daybreakacademy | yo ho ho

Entry tags:

yo ho ho

Who: Kohaku Yuhara, Rex Arany, Ky Kiske, Valvatorez, Lie Ren, Leonardo, and there's probably room for one or two others if you want to crash the party
What: Exploring a ghost ship, getting cursed
When: Mid October
Where: Off the southern coast of France
Warnings: Ghosts

In 1722, a Spanish Brigantine was captured by Captain Tyrel Lyon, a famed pirate. He named his ship Reine Olivier. In 1726, Lyon's ship was finally sunk off the southern coast of France.

Almost three hundred years later, with Nightfall getting ever closer, the power of the supernatural was on the rise. Which was why the Reine Olivier rose back to the surface at 2:30am on a rainy October morning. It was discovered by local fishermen three hours later, but they didn't want to get close because the ship had an eerie aura about it. At 8am the local police investigated the strange ship, but they fled in fear after no less than ten minutes on the ship. Calls were made, informants took notice, and by noon that day Daybreak had a team headed out to investigate. Based on reports, Daybreak staff decided this was a fairly routine haunting, and sent a small group of mostly students to come deal with it for some hands on experience.

It was still lightly raining by the time the Daybreak team arrived. The ship was CLEARLY no longer sea-worthy, with big holes in the hull, yet it floated all the same. If there were any ghosts or skeleton pirates on board, they were not immediately making their presence known, as everything on board was still and silent save for a faint creaking as the ship gently rocked to and fro.

The ship was still undeniably haunted, though. Cold spots moved back and forth across the deck and through the holds. Old artifacts moved around while no one was looking. If you were below decks, every once in a while there was a faint creaking as if someone was walking on the floor above you. Sometimes there was the sound of distant voices speaking archaic French. Also, there were dead bodies (mostly skeletons now) all over the place. Nothing supernatural about skeletons, but they were still damn creepy if you weren't used to them.

All of this is, of course, perfectly normal and run of the mill for anyone used to dealing with ghosts. Exorcising the ship should take no more than an hour or two after which the whole thing will sink back down to the bottom.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

-1-

Kohaku's impressive senses were a match for just about anything that actually physically existed, but the semi-real nature of ghosts left them just as much on the edge of her hearing as anyone else. The whole thing was especially unnerving to her, no matter how much Professor Kiske assured them this was nothing out of the ordinary for this kind of situation.

So she was jumpy as hell as she carefully peered around corners and looked for likely spots to attach the stack of runes she had brought. She had made these ones herself and was quite proud of them. In THEORY they should weaken the hold of ghosts on the mortal realm, but as Kohaku was an EXTREMELY novice runesmith she wasn't sure how well they would work.

-2-

Eventually she found her way into what had once been the captain's quarters. It must have once been lavishly decorated, but now of course it was all ruins. The main thing that stood out to her was the body of what must have been the captain himself, still holding a rusty old cutlass and pistol, alongside several more bodies clutching rusted ruins of muskets with bayonets. The remains of a heroic last stand.

Kohaku placed a rune on the ground between the bodies. She almost turned and left right then, but something called to her. Showing a remarkable lack of horror story trope awareness, Kohaku turned back, her eyes drawn to the old cutlass lying not far from the captain's hand. After staring at it a moment, she reached down and picked it up...

Along with his own abilities, he got the usual ghost-warding Gris-Gris, ready to light and use. He noticed how Kohaku was seeming to jumpy, and he honestly can't blame her - the creaking of the ship, and it's condition was unnerving.

"Strange... I thought the skeletons would've decomposed by now in the sea," Ky murmurs softly to himself. "Perhaps an artifact of the haunting," He then looks over to her. "Deep breaths, it's okay to be a little scared, do you hear anything unusual?" He made note to read their files before going on the mission.

To Kohaku's ears, there may in fact be a suspicious noise or two here and there amidst the creaking of an ancient, dilapidated ship.

Beneath the decks... the sound of footsteps, and the telling tap of shoes against the rotting wood. The pace is slow, deliberate, even. Perhaps just another ghost roaming the innards of the ship...?

"All I know is if I was a fish I wouldn't go anywhere near this wreck even if it was full of tasty fish food."

Still, she took a moment to try and relax.

"There's...something. Downstairs, moving around. Sounds more real than everything else around here if you know what I mean?"

"Below deck?" He questions, before starting towards the stairs, stepping carefully - glad he had decided against armor after hearing the mission was on a ship. "Behind me, I think you'll know what to do if it turns out to be hostiles."

"If it's a person and they're dangerous, fight. If it's a ghost, throw the pile of runes at it and run."

Made as much sense as anything to her. She fell into step behind Ky, who was infinitely more experienced in these things, and tried to look in every direction at once.

Edited 2019-10-19 01:41 (UTC)

Another few footsteps, the groan of a rusted, barely moving hinge... perhaps... even in that moment, the sound of breathing, barely audible in thick, heavy darkness of the hold. While there were holes in the ship... a few places still did not easily allow the light of day dominion.

But suddenly, any and all sounds cease, an eerie silence filling the air...

"It stopped!" Kohaku hissed in a whisper at Ky. "It knows we're here!"

He nods, drawing his sword as silently as possible, using his free hand to gesture for her to get ready as he kneels, waiting to ambush if the presence comes their way, listening for the creaks.

Kohaku drew her own sword and held it in a one handed grip while holding her stack of antighost runes in the other, staying a step behind Ky so she could watch his back. Her job in any fight was usually the flanker.

There's silence at first; that eerie, deep silence... it knows. It knows they're there. It moves much more quietly, with greater deliberate care. Were it not for Kohaku's super-enhanced senses, it would arguably be silent; but there are tells... quiet, measured breaths, the soft scuff of a sole of a shoe against the wooden boards as it shifted its weight.

A similarly near silent sound of unsheathing steel. Measured, careful.

It's near. Very near. Right around the corner...

And it springs into view, a being clad in black, seemingly merging with the darkness, live steel from its weapon glinting in the inky darkness!

He didn't make a sound at all when the black-clad thing emerges. No sound, save for the crackle of static, building into a rolling rumble as a bluish light lit up the darkness around his fingertips before firing right at the figure - a sharp touch, enough to stun a normal human.

"GET FUCKED!"

Kohaku shouted the first thing that came to mind and flung the stack of runes at him. They were drawn in marker on poster board, so as a weapon their effectiveness against anything alive would be approximately nil, but maybe she could distract him for a second and then the beat down could commence.

The glint of steel in the darkness didn't strike, thanks to Ky's quick strike with his spell; one that hit home and did its job, immobilizing the black figure as lightning coursed through it. The sword clattered to the ground next to it, seemingly disarming him.

The figure might be expected to react very poorly to this, but did almost hilariously babble stereotypically as one might think they would while being electrocuted. And then Kohaku's thrown poster boards hit him squarely, bouncing off harmlessly while the figure convulsed.

...It was at this point that it became clear it was no ghost or anything quite like that.

After a moment, the figure stumbled back and shook his head, before finally speaking in a familiar voice. More surprised than actually upset, though.

"...Ky? Kohaku? What in Hades are you both doing here?"

...He didn't ask why he just got shocked and had things thrown at him.

It was rather obvious to him, as he had a moment to reflect on his life choices while being electrocuted.

"Valvatorez?" He asked incredulously as he instantly rose up to his full height, eyes widening in shock - and in horror as he realized he just attacked a colleague.

"I would like to ask you the same thing! Far as I was aware, you took the day off, and you hadn't been assigned to help exorcise the ship."

After staring at him for a moment, Kohaku realized she was brandishing a sword at a teacher and dropped it on abruptly.

“Professor Valvatorez!? I thought you were a ghost!”

"Yes, well... I can understand why, in retrospect. Skulking around in the dark and all that."

He answered Kohaku first, actually not looking or sounding terribly upset about it. He leaned down to help collect the posterboards she had tossed at him, as though nothing wrong had ever really transpired.

"Well, I did take the day off, Ky. I was out fishing this morning when I came across this lovely haunted ship! I simply had to come aboard and have a look around! It's adorable, isn't it?"

"...Adorable." He repeats, glancing over the creaking boards and skeletons - Daemon tastes. "...Well, it didn't seem like the haunting is worse than expected, but it's good to have an extra hand - and an extra boat close by if something happens."

Kohaku actually bowed. "I'm still very sorry sir."

She looked around at the 'adorable' comment. Daemons, man.

"It's...not AS scary as I thought it would be?"

"Yes, adorable! It's quite... quaint!. I haven't seen a genuine ghost ship show up in... quite some time! It's almost nostalgic," he merrily mused, standing back up to hold the runes back out to Kohaku to take. "But of course I will assist while I am here... though I must confess, I am surprised that our school was called in to deal with it."

Still, he shook his head.

"And pay it no mind, Kohaku. All's well that ends well. I apologize if I caused either of you undue duress, as well. ...Though I suppose it's good to know I have not lost my touch just yet."

"Are you sure that's really wise?" Ren asked, watching Kohaku pick up the rusty and ancient weapon.

"What if there's a spell or something attached to it?" Or a trap that could break the ship, as counter-intuitive as that would be.

"Eh?"

Kohaku blinked, as if coming out of a trance. She stared at the sword in her hand. "When did I...?"

"Just now." Did she really have no idea she took a hold of the sword?

"Do...do you feel all right? Any voices in your head?" Because that's what weird swords did to you, right?

She didn’t say anything for a moment, trying to remember everything that has happened since she came into the room. She’d looked around for a minute, seen the skeletons, put the rune down, and then...Ren had asked her about the sword she was now holding.

Kohaku abruptly dropped it, almost as if it had suddenly turned red hot. There was one of those moments, those snapshots in time that will stick with you forever, as she watched the old rusty sword spin through the air towards the ground. When it landed, the blade snapped. It was in such bad condition she would have been surprised if it hadn’t.

After nothing happened for several seconds, Kohaku stopped holding her breath. “Fuck. This place is getting to me.”

Something HAD happened, but Kohaku had not noticed, and would not until some time later.

Ren drew both of his Stormflower guns/knives and aimed them toward the skeleton sitting in its chair. When nothing happened, he lowered them, but kept them out.

"This place is enough to make me feel nervous, so don't feel bad."

Anything that could rattle Ren's sense of calm was rare. This ship seemed to be doing a good job.

I keep telling you, I'm not dead, I'm just unattractive.

[ Yeah, you just overheard that.

Rex can be found in a room, arm's crossed and looking marginally peeved- he is exactly as pale as the ghost he is apparently talking to. Not helping his case for being an undead pirate is the fact he has grown a van dyke beard, already quite thick even if it is a salt and pepper colour, for his Halloween costume. Wearing the silver and blue gemstone gauntlet of Blue Moon, with the shield collapsed for convenience, makes it seem his right hand is spectral. He's hovering a few inches off the floor, in case his weight has him fall through rotten floorboards. And he's always wearing that puffy long coat with the fur trim that suits the aesthetic.

The ghost stares at him with a cold, dead stare which Rex returns. Not doing himself any favours. The ghost leans in a little, a semi-transparent hand on his chin before asking in the chilling voice of the grave (which is less offputting than Rex's)- ]

Are ye sure?^*

*Or French pirate stereotype as appropriate, leave me alone.

[Oh fuck a ghost! A PROPER ghost, even! Kohaku's French has improved marginally in the last few months, but it's still pretty goddamn bad. So she needed to ask, even if it was Rex she was asking.]

What's he saying!?

[ Rex is not bothered by ghosts. He's spent his entire life getting into these sorts of shenanigans and I do mean entire life. Between his Herculean adventurer mom and lich babysitter, it's all business as usual to him.

He usually speaks Japanese when talking to Kohaku now anyway- it's good practice and easier for her so, why not? ]

He's convinced I'm also a ghost and will not drop it. Please tell him "je peux confirmer que cet homme est en vie."

[ The ghost, on the other hand, seems a bit disturbed to hear Rex speaking Japanese, like that's the thing that sets them apart. And he's eying up Kohaku with a bit more of a death glare instead of the lifeless eyes he had pointed at Rex. ]

[Oh god he was staring at her. Kohaku actually hid behind Rex while feeling like an idiot for doing it at the same time.]

Je peux confirmer que cet homme est en vie!

[Her accent was terrible.]

[ Rex subtly adjusts his footing a little to be a more effective human shield for Kohaku. It's instinctive and he doesn't notice doing it himself. ]

Then I'll... have... to...

[ The ghost trails off as it reached for its spectral sword, unable to finish the sentence 'then I'll have to kill you both' in old-timey French. The reason it trails off is that Rex saw where that sentence was going and hit the ghost with one of his horrifying Killing Intent Glares which proved so effective on ghosts before. Not on the same scale as he did last time, of course.

Rex talks faster than usual and uses some awkward phrasing when he tells the ghost exactly what to do if he wants to avoid being banished to Hell right now. The word choices are to make it a little harder for Kohaku to work out why exactly the ghost slowly enunciates every word so it's easier to understand. ]

I'll... have to thank the young lady for clarifying. And- [ Insert nervous glance at Rex here. ] ...Compliment her on her French.

[ Rex nods. Good job, ghost. ]

[Kohaku took an instinctive step backwards as her eyes darted back and forth between Rex and the ghost, wondering what the FUCK just happened.

With the slowly enunciated French, even Kohaku got the gist of what the ghost was saying.]

Uh...

Merci beaucoup?

[ Rex feels a little bad for bullying a weakling ghost like this one (he assumes it's a weakling purely because it's scared of him, one of the most frightening men in the world). But it's certainly better than getting into an actual fight with him.

Rex turns so he’s sideways on with both of them, his gauntlet on the ghost’s side. He has no idea if it had any sort of special effect on ghosts. But it’s definitely magical so, hey, who knows? ]

Now then, I believe you have some runes to hand? Perhaps we should send this gentleman on his way.

[ Naturally, that’s Japanese. Let’s get this guy gone. ]

Right! The runes!

[Her runes are drawn in on pieces of poster board with sharpie, but they're...fucntional. Ish.

She pulled a push-pin out of her pocket and tagged the rune to the wall. On it's own, it didn't do shit, but combine with all the others she had pinned up around the ship, it was definitely starting to make it harder for ghosts to maintain their presence here. Like when a radio wasn't QUITE tuned into the right station.]

[ The second the rune is in place the ghost flickers- not yet knocked from the world, but the sudden addition to the disruption so close effects it. Enough to realise what is going on, even if he can't follow their conversation.

So ghost pirate decides if his choice is an explicit Hell banishment from Rex, a nebulous removal from the mortal realm by Kohaku or going down fighting, the answer is obvious. The ghost lets out a blood-curdling shriek, which is cut off by having a gauntlet shoved down his throat. So, generic magic weapon rules count for something judging by the way it stumbles (can you stumble while you're floating?) away. ]

...If you could expedite the process, please.

[ Because while this guy is a small fry, he's at least as dangerous as a regular guy with a knife and that's still pretty dangerous. Couple more runes should do him. ]

This IS the process! Ky was going to do the actual banishing! You're always prepared for everything! Don't you know a spell for this!?

[She has no idea of her runes are effective enough to permanently dispel a ghost on their own, but it seems like now is the time to find out. Kohaku put aside her carefully researched pattern for maximum coverage across the ship and just sort of flung the whole pile of runes at the ghost while hoping for the best.]

[ Rex parts his lips to suggest Kohaku make a ring of runes around the ghost, so it's like a super-focused version of what they're doing to the ship, but seeing them all go flying into the dead guy he instead says- ]

...That'll help. Get directly behind me.

[ Contact with each rune makes the ghost flicker in and out of the moral realm rapidly- it's like trying to climb a muddy slope, he has to use effort to stay in the world of the living while sliding down. You gotta run faster than you fall.

Why he didn't just banish the ghost himself is twofold. First, it takes two hands. The elaborate arm motions he performs are quick and well practised, but easy to interrupt. Not a problem with ghosty mcghost face trying to stay spiritual upright.

Second, the last time he did all the work she got mad at him! Geeze, pick a lane Kohaku!

The reason he asked her to get behind him is that when he finishes the gestures, there's a burst of light that'd sting anyone's eyes. He'd rather not blind her, which is when he finishes the spell by turning around and flaring out his coat to make him cast an even wider shadow. ]

[Last time no one was trying to stab them! She's less picky when in mortal peril!

Kohaku threw her arms up in front of her face and screwed her eyes shut at the light. Even with that she had spots in front of her eyes, but given the circumstances she was content not to make a huge deal about it.]

...Is it gone?

[ Well that's her mistake for not realising she's literally always in mortal peril, like everyone is at all times. Why, you could wake up dead tomorrow! It makes no sense to separate appropriate activities on the metric of danger!

Anyway. ]

It is. How're your eyes?

[ She can choose not to make a deal of it. It won't stop Rex from being a fussy pants who needs to take care of everyone in his immediate vicinity on instinct. ]

Hurt.

[Still blinking a lot.]

But, uh. Thanks.

I guess it's good to know my runes work at all.

Want me to take a look?

[ He's already got his hands on his knees to squat down to do just that. The prepared for anythingness she mentioned earlier applies to being the team medic on this particular mission. Also: see fussy pants. ]

[Confronted with a blurry shape that is probably Rex, Kohaku took an instinctive step backwards.]

I'm fine, just...gimme a minute.

Very well. Let you feel it needs attention.

[ In the meantime, he starts to gather her scattered runes and takes a moment to look each one over as he does. They look as novice as they are, but hey, they worked. ]

...Would you mind if I tidy some of these up a bit?

[ Look! He asked! CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IS REAL. ]

Edited 2019-10-22 21:35 (UTC)

[See what that so hard, Rex? Kohaku looked aside and scratched her cheek self-consciously. At least her vision was starting to go back to normal, but she'd have spots in her eyes for a while yet.]

Probably not a terrible idea, since they actually have to work.

They do work. Just better to be safe than sorry. Especially since they will probably run in the damp around here. [ Which is why he's making his touch-ups with a waterproof pen. ] Nnnngngngnnanannbblrbfft.

[ Which is, in the language of Man With Pen Lid In Mouth, "you didn't rip a hole in reality, which I've seen before." ]

[ Also of note- He has scored some points with his shield from this whole thing. He didn't do it with Helen's methods, exactly, but being violent in defence of another? At least attempting not to pick on a small fry by using intimidation? Good! Not great. Could have done it alone, could have said something cool, could have made Kohaku swoon. Could have made the ghost swoon. Room for improvement. As a shield made by a famously gentle smith god, Moon also appreciated the protective fussiness a bit more than the sword would. ]

1. now patching

Bro, why am I the only one in costume. It's October! Get in the spirit!!

[ this... this is a school mission leo. but does he look like he cares to you? ]

Okay, I brought two eyepatches, you can have one.

[ he's going to just. put it in your hands before you can even object. ]

2. ever the ghost denier

Okay Fakey McGee reveal yourself and your mechanical tricks! Nice work on all the... absolutely prop skeletons, we're all very impressed.

[ he claps a bit while walking through the creaky floorboards, promptly coughing from dust. ]

Man, I thought exploring a "ghost ship" was going to be way cooler than this.

[ of course, leo ended up where all the tricks were a bit more low-key... maybe his partner is a bit more observant. ]

[Kohaku looked incredulously at Leo.]

You don't think this place is MEGA haunted?

Ah-? I thought guising was just for Halloween itself.

[The Professor seem a little off guard as he takes the eye patch, seeming to be considering it]

Was I mistaken?

Is it necessary to have an eyepatch to be a pirate?

[Says someone who clearly hasn't spent a lot of time with them.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

yo ho ho

no subject

1

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

2

1

1