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 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. ]

[It's so troublesome, his clothes get a grimace as he sheathes the sword and... oh.

Goro watches quietly, chest tightening. You know, I never actually got to play with other kids on the playground, Akira'd confessed on the roundabout. He'd said he'd moved around a lot and he was excluded as the new kid sometimes too. Always thought himself weird or not as interesting as Goro felt he was, seemed so pleased at the knowledge they were friends, was more than upset at Goro's words about separating if he'd like--

He catches the heart, holding it carefully. Where Akira seemed to be over the feelings that plagued him (was he really over it, if it had such a hold on him in these dreams?) Goro's aware he's quite trapped by them himself, often afraid to take a step forward in case the feeling's unreturned; he understands quite well these memories, the lasting impact of it, because it's something Elizabeth deals with as well. And they have an unspoken understanding.

It takes a moment for him to speak, studying the room they've ended up in (almost like he's prepared to move again, which... he kind of was, given university, but also an indicator of a lack of lasting connections due to that moving about) and moving closer to Akira with a shake of his head.]

I'm kind of glad I get to see this, even if I doubt I'll remember any of it... and even if this is probably something you didn't want me to see in the first place.

[He doesn't like his own past on display, he doubts anyone else wants theirs either. Otherwise, he's not really sure what to say? Goro has never been good with Comfort Words or... anything like that, he's perfectly eloquent until it comes to. This.

So don't mind if he just tucks the heart into his vest (right over his own steadily beating one, though he doesn't realize it) and pulls Akira into a tight hug, squeezing.]

You... don't think like this now, right?

I don't mind. It's actually relieving? I'm not sure how to describe it.

[ These little secrets he has never told anyone in great detail have been locked up for so long. It's scary to know someone has seen them, but freeing. Despite that, he still feels vulnerable and his natural reaction is to push Goro away and find time to himself. He needs time to prepare, to simulate word chioces, and to steel himself. It all happened so abruptly and unplanned, leaving him adrift, but the last thing he wants people to think is that he's not fine. He's working on it, all of it... A step to all of this is also relying on someone.

He promised he would rely on Goro, even if his heart hasn't given in completely. Change is needed. If he wants to be a better person, he needs to do this.

With a heavy sigh, he pensively runs his fingers through his hair. His mind is swamped with ways to turn thing around so it isn't so grim—but he gets bombarded by a hug instead. He's taken aback (also jerked backwards) and falls right onto his old bed, hacking as air escapes him. Could you at least give him some warning? ]

I don't. [ He hugs Goro back, giving him a light squeeze of reassurance. ] It's all in the past. I have amazing friends now, so it's hard to fall back on all of that.

[ Hmmm. ]

Also the best boyfriend.

I'm not the best. [Just so he knows.] I'm just the only one you've ever had.

[There's a difference. But Goro's relieved, if... a little guilty at not totally believing Akira. He'll nuzzle his boyfriend, looking vaguely embarrassed for a moment before smothering him with affection in the same way Akira did to him once before, kissing his cheeks and across the rest of his face.]

... But I suppose I'll take it, as long as you accept that it makes you second best.

[he's a shit]

I don't think I need to have personal experience to gauge your prowess, Mister Akechi.

[ He's ready to lay down some more sass so that their dynamic can return... Like normal, but he's being assaulted. He lightly groans and grumbles as Goro has his way, gently prying him off by the collar.

Please... You're embarrassing him. Any more and he might start blushing because he hasn't completely recovered. ]

No, it's too late. You gave up that title, so I'll be taking it.

[ THAT'S FUCKING RIGHT. HE'S THE #1 BOYFRIEND. ]

[Blush, damn you. Get embarrassed. Don't let Goro be the only one that gets red in this relationship!! He's visibly pleased despite being pried away, chuckling lightly with a small smile.]

I think you are the best anyway, so there's no complaints here. If not the best in general... then the best for me, I think. You make me happier than I could ever imagine every day.

[... It's true, but he's also sincerely saying this since Yu mentioned it was a weak point.]

[ Akira is close to recovering completely till Goro goes for the kill. At first he pretends to preen himself with these compliments... Until it goes on. If he were in better shape, he would deal out a response without fail, but now he’s thinking over those words. They’re ringing in his ears; the more he hears it in his mind, the most lost and embarrassed he feels. His chest feels tight as he feels a swell of uncertainty and kindle of warmth.

He opens his mouth only to close it on a soft filler (uhm is the word). His eyes dart elsewhere, avoiding eye contact as best as he can. ]

You’re such a sap.

[ It’s in a quiet voice that would usually be glazed over if it weren’t for the dead silent room. He isn’t blushing just yet. ]

[Well, it's a victory. He'll lay on his back, abuzz with nerves and butterflies, sighing softly.]

It's only the truth, Akira. I'm glad to have fallen for you.

[................... that's a lot even for him he's slowly putting his hands over his face.]

[ Why do you do this to him? His outward facade? To the atmosphere? He can't find himself to put on his normal act as Goro rambles two more lines. He can practically hear his heart beat so loudly and hopes that it's just him, that no one else can hear that.

The room does turn pink in color. Quietly, he huddles closer to Goro, pressing his flustered face into his shoulder. ]

I'm the one who's grateful.

[ Because Goro lights up the whole room. Just like that, everything goes from pink to white and the dream ends because he's having a heart attack. ]

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