isleofavalon | [Closed] When there's something strange in your neighborhood...

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[Closed] When there's something strange in your neighborhood...

🧙 WHO: Claire & Tifa
⚔️️ WHAT: Questing
🕒 WHEN: December
🗺️ WHERE: Around Camelot
⚠️ WARNINGS: Possible violence and language. Claire's usual Zombie related warnings.

There was some sort of grand irony to all this, standing at the end of a street that was supposedly home to ghosts and holding a ghost-trapping bottle. Claire was not at all above humming a familiar tune and looking at her companion. Tifa was clearly not as unafraid of ghosts as Claire, but it was alright.

"So, when there's something strange..." she muses, checking her gun and resting a hand on The Dog's forehead. The barghest wheezes, annoyed at her trying to reference something he doesn't know, shifting his weight and trundling forward. He'll just voice his displeasure over there, thanks.

"You ready to give this a go?"

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[The warmth of the touch helps to ground Tifa back in reality again, when her mind had otherwise started to spin at the thought of more ghosts, and with another deep inhale of breath, she nods, her smile crooked but appreciative.]

Sorry. It's just... Never had any good experiences with ghosts.

[All of the times she's come across them, they've either tried to attack her, or drown her, and had taken the form of loved ones that were no longer with her... She has every reason to be wary of it, she knows, but damn it, Tifa... pull yourself together!

She steps out from behind Claire, standing at her side instead, her grip on the jar loosening.]

Do we know how to draw them out?

[Or will her fear of them be enough!?]

Dude, it's fine. Everyone's scared of something. I freeze up when I get up to high.

[Heights and Claire do not mix, but she's not quite this bad. Still, better to fake it to set someone at ease, right?]

I think the quest said that they're drawn to the living, and fear. So...we're alive, and a little fear is normal. I think if we just explore a bit, we'll find them.

[Shaking her head, she waves her hand and sends her familiar bounding further into the area. The ghostly hound swirls, his body becoming more smoke-like as he slinks into a shadow.]

If not, then he'll drag them out.

Well, I think I got that second part covered.

[Right. All she has to do is think of this as helping someone in need. Whoever put up that posting on the job board was asking for it for a reason, and so Tifa and Claire are here to help. At least that gives her enough courage to take a step forward, her hand clutching the edges of the jar around the lid.

Tifa's own familiar is nearby, swimming through the air several feet away to either watch with amusement, or make sure that she doesn't end up hurt, but she chirps as if to cheer her on.]

Alright.

[And she calls out, embracing her fear with the hope that it will lure them.]

Come out, come out wherever you are...?

[Claire and Tifa march deeper into the district, moving slowly. Claire's taken the vanguard position, her hand on her gun, the barrel aimed squarely down at the pavement. She's had it enchanted, so her magic can affect ghosts, and while she doesn't want to harm them...a little shadowbind never hurt anyone. Much.]

Creepy how quiet it is.

[There really should be more people shouldn't there? She isn't sure...but the Dog nods as he reappears.]

Ahead, to the right. There's something moving in an alleyway.

[The familiar turns his head towards Tifa.]

You ready? I think it'll be best if you two split up and come from different angles.

[As much as she doesn't want to be separated, the familiar is right. Coming at it from both sides will at least give it less opportunity to escape, although she doesn't know a whole lot about these ghosts to make an educated guess as to what it might do otherwise, so this is the best alternative.

Plus, she has a familiar of her own, who comes to her side almost immediately as the thought occurs to her, swirling and swimming around her before leading the way.]

We can come around the other side. She'll signal once we're over there, and we can strike at the same time.

Sounds good. If you run into any trouble, use the network and send me a quick message.

[Claire moves away, giving Tifa an opportunity to get set up. Crouching down low behind some barrels and crates, she draws the shadows around her closer, all but fading until her partner is ready.]

[At least the rest of the streets aren't dangerous, and the strange silence feels even less so knowing that she has Claire to watch her back, and her familiar flitting around behind her as they move around the buildings, who she'll cast a glance at every now and then to make sure that she's still following closely.

There isn't a problem on the way there, but the moment she gets there, there is one that presents itself. As she's about to peer around the corner, her familiar slaps her back into place with her tail, pulling Tifa against the wall and watching down the dark alleyway. She can sense the familiar is wary of something, but what, she isn't sure. It looks like nothing but... darkness.

Tifa pulls out her device.]

Do you see anything on your end? My familiar's not liking what she sees down here.

[And she'd rather not step out and find out what it could be without being prepared. There is a sense of heaviness that lingers in the air, and it only grow thicker once she starts paying attention to it, but that could just be her imagination and fears suffocating her. There's a presence, but...]

It could be that it's closer to me, so be ready to jump in?

[Claire, for her part, is waiting for the message. She's moved into a position, ready to attack. Or do something. The Dog remains hidden in his incorporeal state for the moment, prepped for an ambush at any poor unsuspecting spirit that is unprepared for a ghost-demon hound.

The buzzing of her device almost makes Claire jump, the tingle of it against her skin not something she'd been ready for. Whoops forgot to turn the vibration off!, she silently swears.]

I just see an alleyway right now. Nothing else.

If it is close, don't worry. I got your back.

[Of course, as soon as she sends that a chill falls over the area around Tifa. Deeper than the wind, colder than a glacier, like something is brushing against her spine...]

[Somehow, Tifa is able to stifle the noise that would have threatened to give her position away if she hadn't, and the vibrations of her phone in her hand certainly do nothing to help with that. She feels like she's being watched, and there are eyes she can't see that follow her from somewhere in the shadows of the alley that can see her even as she tries to hide.

Taking in a deep breath, she quietly and carefully pops open the lid of the jar, and steps out into view, and from the other side, Claire will be able to see her in what little light illuminates her end of the street.

And just like that, a small but very real ghost blends into existence in wisps of smoke, and Tifa has to fight back against her instinct to freeze up out of fear so that they can capture this damn thing in the jar. But just as she charges forward, it turns around and rushes in Claire's direction instead, as if spooked by her.]

Claire!

[Good thing they decided on a pincer... Except for one thing they may have overlooked: ghosts can fly.]

[Claire definitely notes Tifa's appearance, and the ghost's as well, such as it is. She'd remark proudly on Tifa holding her ground, if there wasn't a ghost hurtling towards her! That's not great, and the rapidly onrushing chill feels like a Minnesota blizzard bearing down on her.

Thankfully, she's not alone. From out of a shadow flies The Dog, the barghest's snapping jaws and flaming breath burning away some of the cold. His spectral shape snarls, bristling, and the ghost comes up short, suddenly scuttling back.]

The jar! Use it!

[She tosses hers towards the thing, trusting the magic, and with another motion swings a hand down to bring a curtain of shadow down over the ghost, keeping it from flying away without being blinded. That seems to deter it, since it doesn't want to risk The Dog's jaws catching it.]

[Tifa doesn't throw hers but rushes straight into the fray with the lid popped off. The only way she's going to push out all of her fears is to face it head on, and she does, holding the jar in the ghost's direction as Claire's magic falls over it, and her own familiar swims around to guide the ghost towards Tifa.

She feels the jar go cold and takes that as a sign to screw the lid back on and twist it shut, and inside is a small little light, dim and shuddering, as a light fog starts to coat the insides of the glass.

... There's a pang of doubt in the back of her mind that goes as suddenly as it had come, and her frown is visible as she looks into it.]

... I think I got one.

[But there are more, aren't there?]

[Claire watches Tifa charge in, a little surprised that she's doing that. Not that she'd figured her companion was a coward, but she definitely hadn't seemed all that keen on getting too close. Cutting the shadow curtain back, she encircles them instead, letting the dim light cast by the jar illuminate a more enclosed space.]

I think you did, too.

[Flashing a thumbs up, she retrieves her own bottle.]

Good job. That's one down, and I think we both need one to get paid. So we're halfway there.

[She's not sure why she thought that it would be just the one, but what Claire says makes sense. There is, however, a tension that rises again in Tifa's shoulders and she squares them against it, mentally preparing herself for the next one.]

Right.

[Her voice is firm, taut, but determined as ever. She's going to take these ghosts down...]

We should be more careful. I'm betting they know we're here, and what we're doing, so they'll be on edge.

[Which only puts her more on edge...]

[Claire nods her agreement, a tenseness rising in her own body. She knows that this could be bad. Real bad. But a part of her, the adrenaline junkie part, is extremely excited.]

Well. Then we need to make this fast before the others can go to ground.

[Looking to The Dog and Tifa's familiar she offers a questioning glance.]

Think you guys can do a scouting run for us?

[She hardly even needs to get the question out before the dolphin is giving an excited chirp. She's just as much an adrenaline junkie as Claire is, or perhaps more given that she's a magic familiar, but she's already batting her fins at the Dog to join her before diving into the ground, splashing the two women with water as she makes her fast departure.

Meanwhile, Tifa is prepared to stay on her guard, but she does start to move forward, leading them out of the alley and onto the better-lit street adjacent it. No point in standing around in the dark... and probably not the best idea if they're going to be hunted by the ghosts they are hunting.

She lowers the jar so that she doesn't have to look at the captured light from hers pulsing inside it, and she tips her head.]

Do we know why we're catching them?

I don't.

[Claire tilts her head to Tifa, looking a little confused by the question. Not upset, but more like it was something she'd never considered.]

...Presumably they were causing trouble. I don't know, though. I never thought to ask, since it was ghosts that were the targets.

Why?

[As much as she's afraid of them...]

I dunno.

[At first, she only shrugs as they walk, and she can hear their familiars up ahead—or at least, the very loud and enthusiastic chirping of a dolphin.]

I guess I just wondered how it might feel to be chased down like that and captured.

[She is chronically empathetic, it just happens. But holding the jar in her hands, she can't help but wonder about it.]

Or what it is they did for anyone to want to catch them and do... whatever it is they plan on doing?

That's...fair.

[Claire eyes the jar, not for the first time wishing that she had Death Magic. It wasn't pleasant sounding, but the ability to talk to the Dead might make her job easier in some ways.]

I don't really know, like I said, but...I don't think it's a good idea for us to just let wandering ghosts roam Camelot. They may not be harmful, but they could very easily be real trouble.

[The idea that this is some sort of false flag operation doesn't even enter her thoughts. Ghosts are, by default, frightful...right?]

Yeah, you're right... It's probably none of my business to ask.

[She only does because she can distinctly remember being helped by some ghosts the nights of the snowstorms, and... a part of her does wonder if this has anything to do with that, or maybe they are ghostly friends of theirs. She wouldn't know, and while she isn't inclined to ask or commune with the supernatural, she tucks it in the back of her mind to ask someone who might know later.

For now, they need to finish their job.]

Looks like they found something up ahead.

[And whenever they arrive at the scene that's playing out at the entrance of one of Camelot's parks, her own familiar will swim up towards them and point her tail in the inner parts of the park, where the lights have gone out. Yeah, looks like a place where a ghost would hide...]

No, asking is a good idea. I just...don't know what the real answer would be.

[She's not really much of a ghost person, and she's also a bit more mercenary than she'd like to admit. This is about the pay, really, but she's thinking on it now and maybe she should ask questions.]

Ah! Yeah.

[Claire frowns a little at the area, noting the lack of light, and looking to Tifa.]

I've got a trick or two that could light up the area. Or I could let the Dog try and scare it out. But, maybe you've got an idea?

[She's not sure what all Tifa has worked herself up to, yet.]

Not quite yet, but when we do find it, I might have an idea for catching it.

[One that comes to mind as soon as she sees her familiar waving her fins at them, chirping at the pair to hurry it up!]

If we can get the ghost into view, grabbing it shouldn't be a problem. Scare it or light its way out, doesn't matter.

[Get that hustle on! Claire picks up the pace a bit.]

Scare it. Well. My familiar can be pretty scary.

[Somewhere, the devil dog grins.]

He'll do and I'll make it extra dramatic. So, you just be ready with the trap.

We'll take cover somewhere. Less likely it'll notice us.

[Although her familiar is pretty flashy, loud, and bright. But she at least seems to be able to read Tifa's mind, because she's already flitting into the park to hide in the shadows. And before Tifa follows her in, she grabs Claire by the arm, and gives it a squeeze.]

I'll be right over there, okay?

[She's not going to screw this up, or let her down.]

[Claire reaches back, giving Tifa's arm a squeeze in turn. She trusts her not to flub this. And if she does, oh well, it wouldn't be the first time Claire's been in a bad spot with no backup.]

Yep. Here.

[She draws the shadows in around Tifa this time, dimming the light around her compatriot.]

Get ready, and we'll get this done.

I'm ready as I'll ever be.

[But she presses a finger to her lips as she rushes to her place at her familiar's side to keep the dolphin quiet. She can tell that she's getting herself pumped up, with the way the bubbles float and pop around her, and when she kneels in the dark, the two of them are shrouded in the shadows given to her by Claire.

And that's where they wait for their opening...]

[The opening comes, but not from Claire. She's ducked down in another area, playing spotter. It's her familiar that makes it happen, the huge devil dog. A ferocious barking splits the night air, almost a roar, and there's a shriek as the ghost stumbles out of it's hiding spot, wobbling a little. The massive barghest comes barreling right for him, jaws wide...driving the spectre back and keeping it's focus elsewhere.]

Tifa, now!

[It's not Tifa who comes out first but her familiar, shrouded in water that it slaps at the ghost to trap it inside its bubble. It tries to escape, but their combined magic manages to hold it together long enough for Tifa to leap in and catch it just as it finally breaks free.]

No you don't!

[A blast of fire sprays out of her fists and beats the ghost back into the bubble, where Claire should be able to catch it with her own jar.]

[Well! That's impressive! Claire feels a surge of happiness that Tifa's been able to get her magic under control like this from when they last met. It's great, fam.

She also bursts out of hiding, tossing her jar underneath the trapped ghost like in the Ghostbusters...]

Gotcha!

[The magic in the jar lights up as it gathers, and them with an odd sucking sound, draws the ghost inside.]

Who you gonna call, eh?

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[Closed] When there's something strange in your neighborhood...

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