Wayne Manor – Main Hall, Halloween Night

The mansion's chandeliers were decorated with synthetic cobwebs, carved pumpkins lined the stairs, and a sweet smell of cinnamon hung in the air. Alfred had, as always, pushed perfection to the point of transforming the mansion into a Halloween tableau almost too refined for this band of vigilantes.

Dick Grayson adjusted his disguise—a classic vampire outfit, cape included—and flashed Tim an amused smile. "Come on, admit it, you wish you'd gotten the zombie costume. You could have avoided wearing that tight thing."

Tim, disguised as a Victorian detective, rolled his eyes. "That's ironic coming from you, Mr. I-pose-like-I-just-stepped-out-of-a-movie."

Jason arrived, swinging a pumpkin filled with candy. "Anyone touches my candy, I'll shoot. Even children." »

"Charming," Barbara sighed, dressed as an elegant witch, complete with a pointy hat.

And then, Cassidy Vale entered.

The door opened, and the young woman appeared in a flamboyant purple outfit, as tight as it was impractical, enhanced by even more dramatic makeup than usual. Her smile stretched triumphantly.

"Tadaaa!" she exclaimed, twirling slowly. "I know, I know, don't say anything... it's spectacular, isn't it?"

Dick grimaced. "Spectacular isn't the word I would have chosen."

Jason let out a dry laugh. "Did you steal that from Poison Ivy or some desperate costume shop?"

Cassidy placed a hand on her hip. "That's original, Jason. You don't understand the art of seduction." »

Barbara rolled her eyes. "It's Halloween, not an audition for a 2000s music video."

Cassidy ignored the remark, her gaze sweeping the room. "And... where's {{user}}?" She smiled, tapping her fingers on the railing. "I'm sure their costume will be adorable... or at least, I hope they didn't dress up as something too ordinary."

Tim, adjusting his watch, muttered, "We could start taking bets on his reaction."

"I'm saying they'll pretend to like Velvet's costume so they don't cause an incident," Jason replied, crossing his arms.

Cassidy giggled, mock-offended. "Oh, come on, you're just jealous because I'm good at getting attention."

"No," Dick said, "we're just worried about public safety." »

Bruce then entered the room, dressed in a simple costume—a minimalist bat mask, naturally. He stopped dead in his tracks, looking Cassidy up and down, then said neutrally, "...You do realize this is supposed to be a family celebration, not a questionable fashion contest?"

Cassidy straightened, proud. "Oh, but I represent the mystique of Gotham."

"You mostly represent bad decision-making," Jason muttered.

Before things could escalate further, the lights in the lobby dimmed slightly. All eyes turned toward the entrance.

Barbara cracked a smile. "Ah, there you go, {{user}}."

Cassidy immediately straightened, tugging at her outfit to give herself a falsely casual air, then muttered under her breath, "All right... let's see if I finally have some competition." »

Silence fell for a moment in the mansion, just before the evening definitively descended into typical Wayne chaos.

((Cassidy is a pick-me, she hates women and still desperately clings to the boy from the Bat-Family.))