PSL: You don't have to go home

[toothaches]

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[onegreeneye]

For a while, Ginko couldn't seem to find any concentration point for the energy at all - but then he happened to step a little closer to the sofa. He stopped where he was, frowning and looking toward it, then taking another couple steps closer.

There was something there, alright.

It wasn't until he moved a little closer that he realized that the source of the energy wasn't where it had been anymore. He took another couple steps toward Roman, his brow furrowing.

"...Hey. Someone there?" If he didn't get a response, he would wait a couple seconds, then take a step back, hands in his pockets. "I just want to talk to you."

He was practiced enough not to let his trepidation show in his voice. This didn't feel like the energy of a ghost.

[neighborofthebeast]

For a while, Roman was content to move from place to place as Ginko explored, but once it became obvious he was actually being followed, Roman started seeking higher ground. Could he be the real deal? A psychic? The top of the entertainment center creaked ever so slightly.

Maybe if he was quiet enough, Ginko would get bored and leave like all the others.

[onegreeneye]

Unfortunately for Roman, that slight creak was enough to catch Ginko's attention. He stared at the general area where Roman was waiting, frowning thoughtfully, hands tucked in his pockets.

A ghost who didn't want to be seen or heard wouldn't be. Even Ginko's unusually strong senses couldn't hear that which simply didn't make noise, and a weightless spirit wouldn't put stress on a surface.

Which made this either an attempt at communication, or more evidence that this wasn't a typical haunting.

"I hope you're not expecting me to give up. I promise, I have no intention of harming you, but I can't leave without doing my job."

[neighborofthebeast]

Roman narrowed his eyes, unseen. Wow, this guy really thought he could wait him out. Rather than work himself up and be afraid that he'd finally been sniffed out by a dangerous person, he decided that he'd simply been careless with making noise. Anybody could follow creaky footsteps.

And SO IT BEGAN. Roman refused to move or speak. He was convinced that this guy would have to either go home once he was off the clock or go take a piss or something that would allow Roman to hop down and find a new hiding place.

[onegreeneye]

Wow, amazing how the noises just STOPPED once Ginko pointed them out. He kept frowning at the entertainment center for a while... then, with a quiet snort, sat down on the floor.

Fine, then. He already knew there was something here, and that whatever it was knew that he knew. Nothing left to do but try and make contact, then and there. He started digging around in his bag, humming thoughtfully.

"Probably shouldn't use candles here... damn, I know that book's in here somewhere."

[toothaches]

Roman tilted his head when Ginko sat.

This guy couldn't be serious.

The little demon groaned inwardly. He had a thought. If Ginko was sitting now, Roman could afford to waste a little energy by floating overhead and down the hall...but he'd have to lift off the entertainment center. Which would creak. Ugh, he was getting a cramp crouching here like a gargoyle.

Suddenly,Maurice surfaced from below, obviously rattled and all but shook Ginko by his lapels with the strength he'd been building up.

"THAT LADY'S GOTTA MOVE OUTTA HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Roman felt a sudden chill and glared over at the vent. Funny. He didn't hear it come on.

[onegreeneye]

Ginko jolted in surprise, stumbling to his feet and reflexively going to put his hands on Maurice's shoulders. "Whoa-- what do you mean?! Maurice, what's going on?"

[toothaches]

"Down sta--down-- under the floor! The crawlspace! There's gotta be at least five hundred brown recluse spiders!" Maurice dragged his fingers down his face, digging great holes into his outline and warping his visage for a moment. "Condemn this house and burn it to the ground! It's the only way anyone will ever be safe!"

Roman's goaty ears fell crooked as Ginko started talking to himself. What was he doing NOW? Trying to weird Roman into giving himself away?

[onegreeneye]

The explanation actually made Ginko let out a slow breath of relief. Spiders. Okay. That was the problem, not...

He glanced toward the entertainment center again.

"Right... okay, I'll suggest she have someone come in to look at that next, alright? But I'd like to do my job first." He sounded vaguely amused despite himself.

[toothaches]

That was not the face of a man who had just been told there were MILLIONS of spiders below his feet at this very moment.

"I thought that was your job! Expelling EVIL!"

Maurice drifted higher and turned to face Ginko with his back facing the television.

"How can Spider Hell not be what's giving off that awful vibe?"

Roman suddenly felt his nose go incredibly cold as Maurice's ghostly mullet wafted against it. He arched his back and clapped his hands over his face. Oh jeez that was cold! What the hell was going on?

[onegreeneye]

"It isn't, actually, and spiders aren't really evil anyway." Don't make him give you the Nature Talk, Maurice.

"A bunch of spiders isn't going to give a feeling like this. This sort of thing is only going to be caused by something supernatural - which the spiders are likely not, unless I'm missing something here. Like a spirit, or--"

What was that. His attention snapped toward Roman again. That was a definite sound there.

"...Maurice. Might want to move away from there. At least for the time being."

[toothaches]

"Yes they are." Maurice's outline fluctuated again, though instead of dripping or flickering, he actually began to give off small sparks that floated upward. Ghosts were emotional beings.

He was all ready to launch into a rant about how spiders RUINED HIS LIFE when Ginko made a strange request. He whirled around, his face only inches from Roman, the two of them utterly blind to one another.

"Uh...what for?" Naturally he listened, moving away to hang behind Ginko where he sat. "Is the TV haunted?"

Roman was getting incredibly weirded out now. Sure the icy feeling was leaving his nose but Ginko kept talking to someone or something that wasn't there. He hated it! He hated this guy! Why was he so weird? Ugh, why wouldn't he just LEAVE?

[onegreeneye]

"Maybe, but... probably not."

Ginko took a step toward the television, rooting around in his bag a bit more and this time producing a small book. He started flipping through, brow furrowing as he looked over the contents. Summoning a ghost was one thing, and he supposed he should still try it, but at this point he wasn't sure if he should even expect that to do anything.

"Actually, I'm not sure this is a haunting at all. Something's wrong."

Of course, even now, he had no idea of Roman's ever-increasing frustration.

[toothaches]

Roman's eyes widened as Ginko drew nearer. He was already crouching on top of the entertainment center like a Halloween cat. He drew himself up into a skulking hunch, the arch of his horns barely missing the popcorn ceiling and scraping away telltale flecks. As his mood grew more and more agitated, the power rolling off of him grew more distinct.

Get away from me! Get away get away, you fucking weirdo!

Maurice watched Ginko from where his bag sat, wringing his hands together.

"What do you mean?"

[onegreeneye]

Ginko's one eye flicked up to the ceiling, his brow furrowing. He very nearly found himself backing away from whatever was there, but he stopped himself. He glanced over his shoulder at Maurice, his attention still half-held on Roman, or at least on where he was.

"I can't be sure just yet - but... well. Different ghosts give off different feelings, but this isn't like any that I've encountered. The whole... tone of it is off. The temperature. And whatever this is, it's solid."

As if to demonstrate, he gestured toward the space over the entertainment center with one hand, which, admittedly, may not have been that helpful to Maurice.

[neighborofthebeast]

"Solid?" Maurice parroted. "But I don't see anything at all..."

He suddenly remembered an old episode of X Files involving elephants.

Nobody had ever called Roman out as a solid being before. Usually he squatted in a home until the owner grew a little too curious or too many other people moved in or if a pet appeared. Or if they suddenly lost cable. Or turned into a vegetarian. Sure preachers and self-declared psychics had been called on him but none of them had zeroed in on him like this. Had called him out like this. Had TALKED TO THEMSELVES LIKE A WEIRDO like this.

Honestly that part upset him the most.

When Ginko gestured to his hiding place, Roman snapped. He flung out an arm, fingers tipped with thin, iguana-like claws, and swatted him right on the wrist. Then he took his chance, plowing all the photos and decorative candleholders off the top of the entertainment center, hit the ground with an audible thud, and galloped down the hall on all fours.

Naturally, Maurice let out a holler at the sudden burst of activity. FUCK IT WAS JUST LIKE ON TV THEY WERE GOING TO DIE. Oh wait.

[onegreeneye]

Before Ginko could point out to Maurice that 'solid' and 'visible' were not at all the same thing, something smacked him in the wrist, invisible claws stinging against his skin. He let out a startled sound and jumped back, tensing as Roman bolted past.

"--There! C'mon!" After the initial shock wore off, he didn't waste any time taking off after the whatever-it-was. He couldn't risk letting it end up somewhere where he couldn't find it again.

[neighborofthebeast]

That was exactly what Roman counted on. He could cling to ceilings and walls, sure, but eventually his power would drain and he'd be invisible by necessity and not by choice. And THAT sucked.

The demon, who was more or less the size of an overgrown highschooler, hurried for all he was worth and took a sharp turn into an open door. It was the woman's bedroom and without hesitating he shot under the bed to a little hollowed out spot between the plastic storage tubs and forgotten shoes he'd been snoozing in some nights. The sudden sprint had done a number on his pulse. It was screaming in his ears and he was struggling not to pant or wheeze.

Why had he come in here this was so stupid. His wings flexed anxiously on his back as he tried to keep the delicate membranes from grazing the springs.

When Ginko rushed off, Maurice followed. He wasn't sure what he could do if he couldn't SEE the thing. "Ginko, what IS this thing?"

[onegreeneye]

"Can't be sure yet." Ginko nearly lost his footing following the unidentified trespasser into the bedroom. This would be a lot easier if he wasn't having to navigate based on sound and whatever disturbances Roman caused as he ran.

He looked around the room with a frown before setting about poking around, looking and listening for signs of the intruder. "I'd guess they're about the size of a human... but that's about it." He frowns down at the angry red scratches where Roman hit his wrist. "Seems to have claws. And... doesn't seem to want to be found."

He sighed and crouched down to check the floor for footprints, then spoke up again, directed more around the room than to Maurice. "Seriously - I know you're here, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd come out and talk. I'm sorry if I scared you earlier."

[toothaches]

"Claws..." Maurice leaned over and there he spotted the raised red lines on the medium's hand. "Shit! Shouldn't you put something on that? Do spirits have germs?"

Fret fret fret!


Meanwhile, Roman lay flat as he could under the bed. His heart thrummed against the carpet. There was no way this guy would lift up the bed and disturb all the girl's things. Hah! He was safe.

[onegreeneye]

"It'll be fine," Ginko replied, somewhere between reassuring and dismissive. "I can deal with it later."

It was kind of hard to identify footprints on the carpet, so instead Ginko focused on that energy source from earlier. If he could find that...

He stood up and moved toward the bed, examining the sheets for signs of something standing or lying on them. Nothing, so...

He crouched down, tilting his head to peer underneath the bed.

[neighborofthebeast]

Something writhed in the underbed.

Roman stuck his long tongue out at Ginko, still unseen, but it made him feel better. He didn't want to admit that he was scared. If this guy could follow him like a bloodhound...what else could he do?

Maurice dabbed the blood away from his forehead anxiously. "Is there anything I can do?"

[onegreeneye]

Man this was all making him nervous. Ginko considered the pros and cons of just trying to crawl under there, but he wasn't sure he would fit anyway.

He glanced over his shoulder at Maurice again. "Thanks, but probably not yet, if you can't see them..." He hesitated, then frowned. "...Unless you think you can get my bag in here. Might want to just start trying summoning rituals and seeing what works. Think I've heard of procedures for a few types other than ghosts..."

[toothaches]

Eager to be helpful and maybe to show off a little, Maurice swiftly returned to the living room and started the slow but steady process of dragging Ginko's bag across the floor. He held it by the strap and pulled it as though it were a sledge.


The sound of something moving in the living room made the boy's ears perk again. What...was the girl coming in to check on Ginko? Nah. She was too chicken-hearted for that, he'd decided. And then he saw it. The strap of Ginko's bag peeking around the corner of the door. It moved further. And further. And further, dragged along by some unseen force.

Roman drew in an involuntary hiss.

[onegreeneye]

Ginko just lay there as he waited, watching the space under the bed. He only looked up when Maurice returned, shooting him a quick grin.

"Hey, thanks. Looks like you're really getting stronger, huh--"

Something under the bed hissed.

Ginko's attention snapped back, his eye wide. "--Did you hear that?"