PHASE I [ 9 00 ] The peace of the morning in the Residential District shatters just as the wall caves through. It’s a small segment of wall -- no more than five feet across at most. And yet the crash and groan of the metal being stretched is ominously accompanied by the distinct piercing screech of metal and another sound. A raucous noise, a combination of ungodly wailing and sharp, victorious laughter spills forth from the hole left in the wall as a myriad of ghosts and spirits erupt from the newly created exit. Characters with any type of spiritual sense will find themselves nearly overwhelmed by the amount of negative ghostly energy that suddenly floods Cerealia and characters with no sense of preservation will find any attempt to enter the hole blocked by the fiercest of ghosts, met with deadly force if they try to pass, as the ghosts won’t hesitate to do things such as reach straight into your body to try to stop your heart.
These ghosts are out for blood, and they don’t seem to stop no matter how you try to talk to them -- they just hiss out, over and over again, “Murderersmurderersmurderers.”
From there, the ghosts move on. Their true target, after all, is CERES… but to them, there’s no difference between the character players and CERES. They’ll go for whoever gets in their way, phasing through walls and becoming tangible long enough to reach for characters before fading away again. Characters with special abilities will find themselves in a similar state. Their abilities may increase and decrease in power sporadically, or be completely gone. They may attempt to cast a spell only to find that the wrong spell is cast instead, or an attempt at healing may end up a more dangerous spell. Be careful with your own magical skills!
Those with items or powers specifically intended to ward off spirits will still fulfill their intended purposes when used – unless malicious spiritual energy gets to them first.
PHASE II [ 1400 ] It seems the ghosts have more tricks up their sleeves. It seems that a not-so-friendly ghost has decided to play a game with you. It doesn't matter where you are, or what you're doing, because a moment later a voice calls out -- Hey. Can you see me? -- and once you turn your head, you’ll come face to face with a surprise.
Who is it in this world (or your world, or any world) that you have managed to disappoint the most? A family member? A friend? Yourself? They face you now, eyes full of sadness, and they say, “I need you to do something for me.” Without another word, they’ll turn away and begin to walk. Your vision grows foggy, focused solely on the need to do whatever this person wants – they need you, after all. Your legs move to follow them, unless you manage to somehow resist.
But you apparently don’t seem to notice that you’re the only one who can see this person – or that they’re leading you stray toward that monorail track with the sound of the train coming closer, or that busy intersection, or right off the sky bridge.
PHASE III [ 600 ] Other ghosts don’t feel like borrowing faces in order to inflict damage. No, they’ll inflict their damage on a far more personal level. They manifest suddenly and without warning – then all it takes is a simple touch. A ghostly hand reaches out to you and it feels like the cold wraps around your heart, and your vision skews, and then... they leave just as suddenly as they came.
Those who have been around for awhile may very well recognize the ghosts, at that.
But the damage has already been done. Depending on a character’s assigned sense, they will feel one of the following changes:
Sight: Hopefully you aren’t in the habit of bending the truth. Dead men tell no tales, they say. But what happens to a living person unable to tell lies? Any attempt at telling any lie or falsehood will cause the character to feel as though their throat has closed off, and they can do nothing more than choke.
Smell: The cold passes, but in some way that it never really leaves. And then everything seems perfectly normal. Nothing has changed, right? You're fine -- except that in a short period of time with how crazy things are, it becomes apparent that you're unable to feel pain. The damage to your body is the same as ever, but dangerously, you can't feel a thing.
Taste: It would appear as though the ghosts have a sense of humor. From those who rest in eternal slumber, try a few days of being unable to sleep. Everything seems fine at first... but slowly but surely, that lack of sleep will start to take its toll.
Hearing: Most others would feel relief once the ghosts left, finally a moment of peace. But you? You don’t feel anything – nothing kind, anyway. Rather, you have been left unable to feel joy. Everything seems either bleak or as though it simply has no emotional impact at all.
Touch: How many deaths have been caused in the name of heroics? Apparently in an attempt to keep future casualties down (or perhaps for their own laughter), the ghosts have left you unable to be brave. Suddenly, a situation you'd face fearlessly is one that has sent you running, panic sharp in your chest.
These effects will last throughout the event, if a character is caught by them.
PHASE IV [ 1000 ] While chaos erupts throughout the city, some of the more misguided ghosts (but still bloodthirsty, so very bloodthirsty) just happened to run into the wrong part of town and don’t know how to give a proper scaring. One ghost seems to think that it was a great idea to possess a masseusebot from the Spa. You’re grabbed suddenly! You fight for your life but can’t seem to get yourself out of its metal grip! With expert precision that only a robot can mange, it finds your pressure points – and releases all that tension from this Incredibly Bad Day. The ghost inside the robot is confused, distressed -- why is this human suddenly so relaxed? It only wants to murder. But the only illegal thing happening here is how good this massage makes you feel.
Maybe later you’ll walk down the street and get stopped by the ghost that possessed a balloon dispenser. Perhaps a ghost has possessed the friendly McCERES mascot, and is now handing out coupons with murderous intent. And of course, there are always the hug bots...
Look, they tried really hard, okay.
Of course... they might end up possessing technology a little closer to home as well, at which point it's not so funny.
BONUS [ xxxx ] Hopefully you have friends who have ghost-fighting skills. Or ghost-taming skills. Or ghost-bellydancing skills, who knows, we won't judge them if you don't. But what of those poor people who come from worlds where the supernatural is some weird television show?
Worry not, poor souls, for CERES is here to provide! Some time after the ruckus begins, characters will find what looks to be a hand-held vacuum cleaner situated innocuously in their rooms (only one per person, you greedy gus). The logo on the side will helpfully inform you that this is of CERES make, because the paper pamphlet beside your new device? Well, it's more like a picture book. Observe Stick-Man Sully as he uses his vacuum cleaner to capture ghosts! Learn from his stellar example! Do not stick the hose in your mouth or attempt to give the vacuum CPR, there's a big X over that picture. Also of the one where Stick-Man Sully sets his captive ghosts free once more, we don't want that, do we?
Your new ghost vacuum should prove effective against any ghastly ghoul that shoots your way, but beware! Should you capture a ghost and not turn in your vacuum to CERES for weekly ghost disposal, your ghost will serenade you in the wee hours of the morning with its song of choice. If you capture a whole horde of ghosts, well, congratulations. You have a boy band living in your vacuum.
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the log. ] |
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[ the sound of screeching metal is enough to wake steven up from sleep, with a careful poke ball in hand. beldum, being petrified of anything potentially dangerous in its young age, is absent from his side when he steps outside, instead nestled safely in its own ball. this wasn't the time for casual companionship - right now, steven means business.
he sends out skarmory first, in order to get some height and survey the area. from up above, he can see the gaping hole in the wall and the shadows spewing out of it. he's not sure what it is or what it could mean, but his intuition gives him a horrible, sinking feeling.
it's then they're attacked from the air - it's a sudden shove that almost pushes him off of skarmory's back, but they manage to stand their ground. it's then that they land, and the ghost that attacked them seems to follow. he catches wind of what they're whispering... "murderers"? what on earth could that mean? ]
...It seems that we have no choice. [ he takes a breath. ] Skarmory, Night Slash!
[ and so the battle begins. will you fight by his side, or stop him? ]
phase ii.
[ with the ghosts taken care of (for now), skarmory has been recalled. beldum is out once again in hopes to do its best to support its trainer, despite his warnings that it was too dangerous for the young steel-type. things finally seem to be relatively peaceful, until steven hears a voice.
"hey, over here!"
when he turns, a young girl seemingly stands before him. it takes him aback, and it doesn't occur to him that this could even be an illusion. that's definitely his successor, and she's here. ]
...May?
[ “I need your help. Come on!”
and so he follows, without a word. as his vision blurs to nothing but her, his memories of what happened back in hoenn begin to flood back into his conscience. he really had put too much on her shoulders... she was so young, and he had made her shoulder the burden of saving the world, twice. he hadn't been strong enough to take it on himself, even though it was his duty to protect hoenn. he could only support her back then, and he wouldn't let that happen again. if she needed him for something, he'd take full responsibility.
he doesn't notice it, but beldum is frantically pushing into his chest, trying to stop him from moving forward? why? well, the fact that he seems to be walking towards the monorail tracks in a zombie-like trance is probably a good indicator. an even greater one is the fact that the sound of an oncoming train is getting closer by the second. beldum is panicking now, chirping and squeaking out of fear and inability to stop its trainer. its telepathy and telekinesis are too weak to stop him physically, so its only chance is through getting someone else's attention to save him. if you're near, you'll see a creature float quickly towards you to get your attention, maybe flying behind you to push towards where it wants you to go. someone, anyone needs to help its trainer before it's too late. ]
phase iii.
[ it's a couple of days later, and now he's scared. it may not show outright on his expression, but those ghosts had gotten into his head and almost got him killed. he's trying his best to mask it under a stern demeanour, but a closer look will tell you that he's shaken up. he hasn't slept well at all, and it shows.
but staying cooped up in his apartment would be a cowardly act, especially if there are people who might need help. so he ventures out to get the necessities he needs, with cradily walking by his side for protection. she's on high alert for her trainer, having been briefed about the dangers of what's been going on. whether a ghost approaches him on its own or he's noticed that your character is under attack or needs help, he'll be springing into action without hesitation. ]
Cradily, Sludge Wave!
[ the sea lily obeys, but the attack seems to phase through the specter. instead, it bypasses the pokemon, flies over to steven, and tilts his chin up gently with one of its misty tendrils. once it makes contact it leaves without a trace, which would probably be a relief... except for the effect that it's hand on him.
instead of looking tired, his eyes have gone wide in utter terror. his hands move to cover his mouth, his breathing becoming laboured and panicked as he drops to his knees and hunches over. he's not screaming, no, but he looks absolutely petrified - an odd thing for him to be, especially after that previous act of bravery. left to his own devices, he'll be unable to do anything but breathe heavy in an attempt to regulate his panic. it feels as if that fear that he was repressing is manifesting itself in a pain in his chest, leaving him virtually incapacitated.
maybe that wouldn't be so much of a problem if there weren't more ghosts approaching, with cradily at a loss from having no orders to follow from her trainer. ]
phase iii;
It's by sheer chance that she runs into Steven and his... plant, and she only has a few seconds to notice that he's hunched over before she takes action. She can ask questions later. For now... ]
Kazfiel-- heal him, please!
[ The demon with her nods, turning towards Steven's huddled form as his hands begin to glow with a pale green light. Any injuries, at least, should disappear.
And on her end, Otome narrows her eyes, calling on one of her own spells. A sound like lightning cracks from the purple-white light descending on the ghosts, and once it strikes, everything goes blinding white. ]
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the sound of her next spell feels muted to his ears, but the flash startles him almost to the point of yelling out. but he manages to swallow it down with the lump in his throat, trying to focus on his laboured breathing. ]
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Are you all right? I'm sorry if I startled you...
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but before the pokemon has a chance to attack her, steven manages to stutter something out. ]
Cradily, don't! [ it's louder than he intended, having to force it out in order to say anything at all. ] She... She's a friend.
[ at the command, cradily shifts back to give otome the room she needs. he's still breathing heavily, his head still hanging down and hands clutching at his chest. from the way he's reacting, the symptoms seem not unlike a panic attack. ]
It did... something.
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It... [ Once it's safe enough to come closer, she does, studying him with a thoughtful air before she slowly extends her hand to him. Before he hyperventilates-- ]
Can you take my hand? You're also going to want to take deep, slow breaths. Try holding each breath and exhaling, to the count of seven.
[ Calming him comes first. ]
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ii arceus you loser
his senses were sharp, and the feathers of his ears flick as the train's horn bellows out in the distance— that also wasn't the only thing he picked up, catching sight of the frantic beldum before it even makes its way over. the weasel yaps, a sharp sound to get his trainer's attention before their visitor was upon them. silver tenses, of course, but soon enough, his guarded stances falters into surprise when the small steel type floats its way to him with squeaks and chatters. ]
You're— [ you're steven's. weavile makes another sound to snap beldum's attention to him, a fast lead in their language that'll have silver following without another moments notice in the form of a run. because this didn't feel like good news, at all. he better not have gotten into anything—
and before silver can finish that thought, his run turns into a full-out sprint, catching sight of steven dragging his paces out and towards the middle of a monorail track, the faint flicker of a headlight growing into a sphere as it gets closer, and the wailing sound of its whistle warning them of its arrival. he doesn't think he could get to him in time, and with a sharp yell— ]
Weavile!
[ the weasel displays his speed in a matter of milliseconds, a flashing blur of black and red that appears behind steven in a fuzz of afterimages until weavile lands his legs to the ground, hooks his claws on both sides of the champion's waist and lashes backwards with enough force to throw him back to the ground, with strength that's a little bit unmeasured ( he still has to get used to the boost ). the train rolls past at that very moment, chugs of sound and vibrating metal ringing in their ears, bringing wind with its momentum as it continues on. silver is able to finally get there, kneeling down and— harshly— grabbing for a fist full of steven's clothes between his collar and his shoulder.
he doesn't know how to be gentle, or caring— he just knows that that was very unlike steven and— for some reason he had to do something, voice cracking as a scold rumbles in his throat and erupts with voice. ]
Steven?! What the hell were you thinking?!
[ DON'T MAKE HIM SLAP YOU ]
THIS IS WHY GHOSTS ARE NOT HIS THING
but all of that is suddenly broken when he hits the ground, thrown back by... something pulling him by the waist. the impact is what jolts him back to reality, his clouded-over eyes regaining their focus. he's not sure what to say or think, especially when he feels himself being pulled up by the collar. wait, he knows that voice... ]
...Silver? [ and beldum, apparently, who is burying itself between them into his chest, making distressed, almost weeping noises. and is that a weaville? but he just saw... ]
Where is she...?
[ his voice sounds confused and out of focus, like he's still waking up from some sort of deep hypnosis. ]
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[ he probably won't slap him, or outright punch him— but his grip against steven still remains firm and bundled, and briefly, he gives him a shove, meant to shake him up as he lifts himself off the ground.
yes, that is a weavile, and he's looking at steven with a little less harshness and more confusion than silver. ]
Snap out of it. You almost killed yourself.
[ tone serious and demanding, but at the same time— he's piecing things together here. that's all he says before he hesitates, and— offers his hand to him. yeah you better grab that before he changes his mind. ]
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holy shit. holy shit.
his face goes pale at his words when he begins to realize exactly what happened, a hand moving to cover his mouth as he processes the shock. silver isn't mincing his words - whether he was aware of it or not, he almost died. ]
I didn't...
[ his voice is hesitant and frail - a large leap from his usual confident speech. it takes him a moment, but he takes silver's hand to lift himself back up. when he's back standing, his breathing is a little heavier as he tries to calm himself down. he isn't quite sure what he can say. ]
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he almost died and that was scarier than silver would like to admit— it looked like steven didn't even know what he was doing. and what if he hadn't gotten to him in time? he would have— seen something gruesome and traumatic, that right now he doesn't even want to think about. it didn't happen. they were here now.
silver has to take a moment of quiet to put himself back together, calm his own breathing, and his own mind, because he could carelessly snap at steven again if he wasn't careful, and it's noticeable that he blurted out of anger and worry, that he wasn't gentle and didn't choose the right way to go about it. weavile takes steps back to silver, looking up at him and giving a short nya to get his attention, cocking his head sideways.
right— weavile was right. ]
—Hey. [ voice still firm, an underlying shake in it that's camouflaged, too subtle to take note of unless one had deathly good hearing ( like weavile, for example, where his ear-feathers flick ).
he's already starting to feel a bit— well, the feeling that pulls in his chest isn't a good one. was it remorse? gah— ]
Look, I—. . . Sorry, alright?
[ it's quiet, but it's an apology that's as sincere as he could make it, his limitations aside. ]
—You aren't like that. Get yourself up.
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II
Wait... [Something pings at her memory when the pokemon flies around her frantically. If it's not one of the spirits, then... grimly, Korra follows the pokemon. To her horror, she sees her friend right in the path of the train, and breaks into a run.]
Steven!! Look out!!
[Drawing from whatever energy she has left, Korra puts on an extra burst of speed and tackles Steven to the ground, rolling them out of the way of the incoming train.]
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the pain of being brought to the ground makes him grunt a little, but he's relatively unscathed (especially considering what else could have happened). his head is pounding, with the sound of beldum's distressed, concerned chirps echoing through his head. ]
...?
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Steven?
[She looks at him uncertainly, hoping that whatever was affecting him before is gone now.]
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...Korra? [ why are they on the ground? why is beldum close to wailing? ] What happened?
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I think your pokemon tried to stop you, but you probably didn't even notice him. [It would explain why beldum had come to Korra for help instead, at least. Korra leans in, looking him over again.] You didn't get hurt, did you?
i
On the other hand, she is impressed by this creature he controls.]
Murderer, though? [What did they mean?]
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but now isn't the time to make friendly - until these ghosts are out of the way, they'll have to focus. ]
They've all been saying that to us. I'm not sure what they mean, but we still have to drive them off. [ and to his metal bird: ] Whirlwind!
[ the creature obeys, bowing up a torrential gust that pushes the pursuing ghosts back and away, dissipating some of them into thin air. ]
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You are right. If they do not tell us where, we have no choice but to defend ourselves.
[Or he could handle it, she just stares for a moment before quickly looking around, in case the other spirits have caught up from behind.] That is an impressive feat! So something like the wind can drive them off...
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It's not optimal, but it's doing the trick. We just need to clear the area. [ he thinks for a moment, then another command: ] Metal Sound!
[ since both physical and non-damaging attacks seem to have the same effect, one more of the latter should do the trick. this command brings a loud, screeching noise from each beat of skarmory's wings, like harshly scraping metal. it would sound like nails against chalkboard for a bystanding listener, but steven seems unphased by it.
thankfully the ghosts seem to have the opposite reaction, fleeing the scene upon being exposed to the sound waves. when they've all disappeared, skarmory stops. ]
III
So what if she's just a kid. So what if she's just a failure, a disappointment, and destined to flub it up. She can't just stop doing what's right. Flicking on that vacuum, she braces herself with wobbly knees.]
Mister Steven. Please get up.
[She'll do what she can...]
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but someone stands in front of him, seeming to protect him... that can't be ema, can it? it isn't safe for her here, and yet he finds himself wanting to be protected by her. ]
...Ema?
[ he manages to whisper it out, trying his best to stave off the panic. it's then that cradily rushes to his side, offering her body as help for him to stand if he needs it. she can tell when her trainer is in danger, and if she can't help with her attacks, she can at least help him stay upright. ]
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[Ema shouts now, flicking on the vacuum and setting herself. She's angry, upset, frightened, and she's not backing down. Her future self wouldn't, even in the face of adversity, and she's not going to let this get in her way.]
Get ready to run. You're an adult, so don't just sit there! One I can deal with, but if more come? We're going to have a bad day.
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...Thank you.
[ his words are reluctant, but he takes a breath and runs, cradily beside him. he owes her more than he can express, but he'll have to talk to her about it later. ]
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Grr!]