☠ 9th Haunt ☠ - [Voice]

[hollower]

[It's late in the day, and Perona's just waking up. Since the end of the draft, she'shad the worst kind of sleep possible - either little at all or wrecked with horrendous nightmares. Normally she's never been bothered by the sight of death, corpses, blood, and the like, but...that was when it wasn't her own body that was dead. She couldn't help dwelling on that fact every now and again, and when she felt she was just starting to forget and get over it, her dreams reminded her. Even everyday life began to be a mess on her nerves. Day by day she kept getting anxious about being outside, especially when on her own in quiet places. It felt like she was being...watched.

So today, after getting up and tying back her hair - she doesn't bother with brushing it yet, she needs a strong cup of coffee before doing her morning routine today - she settles down with aforementioned cup of coffee and sighs. Waving her hand, a few of her ghosts materialize from her palm and phase through her walls to go out and observe Luceti for their master. Perona's much too lazy to scout things for herself, and besides...she looks terrible and it's too late in the day to get ready.

As she reads through her journal, she sighs and sips her coffee, rubbing her face slowly. Ugh, she knows she should go out and do things, but she's so lazy. In fact, she knows what she really wants to do - she wants to sail. She's even seen ships moored near the ocean here, and thought to, erm...borrow one if they weren't being used. Might as well ask, right? Just so she doesn't get anyone on her case if she does happen to take one, but for weeks she's seen the ships there, and they haven't been cleaned, moved, or tended to at all...it was kind of depressing, actually. They were lovely ships.]

The ships moored near the ocean...are they being used at all? I'd like to set sail later today for a day or two.

[No, she does not know about the ocean nor the ships, by the way. That they have both poofed, just so we're clear.]

Comments

[Voice]

[foundafamily]

[Firo hardly believed when he'd heard that a whole ocean disappeared, but he went down to check soon after he heard the rumors and... yup. The whole thing just gone. He hasn't gone down to see if it's back, but he figures he should at least mention it.]

Well... No, it doesn't seem like they're really bein' used, but it doesn't seem like they're able to be used.

[Voice]

[hollower]

[That does not sound good. Does not sound good at all. Perona's always been a little skeptic of what she hears through the grapevine without proper evidence, but in Luceti...she's begun to trust the weird things people say to be completely factual. This though...it does not bode well.]

What do you mean?

[Voice]

[foundafamily]

You don't know?

[Of course she doesn't know, Firo, why else would she ask?]

Uh, apparently it all up and disappeared.

[Voice]

[hollower]

[What.]

What?! [HELL no. That can't be right! There is no damn way the Malnosso could take away the one thing Perona actually enjoyed about this stinking place - the ocean, even if it was a teeny tiny ocean compared to her home.] Are you absolutely sure?! How in the world could--why would they take away the ocean?!

[Because they suck, that's why, but she wants a better fucking reason. You don't maroon a pirate on land, okayokay, that is just unwise. She had hoped to sail to relax on the waters. This is just salt in the wound at this point.]

[Voice]

[foundafamily]

[That's an even more extreme reaction than Firo expected, even with the absurdity of the situation.]

Hey, calm down! How'm I supposed to know why? All I know is that it's not there anymore, so you're outta luck.

[Action]

[goldenglasses]

[Vash was out enjoying a bagful of donuts as he sits on the fountain. It was a very nice day out and he was having fun. He peers up and spots a ghost floating around.] Hey! I know you! [He pops another donut into his mouth. Just a ghost that made him horribly depressed in the past. No big deal.]

[Action]

[hollower]

[Hearing a call, the ghost halts in is roaming and looks down at the person below, awaiting an order from its master far away. Perona can see him through the eyes of the ghost she created, and gives the mental affirmation that it's alright to go ahead and speak. Might as well, since he hailed her cute little hollow down.

Knows her? Or maybe he was familiar with her hollows? She used them considerably on the last draft, so that's not at all a surprise. As her ghost wafts down,Perona blinks slowly back at home, squinting her eyes (which her ghost does as well), a frown forming on both their lips.

The voice that echoes out from the hollow is Perona's, though it's distorted just slightly, taking on an echoed tone.]

You seem familiar yourself... [Where has she seen this guy before?]

[Action]

[goldenglasses]

[Aw, crap. Vash had no problem when the thing was: over there. Coming closer not so much. He makes a meek shooing motion as he back up slightly, nearly tipping himself into the fountain.] Whoa! Whoa, there little fella! Nothing personal, but I'd rather not have you touching me.

[It's even creepier when it speaks. He wasn't exactly expecting that.] Yeah, I suppose I do. How's your little friend? I hope she's feeling better. I- ah, haha, well, I kinda... sort of... shot her once?

[Action]

[hollower]

[The hollow keeps away from Vash, stopping when instructed. Honestly, she wasn't actually going to have it touch him... Her ghosts are mischievous little pranksters, but they obey her commands. They'll only ever attack someone unless she orders them to. It rolls its beady eyes at his aversion - only because perona did back in her apartment - then blinks.

...Oh. Oh. Now she remembers who he is. The smile on the ghost's face fades into a frown and it backs off another half foot.]

Oh, yes...I remmber you now. I suppose I can't be too angry at being shot at - I would have killed you had you not taken that course of action... But were that wound to have left me with an ugly scar, I may have instructed this little one to mak you regret it. [The ghost's lips curl into a wicked little smile.] You're very lucky.

[Action]

[goldenglasses]

Oooh! Is that you in there? Behind there? [He thought he heard her name in the ghost's odd voice, but he wasn't sure if they just sounded the same or if it really had been Perona. He sighs slightly in relief to hear her lecture and threats against him.] Oh, thank goodness! I'm so glad you were able to get help and it didn't scar at all! You are feeling better now, right? I mean, when I've seen you around town before you didn't really strike me as a vampire.

[voice]

[disastergirl]

At least one is! It belongs to me and a friend of mine.

[She may or may not sound a little too proud of that fact.]

[voice]

[hollower]

Eh, is that so? Which one would that be?

[So she knows not to steal it if push comes to shove. Or at least be sneaky about her pirating ways.]

[voice]

[disastergirl]

The best looking one, obviously. [Jane...]

You really did pick a bad time to ask about that, though. Are you naturally unlucky or what?

[voice]

[hollower]

[Perona rolls her eyes. That doesn't help her any... Whatever, she'll speak with Law and perhaps address the village at large one day. If the ship she wants is this girl's, well...that'll be somethig she'll need to figure out later then.]

Eeh? What do you mean?

[voice]

[disastergirl]

Well, you've heard about what happened to the ocean, right? It's pretty hard to take a ship anywhere when there's no water.

[And that was just one problem. ...Well, it was the only problem she didn't think of as a foregone conclusion, but still.]

[Voice]

[savedtheworld]

You don't mean... the ocean ocean, do you?

[Voice]

[hollower]

...What other ocean would there be?

[Aang, that tone sounds highly suspect.]

[Voice]

[savedtheworld]

I don't know! But the only ocean I know about... it- it's kind of not there anymore.

[Voice]

[hollower]

[WHAT.]

What do you mean it's not there anymore?!

backdated to the 28th!

[lastfonmasterguardian]

[Anise is about as well-informed about the ocean situation as Perona is (which is to say, not at all). But, a luxurious ocean cruise feels like exactly what she needs right now!]

[Just to be clear, it's not at all because Anise is afraid of the cultists breaching the barrier after what she learned in the last draft. Not at all. And it's definitely not that Anise was still having trouble sleeping because of all of the nightmares.]

[She just needed a luxury cruise.]

Are you planning on sailing somewhere?

[Because you can count Anise in.]

[hollower]

[Too bad a long and luxurious cruise isn't in the schedule. Just a brief sail around the waters however far Perona can get from land before the barrier puts a halt to her fun. She just misses the waves and the air - it's in her blood to be on the ocean, being landlocked for so long isn't good for a pirate.

But don't you worry, Anise, Perona is a cushy, spoiled, pampered princess - she'll make do with what she has and make things enjoyable for those like herself that take pleasure in the material world.]

Only as far as I can go... This ocean is nothing like the one of my world. But I haven't been on a ship since I arrived, and that's no good for someone like me.

[lastfonmasterguardian]

[That's all Anise needed to know. Luxury accommodations? A chance to get off of the land and potentially avoid the second coming of the cultists? Even if they weren't going far, it was also a chance for her to hang out with Miss Perona more.]

Can I come with you? ♥

[She'll be the best (and cutest) little vice-captain you can imagine.]

1/3

[hollower]

[Oh, Anise, you are positively the most adorable little first mate Perona could ever hope for. ♥ She'd be glad to take a cutie like you along and even teach you a few things about piracy sailing and navigation to boot!]

Of course you may! Horohoro, and feel free to bring Tokunaga-chan, too.

2/3

[hollower]

Eh, but I don't have a ship...

3/3

[hollower]

Unless I steal the one I had my eye on...