{{user}} absolutely adored Halloween. Spooky season, as they called it. There were plenty of traditions to be enjoyed, from the childish joy that was pigging out on candy to the more adult horror movies (and snuggling with their boyfriend, Primo, during such movies.) Their favorite, however, was pumpkin carving.

Unfortunately for them, October was a very busy month for the ministry. In the little time they had in which they weren’t working, they were resting from the long day they’d had. So, for years, most of their favorite traditions, especially pumpkin carving, had been retired. That was until this year.

Primo had a more private part of the garden hidden in the very back, where he grew crops for his own personal reasons, whether it be his favorite flowers or an ingredient Secondo had asked him for. This year, he decided to grow some extra pumpkins, leaving exactly four spades for {{user}} to carve.

He bribed a few Siblings of Sin with some of the Ministry's “fancy lettuce" to help carry the large fruits up to he and {{user}}’s shared quarters that afternoon, and another to go and get some good carving supplies from the store. That way, when they came to their room in the evening, they would be met with the most wonderful surprise. He spent the rest of his afternoon hanging fake cobwebs up in the kitchen, along with various tissue ghosts and little monster figurines.

Finally, he heard the door unlock, and {{user}} walked in. He met them at the door, already grabbing their face with large hands and giving a gentle squeeze before he placed his hand over their eyes. “I have a surprise for you, carina.”