video | un: graham crackers (cw: discussion of séances / death)

[possessum]

( The feed opens up to a young man sitting on a bed in a dimly-lit bedroom. Dark circles blossom beneath his eyes like bruises. To say he seems nervous is an understatement. His general body language is tense and a bit withdrawn, and it isn't difficult to spot the way his hands literally tremble as he places them in his lap, or the way his voice shakes here and there at the edges. )

Hey there. I'm uh— not sure how many people might already know me, but I'm Peter. Peter Graham. I don't think I've ever like.... really introduced myself on this thing, but I've been here for a while. I was in Deerington, too.

( He gives a shy little smile that looks more like a wince, something almost apologetic. )

I'm not— I'm not too good at this kind of thing. But I wanted to ask something, something I've been thinking about for.... awhile. I guess this is going to sound kind of weird. ( An awkward pause, and then Peter's leaning to reach for a little sheet of paper, holding it in his hands. Yes, it seems that he's written down what beats to hit.... )

Got my notes. ( Another pained little smile, before the expression slowly sobers into a frown, and his eyes are dropping down to look at his paper. )

Does anyone have any experience with...... séances? Or any information about them in general? Um.... I know what they basically are, what they're meant to.... do. To open a door— a veil? To communicate with someone who's died.

( There's the softest flutter of Peter's eyelids, and a gentle exhale, before he continues. )

But is it possible that they can do... more than that? Maybe something else could get through the veil? Something that isn't.... the ghost that a person was trying to talk to. Something that maybe even isn't a ghost at all?

Is it possible that someone could make that happen.... intentionally?

( Peter has to take a few moments to breathe, heart pattering away anxiously in its ribcage. All of this is exceptionally difficult for him to address. )

....Whatever you might know, or could tell me. There are things that... happened, back in my own world, and I'm still.... trying to understand. I've been learning more about the uh... supernatural, from people here. But I figured I would open this up to the public, get as much information as I can.

It's okay if you don't wanna tell who you are though, if you'd rather go anonymous. I know this kind of stuff can be.... weird. Um, personal. ( The lump in his throat tightens, as he slowly reaches to end the message. )

Thanks for listening. I— I appreciate it.

Comments

video; un: price is right

[tagartist]

Only shit I know is from horror movies, but I remember that if you didn't say "goodbye" to the ghost at the end, that the door could be left open for worse shit to get through, so I don't see why you couldn't just... do that on purpose, too.

[possessum]

( ....Shit. Peter hadn't thought of that — of formally ending the thing. Closing it off that way. His expression, if possible, grows even more anxious, fretful. He's even lifting a hand to his mouth to worry on a nail. )

....That makes sense. I never watched a lot of horror movies, so I uh, don't even have that to go off of.

In any of the movies you saw, did they ever say what kind of worse shit could get through? Like... demons and stuff?

video; un: dust2dust

[cynomorpha]

[ He is absolutely not here to be helpful right now, he's here to be a jerk. ]

Perhaps a library.

[possessum]

( Oh it's this spooky mean guy again.... The sight of him has Peter looking even more anxious (if that were even possible.) )

I uh— I've been looking at stuff in the Archives here, but— figured it might be time to ask people who might have direct experience, you know?

video; un: polaris

[anbaric]

The land of the dead is just a world that, to my understanding, is subject to its own particular rules, just like any other.

[ as usual, asriel can be relied upon to skip right over anything that seems too fanciful to get to the facts — not séances, just opening portals directly, as one does — and this is conveniently in his wheelhouse in that case.

he at least looks better than peter found him last month; the eased Corruption is doing him a favour. ]

That means it is possible to open a way to get there. Similarly, anything else that the boundaries between worlds might typically restrict can come through freely as well.

[ calculated risks that never stopped him from doing it however many times it took before he ever built a craft that could travel between worlds in a less destructive way. ]

[possessum]

( Peter can't be altogether too surprised that the man has knowledge on this; he seems to have a plethora of Spooky Knowledge, quite honestly.

And so, even if he's meeting Asriel with the typical nervous disposition (hands moving restless in his lap, eyes a little wide), Peter's attentive, paying close focus to every word. To what he could learn. )

From what you know.... does it take a special kind of person to be able to open a way to get there? Like... a medium?

video; un: mob

[centile]

[hey peter, this is. hm. awkward. given everything that happened last month. he's meant to try and talk to peter but- well. things have been a little weird and rough on many levels. where's the hallmark card for 'sorry our bodies piloted by other beings of some sort hissed at each other for a while.'

he should apologize. he will, but the post gets his attention first, tone quiet,] Are you okay? This must be hard.

[but hey, peter's always been pretty brave, pushing himself to face his fears.]

[possessum]

( Oh — oh man, yeah, this is awkward. Awkward, and hard; something pinches in Peter's chest, deep.

He's been worried about Mob. Worried sick, quite honestly. Yet he's been keeping some distance, giving the younger his space — maybe a little too much space. What happened still feels like... some nightmare, and Peter's never been good at facing those.

But here Mob is now, approaching him (and it's absolutely not surprising that he'd step up to try and help, especially with a subject like this...) Peter feels himself offering a little smile despite everything. )

Hey, dude. I uh— I guess I'm a little nervous. ( His smile softens a little. ) —But I'm okay. Figured it was time to bug more people about this kind of stuff than just you.

Are you— ....how are you?

un: countrymouse

[overlies]

[ she's interested in peter, particularly because she hadn't met him as "peter". well, when you're a demon? and you worked as a devil hunter? you know things about the area. ]

I could recommend you some books in the Archives if I get a better look. I'm pretty sure there's a spot dedicated to Demonology.

Be warned: you may get a different flavor of what séances or other rituals could do depending on where it comes from. The universe is extensive.

[possessum]

( He has absolutely no idea whom he's speaking to — doesn't recognise the username, certainly. But he wouldn't know even if the person did reveal themselves. Paimon has kept the other demon a secret of his own. There are a couple of drawings of a woman with red hair and bright golden eyes, but Peter hasn't seen them.

But already, there's a stab of unease at the words. Demonology. So this person is already thinking about putting a word to the kinds of "other things" that could come through. Does that mean they have direct experience....? He's hanging onto anything he gets, even as much as it makes his heart pound away like a small, cornered animal's. )

That's a good point. Back in my world.... honestly, I didn't think stuff like that was even real. Séances, rituals.... that was just horror movie stuff.
Then I found out differently. So who knows how it might be in other places...

Demonology, does that mean you think things like demons could get through?

video; un: fromfaraway

[good_mourning]

[Mob had told Sunny about Peter before. And, of course, he'd had an incidental run in with the demon (? Sunny doesn't fully understand that yet) inside of him that assisted he and Robby getting to Mob.

So it was probably good to... see how he was doing, and offer help if he could.]

I've never done a seance, but I've read that even just having something like a Ouija board can invite things in. More than just spirits.

A seance is probably like that but even worse, if you don't take precautions. Like- [He pauses to think.] Salt. [He is just trying to remember all of the spooky things he's read online in his own world.]

[possessum]

( Peter's seen the younger boy around here and there, but hasn't properly met him yet — and has absolutely no memory of what Paimon did when he was in control. Which means that Sunny's getting a small, polite little smile, but one without much recognition. He... might seem completely insane, if people didn't know about the demon thing... )

Oh— man, Ouija boards. I've heard that, too. I guess I always thought that kind of stuff was made up, but... now I know séances are legit, so I won't discount anything.

Salt.... like drawing a protective circle or something like that?

( Looking back, his mother didn't do anything like that, when she'd conducted that séance.... There weren't any protective measures at all. )

text; UN: Dovahkiin

[fusrodaaaah]

not really

but
I can probably make something to help.
If you want to see spirits.

[possessum]

( Oh — Peter startles, realising with an odd jolt that.... this post might really make it seem like he's interested in conducting a séance... )

Oh, it's not that I want to do one
I'm scared to mess with that stuff

( ....He wouldn't, right? But...what if it could be a way to find out more about where Paimon came from? What if it could even put him back?

....Or a way to find out more about whatever spoke through his mother? ...To talk to his sister? Peter's terrified to get closer to all of this stuff, but.... )

You could really make stuff to see spirits with?
Would someone have to do like... a ritual, too?

video; un: hakkai

[knowsvinewhip]

[Oh.]

[Uh. This is. Awkward. This doesn't seem like the same person he'd met before. Not even remotely.]

Pardon me for the off-topic question but... Have we met?

[possessum]

( It's not a wholly new question for Peter to get. Although usually it comes after an awkward run-in of someone acting like they know him and Peter not recognising them in turn... Being outright asked first catches him off-guard a little, and he's pausing, looking a bit taken aback. )

I, um— I don't think so.

( He's taking the man in, a little nervously. There is the thought that someone might've encountered Paimon without Peter's knowledge, but there's also the fact that Peter often just... loses parts of himself. Forgets things, names, faces, details. It's scary. Sometimes he even forgets his own name. )

....But I forget things a lot, so— we might've bumped into each other. I uh, hope I wasn't acting weird or anything.

( A little smile. Yeah, he hopes!! )

[fogsong]

[ This feels like a big step for Peter, bigger even than him wanting to learn how to wield a firearm. He's reaching out to touch a subject painfully sensitive for him and she can recognize that. ]

I only know about that kind of shit from horror movies, honestly, so... [ She offers him a tight, sympathetic smile. ] Have you thought about asking Payday?

[possessum]

( Peter tries, and fails, to mask the kneejerk reaction to the thought — a little discomforted flinch, a nervous flit of his hands.

He has thought about it. It'd be the most helpful option, probably. Paimon would know, if he's the Other Thing that came through, the way Peter's thinking he was.

Paimon would even know if Mom was involved in that process. But.... )

I haven't, no. I uh— We're not— We don't talk. And he's.... I don't trust him. He might not tell me the truth, in the right way.

( He tenses, almost expecting the demon to lash out at him for saying that. )

un: eudaimonikos | text

[eudaimonikos]

Everything okay?

[Peter's pretty much aware of how those things work in Michael's world - and that they pretty much don't - so he doesn't feel the need to reiterate! Weird question though.]

[possessum]

( It's hard to answer the question. It'd probably be easier to shrug things off, say he's fine, just a little nervous, but... not to Michael. )

A few months ago, I got trapped in one of those freaky cocoon things. Saw some memories from back home. It kind of opened up some more questions about everything that happened to me.

So I'm trying to.... understand more of it, if I can.


Someone in my family did a séance and I've been wondering if maybe that's what opened the door for you know who.

Video | 1stStrike

[strikefirster]

Pretty sure that shit and psychics are all a scam. Weird shit chicks do to kill a friday night.

[Helping???????]

[possessum]

( That actually gets the little echo of a laugh from Peter. )

I used to think so, too. That it was all just.... horror movie shit. Then I found out that it's real — at least in my world.

Not sure how much of it went down how I remember it or not, though. I feel like I'm going— ( He hates the word, hates it. ) —crazy.

text: un: tenskulls

[stayscared]

Can't say I've ever had any luck with that in my old life, but maybe it was a wrong time wrong place situation; or maybe it was me that was "wrong".

Here? It's probably a bit "anything goes", but I wouldn't count out a side order of "specific rule set" either.

Trench is full of old ghosts.

[possessum]

You tried to do one before?


Yeah. You're right about that. Doing something like that here would probably open up a whole can of weird worms.

( It might seem like it, but he didn't actually make this post with the intention of doing a séance. ...But in the beats after, he's actually been wondering some things. Maybe.... )

private | txt; @anonymous

[wrenchedup]

hey, yo. it's wrench. you okay, man? don't know shit about ghosts, but. yanno. checkin' in.

[possessum]

Oh hey dude, it's good to hear from you

( It's always such a difficult question to answer, even if it should be so simple. )

A few months ago, this place showed me some things from home — like seeing memories play out, I guess. Things I never understood before.

Some weird shit happened to me back there, like to do with séance shit, and... my family were involved with it. I still don't really know how much, so I'm trying to figure that out.

I guess it's kind of fucking with me a lot. I feel like.... my whole life was some kind of lie.

( video | un: duckling )

[danserai]

[ oh . . . ]

Mr. Graham . . . is everything all right?

[possessum]

( He manages to give a little smile for Ahiru, hesitating at the question. He doesn't want to worry the younger, but.... trying to pretend otherwise would be dumb, too obvious — he knows he's visibly a nervous wreck over here. )

Honestly.... not really. I'm kind of... upset. And sad. ( He swallows; voicing his own emotions is.... hard. Weird. Even if he tends to downplay them a little. )

I'm trying to learn more about what happened to me back home, and it's.... hard.

video; un: echo

[individualized]

A séance is generally a fraudulent show meant to bilk desperate and gullible people out of their money where I'm from. That does not necessarily mean it's the case everywhere.

The things you are speaking of sound very similar to workings of the Abyss of that world, however. In most cases, a physical doorway or opening was necessary for contact. Perhaps you should wait until you are well before embarking on any further investigation, though.

[possessum]

That's kind of what my thoughts on it were — some kind of trick, dumb stuff that's just... played up in horror movies. Then someone in my family did one, and.... it sure seemed real.

I'm not sure how much of it was real in the ways I thought it was, though.

( Peter frowns as he speaks through his thoughts, slowly. It's all so strange, complicated. )

Oh— I uh... I'm okay. ( He manages a nervous, nauseated little smile; are you, Peter?? ) I've been.... hiding from all this stuff for a long time. I guess I'm ready to kind of find out more about the... truth.

In your world... did someone special have to open the doorway? Like... a medium?

Video; un: darkness

[survivalthroughhate]

Sounds like you've got something on your mind. Does it concern our mutual friend?

[He asked in a thoughtful tone.]

[possessum]

Yeah. ( Peter clarifies, quietly. ) Someone in my family.... did a séance one night, and I thought it was so she could try to talk to someone who'd died, but....

....I've started wondering if maybe she was actually trying to call something else through, instead.

( That mutual friend. )

Do people in your world ever... open doorways like that? To the spiritual realm, or whatever you want to call it.

private voice; un: d.larusso

[miyagimagic]

[ .. well, this.. sure is a Thing, isn't it. At least it's not really as surprising to hear Peter ask about this in light of everything Daniel knows about the other by now, and it's even less surprising to see how much he struggles with it when Peter is a bundle of nerves even on a good day.

Poor kid.

At least Daniel has the decency to reply with a private message, rather than continue to force the other to speak where everyone can see. ]

.. hey. I think you already know this isn't exactly the sort of thing I have experience with. [ To.. put it very, very mildly.. ] So I don't have many answers for you.

[ Sure, he'd offer to help look some up, but figures Peter is probably getting better information from people with actual experience. ]

It's just-- Are you..

[ .. hang on, trying to figure out a way to say this delicately. Peter seems so hurt when they spoke about Paimon before, and he doesn't want to give the other a breakdown now. ]

Does this have to do with you trying to deal with the demon..? [ You need to talk about it, bud? He'll listen. ]

private 5ever!

[possessum]

( Although he willingly made this public, Peter can't help continually feeling little shards of doubt. It's... weird, and so far out of his comfort zone that it feels wrong. Just because he's done this willingly doesn't mean that he feels good about it.

But there's Daniel, a familiar encouraging voice, and Peter can't help immediately feeling a little sliver of relief. It helps, to have an Adultier Adult around. And even if he's giving a soft exhale, anxious to actually voice his reply to the man's question, Peter isn't having to force himself to answer it. )

Yeah — him. It's.... weird, and complicated, but....

Back home, my mom did this.... séance. She said she was trying to contact my um... my little sister.

( There's a pause; revealing the detail means revealing that his little sister died, which wasn't part of his plan when he made this post. But here under the safety of privacy with someone who knows about his possession situation... Peter feels like he can share a little more, even if his voice catches slightly. )

....But I've been wondering if maybe... if that's part of what let him come through? Maybe some kind of door was opened for him. Maybe it started then.

( video | un: salvatore )

[prescind]

I've never had...experience myself but I know people who have. And they've only used to communicate before. I don't know if there's something else that can come through.

( he doesn't know if he wants to know. )

Is there something you're trying to get?

[possessum]

Not me — it was someone back home. Someone in my family uh... did one. A séance. And... looking back, now I wonder if it could've let something else in.

And if it did.... whether they meant for it to or not.

( Peter swallows, knowing this is a lot. He feels vulnerable, exposed, but.... he can't just keep hiding away. )

The people you know who did one... do you know if it was like... a good experience? Or a scary-as-shit one?

video, but also sort of not here(??)

[creidim]

[ Here is Luna just chilling in her room, eating pasta leftovers whilst she watches the feed. She's not here to add anything to the conversation, but She Is Here. She'll be keeping any eye out on all of you (barring any private threads), making sure none of you are nasty to her boyfriend.

Listen, this is a huge deal for Peter? It's rare he makes broadcasts on his own volition. And he's talking about things that are very difficult, and asking for helping on finding out things. Luna is not afraid to throw hands (wands) with anyone who's rude or unkind to Peter.

So you better be nice.

(She will, however, give Peter a double thumbs up in encouragement. She is very proud of you, Stoner Husband.) ]

[possessum]

( Luna, you are the best..... The little dose of encouragement, the sight of Luna sitting in her room, so close by and there to watch over him — it makes Peter's heart flutter happily, even through the nerves. He's not doing this alone, she's there with him, and it helps. It helps so much.

There's a soft smile and a double thumbs up in return, a little gesture; he's trying....! He's going to try! This is so beyond his "normal", so out of his comfort zone, but... it's research, information, and it's important. It could help him understand more, even if it's scary and difficult and strange to touch on such horrible topics. Even if it might involve uncovering some truths that Peter's been hiding away from for years now.

And when this is all over with, there's a place he can go: a warm, familiar witch's room with his safest person and some leftover pasta to find. )

text | un: wheninlanling (private)

[poorlittlesange]

['personal'--yes, that is one word for it. Jin Guangyao deliberates for a time over whether or not to respond. then he fires off a brief, private message to Peter.]

Greetings, Graham-gongzi. This is Jin Guangyao. We met briefly last month and discussed your interest in the twelve-string guitar.

['speed dating.' god. anyway,]

In my world, communion with the dead is a practice carried out by some cultivators, such as myself. Regrettably, my spiritual power was too weak for me to succeed in such things, but my venerable husband's sect developed a technique for using music as a vehicle to speak with the dead. As he is here with me in Trench now, I would be very pleased to introduce you to him if you wish to ask him questions on this topic.

[a pause, before he adds,]

He is the very best of men. I am sure that if it is within his power to help you understand what happened to you, he will make it so.

private!

[possessum]

Oh hey man, I remember, it's good to hear from you again. And with no shocks this time

( Despite his nerves, he's at least trying to be cordial and a little normal.... Text makes it easier; when his fingers tremble and he makes mistakes, he can just go back and try again. But.... oh. This is all... interesting, and a little intimidating, and extremely relevant, and Peter's very much focused on the words. )

I would be really glad to speak to him, that'd be great. I.... don't know much about all of this. I've been learning some things about spirits and stuff from one of my friends here, and doing some research in books, but

it all seems like so much


Can I ask what was the reason that you guys were meant to communicate with the dead? What was the... purpose? In my world, I'm not sure.

[Video] un: justanadventurer | Endwalker spoilers

[aetherweaver]

[Oh, Peter...]

I've heard of people trying. There are people who have claimed to channel those who have died but it... never seems to be true.

But as for things reaching through then yes, there's voidsent who do try to push through. And people do make it happen intentionally, depending on their motives. Near where I grew up is a place that's... popular for it since it's dedicated to Thal, the god of the dead.

[Private]

... As for truly speaking to the dead, I've... seen visions of them. I don't know how real those were. I've also been... inside the aetherial sea. The ancients called it the Underworld. And I have met and fought with the spirits of some who had passed away.

I don't know how much help this is, though.

private

[possessum]

( Peter's listening to every word, even if it's all.... unpleasant to think about. And god, to hear that Nara's been to the Underworld.... But his attention is focused, frown deep and thoughtful, and then he goes ahead and switches his own feed to private so that things will be safe. )

It does— it helps. Hearing about any of it... it's not something that's really considered.... serious, in my world. I don't know anything about how all this really works, what might be... real or not.

Those spirits in the Underworld... Were they... vengeful? They wanted to hurt people?

( It sounds like it, if Nara'a had to fight them. )