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Nov 12, 2023

PARTIES: Winter (@longislandcharm) and Arden (@stainedglasstruth) WHERE: A Latte to Love TIME: Mid-August SUMMARY: A medium and a scribe meet for coffee. One is overzealous for information and the other is understandably cautious. A nice discussion is had despite some unpleasant reminders of the past. WARNINGS: None

The coffee shop that the other suggested was bustling that day making Winter worry that her conversation with the person she was meeting would be overheard. She hesitated in the doorway, the aroma of a dark roast hitting her while she contemplated turning around and leaving, but her insatiable need to figure out what was going on had her feet moving forward. Information on such a subject as hers didn’t come easy when it came to books, at least not information she felt she could trust anyway. It all seemed like made up bullshit to her but who was she to judge when she’d just figured out she could see spirits after pretending to do so her whole life?

With the shop so full, the medium could only thank herself for looking up pictures of the other on their blog but it didn’t seem like they were there just yet. Winter’s impatience flared for a split second before she remembered that she needed something from this person and therefore needed to be nice to this person. A mantra started to play in her head: ‘Chill out, be cool, keep your smile.’ It was something she’d taught herself over the years, something that kept her calm when fans of her show were starting to annoy her, and luckily it was starting to work as she made her way to the front counter.

Only moments later, a chai tea latte was in her hand while she took a seat at a table against the wall of the shop. The further away from other people that they were the better. Winter was watching the door like a hawk and the moment Arden walked through the door she was on her feet, latte saving their table, and smiling brightly at them. “Hey, Arden, right? I got us a table back there. Please excuse my eagerness here, I’ve just been researching for weeks and haven’t found any answers to what I’m looking for.” Pausing to let all of that sink in, she pointed towards the front counter. “What can I get you?”

She hated being late, even if she was only running a couple of minutes behind. Arden wasn’t exactly at peak performance these days, and she was trying to give herself the same grace she would give Wynne or Teagan were it them in her position, but, as always, it was easier said than done. Also, easier said than done? Doing your makeup with your nondominant hand, so that you don’t look like such a disaster in front of someone you don’t know. So, while she was a little late, at least she didn’t look like she had barely gotten any sleep the past few weeks.

It was clearly a busy day at A Latte to Love, but she didn’t have time to worry about finding Winter before the woman was approaching her. “You must be Winter, it’s nice to meet you,” she smiled. “No worries. The eagerness is kind of refreshing, honestly.” The only other person Arden was used to seeing get excited about research was Leah. “Oh, can I just get a nitro cold brew?”. Caffeine had been keeping her going, and she could use the boost for this conversation.

Winter was looking into ghosts for some reason, and she was curious to know why, and what exactly the other wanted to know. She knew a good amount about specters from her years as a Scribe, though her knowledge was likely nothing compared to Lil, Jonas, and the rest of the Ballards. They had practical knowledge, while she only had what she had learned from books. Still, that seemed to be more than Winter had at the moment, which was probably a good thing depending on the situation. Arden knew better than most what could happen if humans learned of and started fucking around with powerful forces they didn’t understand.

She would feel out the situation, and act accordingly. Whether that be lying, sharing tales, sharing actual information, or directing Winter to the Ballards, she had yet to see.

Nodding at the order request, Winter looked over toward the barista who also nodded in turn before turning to make the drink for them. Good to know they were prompt here. “Not a lot of people jumping for knowledge around here then? Glad I could mix it up a bit.” If anything, Winter always liked to stand out, even with an activity that seemed as monotonous as research did. But her curiosity extended beyond the ghost stuff as her eyes traveled over Arden’s injured arm, the girl not even thinking before she blurted out her next question. “What happened there?” Her eyes met Arden’s again, only a beat of the heart passing before Winter realized that question could have been invasive and therefore considered rude. No need to piss off the person who was going to help her. “I mean, you’re okay to do this right? I just want to make sure you’re not in any pain or anything.”

Her name was called as the cold brew was placed on the counter, Winter grabbing the coffee so that Arden didn’t have to worry about it. “Follow me.” God, she sounded like a schoolgirl as renewed energy for this research flowed through her. If she were being honest with herself she had started to lose any hope of finding out what she needed so she was practically giddy having a new lead. Taking a seat at the table, she barely waited for Arden to get situated before speaking again.

“I know this is a weird topic and probably not a normal conversation for you but I really do need to learn what I can about spirits.” Her eyes flicked over to the ghost standing near the counter watching them looking bored before going right back to Arden. She had to be careful with the questions she asked her though, not wanting to spill the whole truth behind what was going on. But most people knew her from her show so she felt that was a good place to start. “I’m a medium, I have a show that I do, but something weird happened with it during filming and it raised a lot of questions.” Winter still didn’t know how to proceed with this without revealing she couldn’t actually see them before but she did her best to tiptoe around that fact. “Have you ever read anything about why a ghost won’t…leave?”

Arden shrugged with her good shoulder. “I mean, I’m sure there are more, but not many I get to know. It’s usually just me and my friend being nerds together. But this is a nice change of pace.” She followed Winter’s gaze down to her arm. “Oh, uh, some guy tried to mug me a few weeks back.” It was the excuse she’d been sticking with– simple, straightforward, probable. “It’s fine, though, more of a pain in the ass than anything, but it'll be off by September. And I think I can manage to talk some research, yeah,” she added with a slight smirk.

Coffee secured, she followed Winter back to the table she had grabbed. Almost immediately after sitting down, the woman launched into the discussion. It seemed she was genuinely excited about the research she was doing, and seeing it made Arden smile. “Oh, you’d be surprised,” she said, reaching for her cup. “Weird is kind of the norm around here.” Taking a sip of coffee, she listened as Winter vaguely explained her situation.

Another medium. Interesting. And one who had her own show, no less. She had never watched that sort of thing; there were so many people out there who faked it for the money, and the whole thing seemed a bit exploitative of people who were grieving. However, she supposed it would make sense that some of them were genuine, it would be a way to use your ability and help people for a living. Even if Winter was a fraud, Arden couldn't see the harm in entertaining this topic. In fact, there was more potential for harm if the spirit wasn't addressed. Lil was busy enough, she didn't need to deal with another poltergeist in addition to her usual job and trying to learn about haunted crystals.

That was a simple enough question, one she knew the answer to, at least. "Well, you know the whole thing about people having some kind of unfinished business, right? It’s possible that there’s something that they need to do before they can move on.” Just like with vampires and stakes to the heart, there was a reason it appeared in practically every piece of media about them. “But they do need to choose to move on,” Arden added as she took another sip.

“Hey, I like a good nerd. I suppose I could be considered one myself…just a more fashionable one.” Winter shrugged a shoulder, not realizing her comment could have been taken as an insult as she hadn’t intended it to be. “That’s awful. If people put as much effort into a job as they did into hurting others this society would be a better place. I’m glad it won’t be too much longer for you though, I bet it is a pain.” She wasn’t speaking from experience but she’d had friends who did nothing but complain the whole time they were in a cast before. It was as much a pain for Winter as it was for said friends.

“Yea…I’m starting to understand that. I don’t think I’ve been in a town outside of Salem that leaned so much into the rumors that spread about it.” Each shop seemed to have some sort of play on words when it came to their name, almost all having to do with the macabre. If she didn’t know any better, she would say this was the town that the children's movie, Halloweentown, was based on. Winter wasn’t against it though, she’d always loved the holiday.

Her information seemed to match the stuff that she’d read in books already and Winter again glanced at the man who wouldn’t leave her alone. What unfinished business did this guy have? How was she supposed to find that out if he was just as stubborn as her and refused to talk? When the word ‘choose’ hit her though, her gaze moved back to Arden. “He’s a stubborn ass. Is there a way to find out what he might need without actually talking to him? Since he refuses to do that?” When she looked up at him again the ghost was giving her a sardonic wave as if he could hear what was going on and Winter had to wonder how far a ghost's abilities could reach. Was he able to listen in on this conversation? “And what if he never accomplishes his unfinished business?”

Arden raised a brow, wondering if that was meant to be a dig at her. She hadn’t been able to wear a good portion of her clothes since the incident. Certain pieces were just too much of a hassle to put on with the splint and only one hand, at least not without getting assistance from Wynne or Teagan, so she’d been dressing more casually. And even with makeup covering her dark circles, she definitely wasn’t looking her best. But she brushed the comment aside for now. Winter had been pleasant so far, both online and in person, she probably hadn’t meant it like that. She was probably just insecure and overthinking it, as always. “The aforementioned nerd friend is also pretty into fashion, so you’re not alone there,” she smiled.

Biting her tongue, she steered clear of the job comment, not having the energy to touch on that topic. Instead, Arden focused on the second half of the statement. “It’s a bit of a pain, yeah, but it is what it is,” she shrugged. “I’m lucky, really, it could’ve been a lot worse.” She’d been surrounded by vampires who’d wanted to turn her into spawn, and she had gotten away with only an elbow fracture and a nip on the neck.

She grinned at the comparison to Salem. “Yeah, a lot of the town loves it and the tourism board really likes to lean into it since it attracts that same kind of crowd. You wouldn’t necessarily think that tales of terrifying creatures would be something people actively seek out, but the spooky, cryptid community is large,” she smiled, taking a sip of her coffee. “Having the park here only adds to it with all the stories that tend to come out about state parks.”

Was Winter being haunted by the ghost of some guy, then? “To be fair, it’s not necessarily always an active choice, sometimes– I’d assume the majority of the time– it’s a subconscious one.” Arden felt the need to clarify that fact before actually thinking about the question. “I’m not aware of something like that, but, to be fair, I’m not an expert. I could give you the contact information for another medium in town. Maybe they know of some way to do that.” She felt bad at the prospect of involving Lil into yet another situation considering everything she was dealing with. She brushed the thoughts aside for now, pausing as she considered the situation.

“Is he not speaking at all? Does he react to you at all? Because maybe he doesn’t understand English, or he’s deaf or mute or something? …though, I suppose if that were the case, he would probably try communicating in that language.” She frowned, propping her head up on her arm as she stared blankly out the store window. “If he doesn’t want to talk, maybe he’d prefer to write or type something out? Depending on how powerful he is, though, that might be difficult…” Arden sighed, not really seeing any good solutions for the situation Winter had found herself in.

And, if she couldn’t find any solution… “The longer a spirit remains, the more powerful they become,” she said, keeping her voice low. “However, as that time passes, the likelihood of them turning into a poltergeist increases. They lose themselves in their emotions, and become more powerful, unpredictable, and dangerous.” She had, thankfully, not had any ghostly counters but she had read some first-hand accounts– collected by the Scribes, of course– and they had ranged from incredibly unpleasant to incredibly scary. A powerful poltergeist was no joke. “But, you can go to an exorcist before that happens. If I’m not mistaken, they should be able to help.” The accounts she’d read had mainly been about poltergeist encounters. “I’ll give you their contact info,” she nodded. Sorry, Lil!

“I might want to meet this friend of yours.” A nerd and they were into fashion? Sounded like the jackpot of people as far as she was concerned. But once again Winter realized that she might be insulting the girl sitting in front of her, the medium backtracking. “Not that I don’t enjoy the present company, of course. Just feels like I’d get along with your friend as well.” And they might be able to tell her where to find the best brands around here.

Her eyes roamed over Arden’s arm once more as she really did feel bad for her. “Could’ve been worse? Sounds like it was a pretty bad attack then. I’ve heard of a lot of muggings happening in big cities but I didn’t think they were too common in small towns like this.” Of course, Winter had never really been to a small town in the US. She yo yoed between two major cities when she was staying at home and when she was traveling for different tours most of the locations were in a metropolis. Wicked’s Rest was an entirely new experience for her.

“I definitely understand that. With my show, I get a lot of that crowd. I think people are fascinated with the idea of what could happen after death or yearning to know if their loved ones are still out there. As for the rest of it…I don’t know, some people like the spooky.” Winter shrugged, but Arden did pique her curiosity. “You guys have tales of cryptids around here? I saw the BigFoot place when I first got here but I thought it was just a gimmick.”

Subconscious? Winter couldn’t understand why the ghost of a man she’d never met before that damned ritual would subconsciously feel like he had to be around her. The more she heard about this the more she felt like she’d done something extremely weird when she read from her grandmother’s book that night. The only saving grace in all of this was that Arden seemed to believe her. She wasn’t telling Winter that she needed to speak to a therapist, but referring her to another medium. “I’ve never met another medium. I get the feeling that they’re not very common.” And for some reason that idea had her swelling with pride. As much as she was starting to hate being able to see this man she did like the notion that she was special in some way. “But I would very much appreciate you putting me in contact with them.”

As Arden asked her questions, Winter looked back to her ghost who was now waving at her with a stupid grin on his face. It made her face tinge pink as her temper started up, the girl rolling her eyes before scoffing at Arden’s question. “Oh, he reacts. He knows what I’m saying but he doesn’t care that he’s driving me bananas.” He knew she was angry, the jerk ghost moving closer to the table just so he could torment her more. And he had to have caught the last bit of Arden’s suggestion because he shook his head, distaste written all over his face. “I get the feeling that he has no trouble communicating, he just doesn’t want to talk to me.” A satisfied grin pulled at the ghost’s lips, confirming what Winter suspected. God, he really was a dick.

Was that what was happening here? Had this ghost started teetering close to the edge of becoming a polter-whatever and now he only existed to cause trouble? His clothes did look like they were old. With this new information, Winter was starting to fear this ghost a little more. Dangerous was not a great word to hear in situations like this. “I appreciate the information and the contact. He does like to antagonize. I just hope this situation isn’t more complicated than what we’re thinking it could be.” Arden had no idea about her ritual that was performed, she didn’t know that her great grandmother had given her the tools. But maybe whoever she was sending Winter to would be able to read the text and know for sure.

She shook her head, brushing the comments aside. “You’re fine.” Frankly, she would also prefer Leah’s company over her own– Leah was great. “I believe I mentioned the bookshop in Oldtown, Fully Booked, when we were talking; that’s her place.”

“It’s not the most common– animal attacks are more the thing to worry about here– but I do live in Worm Row, which has a bit of a reputation,” Arden rolled her eyes slightly. As long as you stayed away from the Flat, was Worm Row really that much dangerous than the rest of the fucking town? “Serpent’s Flat is a big tourist location, so you get some people trying to take advantage over there.” She shrugged her good shoulder, “I just happened to be unlucky that night.”

At the other’s words, she nodded, “I suppose you would understand, yeah. But, yes, we have a few of our own cryptids.” Arden looked around before lowering her voice conspiratorially, “Some of them are a little similar to some existing cryptid tales, but some people really don’t like hearing that.” She sat back up, a slight smile on her face. “They’re fun, though, and there’s like tours and a cryptid club and everything. One even became the university mascot,” she grinned. Wicked’s Rest was a ridiculous town, and sometimes she really loved it.

She took another sip while Winter processed that information, nodding at the mention of contact information. Pulling out her phone, she quickly copied Lil’s number and sent it to her while it was currently on her mind. “There.”

She wasn’t expecting the animated reaction from the other, but it seemed the ghost in question must have reacted to her words. Brows furrowing, Arden hummed thoughtfully. Why wouldn’t he want to talk to Winter, who was one of a few people who could communicate with him? Even if he didn’t like her for whatever reason, wouldn’t he want to talk to someone eventually? Even if just to be a dick or out of boredom or something? What was this guy’s deal? “And you don’t know anything about him?” If she had a name, a date, a region, something, along with the man’s appearance, it might be possible to find some records, learn more about him that way. It would likely be a huge pain in the ass, going off of so little, but there was a chance.

“Oh, of course.” She waved off the thanks. There was a slight shift in Winter’s tone that made her stomach drop. “And it doesn’t sound like an immediate worry, if he’s not doing anything,” she rushed to add. “I don’t want to freak you out you or anything, I just… I think it’s important that you understand the gravity of this stuff,” she said, voice becoming progressively more quiet as she spoke. It was impossible to maintain eye contact; she had to look away from the other woman as her emotions overtook her, grief and anxiety and guilt stewing in her stomach as Arden the reality of what she was doing sunk in.

This conversation, it felt a little too familiar. This is exactly what she had promised herself she would never do. But Winter was a medium and actively being haunted, she was involved in the world of the supernatural in a way Jo had never been. This was good, right? Knowledge was power, and she needed to know the severity of the situation, needed to be put in contact with someone who could help her before her ghost problem became a poltergeist problem …right?

It wasn’t the same, Winter wasn’t Jo, and she had known what this was. She agreed to show up, to talk to Winter, and she had made the decision to tell her. Still, she couldn’t help the fear that gripped her heart. She could picture the headlines, ‘TV Medium Missing in Maine.’

Arden worried at her lip for a moment before speaking again. “You know, it’s not an ‘oh shit, this is really bad, time to panic’ thing, just a ‘definitely consult with Lil’ situation.” The words came out in a slight rush. “That’s her name, the other medium, Lil,” she added a moment later. Great job, she thought, sarcastically, trying to steady herself. If she had known she’d start panicking and looking like an absolute disaster, she would’ve just saved herself the time she’d spent trying not to look like a mess. She could’ve just leaned into it. Hopefully it just came off as awkward and not that she was on the verge of a freak-out in the middle of her favorite coffee shop.

She decided to drop the topic of Arden's friend for now, not wanting to stick her foot in her mouth once again. If she pissed off one of the few people here who could help her then how would she ever get anywhere with this? Of course, she was able to relax a little seeing as the other had already agreed to give her the info of someone else, another medium, and that alone sent Winter into a less...composed state. She didn't have to think about her words too much, now, and soon once she had the info she needed she could speak freely without fear of repercussions.

But she liked Arden. She'd been nothing but nice since Winter basically strong-armed her into meeting her so she wasn't going to be quick to insult if she could help it. “That's where I'm staying, actually, Worm Row. Which...is a very weird name even for this town. Worms are like a big thing here, I've noticed.“ Oh great, the very place that her hotel sits next to being the biggest target for aggressors just happened to her luck and Winter sighed with no humor mixed in. ”I'm actually right across the street from that as well. I see the big crowds at it every day but personally I don't get the appeal of it. It's just a big rock.” She eyed the other girl's arm and, figuring that she owed her, Winter nodded towards it. “If there's anything I can do, let me know. I kind of owe you for all of this and I don't think a cup of coffee is sufficient enough to pay you back. That goes for anything since I doubt I can help with that.”

She nodded, laughing at the way Arden had lowered her voice. She liked the playful side of people, it always made her more comfortable when someone was willing to joke around instead of being serious constantly. ”To be fair, I think most cryptid stories across the country have at least one similarity to them. But I'll keep my lips sealed.“ Winter mimicked locking her lips up and throwing away the key, noticing Henry rolling his eyes at her. He was getting closer, probably so he could listen in more effectively. Her attention was brought back to Arden when the girl passed the phone number, her smile brightening. Finally, a tangible lead for all of this. Gaze going back to the ghost, she gave him a victorious grin to which he sent a very rude hand gesture. ”The university's mascot is a cryptid? Okay, yea, this place has surpassed Salem in trying to lean into their reputation.“

She shook her head at her new friend's question. It was the ghost's turn to look victorious as she admitted to the defeat. He hadn't spoken a word to her since he'd started following her around. ”The only thing I can tell you is that he showed up in a warehouse near Long Island...and he looks like he's from the seventies or maybe eighties.“ Winter could tell she'd hit a nerve as the ghost looked away, annoyed. She must have been correct in her assumption of one of the decades.

The reassuring tone of Arden's voice made her smile again but it was still uneasy. If she were being honest with herself, and anyone helping her with this, Winter would have admitted that he'd terrified her since showing up at her side. It wasn't an easy thing to admit, the medium always prided herself on being able to handle any situation that was thrown her way...at least in her mind. But there was also something changing with Arden, something that made Winter that much more uneasy. Perceptive as always, she noticed how Arden looked...worried? She wasn't quite sure if that was the right word for it but it seemed that way to her. The rush of her words, the chewing on her lip, it all screamed nerves. ”Are you sure it's gonna be okay? Are you okay?“

Oh. That was unfortunate. “I mean, there's always that neighborhood that has a bad rep wherever you go, but it's usually fine. Just, you know, stay alert and be careful, especially at night.” Winter likely didn't need that warning, but a reminder never hurt. “The name is from the fact it's by the Wormwoods where there are a lot of worms for some reason. Those woods have a weird little ecosystem going, apparently. But yeah, the rest of the Row gets a lot of stragglers from the woods.” Arden shrugged. “I don't understand it myself. I think it's just the mysterious nature of it feeding into the whole supernatural shtick. We're also pretty close to it– we're in that area that's close to Nightfall Grove.” Winter didn't need to know that, but she had certainly said it regardless.

She hadn’t expected Winter to offer anything else. She had gotten her some coffee, and that was basically her love language– the gift of coffee. “I appreciate that, but it's not necessary. I'm glad to help.” Admittedly, it had felt like her duty as a Scribe to check out the situation, make sure Winter wasn't getting into anything incredibly dangerous. But it was always a good feeling, being able to help. Even if all she could do personally was put the woman in contact with a more knowledgeable medium. Plus, it was always beneficial to get to know people, have another potential contact.

She grinned. Arden did love the cryptids of Wicked's Rest, of course— enough that she had Tendrilla's 'likeness' on her arm— but some of them were a bit too similar to some of the more widely known cryptids of the world. Either some of them were made up or there were multiple moth beings in the world. Which did, unfortunately, seem likely, knowing everything she did. Regardless, the town absolutely loved to lean into the supernatural. ”The university's mascot is a cryptid,“ she repeated, nodding. ”Her name is Bessie, and she's a red, fluffy cow who lives in the mountains.“ Not wanting to have to explain the Grotte de Fromage to the newcomer, she avoided the cheesy aspect entirely for now. ”At games, there's always a lot of mooing instead of regular cheers.” It was difficult to keep a straight face, explaining it. “It’s a ridiculous town.” As much as she hated the town sometimes, there was still a fondness to the words, to her smile.

So, the ghost was a man who died in the 70s or 80s who appeared in a Long Island warehouse. It wasn't much to go on, but it was something. They had a location and a very rough estimate of the death date. “How old does he look?” The age he died could help narrow down a search enough that looking through obits, while it would be an incredibly time-consuming shot in the dark, was an option. All they needed would be to find a picture. And she explained as much to Winter.

Of course, she noticed her sudden mood change; Arden was not being subtle at all, too overwhelmed by the sudden emotions to properly maintain the facade. Winter's concerned tone only served to make her feel worse. “Yeah, no, sorry. I'm just...” She didn't know how to explain away her behavior, so she decided to give her the vaguest version of the truth possible. “I'm not used to talking about this stuff so plainly with people, I guess,” she shrugged, trying to pull herself together. “Some folks don't take it very well, and it's important to be levelheaded when it comes to this stuff. But this is a different situation.” It was clear that those words were mostly for her own benefit. This is a different situation. Winter is not Jo.

She downed the last of her coffee, and sat up straight, flashing Winter an apologetic smile. “Sorry. That was–” It was right under the surface still, is what it was. “Yeah. Sorry.”

“I think the whole city of Manhattan gets that rep from outsiders but it’s not as bad as people make it out to be.” Which was reassuring. Winter could handle herself, she could, but that didn’t mean she liked having to do so. Making a face at the explanation, she looked down at the empty cup on the table. Worms were gross, why a town would celebrate them so much was beyond her. “Yea, no, Wicked’s Rest can keep that. I guess they’re owning it at least.” The same could be said about the cryptids around here. There was something to admire about a place that took ownership of all the weird crap that made them famous, at least famous in their own right. It was probably well known to those who enjoyed such things as red cows who lived in the mountains. “I don’t really go to sporting events much but that sounds…interesting. I hope nobody gets it mixed up with boos.”

Deciding to ignore the polite decline to her offer, Winter stored the IOU away in the back of her mind. One of these days Arden would need a favor and one of these days Winter would be around to help. It was only right, eye for an eye, that sort of thing. Eyes darting back to the ghost, she considered the question. How old did he look? “Early to mid thirties, I think. Would it help if I told you he had a severe arm injury? Like…it’s completely gone.” As she kept talking, the ghost kept getting more and more annoyed with her. He obviously didn’t want her to know who he was and whether that was because he was hiding something or he just didn’t like Winter was anyone’s guess.

She watched Arden closely for any signs that the reassurances might be a lie. Winter could fool herself into believing almost anything but this ghost following her around was a different story. If he wanted to harm her she needed to know. She couldn’t quite tell if the girl was lying but something seemed off with her which put the medium on alert. She had to keep an eye on this man, that much was for sure. “Trust me, I’m not used to talking about one following me around. Ghosts have always been a thing in my life…” But she’d never actually seen one, at least not that she knew of, until this one had started to stalk her like a weirdo. “But this is different. I understand that it’s a weird situation. No need for apologies…I would just like to know whether I’m in danger or not.”

"Right, kind of like that." It was not, but it worked as a comparison, she supposed. "If there's one thing to Wicked's Rest, we are good at owning up to the weirdness," Arden grinned. "I'm not typically one for sports, either, but it did make for an interesting time at games– at least, the few times I went, back in school." It did sound a lot like booing, though.

Lips pursed in thought, she nodded, before grabbing her phone, and creating a new note with information on the ghost. "Yeah, any defining traits could help." He was of age, if he was from the 70s the missing limb could mean he was a veteran– Vietnam, maybe? That was making a lot of assumptions on her part, but, hey, it was a helpful bit of information regardless. It had the potential to help narrow things down a lot more.

The bitterness of the coffee blended perfectly with the taste of her swallowed guilt, washing it back down. She hadn't said too much, and nothing that could be detrimental. If nothing else, Arden was putting the other woman into contact with someone who could help much more than she herself could, and that was a good thing. Winter wasn't totally clueless, and she didn't seem like the type to do something incredibly reckless. Besides, the ghost didn't seem to be much of a threat quite yet. She just needed to ignore her mother's voice in the back of her head, needed to get the image of Jo's betrayed expression off of her mind. Her fingers wound around the chain on her neck, the rose pendant falling into her palm. It served as a reminder, and a distraction.

"Again, I'm not the expert, but it doesn't sound like you're in any immediate danger, it's just a situation that can escalate. So, I'd just say keep on eye on it, and reach out to Lil. She'll be much more helpful than I ever could," she said, only half joking.

“Well, if anything, I’m glad they’re not trying to hide it. Nothing worse than going into a place expecting normal and getting anything but.” Winter ran a finger around the edge of her cup as she spoke, an action that continued as Arden started to push her friend on her a little more. She could also appreciate someone who wouldn’t give out the wrong information just to seem competent in a certain field, the medium just needed to remember to accept that with grace instead of getting frustrated. Yes, Arden had agreed to help, but she had also pre-faced this help with the knowledge that she didn’t know everything about ghosts so she couldn’t get angry, especially since Arden had done what she could.

It was just disappointing to leave with more questions than she had come with. But at least Arden had agreed to help her find out who this was following her around. That was a relief in its own. “I’ll be sure to contact Lil. But thank you again for meeting me. It’s nice to know more answers are coming. You’d think I would know more about this by now.” For the first time, Winter let her nerves slip into the small exhale of laughter that accompanied those words. The threat of looming danger was more to have her break her composure but she quickly put that confident mask back on. “I know you said something about not needing anything else in return but…you know where to find me if you need anything. I’m just a message away. Remember that.” Because she certainly would, especially now that the other girl was looking into something else for her. If Arden didn’t know it yet she would soon know that Winter could be a beneficial ally. If anything, the girl was willing to do a lot for the people who were willing to help her. “It was really nice to meet you, Arden. I’m going to head out, maybe find Lil today.” She grabbed the empty cup and gave the other a quick smile. “I just really want him gone.” With a rude gesture from the ghost, Winter was walking toward the exit, grateful that she was finally getting somewhere.

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longislandcharm

Nov 12, 2023

She would feel out the situation, and act accordingly. Whether that be lying, sharing tales, sharing actual information, or directing Winter to the Ballards, she had yet to see.

She downed the last of her coffee, and sat up straight, flashing Winter an apologetic smile. “Sorry. That was–” It was right under the surface still, is what it was. “Yeah. Sorry.”

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