[MEME] OH NO A GHOST

[wolfintheattic]

OKAY LET'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS.
I wanna play a ghost. Below are some prompts.
I'm not super picky about setting or 'verse.

A- Your character is a paranormal investigator, an obnoxious tv show host, or is otherwise exploring an area that is said to be haunted for whatever reason. Maybe it's a dare.

B- My character's ghost just SHOWS UP in your character's home. Did your character buy some haunted shit off ebay? Maybe my character died nearby or was summoned via Ouija board by some stupid teenagers at that party you hosted last month. Either way, you got yourself a haunted house now. Congrats.

C- Your character is also a ghost. Maybe they died together. Maybe my character is new to this whole being dead thing and yours shows them the ghostly ropes. Maybe it's the other way around. Either way, ghost adventures are had. _{Not currently looking for new PLSs with this plot!}

D- Your character is a necromancer-type-person and has summoned mine's spirit to do their bidding.

E- Your character is an exorcist and is here to shoo mine out of their current haunt or otherwise help them move on.

F- Our characters are friends. Mine died and has returned to hang out/help/finish some business with yours.

G- Your character moves into the house mine is currently haunting. EXCUSE U.

H- POSSESSION. It happened somehow.

IF A CHARACTER YOU WANT TO MEET IS MISSING, LET ME KNOW.

Comments

[goldeneyeball]

NO! NO, I'M NOT OKAY!

_{[With no fear of throwing his back out (the joys of no longer having a spine) he nearly bends himself over backwards pulling against the chain. The noise in the kitchen does not stop.]}

THIS IS BACKWARDS! I'M SUPPOSED TO BE IN YOUR AWFUL, AWFUL SHOES! THIS ISN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!

_{[Suddenly, there's a terrible clinking sound. JW's chain starts to retract into the radiator, coil after coil. He doesn't notice his shortening leash in his rage.]}

[greatrage]

[Eesh. Touchy. Eren Holds his hands up and backs away a bit. The bubble remains in place, but the still corporeal kid wants to not get crushed by flying radiators, thank.

He watches the chain carefully. Each ghost is different. Each has its own problems holding it back. Their own sort of symbolism. Chains were common. Chains to concepts, places, people...

Chains to radiators?

Not so much]

... Watch it. Your chain is getting yanked.

[regardless of the how it manifested, this was a problem the ghost had to work through themselves]

[goldeneyeball]

<sub>[When Eren backs away, JW grins momentarily. That's right, mortal, you should be afraid! HE'S JAMES THE GREAT AND TERRIB--wait what now?]

[The rattling grows louder and by the time JW looks down, he's got about four feet left to his chain. He can feel it tugging back.]

[Okay. New plan. Time to cry like a baby.]</sub>

I'm sorry! I'm sorry I yelled at you--and attacked that guy. And broke the television. Televisions. I really hate CSI! You don't understand how bad it is! HE ALWAYS WATCHED THE SAME TWO EPISODES. DAY AND NIGHT! I'll be a good ghost, I'll even wash the dishes when they aren't home!

[greatrage]

[Great. Now he's just babbling. About televisions and CSI and what even. Eren squints]

Woah. James. Calm down. Ok? Breathe. Go through the motions of breathing. Count to ten. You're gonna have to explain this one to me.

[goldeneyeball]

_{[Having run out of ideas, JW takes Eren's advice. He crouches atop the radiator, the chain clutched tight in his hands, and he counts. He counts to ten. He counts to twenty. He counts to fifty. And as he counts, the comically short chain starts making sense. He can't even stand up now.]}

I don't want to leave.

_{[Why else would he have hidden until the sage came out? He was a professional. He should have met Eren at the door with his bags packed.]}

this shippy icons conveys the proper warmness probably idk

[greatrage]

[.... ah.

He thought it might be something like that.

The smile Eren offers is surprisingly warm, sympathetic]

Are you frightened?

[goldeneyeball]

_{[JW instantly goes on the defensive, taking Eren's smile as some sort of insult, but even JW can't lie to himself for this long. His shoulders slouch again.]}

You said it yourself. I could just disappear. Here I was worried about Hell, but now I think going out like a candle might be worse.

[greatrage]

You could. But you're a pretty tough spirit... [Eren gets up and then leans on the radiator, touching the chain carefully] I said that if I broke this, you'd probably disappear. But if you break it? That's totally different, man. If you free yourself of this earthly tether, you can go on to the next thing. ... Sorry, even I don't know what that is. But I hear it's peaceful. [he kicks at the ground a bit] Or you could choose to stick around. But you'd need to find some other tether...

[goldeneyeball]

<sub>[He's still staring at the chain. Peaceful, huh?]

[Peaceful doesn't sound so bad. But neither does having a choice. For twenty years, he's thought the chain in his hands has been the only thing between him and Hell. His brows furrow at the thought. It can't really be that simple, can it? It would explain why he's overlooked it for so long.]</sub>

I think I'd like that.

<sub>[There is a single, sharp, metallic sound not unlike a bell ringing as the link nearest to JW's hand snaps clear in two. He shouts and drifts upwards like a party balloon before he manages to level himself. Everything in the house seems to sag and sigh as the ghost's emotional tie to it is severed.]

[The clatter of a cabinet door hitting tile echoes from the other room.]</sub>

[greatrage]

[Ping. What a pleasant sound. The sound of freedom. Ghosts were just people, after all. And people often got so focused on things that they overlooked the most simple solutions. The house creaks and settles, freed of its burden as well. Phew. Good.

... except for that cabinet. Oh well. Not his problem]

See? You were worried for nothing.

[goldeneyeball]

<sub>[James's face is a perfect painting of surprise as he watches the broken end of his tether waft below him, almost like seaweed in a gentle current. A few feet still remain attached to his body but those links aren't nearly as heavy as they used to be. A splayed hand covers his face and then he starts to laugh.]

[He was! He was so worried about nothing! The kid in the hideous sneakers is right! He's absolutely right! JW laughs and laughs at himself. He's never felt so light. He's-- wups.]

[JW disappears through the ceiling. For a moment it seems like he really has moved on until his head reappears from the rafters.]</sub>

I can't-- I can't thank you enough! God, I don't even know your name...

[greatrage]

Eren. Eren Jaeger.

[he can't help but smile at his reaction. The heavy presence in the house was lifted and everything just seemed lighter. Easier to breathe. He waves a dismissive hand]

Don't mention it. It's just my job. But I can't deny that a successful cleansing doesn't just make my day. [he picks his backpack up and heads back to the kitchen to collect his candles and such] What are you going to do now? There should be a light somewhere, if you want to head to that. I can't actually see those; only the spirit it's meant for can see it.

[goldeneyeball]

_{[JW drifts after him, several feet above the floor now that he's not weighed down by his fears. As the boy packs up, he looks around the house with something like fondness. And a little shame. He sure did make a mess for that couple who wanted to move in. And he looked at something beyond that, beyond the walls. A sunset only he could see.]}

Hmmm...you know. It's been twenty years. I think it'd be a shame not to see a little of the world first.

_{[He cuts his eyes back to Eren.]}

I did say I owe you. Think of it as...unfinished business.

[greatrage]

Huh? [What is he talking about? Owe him? Unfinished business? Just go to the light already!] It's... uh... pretty hard for ghosts to travel around, you know. Unless you're tethered to a car or something.

[goldeneyeball]

How hard could it be?

_{[JW feels too light to even think about being tied to anything else for the moment. He's already wandering toward the door. Of course. The door is right there! It's always been there. He feels so silly.]}

[greatrage]

Woah! Woah woah!!

[Eren suddenly lashes out with something, something weird. A long whip of his energy. It grabs a hold of JW's ankle as if it were solid and he yanks him back from the door]

Don't do that! You thought you got disoriented in a one story house? James, if you go out there, you'll get lost before you make it to the driveway!

[goldeneyeball]

<sub>[James lets out a shriek. The sudden jarring sensation bricks back horrible, painful memories of pulling against his chain for twenty years. Once he realizes he wasn't in any actual pain, he whips around and glowers at Eren. His edges ripple as feelings of betrayal overtake him.]

[Ghosts, so emotional]</sub>

I thought that's because I was tied to the radiator! Are you telling me I'm going to be confused as fuck forever?

[greatrage]

Well... that's why you're supposed to move on! Being a ghost isn't a normal state of being for humans! It's like... square peg, round hole... you know?

[he sighs]

Look... this... isn't something I'd normally offer. But... [he is going to regret this] Since you're a professional, too... I could... take you with me. It might be nice to have another man on this team.

[goldeneyeball]

_{[Emotions. Emotions everywhere. He's been angry enough to burst lightbulbs and then happy enough to cry real tears. But now he isn't sure what he feels anymore. All he can think about are all the ghosts he brushed off for a few green dollars. Even without his tie to the house, the air grows chilly.]}

I'm...well.

_{[He sure isn't going to stay HERE and he doesn't want to get LOST. If that happened...who knows. He might wind up rooting somewhere by accident for another twenty years and wind up hurting more innocent people. The ghost sucks in a deep, faux breath and lets out a sigh.]}

What's my cut?

[greatrage]

[what. Seriously. Eren gives him the most incredulous look]

Your cut? What are you going to do with money? Look, if you don't want to do it, I can temporarily tie you to an item and bring you to your real house and put you there. Do you like that idea better?

[goldeneyeball]

It was worth a shot.

_{[He guesses you really can't take it with you.]}

I do want to go home...but I'd be lyin' if I said I wasn't at least a little interested in how you do things. You're...different.

_{[He looks at the violently pink bubble that's almost become the norm over the last couple hours. There's so much he could learn once he swallows his pride.]}

I want to help. Then I'll retire.

[greatrage]

[he snickers] How about I keep the cash since I still need to eat and stuff.

[different. That's uh... one way to put it. Eren nods and puts his backpack down.] Well, I'd be happy to have an old hand around. Since there's still plenty of things I haven't seen. [He takes out the lighter he used on the candles] I'm going to tie you to this for now, just so I can move you around without you getting lost or me having to use my power all the time. Then you can pick another object that you want... as long as it's something I can carry around. I guess it could even be a small animal if you wanted. [he grins] What do you say, have you ever wanted to be a cockatiel?

[he's kidding. Mostly.]

[goldeneyeball]

_{[He lets out an amused huff at the lighter. What a fitting object. Not that Eren knows.]}

I thiiiink I'll pass on the bird bit. I can already fly. And scream incessantly.

_{[JW is actually very fond of birds, but he's already been one of those for about a day and that was enough. He thinks of Vidia. She's...well, she's probably still alive. But old. He wonders if she remembers him. The ghost shakes himself, refusing to sink back into that awful, drippy sad state again.]}

Let's go.

[greatrage]

[he snickers again. This is true. This ghost has a good sense of humor! He hopes he doesn't live to regret this...

Jean and Marco are going to give him so much shit... ]

Alright. This may feel a little weird, but it shouldn't hurt.

[Eren brings out his whip again, but this time, it's more like a thread. It snakes around the remains of JW's chain, tying itself into a knot. He then deftly ties the other end of ethereal string to the lighter. JW might find himself feeling a bit heavier, but nothing like before. It's a pleasant sort of grounded, like coming out of some heavy painkiller sedation and being able to think clearly again. The bubble, and the string, vanish out of sight. But JW remains fairly solid, at least to Eren's eyes]

The range on this one is pretty small... I'll retie it after I've rested... I'm totally beat!

[you ready to go outside, JW? Cause Eren is opening the door to the crisp night air]

[goldeneyeball]

<sub>[He watches Eren's work on the end of his chain with apprehension and almost flinches away. Don't pull it, don't pull it. He has no idea if it will still hurt and he doesn't want to find out.]

[Then the world of Pepto disappears and JW blinks at the dim little house. And at himself. This is...right. This is more right. Even if his spirit does have a green cast to it. It's actually a little hard for him to tell where his clothing ends and his skin begins.]

[He shuts his eyes and plays the day's events over in his head. Everything stays in perfect order. Good. That feels good.]</sub>

I don't blame you...sorry for givin' you the runaround. I could honestly use a nap myself if you can believe it or not.