"That Which Makes One Human…" By Shadow Master

(YAHF/BtVS/Underworld Elements/Species Elements/Venom Elements/Darkstalkers Elements/Hellboy Elements/Van Helsing Movie Elements/Tenchi Muyo Elements/Ghost Rider Elements/Predator & Alien elements/Others)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the copyrighted materials contained herein. They are the rightful owner of their respective creators and/or associated companies. I make no profit from this whatsoever and I have no intention of changing this at any point in the future. I write because it's fun and because some people enjoy reading the stories I wish to tell. Therefore I would appreciate it if no legal action were taken against me as a result of this story.

Note : I thought up this idea after watching the most recent Predator Movie with Halloween fresh on the horizon. I thought to myself 'what would it be like if the Predator race, the Yautja, suddenly found deadly beings on Earth that just might be better than them. However rather than take the typical hero route or even alien fighter route I decided to take another route. I know that a lot of you like it when all the action sticks to Sunnydale and in this story it will… in the beginning. However I find that some of the best stories take place away from the main characters' canon areas of operation. We already know what happens in those places so why not take the story someplace else. If you prefer that things stay in Sunnydale then this is not the fan fiction for you.

Note 2: Another thing to say is that those who like the change but think the story should always have the characters revert back to whomever or whatever they were before the change won't like this story. It is my opinion that changes that can be undone leaving only memories of the time changed are about as appealing as a watered down drink. The flavor is there but it's nowhere near as enjoyable as it is when the drink isn't watered down. So what the affected BtVS cast members turn into they will NOT be getting turned back into their normal canon selves under any circumstances. At least not permanently. If you don't like this then I suggest you give up on this story right now and hit the back button on your web browser.

Note 3: I will do my best to stay true to the source materials involved out of respect for them but my priority will always be to tell the story I want to tell. I have no rules, standards or guidelines to follow save those I choose to adhere to on my own and those required by the websites I post my stories on. Therefore no manner of bashing, negative review or message will prevent me from telling the story I want to tell.

Lastly positive reviews will be welcomed, CONSTRUCTIVE criticism will be considered with all due weight and flames will be gleefully ignored with those haters who prove stubborn a block on their reviews.

Now on with the story…

That Which Makes One Human…

Sunnydale.

Boca Del Inferno.

It was a place that was horrible to some while quite lovely to others.

Atop a barely sealed dimensional fissure rested a typical North American town comprised of people, buildings and a way of life that was about what you'd expect for such a place. Most of the humans who lived in Sunnydale had no idea of the truth, no clue about the darkness in their midst, and went about their lives without a care. However there existed some who knew precisely what was going on atop the Hellmouth but this was not necessarily a good thing. For those who knew the truth almost ninety-five percent of them were neither human nor the sort who had humanity's best interests at heart.

They were DEMONS.

MONSTERS!

They were forms of life that went against what could be considered the natural order and were as parasites upon the planet Gaea. They prowled the town of Sunnydale, both above and below, preying upon the innocent and unwary much to the obliviousness of its human residents. It was unnatural how the citizens of Sunnydale failed to realize the danger in their midst but, in their defense, there were factors to consider. The first is that the entire area was engulfed in a sea of paranormal and demonic energy, both of which were documented as having a malleable effect on the human mind. The second was the presence of a warlock by the name of Richard Wilkins who, for almost a hundred years, has been working towards the completion of a ritual with the potential to destroy the balance. Wilkins, almost from the town's founding, had used potent magic embedded in the surrounding geography aimed at blurring or redirecting the thoughts of those who lived in Sunnydale, save him. Anytime they saw something supernatural or demonic the magic would ensure that they would accept anything BUT the truth for what they saw. Only those who got too close to the truth accepted it and this was more due to the conditions of the demons who wanted to see the fear of comprehension in their victims' eyes before they died.

However there existed a small percentage of others who knew the truth and worked to protect the people of Sunnydale however they could.

How few? They numbered less than ten.

Though they were vastly outnumbered they did not let this stop them from doing whatever they could. What made them even more amazing was that only two of them could be considered trained professionals, with the rest being simple good people with the courage to stand up and fight. Together they struggled to keep the body count down and prevent the end of the world. For a little over a year they have been successful…

…but that is all about to come to an end.

Why?

Because of All Hallow's Eve and the arrival of one Ethan Rayne.

While the night in question has become almost completely commercial, an excuse to dress up in order to get candy, the truth is decidedly darker. Halloween is a night in which the barrier between the realms becomes especially thin and the bonds holding back certain denizens of the darkness back loosen, if only by a bit. For many centuries it was a night in which those on either side of the balance, the light and the dark, scheduled one scheme or another in order to gain strategic ground. It wasn't until the early nineteenth century, however, more precisely the year 1815 by modern human standards, in which there was a volcanic eruption in the Dutch East Indies, that the Almighty stepped in. Far from being the natural disaster it'd been recorded as in human history books, this event in fact was caused by an interrupted ritual to raise the fire demon referred to in Norse mythology as Surtur. Instigated by three of the major demonic powers at the time it had been a grand affair with substantial resources poured into it but it was due to this that forces of the light learned of it and were then able to intervene.

It was a mighty battle on the slopes of the volcano but, due to the timing of the attack, when the assembled magical maelstrom required the most of the demons' focus, that things almost spiraled out of control. Split between protecting themselves and retaining control of the energy concentrated on one spot, it was only by the flimsiest of threads that the instigators retained any control. Then, when a champion struck down the head priest, the control was lost and almost triggered a cascade effect that would've set off the top five closest volcanoes along with the one serving as a battleground. Only through the intervention of a messenger of the Almighty was the damage limited to the one volcano but this event proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

An edict was handed down to the leaders of both the light side of the balance as well as the dark side of the ages-long battle. No more would either side engage in any activities of significance on Halloween night as well as the days both before All Hallow's Eve as well as after. No magic, no grand battles and no schemes capable of drawing the attention of humanity. Small 'parlor tricks' would be permitted so long as they were kept out of sight and were executed with 'discretion' being the keyword.

For those who were affiliated with the light, they accepted it like you'd expect loyal followers to, with only a handful of subordinates muttering their dissatisfaction.

For those who dwelt in the darkness, however, the edict was met with harsh rejection initially since none of them held any fondness or respect for the ruler of all they hated. Indeed there were an ambitious few who had schemed to take advantage of the subservience of the Almighty's subordinates to catch the light completely by surprise and gain massive ground in the ages-long struggle. It was only when the ruler of heaven made the walls shake and the ground tremble in the realm of hell that everyone from Satan on down fell into line. As much as Lucifer might hate his 'father' and intend to conquer heaven, he had known that it would not be to his advantage to be seen as 'reacting' to the assault. If he simply ordered his forces to retaliate he would look less than mighty, since he had not seen the show of power coming. It would be far better for him to play along for the moment and then later reveal that he HAD known the attack was coming and that his actions were all a part of a grand plan.

The imaginations of his subordinates and troops would fill in the gaps for him and likely only further the reputation of Lucifer Morningstar.

As a result, though Halloween lost none of its potential as a moment in which to do grand things, it was gradually reduced to a human holiday of no consequence to the supernatural community.

As for Ethan Rayne, he was a devout follower of chaos and Janus who'd travelled the world for years instigating commotion after catastrophe. Whether it was for his own amusement or to provide Janus with nourishment the British man never failed to work hard in order to get the most bang for his proverbial buck. Allied with neither the light or the darkness, he fell into a rather unique loophole in the edict passed down so long ago but it was only this one time that he would act on Halloween night.

The reason? Through mere chance he had learned of the current activities of an 'old chum' of his and thought of a fun way to tweak the Watcher's nose while also get reacquainted with him. It was an old spell that had been created by followers of Janus long ago that would transform those who wore prepared costumes into copies of whoever or whatever they'd dressed up to look like. Naturally there would be some limits in terms of powers or abilities conferred on the transformed but it would still make for quite a bit of chaos.

The key, though, was the sheer degree of flexibility that the spell possessed.

In order to maximize the chaos produced, it was designed so that any adjustments or changes to the core identity of whoever the costume wearing people were pretending to be would alter who they became. A person dressed as a doctor would become a doctor BUT if some fake blood was added and some rips made in the white coat then the person could become anything from a psycho killer to a zombie. Indeed, a mere bit of dirt or some slightly askew makeup could change the course of the alterations until what emerged was nowhere near what the wearer had intended.

The possibilities were almost endless!

With so many variables coming into play, only the wisest of the wise could perceive how things would look when all was said and done.

Too bad they weren't talking.

Damn smirking bastards!

Sunnydale, California

October 29th, 1997

Jenny Calender's POV

"Thanks for letting me use the system here, Lexi," she said as she putting the finishing touches on a presentation she was preparing for her class tomorrow. "The systems back at the high school are SO antiquated! I can barely teach those kids anything."

"No problem, cousin," Lexi said from where she was sketching something on a notepad. "Anything for family, right?"

Family.

Right.

She'd have to take steps to ensure that it didn't get back to her uncle that she was still interacting with her cousin Lexi. It was a tradition amongst the Kalderash clan that every member lived in service to the clan in some way or another. Whether it was something like the 'job' she had or simply acting as caretakers for a safe house in some part of the world that might affect the clan. Every child born into the clan was raised to follow and respect this one fact.

Lexi had chosen to do neither.

Every family had its black sheep, the one that just didn't fit in, and while in some cases this meant going evil, in other cases it just meant choosing to chart their own path regardless of what the clan elders thought. For those born to parents of lesser family, it was ignored since nothing was really expected of them.

In the case of Lexi, however, she was related just like she was to one of the elder families that led the clan and were assigned the most important of assignments because it was believed that only they could be trusted to see that it succeeded. When her cousin rejected the tasks that were presented to her and sought to make a life for herself on her own terms, this did not go over well with the elders. To be fair the elders did try to be fair, presenting a rational argument for following tradition, but when that failed psychological manipulation came into play, using whatever leverage was available. When even that failed there was only one thing to be done to settle the matter and prevent anyone from following Lexi's lead.

That being excommunication from the Kalderash clan and a prohibition of contact between Lexi and any clan member.

To such a close knit clan, especially in light of the Nazis 'final solution', this sent shockwaves through everyone.

She had been tempted to step forward then and give the elders a piece of her mind, hoping that others who were close to Lexi would do the same. It'd been her opinion at the time that if enough of the assembled clan members stood in opposition to the elders that their leaders would be forced to reconsider their course of action. However, before she could do more than take a single step, she'd been stopped in her tracks by a stern look from Lexi. It'd taken her only a moment to realize her cousin was saying 'do not do it' and that her friend didn't want her to get into trouble on her account. Then, before she could choose to disregard her friend's wishes, Lexi had boldly delivered a parting shot before striding out of the room to pack her few meager possessions before leaving.

It'd been a little over two years later that they encountered each other purely by chance during the early months of her assignment to keep watch on Angel. For a moment it'd looked like Lexi would take off in order to keep any clan consequences from being dropped onto her but she'd acted first. She'd told her cousin that she didn't care what the elders thought and that she didn't want to lose the friendship they'd nurtured growing up. Lexi had been almost touched to tears by the statement but didn't abandon her concern of clan action so they'd relocated someplace more discrete before working to come up with a way to maintain their friendship in secret. What they'd come up with were a series of drop boxes and email addresses for when they were too far apart to simply 'bump' into each other. When chance or the appearance of chance allowed them to meet, they still took steps to come up with a cover story to disguise their reunions.

It was still a tricky bit of work but it had proven to be well worth it.

"So are you doing anything for Halloween?" Lexi asked, looking up from the notepad she was working on.

"Not really. Halloween is dead, supernaturally speaking, and Rupert is planning on using the time to catch up on some library work," she replied, a little disappointed that the man who'd caught her interest found work to be more appealing than her.

She had been dropping hints, after all, along with some light flirting to measure his interest in her but thus far all she'd gotten was some cute British flustering. It'd been entertaining but still it wasn't what she was after so she'd just have to keep at it until she got enough to act on.

"Just because the guy you've got the hots for is staying in doesn't mean you have to," Lexi said, trying to direct her cousin towards something fun. "I hear they've set up a killer walk through haunted house behind Lowell House! Why don't we dress up and go see if it matches the hype!"

"Aren't we a bit old for dressing up? Besides, it'll be mostly college students going through if we did go," she said, finding the idea somewhat appealing but also questionable. "We'd kinda stand out."

"That'll be the fun part! Besides, I got some costume ideas all sketched up and, if you got the guts, it'll make sure no one'll care about how old we are!" Lexi said, sounding more enthused as time went by.

Curious as to what her cousin had come up with she tapped the save command on her work before walking over to get a better look at the notepad. Her first reaction was to smile since Lexi had always been an exceptional artist, even if the themes tended to ruffle the feathers of the clan elders. On the large sheet of paper her cousin had been working on she could see a basic female form without any details to indicate a specific person, however it was the outfit drawn using pen ink of varying colors that caught most of her attention. It showed a sexy strapless dress meant to show off the cleavage of whoever wore it, spandex leggings and knee high boots with the overall look being very Halloween themed. It'd fit right in with a female vampire or a sorceress or someone within Satan's court. She could tell that there were still some things to be drawn in due to the light pencil outlines she could see but overall the costume looked pretty good.

Assuming that the reality matched the design, it'd be a safe bet that no guy would mind her being there and any women would bitterly avoid them either out of jealousy or spite.

It was a little bolder than she normally wore but it'd definitely put a big crack in English's usual stoicism and, since it'd only be for one night, color her intrigued.

"What's this supposed to be and how long'll it take to make?" she asked, turning her head towards her cousin.

"It's pretty much done already," Lexi replied with a grin. "I can take bits and pieces from dresses the university drama club is throwing out and, after some mods, sew it all together into this. Might need to buy a few odds and ends to make it perfect but I can have it ready for Halloween night easy."

Impressive.

However she knew of one loophole that Rupert would use to try and weasel out of a night with her.

"You think you could whip up something for a man? Something for a guy about six feet tall?" she asked, knowing that Rupert would try to slip from her grasp by pointing out he had no costume.

"Hmmmm… what're his interests?" Lexi asked in return, sounding like she was seeking inspiration.

"Reading old books and scrolls. Classical theatre. Tea," she replied, rattling off everything she could recall.

"Basically a stereotypical, stuffy Brit?" Lexi said, summing it all up quite nicely.

"Yep," she confirmed, unable to find a single thing to refute this label.

"Well then the costume we get for him has to be something that's a step away from that. Several steps if we can pull it off," Lexi said, sounding like she shared the amusement of flustering stuffy people.

"Then let's see what we can come up with," she said, matching the grin growing on her cousin's face.

It took three hours for them to come up with the PERFECT costume and best of all most of it could be bought while the rest you just needed a bit of thread and a glue gun.

All would be ready by sunset Halloween night.

The Streets of Sunnydale

Halloween Afternoon

Joyce Summers' POV

"So have you decided what you want to dress up as?" she asked as they walked side by side.

"Not really. I'd hoped to talk to Xander about it but he's been busy," Dawn replied, sounding disappointed at the inability to use her usual sounding board.

She kept her reaction to a tiny grin.

Her youngest hadn't done very well in keeping her crush on Xander secret since the day the young man had first shown up at their home and certainly wasn't right now. Honestly she found it cute and, while she'd entertained the idea of Buffy getting together with him, she'd realized halfway through their first year in Sunnydale that her eldest only saw him as a friend. As far as Dawn pursuing a romantic relationship with him, she only had two conditions that absolutely needed to be met before she'd give her consent. First her daughter had to wait until she was at least halfway through senior year since by then they'd probably know if the crush was actually love or not. The second condition being that the two of them would wait before engaging in anything… physically intimate until there was no danger of Xander going to jail for it.

While this wasn't entirely met with satisfaction, Dawn had conceded, though she wouldn't put it past her youngest to try to sneak what she could should the opportunity present itself.

That was why she deliberately arranged for moments when Dawn thought she was gone to give her that 'opportunity', only to show up at just the right time. Do it enough times and even the most ambitious of young women would be too nervous to try something.

"Well, I'm sure we can find something at that new costume shop that opened last week," she said as they turned the corner.

She'd originally considered taking her girl to 'Party Town' since it had a long standing reputation in Sunnydale but unfortunately her first solo visit there turned out to be the last. The costumes in the place were quite nice but one look at the price tag had stalled her in her tracks and the attitudes of the store staff had sealed the deal. Honestly they reminded her of every rich client she'd ever had to deal with and how they looked down on those whose yearly income didn't fall into the six figures. Quite frankly it'd been enough to drive her to deliver a few snappish comments before leaving. She'd looked for another costume shop but the only one she could find was the new one that'd opened last week. She hadn't been able to find the free time to visit the place before now but she'd just have to hope for the best.

When they arrived at the new store she had to say that its simple outer design won it some points since it meant that the owner didn't value appearance too much. Oh, appearances were an important part of any business since it is what drew in the customers but the rich valued it too much at the expense of basic decency. Pulling the front door open she and her daughter entered to find themselves in your typical store interior with costumes on racks, bins of accessories and small cardboard boxes of various Halloween merchandise. She could even see a section with various containers of body paints, costume contact lenses and wigs of just about every color she could think of. All in all it was clear that the owner of the establishment was doing his or her best to have everything a Halloween fan might want to look their best on that one night a year. When she walked over to the closest costume she was also pleased to see that for the quality the owner was offering the prices weren't all that unreasonable.

"This place looks AWESOME!" Dawn exclaimed her head swiveling around to see everything as quickly as possible. "Can I go take a look around, Mom?"

"Sure, honey. Just make sure not to get too carried away with your choice," she said, mentally thinking about how best to word her warning, "Remember that forcing a certain look to get a certain reaction can backfire on you."

"Sure thing!" Dawn said, obviously not having paid attention to anything that had been said after 'sure'.

Chuckling a bit she began to wander the store, looking at the various costumes while internally debating whether or not to get one for herself. She was hosting a small party at the gallery and had indicated that costumes could be worn but until now she'd only planned on a simple ghost costume or maybe using her makeup for something zombie-like. Gazing upon what the shop had to offer, though, she began to entertain the possibility of going just a little bit further with her costume. She was, after all, the hostess of the party and so it was mandatory that her outfit rank at least in the top three of those worn Halloween night.

The question was what to dress up as.

On the one hand wearing something tasteful and modest would be fitting for a woman of her years and make the right impression as the owner of the gallery, as well as the host of the party. Unlike some of the hostesses at other gallery get togethers, she didn't have the need to be the center of attention and blind the guests with how superior she was to them. On the other hand, though, she'd overheard Buffy talk about how Halloween was the one night a year when someone could really let their hair down with zero repercussions. While not as optimistic as her eldest, she had to admit that on Halloween night, depending on your costume, you could get away with quite a bit, especially if you wore something to hide your face. It could be a mask, face paint done just right or even a fake rubber nose. Feeling a little bit of excitement at the prospect of doing something so out of character for the normally respectable gallery owner and single mother of two, she took increased interest in the costumes hung on racks around her.

Witches, goblins and a few superheroine costumes were to be seen but none of them felt quite right to her. While she might be interested in breaking out of her usual role for a night she wasn't about to embarrass herself by choosing something unsuitable for a woman her age.

It wasn't until she noticed a black outfit hanging on the edge of a rack that she felt the ping of interest spike higher than normal. Walking over, she took it off the rack and held it out in front of her to get a better look at it. There was a LOT of leather involved, along with some gray accessories, but when she imagined herself wearing it she found that she liked the image. It was definitely outside of what her daughters would ever expect her to wear and would be unique amongst the other guests at the gallery. Still… it needed a little something to truly clinch it for the win.

Carrying the costume with her, she strolled further through the costume shop looking for anything that caught her eye as something that just might fit the bill in terms of a finishing touch. However it wasn't until she came to the wig section that she believed she had found what she was looking for. While she maintained her hair as well as any woman, it definitely gave off an air of restraint and propriety both of which would not do for tonight. If she could find something her that was a little more WILD and UNTAMABLE then, when added to the costume in hand, she'd truly be someone else for tonight.

No… no… no… YES! she thought before plucking up a wig that would drop down to just past her shoulders. This'll do nicely.

She'd still need to add a few touch ups and maybe a little makeup but she was certain she could accomplish her goal for Halloween night.

"Hey Mom! You find something?" came the voice of her youngest daughter, causing her to hide the pieces of her costume behind her back as she turned to meet Dawn.

"Yeah… a little something for the party at the art gallery," she replied, not wanting anyone to see it until she was ready to show it off. "How about you?"

"I think so. I saw something but the store guy said he had something more my size in the back," Dawn replied even as she tried to sneak around her to get a better look at what she was hiding.

Fortunately for her this wasn't the first time she and her daughter had played keep away so she knew most of her tricks well. It took a couple of minutes before Dawn gave up and so they waited for the 'store guy' to return with the costume. Five minutes later a black haired man with a smile on his face approached with a garment bag in hand, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Here you are, young lady!" the man said, handing over the bag. "You're quite lucky. My supplier only provided me with one of those in your size. The rest you'd have to grow into over the course of a couple of years."

"What is it?" she asked, unable to see anything given the bag's lack of transparency.

"A steam punk demon hunter!" Dawn crowed, looking quite happy with how things had turned out. "The other one looked so COOL, Mom!"

"Quite right. Now the costume only came with two prop weapons," the store guy said with a bit of regret. "If you want something more you'll have to get it yourself."

"Don't worry. I got a couple of ideas that'll work," Dawn said, not sounding discouraged in the least.

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to have a big mess to clean up before you go trick or treating?" she asked rhetorically with a sigh of acceptance.

"It won't be that big of a mess, Mom," Dawn said with a roll of her eyes. "Just a bit of glue and some odds and ends. Promise."

Famous last words.

UCS Dorm

Hallway

Buffy's POV

"Buffy, are you sure about this?" Willow asked for the third time since she'd turned them away from the new costume shop that'd opened up.

"Definitely! I've been coming at this from completely the wrong angle," she said as she looked for the door number that'd been on the paper posted to the town bulletin board. "If I want to totally wow Angel, I can't go as some girl from his time. It'll just remind him of everything he's lost or what he used to be. It'll totally drop a wet blanket on the entire evening!"

Originally when she'd started planning for Halloween, she'd intended to get a dress in the same style as the girls from Angel's time so she could be something other than the Slayer and impress him. She'd even managed to get some old Watcher diaries from Giles' office so she could see what they looked like. They'd… they'd looked so fancy and beautiful and high society-ish that she'd felt intimidated as well as unsure if she could pull off something similar. School had let out a half hour ago and she'd gone with Willow to a new store that'd opened up in the hopes of finding a dress similar to the ones in the diary. However before they'd gotten to the door she'd had her epiphany and realized that dressing up as a noblewoman from the time when Angel was human was a BIG mistake. No one wanted to be reminded of what they used to be and had once possessed only for it to be torn away by an explosion of bad luck. It'd been then that she'd spotted the paper advertising unique costumes and assistance with makeup on the town bulletin board. There had even been a few pictures showing what they had to offer and one in particular called out to her.

It looked like the sort of outfit you'd see mythical beings wear in a land of dwarves and armored knights and in her mind it gave her a perfect idea for her costume.

"And this'll improve things how?" Willow asked, idly glancing for the door they were looking for.

"Because an elf is supposed to be immortal, or close enough that it doesn't matter. If I dress up as one I'll be totally hot looking and it'll let him know I'll be around for as long as he is," she replied, finally spotting with her Slayer eyes the door they wanted at the end of the hallway. "After all, the big suck about being immortal is you gotta watch the people you care about die while you stay in your prime. With a little pretending maybe it won't be so bad for one night."

Indeed the outfit she'd seen in one of the pictures on the flyer had been exquisite in her opinion and definitely something you'd expect to find in the wardrobe of a major theatre. It didn't look like some cheap or poorly put together outfit an amateur or some comic book convention person would go in, but rather something made by someone with serious attention to detail. Added to the smaller pictures showing various costume and make up pieces and she'd had no trouble at all coming up with the elf idea. She'd seen pictures before from movies and on the covers of certain books so she could say that she'd definitely look pretty hot dressed up as one.

Plus, with a little bit of luck, they could find something for Willow, too.

Since she'd first met the redhead she'd had the desire to help the girl become the best that she could be while also coming out of the geeky shell that her friend had obviously been in for most of her life. It'd been hard with the serious self-image issues but she'd been making progress and then there'd been her discovery of the crush on Xander. Being a romantic at heart she'd leapt on the idea of getting those two together romantically since she wanted someone to be able to enjoy the bliss of the sort of relationship she couldn't have thanks to being the Slayer. The only problems were that Willow was too timid to make a bold move in the right direction and Xander just saw the redhead as a friend, or at worst as a sibling. She had to seriously put some cracks in both issues if there was any progress to be made and Halloween was the perfect time for it. Halloween was the one night a year when a girl could get wild and sexy without having to worry about it giving her trouble the rest of the year.

If she could get Willow into a somewhat sexy outfit, something that'd make Xander wake up and smell the hottie, then it'd be a major victory.

"Here it is," she said, arriving at the door before knocking three times.

"Yeah?" came a teenage girl voice from the other side that gave the impression that she was a smoker.

"We're here about the costumes and make up flyers," she replied loud enough to be heard through the door.

"'Kay. Just give me a second," the girl said before the sounds of things getting moved could be heard.

A couple of minutes later the door opened to show a college girl who definitely liked defying convention and had a hobby of using her own body as a canvas for her art. It wasn't ugly per se, just decidedly different than the majority of what you usually saw in the majority of American high schools.

The student gave both her and Willow the once over before gesturing for them to follow her back into her dorm room. Grabbing a chair, the girl turned it around back forward before sitting down on it, facing both of her prospective customers.

"So what're you lookin' for and when's it gotta be done by?" the college girl asked a bit bluntly, with only a bit of alpha female coming out.

It fit with her look and it wasn't like she planned on being friends with the girl so she let it slide.

"Do you still have that green outfit from the flyer or could you make another one in time for Halloween night?" she asked, getting straight to the costume she wanted.

"Still got the original one," the college girl said before giving her one more look over. "Probably have to adjust it since it's got four inches on you. Wanna go as an elf?"

"Yep," she replied, glad that the costume maker had figured it out quickly.

"Cool. Got the fake ears and some other shit that'd go perfect with it. It'll take some prep time to get it on right so you'd have to swing by at least an hour and a half before whatever part you're going to is," costume girl said, sounding like she'd caught her stride. "That cool?"

"Sure," she replied even as she tried to think up a way to convince Giles to get her out of class early.

After all, herr Snyder wanted them to all be at school by four to pick up their batch of brats so that meant she'd need to come by two in the afternoon at the latest. It was a full half hour before classes officially let out and she knew that without official permission from a faculty member Snyder would be all over them before they made it ten steps towards the front doors.

"What about you, Red?" costume girl asked, looking a little annoyed by Willow's timid behavior.

"Um… well… maybe… a ghost?" Willow asked, sounding a little hopeful that she'd get what she wanted so she could run back to her comfort zone.

She almost groaned at her best friend's costume choice since it was easy as could be to see that the smartest girl in school wanted to hide under a sheet. That would NEVER work if she wanted to get Xander's attention and make him see her as dating material. He needed to see the curves, he needed to see the tasteful application of makeup and anything else that'd shatter his sister/friend image of Willow.

"You don't need me for that. A bed sheet with some holes for your eyes'll do fine," Costume girl said a bit harshly at the waste of her time.

She needed to take this situation by the horns before Willow managed to cheese off the person in charge of their outfits.

"Yeah but it doesn't need to be an off the rack ghost costume," she said, trying to make things seem better than it appeared. "You can tweak it here and there. Make it more slinky and sexy looking. My friend's a little shy as you can probably see and we're trying to fix that."

Willow looked a little alarmed but not enough to say anything but the wide eyes told it all. As for costume girl, she took on a more considering look before gesturing for Willow to stand in the middle of the room. Doing as directed the prodigy of Sunnydale High stood there, unsure of the scrutiny she was receiving and, when the gesture to turn around in a circle happened, she did it unsteadily.

"So, slinky and sexy but not so much that she'll pop a blood vessel from the going all tomato-like," Costume girl said with a very small smirk on her face. "I can work with that. It'll partly be from scratch since most of the sexy ghost outfits I got would probably double as swimwear. Makeup'll be easy enough, bit of white and grey, so I can probably do it while waiting for your shit to finish gluing right."

That sounded good and it gave her hope that both her plans would work out good.

"Okay, you both pass. Now hand over the cash for the job. This ain't no charity," Costume girl said, holding out her hand.

Reaching into her pocket, she took out the money she'd taken with her for her costume and counted out the amount that'd been listed in the flyer. It was nice that it was only a set price rather than something that could go up or down depending on the difficulty of the costume since she had a feeling that her elf idea would probably not have been cheap. Counting out the amount, she handed over the cash and was only a little annoyed when costume girl counted it again to make sure it was all there. The college girl had some serious trust issues. Still, when the same was done to Willow's handful of money, she took some solace in that it wasn't just her that costume girl had trust issues with.

"Your costumes'll be ready by noon tomorrow. Make sure to watch the time 'cause the make-up can't be rushed," Costume girl said before pointing at the door. "Now get out."

Definitely someone who needs to work on her social skills.

Doing as bade, the two of them left the college girl's dorm room, hearing the door close behind them before they began to head for the main entrance. Glancing in Willow's direction, she could tell that her friend was uneasy about the costume she'd wind up having to wear but she remained firm in her belief that it needed to be done. While some people might think that it was best to have shy people come out of their shells at their own pace, she knew that if she did that with Willow the two of them would be in a nursing home by the time the redhead fully came out. No, the best course of action was to go with the band aid method and just helping her friend with temporary discomfort that followed. Eventually Willow would get used to it and it'd feel almost natural.

Hopefully by that point Xander would see his best friend as something more than that.

He would if she had anything to say about it.

Ethan's Costume Shop

Halloween Day

Xander's POV

Glad Buffy and the others aren't here, he thought as he looked from costume to costume. They won't get a chance to see how poor I am.

It was his greatest secret, the fact that his family was barely making ends meet, and the reasons behind it brought him nothing but shame. True, there were many reasons for a family to be barely keeping their head above water financially but being incompetent and spending what money you do have on booze were right there at the bottom. If Tony and Jessica Harris would only take in the full grasp of their savings and ration it out better then maybe they could afford to do better. Maybe he'd be able to afford better clothes, better things, so he wouldn't have to come up with lies to cover for why he couldn't afford to do the same things others did.

But expecting his DNA donators to see the error of their ways was like expecting the sun not to rise the next day.

They'd never change their ways no matter how appealing he made the offer.

Therefore, until he graduated and got a job that paid well enough for him to be able to afford to live on his own, he had no choice but to play things close to his vest even around his friends.

That was why he now looked about the shop for anything that would do for a Halloween costume while still being within his meager budget. Price tag after price tag he checked but each time it was proven to be too much When he checked the accessory bins he found the prices on them to be more reasonable but an accessory did not a costume make. He needed something… MORE, but he was at a loss as to what that might be.

"Can I help you young man?" a British voice asked, causing him to whirl around.

What he saw was a man in his late thirties or early fifties with black hair and dressed in semi-formal clothes. With a smile that implied much humor, it looked like the man intended to offer aid and he could certainly use it.

"Don't DO that!" he exclaimed, shaking off the surprise of the man speaking without any sign of approach. "Especially not in this town."

"Sorry, dear boy. I'm afraid it's something of a habit for me," the man said, never losing his smile at the words spoken. "A youth spent sneaking out of the house at night without my parents being aware I'd gone out. Now, can I help you with something?"

"I'm looking for a costume but school bills have picked my wallet almost completely clean," he said, using the true and tested lie to cover up the truth. "Any ideas?"

"Ah, yes! I remember those times well myself when I was younger," the man said with mock fondness. "Well, I do believe I have a few costumes I could let go for a lesser price. A satisfied customer, after all, is more likely to return than a customer turned away because they lacked sufficient funds. Did you have anything in mind?"

Did he? Not really. Even though he was tempted to go with a superhero outfit, he reluctantly had to admit that, after several looks in the mirror the last couple of mornings, he didn't have the muscles to make it work. A soldier, perhaps? He didn't see any uniforms of rank there and he doubted that the local army surplus store had any officer uniforms for sale. Even if going as a simple grunt would do for one night, he could imagine how Larry's group and Cordelia's clique would cut into him with their words of ridicule or insult. They'd probably say something about how a lowly private was the best he could ever hope for or how fitting it was that he was dressed up as someone trained to take orders.

No, if anything he wanted to prove to them and to himself that he could be more than they ever thought possible. That he could indeed rise above them if he worked hard enough despite his meager beginnings. What would best exemplify that? What would make it clear to anyone who looked at him that he intended to rise above their expectations of him? Possibility after possibility crossed his mind but he chose something that would meet his needs but not be too far out there for people to accept.

"Do you have a doctor's coat? Maybe a bag to carry surgical stuff?" he asked, the idea gaining greater definition in his mind.

"Hmmm… perhaps. You mean to go as a doctor?" the man asked with a raised eyebrow of curiosity.

"Yeah. A surgeon. Those are the ones that get paid a lot, right?" he asked, possessing only vague memories of medical dramas and movies with hospital scenes in them.

"They are a wide variety of types when it comes to the profession of surgeon and some do pay more than others. I'm afraid that I do not know the specifics," the man replied, looking to be half in thought. "Hmmmm… I think I might have something to suit your needs out back. Give me a moment."

Watching as the man walked away, he spent his time seeing if he could identify anyone in the store. He spotted a few of the people that'd gotten roped into chaperoning the kids as well as a few that were probably going to The Bronze, but no one he could put a specific name to. As one of the school outcasts, making friends was difficult for him since it was almost a universal constant that teenagers wanted to fit in or belong to one of the popular cliques that made up the student body. As such whenever he tried to get to know a new student, it never lasted because, as soon as the jocks or the rich girls made it clear that there'd be a stigma attached to such a friendship, the newbies left him. The only ones to stay by his side were his fellow outcasts Willow and Jesse.

Ting-a-ling!

Turning to see who'd come in the door, he was somewhat surprised to see Cordelia walking in wearing what the rich girl probably thought was a good disguise: A scarf covered most of her hair, a pair of black lens sunglasses, and a raggedy coat completing the ensemble.

Honestly she stuck out like a very colorful sore thumb.

He was also left wondering what she was doing here since, as far as he knew, the rich girls only shopped at the most expensive stories in Sunnydale because going anywhere else would be embarrassing. The only thing that made sense was that Party Town, the unquestioned most expensive costume shop in town, had lost the costume Cordy had wanted.

That or her parents had for some reason clamped down on the rich girl's source of funds, forcing the captain of the cheerleading squad to dumpster dive for a costume.

Oddly enough he found himself preferring the latter because anything that ruined Cordelia's day gave him a serious happy.

"Well here we are, young man!" the store guy said with glee as he returned with an old school doctor's bag and a white doctor's coat, complete with a name tag hanging from the right breast pocket. "One outfit fit to belong to a surgeon. I threw in whatever fake medical tools I could find in a prop box out back as well. All you should need now is a dress shirt and some passable pants but make sure they're wrinkled a bit."

"Not that it's going to be a problem but why wrinkled?" he asked, remembering the usual state of his wardrobe.

"Simple: the more in demand doctors are, the less sleep they get. This causes them to take naps whenever and wherever they can without changing into their jammies," the store guy replied, sounding happy to be helpful. "So unless you want to tell your friends you're a surgeon who spends most of his time trying to see how many sharpened pencils you can stick into a ceiling, wrinkled clothes are a must."

Made sense.

Also coming up with a two minute back story for the outfit would probably be necessary if any of the tiny tots he'd be chaperoning asked questions along the way. Taking a second look at the white doctor's coat, he could see that the fabric it was made out of was definitely not wrinkle free stuff but, when he laid his eyes on the nametag, he spotted something odd.

It looked official enough with emblems and the right format but there was just one thing wrong with it.

"The name tag's in another language," he said, pointing out the discrepancy to the store guy.

He didn't know what the language was but it definitely wasn't English even if the letters were pretty much identical to what you'd seen in an American newspaper.

"True, but it's not like someone's going to cite a Halloween costume violation or really look all that close," the store guy said, looking at the tag for a moment.

True. In fact he'd consider it downright weird if someone did get all finicky about costume accuracy or even notice the anomaly.

Thus with a shrug he followed the man to the cash register to pay for the outfit and, much to his surprise, he had enough money left over to get a Twinkie from the convenience store nearby.

Talk about a win-win day!

Ethan's Costume Shop

Around 4:30pm

Ethan's POV

Thank BLOODY GOD that's over with! he thought, hearing the click of the front door's lock slide into place. If I had to keep that barmy smile on my face a minute longer I'd have gone completely nutters.

While it might've been part of what he had planned, it still hadn't been his idea of fun to play the polite shop keeper for eight hours a day for the last week. Still, it was necessary to make sure that as many people bought something from his shop as possible so that when the curtain went up he'd get the most bang for his buck. As it stood he'd hit a bit of good luck in that some of the locals were in the business of making costumes for others and doing the makeup as well when requested. As a result he'd sold quite a few bits and pieces along with enough costume make up to almost clean him out. Given that he'd done his best to make sure everything he had to offer possessed a strong enchanted connection to the Janus Halloween spell, it'd result in double the number of 'participants' night.

His patron deity would eat well tonight!

His only bit of disappointment on that side of things was that he hadn't been able to wrangle the local Slayer into his bit of fun. Oh, he knew that there was no way that his old chum Rupert would get in on the dressing up but it would've made his bit of fun all the better of the Watcher's charge was caught up in tonight's excitement. It would've riled up the 'librarian' even more, making it that much more entertaining when Rupert followed the breadcrumbs he'd planted to his little shop so that they could have a little chat.

Still, he'd managed to get one of the Slayer's group, her other two family members, a light acquaintance of the Slayer's group and a woman Ripper seemed to be a bit sweet on, so he supposed that that would have to do.

Dropping the curtains on all the windows, he then strode for the back room where he had everything he'd need for the spell. While it would've been nice to have everything already set to go, some of the ingredients didn't last long once exposed to air and past a certain quality level became useless. Still, if he was right, the celestial bodies and arcane forces would hit their peak an hour or so after sunset so there was plenty of time to get everything ready. This wasn't, after all, the first time he'd performed his spell, so he had a solid grasp in his mind of how long the prep work would take and how long he'd have to unleash the magic before everything went to crap.

If I want the spell to activate as soon as possible then it'll be at five thirty, he thought, recalling the sunset time he'd seen in the local newspaper. That means I have about twenty minutes or so before I have to start putting everything into place.

Deciding a review would do him wonders, he thought of all he'd learned since he'd learned of Sunnydale and his old mate Rupert setting up shop there. It'd been a passing discovery, nothing intentional, as he'd sought out a new location for his bit of fun but it'd cemented his choice to give Sunnydale a try. Everyone in the supernatural community knew of Boca Del Inferno, as well as the things that tended to happen there, so he believed it'd make for an interesting bit of seasoning to his fun. As he'd gotten within a day's drive of the small but interesting town that he'd learned his destination had a king. More than that it was HIGHLY recommended that anyone looking to do business on Boca Del Inferno pay their proper respects AND get permission. The stories he'd heard of what happened to those who ignored the king's authority had been enough to freeze even his mischief-minded soul.

The meeting itself had been pleasant enough and the man himself, the mayor of the town, had been like character right out of 'Leave it to Beaver'. Nevertheless there'd been no mistaking the power of the man and the fatal certainty of what'd happen if his ire were ever provoked. Thus he'd toned down the playfulness a LOT and laid out his plans for Halloween. Letting the mayor know about his connection to Rupert was a bit of a gamble but at the end of the briefing he'd been given the go ahead to proceed.

The final warning: nothing was to be permanent.

All those who were changed by the spell were to revert back to their normal selves when it came to an end.

Clearly a man who likes to keep his proverbial house in order, he thought, picking up the book containing the specifics of the Halloween spell.

How stifling.

Still, he had taken the warning to heart… for the most part. Every item in his store had indeed been enchanted so that the changes to those who used them would only last the night… individually, at the very least. Being a chaos worshipper for several years, he was no stranger to danger and, truth be told, he loved the rush of adrenaline that came with knowing he skirted close to edge. That being said he wasn't the suicidal sort, either. He always took at least SOME care to prevent himself from coming to a messy end and ALWAYS had an escape route planned out in case things turned sour.

Only after he'd been satisfied that his escape plan was foolproof, even when taking the mayor into account, did he decide to do something to push the limits of what was 'permitted'. For most of the items a single one being used would invoke the change but it would burn off with the coming of dawn. However he'd rigged it so the greater the number of items employed in a single costume the greater the grip Janus' magic would have on the person. Then, in the case of those he'd positively identified as belonging to the Slayer's group, he'd added a little extra to the mix in order to push the odds even further of there being retention of traits.

If the mayor took issue with this he could simply say that it was chaos magic's nature asserting itself or Janus himself deciding to step in to make things more amusing. If that failed… that was what the escape plan was for. Being a student of magic for quite some time, he'd heard of all the usual methods of protecting one's own territory, controlling it and turning it against invaders seeking to cause trouble. He'd even learned during the course of his travels of a few of the more exotic methods of warding what belonged to you against enemies. As such the escape plan he'd put together held the best possible odds for seeing him to safety should Ripper find him or the Mayor, should his knowing breach of the rules become known.

It wasn't the foolproof 'no way can it fail' sort of contingency plan he preferred but anything stronger might've tipped off the mayor.

As it was, he'd had to employ every sleight of hand and misdirection trick he knew to place each component of his escape plan in the required locations.

As for the changed among Rippers current 'friends' becoming a little bit upset at their newest circumstances and choosing to seek him out for retribution, he wasn't TOO worried. From what he'd seen, none of those who'd entered his store had chosen costumes that would bestow upon them attributes that he would be helpless to overcome. Each of them had chosen something that either made modern technology seem like magic to them or was so different from what they were used to so as to make it useless. As for the non-technological methods of pursuit, he was confident that the clashing of rules, the fictional butting heads with factual, would leave it to luck alone to decide his fate.

When it came to luck, it was a factor that was on first name terms with chaos.

He was confident that with the feast he would be providing his Lord Janus with that the Roman god would shield him from pursuit if for no other reason than to duplicate the meal.

Best get started with the preparations, he thought, looking at the clock to find that time had passed. Nobody likes having to wait for their meals.

Rupert Giles' Apartment/Flat

A Little Under An Hour Before Sunrise

Jenny Calendar's POV

"I do not know how you talked me into this," Rupert said even as he finished securing the belt carrying his 'weapons' to his waist.

"I used my wits, my charm and my feminine wiles, of course," she said, standing near the door in her own costume.

Indeed the costume that she'd gotten from Lexi had done much to flatter her figure and she'd definitely provoked some lust in Rupert if the prudish reaction was anything to go by. She had to admit that the dress looked a lot more like something a gymnast would wear with a skirt tacked on for fun, but with the wig it made for a great costume. As for what she and her cousin had settled on for Rupert's costume, it was something akin to a World War era monster hunter. The coat was definitely of that era going from shoulder to shin on the librarian and, to further fit the identity, tools of monster hunting weapons of various sorts were added. Some came from Rupert's own collection but others Lexi got from the local costume shops. Some looked like they came from a steampunk novel while others were more modern in nature, but all fit with the costume personae. As a finishing touch she'd grabbed a couple of nick-knacks from Rupert's apartment before putting them in pockets or wrapping them around the equipment belts.

"Ah. Of course," Rupert said, adjusting the belt's position before looking at her. "I trust I meet with your satisfaction then?"

"Definitely," she said, taking in how the costume laid on the librarian and overall aura it gave off.

Gone was the stuffy tweediness of his usual librarian attire and in its place was something… dangerous, exciting and it was something she truly believed suited her potential boyfriend. Now if only his employers would see the wisdom in updating their methods, perhaps the war with the darkness could finally begin marching swiftly towards victory.

Yes, she knew what Rupert was and who he worked for, and had known from the moment she'd arrived in Sunnydale.

Her clan had been quite thorough in mapping the supernatural topography of Sunnydale, with special emphasis on those that could interfere with their vengeance. One of those potential threats had been the Watchers Council, known far and wide for their intolerant attitudes regarding nonhuman and demonic races. While intelligent enough to know that they could not fight all those not human in nature, those that they could attack and kill they did so without mercy or hesitation. Naturally vampires were put on that list as a clear and present threat and therefore it was anticipated that they might order the slaying of Angelus or, as he was known currently, Angel.

Personally she believed that dusting the vampire to be the most practical course of action but ever did the clan speak to her of her duty to VENGEANCE. To them Angelus' suffering must be as eternal as their own and that meant that no one was permitted to end the vampire's life under any circumstances. Thus, when it was learned that a Watcher and a Slayer were in the same town, the plan was hatched for her to become a teacher at the same school as the two in order to keep a close watch on them. By watching them she would know the moment they chose to take action against Angelus and could counter anything they tried, even if the most she could do was warn the vampire so that it could flee.

However time had shown her that Angel was not the same monster told to her by the elders and that the vampire with a soul had even helped the Slayer in her fight against evil. She'd even learned of his reasons for doing so, to atone for the sins committed by demonic spirit inside of him, and found that to be admirable. For normal people this might be enough to warrant a review of the clan's vengeance, if only because the ones who originally began it were long dead. She could not blame those who originally lost their precious daughter, sister or mother for seeking out their vengeance but she did not approve of their descendants being forced to perpetuate it out of some sense of duty.

Vengeance was a living and breathing thing that must be serviced her Uncle Enyos would often say to those who questioned the customs of their clan.

Truthfully she was sick of hearing of vengeance.

She wanted her own life but at the same time the thought of being separated from her clan for the rest of her life was too painful to consider defying the elders without something to take its place.

"Well then, shall we go?" Rupert asked, sounding like he was bracing himself for something he was uncomfortable with.

Unsurprising since she doubted that the man had spent much time with the younger generation outside of his charge, her friends and those he was obligated to interact with as librarian. The plan though was for the two of them to go to the haunted house that'd been set up on UCS campus and experience all it had to offer. Lexi seemed to think that it'd be a blast and had said that she might join them later if her idea for a costume worked out like she hoped it would.

"Yes…" she replied, reaching out to hook one of her arms around one of his, "…I think we shall."

With that the two of them left English's apartment and proceeded to walk towards UCS campus, deciding that it'd be nice to see how the rest of Sunnydale was dressing up for Halloween. One of the things she'd enjoyed about Halloween from a young age was the creativity and the variety of the costumes that there were to be seen. Not everyone went for store bought costumes and some literally made their own costumes from the raw materials on up.

As they walked along she could see Rupert cringe at some costumes worn by the people on the streets while for others there was a clear look of approval. Usually the latter occurred whenever the Watcher saw someone dressed up as something from classical literature or world-renowned plays, whereas the former happened with more contemporary pop culture elements. She had to snort with amusement at this since it only reinforced the idea that Rupert only cared for things of the past and generally avoided what the young considered 'cool'. Some of that she could attribute to being a Watcher but the rest she could only presume came from the whole 'generation gap' phenomena that everyone experienced once they passed a certain age. Some adults handled it better than others but most just accepted the differences as something that would not be overcome but rather accepted.

By the time that they reached the UCS campus, she liked to think that the librarian slash Watcher had seen enough good costumes to cause the man to reevaluate his opinion on the interests of American youth. When they arrived at the haunted house they could see that there was already quite a bit of people there, ranging from faculty to students to people who were from Sunnydale. What surprised her, though, was the fact that some circus-styled stalls were set up in front of it, with various games available for a dollar a try. With various prizes hanging on the walls of the stalls it occurred to her that perhaps they could do a few of those and then leave the haunted house as the finale for the evening before turning in for the night.

"How's your throwing arm, English?" she asked nodding towards the classic stacked bottles and tennis balls game.

"While I am not as familiar with baseball as most Americans, I'll you know I was quite the good bowler on the university cricket team." Rupert replied, sounding quite confident in his skills.

"Prove it," she said before pulling him towards the indicated stall.

The person running it was dressed up as a stereotypical goth, or at least she thought it was a costume though the signs the passage of time made her question that. Maybe how the guy usually dressed was good enough to double as a costume.

"How much per try?" she asked, taking the lead.

"Two bucks," the young man said, sounding rather apathetic about… everything.

Reaching into the little purse she'd incorporated into the costume, she took out the money before handing it over to the stall employee. In return he handed her three tennis balls and with a smile she offered one of them to Rupert, a look of challenge on her face even though it probably came off as playful.

Plucking the ball from her hand, English tossed the ball up a few times, likely to get a feel for it, then, with a wind up that looked quite practiced, he threw it at the center stack of bottles. The sphere impacted but, while it succeeded in knocking two of the bottles to the ground, the third merely wobbled back and forth before settling back down an inch from where it'd started. Picking up the second tennis ball from her hand, Rupert took a more measured approach to his throw but his gaze made it clear that his target was the single remaining bottle of the original stack. A whip-fast pitch later and the last bottle fell to the ground but, since her potential future boyfriend still had one tennis ball to his try, she tossed it to him.

"Feel like you got one more in you?" she asked, happy with what he'd managed thus far.

"I'm not tired just yet," he replied with a cocky smile before setting his sights on the stack of bottles to the right of where the first one had been.

The final throw was smoother since the first two had worked to get the flaws out and succeeded in knocking the entire stack off to the ground below bringing, a smile to her face.

"You've won an item from the number two wall," the stall employee said, pointing halfheartedly at the numbered wall. "Thank you for playing."

"What is your pleasure, my lady?" Rupert asked with mock chivalry towards her.

Walking towards the wall, she looked at the various items hanging from it, seeing things ranging from cheap mini plastic swords to pins to decorated headbands. Letting her gaze pass over each item she weighed its value and for the most part she was focusing on the things that would build upon her current costume. After all none of the things she saw were made for practical, everyday use, so there was no point in choosing from that particular perspective. Finally she came upon a headband that, at its base, was the same color as the wig she'd put on but had a pair of wings coming out of it on either side not quite at ear level. Honestly it was childish and might even look silly on her but it was the best option she had out of all the things she could choose from.

"This one!" she said, taking it off of the wall before putting it on her head.

Feeling it act as an extra means of keeping the fake hair on her head, she turned to Rupert to show off her newest accessory but only got a light chuckle from him. Deciding that one good laugh deserved another, she fished out another two dollars before handing it over the stall owner and taking the offered tennis balls for herself. While she hadn't played sports in any way other than casual growing up, she was by no means a complete novice.

Hopefully she'd be able to win something equally amusing for him before she ran out of money.