Isn't it sucH a pEacefuL Place and tiME?

Hey, I'm Zera Oliviar!! They/He/She. Resident hunter of the paranormal! Except those eldritch horrors, not touching that topic again, no thank you! Please leave me alone.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Hello there! My name's Zera Oliviar!

I use he/him, she/her, or they/them cause I don't care which, and I'm a 16yo 11th grader at Hatchetfield High!

I'm also the leader of HIPUSA, aka Hatchetfield's Investigators of Paranormal, Unusual, and Supernatural Activity!

In regards to our team, we currently only have (10) members, who are me and everyone listed below!

@allsnoggledout @littlestghosty @thelilcloverpatch @killerharmony @laika-at-hatchetfield @fading-angelic-starlight (2) @marble-man @arrowsofapollo

Link to that one advertisement: Info

Edit: I am now willing to do things for money. As long as it's not a crime or something, because I have standards. But I'm broke and kinda desperate, so standards are still pretty low.

(ooc and appearances below cut)

This is a sideblog/rp blog

Green text is Zera, Red text is Innes, Yellow/orange text is Eylish

Innes is a 14yo boy who uses he/him, and Eylish is a 7yo girl

Character Tags: Zera's Chats , Innes' Inquiries , Eylishs Rambles , Not Quite Zera

This blog is in the context of the Hatchetblr rp stuff, in no particular timeline.

Innes currently does not have an official appearance.

Zera's Appearance (WILL REDRAW AT SOME POINT);

Eylish's Appearance:

[minty-ghost-lover]

I was cringe but at least I was free

Doubt this'll ever come back. Was fun while it lasted though!

Maybe I'll use Zera for something else in the future, who knows.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Good news, I'm not dead. I feel pretty dead though it's been like two months and I still feel weak. Does anyone have any tips for getting over mysterious illnesses that may have started with possession?

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover stands at the treeline of the witchwood. he has an old, flickering flashlight in one hand, and a baseball bat sticking out of their backpack. they squint into the darkness, looking for @minty-ghost-lover]

hello? is anyone there?

zera?

i-if you're out there...please.. say something?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover takes a few steps into the forest nervously]

z-zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[thelilcloverpatch]

o-okay..

[they venture deeper into the forest]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

h-hello?

zera?

ohmygosh

is that..

zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

frick frick frick frick

um

uh

[clover moves closer and prods the body with her flashlight]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ohmygosh.

ok. uh...

[clover tries to lift him up, hoping to carry her home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hm. ok.

well. i promised to keep you safe. all of you.

i intend to keep that promise.

it would be pretty suspicious dragging an unconscious body out of the woods. wouldnt it..

[clover pulls out his phone to call innes]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hi. um. i found zera...but.

um. eylish isnt around, is she? you probably dont want her hearing about this..

[minty-ghost-lover]

"She isn't around right now, no... what's wrong?"

[He spoke in a worried tone.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

zera's..not. conscious.

i found them in the woods. just. lying there.

i can. try? to carry her back? but i dont want to worry anyone.

something is kinda..off. about him. shes weirdly light? i guess? and he has marks on their face.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah thats a good idea.

[clover tries to gently shake zera awake]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera murmurs, his eyes slowly blinking open. She was about half conscious, not fully aware of what was going on. Weirdly, the sclera of Zera's eyes were a slightly faded pitch black instead of the white they should be, likely a side effect of the whole possession thing.]

"....Hm?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

you're awake! your eyes are..um...nevermind.

great. ok. we gotta go home. uh. to your house. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Where.. where are.. we?"

[They glanced around, very out of it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

...the woods? i found you here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. Why..?"

[He weakly tried to sit up, but their arms buckled underneath them and she fell back onto the dirt.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover offers them a hand to help her back up]

why i found you here? i. i dont know. um. innes told me you disappeared. so i looked for you. and i found you. and woke you up. and now we're here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. weird... won.. wonder how I.. got here.."

[He took Clover's hand, having to lean on them support.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah, me too, but... i dont know if we really want to find out. lets. lets go.

[she begins to lead them out of the woods]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They went with her for a little while, before stopping, seemingly having remembered something]

"..... Clover.. I.. I think I.. tried to..."

[She winced, looking up at Clover anxiously.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

y-yeah?

we can. stop. if you need a break. i.. im sure i wouldnt feel great if i woke all scratched up in the middle of the forest.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded weakly.]

".. think I tried.... to hurt.. them....."

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

[minty-ghost-lover]

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was actually brought out of her thoughts there, having to take a few seconds]

"What- what does base.. baseball.. have to.. do with anything?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

i can hit things hard. with a baseball bat.

if worst comes to worst...

your siblings will be fine. i wont let anything happen to them.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded and suddenly hugged Clover]

"Thank you thank you thank you I give you full permission to hit me if it takes over my body again to hurt them thank you thank you-"

[He sounded very strained, trying to make sure their words came through as clearly as possible despite her weakened voice. What Clover said was really the exact kind of thing Zera needed to hear right now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover seems surprised by the hug, but huffs out a small laugh and hugs her back]

dont strain yourself too much, ok? we dont have to talk if its too hard on your voice. i dont want you to hurt yourself.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"S.. orry.."

[It came out as more of a croak]

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover takes his water bottle from their bag and hands it to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[thelilcloverpatch]

no problem :]

um. let me know if you're up for walking again. we do still have to get out of the forest...

you can, uh... just tap my shoulder. when youre ready.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i talked to eylish a bit, while you were. grounded, i think? doing whatever you were doing. she seems sweet, really passionate. about butterflies.

that reminds me. i wanted to bring some flowers from my aunts house next time. i guess it'll be next-next time. but i guess bringing you back is just as good?

[clover talks, mostly to herself, as if writing in a diary, but out loud, not expecting a response.]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah, sure.

[clover takes out a pen and her sketchbook, opens it to a new page and hands it to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They took and, wrote exactly one word]

Grounded?

[He looked confused]

[thelilcloverpatch]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She thought for a few seconds]

It might have been excuse for keeping me in my room without needing to tell her anything

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

When did you talk with Eylish?

[thelilcloverpatch]

tuesday? i think

and monday too

[minty-ghost-lover]

How did that end up happening?

[Very curious]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

[thelilcloverpatch]

she took someones phone, idk.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Might have been mine

[thelilcloverpatch]

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

Should we go back now?

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover stands and offers a hand to help them up]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[thelilcloverpatch]

its alright, you have nothing to apologize for

[clover begins to walk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover tries to stick to a slow pace that he can keep up]

let me know if you need to stop again

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they continue walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Just going along, there they go]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[when they reach the edge of the forest clover stops]

uhh

idk how to get to your house from here

lead the way?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They made a few confused hand gestures, trying to figure out how to communicate his thoughts, before she gave up and forced out]

".. don.. know.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh sorry. um. here.

[clover takes out the sketchbook and pen again and hands it to her]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I dont know where we are or how to get back

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

um. neither do i.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah thats a good idea.

i..think i know the way to miss retros?

[minty-ghost-lover]

Lead the way

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover begins leading them in the direction of miss retros]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Walking woo]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[eventually clover and zera arrive at miss retros. they go inside.]

hello?

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[ooc: rb order will be:

ms holloway

zera

clover

(just to make sure the rp doesnt branch or anything)]

[miss-retro-1980]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[thelilcloverpatch]

Hi! um. we were wondering if you know where [insert street name] is? and how we could get there?

we're...kinda lost.

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[miss-retro-1980]

Yeah, I can see. And your friend doesn't look so good.

Just three blocks away until you pass by a house with a big garden, then you can turn right.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

okay

thank you!

[clover starts to leave]

[ooc: uhh ig its @minty-ghost-lover's turn? idk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they start walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Away they go, following the directions they were given]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walk walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They probably arrived at some point. The house is the same as described before, looking worn down and in need of a bit of work, but still livable. Zera seemed anxious.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you ok?

[clover pauses for a moment before remembering the pen and paper. they take them out of her bag again and hand them to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I don't know if the thing that possessed me is still around or not.

[thelilcloverpatch]

i. i could stay with you? to be safe?

[minty-ghost-lover]

If it isn't too much of a bother at least. I might need to be locked in my room again.

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok. but...i. i'll make sure no one gets hurt. dont worry about that.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Thank you

[They looked back at Clover, so very grateful to have a friend like them]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover smiles at her]

of course

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They carefully walked to the door, trying to keep her balance. He took a second to check her clothes for the key inside, but found nothing. The key was likely ended up with Innes. He knocked on the door instead.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover waited next to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[It took a few seconds, but shortly after knocking, the door cracked open to reveal Innes.]

"You're back!"

[He smiled, happy to see his older sibling brought back safe]

[thelilcloverpatch]

:)

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He hugged Zera, but looked at Clover]

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

[He let go and looked to Zera]

"And you, I know you were getting possessed and all, but try not to run off next time, okay? I was worried."

[Zera smiled sheepishly]

[thelilcloverpatch]

what..happened. with zera? do you know?

i. mean. i assume youd tell me. since. i. literally rescued her from the woods.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Not entirely sure what's wrong to be honest. They just went out to the local forest about two weeks ago searching for ghosts or whatever and came back acting strange."

[thelilcloverpatch]

hmmm...

well. hopefully theyre better now?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera nodded]

"Mhm. Seems like it at least."

[thelilcloverpatch]

thats good :]

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Either way, back inside."

[He grabbed Zera by the arm and lightly dragged her back inside, little resistance from the other]

"You can come in too if you want, at least if you don't have anywhere else to be right now."

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover stands at the treeline of the witchwood. he has an old, flickering flashlight in one hand, and a baseball bat sticking out of their backpack. they squint into the darkness, looking for @minty-ghost-lover]

hello? is anyone there?

zera?

i-if you're out there...please.. say something?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover takes a few steps into the forest nervously]

z-zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[thelilcloverpatch]

o-okay..

[they venture deeper into the forest]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

h-hello?

zera?

ohmygosh

is that..

zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

frick frick frick frick

um

uh

[clover moves closer and prods the body with her flashlight]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ohmygosh.

ok. uh...

[clover tries to lift him up, hoping to carry her home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hm. ok.

well. i promised to keep you safe. all of you.

i intend to keep that promise.

it would be pretty suspicious dragging an unconscious body out of the woods. wouldnt it..

[clover pulls out his phone to call innes]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hi. um. i found zera...but.

um. eylish isnt around, is she? you probably dont want her hearing about this..

[minty-ghost-lover]

"She isn't around right now, no... what's wrong?"

[He spoke in a worried tone.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

zera's..not. conscious.

i found them in the woods. just. lying there.

i can. try? to carry her back? but i dont want to worry anyone.

something is kinda..off. about him. shes weirdly light? i guess? and he has marks on their face.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah thats a good idea.

[clover tries to gently shake zera awake]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera murmurs, his eyes slowly blinking open. She was about half conscious, not fully aware of what was going on. Weirdly, the sclera of Zera's eyes were a slightly faded pitch black instead of the white they should be, likely a side effect of the whole possession thing.]

"....Hm?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

you're awake! your eyes are..um...nevermind.

great. ok. we gotta go home. uh. to your house. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Where.. where are.. we?"

[They glanced around, very out of it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

...the woods? i found you here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. Why..?"

[He weakly tried to sit up, but their arms buckled underneath them and she fell back onto the dirt.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover offers them a hand to help her back up]

why i found you here? i. i dont know. um. innes told me you disappeared. so i looked for you. and i found you. and woke you up. and now we're here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. weird... won.. wonder how I.. got here.."

[He took Clover's hand, having to lean on them support.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah, me too, but... i dont know if we really want to find out. lets. lets go.

[she begins to lead them out of the woods]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They went with her for a little while, before stopping, seemingly having remembered something]

"..... Clover.. I.. I think I.. tried to..."

[She winced, looking up at Clover anxiously.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

y-yeah?

we can. stop. if you need a break. i.. im sure i wouldnt feel great if i woke all scratched up in the middle of the forest.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded weakly.]

".. think I tried.... to hurt.. them....."

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

[minty-ghost-lover]

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was actually brought out of her thoughts there, having to take a few seconds]

"What- what does base.. baseball.. have to.. do with anything?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

i can hit things hard. with a baseball bat.

if worst comes to worst...

your siblings will be fine. i wont let anything happen to them.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded and suddenly hugged Clover]

"Thank you thank you thank you I give you full permission to hit me if it takes over my body again to hurt them thank you thank you-"

[He sounded very strained, trying to make sure their words came through as clearly as possible despite her weakened voice. What Clover said was really the exact kind of thing Zera needed to hear right now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover seems surprised by the hug, but huffs out a small laugh and hugs her back]

dont strain yourself too much, ok? we dont have to talk if its too hard on your voice. i dont want you to hurt yourself.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"S.. orry.."

[It came out as more of a croak]

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover takes his water bottle from their bag and hands it to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[thelilcloverpatch]

no problem :]

um. let me know if you're up for walking again. we do still have to get out of the forest...

you can, uh... just tap my shoulder. when youre ready.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i talked to eylish a bit, while you were. grounded, i think? doing whatever you were doing. she seems sweet, really passionate. about butterflies.

that reminds me. i wanted to bring some flowers from my aunts house next time. i guess it'll be next-next time. but i guess bringing you back is just as good?

[clover talks, mostly to herself, as if writing in a diary, but out loud, not expecting a response.]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah, sure.

[clover takes out a pen and her sketchbook, opens it to a new page and hands it to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They took and, wrote exactly one word]

Grounded?

[He looked confused]

[thelilcloverpatch]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She thought for a few seconds]

It might have been excuse for keeping me in my room without needing to tell her anything

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

When did you talk with Eylish?

[thelilcloverpatch]

tuesday? i think

and monday too

[minty-ghost-lover]

How did that end up happening?

[Very curious]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

[thelilcloverpatch]

she took someones phone, idk.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Might have been mine

[thelilcloverpatch]

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

Should we go back now?

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover stands and offers a hand to help them up]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[thelilcloverpatch]

its alright, you have nothing to apologize for

[clover begins to walk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover tries to stick to a slow pace that he can keep up]

let me know if you need to stop again

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they continue walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Just going along, there they go]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[when they reach the edge of the forest clover stops]

uhh

idk how to get to your house from here

lead the way?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They made a few confused hand gestures, trying to figure out how to communicate his thoughts, before she gave up and forced out]

".. don.. know.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh sorry. um. here.

[clover takes out the sketchbook and pen again and hands it to her]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I dont know where we are or how to get back

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

um. neither do i.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah thats a good idea.

i..think i know the way to miss retros?

[minty-ghost-lover]

Lead the way

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover begins leading them in the direction of miss retros]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Walking woo]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[eventually clover and zera arrive at miss retros. they go inside.]

hello?

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[ooc: rb order will be:

ms holloway

zera

clover

(just to make sure the rp doesnt branch or anything)]

[miss-retro-1980]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[thelilcloverpatch]

Hi! um. we were wondering if you know where [insert street name] is? and how we could get there?

we're...kinda lost.

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[miss-retro-1980]

Yeah, I can see. And your friend doesn't look so good.

Just three blocks away until you pass by a house with a big garden, then you can turn right.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

okay

thank you!

[clover starts to leave]

[ooc: uhh ig its @minty-ghost-lover's turn? idk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they start walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Away they go, following the directions they were given]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walk walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They probably arrived at some point. The house is the same as described before, looking worn down and in need of a bit of work, but still livable. Zera seemed anxious.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you ok?

[clover pauses for a moment before remembering the pen and paper. they take them out of her bag again and hand them to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I don't know if the thing that possessed me is still around or not.

[thelilcloverpatch]

i. i could stay with you? to be safe?

[minty-ghost-lover]

If it isn't too much of a bother at least. I might need to be locked in my room again.

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok. but...i. i'll make sure no one gets hurt. dont worry about that.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Thank you

[They looked back at Clover, so very grateful to have a friend like them]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover smiles at her]

of course

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They carefully walked to the door, trying to keep her balance. He took a second to check her clothes for the key inside, but found nothing. The key was likely ended up with Innes. He knocked on the door instead.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover waited next to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[It took a few seconds, but shortly after knocking, the door cracked open to reveal Innes.]

"You're back!"

[He smiled, happy to see his older sibling brought back safe]

[thelilcloverpatch]

:)

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He hugged Zera, but looked at Clover]

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

[He let go and looked to Zera]

"And you, I know you were getting possessed and all, but try not to run off next time, okay? I was worried."

[Zera smiled sheepishly]

[thelilcloverpatch]

what..happened. with zera? do you know?

i. mean. i assume youd tell me. since. i. literally rescued her from the woods.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Not entirely sure what's wrong to be honest. They just went out to the local forest about two weeks ago searching for ghosts or whatever and came back acting strange."

[thelilcloverpatch]

hmmm...

well. hopefully theyre better now?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera nodded]

"Mhm. Seems like it at least."

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover stands at the treeline of the witchwood. he has an old, flickering flashlight in one hand, and a baseball bat sticking out of their backpack. they squint into the darkness, looking for @minty-ghost-lover]

hello? is anyone there?

zera?

i-if you're out there...please.. say something?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover takes a few steps into the forest nervously]

z-zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[thelilcloverpatch]

o-okay..

[they venture deeper into the forest]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

h-hello?

zera?

ohmygosh

is that..

zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

frick frick frick frick

um

uh

[clover moves closer and prods the body with her flashlight]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ohmygosh.

ok. uh...

[clover tries to lift him up, hoping to carry her home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hm. ok.

well. i promised to keep you safe. all of you.

i intend to keep that promise.

it would be pretty suspicious dragging an unconscious body out of the woods. wouldnt it..

[clover pulls out his phone to call innes]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hi. um. i found zera...but.

um. eylish isnt around, is she? you probably dont want her hearing about this..

[minty-ghost-lover]

"She isn't around right now, no... what's wrong?"

[He spoke in a worried tone.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

zera's..not. conscious.

i found them in the woods. just. lying there.

i can. try? to carry her back? but i dont want to worry anyone.

something is kinda..off. about him. shes weirdly light? i guess? and he has marks on their face.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah thats a good idea.

[clover tries to gently shake zera awake]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera murmurs, his eyes slowly blinking open. She was about half conscious, not fully aware of what was going on. Weirdly, the sclera of Zera's eyes were a slightly faded pitch black instead of the white they should be, likely a side effect of the whole possession thing.]

"....Hm?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

you're awake! your eyes are..um...nevermind.

great. ok. we gotta go home. uh. to your house. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Where.. where are.. we?"

[They glanced around, very out of it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

...the woods? i found you here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. Why..?"

[He weakly tried to sit up, but their arms buckled underneath them and she fell back onto the dirt.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover offers them a hand to help her back up]

why i found you here? i. i dont know. um. innes told me you disappeared. so i looked for you. and i found you. and woke you up. and now we're here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. weird... won.. wonder how I.. got here.."

[He took Clover's hand, having to lean on them support.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah, me too, but... i dont know if we really want to find out. lets. lets go.

[she begins to lead them out of the woods]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They went with her for a little while, before stopping, seemingly having remembered something]

"..... Clover.. I.. I think I.. tried to..."

[She winced, looking up at Clover anxiously.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

y-yeah?

we can. stop. if you need a break. i.. im sure i wouldnt feel great if i woke all scratched up in the middle of the forest.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded weakly.]

".. think I tried.... to hurt.. them....."

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

[minty-ghost-lover]

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was actually brought out of her thoughts there, having to take a few seconds]

"What- what does base.. baseball.. have to.. do with anything?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

i can hit things hard. with a baseball bat.

if worst comes to worst...

your siblings will be fine. i wont let anything happen to them.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded and suddenly hugged Clover]

"Thank you thank you thank you I give you full permission to hit me if it takes over my body again to hurt them thank you thank you-"

[He sounded very strained, trying to make sure their words came through as clearly as possible despite her weakened voice. What Clover said was really the exact kind of thing Zera needed to hear right now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover seems surprised by the hug, but huffs out a small laugh and hugs her back]

dont strain yourself too much, ok? we dont have to talk if its too hard on your voice. i dont want you to hurt yourself.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"S.. orry.."

[It came out as more of a croak]

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover takes his water bottle from their bag and hands it to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[thelilcloverpatch]

no problem :]

um. let me know if you're up for walking again. we do still have to get out of the forest...

you can, uh... just tap my shoulder. when youre ready.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i talked to eylish a bit, while you were. grounded, i think? doing whatever you were doing. she seems sweet, really passionate. about butterflies.

that reminds me. i wanted to bring some flowers from my aunts house next time. i guess it'll be next-next time. but i guess bringing you back is just as good?

[clover talks, mostly to herself, as if writing in a diary, but out loud, not expecting a response.]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah, sure.

[clover takes out a pen and her sketchbook, opens it to a new page and hands it to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They took and, wrote exactly one word]

Grounded?

[He looked confused]

[thelilcloverpatch]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She thought for a few seconds]

It might have been excuse for keeping me in my room without needing to tell her anything

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

When did you talk with Eylish?

[thelilcloverpatch]

tuesday? i think

and monday too

[minty-ghost-lover]

How did that end up happening?

[Very curious]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

[thelilcloverpatch]

she took someones phone, idk.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Might have been mine

[thelilcloverpatch]

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

Should we go back now?

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover stands and offers a hand to help them up]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[thelilcloverpatch]

its alright, you have nothing to apologize for

[clover begins to walk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover tries to stick to a slow pace that he can keep up]

let me know if you need to stop again

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they continue walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Just going along, there they go]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[when they reach the edge of the forest clover stops]

uhh

idk how to get to your house from here

lead the way?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They made a few confused hand gestures, trying to figure out how to communicate his thoughts, before she gave up and forced out]

".. don.. know.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh sorry. um. here.

[clover takes out the sketchbook and pen again and hands it to her]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I dont know where we are or how to get back

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

um. neither do i.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah thats a good idea.

i..think i know the way to miss retros?

[minty-ghost-lover]

Lead the way

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover begins leading them in the direction of miss retros]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Walking woo]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[eventually clover and zera arrive at miss retros. they go inside.]

hello?

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[ooc: rb order will be:

ms holloway

zera

clover

(just to make sure the rp doesnt branch or anything)]

[miss-retro-1980]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[thelilcloverpatch]

Hi! um. we were wondering if you know where [insert street name] is? and how we could get there?

we're...kinda lost.

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[miss-retro-1980]

Yeah, I can see. And your friend doesn't look so good.

Just three blocks away until you pass by a house with a big garden, then you can turn right.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

okay

thank you!

[clover starts to leave]

[ooc: uhh ig its @minty-ghost-lover's turn? idk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they start walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Away they go, following the directions they were given]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walk walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They probably arrived at some point. The house is the same as described before, looking worn down and in need of a bit of work, but still livable. Zera seemed anxious.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you ok?

[clover pauses for a moment before remembering the pen and paper. they take them out of her bag again and hand them to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I don't know if the thing that possessed me is still around or not.

[thelilcloverpatch]

i. i could stay with you? to be safe?

[minty-ghost-lover]

If it isn't too much of a bother at least. I might need to be locked in my room again.

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok. but...i. i'll make sure no one gets hurt. dont worry about that.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Thank you

[They looked back at Clover, so very grateful to have a friend like them]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover smiles at her]

of course

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They carefully walked to the door, trying to keep her balance. He took a second to check her clothes for the key inside, but found nothing. The key was likely ended up with Innes. He knocked on the door instead.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover waited next to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[It took a few seconds, but shortly after knocking, the door cracked open to reveal Innes.]

"You're back!"

[He smiled, happy to see his older sibling brought back safe]

[thelilcloverpatch]

:)

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He hugged Zera, but looked at Clover]

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

[He let go and looked to Zera]

"And you, I know you were getting possessed and all, but try not to run off next time, okay? I was worried."

[Zera smiled sheepishly]

[thelilcloverpatch]

what..happened. with zera? do you know?

i. mean. i assume youd tell me. since. i. literally rescued her from the woods.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Not entirely sure what's wrong to be honest. They just went out to the local forest about two weeks ago searching for ghosts or whatever and came back acting strange."

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover stands at the treeline of the witchwood. he has an old, flickering flashlight in one hand, and a baseball bat sticking out of their backpack. they squint into the darkness, looking for @minty-ghost-lover]

hello? is anyone there?

zera?

i-if you're out there...please.. say something?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover takes a few steps into the forest nervously]

z-zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[thelilcloverpatch]

o-okay..

[they venture deeper into the forest]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

h-hello?

zera?

ohmygosh

is that..

zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

frick frick frick frick

um

uh

[clover moves closer and prods the body with her flashlight]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ohmygosh.

ok. uh...

[clover tries to lift him up, hoping to carry her home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hm. ok.

well. i promised to keep you safe. all of you.

i intend to keep that promise.

it would be pretty suspicious dragging an unconscious body out of the woods. wouldnt it..

[clover pulls out his phone to call innes]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hi. um. i found zera...but.

um. eylish isnt around, is she? you probably dont want her hearing about this..

[minty-ghost-lover]

"She isn't around right now, no... what's wrong?"

[He spoke in a worried tone.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

zera's..not. conscious.

i found them in the woods. just. lying there.

i can. try? to carry her back? but i dont want to worry anyone.

something is kinda..off. about him. shes weirdly light? i guess? and he has marks on their face.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah thats a good idea.

[clover tries to gently shake zera awake]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera murmurs, his eyes slowly blinking open. She was about half conscious, not fully aware of what was going on. Weirdly, the sclera of Zera's eyes were a slightly faded pitch black instead of the white they should be, likely a side effect of the whole possession thing.]

"....Hm?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

you're awake! your eyes are..um...nevermind.

great. ok. we gotta go home. uh. to your house. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Where.. where are.. we?"

[They glanced around, very out of it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

...the woods? i found you here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. Why..?"

[He weakly tried to sit up, but their arms buckled underneath them and she fell back onto the dirt.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover offers them a hand to help her back up]

why i found you here? i. i dont know. um. innes told me you disappeared. so i looked for you. and i found you. and woke you up. and now we're here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. weird... won.. wonder how I.. got here.."

[He took Clover's hand, having to lean on them support.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah, me too, but... i dont know if we really want to find out. lets. lets go.

[she begins to lead them out of the woods]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They went with her for a little while, before stopping, seemingly having remembered something]

"..... Clover.. I.. I think I.. tried to..."

[She winced, looking up at Clover anxiously.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

y-yeah?

we can. stop. if you need a break. i.. im sure i wouldnt feel great if i woke all scratched up in the middle of the forest.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded weakly.]

".. think I tried.... to hurt.. them....."

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

[minty-ghost-lover]

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was actually brought out of her thoughts there, having to take a few seconds]

"What- what does base.. baseball.. have to.. do with anything?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

i can hit things hard. with a baseball bat.

if worst comes to worst...

your siblings will be fine. i wont let anything happen to them.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded and suddenly hugged Clover]

"Thank you thank you thank you I give you full permission to hit me if it takes over my body again to hurt them thank you thank you-"

[He sounded very strained, trying to make sure their words came through as clearly as possible despite her weakened voice. What Clover said was really the exact kind of thing Zera needed to hear right now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover seems surprised by the hug, but huffs out a small laugh and hugs her back]

dont strain yourself too much, ok? we dont have to talk if its too hard on your voice. i dont want you to hurt yourself.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"S.. orry.."

[It came out as more of a croak]

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover takes his water bottle from their bag and hands it to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[thelilcloverpatch]

no problem :]

um. let me know if you're up for walking again. we do still have to get out of the forest...

you can, uh... just tap my shoulder. when youre ready.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i talked to eylish a bit, while you were. grounded, i think? doing whatever you were doing. she seems sweet, really passionate. about butterflies.

that reminds me. i wanted to bring some flowers from my aunts house next time. i guess it'll be next-next time. but i guess bringing you back is just as good?

[clover talks, mostly to herself, as if writing in a diary, but out loud, not expecting a response.]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah, sure.

[clover takes out a pen and her sketchbook, opens it to a new page and hands it to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They took and, wrote exactly one word]

Grounded?

[He looked confused]

[thelilcloverpatch]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She thought for a few seconds]

It might have been excuse for keeping me in my room without needing to tell her anything

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

When did you talk with Eylish?

[thelilcloverpatch]

tuesday? i think

and monday too

[minty-ghost-lover]

How did that end up happening?

[Very curious]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

[thelilcloverpatch]

she took someones phone, idk.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Might have been mine

[thelilcloverpatch]

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

Should we go back now?

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover stands and offers a hand to help them up]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[thelilcloverpatch]

its alright, you have nothing to apologize for

[clover begins to walk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover tries to stick to a slow pace that he can keep up]

let me know if you need to stop again

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they continue walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Just going along, there they go]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[when they reach the edge of the forest clover stops]

uhh

idk how to get to your house from here

lead the way?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They made a few confused hand gestures, trying to figure out how to communicate his thoughts, before she gave up and forced out]

".. don.. know.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh sorry. um. here.

[clover takes out the sketchbook and pen again and hands it to her]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I dont know where we are or how to get back

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

um. neither do i.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah thats a good idea.

i..think i know the way to miss retros?

[minty-ghost-lover]

Lead the way

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover begins leading them in the direction of miss retros]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Walking woo]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[eventually clover and zera arrive at miss retros. they go inside.]

hello?

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[ooc: rb order will be:

ms holloway

zera

clover

(just to make sure the rp doesnt branch or anything)]

[miss-retro-1980]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[thelilcloverpatch]

Hi! um. we were wondering if you know where [insert street name] is? and how we could get there?

we're...kinda lost.

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[miss-retro-1980]

Yeah, I can see. And your friend doesn't look so good.

Just three blocks away until you pass by a house with a big garden, then you can turn right.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

okay

thank you!

[clover starts to leave]

[ooc: uhh ig its @minty-ghost-lover's turn? idk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they start walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Away they go, following the directions they were given]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walk walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They probably arrived at some point. The house is the same as described before, looking worn down and in need of a bit of work, but still livable. Zera seemed anxious.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you ok?

[clover pauses for a moment before remembering the pen and paper. they take them out of her bag again and hand them to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I don't know if the thing that possessed me is still around or not.

[thelilcloverpatch]

i. i could stay with you? to be safe?

[minty-ghost-lover]

If it isn't too much of a bother at least. I might need to be locked in my room again.

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok. but...i. i'll make sure no one gets hurt. dont worry about that.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Thank you

[They looked back at Clover, so very grateful to have a friend like them]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover smiles at her]

of course

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They carefully walked to the door, trying to keep her balance. He took a second to check her clothes for the key inside, but found nothing. The key was likely ended up with Innes. He knocked on the door instead.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover waited next to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[It took a few seconds, but shortly after knocking, the door cracked open to reveal Innes.]

"You're back!"

[He smiled, happy to see his older sibling brought back safe]

[thelilcloverpatch]

:)

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He hugged Zera, but looked at Clover]

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

[He let go and looked to Zera]

"And you, I know you were getting possessed and all, but try not to run off next time, okay? I was worried."

[Zera smiled sheepishly]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover stands at the treeline of the witchwood. he has an old, flickering flashlight in one hand, and a baseball bat sticking out of their backpack. they squint into the darkness, looking for @minty-ghost-lover]

hello? is anyone there?

zera?

i-if you're out there...please.. say something?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover takes a few steps into the forest nervously]

z-zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[thelilcloverpatch]

o-okay..

[they venture deeper into the forest]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

h-hello?

zera?

ohmygosh

is that..

zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

frick frick frick frick

um

uh

[clover moves closer and prods the body with her flashlight]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ohmygosh.

ok. uh...

[clover tries to lift him up, hoping to carry her home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hm. ok.

well. i promised to keep you safe. all of you.

i intend to keep that promise.

it would be pretty suspicious dragging an unconscious body out of the woods. wouldnt it..

[clover pulls out his phone to call innes]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hi. um. i found zera...but.

um. eylish isnt around, is she? you probably dont want her hearing about this..

[minty-ghost-lover]

"She isn't around right now, no... what's wrong?"

[He spoke in a worried tone.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

zera's..not. conscious.

i found them in the woods. just. lying there.

i can. try? to carry her back? but i dont want to worry anyone.

something is kinda..off. about him. shes weirdly light? i guess? and he has marks on their face.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah thats a good idea.

[clover tries to gently shake zera awake]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera murmurs, his eyes slowly blinking open. She was about half conscious, not fully aware of what was going on. Weirdly, the sclera of Zera's eyes were a slightly faded pitch black instead of the white they should be, likely a side effect of the whole possession thing.]

"....Hm?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

you're awake! your eyes are..um...nevermind.

great. ok. we gotta go home. uh. to your house. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Where.. where are.. we?"

[They glanced around, very out of it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

...the woods? i found you here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. Why..?"

[He weakly tried to sit up, but their arms buckled underneath them and she fell back onto the dirt.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover offers them a hand to help her back up]

why i found you here? i. i dont know. um. innes told me you disappeared. so i looked for you. and i found you. and woke you up. and now we're here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. weird... won.. wonder how I.. got here.."

[He took Clover's hand, having to lean on them support.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah, me too, but... i dont know if we really want to find out. lets. lets go.

[she begins to lead them out of the woods]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They went with her for a little while, before stopping, seemingly having remembered something]

"..... Clover.. I.. I think I.. tried to..."

[She winced, looking up at Clover anxiously.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

y-yeah?

we can. stop. if you need a break. i.. im sure i wouldnt feel great if i woke all scratched up in the middle of the forest.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded weakly.]

".. think I tried.... to hurt.. them....."

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

[minty-ghost-lover]

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was actually brought out of her thoughts there, having to take a few seconds]

"What- what does base.. baseball.. have to.. do with anything?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

i can hit things hard. with a baseball bat.

if worst comes to worst...

your siblings will be fine. i wont let anything happen to them.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded and suddenly hugged Clover]

"Thank you thank you thank you I give you full permission to hit me if it takes over my body again to hurt them thank you thank you-"

[He sounded very strained, trying to make sure their words came through as clearly as possible despite her weakened voice. What Clover said was really the exact kind of thing Zera needed to hear right now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover seems surprised by the hug, but huffs out a small laugh and hugs her back]

dont strain yourself too much, ok? we dont have to talk if its too hard on your voice. i dont want you to hurt yourself.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"S.. orry.."

[It came out as more of a croak]

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover takes his water bottle from their bag and hands it to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[thelilcloverpatch]

no problem :]

um. let me know if you're up for walking again. we do still have to get out of the forest...

you can, uh... just tap my shoulder. when youre ready.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i talked to eylish a bit, while you were. grounded, i think? doing whatever you were doing. she seems sweet, really passionate. about butterflies.

that reminds me. i wanted to bring some flowers from my aunts house next time. i guess it'll be next-next time. but i guess bringing you back is just as good?

[clover talks, mostly to herself, as if writing in a diary, but out loud, not expecting a response.]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah, sure.

[clover takes out a pen and her sketchbook, opens it to a new page and hands it to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They took and, wrote exactly one word]

Grounded?

[He looked confused]

[thelilcloverpatch]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She thought for a few seconds]

It might have been excuse for keeping me in my room without needing to tell her anything

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

When did you talk with Eylish?

[thelilcloverpatch]

tuesday? i think

and monday too

[minty-ghost-lover]

How did that end up happening?

[Very curious]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

[thelilcloverpatch]

she took someones phone, idk.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Might have been mine

[thelilcloverpatch]

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

Should we go back now?

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover stands and offers a hand to help them up]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[thelilcloverpatch]

its alright, you have nothing to apologize for

[clover begins to walk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover tries to stick to a slow pace that he can keep up]

let me know if you need to stop again

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they continue walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Just going along, there they go]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[when they reach the edge of the forest clover stops]

uhh

idk how to get to your house from here

lead the way?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They made a few confused hand gestures, trying to figure out how to communicate his thoughts, before she gave up and forced out]

".. don.. know.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh sorry. um. here.

[clover takes out the sketchbook and pen again and hands it to her]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I dont know where we are or how to get back

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

um. neither do i.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah thats a good idea.

i..think i know the way to miss retros?

[minty-ghost-lover]

Lead the way

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover begins leading them in the direction of miss retros]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Walking woo]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[eventually clover and zera arrive at miss retros. they go inside.]

hello?

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[ooc: rb order will be:

ms holloway

zera

clover

(just to make sure the rp doesnt branch or anything)]

[miss-retro-1980]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[thelilcloverpatch]

Hi! um. we were wondering if you know where [insert street name] is? and how we could get there?

we're...kinda lost.

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[miss-retro-1980]

Yeah, I can see. And your friend doesn't look so good.

Just three blocks away until you pass by a house with a big garden, then you can turn right.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

okay

thank you!

[clover starts to leave]

[ooc: uhh ig its @minty-ghost-lover's turn? idk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they start walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Away they go, following the directions they were given]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walk walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They probably arrived at some point. The house is the same as described before, looking worn down and in need of a bit of work, but still livable. Zera seemed anxious.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you ok?

[clover pauses for a moment before remembering the pen and paper. they take them out of her bag again and hand them to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I don't know if the thing that possessed me is still around or not.

[thelilcloverpatch]

i. i could stay with you? to be safe?

[minty-ghost-lover]

If it isn't too much of a bother at least. I might need to be locked in my room again.

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok. but...i. i'll make sure no one gets hurt. dont worry about that.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Thank you

[They looked back at Clover, so very grateful to have a friend like them]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover smiles at her]

of course

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They carefully walked to the door, trying to keep her balance. He took a second to check her clothes for the key inside, but found nothing. The key was likely ended up with Innes. He knocked on the door instead.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover waited next to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[It took a few seconds, but shortly after knocking, the door cracked open to reveal Innes.]

"You're back!"

[He smiled, happy to see his older sibling brought back safe]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover stands at the treeline of the witchwood. he has an old, flickering flashlight in one hand, and a baseball bat sticking out of their backpack. they squint into the darkness, looking for @minty-ghost-lover]

hello? is anyone there?

zera?

i-if you're out there...please.. say something?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover takes a few steps into the forest nervously]

z-zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[thelilcloverpatch]

o-okay..

[they venture deeper into the forest]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

h-hello?

zera?

ohmygosh

is that..

zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

frick frick frick frick

um

uh

[clover moves closer and prods the body with her flashlight]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ohmygosh.

ok. uh...

[clover tries to lift him up, hoping to carry her home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hm. ok.

well. i promised to keep you safe. all of you.

i intend to keep that promise.

it would be pretty suspicious dragging an unconscious body out of the woods. wouldnt it..

[clover pulls out his phone to call innes]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hi. um. i found zera...but.

um. eylish isnt around, is she? you probably dont want her hearing about this..

[minty-ghost-lover]

"She isn't around right now, no... what's wrong?"

[He spoke in a worried tone.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

zera's..not. conscious.

i found them in the woods. just. lying there.

i can. try? to carry her back? but i dont want to worry anyone.

something is kinda..off. about him. shes weirdly light? i guess? and he has marks on their face.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah thats a good idea.

[clover tries to gently shake zera awake]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera murmurs, his eyes slowly blinking open. She was about half conscious, not fully aware of what was going on. Weirdly, the sclera of Zera's eyes were a slightly faded pitch black instead of the white they should be, likely a side effect of the whole possession thing.]

"....Hm?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

you're awake! your eyes are..um...nevermind.

great. ok. we gotta go home. uh. to your house. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Where.. where are.. we?"

[They glanced around, very out of it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

...the woods? i found you here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. Why..?"

[He weakly tried to sit up, but their arms buckled underneath them and she fell back onto the dirt.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover offers them a hand to help her back up]

why i found you here? i. i dont know. um. innes told me you disappeared. so i looked for you. and i found you. and woke you up. and now we're here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. weird... won.. wonder how I.. got here.."

[He took Clover's hand, having to lean on them support.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah, me too, but... i dont know if we really want to find out. lets. lets go.

[she begins to lead them out of the woods]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They went with her for a little while, before stopping, seemingly having remembered something]

"..... Clover.. I.. I think I.. tried to..."

[She winced, looking up at Clover anxiously.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

y-yeah?

we can. stop. if you need a break. i.. im sure i wouldnt feel great if i woke all scratched up in the middle of the forest.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded weakly.]

".. think I tried.... to hurt.. them....."

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

[minty-ghost-lover]

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was actually brought out of her thoughts there, having to take a few seconds]

"What- what does base.. baseball.. have to.. do with anything?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

i can hit things hard. with a baseball bat.

if worst comes to worst...

your siblings will be fine. i wont let anything happen to them.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded and suddenly hugged Clover]

"Thank you thank you thank you I give you full permission to hit me if it takes over my body again to hurt them thank you thank you-"

[He sounded very strained, trying to make sure their words came through as clearly as possible despite her weakened voice. What Clover said was really the exact kind of thing Zera needed to hear right now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover seems surprised by the hug, but huffs out a small laugh and hugs her back]

dont strain yourself too much, ok? we dont have to talk if its too hard on your voice. i dont want you to hurt yourself.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"S.. orry.."

[It came out as more of a croak]

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover takes his water bottle from their bag and hands it to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[thelilcloverpatch]

no problem :]

um. let me know if you're up for walking again. we do still have to get out of the forest...

you can, uh... just tap my shoulder. when youre ready.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i talked to eylish a bit, while you were. grounded, i think? doing whatever you were doing. she seems sweet, really passionate. about butterflies.

that reminds me. i wanted to bring some flowers from my aunts house next time. i guess it'll be next-next time. but i guess bringing you back is just as good?

[clover talks, mostly to herself, as if writing in a diary, but out loud, not expecting a response.]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah, sure.

[clover takes out a pen and her sketchbook, opens it to a new page and hands it to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They took and, wrote exactly one word]

Grounded?

[He looked confused]

[thelilcloverpatch]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She thought for a few seconds]

It might have been excuse for keeping me in my room without needing to tell her anything

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

When did you talk with Eylish?

[thelilcloverpatch]

tuesday? i think

and monday too

[minty-ghost-lover]

How did that end up happening?

[Very curious]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

[thelilcloverpatch]

she took someones phone, idk.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Might have been mine

[thelilcloverpatch]

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

Should we go back now?

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover stands and offers a hand to help them up]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[thelilcloverpatch]

its alright, you have nothing to apologize for

[clover begins to walk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover tries to stick to a slow pace that he can keep up]

let me know if you need to stop again

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they continue walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Just going along, there they go]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[when they reach the edge of the forest clover stops]

uhh

idk how to get to your house from here

lead the way?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They made a few confused hand gestures, trying to figure out how to communicate his thoughts, before she gave up and forced out]

".. don.. know.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh sorry. um. here.

[clover takes out the sketchbook and pen again and hands it to her]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I dont know where we are or how to get back

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

um. neither do i.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah thats a good idea.

i..think i know the way to miss retros?

[minty-ghost-lover]

Lead the way

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover begins leading them in the direction of miss retros]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Walking woo]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[eventually clover and zera arrive at miss retros. they go inside.]

hello?

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[ooc: rb order will be:

ms holloway

zera

clover

(just to make sure the rp doesnt branch or anything)]

[miss-retro-1980]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[thelilcloverpatch]

Hi! um. we were wondering if you know where [insert street name] is? and how we could get there?

we're...kinda lost.

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[miss-retro-1980]

Yeah, I can see. And your friend doesn't look so good.

Just three blocks away until you pass by a house with a big garden, then you can turn right.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

okay

thank you!

[clover starts to leave]

[ooc: uhh ig its @minty-ghost-lover's turn? idk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they start walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Away they go, following the directions they were given]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walk walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They probably arrived at some point. The house is the same as described before, looking worn down and in need of a bit of work, but still livable. Zera seemed anxious.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you ok?

[clover pauses for a moment before remembering the pen and paper. they take them out of her bag again and hand them to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I don't know if the thing that possessed me is still around or not.

[thelilcloverpatch]

i. i could stay with you? to be safe?

[minty-ghost-lover]

If it isn't too much of a bother at least. I might need to be locked in my room again.

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok. but...i. i'll make sure no one gets hurt. dont worry about that.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Thank you

[They looked back at Clover, so very grateful to have a friend like them]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover smiles at her]

of course

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They carefully walked to the door, trying to keep her balance. He took a second to check her clothes for the key inside, but found nothing. The key was likely ended up with Innes. He knocked on the door instead.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover stands at the treeline of the witchwood. he has an old, flickering flashlight in one hand, and a baseball bat sticking out of their backpack. they squint into the darkness, looking for @minty-ghost-lover]

hello? is anyone there?

zera?

i-if you're out there...please.. say something?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover takes a few steps into the forest nervously]

z-zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[thelilcloverpatch]

o-okay..

[they venture deeper into the forest]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

h-hello?

zera?

ohmygosh

is that..

zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

frick frick frick frick

um

uh

[clover moves closer and prods the body with her flashlight]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ohmygosh.

ok. uh...

[clover tries to lift him up, hoping to carry her home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hm. ok.

well. i promised to keep you safe. all of you.

i intend to keep that promise.

it would be pretty suspicious dragging an unconscious body out of the woods. wouldnt it..

[clover pulls out his phone to call innes]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hi. um. i found zera...but.

um. eylish isnt around, is she? you probably dont want her hearing about this..

[minty-ghost-lover]

"She isn't around right now, no... what's wrong?"

[He spoke in a worried tone.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

zera's..not. conscious.

i found them in the woods. just. lying there.

i can. try? to carry her back? but i dont want to worry anyone.

something is kinda..off. about him. shes weirdly light? i guess? and he has marks on their face.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah thats a good idea.

[clover tries to gently shake zera awake]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera murmurs, his eyes slowly blinking open. She was about half conscious, not fully aware of what was going on. Weirdly, the sclera of Zera's eyes were a slightly faded pitch black instead of the white they should be, likely a side effect of the whole possession thing.]

"....Hm?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

you're awake! your eyes are..um...nevermind.

great. ok. we gotta go home. uh. to your house. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Where.. where are.. we?"

[They glanced around, very out of it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

...the woods? i found you here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. Why..?"

[He weakly tried to sit up, but their arms buckled underneath them and she fell back onto the dirt.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover offers them a hand to help her back up]

why i found you here? i. i dont know. um. innes told me you disappeared. so i looked for you. and i found you. and woke you up. and now we're here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. weird... won.. wonder how I.. got here.."

[He took Clover's hand, having to lean on them support.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah, me too, but... i dont know if we really want to find out. lets. lets go.

[she begins to lead them out of the woods]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They went with her for a little while, before stopping, seemingly having remembered something]

"..... Clover.. I.. I think I.. tried to..."

[She winced, looking up at Clover anxiously.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

y-yeah?

we can. stop. if you need a break. i.. im sure i wouldnt feel great if i woke all scratched up in the middle of the forest.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded weakly.]

".. think I tried.... to hurt.. them....."

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

[minty-ghost-lover]

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was actually brought out of her thoughts there, having to take a few seconds]

"What- what does base.. baseball.. have to.. do with anything?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

i can hit things hard. with a baseball bat.

if worst comes to worst...

your siblings will be fine. i wont let anything happen to them.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded and suddenly hugged Clover]

"Thank you thank you thank you I give you full permission to hit me if it takes over my body again to hurt them thank you thank you-"

[He sounded very strained, trying to make sure their words came through as clearly as possible despite her weakened voice. What Clover said was really the exact kind of thing Zera needed to hear right now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover seems surprised by the hug, but huffs out a small laugh and hugs her back]

dont strain yourself too much, ok? we dont have to talk if its too hard on your voice. i dont want you to hurt yourself.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"S.. orry.."

[It came out as more of a croak]

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover takes his water bottle from their bag and hands it to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[thelilcloverpatch]

no problem :]

um. let me know if you're up for walking again. we do still have to get out of the forest...

you can, uh... just tap my shoulder. when youre ready.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i talked to eylish a bit, while you were. grounded, i think? doing whatever you were doing. she seems sweet, really passionate. about butterflies.

that reminds me. i wanted to bring some flowers from my aunts house next time. i guess it'll be next-next time. but i guess bringing you back is just as good?

[clover talks, mostly to herself, as if writing in a diary, but out loud, not expecting a response.]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah, sure.

[clover takes out a pen and her sketchbook, opens it to a new page and hands it to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They took and, wrote exactly one word]

Grounded?

[He looked confused]

[thelilcloverpatch]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She thought for a few seconds]

It might have been excuse for keeping me in my room without needing to tell her anything

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

When did you talk with Eylish?

[thelilcloverpatch]

tuesday? i think

and monday too

[minty-ghost-lover]

How did that end up happening?

[Very curious]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

[thelilcloverpatch]

she took someones phone, idk.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Might have been mine

[thelilcloverpatch]

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

Should we go back now?

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover stands and offers a hand to help them up]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[thelilcloverpatch]

its alright, you have nothing to apologize for

[clover begins to walk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover tries to stick to a slow pace that he can keep up]

let me know if you need to stop again

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they continue walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Just going along, there they go]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[when they reach the edge of the forest clover stops]

uhh

idk how to get to your house from here

lead the way?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They made a few confused hand gestures, trying to figure out how to communicate his thoughts, before she gave up and forced out]

".. don.. know.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh sorry. um. here.

[clover takes out the sketchbook and pen again and hands it to her]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I dont know where we are or how to get back

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

um. neither do i.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah thats a good idea.

i..think i know the way to miss retros?

[minty-ghost-lover]

Lead the way

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover begins leading them in the direction of miss retros]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Walking woo]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[eventually clover and zera arrive at miss retros. they go inside.]

hello?

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[ooc: rb order will be:

ms holloway

zera

clover

(just to make sure the rp doesnt branch or anything)]

[miss-retro-1980]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[thelilcloverpatch]

Hi! um. we were wondering if you know where [insert street name] is? and how we could get there?

we're...kinda lost.

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[miss-retro-1980]

Yeah, I can see. And your friend doesn't look so good.

Just three blocks away until you pass by a house with a big garden, then you can turn right.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

okay

thank you!

[clover starts to leave]

[ooc: uhh ig its @minty-ghost-lover's turn? idk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they start walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Away they go, following the directions they were given]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walk walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They probably arrived at some point. The house is the same as described before, looking worn down and in need of a bit of work, but still livable. Zera seemed anxious.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you ok?

[clover pauses for a moment before remembering the pen and paper. they take them out of her bag again and hand them to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I don't know if the thing that possessed me is still around or not.

[thelilcloverpatch]

i. i could stay with you? to be safe?

[minty-ghost-lover]

If it isn't too much of a bother at least. I might need to be locked in my room again.

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok. but...i. i'll make sure no one gets hurt. dont worry about that.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Thank you

[They looked back at Clover, so very grateful to have a friend like them]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover stands at the treeline of the witchwood. he has an old, flickering flashlight in one hand, and a baseball bat sticking out of their backpack. they squint into the darkness, looking for @minty-ghost-lover]

hello? is anyone there?

zera?

i-if you're out there...please.. say something?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover takes a few steps into the forest nervously]

z-zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[thelilcloverpatch]

o-okay..

[they venture deeper into the forest]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

h-hello?

zera?

ohmygosh

is that..

zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

frick frick frick frick

um

uh

[clover moves closer and prods the body with her flashlight]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ohmygosh.

ok. uh...

[clover tries to lift him up, hoping to carry her home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hm. ok.

well. i promised to keep you safe. all of you.

i intend to keep that promise.

it would be pretty suspicious dragging an unconscious body out of the woods. wouldnt it..

[clover pulls out his phone to call innes]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hi. um. i found zera...but.

um. eylish isnt around, is she? you probably dont want her hearing about this..

[minty-ghost-lover]

"She isn't around right now, no... what's wrong?"

[He spoke in a worried tone.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

zera's..not. conscious.

i found them in the woods. just. lying there.

i can. try? to carry her back? but i dont want to worry anyone.

something is kinda..off. about him. shes weirdly light? i guess? and he has marks on their face.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah thats a good idea.

[clover tries to gently shake zera awake]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera murmurs, his eyes slowly blinking open. She was about half conscious, not fully aware of what was going on. Weirdly, the sclera of Zera's eyes were a slightly faded pitch black instead of the white they should be, likely a side effect of the whole possession thing.]

"....Hm?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

you're awake! your eyes are..um...nevermind.

great. ok. we gotta go home. uh. to your house. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Where.. where are.. we?"

[They glanced around, very out of it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

...the woods? i found you here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. Why..?"

[He weakly tried to sit up, but their arms buckled underneath them and she fell back onto the dirt.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover offers them a hand to help her back up]

why i found you here? i. i dont know. um. innes told me you disappeared. so i looked for you. and i found you. and woke you up. and now we're here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. weird... won.. wonder how I.. got here.."

[He took Clover's hand, having to lean on them support.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah, me too, but... i dont know if we really want to find out. lets. lets go.

[she begins to lead them out of the woods]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They went with her for a little while, before stopping, seemingly having remembered something]

"..... Clover.. I.. I think I.. tried to..."

[She winced, looking up at Clover anxiously.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

y-yeah?

we can. stop. if you need a break. i.. im sure i wouldnt feel great if i woke all scratched up in the middle of the forest.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded weakly.]

".. think I tried.... to hurt.. them....."

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

[minty-ghost-lover]

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was actually brought out of her thoughts there, having to take a few seconds]

"What- what does base.. baseball.. have to.. do with anything?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

i can hit things hard. with a baseball bat.

if worst comes to worst...

your siblings will be fine. i wont let anything happen to them.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded and suddenly hugged Clover]

"Thank you thank you thank you I give you full permission to hit me if it takes over my body again to hurt them thank you thank you-"

[He sounded very strained, trying to make sure their words came through as clearly as possible despite her weakened voice. What Clover said was really the exact kind of thing Zera needed to hear right now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover seems surprised by the hug, but huffs out a small laugh and hugs her back]

dont strain yourself too much, ok? we dont have to talk if its too hard on your voice. i dont want you to hurt yourself.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"S.. orry.."

[It came out as more of a croak]

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover takes his water bottle from their bag and hands it to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[thelilcloverpatch]

no problem :]

um. let me know if you're up for walking again. we do still have to get out of the forest...

you can, uh... just tap my shoulder. when youre ready.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i talked to eylish a bit, while you were. grounded, i think? doing whatever you were doing. she seems sweet, really passionate. about butterflies.

that reminds me. i wanted to bring some flowers from my aunts house next time. i guess it'll be next-next time. but i guess bringing you back is just as good?

[clover talks, mostly to herself, as if writing in a diary, but out loud, not expecting a response.]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah, sure.

[clover takes out a pen and her sketchbook, opens it to a new page and hands it to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They took and, wrote exactly one word]

Grounded?

[He looked confused]

[thelilcloverpatch]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She thought for a few seconds]

It might have been excuse for keeping me in my room without needing to tell her anything

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

When did you talk with Eylish?

[thelilcloverpatch]

tuesday? i think

and monday too

[minty-ghost-lover]

How did that end up happening?

[Very curious]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

[thelilcloverpatch]

she took someones phone, idk.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Might have been mine

[thelilcloverpatch]

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

Should we go back now?

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover stands and offers a hand to help them up]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[thelilcloverpatch]

its alright, you have nothing to apologize for

[clover begins to walk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover tries to stick to a slow pace that he can keep up]

let me know if you need to stop again

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they continue walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Just going along, there they go]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[when they reach the edge of the forest clover stops]

uhh

idk how to get to your house from here

lead the way?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They made a few confused hand gestures, trying to figure out how to communicate his thoughts, before she gave up and forced out]

".. don.. know.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh sorry. um. here.

[clover takes out the sketchbook and pen again and hands it to her]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I dont know where we are or how to get back

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

um. neither do i.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah thats a good idea.

i..think i know the way to miss retros?

[minty-ghost-lover]

Lead the way

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover begins leading them in the direction of miss retros]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Walking woo]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[eventually clover and zera arrive at miss retros. they go inside.]

hello?

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[ooc: rb order will be:

ms holloway

zera

clover

(just to make sure the rp doesnt branch or anything)]

[miss-retro-1980]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[thelilcloverpatch]

Hi! um. we were wondering if you know where [insert street name] is? and how we could get there?

we're...kinda lost.

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[miss-retro-1980]

Yeah, I can see. And your friend doesn't look so good.

Just three blocks away until you pass by a house with a big garden, then you can turn right.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

okay

thank you!

[clover starts to leave]

[ooc: uhh ig its @minty-ghost-lover's turn? idk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they start walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Away they go, following the directions they were given]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walk walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They probably arrived at some point. The house is the same as described before, looking worn down and in need of a bit of work, but still livable. Zera seemed anxious.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you ok?

[clover pauses for a moment before remembering the pen and paper. they take them out of her bag again and hand them to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I don't know if the thing that possessed me is still around or not.

[thelilcloverpatch]

i. i could stay with you? to be safe?

[minty-ghost-lover]

If it isn't too much of a bother at least. I might need to be locked in my room again.

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover stands at the treeline of the witchwood. he has an old, flickering flashlight in one hand, and a baseball bat sticking out of their backpack. they squint into the darkness, looking for @minty-ghost-lover]

hello? is anyone there?

zera?

i-if you're out there...please.. say something?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover takes a few steps into the forest nervously]

z-zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[thelilcloverpatch]

o-okay..

[they venture deeper into the forest]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

h-hello?

zera?

ohmygosh

is that..

zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

frick frick frick frick

um

uh

[clover moves closer and prods the body with her flashlight]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ohmygosh.

ok. uh...

[clover tries to lift him up, hoping to carry her home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hm. ok.

well. i promised to keep you safe. all of you.

i intend to keep that promise.

it would be pretty suspicious dragging an unconscious body out of the woods. wouldnt it..

[clover pulls out his phone to call innes]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hi. um. i found zera...but.

um. eylish isnt around, is she? you probably dont want her hearing about this..

[minty-ghost-lover]

"She isn't around right now, no... what's wrong?"

[He spoke in a worried tone.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

zera's..not. conscious.

i found them in the woods. just. lying there.

i can. try? to carry her back? but i dont want to worry anyone.

something is kinda..off. about him. shes weirdly light? i guess? and he has marks on their face.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah thats a good idea.

[clover tries to gently shake zera awake]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera murmurs, his eyes slowly blinking open. She was about half conscious, not fully aware of what was going on. Weirdly, the sclera of Zera's eyes were a slightly faded pitch black instead of the white they should be, likely a side effect of the whole possession thing.]

"....Hm?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

you're awake! your eyes are..um...nevermind.

great. ok. we gotta go home. uh. to your house. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Where.. where are.. we?"

[They glanced around, very out of it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

...the woods? i found you here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. Why..?"

[He weakly tried to sit up, but their arms buckled underneath them and she fell back onto the dirt.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover offers them a hand to help her back up]

why i found you here? i. i dont know. um. innes told me you disappeared. so i looked for you. and i found you. and woke you up. and now we're here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. weird... won.. wonder how I.. got here.."

[He took Clover's hand, having to lean on them support.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah, me too, but... i dont know if we really want to find out. lets. lets go.

[she begins to lead them out of the woods]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They went with her for a little while, before stopping, seemingly having remembered something]

"..... Clover.. I.. I think I.. tried to..."

[She winced, looking up at Clover anxiously.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

y-yeah?

we can. stop. if you need a break. i.. im sure i wouldnt feel great if i woke all scratched up in the middle of the forest.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded weakly.]

".. think I tried.... to hurt.. them....."

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

[minty-ghost-lover]

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was actually brought out of her thoughts there, having to take a few seconds]

"What- what does base.. baseball.. have to.. do with anything?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

i can hit things hard. with a baseball bat.

if worst comes to worst...

your siblings will be fine. i wont let anything happen to them.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded and suddenly hugged Clover]

"Thank you thank you thank you I give you full permission to hit me if it takes over my body again to hurt them thank you thank you-"

[He sounded very strained, trying to make sure their words came through as clearly as possible despite her weakened voice. What Clover said was really the exact kind of thing Zera needed to hear right now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover seems surprised by the hug, but huffs out a small laugh and hugs her back]

dont strain yourself too much, ok? we dont have to talk if its too hard on your voice. i dont want you to hurt yourself.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"S.. orry.."

[It came out as more of a croak]

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover takes his water bottle from their bag and hands it to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[thelilcloverpatch]

no problem :]

um. let me know if you're up for walking again. we do still have to get out of the forest...

you can, uh... just tap my shoulder. when youre ready.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i talked to eylish a bit, while you were. grounded, i think? doing whatever you were doing. she seems sweet, really passionate. about butterflies.

that reminds me. i wanted to bring some flowers from my aunts house next time. i guess it'll be next-next time. but i guess bringing you back is just as good?

[clover talks, mostly to herself, as if writing in a diary, but out loud, not expecting a response.]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah, sure.

[clover takes out a pen and her sketchbook, opens it to a new page and hands it to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They took and, wrote exactly one word]

Grounded?

[He looked confused]

[thelilcloverpatch]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She thought for a few seconds]

It might have been excuse for keeping me in my room without needing to tell her anything

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

When did you talk with Eylish?

[thelilcloverpatch]

tuesday? i think

and monday too

[minty-ghost-lover]

How did that end up happening?

[Very curious]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

[thelilcloverpatch]

she took someones phone, idk.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Might have been mine

[thelilcloverpatch]

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

Should we go back now?

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover stands and offers a hand to help them up]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[thelilcloverpatch]

its alright, you have nothing to apologize for

[clover begins to walk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover tries to stick to a slow pace that he can keep up]

let me know if you need to stop again

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they continue walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Just going along, there they go]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[when they reach the edge of the forest clover stops]

uhh

idk how to get to your house from here

lead the way?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They made a few confused hand gestures, trying to figure out how to communicate his thoughts, before she gave up and forced out]

".. don.. know.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh sorry. um. here.

[clover takes out the sketchbook and pen again and hands it to her]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I dont know where we are or how to get back

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

um. neither do i.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah thats a good idea.

i..think i know the way to miss retros?

[minty-ghost-lover]

Lead the way

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover begins leading them in the direction of miss retros]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Walking woo]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[eventually clover and zera arrive at miss retros. they go inside.]

hello?

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[ooc: rb order will be:

ms holloway

zera

clover

(just to make sure the rp doesnt branch or anything)]

[miss-retro-1980]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[thelilcloverpatch]

Hi! um. we were wondering if you know where [insert street name] is? and how we could get there?

we're...kinda lost.

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[miss-retro-1980]

Yeah, I can see. And your friend doesn't look so good.

Just three blocks away until you pass by a house with a big garden, then you can turn right.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

okay

thank you!

[clover starts to leave]

[ooc: uhh ig its @minty-ghost-lover's turn? idk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they start walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Away they go, following the directions they were given]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walk walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They probably arrived at some point. The house is the same as described before, looking worn down and in need of a bit of work, but still livable. Zera seemed anxious.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you ok?

[clover pauses for a moment before remembering the pen and paper. they take them out of her bag again and hand them to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I don't know if the thing that possessed me is still around or not.

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover stands at the treeline of the witchwood. he has an old, flickering flashlight in one hand, and a baseball bat sticking out of their backpack. they squint into the darkness, looking for @minty-ghost-lover]

hello? is anyone there?

zera?

i-if you're out there...please.. say something?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover takes a few steps into the forest nervously]

z-zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[thelilcloverpatch]

o-okay..

[they venture deeper into the forest]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

h-hello?

zera?

ohmygosh

is that..

zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

frick frick frick frick

um

uh

[clover moves closer and prods the body with her flashlight]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ohmygosh.

ok. uh...

[clover tries to lift him up, hoping to carry her home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hm. ok.

well. i promised to keep you safe. all of you.

i intend to keep that promise.

it would be pretty suspicious dragging an unconscious body out of the woods. wouldnt it..

[clover pulls out his phone to call innes]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hi. um. i found zera...but.

um. eylish isnt around, is she? you probably dont want her hearing about this..

[minty-ghost-lover]

"She isn't around right now, no... what's wrong?"

[He spoke in a worried tone.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

zera's..not. conscious.

i found them in the woods. just. lying there.

i can. try? to carry her back? but i dont want to worry anyone.

something is kinda..off. about him. shes weirdly light? i guess? and he has marks on their face.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah thats a good idea.

[clover tries to gently shake zera awake]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera murmurs, his eyes slowly blinking open. She was about half conscious, not fully aware of what was going on. Weirdly, the sclera of Zera's eyes were a slightly faded pitch black instead of the white they should be, likely a side effect of the whole possession thing.]

"....Hm?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

you're awake! your eyes are..um...nevermind.

great. ok. we gotta go home. uh. to your house. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Where.. where are.. we?"

[They glanced around, very out of it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

...the woods? i found you here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. Why..?"

[He weakly tried to sit up, but their arms buckled underneath them and she fell back onto the dirt.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover offers them a hand to help her back up]

why i found you here? i. i dont know. um. innes told me you disappeared. so i looked for you. and i found you. and woke you up. and now we're here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. weird... won.. wonder how I.. got here.."

[He took Clover's hand, having to lean on them support.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah, me too, but... i dont know if we really want to find out. lets. lets go.

[she begins to lead them out of the woods]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They went with her for a little while, before stopping, seemingly having remembered something]

"..... Clover.. I.. I think I.. tried to..."

[She winced, looking up at Clover anxiously.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

y-yeah?

we can. stop. if you need a break. i.. im sure i wouldnt feel great if i woke all scratched up in the middle of the forest.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded weakly.]

".. think I tried.... to hurt.. them....."

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

[minty-ghost-lover]

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was actually brought out of her thoughts there, having to take a few seconds]

"What- what does base.. baseball.. have to.. do with anything?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

i can hit things hard. with a baseball bat.

if worst comes to worst...

your siblings will be fine. i wont let anything happen to them.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded and suddenly hugged Clover]

"Thank you thank you thank you I give you full permission to hit me if it takes over my body again to hurt them thank you thank you-"

[He sounded very strained, trying to make sure their words came through as clearly as possible despite her weakened voice. What Clover said was really the exact kind of thing Zera needed to hear right now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover seems surprised by the hug, but huffs out a small laugh and hugs her back]

dont strain yourself too much, ok? we dont have to talk if its too hard on your voice. i dont want you to hurt yourself.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"S.. orry.."

[It came out as more of a croak]

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover takes his water bottle from their bag and hands it to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[thelilcloverpatch]

no problem :]

um. let me know if you're up for walking again. we do still have to get out of the forest...

you can, uh... just tap my shoulder. when youre ready.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i talked to eylish a bit, while you were. grounded, i think? doing whatever you were doing. she seems sweet, really passionate. about butterflies.

that reminds me. i wanted to bring some flowers from my aunts house next time. i guess it'll be next-next time. but i guess bringing you back is just as good?

[clover talks, mostly to herself, as if writing in a diary, but out loud, not expecting a response.]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah, sure.

[clover takes out a pen and her sketchbook, opens it to a new page and hands it to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They took and, wrote exactly one word]

Grounded?

[He looked confused]

[thelilcloverpatch]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She thought for a few seconds]

It might have been excuse for keeping me in my room without needing to tell her anything

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

When did you talk with Eylish?

[thelilcloverpatch]

tuesday? i think

and monday too

[minty-ghost-lover]

How did that end up happening?

[Very curious]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

[thelilcloverpatch]

she took someones phone, idk.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Might have been mine

[thelilcloverpatch]

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

Should we go back now?

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover stands and offers a hand to help them up]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[thelilcloverpatch]

its alright, you have nothing to apologize for

[clover begins to walk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover tries to stick to a slow pace that he can keep up]

let me know if you need to stop again

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they continue walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Just going along, there they go]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[when they reach the edge of the forest clover stops]

uhh

idk how to get to your house from here

lead the way?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They made a few confused hand gestures, trying to figure out how to communicate his thoughts, before she gave up and forced out]

".. don.. know.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh sorry. um. here.

[clover takes out the sketchbook and pen again and hands it to her]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I dont know where we are or how to get back

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

um. neither do i.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah thats a good idea.

i..think i know the way to miss retros?

[minty-ghost-lover]

Lead the way

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover begins leading them in the direction of miss retros]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Walking woo]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[eventually clover and zera arrive at miss retros. they go inside.]

hello?

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[ooc: rb order will be:

ms holloway

zera

clover

(just to make sure the rp doesnt branch or anything)]

[miss-retro-1980]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[thelilcloverpatch]

Hi! um. we were wondering if you know where [insert street name] is? and how we could get there?

we're...kinda lost.

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[miss-retro-1980]

Yeah, I can see. And your friend doesn't look so good.

Just three blocks away until you pass by a house with a big garden, then you can turn right.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

okay

thank you!

[clover starts to leave]

[ooc: uhh ig its @minty-ghost-lover's turn? idk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they start walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Away they go, following the directions they were given]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walk walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They probably arrived at some point. The house is the same as described before, looking worn down and in need of a bit of work, but still livable. Zera seemed anxious.]

[minty-ghost-lover]

HIIIII can i please join hipusa??

- @sightseeingscout

I don't see why not! Just steer clear of anything that might be genuinely dangerous. The main point of the club is to be for fun after all.

Club? Does HIPUSA count as a club? How do you tell if something is a club or not? Should probably just put a pin in that for now-

[sightseeingscout]

YAYYYYY I LOVE MYSTERIES!!!!!!!!!

[minty-ghost-lover]

That's the spirit!

[minty-ghost-lover]

HIIIII can i please join hipusa??

- @sightseeingscout

I don't see why not! Just steer clear of anything that might be genuinely dangerous. The main point of the club is to be for fun after all.

Club? Does HIPUSA count as a club? How do you tell if something is a club or not? Should probably just put a pin in that for now-

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover stands at the treeline of the witchwood. he has an old, flickering flashlight in one hand, and a baseball bat sticking out of their backpack. they squint into the darkness, looking for @minty-ghost-lover]

hello? is anyone there?

zera?

i-if you're out there...please.. say something?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover takes a few steps into the forest nervously]

z-zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[thelilcloverpatch]

o-okay..

[they venture deeper into the forest]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

h-hello?

zera?

ohmygosh

is that..

zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

frick frick frick frick

um

uh

[clover moves closer and prods the body with her flashlight]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ohmygosh.

ok. uh...

[clover tries to lift him up, hoping to carry her home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hm. ok.

well. i promised to keep you safe. all of you.

i intend to keep that promise.

it would be pretty suspicious dragging an unconscious body out of the woods. wouldnt it..

[clover pulls out his phone to call innes]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hi. um. i found zera...but.

um. eylish isnt around, is she? you probably dont want her hearing about this..

[minty-ghost-lover]

"She isn't around right now, no... what's wrong?"

[He spoke in a worried tone.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

zera's..not. conscious.

i found them in the woods. just. lying there.

i can. try? to carry her back? but i dont want to worry anyone.

something is kinda..off. about him. shes weirdly light? i guess? and he has marks on their face.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah thats a good idea.

[clover tries to gently shake zera awake]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera murmurs, his eyes slowly blinking open. She was about half conscious, not fully aware of what was going on. Weirdly, the sclera of Zera's eyes were a slightly faded pitch black instead of the white they should be, likely a side effect of the whole possession thing.]

"....Hm?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

you're awake! your eyes are..um...nevermind.

great. ok. we gotta go home. uh. to your house. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Where.. where are.. we?"

[They glanced around, very out of it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

...the woods? i found you here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. Why..?"

[He weakly tried to sit up, but their arms buckled underneath them and she fell back onto the dirt.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover offers them a hand to help her back up]

why i found you here? i. i dont know. um. innes told me you disappeared. so i looked for you. and i found you. and woke you up. and now we're here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. weird... won.. wonder how I.. got here.."

[He took Clover's hand, having to lean on them support.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah, me too, but... i dont know if we really want to find out. lets. lets go.

[she begins to lead them out of the woods]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They went with her for a little while, before stopping, seemingly having remembered something]

"..... Clover.. I.. I think I.. tried to..."

[She winced, looking up at Clover anxiously.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

y-yeah?

we can. stop. if you need a break. i.. im sure i wouldnt feel great if i woke all scratched up in the middle of the forest.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded weakly.]

".. think I tried.... to hurt.. them....."

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

[minty-ghost-lover]

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was actually brought out of her thoughts there, having to take a few seconds]

"What- what does base.. baseball.. have to.. do with anything?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

i can hit things hard. with a baseball bat.

if worst comes to worst...

your siblings will be fine. i wont let anything happen to them.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded and suddenly hugged Clover]

"Thank you thank you thank you I give you full permission to hit me if it takes over my body again to hurt them thank you thank you-"

[He sounded very strained, trying to make sure their words came through as clearly as possible despite her weakened voice. What Clover said was really the exact kind of thing Zera needed to hear right now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover seems surprised by the hug, but huffs out a small laugh and hugs her back]

dont strain yourself too much, ok? we dont have to talk if its too hard on your voice. i dont want you to hurt yourself.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"S.. orry.."

[It came out as more of a croak]

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover takes his water bottle from their bag and hands it to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[thelilcloverpatch]

no problem :]

um. let me know if you're up for walking again. we do still have to get out of the forest...

you can, uh... just tap my shoulder. when youre ready.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i talked to eylish a bit, while you were. grounded, i think? doing whatever you were doing. she seems sweet, really passionate. about butterflies.

that reminds me. i wanted to bring some flowers from my aunts house next time. i guess it'll be next-next time. but i guess bringing you back is just as good?

[clover talks, mostly to herself, as if writing in a diary, but out loud, not expecting a response.]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah, sure.

[clover takes out a pen and her sketchbook, opens it to a new page and hands it to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They took and, wrote exactly one word]

Grounded?

[He looked confused]

[thelilcloverpatch]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She thought for a few seconds]

It might have been excuse for keeping me in my room without needing to tell her anything

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

When did you talk with Eylish?

[thelilcloverpatch]

tuesday? i think

and monday too

[minty-ghost-lover]

How did that end up happening?

[Very curious]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

[thelilcloverpatch]

she took someones phone, idk.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Might have been mine

[thelilcloverpatch]

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

Should we go back now?

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover stands and offers a hand to help them up]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[thelilcloverpatch]

its alright, you have nothing to apologize for

[clover begins to walk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover tries to stick to a slow pace that he can keep up]

let me know if you need to stop again

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they continue walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Just going along, there they go]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[when they reach the edge of the forest clover stops]

uhh

idk how to get to your house from here

lead the way?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They made a few confused hand gestures, trying to figure out how to communicate his thoughts, before she gave up and forced out]

".. don.. know.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh sorry. um. here.

[clover takes out the sketchbook and pen again and hands it to her]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I dont know where we are or how to get back

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

um. neither do i.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah thats a good idea.

i..think i know the way to miss retros?

[minty-ghost-lover]

Lead the way

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover begins leading them in the direction of miss retros]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Walking woo]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[eventually clover and zera arrive at miss retros. they go inside.]

hello?

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[ooc: rb order will be:

ms holloway

zera

clover

(just to make sure the rp doesnt branch or anything)]

[miss-retro-1980]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[thelilcloverpatch]

Hi! um. we were wondering if you know where [insert street name] is? and how we could get there?

we're...kinda lost.

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[miss-retro-1980]

Yeah, I can see. And your friend doesn't look so good.

Just three blocks away until you pass by a house with a big garden, then you can turn right.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

okay

thank you!

[clover starts to leave]

[ooc: uhh ig its @minty-ghost-lover's turn? idk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they start walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Away they go, following the directions they were given]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover stands at the treeline of the witchwood. he has an old, flickering flashlight in one hand, and a baseball bat sticking out of their backpack. they squint into the darkness, looking for @minty-ghost-lover]

hello? is anyone there?

zera?

i-if you're out there...please.. say something?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[There was nothing to spot immediately, just a cold breeze and the vague feeling that something was deeply wrong.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover takes a few steps into the forest nervously]

z-zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Still nothing. Perhaps they're further in...]

[thelilcloverpatch]

o-okay..

[they venture deeper into the forest]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Further in, there still seemed to be nothing. The darkness of the forest made it hard to tell. However, little ways ahead, Clover could spot someone lying in the dirt, only brought out by the lighter colour of their shirt and the light grey tips of their brown hair, hiding their face from view.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

h-hello?

zera?

ohmygosh

is that..

zera?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was missing her beanie, cardigan, and hair tie, effectively removing all of their signature colour of mint green, but regardless, it did indeed appear to be Zera.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

frick frick frick frick

um

uh

[clover moves closer and prods the body with her flashlight]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera isn't dead, but they are unconscious. There's no injuries other than a few scrapes and their breathing is slow and unsteady. Although they do seem a lot weaker/skinnier than they should be.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ohmygosh.

ok. uh...

[clover tries to lift him up, hoping to carry her home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera felt concerningly light, surprisingly easy to lift. The movement caused his hair the fall away from their face. She had eye bags and strange black marks under her eyes. Their eyes squeezed shut and he seemed to mumble something far too quiet to hear.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hm. ok.

well. i promised to keep you safe. all of you.

i intend to keep that promise.

it would be pretty suspicious dragging an unconscious body out of the woods. wouldnt it..

[clover pulls out his phone to call innes]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Innes is there and ready to answer (homework can wait)]

[thelilcloverpatch]

hi. um. i found zera...but.

um. eylish isnt around, is she? you probably dont want her hearing about this..

[minty-ghost-lover]

"She isn't around right now, no... what's wrong?"

[He spoke in a worried tone.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

zera's..not. conscious.

i found them in the woods. just. lying there.

i can. try? to carry her back? but i dont want to worry anyone.

something is kinda..off. about him. shes weirdly light? i guess? and he has marks on their face.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Oh, uh.. I don't really know. The lightness and marks were already there when I got him into her room. And I don't know if waking them up right now is a good idea, considering... anyways- anyways, uhm, maybe you could try to wake them up actually? If they're partially awake you could just help them walk back instead of carrying her and looking suspicious?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah thats a good idea.

[clover tries to gently shake zera awake]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera murmurs, his eyes slowly blinking open. She was about half conscious, not fully aware of what was going on. Weirdly, the sclera of Zera's eyes were a slightly faded pitch black instead of the white they should be, likely a side effect of the whole possession thing.]

"....Hm?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

you're awake! your eyes are..um...nevermind.

great. ok. we gotta go home. uh. to your house. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"Where.. where are.. we?"

[They glanced around, very out of it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

...the woods? i found you here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. Why..?"

[He weakly tried to sit up, but their arms buckled underneath them and she fell back onto the dirt.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover offers them a hand to help her back up]

why i found you here? i. i dont know. um. innes told me you disappeared. so i looked for you. and i found you. and woke you up. and now we're here.

[minty-ghost-lover]

".. weird... won.. wonder how I.. got here.."

[He took Clover's hand, having to lean on them support.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah, me too, but... i dont know if we really want to find out. lets. lets go.

[she begins to lead them out of the woods]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They went with her for a little while, before stopping, seemingly having remembered something]

"..... Clover.. I.. I think I.. tried to..."

[She winced, looking up at Clover anxiously.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

y-yeah?

we can. stop. if you need a break. i.. im sure i wouldnt feel great if i woke all scratched up in the middle of the forest.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded weakly.]

".. think I tried.... to hurt.. them....."

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok, zera. i... i promised i wouldnt let them get hurt. i... i still intend to keep that promise. do you.. need anything? water? a snack?

[minty-ghost-lover]

"They- th..they aren't... hurt, right? Wha.. what if it.. happens.. again.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

no offense, zera, but ive played baseball for 5 years...i think they'll be alright.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He was actually brought out of her thoughts there, having to take a few seconds]

"What- what does base.. baseball.. have to.. do with anything?"

[thelilcloverpatch]

i can hit things hard. with a baseball bat.

if worst comes to worst...

your siblings will be fine. i wont let anything happen to them.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded and suddenly hugged Clover]

"Thank you thank you thank you I give you full permission to hit me if it takes over my body again to hurt them thank you thank you-"

[He sounded very strained, trying to make sure their words came through as clearly as possible despite her weakened voice. What Clover said was really the exact kind of thing Zera needed to hear right now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover seems surprised by the hug, but huffs out a small laugh and hugs her back]

dont strain yourself too much, ok? we dont have to talk if its too hard on your voice. i dont want you to hurt yourself.

[minty-ghost-lover]

"S.. orry.."

[It came out as more of a croak]

[thelilcloverpatch]

its ok. you want some water? that might help

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded, deciding that not speaking was probably the best option at the moment.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover takes his water bottle from their bag and hands it to zera]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He tried to open the water bottle. Depending on the kind of water bottle it might have been a bit of a struggle, but she got it open regardless. They gave Clover a thumbs up and a smile, the best way they could think to say 'thank you' without speaking]

[thelilcloverpatch]

no problem :]

um. let me know if you're up for walking again. we do still have to get out of the forest...

you can, uh... just tap my shoulder. when youre ready.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They nodded again. She was content to just sit there in peace for a few minutes.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover sits in silence, trying not to fidget too much]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They glanced around where they were. It was mainly just trees, trees everywhere.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i talked to eylish a bit, while you were. grounded, i think? doing whatever you were doing. she seems sweet, really passionate. about butterflies.

that reminds me. i wanted to bring some flowers from my aunts house next time. i guess it'll be next-next time. but i guess bringing you back is just as good?

[clover talks, mostly to herself, as if writing in a diary, but out loud, not expecting a response.]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera smiled, then he realized something. She held one hand flat and pretended to write on it with the other, before he looked at Clover. Trying to ask if they have something he could write with using the power of charades]

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh. yeah, sure.

[clover takes out a pen and her sketchbook, opens it to a new page and hands it to them]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They took and, wrote exactly one word]

Grounded?

[He looked confused]

[thelilcloverpatch]

thats what eylish told me. i think she said innes told her you had to stay in your room, but he didnt say why

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She thought for a few seconds]

It might have been excuse for keeping me in my room without needing to tell her anything

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

When did you talk with Eylish?

[thelilcloverpatch]

tuesday? i think

and monday too

[minty-ghost-lover]

How did that end up happening?

[Very curious]

[thelilcloverpatch]

i think she took innes's phone? while he was dealing with...you. i think.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Innes doesn't have a phone of his own.

[thelilcloverpatch]

she took someones phone, idk.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Might have been mine

[thelilcloverpatch]

probably

[minty-ghost-lover]

Should we go back now?

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah. as long as you're ok to keep walking

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded. She noticed she had done a lot of nodding in the past hour.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover stands and offers a hand to help them up]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They handed Clover their sketchbook and pen back first. He took Clover's hand to stand again, although she still needed the help to stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

you can lean on me, if you need.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They didn't want to nod again, so instead he gave a thumbs up. She mouthed 'sorry']

[thelilcloverpatch]

its alright, you have nothing to apologize for

[clover begins to walk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They did their best to walk along side him, occasionally stumbling]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover tries to stick to a slow pace that he can keep up]

let me know if you need to stop again

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Thumbs up. They felt like they would topple over any second, yet at the same time felt like they could walk just fine. It was weird.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they continue walking home]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Just going along, there they go]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[when they reach the edge of the forest clover stops]

uhh

idk how to get to your house from here

lead the way?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Another nod. When moving from the forest to what I'm assuming is concrete (either a sidewalk or edge of the road), Zera suddenly seemed ever so slightly less "withered" in a way. Not enough for them to notice, just a slight visual change.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[clover follows zera as they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera shortly after stopped, using a nearby wall to stay upright. He turned to Clover, seemingly not sure what to do now.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They made a few confused hand gestures, trying to figure out how to communicate his thoughts, before she gave up and forced out]

".. don.. know.."

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh sorry. um. here.

[clover takes out the sketchbook and pen again and hands it to her]

[minty-ghost-lover]

I dont know where we are or how to get back

[thelilcloverpatch]

oh.

um. neither do i.

[minty-ghost-lover]

Could maybe try finding somewhere and asking? Like the library or bakery or that one arcade or something. They might have directions if we give them the road.

[thelilcloverpatch]

yeah thats a good idea.

i..think i know the way to miss retros?

[minty-ghost-lover]

Lead the way

[thelilcloverpatch]

ok.

[clover begins leading them in the direction of miss retros]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They followed after best she could. She also made sure the sketchbook and pen made it back into Clover's bag, since they didn't trust himself to not end up dropping it]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[they keep walking]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Walking woo]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[walkity walkin]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[She staggered a little, but managed to catch themself and stay up.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

[eventually clover and zera arrive at miss retros. they go inside.]

hello?

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[ooc: rb order will be:

ms holloway

zera

clover

(just to make sure the rp doesnt branch or anything)]

[miss-retro-1980]

Welcome to Miss Retro's! What can I get you?

[minty-ghost-lover]

[They thought to leave Clover to do the talking. Especially since he couldn't really talk currently. Skipping Zera's turn]

[thelilcloverpatch]

Hi! um. we were wondering if you know where [insert street name] is? and how we could get there?

we're...kinda lost.

[ooc: @miss-retro-1980]

[miss-retro-1980]

Yeah, I can see. And your friend doesn't look so good.

Just three blocks away until you pass by a house with a big garden, then you can turn right.

[minty-ghost-lover]

[He nodded as a thank you. They realized she never noticed how close she lived to Miss Retro's, only a few blocks away.]

[thelilcloverpatch]

okay

thank you!

[clover starts to leave]

[ooc: uhh ig its @minty-ghost-lover's turn? idk]

[minty-ghost-lover]

[Zera took a few seconds to balance themself with the help of a nearby counter or table before turning to follow after Clover]