Shizuka was a mix of shocked and amazed. It could relay information! This oughta be helpful, although it would take a bit of getting used to with it being a starved ghost of the body she was inhabiting and all that.

But the information it got was quite valuable. Now that it was almost certain that the noise was an intruder, with lock picking tools and an entire toolbox.

Although this brought up an issue on what Shizuka would do next. Even though she knew of the man's existence, what could she do to stop him without waking the others up? Hurting him too much would be unwise, as she didn't know of his true intentions, yet. It would be a foolish idea to just give up and go back to bed as well, given what he could do and what could potentially be in that toolbox. She’d have to camp him out. He couldn’t just stay here forever, right?

With that, Shizuka plopped down on the floor and whispered to the wraith, “If that man enters, attack him and make sure everyone knows he’s here.” After doing that, she simply listened for noise and waited.

After what seems like an eternity but is actually only a few minutes, the noises resume. Finally there is a click as the door opens.

The wraith takes a deep breath then screams, loudly. A man, dressed in dark clothes and with a ski-mask pulled over his face, claps his hands over his ears and lets the box of tools fall to the ground.

He tries to say something but you cannot hear over the banshee wail.

Everyone in the house suddenly awakens to the screaming.

While the banshee is screaming, everyone in the house cannot hear anything except the wail.

A sudden shriek pierces Houston's eardrums and they're instantly awake. What the f— gah! Their profane thought is interrupted as they accidentally roll out of Yuki's bed, tangled in blankets. Ow... And ow x2 combo as the noise continues...

MARI-SUE, what's going on!? they ask, simultaneously trying to stand up while also covering their ears.

Covering your ears does nothing to help with the noise. Maybe if you somehow squeezed harder against the sides of your head...

You appear to be experiencing a psychic attack to the auditory perception centers of your brain. Warning: Continued exposure may cause disorientation, nausea, bleeding from your ear holees, rapid venting of your cranial cavity, and tinnitus.

WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN A BRIEF SURVEY ON HOW THE M.A.R.I.S.U.E. SYSTEM COULD BETTER SERVE YOU?

Edited by Nodrog on Oct 18th 2020 at 5:12:38 AM

Survey—?! Now is not the time, MARI-SUE! Houston clutches his ears harder and curls up in a ball, hoping that somehow blocks out the psychic attack. What can we do about this!?

Shizuka immediately covers up her ears and tries to comprehend what gas just happened. The suspicious man has entered, the wraith's scream has likely woken up nearly everyone, for better or for worse.

"Stop!" Shizuka shouted at the wraith, realizing what she had done. Looks like I messed up again. Can't ever do shit right. Way to go, dumbass. Shizuka thought to herself, disappointed in herself.

"If he tries anything else, drain him, but keep him alive!" Shizuka said angrily, giving the wraith the go to harm the man further as long as it didn't kill him. Questioning him would be more effective than murder. Nothing would be gained from ending someone else's life anyway.

Dream World

"The Search Engine, huh?", Ian/Daisy ponders. "This should be interesting."

And with that, Ian/Daisy head off in the direction that the 2.54 cm worm suggested. Hopefully, there'll be something there that can help them with their quest.

The Wraith immediately stops screaming, looking puzzled and not understanding what it did wrong. The man staggers to his feet, blood dripping from his ears, and pulls a wicked looking knife from behind his back.

Edited by Nodrog on Nov 3rd 2020 at 11:16:15 AM

Inside Houston's head:

Either the psychic attack has stopped or you have suffered permanent neurological damage. If the brain damage one is the correct outcome, please inform Head Servant Felix in case your M.A.R.I.S.U.E. interface needs to be replaced with M.A.R.I.S.U.E light version. 

Dreamworld:

Following the directions leads to a long line of metal railroad tracks. An old fashioned steam locomotive, painted in bright rainbow stripes, is sitting on the railroad tracks with smoke drifting out of the 'chimney' on the front of the train. Painted on the side, in gold letters, is the words 'Search Engine'.

You suddenly hear a painfully loud noise, one that seems to shake the entire landscape. Cracks form beneath your feet and you must chose to either awaken or attempt to stay in the dream world...

Edited by Nodrog on Nov 3rd 2020 at 11:22:09 AM

I'll, uh, consult him later... Message to the rest of the team: What the hell just happened?

Houston stands up, shakily, and takes a few deep breaths. Once he feels stable enough, he carefully exits Yuki's room and looks around for whatever the hell all this was.

GROUP CHAT initiated by YUKI. Group Name: WhatThe-CENSORED-JustHappened
Type or speak 'Friend' to enter the group chat. Type or speak 'Drop' to exit the group chat. 

>_

At the top of the stairs you can see a man dressed in black, with a black ski mask. The bottom of the mask have been pushed up, revealing the mans jaw and his ears, which are bleeding. He is lunging forward and holding a jagged knife, moving toward Shizuka and what appears to be a ghostly, emaciated version of Shizuka.

Edited by Nodrog on Nov 3rd 2020 at 11:46:22 AM

 > Yuki: It censors "hell", really? We've literally fought hellhounds. 

Edited by wingedcatgirl on Nov 3rd 2020 at 9:29:36 AM

 > FELIX wishes to enter the chat. Allow? [yes/no] 

 CORRECTION: 

 HEAD_VALET_FELIX wishes to enter the chat. Allow? [yes/no] 

Edited by Nodrog on Nov 3rd 2020 at 11:39:14 AM

Yes, yes, let him in.

HEAD_VALET_FELIX> A ghost seems to have breached the house wards. I've cast a spell to temporarily freeze it so it won't attack with it's scream again and I'm currently searching for a banishment ritual. Go down and make sure there aren't any more ghosts.

>HEAD_VALET_FELIX> Also, please watch your language. A lady in the service of her majesty the Princess Astra should be more refined. 

>_

Edited by Nodrog on Nov 3rd 2020 at 11:52:14 AM

So what do we do about creepy guy, 'Houston'?

Houston frowns. It's too dark, he's not casting a shadow I can trap... Silently, he transforms into Unseen Shade, hoping having more direct access to Yuki's magic will help him come up with ideas.

Dream World

-Ian and Daisy feel the cracks form beneath their shared feet and jump to try and stay in the dream, spinning around three times in midair, as the 2.54 centimeter worm had directed, for good measure.-

"I hope this works", Ian and Daisy think to themselves.

Dream World

Ian/Daisy turn around three times and find themselves standing on an old fashioned train platform. A steam locomotive, hooked up to a coal car and a bright red caboose, is waiting on the train tracks. There's a ticket counter that sits empty except for a house cat with purple and pink striped fur lapping at a saucer of milk. A life-sized figure of a Native American, dressed in traditional ceremonial wear and carved from wood, stands next to a train schedule that reads:

Edited by Nodrog on Nov 8th 2020 at 10:52:07 AM

Dream World

-Ian and Daisy notices the cat at the ticket counter, and tilts their head quizzically.-

"Is that... the Cheshire Cat?", Ian/Daisy think to themselves. "Well, he definitely doesn't look like Skimbleshanks...", Ian then jokes...

Dream World

The cat yawns and leaps off the counter, vanishing. The saucer promptly refills with milk.

As Shizuka saw the man take out a knife and try to attack her, with her wraith now paralyzed, she realized the danger of the situation. Had she been in her original body, this wouldn't have been much of an issue. But something that she hadn't accounted for yet was the fact that the current body was less fit than the she was used to. But luckily, to make up for this body's bad physical state, it could summon things, which was cool.

Shizuka withdrew the wraith, and then summoned the raptor she summoned earlier to attack the intruder. There was nothing she hated more than a stereotypical ski mask intruder. Seriously, it wasn't that hard to be somewhat creative with outfit choice.

The wraith pops and the raptor appears. It hisses and charges at the hooded figure. The figure's slashes out at the raptor.

Gracieuse Will [3] * Dice [5] = 15

Intruder Level [4] * Dice [3] = 12

Intruder takes 3 stress. Stress: [3 / 10]

The raptor's head ducks down, dodging the knife, then bites at the man's arm. The man grunts, giving out a muffled cry of pain, but pulls free, still clutching the knife.

Edited by Nodrog on Nov 24th 2020 at 10:28:16 AM

Dream World, The Search Engine

"Well, that was bizarre...", Ian notes in Daisy's voices. Ian and Daisy fix themselves up and think to themselves "Now, which train would be the best bet to learn something about our current situation...?"

The intruder tries to kick at the raptor's head.

Intruder Level [4] * Dice [2] = 8

Gracieuse Will [3] * Dice [5] = 15

Intruder takes 3 more stress. Stress: [6 / 10]

The raptor, a clever girl, whips its head to the side and then bites down on the intruder's leg as the intruder's foot sails through the air where the raptor's head had been.

The intruder lets out a soft cry of pain and then reaches into a coat, pulling out a metal can labelled 'Nightmare Fuel'.

Ryo's Dream (Or Is It?)

As Rosa took in the familiar sight of her grandfather's throne room, she looked back up at him and answered back, "It's...it's okay, Grandpa, you've been busy with work, I understand. Besides, nineteen's just kind of a liminal age, isn't it? Past eighteen but not quite the big twenty."

Edited by Akkun_K on Dec 9th 2020 at 12:40:01 PM