Namjoon slapped a funny looking army green hat onto his head. From beneath the rim were coils of gaudy coloured string and fancy feathers.

'I'm going to take this.'

Taehyung's eyes narrowed greatly. 'My eyeballs just threw up.'

'Hey, don't be—'

Jin waved his hands at the other two. 'Let's not start this at a thrift store'.

Namjoon took the hat off and threw it into a near by box filled with similar items.

The boys were surrounded by wares of fictional involvement: clothes worn by characters in movies, objects popularly identified as pertaining to certain novels, and little knick-knacks scattered around. A long shelf dedicated to vinyl records stood at one side.

Yellow lights illuminated the shop in various spots; the entrance, the worker's cubicle, and two or three shelf rows down, where the rest of the room remained obscure. Some retro track played softly from an unidentified speaker. The smell of vintage history pervaded the air.

Namjoon sighed and dramatically threw his hands up. 'We've spent over an hour looking for Harry Potter character outfits'.

Taehyung gritted his teeth. 'Slytherins, Joon. We're slytherins for the night'.

Namjoon made a face.

Taehyung crossed his arms over his chest, his cheeks puffing and looking like dumplings in the coloured light. 'Tell me you don't enjoy watching Harry Potter?'

Namjoon also crossed his arms. 'I hold every right to withhold any comment just to leave you annoyed'.

Jin crossed his arms too, standing stiff as the lamppost they had sat by earlier. His nose twitched in annoyance.

'Seriously? Seriously, guys? You're just going to do this, right here, right now? About five meters away from the storekeeper?'

The storekeeper waved awkwardly from behind her stall.

Taehyung shifted his weight unto his other foot. Namjoon awkwardly waved back.

'Fine,' sighed Tae, and he beelined for the shop exit.

Namjoon turned to Jin. He brought out a hand in front of him, as if he were an usher at an event.
'You first?'

Jin pushed him forward.
'Freaking go'.

They made their way to wait at a bus stop, and soon enough, a bus came pulling up beside them. They hopped in, searching for seats, but the bus was crowded from people who were going home, and apparently those celebrating halloween too, judging from how they were dressed. So they had to stand and hold on to the rungs above, so they wouldn't fall from the roughs and turns of the vehicle.

Namjoon made a mental note to follow the fellow Halloween celebrators, to see if he could use them to somehow find Yoongi's area. But then he remembered what phones were for, and he dropped the idea.

As soon as it parked at the stop, three Slytherins climbed out the bus and strode their way into the streets, the evening air immediately rushing over to dance all around them.

Just as Namjoon had mentioned, Itaewon was pretty lit.

Strung up coloured lights and the brightest of lamp posts prettily showered across the streets. Faces diverse from various parts of the earth joyfully milling about. Perky Halloween music that made everyone sway. A marvelously smelling atmosphere—it was as though the streets themselves were made of tasty consumables, and they could be cut out off and eaten, straight on. Awesomely tailored costumes, ranging from anyone, to anything.

A sort of trance, it seemed like they were in, for the boys stared around them, their heads turning this way and that, mesmerised.

Taehyung suddenly pulled on his friend's sleeve. Namjoon jerked his head away from a troupe of marvellous dancers and looked at him.

'Where's Yoongi?'

Namjoon blinked away from Taehyung's face, and his eyes stared into the distance for a short moment.

'Um...'

'Don't tell me you didn't—'

'Ah!' Namjoon flicked his gaze back to Taehyung. 'How about Hoseok?'

Jin listened distractedly with one ear.

Taehyung raised an eyebrow.
'Hoseok?'

'Yeah I mean—we could ask if he'd like to be here too, so he could come and meet us'.

Taehyung drew a finger along his jaw. 'Well... I guess that'd be nice'.

Joon's head bopped in agreement. 'Call him and see'.

Taehyung zipped open the middle compartment in his backpack and brought out his phone. The time shone a digital 7:41pm.

He made a few taps on the device and dialled Hoseok.

The ringing stopped at the fifth.

'Hello?'

Taehyung placed his second hand in the pocket of his slacks. 'Hey, Hoseok'.

'Hey'.

'Uh, late notice, but we were wondering if—'

'The level of hate in the world is astronomical'.

Taehyung blinked.
'What did you say?'

A sigh floated off the phone. Taehyung's eyebrows began to scrunch in worry.

'Hoseok, are you ok?'

Hoseok sighed again. 'That question in itself is not ok'.

Taehyung scratched his jaw. 'I don't—', he began, eyes fleeting to Namjoon in silent request, 'where are you? Do you need some help?'

Namjoon raised an eyebrow.

The other end sat silent. Taehyung watched Jin clap excitedly at a throng of fascinating overhead acts.

'Fruits are so sad'.

Taehyung started at the sudden voice. 'Excuse me?'

'Flowers too. They don't get born knowing that they're going to die, and when they think they're living their best lives—with the wind feeling so good on most days and all that sun photosynthesis and people cooing over and over again about how lovely they are—it's all so sudden when they get ripped out of it all'.

Taehyung was in a daze.

Namjoon watched puzzledly, eager to know what was happening. He made a gesture to his friend to let him know to put the call on speaker, but Taehyung didn't understand what he meant. Namjoon dropped his hands in disappointment.

'Hold on, Hoseok—'

'It's not fair. It's not fair, how bread gets treated. All that happiness living as silky smooth innocent flour, only to get brutally assaulted by some human's hands all in the idiotic name of kneading—kneading my foot! Kneading my fuc—'

Taehyung rolled his eyes and hung up. Namjoon's look was set in bemusement.

'Why did you—,' he flailed his hands as he searched for words, 'Is he coming? What's up?'

Taehyung put his phone into one of his pockets.

'He's drunk'.

'He's what?'

'Drunk.'

Jin talked animatedly with two ghosts and a spider.

'He was saying a lot of nonsense?'

Taehyung bubbled a chuckle. 'I wish you heard.'

'I did ask you to turn the speaker on'.

Taehyung's face spread out in an expression of amusement. 'Was that what you were trying to say? How does making a banana with your hand and throwing salt on it show to turn on the speaker?'

Joon's eyes were blank in angered surprise. 'I can't believe—', he sighed and brought a hand to the bridge of his nose, 'that was a hand phone Tae, not a banana. And I was spreading my hands out to show volume, not throwing salt.' He threw his hands up and began to walk towards Jin, who was now chewing on an orange and black donut. 'I swear I don't know how your brain does it'.

Tae followed him, a hand rubbing on his neck. 'You should have just said it instead'.

Joon shook his head as he took a donut from Jin, and then turned back to face Tae.

'I thought it'd be rude to—', his eyes widened vastly, his train of thought immediately ceasing. 'Oh my goodness this is so good'.

Tae eyed the box of donuts in Jin's hands.

'Gimme'.

Jin passed him the box, and Tae buried his gaze in it before he took one and brought it to his nose. He swayed on his feet.

'Oh my... I'm about to pass out from how good this smells'.

Joon moved to his side and gripped his arm. 'Don't try any funny business, because I will leave you here, alone by the side of the road, and people will step on your face'.

But Tae didn't answer, with half the donut in his mouth and his eyes closed in relish.

Jin turned to Joon, eyes shining.

'This place is amazing!'

Namjoon shrugged. 'I guess'.

'Let's come here every year!'

'Ok maybe, if you want'.

'I do want'.

'Deal, then'.

Jin wiggled in his shoes and fisted his palms, the happiest smile drawn on his face from ear to ear. Then he froze and looked at the others.

'Aren't we here to see Yoongi?'

'Ah, right'.

Joon took his bag off his shoulder and fumbled for his phone. 'I wanted to sort of shock him a bit but... I'll just call. We wouldn't be able to find him anyways, in the midst of all this'.

Yoongi stumbled into their view a minute after. Then he turned and gestured behind him.

'Follow me'.

Namjoon gripped the boy by the arm and yanked him back. Yoongi's mouth fluttered open in a bout to say something questioning, but he snapped it shut. Namjoon squinted right at him.

'Your ass gave Seokjin a cold. He couldn't go to Flour Cloud because of you!'

Yoongi looked over Joon to see Jin. He glanced all over the boy, confusion starting to splay itself all over his face.

'How come you're already ok?', he asked, eyes shooting into Jin's. 'I've been sniffing since the week before the last, since Sanha got it from one of his friends and gave it to me!' He brushed Namjoon's grip from his arm. 'I was sick for the whole of that week, and now that I'm pretty much alright, the sniffing still hasn't gone yet.'

Jin raised his hand to his neck to squeeze it, his mind wondering the manner with which he should respond to Yoongi.

'Well—'

'You're not even going to say sorry?'

Namjoon yanked Yoongi's arm again, and frustration was beginning to replace the confusion on the blond's features. Jin's hand left his neck, and his eyes strayed to the excitement across the street, lips thinned into a line.

Taehyung spoke up. 'You guys sure all the drinks wouldn't be gone by the time we start moving again after your argument's done?'

Namjoon scoffed. 'What's a club without drinks?'

Yoongi brushed Namjoon's grip off his arm once more. He turned and began to walk away.

Namjoon opened his mouth to shout something at his friend, but his eyes squinted, brazen snickering following right after.

'Yoongi?', Namjoon cackled, his chest seeming to rattle, 'What are you supposed to be?'

Yoongi paused and turned to Namjoon. 'What?'

'Your costume. What is it?'

Yoongi grumbled something. Joon put a hand to his ear and leaned closer.

'I'm cupid, curse you'.

Namjoon held his stomach and crumbled to the floor, laughing hard. Tae pretended to suddenly see something interesting behind him, and Jin followed his gaze, searching earnestly for the source.

Yoongi rolled his eyes and resumed walking, his wings folded behind his back. Tae immediately followed. Jin poked Joon with his wand, and the latter weakly got up, spluttering through coughs of remaining laughter.

The boys trod off after Yoongi, meandering through people and tables and decorative matter.

The blond brought them to a stop outside a bar, where they had to show their ID's. And then they were inside, eyes swimming around and falling on seemingly intriguing things. People getting it on everywhere. The sounds of laughter, hype and collective singing. The smell of sweat and a cocktail of alcoholic brands in the air. The Halloween theme making a scene in every corner.

The bass boomed in Jin's ears.

The colours flashed in Joon's eyes.

Tae wanted a drink.

'Here,' Yoongi began, as he led them to a little group of burgundy plush armchairs. He threw the bow and quiver of heart-headed arrows he had had slung over his shoulders down on the glass table. He tried to take off the wings too, but they didn't give in easily. He gave up and sighed when he saw Namjoon's mocking look.

'You can sit here, you can dance there,' he continued, pointing to an overly crowded dance area, 'or you can have drinks over there'. He flashed a finger at a bar stand.

'Where are your friends, Yoongi?', asked Namjoon, as he tried to talk above the intense music.

'We already hit a bunch of clubs and restaurants. This is the third to the last place before we head back to the dorms I think, at least that's what Megan said'. Yoongi sniffed and scratched his jaw, pointing at the dance floor. 'Do you want to go join them over there?'

Namjoon turned to look at the area. Handfuls of people swayed and bounced and gyrated to the EDM music booming phantomly from every corner, sweat reflecting in kaleidoscopic effect on their bodies.

One girl forcefully swished her hair to the side so it fell into another girl's mouth. A guy drunkenly tripped on his feet and dove into another guy, his shirt soaking the contents of the cup he held loosely in his right hand.

Joon shook his head. 'Nah, I'm good'.

'I want a drink,' Taehyung said, dropping the box of donuts on the table.

Yoongi did the hand gesture thing again. 'Come with me'.

Namjoon and Jin buried themselves in the velvet of the arm chairs. Jin ran his hands over the sides, liking how the material felt. Joon uncovered the box Tae had dropped on the table and took out another donut.

Taehyung trailed Yoongi to the bar area and sat on a high wooden stool. He placed his hands on the table to steady himself.

The bartender gave him a jovial smile. Tae tipped his head down in greeting.

'I don't want anything with alcohol in it', he mused. 'I've got an early class tomorrow'.

Yoongi took up a card resting static on the platform and shoved it under Taehyung's nose.

'Here's a list so you can choose'.

'Oh? Thanks'.

Taehyung picked the pink drink with an orange slice attached to the rim of the cup.

'You know,' he began, his hands clasped and his view on the swirl of colours sat in refrigerators behind the bartender's seemingly fit form, 'Hoseok would have joined us, but apparently he's drunk somewhere else already.'

Yoongi crumpled his eyebrows. 'Hoseok?'

'Yeah. I called him when we got here, but he was going off about some shit—,' A small smile played on his lips, 'All my phone calls are recorded. Finally got something to blackmail him with'.

Yoongi straightened up and pointed at a group of navy coloured armchairs in the corner behind them.

'He's over there'.

Tae swerved around to see what Yoongi was pointing at.

'Hoseok's over there'.

There were a couple or so people in that group, all clad in costumes. Tae couldn't tell which one was Hoseok.

'The one in the bat man mask'.

Tae's face lit in shock. 'No way'.

Yoongi shook his head. 'He was here when I arrived, which was quite a long while ago. And yes, he is drunk—I saw a row of bottles in front of him when I got here. He drank a lot more after, too. I thought to stop him,' he shrugged, 'but oh well.' He watched Tae glance about Hoseok's perimeter. 'Don't bother about the bottles. They've been cleared.'

Tae's mouth made an "o" shape, and he nodded. He made to get off his stool to meet Hoseok, but Yoongi's sudden grip on his arm halted him.

'I don't think you should'.

Taehyung looked at Yoongi, his face drawn in confusion.
'Why not?'

Yoongi glanced at Hoseok, and then back at Taehyung.

'He lashed at me'.

One of Taehyung's brows went up.
'He... at you?'

Yoongi nodded.

'He doesn't usually do that', said Tae.

The blond shrugged.
'I don't know. I tapped him on the shoulder to say hi, but he suddenly screamed at me and began ranting about... really odd things'.

Taehyung's mouth opened in realisation. 'That he does a lot.'

'Really? About trunks, buses and dead people?'

Taehyung turned to look at Hoseok, whose form was draped out on the chair, unmoving, his eyes completely out of view, that in gratitude to the Bat Man mask he was wearing. His lips sat in a deep frown, lopsidedly pronounced. Tae nodded slowly, blinking as he turned back to Yoongi.

'I guess anything goes'.

'I see'.

'Huh'.

Namjoon suddenly materialised beside his friend, and when Taehyung turned, he jerked and held a hand to his chest.

'Geez, Namjoon'.

Joon raised his brows one after the other. 'Scared, right?'

'Shut up'.

Namjoon skimmed the bar over. 'I want a drink too.'

Yoongi passed the card to him and asked him to choose.

Namjoon skimmed the card back and front, then eyed the blond. 'I hope you didn't have any? Your nose doesn't need anymore—'

Yoongi dragged him by the arm and pulled him closer to the table. 'Shut up. Order'.

'Let's go and sit with Jin,' Joon said, after he had received his clear coloured drink.

Yoongi popped off the stool. Taehyung got off too, but he didn't take a glass with him—he had already downed his drink. They made their way back, Namjoon in the lead.

Jin was in the same spot he had been, his hands still running up and down the arms of the chair. He smiled when he saw them.

'This chair feels so good'.

Namjoon rolled his eyes, and sat himself in the one next to Jin. His cup took position on the table. He cunningly watched the approaching blond scrunch his face.

'You're not going to blow that nose?'

Yoongi swiftly grabbed his large bow from the table and made to hit Namjoon.

The latter's hands shot up, his mouth clamped shut and his eyes holding scrolls of anxiety.

Yoongi eyed him heavily, before setting the prop back on the table and plopping into the seat opposite Jin. Taehyung sank into the one beside him.

'Hoseok's here'.

Joon and Jin looked at Joon. Tae pointed to the chairs at the far corner, where Hoseok lay.

'He's the bat man sat there'.

Jin squinted. Joon gaped like a fish would out of water.

'Really? And to think we were calling to ask if he'd like to come with, when he was already here!' Joon got up from the chair, wanting to walk up to Hoseok. 'What did he say about the phone call? Is he drunk for real?'

Taehyung yanked him back to his seat. 'Don't. He's philosophising'.

Namjoon turned to Yoongi for some sense, but found Yoongi nodding in agreement with Taehyung.

'I don't think going to meet him right now's a good idea. He hasn't moved from there in forever. He doesn't seem into it at all.'

Joon wore a pout. 'We just wanted to say Hi'.

Yoongi shook his head. 'I tried. He didn't even know who I was.'

'Does he get that drunk?', Jin asked, still squinting to see Hoseok.

'Apparently', answered Tae.

'Incredible'.

Joon smacked Jin's arm. 'Stop addressing him as though he were some experimental animal'.

Jin bowed his head in an apology.

Joon looked at Yoongi. 'Is Jimin here?'

Yoongi's eyes tauntingly lit up. 'Do you want him here?'

'Heck no, I hate his guts'.

Yoongi chuckled.
'Fine, he's not here. He had work to do'.

Joon sighed, visibly relieved.

'Who's Jimin?', Taehyung asked, after discreetly tasting Joon's drink. He liked it, and drank some more.

Yoongi leaned back and crossed his arms. He sniffed. 'You'll see'.

'Oh no, he won't.'

Yoongi laughed again, his head slightly tipping back and his vision disappearing behind his eyelids.

'Joon, he will see. There's really nothing you can do about it.'

Namjoon sank back into his chair, crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. Jin brought a hand out and pat his head.

'Do you want a drink too, Jin?'

Jin looked over at Yoongi. Then he nimbly shook his head. 'No, not really. I'll just have another donut.'

Taehyung grabbed the box before Jin could touch it. He peered at the pastries through the opening. 'There are four left.'

'I call dibs,' Joon yelled. He looked at Yoongi. Yoongi waved his hands in a negative.

'I already had tons of those, don't worry'.

Taehyung smiled, his hand cradling the box. 'I'll take two then'.

Namjoon looked up at his friend's face, his eyes flaring a chest full of many threats in the dim lights. He smoulderingly raised an eyebrow.

'I see you're begging for another crab up your leg'.

Taehyung placed the box gently back onto the table and hugged himself.

~

Lol this was fun.
See blond cupid Yoongi in the back of your head, lmao
Imagery at it's finest