Clarity and Conclusions

Who: Alexis and Lullaby
Where: Phones, the beach, then Alexis' house
When: Night

Being home alone wasn't supposed to be quite this terrifying. Alexis' father had been home for dinner and while he was in the house there was nothing to be afraid of. The ghost that she'd seen last night was nowhere to be found. Assuring her that everything would be okay, he stepped out for the evening, and that was when the ghost appeared again, as if he was haunting her. Alexis didn't know why, couldn't fathom what she'd done to earn the ghost's attention, but she wanted him gone. Tonight it was worse. Tonight he was inside the house, stalking her, which left Alexis trying to hide from a being that walked through walls. Could they float, though? Like in movies? With the hope that they couldn't, she climbed up into the attic and drew the ladder, shutting herself in.

After last night's exchange with Kyle, she decided he probably wasn't a good option to try and calm her down. Alexis scrolled through her phone, looking for someone she could just talk to. When Thia's name popped up, she paused, trying to remember the last time they'd talked. It had been a while. Maybe catching up would be a nice distraction from the ghost below. With that in mind, she dialed the number and waited for Thia to pick up.

Lullaby heard her phone ring, and blinked, since...well. People didn't call her. She was deafish, and couldn't hear anything the other person said. So, she scrambled, running downstairs to grab Oz to answer the phone for her, which he did. "Um....hello? Alexis?" he said after a moment, after she'd supplied the name that matched up with the number. He was actually kind of amused, in a weird way. Lullaby was giving him a cute little sheepish look, and he mussed her hair affectionately. Then gave her like the fifth hug since she'd gotten back. "You're trying to get ahold of Thia, right?"

Alexis really didn't expect a guy to answer, but thought maybe he'd answered Thia's phone for her if she was away. It seemed kind of odd, but her brain didn't immediately supply any other explanation. "Yeah, is she around?" she asked. It didn't occur to her that she'd never actually spoken to Thia on the phone, that they'd only texted back and forth. Usually the two weren't mutually exclusive to one another.

"She is, but she can't hear on the phone. Did she neglect to tell you she's almost deaf?" Oz asked, Thia still looking sheepish, and blushing a lot. "She can't hear over the phone. and I can play go between for you if you really want, but that might be weird." He laughed as Lullaby gave him a cute glare. "I'm getting a vetoed look from Thia on that. You want to text her back?" he asked.

"Oh, no, she didn't tell me," Alexis said with a little laugh. Had she not noticed that? How had she not noticed that? Alexis thought back and realized they'd never actually spoken over the phone, only texted, but she still thought she would have caught on in person. "It's okay. I can text her," she said. "I just didn't realize-- tell her I'll text her right back? Is that okay?" Alexis felt like she was repeating herself, but she was a little bit flustered, still trying to calm down and half worried ghosts could float. If they could, then the attic might not be so great a hiding place after all.

"That's fine." Oz said with a good natured chuckle. "Nice talking to you, Alexis." he added, before he hung up, and handed the phone back to Thia. Thia took it, and laughed, still feeling embarrassed, but she supposed there were worse ways to get oneself embarrassed. Taking her phone and thanking Oz for playing go between there where she couldn't have, she headed back upstairs, watching her phone for a text.

"Thanks. Bye," Alexis said before hanging up the phone. She'd really wanted to talk to Thia, but if that couldn't be done, then she'd settle for texting. She certainly couldn't not text her after that. Finding a place to sit, Alexis leaned against the support and sent a text in the dark, hoping that it would help take her mind off the ghost below. Hey Thia! Sorry about that! I just wanted to say hello and see how you are doing. I'm kinda freaking out from the ghost thing and wanted someone to talk to. Anything new with you?

Getting to her own room, Lullaby flopped on her bed, and got the text in. Ahh right the ghost thing. Yeah, a lot of people were going to be freaked out about that. It's okay, -I'm- sorry. I should have said. And hello! I'm doing okay. you don't sound well though. Did you want to go for a walk or something? And kinda new-things with me I can share!-thia

Alexis breathed a sigh of relief when she received Thia's text. It was an option she hadn't felt she could ask for, but that she desperately wanted. She remembered then that Thia seemed to like the night as well, so that worked out for the both of them. A walk would be good. Maybe getting out would help. Can we meet on the beach? Where I met you that first time? That seemed like a good middle ground, plus it was near water and she was hoping that would have a calming element for her as well.

She smiled a touch. Certainly. she texted back. I'll get going now, see you soon? travel safe!<3thia There, she could do that, she could possibly try and help Alexis out, since she had known a ghost for a while now...and alright, Maddie wasn't a ghost anymore, but that wasn't the point. She could very hopefully set Alexis' mind at ease, anyhow, and that was going to be her goal.

See you there! Alexis sent back before lowering the ladder and climbing back down to the ground floor of her house. She didn't even wait to see if the ghost was still there, instead grabbing her keys and her jacket and running out the front door as fast as she could. She was already dressed warmly, due to her hiding place with no heat, and she could only hope that she wasn't going to be followed. Looking back, it didn't appear so, but couldn't ghosts go all invisible? She didn't know! She couldn't get down to the beach fast enough it seemed, and when she arrived she was breathing hard. Taking a seat on the beach, she began to wait, glad to have a few seconds to calm herself down before Thia arrived.

Lullaby had bundled up as well, with new stuff that Oz and Sophie had bought her sometime during her trip away, which she was grateful for. Then she headed out to meet Alexis. When she saw the other girl, she smiled. "Hey!" she called, waving to the girl, and she dropped down beside her when she got close enough. "It's really good to see you, sorry you're stressing out." she said. "What's going on with everything?" she asked.

"Hi!" Alexis smiled, unable to rise to her feet before Thia joined her on the beach. Once she was sitting, she figured it was a good enough place to stay. If they got too cold, they could always go somewhere else. "It's good to see you too," she said. "Sorry for calling so late. My dad was out and-- and every time he goes out, this ghost appears. So I was kind of hiding in the attic." Which really sounded stupid when she said it aloud, but hopefully Thia wouldn't think so. Sure, there were ghosts all over town, but most of them weren't stalking people, were they?

"Oh, it's okay. I'm...kinda a night owl." Thia said, smiling. "So I wasn't asleep." Neither was Oz, for that matter. "And a ghost appears every time your dad goes out? What kinda ghost? I'm assuming this is new. like...just started happening when the other ones showed up?" she asked, for clarity. "What's it doing?" she asked.

"Well, if I ever wake you up, just tell me and I'll let you sleep," Alexis offered. She generally didn't call too late, but she hadn't been thinking of the time when she'd called. "It's following me around. And glaring at me," she said, feeling very lame. "Last night it wasn't in the house, just peering in the windows, but now he's actually inside and-- yeah, he showed up when the others showed up." She didn't know what kind of ghost, since she'd yet to figure out much about ghosts at all. That was the whole reason she and Thom were meeting tomorrow, but that didn't help her now.

"Have you tried talking to him?" Thia asked, picking up that it was a he-ghosty. "I um. I used to know a ghost. Kinda a special-type one, a bound spirit? But dont' ask me what that actually means in practical terms, because I kinda don't even know, just that she's stuck to the area or somesuch. She was..." she smiled, amused. "Well I wouldn't say so where she was in earshot, but she's kinda cranky. Once you get to know her though it's pretty obvious that that's just her personality, she's not really cranky all the time."

Alexis hadn't even considered anything other than running from the ghost. In retrospect, it seemed kind of silly, but it hadn't exactly been common sense that'd been driving her. "I haven't tried talking to him," she said. "I didn't even think of that. I wasn't sure if ghosts could hurt someone, or if they could float, or anything. I'm supposed to meet with Thom tomorrow to figure some of that out, but we made those arrangements before I realized I was being stalked." If she'd known it would be a problem, she'd have run to Nevermore right away. "So, the ghost that you know-- did she, like, figure out what was holding her here and go away?"

Thia shook her head. "No, she's still around. Bound here." she said. "Which I guess is a forever thing." she added. She didn't mention Maddie was alive again, because honestly she didn't know what had even really happened there, and she didn't want to give away someone else's secret that was none of her business. "But I'd just try talking to the ghost. Maybe he's looking for something. Or at least you could possibly ask him to like...stay out of your room, or if he's going to be hanging around, to do it in another room, or at another time, because you kinda live there, so it's your house and your space." she suggested. Then she paused. "If you're too scared to, I could possibly come help you with it, if you wanted me to." she added, wanting to be supportive. She reached out to give Alexis' arm a light, reassuring squeeze.

Taking it all in, Alexis thought she could do that, try and talk to the ghost. She had no idea if it would work, but anything was worth a try. "Could you?" she asked, surprised that Thia would offer. "You really don't have to, but if you wouldn't mind, it'd be nice not to go alone. He's maybe a little older than me-- the ghost-- and he has a bullet hole in the middle of his head, so..." She didn't know if Thia had run into many ghosts that looked dead, but this one was pretty obvious in her opinion. Either way, she really appreciated the offer, especially from a friend she wasn't all that close to and hadn't seen in a while. The fact that Kyle wouldn't come over, but Thia would said a lot.

Giving her another smile, Thia nodded. "Course I will." she assured her. "I don't mind." She'd be kind of afraid that someone would see her, but she could put her hood up for a moment on the way into her house. She also started drawing some of the negativity off of Alexis, in hopes it would help her mood. "What're friends for?" she asked. "I completely think that going to speak to the dear departed when they're freaking people out is written in there somewhere." she added, injecting a little humor there for Alexis. She also didn't blink about the bulletwound to the forehead thing. And it made her wonder about her dad. Fuck. But she kept it all to herself, and just tried to project the idea that she was there, not freaked out, and could handle this for her friend. Confidence, levelness...things that people needed when they were freaked.

Alexis laughed a little, appreciating the bit of humor. "Thanks," she said, climbing to her feet and offering Thia a hand. "I keep telling myself I shouldn't be scared, but after a while it's hard not to be." She felt better just being with Thia, not feeling so alone. Maybe they could talk to the ghost and things would be okay. "So... What's new with you?" she asked, "Gotta be something better than ghosts." They had a while to talk before they got to Alexis' house, so it would be a nice chance to catch up. Plus, it would get her mind off talking to the ghost, and a little less worry never hurt anyone.

Thia took Alexis' hand and got to her feet, brushing off the seat of her pants when she was upright. Then, at the question, Thia grinned. "I got together with Dean." she said, giggling a little, in a purely girlish manner. "I still sometimes can barely believe it, but yeah...I'm stupidly happy. In that giddy, everything's absolutely awesome way?" she suggested. "He's...he's exactly what I need in my life. And he's a great boyfriend...I kinda just...I'm gushing. I know. But I don't get to! I don't know anyone I can really ramble about the guy about." she half-apologized. "He...makes me happy." she concluded with a content sigh. "How about yourself? After my little trip to happy-bunny land."

"Awesome!" Alexis said, brightening immediately at the news. She remembered Thia talking about him, about how they were best friends and how she was sure he'd never be interested in her. It was great to know she'd been wrong on that count, especially when it made her so very happy. "It's okay," she grinned. "You can gush away! You definitely deserve it." And she was kind of curious to know what an awesome boyfriend was like. It was her guess that Dean would have come to help Thia deal with a ghost. "I'm okay, but not as happy a bunny as you are," she smiled. "Kyle, the guy I'm kind of dating, still doesn't believe in ghosts, so I'm kind of frustrated with him."

"You're kind of dating?" Thia asked, latching onto that. "Where'd you meet? What's he like? Is there---" she broke off, blinking. "Wait, what?" she asked. "He doesn't believe--er. What about the news? What, does he think everyone in the whole world is suffering from mass hallucinations?" she asked, wondering just how that worked. "Is he that extremely in denial about things?" she asked, feeling for Alexis. "What did he say when you told him about the one at your house?"

"Well, I mean, we go out sometimes, and we make out, but-- yeah, he doesn't believe any of it, even though it's on the news, because he hasn't seen it for himself," Alexis said, tucking her hands into her pockets to keep them warm. "I know he's in denial, but I don't understand how he can think the world is lying to him. When I texted him about the ghost at my house, he said that I was just caught up in the mass hysteria and that it was just some crazy hoax." It wasn't at all what she wanted to hear when she was scared, and so she'd snapped back at him via text. Talking to him in class the next day didn't make it any better. Kyle still didn't believe, and he still made her feel bad about freaking out.

Thia frowned as they walked, wondering about the mentality of someone who when even the entire rest of the world is flailing over things, they still need to 'see' it. That also begged the question why hadn't he. Unless it was an extreme denial thing. Like his mind just couldn't cope with it. "That's...kinda what went through my mind there." she admitted. "Wondering how someone decides the entire rest of the world is full of it." she said. "That's...kind of extreme denial there. Maybe...I mean...I don't know. But if that's how he is going to react, it might be best to sorta...back off for a while? I mean, he can't keep this up long term. And if he can, then that's kinda...massive psychological issues that you might not need to deal with." she said delicately.

Alexis nodded, considering that angle of Kyle's situation. Even if he hadn't seen anything, to really believe this was a mass hoax at this point seemed a bit... extreme. There were lots of things she hadn't witnessed for herself that she knew existed. It happened all the time, and not just in terms of the supernatural. "Yeah," she said. "I got kind of pissy with him, part for telling me I was crazy when I was scared, and part for still not believing what everyone else has seen. I don't know how he's managed not to, but it just brings up other questions I have about dating him. Like, I've always believed in this kind of thing. Before, he just thought I was silly, but I couldn't let it bother me, since most people did. Now... I'm not really sure what we have in common."

Thia felt slightly better that at least Alexis seemed to have stood up for herself, but still, the situation in general sucked. Making sure she caught all of the other girl's words, she milled it all over. "Having things in common is pretty important. And honestly? Having someone believe you is. I..." she stopped for a moment, then pushed on. "There were the shadows and stuff that came through town?" she said. "And before they really arrived, I kept seeing them in reflections. And it scared me to death, but I thought I was cracking up. So I didn't say anything. But one night when Dean and I were out swimming? I caught my reflection in the water? And I just...let's be real, I totally freaked out. And even though he didn't see it for himself, and checked the water and reflections and everything, even if he had no reason not to believe me or what I saw? He did. He just kinda...believed me. And then got all protective, like he does. I guess, for me, it works as a kind of trust. He trusted me and what I saw. If Kyle doesn't believe anything you say, or at least acknowledge that what you are going through is real to you?" She shook her head. "Then you can do a lot better." she decided.

Listening to Thia, Alexis knew that was what she had wanted. Kyle didn't have to solve her problem, but she would have appreciated it if he had at least acknowledged that something was wrong and tried to calm her down. If that's what he'd been doing, even in his own misguided way, then it didn't work for her at all. "I wasn't really expecting him to come save me or anything, but I wish he'd at least realized I was scared," Alexis said. "And, like you said, Dean was protective? I don't know that Kyle is, and... I mean, I don't need that all the time, but I'd appreciate it sometimes. I needed it then." Or at least words of encouragement. Anything was better than being completely written off. "I think I can do better, too," Alexis said with a small smile. "Even if it's not a boyfriend, I want someone who believes me. Who doesn't think I'm crying wolf."

"Dean was protective." Thia confirmed. "...and that was even before we were dating." Which kind of just made the Kyle thing all the worse. "And of course you don't expect it all the time, but when you actually call up, you're scared and need someone to be there, being blown off is really seriously not the way to go. That's just...well. Insensitive comes to mind." she admitted. "Really insensitive." She couldn't picture how she would react to that. Talk about being left to fend for oneself. She was really glad Alexis had called her, because she sure as heck wasn't going to leave the girl to deal on her own. It didn't matter to Thia that they weren't best buds close or anything. Sometimes, there were just things you did because it was the right thing to do. God, was she sounding like Dean now? Probably. She was okay with that. "You deserve someone who believes you. To just be blatantly disregarded...yeah you need to get rid of this guy. That's not fair, and..." she gave a little half smile. "And I'm getting protective over you. What he's done, that's just...not on." she said firmly.

All Alexis had wanted was a little bit of a confirmation that it was okay to feel this way. Having never had a boyfriend before, or even close friends, she wasn't sure if she was just being too sensitive, or if there really was a problem. She'd always thought that a boyfriend would be more than just someone to kiss and hold hands with, but that was all Kyle seemed to be, especially when she couldn't talk to him about the things that really mattered. "I... thank you, Thia," Alexis smiled, hooking her arm through Thia's with a little impromptu hug. "I guess I thought maybe my expectations were too high, or that I was being unrealistic. My dad's protective, but he's family, and it's different. He's my dad, not my friend. And I can't really talk to him about this, and my friends have just been so busy lately, so... This really means a lot to me." Especially since they weren't all that close. Thia was willing to do this for her, but Kyle wasn't, which really said a lot about their relationship, or lack-there-of.

Lullaby didn't mind the hug, and she returned it. "You don't have to thank me, but you're welcome." she told Alexis. "But no, seriously, I don't think that's asking too much of someone. To just kind of be there and not totally dismiss you. And I have a lot of time. I have no problems sharing it with you. So...any time, honestly." she assured the girl. "We'll get this sorted somehow. Not sure how, but we will. And not sure what you want to do on the not-so-awesome boyfriend front. I'd...well, honestly, I'd be downright hurt over that." she admitted. "In a pretty huge way."

She was hurt, and wouldn't have snapped back at him if she wasn't. But when she'd seen him in class, she'd almost felt guilty, as if she shouldn't have expected anything from him. Now she knew better than to think that was the way things should be. She didn't have a perfect example of what a boyfriend should be like around her, but she knew she didn't have to stay in something that didn't make her happy. "I think Kyle and I probably need to have a talk. And I don't think he's going to like it," Alexis sighed. "But if that's the way it is, then I think I'd be better alone than with someone who won't even believe me." Once the newness had worn off, the excitement of having a boyfriend, it was easier to see that maybe this wasn't what she wanted. Kyle was nice, but it bothered her how close he could be in some ways without committing in others. "How long were you and Dean friends before you got together?" she asked. She thought she'd asked it before, but it'd been a while, and now she had better context to compare it to.

"A couple of months." Lullaby answered. "And we were best friends too, so that helped. Tons and tons of just...talking. All the time. About everything." she continued. "We kind of just clicked? And he came into my life just when I really needed someone, and he was there, and he really helped me out on so many levels. And he'd just gotten here, really, hadn't been in Marquette very long. So he needed someone to kill time with too." There was a little smile that lingered on her lips when she spoke about Dean, a happy, sweet little expression. She couldn't help it. "But yeah, we're...compatible. On tons of levels, honestly. And god, we would argue a lot, though we haven't in a while. But it wasn't like...I guess..." she laughed at herself. "Once more with coherency." she said. "We never had the impression that you couldn't say something. Like even if I didn't like what he had to say, or he didn't like what I did, there wasn't that doubt that it was going to end things, or that it shouldn't be said at all. Because we wanted to know what was going on in the other's head, no matter if it wasn't something agreeable. But yeah, there's kinda an acceptance thing going on. And the idea that our opinions on things matter."

It was sad how foreign the concept was to Alexis, that she could say what she was thinking without worrying about being judged. She'd never had a friend like that, someone who really knew what was going on in her life. Kyle definitely didn't fit that bill, obvious as he was to just about everything, and Breezy and Lily just weren't that close. They knew she was a water elemental, which still scared the shit out of her, but they thought it was cool and exciting, and they had their own little powers too. Alexis wasn't so sure she felt that way. She didn't understand how she could feel so alone with so many people around her. "You're so lucky," she smiled, genuinely happy for Thia. "Just listening to you talk about him, I can tell how happy you are. I'm so glad things worked out for you. It'd be nice to have that kind of acceptance from someone... it's just so hard to know if it's going to be there. I guess you've got to give a little first to find out."

She smiled. "It shows then?" she asked. "Sorry if I'm all glowy at you." she added. "But I am happy." she admitted. "And you don't ever really know? I have to say that I'm a big fan of finding out. I mean, there's no real reason to be reserved all the time. You can give, and if it doesn't work out, then you can just move forward to someone new. I mean, even with Dean, even if we did click and everything, it was still a while before we were truly best friends. Though I have to say he was at least interested in what was up with my life, and even in the early days of things and friendship and everything, I think he would have been there for me if anything was going on. Even if it was something weird. That's him as a person though, not everyone's like that. Like I know he'd do the same for any friend of his."

"Don't worry about being glowy," Alexis grinned. "You have every right to be. And if I was you, I probably would be too. I think it's sweet." It gave her hope that things could be different, even if she didn't have something like that for herself right now. Until talking to Thia, she'd kind of thought that this was what dating was like, a huge disappointment where you liked a person, but didn't know if you could count on them. Now she had a better idea of why Kyle had dated so many girls... "I think it's probably time I move on and try and find someone who at least listens to me. Even if it's just a friend. I used to think that Kyle and I clicked, but now I think it was just mutual attraction," she said with a sigh. She'd cry about it later, when she was alone and willing to release that kind of emotion. Thia had been nice enough to come with her while she faced the ghost; she didn't need to deal with Alexis crying as well. Her footsteps slowed as they got closer to her house, expecting to see the ghost boy lingering outside. But he could also be inside. She knew he'd be there either way, unless something about Thia scared him away.

"There's something to be said for mutual attraction? But if it's nothing more than that, then yeah. It loses it's shiny pretty fast." Thia said. She noticed when Alexis slowed down, and she looked at the other girl. "Are we getting close here?" she asked. She was trying to remember where Alexis lived, and thought she remembered the house, but couldn't be positive in the dark. She did look around for any random ghosties, though. "Did you want to wait here?" she asked.

Alexis would think about the loss of a shiny new relationship later. Right now she was focused on her house, just one more down from where they were. "It's the next one," she said, nodding towards it. Thia had only been there once, so she didn't expect her to remember. "What do you mean?" she asked, her brows furrowing. Wait here and what? "We can wait, but I think he'll still be there."

"No, I mean, do you want to wait here, while I go see about the ghost?" Thia explained patiently.

"Oh," Alexis said, licking her lips. It didn't feel fair to send Thia in there alone, though the offer did appeal to her. And she appreciated it. She'd have to bake Thia cookies tomorrow morning. "No, I can go with. Just... stay with me," she said, giving Thia a little smile before slowly leading them towards the house. It was just as she'd left it, the door locked, the lights on. Her father was still out, though they were going to have some words on the ghost when he returned. Alexis unlocked the front door and led Thia inside before cautiously looking around. Her heart seemed to be beating a hundred miles a minute, though she was sure it skipped a beat when the ghost appeared on the other side of the room, looking back at them from the doorway into the kitchen.

Lullaby was still sort of drawing energy off of Alexis, though with the appearance of the ghost, she put out a hell of a lot more, so there was a bit much to even try to quell. She jumped a little bit at the sudden appearance of the spirit, but she didn't let it phase her that long. Instead, she smiled, and stepped forward, the slightest bit in front of Alexis. "Hi." she said, waving at the boy, so that he'd know beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was being addressed. "Do you have a few minutes to talk?" she asked, wanting to be polite.

Alexis let Thia take the lead here, since this was usually the point at which she ran and hid. From a ghost. She realized the ridiculousness of that, but fear was driving her, not logic.

The ghost, on the other hand, seemed to appreciate the different approach. He blinked, took only one step forward, then nodded, his focus shifting between Alexis and Lullaby. "I can talk," he said. The boy was obviously dead, a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead for anyone that missed his pale skin and lack of substance. He didn't appear happy to see them, but he wasn't angry either. He was just there, and apparently willing to talk.

Lullaby gave him a brighter smile. "Thank you." she said. "What's your name?" she asked. Because she could get right into all the other stuff, but she thought that the conversation would go better if it was kept more normal. Or as normal as it could be. Plus, she wanted Alexis to see that this was okay. It was doable. "Mine's Thia." she introduced herself. "And this is Alexis."

There was a ghost in the room, but Alexis was the silent one, content to stand back and observe for now. She hadn't been expecting the ghost to speak, and wasn't sure she could have done this as casually as Thia was. She deserved more than cookies for this. Cookies and cupcakes.

"Michael," he answered, now feeling the need to move closer to them. Since he'd arrived at the house, Alexis had been the only one to enter, other than her father. He hadn't expected her to bring a friend to intercede.

"Nice to meet you, Michael." Thia said. "Are you looking for something here?" she asked. "Alexis says you've been hanging around, and she's a little scared. Hasn't been around ghosts and stuff." she explained, not sugarcoating it, but not being pointed either. It was more just a rational, reasonable explanation. "And she's got to live here, and do homework, and sleep and stuff, so I was wondering if I could help you out with whatever reason you're hanging out here."

Michael crossed his arms, his lips turning down as he considered this. He'd been aware that he'd scared Alexis, but he wasn't entirely sure he minded. He'd been hoping to find an answer, but scaring her had gotten him nothing. Maybe talking would actually get him somewhere, since he wasn't going to figure it out on his own. "I want to know why I died," he said. "The man that lives here, he was the last person I saw. I want to know what happened."

Alexis could feel the blood draining from her face, her hands start the shake as she grabbed the back of the couch. She'd considered a variety of reasons the ghost might be there, but it had never occurred to her it might be something like that. He was just a guy, maybe in college, and she couldn't imagine her father putting a bullet in his brain. It was her worst nightmare, that he might be capable of killing someone like her. Was he like her? It was hard to tell, now that he was dead. "You don't remember what happened?" she asked, looking between Thia and the ghost. "How can you remember him, but not... not why?"

Biting at her lower lip, Thia considered things. She reached out to put a hand down on Alexis' arm, to steady the girl. Comfort her. "Where were you?" she asked Michael. "What were you doing? Do you remember?" she asked. God, this? Was going to be messy. Very messy. Like...huge, overwhelming amounts of messy.

He closed his eyes, trying to remember. It had all been so fuzzy. There were little flashes, but they didn't make sense in relation to the rest of his memory. "I was in the hospital," he said. "I'd been attacked by this-- this thing. I remember being in the hospital bed, and then... I dunno. There were people screaming, I think." That had been loud in his ears, even when there was no solid memory to go with it. "Blood... there was blood." Even in death, he could still smell it. He could smell a lot, hear a lot. Nothing felt right, but he attributed it to being a ghost. "I don't remember leaving the hospital, but then I was on the grass. Or the snow. It was cold. And he was there. He said he was sorry, but I don't know what the fuck happened!" It had all gone black after that, and then he'd realized he was dead.

Even with Thia's hand on her, it wasn't enough to stop Alexis from crying. Michael might not have known what had happened, but Alexis knew enough to figure it out. And it wouldn't surprise her if Thia jumped to some conclusions as well. Maybe not the same ones, though she'd seemed aware of the weird here in town. It shouldn't surprise her that the attacks were werewolves. It just wasn't something they'd discussed. Alexis hadn't had to deal with it on her own, hadn't really known anyone that was affected, other than Thom losing Chrissy, and that even seemed small compared to this. "He wouldn't have hurt you unless he had to," she said, even if she wasn't sure about the truth in that. "He wouldn't have. You must've-- if you were attacking people--" How was she supposed to explain to him that he'd become a werewolf if he couldn't remember it?!

Thia did know enough to put two and two together. She was also thinking that if Alexis' dad was a hunter...she was going to have to be very very careful with her friendship with this girl. As Alexis cried, Thia put an arm around her and pulled her closer, to be there for her. Her eyes though, stayed on Michael, and she had true sympathy in her expression and tone when she spoke. "I know this is probably going to sound crazy." she said, aware she was talking to a ghost, but hey. That didn't mean he suddenly had the full package of ideas that went with his existence. "But werewolves attacked the town recently. If you were at the hospital because of an animal attack, you probably changed, and were rampaging. So, that's probably why you died, Michael. Because werewolves like that kinda...they don't know what they're doing. And I'm really, really sorry it happened to you at all, and it wasn't your fault." she said, because in her opinion--it wasn't.

With Thia's explanation, Michael took a step back, scowling as he considered it. He didn't like it, and didn't understand it, but he remembered the monster that killed him and... and he was a fucking ghost. Wandering around town since Halloween, he'd seen enough to know there was some weird shit out there that he didn't understand and he was among them. "So, it's like in the movies?" he asked. "I-- I got bitten, so I changed and I just-- just started attacking people?" He wanted to sit down. He wanted a drink, and he wasn't even sure if he could drink.

"You wouldn't remember," Alexis said, brushing tears away from her eyes. "Bitten werewolves don't remember what happens when they change. It wasn't your fault." She agreed completely with Thia on that point, even if it turned out his death had been a necessity. He hadn't been in control of his actions, and it shouldn't have happened at all. She just didn't know how to make it up to him, now that he was dead.

Thia nodded, eyes still on Michael. "That's what I know too. That they don't remember. And yeah, it's...pretty much like the movies." she added. "I'm really sorry." she said again. She noticed his restless sort of movement. "Why don't you take a seat?" she invited. "You would have changed, wouldn't remember that, and if you got outside, you probably went through whoever was in front of you to do it. Which would probably be why you got shot." she added, voice light. Delicate. "I'm really sorry." she repeated again, because it sure as hell felt warranted. "Just...remember it wasn't your fault." she impressed. She didn't want this poor guy blaming himself for something that was entirely beyond his control.

Michael moved around to take a seat on the couch. Thia was the first person to offer it to him, to treat him like he was human, which felt... nice. "Thanks," he said, somewhat in shock. "I didn't know. I didn't know there was anything like this out there." Sure, there'd been some weird stuff going on in town, but he'd never thought it would come to the point where werewolves were real. It did make sense, though. All the blood, the screaming, the little flashes in his mind that didn't fit with a bigger picture. "I'm sorry for scaring you," he told Alexis. "I wanted to ask, but..." He'd been worried her father would shoot him again, or something along those lines. So instead, he'd been lingering around, hoping to put together the pieces. "Thank you," he said, looking at Thia. She'd been the one to really help him out. Giving her a little smile, he took a deep breath. Finally, it felt like he could rest.

Alexis watched as Michael faded from existence right before their eyes, her breath caught in her throat as if the world had frozen around her. Even once he was gone, she was afraid to move, still not entirely sure if what had just happened was real or not. When she finally needed air, she took a breath and looked at Thia, her eyes still wide. "I think you just helped a ghost complete his unfinished business," she said. Though her voice was soft, she was looking at Thia when she said it. Now, she felt like she might be sick. "Oh God," she muttered, then came to take a seat on the couch herself.

Thia watched as Michael faded out. It was...one of the strangest things she'd ever seen. One moment he was sitting there next to her, the next...gone. She reached out, feeling the cold air left in his wake, before she looked back to Alexis. "...I guess I did." she said, sounding a little softly amazed herself. She also had a lump in her throat, but tried to swallow that back down. She gave a sad smile. "So...I guess this means you don't have to be afraid anymore." she said.

"I feel so bad for him," Alexis said, still overwhelmingly sad, unable to turn the tears off as quickly as they'd come on. "I don't have to be afraid of him, but... now I have my dad." Not only did she need to talk to Kyle, but apparently she needed to sit down with her dad and really understand what he was doing. She'd put if off for so long out of fear of what she might hear, but if she was going to keep thinking the worst, she might as well know if that was the truth.

Thia nodded, holding off on saying anything for a long few moments. She was thinking that this was going to impact her for a while. She was going to have to process it before she could really get a grip on what had happened there. "Is your dad a hunter?" she asked, coming out with it. Her voice was soft, and she looked over at Alexis, glancing around after a moment to grab a box of tissues, and she handed her one.

It wasn't something she'd ever told anyone, and Alexis instinctively looked around to be sure that no one else was there to hear them. "My mom was killed by a vampire when I was two," she said, taking the tissue from Thia. "He started hunting sometime after that. We don't talk about it a lot, what he does." But he'd done his best to keep her properly educated on the dangers that were out there and how to defend herself. This was just the first time she'd really run into something really supernatural.

She nodded, taking that in. That was something she could understand, but Thia still knew that being cautious was the best plan. After all...someone who had suffered like that might decide anything that wasn't human was bad. She could see it happening fairly easily. Losing a spouse to something like that...yeah. "I'm sorry about your mom." she said. "Do you ever talk about it with your dad?" she asked lightly. "I--" she started, then sighed. "Considering how things have been going here...you might want to now, if you don't."

"Thanks... I don't remember her, but it hit dad hard," Alexis said, wishing she could offer more there. Her father didn't mind talking about her mother, just not the exact conditions under which she'd died. And Alexis didn't mind missing out on that part. She'd sleep better not knowing the gruesome details. "I need to talk to him about it-- the hunting-- I just... I'm kinda scared?" she said, hoping Thia could understand that. "I know some people that-- that can do things. That are different. I don't know what I'll do if I find out he hunts them too." He was still her dad, and he was all she had.

"That's...that's something that is going to be hard." Thia said. "But...honestly, if that's the case? Then your friends probably need to know. Just kinda...keep their heads down, y'know?" she said. "I know that it'll probably be really emotional for you too, and maybe you could turn around his thinking. People sometimes listen to their kids." Unless they were her dad. Who'd only been stopped by a bullet to the head.

The frightening thing, the part that Alexis wasn't willing to say, was that she was among those that were different. From the research she'd done, she knew she was still human, but she didn't know how her dad would see it. She remembered him hunting down a fire elemental at one point, but that was a long time ago and she didn't know the details. "It's never been this real before," Alexis said, trying to explain it all. "We move a lot, but I've never met anyone that's been... different. I've never had to face the ghosts, or the werewolves, or the shadow things. I guess it's time that we talk about it. I don't want my friends to be in danger. And I don't want my dad to be a threat." To anyone. She just didn't know what his rules were, but now was the time to ask. "Thank you," she said again. "I couldn't have done this without you. I've already decided I'm going to bake you cookies tomorrow."

Lullaby smiled at her. "You don't have to." she said. "But...you're welcome." she continued. "Sometimes you just need a little help in life, so...if you need that, I'm here. Plus, you can tell me boyfriend woes at the same time, so that works out." she said, nudging her shoulder against Alexis' lightly. "I'm really glad I could help." she finished, then glanced towards where Michael had been. "Actually in both senses of things."

"Me too," Alexis said, her eyes following Thia's to the empty spot where Michael had been only moments ago. She still kept expecting him to pop back up, but if he'd really moved on, then she knew that must be better for him. Didn't that mean he'd found peace? It was hard to really know since the ghosts that found it weren't there to ask. "I know it's a lot to ask, but could you... maybe... keep it quiet about my dad? At least until I know where he stands?" Alexis asked. "I'll try to find out soon, but some people actually hunt down hunters. Not that you know the kind of people that would, just that it's not something you want spread around." Usually those that hunted down hunters were the sort of beings a hunter would kill. If her father really was just killing the bad and dangerous things, then Thia probably wouldn't be talking to them anyways.

She nodded, though she didn't think that was going to quite be true. The only family she had, most of them were something Other. Including herself. She paused. "Can I talk to Dean about it?" she asked. "He...I'm going to need to talk about all this to him. We kinda...we don't keep things. He wouldn't do anything. I promise." she said. Not that anyone even knew just how dangerous Dean could be. She wondered vaguely if she was the only one who actually understood the scope of that.

"Yeah," Alexis said with a little smile. "I didn't actually expect you to keep it from him. I'm just going to have to trust him by proxy." That honestly scared her a little, trusting a guy that she'd never met with one of her biggest secrets. But she was trusting Thia, and everything she'd heard about Dean made him sound like the kind of guy that wouldn't cause problems for her. "My dad's a good guy," she said, really hoping that Thia knew that. "He's always taken care of me, and he loves me, and... When I was little, he told me he was hunting down the bad guys. I just don't know what that means anymore. But I'll let you know as soon as I do."

"He's pretty much the most trustworthy person I've ever met." Thia said with perfect honesty there. "He's...amazingly good at keeping a secret." What with the fact that he'd kept her a secret since she'd died two months ago. "And I'm sure he is." she said, giving Alexis a reassuring smile. "Talk to him...see what's what...and if you need anything, let me know." she said, making sure Alexis knew she had someone she could count on.

As of now, Thia was probably the closet friend she had, which seemed weird considering how little time they'd spent together. But Alexis knew she could trust her and talk to her, and those two things together were two of the most important she found in a friendship. "I will," she said, giving Thia a little smile. She was going to make it through this. She was going to talk to Kyle and her father and figure out what was what. She wasn't looking forward to any of it, but at least she had a friend there to fall back on if she needed her.