bakerstreet | One more look at the ghost before I'm gonna make it leave

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One more look at the ghost before I'm gonna make it leave

The Haunted Meme

There are ghosts all around, at any time, lingering in places where they died or that were emotionally significant during their lives. Some of them refuse to give up the life they once lived, some have yet to accept that they have died, and some just want revenge against those who are still living.

Wherever you are, whatever you were doing, you've happened across a place where a particularly strong ghost (or maybe more than one?) is lingering. The ghost might try to possess you, using your body to do what it cannot, it might try to torment you in whatever ways it can, or it might just try to attack you. What will you do? Who you gonna call?

HOW IT WORKS:
Leave a comment with your character's name and canon, and your preferences. Remember that the ghosts can possess your character (influencing their actions or outright taking control of them) or torment them (exerting an outside influence or attacking).

Please respect others' preferences when tagging, and if a thread goes somewhere you aren't comfortable, communicate with your thread partner.

1) ANGRY This ghost either died angry or has become so over time. It might want to take out its anger on someone else, make noise, or hit or break things, whether by itself or using your character's body or special abilities.

2) VENGEFUL This ghost wants revenge. Maybe it's against someone who wronged them in life, maybe it's against their murderer, or maybe it's just against the living. They might mistake your character for the target, or use their body to exact their vengeance.

3) REGRETFUL This ghost is much sadder and quieter, consumed by regrets of things unsaid and never done. They might just lurk about and increase the emo factor, or they could drive your character into despair.

4) DEMANDING This ghost wants something done. Maybe they want a message delivered or a hidden treasure found. Or maybe they just want to force your character to compete a task. Whatever it is, they won't stop demanding it until they're satisfied.

5) LUSTFUL Being a ghost gets very lonely. Maybe they want to possess your character to experience the pleasures of the flesh once more. Maybe the ghosts of star-crossed lovers will drive two people together. Or maybe your character might just feel an intangible hand copping a feel...

6) OBLIVIOUS This ghost doesn't realize it's dead. They might resent your character's presence or mistake them for the real ghost. Or they could accidentally inhabit your character's body and try to continue their normal routine.

7) INHUMAN This ghost isn't the spirit of a person, but something else. Maybe an animal, maybe a creature thought to be imaginary, maybe an alien that hitched a ride on a meteor, whatever it was it wasn't normal. And if it possesses your character, neither are they.
From:

knockyoursocksoff

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[ seems like he's perfectly suited to this kind of thing, isn't he? charles rowland is the '80s-era charmer of the dead boy detective duo who has more two braincells to rub together but would rather not, thank you. cross-canon and assumed hauntings welcome! ]

[How would he feel about helping a girl who doesn't totally realize she's a ghost stop haunting the place she's been helping patients escape from for decades?]

[ happy to go for it! let me know what you have in mind or leave me with a starter, and we'll pick up from there. ]

The building had been Lennox House For Wayward Girls back in the 1910s, right up until the first fire in the late 1920s. The fire itself hadn't done much damage, the building was still standing, but it had done enough -along with the two girls who had gotten out- to bring attention to what was actually going on there and the place had been closed down.

It had opened again shortly after the beginning of the second world war as a halfway house for 'the mentally unsound', during the operation of the halfway house, the building had suffered two fires, one with minimal damage as the first had done and one a few years later that took out the entire kitchen and laundry facility. Once again exposing that the place was not what it seemed.

It was something that continued to happen, every five or ten years, the place got refurbished and reopened and then suffered a fire, or in one case an earthquake that had knocked down the new structure but left the original foundations and remaining frame standing, and in doing so exposing the human rot that had taken root.

The current building was billed as Wellpath Community Psychiatric Inpatient Care, and they did, for once, seem to be actually trying to help, but sometimes the bad was just saturated into the area itself and there wasn't anything to be done about that.

The thing was? Rocket didn't know the building wasn't all the same building, or, rather, all the same facility. Part of her knew that the rooms changed, sometimes, or the building was bigger or smaller than it should have been, but she also didn't realize that she'd been dead since that first fire. She'd died helping her sister and another girl get out. All she knew was that there was always someone in a place like this that didn't belong there and needed help getting out.

Which was where she came in. She was good at planning escapes -she just thought it was an innate talent and not anything to do with the fact that she'd been doing so for decades- some of them needed a lot of moving parts, like some kind of bank heist, but most of the time? It was just timing and a little bit of luck.

She was out in the yard, getting her required fifteen minutes of sunshine when she spotted him, looking more out of place than new arrivals usually did, which was why she just changed her walking path to fall into step beside him, "Hey new guy. What're you in for?"

Charles Rowland steps onto the cracked linoleum floors of the building, and though he's not casting any shadows along the walls, the dim light filtering through the broken windows still cast the room with a foreboding overcast that bothers him. He remembers the pictures of the place when the building was younger, before too many fires had stripped the fresh paint-overs and burned out the echoes of its former nurses and residents. Even though he doesn't need to breathe, the air is stale, heavy with the stench of decay.

He watches as the building's memory of doctors move through the halls with purpose, their footsteps confident with the certainty of learned men. There was a sense of order here, a belief that the power of science and compassion could make things better.

The building has changed hands over the decades, going all the way back to pre-war times. It must've been majestic back in the day, if the old architecture is anything to judge by, but with the fires—

Well. One fire is more than enough. A couple, that's weird. More than two? Something's going on.

Hence the case. He and Edwin rarely if ever take on cases from the living, but Crystal had been empathic about this one, and the pay isn't anything to sniff at either. The new owners want to do good, that's all, and from a practical end it's much cheaper to hire ghost detectives than it is to keep rebuilding whenever a fire springs up.

So that's the setup, and here Charles is, exploring the grounds. He's not surprised to see ghosts, because there's quite a lot of them lingering around, but it is surprising that one of them is cogent enough to speak to him directly.

"Oh, hi there," he starts. Smooth, Charles. "Hello, I meant. Uhm, I'm actually just visiting, doing a quick unsupervised tour for me Nan. You— Have you been here very long?"

Edited (phrasing and spelling, jesus) 2024-05-27 12:43 (UTC)

Truthfully, she was a little surprised that he actually acknowledged her, not everyone did. Three or four out of five, if she was lucky, but she always just figured the ones who didn't had their own problems to handle and didn't want anyone else getting involved, and she wouldn't really be much help for those sorts anyway.

But despite the surprise she grinned at the answer, giving a little bounce of a shrug, "Well if that's the case I hope your nan can fight off a pervert if she needs to." She shook her head almost as soon as she'd said it, "I'm kidding. They'll post her up in the seniors' wing, no perverts assigned to that one." Even as she said it, she paused, because she didn't think there was a seniors' wing, there hadn't been before, not that she could recall. But he'd said it was his nan, which meant that there must be a seniors' wing and she just forgot.

She offered a hand to shake then, "Name's Rocket, and yeah I've been here a while. Definitely since before they had to rebuild the kitchen."

[M/F only for the sexual/ship oriented stuffs, OTA otherwise. He's from a horror game so hauntings are pretty commonplace.]

[Haunted is her whole thing. Let's bust some ghosts!]

[ Dim Swedish pirate g-ghost? ]

[[ooc: He's a white mage so he can do an exorcism if need be... He can also be the ghost that's causing problems.]]

[In his line of work ghosts are a little different than they are for most people.
But I'm down for actually being haunted as well instead of just dream-ghost shenanigans.]

[No 5, 6 or 7, she knows she's a ghost and she's probably getting angry about it and going a little poltergeist if she can't find a way to communicate with people.]

[If he's the ghost it's probably some variation on 3, if he's the human no 5, and no possessions without at least a little discussion first whether IC or OOC]

[Well this is just the story of his life, but hey, his whole deal is helping other ghosts figure out how to move on, so have at, I guess?]

[They don't call him Séance for nothing! Dude can both see and talk to (and in some cases control) ghosts.
Just don't yell at him, okay?]

[If the ghost's got enough power of their own, she can generally see them unassisted, but she does have a specially charmed pair of reading glasses just in case.]

[I love the idea of her perpetually haunting the Lennox House, however many times it burns down or gets rebuilt, helping others escape over and over and never able to do so herself, or even remember that she's tried before except in bits and pieces.]

[[Hunter or hunted, truly, since he’s both a paid detective and a card carrying asshole AND idiot. Be a crook he’s tracking down or a crook tracking him!]]

((former medium who sees ghosts everywhere and world's most cheerful sex worker!

assumed cr welcome, happy to au into any situation.))

[[VERY proficient hunter and very babygirl prey! Have at ‘em!]]

[For Hob? Absolutely Haunted 9or at least not the ghost himself), haha. He's not going to die any time soon. Open to both Ghost and Haunted people however. Be it your character is the ghost itself, or haunted By a ghost. Bring it! Open to all prompts. Gen/Horror/More, all are welcome. He's immortal... so maybe he's visiting old dead friends LOL.]

[ spoops!! Hiyori's just a normal human and a big skeptic so running into ghosts is maybe not his favorite thing. I'd love to do something based on Fatal Frame, especially 1 or 4! I could also roll with Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House or any number of things - give me spooky haunted houses and hospitals. ]

Edited 2024-05-23 03:06 (UTC)

[M/F for the (1) sexual prompt. Libra's canon does have some dealing with ghosts or at the very least spirits, so it wouldn't be out of place to write a thing where he's assigned to investigate a paranormal case considering the kinds of missions he's been assigned.]

[Most likely the one doing the haunting]

[not a nice ghost. content warnings in journal.]

[Most likely the one being haunted or possessed.]

[Jin Guangyao was not expecting to be a ghost. He had thought he would spend eternity locked up in that coffin. But somehow before it was locked he had managed to flit free. Now whether it was his resentment anchoring him, it seemed as if he was attached to his killer.

He was weak at first. Too weak to make much of a presence known, at least resentment was easy enough to hide in the unclean realm where resentment flowed like breath. But sometimes when the other was working he would do little things, like he chose to do right now. Spill ink on his parchment as he worked on something important. He could spend an eternity being petty if he had to.]

[Nie Huaisang's spiritual senses have never been particularly strong in comparison to his peers but he's the master of his own domain. He's spent more time cooped up in these walls than is healthy, truth be told, and knows every nook and cranny and hiding spot the Unclean Realm has to offer its inhabitants. Ghosts and spirits are as much a part of daily life as birds in the sky and flowers in the earth and the idea that he might be haunted is just as logical as any other to him.

However, he simply hasn't gathered enough evidence to be completely certain there is a pattern of happenings just yet. Nie Huaisang's a nervous man; even he has to admit to himself that he jumps at shadows and races to conclusions sometimes. This latest incident is a bit suspicious though. He's very careful when he's writing or painting, keeping his inkstone and paints well away from his work to prevent mishaps like this ever losing a piece to one such incident as a child.

For now though, he feigns ignorance, face an emotionless mask, as he simply removes the damaged work and puts his supplies away, taking extra care to lock and secure them in place.]

[For the moment he did nothing more. He just watched and bided his time. He followed him as he moved through his day-to-day. He collected energy where he could and where it would not be noticed. It was best to be subtle. Nie Huaisang had waited ten years why would he not be able to wait for longer? There were questions he wanted answered, and for now this was the only way to have them so.

While he slept he was able to steal a bit more energy from him. Night by night, not much more than a thimble full of it. But he guarded it jealously. It was hard when he saw young Jin Ling come in. He was so young in his new role. Hatred flared for the man he haunted to leave this orphan in charge with so few on his side. He bit his hatred and knocked over the man's favorite porcelain statue, relishing in the fact that it was smashed to a million pieces.]

[No remorse, no regret.

It's the stance than Nie Huaisang has chosen to take since laying his brother to rest. Once the coffin was sealed, there was other way for him to move but forward. No longer stuck in a repeating loop of trauma and grief but lacking in friends after so many of the rotting bridges tethering him to others finally collapsed, his focus has shifted toward his duties with a diligence that was never openly visible before. He's no longer the carefree young master he'd once been but neither was he the cold, manipulative puppet master waging war against his enemy in secret either.

At this point in life, Nie Huaisang's simply a somewhat eccentric, thoughtful, and somber man who keeps to himself unless his presence or active interference is required. His run as sect leader and chief cultivator aren't exactly awe-inspiring but they're peaceful and he's a competent enough tie breaker and diplomat when situations require executive decisions.

He doesn't spare too many thoughts for Jin Ling, aside from the odd moment of sadness, and acknowledgement that he has more of a reliable and trustworthy support net to aid him during rough patches than Nie Huaisang ever had.

At least, not until his favorite statue suddenly shatters out of nowhere without any explanation, at all. While externally, Nie Huaisang remains calm, reflective, and unmoved in the way that he's now known for rather than his past histrionics, he does discreetly reach into the qiankun sleeve he's taken to wearing and readies a spirit-repelling talisman for use just in case.]

[Whoops. It was time to go for discretion for the time being. He was no longer able to read the man, was he ever able to read him? Instead he slipped into one of the colorful birds that were in Huaisang's room, a large Myna.

Possession of an animal, something like a bird certainly took a lot less effort than possessing a human. He brought all of his energy into himself in this form, making himself at home, with a shake of his head. This form will be fine to hide out in. A caged bird seems appropriate in any case. He watched quietly from his new perch.]

[It proves to be a wise move because when nothing more happens, Nie Huaisang shows no further sign of potentially aggressive action, at least for moment. He tucks the talisman back and after gazing mournfully down at the broken remains of the statue for several minutes; he simply starts cleaning up the mess himself Once that's done, he calls for a servant to dispose of the remains and to deliver an order for the elders to meet with him first thing in the morning.

One does last long in Nie Huaisang's position without a healthy amount of paranoia and a head for security precautions.]

[He waited it out. Not making too many noises that birds did not make. The spirit of the creature seemed content enough to allow him to drive the form.

He allowed himself to be pampered and preened his feathers. After a few days, he worked on opening the latch of his cage, stretching out his wings, and jumped free, allowing himself to glide down.

Learning to fly was something new so the next step was to do that. Moving a bit at a time until he was mid-air, in his pure joy of the feeling he hadn't realized he flew straight into his murderer's face with a resounding THWAP.]

FUCK.

[Said the Mynah.]

P-Plum Blossom? What are you doing outside your cage? Silly girl, it's not-

[Ever the doting bird parent, Nie Huaisang immediately notices something's amiss with the cage and is in the process of investigating when he's greeted with a face full of feathers and very foul language coming from the fowl maiden. Even so, he's still mindful of the more fragile form, careful not to injure the myna in any way.]

[Plum Blossom! the indignity of that name. Ugh. He flapped about making sure to shriek a bit until he was settled onto him. He looked over with a dirty look and began to clean his feathers making sure all was in place. After all even as a bird he wanted to look his best.

The cage was just open with no human hands. The water knocked over. there was a stray feather stuck to the latch though.

Jin Guangyao made a small whistling noise.]

I Dont Know! I don't Know! I don't know!

[He said as if mocking his old self. Or was he being coy about his escape?]

[All thoughts of ghosts and whatever potential vengeance they might have in store for him completely fly out of Nie Huaisang in favor of desperate fretting and negotiation to get his prized damsel back where she belongs.]

Plum Blossom, please! The outdoors are no place for you. We've been through this once before! Remember how scary it was? How alone you were with no one to make sure you were taken care of? It's not a safe place for a noble lady like yourself.

[If anything is proof of how reclusive and weird Nie Huaisang has become since his brother had died, it's this.]

Edited 2024-05-25 02:57 (UTC)

[He shook his head in defiance. And flew up to rest on the rafters instead. Let him get on his saber to come get him. He whisted softly from up there and cleaned his feathers.]

[How cruelly ironic for Nie Huaisang's own tricks of emotional manipulation to be used against him.

Aside from these birds, just as precious to him as the people in his life had once been before repeated heartbreak drove him to give up on opening his heart again to anyone, he's alone. The thought of losing even a single bird at this point is enough to set off a genuine anxiety spike.

Even now, after enduring and overcoming so much, Nie Huaisang still isn't well. Many of the walls he'd built in order to cope with everything that had happened to him and all he'd had to do had crumbled along with Guanyin Temple. Not all the broken bones making up Nie Huaisang's psyche have been properly set or are healing properly.]

No, Plum Blossom, come back! Don't fly so high! You know I can't reach you there!

[Nie Huaisang doesn't want to have to get his saber; he still hates even looking at the thing and avoids it as much as possible. But with Plum Blossom so high and everyone too busy with their own duties and lives to help him out, he's going to have to. A genuinely anguished expression twists Nie Huaisang's face as he retrieves his dusty blade from the chest he kept it stored in.]

[Wow this was the asshole who was responsible for the deaths of his friend and two of his family members. Was it worth it? Was it worth the lives of A-su, Minshan and A-Yu? Is this the life he wanted? He felt a flush of rage move through him and flew up further up the rafters. Once upon a time, he would have felt for him. Jin Guangyao was far too empathetic for his own good. And he loved this boy once (he certainly wasn't a man). But this betrayal was still too painful, too raw. His insides were clawed out. He gave up so much for this family, for his love for them and all he got in return was pain.

He was going to aim a poop at him to show his distress. It wasn't elegant but it should do the job.]

[It's not the first time Nie Huaisang has dealt with bird shit. When ones loves them and spends as much time hunting them as he has, it comes with the territory. Contrary to fancy fashionista persona he presents, he's been taking care of and cleaning up after all his birds himself since he was little.

It's unpleasant and gross, much like tending to the cats and sewing Nie Mingjue's head back onto his body had been, but Nie Huaisang endures it. He'll clean up after he's finished.]

Plum Blossom, that was very crude and unbecoming of a lady of your pedigree. I'm disappointed in you! Usually, you're so much more well-behaved than this! What will Osmanthus and Magnolia think of you now? You were a shining example to them all.

[He shakes his head and sighs, unsheathing his saber and laying it on the ground at his feet before stepping onto it. Hopefully, Plum Blossom will stay put long enough for him to reach her and cooperate while he tries to safely bring her back down. Even as an adult, Nie Huaisang's control over his saber is a little shaky and he can't fly with the same speed or ease as his peers. It takes almost all his concentration just to stay aloft without falling off and breaking his neck.]

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One more look at the ghost before I'm gonna make it leave

charles rowland. ( netflix's dead boy detectives )

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LMK if I need to change anything up, I'm always happy to

this works for me!

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Geto Suguru | Jujutsu Kaisen | M/F preferred for ships | OTA gen horror

Yashiki Kazuo | Spirit Hunter: Death Mark

Aeron Jones | OC

The Swede | Our Flag Means Death | OTA

Rezo the Red Priest | Slayers | OTA

Apollo | Inception OC | OTA

Chrissy Cunningham + Stranger Things + OTA

Eddie + Stranger Things + OTA

Charles - Dead Boy Detectives - OTA

Klaus + Umbrella Academy + OTA

Mina / Urban Fantasy OC / OTA

Rocket | Sucker Punch | OTA

Marlowe -OC- OtA

Ignatius "Iggy" Melville | OC | OTA

Luka -OC- OtA

Hob Gadling ∞ The Sandman (netflix)

sou hiyori | your turn to die

Libra Sforza (MBCC Chief) | Path to Nowhere

Benedict Fox | The Last Case of Benedict Fox | OTA

The Butcher (Dennis Collins) | Malevolent | OTA

Maedhros | the Silmarillion | OTA

Sister Imperator (1969) | Ghost

Pinocchio/P | Lies of P | OTA

Qi Rong | TGCF/Heaven Official's Blessing | OTA

Nie Huaisang | Mo Dao Zu Shi (novel/donghua)

1 or 2?

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cw: mental illness warning all throughout this thread

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cw: brief vague mention of past animal cruelty and interacting with a corpse