home for tonight."
Yoshiko couldn't help but hide her quickly blushing face behind the clothes, responding, "I, uh...I told my mom I'd probably stay with you and Mari since we'd be out late. She was okay with it as long as whoever's mom was alright too." Riko gently smiled back. "I'm sure my mom wouldn't have any problems with you staying the night."
She then picked up the dvd on top of the tower, saying, "This one's pretty good. It's not scary, but I doubt any of these are."
"They're not," Yoshiko said, rolling her eyes, yet she was smiling all the same. She crawled across the floor and onto the sofa as Riko set up the dvd. Few words were exchanged as they both set up for the night, aside from Yoshiko opting to stay in her costume for now, saying she'll change later, and Riko offering drinks.
When Riko finally settled on the sofa with the other girl, Yoshiko grabbed her cape and threw it over them both, wrapping them both in it like a blanket. She then reached over to the other end of the sofa and retrieved her candy bucket, placing it between the two. Yoshiko opened the makeshift strawberry bag, holding it out for Riko to take one before taking one for herself. The two then curled up close under the vampire cape, the living room lights still on and Yoshiko's borrowed pajamas off to the side as they started the movie.
It might not have been the best Halloween Yoshiko or Riko had ever experience, but it ended up being special anyway.
Happy Halloween!
Literally wrote this up super quick in time for the holiday, but I'm worried that it's not that strong of a piece. I'd like to revisit this and flesh it out in places, but let me know first what you guys think.
Quick fun fact; Riko's outfit is literally just her idolised Valentines SR from SIF. It's ultimately just what I imagined her wearing when I first thought of this story.
I hope you all enjoyed this quick lil piece, and I hope you all have a fun Halloween as well~
Thanks for reading~
Fufu x