kaisou | May Event Log

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May Event Log

May Spirit Realm Event Log
Dominant Element: Shadow
Waning Element: Light

Full Moon: May 11th - 13th

※
While the weather has been typical of a pleasant late spring, there's no missing how dark the nighttime hours are. Not only is the Spirit Vein darker with hues of black and purple, but even the city lights don't seem to light up as well as they normally do. It's so easy to feel like you're constantly enveloped in a looming darkness. It's made even worse by the increase of spirits in the city, that whisper and haunt several spots around Kaisou.

Haunted Nights

Kaisou is no stranger to hauntings - a city with an active spirit vein will always see more paranormal events than one without. This month however? There is a significant increase of ghostly activity. Where once you might caught the odd poltergeist knocking things over in a store, or see a floating orb passing you in the night, now the city is lousy with ghosts. Some are your standard Kaisou ghost fare - souls who have not yet passed on who are haunting the living world until they can - but others are not that. If you are born of this world, or especially if you're an otherworlder, you will start to notice ghosts of people you recognize. Even of people who, last you remember or saw them, were absolutely not dead.

Some of these ghosts may be a comfort to you- a chance to reconnect with someone you loved long ago. And some are just that- happy to talk to you- to ask you to help them move on from this world, acutely aware they are not supposed to be here. These ones are easy to deal with, they don't want to be hanging around, they just want to move on and find their peace. Some, however, are angry and are aiming to cause as much destruction as they can. They want to harm the living and will outright attack anyone who comes near them- some even seek out property to damage. If they knew you in life, they might lash out - calling you out on your wrongdoings in life, anything that might have cause them harm - perceived or otherwise. These ghosts will not pass on easily, and will need to be exorcised.

Some paranormal residents of the city will suddenly take up ghost blogging as a hobby, running around with cameras trying to interview and sometimes outright provoke the ghosts into action, hindering your efforts to keep the peace. Regardless of how you ultimately deal with the ghosts, it's clear that their numbers are not going to slow. That by helping (or forcing) them to move on, all you're really doing is putting a band aid on a bullet wound. You need to cut the invasion off at the source, to prevent the flood of ghosts from continuing into the city. Luckily, Zodiac have an answer on how to do just that.

Land of the Forgotten

On the morning of May 5th, your phone will receive a notification from the Zodiac on the Libra app.

ALERT: SPIRIT REALM GATE DETECTED IN CATHEDRAL HILL
Element Classification: Shadow
Danger Level: Extreme
Designation: Land of the Forgotten
Zodiac has detected a Spirit Gate on Cathedral Hills. Reports indicate it's the Land of the Forgotten, and may be related to the increased paranormal activity in the city.

When you had into the Zodiac office, you will find the place to be rather quiet. Apparently a lot of the staff have been in a lot of meetings since a recent PR fumble by one of the staff. Professor Barbie is rather unaffected by this, however, and she's much more interested in discussing the matters of the Spirit Realm. You see, Zodiac's also noticed the increase in spirits. It turns out, these ghosts have been escaping out of a tear of one of the afterlife realms- the Land of the Forgotten, specifically.

Those who have been on the app for a long time might be getting flashbacks to that realm, as it's the place where several app users died during a ritual sacrificial game of soccer during the first year of the app. Not to mention it's covered in ruins of the past worlds... all in all, not a pleasant realm to visit. But Professor Barbie insists that the tear needs to be investigated, and since you guys are the experts in dealing with such issues... it's up to you. Professor Barbie's even gone far enough to get clearance from the Black Order to allow you access to the realm... so you might not have much of a choice.

The gate is found in Cathedral Hill, in an old nearly-forgotten cemetery behind the church. It appears as a majestic mausoleum of sorts, with a foreboding dark energy radiating from it. Sure enough, at any given time, there are a couple Black Order Guardians posted nearby it, monitoring and making sure no one tries to go into this realm that shouldn't be there. However, once they realize you're an app user, they'll PROBABLY let you through. Some of the more thoughtful ones will give you word of caution- this will be far from an easy journey.

Ruins of Old

As you enter the realm, the sight that lays before you is a grim one. A land of ruins, covered in ash. This is the Land of the Forgotten, where those who are no longer remembered will eventually find themselves. The landscape is littered with ruins that have been forgotten by time: pyramids, towers, and castles, slowly eroding away and turning into ash themselves. As anyone born of this world wander these ruins, they will notice some buildings look familiar to them. Places from AU character's memories can be found scattered among the ruins of the realm: the schools they attended, their old houses, the place they once worked, and so on. These places can be explored in full, though they are in a worse state than they were in the memories. Still they look in better shape than some of the other buildings, almost like remembering them slows their descent into ash.

As you explore these ruins, you may want to be careful as you aren't the only ones in this realm. Numerous denizens live in this realm, serving as both the guards and the threats of the realm. There's the Tlahuelpuchi, female vampires that can shift between human and vultures or an monstrous form in-between. These vampires are out to drink people's blood, but can be fought off using metal. Any bodies of water (forgotten streams and lakes that are among the ruins) have Ahuizotl lurking within, a dog-sized creature with a hand on its tail that'll grab anyone who gets near with the intent to drown and feast on their flesh. And through some ruins prowls Dzulum, large jaguar creatures who are territorial and have claimed certain ruins as theirs. Any of these beings can't be reasoned with, and will attack on sight when they spot you outsiders to their realm.

However even with these monsters, the most numerous beings are the souls of the forgotten. They have a skeletal look to them, and can be found throughout the realm. Unlike the souls who still held enough memory and will to slip through the tear and into the city, these forgotten souls have grown too weak from the erosion process to cross the veil. A few of them might recognize you and call to you, but it's a person you've long forgotten either in your current or past life. Try to jog your memory as much as you can, but their name and face always slips out of your grasp. Most of the souls have resigned themselves to begin forgotten and eventually fading to ash, some even embracing it and making the best of it. However, some have not accepted their fate and have grown so resentful they've lost themselves in another way. Their skeletal forms are more monstrous and they will attempt to attack the living. Try to avoid or fight them off as best you can. Once defeated, they will crumble into ash.

Ruins of New

For those here intent on sealing the tear, they'll quickly come to realize that this realm is far too massive and dangerous to explore blindly. So, your best bet is to track down the ruler of this realm, Xibalba, and have him tell you where there tear is. However, those with presence sensing or enough charisma to ask the various souls will come to learn that Xibalba isn't in his castle today. Rather, he's on the edge of the realm attending to some duties... and he's not alone.

So after a long trek, you'll reach the edge of the main area of realm, which cuts off as a jagged cliff. However... you'll notice beyond the mainland there are several floating islands that are being connected to the mainland by means of large chain bridges, and they're being slowly dragged to the main land. Each of these floating islands contain ruins of various locations, but ones that are much more intact than anything remaining on the mainland. Instead of singular buildings, there's entire neighborhood's worth of places, or maybe even small towns. And for some unfortunate otherworlders... some of these locations may be places they recognize from home. In front of next each chain bridge connecting an island is a tombstone. Chiseled onto the tombstone is the world's name that it came from, a long string of numbers indicating which version of that world it is, and the cause of its destruction.

Should you cross the chain bridge and reach the islands, you'll find it is in fact fresh ruins from other destroyed world. The newest of these islands still have souls lingering, waiting to be processed and move onto their next life. Some of them will remember their deaths, while others it came too fast for them to recall much at all. You can chat with them awhile, for the otherworlders it may feel as a tearful reunion. Some of these familiar worlds are clearly alternate universes from your own homeworld.... while others, it's too difficult to be sure which version it is.

Whether you wait with the souls, or go to find them on your own, eventually you will come upon the death god Xilbalba. He's not alone today, as this time he's accompanied by his wife and fellow death god -- La Muerte, who is a tall and beautiful skeleton woman. Fortunately thanks to the presence of his charming wife, Xibalba is much more personable today than the last time app users encountered him. If asked what they are doing, they will explain these islands came from recently destroyed worlds and whose remaining fragments were drawn to this world, so they were doing their duty of processing the souls and sending them to their next destination. For some of the souls, they'll be joining this world's reincarnation cycle, and for others... they'll be heading to their own respective afterlives, wherever that might be.

And so, upon seeing the two death gods, the souls will begin to line up to be processed. Xibalba will try to shoo you away so they can do their work, pointing in the direction of the tear so you can deal with it and get out of their hair. Meanwhile, La Muerte is empathetic enough that she'll encourage any otherworlders to say their goodbyes to any loved ones -- though she'll gently refuse allowing anyone to actually watch the soul processing, as some things about death truly cannot be known by the living. So... this is your time to say your goodbyes, and make your departure with the hope that one day, either in this life or the next life, you'll see your loved ones again.

As for anyone who tries to disrupt or stop the soul processing? Will get one singular warning from the gods not to intervene. However should you ignore these warnings and persist.... depending on how they go about it and how aggressive they are, the character will find themselves immediately being teleported out of the realm and unable to re-entered.... or just killed on the spot. Turns out you shouldn't mess with death gods.

[OOC: Please note that it's optional for OU homeworlds to be part of the newly destroyed worlds, and requires the approval of the whole cast (aka, please talk to your castmates!)! It's also up to players if these destroyed worlds are the ones the OUS came from or are just alternate universe versions! Also, should your character insist on fighting the death gods, you will need to fill out the death permission form, as that's basically the only result of that.]

Remain Forgotten

Of course, you're not just here to deal with these destroyed worlds. You originally came to this realm to deal with the ghost problem, and that is still a prevalent issue. Xilbalba and La Muerte both say it's unusual that so many spirits would make a break for the land of the living. They normally would only do this on Día de los Muertos - respectful of the rules between the living and the dead. The fact they're doing it now suggests someone else is influencing them.

It doesn't take long to find exactly who that "someone else" is. Perhaps you noticed him among the fortune tellers in the park earlier in the month, perhaps you're seeing him for the first time, but the man who is causing this cuts an intimidating figure. He is very much alive, and not supposed to be here. The ghosts are congregating around him, swirling around him before sweeping off towards the tear. When you approach him, he acts as if he was expecting you. With a voice as smooth as honey, he introduces himself as Doctor Facilier - and that he has a proposition for you. He'll tell you that he's taking advantage of the tear and using the ghosts of the departed to help him cover some "delicate business up top, you know how it is, old debts, tricky magical complications that need a little extra push to complete". Exactly what any of that is, he doesn't say, but he remains slippery as an eel, making everything he's doing sound extremely reasonable. All he needs is for you to just turn the other way and let him get about his business - easy as pie, right? Just walk away!

If you choose to not walk away... well, Facilier turns out to be a formidable opponent. With a puff of some purple dust from his pocket, he can conjure a very convincing illusion around you. It will be something you want, something in your deepest darkest hearts desire. Perhaps you a wanted someone to tell you they loved you. Perhaps you have a dream job. Maybe you lost something extremely dear to you in your past, and now it's here, in front of you. Whatever it is, the illusion feels so very real. Facilier will use you being distracted by the illusion to go onto the attack. He might turn you into an animal. He might turn the ghosts swirling around against you. He might feed your illusion into someone else's, getting you to attack one another. And, if all else fails, he'll just try to bludgeon you with his cane.

Luckily, if you're able to fight through these illusions and all of Facilier's magic, it's clear he's not one for sticking around to fight a battle he can't win. As soon as he realises this is not a fight he can come on top of, he'll give you a tip of his hat and vanish in a puff of smoke like he was never there. The real issue gone, you will now need to help the death gods close up the tear (being sure to shepherd any remaining spirits back to where they belong) to make sure the problem never happens again. There's no sign of Facilier after the battle- but that doesn't mean he's gone for good.

[OOC: Facilier is an interactable NPC if you wish to thread out his confrontation! If you wish to thread with him, it can be done here!]

Aftermath

With the tear sealed, the influx of deceased spirits will come to an end in Kaisou. The only ones left are the ones that managed to leave while the tear was open. It's up to you folks to help those remaining souls move on, either by fulfilling whatever last wishes they have or simply telling them it's time go. The Land of the Forgotten will remain accessible until the end of the month, so people will get their chances to view stuff from their past lives if they wish. But at the end of May, it'll be time to say goodbye to the past, and keep moving on.

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is Shadow! Anyone with an affinity to the shadow element will find themselves boosted throughout the month. This could mean a boost to their power, having more energy, feeling more inspired with creativity, having better luck on different attempts -- the boost can manifest in all sorts of different ways. By contrast, anyone with an affinity for Light will be experiencing the opposite. Perhaps their powers will be weaker, they have less energy, they're having a creative block or general worse luck - again it can manifest in all sorts of way and players are free to play with this mechanic as they'd like.

The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Should you choose to directly confront Facilier, he can be found standing to one side, directing spirits as they go past him, through into the tear. When he sees your approach, he flashes you a wide, snake-like smile. He pinches the rim of his top hat, tipping it in greeting- the very measure of amicability and manners. His shadow, notably, moves separately from him, giving a little wave of all its own. ]

A tip of the hat from Doctor Facilier. [ His voice is deep, smooth as honey, with a clear New Orleans twang. He places both hands on the top of his cane, leaning his lanky form on it. ] Now, there ain't no need to have hostilities 'bout this. It's only a little business venture of mine, after all - I'm helping these spirits out by letting them go deal with their unfinished business up top. Awful thing, you know? Not bein' able to find peace after you've passed on. I'm giving them a service out of the goodness of my heart.

[He doesn't have a heart, and he certainly have ulterior motives for this, but he's not sharing them. Instead, he keeps on talking, all smiles and careful gestures, making this seem like the most reasonable thing in the world.]

If you need me to grease the wheels a 'lil, that's something we can talk about. I'm always happy for a little quid pro pro, you scratch my back, I scratch yours, yeah? Is there anything you want? Something in your deepest, darkest hearts desire? I happen to trade in changing folks' fates. I can make your dreams come true with a snap of my fingers.

[He grins again, holding a hand out to you. ]

So, what do you say? Can I tempt you to make a deal?

[So you chose not to take Facilier's deal. You chose common sense over his silken promises. Probably smart. Facilier's fixed smile falters, just for a moment, before it's right back on. He sighs heavily, brushing off his coat. ]

That's a real shame, Friend, that we couldn't come to an agreement. That was the easy way. Guess now we need to go the hard.

[In a fluid motion, he reaches into his coat, pulling out some purple dust. You have no time to think what it could be before he blows it in your face. As you try to rub it out of your eyes, you find the world around you had changed. No longer are you in the Land of the Forgotten, you're... somewhere else. Perhaps it's your childhood home, perhaps it's a dream realised, perhaps it's the shadows of a nightmare come to life. Whatever it is, it feels desperately real, and Facilier is standing there, leaning on his cane again, looking around you both, whistling softly.]

Well, well. Ain't this an interesting one?

[i; stay your pretty eyes on course]

[It was, admittedly, not Viktor's brightest idea to accompany an expedition into a dangerous Spirit Gate. Traversal alone was difficult for him, never mind matters of self defense. However, both of these problems had the same solution in the form of the enormous Pokemon whose shoulder he was sitting on. Most threats were a little easier to dissuade or dispatch with a ten foot ghost robot, and getting around was as trivial as walking would be to most other people.]

[However, what they found at the edge of the world made him wish very sincerely that he had exercised common sense and stayed back in the city. Amidst the floating islands, one hovered coated in miasma and shadowed by an eternal storm of swirling cloud cover. The skyline itself was barely even recognizeable as a city at all, coated in some strnge ethereal corruption radiating outwards from the clear epicenter; a massive tower covered in the same webbed substance, reaching up and through the dark clouds into whatever laid beyond.]

[Standing on the ground beside his Golurk as he observed this from a distance in equal parts horror and confusion, Viktor looked to the tombstone at his feet with a blatant lack of comprehension on his face.]

[Runeterra 10013112292011-β
Arcane Herald's Glorious Evolution]

[ii; guess I never really faced my fears before]

[He would have been a terrible scientist if he didn't investigate, and it was hard to miss the way Viktor had immediately gotten back on Blitzcrank as the massive creature quite literally took off like a jet engine straight for the ruined island.]

[And yet, strangely given the nature of this realm...there didn't appear to be any ghosts along what had once been cobblestone streets of an opulent city. Just...dolls, human-sized and corroded by untold amounts of time in the sickly-sweet chemical air. But those couldn't possibly be the same as the lingering souls everywhere else, right?]

[Was that one turned in your direction a minute ago?]

[Viktor himself was not too hard to find, if one followed the trail Blitzcrank's path had left in corrupted air. He had gone straight to a laboratory, or what was left of one. The building was just as ruined as every other, every surface coated with the same webbing of a magical corruption; iridescent as an oil-slick and just as unknowable in form as it was in color. An outer wall had collapsed at some point, leaving the room wide open to the blighted sky and ruined air, colossal tower several times more imposing for its proximity.]

Kurva- [Cursing under his breath, Viktor was prying open a broken desk drawer with his crutch; it inched open with a shriek of rusted metal, enough for Viktor to reach in for several aged and dusty leatherbound journals. Dropping most of them on the desk, he immediately started paging through one as if something about it would explain an inexplicable situation.]

I don't understand-...things were never this severe, there has to be something--how did this happen?

[iii; wildcard]

[anything else! in/around the spirit gate, or whatever you're feeling]

Edited 2025-05-13 20:15 (UTC)

Meredith didn't know what she was looking at, here. The nuances of supernatural matters were still pretty opaque to her. But she could recognize a horrified expression when she saw one, at least.

"You know what that is?"

Haunted Nights

[Varian's been in Kaisou long enough to know about ghosts, they're hard to miss. But he wasn't expecting ghosts of people he knew suddenly showing up. As happy as he is with the life he's made for himself in Kaisou, as much as he wouldn't change this for anything, he's missed the loved ones he's left behind desperately. Normally, this would be a cause of joy- seeing them again. But none of them are dead. None of them should be dead, and in Kaisou. So you'll find him glowering at a small group of four ghosts, pointing an angry finger at them. ]

No. Absolutely not. NONE of you are dead, so this is- this is something else. This is some-some weird trick or trap or-or something to get me. This is like that stuff Tsuchigomori pulled. You didn't fool me then, you're not fooling me now.

[The ghosts look perplexed by this response, honestly.

Tushy-miwhaty? Is that a kind of cake?
It's obviously not a cake. Varian, what are you talking about?
Probably took one too many hits to the head, was bound to happen eventually.
Guys, you're not helping- Varian it's us, really! Are you taller?

Varian ignores them, until he sees you, waving you over- pointing at the ghosts. ]

Okay, REAL quick, can you see them? I need to check if they're illusions again and how far the scope of it is.

Ruins of New

I: Anybody who stands or has stood in my path.

[ Varian shouldn't have come here. The ghosts should have been warning enough that he'd find nothing in this world that would give him anything but misery. But Varian is, and always will be, too curious for his own good. He spends a lot of his time in the Land of the Forgotten trying to help other people. Helping those deal with ghosts clinging desperately to them to get them remember or helping them avoid the numerous creatures around this world. He's not much of a fighter, but he's pretty damn evasive when he needs to be.

But all of that stops when he sees an island at the end of one of those bridges. It's an old city, early 19th century at best. The buildings are barely standing, and most of the towers of the grand castle have fallen- even from here, you can see huge craters dotting around the island, as if several somethings, large and explosive, crashed into the city, obliterating it from existence. Which, if you're with Varian as he grips the tombstone, face pale, you can see this is exactly what happened:

Earth 5672: Corona, Germany -
Separatists of Saporia Uprising

Varian just stares at it, silent at first, wide-eyed, reading it over and over again as if doing so would make that sentence make sense. He hasn't seen his home in three years, not properly, and he has no idea how to process this. This... this is not possible. And then he's off, racing over the bridge, expression panicked. ]

Nononononononono.

[ He makes it over the bridge, trying to catch his breath, to quell the terror rising up in his throat, but he can't. He picks his way through the ruined island city, dodging craters and destroyed homes, making his way upward. Every once in a while he comes across a ghost, but when they see him, they turn their backs on him. Varian stills, each time, expression hurt, before he refocuses Eventually, Varian makes it to where he was running to- the ruins of the grand castle atop the hill. Huge towers have crumbled to the ground, cracking the cobblestone beneath. Where there was once a sun emblem on one of the walls, a different symbol is painted in red over it. Varian stands there, brow furrowed, unable to comprehend what is right in front of him. ]

No. This- this doesn't make sense. This didn't- we stopped this.

[He notices a poster on one of the walls, his breath catches and he quickly snatches it off, crumpling it into his hands. If you were quick enough, though, you might have noticed it was a wanted poster. Specifically, his. ]

II: No matter what comes of me.

[ There's one thing Varian desperately needs to know here, through all of this. He's terrified of the answer he'll get, but he knows this will eat him alive for the rest of his days if he doesn't try to find out. None of the ghosts will talk to him, so there's only one thing he can do. Still by the castle, he finds a side door, managing to force it open. He grabs one of his alchemy glow lights, lighting up the otherwise pitch dark space as he takes winding stone steps down, down, down. If you follow him, you'll soon realise you're in a dungeon. Small cells are built into the arches that hold the castle up. A few are certainly destroyed, but Varian keeps going until get gets to one in particular.

The ceiling is completely caved in, the bars of the cell still firmly locked. There's no way he can get in, but he holds the light up, trying to scan what he can in the rubble. Eventually, he catches some purple fabric, and then the tattered remains of what looks like a maroon bandana. Varian lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding and slumps back onto some rubble. ]

We never got out. Eugene, Max and Lance... they- they didn't find us. That's- that's where things changed.

[His tone is off. He doesn't know how to feel about this. Glad? Glad that he didn't bring about the destruction of Corona? Grateful that this isn't his world. Heartbroken that in one reality, it happened anyway? That something he created brought so much pain and suffering to a people who didn't deserve it? He didn't know. But he's gonna just... sit here for a bit, staring at the ruined cell, if you want to speak to him.]

Wildcard [Want something else? Give me a holler! ]

[I. Ghosts and Monsters]

This certainly wasn't Ritsuka's first time visiting a land of the dead. Not even by a long shot. So as she made her way through, whether along or with others, she kept a sharp eye out for any dangers.

"If we're lucky, we won't run into anything bad, but..."

Look, it didn't hurt to stay on alert, okay? And should she come across a monster anyway, or see someone else who had, Ritsuka would naturally be quick to help. She figured it would probably be a very bad thing for someone to die here, after all.

[II. Ends of Worlds]

Of course, Ritsuka wanted to see if there was something to do to help. And so she, too, came wandering to the far edge of the realm, and the floating islands being drawn in. And like some others, she spotted an all too familiar sight amongst them. Though while a bit surprised, she didn't look terribly shocked, let alone alarmed. If anything, her demeanor as she went to investigate more closely seemed as though she were familiar with it...

a - Blank Planet

The most notable feature, at first glance, was how white much of it was. Simply a near-featureless expanse, like the dried salt basin of a long-gone lake, marred only by bizarre, empty ruins that looked like someone had taken an eraser to them. Otherwise it was, well, largely empty. As if all life and form had been bleached away.

At least, for the most part. Walking through it would find patches of other ruins, looking downright out of place against the blank backdrop. One that Ritsuka couldn't help but linger at was that of a heavily damaged facility of some sort. A few ghosts may yet linger here, but mostly the place seemed rather cold and dead. Still, it was clear that this place held a lot of memories for Ritsuka, at least, to judge y the mix of nostalgia and sadness in her expression.

b - Pruned Worlds

The ruins of Chaldea weren't the only place of note from this apparently dead world, however. Scattered throughout the bleached plain were other ruins of various kinds. Simple log cabins that looked like they might have been almost cozy once in one, the remains of a small farming village in another. Another still had clearly once been a vast, highly-advanced city before meeting its end.

Unlike with seeing Chaldea again, however, there was a certain... tenseness to Ritsuka as she explored the ruins. A deep sorrow and sense of regret, perhaps, or still other weighty thoughts. Perhaps more telling, though, was that while these areas did seem to have plenty of lingering souls about, Ritsuka seemed to be largely avoiding them.

[Wildcard/Notes]

For those canon familiar, feel free to reference any of the Lostbelts in tags! For those not canon familiar, if you want more details on the dead worlds feel free to give me a poke. And/or hit me up if you wanna plot something else, as always I'm reachable by journal PM and Altocumulus on Discord.

[Jun had a lot of misgivings about letting Varian, or anyone else for that matter, accompany him this realm. He remembered this realm during his first year on the app, he remembered how truly grisly this place was. But Varian had insisted on coming along, and he had no good reason to refuse him. And at first, everything seemed to be going well.

But then they came across this island. Before Jun could make heads or tails about what was going on, Varian had sprinted off. Even if Jun was faster than Varian, it's harder to follow someone who is more familiar. Especially when he keeps getting stopped by ghosts, who see his shroud and sense his holy power, asking if he's the one meant to shepherd them to the next life.

By the time he finally gets free and tracks down Varian, he's already sitting in the dungeon. ]

... Var.

[He'll say softly through the modulator, hoping to get his partner's attention]

[Varian knows he should have stayed by Jun's side. Jun is a far better fighter than him, and he has absolute faith that his partner can deal with just about anything that might attack them. But as soon as he'd seen Corona, it was like he'd had blinders on. He'd just run- he'd run and run, desperate to understand why his homeland was here. Why it had been destroyed by an event that never even happened.

He almost jumps when he hears Jun's voice, glancing over at him sheepishly. Oh. Right. He makes a soft, sad noise in the back of his throat, scrubbing a hand over his face, before wrapping his arm around himself in that self-soothing motion he has. ]

So-sorry. I just. I needed to know I wasn't... I wasn't a part of this.

[ Someone else might have gotten a different response, a carefully constructed half-truth. But Jun knows his past, he knows the weight Varian carries on his shoulder. He knows his fiancee would understand why this was such a priority. He lets out a shaky breath. ]

I-I don't know. Once I realised what this was I was just... scared. That-that maybe this version of me just... obliterated everything. Everyone.

[That maybe one version of him really was the monster everyone said he was for a while. Which meant it was possible for him to be it, too. ]

i. son, have you seen the world? (closed to facilier)

[Some point prior to the Gate opening, Takame has taken to long night-time walks to clear his mind of pervasive indecision. He wished desperately to propose to Yusuke but he found himself constantly at odds when looking at his duty and his heart. Even with the realm in Shikuha’s hands, he worried.

But the stars were a wonderful sight and he knew Blue Fish Park very well by now. He was also aware of some folks setting up fortune telling booths, many of which were doing it for some good clean fun. Many more being swindlers which was what he tended to have a better eye for. Unfortunately he was still a pessimist by nature and expected, say, the kitsune to be up to their usual nonsense.

But there was one in particular that rubbed him the wrong way with his talk of changing fate. And well his vibes were just rancid.

Takame approached his stand, seemingly neutral as ever but actually on high alert.]

... If I may, ser. How is that feasible? [Changing another person’s fate, he means.]

ii. well what would you say (closed to yusuke)

[Of course Takame would assist with this gate. He’s sensed the presences here strongly all month. It needed to be done.

What he didn’t expect to see...

... was a long abandoned and burned Doman Emblem floating past his sight. His heart sank, expecting the worst as he always did but praying and hoping with all of his heart that it was... some sort of fluke. So without thinking, he ran forward into the ruins of what once laid in this place, well past the gravestone clearly marking what he feared. Swearing to himself the more of the fallen architecture he passed. And recognized. Residential buildings he recalled passing that were newly constructed, strips of kimono and yukata that were intended to be hung out to dry.

Large pieces of a bridge, dried up puddles from what remained of… what could only be the One River, now shallow and dark with grime and dirt from several different sources.

If he could get to the center of this chaos, surely… surely there would be an explanation…!

But. He didn’t. Instead he stopped running as he passed by a small cottage that was run down long before whatever destruction wrought this place. A once humble home with a dedicated space for fishing bait and tools now sunken into the ground with dust and debris scattered around.

And strips of red fabric. One he picked up and felt, recalling it to be worsted yarn from the steppe. Another that made his blood run cold that held the pattern of a familiar Fuga Haori.]

... 母上...?

[Takame just… fell. To his knees. Staying there, blank faced and horrified and worst of all. Unable to cry. Unable to cry knowing that… his mother was gone. Shikuha… was gone too. And Hina. Hina… Hina was gone. And they seem to have been for a long, long time.

Did Takame fail them…? What happened to them? How… how could this…?

Anyone else nearby would find getting through to Takame completely impossible. He wouldn’t speak and wouldn’t move. Just sat there on his knees on the ground staring as if it would change anything. As if it would change the fact that.

His home was gone.

It was only after a long few minutes… closer to a half hour even. That Takame moved an inch. And it was to pull his phone out, of all things. To call someone he did have.

And the recipient would know immediately from how his voice shook and strained that something was deeply wrong.]

Yusuke…?

iii. if i said that you could? (close CR only)

[To say Takame was better would be a lie. He was functional, but essentially on auto-pilot. He was colder than normal and if regarded by someone who was a stranger to him, he would ignore them or worse lash out at them. He hadn’t a clue how to regulate his emotions in this state, but he knew there was still danger present and communicated in a very limited manner.

Even to friends.]

Mind your six. Hostiles still roam.

[The souls of the forgotten and other threats to those who still live. Takame has reverted to a very unpleasant mental state. One he’d been in once before, when one Lord Haurchefant Greystone had breathed his last. And there was a certain spirit nearby who seemed to recognize that.

One could either approach him directly to assist with the fight and maybe get through to him. Or perhaps even speak with the long deceased Miqo’te hovering around him with a look of concern then back to you if you seem very close to her friend.]

iv. wildcard

[[ it’s the etc option, if you’re unsure about tagging takame just ask me and i’ll let you know how he’ll react. depending on how you poke him in prompt 3 replies will either come from him or his friend Shikuha

shadowbites. if you want something else from takame-kun let me know that too!! ]]

What's wrong?

[Takame almost never calls Yusuke during the day, mostly because he doesn't want to disrupt Yusuke's possible art fugue. That's why when Takame's ringtone sounded, Yusuke actually managed to stop painting and pick up his phone.]

Ame?

[Rose isn't doing her best either, but she's managing to "cope."]

["Cope" means putting her mind on something--anything--else. In this case it's Takame.]

[Takame is always quiet, but not like these. She's known Takame long enough to know the language of his silence. This is a cry for help, and she's not sure quite what to do--until she sees the ghost of another Miqo'te nearby.]

Excuse me, are you his friend?

[He doesn't. There were several things wrong here, especially Takame's long silence and shaking breath at being asked "what's wrong". And at being called that nickname knowing that it was his mother that used it first. He couldn't find the correct words so he just whispers.]

They're gone...

[So that's what it was about.... it explains why Varian had run off like a man on a mission. It was more than just being upset about seeing Corona here, in this realm. It was about his past... his fears....

Quietly he'll step over to Varian, kneeling down next to him. He won't reach out to touch him, knowing that Varian might need space at the moment. But he's here for him, as always. ]

... Even if another version of you had been responsible, it wouldn't have been you. The person you are today is fully unique from every other Varian out there.

Just like the choices you make. They're yours and yours alone.

[Because he knows his partner enough to know that's what he's scared of. That there would be proof vindicating every horrible thought he has about himself. And maybe if this world wasn't cause by a choice of a Varian, what's to say there isn't a world like that out there? What would he do if he encountered that one next?]

Where are you?

[Why would he ask "who's gone"? That doesn't matter.]

Ahh!

[Shite, she didn't expect to be actually addressed, but she quieted her yelp real damn fast. When the other Miqo'te approached her, she nodded.]

A-Aye... I am. ... Was? N-No, I still am! Even if I'm jus' waitin' in line for whatever as a spirit... You're... his friend too right?

[Ruins of Old]

[It catches Rose off-guard.]

[She doesn't know any of these places. These worlds may not be hers, but they're still someone's. People lived here, and now they're just--gone. There's a sense of eeriness to it that she can't help but find off-putting.]

[As a child, her mother had always warned her to be careful of spirits. It was important to take care for the departed, she would chide her, as you never know what could prevent somebody from crossing over.]

[So when a forgotten soul calls out to Rose, she tries. She tries and tries and tries to remember, but she can't. She is, however, distracted enough for a monstrous skeleton to try to attack her from behind. A little help, anyone?]

[Ruins of New]

[And then, she knows this place.]

[It's Ishgard.]

[The grey cobblestone is unmistakable. The amount of religious iconography could only belong to the Holy See of Ishgard, though most of it lays in ruins. The cathedral is destroyed, but that doesn't matter--Rose knows where she's going.]

[Rose finds her way to a familiar manse, and opens the door.]

[Nothing.]

[Only silence remains.]

[She rushes back outside, and the hope hits her suddenly--perhaps this is the doomed shard. Perhaps this is the version of Eorzea that the Exarch came from, the one that was destined for ruin. Perhaps this is the version where she died and everything went to shit.]

[The alternate version--the one where all this happened because she came to Kaisou and she's been relaxing watching anime while her friends and family are being destroyed--isn't one she wants to think about.]

[So she goes to the nearest ghost, and shakes them by the shoulder.]

Hey, this was Black Rose, right!? Black Rose is what caused this, right?

[It has to be.]

[OTA]

[As always, I'm open to more stuff!]

[Might be slow this month, as a heads up.]

... The Gate. The Land of the Forgotten.

[The Spirit Realm that Zodiac had sent a message about. He just answered by force of habit. He otherwise would tell Yusuke not to come here, it was dangerous. He didn't know what Yusuke would do, he wasn't thinking.]

Yes, I'm Rose.

[She almost asks if Takame's talked about her, but he can't have. It's impossible.]

I'm worried about him.

I'm Shikuha. [He wrote about her in letters that he never got to send. Shikuha would have liked hearing about all of Takame's friends in this place...]

... Same here. I've not seen 'im like this since... t-there was this Elezen Knight he really liked... really loved a long while ago. He died and... Takame didn't take it well. He was kinda like this afterwards, y'know? Jus' focused on fightin' things. 'ts like he's punishing himself...

[Shikuha is very not aware that Rose felt the same pain at that Elezen Knight's death. There was no way for her to know.]

Haurchefant.

[Rose chokes a sob at the mention of his name.]

[She knows not to do this, there are other things that are more important right now. But she can't keep her emotions grounded (2).]

Yes, I've seen it. But Takame couldn't have done anything. Even if he could have, he deserves the happiness he's found here.

[...]

He won't see it that way, though.

I-I'm sorry...

[Did... did Rose also know Haurchefant? Did she say something she shouldn't have... hells take her... gods, she'd descend into panic if not for having something to do.

She has to help Takame somehow.]

Guess you know him real well, then... no, he wouldn't. He'd fine every way t'blame himself. 'm glad he's found happiness here... he shouldn't feel bad about whatever happened. I couldn't even tell ye what did.

[...]

U-um... 'f it's not... too much t'say... I-I think you do too. I-I dunno how you knew Ser Haurchefant but... he-he seemed real swell... and wouldn't want his friends to be upset... I dunno you, but I don't wanna see Takame or his friends upset either.

I-I jus' know I can't help 'im the way he is now. It's... kinda my fault he's in this state. So I-I think he needs his friends from here t'help...

[I. Can't Punch a Ghost]

To say Knuckles was afraid of ghosts was, unfortunately, an understatement. He might put on a brave face, not to mention insisting that a warrior feared nothing, but after hearing the warnings about ghost activity he was definitely looking over his shoulder. Like, a lot.

Still, he tried to brave it out, both for the sake of his ego and because someone he respected encouraged him to. But, well. The moment something incorporeal (or even vaguely spooky) jumped out at him?

"AaaaahhhhHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

... That really was quite the impressive scream, at least.

[II. Forgetting Something?]

While he may have failed at keeping his cool around town earlier, Knuckles was still never one to back down from a challenge. And a spirit gate labeled as "extremely dangerous" was precisely the sort of bait the echidna would jump on.

So here he was, ready to punch some monsters, and...

"So, why is it called the Forgotten?"

... And completely oblivious to what was in store. Welp.

[Wildcard]

Have another idea? Feel free to poke me in PM or on Discord (Altocumulus) or just throw something at me!

I am on my way. Stay on the phone with me, Ame, alright? It'll be easier to find you that way.

Understood.

[As if the flag could get any redder, Takame very rarely responded in such a robotic way to Yusuke. But as promised, he stayed on the phone. He said little and it was easy to assume Takame had just disconnected if not for the sound of his shaky breathing.]

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May Event Log

Doctor Facilier

Phase One: Won't you shake a poor sinner's hand?

Phase Two: Are you ready?

Viktor | Arcane | ota

i

Varian | Tangled | OTA

Ritsuka Fujimaru | Fate/Grand Order | open

II

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takame kesi | ffxiv oc | closed prompts

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Rose | FFXIV | OTA | we're so back

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Knuckles the Echidna | Sonic the Hedgehog (movie-verse) | Open

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