nexus_crossings | Happy Naberus! [Party post]

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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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A long line of food stalls runs the length of the festival street, each one manned by a masked worker hard at working serving up the next batch. A huge array of treats are on offer, from spare ribs and karaage to grilled matsutake mushrooms and lotus root. Chestnut rice, takoyaki, and grilled whole fish join their savory brethren in adding a meaty aroma to the air.

For those with a sweeter tooth, never fear, there are plenty of sweet treats laid out in neighboring stalls, from mooncakes to momiji manju and pumpkin mochi.

Dripping fat sizzles in open flame as one worker cooks up another batch of treats, flickering orange casting shadows from the crowds gathered around the food stall. Another woman wearing a canine mask and a patchy furred jacket turns to the next person in line. "What will it be?"

The flashy banner makes no secret what kind of experience lies ahead, a red walkway leading from the lighted street into the darkness of the haunted house. Strange animal noises seem to react at your approach, scurrying sounds coming closer, impossible to see where they're coming from. Was that something breathing on your neck?

A distant scream splits the air, coming from far away. Another festivalgoer... or possibly something worse?

The only way out is forward, now. The entryway funnels you into a narrow hallway, a shadowed maze of twists and turns, quickly darkening to black. The sound of the carnival outside is muffled in here, but neither is it silent - something tells you that you're not alone.

[ooc: The haunted house is, by its nature, going to be a spooky event. Tagging into this particular activity will be taken as consent to horror-themed events involving your character unless otherwise discussed. Feel free to enter your character solo or with friends, if you want a group scare! Or just some moral support. ;) ]

The air is thick with the smell of wine and pumpkin pulp, a stack of towels next to a clear washbasin at the very edge of this area. Already there is a line of carved squashes slowly encircling the perimeter, grinning faces lighted with flickering candles, displaying varying levels of skill (or lack thereof). Rough brown paper covers the tall tables hosting the knives, an attempt at making the scooped guts easier to clean up, though it's clear it's a losing battle. Especially when children are involved - with adult supervision, of course.

For the parents, perhaps the apple bobbing might be of more interest, though none will come away unscathed by winestains. Barrels of wine sit to the side, ready to replenish that which is lost, though no one will judge if you simply ask for a glass instead.

It's impossible to tell how late it's gotten, how much time has passed. No matter the hour, the sky still seems dark and chilled, making it easy to lose track of how long you've been here. Fog gathers along the edges of the rooftops, enclosing the little carnival in a bubble that seems to shrink as the temperature drops, bringing a faint rime of frost to the cobbled stones beneath your feet.

For those who stay late, a chime rings out through the darkened street, and something begins moving in the dark. First one shape, then another, and another, rapidly sweeping a veritable army into the streets, marching an off-cadence tempo, an echo of an unheard drumbeat. Are they costumed? Real? You find it's impossible to tell, but the longer you watch, the more it feels as though there is something tempting you closer. Tempting you to join them...

Neither Isamu nor Minoru had any idea what they were getting into when they happened upon the spooky street carnival. But a stand with karaage and takoyaki? Fresh pumpkin mochi? A spooky-looking obakeyashiki? The party itself decided that they needed to better fit the theme…

Moments upon entering, the twins found themselves looking very much like fantastical samurai warriors. (Isamu | Minoru)

“Woah… check this out!” Minoru chuckled, checking out the lacquered armor.

“I am aware that Halloween is never a time to be a stickler for historical accuracy. However, I cannot believe the host of these frightening festivities decided that out of the two of us, you should be in charge.”

“Say what?”

“She gave you the gunbai. I merely have the traditional daisho.” Isamu replied. “Clearly, you are the commanding officer or military leader.”

Minoru laughed, “well, as boss of you, I say we get some treats! Everybody’s gotta be hanging around here somewhere!”

Aal wraps her trench coat around her a bit more and tries to suppress a wee shiver. This is one of the reasons why she usually layered. She glances over toward her Hubby whose trying to find the hot drinks and not stray too far. As one never knew which such places what and or who might be around the corner.

Mary shyly but curiously is peeking about from inside the covered stroller looking like a mini Dorothy whereas Lizzy looks a bit like a Christmas angel topper with that tinsel halo.

Wee Gawain is dressed in an outfit much like Max from Where the Wild Things Are and cutely rawring from behind his papa's leg.

It had been a while since Katiri or her Fireteam had been to the Nexus, due to duties and issues back in their home universe. So it was that the Warlock returned just in time for the Nexus's version of the Festival of the Lost. Sort of. It had similarities but a lot of differences. It was only her many experiences in this strange place that her armor shifting into a Witch costume, didn't phase her in the least. It was complete with striking green make up that covered her distinctive tattoos. Her bright, glowing blue eyes shimmered from beneath the brim of her hat as the Awoken woman wandered through the street festival.

Luce, hovered at her shoulder - the Ghost covered in what looked like a tiny white sheet complete with eyehole. The sudden costume change startled him as well and the Ghost spun in place, eyeing Katiri. "Huh...well look at that." He spun the other way, looking at the other two that had come with his Guardian. "Check this out! I'm a Ghost, dressed as a Ghost!"

"Pfft, that's so original." Kojin laughed. The Hunter was dressed in what looked like a Vampire costume. His dark hair was loose about his shoulders, framing his face that appeared to have make up to make his skin pale; making the dark eyeliner around his golden gaze pop from his face. "Hey wait..." He ran his tongue over his teeth. "I got fangs! Damn, this place provides." He grinned toothily.

"How the heck am I doing to be able to fight in this?" the third in their party groused. Widget tugged at the folds of her Grim Reaper costume. The gleaming scythe might be handy, but she wasn't used to robes. The tiny Titan looked at her hands, the gloves of the costume looked like skeletal bones.

Katiri laughed. "I don't think you'll need to be concerned with fighting tonight Widget."

"If you do, you'll just have to fight like a Warlock!" Kojin teased cheekily. His eyes lit up as the food vendors came into view. "Oh look! Goodies! I'm thinking I'm going to go over there and sample everything." Of course he'd be all about the food. The Hunter could eat his weight and then some, it seemed.

"I might check out the pumpkin carving." Widget mused. "What are you going to do Katiri?"

"Not sure. I'll just wander around, see if I spot anyone we know."

A couple of small demonic looking figures suddenly ran by with shrieking cackles. They moved too fast to get a good look at them before they disappeared into nearby shadows, but it made Luce squawk in surprise and bump into Katiri's shoulder.

"Well, this night is going to be interesting..." The Ghost drawled. Smooth.

[[ooc: You can catch Katiri wandering by herself if you don't want to interact with all three Guardians at once. :) I'll most likely have Kojin and Widget tag in other spots in the post!]]

Edited 2022-10-25 01:01 (UTC)

Loki is keeping a close eye on his four children, because Halloween parties have been known to get out of hand in the Nexus. Indeed, if the path they were already treading hadn't led them directly into the center of this one, he might have dodged it, but they were already out and about, and once they were headed toward the celebration, he couldn't have said no even if he wanted to.

All five of them have come out dressed up as Captain America, though each of the children has a slight variation in the costume. Una's features a sparkly rainbow tutu over the uniform, Sigrid's has an elegant scarlet Aesir-style cape, Agnarr's is half forest-ranger, half-soldier, with what appears to be a quiver of faux arrows and a very real bow, and Eindrid's has, inexplicably, a set of teddy bear ears and a fluffy tail. Whether the venue sees fit to leave them in their choice of outfits the whole time or not, the intent to troll is pretty clear.

The blood spattered on their host is unnerving and prompts a moment of uncertain staring from the kids, but the smile she(?) gives them is reassuring. Loki studies her, then bows, "Everyone is powerful here, and everyone is vulnerable. Thank you for your hospitality."

The children echo the bow and murmur or sign their thanks, before the entire entourage enters the carnival.

Once again, Steve has gotten lost looking for the art supply store. If this happens one more time, he's going to just start ordering his supplies online. At least in this instance, he can blame it on the Nexus' supernatural influence, rather than his own memory, and when he arrives in front of the woman in the dark flower, he blinks and sighs with a hint of wary resignation. "Yes, ma'am," he says, and while he appears to be less than enthused about the party, his respect is genuine. "I appreciate the heads-up."

It's not until he's past her and looking around at the apple bobbing and pumpkin carving that he realizes his clothing has changed. It's actually rather dashing, though it might have suited him better in his bigger, sturdier body. It's a stylized 16th century outfit, black with blue accents, a white ruff, and a red feather in his cap. He's not quite well-versed enough in the commedia dell'arte to recognize he's Scaramouche, but he can't help but feel the Nexus could have done him worse.

Edited 2022-10-21 15:13 (UTC)

[[ooc: Unknown to Eido, she's dressed as a giant bat!]]

Eido had no idea where she was. Perhaps it was a part of the Last City she had never traversed yet. The metropolis under the Traveler was pretty large. However when she looked upward - the Traveler wasn't there. Before any misgivings arose, she had spotted the glowing and carved gourdes leading the way down a path. Intrigued, the scribe followed it until she reached what looked like a spookier version of the Festival of the Lost. The giant plant woman creature was startling, but Eido bowed slightly at the welcome to be polite before rushing past. She looked about her at the Naberus festival with all four eyes wide. All manners of costumed beings wandered about and a myriad of food scents filled the air.

"The Hall Between..." She whispered. "Glint. Glint? Are you receiving this? Oh!" She shivered, looking down as she realized that she wasn't wearing her usual clothing. Instead she was wearing a hooded, long jacket similar to her own that was jet black and fit close to her body and flared about her legs. Fabric stretched between all four of her arms like wings when she extended them and her hood had large pointed ears affixed to it. Relieved to find her satchel still hanging at her waist and the sash that marked her House, she reached in and pulled out a small recorder device.

"This is Eido, Scribe of House Light. I have appeared to lose contact with Glint, and have ended up...somewhere else." She murmured into the device in quick hissing Eliksni. She would translate and write it down later. She went on to describe the situation in as much detail as possible. "Evidence of rituals to do with the Hall Between seem to be present, though I have not heard the term 'Naberus' before. Further investigation is needed. Perhaps I will find a connection with the Headless Ones..." She turned off the device and pocketed it, feeling strange without the weight of her large pack or gear. Even her goggles were missing.

Well, research wasn't going to wait. The young Eliksni scribe waded cautiously into the crowd as she intended on making her way to all the food vendors, intensely curious about everything as she took it all in.

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Snacks and Treats

Haunted House [Horror]

Pumpkin Carving and Bobbing For Apples