Week 4 [Day 13-Day 15]

[calloperators]

[Well that sure was an eventful trial. But on the bright side it looks like there’s some justice in this world, as meager as it is.

But even with the success, something starts feeling off the moment they leave the trial. Even if you might not realize it at first, the people living in this town are starting to seem more distant than normal, although you’re still more than welcome to chat with them.

Along with that, delivery trucks are suddenly popping up all over the town. You feel like they’re watching you....but thats impossible--youve only ever seen them delivery real packages...right?

Perhaps more terrifying however, is that now the Bowling Alley and the Arcade are closed! That’s so much good entertainment… gone….

...Also, starting this week something new is happening with the ghosts. What is that? Well… just wait and see.]

< LOCATIONS | REGAINS | TAKEN >

[ Day 13 (Sunday) || Night 13 (Monday) || Day 14 (Tuesday) || Night 14 (Wednesday) || Day 15 (Thursday) ]

(OOC: As a reminder, if you want to investigate or talk to an NPC, please list it in your header! And don't forget to fill out this week's Activity Check!)

Comments

[rangerslayer]

[ It’s been a few hours since the bloody scene on the beach.

Maybe you were expecting a little more time between, but.

Blood drips from a gunshot wound, a nice pretty little headshot. Might not want to stand behind her, because the whole back of her head’s blown off. That’s what happens, when a bullet exists a head. Through the streets, Kim walks. Trying to get her bearings. A gentle shimmer, an occasional trip. It’s weird being a ghost, it seems.

She looks pissed and determined. Maybe you should ask her what happened. ]

[conceivesfrenzy]

Took you long enough!

[ She waves from... uh, let's say the VHS store as she heads out with a tape. ]

What happened, anyway? Someone said that the guy with the moon mask drove off right after shooting you.

[rangerslayer]

[ What’s she watching. Inquiring minds. ]

He just- [ She scowls. ] He rolled up, started demanding I tell him what I knew, and then said when I started asking him the same, he gave some crap about the delivery men not being able to know what he was doing, and shot me.

[ Yeah. That’s it. ]

[conceivesfrenzy]

[ Prom Night, it looks like! It's got a promising looking box art, okay. ]

Oh, is that it?

[ She frowns. ]

I was hoping it'd be a little more informative than that. No mention as to who the delivery men were?

[rangerslayer]

You’re not the only one who was hoping for more.

[ The blood running down her back says as much, like. ]

No, he just said it wasn’t personal, and killed me.

streets;

[seventhsign]

[ That sure is a scene right in front of him.

He can't say he's not curious, because seeing her killed had brought some...questions. Ones in which at which at this current time he cannot make someone answer for, unfortunately. ]

...Kimberly? [ ... ] What exactly happened?

[rangerslayer]

Mac Tonight shot me.

[ ...wait does he know who- ]

A defunct food mascot. Demanded I give him information, then shot me.

[neverstudied]

[It's always surreal to go from seeing someone as a corpse to seeing them as a ghost, but usually there's some time to buffer. To prepare. This is just a shock.]

... Hey.

[Venkman eyes the bullet wound in her skull, briefly, before immediately deciding he prefers not to look at it. Probably for the best he can't see the back right now.]

I, uh. I found your body.

... And punched Michalis.

[Great conversation starters, here.]

[rangerslayer]

[ Jeez- She should start wearing a headband, or something. Maybe it’d make this easier. But then, does it really...matter...? ]

Peter- God, why’d... [ She’d offer a hug. But with the dripping blood... ] Hey. I’m... I’m sorry you had to see that.

[neverstudied]

[He's seen worse. Can't deal with ghosts every day without getting used to it at some point. Not to mention Ray's permanently oozing wounds.

It'll just take a little adjusting. And if she does try to hug him, he's not gonna stop her- God knows he's used to getting some ghost blood on him, now.]

Not as sorry as I am that I had to find you like that in the first place. Christ- I thought that Mac Tonight guy was supposed to've been trying to get everyone outta here, the first time around? And now he's shooting us.

... He was being his usual charming self. Getting on my case for daring to actually feel emotions or whatever.

[Venkman's not sure he wants to disclose the other part, the comment that infuriated him the most- "She was too involved." That little phrase is still burning him up inside, just the implication that Kim deserved this for an accident days prior. Especially considering how much Kim was blaming herself for it.]

[rangerslayer]

[ Really, her reaction should mostly be toward the Mac Tonight bits, but maybe she's had a little bit of time to process that, or maybe someone's spoken to her about him already. Instead, her gaze clouds for a moment. ]

...Was he?

[ It's thoughtful, soft, and all too calm. ]

Well... I'm sorry about that, too.

[neverstudied]

... Yeah.

[He sighs, scrubbing his face with the heel of his hand.]

It's fine. You've got enough to deal with. Like being dead.

How're you... holding up?

[Not everyone can be so chill with being dead as Ray or Pyro, after all. As he well knows from his own line of work.]

[rangerslayer]

[ She's already filing that away, because while she's perfectly content to run the hell away from facing the...things swirling inside her, she can't deal with others suffering for that.

And besides, that question, it's... ]

...I don't know. [ It's pretty genuine. ] Really, I'm just feeling kind of stupid. Everything I've been through, and it's fucking Mac Tonight.

[neverstudied]

If it helps, most've my near death experiences've been just about that stupid. A giant marshmallow, a demon strapping us to a roulette wheel, my dad unleashing a demon on New York, a book I accidentally got at an auction unleashing the Four Horsemen, the chicken dimension...

Mac Tonight isn't that bad, if ya think about it. At least there's probably a normal dude underneath that mask. ... Maybe.

[He's trying.]

[rangerslayer]

Whoever it was- It was a dummy shot. A single bullet. Pathetic.

[ ...Yeah it seems this is what she's most mad about. ]

[neverstudied]

[... Ah.]

I mean, you know there's not a whole lot you could do to stop a bullet to your skull. Especially without much warning. No one could've survived that shot. At least not without, like, months in the hospital, which we don't have here.

It's bullshit that that's what took you out, but...

[Venkman trails off. There's not a whole lot more he can say, really. It sucks, she's dead now, and she didn't even get to go down fighting. Or with dignity.]

[rangerslayer]

But, I've been dodging death since I was a kid. Any moment, and it was this?

[ She sighs. ]

It's been weighing on me. That's all.

[neverstudied]

I know. And believe me, I get it- I do. But sometimes your number comes up, and there's not a whole lot you can do to stop it.

[He sighs.]

Death comes for everyone, y'know? And sometimes it's messy and undeserved and fucking stupid. But it's gonna happen, and when it does, there's nothing you can do but accept it, eventually. That doesn't mean your emotions right now are wrong, or that this isn't awful, or that you didn't deserve better than this.

[This is starting to feel like one of the times he's had to talk spirits into dispersing. He's not sure if that's a good thing or not.]

[rangerslayer]

...It'd be a lot easier if it was just over.

That's how I used to think it was, you know. You die, that's it. Maybe...some kind of void, or something. But nothing like this.

[neverstudied]

I guess in some places, that is all there is. And maybe that's all there is after a spirit passes on for good. I dunno.

At least you can still make a difference here and now.

[Which can be a blessing and a curse.]

[rangerslayer]

You help people...like, when they're dead.

Is it anything like this?

[neverstudied]

I mean... Not Exactly like this. Usually the whole "we're all being forced to kill strangers" bit isn't hanging in the air. ... And usually, I don't know a spirit before they're dead.

[It's probably happened a few times, but it's definitely not common. and maybe a little too dark for a cartoon, especially when executive meddling started]

Still. There's tons of spirits of the dead who turn angry and bitter, and can warp into non-human shells of their former selves. Most of 'em are too far gone to help, and they don't even remember their human life. Those go in the containment unit. Then there's ones like... All of you here, I guess.

Still chilling on the mortal plane. Some accepting, some angry, some depressed about it. All of you not able to move on. That's usually my bread and butter- when I try to figure out how to talk spirits into a better place, so to speak. Sometimes that works. Sometimes they're comfortable hanging out as a ghost and trying to build a new life.

This place doesn't seem to give much of a choice. I dunno if that's better or not. But at least it gives you all time to decide what you might actually want, when or if you get that choice. And in the meantime, figure out what you can do while you're still here.

[rangerslayer]

...I don't know what I want. But that's kind of to be expected, after...all of this.

[ She runs a hand over her head, forgetting herself, smearing blood. Tch. ]

I don't think I could ever be comfortable building a life as a ghost, though. That's... I don't know. It doesn't feel right.