Crystal Lake Pumpkin Patch

@lucas w. Too focused on his target, Jongup missed Lucas' approach, but soon thereafter, he was distracted by the way the taller male nudged at him, his fifth dart hit the board and not a balloon. "yah," he grunts as he picks up his sixth dart and raises at Lucas as if he would actually throw it at him. " off, yukhei," he admonishes flatly with a shoulder check to the males side before he was throwing his last two darts. Five balloons out of seven, Jongup didn't think it was so bad. "I got five... But you're a cheater." He accuses with a finger. "Automatic shot."

@jongup m. He rubbed where Jongup had punched up, smiling. He was not only warming up to Lucas but he was also letting his guard down as well. It was a slow and humbling process to even get to this point after consistently badgering him every class but he believed he'd worked his way in. Lucas was still determined to get more shots into him. He planned to finish the bottle before the bonfire, so some kinda way he was going to have to cheat. Looking around suspiciously, Lucas stepped up beside the smaller alpha inconspicuously and bumped his arms with his elbow in an effort to throw off his game.

@lucas w. "I'm not here as your teacher, you've already said." he counters as he twirls the dart between his fingers, his playful glare returning when the other alpha turns to look at him, dipping his head when Yukheis hand starts to reach for him, but he's too slow. His own fist connecting with the taller males side lightly before he was turning to look at the board as the darts start to fly. Waiting for his turn instead of joining in on the madness, if only so that he could clearly see which darts were his own. Then once Yukhei was done, he started up, firing his own seven darts in rapid succession, his eyes squinted so that he could see better.

@jongup m. Lucas wanted to be a little more reckless but would concede to the seven. He’d still throw the darts aggressive as . “Teachers can’t hit the students anyway..” Casting a quick side glance over to Jongup, checking if what he stated was actually true by the reaction on the shorter’s face. “Doesn’t say anything about student hitting teachers though,” Childishly, Lucas flicked Jongup’s forehead, which was followed quickly with a “readysetgo!” And a barrage of darts thrown as hard as possible into the balloon wall. Soon he was out of his seven..

@lucas w. "would I hit you..." he trailed off, surely the other alpha must not know how much Jongup wanted to do just that sometimes. Picking up another balloon to blow up before Yukheis voice interrupts him once more and he is looking towards his back. "am I supposed to half fill them, then?" he grumbles as he throws an empty balloon at the other male, hopping off the counter at last to stretch out his limbs as he sets the balloons up on the wall. Picking up one of the darts and twisting it around in his hand before he was shooting the taller male a deadpanned look. "why am I starting a timer? Just throw 7 and I'll throw 7, You're so annoying." he huffs out a laugh as he picks up another dart.

@jongup m. Lucas gasped leaning back in mock jest, "You would hit me?" He tasked himself with putting the balloons to the wall, careful not to pop any but accidents happened. He blinked back at the latest balloon that exploded in his face. "You can't fill them with too much air Gup or else you're making it too easy for me to win. Hehe.." Lucas laughed ominously to himself. The perks of being young is that you had no doubts in yourself. Jongup needed more shots anyway it would do him good, he was already acting way less robotic. Lucas knew some shots would remind him that he's not a 53 year old man. There were a few more balloons but he'd decided that was enough. With a clap of his hands he jumped back over the counter and dusted his hands off. "Aight, that's good enough. You ready to take some shots?" Long fingers gripped on a handful of darts, one poised betwixt his fingers. "Set a timer. Most in 1 minute."

@lucas w. "did you not learn anything from dance class?" he questioned as he tucked a leg underneath himself, shaking his head at the other alphas blatant attempt to challenge him. "If it's one thing that you need, it's hand eye coordination." he mutters as he leans back away from the lanky male and his outstretched arms, his nose crinkling up in distaste. "get away from me, Yukhei," he complains petulantly, drawing his fist back threateningly. The older males attention pinging around with the speed of his thoughts as he was then turning to jump the counter. Jongups gaze following him and his hands reaching out for the balloons. He amused himself with trying to get the balloons blown up without exploding in his hands, tying them off and dropping them onto the counter with each one he fills with air. "fine," he agreed easily enough as he ties up another balloon, tossing it at the other alpha and watching as it floats slowly up into the air before falling just as slowly.

@jongup m. That alpha's eyes landed on the wall seeing that there were a few balloons handing but there would need to be more to make it a full game. "Are you even good at to win this game? It's usually rigged anyway," He checked the interior for the game pieces. "Besides, live a little. I promise I'll carry you home." Putting the lid back on his alcohol, he smiled deviously, stepping to Jongup again with his arms out. "You want me to pick you up now to support my case? C'mon~" Lucas laughed then hopped over the counter, finding a compressed air pump and every balloons as well as darts. It meant they could play even if there was a scarcity of balloons on the board. Grabbing two handfuls of darts and piling them on the counter. "I'll tell you what," He heaved himself back over the counter with a grunt, " If you win pop more balloons then me then, you don't take a shot, but if I pop more. You do."

@lucas w. "what?" he questioned back, his hand coming up to shove at the other males stomach as he closed the distance between them, his own alpha seeming to pace about and bare its teeth at the other alpha crowding at him. "why are you coming here," he complains flatly with a chuckle as he started walking. "Let's play darts with the balloons," he decided after a few moments of consideration. Their steps loud now that they were away from all the other people, his gaze moving around to all of the attractions as they moved through the different games. Stopping at his chosen game once he at last found it, frowning over at the bottle that Lucas brandishes at him with that eating grin on his face. "I think it might be not," he muttered, wondering how the other even kept that hidden for so long. "you're so eager to carry me back home," he grumbles as he sits down on the edge of the stand. "are supposed to blow up our own balloons?" he wonders out curiously as he stares at the wall of prizes curiously.

@jongup m. "Maimed ?!" Lucas' brows shot up, casting a quick glance around them and stepping closer to Jongup. He kept his hands in his pocket but if he took too deep of a breath, they would be touching. "Let's do the not maim-y things then." If something happened to them it was a high probability that nobody would know. Lucas contemplated that option and decided, he would risk but not that much. Especially not with a high professor who allegedly did NOT fall out the window. There were a lot of games with prizes to win, but also some bumper cars and go-karts with a not so well lit circuit to race around. There was an obstacle course near the kart circuit and fun house with animatronic ghouls moving in and out of the windows, bony hands gripped to the fake shutters, adjacent to some small low level caterpillar ride that probably was used to thrill the hearts of many under the age of 8. Ambling further into the lights and honky tonk carnival tunes, Lucas pivoted and headed to the haunted fun house, turning over his shoulders and pulling forth a half pint bottle of whiskey from this letterman jacket, a mischievous light in his eyes, "You know what Gup, I think it might be time for more shots." Twisting the lid loose he took a sip, the spice and the heat causing his nose to scrunch up and passing it to the smaller alpha. "Shots, shots, shots!shots!shots! shots!"

@lucas w. "I didn't fall," he muttered simply, he had jumped. It was different. His gaze flicking over Lucas' face slowly, as if he was seeing the other alpha for the first time. Jongup wasn't sure; was he high? He didn't know for certain, so he offered up a toothy grin, his eyes crinkling in amusement as they started to walk. He hadn't been expecting to get on rides when he made his way to the pumpkin patch- he hadn't even expected to make their way around the maze, so this was a pleasant surprise. "another place that we aren't supposed to be?" he questioned as they made their way over the gate. Very on brand for Lucas, as Jongup was coming to find out. The alpha did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, going wherever the wind took him. He looked back to where they had come for a moment as if waiting for someone to jump out and stop them, drag them back across the gate and direct them towards the hay rides. When nothing was forthcoming, Jongup ce again to allow his gaze to sweep down the strip. "I'm not sure," he grunted as he started to walk. "I don't know if I trust us not to get maimed if we try to do this on our own."

@jongup m. Lucas checked if the coast clear for them then stepped out of the barn urging Jongup to follow him but when he exited, Jongup wasn’t there. Rushing to the window after the thump he feared he would find that his instructor had toppled out and he would be marked as the problem but there he was unscathed asking the taller where they went going. Lucas’ face dropped arms folded as he scoffed out a laugh turning and headed back on the well treaded path as if they were going to the bonfire. “ I thought you FELL— this is gonna— you high already aren’t you?” Lucas stepped putting his hands into his jacket pocket and cozying a little closer to Jongup so that they wouldn’t lose each other. “There’s this like carnival section of the pumpkin patch, it was up and running during regular hours but they turn it off for this event. They didn’t want—“ Lucas turned sharply hearing a crackling snap behind them but seeing nothing in sight he turned back around and continued talking, “ they didn’t want the college students messing up the place nor having extra hands running the show games so… we have the place to ourselves.” Stepping out into the dark strip, the alpha hopped over a fence, pushing the gate open for Jongup and pulling a lever causing the lights of the small carnival to flicker on down the strip. Lucas squinted his eyes to get accustomed to the lights. “Which do you wanna try first?”

@lucas w. Resting his head against his arm as he listened to the other speak, Jongup took stock of himself. His chest felt itchy, like he needed to cough, and his head was starting to feel… Fuzzy. He didn’t know if that was normal, but before he could ask, Lucas was up and moving. Jongup stared after him for a few moments before he was looking back down from where he was leaned against the window. Pulling himself onto the ledge and allowing his legs to dangle free, easing himself off with a fluid ease that came with the feeling of being weightless. He took flight for the briefest of moments, only the wind ruffling his clothes and brushing through his strands as his beanie also decides to take flight— over as soon as it had began, he was landing with a dull thud as both his hands find the ground, dispersing the impact through all four limbs. “…” He was quiet for a moment, as was a few people near him, looking at the small alpha as though he had just descended from the heavens. “ouch,” dusting off his hands and snatching his beanie up from where it had landed on the ground, shoving it into his pocket as he finally found Lucas with his confused gaze. “where are we going?”

@jongup m. "I mean," Lucas had to reconsider his statement. The first time he had met Jongup there wasn't a scent from him, which did make him awkward. He didn't like not knowing things and scent felt like the first step to getting to know someone. When Lucas had visited the alpha's room, he thought he could understand why he didn't smell Jongup in class. Jongup's room smelled like him, and it smelled dangerous, like the scent of lightning. "I mean I know what you smell like so I feel like I would understand why you wouldn't smell of anything when in public, but I-- this was a different vibe. It seemed sneaky." He was rambling and luckily had an out when the other started choking on the smoking. Lucas raised a brow, the high mixing with the shots he took making his body feel like a lava lamp inside. "Whoa whoa, I should have told you to take little puffs. My fault my fault," Through laughter he pat the other's back, "that's how most people's first time goes. You'll get used to it. I gotcha. " Taking the joint back for a drag. "C'mon on, now that you're initiated into the high club this next place will be even better to look at." Lucas glanced over his shoulder out the window once more before descending the ladder so they could sneak out of the barn.

@lucas w. “you feel awkward around me?” He questioned as he follows the path of a few students as they sprint out of the rows of corn shoving at each other. He cocked his head, wondering if they had seen what he and Lucas had heard in there… Eyeing the corn curiously as it sways inconspicuously, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as he zeros in on a dark figure standing amongst the corn… Just standing still as it moves around them, he opens his mouth to speak but then Lucas is holding his hand out to him and his concentration is breaking. Looking over at the males reaching hand with a crinkled nose. Staring at the other Alpha before he was huffing out a breath at his audacity and eventually reaching out for the offering. Holding it up to his mouth and taking a cautious inhale— sputtering out a few coughs as he hands it back. “a—“ raises a hand to his mouth to muffle the coughs. “are you trying to kill me,”

@jongup m. He took a hit from his joint, inhaling the smoke in contemplation. "Possibly you're right and I was just trippin. I feel-- awkward when I can't smell something when I know its there." He didn't actually know that anyone was there; his body just told him it was true. Exhaling he passed the joint to Jongup, an offering, looking him over carefully as if it was a test. Constantly he was trying to test boundaries around Jongup and though he'd only been an instructor to him and not a peer he couldn't shake the reality that Jongup WAS a peer to him at the same time. And peers needed to let loose, this was college. "I won't make you try it but honestly it is worth a try. Maybe it could shake our nerves off because I got another secret adventure to explore with you. So..." His eyes trailed down to the alpha's lips and then up to his eyes, wiggling the joint playfully.

@lucas w. Staring down at the bustling people as they laugh and walk and explore together, resting his chin against the back of his hand. “I never have before, no.” He answers after a few moments, turning to look at the other once again, unimpressed. “Yukhei.” The change of subject has Jongup blinking. Did he think there was someone with them? “It’s hard to say.. I didn’t smell anything, but..” That didn’t automatically mean no one was there if he heard them. “Maybe it was just another person who was searching the maze like us.”

@jongup m. "No." Lucas replied curtly, "I came up here to show you. You seemed like a guy who liked to have space to himself..." After all that racing through the maze, sitting back and having a calm moment felt good. Leaning back on his palms he glanced over to Jongup, catching the tail end of his glare, turning and laughing. "It was an honest question, because if sooo...." Dipping into the front pocket of the hoodie beneath his jacket he pulled out a small tube, tilting his head to one side and meeting the smaller alpha's eye with a brow raise. "You wanna?" Hopefully he didn't mind, because Lucas pulled the joint free, lighting it and blowing the smoke through the window. "Do you think someone was really in the maze with us?"

@lucas w. There was a deadpanned expression on his face as he regarded the other male. Jongup had seen Lucas when he was high, and he was certain that he didn’t act anything close to that. Rolling his eyes as the taller bolted away and turning to people watch as he waited for his companion to return. Moving to follow the other as he was called, his steps careful as he maneuvered through the barn and up the ladder. Pulling his hood over his head as he leaned against the window to look down at all of the festivities. “Just how early did you get here to sneak around and find all this stuff,” he says as he rests his chin against his forearms. Jongup had to admit though, the view was nice, and it was great to be away from the crowd— all of the scents combining and swirling almost overwhelmingly. “Yeah, it’s cool.” Turning his head to look at the other suspiciously. “You came all the way up here to smoke?”

@jongup m. Lucas grinned, scoffing and peering down meeting Jongup’s eyes and following them. “Is that a real question?” Jongup usually seemed like he was perpetually high and always in thought. If any of his teachers smoked, Jongup was top of list of suspects. “I thought you be high all the time?” Lucas dropped his hands into the pockets of his old letterman jacket and shrugged as they reached the barn. The sound of merrygoers drinking on hay bales was subtly in the background so they had to be sneaky. He looked around quickly to make sure nobody saw then he jogged around to the back. “I’ll be right back.” After a moment, Lucas popped his head out from the wide door being opened a crack from the inside. “Cmon through, there’s a nice view up here. Watch your step though, a few steps caved in.” He climbed up the ladder avoiding certain steps and making it up to a loft with a big open window that had a full view of the pumpkin patch. Lucas took a seat swinging his feet over the edge. “It’s cool right?”

@lucas w. His laughter tapering off as he caught his breath, brushing his hair off of his forehead as he straightened up. “You smelled a little anxious. Maybe they were going to run,” he says as he takes a few more steps away from the corn field. Glancing back himself before looking back at Lucas as he turns off his flashlight. “Do I look like I smoke?” He quirked an eyebrow at the taller as he moved closer, then he was walking past to drop his flashlight into a bucket that looked similarly enough to the one they’d taken them from.

@jongup m. Lucas finally released Jongup, on guard while panting to catch his breath. Anything that was chasing them was going to get clotheslined back into the maze if they made an appearance. Eyes traveled over to Jongup who Lucas had nearly drug behind him and burst out laughing when he did, running his fingers through his hair and seeing the people who’d notice them emerge. “They look like they were about to start running too.” He laughed feeling safer in this clear opeñ space. Things looked familiar and unassuming… the maze was playing tricks on him. “Anyway, that surprise,” the area they were in now was where Lucas had ventured earlier finding an empty barn to explore and it wasn’t far from the trail the hay rack took. “I got a different surprise… anyway I didn’t ask this before because I didn’t know if you were the opps or not, but do you smoke?” He glanced over his shoulder, side eying the maze and taking wide steps towards the direction the dark stable.

@lucas w. His nose twitched as he tipped his head back to scent the air, but he could only smell Lucas… There didn’t seem to be anyone near them, unless they were wearing scent blockers like Jongup himself tended to. The other alpha seemed to loathe the idea of anyone or anything jumping out at them so much that he grabbed at him and started pushing the corn apart. He would have thought the moment was funny if it hadn’t been for the way that their speed picked up exponentially, their leisurely walk turning into a jog and Jongup had to scramble to keep up, swatting away the corn with his flashlight lest he get hit in the face. There were many sounds then with their hurried footsteps, and the smaller alpha couldn’t tell if all of the sounds were coming from them or not. When they broke free of the corn, he was panting but no more worse for wear and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the way a few other students looked at them quizzically as they emerged from the stalks as though they were being haunted by a demon.

@jongup m. He held his gaze for the moment, lips quirking up into a tiny smirk that he promptly covered by running his tongue over his cheek and rubbing his earlobe bashfully. It sounded different when he said it like that. "I did hear it that time." Lucas walked closer to Jongup protectively grabbing his wrist. "Why would I drag you out here just to prank you? You'd never come back out with me again." One thing for certain is that Lucas no longer trusted the corn field nor wanted to know the surprise and they couldn't go back. "Go back? Ain't that where the sound was coming from, nuh uh no." Lucas was shaking his head, keeping a flashlight directed at the place where the sound had come from. Maybe it was an animal, but what if it wasn't? "Its time to go through the maze." He said it with a finality that left no room for debate. Using the few survival skills his grandfather had passed to him he checked the position of the stars Polaris specifically and then devised a plan to cut through the field. "This way." Lucas pushed the stalks of corn over to one side and stepped over the thin barrier keeping them bunched together and started running out of the maze, keeping Jongup in tow with a tight grip. He didn't plan on stopping until they could see other people.

@lucas w. “yeah, but you’re m y student,” he emphasizes as he looks back at the other alpha, their eyes locking for a long moment before he was looking forward again. It sounded like footsteps, but it could have been the wind or perhaps even an animal, he couldn’t be sure. “I’m not sure, it sounded like something was—” his words tapered off as he heard the sound again, dry and crackly as if someone or something was stepping on cornstalks. “that,” he moved his flashlight towards where he thought the noise was coming from, but he couldn’t make anything out through the rows of corn. Squinting into the corn before he moved his light again, scoffing as he looked back at Lucas. “you’re the one who said there was a surprise, how do I know you’re not trying to play a prank on me,” he elbows the other, both amused and not at the idea of the taller alpha trying to lug him through the corn while drunk and running. “should we go back?” He tipped his head, and shone his light back the way they came, if only to see if there was someone trying to sneak up on them.

@jongup m. Unamusement fell upon his face, lips turned up skeptically, "Ain't you a student too bruh?" The audacity had Lucas not paying attention, eyes cut sideways on Jongup. He was so distracted by mentally cussing Jongup out that he hadn't heard the sound, but jumped all the same. "Hear what?" His eyes traced the tall dried crops swaying in the minimal breeze, there was no scent near the area that he could catch, granted he had taken a couple of shots before Jongup arrived. This introduction to something alive being in the maze really put him on edge and suddenly he wanted to be out of this labyrinth, lest he do something outrageous from his fight instincts kicking in. "Jongup, I didn't think about this but if there's actually a living and breathing something in the maze I might stomp some poor farmboy out. Did you really hear something?" Lucas stopped walking, pointing behind him, "Cuz I will toss you over my shoulder and part these corn fields like the red seas and get the outta here Jongup. I promise you..."

@lucas w. "Isn't that cheating?" he questioned despite himself, shooting a sideways glance at the other. This far out into the maze, all the other scents seemed to melt away, Lucas' bonfire coming to stand at the forefront. The alpha smelled warm, like cinnamon and vanilla roasted over a bed of leaves-- earthy and sweet. It reminded Jongup a lot of the autumn, warm and cozy. "If someone got lost... Then, wouldn't they go through it?" tilting his head as he shined his light down at the ground in front of them. Lucas was very touchy by nature, he observed, the male seeming the type to throw his limbs over everyone he was comfortable around; tactile in ways that Jongup himself was not, but he also didn't find himself minding. "I never come out with you guys because you're students." he reminds with a roll of his eyes. He had never slept in the studio before, even if he did spend the entirety of some nights there. "It would be weirder if I didn't grow a little muscle over time with dancing, right?" He stopped then as he heard a crackle in the corn. Shining his flashlight to his left then to Lucas' right, his eyebrows meeting. "did you hear that?" starting to walk again, his pace a little slower. "maybe we're getting closer."

@jongup m. “I still think through it would be a good idea too just saying…” He chuckled trudging beside the shorter, his flashlight flapping beside his leg. There hadn’t been another person around for a while so he wondered if they were nearing the center. “How do they even stop people from getting lost in here. Is there like a secret tunnel,” he shifted his eyes up, “or drones maybe?” He wrapped his arm around Jongup’s absently, the toned bicep bringing him back to attention, being louder and laughing again while rubbing up the alpha’s arm. “OK muscles come through! Shood is this why you never come out with us? You hiding in the gym? Cuz I was halfway convinced that you slept in the studio…”

@lucas w. He didn't know how to feel about that, or what to expect. Jongup wasn't the type to spook all too easily, but he also preferred not to be chased down by something.... Alive. He shone his flashlight around as he followed Lucas' steps through the labyrinth of corn, if only to make sure that no one would sneak up on them when they weren't looking. Humming out a noncommittal sound at that, the shot had been needed, had made him relax even as he strained his ears to hear for any other footsteps aside from his own and jogged lightly every once in a while to keep up with the taller alphas long stride. Blinking a few times in rapid succession when the flashlight shined directly on him for a blinding moment before he was coming to a stop beside the other. "eeny, meeny, miny, moe" he shined his own light left, right, left, right. "let's go left," turning to walk in that direction, his hand catching Lucas' forearm to tug him along.

@jongup m. With a shrug Lucas admitted he didn’t know. Earlier on his exploration he didn’t go into the maze thinking it would kill too much time and daylight to decipher. “The just said surprise. Maybe it’s a Minotaur…” The corn crunched dryly beneath their feet, Lucas walked confidently though he was not sure of where to go or way he was choosing the path he’d be on. Occasionally he’d glance at Jongup and dart his eyes away then laugh at himself. ‘What is wrong with me?!’ He thought. “You gotta admit though the shot was needed.” They kept walking and meeting no ends, but now they’re come to a fork in the road. Left or Right? Wordlessly, Lucas turned his flashlight to Jongup and then back to the maze. “Where we headed? Left, right…. or through it?”