#ghost arc

Jaune Arc:

Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen/Ghost Spider:

New Pro WvW strat! Cornered by a massive zerg with no hope of survival? Try this one easy trick that all the pro gamers are raving about! Before they can catch you, hit f11- select exit to desktop, enter the windows start menu, select shut down. Now this is important so don't forget this step, unplug your computer. Put it in your car. Drive. Keep driving. Don't stop. Don't stop for anything. Don't stop for anyone. Once you reach an overpass throw your phone out the window without slowing down. Get to the city. Hire a boat. Leave the country. Look at your computer. Do not turn it on. Is this far enough from power? Is this far enough from civilization? Can they still find you? Your friends, your family, you can only hope now that they will be safe. Are there seagulls this far out into open sea? You haven't travelled far enough. Keep driving. But the computer. It beckons. It taunts. You will never be safe yet you cannot bring yourself to do what you know needs to be done. For this stasis, this momentary delay of the slice of fates razor, it can hardly be considered living yet isn't this the smallest bit better than oblivion? We cannot live only to prevent our deaths for that is the life of cowards and fools but isn't it only human to try and fight when we have been cornered? We are only meat and bones. We lack the objectivity, the methodology of metal and wires yet we are in ourselves encoded with our base functions and primal instincts. Who are we to deny our teeth the satisfaction of the fight, the satisfaction of flesh. Who are we to deny God's design. We were built to fight and so we will. Throw the computer overboard. You feel peace. It will not last. The zerg will continue to hunt you, as is their nature, and you will continue to flee, as is yours. Today you are free. You're finally free.

Thank you again to my wonderful guild for all your help finishing this! I couldn't have done it without them!

-The ghost :]

               "...Siren." Tsubaki looked up as the Shopkeeper muttered at the TV; a young woman was singing Ave Maria in a heartbreakingly beautiful voice. His gaze must have been more potent than he thought, because the Shopkeeper turned to look at him. "The singer. She's a siren."

               "A what now?"

               "A siren. Please tell me they had you read The Odyssey still."

               "I would have had to if I hadn't been murdered." Tsubaki said, stonefaced. The silver-haired man murmured softly. "It was in the curriculum though."

               "A siren is a creature that lures sailors to their doom with their beauty and voice. Of course, sort of hard to throw off instruments now. So they have to do something else. Not even the first time I've heard one singing hymns."

               Tsubaki shrugged and settled the laundry basket he had been toting to the kitchen into the living room, and settled by the couch in order to settle the towels he was folding onto the cushions. "So she's a siren?"

               "Yep. Newcomer to the classical music scene. See, you can learn something from watching PBS."

               "Never said you couldn't." Silence, aside from the singer, reigned in the living room for a while, until a low baritone rang under the bell-tone of the siren. The ghost looked over, hands stilling as he saw the Shopkeeper's eyes shining and lips moving with the words- it was a little rusty and off-key but it was his singing.

               As the song ended and the woman bowed, the Shopkeeper wiped his eyes and looked over to see Tsubaki staring. "What?"

               "What?"

               "I did go to church, once upon a lifetime ago." He sounded almost offended, and Tsubaki started packing up the folded towels. "Wasn't like we had concerts."

               "Yeah, I imagine it would have been tough to have concerts in the Paleolithic era." He sniped right back and hustled out of the room. He just wanted to pretend he had never seen that pain on the man's face. It was too unreal to think of.

               "...Siren." Tsubaki looked up as the Shopkeeper muttered at the TV; a young woman was singing Ave Maria in a heartbreakingly beautiful voice. His gaze must have been more potent than he thought, because the Shopkeeper turned to look at him. "The singer. She's a siren."

               "A what now?"

               "A siren. Please tell me they had you read The Odyssey still."

               "I would have had to if I hadn't been murdered." Tsubaki said, stonefaced. The silver-haired man murmured softly. "It was in the curriculum though."

               "A siren is a creature that lures sailors to their doom with their beauty and voice. Of course, sort of hard to throw off instruments now. So they have to do something else. Not even the first time I've heard one singing hymns."

               Tsubaki shrugged and settled the laundry basket he had been toting to the kitchen into the living room, and settled by the couch in order to settle the towels he was folding onto the cushions. "So she's a siren?"

               "Yep. Newcomer to the classical music scene. See, you can learn something from watching PBS."

               "Never said you couldn't." Silence, aside from the singer, reigned in the living room for a while, until a low baritone rang under the bell-tone of the siren. The ghost looked over, hands stilling as he saw the Shopkeeper's eyes shining and lips moving with the words- it was a little rusty and off-key but it was his singing.

               As the song ended and the woman bowed, the Shopkeeper wiped his eyes and looked over to see Tsubaki staring. "What?"

               "What?"

               "I did go to church, once upon a lifetime ago." He sounded almost offended, and Tsubaki started packing up the folded towels. "Wasn't like we had concerts."

               "Yeah, I imagine it would have been tough to have concerts in the Paleolithic era." He sniped right back and hustled out of the room. He just wanted to pretend he had never seen that pain on the man's face. It was too unreal to think of.

               Meanwhile, the Shopkeeper hurried to change the channel to something that didn't stir up memories and compose himself. He'd have to look into it again- he hadn't encountered a siren in decades- but he could have sworn he heard her voice in those tones. After almost six centuries, he would have thought it wouldn't hurt as badly, but it was still as raw and fresh as it had been then.

--

(In honor of Halloween, I’d like to present a small side story to you. Submitted for your approval, readers, a tale of a spirit and some damn kids.)

               The candles had been arranged- it was pretty sucky that they had to use a nasty alley to contact the spirits, but that old manor outside of town was locked up tight as a drum, and the last guy who had tried to break in came out insane. Regardless, the candles had been arranged, shielded by a piece of rusting tin, the Ouija board protected by a chunk of wood one of the boys had sanded smooth and even in shop class and let one of the other boys burn intricate patterns into for an art project. The group of five were seated around the board, one keeping watch over the tin wall to make sure no one was coming, and the girl seated at the head of the board placed her fingers on the planchette. One by one, everyone seated at the board added a finger or two, until the planchette was more or less hidden by fingers.

               "Are there any spirits with us this evening?" The girl called softly, another girl gasping softly as the planchette moved to 'yes'. "Shh, Emily, stop being a chicken!"

               "I can't help it!" the other girl hissed, chipping her black nail polish with her teeth. Truthfully she hadn't wanted to come out here- she knew someone worked in this shop and if someone was still there late and caught them she didn't want to go to jail for trespassing! She had cheer this weekend, she didn't need to be kicked off the team for failing to make a game! The first girl glared at her and continued.

               "Would you be willing to communicate with us this evening, o spirits?"

               The planchette slid over to no, and Emily would have gotten up if the boys on either side of her didn't push her legs back down. "Sit down, Emily, we asked if they were willing. We didn't say we weren't going to keep trying."

               "Ask if they're hot spirits," the boy to her left grinned, gaining a suspicious look from each of the girls.

               "Travis, how much weed have you smoked today?" Emily asked.

               "A bowl, god, it's a legitimate question!"

               "Not like you can fuck a ghost!" Emily hissed. The first girl coughed delicately and got the séance back on track.

               "O spirits, would you be willing to at least show yourselves before our humble eyes?" she asked.

               "Bitch, it is one in the fucking morning." A voice came from behind them, and everyone turned to look at the faintly glowing, androgynous being fairly floating over the steps. They moved to where everyone could see comfortably and not risk pulling hands off the board, and crossed their arms. "I have an eight AM shift, and I know I'll be up at six thirty to get El back home from across town and then have to make breakfast on top of it. What the fuck do you want?"

               "You're... awful foul mouthed for a spirit..." Travis said, a little stunned.

               "Well, you woke me the fuck up with your damn caterwauling. I think I'm entitled to be a little pissed. Now, what the fuck do you assholes think you're doing on my damn back step."

               "...asking you some damn questions." The girl at the head of the board had a smirk on her face, and she took a deep breath. The ghost held up a hand.

               "I'm going to stop you right there. That was a rhetorical question, the actual meaning was pack your shit and get off my step. I have shit to do in the morning, and I want to get a few more hours of sleep. Now get lost." The girl was about to speak back up until Emily threw her hand over her mouth and spoke over any argument.

               "Yes, I'm sorry! We're leaving now, I'm so sorry, we didn't want to disturb you..."

               The ghost turned their focus on to her, and Emily froze, almost certain she was dying that night. To her surprise the ghost nodded, and placed a cold, barely-heavy hand on all of theirs, pushing the planchette over towards goodbye as they spoke up again.

               "You seem sensible. Maybe you should get some better friends." And with that they pushed it over to end the conversation and promptly floated back into the shop- through the closed door.

               Emily didn't have to say anything, she simply had a look of irritation on her face as she and the others packed up their things and hurried out of there. Maybe there was some merit in listening to the spirit...

--

               "Tsubaki? What are ye doin' up?" Cay yawned, padding into the kitchen from the living room.

               "What are you doing up?" he asked in return.

               "Watchin' me show, now what about ye?"

               "Your show? I thought all that was on was infomercials... and it's because some idiot kids decided that they wanted to play with a Ouija board, and since I'm the closest spirit..."

               "Oh. Did you chase them off then?"

               "Absolutely. One girl out there had some damn sense. She's why I'm back in here now without having to fight a bitch. I'm going back to bed. Don't stay up too late."

               "So..." Cay mumbled over breakfast one morning, a sign she was about to bring up something that might be tangentially related to the way the Shopkeeper had sent Tsubaki off to get bread for the rest of the week, or might be related to something three weeks ago for all he knew. Then he caught sight of Elaheh watching him in confusion and- nope, he still didn't know any more than he had before. Well, fuck.

               "Well?"

               "So yer awfully fond o' the li'l ghostie. Ya know that the codex doesn't say anything about ghosts and magicians marryin', right?" Whatever he had been trying to gear up for, it didn't include insinuations about his and Tsubaki's relationship, and a good portion of his coffee went promptly all over the table. "Oh, disgustin'."

               "So was that! That... good god above, I am not in love with Tsubaki!"

               "I dunno, bossman." Elaheh shrugged, a small movement that was more expressive (and drew more attention to her breasts) than it had any right to be. "You sure come across as being pretty close to him."

               "And you come across as being pretty fond of your conquest of the week, but I don't see you making plans for marriage and looking at wedding rings."

               "That's their job. And that's the time I tell them adios." Elaheh huffed. "I don't have time for that mess."

               "Yeah, yeah, we already know, hookers don't actually marry Johns..." That was enough to get him a glare, and the shooting pain from her heel slamming onto his foot mere seconds later made him question if the insult-slinging had really, truly been worth it.

               Honestly? No.

               "Shiii... look, despite what you two clucking hens seem determined to think, no, I do not love Tsubaki. It's a relationship of inconvenience, recall?"

               "So? It's not like ya couldn't banish him or summat." Cay shrugged, though it apparently pained her to say as much. And the thought was as painful at this point as anything he had ever thought. Elaheh coughed delicately and looked to the paper on the table, trying to break the awkward stalemate.

               "O-oh look. Lady chopped a guy's junk off... Wonder what all that's about..."

               "Really smooth, Elaheh. A plus for effort." The Shopkeeper sighed as he got up from the chair, took his coffee with him, and retreated into his workshop to retch and attempt to bleach the exchange from his memory.

               The girls lingered in the kitchen for a while longer, Elaheh reading the article in growing horror and irritation, only muttering something about 'the asshole deserved it' before pushing it to Cay to read. As she finished it Tsubaki glided in, pulling a kettle off a back burner. "Hey, Tsu, you read this?"

               "Huh? Yeah, I did. Sucks for her, huh? Tea?"

               "Please, if ya don't care." Cay said, pushing the paper away quietly.

               "No, it's fine. I'm already making a cup for the Shopkeeper as it stands so I might as well make more. El?"

               "Nah, thanks. So, fetching his tea? And how is life as his wifey?" Cay shot her a look as if to say 'oh for the love of all that's good shut the hell up', but the daeva ignored it in favor of staring at Tsubaki. The ghost, for his part, simply stared back for a few minutes as he tried to decide if she was serious or not. Finally, he cracked a grin that could have frozen hell.

               "I wouldn't marry that bastard if I were forced to. You've nothing to fear there. And if he were to touch me, I'd do what that lady did to her husband. Oh, tea's done, here you go." And just like that he finished making the two cups of tea, settled one in front of Cay and left in the same quiet fashion he had entered. The girls stared at each other for a few minutes.

               "...you believe them?" Elaheh finally asked, getting a mute nod from Cay. "Okay. Good. So we never speak of this to either of them again?"

               "Never." Cay agreed.

--