recolle | SPOOKY HAUNTS AND TRAILS

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SPOOKY HAUNTS AND TRAILS » OPEN

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. ]

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[ Akira leans in, raising his eyebrows in this little corner they've congregated in. Lucky for them, they're in the area that seems to be less populated because these machines don't have as many chip bonuses as the others. There's a thoughtful hum... ]

Good idea. [ Of course he's game? In the end, the method doesn't matter if they can get results. This isn't reality in more than one way. ] I saw an employees only door nearby, but it's locked with a card...

We might cause too much of a scene assaulting an employee for their ID card, but there's also a vent that we can fit through.

[ ARE YOU READY?!??! ]

[ sena blinks at him because holy shit? he did not expect akira to agree with this? is he really the only one around here who disapproves with cheating at all?!

sigh. the nasty crimeboy life simply isn't the life for him. ]

Right. Lead the way.

[ HE'S READY, I GUESS...... ]

[ They're on a deadline and sometimes you have to do some underhanded things to get results. It's part of the Phantom Thief name. Give him a moment to look surprised?

A model boy that doesn't mind going into a dirty vent. Wow. ]

You amaze me every single day, Knight.

[ And he'll lead them through a vent... It's a little dusty, but luckily clean. Before they can exit, they get to eavesdrop into a conversation.

"Did you hear someone won the lottery on the Platinum floor?"

"Would you really call it winning when they were chosen? Didn't you hear? In their past life, they were gifted with considerable luck. The higher-ups are just playing it as they see it."

"Oh, break time is over. Let's head back."

When that's over, Akira gently drops into the break room and waits for Sena to follow after him. ]

[ as you said, you have to do some underhanded, filthy things to get results. it's totally fine... for now. he does overhear the aforementioned conversation and - oh no. what if...

thankfully the vent isn't too dirty so apart from some dust caught on his knees and gloved hands, sena jumps out of the vent relatively scotfree and follows akira to hopefully nab one of those security people. ]

So do we sneak up on them or wait for them to come this way?

[ he'll ask akira something once they're through with this one. ]

[ Hm... He thinks that there must be a control room or a server room that handles everyone's account balance, so that's where he would like them to go. However, snatching an employee ID card would help them sneak around a lot easier.

But if they're in front of them like chicken dinner, they have to finish them off so they can't alert others. With a quick slash, the Shadow disappears and they acquire x1 Clerk ID Card. It won't get them into every room, but it'll definitely get them into some.

The Shadow also leaves its employee uniform. ]

It's good to do some reconnaissance first.

[ Opening a small crack in the door, he pulls in another employee to knock them out, too. Unfortunately, their card is lower that clerk, but uniforms. ]

[ damn, he really is experienced with this. sena now feels like dead weight - but he's not going to let akira have all the spotlight? excuse you.

but he'll show him what he can offer on the table once they get there. right now, they have to change into these uniforms to blend better in the crowd. there we go. ]

Right, I think we're in the clear in this room for now.

[ let's just say they hid their PT outfits in sena's hat ok. they need to find a better safe room, though... ]

Is it possible to get more chips than required for Bronze and just go straight to Gold or even Platinum from here? If we can hack into the system and change the rates for our benefit, I'm sure it can be done no matter how badly we play.

[ It's a dream, so he's as confident as his dream allows him. Sena, of course, is great support even if he doesn't think so. Without him, he'll have trouble in the long run? Take the spotlight. We can say that they don on the uniform in some quick weird Metaverse way. Their outfits will appear back when they want. ]

It'll have to depend on their security... I imagine if we had a hacker in our ranks, it would be easy.

[ They're ready, even wearing hats to further obscure their faces. He goes ahead and leads Sena out. The layout doesn't seem that extravagant... It is just a casino, but there are a couple of rooms they have to choose from (room a, room b,
and room c). Which will Sena pick? Akira has already quickly surveyed into room c and it seems to be a storage room. ]

[ damn, true. sena obviously doesn't know how to hack so there goes that idea. maybe there's another way they can get up there without abusing the system.

three doors, one of them is the storage room... with a shrug, sena the first room and turns the doorknob before throwing it open. what's behind door letter a? ]

[ Wow. You're really straight-laced, Senya?

Behind door letter a is the surveillance room for the Bronze floor. Unfortunately, there are two guards there that look surprised when Sena opens the room. They recognize his uniform, so they don't come off as hostile.

"Are you lost?"

Akira is right next to Sena, but not within line of sight of the guards. It would seem too weird for two people to be "lost". ]

[ they didn't see akira? okay, they can make do with this. sena keeps up the straight-laced look in his face as he waltzes into the room, keeping the brim of his hat lowered. ]

The higher-ups actually sent me here since the rest are busy right now. Told me to check the surveillance cameras to see if they're still working right. You know how paranoid they can be sometimes, even if they don't act like it.

[ he coolly approaches the controls, hoping that the guards will turn their attention towards the screens so that akira can sneak up on them while distracted. ]

Now tell me how you switch from one camera to another. I can't do this on my own.

[ The Shadows seem perplexed? But listen to Sena and teach him how to work the controls and the cameras. It seems pretty simple and with these cameras they can see every floor, including the treasure room.

It literally says Treasure Room as its lower third title, a weird blob hovering over a pedestal. Either way, they are focused on helping their peer learn the ropes—until Akira just climbs onto their shoulder and rips off their mask. Easy. ]

Good acting. Too bad these cameras don't include the control room.

[ But!! This room does include a map that shows the control room. For some reason, it's in the basement. ]

There's this, though. [ indicating the map that can lead them to the basement. ] What kind of establishment puts their control room in a basement of all places? It just complicates things for us?

[ that's the point, sena. huffing, sena turns to look at the screen where the Treasure Room is displaying the fuzzy-looking Treasure, then at the door. ]

If we don't leave now, they'll be back with more reinforcements. Let's hurry, Joker.

It does since we're looking for a way up... But if it's down below rather than specified for each floor, we might be able to rank up to VIP without worries.

[ But Akira isn't sure that it'll be that easy... It might have weird traps or some kind of puzzle to it. He has been suffering from riddle and puzzle hell since that water temple in August. Ugh.

Anyway, Akira will pocket that map and now they can check it anytime. ]

It's a flight of stairs down... To the right.

[ But if they look at the security cameras, they can see some of the Shadow congregating somewhere on the upper floor talking about intruders. They say they need to get rid of them if they want everything to go according to plan. The "reconstruction project version alpha" must go without interruptions.

On other screens, Sena will see people he definitely recognize. They're gambling, like usual, but instead of money they seem to get items? Abilities? Things that belonged to them. ]

[ sena still hasn't recovered from last august neither, christ. but before they leave, he turns to look at the screens again and overhears the security guards murmuring to themselves about a "reconstruction project" of sorts. is this what akira and his gang fighting against in his past.

but he freezes at one screen that shows gamblers getting all sorts of items which look innocent enough... until sena spots the photos of makoto that he'd kept hidden in his closet at his room being distributed around. fuck. ]

We need to get out of here. [ he grabs akira's wrist and pulls him out of the room. ] Now!

[ the stairs aren't too far off, but sena squints at the horizon... are those guards blocking the way already? ]

[ ??? Sena's urgency makes Akira question what's wrong, but there's no time to ask. They're already on the move to the lower control room... This may not be exactly what they did (it's mixed with some ideas from Retrospec), but the goal is still the same. For some reason, the danger meter continues to rise as they dash through the corridors and down the stairwell.

Is... That really a danger meter for the palace or for Sena? When they scale down the steps, guards are appearing left and right, but he's sure to summon Satanael to take care of them. With bullets shot through the Shadows, it's an easy way down... But the walls are pulsing, much like a heart.

What they find is a large supercomputer and a room that mirrors the galaxy. There is someone that sits there, but they can't see... At least until the chair finally turns to unveil a man in a suit, but his face is covered by the Retrospec logo in the color red. ]

[ the danger meter may as well symbolize sena's heart rate as they sped down the stairwell. thankfully akira's incredibly OP persona takes care of the pesky guards, but nothing's prepared them for this. sena's suddenly standing in space, his head turning in all corners before his gaze lands on a guy that symbolizes retrospec.

his sword instinctively materializes in his hand in a splash of water. ]

Who are you?

[ "and how did you know about those photos" but he can't risk letting akira know about that. ]

[ These Shadows are rather weak, but nevertheless! Akira takes care of them with ease. Akira's eyes narrow when they finally see the man. There's something off about him, however. Isn't the logo supposed to be blue?

"So you've made it? I was hoping you would go after the treasure or whatever."

The voice is like static, almost glitching. Something about it is memorable, yet forgettable within the next second. It's that fleeting thought in the back of your head. A gun appears in Akira's hand and he points it to the figure. ]

That's not what we asked.

[ "I am what you want Retrospec to be."

This may not be Retrospec at all, but a theme given life by the people of Recolle. Welcome to how cognition works, but this is a concept in Akira's mind in its core and nothing more. It was simple... Akira wanted to become Joker, a person of unwavering conviction, and put his future into Retrospec's hands.

"Reconstruction Alpha will start soon and then everyone will become who they should be. Isn't that perfect? No one will have those dumb identity crises like they're in their 40s. Heroes will be heroes, villains will be villains—motives all tied in a nice knot." ]

What?!

[ sena still needs the concept of cognition spelled out for him, but he hears the man's words loud and clear. what akira wants retrospec to be? he shoots a glance at akira in disbelief, then back at Retrospec-Head. ]

That's not what we want at all! That's not what I want at all! No one asked for Retrospec bringing back pieces of our pasts... We're okay enough as it is here!

[ he doesn't to go back to being an idol at that school again if it only brought nothing but pain so far -

he points the sword at the man as well, his cold gaze throwing death glares at him for good measure. ]

But that's not what we're here for, actually. The map says that the Treasure is around here so where is it? Don't tell me that it's the Reconstruction bullshit you just spouted.

[ "Why are you speaking for everyone?"

The man chuckles as he strokes his chin and crosses his legs, not at all affronted or fearful of Sena's aggressive behavior.

"Some cling onto those memories. Some want to forget their lives in Recolle. It gives hope to the lost, meaning to the worthless. For some, the person in their memories is who they strive to be. How perfect would it be to reach that kind of esteem?"

The man may not have eyes, but they can feel that they're glued on Akira. These are words that he doesn't ever want spoken for him. He has told people he wanted to be Joker... He admired Joker, but having it repeated when he isn't ready is too much. The omnipotent gaze and the heightened atmosphere silences him completely, forcing his eyes to the floor out of dread. He doesn't want to be here...

"It would be a seamless transfer. No one would even notice. There would be no emotional shock." ]

We're here for the treasure on the top floor.

[ Akira does his best to shake him off, interrupting him in his weird little explanation. The man is quiet... Before sighing with the exaggerated drop of his shoulders.

"The treasure is in here," he drones as if this was so boring before pointing to where the heart should be. "This is a dream, right? Your dream."

The man finally takes a stand and steps forward with his hands clasped behind his back. The galaxy shown around them twists with each step he takes. The supercomputer is only an afterthought, but it seems to be initiating "reconstruction ver. α".

"I know you changed your mind, Akira. You don't want this to happen anymore, but it's too late. This is where the dream ends."

The boss battle starts with the music changing drastically to fit the theme. They are no longer playing around in a casino with bouncy tunes. Mr. Retrospec takes the first turn and makes his move. A strange yet colorful swirl encompasses them before it focuses the center—psy skills attack the mind and body. ]

Edited (i changed my mind) 2017-10-23 07:31 (UTC)

[ hope to the lost? meaning to the hopeless? that's bullshit, sena wants to say, but the man they can only assume as an anti-jim launches some kind of psychic attack on them without any warning. he dodges out of the way but he's still taken some damaging, wincing as he snaps his fingers to heal himself. right, he's still a low-leveled character compared to someone as experienced as akira, so he can only heal one person at at time for now. how annoying. he'd better save his energy in order to heal akira since the latter is more powerful than him at the moment...

he uses this turn to lunge towards the suited man and strike him down with a few well-placed slashes, but it's still isn't enough to damage it. melee attacks can only go so far in a goddamn persona game, even in a drem such as this. all he can do for now now is be akira's back-up and healer, so he turns to him with a nod - ]

We'll talk about that later. Go!

[ Anti-Jim is something, isn't he? There's something about him that is attractive or maybe that's just Akira's thinking—anyway, Akira attempts to evade but was too late and also takes some damage. However, it doesn't affect him as much as his own processing of the situation. It's... Rough on him.

However, Sena's words shake him out of his daze. Eyes wide, he looks at him in dismay. For a moment, he wonders how can they fight this. This... Personification, this entity, it's overpowered and has the ability to change their surroundings.

"That's right. If you were Joker, you wouldn't doubt taking me on."

Mr. Retrospec is still pristine despite taking damage from Sena, snapping his fingers to summon Mrs. Retrospec. She comes in with her wedding gown, pristine and beautiful (with that same logo on her face). They do a little tango and that triggers a large scale attack. It's a bright, inescapable, white light and they take some damage. He shields his eyes, but he has made decision. It took him longer than the time it would take his other self, but it's something. ]

Sena... You should run. I don't want you to get dragged into this.

[ He's realizing that this is feeding off of all the issues he tucked under the rug. It's not long before voices come from the galaxy around them, they whisper the word "ruin." It starts with one word, then "there is only ruin in your future." The voices grow louder, "for you and all those that lend you their strength..." ]

[ sena gets thrown back from their dual attack, making a pained face as he heals himself. akira wanting him to get away couple with the eerie voices coming out of the woodwork chanting about destroyed futures - ]

This is... so annoying...

[ he's staggering as he gets himself up on his feet, one hand clutching the other arm that's holding the sword, gritting his teeth in sheer irritation. ]

I didn't want this... I don't want anything to do with your phantom thief bullshit... Just because I acted as one in my past as an idol --

[ he and akechi are so similar, sena thinks, because let's assume their thread in the other's log happened before this. they both didn't want their peers to get involved with their respective shit, and it's all for good reason. sena had never thought that the both of them can be so fucking complicated...! ]

It's too late for that, don't you think? I'm just stuck as in this nightmare your created as you are, and it's not like we can get out of here easily.

[ the door would've vanished by now. either way, he turns to look at akira with a very audacious grin on his face. that's one more smile for the phantom thief's collection, i guess. ]

Let's finish this, Joker.

[ At first, he looks appalled at what Sena says. His expression twists as his bottom lip quiver. It's strange... It's hard for him to listen because of the voices that keep whispering the same thing over and over again. Ruin. ruin. Ruin. R̨̠̯̞̫͓͇̼̂͌̊͆̇̍͌͐͜u̷̥͕̻̭̝̳̜͒͒̿̈͋̃̓͘͢͢͝͡ͅì̪͍͇̺̹̊̽͑̃n̨̥͈̲̯̖̥̜͆͆̃̇͂̐̏͘͢͢ Yet he can hear his friend's voice crystal clear. Sena is going through a lot, he imagines. This isn't even his nightmare. Instead, he's burdening all of Akira's senseless worries and anxiety on his shoulders as this dream goes on.

"Don't you remember what happens?" The bride questions as she's twirled forward.

"You know what happens if you bring others into this. They'll suffer the same fate as you—"

For a second, a display shows a very familiar memory. The faces are blurred out, but they're people disappearing with tears in their eyes as the city distorts with skeleton structures rising to a red sky. It shakes him to see it, but he keeps repeating Sena's words. They have to finish it.

That smile shows up in his mind instead... ]

I can't get rid of him. Just my luck. [ He says that with a positive lilt in his voice. Raising his hand, he points to the couple before a gun appears in his hand. Satanael reappears from the black flames again, mirroring the same move. ] Yeah, let's finish this, Knight.

[ It's time to do a skill combo. Summon your Persona, Sena!! ]

[ a sudden gust of wind from behind takes sena by surprise, and he turns around to the other side to find a large imposing figure standing right beside him, clad in all shades of blue, also wielding a sword and a crown on his head. sena is all but confused by this, but at the same time he feels as if he knows this guy from somewhere. someone who's from inside him all along. ]

Lionheart... [ the name of his "persona" comes to him unbidden, and his sword materializes again in his hand as he shakes the aching migraine from his head. why akira suddenly granted him this in his dream, he doesn't know. but hey, if it helps them defeat these cognizant retrospec workers, then sena will do his best.

suffer the same fate, his ass. they're all out there suffering anyway, it doesn't make a difference at all. rolling his eyes at whatever bullshit anti-janet was saying, sena thrusts a hand forward, sending his "persona" towards her for one sweeping slash through her torso and destroying a few screens behind her in the process. not sure if that thoroughly obliterated her, but she did get an exponential amount of damage from that piercing strike. ]

[ All of his friends deserve Personas. He may not be the man who grants them to worthy people, but that doesn't mean he can't in his dream. Everyone should know what it feels like—to have power, to feel peace, and to channel all those pent up emotions. It's relieving, refreshing, and he smiles when he sees the new Persona.

Mr. Retrospec jumps back as Mrs. Retrospec falls prey for Lionheart's attack. She doesn't scream, doesn't even gasp. She merely falls to pieces onto the floor, but leaves the impression that she was surprised by the turn of events.

"This...! This isn't supposed to happen!" Mr. Retrospec quivered in dismay as he sees the rise of Personas. "You're supposed to keep all of them at a distance!"

Even Akira knew that it would be simpler... Better... For his friends to be at arm's length, then they wouldn't be dragged in this hell of a conspiracy or deal with his wreck of the life. Yet... Here he is. ]

This is the end.

[ Both Satanael's gun and Lionheart's sword glow brightly before they unleash a surge of energy. It's blinding as it land in the room, obliterating everything in sight. The applications stopped uploading for several seconds already, but it's indefinitely postponed as the scene changes entirely. It's just... all white. ]

Hey. Thanks... And sorry.

(no subject)

adoringpast - 2017-10-29 09:43 (UTC) - Expand

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