text | @wuxian

[weifinder]

If yesterday's little message wasn't cryptic enough, and last night's midnight wake-up call not alarming enough, has anyone else found spirits writing "living island" in their bathroom? Or anywhere. Don't get me wrong, spirits are the last ones to care if we're modest or not, but I can't get anything out of this one except the same two words.

Along those lines, anyone know anything more about "living island"? When I chatted up my pleasantly smiling neighbours earlier, one of them gave me a long, considered silence, and a "Sorry, it sounds familiar, but I couldn't say why." The rest looked confused.

If this is where our missing companions are, it at least looks like the spirit haunting my bathroom wants us to find them.

Comments

@Cass

[feudalladyshandmaid]

haven't found anything yet.
I looked around and asked some of the locals too, but they haven't told me anything I haven't already heard.
I'm starting to hate all these dead ends.

[weifinder]

On the one hand, it's confirmation for who has heard this recently. On the other, if anyone does respond, that's telling too.

It's only been what, today? I'll keep asking around, it's almost a game in and of itself trying to track down anything relevant. I really miss markets—there's no one place everyone naturally gathers here any day of the week.

[feudalladyshandmaid]

You and me both. Nothing like a market place to scrounge up some info.
But you could probably go to the diner and listen in on people's conversations if you're that curious.
Not that I really advise that.

[weifinder]

You make the suggestion, then don't think it's sound advice. Why the contradiction?

What's as close to a market here that isn't the diner... where you buy food? That's one possibility, I guess, since multiple people are around. "Living island" could sound like... nope, I don't have it, what could it sound like that makes it appropriate to bring up outside of lines at the large food store?

[feudalladyshandmaid]

It's just that people typically don't like it when they notice someone listening in when they're talking or eating.

Ugh, I know. what's the best way to bring up the idea of a Living Island?
it doesn't sound like ANYTHING. it's just nonsense.
two words like that could mean literally anything

[weifinder]

I feel like loitering around wasn't so hard where I came from, you just need to look like you belong doing whatever you're doing.

Let me think, let me think... Maybe frame it as, "This has been bothering me for days now. Do you remember what 'Living Island' is a reference to? I swear I just heard about it recently, but I can't remember what it was about."

Maybe it'll work!

text, @roses

[inpersonation]

I don't know what this 'living island' phrase is and I wish I did. It keeps breaking things in my house no matter what I try to do. Ever since my 'father' vanished, I've been all alone, dealing with it by myself too.

It's so scary. I want it to stop so bad. [ hopefully she manages to sound scared witless and not pissed off like she really is. ]

[weifinder]

Vanished in the general direction of "living island" or vanished in the general direction of no longer in your household framed pictures?

The poltergeist calms down if you start asking after the "living island" idea. Which makes it both extra annoying, but easier to please than some spirits. You can try telling it you hear it, and you're going to see what you can learn. It should help for a while.

[inpersonation]

The latter. I try to ask about him, give a description and everything, but everyone acts like he never existed.

I tried to give a tiny white lie and say I had already - And I ended up getting a tossed chair for my troubles. I'm outside my house now. It's too much to take for me.

[ she's not lying about that last bit. the sudden destruction of furniture. the uncertainty of how to appease it despite having a vague idea- it brings back too many unpleasant memories for her, fuck. ] The others are looking for the living island, whatever it is, right?

IF they find it this will all stop?

[weifinder]

I'm sorry for that. From my understandings, that makes him one of those written out of the story of this place. At leat for now.

My guess is this will stop when the objective is met. Finding "living island" is part of it, but the timing, and the other disappearances, make me believe it's a case of ending once our missing are reclaimed. Which starts by finding where they're held, so the spirits plaguing our houses are likely to start calming down then, and if it takes more to find our missing, be agitated until what they consider their purpose in acting out over is achieved.

[inpersonation]

[ so don't rely on anyone since they can disappear just like that- gotcha.

noelle stares at the message for a bit, biting on her lower lip as she debates what to write next. the last thing she wants to do is get involved with this weird shit but if the alternative is to try and weather the poltergeist nonsense- ]

Is there anything I can do to help you and the others?

I don't think I can make much ground when it comes to finding out whatever 'living island' is but maybe I can do something else?

[weifinder]

( life lesson: rely on people anyway because otherwise you really will be standing alone and swept away by any pressure greater than yourself. struggling through loss is part of it, but; )

I figure that's the ghostly thought right now, but perhaps when we do figure out a where or wheres to go, you could keep an eye out for... people interrupting? I don't know, but if it's underground, eyes above ground to send messages in warning if any other group moves in would be useful. Before that, it's difficult to say.