Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Trick or Treat: A Haunted Castle, Anyone?

A white cat with black tipped ears and tail sat atop a cast iron fence post. Its tail dangled, swaying lazily in the dying light of the day. With a yawn, it curled in on itself, content to nap while the cobblestone streets slowly began to fill with various people, entities, and species- some costumed, some not.

The ornate gate stood open this day, unlike most days. Small pumpkin-shaped lanterns lit the brick path leading up to a white grand staircase. Figures rushing to and fro carrying various items could be seen from the vast windows. From the street, it was hard to tell anything more than silhouettes. Orange and purple lights decorated the neatly trimmed bushes and trees scattered systematically throughout the yard. The estate itself held a single lit candle in each window. Suddenly, all of the bustling stopped, and the lights dimmed.

The double doors creaked open, and what appeared to be an apparition left the dark interior. It stood or floated to the right of the entryway, where it stood awaiting any who dared to approach. The apparition was dressed as a butler and carried itself with a dignity that comes with age and pride. Just inside the doorway, a figure lurked, though, it was too dark to tell who or what it was.

A female figure with tan skin and a wearing a purple witch outfit was seen in front of the castle. She seemed human at first, but upon closer inspection it became apparent she wasn't human. Six eyes and six arms were the giveaway of her arachnid part. Her dress and witch hat even had white spiderweb pattern. Micaria, also known as the Spider Witch, decided to go trick-or-treating in Halloween. In one of her hands, she held a little bag with a pumpkin face pattern.

She was looking on with anticipation as the doors creaked open. The witch slowly entered, looking around then noticed the apparition.

"Trick or treat!" she said, though a bit nervous due to meeting an actual ghost.

Viola lit the candle she held, illuminating her face, revealing white face paint and glow in the dark plastic vampire fangs. She was dressed as a vampire this year. She wore a white long-sleeved shirt with puffy sleeves and a black corset tightly laced around her middle, a black tiered skirt, fishnets, and tall black boots.

She considered the girl in front of her, a grin on her face. "Tell me, child, do you desire a treat?" She waved an arm to her left, and a maid dressed as a mermaid appeared, holding a bowl of candy. "Or a trick?" Viola stepped aside, revealing a mostly dark hallway. A sudden cold breeze drifted from down the corridor.

"I... would like a treat!" Micaria says with a smile on her face, her little fangs flash for a moment. She really liked Viola's vampire costume, very fitting for living in an old castle.

Viola giggled, giving the girl a nod. "But of course." The mer-maid (pun intended) stepped forward, presenting the bowl. "Feel free to pick out what you like. We're still waiting for more guests, but there's a party in the back garden with snacks and warm drinks. My brother might be there, so you shouldn't be lonely," Viola informed. "To skip anything scary, you'll want to go out the way you came in and walk around back." She gestured with her hands, but it should be easy enough to find.

"Thank you." Micaria did a bow. She picked some candies from the bowl, then following Viola's instructions, she walked to find the back garden. The witch was really excited about the upcoming party.

William sleepily arose from his perch on the gate. He stretched and gracefully leapt to the ground. He walked over to the girl, seemingly leading her to the back garden with an irritated, "Meow." As promised, snacks and various hot fall-themed beverages awaited. William walked over to one of the tables and hopped up, glaring at the girl as if challenging her to approach. He wrapped his tail around his paws.

Micaria noticed the tables, and walked to them. She was about to try a snack, when the cat got her attention.

"Hello." Micaria looked at the feline with a smile.

William seemed to ignore her, opting to groom his fluffy white coat. A disgruntled looking butler rushed over. "Young master," he begged. "Please! Your sister begged you to participate."

William shifted to his human form, the butler immediately covering the neko with a sheet with eye holes. "Seems I'm a ghost," William muttered, rolling his dark blue eyes. With a huff, he got off the table and considered the woman before him. "Well, not much of a party yet, but help yourself. Food, drink, dance." He shrugged, grabbing a pastry and taking a nibble of it before deciding he didn't want it. He crinkled his nose and handed it to the butler before walking away.

He didn't go far. He walked over to the DJ and had the guy put on some sick beats.

What does a witch dress up as for Halloween? This year, Evelyn was dressed up as a zombie. Her hair was purple and disheveled, and she had on a long black dress with long, wide sleeves that was torn up in an artful sort of way. Layers beneath the dress, also dark in color, kept her from being cold or immodest. She was wearing boots that were old-fashioned, but tasteful enough when paired with the dress. The witch had used white and blue make up in order to make herself look dead, and she had used a bit of magic to create fake injuries and added some fake blood into the mix. It had poured along her skin in rivulets, and smeared along the dress.

She was walking at a slow pace to take it all in, strolling along and savoring the night. This was the one night of the year when she could dress up and disguise herself. It was always fascinating to see how other people acted whenever their chains were removed and they could be something else. Evelyn spotted some beings that were probably being true to themselves, but tonight they could get away with it. She had done so herself in years past.

Whenever she came to the open gates, she looked within. This paired with the pumpkin lanterns invited her to walk up the brick path. Taking in the estate with wide green eyes, admiring the decorations, she ascended the grand staircase. The apparition at the top intrigued her, "Good evening, and Happy Halloween!" she called out. Evelyn spotted the people beyond, giving a small wave and a friendly smile as she made her approach. She feared being intrusive. Was this open, or a party that she was crashing? It was difficult to tell and she'd been brought up to always have good manners.

The gate was already open when she arrived, a sweep of candlelight flickering across the polished curve of her black heels. Valecia paused beneath the lanterns, the faintest smirk touching her lips as she took in the grand staircase and the waiting butler-ghost. The night air carried the scent of old stone and sweet spice, the kind of perfume only a house with history could wear.

Her gown shimmered with every measured step, dark silk rippling like spilled ink over moonlight. The faint glow from the pumpkin lanterns traced the edges of her figure as she lifted her chin, eyes glittering with amusement. It was not fear that made her pause at the door but curiosity, and perhaps a quiet appreciation for someone else’s flair for theatrics.

“A charming welcome,” she said, her voice smooth as velvet. “I must admit, it is rare to see such proper hospitality from the other side.”

Her gaze drifted to the butler’s dignified form, then toward the figure just inside the doorway. “Tell me, do your guests usually survive the evening, or should I have brought a calling card for the afterlife?”

The faintest trace of laughter curved her mouth as she stepped past the threshold, candlelight catching on the fall of her hair.

The butler nodded acknowledgment the Evelyn. A zombie. The costume was most remarkable. "Happy Halloween, to you, too, my undead friend." The butler's voice was ethereal, present but distant at the same time. It took a bit of focusing to realize that he'd spoken instead of making disconnected sounds.

Viola beckoned the woman inside, a grin on her face. "Come on in! Would you like a treat or a trick?" The same maid dressed as a mermaid appeared by Viola's side, a large bowl of candy in her grasp.

At Valecia's approach, the butler bowed. The woman seemed to command respect. She certainly could've been his master in another lifetime. "My mistress would have it not other way," he replied simply. The sorceress's question earned her a chuckle. "There is nothing to fear, miss. Your safety is guaranteed."

Viola waved the other guest in. "Welcome, welcome! Would you like a treat or a trick?"

Valecia’s laughter was soft, a low ripple like wine being poured into glass. She let her gaze drift from the butler to the mistress of the house, her smile curving with indulgent amusement.

“Guaranteed safety,” she echoed, her voice a silk thread of irony. “My dear, if every host offered such promises, the world would be dreadfully dull.”

She stepped closer, the faint perfume of jasmine and something darker trailing behind her. The light caught the sheen of her gown, and for a moment the shadowed entry seemed to breathe around her.

“As for your question—” her eyes gleamed, “I have always believed a woman should make her own luck. But tonight…” She reached out, fingertips brushing the rim of the candy bowl as if divining her choice. “Let us be daring. Surprise me with a trick.”

The smile that followed was dazzling and dangerous all at once. “After all, what is Halloween without a little risk?”

Micaria was eating from the snacks, while waiting for others to arrive. She noticed Evelyn appearing first and waving to her, the spider girl waved back. Then came Valecia, a fellow witch or sorceress, at least how Micaria assumed. She decided to wait, until they get to here, where te party would begin.

Viola giggled, delighted by the sorceress's choice. She was the first one of the evening to choose a trick. Viola calmed her excitement and nodded, stepping sideways so that the hallway could be seen. It was dimly lit and had a cold draft coming up from its depths. "You may enter but beware for this building is very old and has seen many things! Death. Violence. It's been said that on nights like tonight, when the worlds are the closest, you can hear the screams of ghosts reliving their deaths!" She did her best spooky voice while narrating. "If it gets too scary for you, just ring this bell." Viola handed her a bell and nodded, gesturing down the hall.

An apparition appeared, floating lazily down the hall. "Oooh. Come this waaaaay. Folloooooow meeeee." It would lead the sorceress to two doors at the end of the hall, which was actually shorter than it first seemed. "Ooh. Which one? One or two? Pick wisely or. . ." the ghost blushed and looked down at a card. "Erm. Or, um, a ghost may get you!"

Valecia accepted the bell between two gloved fingers, her smile deepening as the ghost drifted into view. “Ah, splendid. A proper haunting.” Her tone carried equal parts delight and mockery, the sound of someone thoroughly enjoying herself.

The draft that swept down the corridor tugged lightly at her hair and gown, but she only tilted her head, studying the two doors like a gambler reading her next move. The flickering light from the candelabras made both seem to breathe, shadows shifting in invitation.

“One or two,” she mused aloud, her voice soft as silk sliding through fingers. “The choices that decide our fates are rarely so neatly numbered.”

She turned her gaze to the blushing apparition, amusement glinting in her blue eyes. “Very well, spirit. Let us see how merciful your ghosts are feeling tonight.” Her hand hovered only a moment before she reached for the door on the left.

“Door one,” she declared with quiet confidence. “If I am to be haunted, I prefer it be by my own curiosity.”

With that, she pushed it open, stepping through with the graceful certainty of someone who feared nothing at all.

"Oh. Congratulations, miss. That was a wise choice!" The room held eerie decorations and was just as dimmed as the hall. A thin layer of fog coated the floor, swirling around the legs of those who walked inside. "Your next challenge awaits," the ghost bowed its head, a maid dressed as a nine-tail fox emerged from the gloom.

"Wah haha!" she cackled, staying on the far side of the room. "Very good! Now, that you're here, please be a dear. Choose between doors three and four but also be sure to mind the floor!"

Suddenly, movement rippled the fog in various locations. It was hard to tell what exactly was causing it.

The sorceress swept her gaze over the new chamber, its fog coiling like living lace around her skirts. “How charming,” she murmured, though her voice held that telltale note of mischief. The eerie glow, the faint cackling, even the shifting mist, she looked less unsettled than intrigued.

Her attention drifted toward the nine-tailed fox maid, her lips curving. “You have an excellent sense for atmosphere, my dear. Tell me, are the tails real or just part of the performance?”

When the fog stirred again, Valecia’s expression sharpened, not with fear, but curiosity. She stepped lightly forward, the bell in her hand chiming faintly with each movement. “Doors three and four, is it?” Her eyes glimmered in the dim light. “Then let us see whether fortune rewards boldness twice in one night.”

She extended her free hand toward the next set of doors, fingers brushing the carved handle of the rightmost one. “Door four,” she decided, her tone teasing, almost daring. “Because even ghosts enjoy a little symmetry.”

And with the same poised confidence as before, Valecia stepped forward into whatever awaited her.

The maid flicked open a fan, covering her mouth to Valecia's question. "Who's to say?" she shrugged.

As Valecia walked over to the door, one of the things darting to and fro bumped into her. It was a kitten dressed up as a fox kit. "Mew." It looked up at her with large green eyes. It was a black shorthaired cat.

The maid bit back a laugh. Of course, these things were bound to happen. She cleared her throat. "Door four it is!"

The door creaked open as if it weighed tons and wasn't used to being moved. As soon as the door was opened, a final servant popped into view dressed as a jack-o-lantern. "Boo!" he shouted. "T'was the wrong choice but come. Let's go enjoy the party. Food and drink await." He bowed slightly and opened a glass door at the far side of the room.

Outside, the music was thumping, and a bored looking neko dressed as a ghost seemed more and more like he was going to keel over any second.

The kitten’s soft “mew” pulled a rare, genuine smile from the sorceress. She bent slightly, brushing a gloved finger beneath its chin. “Even your haunts come with charm,” she said lightly. “You do know how to spoil your guests.”

When the final servant leapt out with his grand “boo,” Valecia gave a soft, melodic laugh. “Wrong choice, perhaps, but it seems a pleasant punishment awaits.”

She inclined her head toward the nine-tailed maid and the pumpkin-clad servant alike. “My thanks for the entertainment. You throw quite the celebration.”

With the easy confidence of someone who never overstayed her welcome, she turned toward the glow spilling from the garden beyond. The music drifted through the doorway, and the mist caught in her hair like silver threads.

“Do save a glass for me next time,” she added over her shoulder, her voice velvet-soft with amusement. Then, with one last smile, Valecia swept through the open door and out into the night. She disappeared into the lantern-lit fog.