#omg a candy apple thts so cute... U MADE IT SO CUTE

[dnangelic]

@kirakiras asked: “Dark Mousy!” Hand held high waves him over. “Trick or treat.” She greets. And pauses. Ah. That’s not it. She’s not the one that was supposed to say that. “Happy Halloween.” She corrects herself. She reaches into her bag and pulls out…a candy apple! Finely decorated for the holiday: glistening, glittering red candy coating, sparsely sprinkled silver moons and golden stars, golden shimmering stick, elegantly wrapped and tied with shiny black ribbon. How lucky there happened to be a specialty shop in town. There’s even a bat-shaped gift tag attached on which she’s messily scribbled the words for ‘the magnificent phantom-thief’ Dark Mousy. She holds it out for him to accept. Surely this would be enough to cover her gift debt. “I have this for you. I learned candy apples are a traditional treat for this holiday. They are a bit difficult to eat, so please enjoy it responsibly, Dark Mousy." And with that, promptly, she holds up a hand. "That's all."

hadn't he given her plenty already ? his brow twitches a little as the rest of his expression briefly sets and steels to study the other , her spoken trick or treat still hanging about in the air . it's only within the same pause that she takes for herself that he realizes --- ah , she's gotten it wrong . far from on purpose , if the enormous sweet she was pulling from her bag was any sort of hint . does he try to hide his surprise , then he fails it . hawkish leer turns to wide-eyed rabbit-eyed stare , complete with the initial , self-evident shock and vague terror of someone witnessing another flail and brandish something akin to a stick grenade . nevertheless , after his own sort of recoil and pause , his gaze drifts to properly examine her supposed present for him .

the utter sense of it is bizarre --- in places that it shouldn't be . bold , love-laid gifts and ambitious trinkets hoping to become worthy targets set out as traps for the great phantom thief's attentions weren't wholly unusual ; the fleeting sentiments of distant , faceless strangers both ever-adoring and ever-cursing him throughout his myriad centuries . his silent acceptance of its entirety too was callous and numb as a deity's : dark could be readily be witnessed , a fallen angel in haloing searchlight ; spotlight , but beyond the acts of phantom thievery and every miraculous performance , he vanished into azumano's brick alley-way shade and never seemed to surface .

his presence here betrays , then . as does his inexperience his usual guile . a subtle flush dusts his cheeks , pink rose first grace upon the unnatural clarity of his monstrous mien . his covetous hands have forgotten what to do with themselves , if they ever remembered at all what it meant to be offered something without the necessity of theft and excessive theatrics . he has half a mind to divert attentions and remind her that nothing more than just dark would do for a name . but even then , that would have been nothing more than running away again --- back to himself in a round circle , her outstretched gift left ready in wait in her grasp , still there before him .

' ... well , i'd hate to be rude and decline such a polite lady's gift . ' so he says , intermingling his own faint , suppressed well of desire with what he can only presume to be her own oblivious intentions . surely , she didn't understand . the sort of mercy and mystery to her action that elevated her even higher than his own meticulously maintained intrigue , or the sort of dull-edged bliss whose heartbeat whetting he would reserve for solitude before he went back to sleep . ' i'll keep your words in mind . thanks for the warning . ' not one to leave seizing sweets without leaving behind his own sweet nothings , he leans in closely , black wings blooming , in order to to trade away what last whisper he's furtively reserved for her --- and her only . ' since it's as charming and wonderful as you are , i'll be sure to savor it with great care . '

only now does a smile stretch across his face , starlight in his eyes and teeth revealing themselves as he separates himself from her and lifts away . ' --- happy halloween , mimiko-chan . why not dress up and go to a party ? someone like you'd be a real treat at a masquerade ball . just a suggestion , of course . ' it didn't matter if she instead chose to stay home . as long as someone like her was enjoying herself overall , then everything should have been considered right within the world . ' before you go getting your hopes up , i doubt i'd be able to make it to any place like that --- but part of the fun of a masquerade is in not knowing who's who , don't you think ? who knows , it just might suit you . '

... and with those ambivalent words , he lends her one final wink before his departure .