HPU:Applegate

xhunterko · Post by **xhunterko** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 3:02 pm

Miles rubbed his paws together as hard as he could to try and make them warm. He hovered one over her shoulder, not touching even though it might be warm enough.

"Your welcome, I'm glad I didn't leave my girlfriend with kittens then," he said, "We were in the middle of planning them when I died in a car wreck." He looked at the wall, distant.

"So, you like to draw?" Miles asked.

kurowolfe · Post by **kurowolfe** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 8:38 pm

The effort Miles was making to calm her made the smile on Grace's face more genuine, and there was a little bit of warmth that she had felt before the usual cold front replaced it.

"Must have been hard for both of you. Is she--" she started. However, Miles had already asking the same question he'd asked before this, and sensed that he did not want to talk about it. So she followed suit.

"--yeah, I love drawing, and art in general. It's a way for me to show everyone how I see the world. You know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. I especially love it when children see my illustrations in the story books that Timmy and I create together and immerse themselves into the story more." She released herself from her hug, and giggled. "You know, I'm glad I was not injured in the accident apart from losing my litter, because I'd be crushed if I can't draw anymore."

"How about you? Do you have a hobby or passion?" she asked, not actually realizing the nature of the question.

Wed Jan 01, 2014 10:32 pm

valerio wrote:
RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:"And what neighbors are those?" Buster asked as he followed the rat.
Pat pointed with his thumb at thin air. "*Those* neighbors."
The mortal eye couldn't see anything of course, but just as Hubert's spectral light illuminated them while moving, the pale figures of men and women and animals appeared. And they were all looking at the newcomers with hostile eyes. Standing there. Immobile.
Janus' tail went way between his legs as he held at Buster for dear life.
"Fear not," Hubert said. "They are but pale shadows, reflection of what they were. You would be in danger only if you were medium, prone to be possessed."

Tara tilted her head. "Maybe we should get to helping Grace soon, then."

xhunterko · Post by **xhunterko** » Wed Jan 01, 2014 11:10 pm

ooc: How bad is it that you forget a part about a character's back story and can't find it so you retcon something??? Unless someone else remembers and can find the exact date.

ic:

Miles lifted his hand away as he smiled.

"I died around 10-20 years ago, so no, she's not around still if you were asking," Miles said, "But, I've been able to travel a lot. And I like to read."

valerio · Post by **valerio** » Thu Jan 02, 2014 2:50 am

RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:Tara tilted her head. "Maybe we should get to helping Grace soon, then."

Hubert switched to thought-speech. <I perceive...urgence. Do you think there is an imminent danger concerning that mortal?"

kurowolfe · Post by **kurowolfe** » Fri Jan 03, 2014 9:43 am

xhunterko wrote:Miles lifted his hand away as he smiled.

"I died around 10-20 years ago, so no, she's not around still if you were asking," Miles said, "But, I've been able to travel a lot. And I like to read."

"I-I see," Grace stated. She was not expecting Miles to say it that bluntly. "That means you're older than me, that's surprising."
Adjusting her scarf, she asked, "So, what kind of books do you like to read? I like Hemmingway and John Grisham. Oh, and Enid Blyton, she's a big influence in both our works."

hypernovatic · Post by **hypernovatic** » Fri Jan 03, 2014 9:56 am

Seth wrote:Gage had spent most of the day hanging around his house reading and watching movies while his owners were in the next town shopping for the new house. But he was begining to get bored and decided to head over to Gordie's for a bite to eat. When he got there he noticed Serenade and some other new pets he didn't recognize sitting at one of the tables. Well I guess I should go say hi at least. I don't need to be rude. He walked up to the table rubbing the spot where his missing ear had been and trying not to let his nerves show. "Hey Serenade, how's it going?

Lyn noticed the new pet. "Hi. I'm Lyn." he introduced.

xhunterko · Post by **xhunterko** » Fri Jan 03, 2014 10:20 am

Miles's ears dropped with a sheepish look on his face.

"Mostly I just like sci-fi," he said, "But generally I'll wander in a bookstore or library and pick something I haven't seen yet. You read Dune?"

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Fri Jan 03, 2014 5:52 pm

sunauto wrote: Looking up at the other pet his ears perked slightly "You two know each other I take it? I'm Riley by the way, nice to meet you. Oh and feel free to join us, we are just trying to um settle down a bit."

hypernovatic wrote:Hey Serenade, how's it going?

Lyn noticed the new pet. "Hi. I'm Lyn." he introduced.[/quote]

"Well it's nice to meet everyone, but I didn't mean to impose, you guys don't have to invite me to sit with you or anything if you're in the middle of something..." he trailed off waiting for some sort of response that would tell him if he was eating dinner alone or not.

Post by **Serence Frostbite** » Fri Jan 03, 2014 7:25 pm

Seth wrote: "Well it's nice to meet everyone, but I didn't mean to impose, you guys don't have to invite me to sit with you or anything if you're in the middle of something..." he trailed off waiting for some sort of response that would tell him if he was eating dinner alone or not.

"It's alright , you can come join us if you want , the more the merrier , we were just....well , settling down a bit after something , like Riley here just said . So what brings you here ?"

Sat Jan 04, 2014 2:30 am

valerio wrote:<I perceive...urgence. Do you think there is an imminent danger concerning that mortal?"

well we're surrounded by things that are dangerous to people prone to possession, and we have someone nearby who's prone to possession. Tara thought back. Seems to me we should probably do something about that.

valerio · Post by **valerio** » Sat Jan 04, 2014 4:22 am

RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:well we're surrounded by things that are dangerous to people prone to possession, and we have someone nearby who's prone to possession. Tara thought back. Seems to me we should probably do something about that.

<I see what you mean. But there is no danger, not as long as our acquaintance stays away from this place. The shades you see are too weak to leave the borders of this location. As for protecting the others...Hunter?>
Under the aethereal scrutiny of Tara and Hubert, Janus turned, revealing the cruel grin and the cruel eyes of his other side. <You speak right, dragon: These pathetic things are too scared of *me* to try and getting any closer to us. I'll make sure no one hurts Buster. I know it would hurt *us* as well. And we don't want that. He's my mate as well."

xhunterko · Post by **xhunterko** » Sat Jan 04, 2014 4:25 am

Miles felt a chill at that moment go down his spine and looked out the nearest window for only a moment. He wondered if Grace felt anything as well.

kurowolfe · Post by **kurowolfe** » Sat Jan 04, 2014 1:18 pm

xhunterko wrote:Miles's ears dropped with a sheepish look on his face.

"Mostly I just like sci-fi," he said, "But generally I'll wander in a bookstore or library and pick something I haven't seen yet. You read Dune?"

"No, can't say I have. Is it good? I'd love to expand my reading repertoire of books and novels."
The ermine then noticed the small shiver Miles was showing. "You okay? Is it too cold? I would usually serve hot Chinese tea to our guests, but seeing you're-- erm, yeah."

Funnily enough, she did not feel anything this time around.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Sun Jan 05, 2014 12:34 am

serence ice fox wrote:
Seth wrote: "Well it's nice to meet everyone, but I didn't mean to impose, you guys don't have to invite me to sit with you or anything if you're in the middle of something..." he trailed off waiting for some sort of response that would tell him if he was eating dinner alone or not.
"It's alright , you can come join us if you want , the more the merrier , we were just....well , settling down a bit after something , like Riley here just said . So what brings you here ?"

Gage shrugged and took a seat. "Well I just came here to get a bite to eat. I've been at home most of the day just sort of bumming around. Mom and Dad are out in the next town shopping but that isn't really my thing so.....here I am."

Post by **Serence Frostbite** » Sun Jan 05, 2014 9:07 pm

Seth wrote: Gage shrugged and took a seat. "Well I just came here to get a bite to eat. I've been at home most of the day just sort of bumming around. Mom and Dad are out in the next town shopping but that isn't really my thing so.....here I am."

"Oh I see . Well , at least you still had a relaxing day I hope" Serenade said "We did have some food here just now , but it was kind of stressful , with the Deputy , and the whole......just so many things happened in today you know" she ended with a sigh

xhunterko · Post by **xhunterko** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 7:59 am

Miles's mind turned back to the ermine. He decided to pass it off as nothing.

He shrugged.

"Eh, it's nothing. But how could you not have read it?! It's only one of THE great science fiction classics!" He said.

kurowolfe · Post by **kurowolfe** » Mon Jan 06, 2014 11:52 am

Grace giggled. "Aiya, as I had said ah, I would like to expand my reading repertoire, because I'm not a big fan of science fiction. I must be missing out on something, seeing how extreme your reaction is!"

sunauto · Post by **sunauto** » Tue Jan 07, 2014 1:27 pm

serence ice fox wrote:
Seth wrote: Gage shrugged and took a seat. "Well I just came here to get a bite to eat. I've been at home most of the day just sort of bumming around. Mom and Dad are out in the next town shopping but that isn't really my thing so.....here I am."
"Oh I see . Well , at least you still had a relaxing day I hope" Serenade said "We did have some food here just now , but it was kind of stressful , with the Deputy , and the whole......just so many things happened in today you know" she ended with a sigh

Riley nods his head quickly in agreement before raising his hand paws in the air and wiggling his fingers like he's about to tell a scary story. "What she is trying to say is there was an incident of the ghostly sort, although I think I remember a movie about someone you could call about that or something." Was it ghost dusters? No that didn't sound right to him, oh well there was a number you could call.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 6:37 am

sunauto wrote:
serence ice fox wrote:
Seth wrote: Gage shrugged and took a seat. "Well I just came here to get a bite to eat. I've been at home most of the day just sort of bumming around. Mom and Dad are out in the next town shopping but that isn't really my thing so.....here I am."
"Oh I see . Well , at least you still had a relaxing day I hope" Serenade said "We did have some food here just now , but it was kind of stressful , with the Deputy , and the whole......just so many things happened in today you know" she ended with a sigh
Riley nods his head quickly in agreement before raising his hand paws in the air and wiggling his fingers like he's about to tell a scary story. "What she is trying to say is there was an incident of the ghostly sort, although I think I remember a movie about someone you could call about that or something." Was it ghost dusters? No that didn't sound right to him, oh well there was a number you could call.

"Yeah that threw me for a loop at first too. I'm not sure why this place is such a hotbed for that kind of thing. Which one did you meet?"

Post by **Serence Frostbite** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 7:13 am

Seth wrote: "Yeah that threw me for a loop at first too. I'm not sure why this place is such a hotbed for that kind of thing. Which one did you meet?"

"well we......actually we didn't meet anyo-ghost yet" Serenade answered , almost said "anyone" instead of "any ghost" , it's true that she met Miles and Tara earlier in the morning , and Jessie and Lynn have met Tara and Hubert as well , but Riley hadn't met anyone yet , he did met Miles , but he didn't know Miles is a ghost , and she didn't want to get anymore panic going on right after that
"there was another one of us,Grace , an ermine , but she suddenly panic and apparently got possessed by some sort of spirit , so...."

xhunterko · Post by **xhunterko** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 8:01 am

"It's really spectacular! There's games, and movies about it too!" Miles said.

Hey! Hey Hubert, can we include Grace in our training? Or some of it? To help her? He thought to the spirit dragon.

valerio · Post by **valerio** » Wed Jan 08, 2014 8:08 am

xhunterko wrote:"It's really spectacular! There's games, and movies about it too!" Miles said.
Hey! Hey Hubert, can we include Grace in our training? Or some of it? To help her? He thought to the spirit dragon.

kurowolfe · Post by **kurowolfe** » Thu Jan 09, 2014 10:58 am

xhunterko wrote:"It's really spectacular! There's games, and movies about it too!" Miles said.

Grace raised one eyebrow. "Movies huh? I'd better read the book first then. You know what they say, don't judge a book by its movie, and I've seen some rather horrible movie adaptations of novels that were actually quite good." A pause, then the ermine continued. "It's taking your spirit friends a while. They doing okay, you think?"

xhunterko · Post by **xhunterko** » Thu Jan 09, 2014 5:21 pm

"No, they're playing leave the cat with awaiting hopeful, give me a minute," he said.

You know she's actually waiting for us to start something NOW you know. Miles thought irritatingly to Hubert.

"Still though, would you like to train with us as well? It'd be neat to have some sort of class going on," he said.

kurowolfe · Post by **kurowolfe** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:46 pm

"Hopeful meaning you're a successor of some sort?" Grace asked. She didn't really get what Miles meant by that.

Her ears perked up by the mention of training though. "You mean, train how to deal with me being prime medium material? And being in a class with ghosts? Sure, I wouldn't want to miss it for the world!" It'd be a new experience, and she wanted to be in control of her cards this time, instead of letting Timmy do all the dirty work.

hypernovatic · Post by **hypernovatic** » Fri Jan 10, 2014 6:17 pm

serence ice fox wrote:"well we......actually we didn't meet anyo-ghost yet" Serenade answered , almost said "anyone" instead of "any ghost" , it's true that she met Miles and Tara earlier in the morning , and Jessie and Lynn have met Tara and Hubert as well , but Riley hadn't met anyone yet , he did met Miles , but he didn't know Miles is a ghost , and she didn't want to get anymore panic going on right after that
"there was another one of us,Grace , an ermine , but she suddenly panic and apparently got possessed by some sort of spirit , so...."

"Yeah, it was really scary." Lyn agreed.

xhunterko · Post by **xhunterko** » Sat Jan 11, 2014 8:32 am

"Oh good, I'll let our instructor know," Miles said.

Hey Hubert, she said yes to the idea! Miles thought to Hubert.

valerio · Post by **valerio** » Sun Jan 12, 2014 9:29 am

<That is excellent,> came the answer. <I will be with you in a moment...> and pronto, the ethereal dragon appeared before them.

Seth · Post by **Seth** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 3:25 am

serence ice fox wrote:
Seth wrote: "Yeah that threw me for a loop at first too. I'm not sure why this place is such a hotbed for that kind of thing. Which one did you meet?"
"well we......actually we didn't meet anyo-ghost yet" Serenade answered , almost said "anyone" instead of "any ghost" , it's true that she met Miles and Tara earlier in the morning , and Jessie and Lynn have met Tara and Hubert as well , but Riley hadn't met anyone yet , he did met Miles , but he didn't know Miles is a ghost , and she didn't want to get anymore panic going on right after that
"there was another one of us,Grace , an ermine , but she suddenly panic and apparently got possessed by some sort of spirit , so...."

"Well that sounds like some nasty business. Is everyone ok? " Gage didn't want to reveal too much and cause a panic but he was going to make sure he got some kind of information about this. He didn't want to even think about what would happen if "The Hunter" he had dealt with earleir was making a mess of things again. This sounded like a different matter entirely but it couldn't hurt to pry a little.....

Post by **Serence Frostbite** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 4:20 am

Seth wrote: "Well that sounds like some nasty business. Is everyone ok? " Gage didn't want to reveal too much and cause a panic but he was going to make sure he got some kind of information about this. He didn't want to even think about what would happen if "The Hunter" he had dealt with earleir was making a mess of things again. This sounded like a different matter entirely but it couldn't hurt to pry a little.....

"yes , luckily no one got hurt , Grace's owner came in just in time and somehow stopped the possession .After that he took her home ,we were thinking about checking up on her actually , would you like to come ?"

kurowolfe · Post by **kurowolfe** » Mon Jan 13, 2014 10:37 am

xhunterko wrote:"Oh good, I'll let our instructor know," Miles said.

Hey Hubert, she said yes to the idea! Miles thought to Hubert.

valerio wrote:<That is excellent,> came the answer. <I will be with you in a moment...> and pronto, the ethereal dragon appeared before them.

"Wow, that was fast woh!" Grace giggled. "Hello again... erm... yeah, Hubert. Sorry, I'm still trying to wrap my head around things here."

A glance at both of them, and she spoke, "So Hubert, you're the sifu? I guess this means you're also the master to the spirits around these parts-kah?"

((OOC: sifu means teacher/instructor in Mandarin and Cantonese. Just wanna try out my own Mandarin knowledge ;p ))

valerio · Post by **valerio** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 11:29 am

"Yes, I will be your instructor for the time being, until you will be ready to properly interact with the world of beyond. But no, I am not the ruling entity hereabout, altough I can claim I possess a finest mastery in the arcane arts."

xhunterko · Post by **xhunterko** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 11:35 am

"So, what shall we start with her first? Maybe oh I dunno, some defense?" Miles said in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"But really I'm loving this," he said.

valerio · Post by **valerio** » Tue Jan 14, 2014 11:48 am

"First, I would like to know from you, Grace, what caused your relationship with the beyond to come to be."

kurowolfe · Post by **kurowolfe** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:45 am

valerio wrote:"Yes, I will be your instructor for the time being, until you will be ready to properly interact with the world of beyond. But no, I am not the ruling entity hereabout, altough I can claim I possess a finest mastery in the arcane arts."

"I see, it does seem like you're the leader among them, with the way you carry yourself," Grace stated.

valerio wrote:"First, I would like to know from you, Grace, what caused your relationship with the beyond to come to be."

"Erm, well...." The ermine sat back down on the couch and rubbed under her chin with one paw. "You see ah, I'm not exactly sure woh, but I do know that the memory loss episodes started around the time after my husband's death." If she was feeling sad at this revelation, it was not shown in her expression, as neutral as it was, with the slightest hint of a smile.

She continued, "Since then, I noticed that there would be several occasions where I would wake up and my partner Timmy would be close-by, tending to me. He never really said anything much, other than bad feng shui and a weak body. I just accepted those explanation as being possible though, since my uterus is still recovering from the trauma and I was told that I have some bad luck lingering around me or something like that when I visited a feng shui master back in Penang. It's a Chinese thing."

She placed her paws on her lap, and glanced at the both of them. "So yeah, that's basically it. Maybe all these are related to my apparent sensitivity to spirits? Because of the memory loss issue."

She stopped, and thought for a while. "Hmm, come to think of it, Timmy had instigated some sort of protective barrier around this house, to keep the bad luck and spirits away and to keep me safe." Looking at them both again, she chuckled. "Guess Chinese repellent incantations wouldn't work on those not under the Buddhist faith and jurisdiction. Either that, or you two are not malevolent spirits, and these charms are only supposed to work on them. Like these."

The ermine opened her yellow scarf, and further opened it up to show the folded inside. Once opened, these symbols can be seen:

Each of them were drawn using black ink side by side, and bordered by a red rectangle also drawn from ink.

xhunterko · Post by **xhunterko** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 1:45 am

"Neat! I've seen a lot of 'spirit protection' things in my time but nothing like that yet," Miles said, "If they were really sensitive and did things in overdrive, I just left them alone. Not that any of them worked, mind you, it was just me. What do you think of those Hubert?"

valerio · Post by **valerio** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 8:00 am

The spiritual dragon nodded. "Crude seals, but these and the wards around your house will do against lesser threats. But we need also something to help you move outside with a modicum of protection. Here." He looked up, and the air lit up with roaring white flaming bursts! A moment later, a small jade tablet landed on the ermine's lap, together with...a box. A glossy wooden box with jade inscriptions wrapped by a rampaging serpentine dragon. The tablet also showed the same kind of carvings, and at a closer look, the jade was surrounded by a frame of the same wood that made the box.
"The tablet is a more efficient ward, carry it on yourself on each and every occasion. It will made teaching less...dangerous. And now, open the box. It contains your first tools to learn."

kurowolfe · Post by **kurowolfe** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 1:22 pm

"Err, what--whoa!" Grace was taken by surprise by the sudden flash of white flames, and shielded her eyes from the glare with her arms. She was starting to feel afraid again, when the 'thunk' on her lap snapped her out of it. Lowering her arms slowly, the ermine looked at her lap to see two objects, one on top of another. She picked up the one on top, and her eyes widen in awe. In her paws was a beautiful jade-and-wood amulet:

What struck her as awesome though was the golden Chinese characters embossed in the jade tablet. She ran one finger across each character. They were traditional Chinese characters, and she had a little difficulty reading each of them.

"Diào, yòng, tián... lōng, mì féng... 'Invoking the name within the seal of the Heavenly Dragon'. Woah..."

She was even more dumbfounded when she examined the other object, an ornate and intricately carved wooden box. The wood was not like anything she had ever seen in her life. The fierce dragon wood carving circling the sides of the box was beautiful, and the top of the box was very intricate as well:

"Báo hù lōng shùn xù," she read the inscription carved onto the jade insert on the top, more confidently this time. "The Order of the Dragon Ward..."

She barely heard the real-life dragon talking to her as she opened the box gingerly, almost as if she was afraid to spoil the box. Inside, she saw something that looked like a plectrum worn on the hand, a wooden sword and some hell money and incense. She couldn't really understand the function of each of them, since she was not that into Buddhism artifacts or implements, but she could feel that each of them were very significant and powerful.

The ermine closed the box again, and faced Hubert, with the look of a child in wonderment. "How... how did you manage to get all these? And you actually know about the power of the Tiánlōng?"

((OOC: Translation- Tiánlōng -> Heavenly Dragon, a prominent Chinese celestial dragon in charge of the sky
Also, my apologies for the poor quality of the images. I tried to depict the two items as accurately as possible, but my Photoshopping skill is really basic /orz))

valerio · Post by **valerio** » Wed Jan 15, 2014 4:14 pm

(OOC: You did a finest job, my sincere appreciation, Kuro!)
"Bilocation is one of the first basic talents I learnt while in life, my child. As for the amulet, the box and its contents, they all come from a secret temple of that Order I attended in my mortal existence. The wood is Bodhi tree, carved from the actual tree where Buddha used to sit before achieving enlightment. It is a most revered material, you are asked to take care of it with outmost reverence.
"The plectrum will serve you to practice in the fine art of Fuji, what mortals of this country call 'automatic writing'. It will help you contact the Beyond and write their words without being possessed, thank to the amulet. This will be your first stage in mastering your arts.
"The Hell Money will serve to buy your safety from the greedy spirits in the second part of our lessons, the Yum Si Lou, during which you will walk through the Beyond.
"And finally, and only when you are ready to defend yourself from the most powerful forces, the peach wood sword carved in the wood from Long Mountain will serve you well. Although this last tool is more related to the Taoism, its power will not interfere with your soul." After a short pause, Hubert added, "Tianlong and I became...good friends before I was finally brought to the higher plane of existence, and it was her who guided me into being what I am." There was no mistaking the slight wag of his tail tip and the sudden change in his blue hue that went through the body.
---

RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:Tara tilted her head. "Maybe we should get to helping Grace soon, then."

<Aw, c'mon!> absurdly as it seemed, The Hunter almost looked sheepish as he spoke. <Where's your sense of adventure? now that this pup is growing some guts, you should encourage him, not scare him off.>
<I can be at both places at the same time, Tara,> Hubert added. <Byt if you wish to leave...>