Haunted House College AU

[worthallthis]

While the army is covering tuition, it doesn't cover living expenses, and temporary work on-campus is better than temporary work off-campus. So when the drama department managed to raise funds for a haunted house in one of the frat houses, James put on his best "I can kill you with my pinky" look, a shabby suit (shabby is really all he has, so, lucky), and his growing out hair loose around his face and "interviewed" for a spot as in-character for a creepy fucky as possible.

He had to refuse the first offer to be one of the ghosts inside. Dropping the character and donning a slightly sheepish smile, "Really not that keen on jumping out an' scaring people. Especially the ones that get punchy when they're scared." When the interviewer looked at his resume, saw his army tour (the whole "captured and tortured" thing isn't on there, but it doesn't have to be), she just nodded and stuck him at introductions and taking tickets. The pay isn't great, but it'll cover meals for a while.

So he shows up for opening night, gets his face done all pale with stage-make up and his suit a little spruced up with a very fancy shirt underneath from the costume department, and takes in the faces of the other people who'd been brought on.

Comments

[worthallthis]

"Maybe after," he suggests, trying not to smile and annoy the makeup artist. He can hear her heartbeat settling, as if she'd been actually worried. Jesus, does he matter that much? Would it have changed a damn thing if he hadn't shown up? "If it's gonna be that busy, I'll need to grab a snack on the break."

And maybe not have a panic attack, this time. That'll help a lot. But he's pretty sure she, at least, isn't going to do anything stupid.

[shadowsran]

Whether or not he'd been ready to bail certainly would matter. There would be guilt to reckon with, and just as importantly, she likes him just fine. Nice being able to look forward to seeing somebody.

Nobody will be doing anything stupid, if her strategic self deprecation and sternness beforehand was in any way effective. If not, words will be had. For now: a glance over what makeup has been applied, and an approving nod.

"Go hard on the eyes," she says uselessly to the artist, quite understandably eager to be done with it. A fist is raised and all five fingers splay out at once. A pop. Exaggerate the hell out of his shade of blue. "I'll see you in the break room, best of luck."

An echo of his salute, and she's sauntering off into place. As warned, it's a busier night - not necessarily worse behaved, but not better. In larger numbers, it's more amusing mishaps. More bodies hustled through an enclosed space that relies largely on distance between groups to function, which proves a fun challenge for more spirited actors; to continue hitting the appropriately timed mark, or invent new ones in time for the next group.

Fun stuff.

[worthallthis]

It's busy enough, and requires enough interaction to spook and/or flirt with people to keep the crowd moving at the right speed, that their mid-show break is spent doing nothing but cramming pizza and cookies and beer down his throat and getting his make-up touched up. He barely has time or energy to do more than wave at Misty, grin at a couple of the zombies, and then zoom back out to delay a few arrivals he hears even from inside.

Then the night's over, and he just slumps to sit against the door frame at the front of the frat house. "Jesus, that was exhausting."

[shadowsran]

Really digging deep and channeling the shreds of extroversion within, Misty seems fairly revitalized when she finally crops up to check on him. It's better he look tired than upset.

"Takes a lot more stamina than people might give credit for, huh?" Grinning, she offers the bottle she'd luckily thought to bring out with her. Easy for one to expect a much more relaxed, fun-only position. "You did great, for whatever it's worth. I heard compliments, even."

Not many, considering the point of such a house is to keep idle conversation at bay in favor of manufactured suspense, but some. "Worth the exhaustion."

[worthallthis]

"You heard compliments?" he repeats, with a kind of amiable skepticism. "Someone was talking to Ophelia about guy taking tickets?" He's still smiling, at least. "I'm just out of practice, I think. I haven't had to be all outgoing and talkative like this in a long time." Let alone in character! Sure, he'd played roles for people, whatever one of the girls or Steve or something needed, but not quite like this.

[shadowsran]

"Not to me, specifically," she laughs, waving a hand. "But one or two mentions from people just getting in, and Emma's friend comes to all of these and hadn't seen you before - couldn't talk long without breaking character, but I caught at least approval." There's no set bar to reach, amateur and amusing as all of it is intended to be, but it couldn't hurt to know one is doing well. "Thankfully you've got the night to recoup, now. Take the gravelly voice easy, get a couple words in without a spooky punchline. Usually a quiet type, then?"

[worthallthis]

He picks himself up again, dusting off his ass from the dusty concrete. "Nah. Believe it or not, I used to be a clubber, back in high school. And a mosher, actually." R&B, rock, pop, punk, anything you could move to. He shrugs with a helpless little grin. "Can't really handle it anymore."

[shadowsran]

"A mosher!"

Oh, the delight on her face. It's a pleasant surprise, nice, when people manage to surprise you in those little ways. And an amusing set of opposing trajectories for the pair of them, considering: "Nothing like that at home, and I don't think I'd have managed even if there were." No comment on the past tense, because - well, it's not a reach to guess why he might have changed that tune. "Intimidating. This is a cakewalk compared to that, I'd think. Makes sense you'd need a breather, but I'm glad you stuck it out. Heading inside to polish off the last of the craft table, or heading home?"

[worthallthis]

"Is there food left?" He cranes his neck as if he could see it from here. "If there's free food left, I'm there." He did say he'd eat anything she put in front of him: both because he's not picky, and because he's bottomless when it comes to what he can put in his stomach. He starts to head back inside to check, pausing to ask her, "You?"

[shadowsran]

"Definitely. They had the sense to load up beforehand, figured it would be a night for everybody. I'm gonna mill around some, still got energy to burn. Maybe see if the party store's open on the way home, but that'd be the only stop. Nothing hair-raising." Bouts of random odd behavior notwithstanding, she's quieter than one might expect. Thus, she moves to follow. "I like busy nights. Best case scenario, I find two slices of pizza waiting for me back here, I can find a couple good costume pieces, and have a long bath when I'm home."

Beat.

"There should be homework in there, somewhere. I'll fit it in."

[worthallthis]

He laughs at the last. "Yeah, probably. Well, you've got tomorrow morning for that, Monday's not coming quite yet."

There is indeed pizza left in the kitchen-slash-breakroom, and he scoops up a couple slices to munch. "Party store, huh? What are you looking for there?"

[shadowsran]

"Browsing," she answers between bites of her own. "Not dead set on anything, but pieces to work into costumes are good. Sets are always a rip-off, easier to just pick and choose something. Werewolf stuff'd be nice, or like--" And she grins, expecting a laugh, "Pirate stuff. Everyone can make pirate stuff work."

[worthallthis]

"You," he says after finishing a bite, "would make an adorable pirate. I vote that." It'd be a waste to bury her under werewolf fur and make-up. But a pirate hat, shit braided into her hair, a nice coat and a rubber sword-- it'd be great.

[shadowsran]

No joke, which earns both relief and approval. "Think so? It's where I'm leaning, but it'll depend on whether or not I can find a shirt that works. I can work around pretty much any other part and hats are everywhere, but a not-cheap-looking one's pivotal." Truthfully, any and all jewelry and hair baubles are accounted for in her usual collection. Bigger items are tricky. "Something to pass out candy in when the time comes, something for parties. Halloween's only once a year, have to get out as much as I can."

[worthallthis]

"I think a lot of shirts could work, long as you have the coat right," James suggests. "And the hat. Your hair is already great."

He finishes off one piece of pizza, starts on a second. "You get a lot of kids at your place?"

[shadowsran]

"Thank you!" With effort, she manages not to preen. Good things to hear, and valuable costume advice to be taken into account. "Mhm. Couple of people have kids, so friends come, and two floors down there's an elementary teacher - you get at least the classful around. Incredibly cute, more fun when you've got a character for them too. And good for parties, when there's so many popping up."

Essential stuff, a good costume.

"Anything like that on your end?"

[worthallthis]

"This is my first Halloween in this city, so I don't know." He considers his neighborhood as he chows through his second piece. "Probably not, if I had to guess. Kinda dingy. Lots of studio apartments. There aren't a lot of kids over there."

[shadowsran]

"Aw-- sad. That's one of the best things about the holiday, I think. Gaggles of little kids showing off cool stuff, it's cute." He's speaking to a very proud upholder of full-bar tradition. Hurting, aching wallet be damned. "Any plans for the big day?"

[worthallthis]

"Not really. I don't have a lot of spare cash, and I can't do parties anymore." He shrugs, polishing off the pizza and grabbing a beer. Pretty much nothing left, or he'd be eating that, too. Beer will do to get him home.

[shadowsran]

Fair enough, on both counts.

"Just a night in, then? There ought to be something fun to treat yourself to, it's a holiday, we're all young." Get some indulgent living done while they can, and all. Some equivalent of fun ought to be had.

[worthallthis]

"Sure there is. Discount Halloween candy the next day." He shoots her a grin over the beer bottle. "And horror movies."

[shadowsran]

"Ahhh, a cultured guy, I see." She tilts her soda in solidarity. "Playing it smart, I respect that. Should check out discount costumes, be ready to bother neighbors with your enthusiasm next year. The world could do with more pirates running around, huh?" A nudge - too new a person to gauge costume type.

With that, some laborious pocket-digging begins. "And before I forget, hold on, your list--"

[worthallthis]

"Maybe," he says with a grin that doesn't quite feel real. Planning ahead a whole year, for a holiday, beyond mapping out his classes, seems... impossible. Dumb. Pointless. His therapist says it's a trauma response, but that doesn't make it go away. "I'd make a pretty good pirate. My hair isn't as awesome as yours. But it's not bad."

[shadowsran]

"I disagree, you let the hair go a little shaggy and it's perfect, and you've got a great frame for flashy jackets." Broad enough that it would look wrapped around him more than it would look like he was piloting it - she's seen a lot of people go too bold with outerwear.

At last, a crisply folded piece of paper is produced and offered.

"The top four are cooking, all either basic level or aiming for ethnic stuff, and those have beginner options. The rest is just the other theater stuff that goes on by quarter, the cooler small hobby-sport types...tried to leave a variety."

[worthallthis]

"I just said it isn't as awesome for a pirate as yours," he laughs, but he does accept the paper and skims over it. "Didn't realize this school had so many cooking classes. Damn." Considering they have a "Russian food" course. Jesus. Gonna sip that one. "Think I'd better focus on basic-level, if I can fit any of them into my schedule."