018 | Season Spirits

[godsoffortune]

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~

Comments

ooo chinatsu you pulled a bad

[forsakens]

[ That response was a knee jerk reaction and upon her saying that he ripped his grip away from her and distancing himself enough so she would feel very uncomfortable. ]

That's none of your concern but it seems like you're fine now. You don't need help if yo can insult someone who is helping you.

[ With that he whipped his head around and started to walk away from her. Chinatsu, you really shouldn't say things like that to him-- they're triggers and he's more than a little pissed off. ]

What's new AHAHA dundunduuun

[redmare]

[The sudden strength he showed shocked her, and she just stared for a moment as he suddenly moved away. The further he got the faster her heartbeat got and it felt like it was on the edge of a cliff ready to drop]

Wha--Ichiru! Wait!

[It took all she had to move from thst spot, because it felt like her legs were starting to freeze from the fear. It probably helped that she was a little ticked off. He was teasing her just fine awhile ago and even if she answered back he didn't seem to mind. So what had changed?

Chinatsu goes after him until she's close enough to grab his arm. She pulls him firmly, trying to keep her expression just as firm, but her hand still trembled slightly. Him walking away like that was terrifying.]

What the hell?! Where'd that come from?

lmfao nothing really but lmfao poor girl. >>

[forsakens]

[ He didn't even give her a second glance as he stormed off in irritation. Of course, she couldn't see it because his back was to her. Thankfully for that since he had a rather dark expression on his face.

He ignored her as she called after him continuing to pick up his pace as she yelled fearfully for his attention. At the moment, he was still upset with her words. Needless to say. no matter what he did, he couldn't recall why he did it or why it felt like he was used to it. In the end she managed to catch up to him and when she grabbed his arm again, he removed it as quickly as he did a moment. ]

Don't touch me so casually.

[ His eyes were narrowed as he turned to glare at her. ]

You're fine aren't you? Don't involve me with you matters anymore.

it's ok she can handle this /sparkles excitedly

[redmare]

Then stop running away.

[When he pulled away yet again, she held her hands back from holding onto him once more... With much difficulty. She settled with clenching her fists at her side.]

And no, I'm not fine!

[She was fine admitting it. He already knew that.]

Clearly, neither are you. What the hell happened? And I want a proper answer this time.

I sure hope she can ahahah

[forsakens]

[ He wasn't running away-- honestly he didn't want to socialize with her anymore that she said something offending to him. So he will start walking again as she clenched her own fists. ]

Ehh? I couldn't tell.

[ He replied back coldly. He's still not looking at her as he keeps walking. ]

I am not obligated to answer you questions.

[ He replied as she demanded an answer from him. ]

[redmare]

[Her annoyance was staring to over power her fear.]

Then tell me what happened!

[ Chinatsu picks up the pace and runs ahead to stop in front of him.]

I can't do anything about it if I don't know! So, what the hell set you off?

[forsakens]

[ Good, because that makes it easier for him to tell her that she's fine and she can move on without his help. He didn't feel like helping her anymore anyway.

He exhausted that the moment she decided to trigger him-- not that this was by any means her fault, but it didn't stop him from blaming her intentionally. ]

No.

[ He replied curtly. ] You're annoying.

[ He stared darkly at her as she moved in front of him. ]

You don't need to.

[ He walks around her. ]

[redmare]

Then you are running away.

[She throws back as he starts walking ahead of her again. His answers didn't satisfy her. She continued to follow after him.]

I've been annoying you from the start and that didn't bother you. So what? Was it because I said you were useful?

[That's the last thing she remembered saying before he snapped anyway.]

[forsakens]

You're delusional.

[ He bluntly sated at her words as she stalked after him. Running from what? He simply chose not to answer her inquiries because it's none of her business. Nothing she was saying was going to make him change his mind. Not right now and not ever. ]

Stop following me, you're annoying.

[ He retorts as he turned a corner. He neither denied her confirmed her statement. Even if it was so, he didn't show it on his face. ]

[redmare]

So it was that then?

[Of course she wasn't stopping, turning the same corner.]

[forsakens]

[ Without warning, he cornered against the wall after she whipped the corner saying that. ]

You shouldn't tread onto dangerous grounds. I hate people who don't stop talking as if they know everything about me.

[redmare]

[ She didn't expect to suddenly be backed against the wall, but she still looks straight back at him.]

I don't know anything about you. That's why I'm asking.

[Her eyes narrow slightly.]

I'm not asking for you whole damn life story. It's a simple yes or no question.

[forsakens]

[ It's frustrating when she won't back off despite the situation. In fact, she was staring directly at him which made him even more frustrated with her. Didn't she get it that he didn't want to talk to her about his problems? He hadn't been so upset in a long time. He couldn't remember when he did get angry to be honest. ]

You don't need to. It's better for you to stay out of my business, just like everyone else. I'm not looking for friendships or allies.

[ he retorted. ] Again, I don't have any reason to answer to you, so go home before you seriously get hurt.

[redmare]

[ Was he seriously threatening her over a freaking question? The urge to strangle him was so strong. His neck was right there.]

Yes, I do.

[She let's out a frustrated sigh. Stubborn people were such a pain. Pot meet kettle.]

Look, I'm not saying that I want to start braiding each other's hair and making flower crowns together. I want to know if that's what set you off so I can actually apologize. Even I can do that when I've crossed a line, but I need to know if I have. Doesn't matter if we're friends or not, and we sure as hell aren't.

[forsakens]

[ Yes, he's threatening her over a question. That is the kind of person he is and no matter what she does, it won't change his thought process. He just keeps his expression as neutral as he can while she continues to insist. ]

No you do not. Go home.

[ He walks around her again and much faster this time. He's really in the mood to listen to her yap about what triggers him and what doesn't. Of course, she's the pot calling the kettle black as they always say. ]

No matter what you say, the answer is still no. It's none of your concern.

[redmare]

[She didn't know anyone could be so infuriating.

Going the opposite direction was what she wanted to do, but the further he got, the more that fear started to build up again. Clicking her tongue, she follows after him, having no problem woth keeping up. If that was how he was going to be, then she didn't have to say anything at all.]

[forsakens]

[ Apparently, he had never really like expected anyone to be this ridiculously clingy. He's not used to people needing him or being attached to him, even if it's for the wrong reasons. Hell, if he could get rid of her quickly, he would have but who knows what her God would do if their Shinki ends up hurt.

That and he would rather not put Zero in danger. The other was not someone he felt completely attached to but he was a God that expected nothing of Ichiru and Ichiru had done nothing but be spoiled by his kindness. The last thing he needed was for the Zero to get hurt like he did the last time trying to protect him for whatever sentimental reasons the other had, ]

[redmare]

[At least he wasn't saying anything. This was humiliating enough as it was. While she was walking slowly, her gaze was hard as she kept her eyes on his back. She was still bothered about earlier, and that was apparent from how briskly she walked and how tense her fists were.]

[forsakens]

[ Honestly, she must have some screws loose in her head because who in their right mind would still follow someone who outright denied her existence? He didn't want to be even within the same space with her and she was still following him.

Most people would just leave him alone or call him names-- well she sort of did already but that was beside the point. ]

[redmare]

[You could probably cut the tension between them with a knife. She kept her distance, but just enough that she didn't feel anxious about losing him. God did she feel like a stalker right now. Where was this guy even going?]

[forsakens]

[ Honestly, he was considering going home, but she was following him so he didn't know if that was a good idea to have the girl follow him to Hades' Temple. Frankly, he rather enjoyed not letting anyone know where his whereabouts are. The temple was definitely secluded and no one really wanted to venture that far unless they had business with Hades himself.

Plus the three headed dog was already intimidating, guarding and all that. The tension was really thick and he was only quickening his pace as she continued to stalk after him. ]

[redmare]

Hey...hey! Are you really just not going to say anything?

[She attempted several times to stop or turn away, but the moment he was out of sight or got too far she started to panic. It was fucking annoying, but what could she do about it?]

[forsakens]

[ Even for that, he didn't say anything. He just kept walking. It might have been cruel on his part, but she chose to rely on the wrong person. He wasn't a gentle person. In fact, he really shouldn't even be here wasting his time with someone like her.

In a way it sort of amused him. He admitted. Though, he wasn't going to openly talk about his twisted sense of entertainment. ]

[redmare]

[Yet if he really wanted to lose her, he probably could have ages ago. Which made her wonder why he hadn't just straight up ran.]

Where are you going?

[She still asks, even if it isn't guaranteed he'd even answer.]

[forsakens]

[ He's going to keep ignoring her as his pace increases even more. Of course, at some point he might really start running since she was being really persistent. He wanted to just lose her right now as he rounded another alley corner and moved along the darkness. ]