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

[itmeanstruth]

The fact that the walls seemed to ooze the most disgusting slime was the only reason Minoru was running along the ground instead of vaulting himself over the walls. But eventually, the need for a way out of there won out, and Minoru made the attempt.

He at least caught a glimpse of the centaur before completely failing to get a grip on the slippery surface and unceremoniously splatting back on the ground.

“…ewww.” He regretted that decision immediately.

And the centaur at least saw a random head.

“I’m over here!” He shouted, quickly adding, “Great costume, by the way!!”

[bloodysacrifice]

Moloch is many things but at his heart he is still an angel. A falling human triggers a response older than humanity itself, the innate need to protect creation. Moloch starts forward in an attempt to catch Minoru before he hits the ground but immediately regrets it. Unshod hooves and slime combined with the weight leads to instant slipping and there's a crashing sound as Moloch attempts to stay up-right while sliding. The unmistakable whining bleats of a bull in trouble comes out as he crashes to the ground, sliding in the slime toward where Minoru is on the ground.

He's miserable and angry when he starts to get up which is not a good thing. However, the fact that a fallen angel's wings go to flame when they are too far into fury might have its benefits. As he pushes up on to all fours to get up his wings burst into flames lighting the whole are bright as the midday sun and heating it up. This certainly isn't a costume as the huge bull head raises up to stare at the human on the ground nearby. He's half covered in slime, red eyes narrowed anger as he shakes his head to get the slick ooze off his face and horns.

[itmeanstruth]

Minoru, thankfully, didn’t end up squished. But it did take him a moment to get up without sliding right back down, even as graceful as he was. The deeper into this fleshy maze they were, the more slime there was. Or maybe it just felt that way.

And boy, did he commiserate with the red eyes and spontaneously igniting fire wings.

“Yeah. I know. I have never wanted to go home and take a shower more in my entire life.” He was completely unfazed by what many would call a monster. “And I work at a hospital. I clean up bodily fluids on a nightly basis. This is a whole new level of gross.”

[bloodysacrifice]

Hooves and slime were disagreeable. He slipped and slid around while trying to get to his feet. It took Moloch much longer to get up and he used the wall to ensure he stayed upright once he was there. He snorted in disgust and shook more like a wet dog to try and free himself of the slick slime.

The fire was still there in his wings which silhouetted the flick of his ears as he listened to Minoru. He grumbled out one word. "Cannibal."

and followed it immediately with the most displeased sound a bull might be able to make. It was agreement. He could wallow in blood happily but this was something else. Despite agreement, he's already over having company.

[itmeanstruth]

Minoru shook his head emphatically. “No, like, clean it with a mop. I’m a vegetarian.”

Which, along with his aversion to particular textures on his skin, was definitely making this haunted house even worse. Whatever that slaughterhouse looking thing was, he definitely didn’t want to go back there.

Without missing a beat, he changed the subject.

“You’re tall. Can you see an end to this maze anywhere?”