Mm. [it's a good thought. they tilt their head and think.] Perhaps, in taking a better look at the grounds the parks have been curated on...if we find some sign of previous settlement, some notion of disrupted ruins, that would be strong evidence...
Edited (i cannot type sign twice in one sentence i'll be shot on sight) Date: 2026-04-22 06:22 pm (UTC)
[E-Soul switches to video, feed facing outwards, so Tristan can see where: it's one of the houses, front door ajar, affording a glimpse of the hallway. The resolution makes the shadows within shift strangely. There's a number and name affixed to the outer wall.]
Something just... interfered with my electronics. [He's faintly disturbed by that, but cuts off his complaint to say:] Can you hear that?
[The whisper, coming from inside now. He isn't sure if the earpiece is sensitive enough to pick the sound out from ambient noise and at a distance.]
[oh wow. Junpei has yet to show Tristan a proper shaky-cam horror film, so this can be considered the first!
how unfortunate that it is real.
Tristan listens very carefully, but finds themself growing impatient and frustrated with the limitations of the technology (you cannot beat elf hearing, but it works better in the room yanno?? they can't even properly hear E-Soul's presence).
that said, they're moving.]
I'm coming to find you. If it is safe to find the exit, please do so. Otherwise--
[Tristan's assertion and quick action does take him aback - is it really that dangerous? But if he wasn't willing to hear their judgement, he wouldn't have called. E-Soul gives the house one last look, then retreats to the street to wait.
Nothing prevents him from doing so, but he gets the odd sensation of being watched. The whisper fades, yet never entirely, like it somehow exists on the edge of hearing.]
[the call from further in the park precedes the sight of them approaching, trotting briskly through the dimly-lit gloom, themself faintly aglow from veins exposed to the air. their eyes are bright, too, as a cat's would be at night. good ol' darkvision.
they slow to step up to him, scanning him over for hazard or harm.]
What more can you tell me of the whispering? Do you recall?
[It's striking how eerie Tristan looks in the dark, an actual otherworldly being. E-Soul smiles slightly beneath his mask. He doesn't need the once over, but it warms something once cold in him to receive it, knowing that it's the concern of a friend.
He's untouched, aside from one thing he cannot see: a partial fingerprint on the cage of his right arm, nothing more than dust, or perhaps silt from the lake. His left hand is, as always, gloved.
I couldn't make out every word, but... it must have heard my secret from a different task. Then it repeated that it didn't want to be alone. [He cocks his head, as if listening.] Come... and see...?
[the lone marking is hard to really pinpoint as anything untoward, and so the glance Tristan gives it is fleeting; their gaze has drifted to the building as they listen, frowning thoughtfully.
their brow creases.]
The secret was a task here? In this park? [it would justify anything using it, even for the purpose of entertainment.]
I imagine you were alone, yes? Or...as alone as you assumed. [it's a secret, after all!] But it is possible one of the machines heard and...fed that information into the mechanisms of this place to provide a chilling experience.
[it seems very rational, saying it out loud; Ul'grimm would be proud! they hope.
still...they don't like leaving things to chance.]
I'm going to go inside and see if there are any ghosts or zites truly in residence.
[E-Soul nods. If it's all fake, and Tristan's reasoning is sound - he's already worked scare acting and ran a 'satanic' ritual - then he is going to hunt down whoever is responsible for creating the electronic interference and hit their elbow against something solid to see how they like the sensation of the feedback as function restored. If not...]
[E-Soul unfolds his arms and dips his head. Trust Tristan to frame it so graciously, as though he were doing them a favour. A softly amused breath escapes him.]
I am. [It's his task to see through, after all. He knows he's lucky Tristan chose get involved; he's not about to waste that.] Let's go.
Ah-- before entering. May I...give you a spell? Just in case. [they lift and tilt a gloved hand in tandem with a one-shoulder shrug.] Not out of doubt, but simply...to put my own mind at ease, I suppose.
[they'd rather not regret it, should something go awry and their magic not been ready to avert it.]
[For the briefest of moments, E-Soul remembers Shang Chao leaning over his outstretched arm, working on the gauntlet he wears as Xia Qing watches the adjustments closely. As ever, it stings.
[they reach over and touch E-Soul on the bicep. there's no visible tell, but there is a kind of buzz, a little nudge of anticipatory energy being introduced and stored up. a bit of guidance - a means to make sure footing surer, or a dodge more effective...once, at least.
it's as brief as a greeting touch, and Tristan smiles, satisfied, and leads the way into the spooky house.]
Let us see...if this place is a very good ruse...or a very haunted house. I didn't hear what you said you heard when you called, but maybe now, here in the same space... hm...
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
momijizukamori
no subject
Date: 2026-04-22 06:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-04-22 06:53 pm (UTC)[Another pause, then:]
I should have asked you before I started following.
[With uncanny timing, E-Soul hisses a breath, and a loud bang follows. A slamming door? Gate?]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-22 07:31 pm (UTC)...E-Soul. Where...where are you right now?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-23 12:22 pm (UTC)[E-Soul switches to video, feed facing outwards, so Tristan can see where: it's one of the houses, front door ajar, affording a glimpse of the hallway. The resolution makes the shadows within shift strangely. There's a number and name affixed to the outer wall.]
Something just... interfered with my electronics. [He's faintly disturbed by that, but cuts off his complaint to say:] Can you hear that?
[The whisper, coming from inside now. He isn't sure if the earpiece is sensitive enough to pick the sound out from ambient noise and at a distance.]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-23 01:21 pm (UTC)how unfortunate that it is real.
Tristan listens very carefully, but finds themself growing impatient and frustrated with the limitations of the technology (you cannot beat elf hearing, but it works better in the room yanno?? they can't even properly hear E-Soul's presence).
that said, they're moving.]
I'm coming to find you. If it is safe to find the exit, please do so. Otherwise--
no subject
Date: 2026-04-23 02:34 pm (UTC)[Tristan's assertion and quick action does take him aback - is it really that dangerous? But if he wasn't willing to hear their judgement, he wouldn't have called. E-Soul gives the house one last look, then retreats to the street to wait.
Nothing prevents him from doing so, but he gets the odd sensation of being watched. The whisper fades, yet never entirely, like it somehow exists on the edge of hearing.]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-23 03:20 pm (UTC)[the call from further in the park precedes the sight of them approaching, trotting briskly through the dimly-lit gloom, themself faintly aglow from veins exposed to the air. their eyes are bright, too, as a cat's would be at night. good ol' darkvision.
they slow to step up to him, scanning him over for hazard or harm.]
What more can you tell me of the whispering? Do you recall?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-23 06:45 pm (UTC)He's untouched, aside from one thing he cannot see: a partial fingerprint on the cage of his right arm, nothing more than dust, or perhaps silt from the lake. His left hand is, as always, gloved.
E-Soul considers Tristan's question, rapidly sobering.]
I couldn't make out every word, but... it must have heard my secret from a different task. Then it repeated that it didn't want to be alone. [He cocks his head, as if listening.] Come... and see...?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-23 06:48 pm (UTC)their brow creases.]
The secret was a task here? In this park? [it would justify anything using it, even for the purpose of entertainment.]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-23 07:07 pm (UTC)[He folds his arms.]
Speak one out loud and see what answers.
[That still feels like a set-up, but what choice was there? Hemorrhage points for selfish reasons?]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-23 07:20 pm (UTC)I imagine you were alone, yes? Or...as alone as you assumed. [it's a secret, after all!] But it is possible one of the machines heard and...fed that information into the mechanisms of this place to provide a chilling experience.
[it seems very rational, saying it out loud; Ul'grimm would be proud! they hope.
still...they don't like leaving things to chance.]
I'm going to go inside and see if there are any ghosts or zites truly in residence.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-23 07:42 pm (UTC)Alone?
no subject
Date: 2026-04-23 07:45 pm (UTC)If you're willing, your accompaniment only do me well. There's still some traps I'm unable to detect on my own.
[and if there are ghosts with a vendetta for E-Soul in particular, well...what good will Tristan alone be?]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-23 11:51 pm (UTC)I am. [It's his task to see through, after all. He knows he's lucky Tristan chose get involved; he's not about to waste that.] Let's go.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-23 11:54 pm (UTC)Ah-- before entering. May I...give you a spell? Just in case. [they lift and tilt a gloved hand in tandem with a one-shoulder shrug.] Not out of doubt, but simply...to put my own mind at ease, I suppose.
[they'd rather not regret it, should something go awry and their magic not been ready to avert it.]
no subject
Date: 2026-04-24 12:25 am (UTC)[For the briefest of moments, E-Soul remembers Shang Chao leaning over his outstretched arm, working on the gauntlet he wears as Xia Qing watches the adjustments closely. As ever, it stings.
Put that way, how could he turn Tristan down?]
...Go ahead.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-24 12:30 am (UTC)[they reach over and touch E-Soul on the bicep. there's no visible tell, but there is a kind of buzz, a little nudge of anticipatory energy being introduced and stored up. a bit of guidance - a means to make sure footing surer, or a dodge more effective...once, at least.
it's as brief as a greeting touch, and Tristan smiles, satisfied, and leads the way into the spooky house.]
Let us see...if this place is a very good ruse...or a very haunted house. I didn't hear what you said you heard when you called, but maybe now, here in the same space... hm...