Happy Naberus! [Party post]

[labrathor]

There's a chill in the air and a distant howl, and the sun is nowhere to be seen. On the outskirts of the Plaza, grinning faces carved into squashes tempt passersby to follow their lighted path, leading visitors down twists and turns through darkened streets, fog swirling around their feet. Did you already pass this way before? Are you going in circles, lost forever? Doubling back on yourself will lead to much the same result. And you don't remember when or how, but your clothes have somehow become a costume - whether funny, horrific, or downright bizarre.

Eventually, you find yourself in a small street carnival, tucked away far beyond the beaten path. Lights and lanterns run the length of a darkened street, the smells of fried and baked treats in the air, a light haze of smoke gathering under the awnings of food stalls. Beyond the food stalls, a haunted house beckons the brave to venture into its dark, cramped corridors, the sounds of distant screams coming from deep within. To the other side, a mountain of pumpkins waits to be carved, scoops and wicked-looking knives laid out on a tall table. Further still, wooden washtubs full of dark red wine host a small flotilla of apples to be bobbed, leaving all participants with deep red stains running down their necks from trying.

But before you can investigate the many wonders this strange little celebration has to offer, you must first be confronted by the host.

What looks for all the world like a fleshy flower writhes in the entryway to the festival, already towering over most visitors at fifteen feet high. But then that flower opens, unfolding into the form of an even larger young woman, bloody handprints painted on her exposed skin and shards of glass seemingly jammed directly into her head, and papercraft severed limbs hang in a necklace around her throat. She grins at you with unrestrained glee. "Couldn't resist, right? This is the happiest time of the entire year! Happy Naberus! You do know what that is? The Orokin festival of death, darkness, and deviance." She peers down at those in her presence. "We're all equal on Naberus night now, under our masks. Who's to know who's powerful and who isn't?"

She straightens up and laughs, waving her arms towards the carnival behind her. "Don't say I didn't warn you!"



[ooc: Happy Naberus, Nexus-goers! This is a party post, so feel free to tag around under the activity tags or just with each other! And remember, everyone must have a costume to participate! You can make it as mundane or as terrifying as you like. If you are open to spooky and/or horrifying events happening to your character, please also contact me through DMs here or to Ael on Discord so we can plan it together beforehand. The horror side of this event is opt-in, and threads containing such content should be tagged in the subject line.]

Comments

[stark_ravingmad]

Tony immediately pulled the young robotic boy into a hug because Astro was such a great kid and the engineer adored him. Offering up a laugh, Tony just scratched the back of his helmet and shrugged.

"Oh me? The same old I guess. New day, different suit. Oh this? Yeah, I decided on the old zombie suit. What do you think? It even makes zombie noises because I installed a sound chip into the matrix."

Wanting to show off the "gimmick" of his suit, Tony pressed a button on the arm as it made a zombie groaning noise and uttered the words "BRAINS!" Yeah. How about that?

"I'm sure Tom is around here somewhere. As for Aletayria---she might be back home with little Zayda perhaps. Pumpkins are awesome. You bet am I carving one, kid. How about we carve one together?"

[onward_and_upward]

At the sound of zombie noises coming from the suit, Astro burst out laughing. "Haha! That's amazing!" He said between rounds of mirth. "It adds a really nice touch." It's too bad his friends from home weren't here, they would have gotten a kick out of it.

He was definitely keeping an eye out for Ziggy and Tom - but at the mention of Aletayria and Zayda his features softened. He adored his little sister and the Anthean that was like a mother to him. "Yeah I'd like that!" He said finally, at the invitation to carve a pumpkin with Tony. "There's so many shapes and sizes, I was having trouble picking one." He grinned. He had enjoyed the times he had hung out with Tony in his workshop helping him with projects. It's been too long since he worked alongside his friend.