victory_road | eighth 👻 story [Audio]

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eighth 👻 story [Audio] | BACKDATED TO THE 5TH

[Silence.

Testing? This thing on?]

...Uh. [Eloquent, Ash. Really.] Right, um, so- prom, I guess- [Okay, she thought she was prepared with what to say when she turned this thing on but apparently not? Ashley sighs, very frustrated, and-] I just- um, I was wondering, I've only been here a year, so.

Last year prom was kind of- delayed? And had...a bunch of people show up for a weekend, like they did in November, so- ...does anyone know if...that might happen again?

[It's clear in her voice she feels a bit stupid for asking, but still, there's this silly...hope clinging there. After a few more moments of silence she just turns it off.]

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[Oh, Ashley sounds frustrated. Something must be wrong.]

Umm... [Think Rakka.] I... don't really think I've heard anyone saying that will happen again

[Nice, Rakka. She remembered the handful of times it had happened, and Ashley seemed so happy about it that time on the moon...] But, maybe it will!

[Oh... Rakka, you sweetheart.]

Thanks, uh...maybe. [...] I probably shouldn't get my hopes up though.

[That's her. She tries.]

Maybe... [Really tries, honestly.] At least you can hope for the best? Like, maybe one of them will show up like it normally happens.

...Yeah. That's what I've been hoping for since.

[With bated breath, every day... It's been distracting.]

[crapbaskets]

Then don't lose hope! B-because I still haven't! Maybe you'll even see someone at the prom.

Edited 2017-04-09 09:06 (UTC)

...Heh. [...] Thanks, Rakka. Maybe I will.

[...]

Are you going to go?

[Ah--]

Oh, I...umm, I don't know. Maybe I'll just stay home.

Oh...

I'd, um... like to see you there, if you want to go that is.

[No way she'd force Ashley to do something.]

Oh...

[She has some...thinking... to do...]

...I'll consider it, okay?

....A-alright.

[Good luck, Ashley.]

I-I'll be in my room, if you need me.

Honestly? The times when things get all weird like that are pretty consistent. I've never seen one that wasn't end of May or end of November. It's too early for the next one, in any case.

[She sighs.] That's...kind of what I figured. Just hoped, you know, maybe there was an exception?

Sorry. That's one of the few things that stays consistent around here...

...Ahh, though, um, if you're hoping to see someone in particular, it'll only be another month and a half or so until the next one.

Ha, I- yeah, it's something like that. They didn't show to the last one, but...maybe.

Hey, you never know. Maybe in May you'll be lucky.

...You ever gotten lucky? -u-um, with, visitors, I mean, you know.

[It's not video so it's harder to tell, but he's grateful you corrected that...]

Ahh, well, not every time, but sometimes my partner shows up, so I get to see her. She usually bullies me into going for dango, though, so...

Oh. Oh, partner, like... Um, do you mean- like...a girlfriend...?

No!

[He sounds flustered though...]

We travel together and protect each other. We don't have that kind of relationship.

Oh...! O-oh-- s-sorry, I just thought, the way- with- um, oh, sorry...about that...

Please forget I said it.

...Ahh, it's fine. Sorry. I just get that a lot.

Yeeah, uh... I kinda know where you're coming from? Like, the guy I- I did and all, but- you know, it got kind of annoying. Like, a lot.

Sorry to hear it. That kind of teasing is always a pain.

Tell me about it.

...If um... Could you tell me what you really mean by "partner," though...? Mostly, aside from here, it's like...romantic, so... Does it have a special meaning for you?

Ahh, um... well...

[gosh how does he even put it]

It's like I said, y'know? We travel together and protect each other. She's saved my life far too many times to count. And... there are things I can trust her with that I can't with anyone else. And even if she tortures me on a regular basis and has a really strange sense of humor... She's important to me.

[he does certainly sound fond of her]

We're just not romantic like that.

...Huh.

[She thinks on that, and...she nods, though she realizes he can't see her, so-]

I, uh... I think I understand that. It sounds like...have you talked to Karkat much? He's- he's a troll, and they've got different ways of conceptualizing relationships. It doesn't sound exactly like that, but thinking about it a little differently is, like...it makes sense. Thanks for explaining.

Karkat? I think I've heard that name, but...

[hell if he bothers to keep track of who he talks to half the time...]

Er, well. You're welcome, I guess?

It's different every year. One time we didn't even physically go anywhere, the whole thing took place in like... Slumberland or something.

So... I wouldn't hold your breath.

I wasn't going t... [Wait-] Wait, um, you had prom in your dreams?

... Long story, I guess, but yeah.

It was kind of surreal.

I'm not sure I liked it.

_{[She'd honestly rather party with people in real life. Also she had to pull her boyfriend and his brother out of a fountain because they fell in while trying to beat the shit out of each other. SO there was that.]}

Uhhh, yeah, I can imagine, it sounds kinda...freaky, not knowing what's real.

[Audible shiver.]

Glad that hasn't happened again.

Yeah...

If I'm gonna party, I'd rather party in real life. Otherwise you just wake up feeling hungover when you didn't even actually drink anything.

Which is so bogus.

Oh... Did you really wake up feeling hungover, like- could you feel the effects, after, 'cause that's... That's just bizarre!

Well, I mean... I guess it was more of an emotional hangover, but...

...That sounds a little better. I mean- sucks but you know. If you got drunk in your dreams and woke up like that, it'd just- it'd be unfair, right? ...Right? Ohhhh how does this work...?

Honestly, it's best not to think about it too hard.

I love this place, but man, it is weird sometimes.

I'd say all the time... How weird it is just makes me wanna figure it out more though, how can you stand it?

Well, after a point... you just get kinda blase about everything, y'know?

_{[She'd say numb, but well, she doesn't know if she's numb yet. "Numb" was how she'd gotten towards the end of her jaunt through OTHERWORLD HELL and no amount of weirdness this place throws at her can ever top that, really.]}

...I don't think I ever wanna get to that point. [She's been saying that for...a year now. More than.] It's just...not the kind of person I am. I always wanna know things, even if it's- uh, impossible or...whatever.

[Bad. Dangerous. She remembers almost opening that trapdoor, and-- ...small shiver.]

... I don't mean to make it sound like a bad thing. It's not like I'm not curious about anything.

I just don't lose sleep at night wondering about the theoretical physics behind that time it literally rained cats and dogs, you know?

No, I- I understand, I just... it's just kind of...how I am? [She thinks to try and explain this.] I... I always wanna understand everything. Even when I'm...scared or something, that's still...there. Even if there's nothing else in me, I'm curious.

I guess I can't fault that.

Just try not to think too hard. Otherwise you'll drive yourself nuts in this place.

[She lets out a short laugh.] Trust me, I'm trying to avoid that much.

I really hope so, that would be sensational!

Though, it doesn't sound like this year's is going to be on the moon, so that might make a difference?

It probably will. ...It's just a kind of...little hope. You know, like- it'd be fun to see everyone again, right?

[Everyone... Penny probably can understand what she means; so many of her friends were here before.]

It would be.

[Why is a memory this happy allowed to also be sort of sad, what kind of bullhonky is this.]

Everyone had a really great time! I mean, it was good seeing people on that other weekend too, but... we weren't all together at once.

...and there weren't any monsters on the moon. Except the Pokemon. And the people who call themselves that when they're not human, I guess?

And that's kind of the problem. Not- not that there weren't any monsters on the moon, not that's actually- nice, but- I mean-

That it's not...then. You know?

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eighth 👻 story [Audio] | BACKDATED TO THE 5TH

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