whiteshroud | HOLY GROUP CHAT

I was contacted by Yagami Light-kun in Hitchcock house regarding a book he stole from the inside of the building holding the well. I previously inspected a coffee mug that Yagami-kun received shortly after his arrival and found only a trace left behind by someone very powerful, who'd handled the mug with a lot of affection. The book hosted a shadowy presence that was trying to reach out to Yagami-kun. I managed to seal it, but there are still traces of that presence around him. My guess is that the book was serving as a conduit for a spirit that's housed somewhere else, potentially one that's focused heavily on Yagami-kun (for his intrusion or the theft of the book?). I'm doing what I can to install some protections here but it might be worth a visit to the well by some of us with spiritual sight.

Has anyone else run into any items with auras visible on them? If that's something you're typically able to see, I suppose.

[ Whoa, Natori is a legit exorcist who knew. ]

Oh, good work Natori!

I can help if you need additional seals if you need them. I haven't run across any items that I could detect anything from yet, but I could've just missed them.

Do you think the book always had a shadowy presence in it, or did it come because Yagami's theft?

Thank you ✨✨✨ Did you doubt me?

Additional seals may be a good idea. It was more powerful than I'd expected it to be, and I don't think having two could hurt. It'd probably be even stronger due to how different our techniques are.

Re: the presence, I can't tell. He described an immediate reaction when he tried to turn away with the book that makes me think that there was either something keeping an eye on him that only chose to act when it was clear that he was going to take it, or that it triggered some trap within the book itself when he grabbed it. I'd have a better idea if he had called me later, ironically. It'd be easier to tell if it had been stronger.

The book did have auras similar to the mug on it in addition to the presence-- traces left behind by the people who recorded data in it. One of them was the same as the one on the mug.

I wouldn't have invited you here if I truly did.

Understood. Just tell me when and where to go, and I'll be there.

Interesting. I suppose it's impossible to tell for sure without more evidence. [Making a mental note about it though] But is there anything significant about the mug or the book that'd justify such presences being attached to them?

✨❤✨❤✨

The mug was less an active presence and more of an imprint left behind-- I see it occasionally back home when someone with extremely high innate spiritual abilities handles an object that's receptive to it. Yagami-kun believes there's some meaning behind who received which items, but he didn't go into the specifics. It felt like it was chosen specifically for him-- maybe even made for him. (Also it changes color and reveals chess pieces when you add hot water to it.)

The book was a maintenance log from the well going back decades. There were multiple auras left on it, including the same one from the mug with less emotion. It's a significant enough item that I wouldn't rule out the idea that someone installed a trap in it.

[ he's been quietly watching their back-and-forth for a bit... ]

Please be careful, alright? This sounds like Mr. Light might have unintentionally gotten on someone's bad side... if they cared enough to lay a trap on the book, it's possible they might just come try to collect it themselves, right?

I think it's possible. I'm going to put up wards in the house, but that's with the assumption that whatever it is is vulnerable to spiritual defenses. Yagami-kun described some effects that sound like they're based in something supernatural, but it'd be dangerous to rely on that. I'm sure any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Mm, I have to agree with you, Father. If the presence is there after we put on additional seals and defenses, we should probably consider returning the book to the well.

Destroying it is also an option if needed...but I worry about that unleashing whatever's in those pages onto the town.

It sounds like a safe bet to me; I much rather err on the side of caution than take any risks with this sort of thing!

But I will defer to your expertise here, Mr. Natori - Mr. Jun! I'm afraid I'm a bit out of my element when the supernatural are involved, but I'm more than happy to keep an eye on Mr. Light's residence for now.

It seems like he might take you up on that, Father! He mentioned reaching out to you once we're done here. If you want to sell him on Jun-chan's powers while you're at it, I won't be offended ✨

That aside, has anyone come across a situation where you forget names that you've just read in documents in town? It's happening for both Yagami-kun and I, so whatever it is probably isn't a regular spell. He says it happens in the clinic as well.

Not me just yet. What do you mean "forget"? Like, the memory isn't there, or its there and its hard to reach?

The memory's not there. I tried reading it out loud and still neither of us could remember the name as soon as I was done saying it.

Maybe a spell tied directly to the name? To make it impossible to remember.

Someone wants to stay hidden, it seems.

Yeah, I'd say so. None of the memory spells back in my world are that advanced, but this wouldn't be the first time this place has outpaced my world.

I wonder if there's a way around it...maybe using another magic spell against it?

[a few minutes later...]

Someone REALLY wants to stay hidden. One of them physically hurt when we read it.

[To Hansa:]

Possibly. I'd need a sample of their magic source before attempting to make a counter spell though.

[....Natori....]

Are you two okay?

Just a passing headache. Thank you for your concern, Jun-chan ✨

The log book may have traces of whatever I sealed on it, but according to Yagami-kun trying to read doctor's records left behind in the clinic next to the grocery store also triggers the same effect (of forgetting, not pain!) It might be a better place for experimentation.

[ he has been quietly reading all this for a bit; he has NOTHING HELPFUL until the topic abruptly becomes this trainwreck ]

Miss Doll said we had met before, but trying to remember would only cause pain.

Memories that have been tampered with... maybe they trigger a painful reaction? Maybe these are names we've heard before? Or names of people in power we aren't meant to remember.

Doll said that?

[....]

In that case, it might be best to leave it be for now. It's likely a security measure for their group, and learning some names isn't worthwhile enough to jeopardize our working relationship.

We met before? That's odd.

Yeah, what Jun said. I wouldn't mess too heavy into it, but if they're keeping things from us, maybe its best we find a workaround in our own time.

HOLY GROUP CHAT

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