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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Phase II
...nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOO DON'TYOUDAREYOUFUCKINGASSHOLE!!!
[OUT OF NOWHERE, HE APPEARS! KAZUYA! OLYMPIC SPRINTER- well, no, okay, perhaps not that fast, but he did seemingly appear out of nowhere at near inhuman speed, his shouting slurring into something unintelligible in its rapidity as he rugby tackled Minny to the ground with full force!
Saved. He saved you, Minny, though getting flattened on hard tarmac probably wasn't the most pleasant of experiences...]
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To say he was completely blind-sided by the rugby tackle is an understatement, as he's still stuck shaking his head after crashing into the ground and it takes five whole minutes for the fog in his head caused by faceplanting onto the sidewalk to clear.]
Ah...Kaz. [Even saying that much is straining, and Minato pauses to rub his head.] Did you have to do that?
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Where was that damn ghost, huh?? He'll make it feel sorry for nearly murdering his friend! And himself, he still hadn't caught that one either. Stupid, cheating ghosts...]
Yes, I did. [His words were curt, edged by something like a growl as he reluctantly gave up on spotting the ghost. It had already fled, or was invisible to him, or something unfair like that] You were going to walk into busy traffic. You know, fatally, since I'm pretty sure that you can't stand up to a speeding truck without becoming a jam smear on the tarmac.
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Sorry. [It's the only thing he can offer in response, sounding a little down about it as he can only imagine how Kaz must have felt seeing him nearly die again.] You're right, I could have died... [And he falls silent, not wanting to think about how close that had been.]
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[Kazuya dug his nails into Minny's chest - they felt far sharper than any human's had any right to be, but after a tense pause, the tension in his body eased up, a low hiss being released between his teeth. He shouldn't fly off the handle... it's been a very stressful day, but he shouldn't... deep breaths, there we go... we can't be going full demon in front of his friend, potentially terrifying him and making him hate and avoid him for life...]
Okay, calm. I'm calm. Forest. Sea. Okay. Right. [His blood pressure was now reasonably close to normal levels... sort of] What's done is done. I've saved you, and, the ghost will hopefully go torment somebody else for a bit. Let's get you up away from fast moving vehicles, just for my peace of mind, and... eat something. Cake. Let's get cake.
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I don't mind getting cake, but your nails...is that part of your power? [Minato sounds hesitant to press the question himself, as he worries Kaz might take it the wrong way.]
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Ah.
[The taut anger bled out of his face - along with any sort of colour, really. He carefully relaxed his grip, moving his hands away an inch - then rapidly got to his feet, hands behind his back and staring off into the distance as if that was the most natural thing in the world]
Sort of. Ish. Haven't cut them in a while? Maybe- so! Anyway, like, so, we should, totally, uh, go, and...
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You don't need to tell me if it's bothering you, but I'm concerned that whatever power you have might go out of control. [And as far as he looks Minato seems entirely relaxed, head tilted slightly and with his hands firmly tucked away in his pockets as usual.]
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[It came out snappier than Kazuya intended, and he immediately pulled a face, obviously annoyed with either himself, Minny, or the situation in general. His blood pressure was rising again. Damn it. Today was just, too much. All these ghosts, this mental and emotional stress, this damn migraine that won't go away, it was... pushing him to distress levels that reminded him unpleasantly of the lockdown.
Breathe. Forest. Sea. Watching Naoya work on his laptop. Home. Yuzu. Atsuro. Breathe. There. There we go.]
... I mean, I have it under control.
[He said in a far calmer tone, shifting to turn away from Minny, his arms moving to cross over his chest instead, hands hiding beneath his arms, making it seem like he was hugging himself. He knew Minny meant nothing by it, but that mild concern over his own self-control just jammed a red hot poker into a very sore spot. He disliked suspicion like that - even if it was valid. Yuzu's fearful face flickered through his mind briefly, and he ruthlessly squashed it. Minny didn't mean it like that. It was a valid concern. Valid.]
Sorry, I didn't mean to snap. I'm just, well, you know, it's a stressful day for everyone. But you don't need to worry about it. I won't lose control ever. I... I might get scary sometimes, but I won't lose control. So, don't worry.
[Repeating yourself a little bit there, Kaz]
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The claws seem like a sensitive issue he's pressed on, and while Minato was someone who could press on regardless of the opinions his friends had it certainly doesn't feel right to keep forcing the matter, not when it's clear that Kaz won't benefit from it at all.
what Kaz needs now is someone who will trust him, and that's exactly what Minato does after allowing himself a deep breath, with a faint smile lighting up his face. He pretends not to notice the repetition and the hidden hands, telling himself that he'll be there if Kaz should need actual intervention.] It's okay...then I'll leave it to you, Kaz. [Pause.] Your treat or mine? The cake, I mean.
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...I'll treat. [Oh, surely, the world was ending. Kazuya, offering to pay for food?? Clearly he is unwell] I may as well. But don't go ordering the most expensive cake just 'cuz you can! I'm not made outta credits, y'know.
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Let's just hope the ghosts haven't bothered going there too. That'd be bad.
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[He would. Don't think he won't do it, Minny! Nobody curses his food and gets away from it!]
Hey, by the way, does anyone know what's up with them? They're obviously nursing a serious grudge there, y'know.
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They're probably mad at CERES...we found some stuff about the some natives letting them build a settlement, but they didn't agree to something this big.
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I see. Well, still, it's kinda rude going for us when we weren't involved in it at all. And that's not even touching on the fact that revenge is the stupidest thing ever, so these ghosts are double dumb. Hmph.
[HE KNOWS FROM EXPERIENCE OKAY. Abel, Naoya, Bel, Keisuke, Kaido - they all did extraordinarily dumb, stupid things in the name of revenge that just made everyone miserable and the situation worse. He swore it rotted the brains or something]
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Let's get something else to eat after that cake.