a/n: so i couldn't think of a good couple's costume until i was already in the midst of writing this, and i'm a sucker for the "in-universe show reflects events of the actual show" so eupho-kun is a lesbian now i don't make the rules (in one of the shorts midori mentions having a tuba-kun dvd so i'm assuming that it's a show as well? idk)
"Kumiko, are you sure that we should do this?" Reina sighed as she stepped into the bulky costume.
"H-hey, you were the one who wanted to dress up as a couple." Kumiko pulled up Reina's zipper, her own hands already covered by Eupho-kun's claw-like alien ones. "And I wasn't about to listen to Asuka and go as a giant pair of boobs, y'know?"
"Still, your character hasn't even shown up in the series yet. Is anyone actually going to recognize us?"
"That doesn't really matter, Reina," Kumiko replied. "They'll know we're a pair."
"'They' being . . . ?"
"I know that the second-years are coming, I dunno about Hazuki and Midori. I think they're going to stay and hand out candy at home."
"Right." Reina adjusted her instrument's "head," which more than anything looked like a dog cone. Kumiko smiled, tugging on the sleeves of her own costume. "Are we ready to go, then, Eupho-kun?" Reina smirked, and Kumiko returned in kind.
"Only if you are, Trumpet-kun." They looped arms, hands hidden beneath layers of bulky fabric, and stepped out the door.
Kumiko caught a glimpse of the rest of the group first, three girls standing in a sort of triangle underneath a streetlight.
"Sorry we're late!" she called, stumbling forward in the Eupho-kun suit. Reina followed close behind, snowy white paw held in claw-hand.
"It's fine," Mizore said, shuffling in her spot, dressed as what looked to be a slice of bread with purple paint on it. "Nozomi's still not here yet."
"Of course she's not!" Yuuko snapped, stomping her foot like an impatient bunny. That metaphor in particular, Kumiko thought, was especially fitting - Yuuko's usual ribbon had been replaced by a pair of long gray ears, and there was a cottonball clumsily taped to the back of her police uniform.
"She probably just got stuck in traffic," Natsuki sighed, tugging at her green tie. "They close a lot of roads on Halloween, ya know."
"What are you two supposed to be?" Reina asked, pointing to the pointy ear headband on Natsuki's head. Yuuko opened her mouth to answer, but was soon overshadowed by frantic yelling from across the street.
"Hey!" Nozomi yelled. "Hey, guys, I'm here! Sorry I'm late, the traffic was awful!"
"Oh, I get it now," Kumiko said.
"Hmm?"
"She's peanut butter, and Mizore's jelly."
"Oh."
"Well, I guess that's everyone." Natsuki clasped her hands together. "Right?"
"Yeah," Kumiko confirmed. "Hazuki and Midori said that they didn't want us to scare the little kids or something.
"Right, because there's nothing more terrifying than cartoon brass, a sandwich, and two furries," Natsuki deadpanned. Nozomi stepped forward, nearly pushing her aside.
"Those costumes are pretty impressive," she noted, rubbing her chin thoughtfully with one hand as she lifted Reina's arm with the other, admiring the craftsmanship. "Did you make 'em yourselves?" Kumiko shook her head.
"No, no, we just h-have . . . connections."
"Four-foot-tall, blonde, contrabass-playing connections?" Natsuki guessed.
"Yep." Mizore clung protectively to Nozomi's arm, and the group seemed to take that as a signal to get started.
"Won't they think that we're a bit old for trick-or-treating?" Reina mused.
"That may be true, but I doubt that half of these people care either way," Natsuki replied, leaning back to face her. "Besides, I would've thought that ya would be the most likely to enjoy a holiday like this, what with your whole 'mystery' thing going on."
"I am, but-"
"Loot ahead!" Nozomi blurted out, grabbing Mizore by the arm and practically dragging her along. The rest of the group followed suit. "You can usually tell how good the candy'll be by how detailed the decorations are, and these're . . . certainly something." Yuuko prodded an intricately carved pumpkin with her foot.
"You've got a point there," she sighed. Kumiko rang the doorbell.
"Trick or treat!" the six of them sang in unison. An elderly man opened the door, a bowl of pretzels held in his shaky hands.
"Ah, aren't you kids a little old for this sort of thing?"
"We're actually five years old," Natsuki said, with a completely straight face. "We've been called tall for our age." The old man blinked.
"Alrighty, then."
"Pretzels," Yuuko huffed as soon as the door was shut behind them. "What was it you were saying about good candy?"
"Okay, so maybe I was wrong about that."
"At least she admits when she's wrong," Yuuko muttered. "This one-" she jabbed a finger at Natsuki "-is stubborn as all heck, if you haven't noticed."
"Aren't ya being a bit of a hypocrite there?" Natsuki breezily shot back, bending one of Yuuko's bunny ears forwards. Yuuko's cheeks turned pink.
"Shut up."
"It's as if they're an old married couple," Reina whispered.
"Yep."
About twenty houses and several pretzel bags later, the six musicians were just about ready to collapse on their feet.
"Geez, who'd have thought that walking around the neighborhood like we were little kids again would be so exhausting?" Yuuko sighed. Kumiko raised her hand, as did Reina. "Well, anyway, that was a good haul, huh? Now, if you'll all excuse me, I'm going to head home and take this thing off. Nakagawa, I suppose you'll have to come with me, since I'm the only one out of the two of us with a working car, and I don't trust the trains at night, especially not when you're alone."
"She's protective of Natsuki," Mizore noted. Kumiko almost didn't hear her.
"Has she always been like that?" Mizore nodded.
"She's loyal, when you get to know her. It's . . . admirable, I'd say." Nozomi stood back up, dusting herself off.
"Well, Mizore?"
"She's the reason why things are alright now, I have to thank her for that." Mizore stood up in turn, looping arms with Nozomi, and the two headed in the direction of the train station.
"I suppose that just leaves the two of us, then," Reina said. Kumiko nodded, and the two began to walk home, paw in claw.
The wind was pleasantly chilly, the air crisp and sweet, and Kumiko breathed it in like her life depended on it.
"Y'know," she said, turning to Reina. "I guess, looking back in it, we could've gone as those two college girls from that one show, the online one about the vampire."
"There was a journalist, too, right?"
"She was the other college girl."
"Next year, then." Kumiko pulled off Eupho-kun's misshapen head, leaning on Reina's shoulder.
"Yeah," she murmured as the moon shone overhead. "Next year, for sure."