[EVENT] 'Tis the Spooky Season...

[vrdr_mods]

Autumn is drawing on in the Velvet Room and its environs. The days are colder, the nights are crisper, leaves are a riot of colour ready to fall from the trees. And (besides all the pumpkin spice popping up for some reason) that means only one thing: Hallowe'en!

As the season approaches, you may undergo a mysterious transformation. Perhaps you wake up with wings, or hooves, or gills! Or perhaps your transformation will change more, go deeper... perhaps to your very soul. Who can tell? You might wake up as an animal, or a mythological creature. Or as anything at all.

Transformations will reverse on the morning of November 1st. Probably.

In the meantime, Destinyland is celebrating the holiday. Cheerful Jack-o'-Lantern Shadows have set up on street corners, handing out flyers advertising the park's seasonal festivities. In the days leading up to the 31st, Destinyland will host all the usual fun: Hallowe'en games, Trick or Treat for the babies (and the not-so-babey), the Gorb fortune teller, Shadow-run food stalls serving spooky meals and treats, and, of course, the haunted house with its array of friendly, candy-giving Shadows. Or maybe they're not so friendly.

On the night of Hallowe'en itself, there will be a parade at the park and a grand party out in the main square with food, music, and plenty of space, though characters are not obliged to attend. However, if you wish to show off your new form, see what transformations have been wrought on your fellow guests, or simply take the chance to celebrate, it may be a good opportunity...

Who knows? Perhaps you'll even see some special guests.

[ooc: Welcome to our second Halloween event! This post will serve as a mingle for the duration of the event. Feel free to invite friends to play as guest characters, too! There will be a toplevel, and guest characters are simply whisked into the setting to engage in festivities, with a slight ghostly aura. For an example, see the thread here from last year!]

Comments

[lakebrat]

[Huh. With his thumb, which he still blessedly has, he scratches about long enough to establish that he does have pads. But when he tries to type with them, the claws press on the glass in the most uncomfortable way. He tries to bite his lip, only to fail to find it; a panicked scrabble establishes that he has a muzzle now, as well as the sharp teeth he could feel with his tongue. Some kind of wet animal nose.

He has a Feeling. A Feeling that Bodes.]

I don't know what I am. I tried to take a picture, but all I got was this.

[The picture he attaches is overexposed as hell, showing not much more than a radiant golden glow, brightest around the top where the head might be.]

You're a dragon. Seriously.

That's supposed to be a question, by the way.

[willowandoak]

are u a fucking angel??
an angel with claws???? what the Fuck
actually that kinda fits
brb

[ He is gonna try to take the sexiest dragon selfie that he can manage with his apartment lighting. He needs to focus. ]

[lakebrat]

I don't know. I don't have wings, at least. I have got a lot of tails, and they're a pain in the grass.

For duck's sake.

Wait, do you have wings?

[This is a very important question that he needs answered for science.]

[willowandoak]

[ By way of response, Ren sends a selfie. There are no wings in sight, but he is shirtless, to show off the extent of the swirling patches of scales and also because it's for Goro. He's not not gonna try to look good. His tail is visible, wrapped around his free arm, which is raised so that the camera can capture his claws. His horns gleam in the overhead light, and his strange eyes glint with invitation. His crooked smirk is just big enough to show off one pointed tooth. ]

[lakebrat]

[Oh, shit. Oh, shit. That does look good. And does Goro even still have... yes, an exquisitely careful scrabble confirms that he does. Good.]

You photogenic monster.

Do you think you could make it to upland? [He means Leblanc.] So that we can explore all this further, I mean. At least so I can return the favour.

MiniGoro, Kitsune edition

[fledglingcrow]

A) Locked to Ken
He was so so warm waking up. He stretched up and wrapped his tail around him. Wait. Tail? There was more then one of them. He leaped out of bed, his body somehow landing on it's feet. He opened her mouth to yell for Ken. What else was different about him? The ears on his head, his paws, oh god paws, how was he supposed to do anything? At least he was still mostly human the rest of things considered.

B) Open
He was starting to realize this was going to be how the area was at least for now. He might as well check out Destinyland now. Igor wouldn't put them in danger even for the fun of it right? He had claws and fangs now anyways. He could handle it. Anyways, Join him as he explores destinyland.

A

[vessel_ken_amada]

Ken had gone back in the house only to grab something when he heard something that sounded like a call for him. He immediately rushed towards the room and saw... well. What looked like a kitsune version of Jay? So he too was victim of Igor's Halloween transformation magic.

"Are you all right? Do you feel any pain?"

[vessel_ken_amada]

"...I see."

He still seems very much not all right with it, even if it doesn't seem very harmful so far.

[herewardbound]

"You get used to-"

He looked down. Took in the sight before him. The brain rejected what the eyes had reported, and told them to check again. The eyes returned, sheepishly, holding the latest report and mumbling something about the same results turning up. Well that wasn't possible, said the brain. Reset the machine and check again.

Phoenix blinked.

Oh, very well, I'll go and check myse- oh.

Behind him, Renée stepped through the doorway, glanced down at the creature before them.

"Get used to what? Hello. Are you a newcomer, or one of the Goros we've already met?"

[herewardbound]

"Sweeney Todd, it's a... well, film, but adapted from a stage play. Turns out I missed a lot of media and a friend of my father's a big theater nut so there was a movie night and a trip to a live production. Barber gets imprisoned and framed for a crime, returns to find his wife dead and the judge responsible for all of it keeping his daughter prisoner and planning to marry her, plans to murder him for it. Shit happens, he kills a lot of people, colludes with the meat pie shop downstairs to dispose of the bodies and turn a profit. Really good music though, and I thought I could rock the look for a Halloween party. Still, 'mundane human' isn't the most ridiculous thing I've been turned into by a long shot."

"And this is just from a horror movie. It's much more recognizable with the special effects."

[gorobo]

Well... a bunch of things, really, but none of them he readily wants to discuss in front of Futaba.

"Just some new arrivals," he grunts. One in particular stands out... for less than stellar reasons. "You know how it goes."

[lostgemini]

Kou lets out a huff, his fur fluffing rather adorably in annoyance.

"Yeah, can't say I'm a fan," he says, nose wrinkling. "This shit gets everywhere."

Especially in places he doesn't want it. Like his nose. He sneezes.

"And we haven't. I was dropped here around... two weeks ago?" What the fuck, it definitely doesn't feel like it's been that long. "... Though I've spent plenty of that time trying to avoid people. You know, until the powers that be decided I not only needed all this-" he gestures at his wings, "-but to get out more." He takes an annoyed drag of his cigarette. "Transported me straight into Destinyland without any say on my end."

Wild Card

[gorobo]

Well, Falcon's not going to concern himself with the festivities, that's for sure. After the disaster that was the party last time... yeah, he's not exactly keen to show up for any gatherings whatsoever.

What he is doing, however, is putting out a bunch of carved pumpkins outside his home in Inaba that he and Futaba made together. With homegrown pumpkins in his little vegetable garden, too- he can't say he's not at least a little proud with how big they'd become. The largest one is big enough that even a small child could fit inside! Though, of course, it's no sweat for Falcon to transport it. He's even dragged a bench outside to put up some of the smaller ones.

He's just finished putting candles in each and every one of them, flickering lights dancing through the faces and images carved into them. Satisfied, he takes a seat on the empty space on the bench with the smaller pumpkins, taking a moment to take in his (and Futaba's) work.

That is how a certain cat-ified young Akechi might find him...

FALCON AND LYSSI LETS GOOOO

[gorobo]

Needless to say, that is not how Falcon expected to find Lyssi.

At first, he startles at the stranger in his home- he doesn't remember inviting anyone in- buthe's quick to realize it's no stranger.

That's his brother, and he's looking-

"Lyssi?!" Horror is in his voice as he walks up to his no longer mechanical brother. That's to say nothing of his complete lack of vital signs. "What- are you okay?"

B: candy

[lostgemini]

Hunger gnaws at Kou's stomach, but none of the food so far seems particularly interesting to him. He tried some candy earlier- but it seems his taste-buds are completely off from what he's used to. He wanders around the place, hoping to find something.

What he finds instead, is a bug-girl eating candy. It only serves to make his stomach growl more. He overhears her comment, and for a moment, ponders if he should say something. She seems... friendly enough. Somewhat familiar, though he can't put his finger on it.

... Eh, he can't be bothered to think too hard about it. Too tiring to do so, really.

"You and me both," he sighs, longingly eyeing the candy that he can't eat. "I can't say I'm a fan."

[lostgemini]

"Something like that, I think," Kou replies shortly, trying to get a handle on his too-wild emotions, though he does follow the fake. "Can't say I'm a fan."

He blows some hair out of his face.

"And you- I take it you're not usually a kitsune, then."

[herewardbound]

"Well, it's been a whole entire fucking thing. I'm relieved it's only been a month or so here because on my end it's been more than six."

[lakebrat]

"Oh, yes, in fact," he counters, with subdued brightness. "Born and hope to die."

They proceed for a deadpan moment in the embarrassing light of his body and halo, seriously, who has a halo—before he laughs under his breath. "No, not really. I'm Frog. I'm from one of the worlds with the Phantom Thieves."

[lostgemini]

Were it his own Goro, he would've been amused. He would've laughed. It would have been funny.

As it stands, it just makes him tired. So, so tired.

"Frog," he deadpans (or tries to, at least). Well... at least there's a face to the name on the board, now. Though what he says... Kou's eyes narrow.

"The Phantom Thieves existed back home too," he huffs, looking away. "Not so much without the Metaverse anymore, though."

[lakebrat]

Yeah, that joke falls about as flat as Goro's known a joke to fall. There's a deep, dark cloud around this one, and he doesn't need any sexy fox powers to tell it. He watches the new guy from the corner of one slitted brown eye.

"You lost the Metaverse?" he asks. "That must have been a kick in the teeth."

Plus, Frog is a fine name. But he doesn't protest as he might more usually do.

[lostgemini]

"It collapsed in on itself when we beat Maruki."

Which, sure, that was a kick in the teeth. Having been such an integral part of Kou and Goro's lives, losing it was... hard. Suddenly he wasn't special anymore, not in any way; he was just some teenage murderer who lost his brother under mysterious circumstances.

... Hah. Haha.

Fuck.

He swallows down the grief that attempts to take over his body, his heart pounding in his throat, chest tight. Losing the Metaverse was hard, yes, but having to lose Goro twice was even harder.

Having to look at these fakes, knowing they have no clue?

His wings curl in on himself without conscious input- almost like he's hugging himself. He doesn't even notice, trying to push out the hurt.

[lakebrat]

And it's all so familiar; far too familiar, even if he doesn't know the cause. The Metaverse going away—he can think about that later. The prospect doesn't do this to him.

"Hey," he murmurs, drawing to a halt—quiet, conciliatory, every inch the listener his life has made him. "Do you want to sit down? Get a coffee, perhaps? I'm sure it's dreadful, but."

In other words, does he want to talk? And Goro will listen. "What's your codename, anyway?"

[fogboundcrow]

Hey. Hey, Falcon. There is a fuzzy creature lurking about in the shadows. He was watching those pumpkins, because they are most intriguing, but as soon as Falcon sits on that bench, a blur of brown fur springs onto the bench.

"Hello there."

[fogboundcrow]

"We do have an entire theme park at our disposal. You could probably do just about anything, though some of the rides may be trickier to navigate like this..."

Would the dark rides even be safe when this other Akechi has such a flaming motif? Then again, it could purely be cosmetic...

[lostgemini]

Does he want to sit down? He doesn't know. He cracking under the grief again and he doesn't know what to do. He doesn't even realize the other has come to a halt until he nearly bumps into him- and it takes far too much effort to keep his face from crumbling completely.

He doesn't want coffee. He wants his brother back.

"... I don't know," he murmurs, before registering the last question. He swallows once, twice, three times until he feels like his voice won't crack anymore.

"It's Corvus. Sorry for not... offering it sooner."