[IC] Banding Together in Halloween Town

[LePouvantail]

In the days left until Halloween, Lock, Shock, Barrel, and Carver stayed busy, though as the holiday approached, Halloween Town found less and less for them to do. Jack even let them stop early the day before Halloween to give them extra time to finish their own preparations.

As promised, Shock brought Aggie the scorpion tails, though she hid them nearby for the witch to find at her earliest convenience so the other two witches didn't catch onto the bribe. Lock had since given up on trying to get Lillith to speak with him, while Barrel filled himself on enough pumpkin scraps between jobs that he was tired of snacking on them. None of them really had the energy to fight or bicker with each other. Shock reserved her last bits of energy to tend to her scorpions and quietly plot trouble. Her brothers simply lounged around the lair.

Halloween went as well as it always did, with the trio's moods lifting as they pulled out all of the stops for trouble. This year, they found more than a few worthy victims of their mischief, from troublesome teens to a few rowdy adults who needed to be put in their place. They especially enjoyed the esteemed gentleman they caught stalking a young group of trick-or-treaters. He found himself precariously dangling from a tree with the band of his underpants tactfully caught in a branch so they'd tighten if he struggled too much. Barrel was the most proud, having actually thought up the cherry on top, much to the pride and amusement of his older siblings.

By the night's end, all of them were in better moods. Now that their punishment was over and Halloween concluded, there were other things to focus on. Like Lock keeping his end of the bargain he made with Agatha. Deals with any of the three were always made with caution, but Lock knew it was always beneficial to be on the witches' good side.

While there were key items they were all banned from buying, and while there was no guarantee literally anything else they were allowed to purchase wouldn't be used for trouble, the Witches' Shop was convenient and as advertised, the best bargain in town. There was also a mutual understanding between them that anything the tricksters misused was solely on them, and that it was better for the witches to let the trio restock while making a profit off of them than for the sinister siblings to go elsewhere, possibly get an inferior product (and possibly through unsavory means), and make any trouble they caused with it worse than it might have been otherwise.

That had been a hard-learned lesson for all of them. Nevertheless, as a werewolf turned on a full moon and a vampire needed blood, it was known the trio had an innate need to cause mischief. Better to let them get their fill while having some control over potential outcomes than to leave them entirely to their own devices.

Thus, Lock, to give his mind something to do while serving his punishment, thought of a way to arrange Agatha a date with Barrel. The moment he got his little brother alone, he carefully brought it up.

"She's still upset about the swamp smoke," he said, as he and Barrel worked on fixing one of Oogie's old traps. "I mean. We did kind of use her."

"She seemed pretty okay when she offered to clean my hoodie," Barrel replied.

Lock flicked his tail.

"That was so she didn't have to sell us anything," he reminded his little brother. "She's still mad, or she would have let Carver buy it with some haggling first."

Barrel frowned.

"Why do I have to do it?" he asked.

"Because I'm still working off something I owe her for, and she damn well won't trust Shock," Lock replied, irritably.

"What do you--?"

"None of your business," Lock said.

He used his tail to hold a piece in place for Barrel as he oiled down another part.

"...How do I make it up to her?" Barrel asked as he tightened a bolt.

Good, Lock thought. He took the bait.

'Well, what makes you feel better?" Lock asked.

"A good meal," Barrel said, "but I don't see--"

"Rule one with girls," Lock said. "They like sincere gestures. Agatha knows you like to cook, and that you're good at it. It's your passion. So sharing it with her as an apology lets her know you really are sorry and trying to make her feel better, because it makes you feel better."

"I guess that makes sense," Barrel said, "but what do I make?"

"You could make a few things," Lock suggested. "Like a three-course meal. She'll definitely think you're sorry, and if she doesn't like something, you have options."

The wrench stopped.

"That's a good idea," Barrel said, "but I've never done that before..."

"All the better," Lock replied. He picked up a rag to wipe his hands. "More effort, more sincerity. She'll love it."

Barrel thought it over. He did have some of the spices back, and he could make a few good dishes with them...

"...Okay," he said. "That's a lot of food, though."

"Just make enough for you and her," Lock said. "It's probably better if Shock and I aren't around. She might think something's up."

"Right," Barrel agreed. "But when--?"

"Tomorrow night," Lock said. "Shock and Carver were going to see Medusa, and I can just find something else to do. You'll have the whole place to yourself."

Barrel nodded in agreement.

"Okay," he said.

Lock helped him finish up.

"You should probably go invite her over," he suggested, "or I can. I was going to try to talk to Lillith again anyway."

"Could you?" Barrel asked. "I've got to think about what to make and see what we have."

Lock smirked.

"Sure, bro," he said as he gave Barrel a quick pat on the arm. "I'll let her know."

~~~

The bell over the shop jingled. Lock strolled in, hoping to see Agatha at the counter, only to find Aggie running it. He frowned, but it didn't deter him. Merely an inconvenience, was all.

"Is Agatha in?" he asked.

[SystemofEleven]

"Welcome to the Wit--" Aggie stopped mid-sentence and gave him a long, suspicious stare. "Wwwwhyyy?" she asked slowly, squinting at him.

Now that Halloween had passed and the town was back to its regular daily routine, the exact details of the tricksters' latest shenanigans were becoming a bit fuzzy -- well except for the forget-me-lot panic, which would take at least a few years to dim in anyone's memory -- but she was still quite sure Agatha's distractability had played a significant part in them more than once.

[LePouvantail]

Lock rolled his eyes.

"I owed her a favor," he said, with a casual flick of his tail. "Just thought she might want to cash in."

He calmly held up his hands.

"No tricks this time."

[SystemofEleven]

Aggie squinted at him for a moment longer before nodding. That was... usually a pretty good indicator he was being honest. "Just a minute, then."

She leaned around to look into the back room and called out, "Agnes, dearie, can you please go retrieve Agatha? Lock is asking after her. Says he owes her a favor of some sort."

Agnes called something back, but was cut off by a bit of a crash. Aggie sighed as a few more crashes rang out, but she wasn't willing to leave Lock alone long enough to go investigate it. A moment later, her sister poked her head into the main shop area.

"Sorry, nearly lost the monkey's paw, again. Managed to catch it, though. I'll clean it up in a minute. A favor, you said?"

"Yes, owed by Lock."

Agnes nodded quickly and ducked back where she came from. There was a long stair around the side of the building to get into their living quarters if they were walking, but the faster route was to fly through a hole in the ceiling at the back of the shop.

It took Agatha a moment to remember what "favor" Lock would be referring to, but once it hit her, she barely managed to contain a squeal of glee. She grabbed her own broom and zipped down the hole with a loud WOOSH. She artfully dodged the mess Agnes had made in the store room, came through the doorway, up and over the counter, and skidded to a stop by the front entrance.

Then she realized she might be acting a bit overzealous, and could be setting herself up for a trap. Or at the very least, embarrassing herself. She blushed and quickly hopped off her broom, patting down her dress in an attempt to show a little decorum.

[LePouvantail]

Lock casually leaned back against the counter as he waited. He smirked when he heard the distinct woosh of a broomstick, and cupped a hand over his mouth to diminish his laughter as the youngest witch shot over the counter, across the shop, and nearly out the front door. By the time Agatha dismounted her broom and fixed her dress, Lock had regained his own decorum. His tail calmly flicked as though in idle boredom.

"Don't get too excited," he said. "You'll need some of that energy for tomorrow night. It's a long way to the lair."

He smirked as he waited for it to sink in. Lock didn't care that Aggie was there and listening. No doubt Agatha was going to tell her aunts regardless, both out of excitement, and since she'd need time out of the shop to get ready and be there on time.

"At say...around eight?"

Lock flicked his tail again.

"Dinner. Just the two of you, uninterrupted."

He watched Agatha carefully, and gradually turned on the charm to ensure he had her hooked.

"That was actually the hardest part to arrange: making sure Shock's otherwise occupied and can't screw anything up. But between you and me, it was actually more Barrel's idea than mine. He wanted to make it up to you for last week."

Lock kept his hands right where Agatha could see them as he spoke. He also knew it wouldn't hurt to throw his sister under the hearse to ensure he sealed his end of their bargain, given that she tried to use Barrel to switch the brooms. From what few details he got from Shock, it sounded like the teen witch actually believed Barrel's innocence. Lock gave Agatha a small wink.

"I just nudged him in the right direction."

[SystemofEleven]

"Excited? Energy?" Agatha tried to play cool. "I'm not too excited. I mean, I am happy this is... finally happening. I'm just... happy to be able to use my broom, finally." She suddenly realized what a good angle that was to distract him from her rush, and narrowed her eyes at him. "Speaking of which, how do I know you didn't tell Shock this would be a good opening to pull another prank on me?"

[LePouvantail]

"Because this isn't a trick," Lock specified, "it's a favor, and if I need another one in the future, it's in my best interest to follow through."

He flicked his tail.

"Eight o'clock. I dug the grave. It's up to you to bury the body."

Lock pushed himself from the counter. He gave Agatha a lazy wave as he headed to leave.

"Later."

[SystemofEleven]

Aggie watched them silently. After Lock left, she pulled out a rag and started wiping down the spotless counter. "He showed his hands when he came in," the old witch commented casually.

Her niece sighed. "Yeah, I figured he wasn't pulling anything. I was just too embarrassed to admit I am excited about this. Barrel and I have been playing circles with each other for ages, but i didn't want to be the one to ask him out first, you know?"

Aggie chuckled. "You have more tact than I ever did, then. Agnes and I used to... well, not quite throw ourselves at Jack, but we never particularly bothered to hide our... enthusiasm."

Agatha groaned. "Yeah, and you ate six tubs of mealworm ice cream between the two of you when he went and picked Sally instead of one of you. You've told me that story, already."

"A few dozen times, I know," came the cackled response. "Anyway, back to work, dearie. I think my sister might need some assistance cleaning the back room again."

[LePouvantail]

There would only be one other time that day a trickster came to the shop. Barrel came by later to top off some grocery shopping, though he didn't do more than exchange the usual pleasantries with Aggie before purchasing and heading back out again.

Lock offered to give Barrel's clothes a quick clean while he took a bath. He insisted effort in his little brother's appearance would help seal the apology to Agatha. The next day, Lock waited for Shock and Carver to head to the sewers. Fortunately, Medusa was a more nocturnal creature, and he knew the girls would be occupied for at least a few hours. Then he checked in on Barrel, who was hard at work preparing dinner. The youngest trickster simply wore his pants and a clean shirt under his apron to keep his hoodie clean. Lock sidled in and stole a spider to crunch on while Barrel finished up the stuffed toadstools.

"I hope this works," Barrel said, as he moved the toadstools from the sheet to a plate.

Lock glanced around the kitchen, and was admittedly a bit jealous that he wouldn't be around for dinner tonight. Stuffed toadstools, scorpion scampi, and rotten apple dumplings for dessert. Still, he came up to his brother to be supportive, and to secure the "date".

"You've got this," Lock said as he finished chewing on the spider. "Do you remember what to say, or do I need to make flashcards?"

Barrel elbowed him hard, but kept working.

"Just tell her sorry for the swamp smoke and the hoodie thing," he said.

Lock reached up to pat his shoulder.

"Good boy," he said.

He dodged Barrel's incoming elbow. Lock laughed, then headed out of the kitchen. He swiped one of the toadstools with his tail while his little brother was still focused on pushing him aside.

"Have fun!" Lock said.

Barrel turned around, and noticed a toadstool missing.

"Hey!"

But Lock was already gone.

Barrel grumbled under his breath. At least he had the foresight to make some extra in case Agatha wanted more. Barrel glanced up at the kitchen clock. He had just enough time to let things cool a bit while he recovered his hoodie, did a once-over on his appearance, and set the table.

Then all he had to do was wait for her to arrive.

[SystemofEleven]

Agatha spend a good part of the afternoon in a panic, trying to decide what to wear for the date. She only had two outfits to pick from, sure, but which one? Aggie let her niece borrow her deepest wine-red lipstick to complement her sage-green skin, and helped use makeup contouring to make her wart really "pop" for the occasion.

Ten minutes before eight o'clock, the teen witch was pacing nervously in her bedroom. She wasn't sure if Barrel would come to the front door of the shop, or walk up the outside stairs and knock on the door to the living quarters. Agnes had happily offered to take a post at the upper door while Aggie worked in the shop; whichever one he approached would send him to wait outside at the bottom of the stairs, allowing Agatha to descend gracefully, a picture-perfect entrance as a perfect start to a perfect evening.

She was bouncing in place by the time the clock in her room struck eight. Five minutes went by. Then ten. At quarter past the hour, she started to panic. Had Barrel changed his mind? Was she supposed to meet him there? No, that didn't make sense; Lock had said it would be a long walk to the tree house, and the only reason she wouldn't be flying would be if she were traveling with someone who didn't have a broom.

...Had Lock been lying to her? Was this whole thing a trick? Were the tricksters just playing on her feelings again for their own twisted entertainment??

[LePouvantail]

Barrel had been proud of himself for having everything done just before eight, save for dessert, which he'd had prepared, but would need to finish up closer to when they were ready for it. He borrowed the mirror in Oogie's old bedroom to smooth out his clothes and make sure his hair was properly smoothed back and the circles around his eyes properly darkened. Then he went to the main lair and waited.

Eight o'clock passed. He figured Agatha would be on time. After about ten minutes, he started to panic. Was she coming? Surely she'd be here by now? Maybe she forgot? Barrel decided that maybe he should check in. He went back to the kitchen and utilized a tip Sally once gave him: he put the oven on the lowest setting and set everything inside to keep it warm, then headed out of the lair.

As Barrel rushed down the path into town, he had the brief thought that Lock might have set up this whole thing as a trick. But why? He was right; they should get on Agatha's good side. Was Shock in on it too? Would she be mad if he failed?

That thought pushed his brisk walk into a run.

Best to just go to the shop, he decided. If it wasn't a trick, then he could at least get Agatha, and if it was, well...he had a great meal at home to look forward to.

Unless that was the trick: get him to make something great while his siblings swooped in while he was gone. Barrel scowled at the thought and shook his head. No, that didn't make sense. If they wanted something specific, they'd just demand it. By the time he reached the shop, Barrel had settled on his original thoughts of determining if this was a trick or not, and had already come up with an excuse to explain his lateness. He also didn't run into Agatha on the way, so if she forgot, he might have been right to come get her.

Barrel gave himself a moment to compose and catch his breath before going in. The little bell jingled. He saw Aggie at the counter, and gave her his prepared excuse.

"Hey, is Agatha in?" he asked, with some legitimate nervousness. "Lock didn't tell me if I was supposed to pick her up or not."

If this was a trick, the witches would know who to blame.

[SystemofEleven]

Agatha hopped nervously from one foot to the other, watching her clock. What if she was supposed to meet him there, and he thought she stood him up? Her fingers twitched and started to reach for her broom. If she left now and flew as fast as she could, she might not be too late. She pulled herself back and quickly returned to pacing. On the other hand, what if he was on his way, she wasn't here when he arrived? Surely he had a... reasonable excuse, as to why he was late. Agatha groaned loudly and flopped onto her bed. But what if he didn't?

Aggie was tapping her long, gnarled fingernails on the counter when Barrel walked in. She didn't bother with her usual welcoming greeting when she saw him. The old witch looked him up and down for a long moment, noting his abnormally clean -- even ironed -- clothing, nervous expression, and awkward demeanor. Finally, she responded.

"A young man in your position would usually be expected to pick the young lady up," she answered him. "I suppose your brother didn't think you would need to be told that. You always were the most... straightforward of your siblings, if not necessarily the most refined." She smiled at him with a glint in her eyes. "I expect you'll be making an effort to ensure the rest of the evening goes particularly well, now."

[LePouvantail]

A faint gray color appeared in Barrel's cheeks. Well, at least he knew Lock wasn't screwing with him. He quickly nodded and tried to push the flush from his cheeks.

"Y-yes'm," he muttered, then quickly tried to clear his throat. "E-everything's ready to go."

[SystemofEleven]

Aggie let out a quiet cackle and gave him a nod. "My niece is waiting in her room. Go on outside and wait by the bottom of the stairs; I'll send her down to you."

Once Barrel had stepped back out of the shop, the old witch locked the shop door (not that she suspected anything from him at the moment, but, just in case...) and flew up through the hole to inform Agatha about her date's arrival. She also imparted that "the poor boy" was quite nervous and apologetic about being late, so best not bring that up again and spoil the good moments later. Then she quickly went back and re-opened the shop. It wouldn't do to risk missing out on any customers coming by, of course.

Agatha squealed giddily and rushed for the door leading to the stairs. Upon stepping out and seeing Barrel waiting at the bottom, she held back a shiver of excitement and began to descend, the strategy of her movement running through her mind. Back straight, head high, hand on the railing -- no, the other hand; that side doesn't have a rail -- bend the knee backward, don't lean forward, touch down on the next step with the toes, not the heels...

Her toes came out a little farther than intended. Agatha squawked with surprise as her foot slipped off the edge of the step. She had to jog down the rest of the stairs to prevent the downward momentum from causing her to fall. When she reached the bottom, she quickly straightened her now-lopsided hat and patted down her hair, her cheeks darkening as she tried to regain some level of poise.

[LePouvantail]

Barrel nodded again and headed out to wait for Agatha. He heard the shop door lock and frowned. He wasn't up to anything!

...At the moment...

...It would be a good opportunity to do some quick snooping or swiping...

...Okay, that was probably fair, especially given their recent mischief.

Barrel perked up and smiled when the shop door opened again. Agatha looked...well, different. He tried to place his finger on it as she descended the steps, though when she misstepped and stumbled forward, he completely forgot that thought as he moved to catch her, only to find she was already fixing her hat.

"So, um. Excited to go, then?"

He let out a nervous laugh.

"Sorry about being late."

Barrel cleared his throat.

"B-but it can only get better!" he said quickly. "...Right?"

Please let it get better. Now he was certain Lock was right about smoothing things over with her, and come to think of it, Lock did say one reason he had to do it because Agatha wouldn't trust Shock, and that it was better if they weren't around. Which meant Shock was probably counting on this too, if she wasn't going to be around to screw it up.

Bones.

Tonight had to go well. His hands already ached from pricks and pinch marks from scorpion care, and he really didn't want to see what else she'd tack onto his punishment out of spite if he messed this up too.

Barrel awkwardly held out his hand for her to take. Best to just get it overwith.

[SystemofEleven]

Agatha's heart fluttered. Not only was he gentlemanly enough to ignore her utter lack of grace, he was kind enough to pretend as if her speedy descent was on purpose!

'Better'? Wow, he must have something extra special planned!

She couldn't help it; she started giggling quietly as she took his hand.

[LePouvantail]

Barrel walked with her towards the lair, quiet at first as they headed for the main gate. He listened to her giggle and found himself joining her a moment later. His laughter died when hers did, lulling into an uncomfortable pause as they started on the main path. Barrel tried to think of something to say.

Should he apologize now? No, that was what dinner was for. Um...her day? She probably worked the shop; not much there. Hmm...had she been to the lair? Barrel racked his brain for a moment. Right, that party they threw a few years back. But that had been a while.

The silence was starting to become too uncomfortable, and he couldn't think of another subject. Lair it was.

"So this is your...second...time coming over?" Barrel asked.

Wow. Aside from Carver and the twins, they really didn't have other monsters over often. He thought of the lair's current state, with the instruments in their usual places and the miscellaneous furniture. He was suddenly grateful Lock kept it pretty organized for the band. There was no need to last minute tidy and try to make a better impression.

[SystemofEleven]

Agatha nodded. "I've thought about coming over before, but I didn't want to, umm..." She blushed. What were his thoughts on gender roles in relationships? Would he be offended that she thought it wasn't the girl's place to ask first? She coughed and quickly finished, "I didn't want to be rude and... invite myself over."

[LePouvantail]

Barrel nodded.

"Yeah," he said. "We're not really big on surprise visitors. Especially not Shock."

Who was occupied tonight, and wouldn't be a problem. At least, he hoped she was. She and Carver went to see Medusa, right? Yeah, she'd definitely be gone a while. And Lock definitely wouldn't set this all up without her approval. His older brother liked to play tricks on him, but there were lines they'd never cross, such as going against Shock's authority, and their rule of the lair. Barrel felt better about bringing Agatha over...immediately followed by a flutter of bats in his stomach that he had to get this right.

"We all have to agree on who comes over," Barrel explained, "otherwise it's free game for whoever didn't agree. So, um, yeah. Good call."

He squeezed her hand, admittedly more for his own comfort than hers.

"But we've got the lair to ourselves for a while."

Still. Probably best to not let her linger too long after dinner, just in case.

It didn't take too much longer to get to the tree house. Barrel let go of Agatha's hand as they got closer, the went ahead to the rope ladder first.

"It can be a little tricky," he said. "You have to climb down, then kind of climb around the other side to reach the opening. I'll spot you, okay?"

He went first and climbed down the rope ladder, then shifted so he could climb around to the other side of it. Barrel then climbed into the opening and readied himself in case she needed assistance.

[SystemofEleven]

Something in Agatha's chest did a cartwheel when her date squeezed her hand and said they'd have the place to themselves. Lock had already said it would just be the two of them, but still, the way Barrel said it... She peeked up at him and batted her eyelashes innocently.

When he reminded her how the access ladders worked, she debated between showing him a bit of acrobatic skill or politely allowing him to help. She decided on the latter; he was trying so hard to impress her, and he could probably use a little pick-me-up after the mistake that led to him being late. She carefully made her way down and leaned forward to delicately touch his shoulder as if to lean on it.