Haunted Eve 2022

The Dread Moon headquarters were home to some strange types, most very seriously committed to their leader; whether through their brains or their brawns. Occasionally, though, there was an outlier. A cog in the machine that just didn’t turn the same way. Even for the most powerful entity, there was always, without fail, one member of the organization that caused… Trouble.

And Dread Moon was no different, now that Taro, more commonly known as Black Death, had joined their band. Come this Haunted Eve, it became evident just how different he was from the ‘average’ member. He had come here as a street fighter; an unconscious one at that. He had, quite literally, been dragged here and eventually decided to stay once he had recovered enough. He had only stayed for one reason, though. He had stayed for Envy.

Invidia sat in his laboratory, pondering the results of one of the tests he had recently conducted when his partner came barging into the door, the doctor nearly launching his notes across the room and at his face in fright.
“What the fuck Taro?”
He shrieked, watching as his more brutish partner approached him.
“What the hell are you wearing?”
The comment was a justified one. Taro was hardly wearing his usual getup. Now, from the very start, he had entirely refused to wear the official Dread Moon uniform, complaining that it ‘did not fit his vibe’. Their lord had so mercifully accepted this development, but today Invidia couldn’t help but wish that his partner was just like him; prim and proper, for his partner now looked like he had crawled right out of a trash can. He had a sheet lazily wrapped around his shoulders and hooded over his head, with stains of red that the scientist believed, or rather hoped, were just juice of some kind. Wrapped around his waist was a lazily tied chain that looked like it had mostly rusted away six years ago.
“It’s my costume.”
Black Death beamed, puffing up his chest to ‘impress’ his partner.
“Your costume.”
Invidia scoffed, getting off of his chair to more closely inspect his lover. What a disaster fest, he thought. The Haunted Eve was far from his favorite holiday. In fact, Envy was one of those stuck up bastards that straight up hated all Holidays, as he considered them a waste of time. But with his partner having interest in it, it meant that now, he was going to have to compromise.
“What are you dressed up as, a rat?”
“I’ll forgive you for that once. I’m clearly a dead street fighter that was sacrificed to the gods by drowning. You know… Battered and bruised and chained down?”
“Thank you, Taro, I am sure ‘drowned street fighter’ is a theme many people dress up as. Oh yes, what a common theme. How very much like you.”
Invidia shook his head, placing down his clipboard and papers so he had his hands free. He couldn’t stand for him looking this awful. Even though he hated the holiday, Taru was still his partner, and he himself had a reputation to maintain. It was bad enough that he had fallen for him so easily.
“Ugh… If you’re serious about this, at least do your best to look presentable, you wack job. If Chaos saw you like this he’d serve your ass on a silver platter. Sit.”
“Invidia–”
“No, sit down. If you want to participate in this Haunted Eve, at least look like you actually mean it. Take that off.”
“Baby– Ugh y’know what? Fine. You’re probably fucking better at this than me anyway. Thanks… C-Can we keep the theme?”
Invidia shook his head, snickering softly and shaking his head. His partner had always been terribly headstrong, and that hadn’t changed even in his time here.
“Why do I even try… Yes, we will… Keep your silly little theme. I will make some adjustments, though… This just will not do.”
It would most certainly be a while until Invidia was done scrutinizing on the details of Taro’s rushed little costume, but eventually, even he would inevitably be satisfied enough with the results to allow him to go.
Taro would never admit he wanted to have the costume to go Trick or Treating with him… But he’d land that bomb shell on him later.
For now, he would just enjoy watching the little scientist work on bettering his costume with skilled, dainty hands and perhaps more skilled magic. Life was good like this, he thought. All that really mattered was that they would probably have a good time once Invidia got over his usual initial annoyance.
He was sure if he begged enough, he could even get Invidia to dress up. No matter if Chaos disapproved of their bond at times, because they did love one another, even if it did not always seem that way.