audio

[bufus]

Who; Mitsuru+OTA
What; Story and wandering
Where; Network and Market
When; August 19th and later
Warnings; None at the moment

A. Network Post

I heard a story once quite a long time ago that took place in the Mannenji temple in Iwamizawa. The story is allegedly about the haunted Okiku doll, a doll with hair that actually grows as if it were alive. According to those that tell the tale the doll belonged to a child named Okiku who sadly passed away. The family had desperately wished to bury their child with the doll but it wasn't allowed. The doll was instead placed on an alter meant to celebrate the life their daughter had lost.

Strangely though, the doll's hair began to grow. That was not the only strange occurrence that the doll would produce though. Some would claim that they began to dream of the doll and when they awoke it was there, watching them. Lights began to flicker, thuds could be heard throughout the home, and a strange small voice could be heard calling out in the night.

Eventually the family gave her to the Mannenji temple to take care of, hoping this would calm her. It's done quite the opposite though, instead it seems her powers are growing and it's alleged that she invades even the dreams of the priests. Giving them, and any who come to see her, terrible nightmares. There's even been claims that she's begun to sprout little baby teeth inside her porcelain mouth.

Fascinatingly enough it's become a popular, and well known, tourist attraction. Though I've never been and I'm not certain why I felt the need to share this...

[ What a strange thing to be going around.... ]

B. Log

Mitsuru was exhausted. Not that she particularly wished to admit to that to anyone. In fact, she was trying her best to completely avoid admitting any such thing to anyone. For starters, admitting to it would be admitting to the strange nightmares she'd been having that seemed to directly reflect the story she'd found herself compelled to tell. Admitting that would also mean admitting to the fact that she could have sworn she'd awoken several times lately to see that exact doll she'd been describing sitting near her. Each time she was certain it's hair was longer and it looked more...human. Even worse than that was the general feeling of malice that the doll brought with it.

Mitsuru wasn't afraid of ghosts but...

Well, perhaps it was putting her just a bit on edge. Though, she tried her best to convince herself that she was just imagining things, it was only due to the long hours she was working without taking proper breaks. Or proper care of herself at all. It certainly couldn't be that her story had brought some haunted doll to this place could it?

She sighed and let out a large yawn as she walked out of the tavern. The exhaustion had almost completely crept up on her as she started the trek towards her building, yawning along the way and not paying close enough attention to anyone else that might be walking. If she happened to bump into someone she dipped her head in an apology.

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I didn't see you there."

Comments

[bufus]

Occasionally I wonder if anything truly is from this world in the first place.

Where do you think we should begin were we to check it out?

[castoredux]

I don't know.

[But he's got an idea where to start.]

You notice anything weird before you needed to tell your story?

[bufus]

A persistent and unavoidable urge to tell it. As well as...some sort of presence. I'm not entirely certain what it was though...it simply felt as though I was not alone.

[castoredux]

This you could find it, if you let Artemisia do the heavy lifting?

[bufus]

I could try but...[ I'm so very tired, that was what she briefly thought of saying but she didn't quite want to admit to that. Not with him of all people, particularly not when part of the reason she was tired was she was trying to earn money to buy something for him. ] I'm not nearly as good as Fuuka.

[castoredux]

[He doesn't say anything for a moment before nodding. She wasn't, her Persona's strengths lay in different areas, but that wasn't what was bothering her.

He wasn't going to force it, though.]

So we hoof it, then.

[bufus]

I suppose there are worse ideas. That is what we did back home...[ She paused for a second to yawn and then cleared her throat a bit. ] I could meet you tonight. We're both rather used to going about in the dark.

[castoredux]

Sure. I'll meet you out front after dark.

[A beat.]

Go take a nap.

[bufus]

I'll consider it.

[castoredux]

How 'bout I make you some lunch, then you take a nap?

[bufus]

I think we have more important things to do than have lunch and a nap right now, Shinjro. though, I do appreciate the concern.

[castoredux]

The last thing either of us needs to do is run on fumes. This is when we should rest and you know it. Go home. I'll make some food.

[bufus]

[ She sighs. ] Fine.

[castoredux]

[She really must have been exhausted if she was that willing to just listen to him.]

I won't be long.

[bufus]

[ She was, alas, not actually going to listen to him, and when he got back to find her in her place she would still be awake going over her a few books she'd brought in from the library. Each one seemed to be something to do with folklore. ]

[castoredux]

That ain't resting.

[It was spoken as a casual observation as he let himself in and made himself at home in the kitchen. It was the same way he observed everything, of course; no nonsense and pointing out what everyone else was too polite or considerate to.

His concern for Mitsuru's well-being went deeper than a concern for propriety, though, and he wasn't afraid to state facts.]

It ain't goin' anywhere.

[bufus]

That is, unfortunately, the problem....[ The words were said very softly but with a typical matter of fact Mitsuru tone to it. She tried to stifle a yawn as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. ]

I'll be fine, Shinjiro. [ Exhausted, but fine. Maybe. For now. ] I need to figure this out.

[castoredux]

[He knew her well enough to know there was no arguing with her when she'd put her mind to something. They were both stubborn like that and truth be told, he wouldn't change it for the world. As infuriating as it was, it was just one of the things that made her her.

He breathed a sigh before setting about to cook, sorting out the ingredients he'd brought along.]

Okay. Walk me through what you've got so far.

[bufus]

[ And she knew him well enough to know at this point there would be no getting rid of him now. He would insist on knowing what had happened and he would insist on helpig her in some way. ]

The doll from my story appeared. At first I was only seeing it out of the corner of my eyes, as though it were simply following me. After a few days though it started to come into my dreams, causing nightmares that have been keeping me up. I've been trying to figure out a way to contain it. [ At least she was always good at getting to the point. ]

[castoredux]

[And if she'd explained that from the beginning, he wouldn't have been insisting she get some sleep when he'd have known it would have been impossible. He frowned as he started to chop some garlic.]

Anybody else having problems like this?

[bufus]

This specific one? [ She put a hand up to stifle her yawn. ] No, at least not that I have heard. However, several people are reporting that they have encountered strange things after telling stories.