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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OTA!
[It all starts out as a normal day for Larry. Groggily brushing his teeth over the bathroom sink, he's getting ready to pick up several Cybuddies that he has to petsit until evening. However, the ear-piercing screech of...something going on outside nearly makes him choke on his toothbrush! It goes clattering into the sink as he jerks it out of his mouth and staggers to his apartment door to figure out what the hell that was.
At first, Larry doesn't really notice anything wrong. He can't see the hole that the sound came from right away, nor can he sense the oncoming mass of spirits. He definitely sees people freaking out though...that's weird...
As he's trying to process his surroundings, that's when it hits him. Something rushes past with amazing speed, sending chantings of murder as it goes. It's followed by several more similar rushing shapes, and several more. Larry nearly falls over from shock, managing to grab onto his door handle for support. Okay, as much as he wants to just nope back inside, his experience with this place tells him it might not be that easy. So he turns to someone nearby who seems to actually be interacting with the murder wind.]
Hey! Heyyy! What the heck's goin' on here?!
II
[As terrifying as wandering around with ghosts around every corner is, Larry really does have his job to get to. He needs to keep it, it's the only way he's able to afford potential dates! So after cleaning up, he ventures out.
That was a mistake of course, because it doesn't take long for a particularly nasty ghost to prey on him. A mere couple blocks away from the residential district, he stops dead in his tracks when a voice calls out to him. Just hearing it sends a chill down his spine.
It's his own voice, and he's damn sure he didn't call out to himself.
But when he turns, Larry Butz is exactly who he sees. The likeness is incredible... Incredibly freaky, that is. It's like he's looking directly into a mirror that isn't there, only while Larry is extremely frightened by this turn of events, the other Larry seems on the verge of tears. The other Larry wants him to follow, and the worst part of all is he actually does end up following it, partially out of fear as to what it'll do if he doesn't, and partially out of morbid curiosity as to what the hell it is and why it looks so sad...
That was mistake #2, naturally. Eyes focused solely on the ghostly mirror image of himself, he doesn't notice that it's leading him straight toward a slight ledge that drops into oncoming traffic below.
Thiiis is a problem. Hopefully someone's nearby to notice this guy seemingly trying to walk himself to his doom.]
IV (post-III)
[You'd think after that horrifying fiasco, Larry would want to just go lock himself in his apartment for the rest of the day. And...you'd be right, that's exactly what he's planning to do now that he's managed to pick up the Cybuddies he's watching today.
However, the ghosts don't intend to make his trip home any less awful. First, a particularly creepy ghost decides to just pop out and touch him, nearly making him faint from fright. Then, it turns out not even the Cybuddies he's watching after are safe from the vengeful spirits. Said spirits dive right into the robotic animals and set their sights on Larry.
These two things combined lead to...well, for anyone passing by, it looks like Larry has been pinned down by two of the cutest Pomeranian Cybuddies as they aggressively and lovingly(...?) lick his face. Larry, meanwhile, is screaming in terror and is too paralyzed by fear to just...push them off of him.]
H-HELP! HELP ME! THEY'RE GONNA KILL MEEEEE!!
[Oh boy.]
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[Choose your own adventure? It's sure to be a hot mess with Larry involved.]
IV
just some dude playing with dogs??? ]
What the hell...
Oi, puppy-guy, where'd they go?! [ Obviously the attackers ran, right? ]
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Well, beggars can't be choosers, he guesses. So he flails from under the aggressively affection dogs, motioning at them as best as he can.]
They didn't go anywhere! They're right here!! I can't move and I think they wanna go for my throat!!
[If he means by licking it, maybe... He doesn't seem to be in any real danger, but he's acting like he's about to get mauled.]
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--Wait, WHAT?!
THAT'S who you're screamin' about?! Get real!
[ What a total wuss!! ]
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[He's the most real. Real, as in he really is crying about this now because apparently cute robot dogs are suddenly the most terrifying thing in the world to him.]
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W-Wait, are you cryin' now? Don't cry! Please don't. [ Everything is terrible. ]
I'll help you... shit...
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[That is the opposite of not crying, Larry. But to his credit, he's actually trying to hold back the waterworks.]
C-Could you please just get 'em off me?
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ii
[ This more-than-a-little-irritated-and-alarmed voice comes from Yang, who isn't even bothering to be gentle when she wraps her arms around Larry's waist to haul him back. Seriously-- ]
What's up with all you people and trying to do stupid things today?!
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[He could barely even hear Yang's muffled voice due to his trance-like state, so he certainly wasn't expecting to be grabbed either. It's a really good thing she saw him though, because he was only a few steps away from certain doom.
Yang's yanking him back also in a way yanks him out of that trance, and the world around him starts to slowly return to his vision. Momentarily dumbstruck as he adjusts, he shakes his head to regain his senses, gawking all the while.]
H-Huh? What's going on? Yang?
[Then he remembers-
Frantically, he looks past Yang to the ledge he was walking toward. The mirror-Larry is nowhere to be seen.]
That was...weird...
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[ Yang huffs, releasing him and brushing off her palms. She can sound disgruntled now-- he's still alive. ]
I don't mind if you feel like taking a walk, but could you do it a little more carefully?
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Hey, it wasn't what it looked like! I...someone needed me for something so I was following 'em.
[He can't bring himself to say that he needed himself, because that would sound ridiculously crazy.]
But my vision got all blurry and I couldn't really see what was ahead 'cept for that person.
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[ Things sure like luring them to their deaths here... ]
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I guess, yeah. I really owe ya one for noticing me there, Yang...I'd be a Butz Pancake otherwise!
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i
[Sorry Larry, Tenka's instinctual response is to just yell right back at you. See how you like it!!
But then the question registers and he blinks, frowning. He'd just wandered out here in his wheelchair to look for much of the same answers. Given the malignant energy int he air, he shivers and naturally assumes the worst with Cerealia.]
From what I'm getting, this place is acting up again. Think I saw a few spirits fly by -- it's not the first time here.
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Larry's about to actually shout back something similar, but then Tenka actually gives a pretty solid answer so he all but forgets the mocking pretty quickly.]
Spirits? Like...legit ghosts? We have those?
[This is news to him! It's news he doesn't like one bit.]
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Buddy.... how long have you been here? Are you new?
Well -- If you are, it's a pretty regular occurrence and has been for as long as I've been here. Know anyone with any spiritual powers?
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[Apparently he's tried to block a certain phantom Santa from his memories.
As for Tenka's question, Larry nods slowly in response to it.]
Yeah, actually. I know a couple girls from home who can channel spirits. I guess I didn't expect to hear about any outside of what they can do, though...
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[He's not too pleased with it, jeeze.]
.... wait -- do you know the same girls as Phoenix-kun? Or are there even more spirit channeler people here?! Jeeze, I thought two was a lot....
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[Never-ending, sometimes...it totally makes sense, okay?]
You know Nick? Dang, he's really getting around! [Okay that's beside the point...] Those are the same girls I'm talkin' about, yeah. I'm guessing he's brought 'em up too?
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IV
[...]
[. . .]
[Of all the attacks Iris had pictured in her mind when she heard the cry...puppies was certainly not one of them. Though she did allow a moment's pause to determine whether or not they were actually hurting him. Just in case.]
I don't think that's what they had in mind.
[A weak smile appeared. Given everything, it felt like such a relief to be able to smile at something. Slowly, she knelt down, trying to meet both Larry and the Cybuddies at eye level.]
I think...they just want to play.
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[He's trying not to burst into tears in front of Iris, but it's so hard. Meanwhile, the dogs have turned their attention to the newcomer, watching her and giving her the cutest looks ever. Larry just continues to lie there uselessly, unable to move due to the dogs being on top of him.]
A-Are you sure? 'cause they sure won't stop jumping and snapping at me!
[Licking = snapping now, apparently.]
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[Her eyes lowered, and she gestured to the Cybuddies. Extending a kind hand, as if she intended to pet them.]
Come here, boys. Come on.
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To lick, of course. There won't be any damage done here!
With the dogs off of him, Larry takes the opportunity to back faaar away. It pains him to have to back away from Iris, but those dogs, man!]
Th-Thanks, Iris! What would I have done without you to save me??
[Larry wishes he could say he's done the same, but...nope, he just feels pretty useless at the moment.]</small.
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See? They're perfectly harmless.
They only wanted to make friends.
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[Of course, if it is a trap, he's putting Iris in danger by accident...so you know, he'll just hope it's not a trap.]
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