[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

Option 2

[seekerofjustice]

As Kira begins trying to get the horn, he may notice the air around him has suddenly gotten colder. A strange, eerie stiffness about him that is only getting stronger as time passes.

It's strange, the presence may also seem vaguely familiar, and yet... different. Occult in nature.

The icy chill only grows stronger as the presence grows closer, and yet, there's currently no one visible.

[linkclickakira]

As soon as he presses the trigger, the camera flashes- capturing the essence of the parade as he looks down at the photo. He's quite satisfied with how the darkness of the night envelops the bright parade and the shine of the instruments standing out against the otherwise supposed horror theme. Hm. Maybe he needs a more darker angle?

He doesn't get to think about a new idea for long as something creeps up behind him. His instincts are suddenly hiked up as he lowers the camera and looks around- squainting at the ride next to him. Its a merry-go-round with no one riding on its plush seats of live animals as they slowly circle around.

"Interesting," he hums as he shrugs and backs away from the ride. He has no interest in interactions; perhaps he should simply leave for now. However...

He casually places his hand in his pocket and pretends like his fingers aren't lingering over the gun tucked in his jeans. "A shadow?" He looks around and well- there's no one. Not at first glance atleast.

[seekerofjustice]

"...Wait, are you...?"

That voice. That voice is familiar as the chill grows closer...

The presence is right before you, and oh so slightly visible in the lights of the parade. That silhouette...

That's Goro Akechi, looking at you with a somewhat concerned expression. He's transparent, but those red eyes of his are all too clear, practically glowing amidst the darkness of the night.

[linkclickakira]

His ears perk up, blood running cold as he's practically frozen on the spot. "Wow, okay, haha, you got me...! Amazing prank," he rants off- gritting his teeth as annoyance builds up within him. "You can come out now."

Though he will come to regret his words shortly after when jitters run across his body and then-! There's the face. Lost and haunting as if the air itself around him would wind up into a rope and wrap themselves around his neck to the point of suffocating him. Goosebumps riddle his body and then he's springing back- "No..."

"No no, no you're not-" he shakes his head as his lips quiver like the leaves dancing to the cold wind. "You're not him. Haven't I fucking had enough, Igor???"

"Akira."
"Promise me."

"BACK OFF-!" He tries to say- hoping for his demonic voice to take the reigns but at best he sounds like an animal quivering at the side of his cage. He takes a step back, then another before he's holding his gun up.

Without even thinking next, the safety is off and the trigger is pulled.

BANG!

[seekerofjustice]

"...Hmm? A prank? I'm afraid I don't know what you're..."

But he stops as Kira continues, getting a frown, seeming... worried?

"...? Wait a moment, please calm down. I'm not sure what you think I am, but I--"

His attempts to reach out to Kira go silent as he whips out the gun.

Dove hardly has a chance to react before the shot strikes true... If Igor hadn't made him into a ghost, then that shot could have been fatal, but instead it just phases through him and his widened eyes as he slowly tries to recollect himself.

"...Ren-- Akira. Listen to me. Whatever you think I am, I'm not here to cause you harm. Please..."

He moves slowly, raising his hands up to reveal he has no weapons (Not that he could in this state), and does his best to remain calm.

[linkclickakira]

The gun rings out, piercing through Akira's ear drums as his form of a demon- the one who can materialize fire and vapourize dozens of houses if he wished- only remains a facade. Guilt and shame riddles within him, curling unpleasantly with memories of him doing the same the last time. "You don't scare me," he grits his teeth as he shakes his head vehemently and grows more anxious by the second.
He imagines the body dematerializing- reminding him that he's in a differnet world. His Goro can't reach him...he hates the momentary relief that floods through him. He hates how his eyes widen in fear when the figure doesn't disappear- instead he stands tall.

When the ghost moves, Akira's voice draws out thin. Scared. Its hung between a scream and a moan. "Get away..." He can't even contain his grief as it crashes down on him. His knees buckle, hands wound around his chest as he crawls back with horror written all over his face. He doesn't know what will happen if he looks away and runs. "If you want to kill me just kill me already...don't do this." I am sorry...I missed you...don't hate me...I hate this...don't kill me...I can save you thoughts sprawl through his mind as he looks at the pale image of the brunette.

His mind is sunk but he can make out the vague hope when he watches the ghost raise his hands up. "STAY BACK-!" He cries out- red sclera glowing as if he was threatening to kill him with his stare alone. "If- if you are not trying to harm me then stay back! Don't fucking move!"

[seekerofjustice]

Dove goes still, deadly still. His hands are still up in the air, and his expression betrays a hint of worry as he sees Kira become so emotional, so terrified. He doesn't know exactly what's going on, but clearly there's something Dove that's triggering this sort of reaction.

As awful as Dove feels about it, he knows that he needs to focus on calming him down before he can truly leave. Sudden movements will only distress him further...

He waits for Kira to finish, staying still, trying his best to remain calm and collected under the pressure... and then he speaks again. Calmly and carefully.

"I apologize for frightening you. I'm not here to kill you. I don't want to hurt you. I approached you out of curiosity, and it seems that I wasn't as careful as I needed to be."

Dove tries to take a breath, but there are no lungs with which to draw the air into. Instead, he merely mimics the action, much to his own frustration.

"...I also apologize for my current state. It's no excuse, but it seems Igor has found it amusing to make me a spirit for the Halloween season. I can't blame you if you don't know me, or don't recognize me as a result. If it provides any comfort, my codename is Dove."

It's a little hard to tell who is whom with all of the transformative chaos going on, so he wants to be clear about his identity, having this in mind.

"If you would still like me to leave, then I will gladly do so. I don't want to cause you more distress."

He's tense as he says all this, but he's trying his best not to give Kira any other reason to stress out.

TW: suicidal thoughts

[linkclickakira]

Every inch within him feels like its going to drag its nails down within the walls of his own body. Ants crawling all over his skin, leaving him stinging as his eyes remain hauntingly frozen on that visage of Goro Akechi floating within him.

"Curiosity."

His voice is even- veins bulging around the corners of his otherwise emotionless eyes as he watches the now stranger standing before him with his hands up eventhough he doesn't even need to; he can take all the bullets he can throw at him probably. Yet. Akira leans forward as his hands clasp down into the ground- preparing to run away if he really has to or...do something. He doesn't know what. His hands twitch as they dig into the dirt- nail with grime in a single line as he releases a shaky sigh. The mention of Igor and the Halloween season makes him parts his lips in shock as he realizes that...oh. "A Goro Akechi...dressed up as a spirit."

Akira wants to shoot himself and go after Igor in the Velvet room again.

The laugh grows. A ghost as it falls into tremours, not sure if he is laughing at the impressive prank or he just witnessed the massacre of his Goro again- blood dripping from his stomach with mouth open in a wrangled scream.

Its then that he hears the word Dove and he just-

He just can't live with-

Distress.

Akira's chest shakes as he folds his arms over his chest again- lips pulling together before the laugh is crashing in waves. It was a laugh that was shallow, heavy in shadows like the dark Halloween night and loud like the sounds of scratching glass; he falls back- now lying on the ground as his legs unfold and he's laughing like he can't believe him. His voice rings through the forest but there's not a single bit of joy in it- more along the lines of each note cracked and frayed.

"Oh- you- you got me good, Dove."

[seekerofjustice]

Dove is silent and still as it all happens, hesitant to make a sudden move... at least, until he hears Kira say that he apparently 'got him good'.

He can't help but frown, pursing his lips a tad as he carefully begins approaching. He steps next to his side, being sure to give him some space as he kneels down to check on Kira.

"Again, I must apologize. I... hadn't realized I had been so discreet or that I was so unrecognizable in my current state. Are you all right?"

[linkclickakira]

The laughs grow quiet and sombre with each passing second. He rests the back of his hand on his forehead- covering his stare as his lips pull into a wry smile. The twitch on it is almost forced but really if he thinks about it; this scene is everything a comedy would be. Sure...let's have a ghost version of the one person you love but can't do anything to have them or save them haunt you and try to approach you in a world which you can't escape.

Can't escape.
Can't live.
Can't do anything.

"Yeah."

He rubs his eyes with the back of his palm. "I am alright. Perfectly fine. I am just...scared of ghosts..." His tone doesn't sound too convincing but hell he can't do anything to save himself from the embarassment. He just hopes Dove doesn't recognize him.

[seekerofjustice]

Dove doesn't entirely believe that, but he doesn't press it. Not while Kira is upset.

"I must apologize again for my sudden approach then. Perhaps I should do something to make my arrival more obvious in the future..."

...But that's something he can worry about later. He focuses on Kira, and... hmm. He does look familiar, but he can't quite place who this exactly is. The transformations make it a bit difficult to tell.

"Is there anything I can do for you? If there's something you need, please don't hesitate to tell me."

[linkclickakira]

Akira couldn't help but hang his hand down as he forces himself to sit up, rubbing the back of his head as he pretends as if the moisture building in his eyes is just because of dust getting into his eyes and not the fact that Dove genuinely didn't mean to scare him.

"It's alright you're not...him." He looks away as he presses his lips together- heaving a deep sigh as he looks up and nope still feels like something out of a nightmare. "And its not like you had a choice."

He raises his chin to make note of the way he speaks. Its clear the other doesn't know who he is. His forced smile falls as he sighs and rubs his bottom lip as if that little inconvenience was nothing but that. "Sorry you're just," he forces a wry chuckle. "You're just scary, man. Don't think you recognize me but I suppose that's a good thing."

There's a soft glimer in his eyes as he regards him.

"It would be a little embarassing if you knew my little fear."

When he gets up, he doesn't directly look at him- instead he focuses on his rather transparent attire. A second he can barely make out the white hazy outline and then the other its the ground and the lights blending into the flickering form. "It's alright we can just hang out after Halloween. I am sure our costumes aren't temporary but-"

For a moment its as if he's back in the sushi restaurant again- the biting and bitter smell of cigarettes entering his nose despite the fact that he was before a children's carousel.

"All these strangers with his face... it drives me insane."

"There is another Akechi...here. Not Goro. A twin." He explains in broken speech. "For both of your sake- just make sure you are talking to a Goro Akechi or...a Ren Amamiya. You could say the twin is...also scared of ghosts."

Because of course like their names, they aren't fated to thrive.

With a bitter smile, he reaches for his hoodie and pulls it over his head- his horns poking out from the sides. He walks past the ghostly appearance of Goro Akechi before stopping, having a vague idea on how Dove acts in these situations. "Don't blame yourself. Blame Igor. I will talk to you later, Dove."

With that- its as if he's been set on fire itself as he launches himself into the air- leaving behind a trail of fire behind him as he disappears before Dove's eyes before he can throw any other questions at him.