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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[It is a little more comedic than the last few days have been. People have died, she's seen a lot of bad things go down, and...yeah. This is probably what they both need. So she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a knife.]
I think we should, yes. Have you got a swiss army knife or something? I'm not sure the vacuum will work just yet.
[Let's get physical!]
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Let's do this! [ Dipper stalks closer to the mattress bot, ducking below one of the pillows and sinking the knife into his victim. ]
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Rei steps forward with that ritual knife of hers and slashes at the mattressbot's arms, ripping fabric cleanly and dealing with that particular nuisance. No flailing arms.]
When you see the ghost start to float out, get it with your vacuum. We don't want it escaping.
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Got it. [ He's a fast draw on the vacuum hose. ] I have to admit, this is weirdly cathartic.
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That's sort of the point. This stupid thing made a big mistaken and I'm sick and tired of possessed knickknacks today.
[Rei lets out a dramatic siiiiiiiggghhh]
You know I had to fight off a kettle, an iron, and an automatic mixing bowl this morning.
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I know what you mean. Our microwave tried to eat my arm, and you can forget about the sink disposal. I'm not using that thing again anytime soon.
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[Rip. Here goes a knee, fluff spraying everywhere. Good thing this isn't alive, right?]
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Killer buses? Sounds fun.
[ Aaand here's another fistful of fluff from the bot's gut. ]
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I guess. It was a little harrowing at the time.
[But it'd had a positive outcome. By now the spirit is starting to try and look for ways out, gaseous tendrils poking out here and there...and getting stabbed at by Rei.]
I'm going to try and force it out through the top. Whenever you're ready...
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Ready. Let's bust this sucker.
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[With a final thrust of the knife into the beleaguered mascot's back, she slashes it open stem to stern and a green gas begins to leak out...]
And there would be our possessor. Have at, Dipper-kun.
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He flips the switch on his ghostvac with gusto and catches the ghoul in its nozzle as soon as it starts to come loose from the bot. ]
That's right! That's what you get!
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Good job. That's one down and...a lot more to go.
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He shuts the vacuum off again and docks the nozzle. ]
Seriously. Most of the ghosts I've hunted down haven't been too tough, but there's sure a lot of them.
[ Actually... ] Oh, hey, can I ask you something?
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Of course. What's on your mind, Dipper-kun?
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[ Hiro didn't say anymore than that, but it had been enough to garner Dipper's interest. ]
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[That's a good question...]
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[She...won't get into the ghost attack that lead to her and Minako's first kiss though. sorry Dip.]
I guess...did you see the five ghosts here, the largest ones, that seemed to be distinct? In control?
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I noticed some were definitely distinct from the others, but I didn't get a good look at them. Too busy, uh, vacuuming. Have you dealt with them before?
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[A pause.]
They weren't hostile at the time. And to be honest, I think the lesser spirits here are more just enraged, rather than openly malevolent. They want to take down CERES.
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[ What did CERES need with ghosts? Why did the ghosts need revenge so badly? ]
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[Rei sits down on the mattress they've demolished...]
This is a sacred place for them, or something. And they want CERES gone.
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A sacred place? You mean, like hallowed ground? Do they know the spirits?
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But yes, sacred ground. That could mean a lot of different things, but I'd assume a holy site.
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