October Mingle

[etrayamods]

❬ ARRIVAL ❭

Welcome to Etraya!

Arrival goes as expected - characters awaken on hospital beds and are offered an explanation of their situation: that they have arrived in the city of Etraya, and they are their world's only hope. They are welcome to wander the hospital if they would like to - the upper floors are mostly empty, full of pristine hallways and numerous rooms filled with supplies, cots, and things one would expect from a relatively average 21st-century hospital.

In the hospital's lobby are several party tables set out with miscellaneous baked goods: pumpkin bread slices, Halloween themed cookies, breads, mini pumpkin pies. To drink, there is mulled tea and iced pumpkin spice flavored coffee to accompany them - as well as some apple cider (non-alcoholic), for those who are opposed to the other offerings.

Outside of the hospital continues to carry the autumn theme, and not merely the weather itself. The decor of the buildings and the immediate surrounding area of the hospital has been influenced by the spirit of Halloween. For those unfamiliar with the Earth holiday, it looks like whoever is in charge of decorating really loves cartoonish depictions of pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons, spiders, and bats. Not to mention the orange and purple lights, which wrap around various trees and outline the tops of some buildings and overhangs.

Even the Companion Bots themselves seem in on the festivities. Some dressed in ridiculous costumes, and while there are those more dedicated to their costuming craft, others might simply be wearing cat ears, or something of a more inflatable distinction.

If one is likewise feeling festive and in want of a costume of their own, there is a building not far from the hospital just for that: 8 Grandage Place. This abandoned apartment building is decorated in a particularly spooky fashion, with a particular sign draped across the front of the building. This is where the companion bots themselves acquired their costumes, and where Etrayans may find their own as well! Though with the reach of the multiverse at play here, the selection is more extensive than a standard Spirit Halloween.

The quality is about the same, though.

❬ TRICK OR MEET ❭

Upon the first morning of the new arrivals, the current residents of Etraya will find right outside their door (or tent) that they have been bequeathed a small plastic cauldron full of an assortment of individually wrapped candies. These candies are from across the multiverse, some familiar, some less so. Do you know what a Reese's is? What about a Moonburst? The names don't really matter, they're all little candies made of sugary or chocolaty goodness, much to delight of children and to the dismay of teeth everywhere. However, they are not the only thing within the bounds of the cauldron.

With them is a single note:

Treats to gift the new
With a trick's paid due
Five new faces met
Five less points of debt
Should one disregard this note and eat all the candy, they will find that each new day the candy will be restored. Whether that be achieved through another cauldron being delivered at their doorstep, or it simply being refilled while they sleep. Whichever the case may be, this will continue until the rhyme is followed, or until the 31st.

As for the newcomers of Etraya, they will be given their own little card with instructions. Either a companion bot will offer one to them upon their exit of the hospital, or after they pick a costume for themselves at the Spirit Halloween. The companion bots will be persistent in this endeavor, until at least one card is taken from them.

Upon the card, it instructs in rhyme:

With ghoulish guise picked
Seek those to be tricked
To their homes you flap
Find them on your map!
Simple enough instructions, though the task itself may prove otherwise when there are some lingering effects from the previous mission. Some such effects that could very well impact the functionality of the ear pieces and the maps within them, among myriad other inconvenient things.

❬ FARMING FOR FEAR ❭

On the night of October 31st, Etrayans will find signs and posters plastered all over various buildings advertising a haunted barn over on Ramsey Farm. Directions will send characters to the barn on property. The theme? The barn has been decorated in the style of a traditional Shinto Shrine that apparently leads to the Underworld. Some characters who are familiar with this concept may be reminded of the Buddhist Osorezan Bodaiji Temple in Japan.

Partway onto the property of the farm jack-o'-lanterns (courtesy of Jon Kent) in a variety of designs line a path, getting spookier closer to the barn. Out in front is a large stone torii gate made by Toph Bei Fong that has been painted red, as well as a table where Vivi will take payment to enter the haunted barn. That's right folks, this isn't free: every entrant requires payment in the form of candy (good candy, no cheap suckers or gum allowed) or baked goods. Accelerator is hanging around with Vivi to make sure there aren't any problems. Anyone who tries sneaking in will likely be kicked out by John Reese, whom they've recruited as security for the night.

The interior of the barn has been converted into a dark maze pulling from a mishmash of cultures. Speakers are hidden throughout and blare ominous drumming, the sounds of cackling demons and crackling fire, and horrific screams. Fog billows in from machines scrounged from the junk yard and fixed up, and the occasional strobe light flickering makes walking through disorienting. Somehow, they've even managed to pump the smell of sulfur into the building. As characters twist and turn their way through the maze they'll come across elaborate red-lit dioramas made from stone and scrap material of demons (some looking like oni, some like they're straight from the Bible) torturing people. If that isn't scary enough, fairly impressive demon and skeleton puppets have been rigged to pop out from behind corners and dark spots to provide jumpscares. And if that isn't enough, then chances are Damian, who is lurking throughout the barn, will ambush characters when they least expect it to ensure that everyone gets scared.

❬ NEW HOME BEFORE THE HARVEST ❭

A different type of newcomer...
Early in the morning of the 1st, there will be a post made to the network from someone with the username Tatianna. Some might recognize the name, while for others this will be their first interaction with her. Well, if one could call this an interaction, for she seems to have little interest in responding to anyone who actually replies to the post.

"Long time, no see, Etrayans. Seems like you haven’t failed yet, and your city still stands. Happy for you. No, really. I’m super glad. You’re definitely all super worth it.

"Anyway, we have some folks that weren’t so lucky. I’ve got them posted up at the hospital for now while they recover, so give them some space, got it? They were all half dead when we got them, and they all need their shots, and you probably need yours.

"You can thank Dylan for that, by the way. Went on some little mission for Aurora, came back with more than just himself! You can ask him about the details, but if you want the chance to talk to them, maybe you should actually try to make them feel welcome first. Unlike how I was treated.

"Let’s see if the rest of you can do a single redeeming activity. I wanna see a gift basket from every one of you. Take your time, think about it. And if you put together a nice enough basket and drop it off in front of the hospital with me then maybe- Maybe if you collectively do a passable job, I’ll let you speak to them when they’re feeling better."

While Tatianna will not be answering anyone on the network, she will be available around the hospital to receive whatever gestures of welcome and hospitality people have to offer for these mysterious and new refugees.

❬ NOTES ❭

📌 — Happy Halloween and welcome newcomers to the game! A note on the costumes that can be found in the Spirit Halloween: anything related to worlds from the characters present in game is allowed, though it might be best to check with someone first before grabbing something specific about their character. Otherwise, the sky is mostly the limit for silly costume shenanigans!

📌 — As for the little trick or treat task that has been given: characters who complete it will earn 5 extra points. These points do count towards the 25 point monthly maximum! If the character is not new they need 5 interactions (not separate threads, there can be multiple people in a single thread) with new characters where they give them candy to earn the extra 5 points.

New characters need to "trick or treat" while in costume and get candy from 5 different characters, potentially visiting their homes to do so. One can check the locations' page to get the lay of the land and where people might be, but if the exchange happens out in the wild, that also works. Once they get 5 pieces of candy from 5 people, they also get 5 points!

📌 — Feel free to play with some of the lingering effects from the TDM for the mingle, the residual impact on the land and people are still very much around. Powers may act a little funny, unfortunate incidents might occur. Have fun with it! And feel free to keep working on your bingo cards -- threads from this post will count towards them, and we'll draw prizes prior to the next mission! We've reduced the comment requirement to 5 instead of 7 to make bingo squares easier to complete.

📌 — As for the new refugees, they will be properly introduced at a later time. The effort put into these welcoming gifts and gestures by Etrayans as a whole will impact how they view them, and will flavor future interactions!

📌 — For all questions relating to the this mingle specifically, please use the MOD QUERIES comment below. Other questions can be directed to the FAQ.

🔵FULL NAVIGATION🔵

Comments

Mod Queries

[etrayamods]

[choirmaster]

Hi!

1) What if a character has a chronic ability to have fun and refuses to engage in costumes or trick or treating, but is willing to socialize as long as he considers it an Important Task in his internal quest log?

2) Is Tatianna a being with a consciousness, and if so, can they be Tuned? (I am here to make the mods regret accepting me almost immediately, I guess)

Arrival

[dangerbird]

If a character already arrived during the TDM do they re-arrive in the hospital?

Tatianna (NPC Interactions)

[tatianna_npc]

[will_chase_balls]

[Dwayne has put together a basket. He has genuinely put thought and effort into putting together the best basket he can come up with. Of course, the thoughts going into that effort were Dwayne thoughts, so Tatianna's mileage may vary on how she receives said basket. He searches around the hospital until he finds someone he thinks might be Tatianna.]

Hi! Are you the one who put up that network post wanting gift baskets? Because I put one together! There's some chocolate in there, and I put a bag of meat in there, and I made sure to include a piece with a bone in it since gnawing on the bone is the best part, and I put a few cans of beer in there, too, because everyone likes beer!

Vivi Ornitier l Final Fantasy IX

[ornitiers]

Treat or Meet:

Huh? Oh. So I just have to give some candy to five people? Is that it? That sounds easy enough....

[Vivi murmurs, more to himself, but still likely loud enough if anyone else is near enough to overhear him. He'll be found exploring around and giving out candy to whoever he happens to come across. He doesn't mind giving some away. He figures they all would be, giving and receiving some from what he had gathered about this holiday.

He may be dressed up as a cat while out and about, with ears and a tail to complete the look, with his glowing yellow eyes. If not, he will be wearing his necklace from Aurora and appearing as a regular young boy with dark hair and eyes, dressed as a skeleton.]

Farming for Fear:

Just put your payment in the cauldron. Thank you!

[Vivi seems to be having fun and is glad to help out, even if he isn't actually in the barn scaring people. He doesn't mind being put at the entrance. Someone has to make sure people pay up! Not that he is necessarily the most intimidating in appearance, to really forces people to give their candy. But looks could be deceiving, and anyone who knows the mage is well aware he is more powerful than one might expect. He does have Accelerator with him, though. Just in case.]

New Home Before the Harvest:

A gift basket? I wonder what she might like?

[A shame Zidane isn't here to ask. Vivi would usually just ask his older brother figure. But he'll have to think, and can be seen wandering and heading into random stores for potential ideas of what is available, at least. He might hold something up and ask whoever might be near:]

The gift baskets...do you think Tatiana would like this? I've never put something like this together before.

Treat or Meet

[maellum]

Ooh. A kitty?

[Maelle isn't dressed up (yet!), but she's glad to see people in costumes. Vivi is no exception.]

So, it doesn't have to be scary? Unless someone is highly allergic to cats...

jonathan kent — dc comics.

[solarson]

🎃 trick or meet.
( to any looking to take part in the trick or treating that's been assigned via the little cauldrons filled with sooo much candy he's been trying his hardest NOT to chow down on himself, outside THE DAILY PLANET will be superboy and his little cauldron, waiting and smiling for anyone to come and exchange a treat with. he might break down and help himself to a candy or two in his waiting around for anyone who might stop by, but! the second someone does? he throws the wrapper behind him and smiles as he shakes his cauldron there next to his head. )

Trick or Treat! Happy Halloween! Whoooo wants some candy?


👻 haunted pathway feat. krypto the ghost dog.
( it's a bird! it's a plane! no! it's... a mummy! well. it's jon kent, or as etraya knows him as, superboy, dressed up like a mummy for the holiday with bandages dragging behind him and face wrapped up to conceal his identity from Certain People. does it really matter in the end? who knows on etraya, but! he's making sure all the jack-o-lanterns are lit and re-lighting some where their candle has gone out, making sure not to accidentally set anything on fire with all those bandages he has on because yeowch! that would sting!

the moment he catches someone making their way for the path, he'll duck his way into the darkness and give his kryptonian companion for the evening the signal to Do His Thing.

the thing in question being a kryptonian dog dressed like a ghost — courtesy of jon's handiwork! — floating there in the middle of the path while jon makes spooky sounds nearby. )

This way to the haunted farm. Ooooooooo~ Ooooooo~

( and all those oooo's definitely get kryp— the ghost to bark and howl all of a sudden and from the darkness there's a shushing that can be heard. )

Krypto! Stay in character! ( wait— ) I mean! Oooooooo~ Haunted farm~


🦇 wildcard, etc.
( if you prefer prose over brackets, feel free to switch styles and i'll match. PM's always open if you want to discuss anything or set something else up. )

haunted pathway

[maellum]

[Totally not the kid she met on the rooftop that one night, and totally not the dog she just saw Clark post about along with said kid. She'll play dumb so as to not ruin the act! Maelle, at some point, attained a princess costume and put it on with a grim laugh. Princess, sure. It's so pink and glittery and itchy and the glitter is somehow all over her skin, but at least she's out here, right?]

Oooh. Spooky. Very haunted. Guess I should keep going forward...

samil | original.

[rowd]

spirit halloween.

( there's a piece of half-eaten pumpkin bread in a hand that sam, occasionally, raises up to his mouth to take another massive bite out of - but it's only an afterthought, a snack to munch on as he makes his way through the isles of the store. a plastic skeleton gets pulled off of a hook, draped around a standing skeleton dog that's close by as sam gives a bemused snort and poses it to appear like the dead guy is riding the plastic dead dog.

listen. he's bored, there's nothing else to do, fucking around with this crap is at least something.

a pair of devil horns gets pulled off of a shelf and placed on top of his head, miscellanous pieces of random costumes getting thrown on - including a scream mask that he shoves back onto the shelf quickly because shit that covers his whole head? less comfortable than initially thought, and it'd fussed his hair up.

it's when he gets to the display, animated decor that shit starts going wrong. boots step onto the yellow pad and seconds later a massive spider jumps out directly toward him. )

-- fuuuCK!

( sam goes down flat onto his ass, odd decorative knife he'd kept in it's sheath at his belt immediately in hand and the remnants of his piece of pumpkin bread left on the floor - somewhere. if he knocked over someone else or something - oops. )

trick or meet.

( were you walking around - wherever? enjoying a nice conversation with someone, or perhaps hurriedly running off somewhere? taking a casual stroll?

unfortunately, whatever they had been doing is interrupted by some massive yet scrawny asshole shoving his forearm down against their shoulder, leaning right into their personal space, and holding out a card with a rhyme he wouldn't understand anyway out in front of their face which is possibly only part of what's so disturbing, because not only is he holding it out, he's also asking, )

Hey, you have any idea what the hell this says? I can't read.

chaos hunting.

( or perhaps you've stumbled upon him after he's at least half figured out what the hell it says, when he's walking out of the hospital with his arms full of toilet paper rolls and is taking it - who the hell knows where.

doesn't matter, because he'll be raising his chin toward whoever passes by close enough to get their attention, calling out after them - )

Wanna fuck up someone's house?

( actually. hold on. )

Do you know where anyone lives? 'cause aside from the big building, I don't.

ooc notes.

( please feel free to throw whatever at me! if none of the above prompts work or you'd like to chat things out, you can reach me at crowbars. )

spirit 🫵

[rudelanguage]

[hitting someone as big and sturdy-seeming as Pending should be...well. sturdier. but it's just a facade, and he's more reliant on agility than stability.

that said, triggering that noisy spider-trap has prompted a recoil from him in turn, and when Samil jolts backward, Pending's already pivoting to the side...sticking an ankle out to reflexively encourage the guy's certain descent onto his ass.

he's not paying attention to that. instead, he's lobbing a pair of scalpels at the animatronic, bristling at the noises it makes. he expected squishy.]

Oh. [Weird.

but it's just...twitching and falling idle in place. Pending squints at it for a few seconds before deciding to put away a third implement, back up his sleeve.]

...Okay.

Steve Rogers | MCU | ota

[pursuitofcappiness]

Get Into The Spirit

It's not that Steve doesn't enjoy halloween. On the contrary, he quite likes all the festivities, but just feels guilty about partaking in them when there's so much work to be done at home. He has to remind himself that he's doing all this for that home, and that this is part of the mission.

It doesn't make him feel any less ridiculous when he comes out of the dressing room at the Spirit Halloween, as a pickle. He'd had trouble finding a costume that fit him in both the waist and the shoulders, and so, with this just having armholes, he thought maybe it could be a contender. It seems, however, that the costume didn't account for his size, and so the face cut-out tops out at his nose and is showing mostly his neck and the top of his t-shirt instead.

"Do you think this would look okay if I got a green shirt?"

Trick or Meet

He isn't quite sure he understands the goal of the poem when he reads it, but he doesn't really want to play tricks on anybody - that's not really his style. So, instead, he focuses on the candy part. The only problem there is that Steve hasn't done trick-or-treating since there were still some baby teeth left in his mouth, so being the one taking candy from others feels kind of wrong. He's tried to do more of an exchange, taking candy in trade for one in his basket.

"Swap you one of those chocolates for one of these lemon sours," he offers.

Nevergrey & Ochreward Border

Because Steve hasn't visited these two places before, he doesn't realize that they used to be completely separate. He hadn't anticipated such a large hill either, but he isn't one to say no to a nice, brisk hike. He thought that maybe he'd set out in the morning, and packed himself a little breakfast to eat once he'd found a place to stop.

He knows that it's not the case, but he does feel like the fog and wind up here happened out of nowhere. When he'd taken out a sandwich, most of the bread and filling just broke away and flew off in a sudden gust, leaving him with about a mouthful he'd pinched together.

He turns towards your character, thinking that they're the one laughing. "Any way you could pretend like you didn't see that?"

New Home Before the Harvest / Uketon

What Steve doesn't have in monetary value items to put in a gift basket, he has plenty of creativity for. At the moment, he's sitting in the Tuileries, painting a plein aire scene from the gardens and dotting in all the people walking past.

When your character moves, he says: "Wait. Do you mind staying there for just a couple minutes?" The light is really nice, and he'd just like to capture it properly.

Wildcard

[ HMU assemble or over dm/discord for a private TL or just throw a different TL at me! ]

Nevergrey and Ochreward Border

[levelshift]

Having been here for over a year and a half, Accelerator knows when there's a major change in the landscape. That's why he's bothered coming out here, intent on getting a photo of anything unusual in an attempt to fill out his bingo sheet. The hill is new, which means it could be an anomaly, and when he sees all those sandwich ingredients get blown away he's a little more convinced. Honestly, that seems almost like a prank rather than just a coincidence and bad luck.

He stares, refraining from laughing even though the whole thing was entertaining to watch. "Nope," he responds bluntly, and to add insult to injury he's getting his polaroid out of his bag with his free hand and snapping a photo. Sadly, it isn't a picture of the actual moment, but it's close enough.

knife threads 🗡️

[rudelanguage]

[prompts for pending & antigone will live here! ping me in dms/plurk/whatever if you want something else

gonna populate them under this tl so they collapse/make the scroll less painful]

antigone 🦊 ota

[rudelanguage]

[in seasonably chilly Dewpoint, anyone actually doing Aurora's stupid surveillance homework for her may come across an encampment that looks half campsite, half yard sale. amidst this, a lavender-toned kitsune wrapped in an array of patterned fabrics tailored to her size is laying prone, the only sign of life being some muffled groans and errant tail-twitching. she can't even be arsed to respond to the tripwires that send bottlecaps and glass tinkling should someone less stealthy trigger them. she can only suffer.

nearby, there is an upturned plastic bucket, currently empty, and a killing field of candy wrappers.

the detective work should be fairly simple here.]

Accelerator | A Certain Magical Index | OTA

[levelshift]

Spirit Halloween

[Among all the oranges and purples of autumn leaves and Halloween decoration, Accelerator sticks out like a sore thumb. He stubbornly adheres to his usual monochrome style, a warm light grey sweater and slightly darker jeans, and absolutely no costume in sight. Costumes are for small children and drunks and as he is neither of these things, he is not interested. Having ventured out of the library to get a cup of coffee, he looks thoroughly unimpressed with everything as he makes his way down the street. He has to weave around some of the more boisterous costumed bots to get to the cafe but he gets there, gets his coffee (black, despite the bot barista trying very hard to get him to drink something pumpkin spice-flavoured), and starts to wander a little.

When he comes across 8 Grandage Place he stops and stares at the banner. What on earth? That building has always looked pretty creepy, so the brightly-coloured banner sticks out.]

What the fuck is a Spirit Halloween?

[He is woefully unfamiliar with the aforementioned American institution. Whatever it is, it seems dumb.]

Farming for Fear

[Holidays aren't usually things Accelerator bothers celebrating, let alone one like Halloween, but putting together the haunted barn seemed like a good idea. Do something stupid and fun after the last mission, which he imagines was pretty rough on the kids, and hopefully get a bunch of candy for their efforts. It seems reasonable, and it gives him a distraction so he isn't constantly dwelling on his second death in between sixteen hour naps. He mostly just lets the kids run the show in putting the haunted barn together, helping them out with ideas or construction when his ability is needed. It's easy enough, and he doesn't mind if they have a good time.

He does not bother dressing up for Halloween night. He's too old to do so (in his opinion), and he's only going to be at the barn to supervise and deal with any problems should they arise, so he didn't see the point. What a killjoy.

Throughout the night Accelerator can be found at the payment table in front of the entrance to the haunted barn, taking over for Vivi when he wants a break. Anyone who approaches with payment to go through the barn will be scrutinized heavily, and you can bet your ass he's kicking characters out who have only brought cheap, garbage-tier candy no self-respecting child would want to eat. The kids went to a lot of effort to put the barn together, after all, it'd be rude to just accept anything. He has an arm slung casually over the back of his chair and his feet up on the table, and he scowls when someone approaches.]

What'd you bring?

He can also be found away from the barn, walking around the perimeter of Ramsey farm. He's asked John to handle security around the barn, so he's making regular loops around the entire farm to make sure there aren't any adults loitering where they aren't supposed to. In fact, if someone seems to be wandering or lost or otherwise not making their way to the lit pumpkin path, Accelerator will suddenly be behind them, hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans.

(He's fifteen, sometimes he uses his ability to freak people out.)]

You'd better be looking for the damn barn.

Nevergrey

[Guess who is still at it on bingo? This guy!

He swears, this will be his first and last game of bingo. Even with his ability it's still a pain to get around to the islands and find these dumb anomalies, but he's one square away from a bingo and has thus invested too much time to give up now. This stupid thing is getting done, and then he never has to worry about it again.

Today he's up in Nevergrey, bundled in a warm coat with a furry collar around the hood, and winter boots. It's chilly on this island, and he's anxious to get back and get himself a warm coffee. Thankfully, after some searching, he's managed to find a large hill between here and Ochreward that he distinctly remembers not being present before the previous mission. Scowling at it (a hill?? That's it??), he pulls his polaroid camera out of the bag he's brought along and takes a photo. Then, after he's put all that away, he curses under his breath and starts trudging towards it, the feet of his crutch sinking into the snow and making his life just that much more difficult.]

Fuck, this better be worth it.

Wildcard

((I'm available for plotting other stuff at cryptophyta!))

nevergrey

[consiliaria]

Great minds, [ Mel says as she approaches, pulling the collar of her jacket tighter against her throat. Strangely, she doesn't actually feel the cold on her skin, but rather than test the limits of her magic, she opts instead to dress appropriately for the time being.

Having followed the tracks in the snow, she stands off to the side, glancing in the same general direction as the hill. At the sound of the shutter, she glances over at Accelerator. ] Is that the anomaly? [ Truthfully, she can't say she's surprised, but she really hoped it would be more interesting than a hill. And in the snow. Mel frowns for a moment before something dawns on her. ]

Let me try something. I have an idea. [ Mel inhales slowly, and as she exhales, the markings on her skin shine bright enough to be seen through her jacket, and the light pouring from her fingertips melts the snow. ] Perfect. I despise wet shoes. We're going to the hill, correct?

Prompto Argentum | FFXV

[saychocobo]

Trick or Meet - Spirit Halloween 1

[ They don't have Spirit Halloweens in Eos. Prompto's like a kid in a candy store, because there's so much to look at and touch. Giant animatronic subway rats, ceiling fans that project laughing skulls onto the blades, more cosplay than they have at the Assassin's Festival, signs, tchotchkes...

He can be heard laughing halfway across the store, as he sets off every animated item he walks past, giggling and snickering at all of the ones that he deliberately sets off and jumping and gasping (okay fine, shrieking) at the huge, motion-detected ones that he triggers accidentally.

If you find him, he's probably ransacking the "normal" clothes and accessories. The number of dark, silvery rings and chains he's gotten his hands on make him look like a toddler ransacking his mother's jewelry box. Almost all of the necklaces he has on have tiny silver and black enamel charms on them - delicate little skulls, bats, and black cats. He's added at least 5 more black leather and hemp bracelets and cuffs to each arm, some with silver studs. ]

Whaddaya think?

[ He's holding up a jack-o-lantern sweater vest as he calls over to you; his grin almost as wide as the knit one. ]

So am I crazy, or could I actually pull this off? I’m thinkin’ no shirt, keep it bold. But if it’s giving ‘try-hard nerd,’ you gotta tell me before I embarrass myself in public.

Trick or Meet - Spirit Halloween 2

[ Or maybe you find him after he's picked out a costume and been accosted by one of the companion bots. Y'know, after he's had to get a cart because he has plans.

The cart has what must be 50 glow-in-the-dark bracelets and at least twice as many small rubber ducks. Prompto is actively sifting through the glow-in-the-dark display and tossing any more green ones he finds into the cart. ]

Okay, okay, check me out! So I think I cracked the whole ‘trick people’ thing, but like, nicely. We get the riddle-mechs off our backs without pissing everybody off. These glow sticks? Snap ’em, link ’em, boom. Instant Tonberries. We stash ’em in all the dark corners, let the glow do the work! Kinda spooky-cute?

Then - get this - we scatter the ducks and call it Operation: Fowl Play. Tell me that’s not genius. Go on, say it.

[ Farming For Fear ]

[ Prompto stops about twenty feet from the barn, boots crunching onthe path where the last of the jack-o’-lanterns face him with flickering grins like they know something he doesn't. He’s been staring at the place for a solid minute, trying to look casual. Just appreciating the craftsmanship here, but his eyes keep darting toward the fog curling out from the open doors. ]

M-Man, they really went all out, huh? Totally slayed the ‘this place is haunted and probably wants to eat your soul’ vibe. Half-expecting a daemon to pop out and ask me for my lunch money.

[ Forcing out a laugh that sounds only a little too high-pitched, he takes three steps closer; the sulfur smell hits his nose, and he immediately regrets it. A scream echoes from the depths of the barn, sharp, long, and far too human. ]

Okay, nope, that’s - y’know, it’s probably, uh, smart to let people go in ahead, right? Like crowd control. We wouldn’t wanna jam up the haunted maze.

Wildcard

[ Nothing will be turned away! Feel free to find him taking photos of people in costume at either location as well. ]

spirit halloween #1

[somnifer]

[ Noctis is closely studying the picture of an inflatable fish on a package with an expression that's far too serious. He's legitimately having an internal debate about whether he wants to appear silly or scary for this whole thing. Both are good options for someone who would much rather not be perceived. That and one of those giant clear balls.

At Prompto's voice, he turns, smirking at his choice. ] Nothing about that says nerd, [ he comments, amused, although a flash of gold from behind his best friend briefly draws his gaze. ] I think that chocobo costume might, though. [ That, in Noctis' esteemed opinion, would look adorable. It even has feathers! ]

You think actual chocobos would get confused? [ Legitimate question. They could totally test the theory here. ]

Nico di Angelo | Percy Jackson Universe

[demigoth]

Spirit Halloween

[ Admittedly, Nico noped out of the Spirit Halloween the first time he'd gone in, leaving only with a top hat. That was enough to wind up with one of the riddle card, so he's back in tacky hell, only now he's taking it just about as seriously as the store takes death.

The animated skeleton accompanying him is now wearing that very top hat as it trots along after the dark-haired teen, clicking and tapping across the linoleum in a perfect little time step. Nico seemingly ignores it as he makes a beeline for every black t-shirt with graphics done in white, grey, or red. Skulls are heavily preferred, as one might gather from the black-and-grey skull-patterned t-shirt he's wearing under an authentic-looking 1940s bomber jacket. Also black, like his jeans and boots. Kid has his look down pat.

If you come up to Nico, or if you even look too long, the skeleton will raise its top hat at you and chatter its teeth. ]

[ Farming for Fear - 1

[ Nico's in line at the candy table, arms crossed over his chest as he looks around. He gave the jack-o’-lantern-lined path a slow once-over and let out a low, unimpressed hum. ]

I see we've got the grand Underworld experience with all the smoke machines, strobe lights, and burning chem experiments you could want. Very intimidating.

[ But he relents a bit as he considers the painted torii gate. ]

The gate's good though. Osorezan Bodaiji, right? I went there once. Took a wrong turn at Albuquerque.

[ Farming for Fear - 2

If I give them two KitKats, do you think they'll let me bring a friend?

[ Nico is standing in line by himself and hasn't been chatting with anyone since he arrived, so it's unclear why he's asking about bringing a friend.

One might be suspicious from the sharp, toothless smirk he's wearing wryly. ]

Wildcard

[ Anything is welcome! ]

farming for fear 1

[codicies]

[ With a smirk, Dylan responds: ]

Yeah, the strobe lights and smoke machines were my favorite part of Dante's Inferno.

[ He has not read Dante's Inferno. ]

Where is that? Japan?

Mel Medarda | Arcane

[consiliaria]

+ trick or meet

[ Stepping out of the Spirit Halloween, Mel is dressed for the occasion, which, in this case, is meeting new people. That is an easy enough task for her, and information is always valuable, as were friends. As far as she's concerned, one could never have too many.

For a moment, her gold markings flash, and she turns, catching the eye of someone who had been nearby. A shiver races along her spine, the gold glinting once more as she looks them over with an amused look on her face. ]

And what are you dressed as?

+ new home

Would you mind helping me with this?

[ Mel doesn't really wait for an answer should someone turn towards her, instead, depositing a basket into their arms and stepping back to look at it. Her eyes flick up and she smiles, leaning in and readjusting the items sitting inside it before turning and picking up a few more things and adding them strategically. ] You're doing wonderfully, darling.

[ Back at her vantage point, Mel shifts her weight, studying the display and tapping a finger against her lips, her gold-painted nail shimmering in the light. ]

We're missing something.

+ wildcard

(( I’m always around on plurk or discord (brutallyamish on both) for plotting, or you can toss whatever you like at me! ))

new home

[somnifer]

[ Noctis is suddenly carrying a basket, which he accepts dutifully, waiting with a smirk behind his giant deer mask. He's spent a little time around Mel, so he's familiar enough with her strong presence. It's comforting, really, and reminds him a little of how bossy Ignis could be. (Not to mention himself, but he's setting that little exercise in self-awareness aside for the moment.) At her compliment, Noctis offers a blithe, ] Thanks. [ Cheeky, as always.

He can't quite see the basket with the skull blocking most of his view, so Noctis doesn't actually know what they're missing — if anything. So he thinks of what he might want with the change in weather. That's easy enough. ] Socks? You can't have too many. [ Boring, maybe, but there you go. ]

John Reese | Person of Interest

[aimsforknees]

>> Treat?

[ Well, he has to give out this candy. It's been a lifetime since he's done that, but he can vaguely remember how exciting it was to trick or treat as a kid, so he doesn't seem much harm in it here. In fact, he's taken it rather seriously. John has set up a folding table outside the apartments and is seated behind it, cauldron of candy surrounded by piles of library books. That's right, he's taken a large portion of the horror collection from the library and is here to hand them out to anyone who wants to read something thematic to the season. ]


>> Costumes

[ Since John is participating in the haunted house, he decided he should dress the part too. Only the bots have their own sense of style and are currently trying to push an inflatable shark costume at him. ]

Not that one. Don't you have anything easy to move around in?

[ He sounds tired and a bit exasperated. The bots just present the limp shark suit at him again. This isn't going well. ]


>> Farming for Fear

[ The kids wanting to do a haunted house is... cute. There was something warm inside of him as he watched their preparations, and he immediately accepted the role of payment enforcer. John made it out of the costume store with a more reasonable costume, though he left the face covering off and was able to refuse the plastic scythe; both would impede on his job tonight.

He can be found all around the vicinity of the barn, keeping a sharp eye out for anyone who might be trying to find an entrance other than the front door; Vivi and Accelerator have that covered, though occasionally John passes by during his rounds.

Anyone looking the slightest bit suspicious will get approached with a serious look. ]

Are you looking for the entrance?


>> Wildcard

[[ Feel free to PM me here, or I'm @ biowafers on discord and plurk! ]]

The Park

[ukan]

[He cannot imagine that anyone would give candy to a 47 year old man. But he has to get candy nonetheless so unless he feels like robbing these people...

Here he is as a wolf, dressed up like Scooby Doo. He waits until the man is more or less alone and then approaches. He even sits up with both paws in the air and begs when John isn't encumbered by the dog he has with him, out here in the park.]

Gladio Amicitia | FFXV

[inimicitia]

+ trick or meet

[ Call it uninspired, but Gladio decides to dress like a knight, fake chainmail beneath the gambeson and all, belts crossed around his waist. There's just something about the romance of it that appeals to him, and it's practical because even now, especially now, he's still thinking about his duty.

Rolling his shoulders, he tests the fabric. It's been a while since he's worn something other than the uniform and it's nice. It's still all black save for the silver that peeks out. This feels like something they've been conned into, but he's amused, more than willing to get out there and see what they can find out about this place. ] So where to first?

+ farming for fear

[ Gladio isn't surprised he ends up at this haunted barn thing, talked into it by his friends, nor is he surprised that he's somehow pulling up the rear. At each new scene, he stops to admire the work, leaning in to look at all the details. He steps a little closer to one, really staring at the models set up in the diorama, taking in the strange, unnatural pose. The wash of the red light makes it hard to really make out much, which adds to the effect, he thinks. ]

If this thing moves, [ he jokes, somewhat under his breath. This is nothing compared to the daemons crawling out of the earth, the spirits that had pulled and tore at him in the ruins, but even he has to admit there's something eerie about the eyes, the anger. ]

+ wildcard

(( I’m always around on plurk or discord (brutallyamish on both) for plotting, or you can toss whatever you like at me! ))

farming for fear

[somnifer]

[ Noctis had been the one to insist they all visit the haunted barn. He's delighted by it, finding every jumpscare hilarious and all the decorations entertaining, so needless to say, he's floating through with a wide grin. Unfortunately, that expression is entirely hidden by the giant deer mask. Oh well.

It's another moment or two before he realizes he lost Gladio again, who is apparently lagging behind to admire the scenery. Noctis snorts. That is so like him. He makes his way over, a tiny bit of a bounce in his step that's easily missed.

Pushing the skull mask up, he shoots Gladio a look halfway between entertained and exasperated. ] Admiring the craftsmanship, big guy? [ He's perfectly calm, entirely unbothered by the random screams and spooky noises all around them. ]

Barnabas Tharmr | Final Fantasy XVI

[odinpusrex]

Trick or Meet

I.

[While the holiday aesthetic is one that suits the vibe of Barnabas, not to mention those of Ash in general, he is not quite interested by the task at hand. The contents of it, at least, but he will abide by the childish riddle that's been given to him, as it is clear that, while minor, it is its own mission of sorts.

Which is why he stands guard at the closed iron gates of the imposingly tall Ravenwit Walls. There are stairs to climb to get to him, though they are not terribly high, however each one has a jack-o-lantern to mark the path, carved with different cartoonishly menacing faces. There are some lights that are hung over the wall, but they seem to have only been done in half-heart effort. Or perhaps they were interrupted before it could be finished. One can guess it was not Barnabas himself who did these decorations, but instead were the unappreciated efforts done by the bots that Barnabas then expelled before they got too far along.

For Barnabas' part, he is not in costume, but dressed in his typical black and blue ensemble. After all, it is not he who needs to dress like a fool and earn a treat like a dog, but the newcomers, and so he waits for those that might dare trek from the Purple Windy trolley stop and venture forth to the only residence in this area.

As one approaches, they are only met with Barnabas' cool indifference, his plastic cauldron of treats in hand at his side as he stares down at them, unimpressed and unmoved. Expectant. Waiting.

Go on, impress the Last King and earn your sweet treat.]

II.

[To ensure that all might complete the task, and not merely himself, Barnabas knows that it will prove a better strategy to go where the crowds are likely the thickest, much to his chagrin. As such, he will be found around Alcyone's Wake, near the hospital and the... newly established costume store, looking for those that he does not recognize. Of course, those he does know are free to approach him, though he is not here for them, and might make that apparent. Doesn't mean they can't hassle him all the same, however.

Once he spots a face unfamiliar to him, he will approach. Staring them down with a cold intensity that is as chilling as it is striking. His expression neutral, his eyes sharp, and his outfit utterly lacking in any Halloween spirit. Each step is deliberate, yet for all he is purposeful with his movements, there's an air of ennui about him that is almost smothering. His presence is both commanding and threatening, partially in how he carries himself, but also just in vibes alone.

He holds up the cauldron of candy in gesture.]

Earn your treat.

[Somehow this doesn't seem like it's going to be easy.]

II

[ukan]

[He has doubts about approaching this one. He hangs back, watching as the man hands out--or doesn't--his candy to other strangers.

He needs candy. He needs to do this. So he stands and shakes his fur out and pads up to Barnabas, sits in front of him, and holds up a paw for a handshake.]

Yang Cheng/E-Soul | To Be Hero X

[neonrain]

Spirit Halloween; OTA

[It probably looks a bit absurd, a man in what could pass for a costume itself browsing the isles of Spirit Halloween. But here E-Soul is, contemplating options in a sea of festive tat. Though his mask remains impassive, solid in its construction, his voice conveys his incredulity.]

…They seriously went through this much effort [he plucks at an inflatable alien costume] just for us to go trick or treating?


Farming for Fear; OTA

[A quick bit of cooking later, E-Soul has paid his toll in sachima and wanders the maze in a headless horseman costume, though the hazy neon blue glow of his visor through the dark mesh suggests that his mask remains on underneath.

Currently he is examining one of the dioramas up close with morbid curiosity, neither the first nor the last visitor to do so. He doesn’t look away when he hears someone else enter this particular segment, but he does speak.]

It’s almost disturbing how impressive this is.

[E-Soul’s tone is flat, but he actually means that, thinking of the kids taking payment. A pair of demons are sawing a man in half from the groin, and the lighting only serves to emphasise the innards spilling out. It even looks like the innards might be anatomically accurate, which is definitely a worrying level of detail.]


A Chance Meeting; closed to Sunday

[The first thing E-Soul did after leaving the Hospital, food and drink balanced in one hand and the little card from the Bot in the other, was claim a room in the nearby apartment building.

It’s from there that E-Soul emerges now, intent on grabbing more clothes amongst other supplies. Mask and prosthetic arm aside, he cannot wear his heroic gear all of the time. Better to save it for missions when they come. He needs to find a decent workbench too, now that he has to maintain everything himself. It’s almost surprising to catalogue just how many luxuries he’s become accustomed to as one of Mighty Glory’s top two Heroes.

He takes the lift down, and soon emerges into the lobby. It’s the silver hair that first catches E-Soul’s eye as he makes his way to the door.

Pale, nearly colourless, and yet richer than Ghostblade’s grey shade. Four of the top ten Heroes have similar hair colours, so he registers it automatically, and looks the man’s way. Golden eyes, too, like Queen. Those make him pause in his step. He’s never seen that colour on anyone else. He associates it with her power after what happened in the Ruins. He slowly flexes his fingers, remembering how every his every muscle froze mid-sprint, bathed in the golden light of her circle.

E-Soul turns to face the man.

He stands alone in the otherwise empty space, yet somehow there’s nothing awkward about it. Something in the man’s posture evokes Nice’s grace. Or perhaps it’s the fastidious neatness of the man’s clothes.

It still doesn’t feel natural, being the one to break the ice, but E-Soul forces himself past his own reticence. It’s an old anxiety he needs to crush now. Anyone can see that Echo wants them to show cooperation, and E-Soul is determined to take every step he can to save his world. Even these small efforts will collect over time.

E-Soul’s voice is even, faintly distorted by his mask.]

Expecting someone?

A Chance Meeting

[choirmaster]

[Sunday had spent the better part of the morning watching the world pass by outside the lobby window. A few faces are now familiar to him. Other residents of the apartments come and go. Companion robots whirr by on their miscellaneous tasks. Little else.

The city outside feels strangely empty for its size, as if it were crafted for them and them alone. He is wondering if anyone else lives in Etraya when he notices a masked figure out of the corner of his eye and turns to face it.

Another resident. Another soldier like himself drafted into whatever madness this is.]

No.

[He shakes his head at the question.]

I was just watching people out the window. Or rather ... [His golden eyes drift to the window for a moment before turning back to the stranger.] ...I was watching my new associates. I don't think anyone else lives here.

Sunday | Honkai: Star Rail

[choirmaster]

SPIRIT HALLOWEEN 1

[The sounds of animatronics and the chattering of other newcomers should weave together into a single symphony in his mind. Yet all Sunday hears are pieces of conversation from a dozen or so individual souls. There is no sense of harmonic order, only discordant noise that makes him fold his wings down against his ears.

Growing up, he'd heard stories about the harvest festivals of various worlds, and how belief in spirits of the dead often colored them. If this is what those festivals are like, he wants nothing to do with them.

He isn't aware of the fact that he is standing in the center of the store, scanning around himself in a state of heightened tension. While he may look like he's already picked a costume, dressed all in white with wings on the side of his head and a gold halo, his body language is that of a cornered prey animal. Frozen, but ready to lash out violently or sprint down a burrow at a moment's notice.

Sunday doesn't know where he is. He's never felt less in control.]

SPIRIT HALLOWEEN 2

[He finally leaves at a rushed pace, eager to get back to his apartment, quiet his mind, and darkly ruminate about his situation. A loudly dressed robot whirrs around him in a strangely frantic way, presses a card against his chest, and herds him back into the store.

He stares down at the card, then looks up, searching for the eyes of another newcomer.]

Hello, please excuse me. [He bows his feathered head] Is there a backdoor anywhere? The robots outside don't seem eager to let me leave in peace.

FARMING FOR FEAR

[Cacophonous as the store had been, the maze is even more so. Cackling puppets spring at him out of dark corners, screams rattle off the rafters, something somewhere roars. Sunday regrets entering the maze almost immediately. His wings fold tightly against his ears. Every moment feels like an hour he could be spending more wisely elsewhere.

He steps out of the fog roiling near another dead end and greets the first person he sees with a bitter laugh and a low hiss.]

Heheh...Don't bother going that way. It's not the way out.

spirit halloween 2

[ornithologist]

[ Harold is a well-dressed older gentleman who was perusing the costume racks with thinly veiled distaste when Sunday approaches him. The... head feathers... are odd and almost worth a double take, but Harold's been in Etraya for a year now and far too polite in any case to make something of it. ]

I'm afraid not, but I think I can assist nonetheless. They're quite easy to work with once you know their priorities.

[ He means this in a literal way, as in, their programmed priorities as computers. It just makes sense to Harold intrinsically, so he's never had any difficulty with the bots. ]

Dwayne ir'Dorn | Original

[will_chase_balls]

[Dwayne reads the note, and while he doesn't fully get it, he understands that people are supposed to play tricks on him and he's supposed to hand out candy. It sounds like fun and since he doesn't actually want any of the chocolate, Dwayne happily heads out, candy cauldron in hand, ready to hand out candy to anyone who wants some. The second he sees someone who might want to be a recipient of some candy, Dwayne bounds right up to them.]

Hi! Do you want to play a trick on me and get a treat?

[Is he doing this right?]

[Farming for Fear]
Dwayne is a simple man, and when he sees signs telling him to go somewhere, he follows, because that somewhere might be fun. He enjoys all the spooky decor as he gets closer, and the payment is no issue. He's been carrying the candy cauldron around all day, and since he doesn't actually want any of the chocolate, he hands over two large handfuls of reese's, snickers and other chocolate treats, careful to make sure he keeps anything fruit flavored for himself.

He still isn't entirely familiar with what this is, but as he walks through the maze he begins to gather this is meant to be some kind of show. There is a lot of theatre where he's from, though it typically happens on a stage rather than unfolding as people walk through it. Nothing seems to be attacking--no sooner does that thought cross Dwayne's head than a skeleton jumps out at him. He startles, his eyes turning gold, his teeth growing long, and his fingernails becoming claws...before he realizes the skeleton isn't doing anything more than jumping out, then slowly sinking back into its hidey hole.

Dwayne laughs. He shifts back to human.

"I knew those kids had to have some undead working on this farm. You can't have a farm without undead farm hands."

That statement isn't true at all, even in most of Eberron. Dwayne doesn't care, because it's true in the Seeker community he grew up in, and he considers it a reasonable enough explanation for why there is a skeleton performer in this strange show. He cheerfully continues on.

Spirit Halloween
As he explores this new store, Dwayne comes across a werewolf costume. He picks it up, examining it for a moment, and comes to one conclusion.

"Wouldn't it be fun if I got this costume, and shifted while wearing it? Then I could be a werewolf wearing a werewolf costume!"

Sort of, since he's technically a shifter, not a werewolf, but that's a distinction that really does not matter. He then spots a clown costume.

"Or I could get this and shift while wearing it! For old times sake!"

What old times is he referring to? Who knows. The only thing that's clear is Dwayne clearly wants to do at least part of Halloween wearing a costume over his wolfman form.

trick or meet;

[neonrain]

[E-Soul was under the impression that he was meant to seek out the resident Etrayans with the candy, not the other way around. But when the blond man comes bounding over he doesn't complain. It makes his task easier. Dressed in his headless horseman costume, he nods.]

Alright.

[He lifts his right hand up in the universal - multiversal, he hopes - gesture for a high five and waits.]

Dabi | My Hero Academia

[burningideals]

- Spirit of what now?

[ If he was completely honest?

Had it not been for the whole concept of using ‘points’ to save his world and caring just enough about one (maybe two) people living there? Dabi would never so much as considered it, so in time, it meant he’d found his way to this building and stared up at the brightly colored banner with a bit of distaste.

It wasn’t like he wanted to put much effort into this so maybe there was one of those stupid costumes that wouldn’t take much to count.

So he’d stepped inside and after a couple minutes of boredly perusing the shelves? One surprisingly caught his attention. A long black, tattered looking robe with a plastic scythe. Clearly being the Grim Reaper which made his lips quirk up a bit in an almost amused smile. ]

…Heh. Guess this could work.

[ That and it didn’t look like it would require much effort to put on or deal with. ]

- Trick or Meet

[ After finding the odd little thing filled with sweets, it annoyed him a bit that the first thought he had was that Toga would have gotten a kick out of this. Hell, she would have more willingly dressed up just because she could.

Though as far as Dabi was concerned?

He had no real taste for sweets, so while being dressed like a surprisingly fitting Grim Reaper? Sure didn’t waste time practically sneaking up behind people, one hand holding out the thing of sweet treats. ]

Just make it easy and take one, would ya?

[ The only other option would be to throw these at people but this was him attempting to some small degree, play nice. Hell, he even had the hood pulled up onto his head which contrasted with his pure white hair quite well. ]

- Festive Decorations?!

[ Simply because he figures with all the spooky atmosphere?

It wouldn’t be out of place if people found patches of things softly burning with an eerie bright blue flame, right? Because Dabi’s sure decided to (somewhat) harmlessly set little things on fire, positive that one of the little do gooders here will put the fires out before they can cause damage.

Something small to amuse himself on the side while doing these silly things for the points. ]

- Wildcard

[ Nothing seem to hit right for you? Feel free to toss whatever you’d like at me and i’ll roll with it! But I am available for plottings @ indulgentsin ]

Festive Decorations

[badnewsandshitlist]

Percy pauses in the street, eyes tracing the line of pale blue fire crawling along the fence. “Remarkable,” he says at last, voice smooth and faintly disinterested. “You’ve managed to make fire decorative, yet entirely pointless.”

He glances at Dabi, adjusting a glove with deliberate care. “Tell me, are you experimenting with combustion, or simply entertaining yourself by wasting oxygen?” A small, cold smile follows. “Either way, I admire the commitment to inefficiency.”

Vergil ⛈️ Devil May Cry

[antimetabole]

Trick or Meet
ooc: Feel free to use prose or brackets, and riff as you see fit! Since Nero is using this as a marketing opportunity for Devil May Cry, let me know if you're interested in Nero
and/or Dante making an appearance in the thread so I can let their player(s) know! You're also obviously free to just hang out with this loser nerd alone if you prefer.

[On its surface, it would appear that Vergil is refusing to participate on both occasions one might find him skulking about. This, however, is participating after a bit of a cajoling and haranguing from his beloved son.]

[Outside Spirit Halloween, Vergil has found himself a place to hold up the wall nearby to the entrance without being in the way. A companion bot occasionally disrupts Vergil's peace, but he simply demonstrates that he has the appropriate card to dissuade any further attempts to get Vergil past the threshold. (If his son could not make it happen, a companion bot is certainly not having better luck.) The garish sign was enough to convince him that he was better off waiting outside for Nero and Dante. Of course, refusing to enter means rescinding control over what exactly was chosen for him as far as costumes are concerned. That does not entirely sit well with him—a partial explanation for some of his visible agitation in waiting—but he trusts Nero enough to temper the worst of Dante's impulses into some degree of manageable embarrassment.]

[The other cause for some of Vergil's increasing agitation and restlessness, however, comes in the form of mild impatience. He cannot imagine what must be taking them so long. Do the costumes truly matter so much? By Vergil's estimation with the crude little rhyme on the card, it would appear so long as it is a costume, anything will ultimately meet the requirements. Occasionally, Vergil orients himself more to watch the entrance like a hawk for any sign of his son or brother emerging finally. Other times, he paces a little before leaning back against the wall of the building again. Already he is beginning to regret this...]

[Although that regret is perhaps dwarfed by what is ultimately chosen for him to wear. He wants nothing more than to take it off as soon as it is on his head, but even while taking a break from trick-or-treating, it remains right there atop Vergil's head. The only reason he does not given into the impulse to rip it off and send it flying off into some hapless bit of shrubbery (or to occupy the shrubbery himself to avoid being seen), however, is because he has made a promise to see this task through to the end of it. The trade off to that is that he is at least permitted a break every now and again from having to trick-or-treat with Nero and Dante, particularly when there's been the suggestion to split up to cover more ground. On those breaks, Vergil finds some place mildly out of the way to wait for Dante or Nero's return. He mostly pulls a book out to read in whatever lighting he can find, but when he assumes they won't be gone long enough for him to make a dent in his reading, or he's found himself at the end of his book, he idly looks through the candy he's collected. None of it sounds appealing to him upon inspection, and that much shows in the way he frowns at it piece-by-piece. But so long as it makes Nero happy to have it around...]

[...Black licorice, however, is being banished as something Vergil would not consider giving to anyone, not even Dante. He hucks it almost as far as he can without hesitation upon finding any.]

[rudelanguage]

--Ow! Wuh! D'AH-!!

[the lobbed licorice finds a civilian target to bonk off of right away, which is weird, given the arc.

but maybe it's less weird, considering the victim was sitting in a tree.

not anymore, though! the projectile took Antigone off guard so badly she's careened and fallen into the shrubs with a squeaky yelp.]

Nero | Devil May Cry

[pullit]

Treat or Meet

[Halloween wasn't really a thing in Fortuna. As a kid, Nero saw enough of it in contraband movies and comic books and other media to long for it. The idea of a holiday for spooky scary things where kids get all the candy they can carry? It would have been his dream come true back then. By the time he was old enough to break free from the Order and celebrate any damn holidays he wanted to, he was already nearly a grown adult. It was fun to introduce Halloween as a concept to the kids at the orphanage and plan activities and a little trick or treat route for them, but he wasn't about to go out and do it himself. He's way too old for that...

But like, you know what? If given the opportunity, of course he's going to take it. He even got Dante and somehow Vergil in on the action, talking them into accompanying him. And by "talking" Vergil into it he means cajoling him into it, eventually winning his way by mentioning how none of them ever got to go trick or treating when he was a kid, and wouldn't it be fun to do it just once...

The Sons of Sparda make a loose group this evening, meeting up just as often as they're out and about on their own. Nero started off with a hockey mask, but also found himself a long black coat and an iconic-looking flat hat, and... well, it's exactly who he would have wanted to dress like as a kid, too, so fuck yeah. He's running circles around his father and uncle, collecting as much candy as he can get his hands on, albeit with a very, very mild sense that there's a greater purpose to all this than the candy and the actual trick or treating part.

It's also a good chance to put their names and faces out there even if Nero is often so far ahead and off on his own that Dante and Vergil aren't visible at all. Or maybe Vergil's just hiding in a shrub somewhere, whatever.

The point is, Nero's making the most of it with the exuberance of a kid a decade younger than he is.]

Hey!! Put 'er here, buddy. You got any peanut butter cups left?

(ooc: Brackets or prose, I'm easy and happy to match. If you'd like to hit up more than one Sparda at once, let me know and I'll tag in the others.)

[newsbeat]

Sorry, the dog took the last of them.

[Clark sounds like he's making this up as a silly excuse, shaking the half-empty sack of candy as if to demonstrate. (He's not. Krypto only wants the good candy, apparently. Doesn't seem to matter that chocolate's bad for dogs.)]

I can toss you some fruit chews, though.

Sephiroth | Final Fantasy VII

[sefirot]

TRICK OR MEET I
[This world is an odd one, the meaning behind it, what it stands for are kind of lost on Sephiroth. Not because he doesn't understand, but rather he doesn't care. But Cloud is here and that is important. And as long as Cloud is here so he will be. It doesn't matter what anyone else says or the actual rules of this world. That is what Sephiroth has decided.

He did not decide on having a container left for him. Which anyone walking by might find him staring at like it's a foreign object he has never seen before. This also includes the pieces of candy that, after a moment, he picks up and also stares at it like it's something he's never seen before.

After what seems like several moments of staring in what seems to be bewilderment, the candy in his hand suddenly bursts into flame.

Something he seems unbothered by as he is the cause of that.]

Useless nonsense.

[He says dropping whatever remains of the candy on the ground like the littering villain he is.]

TRICK OR MEET II
[While walking around, a few companion bots have taken to following while trying to give him something. He seems as insistent at ignoring them as they are trying to give him some sort of card. He lets this go on for a little bit before he finally loses patience with this persistence.

Flicking a arm back small crystals of ice manifest around his hand and strike the companion bots encasing them in ice.]

Begone.

[He'll then continue on like he didn't do anything. Fortunately the ice will break away and disappear after awhile. Unfortunately it'll be freezing if anyone tries to touch it and rescue the poor bots.]

FARMING FOR FEAR
[Sephiroth isn't about to even try to go inside. He definitely wouldn't pay and would just walk on by whoever would try and stop him, but thankfully it was idle curiosity that brought him here and he's just lingering around the outside looking at all of the decorations.

It feels ... familiar in a way, though he can't place it. Something from before he supposes.

But still ...]

What is the purpose of this?

[He'll ask this to whoever is nearby. It's hard to tell if he's talking about the barn or one of the random holiday decorations. It's probably both.]

WILDCARD
[Feel free to find him walking around the city anywhere. Or hit me up at coeurl for something specific.]

wildcard

[loveandsin]

[ The costumes and candy hold no interest for Vincent, since he now has more pressing matters to see to. Namely, he received a concerning call from Cloud about the arrival of their foe. One that seeks to torment Cloud as part of his time here. It's felt as though Cloud was already teetering on the edge prior to Sephiroth's arrival. Vincent wonders if Cloud can afford another push.

Rather than have Cloud keep track of Sephiroth on his own, Vincent volunteered to do so. He's good at tracking people, generally, and he doesn't require food or rest, so he could do this indefinitely, if he wanted to. Already, Vincent wonders how much Sephiroth knows of this place and whether he's aware of the chocobo ranch Cloud runs.

So, once he does lay eyes on Sephiroth, Vincent begins to tail him. He keeps a distance, often choosing to go by rooftop if there are buildings nearby, sticking to shadows and alleyways, or slipping behind other material that might obscure his presence. But perhaps, it's just a matter of time before someone like Sephiroth picks up on the fact that he's being followed. ]

Zagreus | Hades (first game only)

[bloodandlife]

I. Arrival Pt. 1

Zagreus is as polite to Aurora as he is to mostly everyone else, so he gets the whole story, even if a lot of it goes over his head. He chalks that up to references to surface things the mortals already know. He expresses to her his doubts that he's really the one they want to be his world's only hope. But he's here and the others aren't, so...he supposes he'll see what he can do. Although 'missions' really sound a lot like 'work' and historically he hasn't been terribly motivated to do any of that...

The hospital may be old hat to some, but there are so many things here that Zagreus has never seen before. Like...basically everything other than the very basics. 'Bed' he knows, sure. 'Floor,' got it. 'Door,' he's on a roll! But more or less everything beyond that is new.

So anyone who runs across him in the hospital is liable to be randomly asked about what something in the immediate vicinity is or what it's for. Or perhaps to get commentary aimed at them, such as "This place certainly is...very white, isn't it? Not much color to go around. And here I thought the Underworld was drab..."

He's glad to sample the treats on offer in the lobby, but he has lots of questions and comments about all this, too. Like - he's never eaten anything half as sweet as whatever these things are, it's a bit much, actually? But he's sure he'll get used to it. He's heard of apples, at least! And what is this 'coffee' stuff, that seems promising...

II. Arrival Pt. 2

Stepping outside the hospital makes Zagreus immediately squeeze both eyes shut. "Augh, it's so bright." After a moment, he braves cracking one eye open and then the other, holding up a hand to shield them from the...

"Is that...it can't be the sun? Does it really get this bright? And here I thought it was hard to look at before..."

It'll take a while for his eyes to completely adjust even when he's not trying to look directly at the sun, though his left eye - the green one with a white sclera - is doing much better already. The other one, the blood-red one with a black sclera, stays mostly squinting.

"Well, I'd better get a move on before my time on the surface is up," he says to no one in particular. Is he muttering to himself or just saying things to anyone who happens to be close enough to hear him? Who knows?

He takes his time exploring the immediate vicinity. The decorations catch his attention because they're the most home-like thing he's seen here so far, even if they're sort of...oversimplified? As if a child drew them, perhaps. He pauses in front of one of the displays with cardboard cutouts. "Maybe I should ask if I can bring a few of these back home with me. I'm sure Skelly would appreciate me hanging this likeness of him in the courtyard. And putting a bat or two on Meg's door could be a bit of fun." Fun that most likely would lead to some pain, but it'd be worth it. Probably.

At one point, he stops next to a life-sized, cardboard Grim Reaper and grins at anyone nearby. "Well, would you look at that? They've even got Thanatos here. Although the real Than is much taller. And, I must say, a lot more handsome."

III. Arrival Pt. 3

So, Zagreus expected to be dead again by now. Strangely, it hasn't happened. Who knows why, but that's honestly one of the less strange things happening at the moment. He has much more to learn than he ever thought he might. It's been a bit of a blur, really, just wandering around the city and trying to absorb everything. He's been on the surface all this time now but still feels perfectly fine, and he's well beyond his Father's realm and influence, it seems. So regardless of the fact that said realm and the rest of the world it's in are apparently in some kind of existential danger, he's excited!

At one point while he's meandering randomly about, he approaches someone and holds up the so-called 'earpiece' he was given. "Pardon me. You wouldn't happen to know what this thing is and what I'm meant to do with it, would you?"


IV. Trick or Meet

Given that Zagreus has never in his immortal life heard of Halloween and doesn't really understand how a costume is anything other than a disguise to try to pass as someone else, he's going to need some help interpreting what he's supposed to do, here. Someone please take him to the costume store, help him choose a costume, and let him tag along with you for trick or treating so he can see how it's done!

Eventually, he'll get the hang of it and hare off on his own. He doesn't know how to use a map, so he just knocks on random doors or approaches random people and explains that he's here to do this 'trick' thing but he's honestly not really sure what it entails, so would they possibly be willing to just give him a piece of candy anyway and call it a win for both of them?


V. Wildcard!

[I am honestly up for just about anything with Zagreus, feel free to just toss a starter at me and I'll roll with it, or if you'd like to plot you can find me on plurk or the game discord.]

Arrival pt 2

[unpollo]

The brightly colored laurel leaves had already caught Apollo's attention and drawn him closer. When the stranger addresses the Grim Reaper as Thanatos, Apollo can't help but smile.

"It's been a while since I've heard that name," Apollo says, coming to stand at the stranger's side. Next to him, Apollo feels minuscule in this lanky teenage body. "He doesn't really look like the Thanatos I know back home; Most people around here call this figure the Grim Reaper."

He turns to look at Zagreus with a friendly smile. "And who might you be, who speaks the name of Death so casually?"