estoria | //EVENT023.EXE

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//EVENT023.EXE

Who: Everyone + ~~the ghosts of Christmas past~~ the ghosts who aren't the ghosts of Christmas past
When: OOC: 12/16 to 12/23 ; IC: 4/22 to 4/26
Where: All around Cerealia
What: We have some new friends visiting.
Rating/Warning: PG-13 for violent and dangerous situations; please let the mods know if the rating needs to go up or the log needs to be locked!

//event023.EXE

The metaphorical sun is shining today -- until it isn't. All of a sudden, there's a creeping sensation up your spine, and the sense that something bad is coming. The day seems a little darker. And those closer to the source who are in their homes in the residential district will understand that sensation better than anyone.

The pure of heart throughout the city who have been feeling under the weather lately will suddenly feel a terrible sense of all-encompassing dread overcome them. A loud metal groan will echo throughout the city as once again, the city undergoes surprise renovations. But today it is not what has been keeping the residents in – but rather some surprise visitors who have wanted out.

And there's a message on the wind, one that might be heard for anyone who listens hard enough...

Murderers.

Murderers.

Murderersmurderersmurderers.

//SCENARIOS.EXE

PHASE I

[ 900 ] 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. ]

//RUN.EXE

Welcome to Cerealia's DECEMBER event! Please visit the OOC information here, and should you have any questions, feel free to ask them here! You can also check the FAQ for more general inquiries. This event will last from 12/16 to 12/23, or IC 4/22 to 4/26. Should this event log hit Captcha, there is an all-purpose overflow here. Thank you!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Phase II: Stop! In the name of love! (This will have Sorey in it as well. Tag order will be you > Sorey > Mikleo)

[Most people will see Sorey running around like a madman trying to help anyone in trouble. Some will be able to perceive, or at least hear, Mikleo fighting at his side or keeping up with him. At one point, though, Sorey will shout, "Luzrov Rulay!" Those normal humans able to perceive Mikleo will hear the seraph shout those same words in perfect sync with him. Anyone unable to see the seraphim won't notice a change in Sorey, other than the fact that he can now control water and apparently is using an invisible bow that shoots magical blue light instead of arrows.

Those able to see and hear the seraphim will notice a radical change in Sorey. Not only has he physically changed, but his voice is now both his and Mikleo's overlapping each other. Sometimes, you'll even hear one or the other's voice separately, but Mikleo's voice won't be coming out of Sorey's mouth.

It's Mikleo who notices someone trying to step into speeding traffic or a monorail with a train incoming or any other dangerous situation like that.]

Sorey! Over there!

Phase III: The truth hurts.

[The water seraph has broken away from the rest of his friends for a moment. He's out searching for anyone in trouble, especially the friends he's made in the colony. Mikleo is putting a lot of trust in Edna, Alisha, and Lailah to keep Sorey safe in his absence. He promises himself it'll only be an hour of searching before rejoining them.

That's the plan until he's stopped by one of the ghosts. The hooded, tentacled thing reaches out and touches the seraph's hand. A wave of cold freezes him in place, though he stumbles as his vision skews weirdly. During that time, the ghost vanishes without a trace in search of its next victim. Mikleo puts a hand to his head and takes a moment to regain his composure.]

Okay...that's new.

[And terrifying, if his shaky voice is anything to go by.]

Phase IV: To tell the truth, though....

[Being choked every time he bends the truth even slightly? Awful. Trying to struggle out of the grip of one of those stupid hug bots or masseuse robots? Even worse. Granted, with how tense Mikleo is, he probably is in need of a really good massage, but this is too much.]

Would you leave me alone already?!

[HE DOESN'T WANT YOUR HUGS OR YOUR MASSAGES, ROBOTS!!!! Please, someone save him. Or the robots since he looks like he's about ready to drown them.]

Edited 2015-12-16 01:46 (UTC)

[Considering this punk is a spirit himself, he can probably see and hear Mikleo, BUT!! That's irrelevant for now, since he's approaching from behind the robot anyway like a true menace.]

Hey, you! Duck!!

[Hopefully the owner of that mysterious voice takes heed, since a blade will be piercing through the masseusebot's head soon after... Kashuu does, at least, make sure to aim high in case its poor captive doesn't duck in time. No one needs an accidental death here, okay.]

[Oh, he ducks. Mikleo also steps away once the masseuse robot releases its grip on him and falls from the sword to the head. The ghost escapes the metal body, but the water seraph sends a sharp icicle its way, summoned from the tip of his staff. It dissipates in bluish flame from the impact.

Sighing, Mikleo turns to his savior of the hour.]

Thanks for the help.

[Kashuu glances at the spot that the ghost had been before it was struck, brow furrowing briefly, but his attention swivels back to Mikleo soon enough and he nods once in response.]

Mmhm, no problem. You okay? That thing didn't rough you up too bad, yeah? They're pretty sturdy.

[These rude shit robots, not even folding when they're kicked in the head...]

OTA

iv!

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ii!

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IV

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iv!!

SAVE HIM FROM THE SINFULLY GOOD MASSAGE, SOREY

HE'S DOING HIS BEST ...

II I'm ruining ur nirvana, fight me

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ii; let's do this (get in.gif)

oh god edna no

phase ii

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