Something Halloween

The Halloween office party. Of all the other social occasions they sometimes organized in the company, this one was Twilight's absolute favorite. Masks and costumes, sometimes inspired, sometimes funny, made the whole thing so much more casual and relaxed that the mare was positively looking forward to it all year. This year was going to be extra special. She'd heard rumors that the Legal department was coming as a group with a theme. Despite surreptitious queries, Twilight hadn't been able to determine what the theme was. It was bound to be amazing, though! Well, either that, or incredibly funny, which was just as good.

She nibbled on a bit of cracker with vegetable paste and then washed it down with champagne. Anon was chatting with a few people on the other side of the room with a tall glass in his hand which Twilight knew contained nothing more than apple juice. It really was a big sacrifice he was making and she'd have to repay him in kind, later.

His costume was apparently a smash hit, which irked a little bit. Anon had ignored her advice to dress as the Cumberbatch Sherlock Holmes, which - in her opinion - would have been a ton better. He had no right to get all that praise for the old, less-attractive Sherlock Holmes! Her own Steve Jobs getup also earned some praise, which helped offset the annoyance at Anon's success.

Darlene had kitty ears, elaborate makeup and a fake tail hanging from her backside. Predictable - she'd come as a cat the past several times. Her other coworkers had put in varying degrees of effort. Mostly they had some kind of a suit and several had plastic masks. There was one 'Superman' walking around somewhere, but Twilight hadn't seen yet who it was. She'd only glimpsed the blue and red from a distance.

It looked like good turnout, too. These things were in no way mandatory, so Twilight was happy to see it well-attended. It said she and Anon were doing something right. She slipped around a few people talking next to the coffee machine and exited the lounge to go check if the Legal department had come yet. Hopefully they would group up in their offices before making an entrance together. Maybe she could sneak a peek. It seemed like several other people had the same idea and were milling about in the hallway. Someone noticed her and waved her over.

"Twilight! You won't believe what Legal did!" the man was saying with a huge, goofy grin on his face.

"Did you see them? What's the theme?!" the mare demanded, hurrying over. She reared up, placing her hooves against the wall, so she could see through the hallway window, which was a tiny bit too high for her. Unfortunately someone had taped some paper over it, so she couldn't get a glimpse.

"Rob saw Alice when she came up with the lift. Something zombie-related!" the man explained.

Someone else heard them and joined the discussion. "Yeah, I heard they were doing 'Walking Dead'. Those costumes must have cost a bunch, too! Alice looked like she'd been mauled by a bear!"

Twilight gave a small gasp. TV show theme and special effects?! They really had gone all out. Maybe she'd have to think up a small award, perhaps a plaque or a simple trophy to give to the department as "Best Halloween Theme"? It could become an annual thing, if people liked the idea. She filed the thought away for later and tried to peer in the window again. Now she was insanely curious!

"I think they're coming out!" someone called.

It was true! The door opened and Boris, head of Legal, shambled into the hallway. The people made room in stunned silence. The makeup was perfect. Blood, gore, sickly green flesh, even the torn and dirty clothes. The only thing missing - a good thing, in Twilight's opinion - was rotting flesh smell. They could do without that.

"Holy shit..." the mare whispered, wide-eyed.

The rest of the team followed and they all looked amazing. Even the walk was spot-on! They must have practiced! A reverential sort of silence spread in an ever-increasing bubble around the spectacle. More people rushed from the lounge to see. They really had outdone themselves! The makeup looked professional and very expensive, the clothes matched what was on the show - or at least that's what Twilight overheard someone whisper, and the vacant expressions with occasional grunts and groans nicely completed the image. The people shuffled into the lounge, followed by the crowd. Several people were already holding phones and recording the whole thing.

Twilight squeezed between two people and rushed ahead, so she could see their entry. True to the characters they were playing, the group came to a stop in the middle of the lounge and stood, swaying lightly, looking straight ahead.

Twilight sat on her haunches and brought her hooves together. It wasn't comfortable for a pony to do - their way of showing appreciation was stomping, but this helped a few nearby people to see what she was doing and start clapping. Pretty soon the applause spread around the room, with a few whoops and whistles thrown in for good measure. The whole crowd was cheering!

Deservedly, too!

Twilight didn't see which of the Legal department was the first to crack a smile, but they all ended up laughing. Several exchanged high-fives with their coworkers and others went for the drinks and snacks bar.

Twilight sought out Anon. "Did you see that?!" she demanded.

The man was grinning. "Yeah, it was cool!"

"I was thinking we have to make it some kind of plaque or trophy, you know? Maybe something like 'Best Group Costume'."

"Good idea!" Anon praised and leaned down to pat her withers in approval. "We'll get right on that, Monday."

She didn't mention her other idea to make it a regular thing. She wanted to think that through a bit more. It wouldn't do to make these parties something that required a lot of preparation and extra work. Twilight sidestepped to brush her rump against Anon's leg, then headed back to the food. She wanted to ask a few people from the Legal department how they did it later so it seemed like a good idea to eat first, in case the gruesome details or the up-close costumes ruined her apettite.

It was proving to be a thoroughly memorable party!