@enmistice

[deadseeing]

[ Remnants of the deceased often like haunting Raine to an annoying degree. They flock to her, like a moth to a flame, whether at the recesses of her nightmares, the corners of her bedroom, the ceilings in classrooms, in the periphery in the long aisles of stores. It was exhausting and never-ending– but she puts up with it. Ren and Ran chatter in her ears, floating slightly above her head, visible to those sensitive to those who can see them who’re bickering about the latest trends. The white noise is welcome during their little expedition today into an area rife with ghost activity. Today’s ghost of the day came to her in a mirror while brushing her teeth– she’s an expert now with keeping her cool and not throwing it at them now.  Hints of where to go lead her to another area of the suburbs, but as her bike rolls to a stop a sensation of dread washes over her.

It’d make sense why she’d feel this way, due to tragedy marking this area every couple of years from the quick search she did.  Whether it’s a murder or a kidnapping, strange occurrences seem to occur here. They have a tendency to repeat. Raine hopes the fickle ghost who presented itself to her today is an easy fix, so she doesn’t have to poke at the hornets nest of the long shadows she’s not keeping eye contact with. Raine watches as different spirits mess with passing people and appliances.

Although, perhaps the strangest thing she sees is a group of people bustling with fancy cameras…

“Should we look?” Ran whispers to her, curiosity heard in her voice while Ren looks like he’s about two seconds from doing that. Raine shakes her head while looking at her ghostly assistants in the reflection of a glass window for a cake shop. ]

Nah. C’mon, no distractions. Don’t wanna start something. [ Raine waves them off, while they begin to whine like children do. Locating a bike rack is her first priority and she finds one a little ways down the street, chaining it on. It’s when she picks her gaze up the same ghost reappears, same as she remembers, a blood soaked teenage ghost with a head bloody injury dripping off their long hair.  They begin floating backwards to the other side of the road and Raine steps off the road– her focus on the ghost and not onto any oncoming traffic.]

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[enmistice]

[ Morbid events have a way of generating buzz, and any marketing manager worth their weight knows buzz sells. It's why the crew of Japan's trending talk show is on site to film an exclusive episode on hauntings, cashing in on the urban legends that have sprung up at the infamous location and gripped the minds of the internet.

Goro Akechi, Tokyo's rising media sensation, has already spent a good four hours on set smiling and feigning interest for the audience, striking the professional balance between looking spooked and looking pretty. Giving benign, thoughtful answers to questions like 'do you think ghosts exist?' and 'is their resentment to blame for accidents?' He never lets his eyes rest too long on the bloody apparition phasing in and out of view, invisible to the camera. Little does the crew know the ghosts they've come to film are very much present.

Once his portion of the filming is over, he's dismissed while the cameramen remain to wrap up the shoot. It's on his way out that he picks up the sound of bickering voices that belong to no person in particular. More ghosts from the looks of it. ]

The camera's still rolling. Why not have a look if you're so curious?

[ He doesn't make a habit of talking to their kind, but a real haunting on camera would conveniently boost the show's rating and his visibility. Moreover, these two might just know where their bloodied little friend went. ]

[deadseeing]

[ The two children’s current conversation comes to a stuttering halt, the unfamiliar voice startling both of them. They exchange a glance then look back toward Akechi with childlike wonder, completely different from how many other ghosts are, they almost look like regular kids... only slightly transparent. ]

Is it really Mister? [ The little girl with the space buns speaks up first. The flaxen boy on the other hand gives Akechi a suspicious look. ] Are you someone working on that set?

[ The two children circle around Akechi while awaiting an answer. Raine meanwhile is just steps away from crossing the street only for the bloodied ghost to vanish. Damn them, they’re so fickle! She grumbles to herself but the now distant conversation her friends are having prompts her to run her mouth as she turns around.]

Hey I said we weren’t going to… [ Her voice trails off, seeing the newcomer and puts a hand on her hip, hoping he’d ignore her slip up.] What’s this about cameras rolling?

[enmistice]

See for yourself. I have somewhere else to be.

[ Akechi replies curtly, already turning away. He has no intention of answering the question or making small talk with the two spirits. If they were human it would be a different story, he would have felt obliged to extend them the courtesy, but they aren't, and if he lingers now he'll lose the trail of the other ghost.

...And that brings him face to face with the girl. How much had she heard of his brief exchange with the ghosts? He's quick to disguise his surprise, reverting back to a more personable attitude. ]

Ah, there's a television crew filming in the area if you weren't aware.

[ He takes note that she seems to be alone. So then who had she been speaking to? ]

[deadseeing]

[ Ren and Ran glance between one another, a look of disappointment on their faces. Ran gives a dejected sigh, while Ren comforts her with a pat to the shoulder. The moment Raine turns around to face Akechi, the two ghosts float behind her — hiding from him poorly there. They play with the braids of her hair.]

… [ Raine doesn’t immediately answer him, she scrutinizes Akechi instead. The only other ghost that had been with them vanished. So she has no other leads right now…and she hasn’t seen any other living person on the street before so what did that mean?]

A television crew? No I haven’t. Do you know what they’re filming…?

[ Because yes, she’s playing dumb ❤️]