Chapter 291: Progressive October IV: Halloween Special

This Progressive October as Alexander calls it... had a lot of noteworthy happenstance.

It was coming to an end though but a noteworthy festivity happen to coincide with that.

'October 31, 1985' has come and Halloween was finally here.

This also meant that costume season had peaked and Creed Costumes and its products should have done their best.

Of course, Alexander's divisiveness and pessimistic ambivalence towards costumes were somewhat of a crutch for the business endeavor. Which was why he actively requested something that should give him some sort of supportive silver lining to it.

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As Creed Costumes were somewhat spread and may be worn all over the Halloween-enjoying communities, Alexander happened to have boxes of custom costume props for his own.

It was delivered straight to his home just this Halloween... in a twisted sense of timing.

"What's in the boxes, Alex?" Milla asked as soon as she saw his "thinking gaze".

"I'll tell you as long as you tell me why you have a box too." Alexander bargained since an extra boxed package arrived among his bunch.

The extra box was actually meant for the girl.

"Oh, goodie! It's finally here!" Well, Milla just pounced on her box to open it. She wasn't like Alex that analyzes everything.

"You still haven't told me what's in it." He reminded.

"Hehe! I already know that your boxes have costumes by the way." Milla knew a lot since she had plenty of Creed employee connections. "When you asked for Creed Costumes people to design something for you, I also asked something for myself. So, what's in my box is also a costume. "

That was quite unexpected and it made him curious. "What costume did you ask for?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me yours." Milla bargained with a bit of a twist. "Oh! How about we do this to make things fun?"

"Let's change into our costumes and we will both be able to tell each other then." Well, it seems she had a much different preposition to go for and that was to play dress-up.

"Yeah. Why not?" Alexander played along since there was not much to do. It was a holiday and a Sunday after all.

"Great. I'll change upstairs and you change wherever!" Milla was quite excited to have Alex on board. "Meet back here in the living room. Then, let's go have an American Halloween!"

"Sure sure." Alexander appeased as he picked up his box and she picked up hers.

All the while, her 'American Halloween' comment got him to wonder what Halloween in the Soviet Union was like.

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Eventually, they both changed and convened again at the in-house costume showcase venue.

Alexander changed at an astonishing pace like the boy he is... and Milla arrived later like the girl she is.

In any case, as soon as Milla stepped into the living room... their secretive custom costumes were revealed to each other.

Alexander sighed with exasperation. "Chichi. How'd you even know about that axed costume design?"

"I have many friends in many Creed places!" Milica had her chin up with pride and interrogation. "Why did you not approve the Chichi costume? I think it looks amazing and shouldn't it be good for business?!"

After which, she twirled around like a model with the whole Chichi ensemble. She even pressed that Chichi helmet button and said. "I even feel like I could slice a dinosaur up like how my Chichi did."

Of course, she needed some explanation from Alex. "From Charlie toys, that shotgun me, and then this Chichi costume... do you have something against the products of the characters I'm connected to?"

"I have reasons." Alexander looked away from that great Chichi-ness as he explained. "For starters, that helmet is impressive and everything but it is incredibly hard to mass produce. Profitability is so low that it's not worth it.

"As for the rest of the Chichi ensemble..." He didn't really want to look back at the girl's bold clothing choice. "The way you look already speaks for itself."

Milla looked by the mirror and found her gloves, boots, and helmet great. Then, she looked at her bra and panties to understand what Alex meant. "I'm sexy."

Alexander would have choked if he was drinking water. "Reasons enough for you."

It had to be noted that although he had seen her attire for the pool... the Chichi costume was just a step above. He had to look away so as to really not weird up the already weird friendship he has with little Milica.

A comic book or cartoon character wearing that kind of thing is barely within the limits of acceptable.

If Creed makes such a costume available in real life, then the 80s conservatives will burn them by the stake.

"Yeah, I get it." Milla look at her costume and said with regret. "... but it's still a shame."

Of course, with her costume revealed... she intent-ly looked to Alex for what his costume is. "What are you even costuming for? You're just wearing white clothes all over."

"Generally, I like dark themes." Alexander had always opted for them due to the hair and eye color that he has. Simple but effective. "However, a costume is about wearing a different persona. White seems like perfect opposition to my usual. Hence, I am costumed."

"That may be a costume for you since you don't wear much white..." Milica found it odd. "...but it still isn't a costume, I think?"

Of course, she realized the whole thing was odd from the get-go. "Didn't you not like costumes because it is silly? Even if your costume is not really a costume, how come you're doing it now?"

"Remember what you said in Comic-Con about how not wearing costumes myself is bad for the business?" Alexander admitted. "Well, the costume products are being on sale as we speak. In the off chance that what you speculated is true, it can't hurt to try stuff out."

"Aha! I was right!" The girl savored the moment. It was rare for her to be right against the correction-er Alex.

The boy even seem to not want to look in her direction which made her believe that he was ashamed or maybe he didn't want to admit things.

She was a good sport though and cheered him up. "It's alright, Alex. People can't be right all the time. How about I just help you with a proper costume to really not trouble your business?"

Alexander didn't bother trying to correct the misunderstanding much. However, she was coming close and in her Chichi costume, so he had to do something.

Picking up something from his costume box on the side, he wore the thing in a hurry and said. "Tada. I already have a proper costume so no help is needed."

Fortunately, that stopped the scantily clad girl in her tracks as she looked at his whole costume reveal in amusement.

Milica could now see that the whole white clothes were trying to match something and that white bucket that is now in his head was the missing piece.

The white bucket has weird eyes and curved-up lips designed for it.

Of course, she didn't know what it really meant but it looked familiar to something in Star Wars. Alex's costume seems sillier than that though, so she laughed. "Haha! You look like one of those white-armored soldiers around that Darth Vader guy. Those white soldiers looked cool but your look crappier than them."

"Those are stormtroopers." Alexander voiced under his bucket helmet. Granted, the stormtrooper misunderstanding was understandable but... "This is something different."

"If it's not that. What character are you basing this on then?" Milica still found his costume funny but she was also curious.

"I'm not basing this on any character." Technically, he is but she didn't need to know the whole truth. "This is for a new character that I'm developing."

"You're releasing new comic titles again!" A new character meant a new comic for Milla.

That was a welcome surprise. She knew a lot of people had been bummed that Alex didn't make new titles ever since those law-thingies.

"Not exactly. But when you go about it in comic terms... I'm actually making a new identity to hide my true one." Alexander explained as he was quite looking forward to this one. "Kind of like Bruce Wayne and the Batman persona that he developed into."

Milla was shocked. "Oh my god, Alex! Are you going to be a hero?! In real life."

That was quite a leap of comic logic that Alexander had to take his bucket-like helmet off. "Uhm... no. That would be reckless and stupid and I don't even have the tech or superpower."

"What is it about then?" Milla tilted her head in confusion.

"Instead of going for the 'I am vengeance, I am the night, I am Batman' stick" He continued on as he time it while placing his bucket helmet back on. "I will go with..."

"I am melody."

"I am music."

"I am... Marshmello."

The Marshmello helmet perfectly fit with that and a new and different music icon was conceived.

Alexander has Christopher Cornstock to thank for this option as he inspired him with a solution to things that plagued him.

Aside from solving the non-costume-wearing jinx... the mysterious music persona strategy will help resolve the concerns he has with starting a music career.

Hiding the apathy and indifference he really has... that painted smile will throw people off from who he really is.

Marshmello will be Alexander's musician alter ego that will take the music industry by storm!

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Clearly, another noteworthy progress has been made. It was even at the brink of Progressive October... making it a Halloween special indeed!