[TFMasque] Superhero Origin Story

Rook looked down and around at all of the outfits he’d pulled out. Clothing and accessories were strewn all around his room, hardly even a glimpse of his floor left. It was that time of year again, his favorite time of year, Tidefall, and the black and white ottagi always looked forward to it! It was always fun to dress up, pretend to be someone else for a while – a character of his own making, letting his imagination run wild where no one would judge him.

It was no secret to anyone that he was a bit awkward, though he always just tried to smile and laugh away the tension and uncomfortable vibes he could sometimes stir by putting his paws in his mouth. At least his friends were used to it, and he liked to think his optimism was infectious anyway! But that was why he loved this time of year, and why he always partook in the makai masquerade tradition – though he did always have fun with the carving contest too.

He was having such a hard time deciding what to wear this year, even though he was rather spoiled for choice. This wouldn’t be the first time, and although he had many unused pieces, he still had his costumes from seasons past too. Usually he only ever wore them once, but he was sentimental, and they were helpful when coming up with inspiration. Getting rid of things that carried fond memories was just too hard, even if he already had a full closet. Last year he’d dressed up as a great fire bird of myth, and the year before that he was a thief – he didn’t steal anything, though! But this year … Hmm …

Glancing once more between all the articles on the floor, Rook reached to pick up a big cape, woven in ferns and vines and dyed a bright red. He hadn’t yet used this, but he’d traded for it during the summer, drawn to its bright color. Maybe he could theme an outfit around it … but what could he be? It was the color of fire, a deep, rich, ruby red, so he’d have to build the outfit around it, being the most flashy piece.

Turning it around in his paws, he held it up to the evening light shining in through the window nearby. Bits of the light shone through the thin gaps in the woven plantlife, making a scattered pattern of red and orange, and as he stared at it, squinting in thought, an idea started to form.

He could be … a superhero! A protector of the dead, to fit the Makai Masquerade theme! Oh it was perfect – he could run around, do good deeds, be the dashing hero like in some of his favorite stories! Maybe he could even make his good friend Saiya smile – he liked it when she smiled …

“Yes!” He decided aloud, hopping up to stand upright with a jolt of energy. “That’s it!” And once he set his mind to something, there was no going back. Practically scurrying over to his bed, he laid the cape out in order to get it up off the floor, then turned to scramble around his room. There were already images flashing in his mind of exactly what he wanted it to look like, and he was practically a whirlwind as he moved, mumbling to himself as he shoved his other costumes around, looking for very specific pieces that he was sure he’d had stowed in his closet for some time now.

He wanted the outfit to be primarily blue – mostly because he looked good in blue, but also because it was a good complementary color to red – and he had to grab that one leather pouch, some wraps for his arms, and– gosh, wait, he had too many ideas now! ‘Edit down, Rook, edit down!’ He reminded himself, pausing in his half-frantic search to take a moment to breathe. He was just so excited, practically vibrating with it, and it was easy to get almost consumed by it!

Once he’d taken a few moments to calm himself and center his thoughts, Rook turned to grab the rest of the things he’d need. It only took a few moments to collect it all when he wasn’t moving about like a tornado, and before long he’d assembled everything he thought he might need and began to put them on.

Cape? Check. Blue arm and leg bands? Checkeroo! Leather pouch – mostly just so he could carry his things, anyway? Checkity check! And the last, but definitely not the least important piece …

Rook reached to grab a fancy black mask, made of feathers and meant to look almost like an owl. All the heroes in his favorite stories always had some kind of face disguise, meant to keep their identity a secret until the most crucial moment, so he figured he should too!

Putting the mask on, Rook looked down at himself, nodding in approval and twisting to check out the red cape. It looked really good against his black fur and the blue bands! Standing up again, the black and white ottagi briefly struck a pose, only to dissolve into a small fit of giggles. Oh, he had to go show Saiya immediately! Now he just had to figure out what kind of character he wanted to be, but he’d have time on the way.

Turning around, Rook paused as he caught sight of the disaster that was his room. Costume pieces were strewn all over the place, hanging on furniture, strewn all around – how did that end up way up there? Err … maybe he should clean up before going, actually …

Nah! The mess was a problem for later, after he’d gone to perform a good deed or two and made the most of the night! With that in mind, Rook scampered out of his room, a big smile on his face. Just as he promised himself every year, he was going to make sure this was the best Tidefall yet!