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[ahogarse.livejournal.com]

The lake is haunted.  You know this by now, don't you?

The lake is haunted by a little boy, down by the water, fishing around in the reeds for bugs and beetles.

[ooc: given that for no apparent reason I have started typing in french instead of spanish, except that it's late, I'm thinking it's bedtime.  Slowtimes abound >.>]

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[kinshou-kitsune.livejournal.com]

Today is a day for hunting. Crickets, mice, marbles, anything that could catch and hold the fox's attention for more than a few seconds. Inari wasn'r picky mostly because she was liking this strange place she was growing to know as Milliways.

Hoping lightly across a fallen tree the white kitsune stops when she sees the child amongst the reeds. Sneaking forward she kept herself low to the ground watching with interest to what he was doing.

[ahogarse.livejournal.com]

The boy smells like stale water, like blood, fear and death.

He's giggling, and chasing a water beetle.

[kinshou-kitsune.livejournal.com]

If Santi were to turn around he would see a white fox on the shoreline, head resting on her front paws, and watching him with eyes that are to blue for a vulpine. The creatures ears are perked forward with much interest as she watches the child play. His scent is hard to pick out amongst the others but she tries, placing each into memory for what she sees and hears.

Inari makes no move to go away or move into the water. She is quite content and happy to be watching the human child play.

[ahogarse.livejournal.com]

He does eventually turn, and smsiles, absolutely charmed because she's a beautiful creature.

[kinshou-kitsune.livejournal.com]

Turning her head to the right the kitsune seems to smile as she nods her head in Santi's direction. She raises enough until she is sitting on her back legs letting her tail swish behind her.

Blue eyes look down to the water then back up again, ears perked forward as if asking 'Did you find anything good?'

[ahogarse.livejournal.com]

Santi is almost used to animals that talk.

Almost. Not quite.

But she sounds friendly, so he climbs out of the water and comes closer to show her his beetle.

[kinshou-kitsune.livejournal.com]

*sniffsniffsniff!*

When the beetle is shown Inari stretches her neck out to sniff at hand and at the bug. The way her head tilts left then right she is no doubt pleased with the kid's catch.

She yips once, almost smiling at Santi if a fox could smile.

[ahogarse.livejournal.com]

She's nice and friendly, too. But the beatle has to go back into the water.

So he goes to return it to it's home.

[kinshou-kitsune.livejournal.com]

Inari will stay on the bank, sadly. As much as she would like to follow being a wet fox isn't exactly the funnest thing in the world. So she jumps a little at her spot and yips at Santi- bouncing on somehting that catches her eye and paws at the ground. Much like a cat with a laser pointer.

Instantly she drops down to the ground with her tail swishing back and forth behind her. Play! her stance all but screams as she gives a little whine. Just no playing in the water..

[a_poor_guardian]

In the early evening, Archibald walks outside. He's directing his steps to the apple tree Mary planted outside the greenhouse, but when he sees the boy in the water he stops and stands very still.

[ahogarse.livejournal.com]

Santi glances up and shrinks into the reeds.

Looking possibly a lot more afraid than Archibald feels. Santi isn't supposed to be caught by people.

[a_poor_guardian]

Archibald isn't precisely a stranger to ghosts. For ten years he thought he saw Lilias hovering just at the corner of his vision, or heard her voice just too far away to recognize the words.

This ghost startled him at first, but it seems so timid itself. Archibald bends forward a little, and says gently, "You don't need to fear me, child."

[ahogarse.livejournal.com]

Peeking out. He's still moving carefully.

[a_poor_guardian]

Archibald only knows basic phrases in Spanish, although because he is near-fluent in Italian and French, he can usually comprehend enough Spanish to get by from cognates.

"Buenas noches," replies Archibald in a strong English accent. He adds, in Italian, "[Do you only speak Spanish, child?]"

[ahogarse.livejournal.com]

Though he recognizes the sound of Italian.

He's standing on the bank now, sinc Archibald doesn't look like he's going to scream.

[a_poor_guardian]

It's a poor little boy, alone and looking lost; why should Archibald scream?

Archibald lowers himself creakily to his knees, to meet the ghost at eye level. "Have you a name?"

[ahogarse.livejournal.com]

He shifts his weight from foot to foot.

[alwaysroomforhope]

A little boy who is utterly adorable, though.

... if not precisely pretty.

Steph grins at him when she notices him, from the rock she's brooding sunbaking on. "Hi, Santi!"

[ahogarse.livejournal.com]

STEPH. Steph is one of the GOOD people who he's thrilled and glad and delighted to see.

So there's a splash-whoosh tumble and he's on the rock next to her.

[alwaysroomforhope]

Steph tries hard to be a good people! Right now she's feeling like a bad people though. She dumped her boyfriend and he needed her, and Steph's a hero. Heroes don't put their own happiness before others. Drama drama!

But happy little ghost-boys make it better. Steph beams at him, sitting up. "Find anything good?"

[ahogarse.livejournal.com]

Which was pretty cool. Really cool, actually.

[alwaysroomforhope]

Steph thinks bugs are gross. But she likes it when Santi thinks they're cool. "Oooh, show me?"

[ahogarse.livejournal.com]

He shakes his head sadly.



He figured it'd be cruel to keep it.

[alwaysroomforhope]

"I think most things like being free better," Steph says encouragingly. Don't be sad, little ghost boy! You did the right thing!

[ahogarse.livejournal.com]

So long as she doesn't mind not being able to see it.