An Eerie Encounter [Rapture/Invite]

Facade sighed heavily before coming to a conclusion. “I know someone who might have what we want, but their identity shall remain anonymous. Wait one moment, and I’ll go procure the necessary goods. In the meantime, go on ahead to the former tech support room. Rapture, you remember where it is, don’t you?”

Of course she remembered. She had helped with the construction and remodeling needed for the once-grand theatre to become a now-great shelter. “I’ll lead the way,” she indicated, following Facade out of Gargoyle’s room and heading to the new destination. The thought that Hans was unnecessary crossed her mind yet again, but she did not note it out loud. If anything, the white-haired individual would prove to be valuable in the study of spirits and possession. Once they were out of earshot of everyone, the petite powerhouse broached the subject. “So, Morte. Can’t help but notice you’ve got a plus one. Seeing that you’re not pregnant and can’t logically be pregnant, I think you know who I’m talking about.”

••••

“You want what now?” Voodoo gawked at his boss. The golden-eyed man seemed less than thrilled about asking, and the tattooed man couldn’t help but laugh at the state of awkwardness the olden man was in. Liev Aleksandr had explained why he had put in such an odd request, but the situation was too full of comedic potential to pass by. “To be blunt, I’d never thought you’d touch the stuff. But with such high stakes, I’d be releafed to aid your joint effort.”

Facade would have clapped for his patriot if he weren’t already high strung––no pun intended––over the state of his charges, but now was not the time. After procuring the needed ‘tools,’ he headed for Rapture and Hans, taking a moment to stop by and check on Juuzou and Gargoyle, who seemed to be fast asleep. ’Strange days,’ the actor thought, shaking his head at the absurdity of the situation. But strange days called for strange methods, and he had faith in Niji. She had always been a kind and relaxed resident of Little Nightmare. Hopefully, she’d be able to shed some light on the real nightmares transpiring.

Now Hans (and by extension Anselm- "Yes don't forget me kid!" He'd mentally pipe up) were alone with Rapture or Ryuuzaki as they were being called around Facade. A chance which she used immediately to ask about his current situation involving Anselm, before he had a chance to ask about hers. "Correct. I have a begrudging room mate. I noticed something similar with you. I recently encountered something else with several souls meshed together- it was a Revenant, whose souls had the same desire for vengeance. But you're clearly in high spirits and appear fine," Hans smirked in response, Anselm groaning again.

And Rapture would be able to notice that his shadow actually looked like it was facepalming.

Rapture grimaced at the pun. “Just the one?” she questioned even though she already knew the answer. “Yeah, I have four piggybacking around. Must be nice to have just one extra voice in your head.” The Golden Scorpion snorted at that, but before he could get in a word edgewise, Facade appeared as the small group arrived at the former tech room. “Great timing,” Rapture noted before snickering. Her golden-eyed comrade held a pre-made blunt gingerly between his fingers, holding it away from his person as if it was something to detest. As someone who had lived for over one-hundred thirty years, Liev had certainly tried a number of illicit substances, and marijuana was one he did not think of fondly. Anything that dulled the senses was seen to him as a negative, although he understood that it had some good properties. Some. At the very least, he was grateful to Voodoo and just wanted to get on with it. The fact that he had not thought of this plan before irked him, but he allowed himself some slack due to the stress he was under. Maybe a blunt could have done him some good, but now it would have to suffice as a mechanism for procuring information.

Handing the item over to Rapture, Facade opened the door and followed her inside. There he procured the lighter that Voodoo had lent him, created a spark with it, and held it to the end of the blunt that his short friend held out. “Alright then. I don’t think we have to actually smoke it. Rapture, would you mind calling the dearly departed?”

“Not at all,” the petite priestess replied. “Konbanwa, Niji Mochizuki-san. If you’re here, please give us a sign.” A few silent moments passed by before the temperature in the room dropped considerably and a hazy apparition began to take form. Not long after, and the faint outline of a girl leaning against the wall appeared, carrying an old-fashioned pipe.

Spoiler:

"Big audience," the spirit raised an eyebrow. "Like, what's the occasion?"

Before Hans could be able to reply, Facade would return with the trigger item. Hans and Anselm would be able to see the spirit clear as day- well... she was more than an outline. She'd look more translucent than everyone else but otherwise she'd look like any normal person. "We need to ask you about the 'shadow' that has been appearing around here," Hans said cutting right to the chase. He made a mental note to inquire later about her and any unfinished business she may have, but otherwise had no plans on removing her if she wasn't causing any problems. Niji seemed to stiffen slightly at the statement.

"Like, why would you even want to ask about that... thing?" She evaded the question with discomfort. Considering Niji was dead and no longer laden with the fear of death, or harm through mortal means, this was somewhat significant.

"It's causing everyone here a great deal of distress, yourself included. And we aim to get rid of it. And you appear to have seen it for yourself," Hans replied sincerely. Niji seemed to stare off for a moment as if trying to steel herself.

"I appreciate the offer. But how do you know it will even come back?" Niji questioned. That was actually a good question. According to Facade there was still someone missing. But they didn't know for sure whether or not it would follow it's trend of returning people it took. Or rather they didn't know when it would if it did.

"As far as we know, someone is still missing, and this thing has so far returned everyone it has taken," Hans countered thoughtfully. Noting that Niji was still hesitant to cooperate. The only reason behind this that he could think of was that there was more to this than her simply "seeing" it.

"Yeah, I saw it, and it saw... into me. Like, I can tell by looking at you two that hearing voices in your head that aren't yours is normal. But like, has hearing any of them robbed you of control of your entire being? And have you ever felt like something is examining you like you were just... a thing? Like, completely just violating your entire being to satisfy some kind of twisted curiosity," Niji absently started to rub her arms uncomfortably as if she was reliving the experience. Hans actually went wide-eyed for a moment. What the hell was this thing?

"And that's why we need to stop it. So it can't do this to anyone else, for whatever it's worth. Through us we could make sure you'd get closure. But we need to know what we're dealing with first. What does it look like, for example?" Hans tried to reassure her. He wasn't really well suited for this kind of thing but needed to keep focus on what they needed.

"Fuck if I know! I only got a brief look at it before it turned it's attention onto me! All I remember is a large, kind of rounded looking head... weird wiggly arms and a pair of intense eyes. Like, man I can't even fully describe the feeling of it when it looked right at me. Felt like my entire being was being picked through and dissected by a... by a black hole or something," Niji exclaimed.

"You mentioned voices... what did it say to you?" Hans pressed for as much details as he could. Niji was silent for a moment as she either tried to collect her thoughts or was trying to shake herself out of the experience.

"Incorporeal, human female of unknown origin. Unknown composition, specter. Departed one who lingers among the living, your woes can be alleviated through praise of The Eternal Mother," Niji quoted with an odd expression. "I... I don't remember much else after that but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Man, right now I could go for a smoke... that'd help the nerves. Being dead sucks sometimes..." Niji continued, rubbing her arm again. Clearly it tried to convert her as it tried with the others, and given her status here it seems that she hadn't done so or it had been lying.

Rapture’s spirits seemed to bristle at Niji’s statements. They felt a kinship to her, especially the Golden Scorpion who missed the joys of smoking as well. Being bombarded by some malevolent force was once thing, but not being able to satisfy a craving for all of eternity? Completely horrific. He’d rather take the spirit than the lack of smokes any day. But now was not the time for that.

“Whatever this thing is, it apparently goes for the live ones,” Rapture observed. “Honestly, Niji, I’m surprised it didn’t do worse to you. Not saying that what you’ve gone through isn’t bad, of course. It just shows where its priorities lie. Its motive is still unclear, and it seems the only way we’re going to be able to find out more is from the source.”

“What do you suggest?” Facade asked.

“We do a stakeout. It doesn’t appear to take more than one individual at a time, and if it’s sticking to its pattern, Azura should arrive back anytime soon. After she returns… if she returns,” Rapture grimaced at the thought, but had to entertain it in all fairness, “another victim is very likely to be visited. We keep an eye on everyone. With myself and Morte as spiritual consultants, we can’t miss it. If it doesn’t show up, we go with something else.”

Facade didn’t like the sound of that at all. “We endanger another deliberately? Shouldn’t we focus our attention on finding Azura first?”




“Azura will find her own way back or she won’t. I’ve already put my men on the case. If she’s to be found, she’ll be found. Don’t be such a pussy. The needs of the great outweigh those of the few and shit, no?”

“You don’t seem to understand the gravity of the situation. These people are coming back in zombie-like states and so far we’ve found nothing to bring them out of it. I’ve been with them. It’s debilitating to their very souls."

Rapture huffed and crossed her arms. “We don’t know the disease, we don’t know the cure. You’re the one who called us here, and you knew it wouldn’t be easy. Unless Morte has a better idea?” The girl looked at the man with white hair, her eyes blazing with passion. This sucked, no doubt, but they were getting nowhere even with Niji's help.

"This demon leaves it's victims in a trance-like state, not unlike some kind of spell. Slaying it may break it," Anselm rasped quietly, heard only by Hans and Rapture. Hans had been off and on contemplated how they could fix that since he found out. They weren't mindless or anything, which either meant they were sleeper agents or whatever The Eternal Mother was wasn't trying to mind control them. But why? Everytime his line of thinking got to The Eternal Mother, he just ended up with more questions. The shadow was the only "known" predator in this situation, and it followed it's master. Yet it seemed to be... curious in an unhealthy way.

Hans snapped out of his musings when his name was brought up. "Unfortunately I do not. The trail as since the last victim gone cold, and Jump is a very big city. As for the unfortunate people here, since they seem to still have some degree of autonomy- such as it is, it may pass in time. Niji seemed better by comparison up until we started talking with her," Hans echoed Rapture's idea. That was another curious thing. The others were definitely in a trance-like state as Anselm mentioned. Niji while strangely affected in the first place, seemed to be less effected as a result. It was probably just the length of time. Though it seemed like no one was ever gone for too long, so the length of time couldn't be too long if he was correct.

Hans briefly thought back on the description. Large, rounded head, wiggly arms- tentacles maybe? And intense, piercing eyes. As far as spirits went, nothing really fit that description. There were some fabled creatures said to have tentacles for their lower half. But arms? Were they dealing with an angry octopus? "Also, pray keep this in mind children, miss Niji became fully paralyzed when it turned it's attention toward her. Thou twould be fools not to realize what that means for thee," Anselm spoke up again, having another good point. Hans specialized in necromancy, which was a school of magic devoted exclusively for the dead- or creating new dead. Yet it managed to rob control of a ghost's... body almost immediately when it wanted. Hans could sense a distinct unease from Anselm, which was understandable.

"There is still quite some time till dark. For now I'm going to make a call. Based on Niji's description, I'm at a loss for exactly what it is. It doesn't match any kinds of spirits I know of, but maybe someone does. In the mean time, we should probably gather some supplies and prepare for tonight," Hans suggested. Surely someone in PSI had an idea as to what it could be.

“Agreed,” Facade conceded, albeit begrudgingly. “You make your call. I have a feeling I know who will be targeted next.” He paused, if nothing but for effect. “Sakura, Azura’s twin sister. She has been too scared to go to sleep, the poor thing. She fits the profile best, and I bet she would be willing to put herself out there if it means getting answers. We shouldn’t count out the others, though. There are still five more individuals who board here. Li Mei, Chi Yūrei, Gypsy, Prism, and Icarus.”

“Can we get them all to sleep in the same room?” Rapture inquired.

“If I call a house meeting, I’m sure it could be arranged. I’ll ask Voodoo to assist. Who knows, he might even be targeted. Hell, I might be targeted.”

“A spirit going after your psyche? Good fucking luck to them!” Rapture snorted. “If anything, your mind could be used as a trap. The thing wouldn’t know what shitstorm they’d have to weather.”


Facade shot a displeased look at his comrade. “I’ll go gather the kids. Might as well assemble where Gargoyle and Juuzou are already."

••••

ooc: For the sake of brevity, the ‘kids’ are assembled and all are ready to cooperate. They meet on the stage and bring their bedding with them.

••••

bic: Facade looked upon the small crowd of individuals. They were his wards, his responsibility. His heart ached for their emotional wounds, and his mind could not help but catastrophize. He really cared about the individuals and wanted nothing but the best for them. But the worst had already struck. Four individuals had fallen under the influence of the strange and mysterious “Eternal Mother.” One individual was still missing, while the remaining five were being forced to put themselves at risk for the sake of the greater good. Whether they joined the group or not would have most likely changed nothing, for the targeting seemed to run on its own course, ignoring societal rules and regulations. The four ‘affected’ were asleep in their bedrolls, seemingly blissfully unaware of their current conundrum, while the five others looked to their keeper for guidance.

“Thank you all for coming,” Facade began, pressing his hands together and forcing himself to make a reassuring smile, even if he were anything but. “I’ve explained the situation to you, so  I’m afraid there’s not much to do but wait. But rest assured, my friends, you are under premiere care. Rapture-sama and Mr. Morte are specialists, and they have my trust. Together, we will beat this thing. Its reign will end tonight!”

Hans would start doing just that, getting an answer shortly. "Ello Hans," a voice greeted him. It was his mentor who originally took him under his wing. "How's the home of the teen titans treating you?" He asked cheerfully.

"As some of my previous reports have stated, it's a supernatural hot spot. And it only seems to be getting more active, as I have a rather strange case right now," Hans replied promptly.

"I see. And how has Anselm been? He been giving you any trouble?"

"No more than usual. But my case- I'm investigating a series of disappearances at an old theatre which the locals call, 'little nightmare' and based on my findings I'm at a loss for what I'm tracking," Hans would say, elaborating further with his findings from interviewing Facade and Niji.

"Based on what you've told me, this may be out of your field of expertise. I can't say for certain though. I believe I know which department may be able to help us. I trust you will be preparing regardless of my warning, so I will simply advise you to for now treat this as something else outside your field. Since it has not been behaving as any normal spirit, there is a strong possibility that it is something MUCH worse," his mentor explained grimly. Hans did not like the sound of that. And it certainly didn't help him with what he'd need to bring. The total body paralysis was chief of his concerns right now. "Incidentally, I believe you and your 'associate' may have more of a resistance to the creature's mental attack: due to your spirits. Other than that, any aid would take too long to get there to be of any use to you," they added. Hans made a mental note to perhaps try and broaden his study of the arcane- Necromancy was fine and all for what he typically hunted. But it was limiting and like now, wasn't going to be any more help to him.
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OOC: also for expedience, let us assume Hans has already gone to get some quick things

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BIC:

Hans would be going through what he had decided to bring for tonight. Fortunately from his brief time assisting DOMA, he had gained some access to more exotic equipment that no one had bothered to collect. Robin's disc based equipment was the best description for what those were. He doubted simply shooting at the thing would do much good if it was able to become incorpreal, so maybe electricity would do something atleast. Other than that he had a few other odds and ends from his own supplies he had brought with him. Like a high-powered UV Radiation light, great for dealing with vampires or other photosensetive creatures of the night- which remained to be seen in this case. Facade was already underway with letting the others know what was going on, which meant all that was left was to wait and finish up any last minute details.

Hans’s array of items made Rapture momentarily wonder if she should invest in some tools before remembering that she had her own: her spirits themselves. That, and her supply of incense at home. Other than that, she liked to deal with things head-on, no matter what they may be. However, the affected’s state of being, or rather lack thereof, had her worried more than she’d like to admit. She looked to the people in the room, observing their nervous energy without absorbing it herself. She had learned from a young age to suppress her emotions and others’ along with it. Still, the unease had begun to gnaw at her subconscious. Singling one of the boarders out, Rapture walked over to them and laid a hand on their shoulder. Juuzou, clearly frightened out of their mind, had been one of the wayward souls to wander into her temple. A special bond had been forged between the two, one that stood strong past their departure, when Facade had entered the picture and offered a room to the troubled youth. Now they sat trembling and didn’t seem to notice the petite powerhouse as she came in contact.

“Juuzou,” Rapture began softly, kneeling at her friend’s side. “Deep breaths. Morte and I are professionals. We’ve got this.”

On the other side of the stage, Sakura began to cry. “You don’t know that! My sister is missing and we’re the bait for her captor!”

Rapture didn’t miss a beat. “We do know that, because there’s no other way to have it. This way is the only way we’re going to see Azura again and get the jump on this thing. Stay strong!” A fire burned in her bright blue eyes. Determined as ever, she turned to Morte. “Right, Morte? We got this.”

Much like Rapture, Hans had also learned how to temper his emotions to better focus on the task at hand. It was perfectly understandable for people to be scared of things they didn't understand. That's why in his line of work, if he could avoid it he'd refrain from disclosing any details. It'd probably cause a greater deal more stress if people were actually aware that the things that went bump in the night were actually real. Not that he could help it with this situation, as that thing had already in no uncertain terms made that clear. All that was somewhat troubling him right now was that his mentor had said that it sounded like it was outside of his field of expertise. And something worse? Demons were in theory worse but there was nothing to support that- plus he did know alittle about them too.

Anselm was quietly observing, otherwise simply restless and basking in the fear of the room. He was not looking forward to what they were about to face. Normally such things were trivial for him, because he was already dead and only worried that Hans would get himself killed, and then he'd be without an anchor to the mortal realm again. But this thing had proven capable of affecting even spirits like him.

Hans was brought out of his musing and double checking he had everything he felt like may help them by Rapture. He blinked with the look of someone not well versed in offering words of encouragement. "If it bleeds, we can kill it," Hans instead offered a rather popular saying. This of course did not include ghosts but at this point he was willing to believe they weren't dealing with anything like a spirit. Not to mention his scythe specifically banished ghosts but that was neither here nor there.

Of course this was banking on the creature returning her sister tonight rather than later. He was fairly comfortable in thinking that she would be back tonight, given that the creature hadn't been taking everyone each day. This implied it only chose one person at a time before returning them once it was done doing whatever it was doing to place people into trances.

'If it bleeds. That is the caveat. Then again, I’ve killed plenty that don’t,’ Rapture thought, moving over to Sakura. She approached without hesitation, boldly even and carried with her a signature presence made of something between intimidation and reassurance. A fine line, one she rarely crossed even in the direst of circumstances. Here, she treaded lightly but firmly when advancing in the distressed girl’s direction. Calmly, she stood before her, an image of determination. “Sakura, why don’t you try Azura’s cellphone again? I know you’ve had no luck so far, but with the probability of her being closer, you might succeed.” The pink-haired girl looked at Rapture incredulously, wondering what the point would be. But the petite powerhouse’s demeanor spoke more of a command rather than a request, and she did what she was told. Facade had entrusted his wards with basic cellphones after they stayed a week with them, wanting them to feel like they could communicate with him and his associates at any time with little hassle. He had considered pinging the phones of the affected but found, to his frustration, that the devices were not advanced enough technologically to do so.

Sakura dialed her twin sister. One ring, two, and then! A ringtone. Azura’s ringtone! It came from the front of the theatre toward the front door. Immediately, Rapture and Facade went to find it, running past rows of seats before getting to the very back row. There, lying flat on her stomach and tucked between the seats was Azura, apparently unconscious. “How long has she been here?” Rapture gaped, moving to help the youth up. Facade shook his head, obviously in shock. From her body temperature, it seemed like she had just wandered in. It was still uncharacteristically cold outside, evident from her shivering. Eventually, Facade was able to pick her up and bring her on to the stage, setting her down gently in an empty makeshift bed. There he checked her vital signs and determined that she was physically fine, just exhausted. Sakura held her sister lovingly and full of worry. From deep within her psyche, Azura stirred and opened her eyes. “Eternal… mother…” she whispered before succumbing to sleep once more.

Hans would simply shrug, it was just a saying. Golems didn't bleed but could theoretically "die." Not that he had ever fought with any mind you. Banishing spirits may have also counted anyway, they were already dead so technically they couldn't "die" again. Double death was not a system as far as he was aware- at that point it'd be pure destruction. But that was neither here nor there as Rapture got the sister to call. He wasn't expecting much from it, if she was incapacitated she wouldn't be answering it if she still had it on her.

But he was quite surprised when he heard the ringtone. He mentally echoed Rapture's question as she and Facade went to get her. When DID that happen? He was sure with so many people up and around, plus Anselm keeping a watch that they'd notice if it had happened. All this would mean in the end though that his hunch was correct, and if it followed it's trend, that meant that it'd be going after someone later on in the evening. He was however concerned whether or not the entity was remotely aware of what they were doing. Hans would sort of gesture with a nod for Rapture to come over. "If it follows the trend, it should definitely be stopping by later. Assuming it's not already here, hiding somewhere in a dark corner. Care to lend me your eyes? I also wanted to talk to you about somethings unrelated to what's going on," Hans would tell her once she was close enough.

Rapture made sure that Azura had been put to bed comfortably before heeding to Morte’s less-than-conspicuous gesture. Nodding to Facade and leaving their side, she made her way over to the white-haired man, giving reassuring looks to all those who stared at her as best she could. She could communicate well with thousand-year-old demons just fine, even house four of them in her very soul with little problem. But people? That was another matter. She had been raised isolated for most of her life, with only her caustic brothers, father, and mother for company. That would have explained her lack of social skills were it not for the next chapter in her life, the one where she lead a team of vigilantes known as The Cavalry in Japan. Not just a part of the team, no, but the leader. Perhaps a band of misfits were more her forte than a group of vagrants, powered may they be. She had always felt comfortable around people who needed assistance. Something about lending one’s self to another so candidly rubbed her the wrong way. The petite powerhouse truly didn’t know how Facade did it, how he hadn’t gotten sick and tired or grown jaded over the many years he had lived. As she looked at the man stooping over the twins, she couldn’t help but wonder at him. He was so terribly awkward and at the same time a natural people person. A contradiction and enigma, indeed. Rapture figured that she’d never truly understand him, and decided that wasn’t such a bad thing.

When she arrived at Morte’s side, she rolled her eyes. “Alright, just because we had some time to kill. But if you mention giant skeletons, I’m ignoring you.”

Hans immediately felt Anselm... smirk, amused by the fact that was one of the first things he was going to mention. Well, this was going to be a shorter conversation than he had planned. "That had been why my organization sent me out here. I've just lately found more reasons," Hans admitted, not directly talking about such things- so it didn't count! "I mostly wanted to know of how you and your spirits came to be in this situation. From what I've been told, you're not a necromancer, " Hans continued with his usual monotone. He wasn't mentioning anything to do with DOMA just yet, Anselm crossing his arms by way of Hans' shadow.

Rapture narrowed her eyes at Hans. He certainly didn’t mind asking personal questions right off the bat. She knew very little of this man and it irked her. His organization? What organization might that be? Certainly, she would have heard of a supernatural outfit were there one in Jump City, but then again, she had been out of the country quite a bit, even when not counting the fact that her temple was magically in Japan.  Now, this guy wanted to know more about her spirits. She had been open enough in mentioning that she had four, but to add more information? She considered flat out refusing but figured it would be better coming from her mouth rather than from someone else’s. Sighing, Rapture folded her arms. “Fine, but only because I have nothing better to do and you’ve been somewhat useful to this investigation.”

The yokai priestess considered what to tell. “Three of my spirits are inherited: the Golden Scorpion, Mother Tiger, and the Great Red Dragon. The fourth spirit, the Ivory Crow, is a recent edition. All are of Japanese origin and were once hailed as great mythical beings. But without the amount of faith there used to be in the Shinto religion, they must rely on my spiritual power to stay alive. We cannot live without the other, and all of us must work hard to balance each other out. It’s a bit testy at times, but beneficial for the most part.” She huffed as her spirits began to protest, so she skewed the subject more toward herself. “I’m a yokai priestess. I deal in everything supernatural with a specialty on Japanese demonology. My temple is a sanctuary to all yokai, even the dangerous ones. House cleaning is the same as exorcism in my case,” she chuckled. The first time in a while. “So if you’re ever bored, I wouldn’t mind letting you volunteer your time.” Rapture even meant it. If a total rando like Verdant Gale could handle a dangerous yokai, someone with a little more experience might even be helpful.