[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Gabriel grumbled quietly to himself; this one wasn't quite as bad as the leprechaun, but it was certainly second on his list of most detested Halloween costumes tried on today. A pumpkin - and with his fur, it became an unripe pumpkin!

"Don't you dare laugh, or I'm going home!" he threatened, as he stepped miserably out into the shop. To her credit, Rheese didn't so much as snicker. She simply sent him back into his cubicle with a bored wave of her paw - which was then stuffed firmly against her mouth to muffle her laughter as soon as the curtain was closed!

[16]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Lloyd sashayed out of the cubicle, leaving the curtain billowing behind him, to find Rheese rocking in place and biting her fist.

"What did I miss, and why didn't you call me out for it?" he cried; surely it must have been hilarious if it had her in such a state!

Rheese calmed down enough to gesture for him to twirl, though she didn't remove her paw from her mouth - she didn't trust herself to speak just yet!

His mage outfit looked phenomenal; a luxurious purple robe, lavishly decorated with beads and metallic embroidery to give the illusion of wealth, a wishbone circlet studded with rhinestones with a large purple imitation gem in the centre and numerous beaded chain loops dangling off it, and a glittering jewelled staff - all he needed was the magical aura, and he would probably be able to pull that off himself!

"Put that one aside, it's one of your top three" she told him, applauding at his retreating form as he grinned his way back into the cubicle.

[17]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Gabriel mused, as he stared at himself in the mirror; this one was not that bad. He didn't love it, exactly, but - he wouldn't mind wearing it, exactly, if he had to. He adjusted the angle of the wizard's hat and smoothed out the mossy green robe, before picking up the carved wooden staff that someone had clearly put several hours of work into - hand carved, finely detailed, and varnished to a shine - before stepping out of the changing room to face Rheese's scrutiny.

"I like it" she declared, staring at the long white beard drooping from his face and how the hat made his long ears hang crookedly. "Try and stoop a bit when you walk - you look like an authentic wizard that way!" she clapped her approval before shooing him back into the changing rooms, after telling him to set the outfit aside as one of his top three.

[18]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Lloyd didn't like this costume one bit - it looked cheap and tacky, and hung in all the wrong places.

"Rheese, I can't wear this - it ruins my gorgeous figure!" he whined, pouting as he walked towards her.

Rheese wrinkled her nose in disgust; she doubted that this ghost costume had ever seen better days, though it was certainly sad now. If you could even call it a costume; a bit of netting, torn rags, a ragged black wig, and very little else left much to be desired.

"Absolutely not!" she declared; "take it off right now!" As far as she was concerned, that thing should be thrown in the bin!

[19]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Gabriel stared in confusion at the mass of tangled lines in front of him. This costume - if it could even be called that - appeared to be made of old fishnets, fishing line, plastic barnacles, and fake seaweed. Nevertheless, he had to at least try to get it on - Rheese had been known to storm into the changing room and physically dress someone if need be, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Eventually it was done - though as he looked at himself in disgust, Gabriel knew that this one was going to be harder to remove than it was to put on!

Rheese didn't even wait for him to step out of the changing room - she simply waved her paw and commanded him to change, immediately, before smoothing down the fur that had become ruffled up when she saw him in that mess.

[20]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Lloyd snickered at himself as he admired his reflection, preening his whiskers with his claws. Well, sort of; these weren't actually his whiskers or claws - this werewolf costume certainly was convincing! Pity the mask smells, he thought to himself; otherwise he might really have liked being a big wolf for once.

The reaction he got from Rheese was a little unnerving, however; she just stared at him for a good few minutes, before shaking her head slowly. As he walked away, Lloyd made a mental reminder to ask her about it when he was less canine-looking.

21

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Gabriel was very confused when he stepped out of the cubicle; Lloyd was nowhere to be seen and Rheese seemed to be distressed about something.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concerned; it wasn't like Rheese to be spooked by anything, especially when in a costume shop. After all, she knew everything wasn't real in here, so what had gotten her so ruffled?

"I'll be fine. You look good. Next costume" she said between calming breaths. Gabriel shrugged and went to change; she hadn't even looked at his costume properly, but then again he supposed there was very little difference between this hermit costume and the wizard's one he had tried on earlier - except this one didn't have a hat.

[22]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Lloyd was pouting again; Rheese rolled her eyeballs as he stepped towards her looking like someone kicked his puppy.

"Rheese, dear, do be serious. You can't expect me to be a pirate if I'm not a captain!" he protested, lifting his eyepatch in order to expose her to the full effect of his puppy-dog-eyes.

Rheese huffed; she had known this was coming the moment he had called out the word 'pirate' from the changing room. "Didn't I tell you to try on the captain's outfit Gabriel passed you earlier? What was wrong with that one?" she asked in exasperation.

"It came with extras" he whined; didn't she understand that he couldn't wear something that had a dead paw in it before him?

[23]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"Fine" Rheese almost growled out; sometimes Lloyd really got on her nerves with his complaining about trivial matters. "There's another captain's costume over there - grab it and try it on, and give the one you're currently wearing to Gabe."

"Aye aye, ma'am!" came Lloyd's excited agreement; he could see fine embroidery on this one that stood out even against the darkness in the shop, and the lacy shirt and cuffs looked right up his street. "Gabriel, I'll be dropping this on you in a moment!"

Of course, Gabriel had ignored Lloyd's excited squeals so it came as quite the surprise when a pirate costume came flying over the side of his stall! He grumbled as Lloyd's laughter rang out across the shop, and began to dress himself in the costume he had just received. At least Lloyd didn't leave any 'extras' for him - some people just had all the luck!

[24]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

The pirate costume wasn't bad, thought Gabriel as he looked at himself in the mirror. It didn't make him look too ghoulish, but it wasn't quite what he would have chosen. However, he would be happy to make it his second top three choice, especially considering he shuddered thinking about most of the others he had tried on.

"Second of my top three" he said to Rheese, turning in a circle so she could see it. "I agree, it looks good on you - maybe not as good as the wizard one, but still good" Rheese said, before shooing him back into his stall.

[25]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Lloyd flounced out of his stall wearing a white leather catsuit with tassels hanging from it, a black wig and a pair of sunglasses. "And just who am I supposed to be?" he all but shrieked, as Rheese stared aghast at the sight that was before her.

Gabriel also had to do a double take; he couldn't believe his eyes!

"Why are you dressed as Elvis?" he piped up eventually, eager to break the awkward silence in the shop.

"Who on Evelon is Elvis?" this time Lloyd actually did shriek, and Rheese flinched, hoping the shopkeeper would continue to ignore his antics.

[26]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

"Elvis is - was - a popular singer some time ago" answered Rheese, tired of Lloyd's tantrum already. "Now go and change please; I believe we all - including the people down the street - know that one's not suitable."

"Hmph; I wouldn't wear this ratty thing anyway - I'm supposed to be the king of your ball! How on earth can I be the king dressed like this!" he complained, twirling and stalking back into his stall with his tassels wafting with his movements.

"He really has no idea" marvelled Gabriel at the spectacle that was Lloyd. Rheese just sighed in response; "Don't antagonise him please - now go and change" she said.

[27]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Gabriel picked up his next costume gingerly with one paw, and stared at it. It was ghastly, truly horrific; it had pink sparkly wings, a pink sparkly dress, and - oh no, was that a crown shaped like a tooth?

He sighed, as he pulled it on; Rheese had insisted that they model every outfit picked out for them, or else, and he knew she'd make good on her threat. He hoped against hope Lloyd would take his sweet time and wouldn't come out, though he doubted he'd be that lucky.

Rheese didn't even wait until he was in the room proper before she dismissed the outfit; all those sparkles would clash with her holiday decor, after all (and if it spared his dignity, who would complain?)

[28]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Lloyd was out next, looking dapper in a black suit, white shirt, black bow tie and bowler hat, and carrying a black cane. "This one's not too bad" he said, twirling in the mirror, "But I'm not sure how I'm going to stick the moustache on."

Rheese giggled as she dismissed him; "Whatever Charlie, go try the next one on."

Lloyd stared at her, mystified, until she realised the problem. "Never heard of Charlie Chaplin either, huh?" she asked, giggling louder.

[29]

[ToxxicRenegadeAngel]

Lloyd pouted at her in a sulk, until she relented. "He was a famous silent movies star" she said, wondering exactly when he had died. How long he had stayed in the catacombs beneath the old theatre before it collapsed?

"You know, back before they had dialogue for films?" she continued; at least he knew what films were - she had had to teach him a lot, but he had somehow managed to find out about movies on his own.

Lloyd harrumphed to himself; "If he's not famous now, he wasn't famous to begin with" and stalked back into his cubicle with his nose in the air.

30