video; un: lookingforshinsengumi

[tealeafs]

U-Um..

[ When the video starts, the girl visible looks clearly shaken up. She's looking a little pale, but it mostly seems to be since she's scared - since it matches the way her eyes look wider than usually, and the way she's breathing a little hard, like she's been running around for a while now. There's even some drops of sweat at her temples because of it. ]

I'm sorry to bother everyone. [ Despite her state, it's like she somehow can't help but mutter those words first, even offering a faintly apologetic bow of her head before she quickly glances around her and then speaks on. ] But, I-- I.. think I'm in danger, and I don't know what to do about it..

[ A valid reason to ask a question on here, one might say, and yet Chizuru seems so awkward about it all the same. ]

The other day I started seeing ghosts here around town. Um, ghosts I.. I recognize. I'm not sure if they're ghosts, but I can't imagine what else they'd be.. [ Because it's clearly not those people actually being there. ] At first it was just me seeing them and nothing else, but now every time I see one, they rush towards me to try and attack me. It's..

[ She hesitates, but then admits, helplessly, stammering-- ]

It's scary. It's really scary.. Has anyone else experienced this? Or.. what should I do..? I really don't know..

Comments

text; un: eudaimonikos

[eudaimonikos]

Serious question - can you hit them?

video; un: v

[mehanizovati]

Palamedes or Allen Walker may be able to help, they both have experience with ghosts as far as I am aware.

[he is! concerned!] Is there any chance incense helps keep them at bay?

[towards_okeanos]

Where I come from, spirits of the dead appear when they have some unfinished tasks or have been wronged in life.

un: AMMAKO (handwriting)

[brushy]

I would like to see and smell it, Chizuru.

[stoicsilhouette]

You say you knew these people. Do you know for a fact that they died? And have they actually hit you?

[tealeafs]

[ Thankfully Chizuru is exactly the kind of person who would have taken this question seriously even if he didn't make it so clear. ]

i have not tried

[ For.. a variety of reasons.. ]

i have just been running away since they run towards me to attack me on sight and i do not think that can end well

has that been a bad decision [ There's meant to be a question mark at the end there, but Chizuru is not so great with this typing and writing thing yet. She's trying. ]

[tealeafs]

[ Oh. That might just be the one piece of good news in the middle of all of this - even though Chizuru only met them at the party, and she's a little worried about asking people she doesn't know well to help her..

Life is hard when you're this self-conscious, even in the face of lethal danger. ]

I don't think so.. Not forever, anyway.

[ It's been going on for a little while already now, and Chizuru feels like she's definitely been in locations that had it. ]

I don't know if anything could do that. I.. I tried talking to them too, but they still got angry.. [ Sorry if she doesn't sound entirely coherent, Viktor.

She's still pretty on edge. ]

Video; un: lothrat

[ezra_of_lothal]

Where I'm from, spirits can linger. But it's not necessarily...bad.

This sounds like something different. Like one of the curses native to here, maybe. I can try to find something in the Archives?

[mehanizovati]

[this is what concerns him, he would not be shocked if chizuru was injured and thought that was 'too much trouble' to mention. chizuru.]

Have they been able to cause you any harm?

[eudaimonikos]

No, you were probably right.
I'm not saying you specifically should hit them.

[He really intended to ask something more along the lines of "CAN they be hit?" Which she obviously also does not know, so.]

But is there anyone else around to give it a shot?

video; un: an.exorcist

[likethelight]

[ Ah, the shy girl from the fireworks party! Who he'd tried to help pull into the spirit of things and have fun too. ]

Miss Chizuru? [ Good, he sees Viktor already reached out to her as well, along with several others, but: ]

Is someone with you right now? I don't think you should be alone if it's like that.

[tealeafs]

[ .. oh. That's actually good advice, or information, but there's one little problem with it that Chizuru can't help but think of when she reads those words, chewing her lower lip nervously as she writes back. ]

but these people were not dead

[ Not back home, anyway.

.. or she hopes that they're not. ]

that is why i was not even sure they were ghosts at first but they seem like ghosts in every single other way

[tealeafs]

do you want to smell the ghosts

[ Question mark.

There's a question mark at the end there - or there would be, if Chizuru was more familiar with writing like this.. she is trying..

But this is definitely not a question of judgement over the wolf's hobbies, it's more just Chizuru trying to confirm that she got the intention right, since it does seem a little surprising to her. ]

[tealeafs]

no they have not hit me
i have made sure to get out of the way every time they tried to attack me

[ Because.. well, that's instinct, isn't it? No one is going to stand there and just let someone attack them. And since Chizuru knows she doesn't stand a chance against any of these people she knows, even in ghostly forms, she just ran away.

.. but that's the easier answer to give. It's the other question that she chews on for a little longer before slowly replying. ]

though the other part is the strange part
as far as i know these people are not actually dead
or at the very least i dearly hope that they are not dead

[ Gosh, she doesn't even want to think about it. It's why this is so hard to write. ]

[tealeafs]

Yes, I would say this is.. definitely bad.

[ To put it lightly. Chizuru sure wanted to see these people again, but not exactly like this. In any sort of way. ]

.. are you sure you wouldn't mind doing that? I mean.. your time must be precious. And it's not as if this is your problem.. [ She wouldn't want to be a burden on Ezra or his time, that's for sure. It's what makes her sound so sheepish as she says all this.

(Well, both that, and the fear that's still lingering.) ]

[tealeafs]

No, I've done my best to keep outrunning them.

[ .. but that's apparently the only reason. Sure, because of that Chizuru doesn't know if they can harm her, but just the sheer rage they seemed to attack her with was already enough for her to not want to experiment with seeing whether they could or not. ]

But it feels like it's getting harder. It's like they're appearing more and more often, and get angry more easily.. [ The implication is there in her tone, even though she doesn't want to voice it - since she doesn't want to worry Viktor too much, for one.

But it's right there, with how honest Chizuru is. With how much she accidentally wears her emotions all right there on her sleeve.

What if I won't be able to avoid their attacks anymore sooner or later? ]

[tealeafs]

would that not be dangerous
they seem very

[ .. hold on, she's trying to think of a way to say this that doesn't make her sound like a wuss, even though she is very scared here. ]

intimidating

[ Nailed it. ]

i would not want to put anyone else in danger by asking them to do so

[tealeafs]

.. not right now..

[ She sounds a little reluctant to admit that, but Chizuru figures that being honest is probably the best under the current circumstances.

Especially considering how dangerous they are. ]

They kept appearing, and I kept running away from them, and I.. I'm afraid that more or less chased me off to a part of town I usually never come, so there's no one with me..

[ There's a tiny pause, but then she shakes her head at him across the devices. ]

But it's-- it's okay! I wouldn't want anyone else to be in trouble as well. [ Not even someone capable, like Viktor called Allen.

Things here can be dangerous even for capable people, she has been told. ]

I just need to find some way to handle it..

[towards_okeanos]

[That's more a matter for sorceresses. Like the priestesses of Hekate. They were capable of sending images after people to torment them. Maybe something similar is happening here?]

Ahh, that's another thing then! They might be apparitions.

[But there's one thing that doesn't fit... Ghosts and apparitions are there to haunt you. They will hang around menacingly, howl and do other things to try to drive their victim mad. They can't interact with the physical world.]

You said they try to attack you. If you need someone to defend you from them, I can help.

[If he saw them, he might be able to tell what they are, or at least know what to look for. There should be something about such incidents in the vast libraries here.]

[likethelight]

[ Chizuru. ]

I'm coming. [ His tone, normally light and easygoing, bubbling almost sometimes, is still gentle but stern. Softly sober, earnest, and adamant.

No ifs, ands, or buts. He'll go looking for her with Timcanpy if he has to. ]

Where are you right now?

[eudaimonikos]

It's Trench. There's intimidating stuff all the time.

Want me to give it a shot?

video | un: ilikemeat

[velvet_teen]

My uncle Oswald has been coming around. He's super dead, but all he does is play the piano and mope.

Talking about him makes it better.

[mehanizovati]

[viktor's lips thin at this, turning to rationality in hopes of at least turning over some sort of solution to what is clearly growing more dire by the moment.] They are escalating. Given the whims of this place and how these... these odd events occur that would be typical.

[like the tethers, getting worse and worse. surely this is something like that, because he doesn't love the idea that chizuru herself is just cursed for some reason.]

Chizuru, you should not be alone. Whatever this is it is likely a matter that will require outside help, these often do.

[he. kind of suspects that this is going to be a fight to convince her, since it is chizuru and he can easily imagine her deciding she could not possibly put anyone at risk.]

[Video] username: justanadventurer

[aetherweaver]

... Yes, I've been experiencing that as well. I'm not sure what to do about it, either.

But at least you aren't alone in this.

Are you - where are you? I can come and find you... it'd be better to face them together.

[tealeafs]

[ There's a moment where there's just straight up no response from Chizuru. She's just baffled by how easily this stranger - she thinks it might be a stranger, anyway, since she doesn't recognize the name - is offering her help here. ]

are you sure that you would want to

this entire situation seems very dangerous and i would not want to cause you any trouble

[ Let alone physical injury. ]