[CLOSED] How much does a soul weigh?

[woocas]

Who: Lucas (woocas) & Jean (restingslasherface)
What: Talking about death and stuff!
When: July 25th, afternoon
Where: Library
Warning(s): Discussing death, probably in great and grim detail but will warn in headers

It had only been a week? Two? One would think a Medium used to talking to dead people or seeing how they met their untimely ends would be settled with the idea of his own death, but so swift on the one that brought him to Pumpkin Hollow it rattles Lucas more than he will admit. Even to himself.

But, it does provide some valuable data and he knows exactly the person to share this with.

"Yo, Jean! You in here, buddy?" Lucas calls out while entering the library. It earns a stern shush but the Medium persists, poking his head down different aisles of books looking for his grinning little friend.

Comments

[restingslasherface]

So Lucas, my lad, there's some news for you. Jean is currently using the siren page, and in what is surely a coincidence, has also been asked to do a bunch of stuff in the far corners of the library. It turns out that for reasons Jean does not understand, the siren comes with a short, flowing dress, which Jean has augmented with actual socks and boots since it didn't come with those.

She's currently reshelving books, and pokes her head out when she hears Luca's voice, short hair moving in phantasmal tides. The universal 'shush' motion known to all librarians by virtue of being hired at a library is made, and Jean beckons Lucas closer.

[woocas]

"...Jean?"

This is a bit of a curve ball, but hey, he's not going to question it too much just yet. Instead he draws closer as beckoned and lowers his voice.

"Sorry, you busy right now?"

[restingslasherface]

"Just shelving books!" She holds them delicately so the claws don't damage them, with a perhaps-surprising amount of both care and practice. They've got the cart of books to reshelve, they've got shelves. "If you don't need a lot of eye contact I'm fine! Just gotta get this done..."

On closer inspection the dress is moving in the phantom tides too.

[woocas]

"I mean...yeah I can see that," Lucas mutters, shaking his head. He gives them a look over again.

"Fancy dress, though. Where'd you get it?" He's totally getting sidetracked right now.

[restingslasherface]

"Came with the Page! Along with a severe case of gender I think, the pronouns in my head allllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll -" how long can she hold that "-llllllll went 'she/her', which doesn't necessarily mean much but is what it is! The claws are nice, better than that utility knife I've been using."

Beat.

"Also the air 'round the legs is nice, always did like combat dresses for that."

[woocas]

Jean, you are an onion in Lucas's eyes. How many layers do you even have??

"It looks good on ya," he grins, "Honestly I can appreciate a nice flowy dress, especially in this weather. But that's not exactly why I ducked in to find you..."

Not exactly, but on the other hand more questions arise, "The Page was what you were doing to the siren, right?"

[restingslasherface]

"That's an interesting question! If she was dead, did I do anything to her?" Jean taps a book she's just shelved, very thoughtfully. "I suppose it's not entirely different from gut harvesting or, I dunno, using a cadaver for science, but you saw 'er, she was pretty dead. I'm gonna have to investigate that, thanks for the question! But uh, what did you come find me for?"

[woocas]

"Err, right." That was about as clear as mud, but Lucas figures he can try and figure it out later.

"...Well, I figured I'd share this with you since you're taking notes on things around here too, but...I managed to get myself killed and popped back to life just like everyone in town's been saying. That was a trip, let me tell you."

[restingslasherface]

"Wow, you're looking pretty hot for a dead guy." Jean flashes a playful smile; by god, she can joke. "Give me just a second..."

The book shelving goes Much Faster very suddenly. At several points Jean just jumps instead of using a ladder, without a care in the world for what might get shown off in the process (among other things, that evidently the soul of a siren includes granny panties). Her cart empties in just a little under two minutes.

Which means Jean can get out her notebook and pencil. "Alright! Hit me!"

CW: brief mention of death

[woocas]

"You know you're not the only one to tell me that, too bad you missed out on me prancing around in my birthday suit," Lucas snickers.

Lucas attempts to offer to help, but it's a much better show to watch anyways. He's not above looking either way, but by the time Jean wraps up their job Lucas already has his notebook out and at the ready, too.

"Alright, so the treasure that washed up on shore recently? It was like super cursed, had me scaling up the side of a building and wouldn't you know it, I'm not exactly spiderman so I missed a jump and...bam! Light's out."

Reflexively, Lucas reaches up to touch the fresh scar on the back of his neck. he sighs, "It's a bit of a jumble after that but I'm pretty sure I was wandering around the island before waking up on the cliffside, wearing absolutely nothing. I'd says a good day after the fact?"

[restingslasherface]

"Wandering...what makes you say that?" Jean's expression is one of intense curiosity, and they lean in closer; there's a faint odor of salt on their skin. "Don't feel restricted to cold facts! Your intuitions are important too!"

[woocas]

"Well., I mean most people don't want to think about dying and being a ghost." A nervous bubbling of laughter rattles out of the Medium.

"Normally I'm on the other side of this equation so it was a little trippy being a ghost instead of talking to one..." he trails off, frowning. "It's really annoying that you can't interact with anything, you know?"

[restingslasherface]

"Assuming you mean what I think you mean when you say ghost - what happened to your body?" Jean's still leaned in close, all fascination. "That is to say, did your remains also wander, or were they moved, or...is this a new mortal form and your former one is still out there?"

[woocas]

"What do you think I mean by ghost?" Lucas asks, eyebrow raised.

He's not put off by Jean's intensiveness, at least not in this context. he'd be asking the same kind of questions, after all!

"No, uh...Neil was there and moved my...the body. I went back and did a reading there to double check and after awhile it just kind of...poofed?" Lucas gestures vaguely. "I know I'm not making a lot of sense, but it's a little freaky doing a reading on yourself. Or, uh...watching yourself die, I guess."

It's rattled him more than he cares to admit.

[restingslasherface]

"Yeah, watching yourself die is the worst. Sorry you went through that buddy." A gentle squeeze of Lucas's shoulder. "But! Your question! What I think you mean when you say ghost is some element of a personality divorced from its human form, typically due to physical death."

This is the same fucker who asked what a soul was.

[woocas]

Lucas makes a bit a of huffing sound, cheeks puffing out.

"I guess that's one of way of saying it, yeah. When did you decide that?" Or did they hold that opinion before. The conversation has him rattled, thoughts in disarray.

[restingslasherface]

"We've got legends of ghosts at home! Heck, one Abnormality claimed to be a ghost! That one was a jerk." Beat. "But a very consistent jerk, easy to manage."

[woocas]

"Legends...oh. So, you don't think they are really ghosts?"

He has to shake his head a little at the way jean phrases things. He thought he was bad about treating things like a case!

[restingslasherface]

"I didn't say that!" Jean sighs deeply. "Listen, I try not to say things as fact if I can't verify them. That sorta thing was a very bad habit before! It could get someone hurt! Heck, here it might get someone hurt - what if bad information got out about that cursed treasure, right? If you say you have ghosts and know about them I'm willing to believe you! But I can't verify that the City has ghosts, I can only report that an entity which behaved in many significant ways like the others we had in containment claimed to be a ghost and its claims match some legends."

Beat.

"...Wow now I know how management felt lecturing me. I'm very sorry!"

[woocas]

Lucas waits them out patiently. it's not that he doesn't agree, that's how IOPSA operates too...to a point. So he only shrugs once they're done.

"Come on, I've had way worse lectures from the Chief. And normally yeah I don't say this or that is fact, but at some point you have to act on something or you're just swimming in data and not doing a thing about it."

He frowns slightly. "Not saying you're sitting on your ass or anything, but you can't protect everyone all the time."

And there Lucas winces. Now he's sounding like the Chief. That's a line he's always been on the other side of!

[restingslasherface]

"I never even made Captain, but..." Jean's face sobers; she looks uncommonly sad, and lost, an expression they do not make a lot. "...Protecting people is what I'm good at. I want to. I take the hit."

[woocas]

"That's what I try and do, too." Lucas says gently, his expression serious now too. His very first case, and the failure to do exactly that, is still a bitter weigh in his mind.

"But I know that even trying our best isn't enough sometimes. We should still do what we can, though. Not saying otherwise...not to derail everything about ghosts or whatnot." He sighs quietly. "But let's just stick to the facts here in Pumpkin Hollow. I'll do my best to keep my bias out of it otherwise."

[restingslasherface]

"Same! If you get the chance, definitely coordinate with Madam Princess Zelda - I'm filing my reports to her, hahaha. I never made management, I'm definitely not trying to be in charge of something." Jean smooths her dress down, a habit to soothe the sudden nerves she's feeling. "Is there anything else, Agent Lucas?"

[woocas]

"Oh, yeah. I can do that, she seems pretty cool." Lucas flashes them a reassuring smile.

"Agent, huh? Well, not that I can think of...well. Aside from one thing, I guess. What do you think to posting a bill about us newbies meeting up and brainstorming?" Guess who's not management back home, too. Mr. Greenhorn right here.

"I don't want to keep you too long, so if you think it's a good idea, then cool, If not, I'll be sure to keep sharing stuff with you guys though!"

[restingslasherface]

"Please do." Jean takes Lucas's hands with a wide-eyed (well...) look of nearly begging. "I would be so much more comfortable if I knew more people! And could know what they're good at so I can ask for help when I need it! I don't have a team here! I'm naked without my team and not the fun naked that I also haven't been in awhile!"

[woocas]

Lucas snorts. "I'll do my best! Honestly I'm without my team too, and it is really weird."

It's just too bad he gets sidetracked by a few things later on, but he does jot it down in his notebook for now. Note to self!

"But feel free to drop by the Enforcer's office if you need anything, I'm usually there or here to be honest." And usually after dark, but he doesn't mention this because it's generally regarded as a Very Bad Idea.

Wrap?

[restingslasherface]

"Will do! I might come like this, it's very comfortable."

Wrap!

[woocas]

"It looks pretty comfy, yeah. So you should!" Lucas agrees with a laugh.

He'll says his goodbyes and pack up his notebook. There's a conflicted feeling of hopefulness and trepidation still, but the Medium won't linger. There'll be plenty of time to figure everything out eventually, he's sure of it.