SUMMARY:

The title says it all.

*They decorate and the pumpkins and carving tools are bigger than are. They have to fly them away from the "human world" small and become big to use them. FUN. <3

Why do I have this obsession with putting them in mushrooms as *smol cute pocket stray kids?

31 Days Of Halloween (Stray Kids):  October 2023

Story Five:

Fae Stray Kids Who Live In Mushrooms In The Forest

-

  Have you seen Seungmin," Felix asked Chan.  He was holding a pumpkin that was nearly as big as him.
  "Whoa," Chan said, Jumping up to help him.
  Hyunjin was hovering overhead, wings working overtime to hold up a package of carving tools and paints for a jack-o-lanter.
  "Did you guys swipe stuff from the human world again?"
  Hyunjin adjusted his grip on the package and said, "I don't know why you keep calling it "the human world" like it's separate.  We literally just live in the forest and them in towns and cities."
  "You know why it's separate."
  Felix said, "But it's not really separate... separate.  Just... in different locations on the same plane of existence."  He grinned.
  "You both are a pain in my .  Seungmin's in the buzz circle-  He's-  Hey?"
  They'd darted in that direction.
  "Thanks, Channie Hyung," Felix yelled.
  "Bye," Hyunjin yelled.
  He sighed and grabbed a yellow leaf.  He needed more leaves to fill the sack and they could decorate the common house for the Autumnal celebration.  "One down.  Many sacks to go."

-

"Seungminnie," Felix called when he got near the buzz circle.  The buzzing could be heard loud and clear.  It vibrated through his bones.
  "Seungmin looked over from his blanket on the ground.  He waved and sat up.  "You got them?"
  "Of course we did," Hyunjin said.  "We weren't leaving until we got them.  We promised."
  They landed and sat down on the leaves.  The buzz group collected them to make the ground more comfortable.
  The participants today consisted of three kids, one babysitter, Seungmin, and a cat that had been temporarily shrunk.  It had curled up by a little napping girl.  Its green eyes remained unblinking like it was guarding her.  She was probably going to be a witch one day.  Their people were a collection of fairies, pixies, gnomes - strays basically - and they were encouraged to do what they loved, not what you're "supposed" to do according to culture.
  The buzz circle was to help deal with nerves, and anxiety, to make friends, to nap, and to regulate extreme emotions or energy.  It should be called the "Let' meet new people, be hyper and make weird sounds, circle - together... circle.  "Yeah.  It was one of the first things they introduced people to when they joined their community.
  "So, are you ready to carve a pumpkin Hyunjin said.
  "Yes," Seungmin jumped up and held out his arms.  He had wings, but flying by himself made him nervous.
  Felix left the pumpkin and let him get on his back.  "We're going to go get Jeongin and Minho and then we'll start.  Channie has his own chore/decoration stuff to do.
  "Okay."  He took a deep breath.  "Ready."
  "Ready."
  Hyunjin fluttered his wings and hovered over the grass.  "Ready."  He took off.
  "Hey," Felix called.
  Seungmin giggled.  "He's excited."
  "Yeah.  That dork."

-

  Minho held a leg out, hindering Jeongin from painting his jack-o-lantern.
  "Stop," he yelled.  "Why are you being so annoying."
  "Magnae!"
  "Hyung!"
  "Would you two stop before you take an eye out?"  Chan said.  He'd come from the woods with several bags full of leaves attached to his back and vest.  They had a cheap carving knife and a paintbrush crossed.
  He started it," Jeongin said.
  "I did not."
  Chan sighed.  "No more candy for Minho.  You know this happens to you every time.  You get too hyper and cause... chaos."
  "Not true."
  "You're doing it right now."
  "...Fine.  I'll go run a mile or something."  He was the one less likely to fly, so he meant that.
  "Be my guest."
  He made an obnoxious "Ah" sound and said, "I have to finish my pumpkin first."

-

  The common house was a three-stalked purple mushroom.  Chan lived in the middle one - in the top.  He had spent the last month "Springs Cleaning-"...  "Autumnal Cleaning"?  They could now bring in the orange long table, the black floor runner, and red trims for the other surfaces.  Then the cute witchy tablecloth.
  It had yellow recent moons and silver stars.  The guys filled in at mid-light and got to work.  Felix loved the tablecloth and claimed the activity immediately.
  "I can't wait until the actual celebration," Hyunjin said.  "I get to put together the ribbon dance game."
  "I want to do the sack race again.  I've been practicing," Jeongin said.
  "Psh.  You're going down," Seungmin said.
  Changbin pulled them apart and pointed them in different directions.  "Yall behave."

-

The purple Mushroom glowed under the moonlight.  It was adorned with scary pumpkins and braided and dangling roped leaves.  Jeonging and Seungmin had used four shirts and stuffed them with leaves.  The animal paintings on them gave it a less cooky feel.
  They had set the long table outside and handed out the plates.  The community was cutting meat, scooping out soups, and pouring drinks.  Music instruments were being tuned but not one minded waiting.  It'd been a season since they'd played, the owner having traveled for leisure.
  "Punch punch punch punch," Seungmin said.  He jumped with each word.  Verbal Stimming.
  Minho handed him a wooden cup with no handle.  "Sit down or you'll spill it."  He made sure it didn't tip as he sat.
  Chan looked around at the gaggle of strays he'd accumulated and smiled.  To think he'd started out traveling alone and discouraged was something else.
  The music started and Felix, Changbin, and Seungmin ran to a circular opening that had been formed as a dancefloor.
  Let the fun begin.  [Click HERE to Read Next Chapter]

ENDING NOTES:

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