thenearshore | 018 | Season Spirits

018 | Season Spirits

Who: Everyone!
What: Season spirits and spooky things
When: IC August 1-15
Where: The Near Shore and Far Shore
Summary: It's the time for spirits to get a bit more 'lively'.

August is a spiritual season in Japan with many people preparing for the Obon festival but many others get into the spirit in another way. All across Japan, people have begun to share their favorite summer ghost stories. Movie theaters advertise the hottest horror flick of the season, teenagers challenge each other to do trials of courage, haunted houses begin to pop up, and it feels like you can't change the channel without switching to some ghost hunting urban legend special. All of this talk about spirits comes at a cost, though.

July comes and passes easily enough but it's almost as if as soon as August begins, so do the incidents. There's an increase in spiritual activity and shenanigans on both shores. Some of them are harmless spooks but others are much more sinister. Arm yourselves with all of the ofuda and omamori you can find and get out there and restore peace!

Possessed Possessions

Inhabitants of the Far Shore may awaken to find their sheets trying to strangle them and shoes stomping on the floor around them. Others may go about their day and find out their teapots suddenly only serve lukewarm tea or their weapons are trying to take swings at them. They're just playful spirits that will abandon their hosts if you shove any ofuda/omamori at them or yell loudly enough. They aren't malicious spirits... they were only just trying to have some fun.

Spirited Festivals

There's a festival every weekend and some of them have set up haunted houses for patrons to visit. You have your standard haunted house thrills... costume make up, jump scares, special effects smoke, the usual! But it looks like some real ghosts have made themselves at home here. Visitors are going in and emerging hours later absolutely traumatized. It looks like once you enter, the real spirits walk you around in circles and give you real scares. There are some spirits here just to have fun thrills and these are spirits that can be chased away with regular ofuda. But it looks like the more violent ones are actually ayakashi out for vengeance. Be careful in there!

Cursed Charms

There sure are some weird trends out there, huh? The latest one is buying cursed trinkets off the internet and passing them off as gifts to unsuspecting victims whether it be to prank a friend or get revenge on an enemy. Cursed mirrors, dolls, fake ofuda, VHS tapes, and so on are being passed around the Near Shore and spreading all sorts of curses.

Bad luck. As long as you're in possession of the cursed item, you'll be followed by bad luck to varying degrees depending on the quality of the charm.
Fear. Holding onto this charm results in intense, crippling fear. The fear can manifest as an intense paranoia at all times or being frozen with fear in the face of danger. Some say you can even die of fright...
Sickness. This charm is pretty straightforward. Having this charm just makes you feel incredibly under the weather and your health will worsen the longer you have the charm.
Evil. Holding onto this charm results in you being followed attracting evil instead of warding it. Suddenly, you feel as though you are always being followed, as if something is stalking you and clearly out to get you. You begin to run into smaller ayakashi at first but they keep growing in strength and number until you can't fight anymore.
Bad romance. Someone's meddled with a romance charm so it ends relationships instead of making them! People stuck with this charm are suddenly hyper aware of the faults of others. Everything gets on your nerves and you can't stand being around that person because they're just that annoying. It doesn't just work on couples! It also works on friends and relatives too.
Bears? An oddly specific curse. It looks like someone has taken a protection from bears charm and made it so now you attract bears where ever you go. Some of them are nice but others...

You can try to destroy the charms but you will find that unless you have purification powers or rend it, the effects last. It looks like most people have been able to shake off the effects by simply disposing of them at temples and buying another charm to counter the effects.

Haunting Hour

There are reports of violent attacks at night-- people being pulled into alleys and attacked, school children being chased by slashers while walking home from school, homes being broken into-- and all of it is done without a single clue left behind to explain who did it. People are warned to be careful at night and as the sun begins to set, something happens. The hour between sunset and dark is supposed to be the scariest hour them all. At this time, the shadows are suspiciously bigger and darker and you constantly see things just out of the corner of your eye. Suddenly, the wind blows cold and there's a rotten smell in the air like blood. It's Oumagatoki, the hour evil spirits meet. Small time ayakashi and spirits on the verge of becoming ayakashi spill into the streets and begin to terrorize others. Protect the people of the Near Shore and watch your own backs.*

* These are just generic ayakashi! Nothing special, nothing specific. Feel free to make up and NPC your own two-bit ayakashi.

THEN WHO WAS PHONE?

In the evening, everyone will receive a set of coordinates and a message from an Anonymous sender,

I want to talk about the
mysterious things that have been happening
lately.
OF course, i
NEED
EVERYONE to come. so don't be
late! see
yoU.
:)

Everyone receives it and there is no way to track where the message came from. If you follow the directions, you'll arrive at a small temple on the outskirts of a city. A sacred fire is lit on the grounds for people to dispose of any cursed or old charms they may have collected. Hang around a bit and it'll become obvious that no one knows who has gathered all of you here tonight. The only ones around are gods and shinki. It doesn't look like any evil spirits are around so other than being invited to the middle of no where at night... there's nothing to worry about. If you wait around, nothing will happen. So while you're here, you might as well discuss the strange happenings! Or tell ghost stories around the fire.

Wildcard

Choose your own adventure! Feel free to make up your own prompts. Ronald Knox's player (

diehardreaper) has offered up their temple as a test of courage in the Far Shore for those who want to try their luck. Check out their description under the Baron's manor.

In Summary:

Beat the heat by feeling a scary chill
Deal with cursed and spirit-imbued items
Keep the Near Shore people safe
Chat about your scary encounters
Have fun~

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[Even a little contribution is a contribution, and Wendy makes sure to smile up at Natsuru.]

Good thinking! That'll keep our backs clear.

[If there's anything that's important, it's keeping their cool. Once the rest of the girls panic, it's going to be a lot harder to get them to listen. Wendy is certain of that. However.... Frowning as she gets the group moving again, Wendy tries to think. The borderlines won't hold forever, or they can't completely cover them all the way... But if she asks everyone to hurry, then they'll only get worried like she doesn't want them to. How to make this work...]

[An idea suddenly hits her, and she looks up to Natsuru again.]

Do you know any good kid's songs from here?

...If you trust me, I'm sure I can get us through this.

[After a moment, Dust somewhat spoils this dramatic, confident statement with a much more awkward one.]

I'll.. have to carry you, I mean. Or we could try to run through. That's a little less safe but a little more respectful...

[Though Shun still doesn't want her to feel pressed into it, it is the kind of situation he'd consider worth a temporary nora. If they drive it off, it could just come back. If he leaves to get one of his own shinki, it could escape in that time, not to mention he'd need to track one or other of them down. And it's targeting kids...]

If you don't mind only being a nora long enough for us to get rid of this thing. I'd rather not risk letting it go back to preying on kids.

[The Valkyrie pauses, then, regarding him with something akin to sympathy. Again, she is out of her depth; those she trains are not supposed to need guidance in 'why'.]

Why do you fight?

[ Progress!! He’ll take it, though he means every word of what he’s said, anyway. ]

Hey, you’re always welcome to me! I’ll just make sure to clean up first, after our clothes are done dancing around the place.

[ There is this strange use of the word "we" in that sentence that Hibiki would rather sip her tea than focus on. Perhaps it was hypothetical.

She nods. ] I'll leave the details of its capture to you.

[ This is both an expression of trust and an expression of That Sounds Like Something I Don't Wish To Personally Be A Part Of.

Additionally, this is really good tea. ]

J-just go..let's go..!

[She started tugging on his sleeve. Like hell was she staying around there! ]

[Hakkai chuckles, wryly amused.]

It's all right. I'm sure I've been spoken of worse than that... but thank you regardless.

[He considers his fruit plate. If he needed to eat, this conversation wouldn't be affecting his appetite, but he doesn't, and talking -- even obliquely, even mostly untruthfully -- about the situation with Gojyo isn't helping the fruit look appealing.]

Well, it's water under the bridge. I've only had a few people try to ask if we have an inappropriate relationship so far.

[You know. What with the shirt incident and all.]

[Ayumu does notice his lack of appetite but considering he's not feeling well, she doesn't think much of it. His story about Gojyo makes a certain amount of sense, if it's a little vague on details, but she'd prefer to respect his privacy rather than pry. After all, she wouldn't want someone asking her too many questions about what's clearly a touchy subject.]

That's a relief though I can't say I understand why folks would consider it inappropriate.

[Were old gods and shinki prudes or something? Though she can't fathom exactly why, the idea of a commander having that sort of relationship with a subordinate doesn't really strike her as all that unusual.]

Gods and shinki aren't supposed to be romantically involved.

[This is a stricture that Hakkai pays approximately zero respect to, but it's much less insulting for her than the real reasons he'd consider it inappropriate, such as "you don't yet know who you are, much less what you want."

It's a bit awkward being on this side of that particular divide.]

That seems like a silly rule and difficult to enforce. What does Heaven do? Teleport into people's bedrooms to see if they're sleeping together or not?

[But oh, well. It's not as if she's really looking for a lover right now anyway. Ayumu's far more concerned with just learning how to be a good shinki and adapting to the world she's in now. And of course, learning a little more about herself is a part of all of that, too.

She takes another bite of her waffle.]

The only person I've noticed appearing in my bedroom uninvited is Asshole, and he seems content to just watch me from the corner.

[Which is definitely not creepy at all.

(It's a little creepy, but as he's one of the few familiar faces Hakkai actually knows here, it's less creepy than it should be. If 'Asshole' ever gets up the independent thought necessary to try to murder him in his sleep, Hakkai will be very proud.)]

And that doesn't bother you? Have you considered a lock?

[As much as she likes sneaking time on the balcony whenever she can, there's other ways to get access to it - going out a window, over the roof, and jumping down to it for instance.]

I have, but it's harmless, really.

[He offers a cheerful little shrug.]

And I'm sure he'd notice if anyone else tried to sneak in....

[So there's no need to climb the roof in order to hang out on his balcony, Ayumu. You're safe.]

That's good, at least.

[Still, Ayumu should probably check on him from time to time just make sure the other shinki isn't doing something unsavory to their god. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Hmm. Dipping pieces of waffle into the syrup isn't a very efficient way of eating her breakfast. Finally, Ayumu gets the idea to pick up the little container and dribble it over her plate.]

I suppose it's fine as long as he isn't doing you any harm.

[Ayumu's unsure if a shinki can die of a snapped neck the way a human can but if Asshole ever attacked Hakkai, she's certainly willing to test that idea.]

[She looks over at him, blinking in surprise at his suggestion. Well, despite her misgivings about the idea of being picked up and carried, Dust has certainly managed to earn her trust by now. And if his idea meant a quicker way to the exit than if they just ran separately, then Naoto supposes she really can't complain. And so, she gives a hesitant but affirming nod, stepping closer to him.]

Alright. I trust you.

Exactly. And it does keep me alert.

[Since there is, always, that distant possibility that he might come back to himself and go for Hakkai's throat.

He slides his fruit tray a little closer to her.]

I'm afraid this is a little bigger than I'd expected it to be. Would you like any?

Okay, fine, so I don't know if it's like my life. It still feels like we're pretty alive to me.

[He pauses, and admits, reluctantly:]

Except for the heartbeat, and. You know.

[The fact that shinki don't shit.]

Sure.

[Ayumu snatches a piece of melon and pops it in her mouth. Once she's done chewing and swallowing:]

I guess staying alert would be wise in your position but it's a little sad that you can't completely relax even when you sleep.

[It's not surprising, though. Tactically, there are few better times to attack an opponent than when they're vulnerable in bed. Most people let their guard down then.]

But it's good that you're aware of the risks.

Is that an offer or just a suggestion, Chikusa-kun?

[He does have a point and she is still trying to get a gauge of her abilities. Simple killing might be more cathartic but sparring's a better option than just sitting here fuming at the mysterious texter.]

I wouldn't have thought the afterlife would be so transient.

[It's a certain kind of hellish in her mind, not being able to put down roots and fully settle in with any one partner. Never truly having a place to call home. Her own god seems to have been around for quite a while but he'd told her himself that ill might come to him and those close to him someday.

It won't get in the way of her duty but she's too much of a realist not consider plans on the off chance a worst case scenario arises. Ayumu's still learning the scope of a shinki's power but she's fairly certain there's nothing in her arsenal that could stop forces strong enough to erase someone's presence so completely overnight.]

Oh, and beef sounds good. Thank you.

[That particular ingredient hasn't lost its novelty for her yet, being one of the newer of new tastes she's encountered here.]

I try.

[Things that help him relax even when being watched creepily by the mindless doppelganger of a man he'd once hated: a certain disregard for his own life and safety.

Plus, the knowledge that he's much scarier than Banri ever hoped to be.]

Still, considering that there's no protection against gods teleporting into the temple, I wouldn't like to rely on a lock... even if it would keep Asshole out.

Well, rigging up a few traps here and there might be a fun little project.

[She's only joking, mostly. Hakkai can handle himself well in a fight and he's smart enough to avoid the kind of naivete that gets a man stabbed in his sleep. It's a small comfort.

Ayumu snags herself another piece of melon.]

If possibly a little hard on invited guests.

[Who could wind up wandering into something lethal on the way to the bathroom after dinner....

Even if it's not lethal, it would be a little severe as a punishment for a wrong turn. He snags a few grapes, popping one into his mouth, and considers.]

Although if I were careful about who I invited, that could work out.

[Does this mean that he'll invite people who can spot them, or people who he won't feel bad about trapping? It's a mystery.]

There's always the option of disabling them before wanted guests arrive, too. Though a serious injury or two can make for excellent incentive to take up reflex training. In a way, it's doing them a service.

[Is she joking or is she serious about that last part? Who knows. Ayumu turns her attention from the fruit platter back to her now soggy waffle.]

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018 | Season Spirits

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