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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I have glasses because I'm near-sighted! What's that got to do with anything!?
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Another Glance as if to scoff at this knowledge]
It means you're supposed to be smart, brainiac! Jeeezuz, obviously not.
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[Freddie finally stops to catch his breath for a moment and shove his camera back into his bag, instead of carrying it.]
If I knew what to do about them, I'd already be doing it.
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[a huff]
Fine, whatever!
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[He wracks his brain for a moment, rubbing his forehead and grimacing.]
Okay, so... What I know of ghosts, they're usually out to do some sort of unfinished business, and that's why they stick around. These ones definitely have murder on the mind, and something or someone probably let them loose, since they all came out of nowhere at once. So right there, that idea's out the window.
The only thing I can think to do is have someone exorcise them, but you'd have to find someone who knows how, or was at least, um, sincerely and deeply religious enough?
[Which isn't him. And probably not Kaneda either.]
Either that, or we find out who or what let them loose and make them stop.
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Are you fuckin' dumb? Of course I don't know anyone like that! Religious to pills, maybe, but not that...do you know the bible? Maybe we can fake it, they do that all the time in the phone book.
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[Freddie looks around them as he talks now, making sure they're not about to get pounced on by murderous ghosts.]
If I was the religious type, I'd be hurling Bible versus already. But unless it comes from someone who really means it, I don't think it'll work? That doesn't mean we can't try, I guess, but--
[Unless shouting the ten commandments or something was going to work, Freddie doesn't really know any good Bible versus for this situation.]
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[ok but that's hypo-- ok, kid. He grabs Freddie by the collar and shakes him, even as they flee:]
You're gonna fuckin' mean it if you don't want them to peel your dick like a banana!
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[Freddie tries to wrestle his collar from Kaneda's grip, but it's awkward as they're running.]
What do ya want me to do? Yell "thou shall not steal" or "the meek shall inherit the Earth" at them?! I'm not a priest, I'm a scientist! Why don't you put on a pair of glasses and see if you come up with any bright ideas!
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That's the five commands of the M's or whatever its called, that ain't bible stuff! And I'm too cool for glasses, I'll have ya know.
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[Ugh, this was frustrating. They can't just keep running forever.]
The only valid thing I can think to do is find out where they're coming from, and start from there. Once we know how that's happening, maybe we can stop it.
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which it's going to be running out if the stitch in Kaneda's side is anything to go by.]
Too bad I didn't any of that-- what an unlucky, unlucky fly to buzz in my ear at the same exact moment that you did all that.
[spinning on his heels, he attempts to run sideways with little success-- he then crosses his index fingers:]
MAY THE POWER OF CHRUST COMPEL YOU! TO FUCK OFF!
[glances at Freddie] Why's it gotta be us?
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Okay, that takes care of that option. And I guess it doesn't have to be us, but it has to be someone, right? We can't just keep running. That, and I'd really rather not die or get possessed or whatever.
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or tetsuoknows hits him like a bolt of fire to the behind.]WE GOTTA BARRICADE OURSELVES! These fuckers can't know that!
[what he means is rather up in the air, but grabbing onto Freddie's wrist, he takes a sharp turn all of a sudden and takes them further into the city] We've gotta find someone here.
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[The turn cuts him off and he almost argues before Kaneda mentions trying to find someone to help. He agrees.]
Yeah, there's all sorts of people here from all over the universe. Someone has to know something about this, right? Someone here has to know something about spirits. Though when I tried asking about them in relation to the shrines around here, I didn't get a lot of answers.
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[he actually stops right in his tracks as he speaks, then bustles again to match Freddie's pace--]
That's gotta be filled with loads of spiritual whatsamacallit. We'll be alright there! C'mon.
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[He trails after Kaneda and hopes that he knows. Freddie's got it in his notes, but trying to pull his notebook out of his camera bag while running is taking some effort.]
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[reassuring, thy name is Kaneda.
he probably would have planned to keep running forever, but as it is, if they just keep going...]
If we get outta this area with all these buildings...it's gotta be here.
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There's one in the residential area, that's right! Somewhere in an alley, I'm told... I haven't found it yet, though. I guess it doesn't really narrow it down.
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Better start lookin' in every alley once we get outta here, then.
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Right. I guess the residential area's only so big, so we'll have to find it eventually. Just so long as any of the ghosts don't try to stop us.
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[its a little hopeless...but true, no choice. The first two they try give them no leads, but less ghosts, so there's that.
But mayhaps they'll find someone with leads.]
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Twenty or thirty possibly filled with murderous ghosts. There's that to contend wi--
[As if it heard him, a possessed masseusebot turns the corner the same time as they are, and it immediately grabs Freddie by the shirt and drags him in before the kid can even react. It grabs him by the shoulders and proceeds to give him a rather rough shoulder massage. At first he's ready to panic, but after a moment of his, he's more just confused.]
Wh-what's it doing? Get it offa me!
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Cut it out, this is my only pair! And you don't even have spit! I'M BROKE, GET OFF!
[he'll just kick at it and inevitably bumble his way into Freddie and his own bot]
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Now what the hell is going on? Like we need to deal with crazy robots now?!
(no subject)