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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But it's happened now, and Kashuu's pulling at her is overlaid with the memory of Hisoka doing much the same, pulling her from the edge and to safety, guiding her down the mountain, her arm never leaving Yuri's shoulders.] ...Okay.
[Her voice sounds impossibly small to her ears and she hates it. She feels numb and small-- if there was an emergency, she knows she can jump into action and snap out of it without another thought (she's done it before, after all) but in the absence of an emergency there's nothing for her to latch onto.
By the time they get inside the building, Yuri's managed to calm down a little more, though she's still feeling like her head is full of fluff and like she can't quite process much. Mostly she can't process that Kashuu seems to be handling this much better than she is at the moment, though she suspects trying to take care of her has something to do with it. It's easier when you have another task to focus on after all.
...Talk, he said, but she just looks at him for a long moment, not sure where to even begin when all she wants is to apologize again.]
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In the silence that follows, he searches for something decent to say, because there are a lot of things that could be spoken but none of them sound good enough. So instead of diving into the emotional aspect immediately, he shifts his weight to the opposite foot and starts off with something more neutral first.]
Are you feeling okay now? D'you remember why you went out there? With all these spirits around, something probably went wrong, yeah? That's probably why you can't control that, either.
[That power, he means - he doesn't know if it has a name or what it's called, but it's only a brief and fleeting mention anyway, like a term in a status report.]
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I saw Hisoka, or at least what I thought was her. She asked me to do something for her, and I followed her up here. When I was standing there though, I knew it couldn't have been her, because... [Yuri glances at Kashuu and then away again, feeling awkward. They both saw what Hisoka had done the last time Yuri had been in that kind of predicament.] ...Because she wouldn't put me in that kind of position after saving me from it once before.
['that' he says, and Yuri automatically corrects him] Mitori. Glancing. [Whatever you wanted to call it.] It's... It's not supposed to work that way. I mean, [She shakes her head, a bit frustrated] it does. Seeing memories, thoughts, things like that... But I can control it. It's supposed to be used on...the dying. Or the dead. Not like this.
[OKAY WELL Kashuu was a spirit so he wasn't...technically... alive?? Maybe??? Whatever.]
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For now, though, it seems fine. Maybe not perfect, but fine. He glances back out toward the bridge, brow furrowing briefly, displeasure plain on his face. He can empathize with lost and angry spirits, but that doesn't mean he'll excuse them for trying to harm the living.]
...I didn't mean to see that, either. [Since he told her not to apologize, he doesn't either, but there's still an unspoken "I'm sorry" there.] I figured that might've been who it was. You shouldn't have to worry about things like that being used against you.
[Rude shit ghosts, competing with CERES for the asshat award... As for that new information, he repeats the word back carefully - a single:] Mitori. [Followed by a nod, and then a discomforted pause before he admits something he normally wouldn't say aloud.]
Maybe it just worked on me 'cause I'm kinda close to death, I guess. [little dead riverbed spirit things.] ...But do the people whose thoughts and memories you see usually see yours, too? Or is that all messed up? [Just how haywire have her abilities gone?]
you didn't see that fuck up
She glances to him as he speaks.'Close to death'... The image of Kashuu clutching his throat, blood pooling between his fingers, comes to mind and she glances away again.] ...Maybe. But no, usually it only works one way. There's only been one or two others in my world that could use it back against me.
[Like Miu, but that had been pulling out things a little worse than her first suicide attempt. And then the spirit Ouse... Yuri involuntarily shudders and takes a deep breath.] Kashuu-san. [Overly polite, a way to create distance, maybe, since she knows what she's going to ask might be painful. She also knows she has no right to ask, but--]
About what I saw... Are you--? [She touches at her neck without thinking, brow furrowed in concern.] Are you alright? I don't really understand everything I saw, but... [She can hazard a guess. He was a sword spirit, right? And the tip had been broken...]
when html picks betray
Only two others, huh? So it's definitely gone wrong. It's probably 'cause of these guys too, right? [Spirits, please... Kashuu's empathy is pretty vast but it can only cover so much when these particular spirits are intentionally creating a bone to pick with all of them.] That seems like a scary thing to have backfire like that. [And he's referring to her home, but there's another, milder apology there, too.
As for her question, he doesn't seem to take offense or to find it prying, though his expression is a little more distant.]
...Eh, well - it's nothing you can't read in a history book. ["If you don't know the history well, that's fine!" He said it so lightly earlier, but the sentiment beneath those words had been heavy.] Okita Souji's sword broke during the raid on Ikedaya Inn, right? [He's read it himself, when he'd been looking to see what happened to Okita in the end. Okita's sword broke at the inn and was deemed irreparable.
A sloping shrug follows.]
That stuff happened a long time ago for me, so it's fine. [A beat, and then:] But thanks for asking. You're a nice person, Yuri.
how could this happen to meeee i made my mistaaakkees
[But she listens carefully, surprised despite herself. Okita Souji? She's met one of those (one of just how many in this city...) and she can't imagine the man in front of her having anything to do with the Okia Souji she met.
Broke, he said and she can't imagine how that can be. Well ,she can--she saw it, the broken sword, with her own two eyes. But he was here in front of her, right? Yuri reaches out with her free hand to touch at Kashuu's neck where she saw his hands before, just brushing with her finger tips. In her mind's eye, she can still see the blood and she swallows hard.] I'm... sorry. I know that's stupid to say, but I...
[You're a nice person, Yuri and she shakes her head. She doesn't think it's niceness. Wouldn't anyone worry?] What happened? After, I mean.
html is gunning for u hard today lord
D'you see things like that a lot, 'cause of the spirits?
[The bad spirits that she's around so often, that is...
And then she touches his neck, and he tenses up reflexively despite the fact that there isn't even a hint of that gash there now. At the same time, though, he doesn't back away or try to get rid of her hand. He doesn't feel alarmed or like he needs to be on his guard, after all, and he's not supposed to be that affected by his past anyway.]
It's not stupid. [First and foremost, and he seems very sincere about that. It's a sad thing, that she's felt she needs to apologize so much to him in such a short span of time. As for her question - it's not exactly emblazoned into history books for bored teenagers to read in the same way the break itself is, but he'll answer regardless, after a pause.]
I was still around for a while 'cause that guy wanted to fix me. [In a state of heavy damage, which had been far from pleasant. His voice is soft.] But when he got better and took me to the smithy, they said it'd be impossible, so I got left at the shop. [To be scrapped, but he leaves that unsaid since he figures it's the obvious conclusion to draw.]
And then after a while, Haruji summoned me. He's been able to summon a lot of us who were broken or lost - I think the important part is that something stuck around that he could still grab, y'know?
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[Left at the shop-- Her brow furrows, a flash of indignant anger on his behalf.] That's terrible. [logically she knows it isn't. They were swords, inanimate objects. When they break and can't be used, you throw them away.
But Kashuu wasn't just a sword. He was here in front of her, flesh and blood (so much blood, dammit--) and real and she can't imagine what it must have felt like to be tossed away like that after what was undoubtedly years of loyal service. The pads of her fingers touch at his throat briefly, before sliding down and away to drop at her side again.]
I understand, now, why he means so much to you. I'm so sorry that happened to you. You didn't deserve that, it's not right. I... [Yuri isn't much for being tactile. She doesn't do hugs or holding hands or anything like that. Her brow furrows again, uncertain and she opens her mouth to ask--Do you want a hug?-- before realizing that'd be even more awkward.
So instead she steps closer and throws her arms around him before she can second-guess herself even more.]
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That sounds scary. [He says it plainly, honestly. What she does sounds terrifying. He's searching for more to say, but he trips over his words before they even leave his mouth. This situation is bizarre and strange and far too personal, but it's not like either of them can do anything about it now, and he thinks that it might not be so bad, maybe.
It's nice to have someone say "you didn't deserve that", anyway. It's nice for someone else to understand how much Haru means to him, and why.]
...I think I understand a little, too. [The same thing - why Hisoka is so important.
Kashuu is still an extremely tactile existence in the end though, so he's grateful for the hug, and there's only a brief pause before he raises his arms and returns it. He's silent, but there's an unspoken gratitude present; he's grateful for her words, and for the hug, and for the fact that if anyone had to see that awful memory, it wasn't a bad person. There's also some unspoken empathy, since he can't understand being willing to leave the living, but he understands loneliness and the importance of knowing at least one person who can be a tether or support.]
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Horror game protag life is no joke.] But it helps. It helps them, I mean. It.. purifies them, I guess, and helps put them to rest. So... it's fine, that it's scary. It's fine that it hurts, because it's helping.
[She holds onto him for a few seconds before she slowly pulls away, looking at him carefully, trying to see if everything's okay now. Or, well, as okay as things can be after that weird experience. She tries to smile, partly reassuring, partly hopeful. 'It's going to be okay,' she almost says, but she doesn't get the words out, the mitori ability acting up again.
They're in the cafe this time, Yuri sitting at a small table as Hisoka puts a cup of coffee in front of her. She watches with a reassuring smile as Yuri lifts it to her mouth and takes a sip, pausing for a short moment.
"...It's nice and warm," Yuri murmurs, staring into the cup like she's never seen anything like it before, like somehow the tiny cup holds all the answers. She looks at Hisoka, a realization on her face. "It's such a little thing, but I've never really noticed... just how much of a difference a little warmth can make."
Warmth from the coffee. Warmth from human kindness she hasn't felt in so long (months? A year or more? She's lost track of time).
She looks away and Hisoka waits patiently, quietly, for Yuri to continue. After a moment, she does. "I wanted to jump." There's no use denying that. "But, now..." She tilts her head, then looks at Hisoka. "Can I please stay here, just for a while?" Her gaze goes back down to the cup which she lifts to her mouth again. "This... This is just what I need... Right now." Warmth.
Hisoka smiles, a hand going to Yuri's shoulder. "Of course," she says, voice gentle. "Stay as long as you like."
Yuri closes her eyes, feeling the warmth seep through her fingers, down to her bones.
In the present the memory breaks and Yuri blinks a few times to clear her head before her face twists in an expression of embarrassment and she tries to pull away.] Touching for any length of time doesn't seem to be a good idea...
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But he's not. There's hardly a dishonest bone in his body, as much as he likes to dance around topics that upset him or ignore his problems. He can't get his body language or his expressions to listen; they speak everything for him, even when he keeps his mouth shut. So as that new memory plays out in front of him like a record-reel, there's - surprise, first - (twice, they really don't have any luck with this at all) and then relief, because the scene is nothing like the first memory had been. It isn't vast and empty and lonely. It's small, cozy, warm, and his face reflects that warmth back. By the time the memory dissipates, his smile is bright.]
She's good for you. [It's a single, simple statement before he drops his arms and lets her step back.]
But I guess if that's the way things are gonna be while these spirits are here, we probably shouldn't do that again. [There's a quiet beat after that, though, and then:] Hey... Your important person's not here yet, right? And it's not like you have to do the same things here that you did as a priestess either, but-- if you need to talk to someone, you can come find me, okay? I'll do my best.
[He's learning how to communicate emotionally with humans step by tiny step, and this seems like an appropriate offer to make, anyway. Now that he's seen what he's seen, he can't possibly leave her alone.]
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[She begins to refuse automatically, but after a moment her expression softens, the corner of her mouth twitching in the hint of a smile.]
...Alright. I understand. But, Kashuu-san, the same goes for you, you know. I can't do much, but I can listen pretty well. And, I'll... make you coffee sometime.
[It's a clumsy sort of offer, but making coffee for someone, for Yuri, was never just about the coffee itself.]
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Thanks! I'll look forward to it. [It might be a little harder to open up - he has a feeling the same could be said for her - but it's still nice to have the offer. It's nice to know someone is there if someone is needed.
That said:] Eh... Well, after these guys leave, anyway. I couldn't even get the front door to work, so something would probably go way wrong if anyone tried to make coffee while they're still around.
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Do you think this will last long...?
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I don't think it will, but I wasn't around the first time these guys showed up. CERES isn't really fast about cleaning up their problems, either... You could ask Sousei if you want a better guess since that guy's been here through a ton of stuff.
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[Yuri pauses a moment and sighs deeply.] I wish there was an easier way to get all this information... I feel like I'm falling behind and I've barely started. A guide, or something.
[CERES for Dummies or something.] Sousei... I'll look him up, thank you. Do we have an official leader-type for all of us that aren't originally with CERES?
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Uhh... I don't think so, really. A lot of us agree on the same things, like CERES being responsible for stuff, but I'm not sure we'd get to a point where we could pick one leader, y'know? There are just some people who've been around way longer than others, so they know more. Sousei's like that, plus he's super reliable and smart, so he's a good person to go to.
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Or something like that.
In the end Yuri releases a slow breath and rolls her shoulders, feeling like the more questions she asks, the more questions she ends up having.] We should probably head out... Home, or something. It probably isn't wise to stay to in one place for too long, in case they find us again.
['They' being the ghosts, of course.]
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...Yeah, let's get out of here. [And then, after a second of consideration:] Hey, if you don't wanna stay alone while all of this stuff is happening, you could come stay at our apartments.
[The more the merrier or something, right?]
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I, ah... I don't want to impose. [She has to be polite and refuse first, even if she's curious and wouldn't really mind.] "Our"?
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It's fine! Our place is pretty safe right now 'cause Haruji can make barriers and stuff. [Granted, his powers are going a little haywire at the moment...]
All of us stay in three apartments together, two to a room. Us swords, I mean - and Haruji! Also some other people. [It's a zoo.]
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It sounds rather crowded though. Are you sure it'd be okay to just invite me over? I don't want to take up any more space that could be used for someone or something else. [She just really needs to make sure it's okay, okay? The last thing she wants is Kashuu getting in trouble or something for dragging strange girls home.
Though, for all Yuri knows, maybe he does that a lot.............]
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As for her concerns:]
Like I said, it's totally fine! People visit all the time and everyone's always bringing their friends over. Most of us are out scouting right now anyway so there's a lot more room than usual.
[WHAT KIND OF SWORD DOES SHE THINK HE IS, THOUGH.]