This is (Not Quite) Halloween (Sean)

[Kane Woonren]

28 October 2012

The air had a chill to it as the sun started to set. The school had some cheap Halloween decorations set up out in front of the door, set under a large banner proclaiming the Haunted Halls. Various decorations made by the students were loitering outside, waiting for the doors to open up. Some of them were in costume, ranging from cardboard robots to elaborate princess dresses. Kane couldn't help but smile as he walked around the back of the school, where the other volunteers were supposed to enter.

His "outfit" wasn't really one, so much as him trying to make it look like his natural... attachments, weren't real. He was wearing a particularly ragged pair of pants, and slightly ripped up shirt. His wings were spread behind him, and his tail was twitching as he walked. He was being careful with it, he didn't need to trip anyone or get it caught on something and stumble with all the things he was carrying. He had dipped his fingers in white paint, the ends of them anyway, to bring out their 'point" a little bit. He was carrying three boxes, and he'd spent most of the day baking in his cramped apartment. It had led to, aside from another crick in his neck, a box of gluten free brownies shaped like bats, cookies with icing and shaped like jack-o-lanterns, and some sugar cookies shaped like ghosts.

He belonged in Nightmare Before Christmas. The seven foot dragon-man carrying cookies and wearing flip flops.

Someone at the door helped take one of the containers, then started putting them out on the table. After she shoved two of the ghost cookies in her mouth. The snack table was at the end of the hall, next to the exit. Probably to keep crumbs and trash out of the hall. A very tired looking woman rushed over to him. "You're Mr. Woonren?" she asked.

"Yes, we met be..." he managed to get out.

"You're back here with the baked goods, but Mrs. Martinez will actually be selling them. You're going to help her if she needs it, but you're here for one last shock and to say goodbye. And if one of the kids starts crying or something you can help us get them back here," she said, rather rushed. She looked like she was asleep on her feet, and her hands were shaking like she'd tried to replace her bloodstream with coffee. When she was done, she rushed off to check on something else, leaving him standing there alone.

Six-thirty rolled around, and most of the people cleared out to their "places," leaving Kane alone with the woman and a buffet table full of baked goods and drinks. It wouldn't be that long before people started entering the hall, and eventually back to him. He had a big basket of lollipops to give out to the kids.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

The East Coast had already begun to panic, with news of Hurricane Sandy due to hit on Monday and potentially Tuesday. Buying supplies had become a priority for many, since memories of last year and Hurricane Irene were fresh in people’s minds. It had been only fourteen months. Too short a time.

Pilot Ridge, due to the more than average number of weather manipulators as residents, tended to survive storms better than the surrounding areas. That wasn’t an excuse to become complacent, but it did allow for a sense of normality lacking in many other towns and cities in the North East generally and in New England specifically. That was what allowed Pilot Ridge to try to go about Halloween rituals in the midst of the weather forecast.

Sean had gone through his typical disaster preparations; he’d done his shopping trips for groceries, for uncooked staples, for first aid supplies and medications, and for the hardware he might need for repairs after the storm had come and gone. But that would be Monday, and tonight was Sunday, a weekend devoted to children.

The Youth Center had already had its Halloween activities; most of the students there were too old to truly appreciate the holiday the way that young children did. So when Sean heard word of a Haunted Hallways trick-or-treat and activity day at one of the local elementary schools, he decided to volunteer.

As with everything this year, he wore his Victorian outfit, complete with the faux spectacles to give him an air of sophistication. Then he’d gone about his assignment throughout the school, helping to put up decorations and make sure everything was in shipshape. As six-thirty rolled around, he found himself in the exit chamber, and caught sight of a familiar face.

Smiling up at the taller man, he said, “Kane! Happy Halloween!”

[Kane Woonren]

Kane was honestly fairly oblivious about the oncoming hurricane. He didn't interact with that many people, and he didn't own a radio or a television. He knew that classes were canceled for the next couple of days, and he knew there was a storm approaching, but he wasn't aware of the scale of the upcoming storm. When it came to just about anything that did not pertain to his everyday life, Kane didn't have much of a scope for it. The only reason he knew that there was an election coming up soon was because he'd had to break up a fight earlier in the week about it. He couldn't tell you who was running in any of the local elections, and he couldn't tell you any specifics about the national candidates either.

He supposed if he still lived anywhere but where he was, or if his mother wasn't on the west coast visiting friends, he might be more concerned. As it was, he didn't really have a reason, by his thinking, to worry that much. The town had lots of weather manipulators, and the last hurricane had passed by as not a whole lot more than a bad rainstorm. He watched some of the last minute preparations, doing his best to sit in the corner to be out of the way. He didn't want anything to go wrong because of him, and he was genuinely happy, so he didn't want to ruin it.

Kane looked up at the sound of his name, shifting slightly into a more rigid posture as he saw who it was. He wasn't really expecting to see anyone he knew, except maybe as one of the parents who was passing through. He didn't do much interacting with Doctor Neville on a day to day basis, he saw him around the halls, and had short conversations with him from time to time. Nothing really in-depth that he could think of, but he really didn't interact much with any of his co-workers. He was also probably one of the few people who was taller than the Doctor at the school.

"Uh... Hello, Dr. Neville," he said. His voice was a little nervous, like it usually was when he was talking to anyone that he worked with at the school. The way he acted around some of the teachers, you'd think he was still a student and not one of the faculty. Usually the ones that had been at the school since he had been there as a student. Still, part of his brain still told him that he wasn't a real teacher, and didn't really belong at the school. Most of the other teachers had gone to college to get degrees, gone specifically to study and be a teacher. He'd gone to night school and learned to cook. A glorified lunch lady... man... person... thing. "Nice to see you."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean noticed the other man’s discomfort – it was palpable – and he had no desire to add to that. However, he was a friendly person, particularly when in the good spirits that came with Halloween and the promise of children to see, if only for a few minutes. Soon enough, children of all ages, rather in a range of ages still young enough to be affiliated with an elementary school – would poor in, wearing costumes and carrying bags filled with treats, keen for even more treats and a last bit of fun before going home with their parents or on to the next weekend Halloween activity.

He smiled at the thought. Halloween was his favorite holiday for a reason.

“It’s nice to see you too,” he replied, and he meant that wholeheartedly. He didn’t often have the opportunity to speak to the tall, young man, given that Kane seemed to keep mostly to himself, in the home economics wing, while Sean had sessions and meetings in his office on the other side of the school. Still, he remembered Kane from his time as a student, as well as the more recent years as a teacher himself, and Sean considered him a kind, gentle person. “It’s even nicer to see you volunteering at something like this for the children.”

The telepath would be all smiles for the rest of the evening. “Have you helped here before?”

That was followed by another assessment question, "And is there anything I can do before the children come in?"

[Kane Woonren]

Even nicer to see you volunteering at something for the children.

Kane loved kids, and he spent as much time as he could with the younger ones. They made him smile. He'd thought about trying to get a job at a lower level school, but he didn't have the time or the money to go to college and get a degree that would be required for it. The only reason he had his current job was a certain level of mercy among those in charge of the school for a former student. At least, in his mind. He also imagined that there wasn't exactly high call for a cooking teacher at an elementary school. Maybe a restaurant....

He snapped himself out of his little daydream, the small smile that had formed shrinking slightly as he turned his attention back to the professor. He'd had that habit since he'd been in school, sinking into little things like that. It probably had something to do with his rather empty list of friends back when he was in school. He thought for a moment when he was asked if he'd volunteered at the school before. "No, no. This is the first time they'd let me." The year before he'd called, asking to volunteer. Upon finding out that he had no even remote relative at the school and had not personally attended the school himself, the woman he'd been talking too assumed he was a pedophile and hung up on him. He didn't know that, but his nervousness over the phone had probably helped.

This year, he'd called back, and apparently they'd been slightly more desperate for volunteers. "I don't know," he responded to the followup question. "I've just been trying to stay out of the way, since the woman in charge just sort of told me to stand there and hand out lollipops when the kids started coming through and then ran off." He looked over at the table where most of his things were spread out, he'd made his most useful contribution there. They probably just wanted another body around in case anything got out of hand around here.

"What about you?" he asked, in a rather delayed response to the first question.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean nodded his understanding. The woman in charge certainly had a domineering presence, and she was also bent on making sure that the evening went off without a hitch. He couldn’t judge completely there, since the telepath also liked to have his ducks in a row, particularly when pulling off an event of this magnitude. Though a gentle touch was more appreciated than a stern expression and an order to shoo. As such, he smiled and said, “You have the best job; you get to see them when they’re most excited and the least nervous.”

One didn’t have the same chance for attachment that might come from greeting the children initially, but they would be gleeful, toting bags filled with treats and chattering about everything they had seen that evening. The thought made Sean smile.

When the question was turned back towards him, he shrugged slightly. “I’ve been volunteering here for several years, since it’s nice to be able to see the little children on Halloween.” His smile widened somewhat, gentle as ever on his lips. “I love Hammel, but most of the students are too old, even when they first arrive, to have the same sense of wonder about Halloween. Between volunteering here and then having my own trick-or-treaters, I get a nice mix of children for the holiday.”

Which was nice for him, as Halloween was his favorite holiday almost entirely because of the exposure to children. Candy, costumes, and adult parties were nice, but those scratched an entirely different itch. That was why he had begun volunteering at the elementary school in the first place. It helped that he could point to his credentials at Hammel, and that he knew how to alleviate concerns about single men going out of their way to be around young children. Since he would never.

“I usually lead one of the groups around the school, but Tom Fedor, he has a kindergartener – Sofie, adorable little sprite that she is – and at the last minute he wanted to lead her group, which put me out of a job.” The telepath chuckled lightly, since he had no irritation or animosity over that. Were their positions reversed, he certainly would want to have an active role in his child’s first Halloween at school. If he’d ever had the opportunity.

“So I helped to put up some decorations and went searching for somewhere I could station myself. And here I am.”

[Kane Woonren]

He nodded when he was told he had the best job. "Yes, I do," he agreed. When they were coming into the building, there was a nervous excitement or a complete terror because they had changed their mind and didn't want to come in anymore. "She had said something about wanting me to be inside the attraction but... um... I thought it better I stay back... here... in case anyone had any questions about the baked goods. Allergies." He didn't know why he made up the lie, since he knew the man in front of him could read his mind, and probably knew him well enough anyway. The thought of being inside and trying to scare the little kids... the scared faces burned into his memory... he had enough of those. Doing it on purpose might kill him.

He gave another nod when the professor said that most of the students were too old. At the youngest they were eleven or twelve, and they didn't tend to have the same wonder about it as their younger counterparts. When they came to that age, they were starting to get more into the thought of parties. Plus, a few of them were still in a bit of a slump of having been dragged from who-knows-where to a new school, with little choice in the matter, needing to make new friends and get used to things. It was hard for them... although the ones that seemed to have the hardest time were the late bloomers; the ones that came in in their mid-teens.

Kane liked most holidays, but Halloween was his favorite too, for the same reasons as Sean. He was popular, even if it was only for a couple of weeks, with adults who wanted him to come to parties, but he could be around kids. Kids who weren't afraid of him, or were being spirited away by distrustful and frightened parents. "I don't think I could do that... I'd be too tempted to tell them when something's going to happen." He really didn't like scaring anyone. He tended to do it too much accidentally. On purpose....

He took a couple steps out of the corner, unable to stand the cramping in his tail anymore. It twitched and stretched for a moment, before settling back against him and on the ground. It moved a little bit along the ground, more to keep from getting cramped again than anything else. All those years at the school and he still didn't really have much control over it. When he was in school, there really wasn't anyone else with one, that he knew of. So he'd done his best to practice, and other than using it for steering while flying, he really didn't pay that much attention to it. Other than when it was uncomfortable, anyway.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean was used to other people lying to him. He considered it absurd that they did, given that he made no efforts to conceal his telepathy, even if he also didn’t make a habit of announcing how often he used it or the intricacies of the power itself. Surely, people could understand the folly of lying to someone who could read their minds; it was a waste of time, since he saw through the lies. Moreover, it was demeaning both to him and to the person lying, because it underestimated both of them.

Even without the telepathy, he and Kane had spent far too much time together when the younger man was a student for Sean to believe that lie. He understood Kane’s true reasons for hiding back here, and he couldn’t fault the younger man for those reasons. They were valid, and, were their positions reversed, the telepath wouldn’t be much keener on the thought either. How frightening, someone who can erase your past and future.

While deliberate cruelty was easier to notice, thoughtless cruelty often wounded just as much.

The telepath had no intention of calling Kane out for his lie; the younger man should know that he knew, but he didn’t want him to suffer any humiliation. Particularly since this was largely without consequence, and further, he was sure that Kane needed the respite.

As such, Sean offered him a smile and a nod of agreement. “It’s far preferable to comfort them and earn their smiles than anything else.”

He shifted out of the way to give Kane a bit more room to maneuver. “So, what treats did you whip up for them?”

[Kane Woonren]

Kane had spent quite a bit of his time trying to get certain things out of his head. One of them was the images of all the looks he had gotten since his powers had kicked in. One of his worst memories was followed by a very long session with the man in front of him. He really didn't want to think about that class trip to New York right now. Sure he got a lot of stares when he was at Hammel, but he was surrounded by Metas. That trip had been his first time being 'out' after his powers had fully come in. He hadn't quite mastered drawing his tail back in yet.

He shoved the memory out of his mind, focusing on where he was at the moment. He was about to get to give out lollipops to cute little kids in cute outfits. Smiling kids. He calmed down a little, doing a little deep breathing for the moment. He looked back at the snack table, in time to catch one of the teachers stealing one of his brownies. He didn't mind, and it made him smile a little bit. When most people thought of the word 'gluten free,' they thought of things... well, things Kane didn't make.

His tail began to shake a little bit, almost wagging a little bit as Sean asked about the food. He really liked cooking. "I made some jack-o-lantern shaped cookies with... icing. I can't remember what flavor it is," he said, hitting himself in the head to try and remember. But he couldn't. He really needed to remember these things. "Vanilla with those little orange sugar sprinkles, I think. I also made some ghost shaped sugar cookies, and those ones over there are gluten free brownies in the shape of witch hats."

He took the moment, as he was pointing at the different foods, to look down at his paint covered fingers. He hadn't really ever done that before, and it just now occurred to him why. He was either going to be made fun of for however long it took to come off, or he was going to need to spend all night having fun with some steel wool. Not the most brilliant thing he'd ever done in his life.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean remembered that trip to New York quite keenly, just as he remembered the session that followed, and other discussions with the draconic man standing before him. He loved New York; he had lived there for many years, and he would always consider it home. However, even with the diversity inherent in its large population, not everyone was used to, or tolerant of, meta-humans. Particularly not those with as blatant a status as Kane.

The world needed to change, because Kane should be comfortable in public without having to cope with stares and fear. But it would be a long road. More was the pity.

Sean kept his attention on the younger man as he described the different treats that he had concocted for this event. They sounded delicious (although nearly all baked goods sounded delicious as far as Sean was concerned). Moreover, what he particularly enjoyed about the holiday was that one could be creative with the treats one made; the ability to experiment with shapes, decorations, and flavors. “The children will love those,” he assured Kane, because he was certain of that. Children enjoyed cookies, and the availability of the gluten-free brownies made the experience inclusive for those with dietary restrictions.

The discussion of cookies piqued the interest of his stomach. As such, the telepath asked, “Do you mind if I try one of the cookies? Or have they been counted out?”

He didn’t want to eat one and, in doing so, deny one for a child. But if there were extras...

[Kane Woonren]

Kane had spent almost all of his life in New York as well. Other than Pilot Ridge, he'd never really been anywhere other than New York City. He'd found some of the more... pleasant... areas, to be out and be comfortable for a little while. Still, it didn't stop it. Even among Metas he was a bit of an oddity. Still, he'd been born (as far as he knew) in New York, raised in New York, gone to school (up until he'd come to Pilot Ridge), lived, and worked there. Up until his series unfortunate events, bringing him back here. He was much more comfortable here though.

"I hope so. I tried to be broad, I guess," he said, scratching his head a little bit. He could probably think of some different things he could've taken too, for different allergies and things like that, but he only had so much time. And he didn't want to use the school's kitchens or cooking lab for his own things. If he couldn't do it in his apartment, then he would go ahead and try to figure out who to ask permission. Seeing as he was just about incapable of saying no to someone.

"Um... I think so? I think they might be selling them for an extra little bit of fundraising," he said. He really wasn't sure, honestly. He just volunteered that he could bring in some baked goods with him when he came along for volunteering. He heard some cheering from outside, he imagined that they'd just told the kids that they were open. He couldn't help but give a small smile.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

New York had many benefits in terms of the ability to blend and to become exposed to those that were different. But meta-human abilities that manifested in physical changes, much like physical disabilities, were the most noticeable, and more sensitivity and teaching was required with the population at large. And with children in particular.

“It’s best to be mindful of potential allergies,” the telepath agreed. Moreover, he thought that it was particularly important on occasions like Halloween or at parties, since it was easy for a child to fall through the cracks or to feel isolated due to not fitting in. If a child couldn’t have gluten or sugar, but was still able to enjoy treats and the holiday, then that was good both in the short-term (eating the treat) and the long-term (not feeling othered and having one’s needs met).

Additionally, Sean thought that it was important for Kane to get encouragement. He remembered the younger man from when he had been a student, and from everything he had witnessed as coworkers, it seemed that Kane hadn’t changed much. The draconic man would benefit from any assurance and positive reinforcement that he could get.

“Are they outside then?” The telepath asked. If so, he would have to wander out eventually to buy a couple. If they were in here, he was more than willing to break out his wallet and buy them. “Or are you also in charge of selling them?”

[Kane Woonren]

Kane nodded, when Sean made the comment about allergies. Working in a school with so many different students in it, and being one of the people in charge of cooking for them, made him think about that type of things a lot. He had to be careful in case someone had a peanut allergy. Completely separate cooking areas for things that included nuts. Make sure there are different meals for vegetarian and vegans, or people with gluten allergies or diabetes. He'd considered giving a class for students with certain allergies of cooking delicious meals without the fairly common thing they are allergic too. Maybe at some point... if his current beginning cooking class didn't manage to kill him.

Something Kane wasn't thinking about was that he 'thought' about doing a lot of things, and he'd thought about doing a lot of things when he was a student too. He'd 'thought' about going up and talking to another student, or imagined walking up and asking out a girl. But back then, he never really got it out of that stage. He started getting better at the end of his last year at Hammel, but then the sudden throw into real life undid some of that work. He was working his way out a little bit. He had gone to the school for the job, and started teaching. Sure he hadn't specifically sought out the later part. He'd accepted though... and now he was also 'thinking' about going to culinary school, so he'd be a teacher with something actually resembling a degree.

When Sean asked where they were, Kane spun around for a second, trying his best not to hit anything with his wings. He looked around for a moment, before pointing at a table on the other end of the hall, closer to the official exit than where they were standing. "I think that woman's selling them, over there." His tail began to shift a little behind him, and he'd been compared to a dog on more than one occasion because of it. It wasn't like it was a useable tail or something, it was a big thick... lizard-ish... tail. And if he had an ounce of perversion in his body, he might have turned red and cringed at that particular thought. If, after that, he'd remembered he was standing next to a telepath, he'd probably have curled up in the corner and waited to die of embarrassment. But he didn't, so he remained blissfully unaware.

"I'm not in charge of selling them though." She had just told him to make little cards with what each one was to put in front of them. He'd made sure to go the extra mile and put, on the back of the cards, diets and allergies that the snacks wouldn't trigger. He took things like that very seriously, and if someone had an allergic reaction to something he cooked... especially if it ended... badly... he didn't want to think about it. It probably wouldn't end well for him either.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

At a later date and in another location, far away from a trick-or-treat party at the local elementary school, Sean intended to talk to Kane about his social circle, about his self-perceptions, and about his future. While he was no longer a student and Sean was no longer his psychiatrist, the telepath remained fond of him, and he had a sense of responsibility. He wanted the younger man to be satisfied with his life, and he wanted him to have support and happiness to the extent possible. But now was not the time to actively pursue those intentions.

Fortunately for Kane’s dignity, he was speaking to a telepath who didn’t find it necessary to remark on every thought that he overheard. As such, he had no intention of making any comparisons between the younger man’s appendages and animal traits. Nor would he do anything to further embarrass poor Kane, who looked uncomfortable enough as it was. While Sean had no qualms complimenting him, he didn’t want to cause any humiliation. Certainly not publically, certainly not with children soon to enter their area.

The telepath turned as well, following Kane’s gestures to the woman in the hallway. He then made a mental note of that. He did want to try some of Kane’s baked goods, and he also wanted to contribute money to the school, and so buying a few samples seemed the proper course of action. However, since the draconic man wasn’t charged with the task of selling the baked goods, the psychiatrist would have to seek out the salesperson in a bit. He didn’t want to greet children with a full mouth, and it would be best for him to wash up in between eating and potential interaction. “I’ll be sure to go out to her and buy some. And then I’ll give them a favorable review.”

While Sean hadn’t eaten precisely this treat yet, he was quite familiar with Kane’s baking skills. He was sure that these would be just as satisfying as everything else the younger man made.

[Kane Woonren]

Kane had really been to Sean a lot when he'd been a student, and he'd probably helped him make it through his teen years alive. He hadn't been in the best of places when it came to his powers. He wasn't exactly nervous around his old psychiatrist, as much as he was with worried masked by nervousness. Since he'd left school, he'd back peddled so far when it came to his social skills, and a bit on his mental state as well. He had made some steps towards being okay again though. Not being in a city where he was just as likely to have a cross thrown at him as he was step on a piece of gum was nice.

He was also grateful for Sean not bringing things up. He had, at one point, speculated that the older man had, at some point in his life, probably been a little bit more playful with his powers than he was now. But you outgrew certain things, or just got tired of them. Like Kane had gotten tired of being thrown around like a ragdoll every time he vaguely approached the Empire State Building. He'd tried flying around it a couple of times, but the winds around it were stronger than he was comfortable with. He didn't mind strong winds, but strong winds centered around a building full of people he was less comfortable with.

"I hope you like them sir," he said with a nod. The man was already fairly certain of himself they would be good, and that combined with the fact that he heard the children outside cheer again instantly perked Kane out of his depressing thoughts and out into what was about to be happening. He smiled softly again as the cheering stopped, and stretched his wings and arms wide, several loud cracks causing him to flinch and massage his arm. "Sounds like they're just about ready to come in."

He shook his head a little to further bring himself out of his little daze. "Well, I hope to talk to you more after the Haunted House is over." He wasn't lying. He did enjoy talking to him, even if it made him nervous or the tiniest bit uncomfortable, but that was all in his head. Things he was trying to push away, but were being very firm in that they were going to be staying in power of his mind.