SPOOKY HAUNTS AND TRAILS » OPEN

[maskreant]

WHO: the infamous nasty crimeboy, Akira Kurusu, and you!
WHERE: Places in Recolle
WHEN: Spooky Month of October
WHAT: EVENT STUFF and mundane stuff if it comes up. if you would like to plan anything, hit me up via halloway or hei#2323 on discord.
WARNINGS: Persona 5 spoilers for last boss battle and late-game conspiracy unveiling. Will update when necessary!

NOTE!! You can leave an empty comment with the subject header of your choice or even RANDOM for something unlisted/miscellaneous (lighthearted) and I'll write the prompt. For nightmares, it may skip around and make no sense very much like how actual dreams are.

nightmares

[ When you enter the dream, you're engulfed by darkness until you hear a deep and unfamiliar voice. It speaks in a language you are most comfortable with. ]

The contract has been sealed...

You have agreed to provide the Trickster support
in his journey to oppose fate and seek change.

CASINO
It's filled with a variety of gamblers from talking fish to actual people. Shadows are also gambling? But they're aggressive due to their mass losses. There are several elevators and it seems like the treasure is on the VIP level.

If you choose to enter the CASINO, you may appear outside of the structure or on the first floor in costume and mask. Akira will accompany you in his Joker outfit.

VELVET ROOM
Are you a prisoner? Or a keeper? You can stand behind the bars with Akira, withstand the abuse and rebel alongside him, or on the opposite side—ushered by two wardens and a man with an elongated nose to carry out discipline. Rehabilitation is important.

If you choose to enter the VELVET ROOM, you may appear inside or outside the cell. Your attire will change into prisoner wear or officer uniform respectively.

MEMENTOS (SPOILER)
In the city of Recolle, you notice there's something strange. People walk past the blood red rain and the towering skeleton pieces. The irrelevant become forgotten. The forgotten vanish. Is it your hand that's disappearing? Or is it Akira's?

If you choose MEMENTOS, you'll be in your normal attire or in your underwear. Whichever your character feels less attractive in if you want. Once again, Akira is beside you.

CODE CREDIT

fog

[ Akira has been having a hard time with his nightmares. Some of them he remembers bits and pieces (all useless), but he's thinking a jog in the ungodly time where the thick fog rolls in is a good idea? Unfortunately not... He ends up running away from one of these three tormentors in his pajamas. What's with his luck?

As he looks behind him, he crashes into someone. Sorry. ]

TWIN WARDENS (SPOILER)
Their names are unknown to you, but they're two girls with silver hair with a single golden eye (an eyepatch covers the other). As attendants of the Velvet Room, they have this ethereal aura to them, even menacing as they shoot various skills into the fog.

"Come back here, inmate! You can't hide forever!"

"You're only delaying the inevitable."

IMPERIOUS ANGEL (SPOILER)
An angel appears with an abstract body shape. Wings scaling wide and halo spinning over its head, it spreads its several hands that hold instruments. With the rise of the triangle, the angel rings it with a clear ding. In a matter of seconds, a flash of light magic strikes near.

"I am what humanity desires. Why oppose me?"

You can hear the sneer in its voice.

GOLD PIGGER
This silver piggy bank may seem cute, but it's also massively large and rolls without end. What does stop it from rolling are valuable items. Throw something expensive and it'll take a break to appraise it with a series of oinks. The one in control is a half-fly guy throwing out some mad rhymes.

"Yo yo yo! You think you can just walk into my neighborhood and disrespect me like that, dawg?"

CODE CREDIT

wildcard

[ THROW ME WHATEVER! Baby haunts from the new ghosts or even the Retrospec Maze! Even anything normal. ]

Comments

CASINO ROYALE

[adoringpast]

[ a casino... sena's never entered one before and he's never shown interest to do so anyway since he HATES GAMBLING - and yet his best friend is a gambling addict to the point where her habits have rubbed off on him, goddammit mary -

but the most surprising thing is his costume. retrospec had actually given it to him a few days ago but he's all but forgotten about it till now, so here he is, decked in white and blue and a gaudy checkered pattern. the dream did provide him with an ornate masquerade mask to keep up with the tradition and for his identity to be safe in this dream, so.

yeah he'd still be very confused. he turns to the figure clad in mostly black and red, his total opposite, and sighs. there's only one person he can think of who'd wear an elaborate phantom thief outfit like that, given that they'd talked about it a month ago. coattails, huh? ]

A casino heist? Really?

[maskreant]

[ Because this is also his nightmare, there's some classy background music for your high stakes. They're hiding around the corner of... some slot machines. For some reason, the guards and penny pinching employees haven't noticed them yet? While it doesn't seem like a lot of people are winning the lottery, there are some gazelles that stand up from their seat when they win a whopping 400 dollars!

At the question, Akira turns back to Sena, blinking several times. ]

We won't be stealing a bunch of money if that's what you're wondering... [ Ohhh. ] Looking good—what's your code name again?

[ The things I do for you, Blair. ]

nightmare - velvet room, gimme those regains

[chessking]

[ a contract...?

the (female, he guesses) voice doesn't sound familiar, but there's a haunting quality to the words that it says, such that when lelouch wakes up behind the bars of a prison cell, dressed in white prisoner's outfit that looks oddly like a straitjacket, he kind of. hasn't quite registered where he is just yet.

don't worry, it'll come back to him soon. especially once he's crossed that threshold of asleep to actively dreaming. ]

A contract? [ he echoes, with a frown, and it's only when he wants to lift a hand that he realises how he's. kind of stuck.

cue struggling.

help your cellmate out, akira? ]

yelling

[maskreant]

[ Akira is so used to being the only person in this cell that he startles at the new voice. He has seen this guy around... But doesn't quite know him. That prisoner outfit makes him feel a little better about his own where he has some freedom with his arms.

Though he wonders if it serves a purpose—One of the girls slams the cell doors with her baton, electricity running through the bars up and down with a menacing crackle.

"Silence, fish!" Because Lelouch is a newcomer.

"It seems an ally heeded your call, Trickster." With a wave of his hand, the man with the large nose addresses Lelouch. ]

Hey... Are you all right? You shouldn't be here.

[ "Did you not hear me?!" But the girl is quelled by her sister, a calmer one with a book in her hand. ]

GOLD PIGGER

[fiddlestick]

[Elliot is also up late thanks to his nightmares. He's in his room, trying to calm himself by silently practicing finger movements on his violin, when he heard the front door open and shut. He scrambles up to the window just in time to see the hazy form of Akira in his pajamas jogging deeper into the fog. What was he doing?

For a moment, Elliot frets about what to do. The fog was really dangerous, Elliot had had his own close calls in it to know that. Both times, Minako had to bail him out with her Personas. It was wise to avoid the fog as much as possible. But on the other hand, Akira was all alone in the fog, and at this hour of the night - it was unlikely anyone would be around to step in to help.

Well, as terrified as he is of the fog, he can't leave a friend to face it alone. He'll get up, slip on his shoes, grab his staff and bag that holds his ARCUS, and head out in the direction that he saw Akira go.

Thankfully for his wimpy stamina, it's only a couple blocks before he comes across the sight of Akira running from a giant, metal...pig?

Okay, after facing tanks and a bone dragon, it's hard not to gawk a little. Just what the heck is that? But if it's in the fog, it's probably dangerous. So he'll start channeling his magic, hoping to get a spell off before the pig notices him. A ring of gray light with glyphs will appear around him as he casts-

But unfortunately, he's caught by surprised and interrupted when Akira crashes right into him. The light immediately goes away as he falls down with an "Umphf!" sound]

[maskreant]

[ Falling noises and groans continue. Akira rubs his head as he pulls himself back, checking to see who's the victim of this crash— ]

Elliot? What are you doing out?

[ The pig is some distance away, but the sound of metal rolling over gravel grows louder with each passing second. Taking one moment to look, he notices these new items that Elliot is carrying. They must be from the boxes he received. NO TIME TO PONDER. He Quickly, Akira doesn't wait for an answer and instead pulls Elliot back up and drags him along. They can talk as they run for their lives...

In the distance, they can literally hear "you think your punk ass can just up and leave? Oh hell naw. I'm about to get some massive ass whooping down in this joint!" ]

casino

[cattack]

[Cleo has no idea what's going on here. Her costume is, of course, black leather biker gear, leather gloves with cat paw designs on the palms, and her mask taking cues from her helmet, being more or less just a motorcycle helmet visor with some cat ears on it. Even her sword's scabbard is suddenly black to match the rest of her outfit. So, she's pretty concerned by what the hell is she meant to be wearing?

Also... A casino. She's never been in a casino in her life, and in fact, can only recognize it as a casino due to episodes of superhero shows she watched as a kid where they had to bust evil monster casinos. So, what exactly is she doing here now?

She turns to her companion, having to take a moment to realize who he is with the mask.]

Akira? What exactly is this?

[maskreant]

[ IS THAT REALLY A MASK, CLEO? Akira is a little appalled by her choice of cognitive headgear, but he doesn't question it? Dream Akira is not the smartest, it seems like. However, the leather biker gear kind of reminds of someone, the girl in his dreams...

It seems like everyone aiding him has never been to a casino. This is going to be Great because he hasn't either. It's a lot easier to recognize Cleo than Sena, so he brightens up to seeing his training partner, but... ]

Right now it's Joker. You should get a code name, too.

[ He's not sure if he can explain the whole Phantom Thief thing seriously. It is supposed to be a secret. Maybe he can play it off as... He's not even sure. How likely will she take it as a stripper name? ]

It's a casino. [ Nailed it. ] And we're going to steal the corrupted owner's treasure.

[ Easy. ]

MEMENTOS LET'S DO IT

[covenantal]

[ Yu finds it's his own hand disappearing, which, when he stares at it, doesn't possess the immediate terror and urgency he thought it would.

He'll stare at his mostly see-through appendage for just a moment before glancing up and around, at the bones, at the blood, at how no one else notices. He doesn't look at Akira, but it's clear he realizes the other boy is there when he says: ]

... do you recognize this place?

PIP...

[maskreant]

[ Akira is one piece, but he isn't sure for long. Seeming rather listlessly, it takes him a while to realize that question is only something he can answer. It also comes from a familiar voice.

He turns to him because he didn't expect anyone to notice him. People even with Retrospec have walked past him, even his closest friends. ]

Yeah... Don't you? It's Recolle.

[ He thinks it's Souji, so instantly Yu might feel lightheaded and the pressure as his leg dissipates into black particles. ]

this is the only way he's getting into the velvet room

[twostringsonebow]

[... What a strange place. Goro's honestly kind of put off by the captivity this place exhibits (he doesn't do well with enclosed spaces, after all) but the fact he's the one outside of the cell helps. The two girls are strange if absolutely confident in whatever the hell their job is (rehabilitating? disciplining?) and the long-nosed man is the most off-putting thing in here.

Seriously, that nose.

Anyway. Hello, Akira, Goro looks like he's trying to decide if he actually wants to go with the orders of the three residents or ask him a different question entirely.

... The latter wins out, and just so they're not griping about about a gentle touch Goro'll reach inside and grab Akira's chin roughly, tugging him into the bars with a much softer, amused voice.]

It seems you've done something worth of punishment. Just what was it?

does no one else have velvet room horrors

[maskreant]

[ And they mysteriously look similar to your roommate, Goro. Maybe they're related? Like family. The man with the large nose strokes his chin as he hums whimsically.

"My... What a turn of events. It seems that freedom is granted to this Trickster. No one has come to your aid, protector of man. It's unfortunate." ]

I have no idea, actually.

[ Akira keeps up the charade, but he does harbor some resentment to his predicament. It might not be enough to wanting to drag his captors to hell, but a flame ignites in his eyes as he looks up at Goro with a wry grin.

Only because it's Goro, he also bites his hand. ]

nightmare - velvet room!

[sharplydressed]

[but feel free to add whatever else WILD NIGHTMARE TIMES AHEAD--

That just sort of start with him glancing around at his newest set of surroundings, looking down at his uglyass prison garb, and immediately wrinkling his nose.]

Yeah, jail-chic isn't really my thing.

[He'll get to the rest of this in a second. First, he needs a second to just be Tired and focus on something slightly less dire... Honestly, how are any of them supposed to get through the month with a single good night's sleep like this?]

[maskreant]

[ I'll definitely just shift the scenery when i see fit, HEHEHE.

"Trickster, it seems someone has come to your aid... How unfortunate they must also go through rehabilitation."

Akira gives the man with the big nose a weird look before he notices Kashuu?? And his comment? Why is it so nonchalant. Usually, they're both in high spirits off of terrorizing others, but the exasperation is also contagious. ]

Why are you even here?

[ "Silence, inmate! Just because you have a friend in there now doesn't change a thing!" She slams the door with the baton, running electricity through it so it crackles and pops up and down the steel bars.

Help.

Akira is inwardly hyperventilating. ]

randomize me

[sketchythief]

[ to your heart's content etc ]

[maskreant]

[ Daisuke finds himself in high school, but from his ID it shows he's an incoming sophomore instead. Despite that, there isn't anything physically changed about him or the rest of his classmates. They're all familiar, their voices, too—if they didn't have a blatant X crossed over their faces, maybe it would be easier. Name tags are nowhere to be found, either.

They address him, they try to talk to him, and all those words are written out and float above their heads only to disappear. It's hard to keep track who is who; they come and go. Even if you start pinning names on them, their faces remain X'd out.

Despite that, everything seems normal. Even the background music is generally peppy. During his homeroom class, he'll find one in the back corner desk, twirling his pen in his hand with great dexterity. His face isn't X'd out. It's Akira. ]

TWIN WARDENS, BABY

[elevelvetor]

[ It's only supposed to be a short walk, really. For once, it's not work or her caretaker or her classes keeping her too late—it's her nightmares. Certainly some of them are bad, but others are that lab, and Elizabeth shifts her bag on her shoulder with unease. She'll take whatever the fog has to offer over that accursed lab...

...but she's not expecting Akira, nor for him to crash into her, so down on the ground they go. She's actually properly dressed, as opposed to his damn pajamas, because she is a Lady and Ladies get dressed before they go out no matter the time?? oh my god, akira. ]

Aki—? [ Ugh, god, that was a doozy. ] Are you alright?

[ because clearly he's the one who got knocked over and needs to get checked on. ]

[maskreant]

[ No one gives a shit what you wear at weird hours, Elizabeth? But he's quick to scramble onto his knees and off of her, taking her hand to help her up. ]

Sorry. Shouldn't you be worried about yourself, but—[ "Run as much as you want, you can't escape us. Prepare for your execution!"

Yeah, no. They're going to book it. Even if he's in his pajamas, he takes her hand and leads them towards the opposite direction of the voice that beckons him back.

"If you turn yourself in, we'll make this quick. Don't struggle."

Lightning starts flying, barely missing them. ]

arrives fifteen minutes late with starbucks // imperious angel

[feistytrader]

[So the fog sucks. There's no ambiguity or silver lining to try and argue that it isn't that bad. He's not sure he's ever felt this exhausted, he's on edge... He can't even trust the side of his own damn friends at night unless they're accompanied by some kind of big, terrifying monster.

Or... Or whatever the hell this thing is; another step forward would have landed him directly in the path of light energy(?) and turning to the source of it only causes him to drop his drink and stare in awe. What the hell is that thing? It's enormous, and Silver's a complete deer in headlights until Akira runs right into him; even stumbling backwards and a face full of fluffy hair isn't enough to take his eyes off of the damn thing.]

What the hell is that thing?

right when i'm trying to get through the event stuff in my inbox too

[maskreant]

[ Akira doesn't even get to answer, the angel does it for him.

"Silly child. I am the god of the material realm!"

Knowing who he knocked over, he's frantic to get them back onto their feet. The last person he wants to be obliterated is one of his closest friends, so they're going to run. It's a miracle that they can even see its head from the ground, but they can. It doesn't even take steps? It floats like a pretentious entity. ]

We have to go.

[ It took so much to bring this down and Akira has none of that in Recolle. There's no way. They're bolting it, but the angel only laughs at their attempts, almost toying with them as it's on their heels but keeping its distance, like a predator playing with its food. ]

mementos

[parodeity]

[ it's dave in black skinny jeans and a long-sleeved record tee, his shades in place. they're getting blood rain on them, probably, as is the rest of him. that's what happens when blood comes down from the sky, unless it is ignoring the people it falls on like they ignore it. the towering skeleton pieces are a thing, and he wonders for a moment whose planet this is, but he knows this city; it is recollé.

his hand is becoming translucent and dave freezes and holds his left hand up, tilting it this way and that. ]

- am I Doomed?

[ it's half a whisper, and he doesn't know if this is real or not for a heartbeat. ]

[maskreant]

[ Akira has been waiting for whatever it is to whisk him away like it did in his memories, but he's still here... Even if the crowd ignores him, he still exists after several of his friends have turned into a black haze—every single one.

Except for Dave, but it seems like he's next. As that hand starts disappearing, the arm is next... And if it's allowed to continue, the dread fills whatever is left in their body as piece by piece they cease to exist—"You are being erased from reality." ]

Dave? What are you...

[ Akira notices and approaches him before just freaking out. With at least one person's acknowledgement, Dave will slowly, but surely revert. ]

Are you okay?

twin wardens

[browbeater]

[he hears them before he really sees them. And he's looking around in confusion.

The fog and its random sounds were probably the most annoying part of this october, especially since he could never tell what was real, and what wasn't. This seemed... not real. After all, who referred to anyone as "inmate"?

As he walks forward, he sees Akira first.]

Hey-- did you hear that?

[maskreant]

[ Maybe someone's playful date? It's kinky, isn't it? Akira is on the run, but luckily Mako pipes up loud enough for him to come to a full halt instead of crashing right into him. His heart is racing and staying still only makes him antsy. ]

Yeah. We can't stay still for too long.

[ Sorry, but he's going to manhandle you and grab onto your wrist so they can bolt. It takes only five more step before they hear the pair of voices again. They're, unfortunately, louder and clearer. It means they're right on their heels. If Mako turns back, he'll see two gold eyes that shine through the fog.

"You think an accomplice is going to help you?! You're dumber than I thought!" This time, it's fire that flies past them, barely missing.

"The relationships you've cultivated... In the end they were all for naught." ]

shows up in mementos 10 years late with starvicks

[alitaba]

[ The sky is bleeding.

Something about this feels almost familiar to her, like a word just on the tip of her tongue. The sights, the sounds, something about it stirs at her memories but it just doesn’t come. For now, Futaba lets it be as there are more important things to be concerned with. Like how her left elbow seems to have just vanished on her.

She's terrified but at least Akira is here. ]

Is this it ?

[ Don't let her fade away ]

shhhhh

[maskreant]

[ Out of all the people in Recolle, Futaba is one of the ones he would never want seeing this. Despite that, he's merely looking at the growing structures... There seems to be a tower that rises in the middle of the city, too, but it's obstructed by a mist. When he hears her voice, his heart stops. ]

Futaba?!

[ He has told himself time and time again there will never be a repeat of this. No one will be disappearing. It seems that his acknowledgment has brought her arm back, but his expression only spells distressed as he holds both of her hands and clasps them together. No one notices this scene. The crowds just walk past like it's nothing.

Lowering his gaze, he can't bear to look at her. ]

I'm... Sorry.

[ It's hoarse, quiet, but still audible despite the patter of blood rain hitting the concrete. ]

Imperious Angel...because he's so useful here (not) but I can get a regain?

[geckoman]

[What the hell even is this thing? It's enormous. Iwai swears under his breath as he tries to figure out what the hell he'll do here. All he has is an airsoft gun that he was bringing home to do some modifications on.

And the kid is here too and they have to face that.]

Do you have any idea what the hell that is, kid?

GOOD ENOUGH

[maskreant]

Uh.

[ How does he break this to Iwai? Why not they run first—Akira takes him by the wrist so they can run to safety. The angel at least takes its precious time to float, as if enjoying the...

Would one call this a chase? ]

A god? Maybe.

let's pull off a material heist

[sketchythief]

[ In this nightmare, Akira will find himself in a building that strongly resembles the Recolle Art Museum. Moonlight filters through the windows that are high up, piercing through the darkness inside. However, on the other side of the museum, those windows are a mess of colored lights: blue and red--the colors of a police car. It's a bit loud outside with a lot of clamoring. In a lower window that Akira can reach, he can see so many people outside that contains the police, news reporters, and civilians who want to take a look.

The clock (somewhere) strikes 9 at night, and that's when it starts getting a bit loud in the building. Akira has a walkie talkie at his hip with a holder that suddenly comes to life-- ]

"He's here! He's inside the building! Please catch him, Commander! I'm afraid he gave us the slip..."

[ Hello, Akira. Welcome to your new job. ]

heeeist

[maskreant]

[ Ohhh my god? Is he a cop now? Not that Akira is against this—it comes with an attractive uniform, right? Anyway, it takes him a moment to absorb the situation and the new scenery before he picks up the walkie talkie. First, he has to admire how retro this is because he's a dumb millennial, but

okay. ]

Which direction?

[ HE WANTS TO ASK WHO, but he thinks that a commander shouldn't sound dumb. ]

RETROSPEC MAZE

[maskreant]

I know you must have been busy, but... Thanks for coming along.

[ He would have invited Ann or his other friends, but they have been rather tired, restless, and low key traumatized by their encounters. Some even wore some battle scars or wounds, so he's depending on his old teammate and senpai.

Still, he's apologetic for stealing her away for this, but the Retrospec doors are open. They can't let this chance escape them. They're in the lobby and Akira is snooping through Jim's folders already. ]

They shouldn't leave these lying around.

[complementing]

Of course! Strength in numbers!

[She shoots him a smile as she wanders around the reception area. Because he'd given her advance notice, she'd been able to go all out for this, and so FOR ONCE she's the one who probably looks extra in comparison to him-- a small backpack with supplies, an outfit that won't hinder movement, her spear in hand and Evoker in its holster on her hip, and even Koromaru with his Evoker collar and knife sheathed in a leash-less leather harness trotting around nearby.

Yes, it's a lot, but this is her wanting to be overprepared for anything that might happen in 'enemy' territory.]

Kind of feels like they're taunting us with this stuff... [She flips through some of the pages in the files.] Nothing too important, it seems? Just a lot of polls and notes and... [She tilts her head.] What language is this?