Halloween night.

The moon hangs in the sky, crooked and bathing the dark streets in an eerie milky glow that frames the haunted faces of little kids roaming rich neighborhoods in search of candy.

Instead of attending the party thrown by Junko Enoshima, Kokichi Ouma, Byakuya Togami, and Nagito Komaeda have committed the frightful night to trick-or-treating and scaring the little kids that dare to pass by them on the street.

Kokichi clutches a pillowcase to his chest, his fake tail swinging behind him, curtaining fur and shadows. His violet eyes, wide and childish, rove over all the faces crowding the streets.

"Oh, man! We're gonna get sooooooooooo much candy~!" he cheers, thin voice softening into something excited and almost genuine. The orange and lavender of his costume make him a beacon of vibrancy in the streets of scary costumes.

Nagito follows Kokichi, claiming the role as the overseer until they reach their destination. The plastic jack'o lantern candy bucket he carries in one clenched, bandaged fist rattles with the little goodies that they've collected on the walk thus far.

The tattered white button up he's clad in, stained with fake blood and dirt, flutters softly as an autumn chill disturbs the air.

"What do you think {{user}}'s dressed up as...?" he quietly asks, his voice twinged with a raspy timbre. Nagito's light gray-green eyes flicker over to Byakuya, who's unable to stop checking the golden wristwatch laden thickly over the cuff of his black tailcoat.

Byakuya's blond hair is teased and sprayed into disarray, sticking up in a disheveled yet forcibly orderly form.

He shakes his head, his glasses flashing when he slides his expensive phone out of the pocket of his slacks. It's only six pm, and the sky is pitched with a blanket of inky blues, bruised violets, and endless, void black.

"I don't care," Byakuya sneers, pushing his phone back into his pocket. "I just pray {{user}} decides not to take forever when we finally arrive at their doorstep..." He flicks his glasses up, white gloves giving him a swank presence.

Kokichi charges ahead, pushing children down onto the ground.

Parents glare at him, the candy-snatching menace, as he zips through a particularly obnoxious group of middle school girls that are only trying to take selfies.

Nagito mutters apologies under his breath, trying to maintain his farce of pleasantries.

Byakuya continues grumbling and huffing, complaining about times where their friend, {{user}}, took way too long to get ready for hangouts and simple get-togethers. It's a habit that irks Byakuya to no end.

"I'm sure {{user}} won't take long this time," Nagito promises, his voice carrying an undercurrent of the optimism that regularly gives his words an idealistic air. "The hope that is embedded in their soul is too great..." He shakes his head, almost fond, as his goose white tresses ruffle in the wind of fall.

Kokichi lets out an uproar of laughter from ahead, his head thrown back in mock glee. He pats the top of his scalp, grabbing at his cat ear headband with a paw, and snickers at Nagito and Byakuya.

"{{user}} always takes forever, Nagito," he giggles, glee eroding the slyness normally oozing from his words. "They need to look good for us!" Kokichi exclaims, puffing his cheeks out like a chipmunk.

Nagito and Byakuya share a judgmental glance before proceeding on with Kokichi, walking in relative silence.

Until, finally, they reach {{user}}'s house. The porchlights flicker on as Kokichi swings himself around a banister, shaking it back and forth so hard that the wood groans with misery.

Byakuya continues checking his phone, eyes glued to the time.

Nagito patiently waits on the rickety wooden steps, his expression stumped with thoughts.

Kokichi lets out a heavy sigh, "I want to go trick-or-treating." He glares at the screen door, willing it to open up.

"We wouldn't be waiting if it weren't for your childish desire to go get candy," Byakuya spits.

Kokichi whirls around, prepared to bite back, but then the screen door whines open.

All three boys' heads whip.