amuze | OCTOBER EVENT + TDM 02

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OCTOBER EVENT + TDM 02

event | ƨγɒbiloʜ γqqɒʜ Curfew lifts on 10/06 as thunder booms overhead, the dark clouds writhing as they roil and twist with unshed waters. Over the past few days, no rain has fallen from the turbid skies, but the threat of downpour remains ever present.

It’s on such a dark and stormy day that the doors to the Gift Shop are propped open by two wooden crates, full to the brim with pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. Inside the shop itself, a stack of pumpkin carving kits sits on the checkout counter, alongside a row of colored candles. The masked individual that works as the shopkeeper is as silent as ever, though through the act of gesticulation it manages to convey that the carving kits and the candles are complimentary, and are given for free alongside the purchase of a pumpkin from the bin outside.

You could definitely try to steal one, sure. But the signs above the bin state that each pumpkin is only priced at one Park Token, so it’s not too much of a net loss overall.

Characters will find that after they’ve made their choice of one (1) pumpkin and one (1) of the colored candles, they are not permitted to try and return for another one of either. If more grand theft pumpkin is attempted, no matter how strong the character is they will be unable to lift the second choice up from the bin, almost as if it carries the weight of the whole world within that orange rind. You are only allowed one pumpkin, so be sure that you consider your options carefully.

Of the candles themselves, the following colors are available to choose from: red, blue, white, black, purple, green, and yellow. Each candle will cause a different event to happen, but the side effects of lighting each candle are not advertised anywhere in the shop. Please note which candle your character chooses in the mod comment below, so that you can be informed of what your character has inadvertently unleashed upon the park.

Strangely enough, despite not being provided with a lighter or a match of any kind, the candles flare to life regardless the moment they are placed within one of the carved pumpkins.

You are free to do whatever you deem fit with the pumpkin innards. Go ham.

event | wolɘd It starts as a glimmer, a flicker of illumination that can be briefly spotted below the surface of the lake. It's quick, something that could easily be excused away as your eyes playing tricks on you, nothing more. That would be the case, at least... If it didn't keep happening. And if the lights didn't get brighter with time.

The flashes are almost rhythmic, a pattern without explanation. Gold and white, brightly shimmering beneath the waters before going dark once more. Over and over again, almost as if controlled by something sentient. Almost as if the lake is beckoning you in to investigate it. Should you give in to the urge, however... Well. Whether you attempt to find the source by either swimming in or renting one of the swan boats, the end result is the same; blackened hands grab at your limbs, clawing at your ankles and dragging you down below the surface. Down... down... down... Until fighting your way back up to the open air would be challenging. Difficult, but not impossible. Then the hands retreat, and you're left alone.

Down here, there are no lights. It's impossibly dark, and something is moving.

tdm intro prompt | !woʜƨ ɘʜT oT ɘmoɔlɘw You open your eyes to the burn of salt in your lungs, panic clawing up the sides of your throat and settling in your pulse. There is black water all around you, frigid in a way that cuts like a blade and seeps into your very bones. It’s then that you become aware of a minimum of two things:

You’re floating suspended within what could either be a lake or an ocean, roughly twenty or so feet below the surface.

There’s something moving in the blackness beneath you.

You can’t see the bottom, and you can’t see whatever is down there, but you can feel its presence as it disturbs the water below you. Whatever it is, it’s big. And it’s coming closer. You can practically hear it now, a quiet hum that rumbles and resonates at such a frequency that it seems to rattle your teeth in your skull. Silent, yet at the same time somehow impossibly loud. It builds and builds, until you can't seem to focus on anything other than the noise. It crowds your senses, dulling your reactions and dimming the drive to flee.

Suddenly, the hum stops. Several feet away, a massive amber eye blinks closed; you can't remember ever seeing it open in the first place. The water around you shifts, displaced as the thing begins to move away.

Might be a good idea to start swimming for the surface.

Crawling your way to the shore of a lake only to find an amusement park waiting for you isn’t the strangest thing to happen to you after all, is it?

ooc

Feel free to have your character wander about the various park attractions as you see fit! Everywhere listed on the locations page is currently available, with the difference being that the temporal displacement within It'z Quite The Large World has been soothed, causing the ride itself to function in entirely normal ways with no spooky secrets hidden anywhere. TDMers may also participate in the carving of pumpkins.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A) Intro | Mild mid-game spoilers for Omori

[There is no period of waking, no transition. Aubrey had pushed him into the lake, and as upset and unprepared for it as he was, he wasn't getting out of it on his own. He could only struggle in the unmeasured depths, rapidly sinking with no way to get himself back to the surface. He could have sworn he saw the shape of someone trying to dive in after him, but by that point he'd rapidly begun to black out as water filled his lungs.

There's no way. It couldn't be.

For what feels like an eternity and no time at all, Basil feels the odd blissful weightlessness of nothing. He only wishes it could have gone on for longer, because the panic he feels when his eyes snap open underwater for a second time is unparelelled. It gnaws at him, threatens to choke the very life from his body, yet it somehow hasn't managed to do it yet. Why is a question that lingers in the back of his mind. He's surely been under the water for far longer than could be survivable, yet fate has decided to prolong his suffering.

Perhaps he deserves this, after everything. He...

As Basil struggles in the water, the feeling of a presence with him is almost more than he can bear. He can feel the scream that tears from him under the surface, soundless as the last of the air in his lungs gets torn from his body. The hum overwhelms him shortly after as the darkness threatens to swallow him whole, muted and final. He sees a massive eye staring back at him, and everything fades away.

It isn't clear how he ends up washing up onto the shore, but by the time he does he isn't conscious. Anyone on the fringes of said lake wouldn't be blamed if they missed him here, such a small boy laying half-in, half-out of the water, blonde hair clinging to his face. His only distinguishing feature is the bright pink flower hairpin in his hair- which might be what you notice first, even- that somehow has managed to stay there despite his recent ordeal.]

B) Zephyr Park

[By the time Basil had managed to recover enough to get around at all on his own, he hadn't particularly had any interest in engaging with the park itself. It seems like said park is the only place for people to go here, which doesn't make sense at all...but even after just a little bit of wandering, it doesn't feel right. Everything about it feels off, like he's simply dreaming all of this and maybe is still in the process of drowning at the bottom of that lake. He doesn't know for sure.

What he does know is that the park is a relief to find against the backdrop of the rides and attractions, which might have been fun at a much different point in Basil's liffe. The grassy field, though...it's calming, and it's the only place he's been so far that feels even a little bit "safe", if one could call it that.

So that's why he's here, sitting not at one of the picnic tables but instead leaning up against a tree. He can't say he particularly wants to be alone right now, but he doesn't know where he is, or who anyone else is, and it's all just...overwhelming, to say the least.

It's why he's busied himself with plucking long blades of grass from the earth, carefully braiding them into little bracelets. It's not enough to be able to make a crown, but...the action is calming, grounding, so that's what he does.]

C) Wildcard

[Feel free to toss your own prompt at me if these don't work! I can be hit up on plurk at

winterbolt for additional plotting! Mostly just voicetesting and getting a feel for the setting for now! o7]

[Contrary to Basil who's not really wanting to engage with the park, Noah sees the situation as "there's nothing better to do", and he's been here long enough to where boredom has gripped him by the throat in some ways and forced his hand. The irony in it is he literally just left one amusement park, and here he is at another, this time without his friends. Womp womp.

There's only so many fortunes he can read for the same few people, after all. Only so many games they can play. Only so many times he can say "I bet I can fit three corndogs in my mouth at once" before people get bored. That means that new arrivals get clocked by Noah instantly — one second he's walking through the park with the intent to go grab a shake and chill out in the grass, the next he's doing a double take and making a beeline for the new person.

Hi hello weird overly-decorated man in front of you, what will he do?]

Hi! Did you just arrive? Is it just you? —Are you making braids out of grass? That's so cool, can I watch?

[He will be obnoxious, apparently.]

[This was probably inevitable, all things considered. You can't exactly just avoid people for forever, and while Basil is arguably more...socially adjusted than most, he has reason to feel a bit nervous around new people. Case in point...

Noah's eagerness is a little bit overwhelming, even though kindness is definitely appreciated over being treated badly. But he's also suddenly being asked like five questions at once, and he doesn't even know where to begin. Trying desperately to tamp down the nerves welling up, Basil sort of sits there gripping a half-finished chain for a few seconds before he finally manages to stutter:]

Um...s-sure. That's okay.

[He didn't even answer any of Noah's other questions, but those are probably easy to assume. Yes he did arrive, and yes it's just him. As far as he knows, anyway.]

[Noah, unbothered by this, immediately makes himself comfortable in the grass. With his knee bent and his chin propped up on it, he watches Basil intently for a moment like a cat. He's not trying to be hostile, he's just fucking weird and way too hyperactive for anyone's good.

Though, he at least gets the sense to eventually chill out. Basil seems timid. Noah used to be timid, and then he went to college. Incredible.]

It's really cool that you can do something like that, [he says, far more calmly than the initial barrage had been.] It's a lot of fine motor control, isn't it?

[If Basil had to compare Noah to someone...it would definitely be Kel. Kel is this same level of energetic and friendly, able to make friends with pretty much anyone instantly. Basil...is not that type of person, and had gotten lucky that day Aubrey met him at school and decided to introduce him to the rest of their friends. He's pretty sure he wouldn't have had any if it weren't for that.

A lot of things wouldn't have happened if it weren't for that, actually.

He blinks, looking up from his work when Noah comments on it. He'd been trying his best to keep going, but it's a bit harder knowing he's being watched. He'd been trying to tie the same knot for like...a whole minute, fumbling it and making it even worse the longer he knew he was fucking it up in front of him.]

Oh...thank you. It can be, yes.

[He had to be taught how, after all.]

It's...easier to do with flowers.

[Noah gets the feeling of fucking up because someone's watching you (can't count the number of times he's dropped his tarot cards or his dice just because of performance anxiety), and yet he unhelpfully doesn't look away. It's just big blue eyes staring at Basil while he happily takes in the scene, unperturbed by the fumbling.]

Can you make flower crowns? I've always wanted to try it, personally. I never had time. I wish there were flowers here to do it with... maybe there's a rose bush or something around? Can you do it out of roses, or are the thorns too sharp?

[There goes the question bomb—]

[Basil nods a little aas he looks back down at the grass between his fingers, trying not to let those big ol eyes staring at him get to him. He doesn't even know this guy, so he has no reason to need to impress him or anything...yet he's also trying extremely hard not to mess up, and failing. So. Good times all around.]

U-um...probably not with roses, no.

[Because of the thorns, yes.]

The stems aren't really flexible enough, even if they didn't have thorns. It work's better with things like...daisies.

[Noah makes an oooh of interest, adjusting his position now so that he's sitting criss-cross in the grass. Locking his hands around his ankles, he rocks back a bit, effectively balancing on his tailbone.]

You seem to know a lot about plants. I have a friend back home who's really good at alchemy — well... I don't know her that well, [this is the route where Noah didn't really get to know Yuria, RIP,] so maybe acquaintance is best. Oh! And there were alchemy classes at the school I went to, but I wasn't all that great at them. What I'm saying is, you probably know more than me!

[...Noah, that sentence just took like five different turns, and it never actually reached a destination. Regardless though, this guy...Basil can't help but smile a little. Maybe his enthusiasm is infectious, or maybe he's just funny to him, who knows. Whatever the case, it's a nicer expression than the worried frown he'd been carrying a few moments ago.]

Well...I do like plants a lot. I do a bit of gardening, so I've learned a lot about the different types of flowers I grow...otherwise I wouldn't be able to take care of them properly.

[...]

I don't really know anything about Alchemy, though...

[Noah's brain: plants -> alchemy duh

Noah's mouth: I saw a plant once. Alchemy exists. I have no friends. You're so smart Basil :)

So anyway,]

Oh! If you like flowers, you would've probably liked this flower that grew on Moonlight Hill back home. It's called a Moonflower. They look like... Uh.

[Problem with Elrian flowers is how the fuck do you explain them.]

Here, I'll just show you!

[Well, as best he can, anyway. Noah glances around like he's doing something Super Sneaky before he holds his hand out to Basil, palm facing skyward, and in his hand forms a colourful array of stars on a mini night sky. Said array forms itself into an outline of a flower, glowing softly even in the ever-permanent evening light.]

My friend— acquaintance, I mean— distilled it into a cure for poison.

...

Not this, I mean— the actual flower. Man, I wish I had one. They glowed at night!

A Moonflower?

[At some point during his scare at the lake, Basil had to come to accept one of two things. Either what is happening here is some elaborate dream he's having in his last moments, or...he's just dreaming period, including what happened with Aubrey. Because how else can he explain getting here in the first place? Everything about this park screams of things that don't exist- magical, mystical things- and what Noah is suddenly showing him now is included in that, he's certain.

Nevertheless, it doesn't stop him from finding himself amazed by what he sees. It's hard not to, with the way he suddenly just produces a field of stars in his palm like it's just a thing to do. Basil completely forgets the braid he was making, his hands lowering to rest loosely in his lap as he looks at the flower of stars Noah has created.

And the funny thing is, Moonflowers exist. Basil has seen them with his own eyes. That, though...he's pretty sure isn't the same as the variety he's used to.]

It...it's pretty.

[He's quiet for a moment, part of him tempted to reach out to try and see if he can touch the outline, or if his fingers might phase through. In the end he decides against it, keeping his hand to himself.]

...does it really exist? It's actually...real?

[YESSSS he loves fascinating people with his magic! As someone who is literally the epitome of ✨✨✨, he loves the spotlight. This... Is not the place to have spotlight, as he was told in no uncertain words that the entity running the park hates the night sky and that makes Noah a direct threat to the peace, but uh. Here he is. Doing his thing.

It made Basil look a little happier, though, and to him, that's worth it.]

Uh-huh! Well, not in this form — this is just a little spell so I could show you what I mean. I figured since you like flowers and all... If I ever saw a Moonflower here, I'd come find you and show you it. Or any other flowers, I guess.

[He'll be on the lookout now for daisies.]

[Noah, please do not have the ire of the park owner descend upon them because honestly Basil absolutely cannot handle that kind of pressure right now!!!]

A spell...so it's magic?

[Yep, he's definitely dreaming.]

Basil | Omori | TDM/OTA

B~

THERE HE IS...

here to be the loudest motherfucker in the whole park

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zephyr park

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