Halloween at the pure muggle style

[Franco Masuoka]

Inside the Leaky Caldrum, Franco walked down the stairs with the little boy on his arms and gave a quick look around the place wondering if Rael had alredy arrived while put the kid on his feet.

He did not see her anywhere but he was not yet worried, it was earlier yet after all. Instead he bended down and gave another look at the baby's costume, making sure everything was on its place and that the baby had still the pumpkin-basket on his grasp.

"Un ratito... just a second OK?" he said straightening the bat-ears of the baby costume. Some people were already looking at them, and Franco was at some point relief to have picked the bat costume for Hikaru, that way his costume would not look as odd for the wizards around. He was just dressed in black with a big cloak on and his hair all black and slick it back. He did not used to wear it that way but it was nothing unusual in the wizarding world anyway.

As for the vampire teeth... he thought he could make his teeth that way later, once they left the pub to the muggle world.

[forstner]

This was an entirely new experience for the young woman as she stood in her nearly empty apartment and stared into a mirror. Halloween was nothing new, she celebrated at school every year, but trick-or-treating, as the muggles called it, was something she'd never before experienced. Why Franco thought to do this, she wasn't sure, had he had much muggle experiences growing up? Possibly, there were still a number of unanswered questions she had for him, but felt were too intrusive to really express aloud when she wasn't sure where their relationship actually stood. Of course she knew they were friends, but how good of friends? They had attended a number of events together, she stopped by his shop every so often to check in, he saw her in Diagon often enough. But yet, she just wasn't sure.

Without much of a clue what to do, she decided to go for a traditional look, and dressed as, well, a witch. Dressing as such she didn't have to spend money, had everything needed, and could easily pull it off well.

In a midnight blue cloak, matching her eyes, wearing jeans and a long sleeved shirt beneath, she topped an old school hat on her head, grabbed her wand, touched up her face with the lightest of make-up, and headed out the door of her apartment and prayed she wouldn't be late to meet Franco and Hikaru.

Arriving at the Leaky Cauldron, Rael smiled nervously at the curious glances, but no stares. Nothing was out of the ordinary, really, but with Halloween on that day, and she dressed to the T, there were a few wondering. Checking her watch, she noticed she wasn't late, but not early either, and she lifted her gaze in search of the two gentlemen she was to share her night with.

[Franco Hikaru Masuoka]

Hikaru looked at daddy somehow impatient trying to push the man's hands away from his head as daddy tried for the thousand time to check on his bat-ears.

"Mamonos, mamonos" he urged the man so excited to start the night that he had forgotten they suppose to be waiting for mama Rael. After heard from daddy during all week what they were suppose to do that night, the little boy could not wait any longer.

But daddy still wanted to wait and the boy did not know to wait for what till his eyes, that were scanning impatiently the place time to time, lied upon Rael.

"Holaaaa!!" he called out at once and giggling he avoided daddy's last attempts to keep him under control and ran toward the woman, agitating his arms in the air unfolding his wings, his right hand still holding the pumpkin-like bucket.

"Mira! Mira!" he said circling around her "Mira mis alitas! Mira mis alitas!" he giggled.

(OOC: Let's go! Let's go! / Hi! Look! look! Look at my wings!)

[forstner]

Standing along the wall for a moment, gathering her wits about what she was about to do, Rael took a few deep breaths and prayed her mother never found out, or found her. What a disgrace she would be, and would she ever hear of it. The once former Gryffindor didn't care of what her mother's thoughts lied on, but she really didn't want to hear them either as her mother's shrill voice would echo around them and in her head if she were found and her activities since she had run away were discovered.

But, when she heard the loud, somewhat shrill voice, of a child a warm smile was brought to her lips and her mind left all thoughts of her mother behind. Though she still hardly understood a word of the language Franco spoke to his child, she'd learned a little by spending the amount of time with them she had. Mira usually went along with a pointed finger, she figured that meant to look at something. But the rest of what he said was completely lost on her as he hurriedly approached.

"Hi Hikaru!" she greeted, reaching her arms out to briefly embrace him, doing her best not to mess with his wings. "Don't you look adorable." Taking a moment, she glanced up at the father of the child, and a slight blush touched her cheeks. He looked rather handsome himself, the hairstyle being a different one, but she supposed it went along with muggle lore of what particular creatures looked like.

[Franco Masuoka]

Franco left the boy go as guessed to who he was running toward, the same person he was waiting for. He stood up slowly watching the kid interact with Rael and smiled at her as single greeting. The kid really went along with her pretty well, he thought, however that was not entirely true. Hikaru normally had no problem getting alone with most of people, it was the father who did not used to get along with people that easily.

He approached to them with an apologetical smile as guessed the reason of Rael's expression on her face.

"I am sorry, we really must look ridiculours... erm... but you look good!" he at once corrected himself fearhing that his first statement could have been taken as if he was calling her ridiculous "I mean we, Hikaru and me look ridiculous... not you, you always look good no matter what you wear... I mean..." he said feeling stupid at the moment as every thing he said seemed to make things worse "well, y-you know what I mean..." he said then thinking it was better shut his mouth. He felt oddly nervous as he was just acting stupid. Why was he acting stupid?, he thought, it was not that they had not meet before, go out together.

"Well... shall we go?" he asked looking at her then at the boy.

[Franco Hikaru Masuoka]

"Go!" Hikaru echoed as he knew pretty well what that sounds meant. He had still problems understanding the language but surely Go was one of the first he learnt. "Go! Go!" he repeated as took Rael's and daddy's hand and pulled them, hurrying them to start chasing candies, the little bucket hanging on one arm.

"Papa! mamos caamelos!... cadmelos... ca-ca-caa-damelos" he tried but he was not sure how on earth to say the word propperly so he chose to say it in the other way, which was also one of the words he learnt to say quickly "candy! candy!"

[forstner]

A larger, more delighted smile formed on the young woman's lips when Franco greeted her, apologizing for the way they looked. Honestly, she thought they all looked ridiculous, though she'd seen others dress such a way around Halloween during her years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But as for really looking completely out of place, she didn't think they looked so bad. Hikaru was always adorable, even if she wasn't sure where she still stood with children, and Franco, well, she thought maybe her interest in him would rule out whatever he chose to wore.

"I don't think you look ridiculous," Rael ventured in her quiet manner. "Hikaru looks charming and you, yourself, look rather fetching." His words had not been lost on her, as the blush crept up her cheeks, burning a deeper red than upon her first glance at him. She wasn't too sure she knew what he meant, but she hoped he meant what she was thinking. And, with hope being her only friend at that moment, she smiled and even more quietly tagged on, "thank you."

Nodding excitedly, allowing Hikaru to take her hand and lead the way, she took a few steps and did her best not to laugh at hearing his little voice stumble over words. She didn't understand, at least not until he spoke English, and then she knew what his excitement was over. Candy was nearly every child's dream.

[Franco Masuoka]

Franco was not really sure what she meant with 'fetching', but as she said they did not look ridiculous and that Hikaru looked charming, he assumed it should mean something good and just smiled in return, taking a mental note to search that word in the dictionary.

The little boy hurrying them to go took him back to reality as the boy pulled him forward clearly impatient to start collection candies.

"He has been waiting for this ever since I told him what was all about" Franco chuckled and let the boy lead them toward the door, then he opened it for the little one and Rael "I guess we should not test his patient any longer..." he laughed just watching Hikaru's antics.

[forstner]

"Well, it is kind of exciting," she answered with a bright smile. Trick-or-treating. While she knew a group had gotten together at Hogwarts for such an event, she had never participated, especially when the only Ravenclaw she'd been close to had been an old boyfriend and they just preferred to spend time alone rather than with a large group. Though, the camping experience had been pretty interesting that one time.

Stepping through the door, with Hikaru's hand in hers, Rael couldn't believe how comfortable she was with the scene. While she'd never been fond of children, she loved Hikaru, and she got along with Franco quite well in her opinion. Actually, she enjoyed the company of both and wouldn't mind being allowed to spend more time with them.

[Franco Masuoka]

Franco just grinned in agreement, almost a childish grin as if he himself had been waiting for that moment too. He was glad to have invited her so far, the moment he had asked her, a week ago, even after have invited her, he haven't been entirely sure to have done the right thing. After all not everybody looked with good eyes the way muggles celebrated Halloween... but for what he could see so far now, Rael was not one of those people.

"OK then! Let's go this way..." He said taking the lead trying to guide them to some street that looked good enough to start with. He had been around the Muggle streets just a couple of days ago to make sure he would not get lost and which places seemed safe enough to wander with the kid and Rael. Of course the streets now looked different but it was just matter of find some place where kids were doing the same thing that they wanted to do.

It did not took long to find little groups of kids and parents walking from house to house asking for sweets.

"Oh! here here!" he said excitedly or pretending to be excited for Hikaru. Then he bended down to check on the baby's costume for the last time and encourage him also as if this was really an important task to do "You ready? ready? listo!" he said then gave a look at Rael as if to get her into the play.

[forstner]

Easily falling in line with Franco and Hikaru, Rael kept a good hold on the child's hand, not wanting to let go in case he fell or something else happened. It was an odd feeling, but she actually felt protective over him, though really did not like children. Maybe it was because she'd spent so much time with him, or perhaps she'd changed her mind (though when they were closer to the large group out trick-or-treating she knew it wasn't that), or might it have been the combination of company from the child and the father? It very well could've been.

As Franco fussed over his son, Rael watched with a small smile, really not being able to get enough of their interaction. It was heartwarming, especially with the reminder of her father it brought. And when she was invited to join in the act, she felt a faint blush tinge her cheeks. How would it look to others who were out? She wasn't a mother, though had a growing fondness for the child she couldn't quite explain, and she just couldn't help but wonder how it would be perceived.

Taking a step closer, Rael leaned in closer to the boy, as Franco had done and tried to use an excited voice of pumped words. She wasn't all that great at it, getting another excited for something, but she hadn't any other experience in doing so. At least she was trying.

"Ready for some candies Hikaru?" she asked, almost timidly. "They're just going to love you." Yes, she was pretty bad at the pep talk.

[Franco Hikaru Masuoka]

Hikaru looked down watching once more daddy check no his bat costum then nodded excitedly at the words of encouragements from both of them.

"Candies candies!" he called out giggling while escaped from daddy's hands and ran straight to a house with some kids already gathering around a woman that was giving candies to every one. He joined the group not even caring that he was not really part of that group, and waited impatiently his turn to get sweets.

As at last the woman seemed to see him he held his little pumpkin bucket hight at the level of his head and called out again.

"CANDIES CANDIES!" he jumped a little while said the word giggling excitedly as heard the sound of sweets falling inside his bucket, caring very little about the lady's compliments about his costum.

[Franco Masuoka]

"Aw..hmmmphh..." Franco could not help gasp as the little kid just ran away to the nearest house. He raised up quickly and without thinking about it much he took Rael by the hand saying "Come one!" in a hurry and pulled her closer to were Hikaru was going. He was just afraid to lose sight of the kid. They stopped just some steps from the kid asking for sweets, and Franco did not take his eyes apart from Hikaru, nor his hand apart from Rael's either.

"I think he forgot to say trick or treat" he said jokingly, sighing slightly, just trying to calm himself and remember they suppose to have fun also. He smiled apologetically at Rael and could not help notice again how pretty she looked.

[forstner]

It all happened in a flash, something the young woman hadn't been prepared for. Hikaru took off and in that instant, she felt fearful over him. Was she supposed to? Her thoughts traveled to what if he ran toward the street rather than the house? What if he managed to be lost in the group of children? What if a dog came out and bit him? But before she could allow any real form of panic to set on, the warmth of a hand in hers brought her from all thoughts and her body moved her along beside Franco automatically. His words were lost on her, her own dark blue orbs focused on the young boy, mind trying not to think about the hand holding hers, and her heart racing from everything that happened in less than a few seconds.

As soon as Franco came to a stop, Rael let her mind wander for just a moment, to collect her thoughts and feelings. "We'll have to remind him for next time," she answered softly, wondering if his hand holding hers was just a reaction to Hikaru taking off and the reason he hadn't removed his was still his own level of fear on the higher end, or if there was more to it. Honestly, she couldn't deny she liked it, but at the same time she wondered how or what he felt about it.

"Hikaru, what did you get?" she asked when the lady waved goodbye to the little bat-dressed child. And though she didn't remove her hand from Franco's, she held her other hand out to the little boy so he would hopefully not run off like that again.

[Franco Hikaru Masuoka]

Hikaru returned to daddy and Rael running excited and just stopping a step from them he got his nose inside the bucket and started checking his treassure.

"Mmm... pette" he said handing her a loli "melo" he said handing her a jelly "melo... otto melo... otto melo" he said handing her all the toffees he had gotten as well then looked once more inside the container.

"Nay! nay mash!" he said turning the bucket upside down and shaking it slightly then looked up at her and smiled pleased, after all he had not seen so many candies on his possesion at once before, normally it would be just one at time, now he had five! Woahhh!