4 ● VIDEO

[23wishes]

[The video feed opens on... something that looks suspiciously like a commercial. Aerith is standing in the middle of her "garden" - or what anyone else would call a giant field of flowers. Strangely, though many flowers and plants are dying in the fall cold, Aerith's flowers look healthy as ever.

(The video is unmistakably taken with her phone on a selfie stick.)]

It's finally October! We all know it's an important month! We think about Halloween first, of course, but did you know October has a second holiday? One even sweeter than Halloween.

Sweetest Day!

A very important day for those of us with sweethearts~ Sweetest Day is the time to remind the people you're sweet on just how much you care. In fact, why not say it in flowers? I grow just about every kind you can think of, and no one else has fresher flowers than me. That's a guarantee!

[WINK~]

So come visit me right here in Nonah 06, or catch me in Maurtia Falls on weekends, Heropa on Mondays and Thursdays, and De Chima on Wednesdays.

But, you know~ Halloween lovers shouldn't worry! Because guess what~

[The video cuts off for half a second and is spliced together with what's clearly a shot from later in the day. Aerith, still in her backyard, is standing in front of a pumpkin patch. It's not big by any means, but she's got about two dozen pumpkins ready for the picking.]

I've got pumpkins, too! Whether you want to carve them or make them into a pie, stop right here at Nonah 06 and you'll be set for fall in no time!

See you all soon~

Comments

[deadtective]

Like, at least a hundred kinda best?

[23wishes]

a

hundred

i can try?

[deadtective]

Wow, sure ran out of steam fast. What happened to all that swagger?

[23wishes]

i'm not sure it's something i can do at will, especially in a number that big

but i do need the money

[deadtective]

Look, I'm probably gonna fuck up a couple of them at some point so I'll end up using more than a hundred. How 'bout you bust your ass and I'll just pay you for however many you can barf up?

Not like there aren't enough places to snag some gourds around here.

[23wishes]

i'll do the best i can

[deadtective]

Wow, that's promising. If I find out Grandpa fucking got to you then I'm taking my money back plus interest.

[23wishes]

Grandpa?

you two must be really close

[deadtective]

I'm waiting for him to croak so I can take all his shit.

[23wishes]

you're gonna be waiting a long time

[deadtective]

Hell of a lot less time than you'd think; we share a house.

[23wishes]

so that's why he's terrified. i would be too.

[deadtective]

He's terrified that I'm gonna have to write 'tripped over a pumpkin and ate shit' for his obituary in a few weeks, yeah.

[23wishes]

you couldn't even give him a more dignified way to go

[deadtective]

This is my month. He wanted a fucking decent death then he should've bitten it a long time ago.

[23wishes]

halloween must be really important to you

we don't have it where i'm from. can you tell me more about it?

[deadtective]

It's the one time of year when people are looking forward to shitting their pants instead of getting pissy at me over it. Of course it's important to me.

It used to be about scaring away supernatural assholes when the veil of reality thinned out for a night, but now it's about keeping mobs of kids from destroying your house by throwing candy at their heads. History's pretty neat like that.

[23wishes]

ohhhh, so the doctor was right to be worried about you

this is going to be my first halloween. i was just going to go trick or treating with some friends but is there something else i should do too to enjoy it to the fullest?

[deadtective]

Anyone with half an ounce of self-preservation is always right to be worried about me.

If it's your honest to god first fucking Halloween, you abso-fucking-lutely have to vandalize a house. Start stocking up on the toilet paper now.

[23wishes]

.........

there ARE some people i don't like very much

[Hazel no, don't encourage this.]

[deadtective]

[L M A O YEAH SURE SHE'LL BE THE RESPONSIBLE ADULT HERE]

You might wanna go the whole hog and cover their house and the trees in crap, then. Sends a much spookier message.

[23wishes]

does everyone vandalize things on halloween?

or just you?

[deadtective]

Somebody wasn't paying attention when I fucking explained this holiday. What do you think all the damn spooky ghosts and shit did when they used to run through here? Spit in the punch bowl??

[23wishes]

[Actually, she can believe Hazel is an entire mob of disobedient kids in a suit. Explains a lot, really.]

I MEAN how likely is it that we'd get in trouble?

[deadtective]

Not likely at all unless you're a dumbass who gets caught.