The Orbs (15) - The cave is beautiful, but if you hope to preserve its image anywhere but your mind, you are very much out of luck. Any efforts to photograph the area are met with disappointment. When taking a photograph, strange light orbs speckle the image, blurring out everything you hoped to view. Video has nearly the same effect; the image is always blurred and catches only streaks of white orbs. Audio is distorted, replaced with an odd sound of heavy breathing and strange, whispered chanting. You can’t see the orbs naturally, but after bright photography, you can sometimes make out their fading shapes in front of you. Maybe it’s just the water vapor in the air, or small bugs making a quick escape. If you take too many photographs or disrupt the area too much, you may be the unfortunate victim of sudden cold spells, as if small, icy orbs are pelting your body; it feels like an ice cube pressed against your skin.
As far as Malory was concerned, the emergence of an underground mystery cemetery was the best thing to happen to Destiny City since he'd decided to grace it with his presence for high school. And what could be better than combining two blessings together? Luckily he was able to grab Mina for a weekend adventure/photoshoot to monopolize the place a little before the it got swarmed with tourists in the form of influencers.
Today he was in the crisp, yes flowing black of priest's cassock, complete with collar and a centuries old rosary that probably shouldn't be used as part of a Halloween accessory. To say Malory had a different costume for every day of October would be incorrect, as days that included a party in the evening merited changing into a second costume. Mina, of course, was also required to be in costume for this jaunt. Because it was just funner that way and he liked getting to play dress up with her.
"...and so now the French Lit, Art History, and Socioeconomics love triangle has expanded into a love square after the Physics TA decided to get her sticky little fingers involved. She's absolutely doing it for the drama, and I'm a real fan of her work."
Chatting and idly swinging his censer, Malory picked his way down the "secret" path past all the ineffective measures the city put up to prevent people from entering the cavern.
Sara Draconia
Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2023 3:18 pm
It had taken her a bit longer than normal to get her costume on and adjusted, it had been awhile since she had sewn something that was human-sized instead of doll-sized. Mal had told her to stay on theme for her costume but wanted to keep a bit close to her home turf so anime nun instead of a regular nun.
Now that she was walking next to the other, she was very much glad she had decided on boots instead of heels. "Oh gosh, that makes me wonder if the photography TA is in on something too. I don't really like saying stuff about others but like.... she always I mean always messes up the chemical baths for developing stuff. I had to like jerry-rig a setup in my bathroom at home to get my photos done for my project." It had bothered her a lot, because some of that stuff was super dangerous and had to be used with care. "I swear she's gonna kill someone on accident one of these days."
Adjusting her habit as she took a look around at the place, she felt a bit of a chill run up her spine. She never really liked graveyards or cemeteries but Mal seemed to know how to get in. "I brought all my gear so lighting and stuff should be good, I wasn't like exactttly sure what kind of vibe you would want to go for so I also brought my gel filters and stuff too. It's pretty creepy here though, are ya sure there isn't anyone else here yet? Like an undertaker or sumthin?" She was a bit nervous, she didn't really wanna get in trouble for being somewhere she shouldn't be, at least while she wasn't all magical. She really liked the scholarship she had and didn't wanna lose it for getting in trouble.
lizbot
Sara Draconia
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Posted: Fri Oct 27, 2023 9:15 pm
Hybris raised a hand to his mouth in a scandalized gasp. "That's terrible! Someone should really do something about her." Maybe he should find out if they had a boyfriend or girlfriend. And...have a little fun! Or perhaps he could add a little extra chemistry into this mix, up the ante on consequences. Something to distract her from messing up other people's work.
Giving Mina a smile, he asked, "What do you think of a sort of...haunted love? Pining over...maybe a witch I burned at the stake? Something a little sad...and thirsty. But like, in a soft way."
A casual glance around the area was followed by a carefree shrug. "If anybody bothers us, I'll power up and throw them into a mirror for the night." He gave a pleased little sigh, "It's so nice to have a sort of portable time-out corner for people."
The cemetery was lovely and lit so wonderfully with its glowing mushrooms. It'd be a challenge to capture that lighting with a camera, but he figured Mina would embrace the challenge.
Sara Draconia
Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2023 6:19 pm
Nodding back at him. "Yeah, I really want to be back in the school's development room. My whole place smells like chemicals and probably will for weeks." It was an annoyance but she couldn't risk her negatives getting messed up.
She was getting a bit embarrassed at the themes he was throwing out, she was still getting used to that kind of stuff with other photo jobs she had been taking up as of late. "I.... think I've got that, I def need some direction on that sorta stuff. I have some ideas for the lighting at least for that. Maybe burn that witch who took points off one of my photos because she said it wasn't real. Not my fault that the weird stuff in town is weird, doesn't mean it wasn't real." It would be something with mood lighting, not as harsh or cool colored so that there would be that dramatic bit Mal liked to play up.
"Oh god, what actually happens when you do that to people? Do they just get sent somewhere random or like?" There was a bit of a laugh though at the thought of it. She wasn't going to question where he was hiding a mirror big enough to throw someone through though. She knew she carried some big things in her subspace so who knew what Mal had in his?
Nudging some of the mushrooms as they walked, she took a few quick pictures of them to maybe bring in for credit for her photography class. "These are pretty neat, I wonder if they're here all year round or just for the season. They really would look cool as added mood lighting in the photos I think, maybe like the glow of a spirit from a long-lost lover. One of those spirit-orb things from the ghost hunter shows probably I think?"
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Sara Draconia
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Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2023 6:33 pm
"I think the Mirror just drains then and dumps randomly the next day," he nodded. "But they do come out, and don't seem to remember anything inconvenient about me, so it's a win for everyone!" How was that a win for the people finding themselves wherever and no real idea of how they got there? Malory would argue that is was an experience, the sort that could only be encountered by chance, lucky them!
Seeing a particularly gruesome statue, an angel with a missing face, he began to lounge against it, at first with his dramatic flair and then growing more subdued, getting into character. "We should do a ghost hunting show ourselves. Maybe for extra credit. I'm great at looking scared," he treated her to a horrified gasp, and went on, "...or pretending to be a psychic." His face turned calm, his posture more searching.
"And you can be the smart one, who knows how to set up cameras and take EMF readings."
Sara Draconia
Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2023 1:39 pm
It might be bad if someone woke up in a bad spot after getting thrown out of a mirror but at least it didn't kill anyone. She was just a bit conflicted about it but it would be better than having to deal with a fight or something. She also knew that the mirror space was full of weird crap that was a bit more dangerous than she had bargained for when she joined up so it was good that normies wouldn't remember it.
Taking a moment to snap a few test photos of Mal and the statue, she made sure to play with the settings to get things just right for when the real photos started. "I think that would be super fun and extra credit is something I am always looking for." Jumping a little when he gasped, she almost punched him. "Ah don't do that while I've got the camera out! Even if you are good at it, jeez." Snapping another photo she looked at the results on the screen, her brow furrowing as she tried to figure out what was in the photo by them.
"So uh.. that's weird, not you but look at this?" Turning the camera so he could see to, there was a weird little white ring or spot half transparent where the missing face of the angel was. "I think I should have brought that EMF, or a spirit box." Ghosts were really real right? Maybe it was another senshi's wraith or something.
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Sara Draconia
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Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2023 4:23 pm
The little jump and reprimand had Malory grinning, all too smug with his success. It was short lived, though, when he saw what was on the screen. Each photo unusable?
"Maybe it's just dust?" Weren't orbs usually that sort of thing? But that didn't explain the blur across his own features, particularly when small bits of the background remained sharply in focus. Just enough make the smudge of his face all the more...wrong.
Dismayed, Malory suggested, "Let's try a different spot."
Nearby, they found a little area, surrounded by bushes and trees, a large, ornate cross marking the grave at its center. It was full of the glowing mushrooms and was particularly enchanting. Leaning down, Malory wrapped his arms around the cross like a lover, fingers sliding down and into its graceful crevices.
Sara Draconia
Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2023 6:17 pm
Pulling out a lens wipe from the band on her habit, she cleaned her camera as they walked to the next area. The mushrooms were all over now, glowing in the dark. "Cleaned my cam just in case, gosh these mushrooms are cool though." It would be kind of sad if she couldn't get anything usable from this night, Mal was super awesome at posing. He had a lot more confidence about this kinda stuff than she ever had but it was fun either way.
"I'm gonna try a few things so hold that pose okay?" First, she took a few photos a bit farther back, using zoom. Maybe she'd been too close last time and something had gotten on the lens. Next, she came in close and half laid on the ground to get a good angle up towards the other using one of her handheld lights to add some lighting to his face. It added a bit of solemness to him she thought. Just as good measure, she got back up and tried taking a photo with her phone. She was determined at this point to get a good photo. Her face was serious as she got into the zone of taking photos, going through all the various settings and things she would need to adjust between shots.
"Okay lemme check em now. You can move now." Sitting on the ground next to him, she looked through all the photos with an increasing level of annoyance on her face. "Ugh what the heck, there are all sorts of different weird things going on." Turning the camera to him so he could see, she looked at the ones on her phone. There was almost an afterimage over Mal's face in that one as if there was another face trying to cover theirs. "Oh yea, this is weird as can be."
That was when she felt a weird cold chill hit her almost like someone got her with a frozen paintball. It made her jump a bit before looking around to see where it had come from.
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Sara Draconia
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Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2023 9:16 pm
Mina being so intent and serious while taking his photos was just as, if not more, wonderful as Hela beating up monsters to protect him. He could really just watch her (and enjoy the benefits) all day! But the satisfied feeling ebbed away as her expression grew irritated over the results. Again?
Cupping his hands around the camera, fingers covering her own, he frowned downed at the image preview. Previews. They were all bad, especially, "Well that's just rude!" How dare some ghost or whatever try to cover his face with theirs! Only he was allowed to cover his face with other people's!
Feeling her hand tense and shiver under his own, Malory almost gave her a flirty, playful smile but looking at her face. Oh...no, that wasn't her typical shyness, was it? "What happened?"
Sara Draconia
Posted: Sun Dec 03, 2023 10:31 pm
It was rude, she hated it when photos didn't turn out and she'd done all the troubleshooting that would solve most problems but she was quickly getting the idea that maybe this wasn't a run-of-the-mill problem. Exactly what it was she couldn't be sure but it probably had something to do with how this city was a magnet for weird things.
"So uh, don't freak out but... like I think something touched me and it was really cold. I don't think whatever it was likes people messing around here. I hope it's just another senshi or something but I'm getting a bit nervous. You said we can just kind of throw someone through a mirror if it's a senshi or just someone playing a prank right?"
Looking around, she tried finding the source of the cold as another ping hit her in the side of the face, making her teeth chatter for a moment from how cold it was. It was like getting hit with hail, which hadn't happened to her since before she got to the city. It made her jump a bit more as she pulled a hand up to her face to try and warm up the cold spot.
Was this ghosts? Like honest to god ghosts?
The thought gave her the heebie-jeebies as she looked back down at the previews on her camera and tried to make sense of them. Most of them just had like orbs or blips of lit string on them, stuff like she'd seen on those ghost hoax shows. They could be waved away as just things floating in the air and catching her flash but the face, that weird freaky face, couldn't have gotten on there normally and nobody had tampered with her camera.
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Sara Draconia
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Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2023 1:57 pm
"A senshi?" Mal lowered his voice, brows scrunching together as his eyes flitted around the area. Shifting uncomfortably, he reasoned, "I'd rather it be an actual ghost playing pranks. That would be cute." Senshi who also played pranks could be cute, too. But maybe they'd want to fight with them, which was very uncute, in his opinion.
Since the pictures weren't turning out, which was the whole point of the night's venture, he gave a gusty, dramatic sigh and finally gave up for the moment, "Let's leave and do a few shots outside of the cave. Make sure they haven't permanently damaged your camera or cursed my face." He touched his cheek with an anguished expression.
