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Don't cross streams - Kaisel - 06-26-2025
Maybe he's not strong enough to march on Stormbreak and wrest back control, or punch Vox in the face, or any number of other wants or accomplishments made by everyone else against the void and the Family. He does have some eyeballs though, and legs, so taking up missions to the Greatwood to procure those special flowers has been an assignment he's eagerly claimed each time. So he's dressed for travel, a pack slung over his back, boots, baggy cargo shorts (because it's still HOT), and a plain grey shirt.
The downside is that these woods are fucking spooky. He's even more skeeved out being here when twilight sets in, actively looking for a ghost, per Flora. Which, now that he thinks about it, and he does as he pauses suddenly next to an impressive tree, is this just an elaborate prank she's chuckling to herself about right now? Did she convince him to either get haunted (if the ghost is real) or to go on a wild goose chase through the forest (if the ghost is fake), with just some ink on paper?
HmmmMmmmM.
Well, he's here now, so he can ghost hunt for a little bit while he schemes about possible payback. [say]"NIKI!"[/say] he calls out loudly as he wanders again. Bet he could wrangle up some paint and blend in with a dark corner of her room and jump out and scare the fuck out of her one night, although that seems like it'd put him at too close of range for her fist. [say]"NIKIIIIIIIIIIII!"[/say] He could maybe sneak onboard the Sugar Tide and just rearrange everything two inches to the left, then back to the right the next day, until she slowly thinks she's losing her mind. He pauses, shaking his head. Naaaah, she's got so much junk it'd be a full time job just to manage that. [say]"NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKIIIIIIII!"[/say]
RE: Don't cross streams - Nikandr - 06-26-2025
The Greatwood is vast, and the odds of one little necromancer hearing Kaisel's calls are very slim indeed. But the Greatwood is also very sentient, and it doesn't appreciate being yelled into every few seconds by some young dragoon galumphing through its undergrowth. Perhaps it could be argued that the trees take pity on Kai by leading him where he needs to go, but in equal measure, perhaps they just want him to be quiet.
Either way, the trail he walks through soon solidifies into something well-worn, a true pathway through the forest that opens up, sooner or later, into a clearing. And within that clearing is a house that, by anyone's standards, is really fucking haunted. A large, dark building, clad in moss and ivy along one side, illuminated in the twilight by a single, burning lamp at the steps up to the porch.
A few candles flicker from within, though only on the ground floor and only in one or two of the windows, but as Kaisel's next call echoes through the air, light cuts a pathway from the front door that swings open. A young man peers out, his mop of dark hair untidier than usual, having been recently cut to ward off the oppressive heat, his steps slow as he inches out of the doorway, using a crutch for aid.
[say]"Hello? Were you calling for me?"[/say] he asks as he spots Kai in the near distance, his accent thick around the words.
RE: Don't cross streams - Kaisel - 06-26-2025
If Kaisel had even an inkling that the woods had been guiding him, he’d have noped the fuck out immediately. He nearly does anyway when he stops before the, hands down, creepiest house he has ever seen or could ever imagine. [say]"Oh fuuuuuck no,"[/say] he breaths as he stops suddenly. The wander of his feet and thoughts alike got him closer than he would prefer, and he's suddenly very aware of how even the forest has remained back, as if it too has chosen not to edge in too close to this place.
It could just be an old, abandoned hunting cabin of some sort, perfectly normal and empty. Except, the flicker of candlelight against the windows is a clear indication of some sort of inhabitance, but arguably too little light for it to be a sane person, you know—the kind who light up every room at dusk to make sure the monsters won't settle in around the corners or the long and dark hallways, the ones you have to quickly turn off behind you as you scurry to bed, the one island of safety throughout the night. This amount of light is positively ghostly.
Between the waver of the candles and the more steady glow of the single lamp, there's just enough brightness to catch all the plant-scattered outlines of the place. The dark edges are jarring in the gloom as he eyes them, seeming to shift and morph at the corners of his gaze where he can't quite see if the movement is real or imagined. Not bright enough to adequately see, but not dark enough to ignore either.
Kaisel's fingers curl at his sides, clutching at uncertainty, an abnormal feeling of tripping over nothing. He might have thrown it in reverse and gone for a light sprint back to civilization, except something does move. The opening of the door feels like all the exits around him have suddenly slammed shut. His focus is a narrowed pinpoint on that stream of light racing along the gloom, so apprehensive for what it means that the staggering silhouette of the man can only be something truly monstrous being unleashed. He's slow, because his attack is inevitable, because Kaisel is caught in his snare and this—fuck THIS—is how he'll die, chewed up by some unholy beast until no one can recognize him, until he's a bed for worms and his name eventually fizzles out of breath and memory alike. No statues to remember him by, no campfire tales. Fuck he wishes he'd done more. He should have loved fuller, should have fought harder, should have...
Oh, the demon is kindly greeting him.
All the gnarled edges of Nikandr's house soften a bit as Kaisel's gaze relaxes, a breath loosing as a nervous and erratic laugh courses through him. [say]"Holy shit, you're real!"[/say] He decends into mania for a moment, doubled over with the sheer relief of prolonged existence and the dropped weight of dread. Even the brush with Jack had not felt so terrifying—it'd been to quick for him to regret much, and that survival had hurt. Nothing like this near-death high that trembles along him now, too joyful to feel right. [say]"You're Niki?"[/say] he asks, a hum of wild humor still lacing his tone. [say]"I'm Kaisel, a friend of Flora's."[/say]
RE: Don't cross streams - Nikandr - 06-27-2025
[say]"...Are you feeling alright?"[/say] Not privy to the tidal waves of P A N I K currently making merry in Kaisel's mind, Niki has to squint a little past the lantern light to make him out properly, but even he can see he doesn't seem well. (And the boy ought to know, being quite the connosieur of sicknesses and ailments himself). Stepping out properly onto the porch so he might see past the glare of candles and lamps, it's about at that point that the stranger is laughing at something that both does and doesn't seem funny, leaving Niki blinking in his surprise.
Holy shit, you're real!
[say]"Er..."[/say] Unable to help himself, he turns to glance over his shoulder as if the stranger might be addressing someone behind him, but no, it appears that he is the almost-imaginary one. [say]"Yes,"[/say] he says, slowly and helpfully. [say]"I was the last time I checked, anyway."[/say]
Only Flora's name finally has understanding dawning on him, Niki huffing out a breath of amusement and relief and nodding his head. [say]"I am Niki,"[/say] he confirms. [say]"Did Flora lead you to believe I was a ghost, by any chance?"[/say] Speaking of the Doubletake, though, his brow furrows in concern. [say]"Is she alright? Did something happen?"[/say] For her to have (presumably) sent Kaisel into the woods to find him.
[say]"Nice to meet you,"[/say] he continues, angling towards his open door. [say]"Would you like to come in...?"[/say]
RE: Don't cross streams - Kaisel - 06-28-2025
His demise might not be upon him, but shit's still a bit too sketchy to put Kaisel at full ease. The dark is unsettling enough, but meeting with a ghost makes it all too real that there are terrible things lurking in the shadows. Although, he squints into the gloom, Niki looks rather solid for a ghost. The cane, the one that signified this is who Flora directed him to, thuds on the ground with an all too normal quality to be an ethereal accessory. Kaisel's mirth gradually fades, and in its place skepticism starts to pool. He tries to pick through the every ghost story he's ever heard or read, like they're educational tools, trying to recall if all ghosts or some ghosts look transparent. He had already thought of this before heading out here, but then he'd been focused on tools to use against phantoms, and does in fact have both iron and salt in his pockets, just in case.
[say]"Yeah,"[/say] he says with a tilt of his head, like he can't decide if ghouls should be able to speak so well or not. [say]"Are you not?"[/say] he questions bluntly, leaning forward a bit in expectation. Can wraiths lie? He doesn't remember anything about that...
The concern that starts to edge in surprises Kaisel, because he's pretty certain a ghost can't feel things. Isn't that like ghost rule #1? Or does that just mean physical things can't be touched, not that they lack feelings? Shit, he's not sure. [say]"Well, she didn't say exactly, just told me to tell you that she's sorry she missed your date,"[/say] Kaisel admits, shrugging slightly like he's not concerned. She'd said she was ok after all.
At the offer he nods his head, though it's slow, like he's not totally convinced he wants to wear the motion. He does manage to step forward though, and even if it feels like holding your breath before sinking underwater, Kaisel crosses the open threshold into Niki's house. He's certain he'll spy some ectoplasm and put this to rest. [say]"It was just a letter,"[/say] he continues. [say]"She told me she was okay when I asked though, so I'm guessing she got pulled away for some Queen shit."[/say]
RE: Don't cross streams - Nikandr - 06-29-2025
[say]"Not yet, no,"[/say] Niki replies dryly, not hiding the smile curling at the corners of his mouth. [say]"I have come close a few times, but as of right now tonight, I am as living and breathing as you are."[/say] And here he tilts his head at Kaisel, slate blue eyes narrowing ever so slightly. [say]"Unless this is the part where you tell me that you are a ghost, in which case we may encounter some difficulties."[/say]
Nodding gently as he continues about Flora, some thread of tension seems to loosen in the young man's shoulders. [say]"That is good to hear - and it was kind of her to send you to tell me. The woods have not been so pleasant to her in the past, so I admit I was worried when she did not come, but I was unsure where to send any correspondence to ask after her."[/say]
Retreating back into the house after Kaisel as he lets him inside, Niki closes the door with a heavy, reassuring click (well, reassuring to anyone unconcerned that they're about to be snatched away by something evil, Kai) and gestures to a door to the right of the entranceway. [say]"We can sit in there if you like."[/say]
Smelling faintly of tea tree, eucalyptus and the earthy tones of black coffee, with well-kept if not tastefully out-of-date decor, the place is cozily illuminated by candles and lanterns if you aren't terrified for your life. Through the door he'd indicated Kaisel will find a comfortable fabric couch, an unlit fireplace and an array of bookcases and houseplants. One such book has been left on a side table next to the couch, along with a mug of coffee.
[say]"Would you like anything to drink?"[/say] Niki asks, polite as ever.
RE: Don't cross streams - Kaisel - 06-29-2025
At the insinuation that he is a ghost, Kaisel lifts both hands up from his sides and glances down and around every part of him, even twisting to peer around his hips. [say]"I... don't think soooooO?"[/say] The answer is more of a question, and Kaisel glances back up at Niki with newfound worry. [say]"Would you know if you're a ghost?"[/say] Maybe he did die, and that moment when everything stopped being so scary and got a bit clearer, maybe that was him crossing over into the ghostly side, where of course spooky things would be less terrifying, because you're part of them now.
He holds his fingers to the side of his throat, a wash of relief coming in when he feels the hum of a pulse. [say]"I think I'm good,"[/say] he says more firmly, eyes flashing back towards Niki, wondering if the man might be opposed to having his pulse checked if it came to it.
The click of the door behind him might as well have been a gunshot. A shiver rolls from his feet to his shoulders, and he suddenly stands still, as if frozen. It could just appear like someone unfamiliar in a house they've never been in, and in fact Kaisel does find the ability to move again once Niki draws a hand to the right, but as he goes Kaisel throws a longing look back at the door. [say]"They haven't been pleasant to her?"[/say] Kaisel manages to ask, trying to steady the all too present pulse he feels running through him now. [say]"She was born here though,"[/say] he says as if that automatically protects her, like home isn't supposed to be somewhere unkind.
The strong smell of the room wrinkles Kaisel's nose as he scans the furniture, décor, and limited lighting like it's exactly what he expects a ghost's house to look like. The aroma is not offensive, but it is heavy handed. Kaisel puts one hand in his pocket, fingers wrapping around the small bottle of salt, glancing along the books. [say]"Hm? Oh, sure, do you have any green tea?"[/say] Kaisel asks, intending to use Niki's absence to draw a salt line over the threshold to see if the ghost with a cane can cross it upon his return.
RE: Don't cross streams - Nikandr - 06-30-2025
[say]"I am not sure myself. And I suppose you would find it difficult to believe if someone told you, no? It must be quite a shock to be told that you are dead,"[/say] Niki says, though he seems quite reasonable about it all despite the macabre nature of the conversation. In fact, with a quiet laugh, he's forced to shrug a concession to Kaisel as he steps further into the house. [say]"Perhaps I am a ghost after all."[/say]
Not bothering to check his own pulse, whether because he doesn't think it's necessary or just to quietly mess with the other man now that he knows his 'spooky' backstory has been given courtesy of Flora, Niki lingers in the doorway to the living room and smiles softly. [say]"That is what she said to me as well,"[/say] he says, of being born here. [say]"But she also said that this is where one of the Family killed her, and so I was concerned something similar had happened."[/say]
But Kai has confirmed that she's okay, and wonder of wonders, he does actually have some green tea available. [say]"Of course. Make yourself at home,"[/say] he says, leaving his new aquaintance to his fuckery get comfortable and disappearing down the hall to the kitchen.
RE: Don't cross streams - Kaisel - 07-01-2025
The words, make yourself at home, ought to be a comfort, but in this situation coming from a maybe-ghost, they sound a bit more like an ominous command, like this will be his home now forever more so he best get used to it. Kaisel glances warily over his shoulder as Niki rattles away, seeming to prefer the drag of a foot over chains for his phantasmal theatrics.
He wastes no time unscrewing the salt lid and drizzling a small white line at the entry way into the room as soon as Niki is absent. He's cautious to keep it a solid line and not let the grains spill too wildly, but he's unsteady with his wayward worry about it all and has to sweep the line back into shape once or twice with his palm. Keeping an ear out for the return thumping, because what else would things in the night do, he finishes up and settles on the couch with all the nonchalance he can muster. Though, his ass is perched closer to the edge, and the wiggle of his foot as it crosses over the knee is testament to the lack of relaxation. His hands are in his lap, one coiled around the silver charm like it means the world to him.
[say]"Word in the woods is that it happened again,"[/say] he calls down the hall, not wanting to let silence linger too long, like it might lend power to things he'd rather stay weak. [say]"A Family attack against her,"[/say] he clarifies a bit. [say]"That's why I wrote her, but she said she's okay, so I assume people got the news wrong."[/say] That does beg him to wonder what sort of attack happened that started the kernel of the rumor mill.
RE: Don't cross streams - Nikandr - 07-01-2025
Niki, as a coffee drinker, only really keeps other drinks for his guests, and had it been even a season or two ago, Kaisel might have been subjected to some very weak green tea long past its best that he'd found at the back of his cupboard. More of a socialite now than he's ever been, though, the necromancer keeps a few small tins of tea at the ready, and he's busy preparing it when the other man's voice echoes down the corridor.
[say]"...Another attack?"[/say] he replies, voice just loud enough to carry back. [say]"Well, since you heard from her directly, I would trust that you are correct."[/say] Trying to marry together concern and relief as he ferries the cup of tea back down the corridor, he lets out a sigh. [say]"I do wonder if something happened in the woods, though..."[/say]
Now, had he been anyone else, Niki wouldn't have noticed the salt along the doorway, and it's only the necessity of keeping track of his feet and the placement of his crutch that tips him off. With furrowed brows, he falls to a deliberate halt and lingers on the other side of the salty threshold with the tea, before his head slowly lifts and tilts at Kai, not unlike some spindly marionette. A slow, not entirely pleasant smile creeps across his face.
[say]"Oh, dear,"[/say] he says, voice pitched low. [say]"I am afraid you have found me out, haven't you?"[/say]
He lets that ominous question linger in the air for perhaps a second too long before interrupting it with his own laughter - which is when he takes a decisive step over the salt line and into the room. [say]"Are you satisfied?"[/say] he asks. [say]"Or shall we continue to season my house to taste?"[/say]
RE: Don't cross streams - Kaisel - 07-01-2025
Yup. He should not have come inside. He should have pulled the reverse vampire and stayed out.
[say]"I KNEW IT!"[/say] Kaisel croaks, his voice cracking with the chokehold of terror pressing in on him. It's a nearly tangible thing that crowds in on each breath, heavy in his throat. It creeps up as Niki's unsettling twist of his head flickers in time with the sway of candlelight. It builds when the man phantom lingers behind the salt like a tiger in the reeds. It absolutely runs rampant when that voice slides into something dangerously soft, like a heartbeat thudding beneath floorboards.
It shatters when Niki crosses the salt plane, a massive slug no more.
Niki's merriment, which is so jarring against the tightly wound scream that's inside each of Kaisel's muscles right now, produces something like a wail from Kaisel's throat as he chucks his iron pendant at Niki. He throws it with all the force he can muster, which presently is so frail with uncertainty that he'll be lucky to strike Niki at all. Frozen by his lack of ammunition, the casual question Niki extends is enough to unsettle him in the best way. [say]"Wha—"[/say] His wide gaze narrows a bit, and the retreat he's made against the couch cushions relents slightly. [say]"So—you're actually not a ghost?"[/say] His eyebrows nestle in his hairline with all the lingering doubt. He must admit though, he's tried three whole things, including asking Niki, and so far the evidence is coming up clearly not-ghost.
RE: Don't cross streams - Nikandr - 07-05-2025
Unable to help himself, Niki's laughter only intensifies at the wail that warbles from the throat of a man who, by right, ought to easily be able to bench-press him. Boyish and light and perhaps a little surprised as the iron pendant sails just wide of him to clatter against the doorframe, he has to take a moment to lean against his cane lest he spill Kaisel's tea everywhere. [say]"Of course I am not a ghost,"[/say] he says, somehow managing to make it sound dry even with the broad smile on his lips.
[say]"I assume you have met Flora, yes? Does it surprise you that she has turned it into a running joke?"[/say] Granted, yes, he's not aware that the Doubletake still harbours some suspicions about him, perhaps, but for Kai at least, he's hopeful that he's proven himself to be phantomless.
Stepping forward again to offer out the tea, he glances at the pendant now laying innocuously on his carpet. [say]"What is that, by the way? Would it have been more convincing if you had given me a concussion with it? If so, you are welcome to try."[/say]
RE: Don't cross streams - Kaisel - 07-05-2025
[say]"Well,"[/say] Kaisel begins, a bit breathless as he tries to reassemble all the pieces of him that terror had shattered with its final escape. [say]"Then why is your house this way,"[/say] he gestures at everything around him, as if it's obvious this is the front cover of Haunted Homes Weekly. He's also about to ask, and why does Flora think you're a ghost? Niki beats him to it though, and a sharp laugh escapes Kaisel. One doesn't meet Flora, one is consumed by her.
[say]"I guess you have a point,"[/say] he sighs with no lack of grumbles under his breath, certainly in the shape of Flora's name, as he melts back into the couch with a proper sit. He leans over for his tea, if only to steady the wisps of doubt still humming through him, just smoke looking for the exit. His gaze flicks over the teacup to the iron on the ground, part of his lips tugging up at Niki's suggestion. [say]"It's supposed to burn you, or something. I dunno exactly, but ghosts don't like iron, that's what all the stories say anyway. If you can pick it up without problem then you're human,"[/say] Kaisel shrugs.
RE: Don't cross streams - Nikandr - 07-06-2025
What way? Niki might have asked, but while he might be a lot of things, he isn't blind, and he knows exactly what Kaisel is implying. [say]"This used to be a funeral parlour,"[/say] he explains. [say]"Emphasis on used to be. I was apprenticed to an undertaker, but when he passed away I did not decide to continue the work. Most of the house is locked up and not used for anything. These rooms, though, serve as my home."[/say]
And either that will reassure Kai or it will spook him out all over again, and honestly at this point, Niki is both game for and expecting either one. Surrendering the tea and following his gaze over to the pendant, he raises his eyebrows and slants a smile back towards the other man. [say]"I do not know that I will be able to pick it up without a problem,"[/say] he says, gesturing to his crutch, [say]"but I am confident it will not harm me when I touch it."[/say]
So saying, he approaches the pendant and, with some careful balancing and manoeuvring, manages to lean down enough to pluck it harmlessly from the ground. [say]"It is quite heavy,"[/say] he remarks. [say]"I am glad not to have been concussed by it, knowing that."[/say]