Posts
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43
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Arcana
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XIII. DEATH
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EXP
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2000
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Tag
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@mary
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OOC Name
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Satori
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 18, 2018 7:16:29 GMT -7
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"Disappearances...disappearances..." Mary went over the story in her head again, occasionally saying parts of it out loud. "Disappearing for a day and turning up barely conscious... Exhaustion? Or something else? After that incident in the forest, paranormal is a possibility..." She was walking back into the forest. Sunset was already an hour ago, and rain had started to fall. It wasn't the best night to be out, but Mary only had two weeks to solve this mystery in. So she had her staff-turned-walking stick in one hand, her umbrella resting on her shoulder in the other, and a flashlight precariously held in the same hand as the umbrella, lighting the same trail she'd taken into the forest the day before.
She also had her journal, the Reaper's Notebook, which most definitely had nothing to do with the anime involving reapers and notebooks. She hadn't even heard of it until mentioning the notebook to one of the locals anyway. But, between the rain and having her hands full, she'd left the notebook safely in her purse and had resolved to just commit any ideas or findings to memory.
Perhaps that was why she had ended up talking to herself even more than usual.
"No barking dogs this time," she said, musing over the lack of sounds that had piqued her interest the day before. "Actually...I don't hear much of anything except the rain." She'd expected the sounds of insects, even on a rainy night. "Just like last time. Is that normal?"
She shifted her umbrella and staff to one hand, and swept her flashlight around the surrounding area. Sometimes, a little bit of light in the darkness would be enough to startle small creatures out of hiding, which would prove that there was at least something lurking in the woods. Nothing seemed to be reacting to the light though, until... "Wait..." She swept back to the path ahead, and held her light steady on the air in front of her. The trees and undergrowth where the light hit seemed to ripple, as though under the effect of a heat mirage. Mary shuddered as a cold chill hit her, and quickly reasoned that that was not what was going on.
Not wanting to walk through the strange rippling air, Mary shifted her staff into her flashlight hand and pushed it through the rippling air. The staff, as well, seemed to ripple with the rest of her surroundings, but when Mary pulled it out, it looked and felt exactly the same as before. Then, taking a deep breath, Mary stepped forward as well, passing through the strange ripple effect.
Nothing.
"Maybe I'm imagining things. Or maybe it's just harmless," she thought out loud, turning back around and walking back out just in case. She kept her flashlight pointed straight ahead and... "Hold on a moment..." She stopped, focusing her light on the path leading back out of the forest. Then she turned, sweeping it through the air in front of her in a full circle. The strange rippling effect was everywhere now, all around her. Now, as Mary moved, she felt a throbbing pain in the back of her head. It was faint, and might have been negligible if not for the lack of other sensations to distract her. There was just the sound of the rain, the strange rippling in the beam of her flashlight, and faint whispering in the air.
Wait, what?
"You should avoid the forest. It's haunted. Probably." "I've heard nothing but bad things about that forest." "A visitor like you will probably get lost and wind up missing." "If you came looking for ghost stories there's no better place in this area. Just be careful not to get lost or you'll be the subject of the next one." "I saw a ghost in the forest." "There was a girl here earlier. She's gone now."
All of the whispers were things she'd heard before. Asking around town, or before and during her initial walk and the strange things that came from that. The voices were familiar, and they all said things she'd already been told.
Cautiously, Mary stepped forward, listening to the voices as though they were really there and not just statements from her memories. Her light passed over a gnarled, knotted section of a tree trunk, and she pushed onward as it shifted in the corner of her vision to a body hanging from the lowest branch. The passing wisp, too, went with little notice, although Mary's head turned towards it as it passed.
Another voice joined the others. "You shouldn't have come here."
"Hmm?"
"This is a prison of our own thoughts. It is no place for visitors."
Mary's head turned again, just in time to see someone behind her on the path. She tried to focus on the other person, thinking she recognized her from the hotel, only for her to fade away. As she did, however, the sound of the rain started to fade, and the forest started to glow with wisps of light. Other voices joined the faint chorus - echoes of the past, and chaotic, disjointed words that sounded like they might have simply been stray thoughts. Mary thought she could see other shapes moving, running, or even lurching past as well, slipping between the trees and through the undergrowth. Try as she might to make them out, though, she could only see their shadows.
The forest, previously dead silent before, was now full of light and noise. In a way that seemed almost ironic in Mary's mind, it had come to life.
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Posts
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36
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Arcana
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IX. HERMIT
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EXP
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Tag
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@alisaayakura
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OOC Name
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trancehime
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 18, 2018 20:49:35 GMT -7
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Alisa was hearing increasing amounts of reports regarding missing people at random intervals. At this point, she had received several potential commissions from clients who were looking for missing relatives or missing loved ones who had mysteriously disappeared. Alisa was at first trying to comprehend a pattern, but even with the combined abilities of Alisa and Ongyo-ki, Alisa could not figure out anything concrete. Unfortunately, Alisa had to go with the next best plan, which was to land herself in a situation where a person would 'mysteriously' disappear. The only positive news Alisa herself heard was that the following day, some people would re-appear also by some mysterious means, albeit barely conscious and in a state that could only be considered 'barely alive.' The latest report this time from the grapevine was that people who had gone to play outside the confines of Sanyo City had encountered something strange. It was already dark and the rain was pouring gradually. Alisa decided that there was no better time like the present to try and make sense of these disappearances herself before she could address the clients.
Alisa would never commit to someone's request unless she was sure she could definitely solve the mystery. Not bothering to grab an umbrella, Alisa conspicuously locked up and left her apartment before venturing outside Sanyo, going to the outer areas. The spirit bond between Ongyo-ki and herself had improved her eyesight significantly, due to his demonic and ninja-like nature, Alisa's night vision could be considered to be somewhat better than the average person. Regardless, Ongyo-ki could only offer so much in this type of environment, and Alisa also wondered what might make it easier for Ongyo-ki to speak out to her. Right now she could only hear his murmuring and whispers. The further she ventured out and entered the forest in accordance to the directions she read online, the more confused she became.
It was quiet. Too quiet. Even if someone had already been here before, it was simply too bizarre. The only thing she could hear was the rain. Alisa was certain that on normal days, there would be a few insects who revelled in the dank, humid weather and would freely make sounds. Alisa kept moving and pushing onwards as the rain soaked her clothes. Gritting her teeth, Alisa squinted forwards and observed a strange phenomenon. She wasn't incredibly scientifically minded, but she surmised that it seemed to be some sort of environmental interference. The air was rippling strangely and it looked like something that came out of an anime or television show or movie. Alisa frowned but the closer she approached in order to better inspect it, the more clear the sounds from Ongyo-ki in her mind became.
Contractor, this is not natural, Alisa obviously knew that, but what was funny was the voice in her mind was gaining clarity. According to the mortals' current knowledge, this should be the root cause. It is definitely some form of sorcery. However, in my current state, I can't tell you what exactly it is.
Alisa's frown deepened. "It's a type of magic even you can't detect or evaluate? Too peculiar. However, I do believe this is the culprit behind the disappearances. We're going to go check it out." Ongyo-ki did not object to this move, it seemed it was also interested in whatever lurked behind it. As a guardian spirit, it knew that it had to take risks with the person it bonded with in order to achieve its own goals.
Upon Alisa walking through the strange phenomenon, but it seemed as if nothing obvious happened. Just as Alisa was about to retrace her steps to check what would happen, she quickly observed, thanks to Ongyo-ki's sudden increased sensitivity that something was definitely not right. Alisa furrowed her brows and began to aimlessly explore. If there was something of note, Ongyo-ki would be the first to let her know. Unintelligible voices calling out about ghost stories and the forest being haunted and dangerous slowly wafted into her ears, but Ongyo-ki helped Alisa retain her sense of clarity and she was not easily swayed by the mysterious voices. Sighing, Alisa kept wandering.
All Alisa could really see were shadows rushing about, and not even Ongyo-ki could help enhance her vision at this state. It was as if they were really ghosts. Eventually, Alisa caught the sight of a solid figure in the distance. The atmosphere was brighter compared to the darkness of the rain at this point. The forest had seemingly come to life at this stage. Alisa was taken aback.
"Hey, kid!" Alisa called out into the distance. "This place isn't safe!"
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Posts
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43
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Arcana
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XIII. DEATH
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2000
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Tag
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@mary
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OOC Name
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Satori
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 18, 2018 21:19:38 GMT -7
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Mary extended a hand, reaching out towards one of the floating wisps. It settled in the palm of her hand, almost as though it was solid, but Mary could feel nothing but a faint warmth on her skin, punctuated by the drops of water still falling through the trees. The shape of a person walked past, with a couple more wisps trailing them, completely undeterred by Mary's presence, but startling Mary nonetheless. Her hand shook as she jumped, and the wisp 'sitting' in it vanished, only for another to reappear in the air hovering beneath a nearby tree. She lowered her flashlight to the ground, allowing the lights of the wisps to 'guide' her farther down the path, but as a consequence noticing something shuffling on the ground. She stopped just in time to avoid stepping on the unexpected obstacle, getting a good look at...was that a black cloak? But if anything was under it, it was only large enough to be a person missing their legs. The trail left behind in its wake was black, though, not red.
"....."
The strange and fantastic nature of the situation was starting to settle onto Mary. She wasn't yet sure that what she was seeing was even real, but it was clearly something beyond the normal world. With what appeared to be actual ghosts lurking around, in a more fantastical Eastern sense than the stories she heard back home, she was left to wonder if she'd wandered into some sort of spirit realm.
A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she drew her notebook and pen from her purse, setting her flashlight partially inside to avoid dropping it. She opened the notebook to the page where she'd started taking notes on the rumors surrounding Sanyo, and the questions she'd started writing in the margins. One of them simply asked "Spirited away?" She wrote another note next to it - "Spirit World?" With that recorded, she pulled out her phone to take a picture.
But while her phone turned on normally, she couldn't manage to get her camera to work. Nor did anything else, surprisingly. "Did it lock up?" Mary asked, before setting the phone to reset. "Must be connection issues causing it to freeze again..." she mused, recalling that her phone had locked up a couple times while trying to connect to Japan's data network.
While she was waiting for it to reset, another voice called out to her, once again raising over the whispers around her. "I heard you the first time," Mary answered, deciding to respond this time and see if it was any more than just an echo. "No place for visitors and all of that. What did you mean?"
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Posts
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36
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IX. HERMIT
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EXP
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Tag
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@alisaayakura
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OOC Name
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trancehime
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 18, 2018 21:39:22 GMT -7
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Alisa was already bonded to a guardian spirit, so the concept of ghosts and the like wasn't totally alien to her. Furthermore, after bonding with Ongyo-ki, she did some personal research on its history and characteristics, and learned that it was often considered to be the progenitor of ninjutsu. Such parlor tricks from these wandering wisps and spirits therefore couldn't intimidate her as badly as the average joe. Alisa continued to approach the figure in the distance who appeared to be standing there and not really responding to her calls. It seemed as if she was trying to take photos of the space around her since she was trying to fidget with her phone. Alisa didn't really care about that but was instead concerned with the lack of response from her. The young girl Alisa called out towards soon answered with some nonsense about hearing it the first time, then questioning someone or something about the area not being a place for visitors.
This child is hearing things and is trying to question them. It should be either spirits, ghosts or evil forces which are letting her hear these utterances. I would presume they are intimidating her about the dangers of this place. As an ordinary mortal, it is indeed difficult for her to survive here. Ongyo-ki confirmed Alisa's suspicions that she was talking to nobody around in particular.
"Kid, I don't know what sort of things you're tangling with here but I'm not one of those spirits! I'm a real person, just like you! You need to get out of here because it is too dangerous!" Alisa hurriedly went up to the stranger and tapped her back gently. "You better snap out of it or some evil force will really come out."
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Posts
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43
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Arcana
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XIII. DEATH
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EXP
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2000
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Tag
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@mary
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OOC Name
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Satori
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 18, 2018 21:48:20 GMT -7
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"Oh..."
Mary turned, and saw someone standing there. Solid, no wisps, no anything else. "Sorry, I didn't notice you there. If this place is dangerous..." She turned back towards the ethereal scenery. The place felt like it was still continuing to come to life, with more ghostly entities visible in the air and audible through the undergrowth. Some of them looked like the more iconic yuurei of Japanese ghost stories, while others had a darker appearance and appeared to be wearing blank masks.
Hm...masks? That was a new one.
"Well, I tried to get out before it was like this. But I was already inside and it seemed to be growing. Like it was pulling me inside, almost..."
She smiled. An almost giddy, girlish smile. "I'm glad someone else is here, though. This is exciting. I've never seen anything like it before. Even if it's dangerous I want to see a little more before I go."
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Posts
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36
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Arcana
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IX. HERMIT
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EXP
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Tag
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@alisaayakura
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OOC Name
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trancehime
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 18, 2018 21:54:08 GMT -7
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Alisa was not exactly the most caring types of people, but something about this place definitely felt mysterious and she knew that she could only survive here thanks to the power given to her by Ongyo-ki. A regular person attempting to explore this world randomly would definitely run into trouble and the likelihood of them getting killed or seriously hurt was definitely non-trivial. If it weren't for Ongyo-ki, Alisa wouldn't even be able to have a glimpse at the wisps and ghost entities wandering around the place. She was visibly perplexed by the girl's decision to stick around before leaving. "Fine, then I'll accompany you. I have people from all over asking me to investigate the disappearances of people and the strange phenomenon happening anyways. If you're so interested, it's not proper of me just to leave you alone," Alisa harrumphed. "I really have the feeling that the spirits here aren't so innocent. It's possible that we can't get out of here the way we came in here anyways. I suppose we don't have any choice but to keep going after all." Alisa lamented.
Ongyo-ki did not decide to interject nor comment at this time.
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20
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XII. HANGED MAN
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EXP
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@sagi1
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OOC Name
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SAGI
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 18, 2018 22:20:57 GMT -7
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<"We are close to the disturbance, my lord.">"Yeah. There's this indescribable smell up ahead."A small Shiba Inu pup scampered beside Kaito as he darted his way through the quickly darkening forest. Alongside the pitter patter of rain and the splashing of his feet, his own breathing was the only noises that rebounded against the trees, and as unnerving as it was the man found it to be more calming than eerie. His father had been trying to investigate the strange cases of people vanishing at night only to return on the brink of death, but with him bedridden it fell to Kaito to continue exploring. All he had to go on was the fact that people disappeared close to or after nightfall - everything else was rumor or hearsay. The most popular piece of gossip appeared to be the presence of oasis-like phenomena across Sanyo, followed by-- <"My lord, focus.">In the blink of an eye, Kaito's environment had changed. Where it was once silent, his head was now being assailed from all directions by fragmented voices. It was a bit brighter in the forest now despite the lack of the sun, and in place of the forest's fauna, the Summoner could see an array of ghastly wisps and blob-like creatures all over the place. Glancing over his left shoulder, he could just barely make out a mirage-like vision of the forest behind him - dark and damp, just like it had been before. "Is this the realm of spirits?" he mused quietly, golden eye darting around to adjust to its new surroundings. Inugami lingered a few paces behind, sniffing around. He tilted his head in a motion akin to a shrug. <"I do not know. This space is distorted... Similar to but different from the spirit world. ...Up ahead. Do you see them?">Kaito glanced up. Several yards away, two figures appeared to be interacting with one another. They were distinctly humanoid and before Kaito realized it his feet were carrying him closer. At about ten feet away he finally stopped. Thankfully, he hadn't walked straight into two monsters. Or maybe he had - and kudos to them if so, for their human guises were impeccable. Inugami scurried between his master's legs and stopped between him and the women. "So," Kaito murmured after a moment of staring. "Are you two here on purpose as well, or is it just me?"<"Excellent. my lord. The first step towards a successful negotiation is to initiate dialogue,"> Inugami yipped.
Tag: MARIAN WILSON ALISA AYAKURA Notes: Inugami can be heard quite clearly. He is also a helpful tutorial Demon. Please feed him.
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Posts
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43
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Arcana
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XIII. DEATH
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EXP
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2000
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Tag
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@mary
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OOC Name
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Satori
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 18, 2018 22:50:52 GMT -7
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"Spirits are no more or less innocent than humans," Mary said. "There's all types, good and bad." She said this with confidence, despite having only spotty experience in the area herself. "But I've been looking into the disappearances and the like as well. The timing and circumstances match up well enough to be wary. You seem to know more than me about this situation, so I'd be happy for the company." This would probably seem like a fast turnaround, but that was just the way Mary's mind worked. Danger was nebulous until she had something concrete to connect it to, and she often made those connections well before actually admitting to their existence.
As though responding to a potential threat, the atmosphere had started to change. There were a lot more masked ghosts than normal ones in the air now, and the air was starting to get colder. Mary took note of both of these and resigned herself to be slower and more cautious in her approach, walking slowly until another voice came from behind her.
She turned. This time she wanted to make sure before responding. A man was here this time, with his dog.
"On purpose? Sort of," she answered. "I was looking, and 'here' found me. This probably isn't a good place to walk a dog, though."
The fact that the dog had just talked didn't seem to bother her.
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Posts
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36
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Arcana
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IX. HERMIT
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EXP
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Tag
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@alisaayakura
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OOC Name
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trancehime
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 18, 2018 23:42:57 GMT -7
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Alisa frowned and crossed her arms. "Can't argue with that," Alisa heaved out. "However, it's still good to be careful. In case an otherworldly force does try to do harm to you, it would be impossible to defend against the attack without spiritual means..." Alisa explained. In any case, the blonde girl didn't seem to be interested in leaving just yet and she seemed to be the type to want to make concrete confirmations first before doing anything else. In which case, Alisa really couldn't do anything but to accompany her and see if another head could help Alisa make sense of all this. Eventually the sounds of two fellows speaking could be heard, and when Alisa turned around, she saw that it was a man around her age accompanied by a dog.
It's an inugami. Ongyo-ki's voice lazily resounded inside Alisa's mind. A spiritual possession by the spirit of a dog. This one seems to be of a more refined nature. Apparently more of a blessing than a curse. It is to that man's fortune that this inugami is so loyal to it, like a real dog. Humph... Ongyo-ki seemed to speak with a tone of much disdain. Alisa ignored it and silently took in the information while looking at the man's dog with interest.
"Fortunately, it is a special dog," Alisa pointed out as she sighed. "Anyway, I was here to investigate the disappearances occurring in the forest. Yet I ran into this young lady here first. I haven't been here for too long."
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20
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Arcana
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XII. HANGED MAN
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EXP
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Tag
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@sagi1
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OOC Name
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SAGI
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 19, 2018 0:11:49 GMT -7
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Inugami's bushy tail began wagging rapidly, seemingly in response to the latter comment.
<"The channeler recognizes my potential. You would be wise to contract her, my lord."> Kaito rolled his eye, masking a snicker with one gloved hand. His designation of the adult woman as a 'channeler' did not escape him, but he could ask about it later.
"Inugami, these two are not Demons. They're human, like me." They smelled as such, anyhow. His attention was drawn to the kimono-wearing woman again; he could faintly pin down the same indescribable scent around her, but not the younger girl. A fleeting thought passed that perhaps this was the scent of the supernatural. More details to remember for the future. A few steps turned his good eye towards the other two so he could reply to them properly.
"Excuse us, then. We're also investigating the recent disappearances, and our leads managed to wind us up in this... space." He mulled over the word for a moment, gaze flicking around. The hitodama-like flames seemed to be waning while the masked figures were gathering in greater numbers.
<"My lord, we appear to be drawing the attention of this space's residents,"> Inugami noted (helpfully). Kaito glanced over to the pair. Like him, they did not appear to be perturbed by their current predicament. That much was good - if they needed to act, they could do so with level heads. Or so he hoped. He spoke up once more, addressing the pair with a cordial smile.
"I'm Nagano. Inugami and I are tickled to make your acquaintance in wherever the hell this is. Assuming the worst of the 'folks' around us, I hope we can work together to not die horribly."
<"Death in general is inadvisable if we are to attain our goal.">
"Thank you for the insight, Inugami."
Tag: MARIAN WILSON ALISA AYAKURA Notes: :v
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Posts
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43
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Arcana
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XIII. DEATH
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EXP
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2000
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Tag
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@mary
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OOC Name
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Satori
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 19, 2018 2:08:50 GMT -7
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"A special dog?" Mary asked. "A dog that can talk seems like the least out of the ordinary thing in this forest right now." Well, maybe the dog was special in other ways. A talking dog could also be a fighting dog of some sort, and fighting....was starting to look more and more necessary. The pieces were falling together. All three of them were there for the same reason. All three were investigating the same thing, and coming to the forest had brought them to...here. "I almost want to call this place the Spirit World," Mary said. "But something feels wrong about it too." There was something about the two locals that set them apart from Mary, and the masked ghosts around them were looking more and more...hold on. Mary shined her light at the nearest one. It had the shape and the wisp accompaniment of the other ghosts, but unlike those, it seemed solid. And its body was pitch black, in contrast to the lighter colors of the ghosts. Something else clicked into place. "Not a ghost," she said, with the same confidence before despite her conclusion being based on little evidence. "The masked ones only look like ghosts."But then, what were they? Six of them had gathered now, surrounding the three 'visitors' to the Spirit World. Mary folded up her umbrella, letting it hang from her purse as she shifted her staff into a combat-ready grip. Did she know how to fight with it? Barely. But 'barely' would have to do. "Whatever I sound like, I'm pretty ordinary. But I don't want to die horribly either, so I'll help in whatever way I can."The nearest masked ghost surged toward her. Mary swung at it, catching it in the 'chest,' but it kept pressing towards her. As she started to rapidly lose ground, the other masked entities started to close in as well. Do not deny the fear or the madness. Another voice came to her, although this one seemed to come from her own head. They will be your strength.But what did that even mean? ALISA AYAKURA KAITO NAGANO
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Posts
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36
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Arcana
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IX. HERMIT
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EXP
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Tag
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@alisaayakura
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OOC Name
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trancehime
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 19, 2018 2:38:04 GMT -7
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Alisa did not have time to explain to the girl what was the significance of the man's Inugami, and she also ignored the dog's usherings towards its own contractor regarding the prudence of forging a relationship. Alisa had Ongyo-ki and that was good enough for her. The man introduced himself as Nagano and it was then Alisa remembered she didn't say her own name. The introductions could come later. For now, the problem was that several masked ghosts appeared to be becoming more and more corporeal and they were rapidly approaching the kid. The shadow-like beings are approaching. She is likely to die if all of them swarm her at once. For once, Ongyo-ki was captain obvious. Alisa obviously knew that she would be severely injured if those six things had really struck her ferociously. She is going to use that thing as a weapon? Won't work that easily. Ongyo-ki lamented as Alisa watched the girl swung a staff at one of the shadow-like ghosts. It didn't do anything. Fortunately Alisa had the foresight to bring along not only her knife but the bow with which her mother left behind. Grabbing the composite bow slung on her back she nocked an arrow and using some strength borrowed from Ongyo-ki she shot it at one of the masked things.
"Get to safety first!" Alisa yelled out at the girl, unaware that something big was going to happen to the young blonde lady.
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20
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XII. HANGED MAN
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@sagi1
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OOC Name
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SAGI
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 19, 2018 12:09:58 GMT -7
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"Ah. They look friendly."
Dry wit was Kaito's go-to reaction in tense situations. Normally he'd hope to draw a chuckle from those surrounding him, but there were more pressing matters to attend to. As the menacing blobs (menacing. blobs.) surrounded the three, Kaito dipped his hand into a pocket to pluck out a beaten orange Zippo. Stiffly, he pushed his thumb against the lid to open the device. Inugami was braced to pounce at the closest enemy, hackles standing on end. Yet he sensed his master's tension and spoke out.
<"Clear your mind, my lord. You are not new to this art. Apply what you have been taught!">
The Summoner's fingers clenched and a thin-lipped smirk drew on his features. He didn't always need to be told twice... But the reassurance was welcome at this moment. With adrenaline pumping the blood faster through his system, Kaito held the lighter out and flicked the flint wheel to spark an ethereal blue flame not unlike the benign wisps around them. He motioned sharply in the air - the flame did not snuff, and instead trailed along like the tip of a paintbrush. A pentagram symbol was drawn out, surrounded after by a circle. Once the circle was closed Inugami reared his head back and howled.
<"Excellent, my lord - the terms have been met!">
"Nix the play-by-play and sic 'em!" Kaito yelled, slashing across the rune with his open flame. Inugami leaped high, shrouding his body in a ghastly blaze before transforming into his proper Demon form. A seven-foot high anthromorphic sword doggo with a castle-shaped doghouse strapped to his back landed firmly beside the one-eyed man. Heeding his master's command, he opened the bell-shaped gourd dangling at his waist. A glob of golden energy wafted out before shaping into a solid bolt that flew towards the hostile blob attacking the blonde.
Meanwhile, the two monsters that had designated Kaito as their target pounced, raising sharp claws to slash at him. Inugami was busy assisting the younger girl, so he would have to take care of himself for now. He ducked out of the way and started drawing their attention from the others, dipping and skirting outside the range of their swipes.
Tag: MARIAN WILSON ALISA AYAKURA Notes: Hire a samurai, bork
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Arcana
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XIII. DEATH
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EXP
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2000
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Tag
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@mary
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OOC Name
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Satori
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 19, 2018 13:58:21 GMT -7
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The dog was...a lot bigger now. And seemed to be wearing a doghouse on its back. But the shadowy monster's attack broke off as the dog struck it with some kind of energy attack. Mary sighed with relief in the moment that the dog warrior had given her, then looked around for an opening in the masked ghosts' attack. Seeing one where the one attacking her had been before being repelled, Mary slipped through the cracks and made a run for it. "Oh, I've really screwed up now," she said, watching one of the six monsters break off its attack and chase her. The one that had initially attacked her soon did the same, once it recovered from...whatever had just struck it. With no idea where she was going and a nagging fear that there was nowhere she could go, she slipped behind the darkest tree she could see, desperately trying to control her breathing enough to use it to hide. As the nearer of the two monsters approached, it swung a clawed hand, and smashed the tree apart instantly. With a string of English swears and progressively more panic in her voice, Mary turned and ran again, only to trip over an exposed root almost immediately and fall headfirst to the ground. "No...not now, not now," she said, still trying to crawl away even as pain shot through her arms with every movement. "I don't want to die here!" Friend of ghosts though she may have tried to be, she wasn't ready to join them just yet. Or any time soon for that matter. She looked up. One of the non-masked ghosts was floating up ahead. She reached out to it. To her surprise, it turned and floated towards her. But as it reached her, it passed right through her body, and the nagging headache in the back of her head exploded into unbearable pain that overwhelmed her entire body. Embrace the fear. Master it. Coming here was not a mistake.There was a voice in her head again. Was it the ghost? Or the same voice as before she'd tried to run. The doors of the Underworld are open to you. But you must take the first step.Behind her, the masked monsters were closing in. Something, for a moment, had given them pause. But they were advancing once more. To solve the mystery before you and save yourself and others, you must invite them to death.The pain grew even more intense, focusing on her face. Even through it, Mary could feel blood spilling over it, then hardening. She raised a hand to her face, and nearly recoiled it when she realized that some sort of beaked mask had started to grow on it. Embrace the fear of death! Make it yours, and wield it against the unknown!"Okay."((Music))Instinctively, Mary understood what she had to do. She raised both hands to the mask now sealed onto her face, and began to pull. Her face seared with even more pain as she did, as though it was about to be ripped off with the mask. "AaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"Mary's scream echoed through the forest, until finally, the mask came free, and dissolved into blue flames. Something appeared before her, and as it took more and more shape, Mary realized that she was looking at herself only with breaking porcelain skin, empty space and bare ribs in place of most of her torso, and a hell of ghosts and ghostly eyes spilling out the back. The skeletal duplicate raised its hand, seemingly of its own accord before Mary realized that she'd managed to stand up and do the same. That hell of shapes and eyes scattered over one of the shadows, engulfing it entirely. The other suddenly stopped in its tracks, seeming to recognize danger where once had been a helpless victim. It tried to run, only to be engulfed as well. "Now..." Mary said, directing her Persona to light and guide the way back to the path. "I guess I should find the others again..."
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Posts
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36
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Arcana
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IX. HERMIT
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EXP
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Tag
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@alisaayakura
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OOC Name
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trancehime
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An Offering to the Dead [Awakening/Open] - Posted Apr 19, 2018 18:47:55 GMT -7
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Alisa didn't have time to watch the young girl run away. She knew that survival instinct would help her out, otherwise how would she have the guts to come out here on her own? She barely seemed to be in her late teens, it would have been weird if she didn't have a crippling fear entering the space. She did, however, notice that one of the six masked ghost creatures broke away from the rest and began to chase her. Another was chasing her too. Alisa also didn't have time to focus on what the man named Nagano was doing either, though she caught the glimpse of his demon technique causing the Inugami to morph into a more combative form. Ongyo-ki did not say anything to this, as if he was well aware of this type of sorcery. The embiggened Inugami ran off to assist the younger girl, leaving Alisa no choice but to get out of his way and face the remainder of the masked creatures. Alisa had a feeling that the young English girl would be fine.
Do you think so too?
"Well, I'm reminded of the time I got into a car accident and almost died. Then I met you." Alisa muttered under her breath as she nocked another arrow and shot at one of the ghosts that Nagano was distracting.
That kid will come back soon enough.
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