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The Indigo League ([personal profile] indigo_league) wrote in [community profile] victory_road2023-10-31 01:51 pm

Halloween 2023

The last few hours before dusk sees you all arriving at a large, stately home just outside of Lavender Town.

Unlike previous years, where Halloween had you visiting dilapidated castles, this manor home is in perfect condition. Age hasn't crumbled the walls or worn away the dark roof, but rather it sits on the manor like a heavy, proud crown, a testament to the many long years it has stood here while everything around it changed but it stayed forever the same. Candlelight flickers in its many windows, while it casts a dark shadow against the slowly setting sun. The gravel crunches under your feet as you make it up the long drive and a cold wind chills you to your very bones, even through the layers of whatever costume you've chosen to wear.

Then the manor's large double doors fling up. Two long shadows stretch down across the driveway towards you, light spilling around two silhouettes standing in the opened door, beckoning, inviting. Soy doffs his hat, while Riegfried bows deep, his hare ears nearly brushing the ground.

"Welcome to our Halloween Feast."





Inside the Manor

Not all of the Manor is available for you to explore. In fact, it's really just the ground floor that has been decorated and made available for your use. And even then, what rooms are available to you depends on the time of evening.


Contest portion

Early in the evening, several large rooms on the left of the Manor are open to your character.

The largest of these rooms has a stage and chairs set up, clearly where the contest will be held. Soy can be found in this room, in case you need to discuss some things with him ahead of your performance like lighting cues or other things you might need.

In addition to this, a dressing and prop room have also been made available. Need some last-minute adjustments on your costume? Desperate to find one final prop to really make your performance shine? Why not peruse the items Riegfried and Soy have brought with them for you to use? This is also a good place to have a chat with some others -- perhaps you like to scope out the competition before the performances start, or you are a newbie looking for some advice. Either way, this is the best place to find it!


Haunted Ball

Once the contest has concluded, and night has well and truly fallen, characters will be able to enter the large room on the right of the Manor.

The Ball Room has been decked out in enough black lace and dark velvet to make any classical vampire quite jealous. The ceiling has been decorated with spider silk that sways ever so slightly, casting flicking shadows on the walls in the candlelight. And while there are some seats and benches along the edges of the room, most of it is left free for people to dance and mingle. On a small podium in the corner of the room, a band of ghouls and zombies (costumes, we hope!) plays the kind of spooky tunes that are still, somehow, upbeat enough to dance to.

As folks dance and make merry and the evening carries on, one might note a spectral shape gliding around the dance floor, observing, before finally nudging its ghostly nose against a hand here and there and suddenly the ballroom floor is a lot more crowded.

More details about this part of the event can be found here




Outside the Manor


If you run out of interesting things to do inside (or you need some fresh air), why not visit the sprawling yard behind the Manor? It too has been decorated for the occasion -- carved pumpkins sit everywhere, candles burning merrily inside and on top of them. As night falls, a trained flock of zubat swoop low over the garden, adding that extra hint of spookiness to the air. Don't worry, they've been trained not to get caught in anyone's hair!


Food

The garden is clearly where Riegfried and Soy have put the less formal Halloween Activities, starting with a fair few food stalls. There is a stand where you can get drinks, offering things like tea and coffee, hot chocolate for the kids (or the young at heart) and mulled cider for the adults. No one shall go parched tonight!

Food is also available in various flavours, from various sorts of candy (cotton and otherwise) to more hearty snacks. No need to worry if your character isn't into all of this sweet stuff! There is piping hot soup and other common festival foods available as well for those seeking a break from all the sugar.

One stand in particular draws attention though, not for the food on offer --though those Candied Apples do look mighty tasty!-- but rather for the unusual pokemon that sits both proudly on the booth itself as well as the sign above the stand. Rumour has it that if you feed one of these Syrupy Apples to your Applin, you might just see something amazing!


Maze

A large corn maze has been grown towards the back of the sprawling yard. Riegfried and Soy have made sure to make it a little more exciting than your average maze though.

A small warp pad will transport you to the middle of the maze, from where you'll have to find your way out, guided only by lantern light (please remember to pick one of the lanterns before warping in!). And as if that isn't spooky enough, the maze has been stocked full of Pokemon ready to give you a little fright. Try not to run towards that dead end now!
The pokemon in the maze are available for capture. In fact, Riegfried and Soy encourage you to make a new friend or two in their haunted maze.

Available Pokemon: Zubat, Gastly, Murkrow, Misdreavus, Shuppet, Duskull, Drifloon, Yamask, Galarian Yamask, Litwick, Phantump, Pumpkaboo, Sinistea, Impidimp, Greavard, Gimmighoul


Bonfire

Set a bit away from the food stalls, and very safely away from the maze, is a large bonfire. October nights, after all, can get quite cold, and it will be nice to warm yourself up next to the fire. And maybe put all manner of things on a stick and roast them above the fire.

At the bonfire, you'll also find Riegfried. You've only ever seen him in his role as a contest or prom host, but today he's here to show you he's got one more hidden talent. Yes, by the light of the bonfire, Riegfried will be telling ghost stories. Why not sit for a spell, drink some hot choco and listen to the frightening tale of man door hand hook car door.

(Of course, Riegfried cannot be there the whole night. He still has contest duties to attend to too, so whenever he is absent, why not try your hand at telling a spooky story yourself? Tell people what goes bump in the night back in your home world)



Contest submissions | Shiny draw | Witches' judgement | Greavard event info



nastyboy: (DM: You’re doing so whilst waving)

Bonfire

[personal profile] nastyboy 2023-11-06 11:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[Frankly, Dimitri only came down to cautiously sit at the edge of the circle to have a small drink, and make sure that Eri was having a nice time of her own. Ghost stories... are something he still finds rather unpleasant, all this time later. So this is only meant to be a temporary stop, especially with how he tries to focus more on his drink of hot cider rather than the story itself.]

[You know]

[Up until the man next to him suddenly lets out a scream so startling that Dimitri jerks and, without thinking, twists to the side and flings the cup straight at the source]

[..........It is at least mostly empty now.]
livlaughlove: time is up, your days are few (006)

[personal profile] livlaughlove 2023-11-07 10:20 am (UTC)(link)
[And so the shriek is followed by a yelp as the warm drink hits the skin of his neck and proceeds to drench at least his shoulder. Thankfully it isn't much, but the real blessing here is that the cups aren't actual ceramic mugs. That might have actually broken something.

Only now that he realizes he's startled someone into flinging cider does he turn red and try to make himself smaller.]


Ah -- jeez, I'm sorry. [Why, yes, he did apologize for getting hit with something. He does that.]
nastyboy: (Might fuck around and let nature)

[personal profile] nastyboy 2023-11-10 03:04 am (UTC)(link)
[Truly a sight for the ages: two very tall and broad shouldered men being embarrassed messes trying to shrink down. Like that works.]

No, no - it is my apologies. I should never have allowed my own surprise to make me react in such a way. It is a failure of my own.
livlaughlove: my salvation (045)

[personal profile] livlaughlove 2023-11-10 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
[Hey, whatever makes them feel better. It probably looks hilarious to everyone else, at least.]

Naw, please don't blame yerself... I mean, hey, where I'm from, sudden noise or movement gets ya shot, so really, this is nothin'.

[It is rapidly cooling down, though. That'll be frigid in about ten minutes.]
nastyboy: (I feel bad for anyone who has ever)

[personal profile] nastyboy 2023-11-10 03:25 am (UTC)(link)
Still, I should have far better control over myself... I have become far too lax in this regard.

[Some would say this is a good thing, considering the absolutely abyssmal state that Dimitri arrived in, but those people are suckers who won't last the winter - ]

[Regardless, Dimitri is sincere in this, and he rises to his feet, offering a hand clad in dark metal to the stranger.]


Please, allow me to at least help you clean up. The fire should help dry you, if nothing else, and I will see what I can do about any stains that may be there.
livlaughlove: through this looking glass (087)

[personal profile] livlaughlove 2023-11-10 03:50 am (UTC)(link)
[That choice of words combined with the shine of actual metal starts to form a picture in Livio's mind of the type of person he's dealing with. Which could maybe be either too close to home for comfort, or a literal knight in shining armor. So... he will just blink dumbly at that hand and wave his own just slightly exaggerated.]

Huh? Oh, no, no, y'don't gotta go to all the trouble. This is just a cheap set o' jammies, a lil stain don't matter, honest!
nastyboy: (Ghosts are so funny.)

[personal profile] nastyboy 2023-11-10 05:18 am (UTC)(link)
[It wouldn't be the first time that comparison has been made with Dimitri... although he's not really thinking too hard on that right now, instead shaking his head insistently despite the way he's refuted.]

Even if it is only cheap clothing, it is still clothing which you are wearing, and which will draw a chill upon you if it is wet as it is.

Truly I would feel worse if you were to fall ill from such an incident.
livlaughlove: when i cross my heart and hope to die (141)

[personal profile] livlaughlove 2023-11-10 05:55 am (UTC)(link)
It's fine, really, I run warm...

[Like many instances where he tries to refuse help, though, Liv can tell this is a losing battle, and drawing it out will likely only result in hurt feelings. But still...]

I dunno what there is to be done besides movin' closer to the fire... I didn't exactly bring a change of clothes.
nastyboy: (It is my duty and my pleasure)

[personal profile] nastyboy 2023-11-13 08:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Hm... Well, that may not be as much of an issue as you might think. Tell me, how familiar are you with the hosts of this grand party, and the contests that they have run in the past?

[Since he's participated in a few more contests than his very first, Dimitri himself has gotten a little better at preparing more elaborate and interesting costumes - it helps that his star Raticate really does adore doing such things. But he still remembers Riegfried and Soy's own inclinations, for they're certainly advertised.]

[Of course, that does admittedly depend on how much one enters the contests, and such.]
livlaughlove: we are the only ones (145)

[personal profile] livlaughlove 2023-11-13 10:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Well... Not at all, honestly. Ain't been here but a few months.

[He isn't sure where this is going... But his mind immediately falls on the most humiliating possibility, and he tries to wave Dimitri off yet again. Stubborn.]

Wait, I'm in no state to enter some contest -- even if I was, that's way too much spotlight fer me!
nastyboy: (DM: You’re doing so whilst waving)

[personal profile] nastyboy 2023-12-04 06:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, no - no no no.

[Dimitri shakes his head quickly.]

Even if you do not join the contest, the pair have proven to be rather generous and kind hearted to all who approach them. If you simply explained your situation, I have no doubt that they would offer something to you to help deal with the stain and chill.
livlaughlove: it's my mixed emotions that you got sick of (121)

[personal profile] livlaughlove 2023-12-06 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
[Actually, hold on, begging strangers for help he doesn't actually need? That's worse!!]

Oh, lord, no, they already did all this. I couldn't possibly ask for nothin' else! How about the fire? That was a good idea! I'll just lay down on the fire -- next to the fire!

[He's doing what he told himself he wouldn't. Making this difficult.]
nastyboy: (It is my duty and my pleasure)

[personal profile] nastyboy 2023-12-14 06:11 pm (UTC)(link)
[Funnily enough, this is far from the first time that Dimitri has had to deal with someone who's fought against some common kindness. As Ashe's classmate, he too often had to work rather hard against the artificial divide of 'prince' and 'commoner' in order to repay Ashe for just about anything.]

[Dimitri is rather proud to say that he was successful more times than he wasn't there.]


Hm. You know, raising such a fuss, it seems rather as though you are doing far worse than any request could be - especially for individuals such as that.
livlaughlove: it's a never-ending road (044)

[personal profile] livlaughlove 2023-12-14 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[Raising a fuss?? A FUSS??? Livio hasn't been talked to in that calm, gently chiding voice since he was a preteen.

... And you know what? That's humbling. He hangs his head, maybe flushes ever so slightly.]


Sorry. You, uh... can lead the way.
nastyboy: (all icons courtesy of azuremoon) (I only trust Felix as far as I can throw)

[personal profile] nastyboy 2024-01-02 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
[see it works 100% success rate]

[Dimitri smiles in response, and gestures the way to the mansion.]


Oh, please do not worry on it. In truth, it is only because I have had to play host myself that I understand how these sorts of things work.

It may seem silly, but reputation is rather important during grand events such as these. Truthfully, you're doing them a favor.