And with that, we are caught up! Thank god eheh. ^^; Anyway, hope you enjoy this fic. And hey, we're caught up with a halloween chapter that actually got finished before Halloween, how about that? Anyway future updates may be slower due to me actually, y'know, writing this instead of fixing it up a little on Ao3 and cross-posting it here.

Anywho, enjoy! Please feel free to leave a review if ya like the fic! Or if you don't like it and wanna tell me why~!

Chapter Eighteen

Despite Serpentine's rather unsettling revelations, life continued to proceed as it was. In all honesty, it was a relief for the sake of my sanity that nothing too strange had happened yet. There was always that slight paranoia, of course, but all I could do was distract myself to the best of my ability.

Luckily for me, a certain holiday was approaching and was going to provide me with one hell of a distraction. Naturally, for class that day, I went into the history of Samhain, the way it was celebrated and why, how it had mutated and evolved over centuries into something entirely new, and how fun it could be, even if you didn't know everything about it. It was definitely a nice, relaxed class. An easy, fun topic, and something that I knew a lot about even if you distanced it from my natural inclinations towards anthropology and history.

With Samhain being just around the corner, I had finally obtained a costume. It arrived a few days before the holiday, just in time.

Somehow it took me until the day of the holiday itself to try it on for the first time. I was in the bathroom, examining myself in the mirror. I had picked out something a little dashing and, hopefully, charming. It was a fancy-looking ringmaster outfit. It had been a little expensive, but I had a little extra to splurge with. A long red tailcoat, black top hat, white undershirt, fancy black bow tie. I had to admit, I carried it well. I should wear suits more often…

I finished the look by twisting my hair into a passable braided ponytail. Honestly that took longer than anything. I was always crap at braiding my own hair. Sunny used to do it for me.

Overall I looked good. I had to adjust it a little- a bit tight in the chest, and the bowtie wasn't cooperating, so I had to dig out a choker to properly fasten it, but once I did that, it looked all good to me.

Still, I needed some unbiased opinions, so I snapped a selfie.

UselessLesbian: Can y'all get rid of the useless part, because I am looking expert level gay in this outfit.

UselessLesbian uploaded image:

Jezzz: Wow, she really does.

Techwizard: Hats off for the Queen of the Lesbians

Techwizard has changed UselessLesbian's name to QueenOfLesbians

QueenOfLesbians: Kneel peasants!

DownSouth: Suits ya. I'm a Frankenstein's Monster

DownSouth: Can we just make a new Frankenstein movie and actually name the monster "Frankenstein" so we can make pedants shut up about this damn name thing so I can just say that "I'm Frankenstein"

ByeBi: God yes please

QueenOfLesbians What about the twins?

ByeBi: Jez is herself. Nothing scarier.

Jezzz: Ass. I'm going as my DND character. The new one. Elf girl.

ByeBi: Nerrrrrd. I'm actually staying home and giving out candy. I'm a vampire.

QueenOfLesbians: True hero, givin out candy to kids. You deserve more credit.

ByeBi: My deepest thanks~ *Overexaggerated bow* You do look good in your costume tho.

QueenOfLesbians: Thanks. Although thinking about it, if full-blown circuses like this were still common I'd probably be in the freak show.

SunnySideUp: Yeesh, yeah. You WOULD be a huge hit, huh? They would have billed you as being "exotic" too, I bet.

QueenOfLesbians: Oh geez you're right. "And here you'll see the mysterious Chinese-French Lesbian Albino…"

SunnySideUp: Aren't you glad that you can get work as a teacher and the girlfriend of an alien girl instead of at a sideshow?

QueenOfLesbians: I am. Seriously. Anyway, Should probably show said girlfriend this outfit! Here's hoping it goes over well! Ciao, dorks. Enjoy Samhain.

I chuckled softly, pocketing my phone and giving the bowtie a little straighten, smiling at my reflection. I have to admit, I definitely could do a "winning smile" if I put the effort in. I picked up the little prop cane, gave it a twirl, nearly smacked myself in the face with it, then turned for the door.

"Ta-da!" I grinned, stepping out. "How does my costume look?"

Spinel turned and that look on her face, oh my god that look was making me smile.

"Wow!" She managed, after a pause. "Holy smokes, you look gorgeous, doll!" She straightened, and cupped my face, her smile going from what I hoped was awe to coy playfulness. "Not that y' ain't always lookin' pretty." She purred.

Oh god oh my god help me. I cannot handle her, I abdicate my throne as Lesbian Queen I am still a disaster.

"T-thanks." I blushed shyly. "I hadn't worn something fancy in a while so I thought… why not? It's a holiday, after all… And one where you're supposed to wear a costume of some kind..."

"Well it definitely is a good look on ya." She nodded approvingly. "I uh, honestly didn't have any ideas for what to try." She rubbed her arm sheepishly.

"Aw, it's fine." I wrapped an arm around hers. "There's plenty more to the holiday than dressing up. You can enjoy Samhain just fine. We'll go out into the city tonight, have a little fun, get spooked at a haunted house or somethin'- although I have no idea how scary you'll find it, it'll be fun!"

She giggled, perhaps at my enthusiasm, and nodded, excitement beginning to stir. "Yeah, yeah! I mean..." She kicked her feet together a bit shyly, smiling at me. "I mean, I'll just have fun spendin' time with you so…"

God how is she so much better at being romantic than I am?

"Well, the night isn't quite here, but wanna explore town a little before it's dark anyway?" I suggested, playfully twirling the plastic cane, this time managing to avoid clocking myself with it.

Don't worry. Intrusive Thought whispered in my ear. I'm sure you'll find a way to ruin it.

I heard once from Jez that whenever she had intrusive thoughts like that, she gave them soccer-mom names. I decided to name this one Linda. Fuck you, Linda. I'm gonna have a great time with my girlfriend , who I love .

Beach City's boardwalks were decorated nicely for the season. Fake ghosts hung from storefronts and food stands, jack-o-lanterns, and many other decorations were lining all over the place. I looked around the place, searching for anything fun. There were some little booths set up near Funland for candy-winning games, mostly for smaller kids, though there were a few that looked like they'd been scaled up for adults, and a few more that were scaled up even more for the superhuman gems. Even some of the lights had been dimmed, really adding to the spooky atmosphere.

Although nobody seemed to be having much luck bobbing for apples. That was never as easy as the cartoons made it look. I would give it a try myself but after working so hard to look good I didn't feel right about shoving my face into a bucket of water just for some fresh apples. Besides there were candied apple slices available which were obviously superior to regular apples. (I'd have gone for caramel but the mess they made was absurd sometimes).

Spinel watched me nibble curiously, and then, much to my surprise, carefully took one and nipped at it, trying to imitate me.

"Huh. That's… really nice." She hummed, thoughtfully as she allowed the treat to roll along her tongue, letting the sugar crystals dissolve against her mouth.

"Heh, guess you meant it when you said you wanted to try new stuff." I teased, smiling at her. Spinel giggled, then, with some effort, managed to swallow the apple slice.

"I feel like we'll be trying lots of things tonight." She hummed with a fond smile as I discarded the bag that had once held the apple treats in a trash can. I rinsed the excess sugar off my fingers at a drinking fountain, before Spinel's hand inevitably found mine once more. I let our fingers twine together as we walked, taking in the sights and the atmosphere. We probably did look an odd couple, her looking like some pink-tinted punk chick and me in my ringmaster outfit with her in one hand and my fake cane twirling in the other.

My gaze was drawn to a haunted house, and Spinel glanced over as well, obviously puzzled by the oddly decorated little place. It was one of the regular storefronts, I think. One of the bigger ones, that had been repurposed into a haunted house, windows dark, with black partition walls and curtains to keep light out.

"Wanna go in?" I gave her a grin and she shrugged.

"I have no idea what it is."

"It's supposed to try and scare us. I dunno if it'll scare you but I'm kind of… easily spooked by these things." I giggled nervously.

Spinel tipped her head. "...Is that fun?" She asked me, a hint of incredulity seeping into her voice.

"Well… There's no real danger." I explained. "So it's the rush of fear, without actually being at risk of being hurt. So… it can be."

"Hmm…" She pondered this, before turning to me, a smile creeping across her lips, slow and mischievous. "And they scare you huh?"

"...Uh." I blushed a little, and Spinel cackled softly, practically pulling me towards the entrance.

"I gotta see this." She smirked smugly. "I have ta know what faces ya make when you're all spooked..."

If it was physically possible, I would have gone pale.

At first, the haunted house wasn't so bad. Kinda corny. But I had to admit, the people who organized this haunted house really knew what they were doing, because the opening goofy corny stuff was just to lower our guards. The real horror was around the corner. The place was eerie, for sure. They made effective use of the lights, the shadows, hiding things just in the periphery, and when you thought that you were still being wound up, they would hit you with a scare.

Like the girl dressed in an outfit that allowed her to perfectly blend with one of the bizarrely patterned walls, who I didn't see until she let out a screech and I'm pretty sure I jumped straight up and clung to Spinel tightly and didn't let go for the rest of the haunted house. Even Spinel, who had been more curious than she had been afraid, jolted back a bit, clinging right back.

They were really pulling out all the stops for this one, and that first big scare was enough to send me into a shaky mess, refusing to let go of Spinel. Beach City pulled out all the stops for the more social holidays.

It was so much fun, being able to be terrified like this without actually being under threat of any kind.

The last room had a gem using her natural shapeshifting ability to appear as some huge silhouetted monster in the dark, moaning and uttering strange and frightening noises. While it certainly gave me a good scare, I had to laugh when I realized what it really was. It was a good end to a short, unnerving little walk through the place, and we emerged into the moonlight, a bit frazzled, and my adrenaline still pumping, but altogether having enjoyed the experience. Even Spinel, who hadn't been quite as impacted by some of the horror, clearly had a good time in there.

Spinel glanced at me and couldn't help but giggle, as she lightly helped me straighten myself a bit.

"I had to practically drag ya through there, darlin'. You sure yer alright?"

"I'll be fine." I managed, shaking my head with a weak smile. "I just uh… Wow. That was way more hardcore than I expected. But a lot of fun, for sure!"

"Any excuse I have to get ya clinging to me is a good one." Spinel teased, ruffling my hair a bit, before plonking my hat back on my head. I tilted it back a little to pout at her, but couldn't keep the look going at her smile, so full of mirth and affection in equal parts.

Instead I just leaned on her a bit, as we found a bench to sit on for a moment.

"Seriously, ya were so cute. Your face sure does do some strange and adorable stuff when yer all spooked." She hummed, leaning against me. It was chilly out, so the warmth of her presence was certainly welcome. For a little bit, we watched strangers pass by, costumed and enjoying the fun, or going without but still managing to take part in the atmosphere.

I really did love Samhain. All the oddities, the fear, the air of mystery and unexplainable happenings… Whether it was true or not, it really did feel like the time of year where the world was somehow different. If there was a spirit world or whatever, maybe it really did come closer around this time of year.

I glanced over the boardwalk, noting gems in the crowds too.

Maybe not. This world is weird enough without some spirit world getting involved.

I stood, hands clapping together. "Right... Shall we see what else we can find?"

Spinel grinned, bouncing up to join me. "Let's!"

Going about, playing games, seeing some of the harmless pranks pulled, the decorations, the costumes, the night was long and a delight. Eventually though, exhaustion began to set in. Being out and about at night meant I didn't have to worry about the sun, but the holiday meant I had to deal with crowds and that was utterly draining.

So it was that Spinel and I made it back to our apartment.

Our apartment. God that felt unreal but so nice. The two of us entered the main room and I groaned, tossing my hat aside. I blinked in surprise as it neatly landed on the corner of a chair, as if I had intentionally placed it there. I laid the plastic cane aside and leaned against the door as I closed it behind me, exhaling as I locked up.

Spinel was tugging at her pigtails, letting them flop loose, letting her hair down, giggling.

"You humans have weird holidays, but I really like them. That was fun." She purred a little, sitting on the arm of the couch as I put the keys and my wallet on the counter.

"Yeah… Hang on, let me put something comfier on. This suit is cute but it's uh… not especially accommodating, at least not when you wear it for hours." I giggled, heading to grab some PJs and walking into the bathroom, closing the door.

"It's definitely cute on you." Spinel flirted through the door as I changed, and I could actually see my own blush now, which was a bit novel. "What do you mean about it being "accommodating" though?"

"Oh uh, it's just kind of tight on me." I admitted as I pulled my loose t-shirt and pajama bottoms on, once I'd removed the suit, carefully folding it up. I definitely wanted to wear it again sometime. "Especially around the chest."

"You do have a pretty decent-sized chest. I dunno how tight clothes feel exactly, since mine are all… kind of a part of me."

I flushed at how casually she mentioned my bust, forcing myself to remember that gems probably didn't have the same connotations.

"It's fine for a little bit, but after a while I just wanna wear something looser." I admitted, undoing my braid and shaking my hair loose, opening the door.

"Well for what it's worth, I think ya look good in everything." Spinel winked.

"You're biased." I mumbled, hugging her a little. Slowly I shambled towards my bedroom. Spinel had only been living with me proper for about a week and a half now, and she didn't sleep often, but at the moment she just flopped down next to me on my bed, dragging me close for a cuddle.

I wasn't really sleepy, just worn out. Tired, but not to the point where I wanted to sleep. Instead, I wrapped my arms around Spinel and gave her a soft little kiss. She nuzzled my face a little and I laughed, but before the laugh was even finished coming out, she silenced me with another kiss.

I felt heat rising to my face. This kiss was… a lot more intense than the last one. Maybe it was just the way we were laying face-to-face, or the way we held each other closely, but it was sending an odd prickle through me. A pleasant prickle, for sure.

And then, oh god, tongue . Tongue got involved.

I uttered a little squeak of surprise, and Spinel pulled back, blushing and smirking just a little.

"Sorry. Too much?" She asked softly. I shook my head.

"No, just surprised me…" I admitted shyly, smiling a bit nervously. "Didn't think you knew how to kiss like that ."

"I might have looked up some stuff." Spinel confessed sheepishly, cheeks growing darker. "I was curious about how… how humans kissed."

I giggled. "W-well… You definitely are getting good at it."

Spinel softly drew me into her, before staring at me, blushing more intensely. "Well then Dollface... Wanna… help me practice more~?"

I squeaked, then nodded, and the next thing I knew, our lips were crashing together once more.

It wasn't exactly elegant but right now I couldn't care less, because I was making out with the girl I loved, and the rest of the world could go and get bent because I was the happiest I had been in a very very long time.

I was scared about a lot of things. I didn't know what was going to happen with the gem in my back, or how our relationship was going to pan out, or what might be around any corner. The world was so so uncertain…

But right now?

Right now, I was in Spinel's arms. I was kissing her deeply and passionately, and felt nothing but love and joy and closeness in my heart.

I didn't really think it consciously in that moment, but somehow I knew that everything would work out just fine in the future.

(But to be honest, thoughts about the future tend to take a sideline when a gorgeous girl is holding you close and pressing her tongue against yours.)

All that mattered right now was right now.

And I was going to savor every moment of this night.

Ended with smooches, that's a good way to end a chapter right?

Enjoy All Hallows!

Goodnight everybody!