the boos and the bees [closed to willard and clara] [backdated to the 22nd]

[megidoomed]

It was a perfectly ordinary end to a perfectly ordinary day in old London town. The sky was cloudy, the birds were singing, people were happily chatting amongst themselves as they wrapped up their daily business, and all was well.

Or, almost all. On the winding streets of Harrow this afternoon, one random asshole appears to be holding an argument with himself, seemingly oblivious to the strange looks he's earning from passers-by. However,  the narrative also refuses to consider him as a valid point of view, and the focus shifts instead to the unsettling chill lingering on the sidewalk in his wake, endangering the half-lit streetlamps out of sheer annoyance.

Today was a bad lightbulb day, apparently. Many weep at the incoming hike of electrical prices.

"--and being unconscious for two days is still ridiculous. Completely ridiculous. I don't get why you think that's okay." So, maybe Aradia's been circling this particular topic for the past twenty minutes, but her point is clearly the sensible one. All she has to do is repeat it enough times for it to sink in past Mystery Dude's dumbass skull and she's won.

Comments

[megidoomed]

Everything happens so much.

Aradia flinches both times the lightbulb is mentioned - she's trying, it's hard, her thoughts keep slipping out of focus, she wanted it to stop - but those aren't valid excuses at all, really. Add to that the mutual scolding and the realization that yep, she just caused more dangerous spectral activity at the battered old coffee shop, and suddenly it's harder to hold onto anger in the face of sudden guilt. There's no satisfaction at Will getting snapped at too, because he's still being an ass and it's justified, but they've genuinely worried Clara and there's so many regrets to be had here.

"I'm not exaggerating and-- I can't do fire," because that's obviously the problem with this situation, she wants to argue back but Clara's in the way. "I'll. Find a way to fix it. It'd get blamed on you anyway, they only look for me south of the Thames, and it wouldn't be fair."

Clara's track record was so much better then hers and she wrecked it. But she has to reply, it'd be rude otherwise, though eye contact is ignored as that cabinet full of coffee mugs over there is so much more interesting to stare at. "I... guess it's been about two months, since we met? Not sure why that's relevant."

That's as close as she remembers, since time got hard to keep track of with nothing to measure it against. Aradia's wording changes on the reply, 'friend' discarded and swapped in favour of averages, because he said they were acquaintances and she's still okay with that.

[alethiological]

There would normally be an escalation of argumental stupidity here, the usual patterns of Aradia riling him up into a neurotic snap not too much unlike throwing water on a cat. Or ghosts at lightbulbs. Or any other fitting simile that is quickly undermined by the sudden blank stare and silence he gives to the opposing wall.

That.

Did he just get scolded?

No attention is given to the comment of concern (she is, he knows it, but you're Forbidden from concerned, you push her feelings away), but even still it causes a bit of a flatline. Effectively getting shoved back against the mental wall of thy self is worthless but given purpose in Our Doctrine by the terrible, undefeatable leviathan that is Clara Has Raised Teenage Boys.

Only the smallest bit of awareness clicks in at the question, and the dead stare doesn't change. It matches the monotone answer flawlessly, "Forty-eight days and six hours. The section that could be considered friendly is twenty two days and ten hours. Her habit of frying electronics has been for twenty seven days and nineteen hours, however only recently has it reached this level."

Jesus christ. At least Furniture makes great watches.

[warmheartedly]

One: Yes. Willard was scolded and it looks like Clara is willing to do it again if it prevents another fight from coming up. Reluctant as she is to raise her voice, she will do it. Don't tempt her. Please.

Two: It was fine. No, really. People will come and go and spoke and do the occasional warding spells to shoo her off. At... At least that's free publicity for the shop if more people come to check on the sudden spike of supernatural activity? It was the owner's way to counter all the people from coming in and out without really buying anything over the years.

For now she wants to focus on something she wishes she saw sooner but hadn't and now here they all are. Feeling awkward and the occasional sputter of spark from the ruined lamp nearby does nothing to help.

"Okay! Right," Clara starts off, "Let's keep that all in mind when I ask my next question. Okay? Aradia: Do you remember our talk earlier from when we last met? About anchors?"

She gives Willard a brief apologetic look while she speaks. Just in case if he doesn't know what an anchor is or finds himself out of loop about what's going on here between the ghosts. If he does know what's going on-- She's sorry all the same.

[megidoomed]

He's doing the thing again, attempts to disarm the argument be damned. It's the same empty monotone she heard when the wifi password came up, the crystal-clear repetition's still eerie and notably colder (with another wince at 'could be considered friendly', ow). She's two seconds from mentioning it because now it's definitely tied into Weird Bullshit, it'd be easier to prove it this time, except-

Except then Clara switches targets and no. She didn't even know her blood could still turn to ice, that's a fascinating discovery and she'd much rather think about that then.... crap.

"No?" Wait. "I mean - I remember, but I still don't," there's no way she's getting out of this in one piece, is there. The waves of panic rolling off her are almost tangible, sending warning flickers through the lights but thankfully avoiding more needless destruction. She knows where Clara's going with this, and the worst part is it's suddenly all too obvious that she's got a point. Help. "I still haven't really changed my opinion on the whole thing?"

If anyone starts laughing at her misfortune there might be no survivors. Just saying.

[alethiological]

The world is safe because Aradia is not laughed at, even if it means he doesn't even focus back in when Clara speaks. The question is directed at Ghost Girl, but who cares. It doesn't change the fact the word 'anchors' is picked up on. The moment of silence in between their silent stares is an immediate snap to so long ago.

Everyone went through the courses after induction. They weren't long or particularly helpful, since the point was to just give the minimum assistance (death weeds out the weaker ones, why bother investing in disposable statistics) and after it they would all pick their specification. Being an Exorcist is for scrubs and weenie babies and living shields, screw that noise time to take specialization with the witch hunters.

The point is he does remember a section on ghosts he essentially ignored because, really, he's not doing that. Ever. The monotone stays intact, reading off some mental lecture and only taking out the important bits.

"That's th'one that leeches off the victim's soul, right?"

And now everyone can be totally unsurprised that the jesus cultists are given completely not-false information to make them more efficient. Super unsurprised. None of us are wrong, after all.

[warmheartedly]

excuse u #notallghosts

real tag here it is

[warmheartedly]

"You don't have to change your opinion on it," she stresses calmly as she can to Aradia. The last thing she want to do is make her feel like she's being pressured to this this. "I just want you to know that if all the signs point to it, that maybe you should--"

Stop. Wait a minute. Give her a moment to process what Willard actually said to her.

She knows the process of anchoring is strange and a little foreboding but it doesn't stop her from looking scandalised by what he says. Naturally here comes the knee jerk reaction of:

"No!"

Clara looks very offended now and the lights outside flicker a bit, a rare show of temper that she squashes down because, again, no. It isn't right but she can't get mad. The most she can do is explain and hope for the best.

"Not all ghosts are dangerous," she reminds them. "You two know that. The only reason some ghosts become so difficult is because they didn't have an anchor. All the anchor does, if the relationship is equal and healthy, is keep the ghost tied to the real world. No sucking is involved."

ngl i died a little inside and ive never been more proud

[megidoomed]

Did he just-

He did, and now she doesn't have to feel bad about being the only one who made that mistake. In front of Clara. This is probably not a good thing, but she'll take refuge wherever it comes, despite that being a much stronger outburst then the one Aradia earned. Which... switches her reaction from 'amused' back to 'worse', guilt and panic starting to mingle in annoying waves that get shoved down because she's okay. The whole point is that she's okay.

She totally didn't scoot back a little. At all. Nope. This wasn't meant to be about her problems, how did it come to this.

"Maybe I'm just getting better with control?" Except there's three ruined lights in the past hour alone that say otherwise, despite all attempts to pin it on her temper. Next- "And that's kinda balanced out by experience anyway. The being tied to reality bit, I mean. You said yourself that it's really hard to define."

Since everyone's so fond of skipping to the 'exorcise everything' step, but there's no point bringing that up again. It'd just lead to another circular argument and more fried wiring and that's the last thing this mess'd need right now.