Saying Goodbye

Who: Shannon and Eric-the-ghost
Where: Shannon's house
When: Around 10AM

Eric was never more glad that he'd gotten his "sleeping schedule" all out of whack than he was right that morning. It meant that he wasn't fighting disappearance as he walked across town to see Shannon, and he wouldn't vanish in the middle of a conversation. It was bad enough that he was going to vanish after tonight.... Eric was not very happy about that, but he understood.

He came up to Shannon's house, stared at it for a moment, then started up the walk. He couldn't exactly knock, so he stuck his head through the door and called, Hi, Shannon.

The head through the door and sudden sound of a voice, even if it was a familiar sounding one, caught Shannon quite off guard as she passed by on a walk from one room to the other. The red head gasped loudly and jumped back with a light clenching of her heart.

"Hello Eric." She said once she regained a bit of her composure and offered the teen ghost a light smile.

Er, sorry, Eric said with a sheepish little grin. Can I come in? I mean, for reals? He gestured at the door with one hand sticking through it. It didn't seem polite to just waltz right in. Not when she could see him, and all.

"Of course." Though Shannon didn't make a direct move to open the door. It'd be a little weird, and feel that way as well, to open the door while Eric was still stuck halfway through it. Once he woudl extract himself from within the wooden structure Shannon would step over and ease the door open so he could enter the premise in a proper manner.

The ghost actually just took the permission as permission to come in, no door opening required. He stepped the rest of the way through without looking the least bit uncomfortable about it. He had permission now, after all. The subject manner, though... he had misgivings about that. I'm really sorry about... all this, he said, eyes quite firmly fixed on her this time.

"Corwin mentioned you would be stopping by." Any trace of a smile that might have been lingering faded from her face. She had gotten the email Corwin had sent, one she had made one reply to, so Shannon knew the ghost would be paying her a visit. That though didn't make her feel any better at the moment as she knew what was coming. She was just thankful that Aiden was no where around at the moment.

Yeah, I told him to... I couldn't just leave. Not without seeing you, saying goodbye, or whatever.... He pushed his glasses up his nose unhappily, as if that could get him a better view of her.

"I'm glad you did stop by before leaving town." She would have liked it too if Corwin had accompanied the ghost, but Shannon knew that had not been a possibility due to the current hour of the day. Still it didn't keep her from being unhappy about the whole situation. She was truly going to miss the both of them, even if they'd be able to keep in touch via email. That wouldn't be the same thing as seeing them in person.

I'd stay if I could, Eric said, kind of hopefully, or helplessly. He didn't actually know if he would, but part of him wished he could. I'm kind of bound to him, though, so I can't go very far from him.... He couldn't even visit, unless Corwin came up to visit, too.

"I know." She said sadly. "Besides he needs you." More then she did, either of them. They really had been the only friends she seemed to allow herself to have. A small motley crew of misfits. Maybe that was why Shannon felt that little bit of comfortability with them, and a little less like an oddity.

Looking away finally, a little embarrassed, Eric said, I don't know about that.... Corwin had his family, that they were probably going back to now. Though with all his other friends left behind, maybe he would, now. Or something. He kept his gaze awkwardly on the floor at her feet as he added, I'll miss you. We'll miss you. Just in case the "I'll" was too personal.

"I'm going to miss you....both of you." Shannon murmured. And she was glad Eric had diverted his eyes from her cause she felt her cheeks tinge slightly with what she was sure was a light shade of red. Maybe she had been a bit too foward with singling him out first with stating that it was him she'd be missing, not that she wouldn't miss Corwin, she would, but those first words just seemed to tumble out before she could halt them.

He had to smile a little at that, looking up at her sudden correction-- and her blush. So maybe he wasn't being too personal, after all. He licked his lips a little, nervously, and asked, Can I just... touch you? Kind of? I mean, just on the hand or the shoulder or your-- cheek, maybe. And I probably won't actually touch you, so it might not actually bother you, but.... Just once. Before I leave. He stopped the babble before he could embarrass himself worse.

Shannon didn't answer verbally, the red head instead simply raised a hand with a slight tremble, and the uncertainty that she would be able to go the entire way and allow Eric's ghostly hand to touch her own. Shannon could feel a nervousness streak through her. In all the years back she could remember no one had ever touched her except for her brother. And now here she stood with Eric wanting to experience what touching him would feel like. He wasn't actually corporeal. All Shannon would probably feel would be a cold rush against her fingertips.

There was a moment when Eric paused, watching her and hoping she wouldn't pull back at the last minute, before he edged closer and held out his own hand. He didn't even try to make himself corporeal... he didn't want to scare her off. But he wanted to at least pretend, for a minute. For a breath. He took one more step and went to lay his cold, intangible hand across hers.

She could feel the slight quaking within her body as Eric edged closer with a lifting of his own hand. Her lids lowered and closed as a coldness seemed to wrap around her hand, and though her mind was tearing at her to move away Shannon willed herself to remain still.

Eric held his breath-- despite being dead, he still breathed, or appeared to-- as he curled his fingers around the space where Shannon's hand was. Just for a moment, to look at it with mixed pleasure, sadness, longing, and even a little bit of pride. She did it. She let him. Then he took pity on her trembling and "let go"; he didn't actually feel her, she didn't actually feel anything except the chill, but he withdrew his hand again, and looked up at her face with a little smile. Thanks....

Shannon smiled lightly as her eyes fluttered open with a light misting, and a single slip of a tear down her cheek. It wasn't something that had been induced by fear or being scared of what had transpired between them. A little bit of pride invaded her at that moment, she had been nervous, more then a little bit, but she hadn't let herself be totally consumed by fear. She had endured through it and strangely enough the red head was glad she had. Maybe Eric had taken her to her first step.

"You'll keep in touch." She said finally after a moment of shared silence. And with the silent hope that maybe he'd be able to come back, even if it might be for a short visit, and many years from now, when Corwin might feel it was safe to do so.

'Course, Eric promised, smiling a bit more now. Email is one of the few things I can do, still. It took so little corporality, just the tips of his fingers, that he managed it more often than not. And you'll stay safe? Let that weirdo brother of yours look out for you, and all? He said the "weirdo brother" like a tease.

"You better email, at least every other day." Shannon tried sounding insistant about it, but that tone just wouldn't quite fit behind the words spoken. Instead her words were tinged with the sadness that continued to flow through her. "Promise." She offered with a faint smle. And where her brother was concerned, whether she'd allow it or not Aiden would always be there looking out for her safety while she remained in the States.

I will, Eric promised quietly, and just stood there watching her for a moment before he tore his gaze away. I should go... I might be able to help Corwin with his packing, and I don't know when I'll vanish, anyway....

"Thank you for coming." Shannon's gaze dropped to her feet when Eric looked away. It left the red head with a mild case of the fidgets. There was much she wanted to say, but the words refused to fit together to make any sense, instead they just scrambled themselves within her head. If she tried speaking she very well would just sound like she was babbling.

Thanks for... being you, Eric said after a pause where he tried hard to come up with something better to say. I'll keep in touch.... Goodbye, Shannon.

"Eric..."Her eyes snapped up at the word goodbye. "Maybe if you and Corwin come back some day you'll take me to Babylon again." Not exactly what she wanted to say, the words I really like you just didn't seem to want to let a voice find them. And Shanno had never been one for blurting out random thoughts or feelings. Babylon had been the first thought that entered her mind as a replacement for what refused to leave her lips.

Eric gave her a slightly puzzled look, not quite catching the significance, but he did smile and nod. It's a promise, he said. His hand twitched again in her direction, but he managed to not reach out again, and started backing towards the door again. Backing, so he could still look at her while he did so.

"Goodbye Eric." Shannon finally let the words out as Eric backed up slowly toward the door. And for as long as his eyes remained on her, Shannon's never wavered from him. She would stand there just looking at the ghost until he phased through the door from her sight.