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. ] |
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ota
Come! Susano-o!!
[ He's being chased. They're getting closer. And right now, when he really needs some sort of defense to get him through this? Nothing. Sure, there's a flash, and there's that rising sensation that comes when this should be working, but... nothing happens. Susano-o does not appear. And this is the second time this has happened. ]
Damn, what the hell, why isn't-- Whoa!
[ He's cut off when a ghastly hand claws at his face from around the corner, but his reflexes are quick enough that he manages to leap back, out of reach. He stills. That the hand was there at all just means that in addition to the ghosts already behind him, well... now there are more in front of him. ]
Man... What gives with all of these...?
[ His voice shakes with uncertainty, but he can't let it stop him. He steels himself, and he tries one more time, calling out to his Persona with every single ounce of desperation in his heart. Just one magarudyne, please, maybe more later, but for right now, just one...!
And Susano-o appears! But the wind does not. Only a showering of healing energy. ... That Yosuke didn't need at the moment. ... And then he's gone. again. ]
Argh!! Are you serious?!
[ And all the while, those things keep gaining on him... ]
► Phase III
[ Things are pretty rough. Yosuke's realized that calling on Susano-o only has about a fifty-fifty shot of actually working out for him, and to top it all off, it's starting to look like nowhere is safe. He's determined to find his friends, acquaintances... anyone at all that he knows. He has to know they're safe, they're okay, they're weathering this with minimal damage... something. Anything.
But, to make matters worse, apparently some of them are showing up with no warning. And Yosuke's unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of that.
He all but screams as the thing materializes in front of him, reaches out and brushes the barest of touches over his shoulder. Before Yosuke can do anything about it, it's gone again, but the sensation of stabbing cold strikes through him, the corners of his vision start to blur and cross...
... Then, nothing. Yosuke is still, staring around him with a slightly glazed-over expression. He looks haunted. The thing may be gone, but as far as he's concerned, it doesn't matter. There's nothing to be done, nowhere to go. No hope. Nothing. And this downward spiral of thought just keeps dragging him down, until he can't even stand anymore, and he uselessly drops to his knees in the middle of the street.
What else do you do when you're sure there's no end to this? ]
► Phase IV
[ Oh my God this whole thing has been a rollercoaster already, what the hell else could possibly go wrong?!
... Funny Yosuke should be thinking along those lines, because like the cursed words those are, of course something else is going to go wrong.
Namely, a hugbot.
This poor little thing has gotten itself possessed and lost, and it's chasing down anyone it can find with this insatiable, murderous intention to hug the crap out of anyone!! And it's hot on Yosuke's trail. ]
Get the hell away from me!!!
[ He practically squeaks as he yells that over his shoulder. You'd think the thing wants to kill him... (maybe he thinks it really is gonna kill him. Or maybe he just hates hugs that much.
spoilers: nah he just pretends he does) ]► Wildcard
(( Hit me with whatever you like! ))
iv
C'mon, kiddo, just hit the damn thing!
[This counts as helping, right.]
no subject
And if the ghost pops out after I do that?! My abilities aren't working like they should!
no subject
Hit the ghost too?!
[But at least now Tenka will go ahead and move his wheelchair so that he'll be wheeling right alongside Yosuke. Closer to the action?!]
no subject
[ It's gaining on him! And now there's a dude wheeling right next to him, and Yosuke practically double-takes at him. ]
Seriously?! [ Beat. ] Okay, fine, you win! I'll do it!
[ And he skids to a halt, whirls around to face the hugbot, and punches it, square in the would-be-nose! It stumbles, stalls... but then it grabs him and pulls him in for the most aggressive hug ever. And Yosuke flails, trying to break himself free. ]
Rrrrgh, why does everything here like hugs so damn much?!
(no subject)
i'm trying not to giggle at work. Tenka is fantastic.
oh no you're too nice!! yosuke's so funny i just gotta keep up
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
phase iii;
[ Okay, so Yang missed like... all of that, except on her mad hunt to beat up ghosts, there's Yosuke on his knees-- which never means anything good, so she's jogging his way and kneeling in front of him. ]
Yosuke?? Are you okay?
no subject
[ He rubs at his eyes with one hand, tries to snap himself out of whatever this is he's feeling, because it's definitely a good thing that she's here. That they're both still in one piece. That whatever the hell that ghost was that was here a second ago is gone. Still, Yosuke can't shake that overwhelming sense of absolute dread.
He swallows, hard, lets his hand fall back to his side as he looks up at her. ]
I... I dunno. ... Does it matter?
no subject
no subject
[ He sighs, and it sounds far more weary than it should. ]
There's no end to this. Is there?
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
IV
You should know the drill by now, dude. [Hugs are the only way to probably make it stop.]
no subject
Can't it pick on someone else?!
[ He tries to swing a punch at it, but... well, it's a robot, so it's not exactly gonna flinch over something like that. It reaches for him, and he bolts out of the way, back toward Hiro. ]
Let's just get out of here!
no subject
You got a place in mind? I'm not going back out there without knowing exactly where we're going.
no subject
-- ah. First things first, the damn thing's caught up to him. And it just about knocks him over with the sheer aggressive force of hugging him from behind!! Yosuke wobbles in place, steadies... then just groans. ]
Why. Why am I huggable. Why.
[ .... Time to start flailing, trying to pry the thing off of him, while he answers! ]
My place? Or your place. [ He wrenches himself free from one arm! ] Ngh! Geez -- Somewhere we know like the backs of our hands, so nothing can sneak up on us. I think it'll give us a chance to regroup before we can figure out a plan.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
Phase I
Agidyne!
[What happens when a powerful fire spell's strength practically doubles? Explosions, that's what.
With an ear-splitting 'boom' and the impact of an artillery shell striking the pavement, a maximised Agidyne engulfed the pursuing ghosts behind Yosuke in roiling black flames that vanished as quickly as they appeared. Judging by the furious screams that rose up from the smoke cloud left behind, this attack succeeded in fending them off for the moment. A moment later, from the thick, billowing smoke that stank of burning cedar, Kazuya stumbled through, coughing into his sleeve and covered head to toe in what looked like soot, his eyes watering. Yeah, that's right, he got caught in the blast of his own attack. If he didn't have Anti-Most, he probably would've been dead! Or, very burned. Both unpleasant scenarios]
H-Holy shit, w-why did -cough!- t-that happen- o-oh! Hey! Ghost guy! A-Are you okay?! I didn't blow you up, did I?!
no subject
Yosuke was not expecting that at all, and the sheer impact of the spell is enough to have him practically diving out of the way as fast as his reflexes will let him!!
He hits the ground, covers his head like he's preparing for some sort of aftershock (can't be too careful!)... but it doesn't come. He hesitates, but he gets back up, fanning smoke away from his face and coughing through what he's already accidentally breathed in. And geez, his ears are still ringing a little...
Kazuya appears, and Yosuke squints at him, trying to figure out what the hell this guy's deal is. ... And then, he goes off. ]
What the hell! You did that?! You almost killed me, too!!
[ Augh, give him a second, he should calm down a little. ... Maybe. ]
no subject
Urgh, I didn't mean to... look, I'm sorry, I was just-
[He stopped abruptly, instantly becoming alert when those sinister whispers of 'murderersmurderersmurderers' began anew behind him. He leapt forward towards Yosuke, skidding to a halt in front of him as he whirled around to face the new threat, taking an obvious defensive posture, another fire spell prepped for use - even if he held off on instinctively launching it out there. More ghosts were coming, it seemed, and in greater numbers...]
Damn it, these guys just don't know when to quit. Dead people are meant to stay dead, assholes!
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
all this SMT-brand commentary is cracking me up just fyi XD
Eeeexcellent~ glad you're enjoying it!
I
And he was in danger!
No time to transform, not yet. She pounds the pavement, her shoes clapping against it, and in a whirl she appears at his side with an o-fuda in hand. Shoving a strand of beads at him, she starts holding that scroll up, a faint blue light enveloping it.]
Start chanting! And back up. Slowly!
no subject
For a fraction of a second, he's a little too baffled to do much other than back up. Thankfully, his drive kicks in, and he knows he needs to act. He starts chanting, as directed, and watches. Waits.
He'll try to figure out what the hell is up with his Persona when the dust clears. First things come first. ]
no subject
Her off hand grabs his and she continues stepping backward, moving around the corner.]
Okay. That won't hold them off...and I'm going to need you to trust me. I'll keep you safe, I swear it, just trust me and do not freak out.
[She gives him a warning look.]
Can you do that for me?
(no subject)
1/2
2/2
(no subject)
a million years later...
Phase I
Hey, you! Cover your eyes quickly!
no subject
[ Okay, that? Was not something he was expecting. His eyes go wide at the sudden kid on a tiger dropping down in front of him, and he's just about to ask what the heck is going on, but-- ]
Wh-- Okay??
[ He throws his arm up over his eyes and waits. What other choice does he have right this second, especially with Susano-o on the fritz? ]
no subject
Heh heh... I'm callin' that the Kageyama Flash! And for my next trick!
[He'll pat Byakko to turn away and start running away from the ghosts. In the process, Hiro will grab both of Yosuke's hands to drag him along.] Hop on! That distraction won't last long!
iii
[ Dammit! Of all the times to be too late! A thrill of pure terror runs through Yu as he bolts over to his friend's side. He's got Sraosha out - because that's the only Persona he's been able to call with any reliability. He tried calling Izanagi early on, but either it didn't work, or even when it did, Izanagi's abilities just didn't work, or even scarier, his Persona would seem to disobey him. Sraosha, strangely, seems to be willing to listen, still... though he's only got theories as to why.
But that's far from his mind right now as he skids to a stop at his friend's side, dropping to his own knees and reaching out to grip Yosuke's shoulder. He even looks scared. ]
What's wrong? What happened?
no subject
He finally looks to Yu, registers the fear in his partner's expression, and his own sense of dread just deepens. He ducks his head, eyes to the ground again. ]
That... thing. Did you see it? I-It was quick, but...
no subject
A ghost.
[ He doesn't need to have seen it to know what must have happened. ]
One of them got me too.
[ Though nothing had happened to him like what's going on with Yosuke right now. Yu leans in a little closer, trying to get a better look at his friend's face. ]
What are you feeling?