nexus_crossings | Happy Naberus! [Party post]

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.]

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"I was thinking about it, if it isn't too... strange." Ziggy smiled but sometimes his social thoughts and aesthetics didn't always align with humans.

"You've got this." Ziggy wanted to say more but he knew more than one superstitious person at this point in his life. "Jack mentioned your training with the Dogs is going well."

Minoru laughed. “With the number of boxes of fans Isamu’s planning on ordering? Nah, it won’t be strange at all! He’s also been thinking of setting up an online store with Fan Man merch. So if you’ve got some ideas…”

Really, Minoru could use some. Marketing wasn’t really his strong suit. And it wasn’t really Isamu’s either. The fans were obvious. Inspirational slogans for t-shirts and the like, that was a little more difficult.

"Is he taking Aarne to help pass them out again this year?" Ziggy could hear the screaming all the way down on the sidelines. "Ideas for the site, or the merchandise?"

Ziggy wasn't sure which or if it was both. Either way he would help, and he could hook them up with his people too who worked on his shirts and other items.

“He’ll have to, to pass them all out. He said something about doubling the number of boxes this year. Again.” Minoru laughed.

He sighed a little as he admitted. “Both? Neither of us have the foggiest idea how to do that part. But it would be pretty cool to have some t-shirts that advertise, well, not really me. I mean, they’d have my fan on them somewhere. But really, it’d be more about getting out there, freerunning, getting up and moving. Good positive messages. You know?”

It was the whole reason why he started doing those PTA classes, why he enjoyed his job as an orderly every night, why he couldn’t seem to keep his feet on the ground.

"I'm sure he will find volunteers."

Ziggy smiled as he painted because he knew that Isamu could ask and he would probably get more volunteers than he could manage. He listened to what Minoru would need and grinned.

"We have a whole apartment full of artists who are waiting." He stopped painting and considered what he was thinking. "Maybe you should ask everyone to see what they come up with.

Minoru all but squealed, “that’s a great idea!!”

His pumpkin wasn’t exactly a masterpiece, but at least you could tell it had a fan on it, and it was purple. The entire entourage was full of some of the most creative minds Minoru had ever met. It was an absolutely brilliant idea.

Ziggy leaned his forehead into the side of Minoru's head, a replacement for a kiss. "You could probably make it a competition and they would all have more than you could ever use."

The response made Minoru chuckle. He hadn’t thought about that, but it was probably true!

“What, design a Fan Man tee?”

It came out sounding like a joke, but once he said it out loud, he seemed on board with the idea.

“That’s kinda brilliant.” He grinned. “Okay! Let’s do that!”

"Yes." Ziggy shrugged. "Any other common band merchandise, too."

He knew, at least, Aarne and Rik had designed their band items and Mikkel was an artist, and Erik. There were a few just off the top of his head. Probably any of the people who customized their guitars too.

"I think if you mention it to one of the louder ones everyone will know quickly." He looked at the pumpkin he was still painting. "I'd give them a deadline."

They might take forevr if they didn't have an end to the creative process.

The more Ziggy explained, the more excited Minoru became.

“That’d be awesome!!” He exclaimed. “If I make it up the Mega Wall again in the qualifiers, that’ll be $10,000 I can throw into merch. Well, minus what Isamu orders in fans. But still… Think that’ll be enough for everything? And, well, everyone?”

He didn’t want to ask them to just make art for free. But he’d made it up the Mega Wall the last two years with no problem. So this year shouldn’t be any different.

"I'm sure it will." Ziggy encouraged. Though Minoru was willing to pay, the red head thought there were at least a few that would scoff at being paid. They were friends and Minoru was nearly an honorary bandmate of sorts and definitely a tourmate.

"Talk to my dad. He's been helping the newer bands get their merch done. I'm sure he knows all the reasonable places to get things made." Ziggy was sure his dad had amassed a whole list. His father was an avid collector of any information he thought he might need.

Technically, Minoru scoffed at being paid for rigging the lights. Ziggy had insisted, though, and having some spending money (and bail money) in the local currency turned out to be a really good idea. Minoru, too, would likely insist in very much the same way. He never wanted to take advantage of his friends’ fame, money, status, etc.

“Tom would know for sure! Of course!” Minoru agreed excitedly. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Ziggy stroked Minoru's back encouragingly. "No one, except my father I think, is clear headed when they are excited or overwhelmed and it feels like you might be a bit of both."

Ziggy smiled and knew that, despite his own misgivings, Minoru was good at what he did. He had a chance to make it all the way.

Happy Naberus! [Party post]

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