2020-06-05: G-g-g-ghosts

G-g-g-ghosts
IC Date	June 5, 2020
IC Time	4 PM
Players	Adeline, Alex, Arumi as ST, Bobbi, Nikodemus, Merek, River
Location	The Nexus - Courtyard
Prp/Tp	N/A
Spheres	Traditions
Theme Song	Weird Science https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWi9ILehtZE

On a quiet block on the edge of downtown Prospect is an empty mid-rise building. Which for California means four floors. The Nexus was alerted to a problem, with a request for help put out.

Those who arrive are greeted by a chubby, dark-haired woman of average height and a very pale complexion, with a lazy ponytail, think black-rimmed glasses, and a white van with a big antenna sticking out of it.

The roughly 35 year old woman is the one who gave the warning. Dr. Samantha Johnson. Which is embroidered in blue on her lab coat that she is now wearing.

       The block is momentarily not so quiet as Bobbi arrives on her Kawasaki, Adeline holding onto her from behing. Luckily, she isn't pushing the limits of urban speed today. Arriving, Bobbi puts down the kickstand and hops off, securing her helmet to the bike, and heading to the front of the building to wait for others to arrive. A nod given to Doctor, but no verbal response just yet.

       Adeline was keen to help, given her, well, everything, and now she’s here. Today she wears skintight navy jeans and a paintsplashed black t shirt under her leather jacket, and her wild red hair is windswept even with a helmet as she gets off the back of Bobbi’s bike. She’s bright eyed and sympathetic as she clanbers off, looking at the help-requesting Samantha.

Nikodemus has himself dropped off a block or two away, his hcariot a sputtering pickup truck driven by somebody else. Barely holding itself together. Moments later he's walked the rest of the way alone to join the fun.

       Merek of course was well into his abilities, taking the time to adjust his golden-black attire which he wears, while he keeps to watching people and listening, mirrorshades on while he keeps on the gloves which he wears as well, along with what looks to be a light stubble.

River arives via, well flight, as a bird. She lands on a building top and changes into the clothing and adjust her enchantments. She then drops off the building on an ally side or whatever side lets her go unseen as she does the super hero landing and then walks into view.

Alex walks in from across the street having just used a combination of Uber and public transportation. He seems rather agitated by something as he follows some instructions he had on his phone. He walks in looking around very cautiously. He smiles when he sees Adeline but decides not to say anything first and try to sort of blend in with everything else going on, although currently wearing a scarf over his face and a pair of sunglasses along with gloves on his hands.

Samantha conspiratorially waves everyone who arrives to follow her into the vacant building. Once a boarding house, probably built in the 30s, the place smells like it's someone's great grandmother's house. Creaky, charming, but a little dark and empty.

Once everyone's off the street, she'll switch on a bright flashlight, pointing it ot the ceiling to light everything up around them. "Thank you guys," she says, slightly out of breath. "I thought I was ready to do this. The realtor said the building's haunted, so I picked up Nibot's Spirit Guide, built an EPK meter." She then pauses. "Etheropsychokinetic energy meter. But whatever kind of influence is in here, is not happy, and broke my stuff."

She then points her flashlight to a corner, where there's a pile of small circuit boards and broken plastic and resin. "I may have agitated something that was previously a dormant effect."

       Bobbi enters the house, looking around briefly. "Do you have running water," she asks Samantha.

Alex looks around and takes a deep breath but remains quiet and towards the back of everything else that is going on. Lacking any innate spirit sight he waits to hear from those who have been gifted, or trained in such perceptions and looks for a small clear area for him to potentially perform his work should it be required.

River blinks and looks at the windows as she says "Um anyone else see the faint glowing in the windows? I mean green is ushualy a bad color when not involving nature magic."

Nikodemus's keeping to himself as he follows along. Tagging along almost like the little brother of somebody else in the group who doesn't know anyone enough to fit in and is along for the ride. Eyes darting about a bit.

       Bobbi gives a light nod to River. "That's what I saw as well," Bobbi responds, looking around to make sure the others heard as well.

       Merek nods a bit, listening to the conversation. He doesn't offer a lot, he does look to it, then lifts a brow, "Green is fine, a color by itself doesn't say a lot unless you know about it. It could just as well be a bit of sphere magic."

       Adeline looks /entirely/ fascinated, bouncing towards the broken artifact, hair flying - but not touching. But she does look perplexed as she glances about. “Seems like nothing in the Shadowlands, though?”

Alex nods along as if he sees the same stuff. Totally accepting whatever they are describing and doing his best to imagine it as well.

River concentrates and holds up a finger drawing a glyph of light in the air as she utters some sort of prayer. For a split second a Rabbit made of Jade pops into the umbra and then tilts its head as it vanishes.

Samantha shakes her head at Bobbi. "So All utilities were cut off to the building years ago. Which means if you're seeing lights, then..." She holds up a hand and scurrise out the front door.

Looking up, she then comes back in and shuts the door securely. "I don't see anything. Maybe it's intermittent? Regardless, I don't recommend going up there lightly. If that's where it went, then it's a strong manifestation of an angry extradimensional phenomenon. But I was really hoping someone would have ideas before I inadvertently unleash something on the whole city.

"Because I have inspectors coming next week, too. From the government."

River finishe sher prayer and smiles. To those senstive to things she did JUST DO something although passive. She then thumbs up and says "Best I can do on short notice."

       "Angry extra-dimensional phenomenon, huh," Bobbi repeats back, "and you said your equipment isn't working." Bobbi looks down and says, "So of course you called on the science of seances and excorcisms, yeah? I mean, I imagine later you'll have an interesting paper relating to the phenomenon you experienced, but for now you're willing to get a lil weird, huh?"

Nikodemus looks around curiously, a furrow to his brows then he digs fingers under the wrappings on his arm and there's a small gleam of metal between fingertips. His hand lifts and a trickle of blood begins above his left eye, dripping past down the side of his face slowly like a single tear.

       Merek nods a bit, "I will follow and listen," he mentions, while he begins to follow along with people, listening.

Alex pulls out some salt and makes a small circle, lays out iron nails and tears out some pages from a notebook, candles from a small bag and begins making a circle in the area where the electronics were. It doesn't appear to be the quickest process for whatever he's doing.

Smanatha holds her glasses and looks at Bobbi. "I know your views on science, Bobbi but please. This isn't about credit. With my equipment smashed my experiment is a failure. My only concern is the safety of the community. I don't want a Ghostbusters moment."

Then turning to the whole group, her glasses slipping again once she lets go. "Of course, we can all go up together. Probably safer that way. I Didn't see anything though. It was...just taken from my hands and smashed out of thin air."

River follows the rest in as well nothing to say or contribute at this point after prayers to the moon goddess are offered up.

Alex gets up and walks over to the doctor clears his voice and says,"I will make a safe place down here first." He points to his little circle of salt, iron nails, glyphs and candles

       "Ghostbusters ... moment? ... " Bobbi asks, seemingly legitimately confused about what is said. Shaking her head slightly she notes, "I was just trying to be respectful of you and your home before I broke out the ouija board." Bobbi turns and notes Nikodemus starting to bleed, River saying prayers, and Alex setting up salt and candles, "Well ... now that we have permission, any thoughts before chargininto the unknown?"

       Adeline admits, candidly, "I just wanna charge into the unknown asap, to be honest." She's drifting to the door, ready to scamper upstairs into Nameless Doom.

Samantha is left to explain to Bobbi. "In the movie Ghostbusters, an awakened spirit threatened to destroy New York City. For all know, what you saw upstairs can do that to Prospect. Please, use any means necessary for the safety of PRospect. That's my only worry. I failed, but I don't want my failure to cause a problem, which could possibly bring blowback to all of us."

       Adeline cheerfully ducks out of the door. She may be lacking a certain necessary gravitas at this time.

       Bobbi hears Adeline's reckless suggestion and gives a slight shurg. "Sometimes the only way to see if the bear is still there is to go outside," she notes and heads through the door with Adeline.

There's a brief muttered bit of swearing as Nikodemus fails at his attempt, figners twisting again and a similar movement is made once more. Another drop of blood drails down, eyes bright as he takes in his surroundings once more. It's not long before he follows Adeline and Bobbi. Only partly for the view.

River mutters a spell under her breath with another glyph of ligh as she says "Energy here is clean and healthy.

Alex completes his little ritual with a thin line of salt in a circle, paper with glyphs on them marked at four corners held down by iron nails and finally candles which he lit. After he completes his ritual there is a small bit of power that is felt flowing through it. The energy from the area seems to get absorbed into it and it slowly builds to a tiny hum for those sensitive to such energies. The symbols all seem to work together in such a pattern that ties to each other in an elegant sort of pattern.

With Adeline in the lead, the rest of the group in the middle, and Samanatha behind, the door to the stairs is opened. Those who have spirit sight (NOT wraith/shadowlands) see the same weird green color, brighter than outside, reflecting from something behind, and upstairs, onto the wall. Going upstairs reveals it's a very bright light coming from below the door to the third floor.

       Adeline is padding lightly, tucking her hair from her face and peering about with a general air of bemusement. She heads right up the stairs without faltering, and then pauses at the door to the third floor, to glance back at Bobbi, an eyebrow invitingly raised. Obviously asking for what to do. She doesn’t show any sign of seeing the green light, but has a modicum of caution enough to not like actually chatter. Probably the most 'stealth;' one can hope for from this one.

There are soft steps, stealthy movements... then there's Nikodemus. Nobody told him to put on his sneaking shoes. Heavy boots make an audible sound with each of his measured steps. He does manage to pay some attention to his surroundings in between being distracted by the forward scouts.

       Bobbi gives a little shrugs and pulls out a piece of chalk. She marks a square on the door, then circumscribes a circle, followed by adding sigil markings within in. Then, leaning forward, she places her head close to the door as if she was peering through a window -- because in a way she is.

Nikodemus licks his lips as he stands there, looking around a bit warily. "Hey, anybody got anything to eat?" he asks, his voice a bit hushed and one hand going to his stomach. "I'm fucking starving..

       Merek looks about a bit, then he begins to notice that something about the place, he then begins to chant in Enochian, while he draws a few sigils about in front of him, then it calls a shield upon the mind while he nods a bit, "Mental influence."

River pulls out a stick of gum and chews on it as she holds it out "Anyone?"

River follows behind the Scooby Gang as she makes her way down the stairs keeping second to last as well first is always a bad position and so is last.

       Bobbi turns her head back to the others and notes, "As far as I can tell, we go two good options. The rest of you go look through takeout menus while I go in and take care of this guy, or we all charge in and beat the sit out of ol' 7-deadly here, and /then/ we order takeout?" After a beat she adds, "And either way you need to pick a restaurant with Vegan options."

In back, there's a rustling. Samantha pulls a Twinkie out, and is casually eating it.

       Adeline is about to grab the chewing gum from River, but Bobbi's sardonic call to arms entirely distracts the waif. She beams! "Let's DO it Bobbi." She clearly has no idea what 'it' is, but the redhead is signed up for mayhem!

River looks around and says "Okay Everyone seems hungry as hell all of a sudden, you want I can pop back to my place and grab some power bars or something and return, wont take a moment, or two?

Nikodemus says, “Is there a pizza place close by? We can have order like a dozen delivered to the address... ?" He rubs a hand over his stomach, lips parted slightly to show a flash of teeth. "That way we can stay here and solve this with food."”

Alex tells everyone that he's going to go buy them food. He takes everyone's orders and heads downstairs making the call for outside. When he gets the food he waits inside his circle with it for everyone to grab food.

       Bobbi begins marking the door up with chalk sigils. "Samantha," she calls back, "I know this is a new place, so you probably have some trash bags, contractor bags are preferable if you got that. I'm going to need one." A quick glance back and then back to the chalk drawing, "Merek, River, you two know me best, so I'm putting you in charge of food, just make sure there's something vegan." More chalk drawing, "Adeline, Samantha, Niko -- Niko, stop staring at my butt -- anyway, the three of you follow me inside, on 3 - 2 - 1 --" Bobbi opens the door and charges in.

       Adeline giggles at the butt-aside to Niko, and then gleefully hurls herself after Bobbi.

River grins to merek. "You heard her she wants me to cook her food!" She grins as if there is a serious inside joke.

Samathha brings whatever Bobbi needs, and... they're off. The door is easy enough to open, and suddenly everyone who can seee ghosts can see... a giant green glowing gelatinous ghost. If you've got Spirit Lore, it's a Gluttonous Jaggling, which explains everyone going Shaggy.

Bobbi rushes in with the trap, er, trash bag, and makes her move. Those who CAN'T see spirits just see Bobbi swinging a trash bag like a mad woman, suddenly get COVERED in green slime, and collapse tro the floor, panting, satisfied.

Bobbi caught the ghost.

       Merek nods a bit to River, looking a bit like he will be a little content to watch, his mirrorshades on while he walks up to the entry way and watches. There's a scratch of the cheek while he thinks.

Adeline gasps, "Ghost!" surprised. And then claps wildly.

Pratfall comencing in three, two... heavy boots, slick floors and slime. A man moving quickly, while distracted by the epic trash bag battle.. A slip, THUD

Nikodemus falls on his ass.

River hears the slimy sounds as she jokes. "So merk salt the earth and burn the house?" She grins as she jokes and picks her cell out of he rbag and dials for takeout.

       Bobbi stands up, and looks her newly slimed self over, a bit of a grimace on her face. "Yep, just my luck," she notes, "gelatinized in a house with no running water." Bobbi picks up the trash bag and begins to walk /carefully/ towards the living room. "Now I'm hungry," she says before taking a seat on the floor. "Oh, and don't put your hand too far into the trash bag, or you might lose it."

Samantha claps. " Thank you Bobbi, Merek, River, Adeline, Alex... thank you all for coming. I don't.. exactly know what you did in there, Bobbi, but obviously it was something. Later you'll have to tell me what you..."

Her phone chrips, and she pulls it out. Reading, tapping. "Dr. Hanada is out of her top secret faraday cage, and is bringing TWisted Toppings."

Adeline entirely cheers, for both Bobbi, the falling Nikodemus, and especially, frankly, for Dr Hanada, cos - pizza. Definitely what is needed!

And in an inversion of Chrono Trigger, the ravenous hunger is fading.

Nikodemus sits on his butt and shakes his head as he lets out a wry laugh at finding himself fallen. A glance towards Bobbi and he can't help but chuckle, "All covered in goo and no foreplay to enjoy it.." another shake of his head, then he lithely gathers himself back up on his feet. He actually moves next to Bobbi and scoops a bit of the slime off of her body to sniff, luckily the hunger fades before he actually tries to taste it.

Nikodemus blinks and looks around, "Oh, Doc's coming with food? How many people are bringing food now...?" he pulsl out his cellphone and fiddles with it a moment, before stuffing it in his back pocket again.

       "Me?" Bobbi says as she sits in a pile of slime next to a trash bag, waiting for pizza. "I just -- " Bobbi pauses and glares at Niko as he sniffs her slime. "I just put out a bag to catch it in while Niko and Adeline did all the real work." Then she notes, "I have a theory, though. This place used to be a marijuana growhouse. Over there years so many people got the munchies in here that -- that thing just manifested."

Samantha pulls out a pad and writes notes in a blue pencil. "Growhouse. Yes, could be. I will see if I can find any police records of arrests. Maybe that is why the building was abandoned."

"Oh shit, I had the munchies without the weed too. Man this is a fucked up day." he wrinkles his nose at the slime on his finger and then grins in the face of Bobbi's glare. "Be careful of that thing.." he says to Samantha, "It's tough. And slippery... and.." sniffs his finger again, "Stinky." which then draws his eyes to the messy bobbi and he steps away.

A week later, Samantha contacts the group, and lets them know: The boarding house's last occupant was a man named. Stephen Grzeskowiak. He was bedridden and didn't leave his third floor room for the last 8 years of his life. At the end, the medical examiner estimated his weight at 850 lbs. "No grow house, so there must be another phenomenon here. Thank you again. I compensated Dr. Hanada for the pizza."