Sarah and Malice would have wanted to be there for Spookyville, but the college Juniors had to go by a schedule that wasn’t as flexible as WSA’s had been when they had been in high school. And while UNLV had a fall break, it wasn’t a terribly long one, and with Halloween being on a Monday this year, they had to be back on campus for it. It made Malice miss Spookyville because of all the fun and interesting themes that came with it, but then there were things about college life that was also fairly fun. She and Sarah had joined PET, along with Travis, Jessica, and Roger, and that now had them setting up decorations outside the house that had been set up for the new fraternity/sorority.
The building, itself, was fairly young as Tiffany’s father had provided the money for its construction when Tiffany and Princess had been at UNLV. They’d since graduated from the college and the five original members of Animalia Ambassadoria had been steadily climbing up the ranks in the fraternity/sorority that had been started, and for the moment that included setting up some decorations to give the house a semi-spooky vibe that would suit college students that might come to the party, regardless of whether or not they were Animalians or Humans or even if they were members of the fraternity/sorority. It would also provide some fun for any trick or treaters that came onto the college campus.
“Well… I think this is the last one,” Roger commented as he pushed down on the wire frame that supported the heavy cardboard sign that was designed to look a tombstone and matched some of the others that lined the path up to the front door, “though… it isn’t quite as good as Spookyville.”
“I think the PET House has a more limited budget than Spookyville does,” Travis quipped as tied a knot that hung a fake ghost from a tree branch in the front yard.
“Yeah… that’d be fun if we could be there,” Malice sighed.
“The parties here are fun too,” Sarah patted Malice’s shoulder, “and Vegas’s party stores have come up with some good costumes that even fit Animalians.”
“What are you two going as this year?” Jessica wondered.
“We’re going to be actual sled dogs this year,” Sarah smiled and wagged her tail, “I got a red harness and Malice got a blue one, and we can wear them over a set of workout shirts and shorts… and they won’t be too tight to then be tacky. Travis will be our sled driver.”
“And how is that going to be spooky?” Jessica asked with Roger raising an eyebrow beside her.
“As part of the party tonight, we’ll pull the sled through with a jack o lantern and a bag of candy on it,” Travis answered, “anyone good, gets some candy. Any one bad…”
“Gets the spooky laugh and a growl,” Sarah smirked, “ggrrrrrrrwwwwaaaahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaa!”
Jessica only shook her head and looked over to Roger who shrugged in response. It seemed to indicate that the two Rabbit Animalians were not fully impressed with idea for Sarah and Malice to pull a fake or toy sled, likely on wheels, with Travis as part of the delivering of candy to trick or treaters that came to the door or as part of some other aspect of the coming party. Sarah and Malice both noticed this and lowered one ear to push the discussion forward as they moved to head inside.
“So what are you going as for Halloween?” Sarah asked to Jessica.
“I picked up a set of fake teeth at the party store… and I think they do some business with Animalia/Lyre’s dentists…” Jessica began.
“You’re going as a dentist?” Malice asked, “That’ll be sure to scare kids.”
“Not as a dentist,” Jessica groaned, “as the “Killer Rabbit.” I bought a set of false teeth that would look like fangs that can fit over my molars. I think they had to do some work with Lyre/Animalia’s dentists as it generally matches how my jaws are arranged as an Animalian. My muzzle is different from your muzzles, Abby’s muzzle, or Sophie’s beak. And it fits like a mouth guard that football players would wear.”
“Would you be able to talk with all that in there?” Sarah wondered.
“Not quickly,” Jessica admitted, “but it’ll go with the spooky theme. My mom was even able to send down a bit of cloth that would have a decal on it that would look like the icons for one of the knights from the movie.”
“So better not risk another frontal assault,” Roger declared, “she’s dynamite!”
That only eared a few chuckles as they went inside to find some of the other steps being made to prepare for the evening going on inside. It wasn’t too long before the party was supposed to start, and it wouldn’t be too long after that that the first groups of trick or treaters from outside the campus would come on with their parents escorting them, and thus many of the members that didn’t have classes at the moment and were present were getting ready. It might not be as big as Spookyville, but the PET House always enjoyed the Halloween Party.
They ultimately found Jamie and Riley setting up some of the window decals that would show off jack o lantern faces and other spooky things when lights were turned on behind them. It was all pretty standard stuff and the other two sibling Animalians worked fairly calmly in putting it together. Jessica and Roger waved to Malice and Sarah and moved off to head toward where their rooms were on one of the upper floors while Travis stayed behind. The three of them also noted a slightly down look on Riley’s face as he worked.
“Hey, Jamie, we got all the outside stuff set up,” Sarah called as she approached with Malice tagging along behind her. Some of it was a curtesy, though Sarah was also sure that the Wolf and Rottweiler Animalians likely heard them come in a few moments before.
Jamie pulled back on the black curtains that had been set up for Halloween and nodded, “they look good guys. I don’t think there’s too much left to do. Beth will be bringing in the main food that will be there for everyone during the party and I’ve given instructions to Trevor on what movie to rent and have on in the background while the party is ongoing. And Riley and I only have a couple more of the decals to put up… so we’ll be ready to go and get changed.”
“Leaving you three to get your whole candy delivery scheme all set up,” Riley gave a snicker to Malice and Sarah.
“Hey now, it’ll work,” Malice answered, “and it will keep the guests… and particularly the Human guests from getting into the kitchen too much.”
“It wouldn’t be scary,” Riley pointed out.
“With the right laugh, we can make it spooky,” Malice countered.
“And if not, it would be something that would provide for some fun,” Jamie cut in, wanting to make sure there no conflict. Riley had put aside his rivalry with Trevor when he was sure that Trevor wouldn’t hurt Jamie emotionally, and what remained was largely just some wrestling and other competitive sports, which Jamie could accept. Though, she didn’t want anything to really get Riley’s protective instincts going, as he’d always been a good dog that had looked out for her, and that was part of what lead to her conversion into the Wolf Animalian she was now and his uplifting. “And we all want fun, right, Riley?”
Riley nodded after a moment, which made Jamie smile with approval and she then moved to set the last decal up. With that, she clapped her hands and then picked up the sheets that the decals had clung to and moved to get away from the window. Riley then moved the small table that held an orange shaded lamp to a spot near that window to set the ambiance for those that would come to the party or would come trick or treating.
“There, that has everything about ready,” Jamie smiled, “now, all that’s left is to get ready.”
She moved off at a quick pace and leaving Riley behind with Sarah, Malice, and Travis. Riley followed his sister with his eyes and then shrugged, figuring some of this was likely efforts to have some fun with Halloween and bring at least parts of Spookyville to the PET House. From all the reviews over the years he’d been at the college, he couldn’t really complain. Though, there was something that often ate at him, and one he did his best to hide from Jamie.
“Hey… you okay, man?” Travis asked to him that shook Riley out of the blank look he had for a moment.
“Yeah… I’m fine,” Riley answered, “And don’t take my jokes on your whole sled dog routine too harshly. I’m sure you’ll have fun and either the kids or the other guests will get a kick out of it. And that will be good for them.”
“And you won’t be having fun?” Malice wondered.
“Well… it’ll be a bit of fun,” Riley admitted slowly and with a small chuckle, “but it’s kind of something where… well…”
“You want Tiffany here,” Malice realized, “even though she’s graduated.”
“Yeah… she’s been fun, smart,” Riley commented, “and I think that a lot of the worst in all of us started to calm down after I found that I was seeing Jamie as a sister and being overly protective of a sibling and she recognized she’d been…”
“A bitch,” Sarah offered.
“Yeah,” Riley admitted after a moment, “but as we both grew out of that… in part thanks to you three helping Jamie and all… it’s… well… it’s left me lonely at times. There is the part of me that would love to go for puppies all night long, if you know what I mean… even if she’s on her birth control pill. There’s the part of me that would just like to lay next to her and talk… and sometimes I feel we need to.”
“Like you need to?” Travis asked, looking to Sarah and Malice.
“Yeah… though more about the future and all that,” Riley explained, “see, her father doesn’t want me to be dead weight on her. And she has her business ideas she wants to take down to Arizona to where Princess is teaching PE now. And she’s had good ideas, so I think that will work for her…”
“What her dad wants should be irrelevant to love,” Malice said flatly, “I miss Simon… and to a degree, some circumstances are changing future plans that I had, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love Simon or won’t stay with him. I’ll find something else.”
“Though his mom and stepdad like you a lot,” Sarah told her sister.
“And Tiffany’s dad has approved of me too,” Riley said slowly, “but… he’s right to want me to be able to pull my own weight, and I do want to do that. I’d originally thought of doing some of the MMA stuff with Trevor, as it’d make decent money and would provide exercise… but with Tiffany wanting to move to Arizona to be near Princess and start her business, I don’t want to be out of her life half the time because of flights to Lyre/Animalia for matches and other stuff.”
“And you don’t know what to do?” Malice asked, her thoughts drifting to Simon. A lot of her own plans were having to change.
She’d shown interest in the police force when she got her second dose at the Brown farm and meeting the Wolf officers for the Animalia PD. That was even reinforced when she found out that Simon wanted to be a policeman as well, but now as she went through college, Simon did get a job with the Animalia PD, but both they and Lyre really didn’t have the space to add additional officers at present, and unlike other departments, neither the Lyre nor Animalia PD had large numbers of people quit over how police might not get to get away with harsh treatment toward minorities. That meant that all new things were needed, and as she watched Riley nod, she saw that he was going through some of the same things.
“Yeah… talking with Tiffany wouldn’t hurt,” Malice agreed, “but don’t let her dad come off too strong. For if Tiffany truly loves you… she shouldn’t care what her dad thinks and will do everything possible to help. Who knows, maybe the two of you could be a team with this business of hers. Things always change. And being apart from your bond-mate can make some of those things rough, but I’m sure you can manage it.”
“You sound a bit like Jamie there,” Riley commented.
“Well, she’s pretty smart,” Sarah commented, “and she loves you like a sister does. Everything will turn out fine. And in the meantime… we have Halloween and a party to get ready for.”
Riley only laughed at that.