[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

[seekerofjustice]

So Raven does know more than Dove does... That puts Dove into a bit of a predicament.

Raven's still young and has his own share of problems. To get him sucked into Dove's would be thoughtless and selfish.

"...I would like to know the truth regardless of how painful it is. That is, only if you are comfortable sharing it, Raven-kun. I can simply ask someone else, if they are willing to share it."

[fogboundcrow]

Well, he asked for it. Raven heaves a heavy sigh, tail swishing uneasily.

"Suffice it to say, some versions of you... die, in Shido's Palace, and Maruki uses their life as a bargaining chip."

[seekerofjustice]

Dove stares at Raven for a quiet several seconds, processing what he's heard. At first, it almost seems like he didn't even hear him... but the look in his eyes change as it sets in, his eyes growing strangely distant as the air surrounding the duo grows eerily colder...

"...Is that so...? That I might be..."

He doesn't get a headache this time. After all, there is no body to feel the pain. Instead, his ghostly form starts flickering a bit as though he's losing his grounding to the living plane. His sense of focus is all but gone as he's stuck on this.

He feels like something wants to return to him, he really does, and yet... He can't... His memory is...

...Is he really alive, then? What if he's supposed to be dead?

He can't help but think back to the idea of being a cognition rather than a real person. If he died... If Goro Akechi died... What does that make him? False memories, revived from the dead, acting different than the real version ever did...

...Can he even say that he's Goro Akechi at all? Can he truly?

But instead of lingering on this, he puts on a smile again. That fake smile that makes him feel so wrong and fake, and yet it feels so natural and seamless. The smile that always blurs the line between the truth and acting for him.

He finally speaks up again after those several, silent seconds.

"...Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself. After all, there is simply no conclusive evidence on it regarding my case. I'll keep the issue in mind for the future though. Thank you, Raven-kun. Knowing that certainly does put this transformation into perspective."

[fogboundcrow]

"You may have pulled through. It's difficult to say. My only true confirmation came from Sparrow's Shadow. As I understand it, he at least was resurrected by Maruki."

But that doesn't mean it applies to Dove. How would he know? Raven is just one Akechi, and from such a different world.

[seekerofjustice]

...The fact that it came from Sparrow's Shadow honestly makes him more concerned that anything, but he keeps silent about that, instead nodding.

"Exactly. That said, I did want to know the truth. If this was indeed what happened, well... I needed to know that. Best to know it now and sort my thoughts on it rather than let it overwhelm me later."

...Ugh, imagine if Maruki tried to use that information to get him to question himself or to otherwise manipulate things? If he knows it ahead of time, and manages to steel himself properly, then that will be another thing Maruki can't use against him.

His smile grows just a bit larger, a little more level and less fake.

"Thank you for letting me know, Raven-kun. This is valuable information for me to have."

[fogboundcrow]

"Of course. It wouldn't be fair to hide it."

Still, those ears remain folded back. It's not a happy thought. "Are you going to be all right?"

[seekerofjustice]

"I'll be fine. There's no need to worry about me."

Dove just smiles, even if he's still a bit blindsided. It's rough, but... he'll be OK. Eventually. All that matters is that he has a new piece to the puzzle, something new to work with. Something new about himself that he can try to make sense of.

"Ah, apologies, I brought down the mood. The decorations are wonderful sight. It truly is the Halloween season, isn't it?"

[fogboundcrow]

"It's certainly more extravagant than last year's party."

An entire theme park, decorated for the occasion... He glances around from his perch. "I've yet to explore everything, but it's all rather promising."