❖ 020 // [Action | Voice]

[crisisrain]

[As it's a lovely, sunny afternoon Raven has finally decided to start growing the seeds he received from Flonne last week. He's been out in the garden behind house 12 for the past two hours digging up the dirt, placing the seeds, watering the ground and generally making sure he's planting them in an area where they aren't going to be destroyed when Repede decides to do his doggy business. As he finishes the last of the seeds his attention is caught when he spots a woman disappearing around the side of the building.]

Casey...?

[He quickly darts onto his feet without hesitation. But as he begins his pursuit he accidently kicks over the full watering can onto his journal. Turning around to inspect what he'd just collided with he notices the soaking wet book lying open on the ground and begins to panic. He picks it up and starts desperately shaking it dry.]

Aaaaaah! Oh geez, is it broken?! I was havin' such a nice day gardenin' too, I didn't mean ta wreck the book! It'll dry out right?

[He continues shaking the pages for a few minutes before finally giving up and sitting on the dry part of the grass, unsure of whether he did actually see her pass by or if he was just going crazy. It couldn't just be a co-incidence that he sees her on the day he's planting her favourite flower could it? He doesn't know what to think about all of this, so he just hopes nobody heard him shout her name through the journal.]

Comments

[inabook]

[Estelle heard a shout from inside, but as the windows were closed to keep in their air conditioning (it really was lovely to have, even if she didn't really understand how it worked without a blastia) she couldn't make out the name. After a few moments she opens one of the back windows and pokes her head out.]

Raven? Is everything all right?

[crisisrain]

[He spots Estelle at the window and walks over, no point shouting.]

Not really no. I'm either goin' senile or there's seriously ghosts walkin' around.

[inabook]

Ghosts?

[she looks a little confused.] But there can't be ghosts here. No one stays dead.

[crisisrain]

One moment she was there and the next she was gone. 'Sides... she is dead so I can't think of another word other than ghost.

[inabook]

["She?" Estelle pauses, then continues more delicately] Who was it you saw?

[crisisrain]

I saw Casey.

[inabook]

[she thought as much...]

I haven't seen anyone like that... but I have been hearing things, the past few days. Sometimes it sounds like voices, from people at the castle.

[crisisrain]

The castle huh? Well ya don't need to worry about that, there's no castles here and we're not about ta let you be locked away again either.

[...]
Is that all ya've heard lately? You haven't seen anything?

[inabook]

[she smiles] Thank you, Raven. I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing, though - I have lots of good memories from there as well. The maids, the guards... Many of them were very kind. [those that weren't aren't important anymore.]

[She pauses when he asks that] To be honest, this morning when I woke up I could have sworn Rita was in the other bed. But when I got up and looked there wasn't anyone. I thought I was just half asleep.

[crisisrain]

The castle wasn't that bad, not a fan of the big formal buildings myself though. I do miss my old jail cell though...

[Rita huh? He saw her once while she was here but now Estelle mentions it, she has been gone for an awfully long time.] I'm sure if Rita was in the bed she'd wake ya up by chantin' spells in her sleep. But she could've been, seeing how you were hearin' voices too... maybe they're just illusions?

[inabook]

Why would you miss being in jail? [she doesn't get you sometimes.]

Probably. [a soft giggle] They must be illusions, since they're so widespread. I just wonder what the purpose is.

[crisisrain]

Jail is comfortable, safe, oh and they feed ya too! No cookin' for old Raven.

[That caught his interest there princess.] Widespread? Ya mean this is happenin' to loads of people then?

[inabook]

It sounds that way, at least. I don't think there's another explanation unless Casey and Rita both found their way here...

[crisisrain]

There haven't been any new arrivals this month right? Just these ghost things. Maybe they're tryin' ta get through but can't? I have no idea.

[inabook]

Trying to get through but can't?

[she pauses, and looks thoughtful.] That's... a very interesting idea, Raven. I'll have to look into it more.

[crisisrain]

Ooh! Talkin' about lookin' into things. Ya wouldn't happen ta have any books on carin' fer plants would ya? Aside from waterin' and putting them into the ground, I haven't a clue at what I'm supposed ta do.