November Event Log

[kaisoumods]

November Event
Dominant Element: Shadow
Waning Element: Light

※
An unnatural darkness blankets the city this month. The sun will not rise for most of the month, leaving the city in a state of perpetual darkness. Thanks to the Shadow element's dominance, this darkness will seem even deeper than usual. Plants die and the weather turns cold. There's a state of unease throughout the city as the nights wear on.

City Night Life

While in the past many unusual incidents have gone unnoticed by the general populace, it's a lot harder for the local people to shrug off the disappearance of the sun. According to the news, the entire area around Kaisou is caught in this endless night. And what's worse, as time passes, the phenomenon only seems to be growing in size. Theories to what's going on are flooding everywhere, from skeptics attempting to use science to explain what is scientifically impossible to conspiracy theorists touting...well, the usual array of conspiracy theories. Aliens, government experiments, ghosts, birds - you know the drill. No one has a clear answer to what may be causing this though. The general atmosphere among the city's populace is uneasy at best, with occasional pockets of panic popping up as the nights wear on. It doesn't help that the normal folks still keep noticing the unusual things going on around them. Wasn't this supposed to stop after Halloween? All the Spirit Halloweens have vanished from the city, so why hasn't everything else?

Without the sun, the plants begin to wilt and die, while the temperature keeps getting colder and colder. The crime rate begins to climb, and sun lamps quickly sell out in every store. Some places in the city try to make the most of the situation, by having sales on glow-in-the-dark items and special happy hours. In Undertown, there is a plethora of vendors selling light-enchanted items and scrolls, though none of them are very strong due to light element waning this month. As for everyone else, they are just trying their best to continue on as normal. School is still in session, with all the usual activities.

Even if one travels to the stable gates, they will find their own day cycle has been disrupted. Both Kanto and Stardew Valley are stuck in perpetual nighttime. This causes a lot of anxiety among the folks of Stardew Valley, as they thought they'd had one more month of harvest. Meanwhile the nighttime in Kanto has caused all the nocturnal Pokémon to be out and about at all hours.

The Other Side

According to several cultures, early November is the time of the year that one is more able to communicate with the dead. With the Spirit Vein acting as unstable as it is, this will more than hold true. During the first half of November, AU characters will swear they see signs of folks that have passed either in this life or their past life. Sometimes it's subtle, the smell of their grandpa's cologne or a sensation of receiving a loving embrace when you're alone. For others, the signs will be much more obvious: a ghost standing in their living room or taking any plate of their favorite food that's offered to them. Attempts to verbally communicate with these spirits will be limited, at most they can only communicate a couple words. You can offer them things they'd like, such as their favorite foods or drinks. They'll gratefully take these items and the things will become as incorporeal as them as they take it back to the afterlife.

Most of these visits are friendly in nature. That is, unless you've gotten up to some real bad things (murder, I mean murder) and made yourself some enemies in the beyond. Then your visits will be a lot closer to terrifying hauntings, complete with thrown furniture, deathly wails, and bloody messages on the walls. It's rough, but you did kinda bring this one on yourself.

Further Tearing

Just as the normal people continue to notice the strange things going on around them, the tears from last month are continuing to appear. Tears full of demons, spirit realm creatures, and monsters from other worlds will keep appearing throughout the month and attempting to snatch anyone who is nearby. Best to continue up your patrols and do your best not to get trapped in the spirit realm yourself. And that's not the only problem. Once again random items are falling out of the sky and at your character's feet. If they aren't falling, they are appearing out of thin air in front of them whenever the Spirit Vein above flickers. Some of these items are useful, sure, but a lot of it just seems like it's random junk that happened to fall into this world.

On top of everything else, a new type of tear begins to appear....or rather, reappear. OU characters may remember the labyrinths they woke up in when they first arrived on this crazy ride. These labyrinths had closed themselves off back when you reached the city, but now? They are reopening themselves in various spots around the city, possibly open for anyone to wander in and see for themselves what's inside. Some of these labyrinths remain unchanged from the day you first saw them, especially for people who are newer or haven't been strongly affected by their time here. However characters who've grown and changed since their arrival in Kaisou may find their labyrinths shifting and changing to reflect that. These labyrinths after all are reflections of their own states of mind, and will change to reflect that. (note: in other words, OU players can use the labyrinth given to them on their app or modify it to their liking). While those who have a peaceful state of mind will have a rather peaceful labyrinth? Those with more confliction might fight more danger within.

Down the River

During the first week, all one can do is wait anxiously for news as Zodiac and the Black Order searches for answers. Finally, on November 7th, word comes in the form of the familiar text alert .

ALERT: SHIFTING GATE LOCATED IN THE SPIRIT VEIN.
Element Classification: Shadow
Danger Level: Very High
Designation: Duat
A Spirit Gate has been detected within the Spirit Vein. We have evidence that this gate is connected to the disappearance of the sun and the increased paranormal activity. Assistance has been requested to resolve the situation within. Please stop by the Zodiac Offices for more details. This mission is considered highly dangerous and should only be undertaken by those prepared.
It is also highly recommended you do not bring any symbols or items connected to YHWH.

Visiting the Zodiac offices, things are different from months previous. Professor Willow is still nowhere to be found. Instead, the more fuzzy professor is here in his stead, sitting in a doll-sized armchair someone got for him, and seeming starstruck by the other new person in the room. Standing in the room is an Egyptian woman. She's dressed in modest garbs, not unlike the kinds of clothes you'd typically see in the Middle East today. Despite her modest appearance, she carries herself in a way that only a queen could. Anyone who can sense the supernatural can read an immeasurable amount of power from her, so much so that it can feel suffocating or maddening if you look for too long. Possessed characters will feel a sense of fear or reverence towards the woman, as their patron immediately recognizes who this woman is. At her side there is a scorpion the size of a large dog, watching any who approaches her like a vigilant guard dead set on protecting her - as if she actually needs it.

The woman calmly explains that the reason the sun has stopped rising is because Ra's nightly trip through Duat has been disrupted by a interloper. The interloper is hoping to get Ra to use his power to do their bidding, and has made a deal with the god Set to help them set up countermeasures to prevent any of the other gods in their pantheon from intervening. Unfortunately, this dramatic upset of such an essential cycle is having clear effects on the mortal realm, effects that will only get worse as time passes. And so, they require outside assistance to resolve the situation before things get any worse.

The characters will be instructed to go to the Kaisou River, a river that cuts through part of town. There they will find a boat that will help them travel to Duat. Then she pulls out a deck of Yu-Gi-Oh cards and gives a character a single card from the deck. She explains that these cards have been showing up in her realm recently, and being ever the resourceful one, she decided to infuse them with some of her magic to make them useful tools. Carry them with you and have faith, and they will help you through.

Overall despite her power and regalness, the woman's demeanor is wise, kind, and motherly. That said, anyone who failed to heed the warning not to bring anything connected to YHWH will find themselves getting either wary treatment or the cold shoulder, while her scorpion companion will raise its tail threateningly at you. Should you ask, the Professor will explain that the Egyptian pantheon is "just still a little salty over the whole, you know, ten plagues fiasco".

At Kaisou River, there will be an ornate boat docked and waiting for them. The boat is lined with gold and seems to almost glow from magic. Anyone who is younger than fifteen will find they are unable to get on the boat unless they are accompanied by an adult. Characters with powers that come directly from YHWH or His faithful servants (either by canon powers or possession) will have those powers stop working when they step on the boat. Once there's enough people onboard, the boat will silently set off down the river. Slowly as it travels, it'll begin to ascend out of the water and into a river of stars that flows directly into the Spirit Vein itself in the sky. As you reach the Spirit Vein, everyone will see an overwhelming amount of spirit energy floating around....before you all immediately black out. Whoops.

The Kingdom of Night

When you wake up, you find yourself still on the boat which is now sailing through a dark cavern illuminated only by fire breathing snakes hanging around the cavern. What's worse, is some may notice that you...aren't breathing and no longer have a pulse. In other words: you're dead. You flew into the Spirit Vein and died. That's probably a lot to unpack, so take some time to do that by the light of the fire-breathing snakes.

The boat will continue on through a set of gates, docking itself on a landing on the side of the river. Climbing out of the boat, you'll spy several buildings done in the style of Ancient Egyptian architecture. Around and inside these buildings are the dead spirits of kings, pharaohs, other influential elites throughout history, and so many cats - all of whom seem to be in the midst of having a never ending party. Which aside from the lack of modern technology, it's about the same as any rich influencer party. There's plenty of food, drink, people pretending to know each other, and games. Those patient enough can learn the rules of Senet, otherwise those Yu-Gi-Oh cards do seem to have gotten pretty popular in this realm, so you might be challenged to a card duel by an ancient king. Those those not interested in human interaction, you can instead opt to play with the cats that are roaming or napping all over the place. You might as well play a few games or scratch a few kitty ears, as you need to wait for the other ships of fellow app users to catch up before you're ready to move on.

When the last boat of freshly dead people have arrived, numerous gods and goddesses will herd the app users back towards the boat. It gets explained that to pass the next leg of the journey, your soul will be judged by Anubis. Wanting to make sure you present your best-self to the god of judgement, they will insist on giving you a quick makeover - sitting you down to apply make up and do your hair. Once you look fantastic and ready to slay, time to head back on the boats to get your hearts cut out!

The Hall of Truth

The boats set sail once more, carrying everyone past another gate and deeper into the underworld. When the boat stops again, everyone is ushered into a grand hall. In the center of the hall, stands the jackal-headed god Anubis and a large golden scale. Everyone is instructed to get into a line, and when it's their turn? Anubis will approach them and methodically remove their heart with expert precision (good thing you're already dead huh? you barely feel a thing), and place it on the scale against a feather. Those who have lived good lives (aka none of the major sins) and didn't do anything to muck up your makeover will have their heart returned back to their chest with no scarring and be allowed to return on the boat to continue their journey.

On the other hand those with major sins, or found a way to mess up their makeover (yes I'm serious), will watch as their heart drops lower on the scale to the feather. Anubis will give a shake of the head and the floor will open up beneath the person's feet, sending them down a trap door. Anubis will also throw their heart down into the trap door, so anyone who attempts to evade this fate will need to go down there to recover their heart. At the bottom, you are reunited with your heart that returns to your body (thankfully no scarring). But now you are forced to make the rest of the journey on foot through treacherous passage ways full of crocodiles, snakes, and the most dangerous of them all: hippos.

Tread carefully and swiftly, sinners. There's no telling what will happen to your soul if you let yourself get trapped down here. You aren't completely alone down here though. Remember that Yu-Gi-Oh card bestowed to you by that woman? If you have faith in it's magic, you'll be able to summon either the monster or the ability that's on the card to assist you on your journey - it should hopefully make things a little easier.

The Confrontation

Those who lived lives approved by Anubis will have a peaceful journey back on the boats. You pass through several more gates, and sure, there is a borderline absurd number of snakes in this underworld, but most of the snakes leave your boat alone. You're free to pass the time talking to other passengers, playing cards, enjoying refreshments magically provided on the boat, or getting some rest for the trial ahead. It even seems like some of the cats from the earlier spot has sneaked on board, so you can even spend your time enjoying kitty company. Eventually, the boats will make another landing and wait for those sinners who had to take the long way to catch up to you before moving on.

With everyone reunited, it's time to to head to your reason for being here. Further down the river, you eventually come across another boat that was currently trapped within a magic barrier. Within the barrier, there are two figures. The first is a hawk-headed figure that could be no other but Ra. Ra is bound by chains, and seems rather weak from poison. The other person Professor Willow, standing over the captured and weakened god.

Yeah, that's not good.

Breaking through the barrier will take time, but you can shout at the professor for answers. As it turns out? The app users weren't the only ones with memories of a past life. Many members of POKEGO also could recall a previous life, one in a world that was full of Pokemon before it met its end. This is how he'd been able to identify what the Pokemon were despite them not existing in the world before. The stable gate of Kanto? Was just a fragment of what that world once was.

"But by using Ra's power to create worlds, we can restore that world to what it once was! For years, that's been one of the true goals of POKEGO!" Willow proclaims passionately, all while Ra mournfully shakes his head.

You can try to reason with Willow, but it seems there's no getting him to back down from his goal. Eventually, he has enough with talk and pulls out a Pokeball. He tosses it through the barrier, and once it lands? A massive serpent Pokemon called Giratina comes forth and begins to attack. This foe is more powerful than any other Pokemon you've encountered before, in fact it's very presence seems to make the realm itself quake. Work together to fight it off, and eventually the creature will decide to flee - creating a tear that opens to an unknown part of the Spirit Realm and slipping into it, the tear closing up behind it. Willow will shout after it, trying to call it back, but his calls go unheeded.

Well, that was freaky. Good thing that's the only massive serpent in- oh. Wait.

Before you can have a chance to catch your breath, the area will rumble once more. Apep, the famous serpent of the Nile and even larger snake, heard all the commotion and has realized this is his time to once again try to devour the sun god. Hope you didn't use up all your stamina on the last fight, because this is the true final boss of this realm. If you need extra aid, you can always call upon the aid given by the Yu-Gi-Oh card- you just have to believe.

Aftermath

Upon defeat of all the snakes, Professor Willow will realize he's out of his league and lower that barrier. As he does so, the woman from earlier appears once more, except now in her full winged goddess form. For those who hadn't pieced it together earlier, she was the goddess Isis all along. She thanks everyone for their assistance, and says that it'll take time to heal Ra and also deal with Set's treachery (from her exasperated tone, this is NOT the first time), but things should be righted once more. This was just a borrowed trick from her own book, after all.

As for Professor Willow? Her scorpion companion is quick to sting him, poisoning him with its venom, and Isis gives him a scathing look before she lifts him up with one hand and chucks him into everyone's boat. He'll live, should he get treated for the venom, though she says that won't be the case should he ever try to come near her pantheon again. And in one final act, she summons a swarm of glowing golden scarabs before disappearing with Ra. The scarabs will fly over to the boat and try to land on everyone. As they do so, their glow will brighten and you'll feel the warmth of life...before passing out once more.

When you wake, you'll find yourself on the river shore back in Kaisou, alive and well. Some Zodiac agents are there, shadowing Willow as he gets put into an ambulance. It's still night out, but...you swear you can see the first rays of dawn starting to pierce the sky, at least for a few minutes.

True to Isis's words, it takes time for things to return. It remains dark for the rest of the month. But as the second half of the month starts, the sun will slowly start to return. First by only a few minutes, then by a few hours. Then, by the end of the month, the daylight hours will fully return to normal. All the while, the Spirit Realm will slowly begin to calm itself. Tears will become less frequent, and soon the normal population will once again stop noticing things. It seems just in time for the holiday season, things will finally return to some semblance of normal.

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is Shadow! Anyone with an affinity to the shadow 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 Light 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. It should also be noted that while YHWH is often associated with light/holy, characters with light element won't necessarily have their powers blocked in this month's spirit realm- so don't worry about that! It'll just be the general weakening.

Players can obtain free gacha through all of November by commenting here. The Yu-Gi-Oh card will only have power this month while in the Spirit Realm. After this month is over, it will go back to being a normal card!

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

Comments

Jun Nightroad | Tokyo Xanadu | OTA

[whiteshroud]

1. City of Night
[Jun was always something of a night owl, but even he was missing the sun as he goes about his day. On top of school and his job at the coffee shop, he still has his community service hours he needs to finish up. So today the boy can be found in Blue Fish Lake park, raking the leaves that have fallen from the streets. Far from the bright vibrant colors of fall, thanks to the lack of sun the leaves look simply brown and dead.

Being a large park, he's got a leaves to look through. The whole time he looks apprehensive. Partly because he knows it's not safe to be out here in the dark...and partly because sometimes he has to shoo off the geese with a rake. What a pain.]

2. Barred Entry
[Like everyone else, Jun wanted to do what he can to help bring back the sun. Seeing the messages of warning, he was careful not to wear his uniform and hang back during the Zodiac office trip, so not to attract attention. Isis spends the whole time pretending he's not there, even conveniently forgetting to give him a card. Not like he needs one, he figures.

His plan works...until it's time to head to the boat. When they get to the river and everyone is climbing into the boat - as Jun approaches there is a large surge of energy as he hits a magic barrier and goes flying back and crashes to the ground. ]

- Gah!

[Red Egyptian hieroglyphs appear in the air before the boat, written in such a way that even if you (most likely) can't read what they say, you can tell they are ANGRY. These letters don't appear for anyone else, nor does the magical barrier.

Seems whatever Jun is, he specifically is not welcomed into Duat. ]

III. Wildcard
[Got another prompt for me? Hit me up!]

[OOC: Jun isn't allowed into Duat due to his whole being possessed by the Holy Spirit thing. Any other character should be allowed to get through just fine though!]
Reply to this

3

[drewthetower]

[So after all of that, the sun returns and August is fucking exhausted. Not so exhausted he can't track down Jun and check up on him and fill him in, though.

So yeah, Jun, have a raven flying up and rapping on your window with his beak. Just ignore the other two flying up after him.]

City of Night!

[poisontippedcure]

[There was a time Rose preferred doing all of her errands at night, simply because there were fewer people around and she could manage to do so. While the majority of Kaisou is distraught by the lack of sun, she's barely bothered at all.]

[What does concern her, though, is seeing Jun out and about. They worked together when they were both kidnapped, and she knows he can handle himself, but it would be a lie if she said there was none of her that was concerned. The way Jun is glancing around as he rakes the leaves means he likely feels the same.]

[She waves as she walks over.]

Would you like some company?

2

[droptheious]

[Varian's only really going here out of desperation to figure out what the hell is happening with the sun. His and Fern's continued existence on this mortal coil is somewhat extremely dependent on it coming back. He's looking pretty drained as he shuffles towards the boat, and only just gets out of the way as Jun is hucked back out of it.

He looks at Jun, then at the hieroglyphs, and then back at Jun. He definitely can't read them but wow does that send a loud and clear message. ]

Wow. What did you do to peeve those guys off?

2

[not_a_possum]

[Moxxie, who is standing in the group intending to board, just stares as the angry red heiroglyphs block Jun from getting on the boat.]

Huh. It seems to really not like you.

[He walks past and hops right into the boat.]

It seems to like me just fine.

Danny Fenton | Danny Phantom

[schrodingersghost]

City Night Life:
Danny throws himself into the effort of trying to help as many people as possible. He runs errands, lights up dark streets with an eerie ghostly light, and worries constantly about his friends. And generally ignores the exhaustion that starts to creep in.

He was fine. He was just using his powers a little more than he'd tried before, that was all.

None of this was probably helping the rumors of a helpful ghost boy haunting Kaisou to die down.

The Other Side:
Midway through the beginning of the month, Danny is startled to find himself followed at times by a green ghost puppy. He tries to talk to it, but it seems to be happy just to follow him around.

Kingdom of Night:
Danny frowns as he pets one of the many cats in the area.

"So wait, if I was already half-dead before I came here, and now I'm supposed to be all dead. How does that work? Am I three quarters dead now? 1 and a quarter times dead? I mean, I don't actually feel any different than I normally do as a ghost."

He taps at the card he received.

"Also, I'm starting to think the universe's sense of humor is just as bad as mine."

The Confrontation:

Danny gathers ectoplasmic energy in both hands as Giratina appears, and rises into the sky. He'd be the first to admit that he had very little idea what he was doing when it came to fighting, but he had to try. To do something to help.

He blinks away the exhaustion that was creeping in at the edges again. He could do this. He had to.

The Confrontation Part 2:
As Set appears, Danny finally loses the fight against himself. He'd been burning through his powers for far too long, and he finally reached the end. He wavers at first, fighting to keep his eyes open. And then he falls out of the air, asleep before he hits the ground.

The Confrontation Part 2

[couldntsaveone]

Luffy has been pushing himself way too hard, too. Similar to Danny, he's the type to keep going and pushing himself until his body literally can't move. And even then, he'll still sometimes push himself. He isn't surprised to find that there are others exactly like this among his friends.

He abandons the fight for now, interlocking his fingers real quick and creating a finger net to catch Danny in. He's got you, friend.

Pulling him to safety, he's going to check on him, make sure he's alright. He isn't a doctor. He can't tell if he's wounded or exhausted or what happened. But, he's breathing and doesn't look like he's bleeding, so those are all good signs, right? He's going to stay near him but will his new card friend to come help him with the battle. He needs to make sure nothing happens to Danny but he can still fight, even if he really shouldn't be.

[alwaysbeentrash]

a.City Night Life

[Cale has been quite enjoying himself since the end of last month. His powers are slowly getting stronger and he's starting to get a better hang of them. His night vision has improved by leaps and bounds. Now, he can see almost as well in the dark as he can see during the day, which works out just in time, considering there is no more day.

That said, he's also been testing out some of his other Shadow abilities and doing his best to improve them. But as a result, he's been wandering into kind of sketchy areas at times, just to find out how well they work in different environments and how long they work.

Feel free to run into him while he's testing all of this out. He's the helpful sort, even if he doesn't look or seem like it, so he's been volunteering to help people get around in the dark, too.]

b.The Kingdom of Night

[Cale firmly believed that death was it. There was only one life, nothing else. A one and done kind of deal. He'd honestly scoffed a bit at the idea of people having past lives and memories from that time.

That said, waking up without a pulse or a heartbeat is kind of panic inducing. Ummm. No thank you?? He'll deal with his existential crisis in a minute, for now, he's patting himself down for injures and slowly beginning to panic as he realizes this isn't a temporary thing. He's really dead.]

What the heck?

c.Hall of Truth

[Cale hadn't been interested in volunteering. No thank you. Having his heart ripped out and judged sounds terrifying and kind of horrifying, to be honest. He does his best not to watch the procession, either. It isn't gruesome, at least, but in a way, that somehow makes it morbidly worse. That means they're bodies really are dead, unable to feel pain or bleed or any of that.

But finally, he can't put off the inevitable any longer and it's his turn. His heart is taken, it's weighed and--

The scale doesn't go down. Far from looking relieved, however, he seems even more scared now. Having his heart given back to him, he's left to stand with the ones who made it. But he honestly doesn't know how to feel about all of this. Being dubbed a good person just because he hasn't lied or stolen or murdered anyone doesn't feel right. And he doesn't think he can live up to that expectation. He's always viewed himself flippantly, in a negative light, and this is just another piece of his perfectly constructed world that's being torn down.]

d.Aftermath

[Once all the fighting is done and everything is being put back together, all that's left is the clean up. He'll be doing his best to help with that, both physically helping with cleaning up and having his father give a large, anonymous donation towards helping. He's got a lot to think about and he's feeling shaky, unsettled, with everything that's gone down so far.

c

[escuchando]

[Dolores is shaking like the most fragile autumn leaf imaginable, swallowing down the burning sensation of bile in the back of her throat, when someone steps up beside her who looks fairly shaken up as well. She had already been of a mind that this was a mistake, she shouldn't be here, but by the time that thought had really sunk into her mind it was too late to turn back.

That she had lived a 'good' life didn't surprise her, at least. She has never done a thing that anyone might really consider wicked.]

Hey...

[Her gaze slides sidelong, upwards towards the terrified-looking man now at her side. Something about the look in his eyes plucks every sympathetic bone in her body.]

Are you okay?

[couldntsaveone]

1. City Night Life
No real prompts for this option. This is mainly for some casual CR, without the drama of events and actually dying and stuff.

Luffy will mostly be wandering around the city, so feel free to run into him there.

2. The Kingdom of Night

Luffy wakes up with a small start and sat up, looking around, ever curious. He quickly pieces two and two together, even if it's unexpected.

Wow. I've almost died a bunch of times but this is my first time actually dying That must have been a crazy and wild ride!

Despite suddenly being dead, he doesn't seem concerned or bothered. Instead, after taking in his surroundings a bit, he turns to the person next to him.

So, what do you think is next? I've heard death is one big adventure, after all!

What is being scared of death?

3. Hall of Truth

Luffy doesn't immediately catch what's going on. In fact, he's rather distracted by his surroundings and has to be told more than once, don't touch anything.

However, once he starts paying attention, he laughs again. Ever cheerful as he volunteers to go next, despite already knowing the outcome.

Hey, giant dog man, I'll go next! You don't have to weigh my heart, though! I already know I won't pass, shi shi shi shi!

He steps up, not bothered when Anubis still decides to weigh it. He isn't the least bit surprised when it weighs more than a feather.

See, I told you! I'm a pirate, not a hero. I never claimed to be a good person.

He's still laughing as Anubis shakes his head and removes the heart. Still laughing as a trap door opens up underneath him and both he and his heart are dropped down. Time for a wild and new and crazy adventure in the afterlife, right? What could be cooler than this!

4. The Confrontation

After fighting through all manner of creatures, including hippos, Luffy finally comes out the other side. He's happy to reunite with his friends who made the cut, ready to tell them all about his crazy, fun, wild adventure.

That's interrupted, however, when they stumble across Professor Willow. Looks like things are gearing up for another fight. Luckily, Luffy has found his new, beastly friend has been a huge help. Maybe he can be a help here, too!



ooc; Confrontation is good for either fight. I'm just too lazy to write out two separate fight scenes.

The Kingdom of Night

[a_cute_batata]

I don't think we "died" in the traditional way. Which, now that I think about it, is kind of an oxymoron. What I mean is, I think we HAD to die in order to come here and try to get the sunlight back.

[Which Luz was still honestly trying to wrap her head around].

It feels like a kind of Egyptian vibe too, so I'm guessing...well, I'm not sure, actually. We're in...Duat, I think? So we'll probably be running into Osiris, from what I remember.

[Crap. She wished she'd brushed up on her Egyptian lore now].

Moana | OTA

[findingways]

City Night Life

[ With the perpetual darkness, the weather in the city grew much colder. And Moana is finding that it has been getting more and more difficult to function. The sluggishness from the previous month has not gotten much better, and even though bundling up helps a bit against the chill, she finds that she mostly just wants to sleep all day.

Of course she knows that she can't do that. She's still got school, and helping out at the dance studio, and just about a million other things that she has to do. And being bundled up as much as she is does help hide the more obvious parts of her transformation, because the cold weather sure isn't helping her focus to keep it under control.

Still, anyone who manages to catch her might notice her looking a bit grumpier than usual. ]

The Other Side

[ Since arriving in Kaisou a few years ago, all Moana had ever wanted to do was see her grandmother again. She knew it was unlikely, since her grandmother had chosen to pass on to the Spirit World right before their family had made the move to Kaisou, but Moana had still held the hope that she would be able to find her grandmother's spirit again. That hope had lessened a little each day, and after a while she knew that she had accepted that she wouldn't see her grandmother until her own time, despite continuing to talk to ghosts and check the various spirit worlds.

But now...now she knows that she had been right all along. ]

...Gramma?

The Confrontation pt 1

[ Moana didn't really know much about Professor Willow, but knowing that he was responsible for all this sun nonsense definitely makes her dislike him a lot. Especially as he summons Giratina and it starts to attack. Fortunately Moana realizes that her magic isn't suffering as much as it had been before, so she at least is better able to help this time.

Just in case though she transforms completely into her Mo'o form, giving her better control over water as she creates it seemingly out of nowhere. She's not sure how much she'll be able to do, but she's going to try. ]

The Confrontation pt 2

[ ...of course there's another one.

While Moana is sure she can still keep going, she suddenly feels the weight of the card in her pocket. She pulls it out and summons it, and the electric penguin on the card suddenly appears.

And Moana grins a bit, as she forms whips of her own out of the water floating around her in the air. ]

Aftermath/Wildcard

(( Want to do something else with Moana? Go for it, or hit me up at usamichan13 to plot something! ))

Confrontation Pt. 1

[senorita_perfecta]

(As shocking as the revelation that the man she has barely gotten to meet and know before the previous month’s incident was responsible for Ra’s captivity, Isa is just as mad at Willow. With the recent surge of new Earth magic flowing into her veins and receiving a magical bow, she does have some tricks up her sleeves in addition to her existing gift.

Staring dagger eyes at Giratina menacingly with her bow at hand, Isa braces herself for a long battle ahead.)

Really, a giant serpent in a ball? Is this the best he can throw at us?

(It didn’t take long her to see Moana too, ready to fight Giratina as well, so she runs towards her to see if they can work together to fight this hulking beast.)

Luisa Madrigal | Encanto | OTA

[neverbreaks]

City Night Life (7th onward)

[ When Luisa had woken up from her three days sleep, she'd been very confused.

Part of that was because it was still dark outside, and in her sleepy daze she'd nearly forgotten the problem with the sun not rising even before she'd fallen asleep. Once she'd remembered, though, she'd been worried all over again, even as she rose and got cleaned up to start her day.

Part of it was also because could feel...something. She isn't sure how to explain it, but most of the time it was almost like she could feel the earth beneath her. Not just because she was walking on it, but there was something about it that almost seemed to be calling out to her. And if she concentrated on it enough, she could feel the earth rumble as if responding to her.

Of course, it did actually make the earth shake, and she had to stop from doing it too much, especially with people noticing.

Part of her confusion was also something else. She started noticing that she could smell a lot more now, and could pick up scents from pretty far away. It was a bit disorienting sometimes, and sometimes the number of aromas gave her a bit of a headache.

But also...occasionally people might notice a pair of yellow eyes as they're walking by. It's difficult to see with how dark it is, but if they look close enough they might notice a feline shape hiding in the darkness. ]

Further Tearing

[ While trying to find some places to hide, Luisa finds herself around the Spirit Realm, and looking at the opening of a very familiar maze.

Despite not having seen it since she'd arrived in the city, she knows that it's the same labyrinth that she'd appeared in when she first arrived. Some of it looks...a bit different, though. Less like coliseum and more...rocky somehow. Almost like a mountain. The entrance seemed more like the opening of the cave, with statues that resembled large cats on either side, as if guarding the opening.

She doesn't really know what that means. And honestly, she's not sure she really wants to know. ]

The Kingdom of Night

[ Luisa should probably be concerned that she's dead - technically, again - but honestly she's just kind of tired at this point. The fact that everyone else is dead does help a little bit, though she can't help feeling bad for thinking that at all.

She doesn't let herself dwell on that for too long, though, and instead focuses on the cats that almost seem to swarm all around and on her. They seem to really like her, and at this point she has a pretty good guess as to why. ]

Confrontation

[ Of all the things that she had expected, it certainly hadn't been that Professor Willow was responsible for what's going on. And she feels a familiar anger bubble up under her skin.

She tries to control it for now though, but during the fight with Giratina some chunks of rock from the ground nearby come loose and hurl straight for the giant Pokemon, giving others more chances to attack.

When that fight ends Luisa barely has a chance to breathe before Apep suddenly appears, and the fight is on again. Still trying to keep control of herself, Luisa uses the card she was given to create a giant unicorn horn to attack the serpent monster. ]

Aftermath/Wildcard

(( Want to do something else with Luisa? Go for it, or hit me up at usamichan13 to plot something! ))

The Kingdom of Night

[a_cute_batata]

"So it's DEATH again."

Luz looks pretty grumpy about dying, if only because she'd seen it happen to Hunter and still had nightmares about it. This WOULD be just as alarming if she hadn't woken up this way. How anti-climactic.

On the plus side, she's wearing these cool shades and she has a card! Also, Luisa was here]!

Hey Luisa! Wow, the cats really seem to like you!

[The cats, coincidentally, were give Luz berth, because snakes seemed to be coiling all around her legs and arms].

Rhel Fashonti | FF14 WoL | OTA

[thaumewturge]

City Night Life

[Okay, aside from the cold (and, sidenote, Rhel is mostly a ball of coats and scarves as it gets colder), Rhel is frankly doing great in the dark. There are perks to being a Keeper of the Moon! Who knew!

The perks are excellent nightvision, and Rhel has taken to offering to escort people to and from if they don't have a lantern or a torch since she really doesn't need one. She does find one and ties it to her black mage's rod, though, so people can see a little bit.]

Confrontation -- Aftermath

[Rhel leans heavily on her rod as they finally finish kicking the shit out of the two serpents thrown at them, exhausted. That doesn't stop her from taking one look at Willow and calling out:]

Right. I think if we all line up and take turns, we can each get one good smack or kick on the bloody bastard before the hour's out, yes? Please try to avoid using weapons, we don't want to injury him too badly.

General Aftermath/Wildcard

[Got other ideas? Hit me up!]

Aftermath

[wilder]

[Zelos too is pretty winded after those fights. He puts his sword away and moves to brush his hair back, his eyes sharply looking over in Willow's direction.]

You know, I like that plan. I'd say this guy deserves it after the shit he put us through.

[arrowtotheheal]

A: My Kingdom for My Life Back

[So, going unconscious and waking up dead as a doornail is definitely up there on Will's weirdness scale. He's even going to check on a few people on the boat to confirm that this is... a Thing they're all experiencing. He's chalking this up to an Egyptian rule set. It's the best Will has when he's never experienced how this particular pantheon does quests. Feel free to be one of his patients!

On reaching the Kingdom of Night, he decides to spend the time waiting by learning how to play Senet. Though, at some point, Will is distracted by a cat climbing up onto his shoulders and another claiming his lap as its bed. What's a guy to do except give in to the demands for attention? He's laughing as he comments:]

Clearly, the cats have better ideas of how I should spend my time!

B: Aftermath

[When the "good" professor gets stung by the scorpion, this is the first time there's visible tension in Will's demeanor. His eyes are locked onto Professor Willow, mouth set into a grim line. Once Isis tosses him onto the boat and restores everyone to life, he doesn't hesitate to get to his feet and start shoving his way forcefully through to get to Professor Willow.]

Out of my way! Healer coming through!

[With a scorpion that big and a goddess' companion to boot, Will simply isn't sure that modern antivenin will be enough to neutralize it. Pissed off gods tend to be quite cruel, and don't always have mortal limitations in mind when enacting their justice. Maybe Isis isn't like that, but Will doesn't know for sure and he's not willing to risk Willow's life over uncertainty.

On reaching the professor, he closes his eyes and hums a few bars of the Homeric Hymn to Apollo. Fortunately, his healing power has returned in all its former glory, and he's able to neutralize the venom, but the wound is still present. Will steps back to let the licensed professionals take over, though he's looking a touch paler after the effort. He crosses his arms, looking concerned yet conflicted as he watches the ambulance pull away.]

C: Wildcard!

[If you have a different idea in mind to interact with Will during this event, hecking hit me up!]

b :>

[arcanistic]

[Far be it for Alphinaud to interfere, but Will's insistence on healing even those who hurt them is a stark reminder of the time in Garlemald in his past life. He watches, assisting those who have come back from the boats with any healing that they need, being sure to act as his memories recall.

After a time, he approaches Will with concern, and also a gentle smile.]

Is there anything you need? [Code for: I can help, but I'm not going to call you out on possibly over-exerting yourself.]

Anthony J. Crowley | Good Omens | OTA

[serpentinthegarden]

The Other Side

It had started casually with a familiar perfume in a room after it had been left empty for a while. The scent of powder with a light touch of lavender, the kind she had always put on right before tucking the kids into their bunks at night. Then there were the noises, things going bump in the night, a picture of himself and his brother at camp leaping from his wall to crash to the floor. He had a ghost.

There were surprisingly few 'Ghostbuster' companies listed in the yellow pages, there were a ton more on the internet, maybe he called you for help. Or maybe you happened to be at the same trendy hipster restaurant Anthony was visiting when the unearthly ghost appeared in the middle of the room and walked up to him to steal a fry.

"Oh shit! You're dead... of course you're dead, the fire..."

The girl looked to have been about twenty, she was young, beautiful in a way, but also very badly burned as the last moments of her life had ended in a horribly tragic way. And she reached out for another fry and Anthony pushed himself away from the table and nearly did a backflip which cause him and the entire contents of the table he had been sitting at to land in the floor. So much for having a quiet dinner out for once.


The Hall of Truth

This had been a bad idea. I mean, like, a really bad idea. Anthony wasn't exactly an Egyptian scholar but he knew what was going on here. People were being judged. If you were a good and decent person you went got the prize package, eternal peace and happiness, blah, blah, blah... But if you were a wicked and evil sort of person you got shafted. Literally, he could assume from the judgement he watched of the guy who went before him. Poor bugger ended up falling right into the pit that opened in the floor.

And he was a demon.

Yeah, that pit was going to open up for him too if he stuck around long enough to allow it.

Unbothered by the fire breathing snakes which neither scared him or burned him, there were advantages to being a demon, he slipped back down the gangplank to the dock they had just landed on. The boats were all manned by the rowers but there were a few baskets and various containers of offerings scattered around.

"Find a few empty baskets, maybe some pitch, I bet we could do a 'Baby Moses' right past that jackal guy."

You have just become a co-conspirator in an attempt to trick a God.


Wildcard

Got a different scenario in mind, wildcard it up!

The Hall of Truth

[alwaysbeentrash]

Baby Moses?

[He has no intention of avoiding being judged but he wants to put it off for as long as possible. So, while he won't be actively trying to get away, he isn't against handing him stuff.]

What exactly do you mean by pitch? That black tar stuff they taught us about in history class? I wouldn't even know where to find that down here.

[He does, however, hand him a couple of empty baskets.]

Luz Noceda | The Owl House |OTA

[a_cute_batata]

City Night Life

Luz had been worried when the light was gone from Kaisou, but especially for Fern. She knew enough that he was part plant that it would affect him very badly, and was hoping there'd be a way for him to avoid being so severely weakened.

Luz had not for a second thought this lack of light would also be affecting HER.

She knew enough that there was some sort of corresponding of her magic with Kaisou's elemental magic that some were affected more than others. It had not occurred to her that light being affected negatively would be for all of her too. Luz's name, after all, meant light, and that was true in more than one way. Being a light for other people followed suit too, so in a way, Luz strived to embody her name.

This meant that, for most of the month, Luz would lose that boundless energy she normally had. Be prepared to see her nodding off in classes, being listless at lunch, and even napping in weird places in the Owlery.

The Other Side

There IS one point where Luz is actually not as listless, and that's earlier in the month. At one point you see her in Dia De Los Muertos garb, which was strange because Luz was, in fact, Dominican, not Mexican. But as it turns out, there's a reason for this. Following Luz, you'll find her in Void Denny's talking animatedly to someone no one can see at first: nothing more than a vague outline, but Luz must be able to see or sense more, because she is chattering away in Spanish, something the girl is seldom ever doing.

If she spots you, she'll give a wave and motion you to sit in the empty seat next to the outline.

"Uno momento, Papa. I want you to meet a friend of mine!"

Further Tearing

It was frustrating to be back here. Luz had not had a good time reliving the events when she'd been in Bellos' mind, nor had she loved going to the Realm of Nightmares to have some of her worst fears come to pass. That had just been traumatizing.

But this? It was much more real now that Amity had filled in some of the information Luz hadn't know about. What was just people drooling and dealing with what looked like convulsions were now swarms of people with what looked like cracks in their skin that were glowing and seeping out magic. Go further into the labyrinth and you can see King, Luz's lovable demon brother, seeming to be pulled away by a strange being with what looked like a kind of jester's outfit, insisting you PLAY with him.

At the end though? There was Bellos in his true form, fighting Luz pretty viciously. If she was weak from not having light this month, she is desperately trying not to show it.

She sure could use some help though!

The Confrontation 2

After everything that's happened lately, Luz is willing to just have a good old fashioned FIGHT. Last month was more helping, and this month was mostly trying to deal with being weakened most of the time.

But now? Luz had her glyphs out and ready, and moreover, she had a card! She summons her cyber falcon mech, who arrives at breakneck speed! Just in time too: that snake Apep, looks like he means business. Luz licks her lips but looks ready.

"You have anything up your sleeve? This doesn't look like it'll be an easy fight!"

Confrontation Pt.2

[senorita_perfecta]

Luckily Isabela happens to be near Luz when she asks if she has something to fight the giant snake. This month has been quite a wild emotional ride for her from gaining a strange gift to see people’s pasts by touching and getting some Earth powers that she has trying to figure out how to use, but this time, she is getting pretty pumped to defeat the snake.

But she isn’t going to fight barehanded, she gets to use a magical bow and a card that will allow a copy of her to deflect attacks three times.

“Yep, I happen to have a card as well,” Isabela chimes in as she reveals her card to Luz as they face Apep head on, “And I got some new abilities as well. I don’t how effective they can be, but I’m going to give it all I got.”

Danny Fenton | Danny Phantom

[schrodingersghost]

Aftermath:

In his defense, Danny had had no idea that pushing too far with his powers could do this. He'd just been trying to help, in every way that he could.

But regardless of his reasons, he'd passed out just as Apep had shown up, and proceeded to sleep through everything that follows. He was completely dead to the world (Pun intended).

Some time later, at the riverbank, Danny abruptly wakes, sitting up and looking around in a panic as he realizes that he had no idea how he'd gotten here.

Re: Danny Fenton | Danny Phantom

[couldntsaveone]

Luffy is lying next to him. His eyes are closed but he's smiling. He's awake, he just can't move, currently. He's dealing with some of the more severe side effects of his abilities right now, even if it doesn't look like it.

You missed it! We battled a giant snake creature thing and saved the glowing feathered guy. Then a glowing lady showed up, taking him away. She poisoned the crazy doctor guy with her poison dart cat.

He absolutely knows what a scorpion is. He's not sorry for the comparison.

She sent a whole bunch of golden glowing beetles at us and we all fell asleep and ended up here! Too bad, if she hadn't, I would have kept some.

Varian | Tangled | OTA

[droptheious]

Futher tearing

Varian's arrival to Kaisou had been pretty miserable. He'd hated his labyrinth - and even though experiencing it had meant he'd met some really important people who did a lot to help him through the ensuing panic attack from finding himself in it, he really never wanted to relive it again. Unfortunately, this is not the month where Varian gets what he wants. Anyone stumbling into this labyrinth will find failed inventions strewn around, thousands of the things, most notable are - a weird cauldron a smashed automaton and something that looks a lot like the portal that caused all that trouble with the dinosaurs a few months ago.

Varian himself can be found sat on the floor, staring up at a man trapped in a strange, solid amber rock. Varian's eyes are locked on the man, his breathing coming out a little uneven and shaky. It would be easy to assume he hasn't noticed anyone coming over to him, but eventually, he speaks- his voice having an unsettling, hollow quality to it.

"I thought I was just having a nightmare when I first got here, I- this is always it, but turned out, nope- no. This place is just that cruel. And-and nows this thing is back and I don't know what that means."

Is it a way back home? Will he step out of here back to Corona? Or is this just a permanent fixture now, so people can come and witness the worst moment of his life for their own entertainment? He doesn't know, and he hates not knowing things.

The Hall of Truth

Varian realises what the queue is for a little too late and makes a panicked noise when he's one away from the front- backing up into the person behind him- sorry if that's you.

"Um- can-can we just pass this thing? I- I can go-" he gestures with his thumb behind him. "I can just go back and wait on the boat. No big deal. It's- it's fine."

It's clearly not fine, however, and he's pushed to the front of the line as it's his turn. He looks deeply worried about all of this, not even questioning his heart removal- instead staring intently on that feather, as if the result of the weighing is something he wants to both avoid entirely and desperately know the result of. He gets his answer soon enough, and his expression falls as the scales tip in the feather's favour. He manges a strangled yelp as the floor is taken out from under him, dropping into the pit. He gets his heart back at the bottom, but he's also not moving forward, either. His hand stays on his chest, where his heart remains, unbeating- staring at the murky water.

"...It still wasn't enough. None of it was enough."

A crocodile, snake and hippo-infested pit is probably not the best place to have an existential breakdown, but Varian's never been one to follow good common sense.

The Confrontation

Varian's already been through the ringer- and the lack of sun has meant his elemental abilities are not up to snuff at all. Perhaps if he had real faith in the magic card he'd been given, he'd be able to get through this disaster relatively easily, but he doesn't- so he's only got his alchemy and his wits to help him, and those are both fast running out. Still, he can be found hucking small glass balls that explode or form ice around the snakes as they attack, with Varian keeping as clear as he can.

"They really didn't admit just how many freaking snakes would be down here, did they?!"

He definitely needs some help to not die in this mess.

Wildcard: Hit me up!

[OOC: Will match style!]]

[schrodingersghost]

One of the nearest snakes suddenly gets thrown back by a ray of bright green energy as Danny lands beside his friend.

"Are you okay?"

His expression was worried, and he looked more than a little harried and tired. It had already been a long month, and this adventure wasn't even close to done yet. But Danny was determined to keep going.

takame kesi | ffxiv oc

[hoshikiri]

i. city night life

[It wasn’t a magical ability (for the moment) that kept Takame’s senses sharp even in the endless dark. It was a never ending life of training. He was always guarded 100% of the time but even the boldest of petty thieves may think twice before trying to rob a man with horns and a spiked tail who probably towered over them and had biceps as big as their torso.

Still, as the month went on some may find Takame mostly going into the city to seek warmer clothes. His body disagreed with the cold and after years of bearing with it, he finally could admit that to himself. A nice shopping trip before the chaos and the quest he would embark on.]

ii. further tearing (cw: potential depiction of ptsd in this option)

[How foolish of him. To let his guard down. And to think that he could escape the past.

How foolish to think Kaisou would have mercy and not put another Labyrinth before him, one that didn’t even have the decency to shift under his feet. To even pretend to be Doma or Eorzea or anywhere the bloody hells else. No, instead he’s standing on the edge of the many Garlean Castrums dotted around every region he’s set foot in.

The difference between now and a month ago is his awareness of Kaisou and it’s practices. Others finding their way here will find him standing in a corner, as if doing surveillance. Watching the many soldiers in black, some walking in files, some scattering about and giving a salute to another.

Should you approach him, he will stick an arm out before you to bar your way.]

Do not move. Keep your voice down. [His tone is grim, and yet somehow shaken in how small his voice came off.]

iii. the hall of truth

[The moment Takame realized what the scales gauged, the moment he knew what was in store for him. When it came to his turn to face Anubis and how quickly the scale weighing his sin dropped, he simply closed his eyes. Not in avoidance, but in acknowledgement of the inevitability.

He was a killer. A deserter. A murderer. A liar. Not a hero, but a sinner.

The only surprise was that his heart wasn’t as black as he expected.

So there he was, at the bottom of the sin pit. Surrounded by reptiles and murder horses. But looking around to find whatever other sinners ended up in the same boat as him since something about awareness that one has done bad things did wonders for keeping their composure.]

We must move quickly. Are you alright?

iv. wildcard

(( ooc: if you want a thread for during the double snek fight or something from the aftermath i’m happy to do so! My assumption is that as a tank he’s gonna be pretty badly hurt and/or exhausted afterwards so people telling him to sit the fuck down might work. Or feel free to assume Takame helped your character out with a shield since he can give those to people or with his chaos control time freezing yugioh card. Feel free to poke Bon#5666 or dm! ))

further tears

[poisontippedcure]

[It's not the strangest thing in the world for Rose to find herself in the middle of the castrum, but there's something about this experience in particular that sends shivers down her spine. She's used to attacking castrums, but there's usually an army behind her. What she's not used to is sneaking around. She's not the worst at it, but it makes her uncomfortable.]

[She doesn't notice Takame at first, until he stops her movement. She looks up. It's good to see a friend.]

Takame?

[She crouches down and tries to hide. She drops her voice as well, although it's clear she doesn't know how to be quiet quiet.]

Is this yours?

Zagreus | Hades | OTA

[aspectsofblood]

The Kingdom of Night

It should surprise no one, given Zagreus's understanding of most... everything, that he hasn't a clue what's going on here. His area of expertise compromises entirely of Greek history and it is debatable if he even knows other countries exist. But, he's an adventurous fellow, and a friendly one, so he's more than happy to chat and meet some cats and such.

But there is something familiar. By the edge of the river, there is one boat that's a bit different from the rest, and just on the shore next to it is a towering, skeletal figure, who seems... to have opened up shop??

Zagreus is delighted to see him. "Charon! Fancy seeing you here, mate."

"Hnnnnnnrgh."

The Hall of Truth

This is... a touch uncomfortable. Zagreus is no stranger to death, in any sense of the word, but he's getting some Vibes from Anubis. Hades-like vibes. He's polite enough to not immediately start flaunting his authority issues in front of a man (being?) he's never met before, but he's definitely a bit on edge.

"Uh-- sorry, not exactly familiar with the procedure here," he starts, as Anubis eyes him expectantly, "What--"

Anubis reaches forward to make the incision, and Zagreus makes a bit of a startled sound as the man rips on his heart, nonchalantly carrying it to his scale. Luckily for the godling, 'being a bit of a shit' is not a sin by Egyptian standards, so the scale balances lightly and the god returns his heart, paying no more mind to the very confused god.

"That's-- alright then. Uh, thank you, sir?" He moves out of the way and looks at whoever's near, confusion evident. "Pretty sure that's not how Than does this."

Other

[he'll fight the serpent and also be around being... himself. hmu!]

Zelos Wilder | Tales of Symphonia | OTA

[wilder]

I. Labyrinth (Content Warning: Dead Bodies, Blood, Death, Suicide mention)
[ The gate can be found near the Zodiac building, just in a nearby side alley. If one heads inside, they'll be greeted to both an otherworldly and ghastly place. long hallways that hover an bottomless void. All around, massive tree roots cover the place. Floating amongst the tree roots, should you look over the edge, are coffins - a countless number of them.

Not only that, but the entire place is cold. So cold that there's constant snow floating down and covering the surfaces of the place. And it's not just any snow - throughout the gathering snow drifts are splotches of pink and red coloring: blood. The snow is covered in blood.

Wander around the place, if you're willing. There doesn't seem to be any monsters here, though that hardly makes this place more welcoming. The owner of the labyrinth isn't making himself seen at the moment, so it'll be up to you to explore...for now. ]

II. Party with the Dead
[Or rather, less of a party.

Zelos, not wanting to live without the sun forever, actually agreed to accompany this mission. However when they make the stop among the stops with kings, he'll take one look at what's going on ahead of them before making a slight face. He knows those sounds: those are rich assholes. ]

You know, you go on ahead without me. I'll watch the boat.

III. Hall of Truth
[Oh right, getting your sins judged. This will definitely go well. Zelos lines up, watching some people pass while others get condemned. When it gets to his turn, he'll sigh at Anubis]

Look, I rather not get my heart cut out again, so can we just skip this and just drop me in the pit already?

[Unfortunately for Zelos, Anubis follows his duties very seriously. So he gets dismissed, his heart cut out and...yep. Down the pit he goes, to the surprise of no one.

As he falls, he lands with an inhuman grace. As usual, he seems completely unfazed that he's just been damned and dropped into a pit for punishment. He snorts, putting his hands behind his head before looking at whoever got dropped down with him]

Man, I know why I'm down here- but what are you here for?

IV. Wildcard
[Got another prompt for me? Hit me up!]

I

[thavnairian]

[Amal has unfortunately gotten into the habit of poking his head into weird portals, so he finds himself in this weirdo labyrinth and... doesn't recognize any of it. It's unpleasant because of the snow, but also all the freaky floating coffins and the nothingness. But also the snow. Man, fuck snow.]

Damn! Why is it so cold?!

[He rubs at his arms despite wearing a puffy white winter coat. Maybe it's because he's not wearing anything longer than capris under that, but whatever. He never learns.]

No monsters... Dushan doesn't sense any demons, either. [He makes sure he still has his scythe strapped to his back, and then he keeps walking.] Maybe that makes me the demon.

[His footsteps pause beside one of the snow drifts with a red stain. It brings back some terrible memories for him, if he's being honest... He feels like he's walking past an open grave, a war casualty, and the feeling makes him uneasy. He moves on.]

Anyone in here?

Thanatos | Hades | OTA

[inevitablerest]

i. Kingdom of Night

[Thanatos, standing at seven feet tall with cold golden eyes, grey-hued skin and a sword slung at his hip, has had a look about him like he might violently backhand the first person to speak to him from the moment he stepped onto the boat to Duat. His reason for going on the trip is fairly simple - he has things to do that don’t involve being here, and the underworld, even that of another pantheon, seems as good a place as any to start to try and get some answers about how he might get back to his job.

Once everyone awakes, he doesn’t seem fazed to not have a pulse. Perhaps he hasn’t noticed? He coolly regards anyone who might be panicking over the fact, until a cat decides that the tall person might make a good climbing frame.

And then another one, and another.

As it turns out, Thanatos is relatively fond of cats. Though his expression does flicker as they claw their way up his clothing (he changed, already, out of his usual Greek garb and into something more fit for the cold weather and his current, irritating level of mortality) he doesn’t make any move at all to dislodge them. This is how the Greek God of Death ends up sitting off to one side, mildly observing a card game and covered in purring cats.]

ii. The Hall of Truth

[Despite what’s going on up ahead of him Thanatos appears entirely unfazed. And rightly so. When he steps up to the front of the line he and Anubis simply look at each other for a long, tense moment…

Then the tiniest twitch of a smile pulls at the corner of Thanatos’ mouth. He steps forwards, the other death god extends his arm… and the two of them shake hands. A few quiet words are exchanged between them - Thanatos’ tone softly questioning, Anubis only mildly shrugging and shaking his head, then he lightly pats the back of the jackal-headed god’s hand and moves off at the other’s signal to stand with those who have been deemed to have lived ‘good’ lives.

There, he lightly crosses his arms and taps his fingers against his elbows, a mildly troubled expression on his face.

Hm.]

iii. Confrontation Aftermath

[He’d fought - of course he had - and the sword he’s leaning on as he catches his breath in a low crouch is streaked with blood. Isis is speaking, but Thanatos has other concerns on his mind - namely the golden ichor currently seeping out of several deep wounds on his arms and torso. He has his hand over the worst of them, pressing the sting of pain deep into his side as he pushes himself up to his feet again.

The unfortunate soul who gets close to try and help him will receive a sharp snap of don’t for their trouble, and only when they hesitate or step back will Thanatos deign to explain his caution.]

It’s toxic to mortals. Do not touch it.

iv. Wildcard

[Wildcard! You know how it works.]

ii

[aspectsofblood]

[It is a minor miracle that Zagreus made it past Anubis without issue (not that he would be declared a 'sinner,' more that Zagreus has a bad habit of talking back to anyone with authority), but he's waiting for Thanatos on the other side of the judging. He's not surprised that Thanatos would get a free pass, if this is a death-judgement thing, but he is a little surprised that-- well, he's not sure. That it was recognized? He's realizing more and more than he doesn't know what the other gods really know about the world beyond.]

Everything alright?

[Thanatos rarely looks cheerful, but troubled is... worrying.]

Waver Velvet/Lord El-Melloi II | fate/ servantswap au | OTA

[fionnuisce]

[i; city night life]

[Even without the sun, business as usual carries on without much change...though there's a lot more candles and flashlights involved in chemistry class than normal. And, perhaps wisely, the professor's trademark sunglasses have been sitting on his head rather than completely blinding him in the darkness. Lack of sunlight is not an excuse to miss out on class, and Waver certainly looked largely unfazed by the issue as the days (nights?) wore on.]

[ii; further tearing]
[because i'm out of my mind there's a whole log for this one]

[iii; hall of truth]

Oh, this is not good. [Muttering under his breath, Waver was visibly tense while all the heart-weighing and trapdoor-opening was going on. Whatever was going to happen on the no doubt longer road to where they were going, he didn't like his chances. He winced when his heart was taken out--more from general displeasure than actual pain, fingers nervously drumming on the handle of his cane.]

[The scale tipped one way, then the other, gradually trying to measure against a feather of truth, justice, and virtue. For a moment, it looked like it either couldn't decide or was beginning to...well, waver.]

Look, can we at least negotiate the trap door? Maybe a staircase? I won't complain about the judgment, I just really don't want to fall and break my other leg-

[...And then equalized, with the heart barely lighter than the feather on the other side and swiftly returned to his chest as a result.]

...Wait, what? Hang on, are you sure abou--why am I arguing with this thank you excuse me goodbye.

[If someone's making a (perceived) mistake that benefits you: let them.]

[iv; aftermath]

[Luckily, it looked like he'd learned a valuable lesson from the Qliphoth about overextending himself. As furious as he'd been about the situation with Willow, the professor had kept himself to the back lines; there wasn't a whole lot he could do against one or several gods, but that meant he was able to conserve magical energy for what actually mattered.]

Okay--who's hurt? I can help, so speak up and I'll handle what I'm able to until someone more competent can do the rest.

iii

[fiddlestick]

[Elliot hadn't had any issue getting through the judgement. Sure it had been nerve-wracking and Elliot could've gone without the heart removal, but at least it was done!

What was more worrying as he waited for the others is how many didn't pass. So he's pretty relieved when he sees Waver walk away.]

Oh you made it! Thank goodness.

Dolores Madrigal | Encanto | OTA

[escuchando]

i. City Night Life

[Dolores does not like this. She spends a good amount of time hiding away at home while the sun continues to refuse to rise but anyone who might happen to see her out and about would quickly realise that the continued darkness is making the young woman utterly miserable. Though she is likely not alone in this predicament, at least… it’s only a small comfort to know that other people are struggling as much as she is.

With the return of her gift once again she’s all too tuned in to the difficulties that other people are facing. Any conversation for miles around might be something she happens to listen in on, sometimes purposefully and sometimes not.

Sales and happy hours aren’t really doing it for her. Some kind soul might find her sitting on a park bench, leaning forwards with her hands pressed tight over her ears and her eyes screwed shut.]

ii. Down the River

I don’t know if I should be here…

[It’s not the first time she’s muttered those words to herself, almost sing-song in a way that suggests she’s very much trying to reassure herself in some strange, roundabout way. Dolores feels very much as if she’s out of place here, small and slight and feeling quite small amidst all these people who look like they can take care of themselves, but…

But goodness, if she’s not tired of sitting on the sidelines while things just happen around her and to her.

She pulls a small ball of fire into her hand and then puts it out. Then she does it again. She would never claim herself to be a combatant of any kind but this… maybe this is what she needs to test her mettle. Dolores frowns to herself as she steps up onto the boat, the card she had been given clutched in her hand.]

This is a terrible way to have your first boat ride.

iii. The Confrontation

[By the time she had had her heart weighed and the sum of her life measured, Dolores had understood that there was no simple turning back from what was happening down here. Any thought of not belonging had needed to be pushed from her mind to focus on what was looking to be the most danger she had ever willingly placed herself in, and the young woman’s mounting panic has long since crossed the line into chilly determination.

When Giratina attacks she manages to hold her own. The people more used to fighting take the fore and Dolores hangs back, wincing at the noise between throwing out fireballs at the creature. It flees, and she realises something is wrong long before the ground begins to rumble under their feet.]

Something else is coming-- [She blurts out to anyone near enough to hear it and moments later her words are proven true. Fear takes over again as she ducks into a crouch with her hands over her head, and the card she had been granted by Isis explodes forth into a cyber soldier that blocks an incoming attack for Dolores and anyone who happens to be standing in proximity to her at the time.

But poor Dolores might need a shake to get moving again.]

iv. Aftermath

[She gets through the whole affair without dying (or dying more) and without any grave injuries - a few scratches here and there - but the worst part of it is the disbelief. Willow had always seemed so… harmless? Granted she’d known very little about him but when it came to scheming masterminds he would have been the last person on her list. When she wakes up back in Kaisou she simply sits where she woke for a few minutes, a troubled frown creasing her brow.]

He had all of us fooled, didn’t he? [Dolores says distantly, only half directing the question to whoever might be standing close by as she absent-mindedly brushes dust and dirt off her clothes and pushes herself up to her feet. She sighs, scrubs both hands against her face, then lets them drop.]

But is that really going to be the end of it? He can’t have been the only one.

v. Wildcard

[Wildcard! You know how it works.]

ii

[scotch_egg]

I don't think any of us are supposed to be here. We're not dead. [this said with conviction, mostly because he didn't bloody want to be]

We'll be alright. [as convincing as he sounds, he doesn't look convinced, hugging himself as if he's cold]

Alec Hardy-Crowley. [he offers a hand]

Alec Hardy || Broadchurch | OTA

[scotch_egg]

I. City Night Life

[Alec doesn't much like the cold and the continuous night is a little disturbing. Alright, very disturbing. But he tries to think of it as just another clue. Just one step closer to that what he's been searching for.

The darkness doesn't affect him much though and he's practicing shadow walking. It's handy too when he sees someone or the other being stalked by a criminal in the darkened streets. Maybe they notice it, maybe they don't, but either way Alec steps out between them and the knife wielding muggers who are following and says:]

I wouldn't if I were you.

[which is a good way to end up with a knife in the gut]


ii. the other side

[Alec is staring off into the distance. Wherever he is, whatever he's doing, even if in a middle of a lecture or walking down the street he's stopped by the vision.

It's a broken boy or a drowned girl, dripping water onto the pavement, staring at him with accusing eyes. They don't speak. They don't move. They don't even blink but he finds in him the feeling that he's not doing something he should be. Or that he's forgotten something terrible.

His voice is hoarse when he speaks]

Do...do you see that...?


iii. The heart will lead

[Alec's heart is just fine. Surprisingly. The weight of it is heavy enough but there are other things. Strange balances he doesn't understand. What he does understand is the injustice of some people, not even asking to be there, tossed into the pit.]

Who the fuck do you think you are?

[this to Anubis before jumping into the pit after them. He's got a dog and shadow walking and...and well not much else, but he can see and he feels strong and so]

Don't worry. We'll get out of this together. [somehow]

iv. Confrontation

[that is a huge fucking snake. Alec's heart isn't beating or he would have had a heart attack which is panic inducing enough]

Are you kidding me right now?! [he stumbles about as the ground shakes, feeling a real stinging fear open up inside him]

We should run. We should definitely fucking run!

V. Wildcard?
Hit me up.

iii

[couldntsaveone]

The person he followed is clearly a teen, not yet an adult but almost. He has a huge grin and he's laughing about this situation.

Sure! Which way should we head first?

And also, do you want to go the fast way?

Jane Porter | Disney's Tarzan | OTA

[cantgetanyworse]

i. City Night Life

[Jane puffs out a sigh as she pulls the door of her shop closed behind her and turns the key in the lock. Without turning around she plants a hand on her hip and stares into the dark interior, obscured as it is by her own reflection against the glass. It’s been a rough few weeks. Art and reading are not what people’s minds turn to when everything is dark like this and even the ‘normal’ people of Kaisou have noticed that something unusual is going on.]

Everything’s going to be fine. [She tells herself, her voice holding a firm level of conviction that she definitely doesn’t feel. Jane runs a hand through her hair and sighs, shaking her head before she steps back to turn around. Someone who looks to be lingering about catches her eye.]

Ah-- were you waiting to come in? I’ve had to close up early… it isn’t worth keeping the lights on right now.

ii. The Kingdom of Night

So… am I dead? Am I dead right now?

[Someone is having trouble processing this latest development as she feels her neck for a pulse and, despite not having found one for the last couple of minutes, continues to try and locate it regardless. The answer to the question would seem to be self-evident but one does not expect to be sitting up and talking after being dead, after all, and why should it not be a thing that someone has difficulty coming to terms with?

Hopefully some kind soul talks her down from a near-panic, or she manages to settle herself down by the time they actually reach the landing area. Still, she looks a little shaky as she disembarks and looks around as if she’s trying to work out just what she got herself into, here. But… there are a lot of cats, and… a game?

She sits down with someone else who looks like they’re trying to learn the rules and frowns at the board. It doesn’t look like anything she’s really seen before. Maybe a little like chess..? But certainly not chess.]

Have you been able to make sense of the rules? [There’s a cat in her lap, suddenly. She doesn't mind this development.] I’ve never seen a game quite like this.

iii. The Confrontation

[Everything seems to be going according to plan, whatever the plan happens to be… though Jane thinks she could go a very, very long time without having her heart pulled out again (she almost fainted and while being slightly proud that she did not… there are some things which you should never want to repeat), she’s managed to settle her growing sense of anxiety about the entire situation.

At least, she has until the real culprit behind all of this is revealed. A man who is unfamiliar to her, but if the reactions of those around her are anything to go by, was the last person who was expected to be involved in this.

There’s little time to be concerned about it though, as they find themselves attacked. Jane, not being equipped at all for combat, does not take any comfort at all from the fact that she is dead already when it looks like she’s about to be double-dead. A rock comes flying towards her and she yelps, trying to jump out of its way… only to leap and keep going up. Truly simultaneously the best and worst time for new powers to make themselves known. Once Apep is driven off, she has no idea how she’s supposed to get down.]

iv. Aftermath

[Back on the river’s shore in Kaisou, she’s clearly one of the more shaken ones. Her curiosity to know what was going on was definitely not the instinct to follow and she’ll be giving it a second thought next time, but right now…]

What the bloody hell was all that about?!

[The exclamation bursts out of her with far more volume that she intended and she claps a hand over her mouth immediately after.]

Sorry-- sorry. I’m just incredibly… What just happened?

v. Wildcard

[Wildcard! You know what this is for.]

iii

[fionnuisce]

Er...are you quite alright up there?

[madam it's okay to come down now the line is forming to kick willow into next week]

I think we're past the worst of it, you're probably safe to land.

Gravelord Nito | Dark Souls | OTA

[end_singer]

I - Night Life (or Death)

[Unlike the many beings of this world and those unintentionally visiting, Nito is a creature of tombs and tunnels and the dark spaces of the world. He is, as much as the embodiment of death can be, thriving in the perpetual night. Between there being many dark spaces and his shapeshifting ability granting him greater mobility than his original mismatched limbs would normally allow, he can be found hanging out in a wide variety of places across the city, just kind of hanging out.

Out of sympathy for those who find rest difficult in the sunless days, a significant portion of that hanging out is spent singing lullabies in hopes of bringing some respite. How well it works is… debatable.]




II - What introverts do at parties

[Unlike most entering Duat, neither heartbeat nor breath have been part of Nito's existence since first he coalesced into an individual; their absence is as natural as the ebb and flow of the tide or the slow turn of the stars. With no need to contemplate his own mortality, he spends the ride simply enjoying the sensation of being on a boat, absently singing something like a wordless lullaby as he trails his skeletal hand through the waters (or what passes for water) of the river.

He quiets when they reach the party, joining in only reluctantly, and even then taking to the fringes to speak only with the cats and anyone brave enough to wander over.]


III - The weight of sin (is nothing to Death)

[To any observers, Nito's meeting with Anubis is likely a rather surreal experience. To begin with, Nito is a seven foot tall skeleton with only two of his four limbs properly resembling human limbs. For another, he decided it was a good idea to wear the pink, cat-eared cloak that had fallen from the sky on him earlier in the month. Thirdly, he's talking to Anubis like they work in the same industry.

He actually has to actively bargain to get his spiritual equivalent of a heart - for whatever the thing that comes out of his chest when Anubis relents really doesn't look like a heart - weighed, citing this as being his only chance to see one who judges the dead at work. "Heart" weighed feather light, compliments and a professional nod are exchanged, and Nito is sent back towards the boats with the rest of the non-sinners.]

II

[playtag]

[Eve is very not used to her pulse being gone. However, she's already dealt with her nanomachines not working right for a month, so the experience is not as shocking as it might have been. Her body isn't right, what's new.]

[She sits quietly as the boat goes down the river. It makes the humming like singing sound much louder. The girl glances over at the towering skeleton who seems to be enjoying himself. Nito, their expert on Death. Good information to have now.]

Is this... what you usually see? Back where you're from.