[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

Phoenix and Renée

[herewardbound]

▶ THE BALLAD OF SWEENEY TODD
Swing your razor high

---

It had started, really, as a building fog rolling in across the streets of Yongen-Jaya. It clung to the ground, low enough to obscure the feet but nothing else, a low trill of strings from some unobserved orchestra.

It was easily excused as nearby shops observing the festive occasion- save for whispers amongst the nearby cognitions, verging on... song?

Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd, they hissed.
His face was pale and his eye was odd

A low, distant rumble of thunder. Woodwinds soon joined the string, playing an ominous harmony, one that promised a tale of vengeance and death.
He shaved the faces of gentlemen
Who never thereafter were heard of again
He trod a path that few have trod
Did Sweeney Todd

The demon barber of Fleet Street...
A figure rounded the corner of the alley by the theater, an Akechi- but his face high and pale, with deep shadows around the eyes. His dress antiquated, almost Victorian- and his hair black with a white streak. And the moment he appeared, lightning flashed overhead, the unseen orchestra screaming into full ensemble, the brass section awakening to play the overture.

The effect was somewhat ruined when he took a step intended to accommodate legs much longer than they were, at present, and nearly fell over. The passersby dispersed, the moment passed, and the unknown newcomer righted himself with a curse, glaring into the open doorway. "Igor. What the fuck."

▶ THE BARBER AND HIS WIFE
Locked to Falcon and Futaba

---

The door to the Sakura residence swung open, to reveal two familiar faces, walking across the threshold. The first was Renée, missing her glasses but clad in a shoulderless blue prom dress, a corsage on her left wrist and looking highly amused. The second was... just an Akechi. Looking grumpier than usual and dressed like a Victorian barber. For some reason.

Phoenix sighed, and called out. "Hello?"

▶ NO PLACE LIKE TOKYO
And the vermin of the world inhabit it

---

In spite of initial annoyance, life went on. Phoenix and Renée both could be found in their usual haunts, with him making frequent visits to friends- or inviting them over to catch up, if they'd been so inclined, or taking time to study in the pleasant atmosphere that was Leblanc, and she found often around the myriad bars and bookshops of Tokyo, when she wasn't at home- though on occasion, Renée did make one of her appearances completely drenched in what was... probably fake blood. In any case, either of them seemed to be in relatively high spirits, throughout the week leading up to Halloween.

Alright, you sir, how about a shave?
Come and visit.

[lilcomputer]

Door, open. Steps, two people. Ears were perked and she was already leaping for the door. Her four eyes peered around the corner at "Renée!" She shouted. Tail wagging as fast as it could, not that it had really stopped today. There was already a bandage wrapped around the fluff from it being hit too hard against something.

She peered at the Akechi there's only one she knew that Renée would put up with, but he didn't look... human. Her eyes blinked individually as she processed, "Phoenix?"

[butterflyaffect]

Renée smiled warmly, when she was tackled, returning the embrace. "Hello, Futaba. As you can see, we've returned."

[herewardbound]

As for the 'stranger'... he smiled awkwardly, and opened his arms for a hug as well. "Yeah. Looks like I'm not the only one Igor's playing a joke on. But... it's me."

[gorobo]

It is, at that time, that Falcon appears in the hallway. In his hands are two pumpkins- creepy smiles carved into them. He looks a little... disheveled, but otherwise no worse for the wear. He raises an eyebrow at the strange new Goro, almost asking what he's doing with Renée... but he's quick to realize.

"Well, look what the- dog dragged in," he says, lips quirking just slightly. The mention of Igor drops his mood, but he tries not to show it. At least Igor didn't change him, as promised. "Took you long enough."

Even so, good to see them back.

[herewardbound]

That smile, if nothing else, was a reassurance, a point of familiarity. "It's good to see you, Falcon. Anything major I missed?"

[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."

Ballad

[tricksterviolet]

Briar sees the 'new' Akechi fall flat on his face. She knows better to approach, to put them in danger with her new form. And yet, against her better judgement, she can't leave him without checking to make sure he's all right.

So she carefully steps forward, and... something Phoenix may notice as he starts trying to get up is the sight of zori sandals and the bottom of a black kimono surrounding by swirling shadowy energy. At least, until the figure starts kneeling down to hold a hand out to him.

It's then that the figure becomes more recognizable, the one and only Briar, though her hair is slightly different, being held back by a black ribbon and her eyes are a more vivid red than usual.

"Are you all right...? That was a sudden fall."

She doesn't smile, frown, or anything, her expression is just a little blank. If anything, she seems a bit distracted...

[herewardbound]

He huffed, looking up to meet- familiar eyes, taking the offered hand. "I can see I'm not the only one Igor's playing a prank on. Hello, Sumire."

Another soon followed him through the door. This one much more recognizable- merely Renée, clad in a strapless blue dress with a corsage on her left wrist, an expression of quiet amusement on her face. "In his defense... it's a little funny. Happy Halloween, incidentally."

A. THE BALLAD OF SWEENEY TODD

[linkclickakira]

The young raven sighs as he pretends to act as if he didn't just blow up a few buildings and leaves the velvet room- a bitter taste in his mouth left still despite the fact that he was reassured that all of his items will be retained in a matter of three hours. Of course it didn't mean that he didn't try to attack Igor again in his new form but the overall cusp of loss had made him even more of a sad wet cat. His horns had lost its gleam as he finds himself walking on the streets of Yongen-Jaya figuring that he needs to achieve some semblance of normalcy.

Well, that had certainly changed when he watched a literal fucking bolt of lighting crash down so close to him- its thunder ringing through his sensitive ears as his eyes widen. He hears the cognitions murmur and whatever it is, it makes him straighten his back in attention before he looks ahead at the sight of what was...

...practically a fucking musical number from an animated TV Show. His eyes squint at the figure as he hears the song echo down into a dead lapse.

"So that just happened, huh?" He hums as he sips strawberry milkshake through a straw poked into a tetrapack. He looks comical in his rather cosy hoodie and jeans- his red eyes matching with the red tattoos outlining his jawline. He makes his way over to the threshold of the doorway and holds out a hand- pretending as if the meticulate designs of black (which only glows red when he transforms) are just a casual thing he...posesses.

"...you're Sweeney Todd?" He raises a brow- hearing the distinct song that came from that invisible orchestra. He still couldn't believe himself from hearing and watching that dramatic entry. So cool...but he will just pretend like that's another Tuesday for him.

[herewardbound]

"You get used to it," he grumbled, and fixed the- stranger. Demon? Huh. With a withering look. "Yes, I, a fictional serial killer from Victorian London, have suddenly appeared- actually, no, I can't make that commentary, that's probably entirely possible." He sighed, and still took the hand up, though. "But no, I just thought it'd be fun to dress up for a party, and now I'm back here."

"You'd probably have nailed the entrance if your legs were about a foot longer."

He was followed through the door by what was, unmistakably, a Velvet Attendant, highly amused by the situation and dressed as though going to a prom.

[linkclickakira]

Akira heaves as he pulls the other up, judging the suspicion exuding off of him. Makes sense- he's still a newcomer and he's...never seen this form of Goro Akechi before. The black hair and the white stripe vaguely reminds him of how his Akechi mentioned that they should exchange clothing one day and lo and behold- he has his hair. Technically. The white stripe doesn't count.

Judging from his words, he's lived long here. He should be wary of that.

"Don't you just love when you wake up fully dressed for a party?" He couldn't help but sing along in a rather sarcastic way. "Back here...? What do you mean- did you leave?"

His attention is drawn away by another voice as he stiffens and looks at the newcomer. The white hair, yellow eyes and his first thought is that she's pretty before he falls short and realizes that she looks oddly familiar to the people he's seen in the velvet room.

His expression falls for a moment before he forces a smile on his face. "Do you work for Igor?"

[herewardbound]

"Not this one, and not anymore. I'm as human as you." A beat, as she considered that. "Or as you normally are, I assume."

"It's complicated. But yes, we were here, we left, we came back. Don't... ask me how we did it, it happened largely without our input or consent. I'm Phoenix. I, ah... am usually taller. And significantly more avian."

[linkclickakira]

"Uh huh," Akira says- not convinced at all as he narrows his eyes at her. "That doesn't really answer my question, does it?" His voice pulses- as if someone else was talking along with him. There's a sardonic curve in his smile because as things are- her appearance is already making him wary.

Nonetheless, he likes where this is going. This was just supposed to be another interaction added to his otherwise dry social life here but these two have vital information about this place. About damn time. He doesn't let his hostility stay for long however- pursing his lips into a hesitant smile which greatly betrays his look as he nods and pretends like he doesn't want to jump Phoenix and ask him- "So you did put some input. Interesting" he starts then chuckles as he offers his hand out again.

"You can call me Kira," he begins. "More human and boring unlike you... you were taller?" Guess that explains the tripping and the statement that IGOR ASSISTANT just said. "You can fly too?"

[herewardbound]

"The answer is no, then, I don't work for the Igor who runs this place, who is as different from this one as you are from anyone else here with your name and face. I have, in the past, worked for an Igor, but for personal reasons don't do so any longer." In spite of the wariness, Renee didn't seem to take offense.

Phoenix shrugged, and took the offered hand, shaking it. "If you're new, the short version is, died one or more times, went to Hell, most of the time I'm a two-meter-plus bird demon for complicated reasons, thought it'd be fun to dress up as a character from a famous film to go to a Halloween party, wound up back here, apparently Igor thought it would be funny to make the costume a little more complete. But I guess I'm not the only one being subjected to that. Can't fly, though. Might be a possibility with maigc but we're not there yet."

a. now posted in the right place!!!!!

[willowandoak]

...That sure was something. Huh.

With the fog and the weird music gone, Ren slips his Evoker back into his jeans. But he stays where he is, even as the weirdo Akechi stumbles and almost falls. The fog and the voices may be gone, but Ren hasn't forgotten about them, and he doesn't have an explanation.

"Nice," he says. "Smooth. You okay, dude?"

He's, like... ninety-eight percent sure this isn't Shrike. But no other Akechi dresses like that. Even this guy isn't dressed like Shrike, but he comes closer than most.

[herewardbound]

"Yeah, fine," he grumbled, looking up- and there was something familiar, in his eyes, perhaps- a shade that was just a little too red. "... Huh. A little on the three-foot-long nose for someone going by 'Drake', don't you think?" He tilted his head. "You look good, though."

Another stepped through after him, this one far more familiar.

"Hello, Drake. Happy Halloween, apparently."

[willowandoak]

Okay, so Ren has met him before. Which means this Akechi is transformed somehow? Igor didn't dye someone's hair and put him in old Western clothes and call that a transformation, did he? It's probably something more in-depth. And there was the stumble, and there are the eyes...

"Phoenix," he says with more certainty than he feels, just as Renée steps through the door.

"Hi," he says to her. "Happy Halloween, I guess. Nice dress." To both of them, he adds, "I'm not gonna complain. Dragons are sick. What are you two? Have you hideously transformed into humans? Welcome back, by the way."

[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."

[willowandoak]

"I wanna see the special effects!" Ren says brightly to Renée. "Just one sec."

He turns to Phoenix. "So Igor turned you into a cannibal, is what you're saying." He eyes Phoenix, who, and Ren never thought he'd say this, kind of looks weird as a human. "Do you actually want to eat people?"

A

[undyingcrow]

Of all the things to turn into, it's...

Shadow the Hedgehog, but clad in the Black Mask uniform. Utterly absurd. He's so short now. Almost half his original height. And for what? What is the point of this?

But if that wasn't ridiculous enough, now there is a musical number going all around him. Fine. Whatever. The board mentioned something about musical numbers.

"You get your own orchestra? How lucky."

At least his voice sounds recognizably Akechi.

[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?"

[undyingcrow]

"I'm the Akechi who survived after the collapse of Maruki's reality." And now he looks ridiculous. Ugh...

He crosses his arms, tipping his head up to look at the others. He is not used to being the shortest person in a conversation.

"If we're talking codenames, Karasu will suffice."

[herewardbound]

Ah. Fuck.

"... I guess that makes two of us, in a sense. I'm Phoenix. Nice to meet you in person, even if the shapes are all wrong."

"I am Renée. Although... if the pair of you would like to discuss that topic alone, I can step away, if you would prefer. Although... I am slightly curious. What is your 'costume', for lack of a better word?"

"It's Shadow the Hedgehog."

"I don't... believe that looks anything even slightly like a hedgehog."

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Angel Dust looks nothing at all like a spider, and yet here we are. It's a character from a video game."

[undyingcrow]

"...Yes. And, evidently, someone thought it would be funny to make me look like him." He shakes his head, his sneer audible in his voice. "Honestly, I fail to see what this accomplishes, sort of needless humiliation."

He's so small. With his Black Mask attire, he probably looks... ugh. Cute, in the same way that mascot characters appear cute.