Creatures of the Night

"Guys, I have great news!" Mamoru announced during breakfast. His housemates all eyed him sleepily having stayed up until two in the morning finishing the party decorations. Joe was especially tired since he'd been awake since eight o'clock the previous day on an expedition in the Cascade foothills. Kaelan's silk bathrobe was askew, Zach's hair resembled a bird's nest, and Nicholas was about to fall asleep in his cereal bowl at any moment. Unlike the rest of them, Mamoru didn't depend on coffee to function.

Joe glared at him, then glared at the Keurig. "Spit it out already," he grouched.

"All the girls said they would be here tonight." Everyone instantly perked up. "Are there any last-minute preparations?"

"We're good on the décor, but…" Zach flapped his arm. "Costumes."

"Shit…" Joe muttered, though no one heard him over Mamoru's groan. They'd both forgotten one of the most important aspects of Halloween.

"I got mine yesterday," Kaelan said. "I'm going as Robin Hood."

"Isn't he an English folk hero?"

He crossed his arms. "Don't remind me. It's the best I could do since everything else was sold out. At least the outfit makes me look like a dashing rogue." He brushed his chin, smirking. "I'll definitely be getting some tonight."

"Some of what?" Mamoru asked.

Everyone looked at him in surprise and began laughing the next instant, making him frown. Kaelan slung an arm around his neck while continuing to sip his coffee. "You're a virgin, aren't you?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"Err… yes," Mamoru answered, miffed by the mildly condescending expressions Zach and Nicholas directed at him. Joe had his back to the room as he stared out the bay window.

"If you're not that familiar with Western colloquialisms, I'll lay it out for you– 'getting some' means having sex." Mamoru flushed scarlet at that. "Knocking boots, bumping uglies, tapping ass, doing the horizontal mambo…" Kaelan gestured for more examples.

"Paddling the pink canoe," Zach provided.

"Putting a bun in the oven," Nicholas added.

"…Going heels to Jesus," Joe finished with a sigh.

Kaelan nodded his approval. "Haven't you ever felt the need to just fuck somebody, Mamoru? Guy, girl, person of indeterminate gender? I don't judge."

"I… no," he declared, "and I don't think that's normal." More snickering told him he was the odd man out. "Why are we even talking about this?!"

"Yeah, let's get back to figuring out costumes," Joe said before Kaelan could hijack the conversation again. "Zach, you said you planned yours last year?"

"Indeed," he replied, "I'm going to be Jareth from Labyrinth. I even figured out how to achieve his hairstyle."

"I got a gladiator costume," Nicholas said proudly. "The girl at the store swooned when she saw me in it."

Joe rolled his eyes. "So what do you want to be, Mamoru?" He couldn't answer because he had no idea. Halloween wasn't really celebrated in Japan, and since coming to UW he'd always spent the holiday studying.

Zach suddenly snapped his fingers. "Hey, you know what? You kind of have that mysterious, dark, and brooding thing going on. How about the Phantom of the Opera? I can borrow a mask and cane from the prop department at school."

"And I have a tuxedo that will probably fit you since we're about the same build," Kaelan added. "Brilliant, Zacharie." The blond boy beamed at the praise.

Mamoru only shrugged. "I guess I don't have a choice since it's too late to go buy something."

Halloween fell on a Saturday and there were still some things to be done in the ballroom, namely helping the DJ set up once he arrived. Nicholas handled the wiring while Joe and Mamoru crafted a playlist. The latter may have been considered quirky by his housemates but he had surprisingly good taste in music owing to the various compilations he listened to while reading or wandering. That left Kaelan and Zach with the bar; one stocked the shelves with bottles of liquor and the other ran a rag through the crystal glassware. "So why the Goblin King?" Kaelan inquired out of the blue. "Are you a Henson fan?"

"I'm a bigger fan of Brian Froud," Zach explained, "I've had a bunch of his art books since I was a kid. But yeah, I love Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, and other fantasy movies like that. Even though I mostly write now, I still design and make costumes."

Kaelan turned to gape at him. "You made Jareth's costume by yourself?" Zach nodded slowly. "Damn. Guess I don't really have a chance against a crafty guy like you."

"Sure you do! You're the one with the nice house, the rest of us just live here. And you can take me out of the running for getting laid since the girl I like hates my guts."

"It's not exactly a competition," Kaelan said sheepishly, "I'm just slagging you all, testing your boundaries. I've never lived with anyone besides me mum."

Zach snorted. "I'm sorry, how old are you?"

"Don't start with me," Kaelan warned, pointing a strict finger at him. "Real men take care of their mums." Zach rolled his eyes. "Maybe you can impress this girl by pouring her a nice drink."

"Tch, the only thing I know how to do is pour my old man's bourbon." Kaelan examined the varieties he had just finished arranging and proffered Blanton's Single Barrel for Zach's consideration. They also had bottles of Knob Creek, Eagle Rare, and a trio of authentic Irish whiskeys. "I don't even want to know how much you spent on all this booze."

"Hey!" Nicholas shouted from the top of a ladder where he affixed speakers to brackets along the wall, "Don't open that unless you know what you're gonna do with it!"

"Yeah? Why don't you come down here and show us how it's done?" Kaelan shouted back. Nicholas did exactly that, grabbing a small tumbler off the lower shelf, dropping two ice cubes into it, and pouring the bourbon without losing a single drop. He placed it on a coaster before sliding it to Kaelan, who crossed his arms defensively for the second time that day. "Where'd you learn that?"

"Mom's a bartender," Nicholas answered with pride. "Know why you should drink high-quality stuff like this on the rocks? When you put a cold drink in your mouth, it gradually warms to your body temperature which allows you to experience all the different notes."

Kaelan wore a tiny smile while shaking his head, then he spread his arms as if to hug Nicholas. "Lord, thank you for bringing this man into my household. I have truly been blessed to have his knowledge of alcohol at my beck and call. Please make me a White Russian."

Zach balked. "Wha… it's not even noon yet!"

"There's coffee liqueur in it. That counts as part of a good breakfast."

Usagi and Makoto hopped on a bus to the U District, meeting with Ami and Mina so Rei could pick them all up. The UW girls loitered near the stop and Mina released a fangirl squeal when she saw Usagi's costume. "You look positively adorable!"

"Thanks," Usagi beamed, "I made it myself."

"No way!" She circled her, praising the excellent construction and detailing of her Dark Magician Girl costume. They were slightly color coordinated since Mina wore a white and pink rhinestone cowgirl outfit. "You should really be doing fashion design instead of merchandising!"

Usagi and Makoto shared a look. "We were talking about that on the way here, actually. I've decided to switch majors. It's only the middle of the quarter and all the credits for the classes I'm already in will transfer to the design degree."

"That's great! I can just picture you with a boutique in Harajuku or even Akihabara. You can have a bunny logo because of your name!" Mina suggested.

"First I have to pass all the business math courses." Usagi laughed sheepishly as they dove into a discussion about the best autumn trends, Mina asserting that arm warmers were totally in that year.

Makoto sighed, folded her arms, and tapped her foot, hoping Rei's blue Acura would show up soon. She glared at a pack of boys that whistled at them while Usagi and Mina waved and giggled. She had a feeling the copper blonde could become a negative influence on her friend; Mina clearly wasn't shy about attracting attention with her body. "You look just like Lara Croft," Ami said, startling the taller girl with her silent approach. "Sorry, I thought you heard me."

"I was just a little lost in thought, but thanks. I'm sure there's going to be alcohol at this party and I don't want Usagi going overboard. She's a total lightweight." Ami nodded in understanding. "We don't really know any of the guys there so I want to make sure none of them take advantage of her… of any of us. I'll kick someone in the balls if I have to."

Ami saw that Makoto had the physique to put significant force behind that action. "Do you work out a lot?" she asked.

"I jog every day and go to a karate studio sometimes, but I'm only a green belt. The dojo I used to train at back home got demolished."

"Oh no, that's terrible. Was your sensei all right?"

Makoto nodded. "He's fine, but to my knowledge he hasn't had the money to open another dojo." She turned to better see Ami, noting how modest her Greek goddess costume was. She was quite pale but had some freckles dotting her nose and shoulders. "Do you play volleyball like Minako?"

"I can play the game but I'm definitely not on her level," Ami laughed. "She was almost scouted for the Olympic team! She chose to become a physical therapist instead." She tapped her lips thoughtfully. "I think it may have something to do with her mother who became a professional tennis player right after high school. She suffered a lot of minor injuries before she had Mina and developed sciatica after her pregnancy."

"That's unfortunate," Makoto said. "I don't want to wear myself out before I get old, but I hate just lazing around. I can't play video games or read for hours on end like Usagi." Ami pursed her lips at that. She didn't regard reading as lazing around, she considered it brain exercise.

Night had just about fallen when Rei arrived, the awaiting girls jumping into her car to escape a cold breeze. "Sorry it took so long. Can you believe there's so much traffic on Halloween?"

"Everyone probably has awesome parties to go to, like us!" Mina cheered. She tried to get a good look at Rei's costume but it was too dark; all she could discern was a feathered black mask and matching dress. Her nail polish and lips were black as well. And come to think of it, hadn't Rei been wearing black when they met at Amabie? Mina thought she pulled off the goth look rather elegantly.

Upon arriving at the Burke Mansion they made some last-minute adjustments to their costumes before forming a nervous cluster on the front step. Makoto lifted the brass knocker and let it fall. Mamoru opened the door, his cape flaring dramatically and making Usagi yelp. He almost laughed, which would have ruined his character's sinister air, but withheld it and stepped aside to welcome them in. Zach showed them to the ballroom where Nicholas was situated at the bar. "Who's ready for a drink?" he asked, smiling broadly.

Everyone spent the first hour talking and getting to know one another. Much to Usagi's chagrin, only Mamoru was familiar with the character she portrayed; the other boys thought she was some kind of fairy. They were more intrigued by Makoto's perfect representation of the Tomb Raider heroine anyway and took turns dancing with her until Mina barged onto the scene, stealing some of the spotlight with her sensual moves. Ami after two drinks turned out to be quite giggly and open-minded. She had the time of her life as Zach spun her around and around, their costumes in perfect contrast.

Rei stayed off the dance floor, though not entirely by choice; the downside to her tight-fitting gown was that she didn't have a great range of motion. She was stuck sipping the fruity cocktail Nicholas made her until one of the boys extricated himself from the crowd, stumbling over Mamoru's cape. Joe hadn't called attention to the fact that he didn't have a costume, he just donned his nicest pair of jeans and called himself a Calvin Klein model. Rei surreptitiously admired his muscular arms and abs while he downed several cups of water. After taking a swig of vodka straight from the bottle, he leaned against the bar and exuded a long sigh, his handsome face turning toward her. "Why aren't you out there with us?" he asked.

She sighed. "Honestly, I can't move very well in this dress. It looks like everyone is having a good time from here, though."

Joe nodded and gave her another once-over. "I hate to ask, but just who or what are you dressed as? I first thought 'witch' but that didn't seem right. You're too elegant."

The gorgeous girl he hardly knew drew herself up like a regal queen. "I'm the Morrígan, the Celtic goddess of death."

"I see! That makes your costume the most appropriate!" Rei thought so, too. "You might not be able to shake your ass like everyone else, but I bet you can waltz just fine." Joe smiled and held out a hand, catching Rei off guard. "Come on. If you don't know how, just follow my lead."

"I can waltz," she declared, placing her dainty hand in his palm. After assuming a closed position they began moving to a beat Joe drummed with his fingers against her waist. It didn't match the music everyone else was dancing to but Rei no longer heard it as she focused on his captivating woad blue eyes. She felt nothing but the connection of their hands and the way his muscles flexed with every sweeping turn.

"Where did you learn this?" Joe wanted to know.

Rei shrugged. "I used to dance with my father and the members of his cabinet during formal events. After my mother passed away I became his default partner."

"He taught you well. I was forced to ballroom dance at my Catholic school."

"What was that like?" she wondered.

Joe sucked his teeth. "Brutal. You know how people like to joke about being beat by nuns for misbehaving? It wasn't a joke at my school. You'd get whacked for even mentioning drugs or sex unless it was a promise to never engage in such sinful activities." He grinned when Rei laughed.

"Where did you learn to speak Japanese?" she then inquired.

"I picked it up from one of the mechanics at my dad's auto shop. I'm actually fluent in a few languages." Rei tilted her head, looking every bit a curious raven. "Russian is my native tongue since I was born there, and I can hold a conversation in Polish. I learned Japanese and Mandarin as a kid."

"So you're a polyglot. That's an impressive skill to have, especially since you can't be more than…" Rei checked him out some more. "Twenty-two years old."

Joe confirmed her estimate with a nod. "As of May. My hometown, Vladivostok, is right between China, Korea, and Japan so I grew up hearing people from those countries speak and I noticed the similarities. My mother forced me to study English for when I became a big-shot politician." Rei tensed at the word, making their rhythm falter, and he glanced at the floor in concern, thinking she'd tripped over something. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, sorry… I'm just feeling a little dizzy now. I think it's the fog."

"We can go outside for some fresh air," Joe offered. "There's a gazebo that overlooks the Sound. It was a mess when I moved in but I just finished landscaping around it."

"That sounds nice, I'd love to see it." Rei placed her hand on his offered arm and allowed him to lead her out through the conservatory. Despite only being half-dressed Joe turned out to be quite the gentleman, the type of person Rei definitely hadn't expected to encounter at a silly Halloween party. If only he hadn't mentioned politics.

The DJ felt relieved as he faded in the final song on the playlist because he'd been on his feet for four hours and wanted to meet up with his own friends before the night ended. At least Zach's rich roommate had paid well and everyone was having fun.

Kaelan knew the Thriller dance because his mum liked Michael Jackson's music, and Zach knew it because it was one of those things every American picked up in school or from their friends at some point, but much to their surprise Usagi, Mina, and Makoto performed with them in perfect sync. "You are awesome," Kaelan said to Mina once the routine ended and the DJ began packing up his equipment. He wrapped an arm around her waist as they stood at the bar receiving drinks from Nicholas. "Do they teach that in Japan?"

"Not exactly," she giggled, unbothered by the physical contact; Kaelan had only gotten more intriguing as the night wore on. "We have something called para-para, dancing to fast-paced songs with preset choreography. I've been doing it forever."

"Me too!" Usagi added, piña colada in hand. "I started dragging Mako-chan to events with me, so she had no choice but to learn!"

The blondes exchanged a high-five. "Anyway, where'd Rei 'n Joe go?" Mina giggled at her rhyme.

"If they wanted to be alone, we should let 'em. They could be up to anything." Although slurred, Kaelan's advice was sound enough.

"I guess you're right. Hey, where's this pool I've heard so much about? I want to cool off!"

"Yeah!" Makoto agreed. "We can play some games, girls versus guys!"

They were all on board with the idea of a late-night pool party. Kaelan made a grand sweeping gesture toward the double doors opposite the room. "Right this way… and someone bring the booze!"

"Oui monsieur!" Zach saluted, gathering random bottles into his arms and following dutifully.

Mamoru was the last to leave the ballroom, but by the time he got to the pool everyone had already undressed and jumped in. He shielded his eyes only to realize that he couldn't see anything below the water because of the dark blue tiling. 'Normal boys would be excited to see half-naked girls splashing around.' He made himself useful by gathering abandoned costume components and setting them on the patio table. Then he sighed and lay back in a lounge chair, staring at the winking stars visible through the dusty glass ceiling.

He became lost in thought until water splashed his leg. "You're not coming in?" Usagi asked. Her makeup had smudged in such a way that she seemed to have stepped out of a watercolor painting.

Mamoru shook his head. "I figured I'd stay here in case someone needs rescuing."

"What do you think's gonna happen?"

"Well…" A quick survey showed that Nicholas, Zach, Makoto, and Ami were having a chicken fight with more tickling involved than shoving. On the far side of the pool, Mina had her arms around Kaelan's neck as they shamelessly made out and felt each other up. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt. The combination of alcohol and water can be dangerous."

Usagi laughed off his concern. "I got banished 'cause I can't reach the bottom or support Ami-chan, so the least you could do is come over here and keep me company, Mister Lifeguard. Promise I won't splash you."

"You already did," Mamoru pointed out, but he sat down beside her anyway.

She rested her chin on her forearms. "I meant to tell you earlier that your costume looks really great. And it seems playing DDR with me taught you some decent moves!"

Mamoru smiled shyly "I was just going along with you… I really am a bad dancer."

"Well, it didn't look bad to me," Usagi returned. "Why're you always putting yourself down?" His mouth opened but the words were halted by her hand falling on his. "You're a great guy, Mamo-chan. You're nice and generous and smart… and something tells me you don't wanna swim with us 'cause you're intimidated by the other guys."

"That's not…" He faltered, knowing it was futile to discuss his insecurities with a girl who was tipsy at the very least. Mamoru wasn't intimidated by his housemates so much as he still felt like an outsider among them, but Usagi was correct in that Mamoru couldn't help but compare himself to the other four men. Despite his slim, androgynous figure, Zach was extremely confident in his looks, downright vain in fact. Nicholas had a genetic predisposition for easily gaining muscle; he'd maintained his bulky stature by playing sports his whole life. Kaelan also lived an athletic lifestyle until moving from Ireland, leaving his rugby team behind. Joe's toned physique had been acquired from years of manual labor and a do-it-yourself attitude toward pretty much everything. Mamoru was a bookworm with paper white skin and a body that was just kind of there, features no one could possibly be attracted to.

"You shouldn't care what anyone else thinks," Usagi said as if reading his mind. "You'll never look like anyone else because you're you, a unique and beautiful butterfly! Just remember that your body is healthy. You don't have any scary diseases like the ones you and Ami-chan study." She grinned and kicked off the wall to rejoin the others, leaving him silenced by her rather eloquent pep talk. Maybe she wasn't as drunk as he assumed.

Before he could second-guess his actions, Mamoru returned to the table and carefully removed the borrowed tuxedo. He then stood at the edge of the pool in nothing but his dark blue underwear. "C'mon in, Mamoru!" Nicholas called. Everyone else began yelling for him to join them as well. After catching Usagi's eye and giving her a grateful smile, he dove into the water.