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. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ I'm (not) sorry, but the trap stops completely. Morrigan perks up, ears twitching as there's this bright shine in his eyes.

"You did it! Quickly—"

But that cat's eyes widen because there's a presence right behind Goro. Grabbing onto his shoulder, a bit out of breath, it's Akiraaaa. He's back.

"What took you so long, Joker?" ]

Good job.

[ But he's dying. Please carry him. ]

[JESUS FUCK it's just Akira. Okay. God, you don't look good.]

I should be telling you that, you know. Thank you for drawing them off as long as you did. Allow me to reward you.

[He'll carry you!! C'mere. Experience the beach bod.]

Reward me?

[ What are you doing?? He's too tired to struggle against this manhandling, so enjoy having him in whatever way you want, Goro. The sound of guards returning are even closer...

Morrigan is fake barfing on the opposite side. ]

[You are his bride now. The threshold is filled with dangerous weapons and the knights are the opposition to this union. Continue your fake barfing, Goro's a fucking prince in this outfit and they're in a castle.

... That said this is not a leisurely walk this is a brisk pace. We are Going and

he's gonna get Robin Hood to change the gaze of the statue away from the woman once they're safe, fuck you guards.]

Morrigan says it isn't too far now. Rest while you can.

[ Akira dangles his legs back and forth during the short time where they aren't on the run. After that, he settles nicely and just holds on the best he can. The trap definitely stops the Shadows and for some reason they can't seem to figure out how to stop it despite being... Minions of the ruler.

"Yeah, Joker. We're one floor away."

This is going rather smoothly and it gets on his nerves, but he doesn't say anything. Maybe everything will fall into place as planned. There's just a smile on his face as he rests his head on Goro's shoulder. ]

Hey, what's your code name? If you ever told me, it slipped my mind.

[ When they go up a slight of stairs, they meet the throne room. The main entrance is unfortunately locked. ]

It's Crow. I certainly don't look like one in this outfit though, do I?

[... The other one, he can see the resemblance more. Black and blue, that damnable mask... The thought draws away from the curiosity posed from that sudden question, mechanically climbing the stairs and doing his best not to get tired out from carrying the other up them.

Before he knows it, it's the throne room. It's locked though... he'll carefully set Akira down.]

Another puzzle..?

I think it fits in its own way.

[ Gently, he pokes the end of Goro’s mask. He isn’t thinking about how the other outfit matches better in color right now. It’s just hard when you can practically stab someone with the mask he’s wearing currently.

His time as a bride ends and he stretches his arms up and over his head. Looking at the barricade, he tilts his head before surveying their surroundings. When his arms drop down to his sides, his shoulders also drool. ]

If I remember correctly, we climb this.

[ A giant female torso statue with her hind pointed outwards. He’ll go ahead and demonstrate, easily scaling it and slipping through the open gaps at the top. Morrigan looks at Goro, waiting for him to follow. Kitty has to watch your back! ]

[Goro touches the point of his mask as he watches Akira, then follows suit; dream logic and Metaverse logic aren't too different, maybe, because it's easy to climb the statue and get up to where Akira is. C'mon Morrigan.]

[ The cat follows after Goro so easily. Dropping down onto the ascended floor, they're on the same level as the treasure. The throne rests center, but the large door is their destination.

When Akira opens is, there's the weird floating... Blob. If Goro remembers any of the heists at all, or even the little footage at the cat cafe, it should be blank and slightly translucent.

However, this one has the Retrospec logo in red. ]

So we just have to send the calling card, right?

[ "Yeah! I'm sure you two can handle that, right?"

And a little panel shows up in their minds, asking for them to write their letter... to Retrospec, not Kamoshida. ]

[The footage more than anything, he doesn't actually remember much of the heists themselves ~~which is about to change thanks~~, and... that is weird. This is weird. To Retrospec? But this Palace... its ruler is that Kamoshida man, isn't it? He knows that much about the whole process.]

... How exactly are these things supposed to go?

[Can't he just let Akira do the whole thing... Who even wrote up their calling cards anyway. Can he purple prose against Retrospec. That'd be fun, the calling card would be ten pages long though.]

[ You were only there for one heist, Goro, and you did the bad thing. Akira doesn't seem to notice just yet, but tilts his head at the recipient when it comes to light. That's... Weird. He's pretty sure this is Kamoshida castle. ]

Usually, we head back to reality and write the calling card... Kind of like roasting someone on the internet except in printed form? This wasn't part of what I remembered.

[ The change in recipient, the weird keyboard analog, just all of it is so strange— ]

But it is a dream. Just write whatever you want since you're so eloquent.

[He still got to see the treasure room! And the treasure blob. That's all fun.]

A compliment I often get, yet sometimes feel undeserving of. [He can write letters of challenge though. It certainly can't be any different than that.

... Roasting Retrospec... Maybe something like:

"The people of Recolle are not your play things. Though your goal is noble, your execution is sloppy; there is no point with allowing one to live a lie in an effort to save an existence if it's only going to be revealed later, if it's going to ruin what they've always know. Your selfishness and the revelation of such injustice has led to this inevitable, unavoidable outcome. Be prepared."

Yes? That sounds cool. Goro's beaming a bit, aaah.]

This is exciting..! And you got to do this all the time... I'm jealous. I wish this was probable in reality as well.

[This is like, not a nightmare in the slightest? This is fun. His other self was missing out.]

It is pretty fun, isn't it?

[ Akira also wishes there was a chance for them to do something like this in real life, but it might be a good thing that they don't need to step in to change someone's heart. When Goro submits the letter, it's actually posted onto the network...

PHANTOM THIEVES OF HEARTS ANONYMOUS
Retrospec. The people of Recolle are not your play things. Though your goal is noble, your execution is sloppy; there is no point with allowing one to live a lie in an effort to save an existence if it's only going to be revealed later, if it's going to ruin what they've always know. Your selfishness and the revelation of such injustice has led to this inevitable, unavoidable outcome. Be prepared.

Bothe of their phones get notifications for this for some reason, so Akira makes his phone appear so he can check the post. Huh? This is... Pretty extra. he is pretty sure you can't post anonymously, so he's guessing it's just his dream playing this up. Scratching his cheek, he even finds the little icon charming. ]

Usually, we deliver the card to the person in secret, but... This will do.

[ However, something about the treasure room changes. Palpable red veins stretch across the room as it becomes red (redder, technically) in color. The coins that wait under the floating anomaly shine a bright red, the curtains darken almost to rotten blood... Then the room pulses like a headache, a heart beat. Their sense of danger should rise from 30-40% to max. ]

This was definitely not part of it.

[This is the coolest, Goro's beaming. Even if it's only gotten more dangerous, evident not only by the feeling resonating through him but by the visual cues, the pulsating beat, he's more than excited for the outcome. It's just a dream, but... the thought of it actually working, of those people finding some threat in their words, is exhilarating in a way that makes him laugh.]

It's fine, isn't it? We're already here anyway! There'll be no trace of us by the time anyone arrives!

[Maybe. He's feeling more than confident, anyway, taking Akira's hands and doing his best not to bounce on his heels. There's more of a visible rise to his everything as a result.]

Even if this is a dream, I don't think I've ever had so much fun before. Imagine if we could affect Retrospec this way! If there was a Treasure to take, a Palace to fight through! [The Phantom Thieves -- the ones who are here, or even just Akira and himself -- could change everything.

His smile softens a bit in its excitement, still all too happy but more leveled.] But it's impossible to change all of it at once anyway, isn't it? Even outside of things like that not existing in the first place.

[ While Goro is excited beyond belief, Akira looks unsettled... He's anxious. Something feels off. This is nothing like his memories and those veins keep showing up during the worst times of his dreams. His body tenses when the atmosphere weighs down on them, suffocating. The voices from the Velvet Room return, hushing soft words into their ears.

Do you want to become the same person in your memories?

Do you want him dragged down with you, too?

It silences him, fills his thoughts, and destroys whatever response he had. Opening his mouth, he ends up closing it because he can't force anything out. Not even Goro's compassionate disposition can lift his spirits. It doesn't stop the treasure from forming. It appears in a bright white light—it's a heart... A pixel heart. It's quaint, glitching here and there because it's taking form in a material (dream) form.

Kamoshida's treasure room pulses wildly with visual glitches and static rampant as the heart floats in the air. It's like the dream isn't rendering fast enough, but this is definitely the Retrospec building. It's nondescript with the only indicator being the blue Retrospec logo on the wall with their blurred mission statement. The figure that appears to block their way is an unfamiliar child with tears in their eyes. ]

[Goro finds he doesn't like it when Akira's quiet, tense and disturbed, and his smile flips in confusion at the return of the voices. Steps a little closer to him, voice softer.]

Akira..?

[But the treasure's forming, drawing his attention momentarily, and his hands squeeze Akira's as he stares at their new arrival. A child?]

[ The child has no face—it's censored by static. Its weeps bounce off of the white walls, resonating through the facilities like a it's playing on surround sound. It keeps crying...

"Are you going to leave me behind again?" ]

We're here for the treasure. No hard feelings—[ He tries to keep his voice leveled and it comes off cold and distant, but his gaze is downcast. He's avoiding it, ignoring it. It's easier to shut this out.

"You've already forgotten me... Akira. We were friends."

Those words become distorted, flashing from child-like to monstrous filled with pitch changes. When they blink, the child changes shape. Its face is replaced with a mask as its neck grows longer, stretching all the way to them to crane below to look at Akira. Its body turns to that of a beast, covered in fur and so does its elongated neck. Cat-like ears sprout from its head as its mouth opens to show a row of sharp teeth. Its hands stay, but its feet become hands as well with all nails stained black.

"If you take this treasure, you're leaving everything behind."

He's frozen as the monster's head hovers over him with its mouth gaping open, ready to to devour him whole. Despite the urgency and the danger, Akira finds himself frozen and looking at the ground.]

[Well that's terrifying.

Thankfully, Goro's body moves as it always does when someone he cares for is in trouble; swiftly and without a single thought to his own safety, his blisteringly hot sword swinging at the thing to keep it away as he jerks between them, elbowing Akira back (snap out of it) with a growl in his words.]

Stay away from him.

[He doesn't know who that child was, what its beef with Akira is, but anything that causes such a reaction isn't anything Goro finds himself fond of. Not a single bit. He'll keep the sword between them too, whatever way the... Shadow? moves.]

[ Akira is actually knocked down by the elbowing, sitting there like nothing actually matters. Instead of standing back up, he pulls his knees a bit closer. The monster itself takes a step back as its tail finally forms as the last piece. It's menacing, unlike any Shadow they've seen so far. It closes its mouth, looking almost innocent as it twists his neck to look its head to create the most uncomfortable head tilt.

"Why fight for him when he won't fight for himself?"

The parameters, the Velvet Room, and now this—a feeling of ultimate helplessness. The battle begins with a twist of the scenery; veins spread on the Retrospec walls as the white color is painted red, pulsing like they're inside of a dying heart.

Like a game, it shows status ailments and Akira is obviously inflicted with Despair. The mask doesn't smile nor grin, but the air around it reeks of arrogance. Its neck unwinds its head back before is rises above them, letting out a shrill shriek that makes them both susceptible to status effects. When that's done, it comes charging in with canines bared, ready to take a chomp out of Goro's pretty face.

It wants his face. ]

[oh my god you're like a leaf. The shadow sends an involuntary shudder down his body and he uneasily holds his ground, severely disliking the odd tilt, the question, the sudden change in scenery. It makes him unable to answer the way he'd like and his eyes flick to the status ailments briefly, flinching at the shriek and feeling his body wane.

Whatever it did, it wasn't anything good.

Whatever it's doing now, it's going it stop; Robin Hood bursts forth and takes the brunt of the bite, meaty arm a perfect chew toy. Goro shudders and dips beneath his Persona, aiming to take a few slashes at the monster while it's busy with the heroic rogue of legend. He finds his words as he does so.]

He'd fight for me, so why wouldn't I fight for him in return? He does his best, so I will too!

[ Ah... Well, that's okay? The monster isn't at all deterred by the meaty Persona. Instead, it dislocates its jaw like a snake in attempt to eat it whole. It is, however, preoccupied and allows Goro to yammer off without another word within earshot. The slashes follow through in dealing damage—a black liquid spurts out of the wounds, but the monster doesn't seem at all to care.

As it tries to devour Robin Hood further, its body finally scuttles towards Goro to embrace him. It's suffocating, surely meant to crush his rib cage. ]

Goro.

[ Despair lifts for only a second before Satanael shows up again to send a barrage of bullets into the monster. It interrupts its feast on Robin Hood and releases Goro. Blood spurts again as it falls over with a large thud, writhing as it scrambles back on all fours. ]

[That's gross? Robin Hood is so very outclassed here, and Goro finds himself in a similar position with the serpent-like body squeezing around him. It's dizzying. Suffocating. So hard to breathe, the world speckling black at the corners of his vision.

He dully recognizes the sound of bullets before he's collapsing to the ground, panting for air in his knelt position, and Robin flicks in appearance before settling solid again. It's just a dream. It's a dream, so he should be able to summon that other one if needed, but-- but it's terrifying to think about, that it might join sides with the thing before them, so he pushes it out of mind and stands. It doesn't make things less tiring. Less frustrating.

The Persona'll keep his distance this time, aiming to pin the disturbing creature's limbs with arrows, and whether it works out or not Goro's throwing himself back into the fray, slashes more focused on cutting deep than cutting smart. Kind of fiercely that.]

[ The monster is part python or something, don't mind it. The monsters hands are pinned to the ground, but its neck cranes over them. Even if Goro lashes at it, it lunges at him with its neck and head along. With teeth bared, it practically smashes its face at him. If Goro dodges or it misses, it plants its face into the ground and creates small craters. Whatever arrows shot from Robin Hood also stay in the beast, only drawing out a screech so piercing. Its assault doesn't end.

Akira stands here, watching quietly. His body is trembling, making it hard for him to handle any weapon. Despair starts to envelope him again, but he has to keep fighting if he wants to be of any help. Goro might be crushed at any second if that monster lands its face straight into him, maybe even devour him whole.

He knows he can't do much on the battlefield, so he drags his feet to the glitching heart that floats over the pedestal.

"Do you really want this? I knew... I knew you left me behind!"

The monster changes targets. Its neck swings wildly as its head travels to intercept Akira, leaving itself vulnerable for one fell cleave. ]

[For good reason, maybe, is all Goro thinks.

But it's a nightmare. This... is probably something that haunts Akira, that his old friend would feel this way about whatever happened, and it's a thought that strikes him as he bears down onto the opportunity presenting itself so sweetly. It doesn't stop his blade from sinking in, the energy hissing with delight as blood spills out from the wound, but it makes him do a mental step back at the blindness of his actions, of his immediate reactions, and Robin Hood flickers again; Loki briefly takes his place, just to leer, before he disappears too.]

[ The blood sprays everywhere—wearing white must be troublesome. The newly decapitated head writhed right under Akira's feet, trying to chomp at its ankles before it dissipates into black particles.

All they can hear are the soft echoes of a child crying. On the walls plays small memories in first person, having fun in middle school only to be told by his parents they're boarding a plane that same day. The friend's face remains blurred out, glitching in places, forgotten... And so is everyone else in those memories. They're blurred, glitched, censored.

"I couldn't be there for them."

Then the film races to another part of his life where there are some muffled words as he's looking at a different friend, at least based on haircut. Words string along carefully—I don't want to be seen with you because everyone thinks you're weird.

"It's better if I keep them at arm's length, so we can't hurt each other."

After that, every single person that shows up on the screen, in passing, or even engaging with him, has a solid X over their faces. The whispers change to different people of different ages calling him a ghost or a phantom because he comes and goes, drops everything and leaves it behind—even if it wasn't his choice. He merely exists, talks to no one, and doesn't initiate anything.

Akira doesn't watch any of it. He already knows what's playing since this is his dream, but he doesn't look at all happy with the solemn and apologetic smile on his face. All of this should have been hidden... It's been resolved and there are no residual feelings left. The remorse, the pain, and the loneliness faded over time. ]

I'm sorry you have to see all of this. At least the treasure is ours?

[ Even if the treasure doesn't belong to Kamoshida... Not even Retrospec, the pixel heart floats above this pedestal. He picks it up before tossing the heart over to Goro. It floats like a dandelion puff over and the scene changes to Akira's room, the room no one had the chance to see. It's plain with nothing on its walls except for curtains against the window; there's only a desk, a bed with blue sheets, a cat bed, and a cello case resting in the corner. ]

SPOOKY HAUNTS AND TRAILS » OPEN

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