never coming home

louisa jane allerton. ghost.

[witchxdemon]

GHOSTS WERE all relatives, much like all witches are relatives - it is the connection, the bond of power that had made them something akin to family. Species almost always stuck together, rarely deviating from one another, even though there were halfbreeds, such as herself. "All ghosts have a shared trauma, little spirit. Does that not make you related, in a sense?" she retorted, but the ghost kept talking.

ah.

It would seem the little spirit had been tethered by living relatives, wherever they were. Perhaps that was the grievance or final goodbye she had wished to resolve, without even knowing it yet. She would remember, they always do, in the end. But, it was a good sign that she was inclined to see help. Not many of her... deceased kinsmen would ask a warlock for help so lightly. "I can find out. When I do, I can direct you to a medium, should you wish to communicate with them. Unless they also share your... predicament."

"Well, time is a social construct to begin with. Of course you might be confused over the timeline." Han-na offered, but then tilted her head to the side, watching the little spirit. "Louisa. A famous warrior, that is what it means. A lovely name. It suits you." Han-na spoke, but then asked ;

"You recall nothing at all? Not even fragments or sentiments?"

[louisafms]

"oh, but i'm not-" it was a knee jerk reaction for louisa to claim that she wasn't dead, a cycle that would become boring to portum's residents that had been here for a while but there was something blocking the ghost from accepting that it was so. there was a lack of closure for both her and her family and questions that remained unsolved. still, the world had kept turning, it had just been without her in it. the ghost did receive push back on her claims so it felt pointless to protest with the other that seemed so convinced she was in fact dead. sighing, the woman shrugged her shoulders and her presence flickered as she noted that no matter how much she said something, she didn't feel listened to or helped. people weren't in the wrong to push back as louisa was not living in reality but she was also extremely sensitive.

"oh, that's kind of you. i'm just not sure how i feel about all... that sort of stuff. is it safe? i don't want to disrupt anything. " she had never been a believer in it and some things were better left as they were. however, in this instance, it might prove to be helpful to her. louisa had been stuck here for over thirty years and she was still as sensitive and confused as when she first got here, maybe moreso now as she was vengeful at the beginning. "you're very kind." the woman finally gave the other another gentle smile. "my mind is... it's foggy. time seems to run away from me and i wouldn't be able to tell you what i was thinking."

[dienoctes]

"i'm also sorry if i startled you," nolan said, hoping the fireworks of his arrival didn't scare the ghost. "i'm a phoenix. when we die, we get reborn in flames," he was wondering if the ghost was new in town. there were a lot of phoenixes in portum, and you were bound to bump into one at some point. "i'm nolan," he said, holding out a hand at the lady to shake it, wondering if his hand would pass through if she accepted the gesture.

[louisafms]

confusion was evident on the woman's face. the ghost had forgotten about the supernatural aspect of portum, she didn't even register that it included her as she was unaware. "right." nothing made sense anymore. her initial thought was the inquire on the subject but she decided against it. "nolan." louisa nodded as she looked down at his hand. there was a hesitation to take it but she wasn't able to explain the reason why - something about her being didn't feel right but she wasn't going to accept her state at this time. "i'm louisa. just louisa." the woman nodded again.

[macabr3s]

          the  denial  is  to  be  expected  .  hera  isn’t  surprised  but  she  is  disappointed  .  her  cool  gaze  surveys  the  ghost  in  front  of  her  .  an  almost  bored  expression  threatens  to  take  over  her  neutral  facade  .  how  is  it  that  she  finds  herself  in  these  situations  ?  only  in  portum  .  “  fortunately  ,  these  things  aren’t  mutually  exclusive  .  not  in  this  town  at  least  .  you  can  be  both  dead  and  visible  .  or  dead  and  sentient  .  ”  her  experiences  with  ghosts  have  always  been  fickle  to  say  the  least  .  she’s  sure  that  the  other  is  going  through  the  stages  of  grief  .  however  ,  based  on  what  she’s  seeing  ,  she  doubts  that  louisa  would  ever  reach  the  final  stage  of  acceptance  .  “  do  you  know  where  you  are  ?  and  i’m  not  talking  about  the  museum  .  ”

[louisafms]

louisa closes her eyes tightly as a flash of something comes to her mind. she can't quite work out what exactly she was seeing - it was dark but she knew the fear was so very present. "dead?" it was a concept that made no sense to her - how was she here? had this place trapped her or was it all a bad dream? "no." she shook her head with desperation in her eyes. "i can't be-" and yet she couldn't find any evidence to prove otherwise. looking down at her white nightdress, she noticed how dirty her feet looked - covered in the dirt of where she had ended up - with no shoes. "i'm in this strange town, a town that feels so new yet old at the same time, where things change but stay the same. people pass and their faces mould into each other."

[fullmoonsky]

"Yeah...it is...it's cold." Skylar said. As if she had only just noticed. She folded her arms across her chest after taking another draw from her cigarette and respectfully exhaling over her shoulder. Skylar was trying to shake that unsettling feeling — and the fact that she usually ran very hot. Even in the colder New York winter months, goosebumps were a rarity for Skylar. But she felt them now. She seemed to register the fact that the mysterious woman hadn't answered her question, and decided approaching her with a more direct question seemed like the way to go. "I'm Skylar." She said, tilting her head at the other in curiosity. She almost felt like she approaching a wounded animal. "What's your name?"

[louisafms]

it was like there was a permanent frown on the ghost's face and this had continued for thirty years. louisa ran her fingers down her sleeve as she looked towards the other. "skylar." she repeated, voice gentle to contradict the expression on her face. "that's a very pretty name. i'm louisa. just louisa." there was no one around to give her any other name, to refer to her as anything different. her full name had been one that had been forgotten by most but a select few people who attempted to keep her memory alive despite the lack of answers. "i really didn't mean to startle you." raising her brow, the ghost nodded in the other's direction, hoping that she would accept her instead of question. so many people questioned and it upset her when she didn't have the answers.

[scvntillas]

who: kanda & open [0/3] where: outside the old haunt

          the  angry  sky  had  stopped  crying  and  been replaced  by  an  angry  roar.  kanda  was  leaning  against  the  wall. they were  partially  hidden  by  shadows  and  curled  into  themself  as  the  wind  tried  to  trip  them  over.  the  cold  didn't  bother  them  ,  never  had  ,  but  her  hair  getting  in  her  eyes  was  annoying  her.  they  could  see  someone  approaching  from  the  distance  ,  hunched  over  to  brace  themselves  against  the  wind.  as  they  got  closer  kanda  pushed  themself  off  the  wall  ,  letting  them  know  she  was  there.  "private  event  ,"  they  said  flatly  ,  not  bothering  to  see  if  they  believed  her  lies.  "go  home."

[louisafms]

the wind had greatly unnerved the ghost as she lingered about time, not wanting to be blown back to the forest - it felt more dangerous than before. there had been a natural unwilling pull on the ghost to go back to the forest, attempting to help her understand why and find closure but it always felt like it was trying to trap her. "this weather is unforgiving." the ghosts voice cracked as she looked towards them, always finding it polite to ask to enter as opposed to appearing inside. whilst louisa didn't register that she was in fact dead, she would always find a way to access establishments - it was just a mystery as to how. "please. this is about as close to home as it gets." it had always been a comfort, even when she had been distressed and resorted to breaking the establishments glasses as she so desperately wanted to be seen when she felt invisible.

[forelsk3t]

*       ✧    STARTER   open   to   everyone       [   . . .   ]       SLOTS   :   five       ╱       TIME   &   LOCATION   midday  ,  hallowed   grounds  .

               andromeda’s  brow  furrows  in  confusion  and  disbelief  ,  and  her  huffed  laugh  ,  incredulous  ,  is  followed  by  a  moment  of  contemplative  silence  .     “  so  …  you’re  telling  me  you’ve  never  ,  ever  had  a  storm  around  here  ?  like  ,  the—the  town  has  never  faced  weather  like  this  ?  ”     it  is  inconceivable;  there  is  no  way  a  place  with  this  type  of  landscape  has  never  experienced  a  storm  or  at  least  a  heavy  rain  .  she’s  too  familiar  with  land  of  this  nature   (   and  its  weather   )   to  believe  what  the  townspeople  keep  telling  her  .     “  how  is  that  possible  ?  ”

[louisafms]

the ghost had paid little attention to the weather over the past year to realise that it was always rather stagnant. it was now that it was forcing her to take notice. even in life, louisa had been unsettled by gusts of wind, finding its strength unforgiving. the water had always been a calming factor for her but it now thrashed against the land, indiscriminately taking out anything in its path. "the trees are crying." louisa nods, eyes misty with her tears that threaten to fall. "i can't remember the last time i felt the wind, not like this. the temperature had naturally been different for the ghost, her own presence bringing it down further but the cold feeling never quite left her alone. her eyes dart to look outside as the wind wails through portum, widening with fear at how strong it is. "the wind, it's wailing and can be very unforgiving."

[witchxdemon]

THE FORGETFULNESS of ghosts had been an... eternal debate between scholars - both modern, and ancient. No one could really say why some spectrals forgot everything, why some of them only held onto grievances ( human nature, but no one had wanted to admit it ), the others remembered everything and moved on - or lingered to serve as spirit guides to the Oracles and the rest with the Sight.

"It would. It is very usual with your... relatives. Though not every ghosts is the same, the majority has an extremely short short-term memory, not to mention the long term one. It will naturally dissipate, like all curses, but it will take time. I suppose it is in vain if I ask how long you've been in such an unfortunate state?"

the scholar in her really can't shut up.

Ah. Mulled wine. Another thing they had enjoyed - her father, even though a demon, had been privy to the affairs, likes and dislikes of ghosts. A long lineage of taking care of them. Malevolent and benevolent. Catching the eye of the bartender, Han-na ordered a glass for her... new friend.

"Then you ought to join me. They have the best mulled wine a ghost could ask for." she chuckled. "I'm Baek Han-na. Do you recall your name, little spirit?"

[louisafms]

"my relatives?" louisa's brow furrowed deeply at the notions leaving the other's mouth. "i think you must have me confused with someone else. i am very much here." her presence was indeed fleeting, she just failed the realise it. for all the moments she wasn't thinking, where was louisa allerton? it was as if she simply stopped existing for all but two people in the entire world, however, she would not be able to name those two people of describe their faces. "-but..." she had to rethink her steps. "... if you know something about them..." it was like she was a blank canvas that had only been left with the upset and confusion; she had been stripped of everything else when her life was taken.

then, louisa let out a sigh. "i'm unsure of how long i've been in this town. there are people who pass through-" she could not recall their faces. "- and those who seem familiar." it was those who had grown up in the town for the thirty years she'd been there. her brow furrowed again at being called a 'ghost' and she was about to open her mouth to make her case, seeming a little irritated, but had pulled back. "han-na, that's a nice name." nodding, the woman let out a small hum. "louisa. just louisa."

[dienoctes]

nolan would be lying if he said he wasn't spooked by the ghost that suddenly approached him. he'd never say that aloud, but much to his dismay, it came across clear in his flinch and the very brief flash of shock on his face, but nolan manages to control himself. "oh, uh, sorry about all the soot," nolan says, dusting off the back of his jacket, "it just happens when i do this. i've seen other phoenixes not have to worry about this, but i'm still trying to get used to it." he scratches the back of his neck. "i'm nolan, what about you?"

[louisafms]

why was there a flinch from the other? what had she done that was so wrong. "apologies. i didn't mean to startle you." louisa always tried to be the most polite because that was what her parents valued. the ghost wasn't at all self-aware of her state. louisa was sensitive; she was sensitive in her life and more so now. "phoenix?" her brow furrowed yet she kept her eyes wide. she was silent for a few moments before she shook her head. "there is far too much about this place that i do not understand." and also about herself. "louisa." with hesitation, the ghost stepped forward to get closer to the other, the air dropping in temperature as she did so. it was something out of her control, that she herself felt like she could feel but in a different way from how she used to feel the cold.

[fullmoonsky]

Skylar shuddered at the sound of the woman's voice. It was sort of distant, yet present. Like she was here - but she wasn't. Skylar could hardly describe it, but there was something eerie about her. She could feel it in the sudden chill in the air and a scent she couldn't quite place. Her eyes focused on the other, hair standing up on the back of her neck. The wolf didn't feel like she was in danger. But she still felt unsettled. "It is warm. Very warm." Skylar tilted her head at the other, measuring this woman like she was trying to study her. It was strange. As off-putting as this woman was, Skylar got that same feeling she always got when she came across an animal in distress. Strange indeed. "Do you need help with something?"

[louisafms]

louisa's brow furrowed as the other shifted but kept eye contact. the woman did have a strange way of talking, her mannerisms somewhat disjointed. although she retained very little, it was hard to ignore that people looked at her in a certain way she couldn't explain - it wasn't an uplifting feeling, almost like she was losing a battle each time. it was easy for the ghost to be dismissed by others as she had the ability to become an unwanted nuisance very quickly. her facial expression softened when the other offered her some help. what was the intention behind it? was there some form of presumption that accompanied the willingness to help. "there are some very strange things going on... it's chilly out, isn't it?" the woman shivered but her presence was making the temperature of the air drop around the both of them. "i hate the cold, never really done well with it." the ghost's skin was pale, almost a light grey but she had tried to pull a smile. louisa needed help with something but she didn't know what that was or how to get to it in her situation that went far beyond denial.

[crepusculaar]

OPEN STARTER . Open to all & feel free to assume connections LOCATION . Along the shore, just after sundown

Some people jogged around town. Some people preferred to work out at the gym. Meena Patel, however, had a different approach. The night was cool and clear, and she'd had the bright idea to dust off one of her favourite pairs of roller skates (of which, she had many)—a glittering, neon pair that was sure to make an impression during the darkening gloom of dusk. To any onlookers, the vampire seemed to be in a particularly good mood as she skated across the pavement.

"Y'know what Portum needs?" she mused out loud, slowing down once she caught up to someone who'd been walking ahead of her.

"Roller disco. I don't know if we need one, but it'd be something for the tourists, right? Or just a bit of a laugh. Something I think would be very needed right now,"

[louisafms]

there was something so calming about being near water, just as it was soothing for her to be embraced by candle light. louisa was a lost spirit, a ghost that frequently forgot she was dead and that cycle had her trapped here for over thirty years. still, the concept of time was a fleeting one to her and it felt like all the time in the world but no time at all to her. the woman's brow furrowed. "that's not a suggestion i've heard before." she narrowed her eyes. "are there tourists in portum?" she had seen so many faces come and go but none calling themselves tourists or looking at anything deemed an attraction. "i'm not the most coordinated person alive." it wasn't a slip up, louisa was just currently unaware that she was even dead - the sad part was that she couldn't recount anything from her previous life, the one before portum, except for the fact that the forest seemed a lot more enamoured with her than she was with it. "perhaps others would enjoy it but i don't think i'd be one of them."

[witchxdemon]

OH, A LITTLE spirit! How charming. She had a fondness of ghosts, of their forgotten tragedies and everything that had lingered on along with them. Their forms, as unstable as a droplet of water, fluttering in and out of appearance. They have all been very amusing to the warlock, though their tales...

the majority of them had been horrors. terrors. tragedies.

No wonder they'd all forgotten their past lives and their deaths, she thought, but smiled to the spectre. "I quite wonder what it is you have been thinking about, unless it is a deeply private matter you don't wish to divulge." Han-na asked, her fingers curling around the stem of the wineglass.

"I'd offer you a drink, but I suspect your sustenance comes from something else, doesn't it?"

Ghosts weren't really her expertise, but she had had more than enough dealings with them throughout her very long lifespan. They had been a part of her thesis on conjuring, of course. As well as cursing.

"Or perhaps you do want a drink. Is the rum still the preferred drink of the spirits?" her father had told her tales of seasoned rum left as offerings for ghosts and other spirits, not only those of the dead.

[louisafms]

"would it even make sense if i said i couldn't remember?" it had supposedly been seconds ago and the woman couldn't even recount what she was thinking, if she had even been thinking at all. louisa's life had ended in a horrifying scene, one that she had blocked out and whenever she was forced to remember, the ghost had a reaction so severe that it would wipe her own memory - this had now been going on for more than thirty years. so many things had changed and it seemed it was all in a blink of an eye. something was keeping her from moving on, whether it was herself or an external force was up for debate.

louisa furrowed her brow. "i've never been much of a spirit drinker but if i had to choose, a spiced rum is always nice, especially in the holiday season." she nodded. "i like wine. it has the same effect, you see. it warms you up on the inside." it was a distant memory but the irish in her met the wine and it would result in rosy cheeks, a stark contrast to how she presented herself now. louisa had completely missed the reference to spirit or ghost - she'd taken it at face value.

[fullmoonsky]

who: open to all

where: outside Portum Veterinary

when: late at night

"Listen, I just stayed late at work for a prolapsed anus. If anything, I earned this cigarette. So stop looking at me like that." Sure, Skylar had been meaning to quit. It really was a nasty habit. But in the grand scheme of things, her body had been through a lot worse. She'd allow herself this one vice.

[louisafms]

louisa looked behind her to see if the other would be talking to her. bringing her hand up, the ghost gestured to her chest and raised her eyebrows. "me?" there was a look of confusion but perhaps she had lost her thought and had been staring at the other. "apologies. i didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." the white dress she donned blew delicately with the wind. "i lost myself." it wasn't the first time - she was a lost spirit, forgetting she was dead and then remembering again - a cycle was keeping her here for over thirty years. "it doesn't sound particularly pleasant." her eyes couldn't help but be drawn to the cigarette; louisa was sure she had smoked but then had stopped for some reason. still, it wasn't the act that drew her focus, it was the end igniting as the other took it to her lips. "it looks warm."

[avdaciter]

          The way this lady spoke was definitely weird, and Divya, sadly not being in control of her facial features most of the time, was sure it would be noticeable if the two remained there for longer. “I do have an apartment.” She clarified. Maybe saying she wanted to buy a house sounded more vague than she would’ve intended it to? “But I feel like owning a house would make me feel more adult?” More than being a lieutenant did. More than looking out for her friends did. It felt like something a grownup person would do. Downing another sip of her drink, the gorgon cocked her head to the side at the ghost’s words. “Are–you… really asking me if I know if you’ve been here for long, lady?” Now it was impossible to hide confusion in her features. “I don’t have an answer for your question as I don't know you, sorry.”

[louisafms]

"i meant a home." there was a hint of desperation in the clarification that came from her, worried that the other's perception of her was odd. louisa's phrases would come across as odd to most people but she was completely unaware of it, just like she was currently unaware that she was dead. "owning by yourself? that's quite impressive." the ghost nodded but now manifested some nervous energy as the conversation went on. "i-" she finally clocked the other's facial features - if her cheeks were able to look bright red, they would have been raging from the embarrassment that those expressions made her feel. "you're looking at me funny-" the ghost frowned as doubt then set in. it was odd that she didn't know how long she'd been in town, that she couldn't picture a living space in this town but every so often she'd get a flash to one that was so, so far away. "i'm sorry. i just thought you might have known."

[witchxdemon]

location: the old haunt, late evening. status: open to all !

HAN-NA had a rather... tiring day teaching. All those students asking for theories about the vampire's death, wondering had it been demonic interference that ended their existence and summoned both dragons and reapers to the... peaceful town of Portum had been irksome at best.

at worst she was really close to summoning hellfire.

She had lived for seven centuries with only minimal diversions into the dark and the villainous, and for the past three centuries it had been almost without incident.

almost.

Deciding to just throw back and relax at the Old Haunt, Han-na ordered herself a glass of red wine and enjoyed the much needed solitude. Until, like all good things, it had abruptly ended.

"By all means, do sit down. I don't bite."

[louisafms]

louisa had got in the habit of lingering in the old haunt (and how fitting that was) within the past six months. her being drawn to the serenity of the water, the warmth of a candle lit or fighting a pull back to the soil in the confusing forest, this place acted as a home without her even realising it. coming from a family with irish heritage, they would have chuckled if they had known that information. the ghost had previously terrorised the establishment, got emotional and had shattered glass upon glass but that had happened less frequently. louisa was still confused but it caused a feeling of sadness more than making her blood boil.

gently humming to herself, the ghost had flickered in and out of others being able to see her, not realising it was a daily occurrence, until the greyish figure appeared solid. "oh-" she exclaimed putting her hands out in a gentle surrender. "i wasn't meaning to disturb you. i must have been lost in thought." the ghost wouldn't be able to recount what she had been thinking about as she'd wandered. "that's very kind of you." she knew better than to reject someone so sat down as invited, treating the gesture as more of an instruction.

[writtcn]

louisa's view on portum is ... unconventional, to say the least. bas' knee-jerk reaction is to say that can't possibly be the case — but he thinks it through for a moment. “ i can understand why you're worried, but — people can leave. people come and go all the time. ” he tries to stick to the rational, logic-based arguments, because saying that the town just feels friendly is unlikely to convince her. even if it's true. he's lived here his whole life, but even considering that it feels more than just a hometown. “ besides, does it matter ? we're here, may as well make the most of what we've got. ” a little nihilistic, perhaps, but it's true. if there are higher powers fucking with the residents, it's not as if anyone in town can do something about it. “ take-away or to have here ? ”

[louisafms]

"i've seen many faces..." the woman frowned. it was worrying that she'd seen so many, feeling like people were disappearing and being replaced but she had stayed the same. it was now going on thirty one years since louisa had past, past over to portum and she was no closer to accepting and resolving what had happened than she was on that very day back in the 90s. "i'm not sure about any of it. i don't think i can leave. i wake up in the forest and have no idea how i got there." it was concerning because she was unaware of her nature. louisa was about to answer but patted down her nightdress. "oh- it's okay. i don't have any money." she never seemed to have anything like that - did she even have any personal possessions other than the gold medallion that hung around her neck? "please can i just sit here for a moment?"

[avdaciter]

          Thinking about what ghosts wanted to achieve in their life (or… death?) wasn’t something Divya was constantly thinking about. Or ever. Maybe that was the impersonal side of her, the gorgon part of her that meant keeping her emotions to the ones the closest to her. So when the ghost mentioned not having thought about any New Years resolutions, the young lieutenant was more than happy to talk about herself. “Hm…” She thought about it for a minute, index finger tapping gently on her chin before she answered the other’s question. “I really want to own my own house.” With a slight wave of her hand, she ordered another drink for herself and continued. “Kind of tired of paying the rent, you know? I’m thirty-five and I don’t plan on moving anywhere, so maybe a house would be nice.” She smiled at the other. “You’ve been around for a long time?”

[louisafms]

"a house." louisa nodded but with a slight frown on her face. did she have a house? she must have done but she wasn't able to tell the other where it was or who else lived there, if any. another red flag was presenting itself to the unaware ghost - where did she go when she wasn't actively being, interacting with another. "that's a good goal. people need a place to live. i have one, i'm sure i do." how could she not? still, there was no place in portum that she kept being drawn back to other than the forest. "i-um-" she tucked her hair behind her ear and shrugged softly. "i don't know." there was a hint of self-frustration in the ghost's voice. "have you? do you know?" it didn't take much to confuse the sensitive spirit that still lingered around, thirty years after her life was brutally taken from her.

[brazyspirit]

"i think that's why I like it," he confirmed, shrugging his shoulders. "it's not like it can kill me now," he spoke, a hint of venom in their voice. they were bitter – the joys of life, the risk of balancing the wire between life and death through thrills were taken away from them without a choice. "that's okay, you know. i understand that. a lot of things can change when you're not fully here," oliver reassured, looking back over at her before he continued. "i've been here for a few months. i'm a ghost, and i think you are too."

[louisafms]

the woman's brow quickly furrowed at the suggestion. "why does everyone keep saying that?" the person before her hadn't been the first to point it out to her and they wouldn't be the last. although louisa was protesting, his words were calm, even bordering on comforting as she felt he saw her and was trying to help her in a calm, soft way. "things change but they're the same. i can't explain it." thirty years had come and gone but she was still the same confused and emotional spirit as when she'd first arrived, only now she was more gentle in her bid for attention. "but i see you. you can't be dead."