[ Unfortunately, there's only one person Wolfe might allow to take his hand, and he's not here right now. Wolfe doesn't quite snatch his hand away—he recognizes Huaisang's attempt to diffuse the situation, even if he definitely isn't making it any better by glaring back over his shoulder toward the offender—but he does pull his hand away. Sorry, Huaisang, no affection allowed! ]

A nightmare. [ Wolfe's familiar with those, and knows all too well how often nightmares are based in reality. But this stranger's words make it sound as though this "whole other month" was detached from this one, and while he may have to acknowledge that somehow he's been Translated to what seems as though it must be some sort of alternate timeline offshoot, something in him refuses to accept that the laws of the universe would allow for this.

That's a question and thought problem for a different night, though. ] Local superstitions are often rooted in explaining unknown phenomena. The end of October is said to be when the boundaries between this world and the spirit world are thinnest; Christmas has little to do with the dead. Hedonism might be more appropriate.

[ Beat. ]

If you want to participate, I won't stop you.

[ He drops his voice so that the people around them won't hear as he adds: ] Tell me more about these monsters in October once they've stopped paying attention.