Haunted Eve 2022

It was already late in the evening when a small shade approached a lonely cabin just past the cusp of a dense line of trees. Rosalyn wasn’t supposed to be away from home, let stand this late, but akin to many other youngsters, this time of year was the prime opportunity for the little vultures to get their favorite treats. She was willing to risk getting grounded if it meant her getting more candy. She already had plenty, but she could never have enough.

Lady Death was awoken from her light slumber by a knock on the door, the older dephx rising to her feet to see who had approached her little home at this time of day. Blaint, her wife, was out today; inevitably currently still with her bosses discussing something or other Lady Death wouldn’t understand anyway. All their professional banter went right over her head, if she had to be honest. She had heard something about them going into town to check something or other that was probably very important... But not so much to Zaidra.
So who was at her door? An authority figure coming to finally check out the strange, lonely cabin hidden between the trees? An enemy? Blaint, if she had returned home early? It could frankly be anything... And she was ready for anything as she undid the locks and prepared herself for what was beyond.

What she wasn’t expecting when she opened the door, however, was that it was Blaint’s bosses’ little daughter, Rosalyn. She had met their daughter years ago, when she was just a tiny little thing, able to fit in the palm of her hand, and had watched her grow up into a young little girl. A young troublemaker at that. She'd get into everything she wasn't supposed to, but her parents adored her so much they could never get themselves to punish her for it. And, well... Neither could Lady Death.
“Oh… Oh my, sweetheart… Whatever are you doing here, this late in the night?”
The dephx spoke, stepping aside hastily to allow the little kid in. She was fond of little Rose. It had taken a long time for Corvus and Night to warm up to the dephx, but once they did, she had proven to be an excellent surrogate aunt. She closed the door behind them for now, watching as the child clambered up on her couch and stared at her with big, desperate eyes.
“Deedee! I missed you!” She chirped, “Deedee, can you take me trick or treating?”
She jumped from the couch, Lady Death just barely catching her in her arms before she would have inevitably face planted the floor. She pulled the little aphex to her chest, stroking her head as she sat back down on the couch to try and settle the excited little aphex down a little.
“Trick or treating?... Darling, haven’t your parents already taken you out for that?”
She smiled, watching as Rose’s face fell.
“No… They said they couldn’t… They were too busy with auntie Blaint! It looked really important…”
Zaidra sighed, giving the small aphex yet another little squeeze to signal she sympathized with her plight. She so despised heading out into town, but… She had a hard time saying no to such a sweet little face. She sighed, once again moving a hand through the fluff on Rose’s little head, before relenting and deciding on a course of action.
“Fine… I will take you to town. Do you ha–”
“A costume? Yes! Yes I do, wait!”
It was only now that Lady Death noticed her little visitor had a little bag with her, watching with slight intrigue as a costume that resembled a Ryukin was produced from the bag. It looked handmade, barring the head, which seemed fairly professional. The arms of the costume were far too large for her little body, hanging limply off of her arms. The stitching was messy and strange, but it had charm, she supposed. Not particularly creepy, but... It would do. She wouldn't have to be scary, given her dephx bodyguard-aunt.
“She used to be a plush… But Tragedy ate her body, so I decided to repurpose her head!”
Delightfully morbid. Lady Death didn’t expect anything else of a child that came from the family she came from. And expected of her own estranged brother to maul a plush.
“What a lovely costume, young Rose. Please, do put it on. I will take you to town for a few hours, but naught more than that. I simply must return you to your parents with haste after this. I am sure they are worried sick…”
Rose just chirped, pushing past the far larger Dephx and through the door before Zaidra even realized she had deftly darted past and into her next adventure.
“Dee-Dee, you won’t need a costume! Daddy always says you’re scary enough, so you can trick or treat without an outfit!”
Lady Death smiled and shook her head, ushering the little aphex ahead on the path. “Go on… We must hurry. And remember, only a few hours.” She knew her words fell on deaf ears as the excitable little kid ran down the path and towards town, her little escort laughing as the dephx started to give chase so she wouldn’t get lost in the woods. She laughed, because she knew Lady Death would eventually find out that this was Rose’s third trick or treat session tonight.
This was bound to be an excellent Haunted eve.