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goneawayworld2020-12-01 08:29 pm
piper90npcs) wrote in goneawayworld2020-12-01 08:29 pm
HERE, HAVE SOME SPIRIT
Who: Three Ghosts and the little New Hires
What: Sharing the Christmas Spirit
Where: Good question
When: Post-Rose Tattoo
Warnings/Notes: Possible violence, angst, likely visions of death.
Are you sleeping?
Maybe. Maybe not. It's hard to tell. This could be another ARE, after all. What you can tell is that the halls are filled with mist, the smell of pine, and the sound of jingling bells off in the distance.
And then comes the wailing.
Tearing past you, screaming like a damned soul, skeletal figures flood through the halls. Some of them wear business suits, weighed down by chains crafted from ledgers and money boxes. Some of them are soldiers, bound by their own twisted weapons. Police, politicians, no one seems spared. Someone whispers, warning you, begging you to pay heed. For you will be visited by three ghosts who are on an errand of great import.
And then something charges with a howl and all goes white. Slowly, the light dims, and the mass of spectral entities is gone. Instead there stands a figure, or maybe two or three of them. For each person, it's different, as they'll have different messages and purposes for each.
One is neither male nor female, the only certain features being a well-muscled, well proportioned body, wearing a white tunic and a beautiful belt of pearl. Its hair is long, white, as if ancient, but no matter how its face changes, there's no sign of age upon it. There seems to be an aura of white flame around its head and, in a voice that belies nothing but charitable warmth, introduces itself as the Ghost of Christmas Past. It will show scenes of someone's past, offering enlightening details with little judgment.
The middle one is a large man on a veritable throne of food, tantalizing and delicious, wearing a fur-lined red robe and a crown of holly upon his head. The Ghost of Christmas Present is a big man, with brown hair, and a booming, jovial voice that can turn blisteringly harsh and back in a single sentence. He'll show what the character was doing immediately prior to their arrival upon the rig. Perhaps what they're doing right now. But he'll also be content to walk either the character's home world or this Gone Away World, viewing the sights and people enjoying Christmas with the character.
And the final one, a phantom in a dark, green robe, green smoke billowing around it. Its skin is pale, pulled gauntly around whatever body part it exposes. The gaze underneath the hood is as cold as the grave, and it would be wise not to try to match that for too long. It remains utterly silent, simply guiding its guest through the Christmases Yet To Come with a pointed finger. It will show how a character dies and how they'll be remembered by others after. It acts cold and merciless, but this very visit is a mission of mercy, one it silently prays will succeed.
The surprise, though, is that they aren't showing the character that history. Instead, they'll be guiding their guest through someone else's life. Maybe just a fraction of it, maybe a full span. But when it's all over, it's as if no time has passed. In fact, no. The characters are returned to an hour before the ghosts visited them.
[[Remember, this isn't your typical memshare. The ghosts are NPCs, but they'll be controlled by the players. They will not show characters their own histories, presents, or futures, only those of different people. They can show the same scenes to different people or different scenes to different people. One person might not even see all three of the Ghosts.]]
What: Sharing the Christmas Spirit
Where: Good question
When: Post-Rose Tattoo
Warnings/Notes: Possible violence, angst, likely visions of death.
Are you sleeping?
Maybe. Maybe not. It's hard to tell. This could be another ARE, after all. What you can tell is that the halls are filled with mist, the smell of pine, and the sound of jingling bells off in the distance.
And then comes the wailing.
Tearing past you, screaming like a damned soul, skeletal figures flood through the halls. Some of them wear business suits, weighed down by chains crafted from ledgers and money boxes. Some of them are soldiers, bound by their own twisted weapons. Police, politicians, no one seems spared. Someone whispers, warning you, begging you to pay heed. For you will be visited by three ghosts who are on an errand of great import.
And then something charges with a howl and all goes white. Slowly, the light dims, and the mass of spectral entities is gone. Instead there stands a figure, or maybe two or three of them. For each person, it's different, as they'll have different messages and purposes for each.
One is neither male nor female, the only certain features being a well-muscled, well proportioned body, wearing a white tunic and a beautiful belt of pearl. Its hair is long, white, as if ancient, but no matter how its face changes, there's no sign of age upon it. There seems to be an aura of white flame around its head and, in a voice that belies nothing but charitable warmth, introduces itself as the Ghost of Christmas Past. It will show scenes of someone's past, offering enlightening details with little judgment.
The middle one is a large man on a veritable throne of food, tantalizing and delicious, wearing a fur-lined red robe and a crown of holly upon his head. The Ghost of Christmas Present is a big man, with brown hair, and a booming, jovial voice that can turn blisteringly harsh and back in a single sentence. He'll show what the character was doing immediately prior to their arrival upon the rig. Perhaps what they're doing right now. But he'll also be content to walk either the character's home world or this Gone Away World, viewing the sights and people enjoying Christmas with the character.
And the final one, a phantom in a dark, green robe, green smoke billowing around it. Its skin is pale, pulled gauntly around whatever body part it exposes. The gaze underneath the hood is as cold as the grave, and it would be wise not to try to match that for too long. It remains utterly silent, simply guiding its guest through the Christmases Yet To Come with a pointed finger. It will show how a character dies and how they'll be remembered by others after. It acts cold and merciless, but this very visit is a mission of mercy, one it silently prays will succeed.
The surprise, though, is that they aren't showing the character that history. Instead, they'll be guiding their guest through someone else's life. Maybe just a fraction of it, maybe a full span. But when it's all over, it's as if no time has passed. In fact, no. The characters are returned to an hour before the ghosts visited them.
[[Remember, this isn't your typical memshare. The ghosts are NPCs, but they'll be controlled by the players. They will not show characters their own histories, presents, or futures, only those of different people. They can show the same scenes to different people or different scenes to different people. One person might not even see all three of the Ghosts.]]
2007
"Seems fairly normal to me."
Although this is not a normal man, in Ian's opinion. This is the man who wanted to use old-fashioned wives' tales to defeat an unknown entity. It was possible, of course, that the killer was something they might deem supernatural in their limited understanding, but Ian had argued with this man about it.
In any case, this scene doesn't tell him much of anything about the man he had argued with. Other than the fact that he had spent a Christmas in a hotel once.
no subject
The Ghost of Christmas Past takes a look around the room and tilts their head. "For most people, perhaps. Somewhat unusual for Sam."
The man who has just entered stares around for a moment, before looking back to Sam. "What's all this?"
"What do you think it is? It's--it's Christmas." Sam stumbles on the words a bit, but plows through. Taking a deep breath when the other man looks at him.
"What made you change your mind?"
Sam shoves the cup at him instead. "Here, uh...try the eggnog. Let me know if it needs some more kick." There's an edge to his smile as he picks up the whiskey bottle. Like that might actually be a concern.
"His brother, Dean." The Ghost identifies the other man in the room. Unlike Dan, Ian hasn't spoken to Sam about his home much at all, after all.
no subject
"Well, ah, I'm glad Sam did change his mind, I suppose. Is there any other family here? In the hotel, I mean?"
no subject
They look on in amusement as Dean takes a swig of the eggnog and his eyes go wide before coughing. "No, we're good."
Sam grins happily, not looking unlike a golden retriever. If he had a tail, it would probably be wagging. "Yeah?"
His brother nods, smiling back. "Yeah."
Though Dean DOES make a face when Sam turns away, hiding the eggnog as quickly as he can.
"Well, uh. Have a seat." Sam goes to one of the chairs, the smile fading to something a bit more plastic and forced. "Let's do...uh. Christmas stuff or whatever." For all that Sam is generally a charming guy, it's obvious that they're both a little out of their depth when it comes to the whole Christmas thing.
no subject
His eyebrow quirks at that.
"Not something they're very used to, is it?"
no subject
"All right." Dean pulls up a chair, pulling two packages wrapped in brown paper out of a bag. "First things first. Merry Christmas, Sam."
Sam smiles, still a bit strained but easing a bit. "Where'd you get these?"
"Someplace special." Sam's look makes Dean relent. "The gas mart down the street. Open them."
Sam laughs, reaching under the couch for two packages wrapped in newspaper. "Well, great minds think alike."
"Really?" Dean's surprise probably says everything about how unusual this is.
The gifts are opened, with Sam getting a couple of porn mags and some shaving cream. Which makes him laugh, at least. Dean gets a candy bar and a bottle of oil. "Fuel for me and fuel for my baby," as Dean says.
no subject
At least the two men are happy with the holiday they managed to cobble together, Ian thinks. "I'm wondering...ah, did these two grow up together? Did they celebrate the holidays as children?"
no subject
Pop quiz, professor. What age might Sam have been in 1991, the date on the other door he had to chose from?
no subject
Ian does catch on to that possibility right away. He looks briefly back in the direction he came.
"Does the holiday bear a bad memory for them, then?"
no subject
no subject
"Those threats would seem fantastical where I'm from," he says. "I suppose, ah, the things I've witnessed would seem fantastical to him, however. I always wondered at the possibility of a multiverse."
He sees it confirmed here, in Jorgmund's domain, and in Sam's.
"It's very hotly debated in scientific circles, of course, but to a chaotician like me, it seemed almost certain to be true. It's still...surprising. Even so."