Chapter 0021: Fastidious manners

It was Halloween, and Ryan had to wonder if it also meant he had stepped into an alternative dimension the moment he walked into the kitchen and found it covered in fake spider webs with rubber spiders, pumpkins, witch dolls, a multitude of black cloth and a couple of speakers playing spooky sounds.

Perhaps he should have listened to Seth and believed him when he told him how into Holidays the Cohens could get.

"Ryan!" – Kirsten greeted, and he almost stepped away from her.

"Hey" – she was wearing a white dress and her white wings were almost knocking over one of the witch dolls.

"Good morning!" – Sandy announced, grinning widely, showing off his fake vampire teeth, and spreading his arms, holding onto his large cape.

"Dude! No, that's all wrong!" – Seth whined, rushing from behind his dad in a The Flash outfit – "Why aren't you dressed?! It's Halloween!"

"Okay?"

"You said you were going to take him shopping for a costume!" – Kirsten chided her son.

"Sorry, I forgot, geez, relax, mother"

"Don't even, mister"

"Alright, alright" – Sandy shushed them – "Hey, son, wanna come with me and get something? I can't promise there'll be any nice costumes left, but I'm sure we can find you something suitable" – he eyed his wife for a moment and she huffed.

"Oh, stop it!" – she turned to Ryan – "This is just my morning costume, I'm changing later"

"... Why?" – he asked hesitantly.

"Mom as an Angel is way too obvious, the blond locks and all" – Seth piped up.

"Oh. Hum, I don't actually need a costume. Do I?"

"Of course you do! For the party!" – Kirsten stated happily – "It will be really fun! Is Lindsay coming?"

"Yes, she is. I'm not sure she knows it's a costume party, though"

"I think she mentioned something to Anna about it, don't worry, she knows" – Seth reassured him.

"Then I guess it's just me" – Ryan managed to smile at Sandy – "I mean, if it's not too much trouble..."

"Nonsense! Besides, we are not cooking today, so it's just as well that we get out of Kirsten's hair, right honey?" – she raised an eyebrow at him.

"I wouldn't mind some help, but Ryan does need a costume, so I suppose I can forgive it this one time" – her expression was somewhat serious, but her lips twitched and before she turned away from Ryan, he saw her grin – "But eat something first, sweetie"

After they all ate, Seth escaped, stating he had stuff to do to get his costume in 'top shape', and Sandy practically pushed Ryan out the door in order as Kirsten started bustling about, grabbing her phone and seemingly starting on getting the party off the ground.

"So, what do you wanna wear, you think?" – Sandy asked after they drove away from the house – "You don't really have to go all out" – he said kindly – "But Kirsten and Seth are really alike in this, you must've noticed"

"Yeah, I guess, and no, I haven't"

"Worst case scenario, we'll get some pirate puffy shirt, pour red wine on it and you can borrow my cape and be a vampire"

"What are you wearing, then?"

"Ah, that's a secret! We would need to grab some teeth, no reusing teeth, sorry. Oh. Or you could just get a mask and wear a robe or something– Wait, no, I don't think Kirsten would appreciate you walking around like an extra from Eyes Wide Shut. Which I absolutely did NOT let you boys watch that one time"

"Of course"

"We'll think of something. Serious, worst case, you wear a suit and a mask, done. Simple and classic"

Ryan smiled at his brother–in–law–and–sort–of–paternal–figure–on–the–down–low and changed the radio station. Sandy squawked and pouted, grumbling that no one appreciated his love for show tunes, but he made no move to change the station back. Seth and Anna had been trying to expand Ryan's musical tastes, and though they had not been entirely successful in their endeavors, he had to confess he could appreciate rock and alt rock (he doubted he would ever have the same kind of fervor and interest as the couple, however).

The drive was peaceful as usual, with the sounds of people jogging, riding their bikes, walking their dogs, and eventually he heard the distant sounds of the ocean as Sandy commented they were approaching the costume shop.

"Welcome to Paradise" – Sandy announced in a much grander manner than usual. Ryan wondered if the cape made him fall into such a behavior, and he wished he could get it on tape, it was pretty funny – "C'mon, c'mon, let's see what they got! Ooh, I think we're in luck, it's still pretty packed!"

Much to Ryan's confusion, there were more options than he thought possible. Anything from superheroes to horror characters, movie and TV characters to professions, animals to and creatures to historical–type.

Last time he put on a costume, he was Snoopy, and it was nowhere near as elaborate as most things all around him.

"How about something easy to move in? Or do you want something like a mascot? I think they have a few lying around" – Sandy proposed.

"I don't think I would be comfortable in a head piece" – he managed to smile at Sandy's clear high spirits.

"I thought so. Seth loves his full on masks, but I think it's way too hot"

"I'm sure it is"

"How about a cowboy? Do you have boots?"

"I– No, but I don't need–"

"Or a doctor? Nothing is easier than scrubs and comfortable shoes"

"I guess... That would be okay"

"Although I don't think the wife will be happy about that, she's kinda picky about Halloween"

"Is she?"

"Yeap. Her mom loved Halloween, so I guess it infected her, and she infected Seth" – Ryan made sure not to look him up and down – "Ooh. Cop. Cop! I think that would look great on you, just wear your dress shoes, slick your hair back, done. How about it, kid?"

"I... Sure?"

"Great! C'mon, let's see if they have your size... And you have to try it on, see how it fits"

Ryan followed him as he asked the owner, who was very friendly and dressed as a Star Trek character, for a cop uniform for 'his kid'. The teen wasn't sure how he felt about it, but he just stayed quiet and waited for the costume to be shoved into his hands.

A cop, how ironic. Sandy hadn't even sounded sarcastic about it, and Ryan... Sort of liked that; he had no doubt, however, that some of the Newport crowd would have plenty to whisper about. Then again, he thought with a slight grimace, he knew they didn't need much of a reason in order to gossip about him, Caleb Nichol's illegitimate, criminal teenage son who tried and failed to fit in.

"Hey, Ryan, what do you think?" – Sandy asked, presenting the kid with the vision of a low rent Zorro.

"That's... An interesting look" – he was able to say with a straight face. Sandy deflated and gave the mask and hat back to the smirking owner.

"I told you it's not your look, Cohen! Your son, though... He might actually be able to pull it off, wanna try, kiddo?"

With a hesitant hand, Ryan reached out and took the hate first and put it on, then slowly got the mask and tied it in the back. He blinked at Sandy, suddenly feeling shy and out of place.

"Ah, that's the one! It looks so great!" – the lawyer darn near gushed, pulling Ryan towards a full length mirror.

To his surprise, it didn't look awful at all.

"A cape, a sword, bam, you're done" – Sandy put a hand on his shoulder and Ryan felt odd at its warmth – "Nice going"

"It doesn't look ridiculous?" – the man and the owner snorted.

"Didn't think you'd have a humble kid, Cohen" – the owner mused.

"Hey now. But seriously, Ryan, do you like it?"

"I..." – he paused and looked himself in the mirror again – "I like it" – he answered at last, and Sandy smiled broadly.

"Then done. Scotty, get us a sword and we're outta here"

"Don't call me 'Scotty', I'm not 'Scotty'" – the owner frowned.

"He's McCoy" – Ryan commented, almost absently.

"Who?"

"Dr. McCoy" – Ryan turned to blink at the confused Sandy – "Bones. He's wearing blue, Scotty wears red"

"I never really paid much attention, I guess" – Sandy confessed with a shrug.

"Nice going, kid" – the owner complimented – "And for that, 'cause your dad is kind of a spaz–"

"Hey!"

"– I'm throwing the mask for free. It suits you, kiddo"

"Thank you" – Ryan answered, a little awkward at the kindness of a stranger.

"Ah, I see how it is. It's not my fault I'm not into Star Trek!"

"It's easy, c'mon. Kirk, Sulu and Chekov wear yellow, Scotty and Uhura wear red, Spock and McCoy wear blue. Admit it, Cohen, you just have a bad memory"

"Ha, ha. Just ring the cape, the hat and the sword up, will you?"

"Oh, wait, I have money" – Ryan protested, removing the mask and cape.

"What? No, no, c'mon" – he motioned the teen over and put an arm around him like he often did to Seth (though he escaped from it a split second later every time) – "I'm the dad, I'll pay" – he cleared his throat – "I mean, you know. I'm not– Exactly your– You know what I mean, right?"

"I know" – Ryan said quietly, and Sandy squeezed him a little.

"You can pay for our pre–party snack, how about it? I mean, don't tell Kirsten, but you can't live off of canapés and candy, I don't care if it's Halloween"

"Done" – Sandy squeezed him one last time and let him go.

Ryan felt cold for a moment, but shook himself off of it.

"Here we go, one perfectly plastic sword" – 'McCoy' stated, slapping Sandy away and handing it to Ryan – "Have fun, kiddo, and don't kill anyone"

"You're not as funny as you think"

"Neither are you, Cohen, but I'm nice enough not to mention it"

"You just did"

"I'm a Doctor, not an English teacher, back off"

Something everyone seems to be assuming - Kirsten didn't quit solely because she's worried about Ryan, it's a combination of things, including the stress of working for Caleb when they're fighting all the time and super tense. It's something she absolutely should have done a long time ago, Ryan's situation only... Accelerated it. It will be discussed in the future, though since this story is all through the eyes of the four Cohen family members, it's never the whole truth, keep that in mind.

The rest of this cycle will be all Halloween, all the time. Hopefully the costumes sound good 'cause we don't really celebrate Halloween here in Brazil (or perhaps now it's a growing thing, more and more as American culture invades us) and I don't really get it, as it were. Ryan was originally going to be a cop as a nod to Southland, but of course him being under a mask is more on point ;)