SEPTEMBER EVENT

[ride_technicians]

↞NAVIGATION

info

On 09/09, approximately an hour after curfew lifts, the usual ambiance of the park is shattered by the loud BOOM screech BOOM of fireworks launching up into the air. Eight in total explode in the sky above, all various shades of blues, purples, and greens. They’re your standard bouquet-shaped aerial fireworks that explode into a rain of glittering gold flares, leaving behind the stench of gunpowder and soot that seems to be concentrated near the Gift Shop.

And for good reason; the cloak of mist to the right of Show-Tunez and directly north of the Gift Shop has pulled back just enough to reveal a building titled The HouZe Of Reflection. It’s a rather gaudy exterior, brightly lit and covered in various spirals of carved filigree, bathed in a rainbow of flashing lights that make it seem like it’s the go-to rave destination. The interior is just as hard to look at, with mirror frames that light up in very specific color coded ways to denote just what they do. Because they absolutely do something. You didn’t think this would just be a harmless little mirror maze, did you?

When someone steps across the threshold into the building, the big steel doors slam shut behind them, leaving them in darkness until the interior lights flicker on and the challenge begins. Players are allowed to enter either solo or in a pair, and the next group will be allowed inside once the prior contender has chosen a mirror and begun their journey. Each mirror itself is not a solid object, cool to the touch, and may be passed through as if it is a doorway to the next area; there is no “right” path to the end, and instead players will choose forge their own based on their color choices.

A mirror has different properties depending on the following color coding:

★ RED [TW - BODY HORROR]: Mirror of FUN. These appear to be funhouse mirrors, the type that reflect your proportions in wonky, unnatural ways. Stepping through these causes the body to shift and rearrange itself until it matches the reflection that had been plastered upon it, stretching and elongating some limbs while truncating others. The process is painless, though moving may become… Difficult after too many trips through these.

★ PURPLE: Mirrors of TORPOR. A nap seems like a good idea right about now, doesn’t it? You’re so tired, after all… Just a few minutes probably wouldn’t hurt. These mirrors sap the energy of those who pass through them, an effect that worsens and stacks upon itself the more it is experienced. After five passes, the body feels heavier than lead, and someone may need to come in and try to find your character if they are unable to continue.

★ GREEN: Mirrors of TREPIDATION. Even the bravest souls have something to fear. These mirrors outwardly seem normal enough, although upon stepping through, they will drag those fears to the light and manifest them before the character’s very eyes. This can take the form of hallucinations that steadily grow more intense, or something more akin to a nagging little voice in the back of the mind that becomes debilitating the more these are passed through. Face your fears in the house of mirrors!

★ BLUE: Mirrors of RESPITE. Take a moment to catch your breath, my weary contestant. You’ve done well to make it this far. While the other mirrors bring strife, the blue mirrors offer a reprieve, quelling the turmoil of the mind and healing the body. Think of these as a reset button, as they will restore the status of your character to the default state that they entered with. Naturally, they are the rarest color to find within the maze, as too many of them littering the playing field would make things too easy.

★ BLACK: Mirror of ???. An empty void of darkness, a gaping maw that is searching. Yearning. If a 20 is rolled on a d20, the journeying character may accidentally stumble upon this mirror. Should they make the choice to step through it, the mod will be in contact to state what happens next. Each player may roll as many times as they are willing to make their character re-enter the HouZe of Reflection.

★ WHITE: Mirror of ASCENSION. Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end! This mirror will only show itself after fifteen mirrors have been crossed through, and upon walking across the threshold the character will find themself safely back outside, no worse for wear. That was fun, wasn’t it? Huh? A harrowing experience, you say? No, not in the slightest, and in fact passing through the white mirror almost makes you want to go through again…

Characters who enter the maze will be able to hear other characters distantly, especially those who are calling for aid or assistance. If entering the HouZe or Reflection as a pair, if two characters are not physically holding onto each other somehow as they pass through each mirror, they will end up in different locations and will need to either find each other once more or abandon one another to continue on their own.

After the month of September, the HouZe of Reflection will be added in as a permanent attraction.

Comments

[songsearching]

[ ...Oh.

She isn't used to holding onto a stranger's hand, but she won't actually stop Shiemi from doing so, even though there's the briefest hints of surprise with the slight widening of her eyes, the way her mouth gapes for just a second - ]

Mm. Same here. I know it's bad, but... we're in this together.

[ It could be worse, she supposes. ]

[dreamsofamahara]

[Shiemi has never really been the brave one of her friends. She was always the one hiding behind someone else, or the crybaby, or even the one that needed saving. That had always been her, even if she wanted to get stronger and protect her friends.

She was nervous, and the last thing she wanted to do was have Kanade be more anxious than she already was.

So she gave her a big smile and fought the nervousness and fear away the best she can.]

I'm sure we'll find Mafuyu soon! And then we can make our way out of the maze together!

[songsearching]

[ Kanade's own smile is small, but there's a gentle softness there. Just the mere mention of Mafuyu is enough for her to agree. ]

Of course. Hopefully this maze won't be too long.

[dreamsofamahara]

Y-Yeah!

[The relief she felt over the fact that Kanade smiled, even if it was small, was like a bucket of cold water was dumped on her. She was glad that she was able to at least make Kanade feel better, even if it was just a bit.

She turned to look at their options and seeing another green mirror made her squeeze Kanade's hand a bit harder than she intended.

Green... or purple.]

W-Which... way should we go?

[songsearching]

...

[ These both look like bad ideas. But if she had to decide-- ]

Let's go with purple.

[dreamsofamahara]

[These are both terrible ideas, but let's be real, neither one of them really wanted to go through another green mirror.

Taking a nap on the sticky floor sounded like a better idea.]

Y... Yeah.

[Taking a deep breath, and with another small squeeze to Kanade's hand, Shiemi walks forward and leads them through the purple mirror, hoping that they don't get separated.]

[songsearching]

[ That's what Kanade is hoping for as well, but when they're led in through the purple mirror, she expects the worst.

She tightens her grip on Shiemi's hand slightly, just to reassure that there's another person there. Plus, it helps to ignore the loud sounds. ]

[dreamsofamahara]

[Shiemi took in a deep breath, squeezing Kanade's hand back as they walked through the mirror. For a moment she was almost afraid to open her eyes. What if when she opened them, Kanade would be gone and she was alone again? Shiemi was worried about her, and having just gotten separated from not just her best friend but also the new... friend (at least she hoped they could be friends) would probably not feel very well.

But when she opened her eyes she still felt Kanade's hand in hers, and while it was difficult to fully open her eyes, she couldn't hear or see anything that would freeze her in place. Instead, she just felt... tired.]

H-Hey... It worked!

[songsearching]

Looks like it.

[ She can feel the way her grip loosens, waves of exhaustion hitting her. And Kanade understands that something like this is... better, than anything else they could have gotten. Besides, being tired is just, normal for her. ]

Do you see a way out yet? Or anyone else...?