KATE

[foreverphantom]

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[foreverphantom]

[ looks her up...looks at the profile picture, then back at her. ]

...Huh.

Are you solid?

[sootprints]

[ is feeling very aware that he's looking at her picture... ]

... Yes.

[foreverphantom]

Hmm. Are you a ghost?

[sootprints]

No.

[ well. he's looking at her picture anyway, so she might as well show him. she takes off the helmet. specks of soot fall from inside of it, as if dust had somehow gathered inside while she was wearing it.

her face is... well, there doesn't appear to be one. there's only darkness. while she has the shape of a person, her body just doesn't seem to reflect light. ]

I'm a shadow.

[foreverphantom]

Hmm. [ he hums again, but this time in a tone like that explanation means something to him

if he tries to catch some of the soot, or wipe it up from the floor, will it do anything? ]

A shadow of what?

[sootprints]

Of... a person, I suppose?

[ he can do that. it'll smear onto his hands or whatever he uses to catch/wipe it. it's just dirty soot. ]

A shadow is a sort of fairy. One that takes the shape of a human.

[foreverphantom]

A fairy, huh? And what do fairies do, once they've taken the shape of a human?

[sootprints]

[ wisps of smoke rise from the top of her head. more soot. ]

There's nothing to "do" about it... They simply live in that shape for the rest of their lives.

[foreverphantom]

...huh.

And you just live...normal lives among humans?

[sootprints]

... It's a little more complicated than that. Shadows have a sort of... isolated, rules-based society. All of the shadows I know of live in a single grand manor, under the rule of their Lord Grandfather.

[foreverphantom]

Must be a big manor. Or, there's not that many shadows.

Is he actually their grandfather, or does he just call himself that?

[sootprints]

It's quite large. In the children's wing alone, there are 49 shadows, and an even greater number of servants. I'm not sure how many adults there are...

... I suppose it's to give him the image of a patriarch, but no, it isn't literal.

[foreverphantom]

Hmm.

Sounds limiting.

[sootprints]

It does?

[foreverphantom]

You spend your whole life confined to a single building? No matter how big it is, that's stifling.

[sootprints]

... It is. Very much so.

[foreverphantom]

Well. I'd say congratulations on getting out, but this arguably isn't much of an improvement.

[sootprints]

... It means little to get out, when so many others are still trapped there, anyway.

[foreverphantom]

It's not like you can do anything about it.

[sootprints]

[ more smoke rises from her head... ]

... I should have been able to.

[foreverphantom]

[ waves a hand through the smoke...does it feel like anything ]

Is that so.

[sootprints]

[ feels like... smoke! it's slightly warm, but not hot. his hand is now sooty. ]

I suppose that's one of the things those "auditors" would take from us.

You're... "Dante," are you?

[ she also read the passports. ]

[foreverphantom]

[ oh right, usually when you ask someone's name you also give your own in return. this is what happens when you don't interact with new people for like 8 months ]

Yes, that's me.

[sootprints]

What kind of place do you come from?

[foreverphantom]

Do you mean just before this, or originally?