Log:Ghost Remembers Her Past

2020/05/30 	 Ghost Aaliyah Phantom

1

The smell of fresh coffee is the first thing that assails you. The next is the very old style. It seems the owner has gone for the Edwardian style from early last century. Lots of imitation wood panelling and prints of old English countryside. There are many partitions between the tables, affording some privacy and the sound seems hushed in the room, this has been achieved mainly through very good design, which muffles sounds. At the counter service is quite quick and cheery, conveying a welcoming and friendly attitude. The menu boasts the fact that for a little extra real coffee is served along with light hot and cold meals and snacks. All in all a pleasant place to pass a bit of time.

Ghost is hovering around on the astral. This place has a sense of the familair about it. More memories are slowly linking up.

Phantom has been busy scouting for Next Generation and the rats, spending most of his waking hours wandering the material and the astral. It's exhausting work to try and be up at all hours, so he decides to pick up some coffee to keep him awake. The psionic kid chooses the place least likely to freak at his appearance and steps inside, getting into line. As the person in front of him looks at the overhead menu, Phantom uses that person's senses to read it for himself.

Ghost manifests involuntarily as a female customer enters the coffee shop. "Princess?" she asks. The customer does not answer. Unless turning abruptly round and hastily exiting counts. Odd. Must be a tourist. No Colonial Bay City resident would allow him or her self to react with any more than casual interest.

Phantom perks up a bit at the odd comment and senses a familiar mind. "Ghost?" he says gently before he turns in her direction.

Ghost is already fading back onto the astral. But halts her departure, "Phantom. Hello again."

"Fancy meeting you here," Phantom chuckles, as Ghost pops up at unusual times. "Were you following me, or did you just happen to be here?" The person behind him in line coughs to get his attention, as it's his turn to order and he's holding up the line. "Oh! Sorry. I'll have..uhh...a matcha latte." He swipes a cred stick Felix provided him and steps out of line towards Ghost. "You're able to speak English better," he compliments.

Ghost nods, "I remembered how to speak in the local language." Her form is taking on substance, becoming less hazy and more colorful. "Actually speak it instead of using headware to translate."

"Awesome," Phantom grins. "It seems like your memories are still healing, but that's an improvement." He moves over to a nearby empty table by the window. "How're you managing materializing like this? I can visit you on the astral plane if you can't keep it up long," he offers, taking a seat just in case.

Ghost follows you over to the table. She extends a hand as if to shake with you. "As my memories return I'm able to maintain my visible and audible manifestation easier."

Phantom curiously reaches out to test if he can shake her hand.

Although at first there's no sensation of contact Ghost's hand closes around yours as if she can feel you. Then a ripple of violet light, starting at her hand where you are holding it, spreads over her form. Then she is stood beside you, her hand tangible and solid feeling in your grip. "That was an interesting sensation," she remarks. Curiously as the ripple of light passed over her, her appearence changed from goth-punk to fae attire, with a patch on her upper right sleeve that someone familair with Undermoon would know denotes her as a member of the staff of the royal family.

Phantom's white eyes widen as she suddenly becomes solid. "Holy shick, how did that happen?" he asks as her appearance changes. "Are you okay?"

Ghost lets go of your hand and pats herself in various places. "I seem to be. I think I am. This is all new to me so I'm as in the dark as anyone. I used to send my spirit onto the astral but this, this is something else."

"You're spirit is...physical. I could touch you. I could feel you physically. Um, quick!" Phantom has an idea and pushes the little dish with sugar packets closer to her. "See if you can nudge that or interact with it," he says excitedly. "I've never been able to affect the physical world while as my astral self."

Ghost reaches out. On her first try her hand passes through the dish. Her second try is more successful as she nudges the dish across the table top back toward Phantom.

Phantom brings out his hand to catch the dish. "Wow...that's amazing!"

Ghost concentrates for a few moments. "I don't think my spirit is on the astral now. I seem to be half and half. Not fully material. Not fully astral. Somewhere inbetween."

Phantom thinks on it a bit. "That's something I haven't heard of before. Wow. Maybe...maybe this means you can still return to your body even if the cord's cut?"

Ghost smiles, "Maybe. Why would I want to?"

"W...what?" Phantom asks, caught off guard by that. "Well. I mean. Eating is nice, right? And what about your boyfriend...? He misses you. He's worried for you."

Ghost says, "Boyfriend?"

Phantom facepalms. "Right. I guess you still don't remember him yet. You have a boyfriend. Titan? Uhhh. What's his normal name? C'mon, Phantom, you saw him in a movie," he snaps his fingers trying to recall. "Uh, Johnathon...Vas...vasikolos? Vasi...vasilikos? Yeah, I think it's Vasilikos..."

Ghost looks shocked, "That's an outrageous thing to say, Phantom. Titan is in a relationship with my Mistress, Princess Stephine. I owe the Princess a debt of honor and duty. Never would I encroach upon their relationship. It would be dishonorable."

Now it's Phantom's turn to look shocked. Then he remembers something Titan said. "Oh. Well...things have changed since that memory of yours, I think," he replies.

Ghost frowns, "I hope not. They are a handsome couple. Well matched. Titan is a member of the Princess Guard, as I am. I have the greatest respect for him."

After a pause, Phantom utters under his breath, "Akwwwwaaaard." One of the server bots drops off his matcha latte and he takes the opportunity to sip it and clear his throat. "She, ah, left him. Married someone else for....political reasons? That's all he said."

So, long story short time (I know, too late). Anubis seemed a little confused, which is a rare thing. Spirit of the dead. This spirit hasn't come into his realm. Sure, only believers do that for the most part, but a dead spirit that doesn't move beyond the spirit world and into the land of the dead... -any- land of the dead, is rare enough that it stands out. Sure, it happens, but it's rare.

The fact that Aaliyah was inquiring about someone that fit that bill made Anubis instruct her to go to seek tea.. or perhaps coffee. So it is that she walks into Past Times. She looks down at the ground and narrows her eyes. Why couldn't he be more clear with instructions. Stupid gods.

Ghost shakes her head, "Never. Princess Stephine would never marry for political reasons. Princess Linandere would not allow it even were the King to command such. But he would not issue such a command."

"That's a statement that won't age well," Phantom murmurs and sips. His eyes widen as the mummy arrives.

Inclining her head, in her gauzy wrap... I mean come on, it is hot out these days, but Aaliyah smiles enigmatically as she turns to approach the young man. "Let me guess, I look like someone you had a dream about, which makes me the woman of your dreams?" She asks, attempting humor as she glances about.... "I see Anubis -did- send me to the right place."

Ghost looks at Aaliyah. "Friends of yours?" she asks Phantom.

Phantom rubs the back of his head at Aaliyah's comments. It's starting to come back to him now. That weird dream. "I uh. Uh. In a really literal way? I was starting to think that wasn't real," he stammers out. He turns his head to Ghost, who is visible to all at the moment. "Someone I just met. She's an expert on spirits, I think?"

"I'd like to think that eventually I might be a friend of his. But for now, I hope to be a friend of yours." Aaliyah says towards Ghost. "And yes, the young man is correct, I have blessings from Isis and Anubis which assists in dealing with spirits."

Ghost says, "I don't know those names. But if you are truly an expert of spirit issues you may well be able to help me make more sense of the situation I'm in. Which seems to be mostly dead."

Phantom chuckles. "Well, we only met in my dreams, so...maybe with time?" he says politely, then sips his matcha latte as the two ladies speak. He adds, "Well, your body is still alive. I know where it is now. But we still don't know how this happened to you."

Ghost says, "I know exactly how it happened. Well, what caused it anyway."

Inclining her head, Aaliyah lifts a brow, "The body is alive, and yet here you are. It sounds like your Ka was separated from your body. In modern times, it has been referred to as an astral self, usually tethered by the visualization of a cord. In my day, the Ka was what you might call today.. the soul. So your soul has projected outside of your body, and is unable to reunite with it. But.." she inclines her head, "I will never force reunification. I must ask, what is it you -wish- to do from here out?" she asks of Ghost.

"Wait, what?" Phantom suddenly sits up and leans forward. "What happened? Nobody else seems to know."

Ghost says, "It's a bit of a longish story. So I'll mention the highlights. Ask if you want me to clairify anything. A party of fae trying to head back to Undermoon was captured. So was the first palace guard party sent to find them. So the Princess Guard was given the task. Oh, introduction, Jillian Nariliin, Captain, Sercian Space Navy, Rtd. Companions to ... Wait. How did I know...?"

A colorful sash appears draped across Ghost's chest from right shoulder to left hip. Her clothes change, becoming richer and finer in style and quality.

"Space Navy?" asks Aaliyah. She shrugs her shoulders and adds, "Foorgive me. I do not concern myself with matters beyond the Earthly realm, and the spirit realm. Beyond the sky is beyond me."

But she shuts up then and waits.

"I wouldn't ask how. Keep going. I think this is helping," Phantom says as he notices the changes to Ghost.

Ghost shakes her head. Not in disagreement but confusion. "So, undated introduction. Jillian Nariliin, Captain, Sercian Space Navy Rtd. Adept Warleader of Undermoon. Companion to Princess Stephine, Companion Protector of Princess Meleryniel, Embassy Spymistress, Commander of the Princess Guard. Ghost for short. I think my memories are completely returned, Phantom. How is Johnathan? Is he okay?"

Phantom throws both fists in the air. "Whooo!!" he cheers. It gets some looks from those around them, and he quickly lowers his arms. "He's okay. He misses you. He's been lost on how to help, and he's been staying with your body as much as he can."

Well, she's asked her question, and does not want to interrupt. So Aaliyah merely waits. She glances about curiously, but otherwise she just waits.

Ghost looks to Aaliyah, "I'm not from Undermoon. I'm from a place probably far away and possibly not of this dimension. The fae in that place are as technologically advanced as the humans or Aerians of the Nebula. They have a space navy and I was a captain in it."

Ghost doesn't say anything about reuniting with her body at this point.

Nodding, Aaliyah tilts her head, "I get that. I was asking an entirely different question before you went on about that. I do not wish to interrupt your rememberings. I am unsure of what I can do to help directly beyond what I already asked."

Phantom watches the two ladies while sipping his latte. "Um, and your body is in Undermoon. I still kind of remember the way to it once inside the ...castle thing? Titan might be there now."

Ghost nods, "So where was I. The Princess Guard set out to rescue the Princess' party and the missing rescuers. I was with them but Titan was the field commander. We were also captured. The dwarfs confined us in an obsidean cell surrounded by lava. One of us, not a Princess Guard member, caused the cell to be damaged and lava was flowing in. I went astral to look for a way out. Found one, but the anti-magical nature of the dwarven cell meant if I manifested to tell Titan the escape route I would exhaust myself and be cast adrift on the astral. It was me or the prisoners, including Princess Guard members and Titan. So I did."

"Selfless. You are a better person than I was before all of ... this." Aaliyah says with a gesture to her various relics.. the torque and such. "Before I was given a chance by the gods to redeem myself."

Phantom listens in awe. "Wow. So you did it to help all of them. That's amazing."

Ghost shakes her head, "You give me praise I'm not entitled to. It was my duty. I am.. was.. the Princess Guard Commander. It was my duty to do everything I could to save them. Duty once had me evacuate a cargo bay to space with almost five hundred raiders in it. Duty. Not selfishness."

"And yet, downplaying it does not change the facts in evidence. Calling it less heroic does not -make- it less heroic." suggests Aaliyah with a shrug.

Phantom nods along with everything, not sure if he should contradict these women who are much older and more experienced than him. "Well, whatever the reason...you remember who you are again! So now we just have to figure out a way to reconnect you with your body."

"Assuming she wishes to." offers Aaliyah as she lifts a hand, index finger upraised.

Phantom looks confused. "Why wouldn't she?"

Ghost looks at Aaliyah, "You asked me a question earlier. I couldn't answer it until I had all my memories. There are benefits to this state. My access to magic is vastly improved with a link onto the astral. No aches. No headaches. No hangovers. No waking up beside Johnathan." She glances at Phantom, "Yes, that statement didn't age well. It wasn't a political marriage. It was a marriage of love that just happened to be politically beneficial." Turning back to Aaliyah, "The cons outweight to pros. If it's possible I do want to be restored to my body."

"Oh....ouch. I don't think Titan saw it that way," Phantom digs a finger under his collar and tugs at it a little. "Though why is not ..errr...waking up beside your boyfriend listed with the benefits...?"

Ghost smiles, "That is the con that outweighs all the pros, Phantom. The reason why I'm now eager to return to my body."

"Oh, good. Right," Phantom says, relieved.

Phantom sits up at the realization. "Oh, right now? I mean, we could go now," he catches up.