amuze | SEPTEMBER EVENT

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SEPTEMBER EVENT

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.

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★ The Hanged Man
cw: body horror

[Noah is the sort who doesn't learn his lesson the first time around. Which is to say, the thought of "avoid the red mirrors" does not, in fact, cross his mind. After the first pass-through, he becomes something small and dwarvish in shape, and he thinks this is funny. Nothing wrong with being a lawn gnome or something, right? And he figures, as he waddles along on tiny legs, that the next red mirror will reset him back to normal.

In a way, it does, gives him his height back and all that, except his legs become something akin to sticks and it makes it impossible to walk. So, Noah drags himself across the presumably-dirty floors and toward the next red mirror he spots. At the very least, he wishes silently, give him his fucking legs back.

...

Might be a good idea to stop him.]

★ Death Reversed

[The green mirrors are, surprisingly, the only mirrors Noah actively tries to avoid. Becoming an eldritch horror with spindly limbs? Fine, that happens, whatever. Normal shit. Having all his traumas aired in front of him when he's trying so hard to forget all of that? Bad. Worst. Awful, fuck that!

The first green mirror is ignorable — whispers about how he's a burden, he'll never be good enough, common little nagging thoughts that he's always had but will suppress until the day he dies. The second gets a little more intense, where he swears he sees a man with a scribbled-out face in one of the reflections. Despite being pretty unclear, Noah would recognize that stark white hair anywhere, and anyone with him may just watch him spin on his heel and quickly retreat in the opposite direction. He ignores the whispers from the impostor's reflection, "Why did you give up on me?" and further comments about his lack of worth.

Unfortunately, the third green mirror he comes across is the only one in the maze he can pass through — there are no other colours available if he wants to move forward — and Noah's fists clench at his sides.

He grits his teeth, decides he's not going to deal with this any longer, and swings his fist around to drive it into the mirror... but all that happens is his hand phases through it, and Noah tumbles uselessly to the ground on the other side, having lost his balance in the ensuing shock.

If you just happen to stumble across him at this moment, he'll be picking himself up off of the ground and holding a hand over his eyes to obscure his vision, though he'll assure you,]

I'm fine! Just hit my head when I fell, that's all.

[You know, despite the fact he is anything but.

If you were with him before and didn't hold on tight, however, you may find yourself wandering the maze alone... who knows what section of the funhouse this mirror just threw him into? He can probably hear you if you shout, though.

Probably.]

★ Temperance Reversed

[Maybe an hour after getting out of the mirror maze the first time around, Noah's wandering the park with his hands tucked behind his head, an ostensibly casual stance compared to what was definitely him crying about the green mirrors earlier in the day. He's fine! He's all good. There is nothing wrong with Noah Ebalon. If he spots you from across the way, he'll wave and run up to you, where he then offers:]

Hey! Do you wanna go through the mirror maze with me again?

[No sense of self-preservation. Approximately none to be seen. Maybe he'll quit it after he re-traumatizes himself?]

★ Wildcard

[In case you do not want to play in the mirrors :)]

a. at morning light

( that is where things first start to go wrong- or worse than usual in this dull amusement park they've been trapped in. but when they go off, mafuyu pauses in her attempts to feed the ranchu and also appease deadrabbit a little, looking out the window dully. it's noisy...

but that must mean something's happened, right? so it only makes sense to investigate. she doesn't go in just yet, because she'd promised kanade they'd stick together, but... )

... Where did this come from?

( and how did it get there? )

b. broken glass and colored frames

( they let go of each other's hands. at some point, mafuyu let go and now she and kanade are both trapped in here, alone. is there any end to this? she shouldn't have- why was she like this? she shouldn't have let go. she never should have stepped into this stupid maze.

whispers at her ear scold her in a voice not unlike her mother, and her eyes feel heavy. but no, no, she... she's got to keep going. but with the voices in her head, she pays little mind to the one that's actually there beside her, until you manage to startle her with a sharp gasp- )

AH- ... Oh... it's you. I... sorry. I was distracted...

c. creeping in the black (closed to mod)

( this is new. and new in this place is bad. but there's a black mirror and it's calling.

she never was good at ignoring a call. so what awaits her in the abyss? )

d. done with dragging myself through the mud

( eventually- eventually, eventually, eventually, mafuyu finds her way out and resists going in again. how many times did she... stupid. foolish. but she's tired. plopping onto a bench by the snack stall, mafuyu contemplates getting something to eat just to fill her stomach a little, but...

...

even without her usual problems with food, she's just not very hungry. )

... Did... you also go in?

( it's likely whoever's shoe she's looking at did go- there's only five of them here after all. )

wildcard!

( two broken teenagers enter the maze. in another story, perhaps only one would come out. but in this, they're both plagued by horrible, awful little whispers in their minds. mafuyu clutches her head, hunched over and legs shaking as her mother admonishes her more and more for not listening- if she'd been good she wouldn't be in this mess.

and then noah tumbles in, shocking a brief but startled scream and an actual flinch out of mafuyu before she stops herself, staring- when noah does look at her, he'll see that her eyes are red from tears and she looks tired. )

Ah- Ebalon-san...?

( she- he's real, right? visual hallucinations didn't just become a thing in the last few mirrors? --no, no, just... just audible. after a moment, she crouches beside him, offering a hand. )

It's okay. You aren't hurt, right...?

[I mean, only one could come out if you wanted that, murder is okay—

Anyway, Noah immediately dissociates. Which doesn't say a lot about him as a person, or maybe it does, who's really paying attention? Time to slap that happy persona on and pretend he didn't just try to punch glass. Hey, someone else is sad! Whack! He can help with that probably, he's very cool!]

My ego's a little damaged since I fell, but I'm okay! [To the left of him is an image of Clamor dying in a mirror's reflection, but it's okay, he's ignoring it. He's ignoring the screams and pleas and the blood being spilt oh god please enough he's seen this before—] What about you...? You look... no offense, but you look not great.

♫ [a]ishite aishite aishite

[ For all intents and purposes, Kanade already had a bad feeling about this attraction. After all, if this place is meant to actually hurt them, a house full of mirrors, of showing their reflection.

She waits outside the attraction at first, staring it down, hoping that perhaps she'd see someone familiar -

Although perhaps it'd be better if she didn't see them, though. Even though she should be sticking with Mafuyu...

...Kanade's also a hypocrite.

Which is why after a bit of hesitation, she takes that step forward. It's probably fine, don't worry about it. Feel free to notice the small girl in her track suit walking in. It's probably fine. ]

♫ hitorin[b]o envy

[ ...until it wasn't.

Sure, she stuck with Mafuyu for a bit, but now she's alone.

There's mirrors upon mirrors upon mirrors and she honestly doesn't know which way to go. There's supposedly a trick to them, isn't there?

Of course, that 'trick' has her completely wound up in the worst way. Auditory hallucinations are the worst when you're a composer that's completely in tune with that sort of thing.

And what makes it worse is how it's coupled with actual visuals and what she does wind up seeing is-- ]

[ She blinks several times. No, that can't be right. Her father is in the hospital, stuck to a bed, doesn't remember her, it's just not possible...

She turns to the nearest person, in hopes of getting some sort of affirmation. ]

[ She has to be certain. Even if her ears are ringing with the familiar voice, of words that basically taunt her. She can feel the tremble right down to her fingertips and shaky voice, but Kanade is trying to push that feeling down. ]

♫ e[c]ho ( closed to the mod )

[ It takes her many, many mirrors of getting lost, but eventually she finds this one.

It wasn't that Kanade wanted to come back into the mirror house, but rather - she held her concerns. Not to mention, she could have sworn she saw Mafuyu go back in...

She couldn't help it.

She had to do something. Anything. And if her music isn't enough, then--

In she goes. ]

♫ wil[d]card

[ Want to play anything else? Kanade can be found around the various mirrors, going in and out several times. This is also the option if you want to play scenarios outside of the mirror event as well! She's generally in the Show-TuneZ Stadium playing her synth, but can potentially be found elsewhere. ]

Edited 2022-09-12 22:59 (UTC)

Reality is a fickle thing, especially when bits of tattered dreams drift forth to shape it like flotsam in the endless sea. The call echoes, reverberates... And when the HouZe of Reflection dissolves around her Mafuyu finds herself in the abandoned halls of a hospital long forgotten to time.

The air is stale, yet still containing that sterile odor that is commonplace in such an environment. Shards of glass litter the floor alongside puddles of seawater, overturned stacks of textbooks scattered amongst the wreckage. Blackened wallpaper peels itself off the walls, moonlight streaming in from the remnants of a broken window to allow just enough light to see.

There's something here, something that wants to be found. Something desperate for acknowledgement.

( this... was not what was expected at all. not that mafuyu could tell you what she'd thought would happen. it's curious though, how it almost seems like this hospital was part of a shipwreck. before anything, if mafuyu looks out the window, what will she see? is there an ocean out there?

otherwise... well, she's going to look at some of the textbooks. )

The mirror seems to ripple before shattering around her, drawing her into a realm of bright lights and dizzying vertigo. The world finally dims enough to allow visibility, and with it comes the reveal that she is no longer within the HouZe of Reflection. Instead, Kanade finds herself standing in what appears to be the foyer of an abandoned mansion. Candy wrappers, noodle packets, and empty aluminum cans litter the ground alongside illegible pages of sheet music. There were once stairs leading up to a second floor, but the wooden steps have long since rotted away, leaving the passage inaccessible.

A massive chandelier lies on the floor, scattered bits of diamond and candlewax strewn about the vicinity, presumably tossed through the space upon impact. Near the chandelier, the shape of a large furnishing item looms beneath a dusty sheet, obscured from view.

The wind sings a forlorn song as it drifts through the gaps of a shattered window, filling the structure with a potent sense of loneliness.

Looking out the window reveals that the building itself seems to reside on a lonely cliffside, the road and parking lot overgrown and reclaimed by the forest that edges in close to the hospital. There is in fact an ocean, though it's far below the cliffside. The sound of the waves gently crashing against the rocks is... Soft. Soothing.

Lonely.

Peering outside also reveals that she's on what appears to be the fourth floor, which seems to be the highest that is readily accessible.

The words inside the textbooks are illegible, though the spines and covers broadcast the subjects that originally spanned the contents within; biology, organic chemistry, psychology, sociology, and the odd math book for good measure.

( quite a powerful storm must have brought the seawater this high up. mafuyu stays and listens to the waves for.... she's not sure how long. it's both familiar and comforting, yet a reminder of the hollowness that she's become.

but she can't do that forever.

the textbooks being unreadable doesn't surprise her. is it that the words are jumbled or simply water damaged? and is there a desk of any sort around? )

There are water stains on the pages, but that doesn't appear to be the cause of the unintelligible text. It's almost as if the letters shift and scramble about the longer she stares at them, blurring into black smudges and unfamiliar shapes. Perhaps the books are merely building blocks to set the stage, just props on display to make things more personal.

Or perhaps something else is required in order to decipher the words.

This particular hallway doesn't have any furnishings to speak of, but the rooms lining the aisle on either side may have something.

( did i miss that it was a hallway...

anyways. right now mafuyu is going to assume that means this is a dream, because you cannot read in dreams. she'll set a book down for now, and then... hm. how many doors are there? either way she's going to quietly approach the nearest door and listen for any sound. )

Offers this up for a helpful little visual.

There are eight total, four on either side of the hall. The door she approaches is crooked, hanging haphazardly off of rusty hinges; no sound can be heard from within the room itself. Everything is silent. Still. As if the hospital itself is holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.

I. Abatina
cw: body horror

[She had always enjoyed carnival rides and the fun houses that came with them. To be fair, her only experience with an amusement park had been Mepphyland during an assignment, but still! She had enjoyed the concept of them, and what little experience she had with them she had liked.

That's why the first time she had gone through the red mirror, she hadn't expected to suddenly be taller. Her limbs were longer, thinner. Walking was difficult since her top half was heavier, but she slowly managed to take a couple of steps forward.]

W-woah! Is this what being tall is like...

[Please help her.]

II. Sage

[Her body felt heavy, as if being pushed down by lead. She was suddenly so tired, and the more she walked, the worse it became. She couldn't keep her eyes open, and with one more step, she stumbled forward, falling to the ground. She couldn't recall how many times she had walked through the mirrors, and now that she was lying on the floor, she couldn't quite remember how she got there.

A nap... sounded good, actually.

Just a little one!]

III. Chrysanthemum (closed to mod)

[Shiemi wasn't sure how many times she had walked through the maze, or why she kept coming back. It felt like an eternity, honestly, and by now she thought she had seen it all.

That is until she came face to face with this one... it was new... and there was something about that that had Shiemi reaching out to touch it, to go through it.]

IV. Aspen

[The first green mirror she crossed had startled her. Whispered words followed behind her, getting closer and closer until she managed to escape through another mirror. The voices were familiar; a symphony of laughter and teasing that only seemed to get worse as she passed through the second. These voices were more recognizable.

Yukio. Rin. Izumo. Her mother. Her Grandmother.

It was hard to ignore the tears at the corner of her eyes threatening to spill, but it wasn't until the third trip through the mirror that froze her in place. Terror was cold, paralyzing, and as she stood in the middle of a room surrounded by blue flames and the all-familiar laughter that echoed through it, she couldn't find it in herself to move.]

V. Wildcard

[Want to go through a specific mirror with Shiemi? Take care of fish? Have a snack outside? :D We can have fun in this place.]

( oh how quaint, i love this! thank you.

mafuyu pushes the door open, and lets the room speak for itself first. )

( no, not yet. it's too early.

mafuyu watches quietly before- Mafuyu... look at this. Aren't you embarrassed? This isn't like you. You're better than this. Now this carnie is worried about you- and the words in her ears are making her flinch again. almost instinctively, she looks away with a muttered apology to someone who isn't there. )

Oh- um. No... it's... it's just hearing things. It's okay. I'll be okay.

( liar. )

The state of the room itself doesn't appear to have fared any better than the hallway, and the dirty curtains flutter softly in the evening breeze.

The mattress itself is long gone - rotted away into nothing but fibers - but the metal bed frame still seems... Mostly intact. Rusted from the elements, but still technically useable. Near the headboard sits a neatly folded doctor's coat, the condition stark white and pristine in contrast to the surroundings. Across from it, a set of blue nurse's scrubs sits at the foot of the bed, seemingly just as clean as the coat.

( oh... that's unusual. hm. mafuyu is going to inspect those first- is there anything in the clothes? an id or papers or anything? otherwise. HM!!!! UNSETTLING. )

[She had just been debating on returning when she heard Noah's voice. She looks up, a smile crossing her face. She was nervous about going back in, but something in her really really wanted to.]

S-Sure! I would like the company.

[It would probably be funnier with someone else. Maybe she won't hear those whispers if she's with Noah.]

A-Ah! I'm so sorry!

[She probably should be watching where she's going. It didn't matter that she was trying to get away from the bad things, it was rude to just walk into someone. She did have to admit, though, she was... rather happy that there was someone else in here.

For a while there she had been afraid she would be lost here by herself.]

I... I didn't hurt you, did I?

[Shiemi didn't hear her at first, mostly because she had been too caught up in hearing a distant — but very familiar — cackle. The hair on the back of her head stood up, a cold chill running down her spine, and after a few seconds she blinked and turned to look at her.

When had she gotten here?

When had Shiemi gotten here? How long had she been standing there, just listening?]

I-I... Yes. I believe so.

...yeah. [Noah replies, soft, unbidden.] Me too.

[But by Elria's Light, he's going to force himself to be happy, for himself and for her, for all the fucked-up shit they're having to deal with, so—]

Hey, c'mon! Let's get outta here. [He'll offer a hand out, making the cheeriness return. To his left, blood splatters across glass and a scream rings out from somewhere distant and unknown.]

[This is now filed under "shit that's just a horrible fucking idea".

So! Noah excitedly whips around and starts leading Shiemi back to the mirror maze. Surely this will be fine. Nothing bad will happen to them.]

Did you go alone the first time? I did, too. It was [not a good experience] kinda fun! [no] I liked going with you on my... third time through, I think it was.

Edited (quick edit so i can go tag your toplevel lol) 2022-09-19 19:10 (UTC)

[Hey hello Shiemi you should not nap on the floor,

Noah approaches the sleeping figure from another angle, meaning he doesn't get beaned with the need to take a nap, but

girl

the floor—]

Hey! Stay awake, don't sleep here. The floor's sticky.

[Probably. He hasn't felt it, but he'd bet someone spilled a drink in here or something.]

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SEPTEMBER EVENT

QUESTIONS

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★ Death Reversed (cw: emotional abuse oh god)

cw these are just two sad children

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:)

how dare you get me so excited i mobile tag

:)

dsjhgfjhgdf <3

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it's probably going to be cws the whole way down lets be real

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★ Temperance Reversed

b. broken glass and colored frames

♫ hitorin[b]o envy

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Sage || let's say this happens BEFORE your tag to me im cryin