Dance With the Dead (BTVS, Book Six)

chapter 6 - All the Way

It was Halloween.

The Magic Box was filled with customers, including many laughing children.

There was a banner reading "Halloween Bone-Anza" with the letters spelled out in paper bones and the O in 'Bone' a paper skull.

Anya was going through the store on roller skates, wearing very short candy-striped shorts, a red blouse and Farrah Fawcett hair, looking at a customer. "Um, everything on this table's half off. Including the table." She skated on, looking at a second customer. "Buy one eyeball, get the second one free."

Giles was working the cash register, wearing a wizard robe. 

Xander was dressed as a pirate, talking to some children, holding a jar, giving a pirate growl. "Careful, me mateys! These be fireflies spat from a volcano off the coast of Katmandu. Arr!"

A little boy was dressed as a fireman. "You're not a real pirate! Real pirates live on boats and don't look stupid."

Xander gave a fake laugh. "Oh, a salty swabbie. Maybe you be fishing for the taste... of me hook."

Giles shook his hook-hand.

The boy was unimpressed.

Giles called out to Xander. "Uh, hello, Ahab, a little help please?"

"Arr, and help ye shall have, sir," Xander told him, giving the boy a menacing look, walking off, scratching his neck with the hook.

Dawn walked across the store, dressed normally, putting something down on the table next to Anya. "So, what are you supposed to be?"

"An angel," Anya answered.

"Oh, shouldn't you have wings?" Dawn asked.

"Oh, no," Anya answered. "This is a special kind of angel called a Charlie. We don't have wings. We just skate around with perfect hair fighting crime. Where's your costume?"

Anya skated away.

Dawn followed. "Like I'm six years old? Halloween's so lame."

"But you get to dress up, and play games," Anya told her. "Xander's gonna teach me a new one after work called Shiver Me Timbers. Ever play?"

Tara appeared just in time to hear this and intervene. "Uh, Dawn, Willow could use some help in magical texts."

Dawn smiled. "I'm all over it."

Dawn walked away.

Anya looked at Tara. "How about you? Ever play Shiver Me Timbers?"

"I'm not really much for the timber," Tara told her.

Willow on the other side of the room, holding up a book on witchcraft., looking at a woman in a traditional Halloween witch costume with a hooked nose, pointy black hat, green makeup, warts, etc. Will was angry. "I'm just saying you might wanna rethink the stereotype before someone turns you into a toad." The woman looked annoyed, grabbing the book, walking away. "And while you're at it, why don't you try to removing that broomstick from you--" Dawn approached Willow. Willow caught herself from saying anything else. "Dawn!"

"Hey," Dawn told her. "Don't stop the invective on account of me."

"If I see one more idiot that thinks witches are all hairy moles and rotted teeth--" Willow started.

A little girl dressed in a black witch outfit with sparkly makeup, looking cute and pretty instead of ugly and mean approached them. "Excuse me. Do you have any candy corn?"

Willow smiled. "Oh, look at you." She knelt in front of the girl. "You are just the cutest thing."

Dawn was confused and amused. "I--I thought you said--"