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 I

[Rock Lee may have been convinced to take it easy, given his current state of illness. But with those dark omens and horrible noises, Rock Lee cannot ignore the call to action. So he takes to the street, a container of cold medicine in one pocket of his flak jacket and wearing his blanket like a cape as he seeks out the source of this turmoil.

Finally, he finds the wall and he gasps as he sees the unearthly creatures pouring out from that hole.]

H- how could this be?!

[It won't be long before he tries to punch ghosts.]

Phase II

[ooc note: I'd prefer a minimal amount of responders for this phase to minimalize repetitive threads. But Lee can also be free to come across your character in this situation!]

[Rock Lee had been running back and forth, fighting his symptoms while trying to find a way to save everyone he came across. But then, he saw a sight that stopped him dead in his tracks.

Neji. His lost friend, his eternal rival. The one ghost he had hoped to find here... Lee was ready to do anything to help him. "I need you to do something for me." Yes, of course, everything. Lee could not save him in the end, after all.

All the youthful mirth faded from his face as his expression grew more mournful and stoic. Lee balled his fists in determination as he stepped forward, no matter how much his illness was wearing on him. He focused his attention entirely on Neji and staggered to keep on following him. For so many years, he has been pursuing Neji in order to prove himself and overcome him. Even now he was following in his footsteps - but at this moment, all he wanted was for there to just be those footsteps for him to follow again.

And so Lee followed Neji without question into the dark. The darkness of the train tracks...]

I am coming... Please wait, Neji...

Phase III (Phase IV-oriented enemies also welcome)

[One minute, Lee was determined to keep on going and to keep on fighting against every last ghost, to his last breath.

Everything changes in an instant, when one of the touchy ghosts manages to strike Lee. The young man staggers over for a moment, and when he gets up? That brave, defiant look in his eyes is gone.

He looks around him, and the sight of all of the ghosts wreaking havoc simply make him seize with fear. Lee cannot bring himself to move a single muscle, even to fight. All he can find himself doing is running, and hiding... sometimes beneath the blanket that he still happens to be wearing as a cape.

If someone he knows is in trouble... Will he be able to stir himself into action at all?]

Wild Card

[Anything else in mind? Come at me!]

Lee--

[And there he goes, running right on by--but not to fight things, but rather... to run away? Ruby can't even begin to understand what's happening, so naturally...she follows.]

Wait, Lee, where are you going?

[He gives a worried look back towards Ruby as he runs.]

Ruby-san? I... I am seeking shelter!

These enemies... They are everywhere!

Oh, right, of course, you're--

[There's a long pause as she runs alongside him.

And then, flatly:]

You're what.

[SEEKING...SHELTER?]

I am running for my life, Ruby-san!! [He then freezes in his tracks as he spots a ghost on the horizon.

Immediately, he leaps onto the sidewalk and tries to take cover beneath his blanket.]

... This is way wrong, isn't it.

[That much is obvious to her. Lee punched out a giant monster with her, this is totally wrong.]

Um, I know this is going to sound ridiculous and all, but... are you...scared....?

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phase iii! ( but also iv )

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