This was an AWFUL idea.
That's what Jack thought as he and Oogie travelled alongside a carriage, skeleton horses trudging tiredly along the cobblestone path; their luggage was an appropriate amounts of goodies that, on Halloween night, would be auctioned off. It was a new concept.
The mayor had the "brilliant" idea to bring Oogie out of his exile for some kind of reforming. Jack agreed that the man truly needed help, but dragging Oogie along with him everywhere surely would cause nothing but trouble.
Jack eyed Oogie, untrusting as usual towards the mischievous man. Oogie himself was looking straight ahead, uninterested in the world around him. Jack sighed, deciding he should start a conversation, despite the tension over Bug Day that he hoped was one-sided.
He started with a question;
"How did the mayor talk you into this arrangement?"
Oogie did something akin to rolling his eyes."Oooh, he didn't fill you in? See, he kept SHOUTING down my shoot, DEMANDING I come out! I can't STAND his voice."
Jack gave a slight chuckle.
"You're telling me... I have to hear him yell the latest news every morning."
"The thing about that is, I can hear that, too."
"All the way from out there?"
"YES. The news doesn't even help keep in touch with the outside world, he's barely intelligible. Can't you make somebody else do the announcements?"
"Truth be told, he's the only person in Halloween Town that's available and doesn't have some quirky lisp."
"That's unfortunate."
Jack shrugged, looking forwards again and seeing the entrance to Halloween town.
"Ah, and here we are." Jack sighed, patting one of the skeletons' backs, urging it to be faster.
He looked to Oogie. "How do I know that you're not going to make mischief during your stay?"
"By trusting me," Oogie responded, jokingly. "Or maybe putting me in cuffs."
"Hmm..." Jack thought a moment.
"I just gave you ideas, didn't I?" Oogie frowned.
Entering the town, the appearance of Oogie caused some gawking. He didn't look back at them, but he knew there were stares.
However, Jack merely smiled and waved at the citizens, behaving as casual as ever. Oogie wondered how Jack did it before the mayor, once he spotted the two, bounded up to them gleefully.
"Jaack, thank you SO much for bringing these. I'll be taking this over. But! before I leave.." The mayor motioned for Jack to bend down to be whispered to, head spinning to his distressed expression. Jack glanced to Oogie before crouching.
"So, I want to change the plans. Instead of returning HIM to his cave at night, we'll just have him stay in your place, is that okay?"
Jack thought a moment, before getting up and giving the Mayor a thumbs up.
"Wonderful! That will be all for now, Jack." The mayor smiled.
Jack nodded and turned to Oogie. "Well, we had best get you situated then."
"Jack, I've been here before, remember? I know the layout."
"I meant," Jack looked up to the mansion that overlooked the town, silhouetted in front of the ever lingering moon. "There."
Oogie looked at the tower. "Hmm. Say, how long is this gonna last, anyways?"
"That's up to you. Until you leave your old ways behind, you're sticking with me."
Oogie snickered. "You and I are going to be together a very long time, then."
"I figured."