Here is my @aphsecretsanta gift for @phyripo. Iâm so sorry itâs late, Iâm sorry itâs short.
Prompt: creepy costume party, partners in crime
The room looked stately, a room fit for a nationâs party. The wooden walls were engraved with swirling patterns surrounding old paintings of important citizens long dead, the ceiling was painted and embellished in gold, every piece of furniture was made of oak or walnut. Nadzeya felt certain she had been here before, but couldnât bother remembering when.
She stormed down the hallway looking for her date. He was supposed to have met her by the front doors so they could enter together, but he was late. Waiters and guests got out of her way as Nadzeya moved down the hallway to the next room. The expression on her face paired with her costume warned anyone against trying to interact with her, especially in such a black mood.
She had worked hard on her costume. The bloody bandages on her fingers at least matched the frosty forest spirit aesthetic she was going for. Nadzeya had never been one to make her own clothes, but when Eduard had asked her to accompany him to the party, she knew she had to do everything she could to look the best. And she did. The glittery blue makeup under her pupiless eyes and the tastefully placed swan feathers turned heads, dropped jaws, and sent shivers up spines. Exactly as planned.
The door swung open and she jumped back just in time to not be hit by it. On the other side stood Eduard, the man sheâd been looking for. But what was he wearing?
âWhere have you been?â She snapped. âWe were supposed to meet by the doors.â
âOh, uh, sorry. I got caught up in something. Could you get everyone into this room in about fifteen minutes?â Eduard gently pushed past Nadzeya to walk in the direction sheâd come from, and she followed.
She shrugged. âProbably. But first, you have to tell me why. And how a black cylinder is creepy,â Nadzeya said, frowning at his costume.
Eduard looked down at himself. He was indeed wearing a not-very-creepy black cylinder, from his knees to his neck. The top was covered in a ring of blue lights, and the hood of his sweatshirt covered much of his face. âIâm Alexa.â
âWho?â Nadzeya spat. The name sounded feminine, but the costume didnât fit what she was picturing. Was it from a game? Was it a meme? She didnât typically follow pop culture, but that usually didnât have any effect on her understanding of things. Unlike now.
âWhat,â Eduard corrected. âYou know, that personal assistant AI everyone is talking about?â
âEveryone is not talking about it.â
âMaybe not in your part of the world.â Nadzeya shot him a withering look, and he quickly amended his remark. âI mean - not the people who share your interests. The people I talk to - tech people - talk about it a lot, and how unsettled it makes them. So it fits the theme, right?â
âSure,â Nadzeya agreed, still not entirely convinced. âIâm a zazovka,â she offered to answer Eduardâs unasked question. âItâs a forest spirit who lures men into the woods.â
âAnd what does she do with them?â
âTake a guess,â she said. She turned with a soft rustling of skirts and feathers and walked away, Eduard close behind.
It was easy herding all the guests into one room. Promises of better alcohol, pretty girls, and juicy gossip lured most in, and those left behind came too just to see what was so special about the second chamber.
There wasnât anything special, really.Â
The music was live, sure, and there was seating and snacks in the new room, but it wasnât enough of a draw to keep everyone in.Â
The lights started to flicker. Eduard looked to Nadzeya and grinned. He had explained his plan to her, and she wholeheartedly agreed to it. It would liven up the party a bit, if something interesting happened.
The bandâs microphones stopped working at the same time their amplifiers began giving off awful feedback. Whispers and muffled voices came from the speakers, seemingly created by no one. Everyone, predictably, began freaking out, but Nadzeya had already barred the doors. No one was getting out.
âCzech!â She heard America shout, âI thought you said there are no ghosts here!â
Nadzeya scoffed loudly, and he looked over to her. Eduard had disappeared again. âThere arenât any ghosts here. Even if there were any here, theyâve already left. This is something different.â It didnât soothe Americaâs fears (it wasnât supposed to), but it did start a murmuring amongst the nations, wondering what else it could be if not ghosts. Some other supernatural being? Something worse?
No. It was just Eduard, messing with the castleâs wifi.Â
Clear voices began coming out of the speakers. âThis party blows.â âWhy was she invited again?â âI canât believe heâs already drunk.â âDoes no one really want to talk about how weâre on the verge of economic collapse again?â âI canât stand him, always thinking heâs better than us. He isnât.â
Everyone stood silently, stricken at hearing what they thought were private conversations being played publicly to the crowd. Though the statements were vague, it was obvious who the speakers were.Â
The lights flicked back on, and the band tentatively resumed playing while the crowd devolved into chaos, arguing over who said what and why. Nadzeya casually opened the door as Eduard reappeared beside her.
âGood work,â she said as they strode down the hall. âIt was getting a little too friendly in there. You always were the best at bugging places.â
âWell, itâs gotten easier with time,â Eduard blushed. âI told you Alexa was a good creepy costume.â
Notes: the location of the party is here. Estoniaâs costume is this.
