un: ut malum pluvia | audio

[somebadnews]

[ Five is walking out of the lighthouse as he addresses the network, since it's generally quieter where ghosts aren't constantly interrupting his thoughts. The beauty of this form of communication is it's not entirely unlike talking to himself, which is really his preference. ]

Okay, listen up. Since we're all sharing, let's see if we can't come up with an actual plan, before we experience the next shift and you all inconveniently forget who you are again.

[ To say nothing of a haunting that has already sent him into a panic attack or how he nearly drowned just to see for himself what he'd already heard second-hand. Nothing but success for Five Hargreeves. ]

Two orders of business. One, Miang-Si is obviously a catalyst, if not the cause of what's happening here. I searched her room one of the nights she was out galavanting with her lake friends. There was correspondence that suggested she was enamored with someone, who I now assume was the Huntress. I also found evidence that the woman in white, and another in red, visited her there. The witches she's involved with also may have dragged in women doing laundry nearby into their lake at some point, judging by what was found with the skeletons at the bottom.

Secondly, these hauntings aren't just some curse. If they are spirits, we need to figure out a way to trap them. There's a woman in white, a man in black, a lumberjack, and another woman in red. Who else has been seen and how often? If we can capture one of them, maybe we can get some answers before whatever triggered this starts again.

[ He has no doubt it'll happen at the worst possible moment.

Just as he's about to continue with his all-important conspiracy theories, he's approached by a young girl with a silver coin in hand. Distantly she can be heard saying she's worried about her family, and asks him to take a donation for Kathoo'lul's blessing. Dumbfounded, he takes it and promptly loses his train of thought as she scurries away. ]

...Amazing how easy it is to start a cult around here.

Comments

[somebadnews]

[ Five really didn't expect it to be this hard to find someone who could trap a ghost. Although to be fair, he did find some, they're just exceedingly stubborn. ]

Great. Your enthusiasm is noted.

[redhourglass]

( please dial this number again for assistance with any of the following: a) sentient robots, b) aliens, c) all of the above )

oh good
i was hoping you'd pick up on that

[somebadnews]

[ If only people were more open with their exact specialties so he wouldn't have to go fishing. ]

Not exactly the type of help I was looking for.

[redhourglass]

help to capture non-solid things? that’s not my rodeo
if they become more solid, i can punch them in the face

[somebadnews]

[ ...He has a suspicion she only offered because she doesn't expect it to work. ]

Very impressive. I'll be sure to keep you updated.

[redhourglass]

( no! well, yes. but also because it’s the best terrible idea they have.

the bar is so low, it’s on the floor )

if i hear about any real ghost busters i’ll send them your way

[somebadnews]

I think they prefer to be called necromancers.

[redhourglass]

i like to call them creeps

not that i’ve met any

[somebadnews]

They don't always advertise.

[redhourglass]

this coming from the apparent cult leader

[somebadnews]

Always happy to point out what's real and what's a made-up fish god.

[redhourglass]

a fish god? really?

( probably shouldn’t be as surprising as it is given their setting but like … honestly?? )

i changed my mind
i don’t feel bad for your flock anymore

[somebadnews]

These are the same people who thought creating a time loop would solve their problems.

[redhourglass]

( HEY — she can't exactly blame them for that given what she'd done back home )

you think you would have had a better idea?

[somebadnews]

[ Five may or may not be a time traveling hypocrite, but he'll insist that was extremely different. ]

Of course I would have.

[redhourglass]

such as?

( don't mind her calling his bluff )

[somebadnews]

[ He knows exactly what she's doing. ]

You think they did the right thing?

[redhourglass]

that wasn't my question

[somebadnews]

I would have taken a look at the bigger picture.

Even if everyone dies, it's better than risking a paradox. Since they have time magic, you'd think they would have tried to go back a little further and prevent the Huntress from coming here.

[redhourglass]

sounds like we have the benefit of knowing there is a bigger picture to take a look at

hindsight 20/20 that sort of thing

[somebadnews]

Do you care that much about the ghosts haunting us, or do you just enjoy playing Devil's Advocate?

[redhourglass]

( ok, he has a point there — grudgingly... )

i have some limited experience with time travel

[somebadnews]

What kind of limited experience?

[redhourglass]

the kind where the cost of not doing it is too high

[somebadnews]

End of the world?