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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Are you all right...?
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I've had worse. [ He holsters his gun for now and looks back at her. ] I'm sorry you had to do that.
[ She appears to be unharmed, at least. That's a relief. ]
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[ She's smiling, but the concern in her eyes is very much palpable as she beckons him closer. He may have had worse, but he'll need to be in peak condition to deal with this-- or something close enough to it. ]
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[ Is he scolding her? Only a little, because he has to. The other part of him, that's also smiling on the inside, thinks that she did the right thing. These people needed to be rescued.
He holds his hand up as he approaches, showing her his bruised knuckles. ]
Like I said, it's nothing to worry about.
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Prayer isn't a difficult spell for her, not when she was so accustomed to healing in battle, so enjoy that golden glow suffusing you for a minute, Kogami. Those ribs should be feeling better now, and the bruises will shrink and disappear within seconds. ]
... If it means I could help those people escape and keep your injuries from only being that bad, I don't mind being a little foolish. Just a little, though.
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Otome Yanagiya, you are by far the most intriguing person I have met in a long time.
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I'm just a doctor who learned what she had to, in order to keep people alive. But that's very flattering, thank you.
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[ Now that he's healed and hands free, he lights a cigarette as he steps over one of the fallen robots. ]
This area is secure for now, are you ready to go to the next?
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Ready, officer!
[ Please let her not break any more glass. ]
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And as long as they're patrolling, waiting for the next crisis to come up, Kogami figures now is a good time to
interrogatelearn more of her powers. ]You summoned something with a name just before, correct? I've never seen something like that.
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They're called demons-- the one you saw was Kazfiel, but I have another with me. They're... they were part of what was sent to wipe out humanity, but depending on the demon, proving your strength can win them to your side.
For most of them, though, they prefer you dead and aren't usually open to negotiation. That's why, with the right ability, you can use their attacks against them.
[ Hence the Almighty attack she'd used earlier. ]
... I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, Sh-- Kogami-san, but it's not something I can bring up all that easily.
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You don't have to apologize, I can see how some people wouldn't react favorably if they learned that someone can harness the powers of demons with just a cellphone.
[ That, and we all have our secrets, he thinks. Or rather, just things people don't normally bring up. He has plenty of those things. ]
...Shinya is fine, by the way. I'd like to think breaking doors and robots together brings people closer.
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... Well, you wouldn't be wrong, Shinya-san. [ It's... going to take some getting used to, but she'd yelled it unthinkingly before, so it shouldn't be too difficult. ]
Hopefully, if we can get this under control, I shouldn't have to use this again for awhile. It could be a bit of a mood-killer.
[ A bit. ]
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Heh. What mood are you trying to set?
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[ She's also amused, though, despite her general... unwellness. They talk about getting together for a date, of sorts, and then she collapses, and now they're fighting public disturbances. ]
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The light for crossing turns green, but Kogami doesn't go ahead just yet. Instead he's looking at some cars that are coming from a short distance, and they don't seem to be slowing down. ]
Something's not right...
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They're speeding up??
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[ The cigarette drops out of his mouth as he realized the traffic lights are also compromised, and whatever force behind this is trying to cause an accident. Thankfully they both realized this in time, but there's not much they can do from stopping two cars colliding with a van at the intersection.
Kogami pulls Otome back just a little and tries to shield her from any broken glass flying their way, before looking back at the crash site. Looks like they found their next crisis to deal with. ]
Damn it!
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Check on the van!!
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Make sure to keep an eye out for our other enemies, Otome. [ They're still dealing with ghosts, and machines, and ghosts in machines.
The phone call is quick and he hangs up as soon as the details are relayed, as he still has the van to take care of. It's been knocked sideways, but the driver doesn't appear to be dead at least. ]
Male. Unconscious.
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[ Otome's already working on one car, helping the driver (some blue-skinned lady) out, as well as her purple-skinned daughter. Injuries are minor, and she's relaying this to Kogami as she starts tending to them. She'll move over if the man needs immediate assistance, but as she straightens and looks over at the last car...
... There's a very adorable robot monkey in the driver's seat, and it is slooooooooowly crawling out the shattered window and sneaking for Kogami. ]
Shinya-san, on your left!
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What the hell is that?!
[ Well, he can see what it is, but he's more perplexed at why this thing needed to drive a car in the first place. ]
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Maybe someone laughed at it for being too cute, who knows. Otome's on her way over to help, so please don't let it choke you. ]
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Well.
On the bright side, it's letting go, but Otome's losing her balance and toppling backwards with it. Right against the car it escaped from. ]
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