#i know its spooky season but i have the christmas spirit today

[sawtastic-sideblog]

Peter walked through the crowded streets, avoiding getting run over by the hoardes of people. Christmas shoppers. He hated it. He finally reaches the small coffee shop and pulls open the door to be greeted by the warm smell of brewing coffee.

A few patrons scattered at tables around the shop. The usual people, a man and woman coming in for their daily coffee date, jut to get away from the office, another man with his crosswords book sitting in the corner, avoidng the feeling of lonlieness he's felt since his wife passed away, and a group of older ladies, all in their sixties and seventies, with the one token twenty something, with an alternative look of dark, gruge inspired clothing and purple hair, are at their usual booth.

"How are my favorite ladies doing today?" Peter asks as he pulls his scarf from around his neck.

"We're doing good. How are you, dear?" The woman closest to him asks. Her clouded blue eyes look up to find his. White curls frame her face and her light pink blouse is disheveled.

"I'm great, Gladys. Ready for all this Christmas shopping to be done. What are you making today?" Peter asks as Gladys holds up her work in progress she has been knitting for two weeks.

"My great grand baby's blanket. He's set to be here on Christmas day."

"How exciting. Let me go clock in and I'll get you some fresh drinks," Peter starts to turn away before something catches his eye. "And what are we crocheting today, Cal?"

"Alien headband," Cal says as she pushes strands of purple hair out of her face.

"Amazing," Peter smiles as he goes to clock in.

"What are you smiling about?" Amanda, Peter's best friend ans coworker asks.

"Cal and her creativity," Peter says, hanging his coat in his locker.

"Oh, her headband?"

"Yeah. Pops here?"

"In his office. Going over stuff with the new hire. He's training today," Amanda says as the bell on the door sounds.

"I'll grab it," Peter says and walks out of the breakroom to the counter. Amanda isn't far behind him, going to the ovens to pull out fresh pastries.

"Hi, Peter!" A small brunette girl all but yells when she spots the man.

"Hi, Corbett! Jeff, Lynn, how are you? The usual?"

"Yes, please," Jeff nods and pulls out his wallet to pay. Lynn holds out an envelope. Peter takes it.

"What's this?"

"A thank you from our family. We love you guys here, so Merry Christmas," Lynn says, looking at Peter expectantly. There's a sizable check in the envelope. Enough for Peter, Amanda, Pops, and the new guy to have a very merry Christmas indeed.

"Oh, wow, thank you guys, so much. I know tha-"

"There's more," Jeff says excitedly. Peter looks in the envelope again. A Christmas card.

"Happy Holidays from our family to yours! - The Denlons. Jeff, Lynn, Corbett, and Baby J'

Along with the family photo taken at DisneyWorld this past summer is a sonogram. Peter smiles wide as he rounds the counter to hug the couple. His heart swells with joy and pride at the thought of a new baby Denlon.

Three years ago Jeff and Lynn lost their son, Dylan. It left the family devastated. Lynn threw herself into her work at the hospital and Jeff started drinking and hunted down the man responsible for the accident. He never did anything to the guy. As far as any knows he just keeps tabs on the, now sober, medical student.

Corbett saw the change in her parents. The constant fighting, the quiet dinners, and the distant looks in their eyes told Corbett that things had changed. One day while the family was out and about, Jeff and Lynn were arguing and it was bad. Not wanting to hear it anymore, Corbett ran into the shop and hid under a table, crying. Pops found Corbett and talked to her.

She explained everything to him and he had Amanda give her a hot chocolate and a blueberry muffin. Pops went out to Jeff and Lynn and talked to them for a moment before he brought them inside where Peter got them Pops' Heartwarming Delight. A hot chocolate with two pumps of vanilla and a warm chocolate chip cookie. It's what his mom would make for him when he was young. Anytime he was upset, his mother would talk to him over the drink and cookie. Now when anyone is having a bad day and they walk into the shop, they are given the special on the house, if Pops spots them. Then he will sit down and chat with the person to make them feel better.

For the past year and a half the Denlons have been regulars, coming in once a week. Every Sunday at two. They quickly became friends to the shop and are great company. Peter has watched the family grow closer and heal each other from the loss of Dylan.

Pops appears behind the counter with the new hire trailing behind.

"What's all this?" Pops asks.

"I'm getting a baby brother!" Corbett shouts. Pops smiles proudly and rounds the counter with Amanda jumping across the counter to hug them first. A chorus of congratulations and from the regulars who know the family come up to express their happiness for the couple. Peter heads back to fix their drinks. A hot chocolate for Corbett, a chai tea for Lynn and a black coffee two sugars for Jeff.

"Hey, I'm Adam Standheight," the new guy says as he holds his hand out. Peter takes his hand and shakes it.

"Peter Strahm. Nice to meet you. Wanna watch how we make the drinks?"

"Sure."

Peter explains as he goes along, stopping to explain anything that may be confusing or that Adam has questions about. Once finished, the pair take the drinks to the family.

"Adam, meet Jeff, Lynn, and Corbett. They're some of our favorites here. Denlons this is Adam. He's our newest hire," John says.

"Hi," Adam greets as he hands Corbett her hot chocolate.

"Amanda told us you'd be joining the team. We included a little something for you in the gift we gave to the shop," Lynn says, giving Adam's shoulder a squeeze.

"Oh, thank you, ma'am."

"You're part of the family now, kid," Jeff says before turning to Pops and speaking in a hushed voice. Amanda and Lynn are talking quietly as Corbett is chatting with the ladies in the corner, the Old Bitty Commitee as they call themselves. Peter smiles and starts talking to Adam about what his duties are as a barista. The bell above the door chimes as someone enters. Peter looks up to see a man with blonde hair and bright blue eyes approaching the counter. Cheeks flushed from the cold and scarf full of snowflakes.

"Hi, Lawrence. Is it finally snowing again," Peter asks sarcastically.

"Weatherman didn't call for snow, so I don't see why it would. He's always right," Lawrence replies, looking over the pastries Amanda just put out.

"That's why I watch the girl on channel eight. She never lies," Peter quips.

"I suppose you're right. I should change channels or at least weatherpersons."

Peter laughs and goes to grab Lawrence's usual mocha latte with hazelnut. When he returns he finds Adam trying to open the pastry display. Lawrence is watching amused. Peter sets down the cup and walks to Adam, opening the case with ease.

"What's its gonna be?"

"Blueberry scone. Amanda makes the best."

"Thanks, Doc!" Amanda says as she and Corbett walk to the door, both bundled up for the weather. "We're going to the movies."

"Have fun!" Lawrence calls out before walking towards them. "Hey Corbett, why don't you and Amanda get some of that candy you told me about."

"Thank you, Doctor Gordon!" Corbett says as she takes the crisp clean twenty dollar bill from him.

"Blueberry scone coming right up," Peter says quickly grabbing it and ringing the total. "Any cool cases lately?"

"Six people in remission four of which are children. It's a Christmas miracle," Lawrence smiles warmly with a sparkle of joy.

"How wonderful, Lawrence," Pops says appearing behind Peter with a drink and cookie in his hand. "I want you to meet Adam. He's our newest team member. Adam, this is Lawrence Gordon. He's a doctor as well. He's also my oncologist."

"Nice to meet you, Adam," Lawrence says as he holds his hand out to shake Adam's. Adam takes his hand and his body tenses. When he pulls his hand back he gives a quiet 'excuse me' and runs off to the bathroom. Pops and Peter share a look before Pops spots someone walking in and excuses himself as well. Peter and Lawrence watch as the newcomer sits across from Lynn and Jeff at their usual booth. Pops sets down a drink and cookie. With a pat to the man's shoulder and a nod, Pops is walking back around the counter.

"That's Timothy."

With that, Pops walks to the kitchen. Lawrence and Peter look at each other with concern written on ther faces.

"Sorry about running off. Just got hit with the need to pee," Adam says and he walks back up. Lawrence chuckles into his cup as he walks over to the Old Bitty Commitee. Peter looks at Adam and sees his face red with embarrassment.

"You good?"

"Yeah, he's just, uh, he's just," Adam trails off and squeezes his eyes shut. "He's really good looking and I embarrassed myself infront of him."

Peter chuckles and shakes his head, reassuring Adam that everything will be okay. He starts wiping down the counter when crocheted yarn appears in his view. He looks up to find Cal looking at him, the dark eye makeup making her green eyes pop.

"What can I do for you, Miss Cal?"

"Did Amanda make any peach scones?"

"I don't think so but I can put the order in for tomorrow."

"Please? Also Merry Christmas," Cal pushes the yarn towards Peter, her anxiety picked fingers tap the counter in excitement. Peter picks it up and it unfurls to reveal that it is a scarf. Various shades of a darker blue with heather gray lines between each shade and as the border. Peter stares in slight disbelief.

"You made this for me?"

"Yeah. You've had the same scarf for as long as I've known you. That was what? Almost seven years ago now?"

Had it been that long? Peter remembers back to the first time he met Cal. She had moved here for college and was having a very rough day with school and finding a job. Pops gave her the Heartwarming Delight and talked things over with her. By the end of the conversation she had a job here. She loved it so much that when she's off she would come in to do homework. She quit a couple of months back for a job that goes along with what she studied at school. She still comes in every day on her way to work and every Sunday morning from open to close with the Old Bitty Commitee.

Peter smiles and thanks her and grabs her a blueberry scone. He then starts showing Adam around the back, how to properly clean things, and how to make certain drinks as customers come in.

A couple of hours later Amanda is back helping Peter and Adam clean for the night. The Denlons and Timothy still talking as Gladys attempts to teach Corbett to knit, Lawrence is still reading his book in the corner, and the other patrons have gone. The bell sounds and Peter goes to the front.

"Hi, welcome to Kramer Coffee Shop where you feel better leaving than you did coming in. I'm Peter. What can I get started for you?"

"I'll have a black coffee and a cinnamon roll, thanks," the man responds, eyeing Peter up and down.

"Sure and can I get a name for it?"

"Mark."

"Four thirty six."

"That's cheap."

"Yeah, Pops and his mom opened this place like forty years ago. Prices haven't really changed. Pops says we get enough traffic to stay open. Plus our regulars give us donations from time to time. They're that grateful to Pops."

"Oh yeah? He that good at talking ot something?" Mark's pouty lips turn into a smirk and his blue eyes shine with a mix of amusement and sadness. Peter nods.

"I can get him if you'd like. He just walked back to the kitchen."

"No, it's okay. I don't need a talk. Just my coffee and roll."

"If you say so," Peter says unsure. He goes to the kitchen to grab coffee beans. "Hey, Pops, there's this guy that just came in. He says he doesn't wanna talk but he has sad eyes. Like the ones you told us to watch out for."

"What's his order?"

"Black coffee and a cinnamon roll. His name is Mark."

Pops nods and takes the beans from Peter. Amanda walks over to the whiteboard set up for tomorrow's pastries.

"Any requests?"

"Peach scones for Cal, chocolate muffins for me, and Lynn was wondering if you could do anything lemon."

"Yeah, I talked to her. We decided on lemon poppyseed muffins and the lemon square cake things you liked so much at Jill's birthday."

"Who's Jill?" Adam asks.

"That would be me," the blonde woman says from the kitchen door. "I saw John with some guy that looks like he hates the world right now, so I thought I'd come see how you were getting along."

"Nice to see you," Peter says giving Jill a hug. Amanda follows his actions and Adam gives an awkward wave. They talk a few minutes, it's mainly Jill asking Adam questions and Adam stuttering to answer. Peter laughs and goes to say goodbye to the regulars and take the orders of a few more stragglers before shutting down.

Pops is still with Mark and everyone knows it's better not to interrupt. Amanda sweeps, Adam mops, Jill wipes down the tables, and Peter cleans the glass case and starts bagging up the pastries in six paper bags. One for each person here, including Mark. Jill walks over to count the till.

"What's his deal?"

"No clue, but he said he didn't need to talk. It's been almost an hour."

At that moment Pops stands with Mark and shakes his hand.

"Come get a bag. We don't let things go to waste here and if you're here after closing, you get a bag. Amanda makes the pastries," Pops says as he leads Mark towards the counter and motions towards Amanda.

"The cinnamon rolls are amazing. Where did you learn to bake?"

"Thank you and it was actually Pops' mom. They kind of took me in when I was being a stupid kid and my mom threw me out. They got my back on that good old straight and narrow."

Peter was waking to clean the last table as Amanda spoke and was lost in his thoughts until someone knocked on the table. He looks up to see Pops.

"He needs a friend. Be that for him," Pops says quietly. Peter nods and walks to clock out. Minutes later everyone is ready to walk out the door. "I do hope you come back, Mark."

"I think I will. Thank you, Pops. You've got a great crew. Handsome too," Mark says winking at Peter, who tilts hisbhad slightly in confusion.

"That I do," Pops says as he locks the door. Everyone says their goodnights and go their separate ways. Adam, Amanda, and Peter start walking towards the parking lot off to the side as Jill and Pops make their way across the street. Mark follows the trio.

"Jeff said that the talk with Timothy went well. They talked though a lot of stuff. He obviously didn't go into specifics, but they agreed to meet again next week and talk more. I think with Corbett this time," Amanda says.

"That's good. I hope everything goes okay," Peter says as they reach the parking lot. Adam splits off from the three walking towards the remaining cars.

"Sweet ride," Amanda says as Adam swings his leg over a motorcycle.

"Thanks. Fixed her up myself and she runs like new," Adam responds as he lifts his helmet above his head and setting it on top of his head as a crown.

"You fixed her up?" Mark asks and Adam nods. The two talk about the mechanical stuff as Amanda and Peter stand there feeling very left out.

"Well, I'm gonna get home. Got a goldfish to feed, pizza to eat, and Netflix to watch," Adam says to the group.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow?" Peter asks and Adam nods again. "Lawrence should come in around eight thirty tomorrow if you wanna come in and take his order."

"I'm not a person before four," Adam says, cheeks flaming again.

"Ooh, does someone have a little crush?" Amanda teases poking at Adam's shoulder he groans, pushes the helmet on his head, and starts his motorcycle. He carefully backs outs and waves as he takes off. Amanda and Peter laugh and Amanda gets her car. "Drive safe, Peter. Goodnight."

"Night, Mands."

Peter watches silently as Amanda backs out and drives a little ways in the parking lot, making it obvious that she's watching out for her friend. Peter shakes his head and turns toward Mark.

"Can I help you?"

"Maybe."

"With?"

Mark walks up to Peter and leans in close to his ear. Peter's heart is racing. What is this man going to do? Peter notices that Mark smells good, too good. The warmth from his body is inviting and Peter wants nothing more than to step closer to hide away from the cold.

"I’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse. You give me your phone number and I give you mine."

Peter's eyes widen and he steps away from Mark while saying, "I don't know you. I'm not comfortable with that."

"How do you expect me to shamelessly flirt with you all night when I don’t have your number yet?"

"I don't?"

"Well, you should."

"Why?"

"You're a very attractive man, Peter, and I find myself incredibly attracted and infatuated by you. I will be pursuing you. But if you say the word, I will stop."

When Peter is silent, Mark takes his gloved hand and gives it a quick, light kiss. He mumbles a goodnight and turns to walk down the street. Peter is stunned as he watches the man disappear behind a building.

"What just happened?"

[marjansmarwani]

Who You Gonna Call? 

A Ghost Hunting AU - 4.9k

[Read on Ao3]

A charity event brings together the two most notorious internet ghost hunting teams: Marjan and TK of the borderline irreverent Spirit Squad and Paul and Carlos of the historically accurate Paranormal Investigators. Their task: investigate Austin’s notoriously haunted Littlefield House. The twist: they have to swap partners for the night to do so. It should be entertaining, if nothing else.

Or, The Ghost Hunting AU literally no one asked for.

I didn’t write anything for Halloween because I’ve been busy with work and have a few other projects going on, but I did write this ghost hunting AU back in May. I figured I would share it here again because it definitely has the spooky vibes, plus some excellent TK & Marjan and Paul & Carlos friendships (plus flirting Tarlos!). Some of you may have seen this the first time around, but it was a while ago so who knows! Either way, I hope you enjoy! 👻

Oh, and Happy Halloween! 👻🎃

--------

A chorus of swearing greeted Grace as she unlocked her front door. She entered the kitchen to find her husband messing around with the Keurig, which was apparently the subject of his ire. She shook her head fondly and crossed the kitchen to wrap her arms around his waist, “Struggling there, my love?”

 Judd relaxed ever so slightly at her touch, but didn’t back down, “The goddamn thing never works for me! I don’t understand why we can’t just have a regular coffee maker instead of this infernal thing.” 

 Grace scoffed, “We have that because it was a Christmas present from my parents, and because you broke the coffee maker, remember?” 

 Judd deflated a bit at this, but continued his grumbling, “I still think it’s too complicated. I just want some coffee and it’s messing with me I swear!” 

 Grace leaned around him and reached around the back to flip the power switch. The machine beeped and began to brew the pod Judd had put in the chamber. Judd turned to face her, face sheepish, “Have I told you lately how wonderful and talented you are?” he asked. 

 Grace laughed and leaned into him, “You may have yesterday, but it’s always good to hear. Now, what’s up with you that’s got you so flustered you can’t figure out a simple machine?”

 Judd’s scowl returned, “I have that job tonight, and I’m not looking forward to it.”

 Grace frowned, “The charity one? Why are you upset about that?”

 “Because it’s a bunch of kids playing ghost hunters. They’re ‘youtube people,’ I’m sure they're going to think they’re too good for this and be whiny and just annoying kids in general.”

 Grace burst out laughing and Judd looked at her, bewildered, “What’s so funny?” he demanded.

 “I’m sorry Judd, I just didn’t realize I had married a Scooby-Doo villain. You do hear yourself, right? You’re about one rubber mask away from “you meddling kids” and frankly, I think it’s adorable.” 

 Judd tried to scowl, but he couldn’t hide pleasure that his wife’s laughter brought him. “Just you wait,” he told her, “they are going to be ridiculous and needy and probably get themselves into all sorts of trouble, and it’s going to be up to me to save their asses.”

 Grace nodded with mock sympathy, “Well, I guess you’d better go before you’re late,” she said handing him the travel mug now filled with coffee, “you wouldn’t want to keep those meddling kids waiting.”

 Judd shook his head as he leaned down to give his wife a kiss, “You’re a menace.”

 “But you love me anyway.” 

 “That I do.” 

 --------- 

“We’re here at the hauntingly historical Littlefield House on UT’s campus. The house was--”

 “Cut!” Marjan called, looking up from her camera. She raised an eyebrow at her partner, “Hauntingly historical? Really TK?”

 “It’s alliteration, Marj. It’s good storytelling technique!”

 “It’s cheesy is what it is. Why don’t you try it again without the cheese factor, or I can do the intro.”

 “You did the intro last episode, we rotate these things Marjan.” 

 “But this is a special episode outside of our regular season, so our usual rules don’t apply.”

 “You’re only saying that because you like the spotlight.” 

 “No, I’m saying that because you should give the people what they want!” 

 “That hurts, Marj.” 

 Marjan’s retort was interrupted by the appearance of two men weighed down by bags of equipment approaching the house. “Hello,” the taller of the two shouted as they grew closer, “you must be the Spirit Squad, TK and Marjan, right?”

 The pair nodded and walked forward, intercepting the pair halfway down the front walk. “And you must be Carlos and Paul; the Paranormal Investigators. It’s good to meet you both,” TK said, reaching out to shake both their hands.  

 “The P.I.s for short,” Paul reminded him, returning his greeting. 

 There was a flurry of handshakes and polite greetings before they all turned to look at the building in front of them. 

 “Looks pretty imposing,” Paul noted, “are we sure there’s only one ghost in that whole place?”

 Marjan shrugged, “Only one agoraphobic mental patient at least. Who’s to say what else?” 

 They all studied the house, a stately victorian, for a few more silent moments. 

 “Well,” said Carlos, breaking the silence, “shall we?” 

 TK gave an exaggerated arm flourish and a beaming smile, “After you.”

 Paul and Carlos continued their journey up the walk and TK turned to join them, but paused when he saw Marjan shaking her head at him exasperatedly, “Two minutes and you’ve already started with the flirting,” she said mournfully, “Tonight is going to last forever, isn’t?”

 “Lay off Marj, have you seen him? How could I not?”

 Marjan took a deep sigh and looked up to the sky in exasperation, “What did I do wrong in a past life to get stuck with you?” 

 TK rolled his eyes, “Don’t even start, you know you love me.”

 “Don’t get too cocky Casanova. There are plenty of windows in this place, a tragic accident might just happen.”

 “You’d miss me.” 

 “But think about the peace and quiet I could have.” 

 ---------

Judd sipped his coffee as he watched the 4 kids enter the property. He was so not looking forward to this. He understood why the university was hosting this; he just didn’t know why he had to be the one in charge of them. He hadn’t been exaggerating when he told Grace how much he was dreading tonight. He just knew this was going to be a long, pointless night. As they cleared the entrance and began looking around he heaved a weary sigh and set his mug down on top of the piano he had been leaning on and walked over to them. 

 “Welcome to the Littlefield House,” he said with what he hoped was a passable imitation of enthusiasm - or at least tolerance. “My name is Judd Ryder, head engineer for UT’s campus. I’ll be your contact tonight. If you have any questions I’ll try to do my best to answer them and I’m going to go over some ground rules before you get started. Any questions so far?”

 The small group all shook their heads and Judd carried on, “Good. Rule number 1 - don’t touch anything you don’t need to. Everything in this home is old, valuable, and much of it was donated by some of the University’s very generous benefactors. You break it, you buy it. Rule 2: don't do anything stupid. I'm not looking to spend tonight pulling anyone out of a hole or anything of the kind. Follow those two rules and we'll get along just fine. Any questions?"

 Carlos nodded, “Mr. Ryder,” he asked, “Would you mind giving us a little background on the house and it’s supposed haunting?”

 Judd looked at him incredulously, “On camera?”

 Carlos nodded patiently, “That is how we tell our stories sir. I think our viewers would appreciate having it come from an expert - it makes it all seem more reliable. I’m sure as a highly respected employee of the University you must have some first-hand knowledge of the history, and may have seen some of the instances first hand. Your input would be invaluable. 

 Judd straightened, “Well,” he began, “I suppose that I would be uniquely qualified.”

 Carlos smiled warmly, “Excellent. Let’s get it set up.”

 Judd was busy flattening out the wrinkles in his shirt; he didn’t notice the fist bump that Carlos and Paul subtly exchanged or the look that passed between TK and Marjan.  

 ----------- 

“The Littlefield house was built in 1893 for Civil War veteran George Littlefield,” Judd began, “at the time of its construction it cost $50,000 dollars to build. As I’m sure you can imagine, it would cost a pretty penny more to build today.” 

 “Three guesses which side he was on,” Paul muttered and Carlos swatted at him, motioning at Judd to continue. 

 “Major Littlefield even went as far as to have a Himilayan Cedar imported and planted on the property. It is still standing today and is one of the most distinctive trees on campus. You can see it through that window right there,” he said gesturing towards the window to their left, “When his wife Alice Littlefield died in 1935, she donated the house and its property to the University, or which she and her husband had always been big supporters. These days the ground floor has been maintained in its former glory for hosting events and tours, while the second floor houses offices.” 

 “What about the third floor?” TK asked from off-camera. It looks like there are turrets from the outside, are those accessible.

 Judd looked thoughtful, “I think they might be used for storage. To tell you the truth, no one really goes up that far much. It gets real hot up there on those upper floors.” 

 “Can you tell us more about the spirit that supposedly resides here and the activity that people have witnessed?” Marjan prompted. 

 Judd nodded, “The ghost is said to be that of Alice Littlefield, the widow of Major Littlefield. People say that she still haunts this house as she never really left it even in life. Some say that she was agoraphobic, others say that her husband kept her locked in the attic. No one knows for sure, but everyone agrees that she didn’t get out much and that’s probably why she is still here.”

 “What kind of experiences have people reported?” 

 Judd scoffed lightly, “people say that they have seen a ghostly figure walking past the windows at night or wandering the grounds. A few even claim they’ve heard the piano playing when there was no one there to play it.”

 “To clarify, you mean this piano, right?” Carlos asked, panning towards the grand piano next to them.”

 “That’s the one,” Judd confirmed with a nod. 

 “What about you Mr. Ryder, have you ever had any experiences with this spirit?”

 Judd shook his head, “No, can’t say that I have,” he said evenly. 

 “Wonderful,” Carlos exclaimed, shutting off his camera, “That was great, thanks so much for your time Mr. Ryder.”

 Judd nodded as they began sorting through equipment, “Not a problem. Listen, the university has me on call tonight for y’all, so if you need anything let me know. I’ll be around. And please,” he added as an afterthought, “don’t break anything. I hate filling out that paperwork.”

 The group gave him solemn nods as he exited, sighing heavily and muttering something about kids under his breath. 

 The group watched him leave and then looked at each other, each trying their best to hide their grins. 

 “So,” TK asked, “shall we get started?”

 ---------

The deal was this: a charity had asked the two most popular ghost hunting teams on the internet to get together for a special fundraising episode, with a twist (to be decided by a vote from their viewers). A week of polling provided them with the result - the two teams were going to be partner swapping tonight. 

 According to charity’s PR rep, fans had commented that they wanted to see this partner swap because the two teams were so different. The P.I.s were very fact-driven; their show erred on the side of documentary. The Spirit Squad, on the other hand, was much more sensational. Sure they did the facts, but their show revolved a lot more around their antics than the history. Fans were eager to see what kind of dynamic a mashup would bring. 

 Which brings us back to this moment as the two teams divvy up their equipment and head to meet their new partners for the evening. TK hands a microphone pack to Marjan, humming to himself all the while. She levels a glare at him, “Would you stop that?” 

 “Stop what?”

 “Stop being so pleased about this!”

 “Marj,” TK began emphatically, “Of course I’m happy. I get to spend an evening with Mr. Paranormal Heartthrob over there. I’m fucking thrilled.”

 Marjan rolled her eyes, “Great. While you are off doing salacious things on company time, I am going to be stuck with Mr. Encyclopedia.” 

 “Come on, he doesn’t seem that bad.”

 “TK, you’ve seen their show. The dude somehow knows literally everything and can spend multiple minutes talking about the significance of various wood types in regional architecture. I might not be pushing you out a window tonight, but I might end up jumping through one.”

 Now it was TK’s turn to roll his eyes, “Give the guy a chance Marj. You know how it can be when you’re filming. He might be a completely different person off-camera. You might be surprised and actually end up liking him.” 

 Her expression softened incrementally, but her voice was still firm, “We’ll see.” 

 Across the room, a similar conversation was happening. 

 “You can’t seriously expect me to spend a night working with her do you, Carlos?”

 Carlos raised an eyebrow, “What’s wrong with her?” he asked skeptically.

 Paul seemed to falter a bit, “I mean, it doesn’t seem like she takes much seriously. She’ll probably be off-task all night. Besides, she’s the one who’s catchphrase is ‘come at me demon!’ Actually, I feel like the fact that she even has a catchphrase is telling enough.” 

 “I think you’re being unfair.”

 “Unfair? I would never!” 

 Carlos narrowed his eyes at him, “I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not right now and it is honestly concerning to me. You need to give her a chance.”

 “No, I don’t think I do.” 

 Carlos sighed, “What did we say about not being a dick around people who don’t know you’re always kind of a dick?”

 Paul looked at least slightly chastised, “Fine, I’ll play nice.” 

 “That’s all I ask. Now,” he said cheerfully, snapping the last of his gear on, “it’s time to go meet our new partners!”

 “You know, sometimes I kind of hate you.” 

 “I’m okay with that.” 

 ------------ 

Marjan swung her flashlight around the grounds as she walked. She and Paul had taken the grounds and first floor while TK and Carlos would be tackling the upper floors. So far all she had seen was a lot of grass and awkward silence. 

 “So,” she began, turning to face her companion, “any thoughts on what we’ll find?”

 Paul shrugged, “Not too sure. All the lore says that if we see anything, it should be Alice so I’m hoping we’ll find some evidence of her. The reports make it seem like she’s pretty active, I’d love to catch some of that.” 

 Marjan hummed in agreement, “That would be cool. I’m a slut for some good audio evidence.”

 Paul raised an eyebrow at her. “What?” she asked defensively,

 He shook his head, “Nothing. I just figured you were more about the video evidence. You know, where you could be seen doing something crazy.”

 She scoffed, “Yeah, that stuff’s fun, but when it comes to actual evidence, I find audio to be more reliable. There are just too many factors when dealing with video evidence. Besides,” she added as she crossed to the other side of the yard, “It’s not that I don’t enjoy doing all that stuff, but it’s all for ratings. I know how to make a brand.”

 “You know Marwani, I might have been wrong about you.”

 “You can’t believe everything you see on the internet Strickland.”

 Paul laughed, “No, I suppose you’re right.”

 They continued in silence for the next few minutes, each studying their devices. After completing a full circuit of the yard Paul sighed, “Guess that was a colossal waste of time.”

 Marjan shrugged, “I guess it depends on how you look at it. I’m just glad we were able to put entire floors between ourselves and that,” she said, gesturing over her shoulder towards the second-floor window that revealed flashlight beams moving. 

 “You mean the flirt fest? Yeah, I’m not too broken up about missing out on that either.” 

 Marjan nodded emphatically, “Don’t get me wrong, I love TK like a brother, and I want nothing more than for him to be happy. But I don’t feel the need to be in the room as it happens.”

 Paul hummed his agreement, “Carlos is my best friend but when he is infatuated with someone, he is basically unbearable. I’ll take ghost hunting outside over witnessing that any day, thank you.” 

 Marjan glanced back up at the window, “How gross do you think they are being right now?”

 “On a scale of 1 to 10?” 

 “Sure, why not?”

 “11, definitely.” 

 ----------- 

“So,” TK started awkwardly, “how’d you get into ghost hunting?”

 “I watched my family die and have been determined to find their spirits ever since.” 

 TK’s eyes grew wide, “Seriously?” he asked. 

 Carlos chuckled, “No. I just liked scary movies and ghost stories as a kid and have always believed. You?”

 TK shrugged, “I guess I’ve always believed too. My dad is huge into this stuff, so I learned a lot about it growing up. Then I met Marjan and we hit it off and she needed a partner so I just kind of, did it.” 

 “Are you and your dad close?”

 A small smile spread across his face, “Yeah. He’s the best. He’s a firefighter, and growing up I always wanted to follow in his footsteps, but this came along and kind of just fit, you know?”

 Carlos nodded thoughtfully, “Yeah, I think I do. If you had told 15 year old me that I would be ghost hunting for a living, he would have thought you were crazy. But, I like it. I get to see new places, meet interesting people, and spend time with my best friend.”

 “Well,” TK said, “I think it was a good choice.”

 Carlos looked at him curiously, “Why’s that?”

 TK grinned suggestively, “Because it means we met.” 

 -------------- 

So far, the inside was not much more interesting than the grounds.

 Marjan was starting to get antsy. She knew that ghost hunting was generally a “hurry up and wait” kind of situation, but she hated the long periods of nothing. At least she normally had TK to banter with. Tonight, she was stuck with a companion who was studying an abstract painting with far too much interest.

 “I think this is an original Kelpe,” he said eventually.

 “A what?” Marjan asked incredulously.

 “A who,” he corrected, “Paul Kelpe was an American painter from about the 1930s until he died in the 80s. He was known for abstract art and retired to Austin before he died.”

 Marjan stared at him, “How in the actual hell do you remember this stuff?”

 “My mind is like a steel trap.”

 Marjan had several things she’d like to say in response to that, but before she could even begin eerie music floated down the hall, effectively ending their conversation. 

 They looked at each other, and Marjan was gratified to see her excitement reflected on Paul’s face. “Is that...” she started to ask at the same time Paul exclaimed “The piano!” 

 They looked at each other for just a moment more before they hurried down the hall, back towards the piano. 

------------

It took a few tries, Carlos managed to get the door to the turret room open. He and TK walked inside slowly, shining their flashlights around the room. 

 “Wow,” TK said, and Carlos nodded his head in agreement. 

 The room was filled with the scattered paraphernalia of life. It looked like everything had been left as is, as if the resident of the bedroom had just walked out the door, ready to start their day. If that day had been about 80 years ago, judging by the dust.

 “It doesn’t look like anyone has been in here in ages,” TK noted as he gently brushed the dust off an ornate hand mirror.

 Carlos was studying the doorway, “I think you might be right. It doesn’t look like there is any kind of lock or reason it should have been stuck, but it definitely did not open like a door that is commonly used.”

 “I wonder whose stuff this is?” TK muttered as he examined the contents of the desk. “Whoever’s it is either loves antiques or it has been sitting here since it was new.”

 Carlos had halted abruptly in his own exploration, staring at something on the table by the door. When he spoke, his voice was shaky.

 “I think you might be spot on with the later,” he said.

 TK turned around, frowning. “What makes you say that?”

 Carlos picked up the item he had been studying and turned so TK could see it. It was an antique calling card, yellowed with age, but the name printed in delicate script was still legible; it read “Mrs. Alice Littlefield.”

 “Well, shit.” TK breathed. Carlos nodded.

------------- 

They reach the piano at the same time, equally out of breath. They each examine their various devices. “I’m getting some pretty strong readings,” Marjan noted.

 Paul nodded, “Me too. He moved around the piano, examining it, “I don’t see any wires or triggers, or anything that suggests that this could have been caused by another person.”

 Marjan ran an experimental hand across the keys. They played normally. She hit a few notes, but they all sounded as they should. “It seems to be working just fine too.” She lifted the lid and they each shone their flashlights inside.

 “Everything looks normal in here too,” she noted after a while. She looked around the room and gestured at one of the cameras they had set up. “Maybe the static cam caught something.”

 Paul nodded, pulling out his phone to make a note, “I will definitely look. Hopefully we got good audio too.”

 Marjan nodded, “This is so cool,” she gushed.

 Paul smiled, “It is, isn’t it?”

----------- 

Tk looked around at the contents of the room, “It doesn’t look like anything has been touched since she died.”

 Carlos nodded, gently fingering a lace handkerchief on the bedside table, “It looks like she just up and left. It’s kind of sad, actually.”

 TK looked at him curiously, “What do you mean?”

 “I mean, it doesn’t seem like she had anyone who cared enough to go through her things after she died. Once she died it seems like she just…stopped existing and the world went on.”

 TK didn’t really know what to say to that. He glanced around the room and then back at Carlos.

 “Unfortunately, I think that is generally what happens, no matter who is left behind. But if it makes you feel any better, if people are right about Alice being the ghost here, she apparently had different plans.”

 “I honestly don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse.”

 TK shrugged, “Me neither.”

 “I guess what really bothers me is the thought of what will happen to us when we’re gone. I don’t have much family left as it is, and not too many friends outside of Paul. Would there be anyone left to remember that I existed, or would it just be a room full of stuff that says Carlos Reyes used to exist?”

 TK studied him for a moment before speaking, “I know where you’re coming from, believe me. All I have are my dad and Marjan. But I think that it’s more a matter of what we do than what we leave behind.”

 Carlos smiled at him, “That’s pretty wise.”

 TK grinned, “I do my best.” He took a few steps closer to Carlos. They were so close now that he could every nuance of brown in the other man’s rich, warm eyes. “If it makes you feel any better,” he said softly, “I’d care if you were gone. I’d help to keep your memory around.”

 Carlos smiled at him, “Then I guess that means I should do the same for you.”

 “It’s a deal then,” TK replied, sticking out his hand. Carlos took it and the shook, but their hands lingered for several moments longer than necessary. Carlos was the first to pull away, albeit reluctantly.

 “I guess we should keep going with the actual investigation part before our respective partners hunt us down and murder us.”

 TK nodded solemnly, “True. What good is our pact if we both die at the same time, murdered by our perfectionist co-workers?”

 They exchanged a grin, but Carlos frowned as TK’s expression shifted and his gaze drifted past him. “Everything okay?” he asked hesitantly.

 TK didn’t answer right away, “I’m not sure,” he said eventually. “I thought I saw something but...I don’t know. Probably just a trick of the light.” 

 Carlos looked like he wanted to say something, but the sound of his phone alarm cut off whatever it was that he had to say. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. “That’s the 15-minute warning. We have to be out of here pretty soon. We should head back downstairs and help the others gather the equipment.

 TK nodded and began to disassemble the camera they had set up in the corner of the room. “Hey Carlos?” he asked as he worked.

 “Yeah?”

 “We make a pretty good team, don't we?”

 Carlos grinned, turning away to hide the blush darkening his cheeks, “Yeah, I think we do.” 

--------- 

A few days later, TK was walking up the sidewalk towards Paul’s house when he heard his name being called from behind him. He turned to see Carlos rushing to catch up with him. He couldn’t help the little flutter his heart did at the sight of him. He paused, letting the other man catch up.

 “Hey,” Carlos greeted as he reached him, “What are you doing here?”

 TK shrugged, “Honestly, I have no idea. Paul called me and asked me to come over.”

 Carlos frowned, “He asked me the same thing. Which, is not weird since we are friends and business partners, but you being here too is strange. No offense,” he added hastily.

 “None taken,” TK assured him. “Honestly, I was thinking the same thing.”

 They stood awkwardly on the sidewalk for another moment before Carlos shrugged, “I guess the only way to find out is to head in.”

 TK nodded and gestured towards the door, “After you.”

 Carlos let them in and led TK towards the office. When they entered the space, they were even more surprised that Paul was not alone.

 “Marjan?” TK asked incredulously, “What are you doing here?”

 Paul answered, “I called her first because I needed someone else to confirm that you two are as big of idiots as I thought you were.”

 Marjan nodded solemnly, “And I can confirm, you are the biggest idiots.”

 TK and Carlos looked at each other, baffled. “What did we do?” TK asked defensively. 

 Marjan and Paul simply exchanged a look before Paul turned his laptop around for them to see. There was a video feed paused on it. It seemed to be one of the feeds from the turret room. Carlos gave the other two a confused look, “What does that have to do with anything?”

 “Oh, just wait,” Paul said, reaching down to hit play.

 They all watched silently, Marjan and Paul watching their companions more than the video. TK and Carlos watched as they moved through the frame, getting closer. TK blushed as they grasped hands. He knew what part this was, he just had no idea how sappy they actually looked. He was just grateful there was no sound. As he watched, he saw a figure appear over Carlos’s shoulder. His eyes widened. That couldn’t be…

 “Is that an FBA?” Carlos asked weakly, looking up at Paul and Marjan. Paul glared at him, “Just watch.”

 They all turned their attention back to the screen to see as the figure became more solid. There was no denying that it was the ghostly figure of a woman. She remained there, just past Carlos’s shoulder, for a least a minute before vanishing as quickly as she had appeared.

 Present Carlos and TK looked at each other. “I guess you did see something,” Carlos said weakly. TK was still too shell-shocked to respond. They had been in the same room as a Full-bodied Apparition – the holy grail of paranormal investigating – and they hadn’t even noticed.

 He looked over at their partners, who seemed torn between amusement and frustration. He understood the feeling.

 Eventually, Paul spoke, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems to me that you two were so busy flirting you did not notice a literal ghost not even two feet from you.”

 Carlos ran a shaky hand through his hair, “Yeah, I think that about covers it,” he said weakly.

 Marjan snorted, “Actually, it looks like she yeeted herself out of there as soon as possible. Face it – you guys are so gross that even the dead don’t want to deal with you.”

 TK and Carlos locked eyes. After a moment Carlos shrugged and TK groaned, “The shippers are going to have a field day with this. We will never have another moment of peace.”

 Carlos considered this for a moment, before a sly grin spread across his face, “Maybe, or we could just beat them at their own game?”

 TK frowned at him, “What do you mean?”

 “TK Strand, would you like to go on a date with me?”

 There was a beat of silence before Paul and Marjan groaned and TK grinned, “I thought you’d never ask.”

 Marjan looked at Paul, “Our lives are ruined,” she said mournfully.

 He nodded grimly, “Let’s be real though; we never stood a chance.”

 Notes: 

I actually did a lot of research for this one and since once an English major always an English major or something like that, you can find my sources here, here, here, and here. If nothing else it's worth it for a look at the house (which is a real place) because it does give off some serious spooky vibes in my opinion. 

[Read on Ao3]

[anonymousmink]

Yonverinos Appreciation Week

March 5th

Today we are celebrating: @leightoningstrike

Who is LeightoningStrikes?

There is no simple way to define LeightoningStrike, Webster’s dictionary has absolutely nothing when it comes to this powerhouse creator, supporter, fantastic human being, and a woman I’m proud to call a true friend.

Leighton, AKA DenseHumboldt, AKA DH is truly our fearless leader on this ship. Somehow managing to be kind, funny, caring, and obnoxiously talented all at the same time. Whether it’s setting up the Yonvers Secret Santa, helping writers with their ideas, gifting fics, making art, or even creating this very Yonverino Appreciation Week, there is no way to over exaggerate her importance in this fandom. She is a gift we have done nothing to deserve but will never give back! We love you mama!

Works Written by LeightoningStrike

(Well some of them - she’s written a lot! There’s truly something for everyone right here 💜💜💜)

Trail Blazers

@anonymousmink says: a true tour de force of a story! Expertly mixing all the best parts of sci fi pulp, detective novels, and romance this masterful AU imagines Star Force closer to a detective organisation than a military one. Brilliant characterisation and a twisting plot, it’s sure to keep you on the edge of your seat right up to the end! There’s a sequel in the works and trust me when I say it’s shaping up to be just as good!

Running Cold

@captaincinderbella says: I’ve enjoyed many fics my many authors, but Running Cold has left a lasting impression. Like, the kind of story I know has changed the way I see myself and the world. The portrayal of healthy respect and communication between romantic partners is a rare and precious thing in pop culture, and Running Cold has that in leaps and bounds. The world building is breathtaking in its depth and detail. The different story threads eventually come together in a climax that will leave no one unaffected. It’s utterly captivating until the very last paragraph.

Eve

@vociferrari says: If you're a Catholic or a catholic enthusiast just for the aesthetic, you should read this Fallen Angel au. It is poetic and deeply riveting; it actually induced a nosebleed from me during a mass in the Church.

Break

@pandora-cleo says: A darker fic in the Yonvers love department, but still a classic for DH. The passion and yearning between our lovers is woven between blood bonds and concerns of ownership and autonomy. The story sees old friends return and new ones created. New pets, new friends, madness and intrigue, this beautiful told fic has one of my favourite DH Yonvers confession of love. “You are the wife of my blood, the keeper of my glory, the carrier of my line. There is nothing for me that does not begin and end with you.” Be still my heart!!!

Every Christmas/ Every Town

@pandora-cleo says: A fun jaunt through the world of Christmas Movie spots. Two polar opposite characters forced together to make a saccharine sweet Christmas show, whilst pretending they have their lives together, but both being a hot mess. I don’t watch Xmas movies, but I watched this one! 10/10 cabbages.

The Divine Music

@anonymousmink says: the Phantom of the Opera AU we all needed, an absolutely stunning blends of worlds. This lyrical masterpiece exudes mystery and music from every word!

The Trial

Pandora says: A different spin on our Yonvers dynamics. Delving into our ships’ Martydom and stubbornness issues being faced with a death sentence, they still manage to banter and catch our hearts. This WIP has me intrigued and waiting with baited breath for new chapters.

The Dragon and the Star

Mink says: a high fantasy reimagining of Yonvers you won’t be able to put down, wizard Yon, knight Vers, a twist on the arranged marriage trope and of course a curse for good measure! It really is magical!

All Hallows’ Eve

Mink says: a tasty selection of short stories featuring Incubus’s, witches and ghosts for the spooky season. Also check out Sunlight for a delicious take on vampires.

Not The Knight Before Christmas

Mink says: an advent treat with a variety of seasonal short stories to get you firmly in the holiday spirit!

Chalice

Mink says: the fic that started it all for me! This story came to my house, kicked down my door and smacked me in the face in front of my mother and my dog. The quintessential blood bond fic we all needed, it is 900% responsible for my obsession with this ship (and also my blood kink)

Admiration

Mink says: DH’s first fic for the fandom and still one of the best Yon characterisations I have ever read. A classic!

Persuaded - gone but not forgotten

@vociferrari says: Truly an Austenian fic-adaptation masterpiece. Gracefully paced from start to end, this fic rekindled my love for Persuasion AUs. I will probably reread it for the rest of my life ❤

Works Gifted to LeightoningStrike

The Dangers of (Alien) Pet Sitting, Blood Legacy, Of Soldiers and Warriors, Planning to Fail, and Reclaiming by @elishaboltagon

The Night Before Yonversmas, and Pursued, by @pandora-cleo

House of Memories, and Paper Faces by @anonymousmink

When the Dust Settles by @taekmyheart

Bride of the Stars, High Stakes, by @fairyringsandwings

A Notch in your Footnotes by @dannibobanny

And new today especially to celebrate Leighton Day!

The Hunted by @captaincinderbella @pandora-cleo

What is Yonverinos Appreciation Week?

To celebrate our one year ship-a-versary we are taking a day to celebrate some of the amazing Yonverinos who make this ship so great. To participate just reblog this post or make your own post celebrating the Yonverino-of-the-day and use some tags below. Happy shipping! 💜

[thetruthseekerway]

Trick or Treat? The Origin of Halloween

New Post has been published on https://www.truth-seeker.info/oasis-of-faith/trick-or-treat-the-origin-of-halloween/

Trick or Treat? The Origin of Halloween

By Truth Seeker Staff

Trick or Treat? The Origin of Halloween

Subhan-Allah, it’s Autumn! Every time I look around and marvel at Allah’s creation of beautiful seasons, each unique and alternating with rhythm and purpose, I am humbled and grateful towards our Creator, the artist who created the Universe and everything in it with a single infallible stroke of HIS omnipotence.

Every nation is rich in heritage, culture, history and prides in its traditions, customs and celebrations that have been passed down by their forefathers. One such celebration very popular in the western world is Halloween.

Autumn marking the beautiful transition from summer to winter approaches us as we enter October, and we are hit “Boom” or should I say “Boo” with reminders of Halloween from every direction. From famous retail chains to regular grocery stores, all have their aisles and prominent portions of their stores conspicuously lined and decked with Halloween stuff ranging from spooky costumes, masks of witches, ghosts, werewolves, skulls, skeletons to pumpkins, jack -o-lanterns, decorations, special edition Halloween candies, treats etc. Even the media outlets like newspapers advertise various Halloween adventures and entertaining events like Spooky houses, haunted forests etc. targeting different age groups where you pay bucks to get scared and feel goosebumps and shivers run down your spine. The internet does not fail either to remind us and takes it a step further with pictures of animals in costumes as if humans parading in fancy or spooky costumes were not enough.

For majority of the parents in the west, Halloween is envisaged as images of young innocent children ringing doorbells, dressed up in eye-catching pretentious scary costumes, impersonating their favorite movie character, their faces and eyes gleaming with excitement and joy, holding their loot of candies and with unanimous cries of “Trick or Treat” comes to mind. Nevertheless, is there more to Halloween than just plain innocent fun?

Of course, it is no hidden fact that Halloween marketing is so extensive that Halloween accounts for the second most commercially successful holiday after Christmas in the United States. The Halloween retail spending by U.S. consumers is estimated at $9 billion in 2018. They spend almost $3.2 billion on Halloween Costumes annually and more than $2.5 billion on other trappings like the decoration, crafts etc. Of all the candy that is sold annually, one fourth is sold just during the Halloween time averaging sales of $2.7 billion annually.

Imagine if we could donate this money to feed the poor and less fortunate who cannot afford even one proper meal a day. We are so mechanically and mindlessly caught up in this yearly ritual that we do not stop even for a moment to ask ourselves, “What is Halloween really about?” What is the history behind this celebration? Should we, as adults continue to dodge the responsibility from educating ourselves and our children on this subject and just blindly and heedlessly follow what the others in our society are doing just to “fit in”?

NO!! As a Muslim and furthermore as a parent it becomes our duty to understand it in the light of the Shariah. We have to teach them that respect and reverence for other customs, traditions and holidays in the society in which we live is not bordered on practicing their beliefs especially if associated with pagan roots.

The origin of Halloween

Halloween originated 2000 years ago from the ancient Celtic pagans. They used to live in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man, Cornwall and Britanny, also known as the six Celtic nations. Halloween symbolized the beginning of the ancient Celtic New Year. The Celts observed only two seasons in the year: summer and winter.

Samhain (Scottish Gaelic spelling: Samhuinn) which literally means “summer’s end” was an important festival celebrated on November Eve, the night of October 31st. It meant the beginning of the Celtic year, the close of the harvest and beginning of the season of cold and darkness.

Some believe that the festival was held to honor the “Lord of Death”. The Druids believed that on the eve of this Festival Samhain, lord of the death called together the wicked spirits that within the past twelve months had been condemned to inhabit the bodies of animals. Sacrifices and gifts were offered to the dead spirits because it was a pagan belief that on this one night the dead spirits visit their earthly dwellings. If they are satisfied with the offerings they leave you in peace or else cast an evil spell on you.

After the Romans conquered Britain and with the rise of Christianity “Samhain” was changed to ‘Hallowmas’, or ‘All Saints’ Day’ or ‘All Souls Day’ and is observed on November 1st to honor all Saints in heaven. It began on the evening of October 31, which was called All Hallows Eve.

What remains of Halloween today is a hybrid and remnants of these two celebrations. Its originality over the years gradually was distorted with new additions and alterations made by people with their vested interests like the corporate world to mint money at the consumer’s expense.

What should a Muslim do?

Allah says in the Quran (Al-Furqan, 25:72): “And those who do not witness falsehood, and if they pass by some evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity”.

The above Ayah explains that true servants of Allah should try and refrain from such gatherings and if they happen to be there, should leave the scene right away with dignity coming out clean and pure.

However, as a Muslim who strives to acquire knowledge, it is important that we learn about any event before we take part in its celebration. Celebrations that may seem completely innocent on the outside, but with deep roots and elements of pagan beliefs, rituals and devil worship should be avoided.

I pray for Allah’s guidance and apologize if my article or view offends anyone; its sole purpose was to highlight the origin of Halloween celebration and to open minds. Allah knows Best!

——–

Adapted with editorial adjustments from IViews – www.islamicity.org.

[theconservativebrief]

The first thing I notice about the Spirit Halloween at 65 Broadway is that the building’s exterior is far too nice to house a seasonal Halloween pop-up shop, even though that’s exactly what’s going on. The building, located in Manhattan’s Financial District, was built in 1916 and was used as American Express’s headquarters until 1975. Now, for a limited time only, it’s full of Halloween costumes and spooky lawn decorations.

Pop-up Halloween stores exist all over the country. They usually arrive in late summer or early fall, before the leaves have even started changing color. They set up shop in whatever vacant retail space will take them, whether it’s a now-defunct Babies “R” Us, a former grocery store, or the first floor of the American Express building. Then, a day or two after the big night, they vanish, not to be seen or thought of for another year.

Despite the brick-and-mortar retail apocalypse taking place across the country, Halloween pop-ups like Spirit have endured. When traditional retailers file for bankruptcy and leave empty big-box stores in their wake, they also give Halloween retailers more potential locations to choose from. Shockingly, even the rise of online shopping can’t seem to kill the Halloween store.

Halloween spending is expected to reach $9 billion in 2018, with the average person participating in Halloween festivities spending an estimated $86.79, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual Halloween survey.

But the holiday wasn’t always the big moneymaker it is today. Two stores — Spirit Halloween and Party City — helped transform the way people think about and celebrate Halloween, a holiday that was once considered child’s play.

Joe Marver founded Spirit Halloween in 1983, spokesperson Marisa Uzzolino told me via email, and quickly grew the business from one pop-up store in the Castro Valley Mall in California to 63 stores across the country. The stores were a spinoff of Marver’s first retail venture, Spirit Women’s Discount Apparel, according to a 2016 Bloomberg report, and much of Spirit Halloween’s initial inventory was a mix of regular women’s clothing interspersed with wigs, makeup, and superhero masks. In 1999, Marver sold the company to Spencer Gifts, which is perhaps best known for carrying novelty T-shirts and cheap sex toys.

The company has been on an upward trajectory ever since. Uzzolino told me that there are “over 1,300” Spirit Halloween stores in the United States and Canada this year, which she noted was a 5 percent increase from 2017. All stores will close on November 2. Uzzolino declined to say what percentage of total company sales happen during the Halloween season. (I assume it’s a lot, given that it is a Halloween store, though the Spirit Halloween website sells costumes year-round.)

Party City, one of Spirit Halloween’s largest competitors, opened its first store in New Jersey in 1986. Though its business model differs slightly from that of Spirit Halloween — Party City stores are open year-round, and carry more general party supplies, as well as decorations for non-Halloween holidays — the company similarly opens separate pop-ups each year, called Halloween City, which exclusively carry Halloween items. (Party City declined to answer questions by phone and did not respond to questions via email.)

Even though Party City isn’t just a Halloween store, the holiday is one of its busiest times of the year. In 2016, according to a Bloomberg report, the company bought a factory in Madagascar so it could manufacture its own costumes. The previous year, a quarter of its total annual revenue — approximately $560 million — was made during the Halloween season.

“Halloween is really our Christmas,” Deborah Belevan, the company’s vice president of investor relations, told Bloomberg in 2016.

All Spirit Halloween told me about its retail strategy is that it faces “challenges securing the best locations” but “has an excellent real estate team that works year round to scope out and lock in the best locations available.” In 2012, though, Spirit Halloween’s senior director of real estate, Frank Pacera, discussed the process on the Kimco Realty Blog’s podcast.

“Pretty much November 1, the minute our door is closed, we are — or actually, before our doors close — we are prepping for the next season,” Pacera said on the podcast. “We literally are, 12 months out of the year, getting ready for this holiday. … Right after we close our doors, we have a field operation of people who are based throughout the country, and they basically scout their entire markets that they’re responsible for on a regular basis.”

Those agents spend “months” negotiating the deals. The typical store is somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 square feet, though some are smaller. In suburban areas, Spirit Halloween’s agents look for vacant real estate in shopping centers that have “other national tenants,” like Best Buy, Target, or Walmart.

Spirit Halloween’s agents may work year-round to secure leases, but its retail hiring process is decidedly seasonal. The company hires and trains seasonal employees over the summer, and flies all district managers to New Jersey for a week-long training meeting.

On the Job: Tina Currie, of Lisbon, Maine, strides through Spirit Halloween, a pop-up costume and decoration shop at the former location of Bob’s Stores on Maine Mall Road. Press Herald via Getty Images

At the Spirit Halloween on Broadway, two employees — who declined to give their names — told me they started working there in September. One of them said she got the job because she knew the manager; the other nodded her head in agreement but didn’t specify how she started working. They had previous retail experience but hadn’t worked at a Halloween store before, they both said, and they knew the jobs ended in November. Then they went back to checking out customers.

Party City’s Halloween preparation — the scouting of store locations and deliberations on which costumes to carry — also begins a year in advance, Bloomberg reported in 2016. Seasonal employees are hired in the summer, and merchandising teams begin setting up the stores in August. The company hired 35,000 seasonal employees in 2016.

Neil Stern, a senior partner at the real estate consulting firm McMillanDoolittle, told me that these deals are good for both landlords and temporary tenants. “Some money is better than no money,” said Stern. “There’s a lot of [vacant big-box stores] out there that are otherwise sitting vacant right now. Obviously it’s not as good as a permanent lease, but it’s better than nothing. There’s relatively little downside.”

This year, Spirit Halloween pop-ups have opened in vacant Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us stores, shuttered grocery stores, at least one credit card company’s former headquarters.

Stern told me he saw a Spirit Halloween store open up in a former grocery store near his house. “It was a huge space, like, 60,000 square feet,” Stern said. “They just took part of the space. I’ve seen them go into a [former] Pier 1 [Imports] space in my neighborhood. They’re very creative and flexible in the kind of spaces that they’ll take.”

These temporary stores typically pay more rent than long-term tenants, according to a Halloween Express agent who spoke to CityLab on the condition of anonymity in 2014. The leases are typically six to eight weeks long; most stores are vacated by November 15 at the latest.

All of this would be impossible without the existence of vacant retail properties in need of tenants, even if those tenants only plan on being there for a few weeks. What’s bad for retail is good for Halloween pop-ups, at least to a point. These companies need vacant spaces to fill, but they also need nearby stores to draw in consumers.

Strip-mall vacancies rose to 11.1 percent during the recession, according to CityLab — not great for retailers but a huge opportunity for Halloween pop-ups. “During the crash, I would get calls before this Halloween to ask if I wanted space for next Halloween,” the anonymous Halloween express agent told the website.

Once the economy started improving, though, pop-up Halloween stores started having trouble finding locations. “It was a lot easier [in 2012] to find spaces that were, say, 10,000 square feet and above,” Randy Koziatek of Halloween Express told CityLab.

But recent retail shutterings and bankruptcies may be a boon for these temporary stores. As more big-box retailers file for bankruptcy, turn to online sales, or close their doors altogether, Stern said, it’s possible that Halloween stores will expand even more, and that other types of retailers may soon follow suit. “I think there’s going to be a lot of vacant real estate. The question is, are there other models that we might see adopt similar strategies?”

And unlike other retailers, Halloween stores may not be too susceptible to the rise of online shopping.

“The big thing for a retail store is that there’s a sense of discovery,” Stern told me. “There’s a bit of a treasure-hunt mindset associated with it. Like, ‘I want to decorate my house but I don’t know how I’m going to decorate my house, so I want to look around and be inspired. It doesn’t mean that the business isn’t going online, but it’s a category that lends itself particularly well to a physical store.”

Jessika Jaramillo, left, and Jordan Santiago, of Hollywood, Florida, shop for fake intestines at Spirit Halloween store in Davie, Florida. MCT via Getty Images

For some shoppers — especially those who didn’t figure out their costume idea until a few days before the holiday — Halloween pop-ups are one of very few places to get a last-minute costume. If you order a costume through a specialty website like Yandy or Leg Avenue, it’s possible that it won’t arrive on time.

The Spirit Halloween on Broadway, meanwhile, is open seven days a week and closes at 11 pm; Party City’s New York locations are open until midnight. It’s not hard to imagine someone popping in to buy a costume after work, or someone realizing they’re missing a key accessory on their way to a party.

As more big-box retailers file for bankruptcy, turn to online sales, or close their doors altogether, Stern said, it’s possible that Halloween stores will expand even more, and that other types of retailers may soon follow suit. “I think there’s going to be a lot of vacant real estate. The question is, are there other models that we might see adopt similar strategies?”

Retail may be dying, but the Halloween pop-up store is here to stay — until November, that is.

Original Source -> Halloween pop-up stores, explained

via The Conservative Brief