A Night of One-Hundred Tales!

[faithfulflame]

Who: Rei Hino, Tsuzuki Asato, and ANYONE who wants to join in!
What: A Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai, or telling ghost stories!
When: October 29th in the evening
Where: Tsukino Shrine
Summary: Rei and Tsuzuki decide to invite people to share ghost stories to celebrate Halloween. There will be food and drinks, and the ghostly interlopers are kept at bay by the shrine's wards to give people a break from hauntings. Turn up and share stories, or listen to them.
Rating: PG-13 at the worst, depending on the story!

It had taken quite a bit of work, but as night fell everything seemed as perfect as they could manage it. The andon were lit, the chairs were arranged in the courtyard, and the wind-screens were in place to keep everyone warm. Rei had thrown open the shrine doors and set out braziers to warm participants, stoking them with embers from the temple's main flames. Food had been laid out, snacks, coolers of cold drinks, and even thermoses of hot water for warm ones. They even had a mirror sitting on the steps of the shrine, reflecting light into the courtyard. Not the most traditional way of doing things, but it's what they had to work with.

The shrine wasn't large enough to house a crowd of more than ten or twelve people inside, but if the crowd was small enough they could move indoors. Everything was set up for a night of storytelling, casual fun, and a little bit of relief from the ghostly visitors that were assailing the villagers.

Guests start arriving around twilight, and Rei can't help but smile as they get underway. This was hopefully going to be a good time for everyone involved.

(OOC: Feel free to assume Tsuzuki or Rei made an announcement about the party. For those not familiar, the goal of a Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai is to share stories with other people. Each time a story is finished, one andon (small lantern) is extinguished and the room steadily gets darker. Feel free to have your character post a story of their own in a comment, and discuss to discuss what's been narrated. Linn and I would love to have characters share ghost stories from all sorts of worlds, scary or silly. I hope you guys enjoy this!)

Comments

Pre-Storytelling Mingling!

[faithfulflame]

Getting food? Meeting a friend? Finding a seat? All that goes here!

[open rp!]

[idealism]

[Tsuzuki's glad he's been able to come to the temple during Halloween. The fog makes him deeply uneasy, since he remembers what kind of memories it managed to bring forth only a few years ago. He's not interested in having a repeat of that.]

[He adjusts his costume, standing right by one of the candles inside the temple. It makes him cast a large, flickering shadow on the wall. It's a perfect spot for story telling, and he's looking forward to it.]

I'm glad you found the time to come.

[winds_voice]

[Eleytheria had found all of this Halloween stuff rather baffling really. But it wasn't boring to him at least... just something else to learn about. The same could be said for this night, another tradition that he had never heard of, though he was sure humans in his world must have exchanged strange tales between them as well.

The Spirit arrives and hovers around the outside of the temple. For some reason he still feels a bit uneasy being here, but at least there's one familiar face. Ah, in costume too... Eley hadn't found one for himself yet, though he wasn't quite sure what would even suit him.

He'll just... stand close enough to listen and watch the fog rolling by.]

so late so sorry t-t

[antivanleather]

[Costumes on fall harvests were common enough, but ghostly tales were not. Ghostly visitors less common still, and to be assailed by them several times the past few days was disturbing enough for the elvish Antivan. Having a safe haven from the ghosts? More than reason enough to brave the trek to the shrine from his home.]

I must admit, this seems almost like some of the harvest ceremonies practiced in rural Antiva. All else we need is a bonfire and a good barrel of cider.

Open

[faithfulflame]

[Rei, for her part, is just glad to be able to find a place where there aren't obnoxious little ghosts, spiders, or bats. The temple's crow population seems to be keeping the infestation in check, and the protection spells woven into the building are pressing back against the ghosts. It's a bit of a relief, honestly, because even friendly spirits leave her a little on edge.

As the event gets ready to start, Rei checks and double checks everything, wanting it to go off perfectly. Halloween isn't a time that makes her anything but uncomfortable from what she knows, and there is a lingering sense of unease from what she's heard of the draft that's still going on. This is a way to put aside those worries and relax a bit. So she puts on the mask of elegance and grace to act as a host.

Feel free to grab her anywhere, she'll greet you at the gate, or be tending to fires and the food.]

[normalesbian]

[Kari had heard Halloween was an interesting time in Luceti, but with so many people being called away on the draft, the village already felt stranger than usual. All the ghosts and pests wandering about were annoying, and just a little creepy, but certainly it was better than being forced to fight in a war, right? Not that she really has any experience with that...]

[But ghosts stories? She could handle that. Especially when it was ghost stories being told in the company of a certain cute miko. Which is why she's gone all out tonight, even dressing up in a kimono (though somewhat improperly tied -- it's hard to do on your own!) seeing as this is her first real visit to the shrine. Plus, it served as a good alternative to wearing a costume; anyone not familiar with Japan might just assume it to be one!]

[She waves when she sees Rei by the gate, a smile on her face.] Hi Rei!

[redjacketthief]

[The crows were staring at him once more, judging him for a crime he had yet to commit. Not even the greatcoat and hat that he donned for the sake of it could completely shield him from their gaze as he stepped into the fold. Though their vigil wasn't constant, he was still wary of their presence.

But, crows aside, the promise of stories sounded far more interesting than keeping Wilhelmina in check. The promise of affection later and the circle that Dresden had taught him in exchange for the trench did wonders for his peace of mind. At least now she wouldn't harass Smoker, or compel Fujiko to attempt an exorcism.

For a moment he stood by the gateway and snuffed out his cigarette, using the nonchalant action to hide his own searching eyes. He was looking for a familiar face, someone to greet and check on in the wake of the sudden Draft.

He had heard no news. That bothered him.]

[godbent]

[Japanese customs, huh? She came here to Represent her people, possibly hear some stories. She will, no doubt, not actually stay the entire night. She'll hear out a number of them and then slip out, but for the time being she's at the temple to pay her respects, a pensive sort of look on her face.]

[idealism]

[Normally he wouldn't bother anyone in a temple, but tonight is a special night.]

Hey there.

[faithfulflame]

Hello, Haruhi-san.

[Rei waves, and bows politely as Haruhi approaches, a gentle smile lighting her face]

Did you come for the Hyakumonogatari?

[open to everyone!]

[folklorist]

[ Helios might be one of the older people here, but that's not going to stop him! He's brought some mochi, dango, and even Halloween themed cookies for everyone to nibble on. As for participating he'll only give a few of his own stories if people want. Otherwise he's content to just sit and listen to everyone else for most of the night. ]

[redjacketthief]

[Oh. There's a familiar face.

Lupin crept up behind Helios on silent feet, carefully dividing his focus between the ground and the fragments of what he could recall of Kipinn's lessons. It was a quick study of silence, but he couldn't tell whether it was fully effective from the inside...

He loomed behind Helios, his face artfully hidden by the turned up collar of his greatcoat and the wide brimmed hat he had donned. He was no longer Lupin III in that moment, but the Highwayman in search for the landlord's beautiful black-eyed daughter]

[open to everyone!]

[idealism]

[Who are you and where have you been all his life? Tsuzuki never thought he'd be this happy to see Japanese sweets, but going this long without it has made him really crave some.]

Mochi. Dango.

[He bites his lip, realizing he's not too proud to ask.]

....Do you have one to spare? Please?

[winds_voice]

[Oh look! Another familiar face. And it seems he's brought food again, though he can't say he knows exactly what he's looking at.
Eley will just be keeping his distance in case Helios isn't actually offering the treats. Though he wouldn't mind trying something!]

It is... good to see you again.

[neverplaysfair]

[ Joshua loves stories about ghosts. They're nice and nostalgic. And although he didn't get very much sleep last night, this sounds like a fun thing to do in case the ghosts decide they want to party for another night.

He happens to be wearing a pure white yukata folded in the style of the deceased, because hey, why not? His wings are hidden underneath it, so there isn't a rainbow breaking up the illusion.

Also about the back third of his head is sporting a nice tangle of cobwebs because of a collision (well, several actually) on the way here that he didn't manage to entirely brush out. Whoops. ]

[faithfulflame]

[Rei bows in greeting as Joshua approaches, smiling and waving him on into the shrine.]

Good evening. Have you come to join us?

[of_sablier]

[Jack doesn't really know anything about this... whatever the word they'd used was. It was long and complicated and he can't remember it for the life of him. But he does know what ghost stories are, and this sounds like fun, so why not?

He'll be waving when he spots Rei, pleased to see her.]

Rei!

Storytelling!

[faithfulflame]

Have a story to share? Post it here! React to stories, get a little scared as the lights go out and the courtyard gets darker and darker. Don't worry, nothing bad will happen!

/yes this really is a scary story

[normalesbian]

[Kari's no professional story teller, but she does spend most of her time reading. And in fact, she spent a few hours looking up creepy stories to tell just for this occasion! She wouldn't want to be unprepared, after all. Especially since, well, 100 stories is a lot and you can really only remember so many...]

So. This one's called "The Ring". And no, I don't mean that Ring. You know. For those who come from a world where we share pop culture references. Or something.

[She clears her throat and starts, keeping her voice rather low.]

They say a family named Suzuki committed suicide in Gunma Prefecture. That's in Japan, for anyone here from earth, but that's not important. Anyway, a few months after that, the house was condemned to be demolished. Before it could happen, a group of college students decided to go and see what it was like. You know. Since houses where people died are usually haunted, and these guys like that kind of thing. Oh, and it was two boys and two girls. But I can't remember if that was important to the story or not.

[Ahem.] So. When they get to the house, it's already half demolished and like, a total mess. But these guys have their video camera out and are going around laughing and joking. [She changes her voice a little here, in an attempt to sound like the boys.] "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Suzuki! Is this your kitchen? May we use your bathroom?" You know, just being obnoxious in their own ways. But then one of them started to feel kind of scared for whatever reason, and they decided to leave. But. Before they did, one of the girls held up a ring she found on the floor, saying they should bring it back to keep as a souvenir of their trip. They walked out laughing, with one last: "Good-bye, and thanks for having us!"

They all parted ways and decided to get together to watch the video the next day. But when they did, there was something off. When they video showed them walking around, laughing and joking, something else was caught on the tape.

[She mimics the boys again.] "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Suzuki!"
[And then, in a creepy voice:] "Welcome."

[Dramatic pause for effect.]

They all froze and looked at each other, none of them recognizing the voice that croaked out of the video tape. But it kept going:

"Is this your kitchen?"
"Yes."

"May we use your bathroom?"
"Go ahead."

"Good-bye, and thanks for having us!"
"Don't go!!"

And as soon as the video ended, all their cell phones started to ring all at the same time. They jumped as they answered, each one getting nothing but silence... except for the girl who took the ring.

[And once more, the creepy voice:]

"Hello, this is Suzuki. May I please have my ring back?"

This is kind of a scary story, but it's more a folk legend

[faithfulflame]

[After a few stories went by, Rei stood up to tell a story of her own. She walked in front of those assembled and swept her eyes across the courtyard to make sure everyone was paying attention. She cleared her throat, tucked her hands behind her back, and began to speak in a low voice]

This is an old story from my homeland, and it takes place in Niigata prefecture. Some of you may have heard it, but for those of you who haven't, this is the tale of Minokichi and O-Yuki.

[Rei gave her words a moment to sing in before she began telling the tale, pacing back and forth in front of the listeners]

In a small town in Japan, there lived two hunters named Mosaku and Minokichi. Mosaku was an old man and Minokichi, his son, was sixteen years old. Every day, they went out together into the forest and hunted rabbits and other animals which they would bring home and cook for dinner.

One cold evening in winter, Mosaku and Minokichi were on their way home when they got caught in a blinding snowstorm. They couldn't find their way out of the forest and became very worried that they would freeze to death. Luckily, they came across an abandoned cabin in the wilderness where they could take shelter for the night and wait for the snowstorm to pass.

It was a tiny hut and there was no fireplace or any way to make a fire. Mosaku and Minokichi fastened the door, and lay down to rest, shivering with their coats pulled tightly around them. They hoped that the storm would soon be over.

The father immediately fell into a deep sleep but the boy, Minokichi, lay awake a long time, listening to the wind whistling through the loose boards of the old cabin and the snow beating against the door. The ramshackle hut swayed and creaked in the storm and Minokichi shivered under his coat until, at last, in spite of the cold, he managed to fall asleep.

[Rei paused for effect here, giving the crowd a moment to take it in.]

He was awakened by the feeling of snow falling on his face. When he opened his eyes, he could see that the door of the hut had been forced open. He saw a strange figure standing in the moonlight. It was a woman, dressed all in white. She was bending over his father and breathing on him. Her breath was like a bright white smoke. Suddenly, she turned to Minokichi, and stooped over him. He tried to cry out, but found that he could not utter any sound. The white woman bent down over him, lower and lower, until her face almost touched his own.

She was very beautiful, but her eyes were glowing yellow. He was terrified and she continued to stare at him as she whispered "I am the Snow Witch. I was going to kill you, but you're such a pretty boy, I will let you live." [Rei's lips curled up in a cold smile as she went on. She enjoyed this part, playing the part of the spirit. Her voice came out in a hiss] "But if you ever tell anybody, even your own mother, about what you have seen, I will kill you. Never forget this warning!"

With these words, she turned around and floated through the doorway. The boy jumped up and looked outside, but the snow witch was nowhere to be seen and the snowstorm was still raging, driving snow into the hut. Minokichi closed the door, and wedged a log against it to keep it closed. He began to wonder if he had jest been dreaming. Perhaps the snow witch was a figment of his imagination.

He called out to his father, but the old man did not answer. The boy put out his hand in the dark, and touched his father's face. It was completely frozen. His father was dead.

By dawn, the snowstorm was over and Minokichi had to drag the frozen corpse of his father back into town. He was devastated by the death of his beloved Dad and remained ill from the effects of the cold for a long time. He had been so frightened by the snow witch that he didn't tell anyone about her. The police assumed his father had frozen to death in the forest and never asked any questions. He said nothing about the vision of the woman in white to his mother either, fearing that the ghost would return and kill him as well.

One year later, in the middle of winter, he was on his way home, when he met a girl who happened to be traveling on the same road. She was tall, thin and very good-looking. As they walked down the road together, they began to talk. The girl said that her name was O-Yuki and she had recently lost both of her parents. She was on her way to her uncle's house, where she hoped to live for a while until she could find a job. Minokichi was very attracted to this strange girl and the more he looked at her, the more beautiful she appeared to be.

They dated for a few months and gradually fell in love. Then Minokichi asked O-Yuki to come to his house for dinner so she could meet his mother. After some hesitation, she went there with him and his mother found the girl very pleasant and friendly. Eventually, the young couple got married and O-Yuki came to live in Minokichi's house permanently.

When Minokichi's mother died a year later, her last words were words of affection and praise for the wife of her son. And O-Yuki bore Minokichi ten children, boys and girls, handsome children all of them, and very fair of skin.

The country-folk thought O-Yuki a wonderful person, by nature different from themselves. Most of the peasant-women age early; but O-Yuki, even after having become the mother of ten children, looked as young and fresh as on the day when she had first come to the village.

One night, after the children had gone to sleep, O-Yuki was sewing by the light of a paper lamp; and Minokichi, watching her, said "To see you sewing there, with the light on your face, makes me think of a strange thing that happened when I was a lad of eighteen. I then saw somebody as beautiful and white as you are now; indeed, she was very like you."

Without lifting her eyes from her work, O-Yuki responded, "Tell me about her. Where did you see her?"

Then Minokichi told her about the terrible night in the abandoned hut, and about the White Woman that had stooped above him, smiling and whispering, and about the silent death of old Mosaku.

"Asleep or awake," he went on, "that was the only time that I saw a being as beautiful as you. Of course, she was not human being; and I was afraid of her, very much afraid, but she was so white! Indeed, I have never been sure whether it was a dream that I saw, or the Yuki-Onna."

[Rei's face twisted a bit as she tried to capture the emotion of the moment, her voice starting as a low growl and rising to match O-Yuki's ferocity]

O-Yuki flung down her sewing, and arose, and bowed above Minokichi where he sat, and shrieked into his face. "It was I! Yuki it was! And I told you then that I would kill you if you ever said one work about it! But for those children asleep there, I would kill you this moment! And now you had better take very, very good care of them; for if ever they have reason to complain of you, I will treat you as you deserve!

Even as she screamed, her voice became thin, like a crying of wind; then she melted into a bright white mist that spired to the roof-beams, and shuddered away through the chimney, never to be seen again. But if you ever visit the Niigata mountains, you may or may not hear O-Yuki howling on a cold winter night, expressing her anger towards Minokichi.

[As if on cue, Phobos and Deimos, Rei's twin crows both let out long, mournful cawwwwwws and one of the Andon around the courtyard winked out]

[idealism]

[Tsuzuki sits up straight when it's his turn, his wings flaring out so his shadow looks like something large and demonic.]

On the Akasaka Road, in Tokyo, there is a slope called Kii-no-kuni-zaka, which means the Slope of the Province of Kii. I don't know why it is called the Slope of the Province of Kii. On one side of this slope you see an ancient moat, deep and very wide, with high green banks rising up to some place of gardens; and on the other side of the road extend the long and lofty walls of an imperial palace.

Before the era of street-lamps and rickshaws, this neighborhood was very lonesome after dark; and belated pedestrians would go miles out of their way rather than mount the Kii-no-kuni-zaka, alone, after sunset. All because of a Mujina that used to walk there.

The last man who saw the Mujina was an old merchant of the Kyobashi quarter, who died about thirty years ago. This is the story, as he told it:

One night, at a late hour, he was hurrying up the Kii-no-kuni-zaka, when he perceived a woman crouching by the moat, all alone, and weeping bitterly. Fearing that she intended to drown herself, he stopped to offer her any assistance or consolation in his power. She appeared to be a slight and graceful person, handsomely dressed; and her hair was arranged like that of a young girl of good family.

“Miss!” he exclaimed, approaching her, “Miss, do not cry like that!…Tell me what the trouble is; and if there be any way to help you, I shall be glad to help you.” (He really meant what he said; for he was a very kind man.)

But she continued to weep, hiding her face from him with one of her long sleeves.

“Miss,” he said again, as gently as he could, “please, please listen to me!… This is no place for a young lady at night! Do not cry, I implore you! — only tell me how I may be of some help to you!”

Slowly she rose up, but turned her back to him, and continued to moan and sob behind her sleeve.

He laid his hand lightly upon her shoulder, and pleaded: “Miss! Miss!… Listen to me, just for one little moment!… Miss!”

Then that young girl turned around, and dropped her sleeve, and stroked her face with her hand; — and the man saw that she had no eyes or nose or mouth,— and he screamed and ran away.

Up Kii-no-kuni-zaka he ran and ran; and all was black and empty before him. On and on he ran, never daring to look back; and at last he saw a lantern, so far away that it looked like the gleam of a firefly; and he made for it.

It proved to be only the lantern of an itinerant soba-seller who had set down his stand by the road-side; but any light and any human companionship was good after that experience; and he flung himself down at the feet of the soba-seller, crying out, “Ah! — aa!! — aa!!!”…

“Here, here,” roughly exclaimed the soba-man. “Here! what is the matter with you? Anybody hurt you?”

“No — nobody hurt me,” panted the other, “only… Ah! — aa!”

“Only scared you?” queried the peddler, unsympathetically. “Robbers?”

“Not robbers, not robbers,” gasped the terrified man… “I saw… I saw a woman — by the moat; — and she showed me… Ah! I cannot tell you what she showed me!”

“Was it anything like thisthat she showed you?” cried the soba-man, stroking his own face — which was as blank and expressionless as an egg."

[Tsuzuki pulls his sleeve up to his face and does the same gesture as he speaks, and at the same second he shows his face again, the nearest candle flickers out.]

[folklorist]

[ Helios isn't going to tell a story, per-say, but he is going to talk about Hoia baciu forest which is undoubtedly one of the scariest places on earth. ]

I do remember visiting the Hoia baciu forest a few years back. It was...very strange and very cold and dark, despite it being closer to spring. The circle within the forest where nothing grows ever had a power about that was beyond anything I've ever felt before. For me and my people, Hoia baciu is something like the Bermuda triangle. I remember on the second night of being there that I saw something in the trees, but couldn't make out what it was. It was human in figure and shape but the arms and upper torso were...all wrong. It moved with a sluggish and eerie grace. And it let out a deep moaning noise as it advanced towards me. A deep pitted cold over took me as backed away and tried to run, only I couldn't find it in myself to move.

But a light spell caused it, and much to my surprise others of its kind, to flee the area. I, ah, haven't really ever gone back since.

Hope this is okay!

[winds_voice]

[Eleytheria hadn’t been all that certain about contributing to tonight’s stories. Being a Spirit himself, he seemed to be finding it difficult to relate to the ghosts and creatures in the other stories in the same way as the rest of the audience. He also wasn’t much of a speaker... Still, he felt he should try to add something to the evening, even if it wasn’t that successful in the end. So what could he talk about? Well, he’s standing now to take his place...]

Tonight I would like to tell you about about a Spirit from my world. Not just another Spirit like me, however. No, this Spirit was an anomaly and a danger to all who crossed his path.

It began in a small mountain village in the snowy north of Volante. The village, known as Kunjia, was protected by attack from the outside world due to its rugged terrain and frequent blizzards. However, the people within still succumbed to the usual human weaknesses of sickness and injury. Yet they did not seek help from a doctor. They had no need to. For here in Kunjia was a supernatural resident – a Spirit named Xan who possessed the power to heal others.

Xan had grown affectionate towards humans and decided to live among them as an ally. The longer he lived in the village, the closer he grew to one human woman in particular. She was the leader of the Kunjian people, a beautiful creature named Rin. The two gradually fell in love and spent a long time together before... [He pauses, a slightly pained look in his eyes.] ...before Rin betrayed Xan, pushed him away for another human and broke the heart he had only just become accustomed to having.

[Another silent moment later, and Eley’s wings bristle as he continues, pacing slowly in front of the others.] It was some time later that something... strange began to happen. Villagers began to fall ill far more frequently than in the past. They called on Xan for help, and though he was hurt and depressed, he tried his best to help them. But it seemed that his powers would not work on these people anymore... One by one they died right in front of him, leaving him helpless and distraught. Their flesh rotted unusually fast and their lungs failed them at every breath. Had his depression ruined his abilities? What was wrong with these people?

Desperate for answers, Xan turned to Rin. She had betrayed him, but he knew her better than any other and this situation was far too serious to allow his emotions to get in the way. Xan knocked on her door, waited for an answer, but when Rin saw him she screamed and struck him with a spell, slashing his face and knocking him to the ground. “Stay away from me, demon!” she shouted. “A curse I place on you! You will die a slow painful death, just like my people!” Confused, terrified and injured, Xan fled the village into the frozen tundra.

Time passed, the wound on his face healed, though it left a scar that was impossible to remove – a sign of the curse placed on him. As time passed he grew weaker, more frail... not even his own healing powers could save him. Yet still he was confused. Why had Rin attacked him like this? It was then he noticed a shadow in the distance, on the outskirts of Kunjia. Upon closer inspection it was a familiar face... it was him. No... a double of him. The double watched him with cold, dead eyes and even from this distance, Xan could sense the stench of death about him. There was an aura about the figure that made him feel frozen to the core, made him feel dirty and afraid all at once. For in the depths of Xan’s pain and depression, a new Spirit had taken shape. He was a Spirit of death and disease and had taken the village for his own.

Xan realised then that he had been mistaken for this dark creature. He was far too weak to fight back, the frozen wastelands of Volante taking its toll on his strangely fragile body for years now. Only one truth was known to him - both himself and Kunjia were destined to die.

[He finishes there as a candle snuffs out. It isn’t entirely certain whether or not he was telling a true story...]

Post-Storytelling Mingling/Wrap-up/Clean-up

[faithfulflame]

Too scared to walk home alone? Find a buddy. Want to talk to the storyteller you found intriguing? That goes here too. Rei and Tsuzuki would appreciate any help cleaning up the shrine as well!

[faithfulflame]

[As the evening winds to a close, Rei begins cleaning up anything left behind. It's late, but she doesn't want to leave tables and chairs exposed to the weather, so she'll be struggling to get them folded and put away in the little shed behind the shrine. She'll also be gathering trash, and talking to people who stick around, making sure that anyone who's worried about the ghosts can get home alright.

Want to help or chat? Grab Rei where-ever]