R5: ghost hangout

[foundationmods]

[What's this? The fog of the miasma has pulled back, revealing a path down to the basement. None of the living seem to notice it though, only those who are dead are aware of it.

Down in the basement is a large furnished room. It doesn't seem as dusty as the rest of the house, and it actually seems lived in? Or...un-lived in, technically. But the lighting here works and there's plenty to do. Even if the ghosts might not need it, there's several beanbag chairs (brought in by one of the many groups of teenagers who have disappeared into the house), a large couch, and even a jacuzzi. Because even if you're in eternal pain, you can relax a bit, right?

If the ghosts look up, they'll see that the ceiling appears to be made of spider-patterned stained glass. Which is weird, considering that it should be floorboards and such. But the stained glass allows them to look up into all parts of the house and easily spy on the living. What they hear can be hit or miss, especially if the living are whispering, but seeing what they're up to should be easy enough.

Well. Might as well make the most of this space, right?]

Comments

[dreamshielder]

[Aaaaand there goes Hikage having his little breakdown. Haku watches from his own position by the wall.]

Ah.

[It's flat-toned as ever, though perhaps mixed with something else that's hard to place. one way or another, he doesn't seem happy about it.]

[accrowed]

[ Yeah this sure is a thing that's happening. ]

He's sure having a fun time.

[ Haku doesn't look like he is though. ]

[dreamshielder]

[He doesn't even look over at Crow, eyes still fixed on the show Hikage is putting on at the trial.]

Mm. It's difficult to watch.

[tangentlion]

[from his beanbag;] So he's that kind of integer, huh. That's even more annoying than kanji boy over there. Whatever. They need to zetta focus and get the other one, too.

[accrowed]

Asking this group to focus is like trying to keep butter away from that raccoon.

[ Impossible, just impossible. Why did the raccoon like butter that much anyway!! ]

Anyway, I wonder who our other culprit is. What do you say we start taking bets?

[tangentlion]

That raccoon is weird!

...tch. Ain't like we have anything to bet with.

[accrowed]

How about, whoever wins gets to punch Hikage?

[ Not that he wants to punch Hikage but judging from Sho's everything right now, sure seems like a good prize. ]

[tangentlion]

You say that like I'm not gonna do it anyway. I didn't care about that Battler kid, but having him with us is gonna be.... complicated. But maybe.... first dibs on the punching?

[tsunderine]

[OVERHEARS THE FIRST DIBS ON PUNCHING HIKAGE--]

Hey, shouldn't I have first dibs on that?

[y'all are assholes

he killed her prey]

I don't know who did it, but... my gut wants to say it might be Gin. Not that it really matters much to me who the second culprit is.

[accrowed]

Sorry, you should've spoken up sooner.

[ now you're in the queue!!! once bets start coming in you can't change the pot!! ]

Gin it is. That makes a total of three bets so far.

[tsunderine]

Don't test me.

[she is not in the mood for anyone's bullshit right now to be honest]

Of course, he hasn't spoken up in quite some time, so the chances of me being wrong is very likely. Not that it matters. I literally could care less, as long as Battler-kun's murder is given the justice they deserve and then some.

[lightreaching]

[ ...............hey this sure is the first time they've spoken after she ate him, hmmm ]

I haven't the faintest. But whoever it is...

[ ah, she wants them to feel all the pain they inflicted on him ]

[tangentlion]

[Sho nods in agreement]

[lightreaching]

[ She looks him in the eye.

Fire is a terrible way to die, you know.

She's seen it, on battlefields, there's a short memory she shares of a soldier getting hit with a fire spell, and running to her to be healed, except he's still burning while he walks, and Flayn's hands are shaking around her staff as she casts a healing spell--

That's it. That's how...terrible, awful, painful, it is, burning to death. ]

[accrowed]

[ hmm indeed. but it's cool, she's a ghost so he probably can't feel animosity towards her?? probably

kinda sad if he could given they're linked now. nothing worse than hating someone in a hivemind because you're basically hating yourself ]

I'm going to put that down as, "nobody, Hikage's playin'."

[lightreaching]

Oh no. I do believe it was someone else. The way he is acting...it does not seem as though he has a reason to hide his theoretical second crime.

[ Flayn looks at him. Really, really looks at him. She's not entirely sure how to broach the topic of "I'm sorry I literally ate you" because even through the miasma she's...still Flayn, less and less Flayn as the days go by, but. ]

[carbide]

[Don't we all.]

[dreamshielder]

[Haku pauses, but then Sho is getting a firm nod.]

Yes. For Giovanni's sake.

[Look, he was pretty fond of Soupdad, and despite doing a decent job of not bleeding emotions everywhere, he's been pretty pissed himself.]

They can focus on Hikage-kun later. They're just wasting time giving him attention.

[tangentlion]

[Sho hasn't been as good at it. In his defense, he doesn't usually feel things like this. He hasn't felt this way about another person in....

A really long time. ]

And that's all that zero wants, anyway. Gag him and throw him in the corner.

[dreamshielder]

Maybe that's the point. He could still be covering for someone else.

[tangentlion]

You heard what he said. He doesn't care about any of the other digits and never did. Of course, he may just want to see an innocent person get killed alongside him.

this is a dumb tag I am sorry

[noneforall]

[Subete doesn't engage directly this time -- he's said plenty on the subject, and it seems their own ghost contingent is busily plotting some of their petty revenge in the corner, but he does give Haku a single curious glance in the bargain. Frankly, he doesn't usually keep track of who's hung up on who in here unless they're miasma-shrieking it to high heavens, but hmmm.]

[dreamshielder]

[He catches that glance, but instead of looking away he holds it as if waiting to see if Subete actually intends on speaking up.]

[noneforall]

[Well, they can have a moment or two of staring contest, oddly calm before Subete lets out a quiet exhale and tilts his head to examine Haku's expression -- or lack thereof. It's something notable in the sea of overexcitement and miasma mashing. After that, he breaks the silence.]

Penny for your thoughts?

[dreamshielder]

[He's got half a mind to ask Subete if he actually cares or if this is just more of the usual shitstirring, but in the end Haku's also out of fucks to give about this whole situation. They're all dead, they're all stuck in a hivemind for god knows how long... who cares what anyone wants anymore.]

I wondered weeks ago if Hikage-kun was really something akin to the vessel of the last mansion he was in. He seemed to find the idea ridiculous at the time, but I suppose we're here now.