October Event Log

[kaisoumods]

October Event
Dominant Element: Earth
Waning Element: Water

※
Autumn is in full swing throughout Kaisou. The winds of September have settled down, leaving behind picturesque chilly autumn weather. During the month, the trees will be in full autumn glory, giving everyone a beautiful show of bright yellows, reds and oranges. At night, the atmosphere is perfect for a spooky Halloween night, with the moon showing brightly as you walk through crumpled leaves that skitter across the ground.

A Spoopy Time of Year

With the arrival of October, the city switches into full Halloween mode. You can't go anywhere in the city without finding some kind of Halloween decoration, whether it be jack-o-lanterns, paper ghosts, fake skeletons, or orange and black coloring. Restaurants and coffee shops are selling Halloween-themed refreshments, while there's a Spirit Halloween opening up in just about every empty building in the city for those looking to get yourselves a costume. Where did they come from? How did they pop up so fast? No one knows.

With school entering it's second month, students are finally getting used to the new daily routine. As they do that, maybe it's time to look into getting more involved. The Student Council are holding their elections, and there's auditions for the fall music concert. Meanwhile the clubs and sports are starting to gear up at both high school and the university as well. There's a wide variety, from high school baking club to the swim teams to the university anime club - or you can make your own club! There's lots of ways to be involved with your peers.

For those looking to get into the spirit of the holiday, there's plenty of things to do! The pumpkins are ready to be harvested in the farms of Stardew Valley, so you're welcome to visit a patch and pick out one for jack-o-lantern carving! There's also costume contests being held in the shopping center, with winners getting gift certificates to various businesses. Kami State Park are offering horse-pulled hay rides through the forest in the evening, for anyone wanting a fun date or family activity that's low on the scares. For those who want more of a thrill, the Gold Saucer has set up a ghost hotel experience. You can either do a basic tour that showcases all the typical things a haunted house has (creepy props, jump-scares, costumed folks, moogles in ghost costumes, etc), or for the truly brave, you can opt to stay the whole night in the hotel. The rooms are decked out to the macabre extreme complete with some creepy sounds occasionally occurring throughout the night. But hey, if that's what you're into - no shame!

The Halloween festivities aren't restricted to just the normal parts of town. In Undertown, plenty of merchants are getting into the spirit and selling Halloween items such as cauldrons (great for potion brewing), witches hats (enchanted to always be pointy), and witch brooms (enchanted to...just hover. No real flying). Meanwhile more traditional shops will focus more on protective wards and items meant to appease spirits, sometimes grumbling about the commercialization blinding people to the real dangers of this time of year. Enki Education Center meanwhile will offer plenty of classes about the history of Halloween and other related topics.

Samhain: The Lifting of the Veil

Those involved with the paranormal will be familiar with the idea of the veil between this world and the Spirit Realm thinning somewhat during this time of year. It's been a long known fact, and why so many holidays occur this time of year. However most years, the thinning of the veil results in nothing more than it being easier to conjure powerful spells, or an increase of supernatural sightings from normal people - some real, some fake, some from folks who have indulged a little too much in the Halloween spirit. Overall though, it's nothing to be too concerned about.

This year though? Between the already unusual activity from the Spirit Vein and recent damage done to the barrier by the man-made portal? The annual thinning of the veil couldn't come at a worse time. Instead of an mild increase in supernatural sightings? Normal people around the city find themselves bewildered as they become capable of perceiving all things supernatural. Your inhuman features? Your weird hair color? Those weapons you've been carrying around? The people can see them for what they are, and they have a lot of questions and concerns. The app users will be routinely dealing with the chaos that comes from those who once were oblivious now noticing what has been going around them all this time. Do your best to navigate the questions or escape if it gets to be too much.

Unfortunately, the problems from the thinning don't end just there. Throughout the month, tears, or smaller gates, will continuously pop up around the city. Each of these gates will lead to smaller labyrinths that looks like different versions of hell - complete with demons ready consume on any poor souls that happen to go near these gates. The surefire way to deal with these gates is to kill or exorcise the master demon of the labyrinth (which is a demon that's tougher than the other ones). This will cause the labyrinth to collapse and everyone inside will be safely teleported out. Do your best to patrol the city and ensure that no civilians fall prey to these tears.

The Disappearances

It starts slow, at first it's just one or two people from the app who go missing. Those who have the Libra app might suddenly find that they can't get a hold of their friend. For some, they might rationalize an explanation: it's October and some people are getting really busy with school or work as the big holiday season is right around the corner. Nothing to get too worried about, right? But for others, such rationalizations doesn't sit right. Not when a person they live with doesn't come home, or fails to show up to work when they've never been known to skip out.

Investigating these disappearances don't yield much at first. In most of the cases, there's no signs of a struggle. Though for a couple, especially with people who tend to be difficult normally, there's some signs that maybe something occurred - but there's no trail, no fingerprints. If you submit a missing persons report to the police, they won't have much in the way of leads. Zodiac too seems concerned, saying they'll look into it but not having more details to share at this time.

By the second week of October, things have escalated to the point that not even the most laidback of people can rationalize things away. Several people, all on the app, have gone missing and no one has been able to contact them at all or locate them by any means, magical or mundane. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to who's taken or when they were taken, just that they were likely alone when they vanished.

Just where then, is everyone going? Will you be next?

A Gate to Hell

It's not until October 13th does a lead finally get found. Zodiac will send a message through the app, it's signal blaring as usual.

ALERT: SHIFTING GATE LOCATED AT KAISOU HIGH SCHOOL.
Element Classification: Earth
Danger Level: High
Designation: The Qliphoth
A large gate has been detected at Kaisou High School. We have received information that this gate is connected to the disappearances of app users. Some locals have approached our agents with information on this realm. They have also requested assistance in stopping the demons within and saving the hostages. This realm is HIGHLY DANGEROUS, please only go near it if you're prepared. Please visit the Zodiac Office if you need any questions answered or equipment. And whatever you do, do NOT make any deals with demons.

Visiting the Zodiac Office, they will find that the atmosphere is once more very serious. There are Zodiac employees rushing around, trying to get a handle on the multiple crisis going on. Professor Willow looks rather pale and like he hasn't slept in a week. When asked about his condition, he'll just explain that he just pulled an all-nighter researching. Though when the TV in the office shows another news story of someone reporting a supernatural sighting of some kind, he seems to pale even further.

But before you can focus too much on the Professor, the Zodiac attendants usher you over to the group that requested assistance. It seems to be a mix of people that hang around the Underground and ....yeah, ok, that's a 7 foot tall demon with horns with them. Before you can brandish any weapons, the humans with them insist they're a good demon. They explain that within the realm of the Qlipoth, a demon lord by the name of Zoray is attempting to harvest power with human sacrifices - the folks who had been kidnapped. As such, they need help in putting an ends to the plans.

Once you're ready to go, the gate can be found on the football field at Kaisou High School. It's completely overtaken one of the endzones, a massive and twisted monolith that just reeks of evil as you approach. The grass around is turning brown and quickly dying off as red light from the gate itself reflects on. Needless to say, the homecoming game has been cancelled until further notice.

It becomes incredibly apparent, as soon as you step through, that the situation is much worse than what Zodiac was expecting. Before your eyes lays what looks to be once a normal city, not unlike Kaisou itself. However, its days of being a normal city are long gone. The sky bleeds between bright reds and blues, often mixing into an odd but eerily clear sunset, and two major landmarks greet the eyes amongst the urban ruins. Nearby, an old castle looms with impeccable stature, while in the distance lies a horrid and twisted tree.

One of the most prominent things to note, then, is the slight scent of copper wherever you go. It lingers on the tongue as something familiar, but you can't quite name it as to what. For folks with enhanced smell, however, they can tell exactly what that copper is– blood. The entire gate reeks of it. Even worse is how there is an oppressive air constantly around, one that feels heavy and has weight to it overall. The flora and fauna have too many eyes, too many teeth, and many look like if you mistreat them, they'll bite off your fingers or worse.

What a way of greeting the incoming help, huh?

Kidnapped: Face Yourselves

As for those who were kidnapped, let's rewind a moment to what happened. They had been in Kaisou when they were approached by a stranger, pleading to help someone who had been trapped within the Spirit Realm. Those who were reluctant to go were offered rewards of various sorts. Anyone who agreed to follow the stranger would've found themselves quickly nabbed by demons before everything went dark. As for those who resisted all attempts to lure them - well, the stranger had enough and called on their demon friends to jump you anyway.

Those who were taken will wake up and find themselves in caverns below grown, beneath a massive tree far bigger than any tree or really any building you'd find on Earth. Any weapons on your persons has been taken from you, and the phone can't get a signal - not even to Libra, thanks to the magic radiating from the tree roots. No one is being tied down or anything, as the demons are sure there's no way you could ever get out from beneath the tree. Listening in on their conversations, it sounds like they plan to sacrifice you. Those who are able to sense magical energy will be able to tell that even now, the tree is slowly siphoning their energy just by being here.

If you want to try, however, and perhaps avoid the fate of being sacrificed, you can attempt to escape. The kidnapped victims are in the root system of the tree, so they'll have to use their best judgement to navigate through the roots without getting caught. Though getting out is easier said and done to actually, as the root system is a maze, with twists and turns and dead ends and the occasional gap that must be traversed. Anyone who attempts to escape using magic will find their way blocked.

There are small mercies, as you don't seem to get hungry or thirsty while trapped in here. However after a few days, the tree's roots will absorb enough of your energy to create demonic doppelgangers of the captured. These demonic doppelgangers appear as twisted versions of the person they're copying, and worse - they reflect every inner demon within oneself and magnified. Someone prone to jealousy would have a demon that flies into jealous rages, while the demon of someone greedy will not stop until they have everything. These demons are their literal inner demons made manifest, and they were created to make sure you do not escape. Some will try to kill, while others aim to break you mentally by making you face your worst features. Do you face them head on and defeat your inner demons? Do you try and befriend them? Or do you just run the other way and hope they can't catch you?

Meanwhile, Back with the Rescuers

Returning to the rescuers, there are two avenues in which a person can assist. For those who aren't quite suited for or willing to do a marathon of battle, you can head to the castle. Meanwhile those who brought weapons and an itch to fight? Well, you're directed to head to the tree.

Route A: Raising Spirits at the Castle

The path to the castle is a straightforward one. The stronghold itself seems out of place, an old castle that's in a pristine state amongst modern buildings in ruins. As you approach, you may being to spot the residents of this castle. Demons of every shape and size fly, flit, scamper, and walk around the area with no malice or ill intent. They aren't the only ones here, as there's humans mingling among the demons as well. It's not until a group of these residents, the human kind, come forward that you may realize that this isn't a place of terror or horrors, but a refuge from what is happening outside.

Once they notice you, you're ushered towards the fortress. The group explains that long ago, this was a normal city, but one day that demonic tree appeared along with an army of demons. The humans that remained now are part of a witch coven, descendants of the citizens who lived here once. Their duty these days is to keep the balance within this realm in check, and stop the demonic legion from spreading further. While some demons have learned to live in peace with the coven over the years, there are many more that still seek to wreck havoc and conquer. Recently, the evil demons have grown fiercer, thanks to their leader Zoray's plan to harvest a fruit that'll boost their power and allow for them to push their army into the next realm over - Kaisou. The only way for the fruit to be produced? Sacrifices, and lots of them. They were particularly keen on folks with high spirit energy, like the app users that got nabbed. The coven is doing what they can, but they need help in both places, and in more ways than just fighting.

That's where you come in.

While many wish to go to the tree and save those who were kidnapped or even assist those who go, there's another way to help out. One thing that serves to weaken the force of the demonic army? Positive energy. Being a safe haven for demons doesn't exactly make it a place that one would consider happy or positive, and it shows. As the plans to take on the demons and Zoray are laid out, the group admits that having enough good energy back at the castle will help take off the edge of the demons at the tree.

Seeing as there's plenty of people who can help bring in some positive energy, they've begun preparations for a Halloween celebration, roping anyone into it that chooses to stay behind. Lights need to be hung, streamers need to be unrolled and placed, food needs to be prepared, events need to be broken down and planned so things run smoothly. Demons and humans alike will split the work, though watch out for some of the smaller demons, as they like to be mischievous and have fun when people are doing their job. Once things are all set up, then the fun begins. Games have been set up to entertain everyone there, including bobbing for apples, telling spooky stories, dancing, even a costume contest to keep spirits high, and have things last for a long while.

Route B: Speedrun Attempt

Of course, some may not care to scale the tree. For those who want a more direct approach to saving their friend, you hear rumors around the castle that the kidnapped victims are being stored away in the roots of the tree. Those who pursue those rumors and look around the roots of the tree (all while avoiding patrolling demons) will find a stash of items that were taken from the kidnapped victims. Take care of the demons guarding the stash, grab anything you recognize as belonging to your friend, and carry on. Eventually, the search will pay off and you'll find an opening that leads into the root system where the captives are being held. (note: if a character attempts to STEAL any items to keep for themselves, they must obtain permission from the player who the items belong to.)

Or at least, what seemed like an opening. As once you go inside? The roots will move and seal you within the roots. Just like the kidnapped victims, you're trapped within and subjected to the same torments the kidnapped victims must deal with. Whoops! But on the upside, you have weapons! Those will probably come in handy.

Route C: Battle at the Qliphoth (cw: trypophobia)

For the group that decides to head to the tree? Hell is about to get up close and personal.

Finding the path towards the tree isn't too difficult, but the further the group ventures in, more and more of the city they approach begins to show how devastating the tree has been to the environment. Debris lines the streets, buildings have crumbled and parts lay strewn across roads, and the smell of blood grows stronger. Perhaps the worst thing of all is the sheer amount of (cw: major trypophobia) husks left along the way, mostly in the shapes of people in complete and utter terror. Eventually the group will come across the witches assigned to watch the tree, still focused on keeping the tree's evil from spreading. A quick exchange of information from them fills you in on any missing notes– namely, that Zoray has gathered his minions and has gotten exceptionally protective of the layers of the tree. The higher you go, the stronger and greater amount of demons you'll encounter.

For those who try to bypass all of the obstacles given by the tree and its residents by teleporting or flying, they'll find a barrier forms less than halfway up the tree, with a phantasmal hand that shoos them away from going any further. Time to start climbing.

The Lower and Middle Levels

On the (cw: trypophobia) outside of the tree's tough skin, plenty of small fry (and not so small fry) will greet you enthusiastically and maliciously. Demons here more often than not don't speak in human tongue, they'll simply acknowledge your presence with a roar and bound after you. And where there's one, more are sure to follow. As if that wasn't bad enough, roots from the tree itself lash out every often, hoping to catch anyone who passes through unaware and impale them to the floor. Getting caught by one is going to have to use some quick thinking– either stab the root or shoot it, and the thing will let go. It sure won't be happy about losing its meal though, so be careful.

Far into the middle of the tree lies twisted paths and corroded edges, some of them almost looking more like a path of an elongated spine than the bark of a tree. Tougher demons lie in wait here, some even being commanded by others, and you may even come across spaces where the way forward is blocked by red spiderwebs that refuse to budge unless all demons are defeated. Finish them off, the webs will shatter, and you can move on your way.

The High Arena

Up at the top lies the demon lord responsible for this entire mess. Zoray watches over the rest of the realm, smug in his assumptions of claiming the Fruit once it ripens. The arrival of outsiders such as yourself is not something he expects, and it shows– he'll do everything in his power to keep you busy and unable to reach the Fruit, as he's standing beside it. It will take a lot of teamwork and cooperation to take out not only the demons serving Zoray, but the demon lord himself must be destroyed as well. Thankfully, the positive energy being created at the castle does help make his blows hit much less harder, and offer occasional protection to those who get struck. Everything is on the line, so bring your best to fight for the safety of the realm.

When the dust settles and Zoray is no more, most demons inside the tree will scamper, unable to handle the loss of their leader and not knowing what to do without orders. Make sure to destroy the fruit (which thankfully has yet to ripen) before you go. The trip down will be safer, and the coven will greatly thank you for your help once you return. Not only that, but the roots of the tree will pull back enough to allow openings for the kidnapped victims (and their would be rescuers) to make their escape and reunite with everyone. Any doppelganger demons that are remaining will need to be dealt with...or left to their own devices, never to be seen from again.

Aftermath

With the main threat dealt with, the city returns to....well, okay. Not fully normal, but a little bit calmer. Tears become less frequent, though still continue to be a problem thanks to the time as year. Normal people will still continue to notice more things than usual, but some of the more oblivious ones will stop noticing things. The coven witches, thankful for the help, will send everyone jack-o-lantern buckets that will refill with your favorite candies through October. Any items that were taken from the kidnapped victims by the demons will be returned to them if they weren't already. The staff at Zodiac will begin to relax, offering monetary compensation for samples of the tree and feeling hopeful that once they get past Samhain, things will return things to normal.

Except, that's not what happens. In the final weeks of October, after the Qliphoth has been dealt with, the days will get progressively shorter. Much shorter than what's normal for this time of year. Daylight will go from lasting half the day to only a couple scant hours. It will culminate on October 31st, Halloween, when the sun does not rise at all - leaving the city in perpetual darkness.

Going to Zodiac will yield little answers, as they have no explanation at all. Clergy at the church will inform you that the Black Order is looking into it as well. As for POKEGO, well strangely....Professor Willow is nowhere to be found. In fact, no one has seen him since the days have begun to shorten.

That's probably a coincidence, right?

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is Earth! Anyone with an affinity to the earth element will find themselves boosted throughout the month. This could mean a boost to their power, having more energy, feeling more inspired with creativity, having better luck on different attempts -- the boost can manifest in all sorts of different ways. By contrast, anyone with an affinity for Water will be experiencing the opposite. Perhaps their powers will be weaker, they have less energy, they're having a creative block or general worse luck - again it can manifest in all sorts of way and players are free to play with this mechanic as they'd like.

Player are still allowed to sign up to be kidnapped! Just head to this comment and sign up! Sign-ups for kidnappees will close on October 13th.

The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here. Another Zodiac Post will be going up October 15th to serve as an intro post for new characters and allow characters to react to developments over the network.

Comments

Alberto Scorfano | Pixar's Luca | ota

[prontissimo]

a. spoopy time of year

[ Alberto's pumped for Halloween the moment he first learns about it. Sure, he may have some wires crossed, but he gets the general idea: scary = fun. That's right up his alley...! He's going to put so much effort into making his costume in the weeks leading up to Halloween. Find him at crafts stores, picking out lavender sequins and purple fabric, seeming very discerning in his selections and making a bit of a mess of the shelves while deciding. Exploring Spirit Halloween is even worse; he goes ham in Spirit Halloween. He needs to see everything — and by see I mean touch. All the animatronic jump scare decorations definitely work on him; he jumped about a foot in the air with that one...! He's trying on all kinds of masks, staring at other shoppers with them on, amusing himself... Once he's in the fake weapons section, he's clumsily at play with the knives by himself. Buuut if someone nearby seems like they have the right vibes (and with him, who knows what that means, it could be anyone!), a nearby stranger may well find themselves being challenged to a fake sword fight! But after all that ruckus? All he buys is purple face paint. ...A metric shit ton of purple face paint.

Throughout the month, while it's still light out, Alberto can sometimes be found in the Zodiac apartment complex parking lot, carving pumpkins by himself in the afternoons (sorry to anyone who needed this parking spot). His first few "stabs" at it aren't... exactly... great...? They gradually improve over the month, once he moves onto other designs like cat faces and stars and moons instead. Just taking a different approach, man... And of course, all of these can be found lined up outside their apartment door on the third floor. To their neighbors, the collection of pumpkins piling up at Alberto and Luca's place must seem never-ending... and possibly a nuisance to be confronted as time goes on. Those pumpkins aren't getting any fresher. ]

b. gate to hell

[ Easily the most terrifying experience of Alberto's life so far, but there was still no way he wasn't joining the Bruno Madrigal Rescue Party — a rather large group in total. Of course once it came to it, Alberto chose to speedrun it and makes a beeline to the roots of the tree. Everyone has the same goal here, so Alberto figures he'll team up with anyone nearby, whether in his group or not. While Alberto's hiding from the demon patrol, trying to figure out a way to get past without getting ganged up on, he'll try and get the attention of the person nearest to him, gesturing emphatically toward the patrolling demons with an exaggerated shrug. "What should we do?" He's armed with, um, all the knives from his kitchen knife block, so... that's what we're working with here.

No matter how successful their strategy ends up being, though, they all have the same fate, trapped in the roots just like the people they all came to rescue. He's none too thrilled about this when he realizes it, and starts frantically tugging at the roots, trying to get them to budge, slicing at them with his knife, yelling at the tree as he does. He'll gripe at anyone close by, increasingly panicked and frankly irritated by this. He even uses some, um— h-harsh language? ]

W-What the shell?! Are you kidding me! Che cavolo?! Dai, come on, open back up...! Stupid tree, ! Ugh— ...Sharks!

c. aftermath

[ The rest of the month after that is a little... rough. He's deeply relieved that Bruno and the others are okay, and the bottomless bucket of candy is quite nice...! But that's not really enough to calm his nerves. Much less so with the daylight dwindling. He may be a fish, but he might as well be a lizard, because he loves the sunlight — so this just has an even worse effect on Alberto's mood. Like the discouraging stress of school and the residual anxiety over Bruno's kidnapping wasn't enough. What's more, he's going to be wired for most of the month, having recently discovered energy drinks, so will be self-soothing with copious Monsters and Red Bull, plus all this never-ending candy. His friends will surely notice a more frenetic energy about him, much more scatter-brained, talkative, fidgety — all usual Alberto things — but notably more on edge and irritable than usual. His classmates might also notice he's much grumpier and quieter than usual while in school. The upside of that being at least he's not getting in trouble for a while — except for sleeping in class, crashing from his new energy drink hobby... He's fine. Everything's fine. ]

B

[senorita_perfecta]

Hey! Leave that young man alone! And keep your pesky roots to yourself.

(Cue in a long series of vines saving Alberto’s life by stopping the tree roots from getting a grip on him for the time being. A young willowy woman in her early 20’s has arrived to try to help out with plants and she is not that happy to see a demonic tree attacking people a lot.

Also she is in the middle of trying to save her uncle too, so that adds into the motivation of why she came in. And right when she is giving Alberto a hand, plenty of demons proceed to charge after and she then pulls out the cacti at them in fuming rage.

To say that Isabela Madrigal has go fully feral over her uncle and other people getting kidnapped and many people being in harm’s way on this day would be the biggest understatement ever.)

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto knows of Isabela; he's seen her pictures in la Casa Madrigal, and Bruno'd told him briefly about her months ago when they were first getting to know each other. But he didn't really have much of an impression of her as a person until this moment. Now that they're face-to-face in this situation, it is... quite the first impression; but then again, he's fought alongside Luisa before, so. This ferocity checks out. Runs in the family, maybe?

He's immediately at arms as soon as Isabela sets him right, but then there's a sudden volley of cacti and— well, it's super effective...! Her move takes him aback, gaping at her for a split second, before shaking his shock off to get his wits about him again. There's the slightest bit of a lapse as the oncoming demons writhe, prying the cacti out of themselves. He readies his knife and stands behind her, his back to hers, so they have a scope of the scene together, and leans back over his shoulder to speak to her. ]

Grazie, Signora Isabela! Bravissima!

[ Nevermind how this loud, gangly kid knows her name already, um??? There'll be time for questions later. Because it doesn't take long for the demons to right themselves one by one and launch toward the pair in a second attack. Alberto manages to slice one deeply across its face as it pounces, which sends it reeling backwards in pain, a stream of blood spattering from the gash as it does. Even as intense as this moment is, Alberto leans back again to remark to Isabela: ]

Guess they didn't get your point!

[ ...because now, right now, is the time for wise-cracking and bad puns about cactuses. ...Yup, this kid is Bruno's. ]

[senorita_perfecta]

(Oh thank goodness, the teenager is alright following her jumping in to save his life. The demons and the tree clearly didn’t get the point of leaving people alone. She could also tell the kid had some puns right on cue from her Tío Bruno even if she hasn’t mention him at the moment.)

Hehehe, muy bueno Señor. They probably didn’t get it into their heads very well.

(A couple of more demons soon show up to attack, but luckily her experience with the hay fever afflicted monster and the chocolate cake did gave her the revelation that even monsters and demons are not safe from allergies. So she launches a torrent of orchid petals to stir trouble onto their noses before throwing more cacti at them while they’re distracted with sneezing.)

A) Sword Fight

[callmekacchan]

[Katsuki wouldn't consider himself a particularly big fan of Halloween. He actually didn't like scary movies or spooky things that much. But he figured maybe he could do a little something for the trick or treaters that come knocking...

He's examining a candy dish with a hand in it and debating when suddenly he's got a sword pointed at him. Katsuki turns to look at the person holding the sword and honestly can't say he's the least bit surprised.

Of course it's the cryptid. Katsuki eyes the sword and Alberto for a moment before casting his gaze around and locating one of his own.]

What, you wanna fight? Come on then. Bring it.

1/2

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto smirks wide, narrowing his eyes at Katsuki in a smug, challenging gaze, then lowers his sword. He steps back and opens his arms, gesturing broadly at all the toy weapons around them for Katsuki to choose from, leaving himself open intentionally... Cocky. Always so stinkin' cocky. ]

Andiamo, do your worst~

2/2

[prontissimo]

[ He skips half a beat, then amends this taunt, pointing the sword straight out at Katsuki again with a more pointed look to match, lowering his voice for discretion's sake, even as he puts a facetious edge on his tone. ]

...No explosions.

[callmekacchan]

[He grabs the nearest sword.]

What? Scared of getting blown up? I don't need 'em to beat you.

[Just a pair of cocky punks, the both of them. He wastes no time jabbing the foam sword in Alberto's direction. Time to cause a ruckus. Getting banned from Ikea was clearly not enough. He has to get banned from Spirit.]

A

[escuchando]

[With all the decorations and bustle, Dolores is intrigued and decides to make the most of it while her enhanced hearing is still faded out for the most part. She's exploring some areas of Kaisou that aren't as well-trodden by her as other places when she spots a young boy stabbing haphazardly at the front of a pumpkin with a knife.

She should probably mind her own business. Instead, she adjusts her scarf a little, and does not do that.

Dolores approaches, her hands clasped in front of her chest, and leans slightly to peer at what the boy is up to. Ah... it looks like he's... trying to carve a shape in the pumpkin? With difficulty, it would seem.]

Oh-- perdona? Do you need some help with that?

[prontissimo]

[ Entirely absorbed in his task, Alberto starts a little when he hears her voice, gentle as she is. He looks up over his shoulder at her, but the surprise on his face only doubles, his eyes growing wide. There's a tentative tinge to his voice when he replies, his gaze on her still oddly discerning for a stranger. ]

Ah— ...y-yesssss...? Sure. Um. Here.

[ He reaches over and grabs his back-up pumpkin, stabs his back-up knife (or so he calls it; really, he just likes knives) into the top of it beside the stem to keep it steady, and hands the pumpkin over to her. That's... probably not what she meant by "help," but she has this now? And an invitation to join him carving, apparently. ]

You're, uh, supposed to cut off her hat, like this, then scoop out her guts. I don't have a spoon or anything, so, eheh— Just use your hands.

[ He points along as he talks, an animated speaker, pointing to the stem as he lifts the lid off his own pumpkin, and then gesturing toward the pile of pumpkin seeds and innards that he's just dumped unceremoniously on the ground beside him. He's laid no newspaper out for the mess, and there are no napkins or towels to be seen either. And if she looks closely, she'll notice there's definitely pumpkin goop carelessly rubbed off all down his pant legs (and his pants already looked bizarre enough just being covered in doodles). So if she takes him up on this invitation, it'll be a messy introduction indeed... as if it isn't already. Because all the while, he's still staring at her wide-eyed, brows raised, almost calculating. That's a lot of eye contact, little man... ]

[escuchando]

[As a Madrigal, and as the one who hears everything, Dolores is used to being the one who people look a little sideways at. The way the boy reacts to her doesn't ruffle her too much given she just... approached him out of nowhere and perhaps that is a little weird for people who aren't from towns where everyone knows everyone, but she takes the offered back-up pumpkin and the back-up knife with a soft laugh and sits herself down next to him.

This is not what she meant by help, but she doesn't mind getting involved in making a mess as well.]

Hehe, I can do that.

[But she is not missing the amount of staring in her direction he's doing, so before she even starts pushing the knife into the pumpkin to cut it she looks right back at him and then slowly raises one eyebrow.]

Uh... have I got something on my face?

closed to Julieta;

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto seldom eats out, as he loves to cook, himself, and the boys try to be frugal to save for their Vespa... But sometimes, he indulges and treats himself to a restaurant meal — usually on somewhat bad days... like when he gets detention. Today he didn't get detention; today's just glum. The sun's already gone down even though it's still afternoon, he's feeling less-than-energetic (partly for lack of Red Bull in his body) after a long day at school; really, it's just been a long week... for everyone he knows, truly. It's been almost a week since Bruno's successful rescue mission, but it's of course still quite fresh for everyone involved. There's only so much a good meal can soothe, but he knows he's come to the right place if it's comfort food he wants.

He comes straight to the restaurant after school, and gets a booth to himself, a little out of the way from the other diners, by request. As he waits for the server and looks over the menu, he whips out a blue marker from his schoolbag and starts idly doodling on himself, blindly drawing what's meant to be "ocean waves" (but are ultimately a long series of squiggles) all down his forearm while he reads. He looks rather zoned out, almost a little dazed; definitely not living up to the image of his reputation as a wild child. Just given that she gets to meet such a defused Alberto, Julieta's introduction to the boy will probably go better than... well, anyone else's ever has. Alberto's intros are usually kind of rough. Julieta's probably lucking out by catching him on a bad day, ironically enough. ]

[pan_acea]

[Julieta sees all sorts come in and out of her restaurant. She's been front seat to fights, proposals, birthdays, breakups, and everything in between. Her head hostess came and told her that there was a young kid all by himself. Initially, Julieta thought it was a family member but the entire staff knew the family.

She grabbed a pitcher of water and headed out to see the kid in question, pouring some water into the glass for him.]

Those are some nice drawings you've got going, niño, you planning on covering your whole arm, hm?

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto looks up from the menu when Julieta enters his periphery, but his eyes go wide when he sees who it is. Not that he should be at all surprised to see Julieta in her own restaurant... But still was not expecting her at his table. He's at attention now, sitting up straight, suddenly trying to switch gears into "Good Impression Mode." He glances down at his arm before offering her a sheepish smile. ]

Eheh... Um— maybe, ha.

[ He sets his marker down and stiffly reaches out to offer his hand for a handshake — but then takes it away, realizing he offered the wrong hand from her angle while holding the pitcher of water, and switches hands with another awkward smile. But despite a bit of a clumsy start, he's still outgoing. ]

Err, Signora Julieta, sì? Piacere. Alberto Scorfano. I'm Bruno's friend. And Luisa's. And, um— Pepa's.

[ He pauses, meeting her eye then glancing away for a split second. He'd seen the Zodiac post. But he smooths over the mention of her sister, and offers a warm, lopsided smile, wanting his introduction to land on a happier note than that. ]

I've heard a lot of good things about you! Encantada.

B

[wedonttalkabout]

[Bruno has been doing what he does best in his little root-cage, running and hiding. Confrontation has never been his strong point, he'd much rather hide away and wait for rescue. He has the doppelganger running around too, which absolutely terrifies him. He was planning on just staying put until he hears a familiar voice on the other side of the roots. ]

...Alberto?

[He stumbles out of his hidey-hole- shifting between the shadows until he's right by the tangle of roots keeping him out. He blinks owlishly at what little he can see of the kid.]

Is that you?

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto's is at full attention when he hears Bruno's voice, in turn. He takes a slice at an incoming tree root wanting to grab him, which slithers off in retreat; he quickly ducks down to the ground on his knees, trying to get a better glimpse at Bruno through the holes in the roots. ]

Bruno?! Is that you?!

[ He parrots back. Even if he's choosing to be slightly cheeky even in this moment, he's clearly very harried and frantic, and much louder, having been running around fighting demons with Isabela for a while now as they searched for a way in. But finally here's the one they're fighting for! The more adventure-y fighter types can run up and fight God or whatever is happening in the branches of the tree, he's really not been asking a lot of questions; he's single-mindedly focused on getting Bruno out. For as much as Alberto laughs in the face of danger, Alberto's not a fighter — he doesn't have cool magic flower powers, or super strength, or even real weapons... But he's got nerve and a bunch of kitchen knives in his schoolbag on his back, and he figures any knives can work for slicing evil trees and stuff, so that's what he's doing. Whatever he can. ]

A!! just stop after 'evil sword nyehh' if you hit the link aha

[suzume_odori]

[Halloween! HALLOWEEN!!

...Suzume has no idea what Halloween is, but there's lots of cool spooky things going up, people in costumes, and all kinds of stuff going on! It's exciting! It's thrilling!

She's so worked up and zooming that she's turning purple over it!

(Hoshi, bless his invisible heart, is a little conflicted.)

But more importantly, while she's nice and purple and spooky looking-

THERE IS A FAKE SWORD IN HER FACE!

That'd be scarier if punching the sword wasn't an option.]

ORRRRRAAAAAA-!!!

[...So screech-eth the tiny child in turn, as she baps her tiny fists against the sword. BATTLE ACCEPTED!!! BATTLE ACCEPTED!!]

[prontissimo]

[ Alberto is wearing a challenging, wicked grin when he makes the first strike, completely facetious — but Suzume... p-punching his sword... is a surprisingly effective battle tactic because it catches him completely off-guard. The smirk falls off his face and he shoots her the most incredulous but amused face, stumbling backwards and stammering. ]

Woooah, woah, woah, bambina— Give me a chance, will ya? You can't just beat me immediately...!

[ He throws his hands up, sword included, in mock surrender, a little chuckle laced through his words. The girl just went all-in. He digs it. ]

nox // devil may cry // ota

[sassery]

[a. the constant question.

This has got to be the most awkward thing he's had to deal with in a while. Nox had arrived at school like always, setting up for the day- only to have nearly everyone he passed by staring at him and his hair. It takes a good few moments before someone asks him if he's all right, before pointing out how he's walked in with completely white hair. It startles him, causing him to blink back for just a long moment, pit of his stomach rolling uneasily.

Thankfully, old improv habits die hard, even if they're from another life.]

Yeah, this? Lost a bet. [He shrugs, but man oh man is he trying to slide his way out of going into details.] Trust me, it's not gonna stay around for long.

[It's bad enough he's getting stares at from teachers- Nox is positive the students are going to be even worse.

b. the arrival at the gate.

He fucking hates it when he's right about these things, especially right now.

When August had mentioned a tree and "bad luck," his demon had snapped to attention in a way Nox hadn't ever felt before. On edge, cautious, anxiety and fury all bundled into a simmering growl that hung at the back of his mind for days. It'd left him uneasy and almost feeling like something was out of place. Looking back now, it's hard to imagine that he couldn't have seen this coming, really, but in some ways, it caught him completely off-guard. Nox didn't even hesitate to go right into action when Zodiac sent out the literal bat signal of what was going on.

So here you'll find him, in the football field of the high school, groaning loudly. He's in the original attire he wore in his past life, complete with a belt of what looks like it holds robot arms, plus a gun and a sword on his back.]

They better not fucking take this out of my paycheck. [Gestures to the dead grass and ominous gate ahead of them!!!] For once in my life, this shit isn't my fault.

c. hell lives in the city now.]

Don't touch them. [The dried and empty husks of a terrified family are alongside the road en route to the tree's entrance, and Nox swallows back his own anger at the sight. He remembers these things, how the tree roots impaled innocents and took their blood, devoured them whole.] They're dead already- there's nothing we can do.

[Despite him holding a brave face, it's really obvious Nox is more determined than ever to get through this mess and finish it. He remembers Redgrave, and all the shit that city went through. How he was powerless and couldn't do anything for a fucking month other than try to get stronger and pray Dante was all right. He can't afford to make the same choices here again.]

Just be ready for sharp roots, they like to pick people off if you wander too far.

[d. pierce the dark (aren't you tired, don't you wanna go APESHIT).

Making his way up has been a struggle, but thankfully fighting these things is almost like putting on an old glove for Nox- it's instinctual, and he doesn't even have to think about how to counter. He just does, body moving out of reflex rather than any sort of training he may have tackled in his normal life before now.

Of course, not every enemy is readable, and the higher they get, the harder the demons become. In a lot of ways, it's a challenge, it's fun, and there's an ache of his that misses his family throughout this whole deal. His old family. He pushes aside the feelings and pangs of nostalgia to keep going.

It's towards the upper middle points that things become far too familiar to him- he guides people on what route is the fastest, has a stronger idea of where demons might ambush, what enemies actually are around here. Even worse is how as they push forward, he begins to hear the telltale sounds of incoming demons that he recognizes immediately. Chaos and Fury. Great, as if they already didn't have enough problems. He snaps to get people's attention, eyes already looking for the signs of movement too fast to see to the normal human eye.]

Hey, watch it, we've got something incomi-

[It's too late. Nox doesn't have the chance to turn before a Fury's upon him with nearly breakneck speed and impaled him right through his chest. He sputters in shock, coughing up blood easily before going entirely limp on the demon's extended hand blade. It shoves him off, already aiming its sights to the group left behind.

For normal humans, the devil hunter easily looks like he's dead. But for anyone capable of sensing an aura or even pressure? Yeah, it just spiked the fuck up out of nowhere, right from Nox's supposed corpse. The Fury is already on the move, ready to use its speed once again-]

Big fucking mistake, asshole.

[Nox's voice, but definitely no longer human- instead it's dual-toned and far too sharp to be normal. There's a shriek at this new development, the Fury's tail suddenly grabbed by a blue ephemeral claw, before it gets dragged backwards along the floor, scrabbling pointlessly like some rabid animal. What it comes face to face with is this, teeth bared, before it hauls the Fury into the floor like a doll. It tries to get out of the hold, but Nox has other plans- namely in how he follows up with consistent slices from his sword, his bringer claws, and phantasmal kukri feathers. The Fury has no chance to breathe before it's getting torn to pieces. It is violent, visceral, and that demon is definitely fucking dead.

Right after the body fades into nothing, Nox pulls out of his demonic form and goes down to one knee. He's definitely in red all over, and his hand is splayed right across his chest. It takes a second before he speaks.]

God, no matter how many fucking times I relive the memories or go through this shit, I never get used to it. [nOX??? PLEASE??? He's out of breath, panting, but he at least raises his head to try and reassure that he's fine.] 'm fine, it's not the first time I've been impaled, probably won't be the last, either.

[THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY BETTER, YOU FUCKING WALNUT??

wildcard.

Got an idea? Slap that shit down, I'll roll with it!]

d

[fionnuisce]

[The smell of blood alone was making him sick, but as long as Waver focused on things in the shortest term he could hold himself together. One step after another, one incantation at a time, group after group of demons entangled and restrained by tiny flitting wings of metal for someone stronger to cut down. Focus on anything but the big picture to stop himself falling to pieces, and everything would be fine.]

[Or so he thought, right up until the instant a blade went through Nox's chest. And while he wanted to do anything other than freeze on the spot, that wasn't the case when faced with the situation at hand. Maybe they'd get lucky and it would pick him off as the weakest one first, then at least anyone else would have a second to get away.]

[Something in his head screamed against the sudden pressure of energy, something as terrible and incomprehensible to him as a sword that split heaven and earth tearing the skies asunder. When he came back to himself enough to clear a mind having gone blank, there was a rush of speed and power comparable to a Servant moving in a whirlwind of blades and claws. Whether it was the surreality of the situation of the mild horror of a demon being ripped to pieces, something snapped him out of the paralyzing shock--by the time Nox had changed back, Waver was already dropping to one knee next to him, right hand flickering with healing magecraft.]

Sh...just shut up for a second. Please. [Trying and failing to shake off a wide-eyed shellshocked look, he tried to focus on repairing whatever damage might have been left after that.]

[sassery]

[Being part demon does have its perks; being part demon and the grandson to an all powerful demon who sealed away the demon world from the human one is even moreso. The first time Nox had experienced that kind of memory was when he still hadn't realized he wasn't exactly human anymore, and it terrified him. It took time and acceptance (and a lot of memories coming back) to know that basically? He'll be fine, as long as he doesn't act like some suicidal maniac.

The hardest part about all this is his partial detachment from his impaling, knowing full well that he'll be fine, that he can literally just get back up and walk it off. It doesn't really strike him in the face until he hears Waver speak, sees the wide-eyes and the fear, and realizes that maybe his words weren't the best to say at the moment.]

Sh- [The words hit, and he shuts his mouth, suddenly well aware of how many people he may have frightened in this instant. Crap. Nox doesn't move, letting Waver do what he has to with his healing spell, though he's pretty sure the hole in his chest is already gone. He lowers his hand and sure enough, that wound is closed, as if he'd never been struck in the first place at all.]

Sorry.

[Whoops.]

D

[drewthetower]

[Maybe anyone else in the area is freaked out. Maybe they're all just standing in mild horror and terror and are about to panic.

August is not them. August is a half-demon who may not have been impaled as often as Nox in a past life but is still used to this shit.

So August just attacks the nearest part of the tree and uses that to start healing one idiot.]

Dude, you're scaring the squishier people.

[sassery]

Look, it's not like it was on purpose. I'm like a fucking magnet to this shit by now.

[Oh thank god, August gets it. It's a relief to have someone understand that while this would be fatal to a human, he's not exactly a human anymore.]

Did I ever tell you about the time I actually got impaled by my dad in my past life?

[YEAH WE'RE JUST... GONNA CASUALLY TALK ABOUT THIS?? OKAY??? This is how part/half demons are tbh.]

D oops

[codenametesla]

[It was so weird going through the tree, not like it would be expected to be smooth sailing anyway, but what little of Althea's senses still remained only seemed to half work on the demons around them. Like getting glimpses of something just out of your vision, only to turn and see nothing there.

It did a good job of keeping her on guard, but she had to reply on others with more finely tuned senses in their party to catch enemies before they got too close more often than not. Upsetting, but manageable.

She even felt helpful, more often than not, now that she could throw electricity again, and had somewhat figured out how to incorporate the new wings into her mobility. But all of those thoughts went out the window when Nox snapped to get their attention, and then like a bad movie playing out in slow motion, there was a blade, and blood, and a sickening thud.

For what it was worth, her immediate reaction was to throw as much lightning as she could at the creature, eyes and wings starting to light up with the amount of energy surging out that she wasn't used to. It was possible she had screamed too, though it was mostly drowned out by the roar in her ears.

And then... Nox was standing again, talking again, and ripping apart the demon like a cat with a new toy, and it was all Althea could do to not let her knees buckle and hit the ground.]

"Holy.... holy shit, dude." [What else was there to say, really?]

[sassery]

[The hard part about this is that in his past life, Nero never saw a point to actually talk about his heritage unless asked, even after he discovered it. That the legacy he came from would mean he's one of the strongest people in the human realm. It was just something that didn't come up in conversation.

So to act completely normal after all this is pretty much his past life's MO. It's not until Althea looks like she's about to lose the ability to stand that he blinks.]

Yeah uh... family legacy from my past life and all that. I'm part demon and apparently back then, I was the protector of the entire human realm. Also I really doubt I can die to a lot of things.

[That's not that helpful, but he's trying, okay.]