moribound | ♚ WANT TO BE CLOSE; INBOX

That's what I thought too, until you mentioned feeling a little worse than usual before this. [The conversation at least distracts Minato from his headaches. He's not too concerned about his own health and had really only stayed in so as to not upset his friends, but the noises feel like some ill portent and it's worrying that no one seemed to have any answers.]

We know that only Ardeo's and Occidi's people made a deal with CERES, but that doesn't explain why all of the other spirits have been involved with CERES' dealings. It's possible that they've been giving us some kind of protection since we arrived, and we've been drained enough that some of us can feel what's trapped in that dark area where the noises are coming from.

[He sighs.] I don't think we have enough information to make any sort of conclusion, and we should look for someone who's been here longer than us.

Whatever's over that wall, it isn't good. [ Korra has blacked out and woken up in her apartment a full day later when she'd tried to fly over it. Something like that definitely did not bode well. ]

I could try talking to Phoenix, or Athena, or Rei...I think they've all been here for awhile now.

[ They'd known him from before, at least. ]

That would be great. [He only knows Athena out of all of them, but considering how helpful she had been when he had first arrived it was at least likely that they could know something useful.]

Whatever's over the wall might not be related to what's happening right now, but we should be prepared for it. [A pause.] Have you been sleeping well, Dipper-kun?

Well enough. [ He's never been the most restful sleeper ever, anyway. ] Though I did kind of get haunted a few days ago? That was a thing.

[ Yep. ]

... [It sounds like an isolated occasion, but.] Did you see how the ghost looked like?

Yeah, I did. It was purple and...toothy. Very toothy.

I see. You mentioned being haunted by it...what sort of things did that ghost do to you? [He's not at all being curious about this, clearly.]

[ Clearly. ] All sorts of typical ghost stuff. Turning on the faucet, flickering lights, mirror tricks, chills in the air...that kind of thing.

[ He makes it sound like he wasn't that concerned about it, but, yeah, he'd kind of freaked out. ]

Sounds spooky. [Minato figures Dipper might have been a little freaked out, but that doesn't translate well in his flat tone.] It sounds like an isolated incident...but you might want to have some charms ready just in case.

[He's joking.]

[ It was spooky. And incredibly embarrassing. ]

Oh, don't worry, I've set some traps if he comes back. That ghost will come to rue the day he haunted Dipper Pines!

[ He's not. ]

That'll teach him a lesson he'll never forget. By the way, are you staying alone in your apartment? [Dipper might be smart for his age, but he is still a kid.]

Actually, I just moved in with Yu and Yosuke. [ Like, literally yesterday.

It's already so much better. ]

Really? That's great news. [And it's a good thing Dipper didn't move in a day before that for certain reasons.] Were you the only one haunted by that ghost then?

I haven't heard of any other cases, but that doesn't mean they haven't happened.

That's true. One of my friends would have let everyone know how much she hates it...but I think I'd feel sorry for the ghost if it had tried anything on her.

The thing is? I'm not exactly sure it was a ghost. I tried to set some traps and basic countermeasures to keep it from returning, but they were completely ineffective.

Whatever it was, it was trying to scare me for fun. [ Trying and succeeding, but Dipper doesn't mention that. ]

Huh. There aren't any native animals in Cerealia, though...what if it was someone's pet? [It's okay Dipper, he won't ask.]

A ghost-like pet? [ Sounds weird as heck, but not impossible. ] As strange at that sounds, it's the most obvious explanation.

Then its owner must be looking for it. I don't think it sounds that strange, though...

You don't? A lot of...ghost pets where you're from?

No, just normal pets. It sounds a little like familiars, and it wouldn't be strange that someone would think to have a spirit as a pet.

[No, it's definitely strange.]

Do you know anyone around here who keeps familiars?

[ Again, science needs to know. ]

I don't. I've seen someone who was sent here with an animal, but it didn't look like a familiar. [It also didn't look familiar, but he'll spare Dipper the pun.]

That happened to my sister. Or...I guess I'm not actually sure if Waddles arrived with her or she got him later. Either way, pretty curious that something in our codes can be tied to other creatures.

[ Too bad they apparently couldn't be tied to other people. ]

Yeah, it's strange that we're all made of code, but we can't transfer our abilities normally...but CERES can do that if they wanted to, can't they?

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