victory_road | 2nd Ω [Video/Action for Ecruteak]

[Action; Ecruteak City]

[Athena was not in a good mood. This isn't really surprising, considering her general attitude since being dragged to this planet and its strange form of captivity, but today was different. She's seen no sign of Rhys since they all arrived in town for the festival, and with Jack lurking about, all signs pointed to something bad happening. But with a lack of clues as to what exactly went down, Athena was left to pace her room at the inn like a caged lion, before deciding screw it. She was going to hunt Jack down and interrogate him if she had to.

However, the moment she stepped outside, the hairs at the back of her neck stood straight up as the feeling of being watched hit her like a truck. Mind immediately snapping back into her soldier mentality, Athena whipped around, one arm raised as if to bring up the shield that isn't there....

... Only to be confronted with a face she hasn't seen in years.

Athena can practically feel the color drain from her face as her sister stares back at her. That face so like her own and yet not, her eyes brighter and her features softer, her whole being unmarred by Atlas indoctrination and the weight of guilt over countless victims slain by her own hands. That face, a face Athena could only remember twisted with horror and pain, now looked at her with concern. A hand - one Athena could only remember holding while cold and still and slick with blood - reached out to her, and Athena nearly stumbled in her haste to keep the distance between herself and this shadow of her past.]

... Jess?

[Video; later]

[With the entrance she made, it's safe to assume that people probably had a certain... uneasy view of Athena. So when her face shows up on the gear today, pale and shaken, it's a wonder if this is even the same woman.]

How do we get rid of them.

[It's a demand more than a question. For most, they might already have a good idea of who "them" is, but for those who haven't had the misfortune of running into the ghosts yet...

Over Athena's shoulder, half-hidden by Xiphos stalwartly trying to keep the apparition a good distance away from his master, a girl can be seen. She's clearly a few years younger, and there's no hint of Athena's surly demeanor about her, but the face, the eyes... everything about her screams sister. And boy, just the sight of this kid seems to really be freaking Athena out.]

These... specters. Ghosts. All ghosts on this planet are pokemon, correct? Would that mean battling them will chase them off?

[She manages to not sound desperate, but if it was possible, she'd be going even paler at her own words. If that was the only way to deal with this, if the only way to get this ghost to stop wearing the face of her sister was to attack it again... that's one battle Athena isn't sure she can fight.]

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If I did, this ghost wouldn't be here right now.

[It's not as harsh as it could be, but there's a definite bite in her voice. And when she turns to look at him, really look, it doesn't take long for her to notice the ghost behind him as well. Oh boy. That manages to hit her too, though not nearly as hard as the image of Jess does. Even after all this time, the memory of Jack venting those scientists, Jack tricking them into helping him vent the scientists... the guilt still bothered her.

Guilt...]

They must be reacting to traumatic events in our pasts. I don't know how that can be used to get them to go away, but it's something.

...Right, yes. Obvious. Sorry.

[The last night of the festival was already rough, but this is... something else. Combine both of those, though, and it's honestly almost too much to handle.

The ghost he knows is standing behind him, pretty much a walking symbol of his guilt, is making him incredibly nervous. He just... needs to keep looking at Athena. And at nothing else.]

I-I mean, yeah, I guess? That's kinda how it works in ghost stories and stuff, right? Like there's some reason or meaning behind it and well, yeah, trauma's usually a big thing. Regret, guilt, all that...

But... I dunno, there's gotta be something they want, right?

I wouldn't know of such stories.

[Maybe once upon a time she did, when she still had a family and parents to read her bedtime stories. But those memories are a haze now, even more so after her fallout with Atlas. She'd blocked out what little happy feelings regarding her family she had left, leaving her with only her anger and grief.]

If they're waiting until after the festival to pull this stunt, perhaps they're attempting to prey on those who attended who they believe might be in a vulnerable state of mind.

[Not that it would apply to her, in that case. Athena pointedly refused to get involved in any of that festival nonsense, outside of being dragged into playing a few games.]

Maybe? It's one theory, anyway.

[He looks over at Athena's ghost again. It's unsettling, there's no doubt about that. But it... she... doesn't look like the type that's really preying on anything.]

Feels like if they were up to something bad, they'd be... doing something. Something upsetting, you know? Besides just... existing.

Wearing the faces of the dead to remind us of our own failures isn't upsetting enough?

[She's not sure if that's the point, exactly. But Jess, Gladstone... they were both huge, jarring moments for her and Tim. She failed to protect her sister, he failed to stop Jack from venting the scientists.... it's a common thread.]

Well, yes, but...

[He's not really sure what to even think himself. Trying to figure it out isn't getting him anywhere, but what else can he do?]

I don't know. Just don't want to think this is being awful just to be awful, I guess.

If they're not doing it on purpose, they should realize by now that this isn't exactly going well with many people.

[The ghost of her sister, at least, seems to look pretty regretful, frowning and taking a step closer to them. It says a lot that Athena doesn't seem to notice that movement.]

They can see that, and yet they're still here.

...I don't know. I think at least one of them does.

[Because he did notice that. It's easier to notice what she's doing than what his own ghost is up to. She looks... yeah, definitely not like she's doing it to be cruel.]

Can... Can I ask what her name is...?

[There's a moment of silence, and for the first time since they met up, Athena looks back at the ghost. As she does, her had reaches up, clutching not at her ring, but at her scarf. Her hand curls tightly into the fabric, and if she hadn't been wearing gloves, he'd probably be able to see her knuckles go white.]

Jess. I doubt it needs to be said, but she's my sister.

Yeah, I... I thought as much.

[The resemblance is impossible to miss, after all.]

Have you... talked to her? I mean, I know it's not really her, but... I don't know. Maybe it'll help?

There's no point. That thing- [again the ghost flinches] has no right to hear anything I might have to say to Jess.

[That, and she just... doesn't really know what she can say.]

Then... Then maybe don't talk like you're talking to Jess. Just... maybe try talking to... whatever it really is.

Maybe they can be reasoned with or something...

How? If they're still here, after it's more than clear that they're not welcome, I doubt they can be reasoned with easily.

[Ah yes, the one thing Athena fails at: talking things out. God, what she wouldn't give for her actual sword... then she could take care of this in the manner she wants to.

... Of course, that thought comes to a screeching halt when she realizes that if she did go that route, she'd have to attack Jess again.

Shit.]

[Yeah, talking was never really the strong point of... well... really, just about everyone in their group? But especially not Athena.]

I mean, what's our other options here? Just wait it out? It... It can't hurt, can it?

[Athena would be more than fine with waiting it out. She's been dealing with this sort of emotional torture for years now. It's something she knows how to deal with (... or so she thinks). But talking... ugh.]

Why don't you try it first?

[Don't think she hasn't noticed that this has been all about her and Jess. Tim's barely even looked at his ghost!]

Huh? Oh.

[It hadn't even really been a deliberate attempt to put all the focus on her, but it... well, it was definitely easier to focus on someone else's problem instead of his own. He immediately looks a little nervous.]

I mean... Yeah. Okay. I can just... [Finally, Tim actually turns to look at Gladstone's ghost. And right away he starts looking paler.] ...Just talk to him. Right.

[Just don't think about how he's looking at a dead guy here. It's not really him. It's fine. Everything's fine.]

...Okay, I might need a moment to think of what to even say here, I haven't really thought about this yet.

Confronting the ghosts of your past is harder than it seems, isn't it?

[As evidenced by the fact that this is still an issue for Athena, even years after her sister's death. Then again, she blames herself as much as she blames Atlas for what happens, so this might just be what she deserves.

Maybe... maybe that's why she doesn't want to confront her sister. This pokemon. Whichever.]

2nd Ω [Video/Action for Ecruteak]

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