dreamposts: (Default)
dreamposts ([personal profile] dreamposts) wrote in [community profile] songerein2023-10-17 02:06 am

{ halloween }




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


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.


lestray: (Toby no!)

[personal profile] lestray 2023-12-30 02:36 am (UTC)(link)
[She lets out a startled grunt as she toppled over backwards with Van Zeiks! Utterly thrown off, she claps her hands over her mouth and quickly tries scrambling to her feet! She hisses back to Van Zeiks.]

Okay, we gotta scarper-! [The enemy might have noticed them, but it might not have. So if they can get back on their feet in time, she's ready to just bolt!]
discourtesies: (learned)

[personal profile] discourtesies 2024-01-02 05:46 am (UTC)(link)
[Even had the monster not heard her—nor heard the man's own breath being forced out of him—and left them plenty of time to escape, he couldn't have agreed with the sentiment.]

No.

[Her instinct may be to abscond, as it must have been for much of her life, but the both of them are no longer simple bystanders in their own world; Van Zieks will not stand to be one here, either. Speaking of standing: he wastes no time in pulling her to her feet along with him as the enormous candy pieces seem to rotate, as if peering over its nonexistent shoulder at them.]

We cannot simply flee and leave them to this danger, Miss Lestrade.
lestray: (in action)

[personal profile] lestray 2024-01-03 04:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[-And she stops at Van Zeiks' protest. She had convinced himself that this maze didn't have any real danger, but Barok's words remind her that it's a dangerous assumption to make. No more running... She has to stand up for these strangers before things go bad.

So she steels herself and adjusts her hat.]


... You're right. Either we take this thing down, or keep it busy long enough that them others can scarper on out of 'ere. Guess I'll start...

[Either way, she'll start off the same. She draws her gun and shoots a pink gas grenade right at what seems to be the monster's face.]
discourtesies: (accused)

[personal profile] discourtesies 2024-01-04 07:46 am (UTC)(link)
[Barok once assumed a threat he faced in this world was harmless and saw his life flash before his eyes for his foolishness—it's not a mistake he'll make again. Leaving these other dreamers to their fate would never sit well with him, even if it truly ends up being nothing more than a fanciful game.

Gina is quick on the draw, to be sure, van Zieks notes with some pride—separating from her, he currently has no weapon to retrieve, but he's familiar enough with dreamotion that he's hardly lacking in offense regardless.

The smoke bomb is a direct hit, and the dim light is filled with enough pink mist that the creature is barely a silhouette. It tries to wave through to clear the obstruction, but its detached "arm" pieces are not very good for this. Seeing an opportunity to strike, Barok swipes with his paw-gloved hand and sends out claws of ice at the candy corn that seems to serve as its legs.

Distantly, van Zieks wonders why they're fighting a strange candy creature again.]
lestray: (thinking coin)

[personal profile] lestray 2024-01-06 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
[Progress! She's amazed as she catches a glimpse of Barok in action. In this moment, that form is now looking a lot more cool than laughable!

But ultimately, the focus is on the enemy. Their sickeningly sweet foe. With the creature being slowed down by the ice shards to the legs, Gina keeps herself moving to look for more advantages.]


The legs are a good idea... Let's try to get it down! [Of course, considering how its body parts have some odd sense of detachment, she's not completely sure if the rest of it will fall with its legs. But it's their best lead for now! Gina fires another smoke bomb at the creature's head to obscure it further while getting closer to figure out her next course of attack.]
discourtesies: (companions)

[personal profile] discourtesies 2024-01-06 08:23 am (UTC)(link)
[Despite its strange construction, van Zieks has to assume that if it can be slowed, it can be staggered—so he'll move forward in the hopes of reaching a different angle of attack on those same lower pieces.

Gina's second bomb goes off after colliding with a thrown candy corn, further away from the monster's "face" than she may have hoped for but still effective enough for her purposes for the moment. Barok, meanwhile, is left somewhat more visible, and splats of orange goop follow behind him as he darts forward and focuses for another icy swipe. The creature isn't likely to just forget about Gina and her volley of grenades, though...]


Be ready to move!

[The goop itself may not necessarily be the end of them, but the others clearly collapsed from something, and being stuck means being an easy target with those projectiles...]
lestray: (you know she has that thang on her)

[personal profile] lestray 2024-01-10 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
[Barok seems to be doing a good job with applying ice. Looking back at their past experience with a sweet monsters, that does sound like a good strategy! So she'll just keep trying to keep it busy. She smirks as she prepares her next stop and answers Van Zeiks.]

Trust me. I'm always ready to move! [At a moment's notice! Light on her feet, she fires her next shot towards the creature and prepares for some movement!]
discourtesies: (bailiff)

[personal profile] discourtesies 2024-01-15 07:48 am (UTC)(link)
[Kaboom!—another puff of smoke emerges to block its vision, but the creature's ire grows with each colorful blast. With another piece thrown in her direction, the sugary spray pivots to that smaller target, having met with no success against the wolf-costumed man. The frosty bits it has for legs seem to be slow moving now compared to before, but that doesn't mean its thudding footsteps won't start making their way towards Gina.

With his second attack apparently having affected the monster the way he was hoping, he tries for another—this time conjuring a set of icicles from the ground with a dramatic upward sweep of his arm. The spikes catch the edge of one of those "feet" particularly sharply, breaking off fragments at the edge and forcing the thing into wobbling uncertainly...]
lestray: (scrappy)

[personal profile] lestray 2024-01-18 04:56 am (UTC)(link)
[She feels a small twinge of fear as the creature turns its sight before, but she quickly suppresses it while taking action. She does stay on her feet to stay out of the creature's range, which is easy enough now that its movements have slowed.

As she sees it wobbling, it seems it could come crashing down at any moment. Now Gina knows what she's moving for; she's fully ready to dodge out of the way.]
discourtesies: (never)

sad i don't have a proper spitting out sprite for an icon.

[personal profile] discourtesies 2024-01-23 07:21 am (UTC)(link)
[Seeing a proper chance to disable the creature, van Zieks darts forward—but rather than as a man in a costume, he transforms into the large canine form he's taken a few times in the past. A proper wolf's snarl leaves him as he leaps, teeth and claws sinking into the candy and forcing it to fall with a loud thud... hopefully not on top of Gina.

With the main part of his quarry at his mercy, he tears into the monster, attempting to reduce it to harmless pieces while he can. Unfortunately, he has to stop and cough in the midst of his attack, spitting out bits of candy corn as his actual wolf ears flatten behind his still-present ear headband. Why is it so cloying?!

He doesn't notice that some of the smaller floating candies have raised up in preparation to beat the werewolf away.]
lestray: (urgent run)

that's fine you are forgiven

[personal profile] lestray 2024-01-23 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[She hasn't seen this form before has she... Gina's shocked and mesmerized for a moment while watching the prosecutor really wolf down on the monster!

It takes her a moment to remember to dodge- and dodge she does, just in the nick of time as the being collapses just to her side!

That's it, right? Van Zeiks is focusing on his victory feast. But all that sugar's not good for a dog, is it? Once he coughs Gina advances to try to help and scold him, only to stop once she notices the candies rising near them.]


Oi, watch out! [She expels a gust of wind from her gun, to blow a number of them off course!]
discourtesies: (outrage)

how goreacious of you

[personal profile] discourtesies 2024-01-26 07:03 am (UTC)(link)
[His ears perk at the sound of her warning, and he manages to dart out of the way of one of the few her defense doesn't reach before summoning another icy slash with his claws into the main body, taking a guess that defeating this core will eliminate the threat of the other pieces. It shudders with a CRACK and the separate candies that still remain aloft drop, at last, to the ground.

A low growl leaves his throat as his gaze darts about to the surroundings, but... all remains still. The scene is a messy one: crumbled bits of orange and white scattered about—including on his fur—a colored haze still hovering around the upper walls, icy spikes jutting from the ground, and the other dreamers still lying unconscious in their goopy puddles.

They have emerged victorious, it seems.]
lestray: (Toby no!)

of course, don't want to barok anything

[personal profile] lestray 2024-01-26 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[With that, the battle has reached its end. Gina waits a few moments, as if expecting the monster to rise once again, but it seems like it has truly fallen. She sets her weapon down and focuses on catching her breath, before looking towards Barok's current form with a smile.]

Good boy. [Her cheeks quickly turn red as she realizes what she said. Luckily she caught herself without trying to pet him] I- I mean good job! Good job... Prosecutor... Van Zeiks... That's wot I said just now.

[She tugs her hat down with embarrassment, and she turns her attention to the fallen dreamers.]

We should try gettin' them outta that muck before we move on, yeah? [Gina suggests while standing over one of them. The sooner they focus on something else, the better!]
discourtesies: (exhibition)

i candy-ny that would be a sad ending for the thread

[personal profile] discourtesies 2024-02-09 08:11 am (UTC)(link)
[Despite himself, van Zieks is not immune to praise, and apparently he has not yet learned how to fully control his tail. It wags brightly a few seconds before the wolf's posture stiffens and it clears its throat, which is probably a strange sound coming out of a canine.

He shakes himself, first to rid himself of his embarrassment, then to rid himself of the lupine form. To prevent further embarrassment. Straightening to his full height, he follows Gina over to the fallen. Or... rather, the snoozing.]


Yes. ... a fine idea.

[They peer down at the small group, and while the others have a few apparent scrapes and bruises, they certainly don't seem to be in... distress? One of them mutters in their sleep about apples being a bad treat.

Hm. They did struggle somewhat with Gina only having a foot in the stuff.]
Do you suppose it will break more easily if cold?
lestray: (thinking)

[personal profile] lestray 2024-02-09 05:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[SHE IS MAKING SURE TO LOOK AWAY WHILE HIS TAIL IS WAGGING, IT'S TOO MUCH

Focusing on the fallen dreamers, she experimentally taps the closest one's shoulder with the tip of her shoe. She nods softly at Van Zeiks's suggestion.]


Yeah, I bet that'll make it real breakable. Think you can manage it? [He is the ice guy after all.]
discourtesies: (maladroit)

[personal profile] discourtesies 2024-02-17 08:31 am (UTC)(link)
[He simply offers his own nod in response, trying not to stare at the one who appears to be drooling.

A sweep of his arm draws a wave of frost from nowhere, though his deliberate movement keeps it from touching the other dreamers directly—being frozen is no joke, even if the events of this labyrinth are meant to be.]


I shall freeze the substance around the others while you attempt to extract them. [With any luck, it will go much more smoothly than extracting his sword from that chocolate monstrosity from so long ago...]
lestray: (wot's this)

Anything else you want to do here or should we wrap?

[personal profile] lestray 2024-02-19 10:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[Gina nods along.]

Yeah, that sounds like it'll work. Let's get to it then.

[Once their first rescuee is set, Gina gets into position. She's all set to start pulling this dreamer free once Van Zeiks applies the icebreaker!]
discourtesies: (bailiff)

it's good here!

[personal profile] discourtesies 2024-02-20 12:15 am (UTC)(link)
[With the two of them at their tasks, before long Gina and van Zieks break the others out of their sticky situations even as they continue to nap, setting them aside where they're less likely to get stepped on or harassed by another festively spooky creature.

The teamwork has paid off, and he's becoming more accustomed to working alongside the detective apprentice, even if their current predicament was a bit more low-stakes than previous encounters. Regardless, he's certainly had enough excitement for the night, so eventually they'll continue and find that exit portal...]