Fantasy Department of Defense Against the Supernatural

[Sleipnir]

Galleytrot had a grim expression, recognizing the name. He had a good idea of what exactly they'd be facing and, in all honesty, he didn't particularly want either of them going to the place, but he said nothing.


Piper shook her head. "Nope. I'm going with you. Yes, you're the big strong vampire but poltergeists do get out of hand sometimes. Or," she added before Greyston tried to say no again, "I'll just stay here with Galleytrot."

 

[Hel]

Greyston sighed, and said, "Really, you should sit this one out though." He got up and moved back over to his office and grabbed a laminated sheet of paper with questions and answers on it to clip on the door of his office when he was out: "how are you?" "Better than you I'm on a case.", "Got any work?" "Check the board", etc.


"Well, are you ready to head out to Michigan? I'll get the tickets along the way." He said to Piper, trying not to be too worried about where they were heading.

 

[Sleipnir]

Piper nodddd and headed out the doors with her partner. As they left the building, she looked at Corin suspiciously. "Corin, what's so different about this case? You seem worried. It's just a poltergeist. It isn't as if we haven't dealt with hundreds." She paused, slightly concerned.

 

[Elias]

William investigated the body thoroughly. The signs of the neck clearly showed that the victim's head was ripped right from where it was standing, and the suction marks along with the place that the skeleton was pried out of clearly suggested something huge and strong did this. Burrowing, William pulled out an EMF detecrtor to check if the killing was spirit in nature, and it actually was. All over the victim's body, emf traces sent beeping noises to the EMF detector. So... a spirit did this. It had to be one hell of a spirit to manifest this vividly and actually commit this type of murder. Going back to his van, he grabbed a book on spirits and their kind and started reading through it to see what type of ghost could have done this. After a while of lecturing, he noticed Melody was gone, so he whistled his call tune. Melody may be able to help him with this one, or if not, he just wanted it to be safe. As he continued his lecture, he waited for Melody. @KattRai


Meanwhile, Justin examined the body from afar. The killing did seem odd, maybe a little too brutal for a regular monster to have done this. He took a peek at William's investigation earlier, and found out that the killer was a spirit. That peaked Justin's interest. A spirit. Haven't had those kind of killings in DC for a while. Looking over the scene, he started brooding. The body reminded him of Zhaine, his friend, who died in the fire, the vigilante provoked. He really missed Zhaine. He was the only true friend he ever had.


''Well then'' he said as he finally departed from there. ''I'll leave the professionals to it''. Leaving the crime scene, he entered his favourite bar, sat down and ordered a whiskey.

 

[Hel]

Melody appeared to William. It has been watching justin, and enjoying the music one of the teens who stood around taking pictures was listening to. Melody echoed back the tune again, with a happy smile. It really hoped that will wouldn't yell, it just got so boring there.


Greyston, meanwhile, looked at Piper and sighed. "Right, well, it's not that different, I just know about this place. I've heard the stories, anyway.I lived up that way when a series of... Suspicious deaths took place back in the early 1900s. This is the first I've heard of actual murders, most of the reports were more of the 'stuff flying around' and 'scary noises' variety. I left it alone, I was young- well, compared to now." He said. It wasn't a lie, most all of what he said really was true.

 

[Sleipnir]

Piper frowned. "Then why did you ask me to stay? You don't generally take on cases alone and I just got back from a vacation. If there were murders in the light, that may be what caused the poltergeist."


Galleytrot wandered along behind, listening quietly.

 

[Elias]

William was lost in his lecture, when Melody appeared besides him. He probably got bored waiting in the van, and wondered around. That was ok. Will wasn't mad, he was expecting this. Melody was almost like a baby leviathan, curious and couldn't stay in one place. Scruffing his hair gently, the Kraken got back to his reading. It took him a long time, but eventually he reached something that was the best candidate at what it could have been. A Gashadokuro. Evil japanese spirit resembling a skeleton made out of people who died of famine. The spirit would wander at night, and catch unwary travelers, or in this case, people walking and drank their blood removing their skeleton afterwards to either add to his body mass or hide it somewhere else. The book had some pictures also depicting this strange spirit:


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_05/gash.jpg.2411ed8243a40b2f1386fb8b5f139338.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="52042" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_05/gash.jpg.2411ed8243a40b2f1386fb8b5f139338.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


Glancing back at Melody, William smirked, showing him the pictures. ''Looks like this is what we're up against, kiddo'' @KattRai


Justin sipped his drink as he glanced around the bar. The real reason he came here wasn't the drinks, or gambling, or anything else a unholy place like the bar had to offer. No. Each Saturday at this bar, a traveler could be seen accosting here. A man with skin of pitch black, and wise smile. His name was Anansi. (google him and you'll know what he is) and he told great tales to all who listened to him. But that wasn't all. Each Saturday, he would offer money for anyone willing to do a mission for him. Each Saturday was different. Sometimes he sent people to hunt monsters, solve politicial problems or simply do usual things. In exchange he gave you money, as long as you described your journey and what happened on the mission in detai. He loved stories.


And that's what Justin was planning to do today. Get a mission in exchange for money. He wasn't sure what Anansi would give him, but he was eager. Eager for adventure.<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_05/gasha.jpg.ac85e77baaadedbeae19238fb9c53625.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="52043" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_05/gasha.jpg.ac85e77baaadedbeae19238fb9c53625.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>

 

[Hel]

Greyston nodded, and gored Piper's question. "Well, I thought they could be murders- the man who was in charge of the light house, and his son were murdered inside, the mother died a little earlier in the year as well, but that seemed natural at the time. The man who took over the light house fell from the top to the rough waters below, too. Which is the least natural death and probably the spirits first victim. I had always assumed the spirit would fade away after that man had died- I don't remember the name it's been over 100 years ago now. But evidently not." Greyston said, giving a quick lesson on who they were likely facing. The fact that the spirit was still around and still vengeful almost actually frightened Greyston.


Melody morphed into the form it saw in the picture, and sang a peice from the Nightmare Before Christmas- "What's this?"- clearly indicating that is what it remeinded Melody of. Afterwards, it morphed back into the form it had been taking around William.

 

[Elias]

William laughed as Melody finished his ''act''. He didn't understand the reference, but Melody's act, along the song, clearly gave him an idea of what he was singing about. Turning back he closed the book. ''Well, if the book's right, the Gashadokuro will not appear until it's night or at least past evening. And I've done my research, so until then, we've got time to kill, only that I don't know on what. Looking at Melody, he asked. ''Know any interesting place we can go?'' @KattRai


------------------------------------------------------


Justin approached Anansi and sat down at the table near him. The being opened his eyes and displayed a white smile with his pearly white teeth, contrasting the black of his face. Then he finally spoke, with a heavy African accent. ''A Nephilim, right? Haven't run in one of you since World War II. You were real fighters, I'll give you that'' he said as he studied Justin. ''So, boy. Are you here for a task, in exchange for money?'' he asked Justin.


''Yes, great Anansi'' Justin said looking into the man's black eyes, almost resembling those of a spider. ''What task would you have for me?''


''Well'' Anansi said as he laid back on his chair, the darkness obscuring him. ''That depends. I got two kinds of tasks. One is easy, and is also easy money. The other one is hard, yet with a reward fit for kings'' he spoke. ''Which one will you choose?''


''The hard one, wise Anansi. I am in need of money, and the hard one seems like it could be a challenge to pass time with''


''Very well'' Anansi said as he motioned Justin to come closer. ''We shall discuss''

 

[Sleipnir]

"One hundred years? This thing has been around since the turn of the century, then?" Piper raised her eyebrows, stopping short in front of the train station. "These things don't stay that long when they're weak." That bothered her. Poltergeists were, in general, weak and fade relatively quickly. They were, after all, sustained almost solely by some emotion. She hesitated. "If it's a poltergeist — how would it be sustained that long?"

 

[Azure Sky]

Allerio saved most people from the esoteric fire and intentionally let a few die. After his investigations he found out that most of the people living near the headquarters of the mafia gangs were in fact either relatives of the gangsters or aquaintances. So he deliberately let some people die. Even if there were some innocent people that might have died, the chances of those people of being 100% innocent were slim. Not only that but Allerio didn't care that much. The supposed sacrifice of a few people was a small price to pay. Because of him, the criminality rate in DC lowered by almost 70%. ''Everybody dies eventually...well I probably won't. Must be nice...having a limited lifespan'' thought to himself Allerio. He had almost no mercy, this guy.


Greystone tried to question him, but helping children and women in need were of higher priority to Allerio so he ran away while healing people. Why didn't he try to heal men? There were fewer than the young ones or the other gender and Allerio simply had a soft spot for frail women and children.


After things calmed down he returned to his hideout.

 

[Hel]

"It bothered me, too. That's why I suggested you stay behind." Greyston said. "A hundred years of rage and hatred is a long time."


After he spoke with Piper, he sent a text to Luke and William, asking how the Vigilante case was going.


@Kylesar1 @Elias


Melody, meanwhile, looked like he was thinking. How to pass the time until sundown? Oh! He knew the perfect answer, and it was Hoopes, I did it again, by Relient K


"Let's get some food, and then hit movies 4. What's going on, what's up with all your friends?" The last line clearly meant he should invite others to hang out with them. Melody liked meeting people.


(I'll be more interesting when I have my laptop back and the ability to actually type faster. Then I can adress these other characters I promise!)

 

[Sleipnir]

Piper blew air through her bangs then turned to get the plane tickets up to Silver City. She then looked back at Greyston. "Well, I imagine we could still handle it. Maybe it'll be more difficult than I originally thought, but still. I can't quit just because it's dangerous — otherwise I wouldn't have gone to New Orleans."

 

[Elias]

(The reason I'm doing something for Justin, like this mission, is to pass time until he enters the main story and a more major arc)


Texting Corin back, William typed. ''No sign of him yet from me. We are still looking for him. I'm working a case in the meantime'' then closed hsi phone, and listened to what Melody had to say/ sing, then gave him a funny look. ''Listen, Melody. I'm kinda new at all of these. Hell, 3 months ago, I was living on the bottom of the ocean, and was a hulking tentacled monstrousity. Thing is, I don't really have friends. I mean sure, you're my friend'' he said ruffling Melody's hair. ''And Corin, Buwan and others. But we're not really the movie go type'' he said. ''Perhaps you got some pals to call in? Or we could go alone?'' @KattRai


---------------------------------------------


''This is your target'' Anansi said sliding on the table, what seemed to be a old photo <p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_05/57a8c269ab22d_ahpuch.jpg.883bb9f1f2e344cfb2da6bebdc591cae.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="52082" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_05/57a8c269ab22d_ahpuch.jpg.883bb9f1f2e344cfb2da6bebdc591cae.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p> of a hunched creature, with thin appendages, skeletal appearence and cold eyes.


''This is it'?'' Justin said as he looked over the picture....''It looks pretty frail. What is it? Some kind of freakish aztec ghoul?''


''That'' Anansi said smirking wildly. ''Is a god. Ah Puch, God of Decay and the ruler of Ninth Mayan Hell. You may know him as his disguise persona, The Dealer''


''Yeah, I heard of him....Big crime boss in the area. The Dealer is him? Ah Puch....The Dealer is a god.... So...you want me to ice this so-called deity?''


''Yes'' Anansi said sliding a weapon which seemed to be a bone across the table. ''But you're gonna have to get real close to do it''

 

[Hel]

Greyston glanced at her, and nodded. By the time they got out to Michigan the sun was hanging low in the sky, and afternoon had turned to evening. The drive took another couple of hours and Corin complained once more that he still didn't have a partner who teleports. When they reached the town off of 14-mile-point, it was night and Greyston thought maybe getting a hotel would be a good plan.


Melody looked at William, and nodded, hugging him because it felt bad for him. Melody didn't really have any friends, either, so it understood. It looked up at will, curious about its suggestion to go eat and see a movie. It didn't really need food in the way that humans do, but it could still enjoy the food. And movies were fun to see- of course Melody knew all of the words and music, but it liked seeing the movies too. (These two are put just a little behind until we say what they did to pass the time for 5-7 hours.)


Liliana had spent the rest of her day speaking with Scath about this that and the other. When she noticed how late it was getting she left to go wandering around. She wasn't sure where she was headed, or why, but she enjoyed such walks.

 

[Sleipnir]

After they arrived in the city, Piper looked at her phone. "We oughta get a hotel and take a look at that lighthouse in the morning," she suggested. "There's a nice place downtown we can get rooms at." She glanced at her partner, waiting for his response. He seemed unusually quiet.

 

[Elias]

(K. So I shouldn't reply no more or how? Should we say later what they have done? I intended this for passing the time until nighttime to hunt the Gashadokuro)


Justin exited the bar looking at the photo of the god. He seemed pretty frail, with long elongated limbs and his cocky creepy smile. Looked like a ghoul almost. But Anansi said Ah Puch wasn't to be played with. He was dangerous, power-mad and apparently the echivalent of Lucifer when it came to torture or sadistic schemes. Over all these years he managed to disguise himself as a normal being, and started leading a huge drug cartel. Became a mafia mob, then ascended in ranks, until he became DCs most renowned mob. The Dealer. The best hidden person on the planet, and Justin was supposed to find him until next Saturday. Hell of a job, but he asked for it. He would have to make some calls on this one. Opening his phone, where there was a picture of him, Zhaine, Johnny (the pathologist wraith) and others of his friends. Looking through his contactss he wondered who could be such a great of a tracker to help him find The Dealer. Then, it struck him. The vigilante (@Azure Sky -chan pls) was perfect for this job. He had heard he was an elf. Elves were supposed to be excelent trackers, and smart beings. If he could bribe the archer into helping him, perhaps the job would be easier.

 

[Hel]

(You can still post, I was forwarding it to night so you could hunt the thing!)


Greyston nodded in agreement. "Yeah, besides its been a long trip. Why don't you go on and get a hotel room, text me the number- I'm gonna go for a walk. I haven't been here in so long, I wonder what's changed?" He said

 

[Sleipnir]

"Alright." Piper nodded to him and then headed off, still fairly concerned about her partner. Maybe she was wrong. She was sure that she only felt his desire for a walk seemed out of the ordinary because she was so suspicious — it wasn't as though a little curiosity about Silver City was uncalled for. After all, he was right — it had been one hundred years.


She headed to the downtown area, picking out the hotel that would suit them best. In the end Piper had chosen a very high-end hotel: after all, she and Greyston weren't the ones paying for it. Piper wasn't sure about the other agents, but she wasn't going to have herself and Greyston skulking around a cheap motel and act like a pair of small-town ghost-chasers.


Meanwhile, a boy — about seventeen, he looked — stood on the gallery of a big red-brick lighthouse. He was staring toward the water through the trees on the beach, watching the waves roll in before the ships that were out in fine weather like this. Not even the wind breathed here and a subtle sort of shadow seemed to be cast over him though there was nothing to cast it. As the moon peaked its face above the line of the watery horizon, he turned and stepped back into the lighthouse itself. A dark combination of horror and tragedy — that's what this boy, who appeared to have stepped out of a photo from the 1900s, was. His sharp green eyes traced the room before him.


His name was Bael Julius Lake. He was what Greyston and Piper had to contend with.

 

[Elias]

(Got it, thanks)


It was night and after a couple of hours of relaxing and waiting with Melody, Will was ready to hunt this thing. This ugly spirit had to be put to justice before any more innocent lives were lost. William knew where it would strike next. At least he assumed. The Gashadakuro was a skeleton made of the bones of those who died of famine. People dying of famine, were most times the homeless. Even a huge city like DC had homeless persons, and they all had about 5-6 hotspots around the cities where they would shelter and scramble for food. He couldn't be in six places at once so he made sure to call some task teams to watch each hotspot. He was sitting at one, right now, task team by his side, alongside Melody, in his van. All he had to do was wait.


Meanwhile, at a different shelter away from Willaim (still watched tho) a huge figure was moving stealthily in the night, among the buildings and corners of the buildings. It was at least 9 feet tall, and for such a huge thing, he made almost no sound at all, aside from his rattly feet and the sound of his teeth gratting each other. If anyone would have stood close to the creature, anyone would have heard the spirit mumble. ''Gachi-gachi'' he would say as he got closer and closer to the unknowing victims.


Then, one of the task force members saw him and shouted as high as he could. ''FIRE!'' . A shower of bullets rained upon the Gashadakuro but it seemed unphased. With a wave of his huge hand, he knocked away half of the task force, and then decapitated the other half with his bony sharp fingers. One of the members got to signal the other hotspots, before being killed in horror. Everybody else heard and rushed to the spot, including William. What they will find there, it is unknown. But it wont be pretty.

 

[Hel]

Melody stayed near William. It wasn't sure if it could help, but it wanted to try.


Greyston headed out to a small graveyard near the light house where the family he expected to inhabit the lighthouse he sat, and payed his respects to the little sister who was there, then to the father and brother out of politeness.

 

[Elias]

William gazed with amazement at the huge monstrousity that stood before him. It was freaking huge and his power was definitely huge as well. All around him, stood decapitated bodies similar to the first victim he ever investigated. Blood drippled everywhere, and the bullets the task force shot at him, didn't seem to do anything. Of course, they didn't do anything. A Gashadakuro was still a spirit, even if it had a fully material body. It couldn't be killed by bullets, or after what William read, couldn't even been killed. The only thing that could repell them, banish them for a long time, were shinto charms or Omamori as they were called in Japanese cultures. Luckily, Will aquired a Omamori for this case, so it was just a matter of how to use it. This charm was in the form of a necklace, so he guessed he must attach it to the Gashadakuro somehow.


Glancing back at Melody, he warned him. ''Listen Melody. I need to fight this thing and I don't want you to get in harms way. Anything you see happening to me. Don't intervene. This thing has no soul and will not hesitate to kill you'' he said as he ruffled the boy's hair, grabbed the talisman and headed along with the task force towards the skeleton spirit.

 

[Sleipnir]

Bael stood at a window, eyes trained on where Greyston stood. From this distance he couldn't tell who was at the grave — it was far too dark anyway, even if the yar had been closer to him. All he knew was that some intruder had strayed near, but to him, near wasn't a concern. People visited these graves all the time — family members of former keepers, strangers he didn't recognize trying to track the graves of their ancestors, occasionally small tours of some of the historical areas around the Porcupine Mountains. Bael never bothered them. In fact, once he had walked among them — they never realized what or who he was. It had been an enlightening experience though he didn't care to repeat it.


Piper sank onto her bed, taking a deep breath. She shot off a text to Greyston, asking if he'd be back that night before moving to grab her laptop. She immediately began doing research on this particular poltergeist. What she found wasn't exactly something she was prepared for — an article regarding the events at Fourteen Mile Point was available on a local historical site data base. She frowned at the screen, taking in the information regarding the deaths at the light:

...A total of five known deaths have occurred in or around the lighthouse, all involving the same family.


The first of these was Marian Lake, who died shortly after the birth of her daughter, Annabel, due to complications in her recovery from childbirth.


The second death was that of Julius Lake, the keeper of the lighthouse. His death was considered suspicious though nothing was ever proven. Shortly after, his daughter, Annabel Lake, was reported to have died by her brother. She was found in the woods with him nearby. Her death was ruled as murder by a vampire.


Fifteen months later, Assistant Keeper Bael Julius Lake was found dead on a beach near Fourteen Mile Point due to blunt force trauma to the head. His death was suspicious but due to the time the body spent in the lake, nearly all evidence regarding his death was lost. ...

Piper grimaced. It was no surprised that there was a poltergeist in that lighthouse. At least two murders and possibly a third. She texted Greyston again, alerting him to her findings.

 

[Hel]

Greyson texted Piper back: "Yes, I'll be back soon, and thanks for the update."


He already knew all of that information, of course, but it had been a while since he last read up on the case he arrived back to the hotel maybe half an hour later and knocked at the door.


Melody did not enjoy being given orders when it's friend could be hurt, but it did as it was told, almost. Melody disappeared into the air and appeared instead as noise heard only by the monster- a loud chaotic metal song at full blast in the creature's ears, loud enough to mask any other sound, and cause a pounding in the head.

 

[Sleipnir]

Piper opened the door. "How was town?" She asked, a bit disconcerted with the information. She was no stranger to tragedy, but it still sucked — all the same, she was extremely relieved that the mission was not one where she'd be doing any work as the bearer of bad news to a bereaved family. "In the morning we'll head out to Fourteen Mile Point, yes?"