#(AGDGDGD THANK U FOR THIS… MY REPLY GOT SO LONG AND SO DUMB…………)

[theaterism]

At this time, poor Fox would receive yet another letter in his pocket. "Remember me? Damian. Anyway, my brother Beau and I are having a party for Halloween on the 22nd - I know, I know, it's a little early, but things get kind of wild on Halloween around here. We live in an actual haunted house, you know. Anyway, you're invited - I'm inviting Wren, too. Hope to see you there!" And, encased in the envelope, was another penny.

This was a day when words blurred and shifted too much for Foxtrot to decrypt them, but immediate suspicion crept over him when he opened the mysterious envelope and a penny slid into his palm. Charlie confirmed his guess when she read the letter aloud to him. Damian. Foxtrot’s brow creased. True, the man had bought him a meal once, but he’d also assailed him with an entire cabinet-full of pennies and catnip. An impressive prank, but still — Foxtrot still hadn’t found the best way to dispose of the coins. He had also failed to shake the catnip from that sweater, and the theater kitten had claimed it.

Even so, the letter’s contents caught his attention in seconds. Curiosity and anticipation swirled in his chest. A Halloween party on the 22nd. In an actual haunted house. Wren would appreciate that, Foxtrot thought — seconds before learning Wren might appear as well. His interest in attending doubled.

“You’re going, aren’t you?” Charlie’s voice broke through his thoughts. A smile had spread across her face. “It sounds wonderful. Haunted and everything.” A box of caramel popcorn rested beside her. She popped one in her mouth, then added, “I might take the invitation and pretend to be you if you don’t go.”

“Right, well, I will go, so maybe don’t do that.”

“Maybe I’ll sneak inside anyway.” She narrowed her eyes at the letter as she folded it along different angles. “What’ll you wear? For your costume.”

Foxtrot hummed, tugging a string on his jacket. “Same as last year, probably? A scarecrow, wasn’t it? Haven’t got anything else to wear, so—”

“That’s entirely untrue!” Charlie looked appalled. She flicked a piece of popcorn at him, which he barely blocked in time. “You look like a scarecrow on your own most days, and you’ve got all the spooky theater costumes to steal from. Pick something else.”

Irritation simmered within Foxtrot at the scarecrow comment, but he stifled it and scoured his imagination for better ideas. “A… ghost?”

An exasperated sigh escaped Charlie. “How are we related? Can’t you be a tiny bit more creative?” The letter had turned into a paper airplane, and she sent it soaring across the theater’s attic. Victor sat on his bed, reading. The plane struck his head. He rubbed the sore spot and shot Charlie a betrayed glance, and she muffled a laugh and apologized. Her words spilled out in a rush when she turned back to Foxtrot. “What if there’s a costume contest? There might be medals and prizes and things. Or maybe they’ll stop you at the door if your costume’s too shabby. Or banish you.” She gasped, her eyes wide. “The ghosts might even curse you if you don’t impress them, and I bet they’d be offended if you dressed like a ghost.”

“Look, I’ll figure it out, alright? I’ll go through the theater costumes. I swear it.” He faltered. “But… the letter didn’t say it was a costume party. What if I’m the only one who shows up in something odd? You’d be the first one I’d take revenge on.”

“What sort of Halloween party isn’t a costume party?” Another flicked popcorn. He couldn’t dodge fast enough this time — it hit him on the forehead. “Wear a costume,” she instructed him. “A proper one, and a different one from last year. Or I really will steal the invitation and pretend to be you.” Her brows raised. “I’d make a much better Foxtrot.”

The real Foxtrot rubbed the caramel from his forehead and glared at her. “Rude.” It was a challenge, though. Refusal wasn’t an option. “Fine. I’ll get a different costume. A new, proper one.”

“Ask me if you haven’t got any ideas. Or ask one of the costume designers. Or—” The paper airplane hit her shoulder. She spun toward Victor. He still seemed focused on his book, though a faint smile showed on his face. Charlie gave a low, accusing hum, then faced Foxtrot once more. “Or ask Vic. Or Wren. Or… Damian, wasn’t it? The one who wrote the letter?” Foxtrot had briefly explained who the man was. “Or an audience member, or— or someone, I dunno.”

Foxtrot grabbed the paper airplane. Turning it slowly in his hands, he raised a brow at Charlie. “You’ve got loads of confidence in me, haven’t you?”

Charlie grinned. “You aren’t hopeless. But I refuse to share my best ideas with you. The invitation’s still mine if your costume’s dreadful enough.”

“That means you’ll sabotage it somehow if I ask for your advice, so I won’t ask you.” Still, he set the plane aside and extended his hand. “Winner gets half the other’s candy as well. Then we’ve got a deal.”

After a beat of hesitation, in which Charlie scanned his face for deception and found none, she shook his hand. “Deal. Half the candy means a proper split as well, not the candy you’d toss away anyway. Right?”

She’d guessed one of Foxtrot’s backup schemes. Still, the boy sighed and nodded. “Right.”

#castelleve #(AGDGDGD THANK U FOR THIS… MY REPLY GOT SO LONG AND SO DUMB…………) #(i adore writing the siblings’ dynamic a bunch tho so like agsgd) #(they are SO chaotic sometimes and charlie NEEDED to turn it into a Big Deal) #(but fox is excited!!) #(now he needs to find a better costume tho and he’s Bad at that agsgd) #(also damian including a penny in the envelope… i’m crying………) #|☆| inbox #|☽| foxtrot ( clever fox ) #|☽| charlie ( nice rabbit ) #|☽| victor ( gentle bear ) #|☆| ic