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

[He is so goddamn tired about so many things. But he's not about to let somebody just steal a piece of history on his watch.

So even under the spell of bad romance, he's going. He's completely annoyed that some idiot thinks that this the thief gig is a good idea but whatever.

Whatever. Apparently, nothing is going to get done via the old gods so he's going.

He's there at nine, scooping out the history museum on the outside. Shouldn't something like this be properly guarded?]

[ It ought to be, yes! And everything looks perfectly normal on the outside. Only the security lights are on, and there's a wandering light past a few windows that's probably a guard making the rounds. All is well.

Unless he tries the door. Which will open.

An oversight? ]

[... It's open. Why on earth didn't they lock it?

He has to despair for a moment over this specific instance of Japan. It's not enough that the heavens are incompetent. Apparently, the Near Shore is too.

He hates this.

But he'll slip in and start looking around.]

[ No alarms go off, so either they haven't armed them yet or they're silent. The hallways are dim, and nothing seems particularly out of place. What's more, the place is extremely well-signed, so there shouldn't be any trouble finding the exhibit in question.

Footsteps, however, can be heard approaching from within it, and the beam of a flashlight can be seen. ]

[Izuku moves to a slightly more shadowed part of the hallway when somebody approaches.

... Of course, he's a Far Shore resident, so people have trouble seeing him. But he's never quite adjusted to thinking he's invisible.]

[ That flashlight beam does indeed sweep right over Izuku as this person - a security guard - goes about their rounds. The flashlight beam does, however, catch something slipping down a corridor beyond Izuku...

The guard picks up the pace and goes to investigate, reaching for their walkie-talkie. ]

[Yeah, that's not surprising.

He considers going after the guard, but the target in question is the exhibit- so instead he heads that direction.]

[ Smart move. Smarter, certainly, than the guards, several more of whom he will pass in pursuit of other shadowy figures. They seem to be trying to coordinate, and there is one stubbornly guarding the entrance to the exhibit in question, but, well, Izuku will be able to walk right past him into said exhibit if he so chooses...

The designated hour approaches. ]

[Izuku slips right past him and watches the exhibit until somebody comes along to steal it.]

[ It's a neat exhibit! There's a wide variety of European weaponry. The sword listed in the calling card is just one in an array of blades from that period; the placard, if Izuku needs something to read while waiting, states it was a gift from King Louis XIV to one of his nobles, and that only a handful of such swords were distributed.

All seems quiet, though. There's no setup, no motion, no...anything. It's just an ordinary night. Nothing to be seen or heard.

And then, at ten seconds after ten o' clock (for dramatic effect), all the lights go out. Simultaneously. ]

[That's probably the cue for the phantom thief.

The lights on the grid might go off, but his own phone isn't connected to that. So he'll pull it out and turn on the flashlight feature, letting him see the sword in front of him.]

[ Smart thinking! In nearly any other situation, it would have worked, too.

And yet. The flashlight's beams do nothing to illuminate the darkness surrounding them. Whatever's causing it, it isn't a normal blackout.

The sound of a bell ringing fills the air. A few stray, brilliant crimson flower petals drift past, oddly illuminated in the darkness. And, from high above, a voice speaks. It's a very deep, commanding voice.

You are totally imagining things if you think you've heard it before. ]

When the wings that soar in the sky unfurl....

[ There is a rustling noise from up there. ]

Appearing from the darkness - a single casablanca lily.

[ The lights go back up. The sword is missing from its case.

And standing atop the case, holding it up in a knight's salute, is a figure in a mask, hat, and cape. ]

My name is Phantom Thief Genius!

[ There is technically more to this speech. But the figure will pause here for the appropriate exclamations of dismay. It seems only fair to let such a devoted opening act say their lines. ]

[He growls in frustration. This is so stupid and he's so tired.

These flowers? Familiar. This voice? Familiar.

He does not have the patience to put up with this today.

He just teleports up to the case alongside her and puts his hands on her shoulders. Unacceptable. Unacceptable. Unacceptable.]

I haven't slept in four days. I can't believe you would do something so stupid! And pointless! Are you really so low that you would stoop to stealing?

I thought you were better than that!

Today the curtain rises on the first act of Masquerade Time.

[ There, that's the whole speech. The other party seems determined to go off-script, but there's no scene a Genius can't ad-lib.

The sword is stashed, scabbard and all, in the Phantom Thief's belt. ] My every move is for a noble aim. Strangers as we are, you cannot hope to comprehend.

This is all for Revolution.

[ WHAT A MYSTERIOUS AND ANONYMOUS INDIVIDUAL

IN A MASK

PLEASE TAKE THE HINT

THAT IS THE PART THAT MATTERS ]

[His hands have not left her shoulders- actually, he's shaking her now.]

I don't care what it's for! You just stole something from a museum!

[NO. NO that is not the part that matters here. The part that matters is that is a criminal act, no matter how she tries to justify it.]

A necessary sacrifice.

[ And also exactly what Phantom Thief Genius said they were going to do. They are a Phantom Thief. What did you come here expecting to see...?

Oh well, no matter. Refusing to let being shaken around like a rag doll disrupt their composure (with the end result of their head bobbing everywhere, feathered plume in her hat bouncing with each motion), Genius raises a hand. A spotlight appears on a mirror ball that has totally been hanging from the ceiling all this time, perhaps you just didn't notice it (or perhaps it only just appeared).

The Thief snaps their fingers, and the ball bursts open. Confetti and red lilies rain down from above.

Will that be a sufficient distraction to break free....? ]

[It is not.

He has the culprit in his hands and Izuku... is frustrated enough that he just continues shaking her. Bit by bit Izuku's grip becomes stronger. He's not tapping into One for All yet, but it might be getting painful.]

I can't believe you!

[ Phantom Thief Genius is...discomfited, yes. That, and confused. Enough to, if not break character, point out what seems, from this side of the confrontation, perfectly obvious facts. ]

The calling card stated my intentions clearly.

[ So they say, as their head continues to bobble back and forth. ]

If you'd objected to such scenes, you could have stayed away.

[ How, though, shall the intrepid phantom escape from this grip...? ]

[His grip is only getting stronger. It's probably going to bruise tomorrow but Izuku does not care about any of that now.]

The calling card states intent and the police and such are here to stop you from committing criminal activty. Just because you're a god doesn't mean you're above the law!

Don't allude to my daytime identity when I'm in disguise.

[ That's it. The curtain needs to descend on this scene. Genius unfastens the clasp of their cape with one hand while grabbing the hem with the other. Dipping their body low, they attempt to twist out of Izuku's grip while distracting him by swooshing the cape up over his head.

A pity, to potentially have to change partly out of costume while the cameras are rolling. But there will be ample chances to retrieve the prop. ]

[He'd follow, but the fact he hasn't slept in a worrying amount of time- so he just yanks the cape- and keeps it in a death grip.]

You're actually just an idiot. A complete idiot who thinks that the laws are beneath them.

[ Well, better the cape than the entirety of Genius's body, but this is still less than ideal. That mask hides a furrowed brow for half a second. ]

If they'd stop me.

[ A gloved hand is raised. From...somewhere on that arm....comes a sparkling purple rope, flying up and sticking to the ceiling, still in shadows. Genius retracts the rope, attempting to escape up, up, up... ]

Farewell!

[ This is not a total loss yet. They have the sword. And they have a Plan to get their cape back, too. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

018 | Season Spirits

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