ghostsandabsinthe

[ghostsandabsinthe]

Leaving Tumblr

So, as I’m sure that some of you may have noticed, I’ve not been here. 

Even though I love you guys, and the storylines I started building here, I realize that Tumblr is not the platform for me anymore. I don’t dig the culture as a whole anymore. So, with everything going on in the world, and in my life, I haven’t felt the need to come around, and have been in a better headspace because of it.

In light of this, I won’t be coming back.

However, I’ll leave my Discord info below, in case any of you dears wanna keep in touch (or even write! I still can be forgetful as all heck, but I’m always happy to at least try and write there). If we’ve plotted or written together, be assured I wanna hear from you.

Thank you for all of the love you’ve given Zoe and me over the years. She’s forever gonna be my baby, and it means a lot that some of you have loved her like I do. I may still pop back and check on headcanons, etc. but it won’t be for anything substantial.

I’ve just realized Tumblr’s not for me anymore, and no longer resembles the culture I fell in love with so many years ago (even if a lot of the individuals are still wonderful, as always) and as much as I wish it, it’s not what it used to be. Take care of yourselves out there.

XOXO

Discord: verdantdecay

[ghostsandabsinthe]

Very gay texts for gay muses

[Text] Pride flags are on sale. Want one? They have all of them here.

[Text] How on earth did I ever think I was straight?

[Text] When you walk into a club and realise you’re definitely bi/pan

[Text] I had to pretend I was interested in boys/girls. It was horrible

[Text] I think that picture made me straight

[Text] My mum still thinks I’m straight

[Text] Have you seen the rainbow? The sky is gay

[Text] Where’s my cute girlfriend/boyfriend?

[Text] Yeah still gay

[Text] I was actually just told I’m “too cute to be gay”

[Text] Gay update: I’ve got a date next week. With a hot girl/guy!

[Text] Straight people will never understand the feeling of seeing a hot person and sighing to yourself because you’re so predictably gay

[ghostsandabsinthe]

normallyxstrange​:

     Neoma couldn’t help it–the pun was just bad enough to make her laugh. “Oh, please intend all puns from now on.” 

     Shaking her head, wide grin still in place, she leaned back slightly to better search the menu and add any extras before their order was complete. “Mm, that’s me. An evil zombie, hungering for brains–but not to eat. To pick for trivia questions and random facts and all the details of the things you’re passionate about. I’m a catch.”

   With a touch of her finger, she made the selection and leaned back in her seat. “Would it be evil if I don’t add bread sticks to the order?” she questioned, eyebrow lifted, grin dialed back to a playful smirk. “Is that verging into dastardly villain territory?” 

     “I think I can live with that. Just as long as you’re prepared for me to pick your own brain in return. I’m greedy like that.” She settles in against Neoma’s shoulder, leeching off some of her warmth. Fingertips play with the ends of the other woman’s hair, and she glances down at the hair in between her fingertips idly, before looking up again, meeting her eyes. “I will also make so many ridiculous puns. More than you can stand.” Her eyes slide up to look at Neoma’s face again, fingertips still touching the ends of her hair. 

     “Well, that’s verging into the dastardly territory. Do you have a fake giant mustache to twirl too? Planning on tying someone to the railroad tracks next?” A small grin curves on her lips, matching the playfulness in Neoma’s expression. 

      “I think getting dessert with it would almost make up for that unforgivable offense, though. Almost.” She narrows her eyes at Neoma, staring for a long moment, “I’d still watch my back if I were you.” Still, she can’t keep up the pretense for long, and a small smile spreads across her lips. It’s really hard to  even pretend to be angry with Neoma, truthfully.

[ghostsandabsinthe]

      Zoe tilts her head to look at the man, as he continues to stare at her; maybe it was a sexy death chick thing, or her makeup is smeared half across her face, making her look like a scary goth clown. Inwardly, she cringes at the thought of either one. She briefly disappears to give the patron their Bloody Brain shot before returning.

     Still, he’s cute enough that it doesn’t bother her all that much that he’s staring at her, and she flips some of her teased red hair over her shoulder as she starts preparing another drink, one of the house specials, The Cthulhu.  

     It seems like the man is determined to keep staring at her face, however, and her eyes flick up to his face again, before she looks back down at what she’s doing, trying not to let him distract her too badly. Still, she can’t resist quipping, “I’m gonna have to start charging you an hourly rate if you keep staring at me like that. How does $20 an hour work for you?” A small grin rests on her lips as she looks up again at Zeb, blue eyes glittering with mirth. 

         Still, her expression keeps the hint of a smirk as he clarifies the ‘weirder’ part of his statement, raising an eyebrow as she thinks about it. “Nope... all is good in Halloween Town. Still no Danny Elfman though, sad to say. What kind of unexpected weird did you mean? People disappearing weird, grisly murders of patrons weird, or ghost story weird? It’s New York city; you’re gonna have to be more specific than weird.” 

      The smirk fades with this sobering thought in mind. It’s easy for people to disappear in a city like this, purposefully, or not. The city can swallow the unwary, and doesn’t easily give up its secrets or its dead. She’s seen enough ghosts that can attest to that. 

     She slides the drink over to the bar patron who asked for it, and accepts payment. “You’re not a cop, are you?” Her eyes slide over him, sizing him up before meeting his eyes. He definitely doesn’t look like a detective, but weirder things have happened. 

Haunt Me // closed starter with @ghostsandabsinthe

[ghostsandabsinthe]

      Zoe turns away from the window and stares at the priest, shooting venomous barbs at him with her eyes. Her family had discovered her flirting with a young woman in Hyde Park, strolling arm in arm by the lake side. Now, it isn’t terribly uncommon for young ladies to be close friends, and physically affectionate with one another. With her own history, however, the family read into the situation a little more than most would– hence the priest being here now, she assumes, since Bedlam is out of the question. Mostly, she figures that it’s to save her family the social stigma of being related to a mad woman. Heaven forbid they do anything for her own good. 

      She lets out a deep sigh of frustration, folding her arms across her chest before taking a seat in front of her vanity. Her eyes remain warily on the priest, not sure what to expect from this whole interaction. Is he gonna start spouting off about the hellfire awaiting her if she continues to entertain these unnatural urges? If so, she might just risk a broken limb and jump out the window. 

     Still, she can’t help the faintest hint of a smirk curls on her lips as the priest mentions exorcising her, and that it’d be rude not to try. “Is this your way of asking if you can tie me to the bed, Father? Because you don’t need to use the pretense of an exorcism for that. Not certain how cooperative my family will be with the plan in that light, however– not to mention the church.” 

     Certainly, she shouldn’t be making suggestive comments to the priest even if they’re meant in jest. Normally, Zoe would show a little more respect, but under these circumstances, she’s willing to try just about anything to drive him away so that she can continue her so called sinning in peace. 

ZOE || @ghostsandabsinthe​  Liked for a Camniel Starter ! - - -

   “Now, I’m sure- I’m sure- there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this.”

 He stood bemused at the sight of her windows flung open and the bed sheets hastily tied together, only to come up far too short for their purpose. Which he now realised was to help her escape before he got to her room.

 Camniel glanced from the window to the young woman who had been caught red-handed, his amusement clear on his face. He finished stepping into the room and gently closed the door behind him, keeping his distance in case she felt like throwing something at him. He had a sneaking suspicion it wouldn’t be beyond her.

   “I wasn’t asked here to exorcise you, but I can give it a go if you like? While I’m here. Be rude not to, really.”

[ghostsandabsinthe]

“Yes, I do enjoy walking at night. The world’s more to my liking then, not so loud, not so fast, not so crowded, and a good deal more mysterious.”

— Cornelia Funke (via quotemadness)

[ghostsandabsinthe]

noah fence but rpc should really get back to actually supporting each other ooc. people used to always like/reblog mutuals’ edits, respond to headcanon posts and ooc posts. engagement has gotten worse and worse and then people complain about feeling distant when they aren’t putting in effort to reach out to others. it takes a second to like someone’s headcanon (or respond to it with a comment if you’re worried about clogging likes). it feels so shitty to be trying to make lore posts and share ideas and get crickets back. it isn’t even like talking to an empty room. it’s like talking to a room filled with your friends but none of them even acknowledge that you’re talking to them. we all could put in a little more effort to make each other feel seen and supported ooc. there’s a certain stagnant feeling in the rpc and it really stems from how bad we’ve gotten at communicating and interacting out of character. 

[ghostsandabsinthe]

ooc. Alright, this needs to be said almost every week at this point, so instead of saying it again let me describe the number one trait of a toxic roleplay partner: inability to separate reality from fiction. This is sometimes called a ‘bleed’.

A good roleplayer is able to discern IC content or motive from OOC content or motive. A good roleplayer doesn’t feel as if the world ‘hates them’ when they’re not receiving asks/threads or when other muses treat their muse poorly. Common symptoms of bleed: 

whining about not getting asks and claiming it’s because everyone ‘hates’ you

threatening to delete your blog unless a partner replies/sad-posting nonstop about how miserable you are that ‘no one ever replies’ to you/passive-aggressively insulting your partner for not replying

sending harassing IMs asking why a mun replied a certain way or sending passive-aggressive IMs saying things like, ‘if you hate my character so much, maybe he/she/they should just die…’

when a partner with bleed is upset at the mun, they may randomly have their muse be upset at that mun’s character for no reason.

likewise, they may become upset at the mun if their characters are arguing with each other in a thread.

a partner with a bleed may have an almost impossible time discerning that the mun and the muse are not the same person. they may refer to the mun exclusively by the muse’s name and may say things such as, ‘why do you need to work? you’re a vampire/billionaire/superhero/secret agent!’ 

if your characters are dating, they may say that you (as the mun) are now their boyfriend/girlfriend/SO.

a partner with a bleed may refuse to accept that you have other things to do and can’t constantly write with them. you may receive guilt-tripping IMs, texts, or asks pondering if you are ‘ignoring them’ for vanishing to work a standard eight-hour shift or going on vacation. in extremely toxic circumstances, you would receive these messages simply for being on hiatus.

the typical guilt-tripping and harassing, jealous accusations of ‘liking others more’ and an inability to realize their behavior is scaring you away

using their roleplay partner (you) as a therapist and sometimes escalating to sending messages such as ‘you weren’t here to talk me down last night, so I hurt myself!’

posting vague vents about taking their own life because ‘no one writes’ with them (see points 1 and 2)

blaming you for their declining mental health

If your partner is displaying symptoms of bleed, confront them directly or block them entirely. It isn’t impossible for a partner with bleed to repair/curb their behavior (this is especially common when the bleed is a result of ignorance or age, such as them being particularly young). However, if they refuse to see the issue, there’s not much else you can do. We are all adults and should take it upon ourselves to hold others (and ourselves) accountable for our actions. You are responsible for no one’s health (physical or mental) but your own. If I suspect someone of having a bleed I will not write with them.

[ghostsandabsinthe]

lyingawxke‌

“They’re just people” Is what Valerie also reminds herself. These were people at one point, they are impressions of the past, not horrible monsters from some other realm that had never been human, though she wondered if such a thing actually existed. She didn’t want to ask. 

Something touches her broken arm, but it doesn’t hurt, in fact it is so cold that for a moment the pain is numbed and she feels a fraction of a second of relief. Valerie nods as she keeps on walking, even though the air feels thick and strange and the sun room seems to just keep getting longer and longer. 

Valerie knows deep down that she will be back here, when all is said and done she will not be able to keep herself from coming back here no matter how terrified she is. She is now filled with such a massive and incredible curiosity, that she will not be able to resist the pull of this place.

“We will come back!” She says, in agreement with Zoe as the door finally feels like it’s getting closer. 

          A chair flies across the room, shattering on impact with the wall. Zoe lets out a small startled breath which appears as a cloud of condensation, before she shakes her head. The door isn’t getting any closer, and she’s worried, with the way the ghosts are responding, they won’t let it get any closer. At least they’re taking their frustrations out on the furniture so far. 

         After a moment, a thought occurs to her, and she stops. She shifts her frame to support Valerie as she reaches into her pocket, showing the ghosts what’s in her hands. A pocket knife. 

         “This here is a promise that we will come back.” She places it squarely on the floor of the room. “I want you guys to look after it. It belonged to my father. My father was the most important person in my life. He gave that knife to me when I was 10.” A memory passes behind her eyelids as she closes them, unbidden, before she straightens up. When she reopens them, they’re still far away, lost in that memory.

      For another long moment she looks at the knife, before looking back around the room, seeming to come back to reality. “I’m trusting it to your care until we return, so keep it safe.” Her eyes glance over to Valerie, and she backs away from the pocket knife. 

      The room quiets, and the air grows still. Zoe lets out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, and the condensation no longer appears in the air. “Think we’re good. Let’s hurry before they change their minds.”

       She takes a long look at Valerie, before quietly asking, “How are you doing? You okay?” Zoe remembers how startling her own first paranormal experience was, and won’t take it personally if Valerie needs to bow out at any time.       

Closed||Valerie+Zoe

[ghostsandabsinthe]

@thepalehorses​ continued from x: 

     “...Oh.” 

     It takes her a moment, but in the space it takes her to take a breath, she recalls that face; It had been there in the spaces between worlds, a time she had tried to forget. Certainly, it’s a face she can’t forget easily; the guy on the pale horse, who pushed her back into the world of the living none too gently– Unless a person counts coughing up a lungful of water gentle. She had thought it was all just a part of her own imagination– an explanation for why she’s back here in the land of the living, as one of the half-living. 

      That thought alone makes her need to take a long drink from her own whiskey and coke before she shakes her head with a small chuckle. 

         “I should’ve known it was you. You’ve always been that figure just on the edges of my periphery. Can’t say I’m too surprised, that I’m here with you, at a bar, face to face again.” 

      She looks down at herself as he tells her she looks better than before, before back up at his face, “Thanks. I mean... I’m a little paler, colder, and weirder than before, but at least I’m not blue or foaming at the mouth like Old Yeller anymore, so that’s a definite improvement, right?” 

       For a long moment, blue eyes study that face, not sure what to say before she looks back down at her drink, fingertips dancing along the rim of the glass on the bar top. “Glad to know you weren’t just a figment of my imagination, after all. In that way, I guess I’m happy to see you again.” 

     Death has never been super off-putting for her– almost like a friend, a constant companion for the last 10 years or so. Whether or not he sees it that way is another matter. 

[ghostsandabsinthe]

fangbangs‌:

Honestly, it even scared me to see the junkie up and walking, and that’s saying something. But her timing couldn’t have been any better if I planned it myself. It was probably better that I didn’t, though, so my expression seemed even more legit. If Vicki wasn’t such a miserable, worthless sack of shit, I’d kiss her: thanks to her, the game with Red Riding Hood could phase into the second-half… without me having to turn on the mind-meld. I already told you, I don’t want to wreck my hot streak.

I smirked, the tiniest crack in my expression, as Zoe sputtered. It was kinda cute to see her tripping all over herself. “A ghost?” I repeated, brows raising slowly, the smirk edging a little higher. “And here I thought we were just having some eye-sex with a side of playful back-and-forth. Didn’t think you were actually expecting to see floating sheets with holes cut out for eyes.”

I laughed, head tilting slightly, “Only ninety, huh?” My tongue slipped over a sharpened tooth, ignoring Vicki for the moment even though I was still holding her up. What are friends for or whatever, right? “Guess I’ll have to up my game then.” The cat was just having fun toying with the mouse at this point, leaning in a little closer to allow my lips to skirt lightly across her own before I was chaperoning the high schooler to Stefan’s bed to go beddy-bye. When I came back, it was nice to see Zoe still a little flustered.

I liked what it did to her pulse, the color it brought to her cheeks as the blood pooled there under the skin. “What kind of host would I be if I kicked you out over a misunderstanding?” I grinned, edging closer again. This time without the accessory hanging on my arm like dead weight. “Besides,” I breathed against her lips. “I have a feeling you can make it up to me pretty easily.” Playfully, my tongue peeked out to tease along her lower lip, fluttering there as light as a fucking butterfly’s wings. Not demanding her surrender, but asking for it. That’s how you really hook them in. Get them feeling safe. Comfortable.

       “Oh, there was still plenty of eye sex. And still will be. And then some. Old places like this though...” She glances up the stairs, almost expecting another apparition to appear. “...they tend to be filled to the gills with ghosts. Most old places have a few unexpected deaths. It’s not entirely unexpected.”  

         For a moment, her breath leaves her as Damon traces her lower lip with a pink tongue, feather light and barely there. When she can finally take a breath, she speaks. “Wow. You are an overachiever, huh?” Her breath flutters against Damon’s lips as she chuckles. “Needing the perfect score, the gold star and everything.” After she speaks, she lightly brushes her lips against the other woman’s, a tease, before stepping back. “The last 10% is purely based on personality, fyi, and we have yet to finish our tour. There’ll be plenty of time for kissing and making up later; Unless a real ghost actually decides to fuck things up, that is.” 

       Her eyes flit down to Damon’s lips again, before returning to her eyes. This woman definitely has her number here, and she’d be lying if she said she wouldn’t at least make out with her at some point during all of this, as much as she’s trying not to crumble like a freshly baked cookie. Still, the experience with Vicki still left her vaguely uncomfortable, especially considering she wasn’t a ghost.

      Then again, in her experience, jealous people are much scarier than ghosts. Give her Casper the Friendly Ghost any day. Hell, even give her the ghosts from The Sixth Sense. At least they generally don’t try to claw her eyes out. So it’s gonna be a bit before she feels comfortable to let the other woman seduce her; at least with Vicki in the house.

      “So- where to next?” Here’s hoping Damon doesn’t say her bedroom because it’s really hard to keep her chill when someone looks like Damon does, as she admitted to the woman just minutes ago.

[ghostsandabsinthe]

clubthirst‌:

“Obviously,” I snorted. The smile that spread lazily across my lips was equal parts playful and dark. Old habits—- or whatever the fuck that human expression is… I’m too tired to think about it now. It’s been a long night. Dealing with drunk immortal douchebags is about 2,000 times worse than dealing with living ones—- not that I can’t handle it [please]—- it’s just a pain in the ass. So, it was nice, you know? To unwind to this after a hectic worknight. “But that’s besides the point, Little Red.” One hand kept playing through her hair while the other hand decided to touch—- we’re talking the absolute ghost of a caress here—- along the apple of her cheek. The one closest to the TV. I wasn’t trying to disturb her too much.

“How many times do I have to make you pull all those pretty, blissed-out, been-fucked-twenty-seven-ways-to-dawn faces before you admit to yourself that you’re beautiful?” I hummed. “And in case you wanna try to deflect the compliment and start in on me about being superficial: I was talking about from the inside out.” The smile got a little wider at her little slip, a fang catching the inside of my cheek as I debated whether or not to show my hand as well. I am a pretty notorious bachelor after all, especially in the kink circuit…

Then again, Zoe was not just anyone. She was… fuck, let’s not delve too deep in the introspection hole now. She needs reassurance, not me  dicking around in my own fucking head. “Lover, huh? Hm. That might have worked when I was a much younger man… but it seems a little outdated now, don’t you think?” A low purr emanated from the back of my throat as my palm slid down from her cheek to the beautiful curve of her throat, calloused fingers still so gentle. Nothing if not reassuring. “I’m not usually very boyfriend material… but, for you—- I’m hoping to make the cut.” I laughed softly, still thinking about the crispy line for a sec. “Actually, if we hung a comforter up in front of the bedroom window for now, that might do the trick. What do you think? A make-shift curtain until I buy you a heavier set tomorrow night. The real deal… You know… so your vampire boyfriend can stay over a lot more…”

         “Only... a few hundred more times. I’m just not used to guys like you wanting me or calling me beautiful without– fucking around with my head. Or wanting someone to use. And I keep falling into these same patterns again and again.” A soft sigh of contentment leaves her as there’s a ghost of a caress along her cheek, and she sinks down further into the couch underneath her small frame. Yeah, she’s not planning on moving anytime soon– At least not until she has to go to bed, anyway. “Not that I think you’re one of them.” She adds, with a lazy smile. He could be, but it’s already too late to think about any of that right now, both literally and figuratively. 

       “So... would you prefer me to use the term fuck buddy then?” She teases, and lets her hand rest on his leg, as he continues to touch her hair, and her neck. “You’re such a romantic.” If he keeps touching her like that though, she’s definitely gonna fall back asleep on him. Already, she feels her eyelids drooping shut again. Still, there are worse ways to fall asleep.  

       “Are you sure it’ll be enough?” She can grab the comforter from the guest bedroom, and put it up over the window easily enough if he just says the word. The thought of not having to sleep alone is also a welcome one; but the thought of him liking her Freudian slip right there is even better. “You also sure you’re committed to being boyfriend material? You’re going to have so much glitter in your life.” She points to a spot on his chest, where already, a piece is sticking to him. “See? Right there, for instance. The glitter invasion is already starting.” 

[ghostsandabsinthe]

Graphic edited by @clubthirst. Thanks so much babe!! <3 

[ghostsandabsinthe]

so in case you’re about to watch a cw television show based in the southwest that’s featuring an episode based on some supposed reservation – or you’ve read anything about the situation on the navajo nation recently – i wanted to share some ways that we all can help diné (navajo) beyond kind-of depicting them on television. 

today the navajo nation surpassed new york state and new jersey for the highest per-capita coronavirus infection rate in the country. that’s 2,304 cases per 100,000 people. 173,600 people live on the navajo nation, roughly. below are a number of organizations & community groups raising money & resources. it would mean so much to me if you’d consider supporting these communities right now - & continue to think about how you can support the indigenous communities near you, & understand the indigenous land you might currently occupy. 

the navajo water project helps bring running water to navajo families without, and also helps families pay their water & electricity bills 

the adopt and elder project helps feed navajo elders during the pandemic

the navajo health command operations center is the navajo nation’s only official fundraising and donation effort

rez rising is a database of native american small businesses across the southwest

the kinlani mutual aid group is a flagstaff, az based volunteer group collecting supplies

the native american relief fund operated by the native american community foundation provides emergency grants to communities for supplies & more

and a number of community-run fundraising efforts:

northern diné covid relief effort

navajo & hopi families relief fund

native student emergency fund

bluff area mutual aid - supply delivery in utah

navajo nation relief project

if you’re aware of any other legitimate fundraising efforts to help these communities, or the indigenous communities near you, please add them. 

[ghostsandabsinthe]

       Zoe’s out for a walk in the park before work, needing some fresh air to perk her up; she’s been in a bit of a rut lately, between working long hours in the evening, and her own hobby of helping ghosts. Even if it’s emotional unpaid labor, it’s what she’s signed up for by choosing to embrace her powers instead of ignore them. 

     Truthfully, she’s too kind to ever ignore them, even before she died a couple of times, no matter what excuses she makes to herself. It’s part of why she gets herself into too much shit, anyway. That, and her mouth tends to run without thinking first. 

      Even now, this walk in the park isn’t purely just a walk in the park; there have been sightings around the park of a ghost child and her dog, and she’s wondering if she can find the historical society, dig through their archives to see if there’s anything she can learn from old newspaper articles. 

        Then, just as she thinks she’s totally lost, there’s a gorgeous dark haired woman sitting on a bench, and Zoe approaches. “Hey! Sorry for the massively weird interruption, but you don’t happen to know which way the historical society building is, do you?”

     Even if a part of her wants to flirt, she doesn’t want to bother the other woman’s peaceful day by being a creeper. Especially when she’s also on a mission, and there are only so many hours in the day. 

@ghostsandabsinthe​ || Edith Trimble Starter. 

Sometimes, the responsibility of being the mature & responsible older sister weighed on Edith Trimble’s shoulders in a way she didn’t think many people could imagine. That’s why she enjoyed the few hours between her brothers’ school events and when they were due to arrive home. 

Walking in the park allowed her mind to wander back to the carefree days of her youth, when she’d first come to live with her adoptive parents. Those thoughts bled into the anxiety over her brothers, who she had been taking care of since she was 10. 

( Ever since the accident … but, she digressed & quickly cornered the thought burying it away under a volley of other more benevolent and mundane concerns. )

She pauses, sinking into the nearest bench and deflating against the cool wooden surface. 

They’d be home in 2 hours, expecting her smiling face to greet them as they hung up their bags and uniform jackets. 

If only she could catch a break. 

It would do her good.

[ghostsandabsinthe]

[ghostsandabsinthe]

shackledspectre‌

          He shrinks a bit under her gaze like a child that had been caught doing something he shouldn’t have. Though he supposes his only crime in this case was existing in a public space while dead. It wasn’t the most heinous crime, but he all at once felt weirdly guilty…and heavy. Of course, he would be feeling heavy right now.

          Still, her smile makes him feel somewhat better, but it doesn’t remove the strange sensation entirely. She can see ghosts…lucky for him he supposed, but it did have him wondering if there was anything else she could do. Zoe seemed perfectly nice, but Jacob knew from first hand experience that not everyone who “seemed nice” had good intentions for you. He really didn’t want to get exorcized or something wholly unappealing like that. 

          “Well, you can tell him I have no plans on claiming this place for myself if it makes him feel any better,” Jacob replies, glancing in the direction she indicated before focusing his attention on his drink. He had thought he sensed something else weird in the bar, but he hadn’t wanted to investigate, his track record with other spirits having not be the best. “I’m not really one for a sustained haunting. More of a wandering spirit…that’s more…more my style I suppose.”

          Wrapping his fingers around the glass, he enjoyed the solid sensation against his skin. For maybe a moment he felt normal again. This was just a bar, an unusual bar but a bar, and he was just a patron enjoying the professionally friendly company of a bartender…that could only see him because she could see ghosts. 

          Yes, this was perfectly normal. This was fine.

          He allows himself a small smile as he looks back up at her, his nerves still present but fading to background noise. Risk or not, it just felt nice to be able to talk to someone, to not be isolated or feared. “Thanks, I’m trying to be more uh…pleasant in death. Self-improvement and all that fun stuff…” He picks up his drink, looking over his shoulder in case anyone was staring at a suddenly floating glass. “I’m glad I can be a good experience for someone at least.”

      Zoe notices the touch of discomfort as she admits she sees ghosts, and she offers him another small smile. “Also, you’re totally safe here. If I haven’t done anything to the guy breaking shit, I’m definitely not gonna do anything to you. Even if he’ll hopefully,” she shoots a glare in the direction of the poltergeist, before continuing, “behave himself now that you admit you aren’t here to take his space.” She picks up a glass, cleaning it, and keeps an eye on the rest of the bar. Luckily, it’s quiet enough tonight that she can talk to him, and not too many people think she’s crazy.

     “Also, death does has a way of changing you, doesn’t it?” Her voice is empathetic, and she leans against the bar a bit, giving him her full attention for the time being. “It happened to me too, but my status was a little less permanent, in case you couldn’t tell. I guess you could call it a business trip and not a residency?” An eyebrow quirks as she thinks what else she could call it, but then merely shrugs. “Best thing that happened to me, honestly.” 

     As another patron walks up to the bar, she starts to make a drink for them as well, temporarily interrupted in her exchange with Jacob before returning. “Honestly, things would be so much easier if I met more chill ghosts like you. Truthfully.” 

        She puts the glass she just cleaned away, and meets his eyes again. “So– classic question. Where are you from? I mean, obviously you’re from over the pond with that accent, but what part? Both sets of my grandparents and mother are both from England, which is why I’m curious.” Sure, she meets a lot of people from England in this big city, but still, it’s mostly just another way to get to know him, and to make him feel at ease, even if she’s pretty decent at telling the difference between English accents by now.