{ halloween }

[dreamposts]

HALLOWEEN

Another Halloween has arrived in Reverein, and the Nightmare Troupe returns from their mysterious origins to help transform the carnival grounds to fit the season. They've added a new feature attraction: The Labyrinth, where everyone just runs around to fight spooky baddies for candy, prizes, and flex one's combat abilities in dreamotion. It's all in good fun, of course!

More details on everything can be found here. As a reminder, events double as our TDMs and information can be found here. Any outside characters participating in the log are canonly logged as appearing in Songerein in October and will remain in Songerein from the IC date of October 25th, just before the event ICly begins. TDM only characters can only thread within this log. Anyone who apps in and is accepted will have their character count October as their first time in the game without any disruption, so all content will carry over. Those who do not apply will disappear which should not seem too unusual, however players in game can choose to retcon and pretend a character was never there to begin with if it would be easier; or even think their presence was just a dream.

IMPORTANT! All outside characters MUST have "TDM" in their subject line, even if you might not app. This will help people differentiate those who are already in the game and those who are not.

TDM threads are required for samples. Refer to the Game Info for general information and feel free to toss any questions here. Reserves will open October 25th and Applications will open on November 1st. Our application cycles are bi-monthly so the next cycle after won't be until January.

TDM Toplevel Link Directory (click to view)

Bokurano - Jun Ushiro
Cookie Run Kingdom - Black Raisin Cookie
Dead by Daylight - Zarina Kassir
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - Edgin Darvis
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - Xenk Yendar
Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core - Genesis Rhapsodos
Final Fantasy XIV - Emet-Selch
Final Fantasy XIV - Hermes
Final Fantasy XV - Somnus Lucis Caelum
Full Metal Alchemist - Alphonse Elric
Genshin Impact - Ei
Genshin Impact - Nahida
Great Ace Attorney, The - Iris Wilson
Hey Arnold! - Helga G. Pataki
Hi-Fi Rush - Chai
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword - Zelda
Noragami - Yato
Original - Astralin Turnont
Touhou - Maribel Hearn

We will request any thread submissions for certain prompts during AC and TDM threads will count. For more information, refer to the Game Notes.

I. CARNIVAL

II. LABYRINTH

COMMENTS

I. CARNIVAL

While the carnival grounds still have the standard fare of attractions themed up for Halloween, there are a few new ones popping up thanks to the Nightmare Troupe. Some are similar to what appeared last year, but with a different look to them. Some, perhaps, more terrifying than before.

A. Personalized Costumes. All throughout Reverein boutiques and tailors are in full swing to create costumes for those who wish to wear, either by renting or buying. However, for those who are a bit adverse, the fairy godmothers are out and about ready to employ their fashion magic to grant anyone and everyone a special Halloween costume, just for them! There might be the slight side effect that the wearer may behave like the costume itself, but it's just a temporary phase.

B. Vampring Frights. The vamprings are still out and about, nibbling on nightmares. But now they are also appearing outside of dreams, deciding that a bit of fear could make as good of a snack or meal as any other. Only the ones that are truly hungry will appear, so a little purple blob will bounce and latch onto any part of their target's body they can reach (though they particularly like the top of the head). Those who are bitten in this manner won't try to bite others, fortunately. Instead, they will become something like a "Vampring minion" and try to invoke fear and scare others. (For more information and use the original version of the Vampring, read here.)

C. Monster Swaps. Small monsters will roam the carnival grounds and will swap bodies with random people to go around pulling pranks and tricks in the person's body. The person is now trapped in the monster's body, but has access to the monster's trickster, spooky abilities as well (ie, players can make this up). To return to normal, they must find their original body and bite it. Otherwise, they will have to wait for the monster to get bored and return to switch them back.

D. Carnival Fare. Here are a few of the general games and attractions available for carnival goers to enjoy.

🔫 Zombie Shooter. Ride through a rickety car through a building and shoot the "zombies" that pop up with bright green paintball guns. While most are cardboard, there are a few volunteers that dress for the occasion. Don't mind their pain as they get hit, they're fine.
👻 Spooky Stories. Instead of a fire, there is a boiling cauldron set up where people can gather around and try to conjure up their spookiest story. The steam over the cauldron will change and twist to try and illustrate the story as it goes, and should it proof particularly scary, a manifestation of the terror will crawl out of it to terrorize everyone for a little bit before disappearing.
🍏 Poisoned Apples. Special caramel covered green apples are handed out throughout the carnival. One bite will inflict one or more of the following effects: floating, dizzy, sugar rush, creepy, frightful. (Players are free to be creative and come up with additional effects!)
🧹 Broom Carousel. The horses have been replaced with different styles of witch brooms, letting everyone have a safe experience of flying on a broom. Until the brooms suddenly fly out of the carousel and into the carnival. Hang on or stop that broom!
🎃 Pumpkin Carving Challenge. Pumpkins can be found all over the grounds, and there is a challenge to carve them with dreamotion and light a special candle in them. Doing so will bring the pumpkin to life and behave like whatever expression or drawing carved on them. Whether they behave nicely is a different matter. Blowing out the candle will stop the pumpkin.

E. House of Mirrors. The House of Mirrors will have new mirrors installed that have new special effects…many making everyone inside feel not quite themselves.

🎭 Jekyll and Hyde. A black framed mirror where the opposite version of the viewer appears to taunt them.
💅 Narcissism. A gold framed mirror where one will see the best version of themselves and will stand stuck in front of it admiring themselves. They will need to be forcibly dragged away…else they may get stuck on the mirror.
🛌 Dream or Nightmare? A silver framed mirror that will reflect either a good dream or a nightmare that's on the viewer's mind. It will be a strong image, so strong that the viewer may be tempted to dreamwalk into the mirror, either to be a part of it or to destroy it. Some help may be required to help them either accomplish their goal or pull them out.
🪞 Mirror Version. Sometimes, a "mirror version" of the viewer may reach out to switch places, trapping the original inside the mirror while the mirror version goes out to cause some chaos. The trapped person can only traverse through mirrors, and can only be freed if the mirrored version is shoved back into any mirror. One way to tell a mirror version apart is that they will randomly reflect things off their body.

F. Haunted Ryokan. A haunted Japanese styled inn is the theme for this year's "haunted house." On the outside, it looks invitingly eerie, with life-sized traditional Japanese dolls as their hosts and guides. They hope their new patrons will enjoy their stay…forever.

🏮 Peony Lantern. At first a beautiful woman will appear holding a lantern and take a person's hand to lead them through the narrow halls lit by floating lanterns. But whenever they pass under a lantern, the woman's form changes into a skeleton. Once they are noticed, they will screech and chase them through the hallways and rooms to the next location, but if left alone it will quietly lead them without issue.
🛁 Bathhouse. Somehow they get to the bathing area where the steam rises thick around them. Without warning a ghostly figure of a long-haired drowned woman will crawl out and chase with a bloody knife. Fish spirits will also fly out to impede them, but they could be used to smack the woman instead. Should someone slip in the water, they'll feel hands grab at them, trying to pull them under…
🪦 Graveyard. Past the courtyard is a graveyard where all manner of Japanese inspired ghosts and demons roam. A special paper talisman is available, and once powered with positive dreamotion it will create a shikigami that will help ward off and defend against the ghosts. But it must have constant dreamotion poured into it, so should it ever go out, the ghosts and demons will suddenly rush into chase.
🐕 Shiba Statues. Should anyone be having a truly terrible time, special little shiba inu statues will trot in to dispel the "evils" and give the visitor some much needed comfort and respite. They will even guide them to the exit if needed. Those who manage to pass through on their own will also meet the shiba inu statues and have a chance to play with them as if in congratulations.

II. LABYRINTH

A big structure now occupies the area just beyond the Fairgrounds. Towering stone walls hide complex pathways inside, and it turns out its express purpose is not to get people lost, but for a little bit of exploration. There is no entrance/exit, just a special circular teleportation pad that will take them inside and there is no end goal. It's not difficult to get out once inside, but the winding paths encourage visitors to check behind corners for treats because there's a lot of treats AND tricks!

A. Halloween Creatures. The labyrinth is populated with silly creatures held together by craft glue and duct tape both dreamotion and nightmare. These creatures will attack on sight, but subdue them and reap the rewards: candy and silly toys! It's all for fun, after all.

🦴 Skeletons. Their bones are made of rubber and most physical attacks will bounce off them. Have to get in close to blast with dreamotion!
🕷 Glow-In-The-Dark Plastic Spiders. Will shoot sticky licorice webbing that will trip up and trap any caught in it. Have to eat through it to get out, and the flavor could either be red or black.
🔺 Candy Corn Golems. Chuck giant pieces of candy corn that are delicious, but hurt! Golems will melt under intense heat.

B. Mysterious Doors. Sometimes, you may find a door at one of the dead ends. Knock, and most of the time a kindly old lady (where did she come from? Don't worry about it–) will present you with special trick-or-treat bags. The other times, a swarm of genuinely sinister nightmare creatures will come pouring out. Oops! Try again next time! Here are some of the items the old lady will give and their effects (they can be taken home after the event):

🧙 Witch's Hat. The hat will automatically fly on top of the person's head and will allow them to cast silly hexes of misfortune on their targets.
🧹 Witch's Broom. Can fly at fast speeds for a few minutes at a time. Only goes up to three feet in the air.
🤓 Plastic Fangs. These fangs will fit themselves in the person's mouth and will allow them to bite any candy corn golem or sticky spider licorice webbing with ease. And normal foods, too.
🕸 Spray Can of Licorice Webbing. Releases a spray of licorice webbing similar to the ones used by the plastic spiders.
🧻 Roll of Toilet Paper. Exactly as it says.
🍫 Nougat Center. A delicious treat that will temporarily boost one's stats dreamotion abilities.

C. Beware of Steve. If you're very unlucky, you may hear an ominous clatter in the distance... The low rumble of a revving chainsaw... Those who spend lots of time in the labyrinth will know soon enough–those are noises that mean you need to run. Because STEVE, THE 20-FOOT-TALL CHAINSAW-WIELDING SKELETON, takes no hostages, and he's out for blood!!! He will continue chasing people until fought, and anything goes with this foe. While dreamotion attacks will work, using the items given by the old lady in the doors will inflict greater damage. Anyone who is "killed" by Steve will be knocked out of the Labyrinth unharmed.


D. Grand High Viscount of Candy Corn. On the other end of giant "horrors" is a giant golem made of candy corn with a large top hat that may appear out of one of the doors. Its main attack, besides trying to punch and pummel, is spewing sticky candy goop that will trap anyone caught in it. It'll wear off, but until then, any caught in it will at first feel very energetic and attack more quickly before becoming sluggish and unable to do much, as if they suffered an extreme sugar crash.

I. CARNIVAL

II. LABYRINTH

COMMENTS

Comments

[wwtd]

[ THEY CAN'T BE ON A DATE. SHE WILL EXPLODE. even if they sort of are...

THEY'RE JUST FRIENDS!!! (in her mind)

stop it. don't look like a kicked puppy. that's so not fair?? don't sigh in disappointment either!! sdlkgjslkgjlksdg

she's already a flustered wreck, mind you. hiyori opens her mouth to give him a firm NO but catches a glimpse of his hopeful face and she nearly bites on her own tongue. ]

........... Okay. Sure. [ hiyori lets out her own sigh, not of disappointment. a sigh that says "why am I like this" as she works on peeling a bit of his funnel cake. pointedly avoiding the side he's already eaten on. actually, all things considered, she's impressed he even has any left to offer. he was going to town on it. ]

You know, you're normally pretty greedy when it comes to food. Remember that time the old lady gave you onigiri and you told me I couldn't have any...?

[ the memory makes her smile. it was her first peek at a hard-working yato. ]

[intertwinedfates]

[IT CAN BE A FRIEND DATE! Those are a thing, right?? He's pretty sure he's heard of them, at least.

Whimper whine whimper... Le siiiiiigh~ He's so playing it up right now that it's not even funny. Or actually, it probably is, given he's a god for goodness sake. One pathetic god who has no qualms about it.

Immediately, Yato perks up as Hiyori takes a bite of his funnel cake, like he's just committed some great gesture by sharing it with her. Though given his penchant for snarfing his food and being selfish regarding it, perhaps he has. Yet having it pointed out has him huffing and turning to look away as his cheeks take on a redness not brought about by the chill in the air.]

T-That was because me an' Yukine didn't get regular meals at the time. Now it's not so bad that I can't afford to share with you.

[It's got nothing to do with the fact he feels much more towards her than he did back then, when she was merely a client he couldn't help. Nothing whatsoever. Nope.

Just to make a point, he finishes stuffing the rest of his cake into his mouth, chewing and chewing and chewing and-- coughing a bit because he inhaled powdered sugar like a dunce. Give him a minute, he'll be fine. Probably.]

[wwtd]

[ JUST THE WORD DATE IS TOO MUCH FOR HER.

AND HE'S SO EMBARRASSING AND DRAMATIC!!!

but then. BUT THEN. he's being cute. so much so that hiyori resists the urge to smile or laugh.

... where did that thought come from? CUTE? what??? yeah, nevermind, he's choking on his food. hiyori pats his back with a much more nervous smile. ]

You still don't share that much. [ hiyori points out. not that she MINDS, she just found it kind of funny. and nice of him to do. she gets it. why he didn't want to share -- for the exact reasoning he uses. meals weren't so regular with them. hiyori even had to BUY them a small feast at one point at a family restaurant. then, she took it upon herself to bring them bentos every now and again. when she had the chance. ]

I just thought it was worth mentioning. It's nice to share, isn't it?

[ she smiles, happy. ]

[intertwinedfates]

[OH. THEN GUESS HE'S TOO MUCH FOR HER, HE BETTER HEAD HOME--

Like hell he would. He's not missing this chance at spending time with her. It may not be Capyper Land, but it's a close second (barring any other experience he has to base it off of) and that's good enough for him. Every second spent with Hiyori is precious, helping to cement him in her mind so that hopefully she won't forget--

No, no thinking like that today. Tonight. Whatever. Her patting him gets him blushing harder as he swallows several times and not just from the food. It's like his mouth has suddenly gone dry. He needs a drink. Do they serve alcohol here...?]

You were a spoilsport about it, so you don't get much. [HUFF HUFF POUT POUT. He's still not looking at her, though, face flushed even after getting the food out of his airway. He would love to share more with her, but apparently the way he wants to is too much for her. He can't help it if that seems more in line with how it's supposed to be shared, can he?]

It... It is. We should get something else to eat, too. Maybe like a hotdog. I saw someone making those.

[Then they can share one of them, too! Maybe even taking a bite from either end, all romantic like~ Yeah, no way she's gonna go for that. Oh well. He's still hungry for one whether they share it or not. So he starts leading them over to where he saw that stand, licking his fingers of the remaining sugar.]

[wwtd]

[ NNNNNNNNNNNOOO-oh

I mean, sometimes he is. but she's still here, right? not forgetting. not leaving. not even in a land of dreams does hiyori abandon yato.

she can't help but tilt her head slightly at his very red face. being called a spoilsport makes her flush delicately too, though, so they're a couple of tomatoes. she wasn't!! hiyori doesn't HUFF or POUT (not this time) but she frowns to herself. did it really bother him that much that she didn't feed him? it was weird!! he caught her off-guard. how does he think yukine would react? probably the same. when he gets a girlfriend, then he can--

he can...

he can drag hiyori to the next food stall. BOTTOMLESS STOMACH! not something she has. seriously, she doesn't want to imagine getting one either like he suggested. or eat copious amounts of food for no reason.

while approaching, hiyori goes wide-eyed at the hot dogs they offer. they are HUGE. and also spooky-themed!! ]

I-I can't eat one of those on my own...

[ sharing!! is caring!! ]

[intertwinedfates]

[That's probably the biggest reason for his blushing - Hiyori has yet to get fed up with him or the craziness that seems to follow him around. Seriously, would she have gone through so much had she been on her own? It's hard to imagine that being the case. And still she's willing to risk sausage fest with him! That shows a level of fortitude that he knows she possesses but still has a hard time believing. Like when she kicked that frog ayakashi clear out of their way.

As they toddle up to the booth, he laughs at her incredulity. Intimidated by a little meat? That's so cute. It's only food! If you've got teeth you can tackle it! He sure can.]

Then lets split one, okay? No need to let it go to waste.

[He signals the guy serving for a single one, loaded with all the spooky fixings. And when it's ready he turns to Hiyori, all smiles and sparkling innocent eyes.]

Want to start on one end while I begin at the other?

[Is this better or worse than feeding each other? Clearly he doesn't see it as being an obstacle to lunch, holding the massive hotdog between them so she can have the first bite.]

[wwtd]

[ LKDGLSKJDG SHE'S NOT INTIMIDATED BY A LITTLE MEAT. IT'S A LOT OF MEAT, OKAY. UNETHICAL MEAT.

it seems like a good enough idea, too! splitting one. much better than her feeding him. she's expecting him to grab a knife to cut the thing in half. that's what she would do. she should have known better. those sparkling, big blue eyes are always followed by something exhaustively ridiculous.

like lady and the tramp'ing a hot dog. yep.

hiyori seems to have remembered how to deal with yato and his unorthodox, unreasonable flirting, ]

I'll get a knife. [ she walks up to the serving guy and politely asks for one before returning. taking the little paper halloween boat from yato holding their hot dog, she starts cutting it in half. REASONABLY, but she's giving him the bigger half. knowing him. ]

[intertwinedfates]

[IT'S A DREAMLAND, THERE ARE NO ETHICS HERE. IT'S ALL KOSHER.

If he had a tail it'd be wagging about now, expectantly hoping for Hiyori to take the first bite. But no, she thwarts him yet again by being a perfectly sensible young lady, going for the utensils like a civilized person instead of splitting it the good old fashioned way.

His eyes well up as she starts cutting into it, spoiling his chances for a romantic wurst thirst. He lets out a plaintive cry like it's him she's slicing, hands clutched to his chest.]

Aaaaaw, Hiyoriiii! Why'd you have to go and do that?! We could've shared it the other way! There's nothing wrong with that!

[Aside from the fact it'd mean their lips would meet somewhere in the middle. Though perhaps that's exactly what he was gunning for. It's certainly hard to imagine otherwise when the outcome is so clear.

Though for all his whining, he eagerly takes his portion of the hotdog once she's finished, and starts shoving it in his mouth, mumbling around it as he goes even as the tears keep flowing. He won't let her forget how heartbroken he is!]

Mmm... 's good!

[wwtd]

[ there should be ethics.

FUCKING ROMANTIC WURST THIRSTKLDGJLSKDJGLKS. 🏆 hall of fame. as for yato: cry more? she's not entertaining your completely obvious and frankly hopeless attempts at stealing a kiss. of which, she'll just... not think about!! it's better that way. he survives this way. she can eat her hot dog in peace this way. since she's learned her lesson, she's pretending she can't hear him kicking up a fuss. yum, meat. delicious toppings. ketchup and mustard, you can never go wrong.

it seems to have been the better option. he won't let her forget, no, but she'll turn the other cheek.

the hotdog is good! another excellent pick, yato. ] I think all the food might be really good here.

What about the shooter game you mentioned after this? [ once she's swallowed her bite, she's moving on to a different subject. away from romantic wurst thirstlmflakfjslkdg ]

[intertwinedfates]

[It's fiiiine. They've made it this far without 'em.

HE'S THIRSTING IN THE WURST WAY POSSIBLE. 👍 After pitching his rather melodramatic and unnecessary hissy fit, he calms down to mere sniffles as he finishes nibbling on the very end of his hot dog half. Fine. Be that way. DON'T LOVE HIM. SEE IF HE CARES. (Spoiler alert: he does.) But like most of his overzealous attempts at wooing her, he bounces back quickly, perking up as she turns the subject towards something equally fun. Games! They can avoid the rides and stick to playing games!]

Ah, yeah! There's some kind of paintball game where you shoot zombies! That could be a blast, right??

[Hopefully not literally, but one never knows with this place. Though they'll can't find out if they don't try, so it's worth a shot, right?]

How about one go around, huh? Work off these dream calories and build up more of an appetite since there's still plenty of food left to try!

[wwtd]

[ "made it"

YOU'RE AS BAD AS YATO I'M SLKJDLGKJSDG. ]

Not literal zombies, I hope... but it does sound kinda fun. I've never played paintball. [ hiyori repeats his thoughts out loud with an anxious smile. she's about on the same page as him, though: it probably is literal zombies. but! hey!! they won't die with paintballs. better than nearly dying on a carnival ride. definitely. ]

More food!? [ right. mr. Bottomless Stomach is her current partner. ] Geez, we're lucky nobody is charging for all this. [ or that she's not really that full?? huh. weird. oh, this must be how yato and yukine feel all the time!!

hiyori puts a hand over her stomach. ]

To tell the truth, I'm not that full after the funnel cake and hot dog. [ half dog. half wurst. ]

[intertwinedfates]

[UFUFUFU~]

If it's actual zombies, then even better! We'll be helping to take care of a menace. [It'll definitely be better than almost getting crushed by a candy corn golem, or wrapped up by licorice spiders. ...you know, they really have had one hell of a day already. If they were smart they'd cut their losses and stick to something safe, like bobbing for apples.]

We still haven't had candied apples! Those are stock foods at fairs, right? [He beams at her like literal sunshine, practically aglow.] If that were the case then we'd just have to be more picky about what we ate. But since it's not! Free food for all! [He grabs her by the hands and swings her around towards the zombie shooter game.]

See?? Plenty of room for a little snack afterwards! Now let's get going so we don't miss out on the next game! C'mon, c'mon~!

[With childish enthusiasm, he starts dragging her off, carefully, through the crowds towards their destination.]

[wwtd]

[ it's been one hell of a day, but they're not smart. they're dumb. and when yato mentions that there's a menace she can help take care of? well, that's that! done and done. they're going to shoot zombies to get rid of a menace!!

... she's can't resist his innocent smile. she couldn't at capyper land and she sure as shit can't now. since when? did she get weak to yato?? ] Alright. We can have candied apples late-RRRr?!

[ at first, she fumbles with being swung around but she finds her bearings. once she does, she smiles. she laughs in delight as they spin together. ]

Okay, okay! Fine, you've convinced me! Hehe! [ OFF THEY GO to shoot things. oooh, she can be like bishamon with a gun.

there's a line at this game unlike the carousel and all the food stalls. womp, womp. ]

I guess we missed this one. But we'll get the next one!

[intertwinedfates]

[One glorious pair of dumbbells, that's them! Somehow not only has Yato convinced her that there's a menace, but he seems to have swayed himself as well. Game or not, they're going to get those zombie buggers! Watch out for the dynamic duo, you undead goons!

Laughing at the way her voice trails off, he nods in agreement.] Later, then!

[As they hurry up to the game only to be met with a crowd and a line, he starts pouting a bit. Of all the places to have to wait... He bounces on his heels, trying to see how many people get on at a time in order to guess how long they'll have to wait.]

Looks like it shouldn't be too long. They're moving pretty fast. [Still gripping onto her hand, he shifts his around in order to properly hold onto hers, like normal people. Or a normal couple. Just. A way that's much more comfortable.]

[wwtd]

[ the slow down from how jam-packed with activity the past hour? or so was (their hell of a day) isn't unwelcome. hiyori sighs, but the smile remains on her face. though it turns vaguely wry at his pouting. he's soooo much like a child sometimes, it's hard to believe he's a... how old is he again? well, an OLD god who looks like he's around 20 years old.

this is something she could expect of little ebisu. maybe. not really.

holding his hand doesn't seem as weird when she looks at it like someone trying to keep a little kid from wandering off because he's bored. yeah, she'll just... think of it that way. since HE'S not letting go, either. ]

Have you ever played paintball? Or shot anything. You normally have swords as shinki, right? [ nora. yukine. ]

[intertwinedfates]

[A break from everything shouldn't be unwelcome, that's for sure. But of course Mister Action finds standing in place to be enough to make him restless, shifting from one foot to another as he peers over the heads of those in front of them. How slow can they go...? Surely it must be their turn in a minute.

Thankfully the warmth from Hiyori's hand seems to calm him somewhat, keeping him from fidgeting even more than that as he grips her hand a little bit tighter.

Though her comment about shinki has him going completely still, his voice coming out quiet and even.]

No, I haven't. I've shot bows before ages ago, but no - almost all of my shinki have been blades. Swords or knives. I'm not like Bishamon, with an endless variety in the types of shinki I manifest. I think that's because--

[Cutting himself off, he shakes his head, frowning. There's no point in going into it.]

[wwtd]

[ it's a complete derailment from his earlier excitement. she would have to have apathy to not notice. feeling guilty for killing the mood, she latches onto the one thing she knows will bring some life back into him.

unconsciously, she moves her hand in his. to make sure it's still there, gripping her. ]

Um! I bet Bishamon-san would like to play paintball! She'd be really good at it, especially if Kazuma-san was helping her aim.

[ "I think that's because--"

because why, she doesn't have the heart to ask. not at the moment. not during a fair where they're supposed to be having fun to counteract all the insanity thus far. not when they were having fun and yato looked so happy. ]

[intertwinedfates]

[Ducking his head a little shamefully at being such a buzzkill, he grips her hand a smidge tighter when he feels her move it.

He does have to laugh at the idea of Bishamon playing paintball. Not only would she play, she'd be ruthless at it. Her and Kazuma would dye their opponents in a rainbow of colors, no doubt.]

She sure would be. It might even be one way she could beat me!

[Since in all their encounters save for the final one where Yukine became a hafuri, he always managed to come out on top, or at least break even. Hell, he even kind of misses going toe to toe with the skank. Maybe when they get back they'll have to invite her to a game of it. Just to see her reaction if nothing else.]

Ah, I think it's our turn...! [Now that the line's started moving again and the people ahead of them are boarding.] You ready?

[wwtd]

[ maybe the relief is visible on her face as yato laughs, her eyes softening at the sound. without a tail to wag to show her happiness, one has to read her the old-fashioned way with the smile and how it reaches her eyes.

or a quiet laugh that escapes her. yato admitting bishamon could beat him at anything is HUGE. too bad she can't record it and show yukine. he would get a kick out of it. ]

Um, sure!! [ ?? SHE GUESSES.

the line is indeed moving and pretty soon they're next to get in the little car. this rickety car looks dangerous... is this safe?! hiyori steps in just a little nervous. please don't fly away. please don't try and kill her.

as she scoots over to make room for yato in the two-seater, she's handed her paintball gun and given an EXTREMELY QUICK RUN THROUGH OF HOW TO USE IT. aim down sights. pull trigger. but turn off the safety, first. safety???

SAFETY HUH???

"most importantly, have fun!!" ]

Wh-what's safety?!

[ they're already moving forward slowly. ]

Yato, what's safety? D-don't I want to keep it on? [ HELP. ]

[intertwinedfates]

It's Hiyori's laugh that does it, although he also takes note of her smiling eyes, which in turn brings a bit of mirth to his own expression. He'd attribute any of Bishamon's wins to Kazuma's abilities more than the skank's.

Even Yato has to admit that there's something a touch unnerving about the shabby car they're directed to, though hopefully it's just been made to look that way for Halloween and isn't actually so... dilapidated? Though like her he'll just be happy if the damn thing keeps its wheels on the track and gets them through safely.

As he's handed his own paintball gun, he starts examining it to try and get a feel for where everything is on it. Safety... Safety... That's some kind of catch, isn't it? At least he's pretty sure. Leaning over towards Hiyori, he points out the thing he thinks is the safety.]

That's it there. I think. But no, you gotta disengage it in order to fire. It's a little like a crossbow in that regard.

[The ride starts out slow enough, thankfully, allowing him to take aim at a cardboard cutout zombie and pull the trigger. Nothing. Huh... Okay, so flip that thing and-- there we go! He tries again and manages to shoot finally, his aim wide. It draws a nervous laugh out of him, so powerful was the force of the thing.]

T-This is going to take some getting used to.

[wwtd]

I haven't shot a crossbow, either!

[ after giving yato another helpless look, she flips the catch the other way so the safety is turned off. she doesn't shoot immediately. first, she's going to watch yato take his aim, struggle with something, aim AGAIN, and shoot!!

miss. ]

You've got this.

[ yato is so good at so many things (steering a wild broom) that him NOT being good at something makes him... kind of human. for a god. maybe for the first time, she feels like she's on equal ground with him. they both have no idea what they're doing. at all.

figuring it out together.

okay. she'll give it a go, too. hiyori picks a cardboard cutout zombie. not the one he chose. something a little more reasonable. she aims down the sights, going for the torso since it's a bigger target. she slowly squeezes the trigger.

POW. splat!!

as luck would have it, bright green paint splatters on the zombie's shoulder. NOT where she was aiming, but. ]

H, hey, I got one!! [ she turns to him excitedly. ] Come on, Yato. If I can do it, you can definitely do it!

[intertwinedfates]

There's nothing to it!

[Which should mean that he can handle this with ease, right? Point and shoot, how hard can it be? He chooses another target as they're moving along, takes aim, aaaaand.... misses again. Much to his annoyance.]

What the hell...

[Meanwhile Hiyori's been doing even better than him, nailing it squarely in its shoulder. He beams at her, nudging her with an elbow.

He's proud of the way she just gets in there and goes for it, without any hesitation. Some people might shy away from a game like this, but not his Hiyori.]

Nice going, Hiyori! You must be a natural! Now it's my turn...

[Glaring at the looming zombies, he growls quietly beneath his breath, inspecting his weapon for some kind of defect before readying it again. He's got to be able to hit at least one--! Picking a larger target, he tries yet again, clipping it at the very edge of its stomach.]

Hah, take that, you bastard!!

[wwtd]

[ caught up in the playfulness, of accomplishing something, she nudges him back with another laugh. though her smile turns shy at the praise.

well, being a natural at shooting isn't really a good thing. right? if anything, she should be concerned. maybe it's from a couple of first-person shooter games she tested out a while back. when she was younger. they weren't really her type of game, but she could see how they could be fun.

clearly. ]

You got it!! Nice!

[ and finally! yato gets his hit in, too. 1 POINT FOR EACH OF THEM WOO.

so much for the menace she was led to believe was terrorizing everyone. they're just cutouts. it's just entertainment. hiyori gets another couple of hits in, which she appropriately cheers at. yato, too. when he splatters his own green ink, hiyori whoops where she needs to.

this IS fun. and nothing has gone wrong!

about time something did. hiyori takes aim at another zombie, pulls the trigger, splat goes the paint.

"OW!"

YE-- what. ]

..... Yato. Was that you that just said "ow"?

[intertwinedfates]

[For a former God of War and Calamity, Yato has to admire her skill, good or not. In his mind it's a sign that should Hiyori need to, she could defend herself in some capacity at least. It's reassuring, really. Though the likelihood of her carting around a gun, paintball or otherwise, is rather slim. Maybe he could get her a crossbow...? Something to protect her from his father.

At his own success, he puffs up his chest like it's the most obvious thing in the world.]

Hehe~! Of course!

[Things are going along so swimmingly that they should have known something was up. When they're tied again 4-4 and Hiyori takes her next shot, something strange happens. From somewhere comes an "ow" that shouldn't be there. Unless she got her finger caught in the trigger?

But no, she seems perfectly fine, so what was...]

It wasn't me.

......

You don't think-- [He takes aim at the same zombie, lining up his shot and-- "OUCH!"] ...Hiyori, there's live zombies in here.

[He says with unnatural calm, staring at her with wide eyes.]

[wwtd]

[ hey, she doesn't need a gun to defend herself. touno has saved her many a time!

it wasn't yato. if it wasn't yato and it wasn't her -- yato hits the nail on the head. that head goes into a coffin where the zombies are coming out of.

those wide eyes are met with the same wide eyes but of different color. not his blue but hiyori's pink? brownish? something?? I don't know, adachitoka can never decide. but they are wide!! and terrified.

the menace of zombie apocalypse. ]

L, live zombies is an oxymoron.

[ is that REALLY the hill you want to die on, hiyori?! ]