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~

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( Look, he'd tried to be cool but at the end of the evening, he's just a kid! And he's kind of scared? He looks relieved when Chinatsu says they don't have to go in but then she's making a face like she might cry and he's jumping at the chance to make it right, )

N-no! You don't have to go by yourself! ( Hook, line, and sinker. ) I'll go with you if you really want to go!

[Chinatsu shifts her face a little so she's pressing her mouth against her hand, turning away slightly to hide her laughter.]

Really, senpai?

[She looks at him with hope in her eyes]

You won't abandon me no matter what?

Really!

( Especially if you keep calling him senpai, what the heck. )

I'll keep you safe! Promise!

( And the door to the haunted house opens and the manager is ushering them in. Ugh, he has a shiver going down his spine and he wonders if it's because of the hype or if he's really feeling something weird. As someone who's always been a spirit, he's always been a little more in tune with spiritual things so maybe that's what he's beginning to sense now. )

Did you feel that?!

Ehh? Feel what?

[[She's a little concerned by how gullible he is. He's gonna get tricked by people with not so good intentions like this. Ignore the giant arrow pointing at Chinatsu.

She let's him walk in front of her, giving it a bit of time before leaning in and blowing a puff of air against the back of his neck]

It's cold...

( The haunted house is also nicely air conditioned considering how humid and hot it is outside, though.
He leads the way as he's ushered in and.... huh, it isn't so scary. He can actually see really well inside the place, despiet how dark it is. It doesn't take his eyes very long at all to adjust to the darkness and he can already see all of the switches and trick panels and-- )

Aaah! ( He jumps and turns around to hold onto Chinatsu while also switching places with her so she's in front of him. To be fair, though, if someone was really behind him, he'd just put himself in danger instead. Look, he might be a little nervous right now but he's a protective senpai. ) Huh...?

There's nothing there...

Ah--

[Chinatsu is surprised when they switch places--not expecting that reaction or that he could actually lift her]

Er..yeah..nothing there, ahahaha.

[Was he trying to save her..? Aw man, now she feels like a jerk. Just a little.]

We should keep going, senpai.

[She pats him apologetically on the head before tugging his sleeve towards the direction they needed to go in.]

Whatever he was feeling earlier, Chinatsu wasn't aware of. She just took it all as being part of the haunted house experience.]

( Anyone who picks on this pure turtle boy deserves to feel bad. There's really nothing there, though. The head pats get him to relax considerably. He's still a little uneasy like he's ready to fight if anything threatens them but he goes along as she tugs him along the right path.

He still can't shake off this feeling in the air, though. He's less afraid and more alert as they walk. )

Ah, Chinatsu-chan... ( He stops her from walking, tugging at her and points down at the floor. There's a trick switch set. It looks like something the staff set out to trigger some sort of jump scare but Urashima doesn't know that. He just knows it looks out of place. ) There's something there.

( Nothing to worry about but it's kind fo strange that in the dark haunted house with all of these trick boards and wires and smoke effects, he was able to see it.

... And of course, as soon as he mentions it, something gives him a hard shove right into her. )

Oof! Sorry...!?

What is it?

[she stops when she feels the tug and looks down to where he's pointint at. Weird, she can see it too.]

Is it supposed to be that visi-- WOAH!

[And Chinatsu ends up tripping on said wire. Suddenly, some if the floorboards slide open and down the rabbit hole they go]

AHHH!!

[Chinatsu grabs on to Urashima, actually scared now.]

( He's holding onto her for dear life. What's this? NO ONE TOLD HIM THERE WAS A DROP IN THIS PLACE. He's screaming the entire time along with her and when they crash to the ground, it looks like... they didn't actually fall very far? Huh, so it looks like this haunted house was built on some sort of basic foundation (which makes sense considering they had to walk up some steps to get to the entrance?) and they've just fallen underneath. There's a lot of scaffolding and wires all over the place, some pieces of tarp blowing in the wind. )

Ow, ow... ( He's whining on the ground but he scrambles up quickly, ) Chinatsu-chan? Chinatsu-chan, are you okay?!

[It wasn't a far drop but it still hurt. They couldn't have put a mattress or something?!]

Ngh..yeah, I'm okay, I'm okay.

[She pushes herself up so she's seated.]

How about you? Are you alright, senpai?

Mhmm, I'm okay.

( He nods. Look, he's fine. It takes a lot to keep him down. )

Eh... it looks like we're somewhere we shouldn't be, though.

...Please say it's not the basement. That's never a good place to be in a hainted house.

[Not that she thought the place was haunted. She just figured it'd be tricked out even more here.]

Try to watch your step this time, okay?

[She sighs as she rubs her arm.]

Well, it is under the house...

( Even if the haunted house isn't a real house but a construct over some giant stage. But wow, what's that supposed to mean? He makes a face like, did you just accuse him of causing all of this? )

I didn't mean to. Someone pushed me.

Someone what?!

[She glares up from where they fell from]

They better not try to pull that kind of shit again.

[Huffing, she stands up and dusts herself off, offering a hand to Urashima.]

Let's get going. It's creepy as hell down here..and cold.

[She shudders a little. They sure have the ac down low.]

Someone pushed me! ( He was definitely pushed. He knows it. ) I was going to tell you to be careful for the switch but then someone pushed me right into you.

( But he reaches to grab her hand and starts to lead her foreward... somewhere. He isn't sure where they're going but if they keep walking straight, they have to reach a wall and they can follow that right? )

It's pretty cold... I have a chill down my spine...

( People run on the floorboards above them, shaking dust and bits of paper and cobwebs falling on them. It's a miracle this place can stand at all with all of the shaking,
really. )

[Chinatsu gets tugged along, letting it pass since it's dark anyway. She looks up when she hears the footsteps, getting a not so nice dust facial.]

Ugh!

[She coughs, trying to wipe the dust from her face with her free hand.]

A chill down your spi---

[Now she feels something going donw hers, and it is not cold. Chinatsu tenses, feeling goosebumps form on her skin. The creepy little tickle of something crawling on her could only mean one thing--]

S-s-s-SPIDER!!

Huh?!

( He's panicking but now it's only because she's
panicking. What's wrong? What is she yelling? S-s-s-...? A spider?
Oh.

He touches his neck, pretty calmly. Of course, he'd be afraid of ghosts but not spiders. )

There's nothing there?

( Unless she means her?! )

On me--on ME!!

[She's rustling her shirt trying to get it out but she still FEELS it there.]

IT'S NOT GETTING OFF..!!

[Spiders from afar were okay, but on her? That was a different story.]

Hey, hey!

( He's a shortie but he isn't that much shorter than Chinatsu so he reaches out to grab her and pull her down just the slightest bit so he can check her neck. Gently, he'll swat at the back of her neck and flap her shirt a bit to shake anything off. Nothing comes off though? )

There's nothing here...

[Chinatsu let's herself be pulled down, squeezing her eyes shut.]

Don't squish it on me!!!

[She did not want spider guts on her. But he's right though. Suddenly, she doesn't feel anything on her. Chinatsu peeks up at him.]

Where..where'd it go..?

Maybe it fell off. ( He pats her back. There, there. It's okay, Chinatsu. ) You know, spiders aren't that scary, Chinatsu-chan.

( Spoken like a true boy. )

They're really good! They protect homes and everything!

They still feel gross....

[She mumbled under her breath.]

Senpai, let's just get out of here already...

[Chinatsu gripped his sleeve a little tighter. She was so over this place.]

( It's like a sister holding onto her little brother for safety... the tables have turned, Chinatsu.

He nods. )

Yeah, let's go. We just have to find a way back up, right? ( He looks up. It's not very high. Maybe if they can find a box or something they can stand on, they'd be able to climb up. So he looks around for some boxes and- ) Right there.

Let's climb up.

[Was that really the way out? It was too dark to see anything else in there though..]

You sure..?

[She eyed the boxes warily.]

Maybe.

( That sure isn't a "yes" but he sounds confident... or like he doesn't mind, at least. )

Here, I'll help you.

( He'll hold her hand when she tries to get up. )

(no subject)

redmare - 2017-07-20 05:51 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only