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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(btw i'm ok with yuri transferring her memories!)
The car is left still running as he opens the door and rushes over to the sidewalk. ]
Can you breathe? [ He gets down on one knee beside her, instinctively touching her shoulder, both to let her know that he's here and hopefully start helping her get back on her feet. Unfortunately, what he doesn't realize is that Yuri may see a disturbing memory of a flayed and mutilated man as soon as contact is made. ]
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Kogami gets a nice one himself; the outfit the women are wearing might look pretty familiar, considering it's the same priestess robes Yuri wears for work AND in ViViD. Whoops. All of their eyes have been mutilated harshly.
Yuri flinches out of the memories with a soft cry, twisting a little to dislodge the touch.] Don't--! You shouldn't touch me right now! Those spirits have done something weird to my-- my abilities, you... [She trails off with a helpless look, like she's perfectly aware that she's Fucked Up (despite it not being her fault, exactly), and clearly fully expecting some kind of lashing out response to this.]
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W-What the hell was that?! Your ability...? [ He may look slightly furious, but it's not directed at her. ]
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Besides, she figures she owes an explanation when her mind invades someone else's.] It's... Like mind-reading. If I touch someone, I can see their thoughts and memories, things like that. But-- [This is said quickly and she looks at him with a desperate sort of hope. Please believe me, she seems to be saying.] I don't use it on the living if I can help it! I... If I use it on the dead, I can... see their last moments. Their deaths. [Her eyes dart away again and she shakes her head.]
I can control it, usually, but... I can't right now. It keeps happening randomly-- This place must be messing with it, or the spirits, or something.
I'm sorry. I'm very sorry.
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Don't apologise, Yuri. You're not the first person I've come across who can't control their abilities lately. I believe you.
[ She's obviously very sensitive about this, and he doesn't want to upset her further, so he takes a moment to think before he asks his next question. He has a lot of them, but for now he should focus on the important ones. ] Your ability... does it only work when there's skin contact?
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It's not a requirement-- It could happen even if I touch you through your clothes. [She doesn't mention that the strongest practitioners could use just their eyes, but she looks away.] I'll... keep it under control. Somehow. I have to.
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Luck seems to be on their side, however, or maybe the extra layer of protection provided by his coat holds some of it back--either way, there's no memory tapping as of yet as Yuri stands and turns to the car.
Don't get into cars with strangers is up there on the list of things she shouldn't ever do, but Kogami isn't really a stranger, and he's a police officer, so everything is fine, right? Yuri takes a breath and lets herself be herded into the car, resisting the urge to pull her knees up to her chest once she's sitting only because she doesn't want to get her shoes on his seat.]
...Is there any place actually safe from those things...? Where are we going?
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Okay, now he turns to her, explaining the situation in his own honest way. ]
I'd like to say that I'm taking you someplace safe, but the reality is that nobody is safe, wherever they may be. These things go through walls and can possess appliances if they want to. [ This also leads to addressing her second question... ]
Yuri, is there anyone who you can stay with until this is over? I'm going to drop you off at theirs before I move on.
[ Safety in numbers works best here. At the very least, she can't stay sitting on that sidewalk by herself, that's just something he can't ignore. ]
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Anyone she can stay with...? She has a couple of people she knows, but she wouldn't call them friends (not that they weren't friends, but Yuri's still gingerly trying to grasp the concept and she doesn't want to just assume), and it doesn't seem right to just foster herself off on them.
She chews on her bottom lip a moment and then shakes her head.] No, not really. Besides, I want to help. I can't do that if I'm burdening other people with my care.
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There's no particular destination in his mind, however. He's still on patrol while they figure out what Yuri wants to do. ]
It's not about being a burden. I don't think anyone should be left alone during a time like this, and you'd be helping them, too. Sooner or later you'll need to rest, or you may let your guard down... the same goes for anybody.
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You say that, but you're out here alone too, you know. [She looks back out the windshield, eyeing the things they pass. She doesn't say anything more for a long moment before she sinks back against the seat some more with a resigned sigh, like she's finally decided on something.]
Then, I'll stay here. If... that's alright. I'd understand if you didn't want it. [You know, because of the whole accidentally seeing memories things.]
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Staying with me might invite even more danger in your life, but I'll try and keep you safe as long as I have to.
Do you... mind if I ask what that memory was that I saw? [ It's not an interrogation, he'll understand perfectly well if that subject is off-limits or none of his business. Still, that truth-seeking part of him is genuinely interested, and Yuri is obviously not your average teenage kid. ]
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Her eyes slide over again, quietly assessing the question and what her own feelings actually are about it, before she looks away again out the window.] I don't mind. It was your memory, after all; if anyone deserves to know what it was about, it's you.
[Typically what she's seen is seen by the person whose memory it is too, but she figures he just wants to make sure--he is a policeman, after all. Or maybe he hadn't seen. She wasn't sure what her powers were doing here anymore] I don't really understand it too well, though. There was a...man. He was... dead. [A huff of laughter, because it seems obvious. Of course the man was dead, especially since--] Flayed? He'd been... [She makes an 'opened up' gesture with her hands, not sure how else to describe it.]
He was on display. Like some morbid art piece.
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He was actually wondering about the mutilated priestesses that he had seen when he came in contact with Yuri, but she ended up describing the worst day of his life just now. Okay, give him a second to crack open his window as he lights a cigarette. It's not Sasayama's brand, but they're pretty close... ]
You can see that far into my memory, huh?
[ There's an extended moment of silence as he takes a drag before exhaling a cloud of smoke. ]
That man was a friend of mine. ... I'm sorry you had to see it.
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