A reluctant vampire

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden made his way to the Halloween feast, his last Halloween feast. That felt weird. He was dressed in a pink shirt and brown pants. He wasn’t that creative when it came to style or fashion and he knew he would never win a prize but willow had helped him at least create a look that was meant to be inspired of a photo they had found of his grandad from 1970’s at the last minute he had decided to paint his face white and charm his teeth to make him like a bit like a reluctant vampire. He entered the hall and looked around. The decorations were different this year than previous years. He was really liking the haunted forest and the fog. He found a spot just inside the hall and waited for Tara to arrive.

 

[Tara Hawthorne]

Tara was eager to attend her first event, even if she was sad it was Lindens last. Enjoying the irony, she dressed up as a reluctant vampire right along with him and hurried down to the Great Hall, absolutely loving the decorations. She dashed up to him as fast as she could in her billowy mahogany skirts. She giggled as she skidder to a stop next to him. "You look miserable." She commented immediately. He wasn't looking for Lucas was he?

 

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden was just looking around the hall again when a voice next to him alerted him to the arrival of Tara his 'date' for the night. he had asked her to go with him weeks ago so that she wouldn't have to do her first school dance alone and so he wouldn't spend the whole time looking at Lucas and other cute boys and feeling miserable and alone. which was why her comment made him smile. "I'm not miserable. I am just getting into character and admiring the new halloween decorations as I wait for my date. I particularly like the fog and the forest this year very moody. but she has just arrived in a sleighing dress and jacket combo. he said turning to look at tara as he spoke the costume defiantly looked good on her. and she pulled off the reluctant vampire look better than he did.

 

[Tara Hawthorne]

Tara laughed lightly, lacing her arm through Lindens. "Right. Sure. See anyone interesting?" She asked, looking around. "Do you think Cassy-boo is coming? He probably made his costume or something," she laughed lightly, looking back up to her brother. "Do you have any other friends?"

 

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden smiled at tara asked if he had seen anyone interesting. "There are always good costumes. but there is " he said at the question about cas Lin shrugged. "he is coming. he was just getting dressed when I was leaving the dorm. but wouldn't say what he was coming as" he said.
at Taras next question he feigned shock. "Tar, of course I have other friends. There is Jordie, and nik, and Ana-sofia, Blair, Umm mr muscles, also known as Finn, over there." he said pointing to a boy across the hall "and the angel baby with him." he said gesturing to the boy who he was with. could he still call Lucas a friend, he had hardly spoken to him since the start of the year. "have you made any friends yet?" he said thinking that next year he and cas wouldn't be around.

 

[Tara Hawthorne]

Tara looked around, looking around at a few of the more amusing costumes. "I bet he looks great," She offered idly, before turning to try and spot the other costumes. Her nose wrinkled as he pointed out his ex. She rolled her eyes. "Kinda, maybe, I don't know," She turned back to him. "What are you going to do after school?"

 

[Linden Kinnek]

linden tried not to let Taras comment affect him instead he just continued to scan the crowd and admire the costumes. "of course he will' he said keeping his tone even. as tara was not clear on if she had made friends he shook his head. "You need to make friends that aren't me and cas. we won't be here next year. I can introduce you to people if you want" he said. he was thinking of Ana. she was lovely. although he was fairly sure their friendship was fairly one sided already. "I am going to be a magi zoologist. come on lets have a look at what's going on over there" he said. pointing towards where the fake forest took up a part of the room next to some games. he would have suggested food but, well he may have referred to them as friends but maybe wanted to give the pair of seventh years over by the food table a bit of space.

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Casper felt oddly nervous. He'd always put a lot of time and effort into his costumes, he had even won a few prizes. But as he stepped into the Great Hall that night, he felt oddly out of place. He remembered Lysander on Halloween, and he tried to shake the thought. He just... Didn't know where to go. Cas rubbed the back of his neck, looking around to try and spot someone he could talk to. He saw Lucas with Finn, but chose to leave that alone. Finn had a bit of a reputation and Cas wasn't good enough to catch Lucas' attention for a fling, much less a popular pretty boy like Finn. He kept his arm raised with the fake falcon, and despite all the drama, found himself missing Sebastian and Lysander, missing the closeness he'd had with them.

 

[Tara Hawthorne]

Tara laughed lightly. "It's okay, Linny-bear, just give me some time." She teased him. If she was really struggling she'd find Lumio. She laughed at his quick change of topic. "Alright alright, lead the way." She gestured for him to go, before offering out her arm a bit dramatically for him to take.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden nodded as tara said to give her more time in making friends. "Okay HT. but I want you to have at least one friend who isn't a seventh year by the ball." he said teasing her. he took her arm in his and started across the misty hall towards the forest. looking at the costumes as he went. one girl who seemed to be a first year wearing an old time dress and bonnet, a guy with charmed fairy wings, a couple of sports players and a girl in some sci-fi dress. he glanced Jordie though the crowed though he couldn't tell his costume. "It seems like skeletons are the... Oh" he stopped as his eyes caught sight of a figure appearing out of the fog in grey as though he he been deposited there by the mist blending in with his body but his blonde hair glowing in the light. he looked at cas then looked away glancing at tara. hoping that the dim lighting and the white make up would hide the heat that he could feel radiating off his face. no. he could not be thinking this, feeling this. ye raised his hand in a half wave unsure if cas was with anyone other than his bird is that a hawk, buzzard or falcon" he whispered to tara it was no real relevance. but it was the only thing he could think of to say which was silly as birds were his thing, but his mind had gone blank.

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Cas had taken to wondering around, bored and a bit lonely. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea. But then something caught the corner of his eye, and he turned to see Linden and Tara nearby. Cas smiled, moving over. "Hi guys," he greeted with a shy smile. "I like your costumes."

 

[Tara Hawthorne]

Tara laughed lightly. "You're on," She teased him, bumping her hip into his. She paused as Linden did, wondering why his face was darker and why he looked like he'd been punched in the gut. She turned, smirking as she saw Cas. "Aren't you the animal guy?" She whispered back. "Stare a little harder, Linny-bear, maybe he'll get it," she teased, before bouncing forward. "Cassy-boo!" She hugged him.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden chuckled as Tara took him up on the challenge. he was sure it would be easy for her. she was lovely and bubbly and outgoing. or at least she was now. she just needed a bit of a push. "Well Technically, but I wasn't expecting to be trying to identify a bird of prey at the feast." he retorted. at her next comment he pulled his face together. he wasn't staring, okay maybe he was just a little "He'll get what?" he hissed to tara. note sure what she was implying but sure that she was wrong in her assumptions.
His sister let go of his arm and practically bounced over to him running his hands through his hair. "Hey cas. you look. amazing" he said. trying to think of the right word to describe his costume and to keep it sounding casual.

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Casper didn't hear what the two were whispering to each other, but as he drew closer Tara bounced over, wrapping her arms around him. He blushed, placing an arm around her, and felt his cheeks redden even more as Linden complimented him. He laughed nervously. "I, ah, thanks. I made the falcon myself," He deflected. "You guys look pretty great too, I love your dress Tara," he complimented her.

 

[Tara Hawthorne]

Tara slipped her arm around Caspers waist, taking his other and laying it over her. She was absolutely just trying to make Linden jealous, and was keeping her eye on him to see if it worked. "You just make everything, don't you?" She teased Casper, before looking to Linden. "You were right, he is super talented. And pretty." She smirked, peeking up at Casper. "Your hair looks gorgeous today, what did you use?"

 

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden couldn’t help himself. He felt his jaw drop again. you made it?it is so lifelike he repeated incredulous. How could Casper be so talented. He looked across at them together next to each other like that it was easy to spot the similarities between them. thanks. All willows doing of course he said. His sister was great with style. He couldn’t hold eye contact with cas long especially as Tara started talking. He looked to her pulling an expression that he hoped said what are you doing? it sounds like you are flirting with your brother. And I didn’t say that you are just making us both uncomfortable before looking for some way out. Was it warm in here? I might go an get a drink. Do you guys want anything?

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Casper shifted, feeling a little uncertain as Tara cuddled into him. "Um, hair gel." He replied to her, looking to Linden. "I ah, I did, yeah." He told Linden. When Linden offered to get them drinks, he slipped free from Tara. "I can help, three drinks, you need an extra hand," He gave Linden his best pleading look.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden looked as caspers hair Tara was right it did look different. How could just hair gel make it look so.. well lin was not going to finish that thought. Cas was as far as he had always told himself a brother. And that would be weird. He stepped closer to the two of them reaching out as if to stroke the bird but stopping just a second before his fingers got there He wished that someone from accio was there to get a picture of the two of them or the three of them that he could keep somewhere.
By the time this thought had passed cas was free from Tara’s grasp embrace and offering to help him with the drinks. He glanced at cas then at the drinks table. It was meant to be a few seconds for him to get away and get his thoughts in order. Before he thought or even worse did something he wasn’t meant to. But there was no real excuse. sure. We could pick up some snacks too. What to you want ht? he said at least glad that Lucas and Finn weren’t at the food table any more.

 

[Tara Hawthorne]

Tara smirked, pleased that her plan was working. She waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, don't worry about it. I'm not really hungry." She winked playfully at her brothers before turning and slipping away. The two of them needed some time to figure out what she already knew- might as well take some time to explore and see if she could meet anyone interesting.

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Casper was not surprised when Tara took off. He sighed deeply, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "I have no idea what's gotten in to her," He muttered to Linden. "If I have to listen to one more of her hare brained schemes to get us to start dating I'm going to throw her in the lake." He threw Linden an apologetic glance. "Please tell me she's being nicer to you."

 

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden chuckled at caspers comment. she has gotten a little loopy recently, well more so than usual he said. As they made their way towards the food table. He stopped when cas said that Tara had been trying to set them up. what?! is that what she is trying to do!? You are basically my brother. It would be weird. you don’t even want to date me.” he exclaimed. Not even thinking of what his answer would be if the statement was reversed. It was complicated. I thought she just liked spending time with both of us and was excited to have two big brothers he said. Th ouch things did start to make a bit more sense. she has just been Tara. You get used to it. I will have a talk to her about her schemes.he said he reached the food tables and picked up a plate and put a couple of cas’ favourite snacks on it that were next to him before passing it to him and making a start on his own.

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Casper winced a little at Lindens reaction. "Yeah... when you aren't around she keeps popping into the arts room to try and convince me that you just need someone to sweep you off your feet." He told Linden, evading the rest of the statement entirely. And that reaction is exactly why I keep turning her down. He was drown out of his brooding by Linden handing him a plate with his favorite snacks. Cas blinked, taking it automatically. "Um, thanks... Do you want to sit down somewhere?" He asked him. "Looks like Tara is talking to a bat." Cas nodded to where their sister had taken up chatting with someone in a bat costume. "And Falke makes it a bit hard to eat," He joked lightly, holding up his falcon a bit more.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden shook his head in exasperation as casper explained what tara was doing to cas. "Seriously. no. I don't need to be swept off my feet. what world is she living in? I need a break for a while, and I am the one that does the sweeping." he said, he said glancing up at cas, part of him wondering if that was always going to be the case or if some day someone would come along and sweep him head over heels. he turned and started gathering some more food onto his own plate busying himself to hide from where his thoughts were taking him. he looked towards tara when cas pointed her out. "A vampire and bat, It kind of goes together, I wonder who it is" he said. if tara could play with their love lives then they could at least speculate a little on hers.
as cas asked to sit down. he realised that the bird meant that he only had one hand. "oh right one hand. how about you take a drink and I will get a plate for both of us to share. just let me know what you want" he said.

 

[Casper Kinnek]

Casper bit back a sigh. He had already thought of trying to woo Linden, when they were younger. His attempts had failed miserably. When he'd come out tonight he hadn't been expecting to be beaten back into his place. His heart hurt, but he tried to push it aside. He had already known this. Linden was never going to want him, was never going to try and sweep him off his feet. Cas wasn't worth that. Hadn't he learned that by now?

Cas shrugged at Lindens question. "I dunno, I think I saw him with the twins, probably Stan." He speculated. He blinked and offered the plate back to Linden. "I'm okay with whatever, really," He agreed, trying to sound more chipper than he felt. Maybe he should take some time away from everyone and close himself off again. Linden had gotten too far into his defenses as it was.

 

[Linden Kinnek]

Linden saw cas's demeanour sink. he hadn't meant to hurt him. he had just meant to force his own thoughts and feelings back into check. as though making it clear what he wanted out loud would make his feelings copy. "Cas I.." didn't mean it that way he started letting the thought finish in his head. it wasn't something he could say out loud. there was too much internal conflict in his mind to try and even contemplating letting anyone else in there. and he really really didn't want to hurt cas, Ever.
"Stan and Tara, you know what. I reckon that could work" he said. he didn't know if tara had told cas about her condition or if Stan had. technically he hadn't been specifically told but he had worked it out fairly early on. as cas said that he was okay with whatever. the tone in cas' voice got his attention. he put the plate down and put an arm around his shoulders and squeezed slightly before letting go "Sorry" he said simply hoping that tara was too caught up with Stan to see. this wasn't anything romantic this was just them, how they had always been, just two guys at the feast getting food and talking.