aboxfullofstars | 24 [Open Post] Autumn Festivals, Halloween, and the Opening of the Veils Between The Worlds!

24 [Open Post] Autumn Festivals, Halloween, and the Opening of the Veils Between The Worlds!

It is now Autumn, and the Halloween Season is coming to City *****!

The Merchant Districts and World Tree Mart are all having their Annual Halloween and Autumn Holiday Sales -

And City ****'s City Hall is also having a large party for Halloween and other related and similar holidays and festivals, such as the Day of the Dead (popular with many Hyuumons), and Nightmare Night (from the Magical Pony People's worlds)

However, several things are that are even stranger then is normal for the World Tree System seem to be happening this year...

The Veils between the Worlds are also getting thinner and thinner, and now, there is a wide, glittering bridge, directly connecting City ***** and the Afterlife!

[Reality Wave Info : Ghosts and spirits can visit people in City *****, and living characters can also visit the Afterlife. Those who are affected by the Event will all have half-transperent but solid feeling bodies, so it may be hard to tell between the living characters and the spirits and ghost characters while they are being affected.]

[The Afterlife is a very large place, so there can be as many versions of the Afterlife as the Muns want.]

[This Reality Wave will end when the Halloween Season (or the Day of the Dead Season, etc) ends, or whenever the Muns want them to - And then, things will go back to normal. Characters can also go back to normal even if the Reality Wave hasn't ended, if that is what the Muns want.]

[This is an open post, and the Muns can make up events and thread with each other as long as it fits the Autumn Festival or Halloween themes.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The Antique crew are now running a food booth at the Halloween Harvest Fair.]

Everything looks really really good!

[Chikage said with a smile as he looked at the stacks of sandwiches, pastries and other baked goodies. There were also stacks of cute Halloween riceballs, and other Japanese food lined up next to the sandwiches, mostly because Eiji and Chikage both liked them.]

...I mean, I was sort of worried when Ono-san decided that Eiji-kun was going to be in charge with the food stall this time, but everything looks fine, soo...

[Eiji groaned, then, though he did look happy and proud as well.]

...Of course I can run a food stall by myself by now!

Sheesh, how many years do you think I've been working at the Antique, anyway?

Edited 2019-10-05 06:46 (UTC)

Kotomi knelt down in front of the layered altar, covered in colorful pricked paper over every step, with numerous lit candles and bowls of both delicious food and liquor placed over them. She bowed clasped her hands in prayer, and held her head down, holding an empty cup on her hands.

At the peak of those stairs, there was the photograph of both Koutarou and Mizue Ichinose.

Día de Muertos.

Among the cultures Kotomi had studied while in Infinity and the World-Tree, Día de Muertos fascinated her because of how similar was it to the Obon Festival. A commemoration in autumn, for people to remember their loved ones. While locations throughout Mexico varied in how they celebrated it, some even placing a whole floor of orange petals over the altars, Kotomi built her original parents' altar with the things they loved in life.

Bowls of rice. Ramen Bowls. Sake bottles. Sashimi slices. Green Tea. An empty cup. She coated the altar with white dandelion seedheads and white rose petals.

What she did was a combination of both traditions. An invitation for families back into the mortal world, share the memories and company they had in life, and remember the food and drink they shared while in here.

Mom. Dad. Kotomi closed her eyes to mentally pray, I have made many friends while in here. I have become a full-grown woman. I have gained my doctorate in advanced physics in multiple fields while in here. I have become much more thanks to the people I have met in here. I met Ami-chan, and John-san, and Ayaana-kun. My friends from Hikarizaka are all in here. I wish you could see the person I have become.

She opened her eyes, glancing up with a sad smile, I remember the last letter and the last gift you gave me. You showed me how beautiful the world was, even beyond the pages of countless books or the numbers and equations that compose the universe. And even in my anger, you and God showed me love even after you both were gone, and allowed the memory of my promises to keep me on this world, seeing its gleams of beauty in all the possibilities that surround me in the center of all worlds.

Kotomi uncorked one of the bottles of hot sake. She poured a drink over it, then over her own, and sipped carefully.

Thank you for your continued love, even in passing. Proof that emotions can be eternal, but so can good ones. This is for the day I get to drink with you in the afterlife.

[Aand that is when Chikage turned up at the door of Kotomi's apartment with a large package of food!]

...Heey, Kotomi-chan - I've brought the food you've ordered!

[The package was filled with all kinds of good food, and also a big cake.]

- I can't really put the special icing on the cake by myself, so I asked Kaname-san to do it instead.

[And then, he turned around.]

She's working with us part time this month, and she's really nice!

[Madoka blinked, then, and went to see who Chikage was talking to.]

...Thank you, Chikage-san!

My name is Kaname Madoka, and -

[Madoka slowly blinked, then.]

[She'd seen this young woman before, she was pretty sure. It had been one of those Reality Waves where everybody was fighting Witches and other monsters, and...]

[...Saint Lyre-san???]

Kotomi left the bowl on the altar, then stepped back up. She attended the door.

"Chikage-kun! Hello!" She bowed slightly to him in thanks, "thank you two very much for your service."

By all rights, Kotomi was now a doctor, and she was far from the older teen she arrived as. But, acknowledging her rank would imply some sort of superiority or seniority she simply does not want, or really need. She was more than happy to keep the 'chan' suffix, especially to the people that she knew and loved.

She was Kotomi-chan to her friends. Always.

Kotomi turned to the pink-haired teen that walked with her. Indeed, Madoka was familiar as well, from the very groups and circles of magical girls. Though in Kotomi's case, she could swear she had sometimes seen her in dreams, reigning over Plains of Joy where magical girls could rest and live in eternal happiness.

A site akin to Valhalla, where worthy warriors would find warmth and eternal food...

The adult woman smiled to Madoka, then bent forward to her. She towered over the girl by full head, and it was clear Kotomi had also grown quite fit in her time in here. She didn't miss the fact that Madoka was just as tall as she was when she first came to Infinity. It made her feel nostalgic of these old days, when she would look up at people and be constantly amazed by the things she saw.

Straightening, the tall Kotomi smiled to the two of them, "would you two like to come in? Some of the food of the altar is meant to be shared not only among us," meaning herself and her parents, "but also among friends."

Edited 2019-10-19 03:57 (UTC)

[Chikage grinned at that.]

...Why, thank you, Kotomi-chan! That sounds like a wonderful idea!

[Madoka blinked at that, but before she could say anything, Chikage was already going through the door.]

- Don't worry, Madoka-chan - It's time for our lunch break anyway, right?

[Madoka groaned at that.]

...Well, um - Could I put the special icing on the cake first, anyway?

[And several minutes later...]

[The cake was now set up on the dining room table, and Madoka was posing with the icing tool in her hand.]

...Here I go, Chikage-san, Kotomi-san!

[And then, she danced around the cake while the transparent icing and candy threads wrapped themselves around it, making it look like some kind of fairy tale castle!]

[Chikage clapped and laughed at that.]

- Ohhh, you look just like Milord when you do that - And the cake looks marvelous!

["Milord" was Chikage's nickname for Tachibana, the owner of the Bakery.]

[Merida giggled.]

[The dough was ready now, and so was the filling.]

[So now, as long as the spellwork her mother - Her adoptive mother - had taught her worked properly, the special friend bun she was making for Marisa should turn out fine.]

[ Meridia had been staying in her home in Gensokyou the cottage that she had built in The Forest of Magic, which had also been shifted to World Tree the times when she did. And ever since meeting her future daughter at the Tanabata festival and those weird times she got blended with her future self, this cottage , which marisa had lived inin the future, had also been time overlapped. So both Marisa and Meridia were living there. Keigo had told Meridia she was technically too young to live with him until marraige. Marisa was extremely untidy at home though!

And here it was Halloween now, one of a classic witche's most favorite night of the year! Meridia was excited to go out and do witch traditions with Marisa and her two good witch friends, and share traditions with her of her own, including this bread!"
[Marisa looked out of the bedroom] "Something smellsgood!"

[Meridia laughed, then.]

...Come here, Marisa dear - I really want to teach you how to make this special bun for this special night!

My own mother taught me -

[And then, she blinked, and sighed a bit.]

[By her own mother, she meant her Mom, the Mom who had brought her up, not the - other one, of course.]

...Anyway, it's a family recipe, and I really want you to be able to pass it on to your own children.

[Meridia said, and forced herself a smile. The smile did look a bit sad, though she didn't know that...]

[Aand that was when Marisa tilted her head!]

...I do have the feeling you tried to teach me this before.

[And then, she got red as she remembered some more.]

- Oh, right - You tried to teach me, but I messed it up, and the bun got all burnt on one side...

Edited 2019-11-16 05:21 (UTC)

( marisa smiled with nostalgia and heading to meridia’s side) “that was the year you said i was old enough to try to make it as well. The years before, i helped ya out with it. This special hallows eve magic bread... oh right, you dont like to hear about spoilers.”
“ that.’s ok. This is a good thing to hear!” ( meridia conjured up a cute frilly cooking apron ) “ i think you’re now magically experienced enough to make some of your own! Together!”

[Meridia and Marisa spent the next 15 minutes or so kneading the dough.]

...Be gentle when you kneald your magical energies into the dough, all right?

And try not to think about bad things when you do this, because...

[Meridia said, while Marisa laughed.]

- Yes, yes, if you think of bad stuff when you're doing this, the bun will get all bitter, right?

[Meridia nodded at that, and then shook her head as an image of "Maria" popped up into her mind. She couldn't really remember much about her, and didn't want to for now, to be honest, but she did have vague memories of being shocked when she found out that Maria was her birthmother. And in addition to that, there was the fact that her real Mom - The Mom that had brought her up - had stopped being friends with "Maria", quite a while back.]

...She probably couldn't make this bun properly at all. Bitter, bitter, all the way.

[Meridia whispered, and slowly patted the dough.

Edited 2019-11-28 05:34 (UTC)

puellamagia - 2020-03-20 04:49 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Witchcraft Night!

theantiqueb - 2020-03-20 05:55 (UTC) - Expand

Wait... You didn't know? Tony Stark died in his world.

Over ten years ago, John had met a man that cheerfully called himself 'Iron Man' mid-interview. He repaired his armor, he became a friend, and he saw him grow in the brief time they met in another world.

After hearing the news, the Master Chief turned to read the official report. A god-like being named Thanos. All of the heroes of that world facing him as one. Stones that could reshape an entire reality. A battle for the fate of their world, and possibly many others.

Then came the words 'I am Iron Man'. And a snap.

John sat in front of a makeshift altar with the printed image of Anthony Edward Stark, taken from his youth days, grinning while wearing a pair of expensive sunglasses and a smooth suit, back from an era with fewer worries than any of them faced. A music player had the bam-and-slam song 'Back in Black' at the ready, with a bottle of whiskey rested on the side with that of mineral water, and two glasses full of ice cubes rested beneath the photo.

His armored hand moved to hold the second glass, and poured himself a tiny handful of whiskey. He took a sip, then left it back on the altar, beside the drink Stark would not take.

In a way, the Master Chief used to be like Stark when he first began service, at least to his fellow Spartans. But as time passed, his grief and weight of the world burdened him. When he explored other worlds, he regained his humanity, he was healed from many of the tragedies of his war, and gained another home he loved deeply.

When he heard that Tony Stark gained the same thousand-yard stare, and became exhausted and depressed in his last days, John wanted to remember him as the person he was, in fear of seeing the same grief he went through in a friend.

He said nothing as he knelt in front of the altar, hands over his knees, watching the photo through the lit candles, and remembering his friend, feeling a part of himself lost from many years ago.

[And in the meanwhile...]

[James was trying to hide behind a very large barrel of aging whiskey.]

[One half-transparent Liquid Snake, 2 half-transparent Liquid Snake...Oh, great, and here came Numbers 3 and 4. No.3 was a teenager, apparently, while No.4 was even younger.]

[And they were all so large and muscular and healthy-looking...]

[Even if they were probably ghosts-made-flesh by the Reality Wave. Well, he wasn't a 100 percent sure how this particular Reality Wave was like, so he couldn't be sure they had been ghosts to begin with, but whatever.]

[Well, at least none of them looked like the Liquids he knew personally.]

...I should be glad for small favors, I suppose...

[James whispered under his breath - And that was when there was a giggle, and a half-transparent man with dark hair who was vaguely familiar stuck his head toward the back of the barrow.]

- Hey, you over there. What is it with all those people who look like you over there?

Except, you know, they're bigger then you are. A lot.

[James groaned at that. The man was clearly drunk, which meant that those half-transperant bodies were capable of getting drunk, which meant...]

[Well, never mind that for now.]

...Most AU versions of me are much taller then me and actually have muscles.

[James whispered with a sigh.]

I'm pretty sure I'm more intelligent then they are, though, so whatever, whatever.

Edited 2019-10-19 06:24 (UTC)

A light. That was what John's eyesight noticed coming from the altar. The Master Chief's head rose.

It didn't take long for him to spot James. Even without his HUD, John had learned many of James' own quirks and motions long enough to identify him. And right now, he was in danger.

He removed his pistol from his armored right thigh and held it. The Spartan immediately stood up, and proceeded through the portal. The light wave of translocation sickness brushed over him.

His metallic footsteps were silenced as he rapidly moved. A skill he had learned throughout the decades, in which he could become absolutely silent and disappear in a blink if he wanted to. In the darkness of a bar, few were even able to tell there was a seven foot tall suit of armor brushing through the crowds. But he realized there were other opponents.

Spirits.

Tactics immediately changed. As the Master Chief moved through corners and people, he came from the shadows in the form of a senshi. Sailor Reach kept her pistol down, and muffled her heeled boots to silence as she proceeded.

One green gloved hand focused a surge of light. She knelt behind another of the barrels. Counted every one of the threats.

Then, she surged forward with aimed bolts of light.

[James blinked, and then waved his hands as he saw Sailor Reach coming through the magic side effects floating through the air.]

...Heyyyy - Ms Reach! Long time no see, eh?

[Well, it had been a while since he'd seen Joan, after all, though he'd seen John quite often.]

[And that was when one of the half-transparent Liquids smirked, brushing at his arm which Joan's light had grazed. He held up the arm, scarred as it was, and grinned, coldly.]

- This body is not as flimsy as it looks, apparently.

[And then, he pointed his finger at James.]

...So you know the...failed experiment over there, I suppose?

[James groaned at that, and then made himself stand up.]

- I'm still alive, though, while you aren't - Which means I must be doing something right, eh?

[And in the meanwhile...]

[The half transprent dark haired man who had been talking to James before was staring at Sailor Reach, his eyes wide.]

...No, wait, I'm a married man now!

[He mumbled to himself.]

- But on the other hand - Am I still married if I'm dead?

I mean, I wouldn't like it at all if Pepper went and married somebody else, but it's not like I could stop her, since I'm dead already and all...

Sailor Reach overheard more of these voices, but she continued on. The senshi had even learned to be silent over her heels.

James. Her eyes darted to glance over at her friend, noticing him, and another familiar man-- but then noticing the threats.

One. Two. Three. Four.

She hurled the ball of light. It flashed and materialized a blue wall between them. Reach flew forward.

With a wave of her hand, she formed five bars to pull James and the new man with her. Through the barrels, around the windows, twirling and evading the ones that had followed James around.

She overheard the comments of the other man. They were familiar.

"You keep your word," Joan curtly stated, "as long as you exist."

Her boots slid outside, back in the dark, and... realizing she was somewhere else. Her supernatural sight glowed like flares. Joan had to shut her eyes and readjust her view by the strong lights of the supernatural. She knelt down over one knee.

"James, are you alright?" She asked, "who were these people, and who..." Joan turned to...

... to Stark. To Anthony.

She kept looking up, still processing it, realizing he glowed as well.

[Tony blinked, then. Was the beautiful warrior woman talking to him, now?]

...But it's not like I'm even alive anymore!

[He mumbled beneath his breath.]

[James, on the other hand, was looking at the portal connecting the bar to John's room's alter.]

[Hmmmm.]

[He took his World Tree Phone, and pointed it at portal. Yes, it seemed to be stable for now, but...]

[Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained -]

[James took a deep breath - And that was when Sailor Reach caught sight of the dark haired man!]

[James groaned as he saw Joan stare at the dark haired man. So he was somebody she knew, eh?]

[Aand that was when half transparent Liquid No.1 and half-transparent Liquid No.2 came striding toward them!]

- Oh, it's quite true, Chihuahua...You lived, while the rest of us, who not failures, did not, apparently.

I do wonder how that happened.

[James grit his teeth, then. So now even his AU versions were calling him a Chihuahua. Great.]

[And then, the ghostly Liquids turned toward Sailor Reach.]

...All we wanted to do was have a talk with the puny thing over there with our face, but since you insist on intefearing...

[Tony, in the meanwhile, was swallowing.]

[One of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life had just looked at him like...like he was a friend who she'd never expected to see again.]

[And though she'd just told him to keep his word...That didn't mean he couldn't just join the battle anyway, right?]

[Right.]

...Hello, beautiful Warrior Princess - I may not be a Prince on a white horse, but I'm Tony Stark, so that should count for something, I believe!

[And then, he summoned his Armor, and sighed in relief when a ghostly half transparent version of one of his earlier Iron Man armors actually managed to materialize near him.]

[Tony snickered, then, as the ghostly half-transparent armor attached itself to his ghostly half-transparent body.]

- Oh, and I'm also known as Iron Man back where I come from.

Neat, isn't it?

Edited 2019-10-26 07:17 (UTC)

The Halloween Harvest Fair

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Witchcraft Night!

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Scarlet Vampire Ball!

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