Log Title--Failed Ritual...[Closed]

[light_of_willpower]

Log Title Failed Ritual...[Closed]

Characters: Sunset Shimmer, (Future)Trunks Briefs
When: Orientation event, Central Library
Where: The world of Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly
Summary: Two new residents in the Library have ventured into a book, and found more than they expected. Vengeful ghosts, curses to be broken, and a town they can not leave.
Warnings: Angst. Angst. Angst. Mentions of violence and Death.



There are whispers. Voices of children, of adults, screams of pain and echoes of sorrow and tears. It's cold the closer he got to the book. The cover is tattered red leather, a beautiful embossed red butterfly adorning its spine. When he isn't looking directly at it, the wings seemed to move pulling his attention back to it.

Curiosity made him reach out, if only to affirm what his eyes thought they saw. But the moment his fingers brush the book, a flood of red luminescent red butterflies erupt from the book and circle around the warrior. "The ceremony... it must be completed..." The world is dark. A decrepit and falling apart village in Japan came into view. It looked empty for all intents and purposes, but the whispers... the whispers will never stop.

At their feet is a camera. Old. Antique. "Pick it up. It's the only way you will defeat those that linger here as vengeful spirits. Keep them away from the portal. Ease the spirits of the dead. But be careful... where you can't touch a ghost, the ghosts can hurt you."

Comments

[shimmer_on]

Sunset did turn, and noticed the butterflies with a frown. "That... does look like the right way to go," said Sunset cautiously.

"I hope it's not anything worse than what we're in for."

[light_of_willpower]

"It'll probably be worse than what we dealt with already." Trunks murmured grimly. They really didn't have a choice though. "Deep breaths, tell me if you start feeling overwhelmed. Keep that camera ready and I can take point."

Not that he wanted to, but it was what he was used to. A glance over to be sure she was ready too before moving at a quick jog across the bridge towards the other side.

Opening the gate revealed a large house that was eerie in its stillness. That it was the biggest, meant it was likely the wealthiest family's and Trunks was betting that would be where they'd find their information. It didn't feel pleasant though, with kind of a low-level hum for Sunset's Empathy. The lantern light inside also didn't provide much illumination at times.

[shimmer_on]

"Spooky house, check. There was not good things happening here, ever."

Sunset stayed close to Trunks, gripping the camera. There was something here, presences that worried her. But they had to find out and stop this world from spilling out.

"What do you think we'll find here? Clues?"

[light_of_willpower]

"Books." He replied, unsure if his sword would do any good but keeping his hand ready near its hilt just in case. "The largest house in a village like this, usually meant the most influential family. If anything is to be found, it'll be here somewhere."

Moving, being sure to keep her close as they entered the mansion. Some areas were darker than others and did nothing to aid their nerves as they moved through hallways and poked their heads in rooms. Trunks held out his left hand, and let a small amount of ki concentrate there to act as their flash-light. It wasn't like they weren't going to attract attention anyways.

Trying to keep a mental map, there were some brief moments were Sunset's empathy spiked. A ghost or two, easily dispatched by camera; Trunks almost seemed to be a good distraction as they seemed to head for him first--especially if he was using ki to light the way. Making their way towards the center as much as they could, towards rooms where they hoped documents would be stored or hidden.

[shimmer_on]

Sunset did notice this, as she briefly checked her camera every so often. They were drawn to him, like moths to the flame. Which meant they were attracted to the energy Trunks was putting out.

Keeping quiet, and briefly checking behind to make sure there was nothing behind them, Sunset followed feeling more nervous as they traversed the halls.

[light_of_willpower]

Every time they had an encounter though, the tension returned and his anxiety raised a bit. Trunks also realized they were probably drawn by the ki, but it was a necessary evil in order to see as far as he was concerned. It wasn't as if he wouldn't be distraction and shield for Sunset as necessary.

At least her Empathy gave them warning, and then surged right as they came to the doors of the great hall. Opening the door, clearly this was a scene of tragedy as it was visible to both of them. Laughter, mad laughter and in Trunks' mind overlay with cruel chuckles and smirks as he went to one knee. Trying to keep his mind in the hear and now, instead of the past with cold inhuman eyes haunting him.

The feelings of pain and anger were tangible here, as they saw a girl in a white kimono with red obi, standing amidst a flood of bodies.

It seemed even more vivid for Sunset in shades of bloody red amidst darkness with stark white. Gradually, as the laughter continued, there was a spectral figure hovering near by the girl. A tormented visage who'd clearly been tortured, rage and pain radiated off the figure.

The girl's mad laughter continued, while the ghastly wraith behind her stayed for a moment, then dove straight towards Sunset.

She had their only effective tool though, and Trunks managed to pull himself together enough to put himself in the way as an arm reached out and pushed at him.

Cold, pain-rage-anger-fear-pain-pain-pain-pain! It hurt and he felt his consciousness start to slip from him. "Go...run." Gritted out, as he had to keep them from getting his partner. Summoning ki from within, if they were drawn to it then he'd give them something to be drawn to. Pulling it more and more, almost to a golden-aura.

Down on a knee, panting and holding on for his life, as it drove the ghost back enough for Sunset to run. He couldn't take another hit like that, and neither could she. They'd confirmed what they needed though.

[OOC: Time to run, explore to find film/medicine, and build some CR right?]

[shimmer_on]

The specter in front of her almost made Sunset freeze up, but a wellspring of energy pooled up as she brought up the camera and snapped a picture. Then, she grabbed Trunks' arm and hauled him to his feet.

"Not without you," she grunted, her body shimmering with red flame as she pulled him along with as much strength as she could muster.

"C'mon, the door's almost there!"

[light_of_willpower]

Well, he wasn't dead yet--and whatever didn't kill him, with enough time to heal would quite literally make him stronger. It was how saiyans worked. Still--it couldn't have been very easy for her to haul him up.

Stumbling but managing to get to his feet enough to start to run, and the red flame radiating off her was warm. Helping remind him that no--they had to get out and he grit his teeth. Determination surging, as they wove through hallways.

He could rest in a bit, they had to get out and away from the house as the wraith was following them. Cold anger and pain radiating off of it still.

Out the front door and forget about opening that gate--they needed distance and space. Trunks pulled at his reserves, moving to loop an arm around Sunset and heading for the air. Just enough ki to fly and fast--across the bridge and lake and over the other gate and wall. The abandoned village had to be safer than that house, as they touched down on the streets and moved. At some point, the wraith had dropped or faded, that feeling of cold-pain-and-anger fading in the panic.

Time to find a place to hide and rest.

[shimmer_on]

Clinging to Trunks when they made their escape, she continued pulling him towards a side alleyway. There was less activity than she could pinpoint but at the same time, the cruel menace that had flared in that house was definitely gone.

"Here," said Sunset. "Rest up. You okay? That thing practically took a bite out of you."

[light_of_willpower]

Don't mind as he slumps against the side of a building, breathing heavily. That's about how he felt, and he wasn't looking forward to it happening again. "Better me than you. Still, that was a close one."

Okay, that slump has him now sliding to the ground, and sitting. "You alright?" She had the camera, and had the instinct or whatever it was to sense things; that was why he'd play shield. "What's your name, by the way?"

[shimmer_on]

"I'm fine, I'm more concerned about your well being than mine," said Sunset, checking over him to make sure he wasn't wounded physically.

"I'm Sunset," said Sunset, examining him carefully but swiftly. "Sunset Shimmer. And you?"

[light_of_willpower]

Physically he's fine, if tired from pulling at his reserves. Mentally and spiritually are another matter, thanks to that attack and this whole place. To her empathy, if she can sense anything over the 'noise' coming from him specifically, there's a hint of pain and frustration-anger as well as desperation-needing to hope.

"Trunks Briefs." Offered quietly, as he tries to pull himself together. "You said you'd seen stuff like this before, on TV? or played games? How do the heroes in those stories usually deal with things like that?"

[shimmer_on]

"On one game yes," said Sunset. "Haunted Picture, it's one of Pinkie's favorites. As it stands, that's DEFINITELY a no-win boss fight right there. We need to find a way around it before we get involved in that house again."

There is a noise, growls of frustration coming from him that Sunset can pick up. And she added, "Rest, and we'll start again. I'm sure we can defend ourselves here for now."

[light_of_willpower]

No-win? That just made his frustration spike for a moment before it was tamped down. "There had to be away around it, or to weaken it..." Thinking on it, chewing on his thumb for the moment as his brain worked. "What else happens in those kind of games? Don't they usually have items or medicine or something too?"

[shimmer_on]

... He had a point. "Yes, you're right. There's a way to beat it, but I don't know how. Probably a key item somewhere. We'll have to brave the town and find items and information."

They were approaching this all wrong, initially she surmised. They needed to treat this like a game. And in a game, there was no such thing as a no-win boss. "There is no no-win scenario, only solutions. Rule number one of game design..."

[light_of_willpower]

"We don't know if it's a 'game' though...just a world in a book." Trunks countered, but he didn't have any better ideas. Getting to his feet, trying to orient where they were, from what he'd seen during their escapes while in the air. "I'm still willing to bet these 'key-items' are in that house. We just need to find a way to survive going through that house."

They were, if he recalled, in an area that lead to a dead-end with a storage shed. "Is it worth our checking the woods again, do you think? There was a graveyard, and there's probably a shrine or something there too."

[shimmer_on]

"But each World has a Rule. And that Rule defines a World. I know this because I've been to two already before coming here," said Sunset, countering his point.

"But what if there's locations leading UP to the house? Maybe. We might be able to find some lore first."

[light_of_willpower]

It was better than what he had, so no objections. "Then we explore this village and its surroundings, right?" Sounded good to him. "Especially if we can find something useful besides lore."

Medicine would be good, of some kind. Even with enough time though, if they could get it, he'd bounce back. Moving towards the end of the side-alley, and peering around cautiously. "So long as we don't encounter that thing again, we should be fine." A pause, looking back towards her. "I can still take point, since you have the ability to sense these things, and the camera."

[shimmer_on]

"Yeah, we should. It's riskier, but there's probably less spirits there than in the rest of the place." said Sunset.

She nodded. "The camera I have a bad feeling about, but its our only defense right now. I'll be able to pinpoint any enemies."

[light_of_willpower]

"It's the only thing we've found that's working though, so bad feeling or not..." Not that he sounded thrilled about the idea. "Keep close, and we'll get through this somehow."

Ready to move, still taking point as they moved into the houses once more. Time to start exploring more in-depth. Deep breaths, keeping himself as calm as he could as they moved through deserted and abandoned homes.

Trusting Sunset to warn them, whenever a ghost (or ghosts) appeared, and if needed, Trunks played bait so she could get shots with the camera. The houses were actually all scarily connected, including at least one set of houses that had passageways running between them. Odd, and they'd find a scrap of paper, or Sunset would be able to make out the murmurs of the ghosts as they moved.

Something about a ritual, and how it had failed. It had to do with Twins, and pacifying an abyss. How the Dark had come, the repentance spilling over. It was sad, at times, as some ghosts didn't seem to realize they were dead yet (like the kids playing tag in one room). Or the ghosts who pleaded for help.

A few times they had to fend of ghostly villagers, trying to capture them, or a ghost who seemed to hear them more than see. The aura and atmosphere was filled with pain and despair, sadness and clutching at desperate hope. A few times, Sunset would notice with her empathy that occasionally Trunks was had a spike of those same emotions. Usually after a difficult encounter with a ghost that didn't vanish after one photograph--but took multiples.

They did find some useful things--film. Different types of film in fact. Medicine, and holy water. Also underground passages under the houses, but every clue they get seemed to say they needed to go back to that large house. The Kurosawa house. A ritual to appease some massive darkness had failed, and it started there.

[shimmer_on]

All of these encounters, these clues made Sunset more sure of their destination once they had gathered enough information. Even now, her hands were white knuckled but she clutched one hand on her gemstone necklace. "I think we need to get in there," said Sunset, arming the camera with a film that could protect them from that nasty one-hitter.

"We need to figure out how to close that Abyss without sacrificing one of us. And I have an idea. But you're not going to like it."

[light_of_willpower]

Considering some of the notes they'd found? Trunks already didn't like it. Apparently this ritual had involved sacrificing twins--or one twin sacrificing the other. Or an outsider who had to die, to be a stop-gap.

It was frustrating, and horrifying as they pieced together the information. The village believed it was their duty to act as a seal on this abyss...that twins were sacred. The older twin had to kill the other...

"I already don't like this, so what's your idea?" At least the medicine was helpful. Holy water didn't seem helpful in driving off the ghosts, so why was it there?

They did find a useful clue about a way out of the village, but apparently it'd been sealed off after some twins escaped.

[shimmer_on]

"We're going to have to get down there, and I use my magic to channel as much of our frustration, pain, rage and sadness into the Abyss. We need to get not too close, but it'll take both of us." said Sunset, finally arming the camera.

"I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to have to dig deep into your memories to get that kind of emotional power, and deep into mine."

[light_of_willpower]

Don't mind him just...staring at her for a moment. Then there's a small laugh, and a resigned smile at the corner of his mouth. "Trust me, I can definitely give you those emotions, and power too." She was right, he didn't like it. But they didn't have a better plan.

"Alright--new plan. We go back to that house. BUT, we explore it and try to find as much information as we can on this abyss. Just so we know what we're up against. We have to, we run."

[shimmer_on]

"Gotcha. You lead, cause I hate to say it, but I'm not offensive power magic boom at all," said Sunset with a first genuine smile for the entire adventure.