hotelmultiverse | YOU'VE JUST CROSSED OVER INTO -

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YOU'VE JUST CROSSED OVER INTO -

HAPPY HALLOWEEN
from
HOTEL MULTIVERSE AT THE EDGE OF THE COSMOS BETWEEN CANONS™

Guests who find themselves partaking in the Hotel's amenities quickly find some tricks afoot. The decor is first, neon lights changing to autumnal oranges, garish greens, and ghoulish purples overnight. Those who peruse the shops will find them stocked with masks and costumes, and the ambient music which plays throughout the ship is punctured by blood-curdling sound effects such as screams and anxiety-inducing musical stingers. This is Halloween.

Those who utilize the Hotel-provided devices will find an ad splashed across their screens. Similarly, TVs, phones connected to the network, and flyers posted will read:

"FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF OUR GUESTS, HOTEL MULTIVERSE AT THE EDGE OF THE COSMOS BETWEEN CANONS™ IS HAPPY TO PROVIDE HALLOWEEN-THEMED ENTERTAINMENT."

Staff members' uniforms change, with employees adding costume pieces to them as the weeks wear on. Guests are strongly encouraged to put together a costume with pieces from the shops, but those who opt out will instead find one of the standard options (listed at the bottom of this post) and chosen at random (by googling "rng 1-19") in their wardrobe.

After dark (or, what would be dark), the ship transforms into a hotel of horrors, the following chaos breaking loose:

TRICK-OR-TREATING
Costumed guests are welcome to partake in trick-or-treating with the ship's staff, who can be found with carts of candy in common areas. Guests are also offered flags for their doorknobs to indicate that they have candy available in the rooms if they would like to partake as well.

SCAREZONES
Grab a map from the concierge or walk the halls at random, but don't be surprised if a staff member jumps at you from the shadows!

HAUNTED HOUSE
Guests using the hotel app will find numerous ads alerting them to a haunted house that's overtaken one of the hotel floors (and honestly, the ads are impressive, opening as an emergency alert to a runaway alien), and the hotel itself plasters the attraction across its screens and walls overnight as well. Obviously, a haunted house is a great thing to do after you've had a ton to drink, or a great way to meet fellow guests (whether or not you're reaching for their hand in fright). However, to ensure the safety of all team members and guests, do not make physical contact with any member of our cast. Remember: the actors' intention is to frighten you.

HORROR MOVIE MARATHON
Guests hoping to keep things a bit more low key might find what they're looking for in the hotel's movie theater and lounges, which offer 24/7 horror movie marathons ranging from the classic to the avant garde. A programming guide can be found outside of each respective screening or on the app. Film buffs will be delighted at the hotel's library, but don't be surprised if your niche fave is banished to a graveyard slot.

MASQUERADE
The hotel's ballrooms are open late for those guests interested in keeping the revelry going night after night. Just don't let the anonymity of your costumes take you too terribly far (or, I mean, do what you want, everyone has a room, after all).

If you aren't able to purchase a costume or aren't feeling inspired, no problem! Our courteous staff have taken the liberty of providing you with a courtesy costume, free of charge, to allow you to participate in the event. You will receive one of the following at random:

01: Ghost
02: Alien
03: Devil
04: Superhero (Your Choice!)
05: Skeleton
06: Pumpkin
07: Zombie
08: Vampire
09: Clown
10: Mummy
11: Werewolf
12: Black Cat
13: Pirate
14: Frankenstein's Monster
15: Witch
16: Spider
17: Bunny
18: Bat
19: Angel

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Omori didn’t answer - he didn’t have answers for Sunny. Not on why the marks disappeared. Not on what their purpose was… and that thought, that emptiness, was what started to tip the shell towards his own chasm. Loneliness. Anger. ~~At least his knife was resting on the side away from Sunny.~~

What did the Dreamer have to face yet? What did this hollow shell have to reckon with? It was that struggle that Omori was trying to not think about.

For all that Sunny was good at avoiding the things he didn’t want to face, Omori had been made to face those in his stead. He needed… something.

Maybe it was a distraction, but when the other boy held up his pillow case… Omori nodded. What else was he supposed to do?]

[Despite Sunny being the holy lord and protector of those who tried to avoid their issues, this time he genuinely had... no idea. Not this time. He was just aware enough to know he was not supposed to be there, nor supposed to see people like Omori, he...

This was a mess, right?

And there was a chance that, like it was his fault so many things were wrong in Sunny's life. He ruined... everything for everyone. Maybe the point of his dream was to try to... make people happy? Starting from Omori?

He had no idea, truly. But there was little he could do beside... oh, there was at least one question he could get out. He reached for the pencil, scribbling straigth on the floor in front of them.]

Were you aware as your own person the entire time?

[Because if he was, then there was a lot he had to apologize for]

[Sunny’s question didn’t get an immediate response. In fact, Omori simply stared at the writing, unblinking. Maybe, for so long, that Sunny thought he wasn’t going to get an answer.

Then… Omori brought the knife towards the ground again. Thought. Jabbed at the floor… but it wasn’t anything legible. Just a mark, one that got deeper and deeper with each cut.

Stab. Stab. Stab. Stab.

What was awareness? Was awareness feeling like he had to keep Sunny safe? Allowing him to step into a fabricated role to protect him? Was awareness pushing the Dreamer to realize the Truth? Was awareness trying to push him so far away that their own beings had clashed?

Was… was it that, for as much as Headspace and the events that Sunny had created were the Dreamer’s, that they could be somewhat Omori’s too?

The stabbing stopped. Long enough for Omori to etch out a reply.]

I DON’T KNOW

[Probably not the answer Sunny had been searching for. But it was the truth, as much as the memories of that day were the Truth too.]

Edited (Forgot to change the icon XD) 2024-10-30 15:18 (UTC)

[It was still more than he expected. Omori had always been like a set of comfortable clothes in Headspace, an armor that made him feel... safe. Yet, Omori tried to stop him from learning the truth in the end.

And actually fought him.

He couldn't even say exactly what that fight had been about, how it happened, but the wounds felt real and the fear was running so deep inside his soul. His mind had never been to a darker place, with thoughts caressing the idea of- no. He was not going to go there, not anymore.

The only remaining eye followed the knife, stab after stab, and he hummed. Omori didn't know. Omori didn't know. But Omori seemed to at least aware of what happened in the dreams so... did Sunny just wear him like a fancy glove? Forcing him to go through the dance of his dream loop over and over?

In the end, there was only one word he could find himself saying.]

. . . Sorry.

[Whatever that fight had been about… Omori wasn’t apt to explain. Maybe, inwardly, there had been that last ditch effort of keeping Sunny in the dark. For the Dreamer’s sake yes, but… Maybe it had been for Omori’s own sake too.

An empty vessel without a soul to provide it guidance was a disconcerting thing.

Sunny’s apology was met with a slight tilt of the monochrome boy’s head. Not confused, necessarily, just… not grasping the scope, or maybe why, the other was apologizing. To Omori, it wasn’t necessary. Sunny had accepted the Truth - and Omori was no longer needed.

The chasm opened wide again.

Instead of peering into it, the child stood up, putting his knife away and trading it for the pillowcase. Ready to continue… unless Sunny had a better idea. Omori looked to him for direction, his own warped mirror - taller and with an eyepatch, but similar enough. Except in this mirror, there were no friends waiting behind him. Just the two of them… alone.]

[It truly was all confusing, wasn't it? Not only they were the only two of the Original Group around, in a certain sense, but this was nothing like the dreamworld they were used to. Perhaps... moving forward meant... changes, even here.

Omori was Omori now, Sunny was Sunny, even if they still were in their own head, maybe the entire point was... accepting the new things.

Maybe he was supposed to practice 'being mature' by being so around his other self? He couldn't imagine what his words caused inside the other, Sunny merely tried to welcome what was changing, at least to some degree. To think he almost panicked when he first spotted the other, but now...]

Hey, huh... [He did get up. Perhaps he could find... different things to work on? There were candies around, plenty of them, but if Omori wanted them...]

Buffet? Lots of... sweets. [Shit, his throat still hurt. Oh well... but if it could given his pale(r) counterpart some relief, why not indulging this kind of game?]

[~~Good for you, Sunny. Look at you being mature.~~

Omori glanced back at Sunny’s words. A small amount of consideration, then… a nod. Given a direction, he seemed to relax a bit… even if his expression didn’t change.

This was new for Omori too. Sunny’s words, normally, were just an echo deep inside. Filling the hollow space just a bit. The boy waited for Sunny to follow before moving towards the room with the buffet, this time more keeping stride than leaving him behind.]

[~~That's all your fault, Omori.~~]

Mh...

[So he seemed... interested in moving forward for whatever reason. He pushed himself up, following the other and keeping the pillow case at hand. There were so many things that were bound to eventually change, running around with hsi dream character was just one of the many things he probably had to get used to.]

N... no milk. Kel.

[HE knew what their dream selves liked, but he also knew Kel, the real one, had issues with lactose, so the usual hedspace tactics may no longer apply. He then mimicked the movement of picking something and pushing it inside a bag.]

For.. everyone. [They needed stuff for the whole group, right? ]

[Good thing Sunny had mentioned that - Omori was looking around at the various tables for exactly what Headspace versions of their friends might like. No milk then… even if he would have let Kel drink it.]

[At the word ‘everyone’… Omori looked somewhat Sad. Gaze focusing at some nondescript point away from Sunny, his shoulders hunched inward. No friends… they weren’t here. Still… it couldn’t hurt to collect enough for them, just in case they showed up, could it?]

[Omori nodded in response, trying to ignore the unwanted emotion.]

[Omori seemed to have... feelings. Perhaps even more than Sunny had. He stopped, wondering what it was like to have 'friends' who literally only interacted with you to interact with someone hiding inside you.

Did he... care about the three friends from Headspace? Sunny took infinite care in creating them, but he never really... loved them? When Aubrey leaned toward him, he pushed away. She was meant to make Sunny feel wanted and loved. Kel's jokes were meant to lighten the mood and keep dark thoughts away, Hero was supposed to be the Big Brother when Mari was limited to her picnic spots to stay safe...

They were part of a show to keep Sunny happy. but they were Omori's world, weren't they? Did he even get to go out of the white room when sunny wasn't there? He glanced down at his own pawed hand and, as much as Sunny didn't enjoy physical contact, he did try to reach for the other's shoulder.]

We... find them.

[Omori usually didn’t feel - he was a hollow shell meant for the Dreamer to inhabit. Emotions were like an echo of whatever response Sunny had to the machinations of his mind. Yet… when Omori had to deal with emotion, he felt it deeply. Like a light switch flipping on and off suddenly, with no control for what came next. It was all just instinctual.

As much as Headspace was just a place to entertain Sunny, to keep him safe and comfortable and from the Truth, it was Omori’s entire world. He didn’t know anything beyond the routine of meeting up with false friends, having picnics, fighting through ridiculous themed bosses of Sunny’s creation, and… that room. Ever cast in monochrome like himself, with not much to do aside from wait.

The shell stiffened at Sunny’s touch, almost freezing to the point of not breathing. Dark eyes, so much like a void, slid to the other: his reflection (or maybe, Omori himself was the reflection of the Dreamer, cast in shadow). Yet… Sunny’s words sunk in. Omori slowly relaxed, like a wire letting tension loose, avoiding snapping. The boy nodded… and this time, it seemed more genuine.]

[Yet he was right there. Wouldn't an hollow shell just slump down without any purpose once it was left without anything inside? It had to be more than an echo... right? Sunny had questions, but they could wait until they figured out the rules of that new world.

Also. He got it. Touch unpleasant. They had something in common, at least, preferring to shy away from other's contact instead of.. touching. He could remember Hero saying something about contct being a way to reassure and Sunny could tolerate some people's touch but... he and Omori didn't seem to enjoy that.

The paw was taken back and he gave the other a confident nod. Dreams were safe, dreams were pleasant, they were going to see their friends too, eventually. for now... Sunny just pointed at the table. Time to get to work?]

[One would think so: a puppet cut from its strings shouldn’t be able to move. It shouldn’t have life in limbs that were controlled by another, shouldn’t have thoughts of its own, shouldn’t be able to do anything… and yet here Omori stood. They both had questions with so few answers.]

[Touch had always been a strange thing for Omori, something he couldn’t quite get used to. Something that wasn’t overly comforting. If that came from Sunny’s own aversion or something that developed over time, he wasn’t sure. Why bother with touch when everything around you was fake? Sure, it was soft, flowery, supposed to be comforting… but for another. Not for him.]

[And while the shell couldn’t exactly believe in everything the Dreamer’s nod conveyed… he set to work. Paying a little more attention on what not to grab, even if it was for his imaginary friends’ sakes.]

[Well, Sunny knew at least he wasn't someone as amazing as his dream persona, creating a whole new entity seemed pretty much impossible. Still, they were both there. Probably still inside a dream. Maybe Sunny was moving him around again and not eve realizing it.

And... touch was just so unneeded. Unwanted. Part of Sunny felt guilt in knowing he could have been the source of the other's discomfort but at the same time he also couldn't help how he felt about having his personal space invaded too suddenly. Sometimes it wasn't too bad, like when Hero pulled him closer for a group hug, but those were his... friends. And Hero was... strong. Like Kel.

The last time Sunny moved to touch someone she...

He shook his head, leaving her out of his mind for now, merely following Omori in his task to obtain all possible cookies and sweets.]

Should. Look for toys. too. [He raised one hand up, opening and closing it. He had no knife, no weapon. If they were preparing for anything, Sunny needed... something, at least. Not that his body, weak as it was, was suited for combat...]

[If Omori knew where Sunny’s thoughts had almost tread, he didn’t show any indication of saying so. Of pushing that Truth back on him. Sunny knew it - that was all that was needed… right?

Still… the Dreamer’s quest for Toys made sense. Omori had his Shiny Knife, quite clearly, but Sunny…

The boy looked around at the various tables, then motioned for Sunny to follow him to one. On it lay the usual spread of various candies, but also smaller Toys, like jacks and yo-yos, were present.]

[Was it though? If they were both in a dream, perhaps there was something else. Did... did he forget something else? He was no longer running away from his sins, he told his friends what happened, but... was that truly everything?

He didn't know, he couldn't know, Omori potentially had more control over this dream than he did for now.

He could at least try to... move forward? Maybe following was the answer. He reached for a yo yo, trying to use it and failing miserably. Definitely not a good choice of weapon. With a hum, he moved to pick the frailest looking plastic hammer. that... was going to do, right?

He turned to look in Omori's direction, raising an eyebrow and silently asking him if that was a good choice]

[When Sunny turned to inquire about Omori’s opinion on his choice of weapon… Omori was busy playing with the yo-yo. The shell was quite skillful at using the Toy, a fact made known as he twirled it one more time, eyes locked with the Dreamer, before he stuffed the object in his pillowcase - just in case.

Omori’s dark gaze focused on the hammer, staring for a few moments… and then he gave Sunny a thumbs up. It was better than Sunny’s bare fists, and honestly Omori didn’t put much stock in Sunny being able to break the weapon, even with how frail it seemed. He just didn’t have the strength for that.]

[Ah, of course his dream talented self shows off. There's the smallest hint of a pout on his face but it's gone as soon as it comes out. In the end, he just nodded in Omori's direction, silently admitting he knew he wasn't as good as his vessel. He once tried to juggle some colored balls and he couldn't even coordinate his hands well enough.

The 'dreamer' let out a faint hum, tossing the pillow case over his shoulder and holding the pathetic plastic hammer between his hands. There. He was... ready for combat. Probably.

Oh, speaking of which. He... gestured midair, pretending open menus and clicking buttons before offering a shrug. Where... where is the stats menu, Omori? He can't find anything.]

[Just like Sunny wasn’t pouting, Omori wasn’t showing off… but it did give him something like an echo of satisfaction inside. It was a hollow feeling, but still.]

[At Sunny’s motioning, it took a moment for the shell to figure out what he wanted. The answer? Another shrug. When would he have to worry about something like a menu? Sunny normally dealt with that… and he wasn’t concerned about it. They hadn’t met anything that couldn’t be felled by Omori’s blade, dream or not, so far.]

[Perhaps. But it wasn't easy getting quick access to an inventory without a menu? What if anything actually happened and they needed candy or drinks on the go... were they just supposed to get things from the pillow case without even having a 'pause' menu?

Still. Omori didn't seem to have answers. He returned the shrug and just... glanced around. What now? There was no specific quest at hand and the party never had such weird composition.]

Mh?

[He merely grabbed a few snacks, throwing them in the bag, silently letting the other know he was at least done for now. But now... adventure time? Or more trick or treat?]

[It seemed like, for now, they’d have to operate without menus or pause screens. Who knew if the battles were even turn-based here?

Omori wasn’t about to pick a fight with some random stranger or Sunny to find out ~~unless the other was that insistent on figuring it out~~.

It seemed like, for better or worse, the monochrome shell had grown bored of the task at hand. The boy took a look in both his and Sunny’s pillowcases, nodding. Apparently satisfied with the stock they had ~~after all, if they were going to have to manually carry everything around, they’d have to worry about encumbrance, and while Omori wasn’t tiring he was sure Sunny would after a while~~.

What next? What next? No objectives to guide them, but there were a few other things they could do here… Omori pointed his blade towards and object in the distance - a haunted house.]

[Oh, no, no no no no- no action based games, please. Perhaps Omori wasn't aware of Sunny's physical state, but the dude just got stabbed recently and he had four years worth of not leaving bed to recover from. Do you want to see him toasted as soon as a battle starts, Omori?

that being said, they still had no enemy creatures sitting around so all was. good, right?

Anyway, he wasn't supposed to think too hard about it, right? Right? Right.

He squinted just slightly at the sight of the haunted house. That.. was unpleasant. He didn't want to focus too much on the dread, but it totally seemed the kind of place where to find an adventure. He nodded in Omori's direction, slowly starting to move toward it.]

[~~I don’t know, would it be funny to see Sunny Toasted in a battle? Maybe. Maybe not.~~ For now, Omori figured his chances were better in a group… even if that group included the person who took over him habitually.

Omori was mildly surprised that Sunny agreed so easily to the haunted house. It was the only objective he could really see - that was where encounters normally happened, right? In the big foreboding castles, the open spaces (of which this place was filled with people), the murky waters… All of which weren’t here.

Maybe there was something that both of them had to overcome, as they walked closer. Not that Omori felt much on that thought.]

[The answer is NO. Sunny doesn't want to be toasted. His self preservation instincts may be to a minimum level, to the point he may stab himself to 'wake up' in case the dream goes too intense ~~that would end well, right?~~ Well, party of two it was.

And, hey. Haunted House? He literally lived in one, have you seen that THING on the stairs? He gave Omori some of the best skills, possibly only rivaled by kel's insane set, he wanted to believe Omori could... handle eventual problems. Also, the haunted house possibly had less people around, which was definitely a plus.]

Uhm... ready.

[Well, good for both of them that Omori was the one with the knife, then? And that he hadn’t attempted to Stab himself to wake up… something told him it wouldn’t work. After all, didn’t he have to be in White Space first? But both that room and the panicked heartbeat weren’t here, so for now… their options were limited.]

[Where Sunny could think of the pros and cons of the Haunted House, Omori simply saw it as a potential obstacle to be overcome. It didn’t matter who or what was inside, they were going through it. Omori’s own expression didn’t change, but there was something in his presence that spoke of preparedness. The way he stood or the subtle change in his gaze as he looked up at their objective.]

[Omori opened the door, making sure Sunny was following, before he stepped inside. Only to be greeted by eerie silence.]

YOU'VE JUST CROSSED OVER INTO -

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A bit of a shorter one :)

Re: A bit of a shorter one :)

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