Roger eyed the bright, plastic orange decorations strung haphazardly around Kitauji's gymnasium, adjusting her cat costume slightly. Yank happily skipped beside her in a witch hat, while Doodle stumbled a few steps behind, trying (and failing) to stay on her feet in the bulky Tuba-kun suit. Dee was nowhere to be seen. She must've stayed home, Roger thought.
"Hey, Roger!" Yank chirped, pointing her broom in the direction of a group of students crowded around a barrel. "We should try the apple-bobbing station!"
"Yeah!" Doodle squeaked, catching up to the two only to fall on the ground after a particularly loud song on the school's tinny speakers began playing. Dan, not seeming to be wearing anything different from her regular uniform, quickly approached the trio in concern.
"Is she okay?" she asked. The older girl immediately began shaking Doodle, who didn't respond. Roger and Yank watched in silence. "Hey! Hey! Don't die on me yet, Sapph- uh, Doodle! You have so much left to live for!"
"I'm fine," Doodle muttered, her voice muffled from the costume. "Tuba-kun broke my fall."
"Oh, that's a relief!" Dan grinned at the group. "So, Roger, you're obviously a cat, Katou-chan here is a witch, and Doodle appears to be our beloved friend Tuba-kun. Am I right?" All three girls nodded.
"What're you, Dan?" Doodle inquired, slowly standing up. A grin slowly spread across Dan's face.
"Oh, me? Well, you see, it may look like I'm merely dressed in my regular school attire, but in fact . . ." Dan's grin grew wider. Nothing happened. The three girls stared at her blankly. "In fact . . ." Dan repeated sharply.
"In fact . . . what?" Yank said. Just then, Ma Ramjet and Molly McGee, dressed as what appeared to be squids, ran over.
"Sorry, Dan," Molly McGee panted.
"We got caught in the hallway talking to Yuuko and didn't hear you," Ma Ramjet explained. "She's dressed as a squid, too."
"Probably 'cause she heard you were," Lance sighed, leaning on a chair in a dark robe.
"Who're you?" all six asked in unison.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm Ebony Dark'ness Raven Dementia Way." Dan seemed to be the only one who had any idea what she was talking about.
"Well, anyway, are we still going to the apple-bobbing station?" Yank wondered.
"I've never really liked those, to be honest," Molly McGee admitted.
"I'll stay here with you, then," Ma Ramjet decided. "After all, we squids should stick together."
"Oh, yeah, that reminds me, Dan," Roger said. "You never did explain what your costume actually is, and what it has to do with these two." Dan made an exaggerated gesture resembling a shrug.
"Oh, Roger, it's not important," she sighed. "Now, how about you kids go on over there and do some apple-bobbing?"
"Okay!" Doodle squeaked, dusting herself off.
Roger tied her hair back while standing in line, flattening the cat-ear hat on her head. The person in front of her - Shuichi, she realized - pulled his head out of the barrel, triumphantly holding an apple in his mouth.
"Okay, the next students should go," G.I. Brassbottom announced. A button with the words 'this is my costume' was neatly pinned to his blazer. A student in a mysterious-looking white cloak, their face hidden, stood on the other side of the barrel.
"You can do this, Roger!" Yank pumped her fist excitedly. Roger took a deep breath before plunging her face into the cold water. She moved around, trying to find the apples, but was only met with cold water. She felt herself bump against something hard and damp, and it took her a moment to realize that she had bumped heads with the white-cloaked student. Making a mental note to apologize to whoever was beneath the cloak, Roger drew away and continued searching until she was hit by a splash of water and realized that she had been beaten. She pulled herself out to see the white-cloaked student holding an apple in their mouth. The front of the cloak dripped with water, and the student spit the apple into their hand and pulled down the hood. Roger's mouth fell open. Dee stood in front of her, shaking any remaining water droplets from her hair and quickly thanking G.I. Brassbottom before she left to get a towel.
"W-wait . . . t-that . . . that was Dee?" Roger mumbled in disbelief. Crap, she probably thought I was being all weird by bumping into her or something. I should go talk to her. I mean, it's probably nothing, but everything's a bit scarier on Halloween, so it'd probably just be good to stay safe, y'know? "I have to go!" she blurted out.
"Okay." Doodle gave her muffled approval from inside the Tuba-kun suit.
Dee was idly wandering through the hallway and admiring the decorations when Roger caught up to her, panting, with her cat tail drooping.
"H-hey, Dee!" Roger yelled. Dee turned around. "I'm, uh, sorry f-for bumping into you during the apple-bobbing thing." Dee tilted her head in confusion.
"It's fine, Roger. I'm not sure why you're worried. Anyway, your costume looks nice." Roger blushed.
"Y-you look nice too!" she squeaked. "I mean, I don't really know what you are, but whatever it is, you look really cool!"
"I'm a snow spirit," Dee responded. "I suppose it's a bit early for that, but I've always enjoyed the way this cloak manages to hide people's features." She gave the cloak a soft twirl before continuing. "It leaves an air of mystery, and isn't that what this holiday is supposed to be about? Mystery, the unknown, all of that." Dee smiled. "I know it's a bit childish, but I've always loved this holiday, the way people can just be themselves by pretending to be someone else. It's kind of strange, but I like it."
"I understand," Roger murmured.
"So, should we get back to the party?" Dee asked, abruptly changing the subject.
"I don't see why not," Roger responded. Without warning, Dee suddenly gave Roger a quick peck on the cheek before hurrying down the hallway back to the gym. Roger hardly had time to comprehend what had happened before she found herself trying to catch up to the other girl, blushing furiously.
"It's Halloween," Dee called behind her shoulder. "We're allowed to be mysterious, aren't we?"
"H-hey, you're a snow spirit, aren't you?!" Roger yelled, feeling her cheeks turn a deeper shade of pink. "By all accounts, that kiss should've been really cold!"
"Mystery, remember?" Dee laughed. Roger found herself laughing along with her as the orange lights twinkled in the dim hallways of the school.