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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Yuri's response prompts a soft smile - she also seemed so sad, so it was nice to see that there's someone who's there for her and cares for her so much. Especially after she had seen how lonely Yuri was.]
... That's good.
[Of course, that smile soon fades when the topic of her memory comes up, ducking her head down with a sigh. There's simply a nod at the remark, because considering some of the things she's heard, she knows Yuri has probably seen worse; so has Lapis.
But it's still an event she can't brush away, and she ducks her head down even more. "Wasn't your fault" is something she should listen to, but the guilt is still there, still nags at the back of her mind.]
Yeah, it was a possession... I was stupid and let the spirit get in, let it hurt the others... [She trails off, placing her hands against her abdomen - over her scar from where the spirit had been ripped out of her.]
... I should technically be dead. The wound I got due to the exorcism was fatal, should've been, but I guess I'm too stubborn. [It's said flatly, and she wraps her arms around herself with a sigh. Then she looks back over at Yuri, her expression almost hesitant.]
But in that memory... Why did you...? [She doesn't finish the sentence, not able to find the right words to say what she wants in a tactful manner.]
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Yuri goes quiet at Lapis's question and looks away, considering how to respond. She could lie, of course, but it seems futile and insulting when she's seen so much of Lapis's situation.]
...There was an accident. [Her fingers curl into the hem of her shirt] My family died. I was the only one who survived. That was bad enough, but it... awoke something in me, I suppose. I could see and hear things that normal people couldn't, but... no one believed me. I was terrified, I thought I was going insane and everyone just kept telling me it was stress or shock. The doctors wouldn't listen, they didn't believe me. I... was all alone.
I didn't want to be in the hospital forever, so I just...shut it out. I pretended everything was fine, until they let me leave. I tried to be normal. I wasn't sick anymore-- that's what the doctors told me. But... they came back. Hearing things, seeing things... I didn't know what to do or where to go. I tried to research on my own, I just... I became obsessed. [With death, with dying. There was still that morbid fascination even now.]
But in the end, I drove everyone away because I just couldn't act normally, I couldn't remember what 'normal' was, not with these things jumping in my face. I stopped going to school, I stopped talking to anyone. I just wanted it all to end. So I left and went to that mountain, where people go to end their lives. It seemed like the only thing I could do to escape it all.
[Yuri goes quiet for a moment, her voice lowering</small.] But then Hisoka saved me. She showed me that others had my abilities or similar, that I could train and use my power...That I wasn't alone.
no subject
And for a moment, Lapis thinks that Yuri might try to dodge the question since it was so personal - so when she starts to answer, she peeks up again, listening attentively as her eyes watch the other girl carefully. Her brows furrowing more and more as she listens, biting on her lip as she thinks about how much all that would've taken a toll on Yuri.
Lapis was lucky, incredibly so - her grandmother taught her about her powers, and her sister kept supporting her throughout the years. But if she hadn't had that, maybe she would've done what Yuri did... Thinking about how lonely and isolating that must've been for her causes tears to almost form in her eyes. Though she's quick to rub them away, taking a deep breath as she gathers her thoughts.]
... I'm glad that Hisoka found you and saved you. And, uh... [She really sucks at being emotional, but she takes a deep breath before standing up straight to properly look at Yuri. Her expression calm, but firm despite the tears still lingering in her eyes - her words completely genuine.]
Though she might not be here, you're still not alone, Yuri.
no subject
Despite herself, Yuri reaches out to brush some of the tears away anyhow, holding a steely control over her powers to ensure nothing strange happens. It doesn't work, unfortunately, and Lapis gets another memory, but--
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.
It's not a bad one. It's one of warmth and a feeling of beginning again. Yuri can't even be bothered by the fact that it was shown and she drops her hand to her side. Still not alone, huh?]
...Yeah. I suppose that's true.
Lapis... [Yuri pauses, hesitating, because it's a little strange and silly to say, but--] One day... I want to make coffee for you. You deserve that warmth too.
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And any surprise quickly fades away as the memory plays out, instead finding herself filled with... joy and relief, at how warm this memory is. How kind it is. It's hard not to smile, and the smile still lingers even after it's done playing out. And that smile even brightens even more at Yuri's words - touched that she wants to share something that holds that much importance.]
... Thank you so much, Yuri. I'll be looking forward to it. [Okay, she can't hold back the hugging-urges and she reaches to wrap her arms around Yuri in a warm, soft hug. Luckily Lapis' powers are back under control, so no worries about memory leakage for the time being.]