[attr="class","brenpost"]Because of his dorm room situation, Brendon had been forced to get dressed in the public bathrooms of Goldenleaf Dormitory. He made sure to put his mask on before stepping out of the stall, hoping no one would recognize or bother him.

Thankfully, his roommate Noah had already left for the event, granting Brendon some much needed solitude. With a heavy sigh, he willed his nerves away as he stood in front of the full-length mirror.

He didn’t normally attend events like this, and seeing himself dressed up felt… foreign. If it hadn’t been for meeting Josuette this year, he would have spent the evening alone in his room or hidden away in the woods.

Yet here he was, donning a fitted white and gold costume. Gold embroidery traced the white jacket and the cuffs of his sleeves, with gold tassels draped from each shoulder. A frilly white lace collar hugged his neck, making him look like a real-life Prince about to attend a grand affair.



He hoped the mask would keep his identity concealed enough to avoid being… too bothered tonight.

He hadn’t heard from Josuette since yesterday, when she had made it clear that she was too busy to talk. He hadn’t expected her to take the event so seriously, and certainly hadn’t expected her to completely and utterly vanish for two days. He couldn’t help but feel… miffed about it.

It was only a little past eight when Brendon found himself loitering in the courtyard, his eyes drawing over the many lights and decorations setup for the event. The courtyard was already packed with students, but he had somehow found a quiet, secluded place to procrastinate.

Josuette’s text came right away, confirming she was already at Oakwood Hall. The grand double-doors were wide, glowing with eerie lighting. Quirky Halloween music blasted out from inside, and from where Brendon stood, he could see the crowd of costumed students mingling and chatting.

Would Josuette actually be able to recognize him? He’d chosen a full-face mask, not just to hide his identity from… others but because she had seemed so genuinely invested about the challenge of… picking him out in a crowd.

He didn’t really know… if he’d made the right choice, but at least the mask made him feel shielded. Glancing down at his phone, he replied to Josuette’s message.



As the strobe lights flickered across the dance floor, Brendon’s gaze swept the crowd. He passed by a girl in an Alice in Wonderland dress, her long blonde hair catching his attention, but something told him she wasn’t Josuette.

Well, more like it was an… assumption. A frown formed under his mask as he realized how much was relying on instinct rather than careful observation.

He spotted another blonde amongst the many, this one dressed in what looked like a hand-me-down robe with patches all over it. A flare of frustration entered his chest at the thought of Josuette not using the money he had offered her to have endless options.

But, that girl wasn’t Josuette either—she was way too short.

Josuette Ardel

[attr="class","brenpost"]As he continued his search around the hall, Brendon suddenly tensed, feeling a wave of alarm and disgust wash over him as a student squeezed between him and others, holding what looked to be a severed arm. He hadn’t expected it, though he probably should have—it was a Halloween themed event, after all.

He grimaced as another guy casually strolled by, wearing a horror mask with an unsettling, wild grin. Brendon quickly decided it was time for him to search a different part of the room.

To one side of Oakwood Hall, he spotted an open room that had been setup into a fortune-telling scene. Dark fabrics hung from the ceiling like cobwebs, and the silhouettes of bats dangled above, their yellow eyes glowing as lanterns for the room.

At the centerpiece table, Brendon could see a girl performing a tarot card reading to a couple of students who, thankfully, weren’t dressed like murderous psychos. Brendon leaned against the wall just outside the door, and turned his gaze back to the main room.

As a girl in a purple witch costume walked by, Brendon’s gaze fell onto yet another blonde—dressed as a circus ringleader. B-But none of these people were Josuette!

Internally fuming, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and quickly typed out another message:

Josuette Ardel

[attr="class","brenpost"]Upon reading Josuette’s return message, Brendon quietly fumed behind his mask. She hadn’t exactly managed to find him in the crowd either, but he supposed it meant she held more patience for the search than he did. In fact, he was starting to grow annoyed with the challenge…

With a heavy sigh, he glanced around the room, noticing a few new costumes amidst the crowd. But then, one person stood out from the rest. He gaught a glimpse of her back—a red velvet cape draped over her, concealing most of her costume. The sight immediately stood out to him as something Josuette would do. But, could he really be so sure it was her?

So far, she was the only one who was wearing anything even remotely close to what he imagined Josuette would wear. As he pushed from the wall, hesitantly slipping his phone into his pocket, a thought nagged at him. He didn’t know her well enough to have such confidence in her preferences. So where were these feelings coming from? Instinct, he guessed…

No, it had to be more reasonable than that. Maybe he’d been picking up on differences in heights, their body shapes, facial structures—even the way they moved. Still, as he followed her through the crowd, he grew more and more uncertain with himself.

When she paused just before a refreshment table, Brendon used the opportunity. He stepped ahead, grabbing a drink to position himself so she was within his line of sight. The cape really did cover her completely, front and back, and her hood was pulled up, hiding her hair.

Her gaze was cast onto her phone, and there was something about her frown that felt very familiar. And when she finally looked up, catching sight of him, the emerald glow of her eyes felt unmistakably hers.

Brendon’s heart thumped. He was fairly certain it was her, but a flicker of doubt still lingered, keeping him hesitant. He didn’t want to embarrass himself if he had somehow gotten it wrong. B-But, at the same time, he was almost certain—there was something about the way she carried herself, something about the way she looked.

Josuette Ardel

[attr="class","brenpost"]There was recognition in her eyes when she caught sight of him and, unlike him, she didn’t hesitate in calling out to him. “…Brendon?” Her tone was cautious and Brendon didn’t have the heart to leave her in suspense, not when he’d felt the full effects of uncertainty himself.

“Y-Yeah, it’s me.” He murmured in return, heat filling his cheeks from behind the mask. His heart quickened its beat and he asked, “How did you know it was me?” He felt he’d been a bit more challenging to tell, since he’d completely covered his face.

Josuette Ardel

[attr="class","brenpost"]“…You stand out amongst the crowd.”

Josuette’s words left Brendon frowning behind his mask, unsure of what she meant. What did she mean by stand out? Was she insinuating his costume was out of place in comparison to everyone else?

Or… was she saying he stood out to her, the same way she did to him? Brendon quietly half-sulked and half-stewed as Josuette approached, her fingers tracing over the intricate designs of his Prince costume. He decided to just ask.

“Do you mean my costume stands out from everyone else’s? Or do you mean I stood out to you?” He grumbled, staying still and letting her hands linger.

Josuette Ardel

[attr="class","brenpost"]Josuette withdrew her hands, fixing him with a silence, disapproving glare. “Both.”

Brendon took a step back, folding his hands behind him, his expression hardening beneath his mask. “You stood out as well.” He replied, his tone curt and dismissive. However, he wanted to move past the subject, and so he added, “It was annoying having to pay attention to so many other people.”

Josuette Ardel

[attr="class","brenpost"]A tingle of nerves moved through Brendon when Josuette stepped close again, a soft smile touching her dark, ruby lips. “I didn’t mind the hunt.” She quietly teased, and Brendon’s cheeks heated with fluster.

He felt the hairs at the back of his neck standing on end. “W—Well, it ended with me finding you.” He pointed out heatedly, his voice tinged with embarrassment. “I suppose that makes you Little Red Riding Hood—,” he added, biting against his smile as his gaze fell over her cape. “A-And me… the wolf!”

Josuette Ardel