[FELID_FACTOR]

[skinstealer]

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Username: [SCRAP_GAZER]
Registered: 2-7-314
Pronouns: She/Her
Mood: Wandering
Status: Online
About Me
wizard // scrapmancy type // travelling

my name is adele, please don’t call me nicknames. yes, i am a real wizard, and i have plenty of proof posted on the forums if you don’t believe me

if you’re a fellow paranormal enthusiast or magic user yourself, i’m not opposed to IRL meetups or DM conversations on MessiRoom to discuss craft and techniques- just don’t waste my time if you aren’t serious about this. i’m more than willing to swap information, as long as you prove yourself to be trustworthy first. for those more looking to learn from a distance, you can check my threads for information on wizardry and witchcraft.

deniers, please do not interact. you’ll be blocked. skeptics, you’re fine, but don’t try to debate me. respect my craft.
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5/25/316- ADELE


[image description: a tiny of adele, a scrapmancy type featuring a blue, teal and green palette.]

The motel is cheap, but that’ll do Adele fine. She’d get looks for traveling with big bags and a fancy outfit, only to stop at a place like this...but that doesn’t matter to her, not when she had work to focus on. All this room would be was a place with proper power outlets to charge up her gear and a pillow to rest her head on at night. Anything more would be superfluous, and frankly- she doesn’t consider it warranted until she’s actually gotten the job done.

The scrapmancy type settles onto the bed, dragging one of her suitcases over. This particular job wasn’t one she was hired for explicitly- no, she just found the case online and decided to handle it herself. With any luck, the poster would be grateful that someone with actual skill decided to look into it, and she’d get some kind of reward…

But even if they weren’t, the scrap payoff was going to be huge.

Inside the bag are her scrapbooks, an outfit for actual work, and various gadgets she’d picked up along the way. Gauntlets for handling more dangerous scrap types, a radiation detector, an ability amplifier...all of which had been developed by a witch friend back in Calliope. She missed traveling there especially, seeing all of the specialized magic gear...really, when it came to witchcraft and wizardry, you couldn’t get better.

Adele takes out the radiation detector and sweeps the room, relieved when the device doesn’t make a single beep. Checking by eye for scraps also turns up no results- both a blessing and a curse. While she was always interested in collecting new potential tools, motel rooms never seemed to have anything good. The most interesting remnant she’d picked up was a murder of all things, and she had to drop it after a week. She should have avoided taking it in the first place, but people saying that those kinds of scraps were cursed never really sank in prior. All she got out of it were nightmares and visions of death and destruction...never again. There were far more practical scraps anyhow.

Vision scraps came easy to her, and those were the most powerful in her arsenal…for her specific ability, anyway. It was handy to be able to see things far away, across time and space, things that hadn’t even happened yet…divining potential futures and doing her best to make the ideal ones come true. Even with that, the rest of her collection was intensely varied, with a focus on more than just elemental typings- after all, some of the best kept secret techniques could be achieved with rarer tools.

Before she can dig into her own thoughts, her phone buzzes- a MessiRoom notification.

[PICTURE_PERFECT]: hi
 

Huh. She wasn’t expecting anyone to DM her, and she didn’t recognize the username.

Adele pulls her laptop out of her bag and starts setting up, plugging in and loading it up before responding.

[SCRAP_GAZER]: can i help you?
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: um
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: yes
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i saw your thread about photo analysis…how you can look into them and see scraps.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: why not DM me on site?
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: dunno
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i’m not very good at forum stuff and i don’t talk to people much
[SCRAP_GAZER]: i see.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: well, i am open to MessiRoom messages, i just usually prefer people to approach on there first.
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: sorry…
[SCRAP_GAZER]: it’s fine.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: did you have photos you want me to divine information from?
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: im not sure yet
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: im a photographer
[SCRAP_GAZER]: as the name would imply.
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: yeah
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: and i specialize in “haunted” photos
[SCRAP_GAZER]: interesting. go on
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: well
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i go out on little
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: adventures
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: to get my photos
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: and i get a lot of pictures that are spooky but sometimes they feel legitimately haunted
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: sometimes i think it’s my ability’s fault because im a ghost type because itll show up weird on my camera but be fine when i upload it
[SCRAP_GAZER]: refresh me on ghost’s ability?
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: oh
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: um
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: stuff around me acts “haunted” sometimes
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: is what they told me in school…
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i don’t…actually know what it means
[SCRAP_GAZER]: i have some hunches, though i wouldn’t have any way of testing them.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: at least, not without being in person or directing you over something like a video call.
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: oh??
[SCRAP_GAZER]: we can get into that in a minute. first, finish your thoughts about your photos
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: right
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: so
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: sometimes i think it’s my fault for making my camera’s display act weird, but sometimes the photos do come out kind of messed up
[SCRAP_GAZER]: define “messed up”
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: sometimes there’s handprints, or faces, or writing
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: like
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: it feels like they’re fake, it’s so obviously spooky
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: but im not faking them
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i would never fake a picture
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: but other times there’s just something wrong with the pictures
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: they refuse to upload or display correctly a lot of the time and make me feel weird to look at when i can get them uploaded
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: when i do get attention online
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: it’s usually for those
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: because they feel kind of fucked up
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: and i dont know why
[SCRAP_GAZER]: do you think they’re dangerous?
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i dont know
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: thats why i want your help and advice
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i love taking pictures but i dont wanna hurt anyone
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: and
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i dunno its stupid
[SCRAP_GAZER]: what is?
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: if there are ghosts making my pictures come out weird
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i want to make sure theyre okay
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: because they seem upset all the time
[SCRAP_GAZER]: i don’t think that’s stupid.
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: really?
[SCRAP_GAZER]: ghosts are a life form just as much as any other, albeit complicated when it comes to how much sapience they actually have.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: they’re still to be respected. the fact that you’re interested in their wellbeing shows that you are responsible with your craft, and are curious for the right reasons
[SCRAP_GAZER]: i think you’re on the right track.
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: thanks…
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i do have some pictures you could look at but idk if theyre going to be any useful for this
[SCRAP_GAZER]: well, we’ll just have to find out, won’t we?
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: how much does it cost again
[SCRAP_GAZER]: for now, i’m willing to waive the fee. you’ve piqued my interest
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: you sure?
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i dont want to take advantage of you
[SCRAP_GAZER]: tell you what. if i can’t find any sign of paranormal activity, i’ll charge you.
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: deal
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: ok so here is one

 

The picture sent is warped, covered in noise and twisted marks. What was once there is unintelligible, with Adele unable to make even a little bit of it out.

There’s a distinct and powerful “off” feeling to it as soon as she gets a good look, and that only manages to give her a thrill.

[SCRAP_GAZER]: hm
[SCRAP_GAZER]: well, you’re right about one thing
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: oh?
[SCRAP_GAZER]: there is /definitely/ something up with this picture.
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: shit
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: really?
[SCRAP_GAZER]: zero doubt about it
[SCRAP_GAZER]: usually for discerning scraps in pictures i have to use my ability and an amplifier
[SCRAP_GAZER]: this one carries energy so strong i can get a reading off of it just innately. absolutely incredible stuff
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: is that
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: a good thing?
[SCRAP_GAZER]: we’ll have to take a closer look and see.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: give me a moment


 

If she had a mouth, it would have been pulled into a gleeful grin- she had done so many readings for people in the past few months, but this…is actually something to discover. So many nights spent looking over peoples’ keepsakes- and sure, finding bits and pieces of peoples’ pasts for them was fun and all, but what she lived for was the new, the unexplored, the unexplained…

She immediately fishes around for her ability amplifier, strapping it around her arm and focusing.

ADELE: Relax…and…
ADELE: Ascend.

 

She feels the innate knowledge of her “health” going down a point come into her mind, dismissing it- as long as she didn’t go too far, she’d be able to recover fine with some snacks. A second pair of arms unfurls, a wavy, cloud-like halo accented with scrap lookalikes forming around her neck. She doesn’t need a mirror to know that her eyes were full of stars, having seen it many, many times at this point.

Focusing, she turns to the photo.

ADELE: Divine.

 

Immediately upon using her ability, she’s blasted with feelings of discomfort and unease- extremely strong, with no direction to them. It’s clearly scraps, it has to be scraps, but there’s no memories to pick up on…just raw emotion. Feelings extending out and corrupting everything they touch, worming their way into her very mind-


She pulls back and shakes her head, ignoring the health ticking down from her attempt at divination.

ADELE: Damnit…

 

She tries again, pushing deeper.

Fear, panic, terror- things have gone wrong, horribly wrong, with no way to tell what, crying out for help but no one coming, the feeling of being abandoned-

When she pulls out of it this time, she’s shuddering. Taking a moment to recover and feeling a little woozy from the health loss, she leans back- but doesn’t unascend.

No, there's more work to do. More photos.

If she has to go down to the last safe health point, she will.

[SCRAP_GAZER]: so i took a look.
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: did you find anything?
[SCRAP_GAZER]: that’s…complicated.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: mainly very, very negative feelings. the weird thing is…
[SCRAP_GAZER]: i wasn’t able to pick up on any memories associated with them, and that’s /very/ unusual.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: i have some theories, but they may be unpleasant to go into. are you prepared for that?
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: yes
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i need to know what’s happening with these…
[SCRAP_GAZER]: simply put, my theory is that you’ve got a case of “pseudo-ghosts” on your hands. scrap ghosts, that is
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: what’s that
[SCRAP_GAZER]: do these effects happen fairly consistently?
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: yeah…
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i get them almost every time i go out
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: at least once
[SCRAP_GAZER]: i have reason to believe that it’s your ability and the fact that you’re going into scrap-heavy areas interacting, then.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: it’d be highly uncommon to encounter ghosts this much and this consistently, but i don’t think it’s just your ability screwing with things, either.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: i mentioned having theories towards how ghost type ability’s works.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: one of those would be that there’s an interaction between your scraps- even ones that haven’t fully shed yet- and those around you, which causes “hauntings”.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: objects being lifted, things shaking, strange noises…
[SCRAP_GAZER]: scrap ghosts are created when similar scraps cluster together and merge, and i think that your ability is doing some kind of…temporary projection, that latches onto residual scraps in your vicinity.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: i can get a read on the memories because of how weird and transient this connection is…it’s ever shifting, fluid, unable to be contained or examined fully
[SCRAP_GAZER]: i have so many more questions, but i’d need to look at more pictures.

There's a gap in messages, Adele waiting tensely for a response.

[PICTURE_PERFECT]: wait
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: so
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: are the emotions mine?
[SCRAP_GAZER]: that depends.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: i felt deep, horrible fear when i looked into the photos, feelings of being abandoned…
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: you can really get that from it…?
[SCRAP_GAZER]: clear as day.
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: well…
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i guess you got me then
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: fuck
[SCRAP_GAZER]: well, you did want to make sure the ghosts are okay, right?
[SCRAP_GAZER]: looks like you need to take care of yourself first.
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: that is
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: really corny.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: as much as it may be, i did mean it. if you want your pictures to corrupt less, you should work on those feelings.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: however…they may still do so, just in different ways.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: i’d have to take a look at more to get a better grasp on the situation
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i have more
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: and
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: thank you
[PICTURE_PERFECT]: i want to learn more…
[SCRAP_GAZER]: so do i.
[SCRAP_GAZER]: we’re in for a long night. let’s take on some more.