OPEN

[ghostling]

Date & Time: 1/4; afternoon
Location: Around the Hold
Characters: Ghost and ANYONE
Summary: Ghost is out and about, mostly sulking and trying to avoid people.
Warnings: Uh, depends on who shows up?

[Since the whole deal with Koltira, Ghost has mostly been holed up in her room. She's barely left it. But even she gets a little stir-crazy so she decided to go for a walk. A task easier said than done given the damaged state of her helmet. With it no longer functioning properly she couldn't wear it. Not wearing it means people will know what she looks like. What she sounds like.

That definitely leaves the Network out of question. At least in person she can give a false name. There's only two people, aside from maybe her roommates, that know what she really looks and sounds like.

She's completely bundled up, arms and hands completely covered. Her face mostly hidden behind a scarf and the shadow of her hood. It would have to do. Although the faint glow of her eyes wasn't hard to miss.

For the most part she's just out trying to get some "fresh" air while avoiding as many people as possible. Although avoiding people isn't easy. Eventually she settles down on a bench in what she assumes passes for a park. At least the pastime of people watching never goes out of style.]

Comments

[ghostling]

[Ghost smiles behind the scarf covering face as Lee settles beside her.]

M'always antisocial. [She's completely ignoring the question about everything being okay, unless he pushes it.]

[vaudevil]

[He chuckles. While it's true he's been a bit unsociable himself with work to be done but there's always time for a friend or two...in more ways than one.]

I thought you would say that.

[He leans forward slightly so he could keep his gaze on Ghost.]

I suppose some things are constant, but why are you hiding your beautiful face? It's just us.

[ghostling]

[Why does he have to say things like that? She looks away then around.]

Ain' jus' us here.

[But the fact remains there's one else around to recognize her. And that's not something she can argue, not that it'll stop her.]

You're jus' bein' a flatterer anyway.

[vaudevil]

Am I? I thought I was being sincere at the masquerade. You don't need to keep wearing it.

[He looks around for a brief moment and then back to Ghost as he leans back some.]

I don't flatter and I certainly don't use flattery for any gain. I speak the truth and if I happen to like what I see, I say it.

[He leans his head back with a sigh.]

There are so many here that cannot accept their beauty. What is so hard with saying thank you?

[ghostling]

[She gives a soft sigh and pulls her scarf down from around her face. She cringes a bit at the loss of warmth.]

Maybe they're jus' used t' hearin' that they're a freak or bein' treated like they're diseased.

[vaudevil]

But you're not. I don't think the Initiative would take in lepers.

[He smiles a bit with her compliance but he's still waiting for those two words. He shrugs with a soft laugh.]

Besides, no one is a bigger freak than me. Seriously, the problems faced here is that not many are told the positive side of matters. They hear a lot of the negative which can affect the way they see themselves. But what do I know. I'm a scientist, more specifically, an engineer.

[ghostling]

They don' have control o'er their machine so I wouldn' say that. But thank y'anyway.

[She looks back over at him, pushing her hood back a bit so her face isn't completely in shadow any longer.]

Thing is y'don' look like a freak. Nor d'ya have a connection t' powers that basically make you...death incarnate.

[vaudevil]

That's so much better. I can now see your eyes.

[Lee laughs again, and he's glad that she's at least showing her face a bit more even though he could see the glow from them before.]

Yes, that is true that I'm not powered by some magic or tied to some ability that would, as you say, make me a freak, but I am a freak of a different sense of the word.

My brother has said it to me more than once and was pretty disgusted by it, but I think it goes without saying that I like to look at the world as a place of learning and loving than a prison.

[ghostling]

[She hates not being able to hide behind her mask. She hates people being able to actually see her expression. She does her best to not roll her eyes but it's a hard urge to fight.]

Long as y'happy.

[She raises a gloved hand to tuck some of escaping hair back into her hood.]

Learnin' I can understand. Lovin'...no.

[vaudevil]

Why not?

[It's an honest question. Thankfully he doesn't catch her disinterest but the fact remains that he's trying to push a little to get her to open up.]

My happiness is irrelevant at this point. It's about you now.

[ghostling]

Because it jus' ain' something I get. [That seems a sufficient answer to her. Then again she's not used to giving more details without someone prying.

She just doesn't get the opening up thing.]

[vaudevil]

[That is something that Lee can't understand. How can she not get love? Okay, this is something that he has to ask. Everyone has a libido, don't they?]

You don't have that stirring? You must at least feel something. I could show you how but I will not if you don't want me to. Someone like you should not be so closed off. That can't be healthy.

[ghostling]

[They're going to talk about this aren't they? They're going to enter the uncomfortable territory that Ghost much prefers to avoid.

She scowls, brow knitting as her face heats up. She gives a loud huff and turns away while pulling her hood back over her face in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.]

A-ain' like that! [Stay calm Ghost, focus. She can't get worked up or goodbye arms.]

I do I just ain'... [She shrugs without finishing the thought, she can't handle this kind of conversation right now.]

[vaudevil]

[Her expression is cute to Lee but at least he has a better idea. That huff makes him grin.]

Ah, so you choose not to. That's a shame. Someday you may and when it comes, don't fight it. You may lose a good opportunity.

[He smirked and winked then changed the subject.]

Well, aside from that, I found something interesting. Have you spoken with anyone from the Defense Coalition?

[ghostling]

I ain' like e'eryone else. I can't jus' give in. I can't risk losin' control. [She drops her gaze and sighs. At least he's moving onto a new subject.]

No I haven't. Why?

[vaudevil]

[It's a sad thing to hear on Lee's end. He can't imagine why, but this isn't his life to force his ideals on and he values Ghost too much to force like that. Still, it makes his heart sink some.

He changes gears and it shows with a less predatory tone.]

I suggest you do sometime. I found that they are trying to help reestablish order in this chaos and it's worth a listen. Fiona is a good ally to make and I do recommend you speak with her.

Another is Duncan. He's an intelligent man with a good mind for discussion. He is not afraid to ask questions and not afraid to speak his mind. He's worth speaking with when you have the chance.

Both could use the help in finding good people to aid in our cause to a better life.

[ghostling]

Dunno if y'noticed but I ain' so good at talkin' to people. [At least not as long as she can't hide.]

[vaudevil]

Yes, I noticed.

[His voice softens. He has hoped that she would have gone out of her shell a bit more but then she would lose her anonymity and that could be a disaster.]

Have you tried?

[ghostling]

[Her shoulders sink a bit.]

A li'l. But then I jus' say the wrong thing an' piss people off.

[vaudevil]

[He looks to her with a slight tilt to his head. He's done that too but it's all a part of getting to know people, or at least that's how he sees it.]

Hm, this is only a subjective point of view, but I've seen a lot worse. You're blunt and some people can't handle the honest truth. This is only a suggestion, but perhaps if you tried to look at their point of view, it may help you better understand where they are coming from?

Sometimes new people have a tendency to believe that they are the only victims and even worse they react selfishly. You weren't talking to the right people.

[ghostling]

Ain' like I really care if they're pissed. They're problem. But eventually m'gonna run outta potential allies or whate'er.

[She sighs.]

I get where they were comin' from...kinda. I jus' ain' great wi' words. Said it all wrong I guess. They don' understand what it's like t' be able to feel every life around them. T' feel how close each life is close t' death. Kinda maddenin' at times.

[She falls silent after that, pulling her hood down more over her face. She'd never admitted that out loud before. Not to anyone back home that she was far closer to or to any stranger.]

[vaudevil]

[Something she said sparks a familiarity within him. He's heard this before. The only difference between the two was the regret of destruction of two planets and he took his own life for it, while the other can feel everything around her.

His head turns toward her while he suppresses his astonishment and buries it down deep. He made a promise and he's not about to break his word. His hand reaches up to pull the material away slightly, braving to scoot in closer.]

True. However, I didn't know about your power's nature. I can imagine the feeling of separation you feel. You're not the only one to feel isolated. While it's true it's a maddening feeling, although I'm only taking your word for it, perhaps you were given that power for a reason and it can be of use.

Have you considered being a scout? Something like that is incredible.

[He smiles warmly.]

[ghostling]

[She almost makes a move to clutch at her hood but doesn't. Instead she lets him pull it back.]

It don' work quite like that. While I can feel the energy around me I can't tell how close it is or how big the being is that's letting off the energy. I can only tell just how much of that energy is Nether.

[And then her invisibility has a time limit.]

[vaudevil]

Hm.

[He lifts his finger to his chin.]

I wonder though, you mentioned that you can feel a person that is about to die. Something like that has got to come in handy for medical reasons when life support is about to fail. Forgive me for saying this, but have you considered possibly doing something along the lines with the clinic? It may be of use to others.

[ghostling]

[Ghost sighs and shakes her head as one hand fumbles with her zipper. She's grown too hot in the jacket, her mistake for trying to hide.]

It ain' something I like t'know. I've accept it's part of m'powers and there's nothing I can do 'bout it but I still don' like it.

I've been trained wi' my abilities t' fight an' protect. Though I gotta be real careful when m'doin' those things.