deernet | video; un: v | cw for creepy dolls i guess?

[the video starts focused on a shelf, and on that shelf is a doll. absolutely the kind that just exudes 'listed on ebay for having the spirit of an angry victorian child in it' vibes with its dead eyes.

when viktor speaks his tone could not be more dry.] Some of you might have noticed the unpleasant dolls that, when ignored instead of bought, come to life violently. This is a matter our household is not entirely aware of because Palamedes continues to gladly buy any unpleasant doll he sets his sights upon.

[offscreen, but not like, very far offscreen (it is not a big living space), palamedes chimes in with a pointed, 'While I respect your aesthetic tastes, you're wrong, they're delightful,' that viktor will pointedly ignore as he continues.]

He will not stop bringing them. Some of them vanish after a week or two. He calls this one Sensible Bethany.

['She calls herself that, actually, I explained this already,' from the peanut gallery. the camera shifts as viktor turns to address him back]

Is this entire place not haunted enough without ugly dolls, I ask again? There is a limit, Palamedes.

[in the unfocused corner of the camera the doll absolutely turns its head to stare directly at the screen.]

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Nah, I'm just messin' with him.

Good, although I'd consider the fresh paint if she's really that terrifying. Standing offer.

That aside, I've seen you around the Sanctuary and regrettably never said hello, so: hi. I'm Palamedes.

You sure that wouldn't piss the doll off? [Legitimate question, since apparently these dolls will get mad at people for insulting them]

Yeah, I've see you there, too. I'm Jason.

Right; Viktor's friend with the Hunters. [He nods his approval, briefly; honestly, 99% of the time it only takes Viktor naming a person 'friend' and Palamedes' opinion goes up automatically. Cheat code.

Anyway, dolls...] As for the paint— it's a form of helping, don't you think? I can just ask her if she'd like it.

Yep. He's the one who told me about the Sanctuary in the first place. I told him I'd help with research, so I come by when I can.

I donno. I guess? I ain't real up to speed on haunted doll shit.

Admittedly, dolls are not my area of expertise. But think about it— wouldn't you want to haunt something that looks sharp?

[normal questions]

We do have a resident ghost in the Sanctuary, if you wanted to be up to speed on haunted-things-shit.

I'd wanna move the fuck on. But maybe Bethany figures different.

Uh. Yeah, I could talk to 'em. Might help in my Hunter duties.

No, I think you've got the idea. She isn't dangerous the way everyone seems to think, but she is... stuck.

Our ghost likes stories; you could start there.

The ghost likes stories? Are you fucking with me?

What, you don't like the irony? 'Ghost stories' almost certainly means something different to me, but I still think it's charming.

He's an old man. Think of him like a grandfather.

Maybe that's where the whole idea came from. [People tell stories to ghosts and eventually it evolved to telling stories about ghosts. Maybe?]

I'll have to stop by to see him next time I'm in the Sanctuary.

It's certainly an idea with weight. I'm a necromancer, so— ghost stories are what ghosts tell us, in my experience.

[Sometimes, anyway, if they can be convinced. Often, they cannot.]

But sure, of course - anytime. It's the office with a view of the tree, the one without a door. You'll see the wards; they're for him.

Where I'm from, they're scary stories we tell. Ghosts... well, before I woulda said they ain't real, but maybe they are. [He now knows vampires are real so anything is possible]

All right. And what do the wards do?

They're as real as we are. Do you believe in souls? It's just one of those with the body peeled away.

[Maybe not the best word choice. Peeled. Well, anyway.]

The wards help him manifest in a way that allows him to interact with you all. You don't have to touch them, or anything. It's automatic.

Sure I believe in souls, but I figured we just go to one place or the other when we die. Never really believed one would stick around.

Huh. [He nods; it's interesting stuff]

One or the other...?

[There are. Options? This is news.]

Well— it depends on the circumstances and the individual, either way. Most of us just move on, like you said.

You know: Heaven or Hell. Different folks got different ideas on where people go when they die, and that's mine.

I don't know, actually, but I'm curious. We call it the River, where I'm from; it's only the one. It's there and everything, just outside the scope of living perception. More or less.

Are you from Earth? I've been told there are plenty of Earths, so I'm building a mindshare of sorts.

Sure I'm from Earth. My native country is America.

Alright. I don't know where that is. I'm from a planet I call the Sixth, but apparently it's your 'Mercury'.

[Now, let him find a notebook...] How many countries are there, actually?

Huh. I don't know shit about space, but Mercury is the first, ain't it? The closest to the sun?

Shit, let me think. Geography was fuckin' ages ago. [He does a mental count. This might take a while] Definitely over a hundred.

[A brief grin twitches at the corner of his mouth at the phrasing there - "Mercury is the first," well, not if he pronounced it with the capital F. It's not as funny without context, so:]

The one that's a hot little rock with no atmosphere to speak of, yes, that's it. I'm not an alien, for the record; we're human beings, Earth was 'the First'.

I'll write down 'one hundred plus.'

Well. If you were, you wouldn't be the first I encountered who looks kinda human. There was this one I met when I first got to the Trench. She was some kinda doctor or somethin'. She ain't here now, though.

No? Shame; more doctors in a place like this would be a godsend. Although if we define 'aliens' as just 'people from other planets,' then sure, I could be an alien. You know, to fill quota.

Guess we're all aliens around here. [As in, none of them are native to the Trench]

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