[Lillith] haunted surprises

[Jacoby Michaels]

(ooc: lol Just thought it would be funny to have an actual spirit here, since usually there isn't. couldn't resist the title.)

Off work with nothing to do, Jacoby had ended up in Hogsmeade. He wasn't quite sure what had taken him there exactly. He only knew that once he started walking, he had ended up within the small Wizarding town. There was not a single student in sight, as it should be considering that it was past their curfew. The sun had already set, the sky had already darkened. And as he traveled through the familiar territory, a light snowfall had begun, slowly making the ground beneath him whiter and whiter, and the air around him colder and colder. And as luck would have it, he was wearing short sleeves under his Auror robe.

It was, perhaps, out of old habit that his feet carried him to the shrieking shack. It wasn't like there was much going on in the town. Most of the shops had just closed for the night, and though he spent some time in pubs, they weren't often his scene. This place, though, had always felt safe to him. Perhaps, it was all the time he'd spent there as a teenager. Most of it with Jonathan, some of it with Trish (therefore, leaving him with both fond and not-so-fond memories of it). There were some people who thought that the place was haunted, even after all these years. Jacoby had never seen evidence of that. Whatever the case, he found himself standing right outside it, snow falling around him, breath coming out in small puffs. It didn't take him long to find a cigarette and light up, the tip of his wand performing the task well so that it briefly illuminated his face in the dark. He didn't want to go home, because even though they were divorced he knew Trish would be waiting. So, the more time he could kill in Hogsmeade, the better.

[cyprus]

Lillith had done as she mentioned to Dimitri - gone off exploring the area more thoroughly. This place seemed like it should be haunted already, being dark and all with the noises the structure made. It was cold out and snowy but it bothered her not, and she searched the house out of curiosity. She appeared to be a ball of shadowy whispy white light at this moment, floating past the windows inside the house, stopping here and there.

She happened to stop and look out the window. There was a young man sitting there with a small light lighting up his face. How interesting. Why was he here?

[Jacoby Michaels]

He took a long inhale of smoke, letting it out in a large puff as he stared into the distance. It wasn't long at all before he turned to face the shack, realizing where he was with a brief pang. He'd often avoided the place, opting for other places to occupy in Hogsmeade. Or, preferably, to just ignore the town all together. Yet, there he was. It had been as though he was drawn there. He brushed a snowflake out of his vision as he gazed at a window that had caught his attention.

He'd felt certain he'd seen something. But that was strange, the place looked just as abandoned as it always was. As far as he could tell, not a single soul occupied it. Not a living one, anyway. Curiosity got the better of him. He started toward the shack instantly, opening the door and stepping inside. The first time he'd been inside in more than a decade. "Is anyone here?" he asked, realizing doing such was probably stupid. Just like the people in those Muggle films Jonathan always watched. Instead of running, he'd walked right in. Speaking to whoever may be there, without knowing just who or what they were.

[cyprus]

Lillith always had a habit of watching people so long that they realized they were watched. She couldn't help she was naturally curious about life in general, even now while she was dead.
For a few minutes as she observed him he looked like he was a little disoriented, and it was almost as if he realized he was standing near the house and he didn't want to be.

But then why did her look her way? She hovered in the window and saw him look up. Right at her. Perhaps she should hide herself, he looked like he might be the nervous type. Nervous, but adventurous. The pace he approached with made her quickly retreat from the window and hide herself in a small closet.

He was already in the front hall entry. She hesitated for a long minute before deciding to come out, still as the wispy orb of soul light. She came slow, and stopped ten feet from him illuminating the walls with an eerie soft glow.

[Jacoby Michaels]

He held the cigarette in his hand still, suddenly very aware that he was smoking inside the place. Well, there's no one here to tell me to stop, he thought to himself, snickering at the thought. And it was true. At least, he had thought it was true. As he took another inhale from the smoke, he wondered just how true it was. He hadn't felt like he was alone when he'd been standing outside. So, maybe he wasn't. He moved through the shack quietly, footsteps making hardly a sound. He could see his breath as he moved, even inside. In fact, he was certain that it was actually colder in there.

That was when his eyes caught something again. The cigarette had been between his lips, smoke drifting in quiet wisps in front of him, making it hard to tell what was his breath, and what was the smoke. He never took the inhale, though. His eyes were fixated on the front hall, watching the orb as it revealed itself. (Their self?) The cigarette fell to the floor in his shock. He let out a mumbled swear, quickly stomping it out, feeling a slight burn on his finger unsure of how it had gotten there. As soon as he'd succeeded in preventing a potential fire, he started toward the light as it moved slowly, illuminating the walls. "What -" he began and then corrected himself, "Who are you?"

[cyprus]

Even though he was quiet, she could feel where he was. She was sensitive to his location because of his body heat.
She hovered in the hall patiently, seeing that he saw her. But he looked unsure at first. The smoke part obscured the young man's face.

She was not surprised at the look of frozen fixated shock. She was used to the surprised reaction. It was what she was.
If one listened hard enough a soft wispy giggle hat was akin to a fairy's, but very soft and light, could be heard from his clumsiness. At least he was cute when he was clumsy. She always found the innocent things in a person's life the most enjoyable. Elisha had enjoyed her attitude on life because of that.

She stopped her very slow coming closer and heard the boy's words.
She laughed lightly again and stayed still before rushing forward leaving a wispy trail of the glow about a foot behind the orb she was and stopped right before his face, just two inches away. The light looked brighter this close.
She proceeded to dart sharply to the right around his head and went in circles digressing downward all the way down to his feet. Not only was she checking him out in detail, she was playing with him and his boyish curiosity. She stopped in front of his face 6 inches away again.

[Jacoby Michaels]

He was certain he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Or maybe he was just being paranoid. Something Sheldon had said once crossed his mind. Something to do with instinct, and how one could often feel when he was being watched. He couldn't remember Hall's exact words. He often tuned the younger Auror out, paying more attention to his cigarette or his coffee than his fellow workers. Either way, the broken words were passing through his memory.

He was certain he heard a giggle. A sound that was soft, barely audible. He wondered for a brief moment if he was going mad. But he knew that ghosts existed. He'd lived among them in the castle, hadn't he? But this seemed different. This wasn't like the ones he remembered from Hogwarts. He wondered if the giggle was directed at him dropping the cigarette he'd held. It couldn't be a coincidence.

He heard another laugh after he swore. Such a bad habit of his, swears slipped past his lips thoughtlessly. He wasn't used to being laughed at for them. Rather, being told to watch his tongue. The laugh brought a grin to his face. "It's funny to you, huh?" he said, eyes still watching the orb. He saw it rush forward, trail behind it, before it stopped only inches away. It was brighter now, but he managed to keep his eyes on it. His eyes followed her even as she darted around him, circling downward. "Are you ever going to show yourself?" he asked, a chuckle somewhere in his throat, "Or is this too much fun?"

[cyprus]

The young man was far more entertaining to observe then Dimitri. His reactions to the house were uncommon for someone who lived around ghosts.

She saw him smile and darted to the left a few inches prior to rushing up. He was talking to her. This was getting fun. She felt like she was alive for a few moments.
She found it highly amusing that he would even try to watch her move that quickly! Not many people would try that.

She giggled a little louder this time. "Maybe..." it sounded barely audible.

She darted backwards 5 feet and went to about his waist level. The orb expanded to a thinner concentration of light or wisps of her spirit, as wide as her waist would be, then lengthened out and reformed her. She was about 6 inches above the ground. And she looked over at him with a retained amused look of harmless carefree fun. She was well aware he was an Auror because she had done some information hunting in Hecate's mind. Hecate was the head of the department. Lillith had a striking resemblance to Hecate. She waited for a reaction because he was bound to recognize her appearance and have a double take.

[Jacoby Michaels]

Jacoby may have spent much time around ghosts, but it was in his nature to react strangely to situations. He always had, and probably always would. He remembered once, after saying something inappropriate, how Sheldon had told him that most people didn't randomly blurt out things like that. His response had simply been that he wasn't like most people. It may have been arrogant, but he supposed that no one was like most people (a paradox when he really thought about it).

He lost track of her, as fast as she was moving, but that didn't stop him from trying. His eyes attempted to follow her, that familiar sensation of curiosity getting the better of him once more. The giggle was louder this time, which made his bemused smile wider. He was sure he'd heard a word. It sounded like maybe. "Maybe?" he asked, laughter in his voice as she darted back.

He watched as she reformed herself, eyes pressed together as he waited. Six inches above the ground, she was finally before him. The familiarity spread his face instantly. But that didn't make sense. She hadn't died. Hadn't he just been at the office earlier that day, and seen her alive and well? But the resemblance was uncanny. "I'm going crazy," he said, the words spoken out loud before he could take the time to think about them. There was a bit of panic in his voice.

[cyprus]

At least he was entertained by he behavior. Many would find her obnoxious. Some would try and cast a spell on her to force her away.

She stood there scanning his reactions. She saw he knew who she resembled. She saw confusion. She saw him trying to reason through his thoughts.

"No dear boy, you certainly are not. Calm yourself and realize that some people in this world can be easily mistaken for others." she came closer and smiled. "I know who you think I am. that is how I know who you are as well, how I know you know the woman you think is dead. Hecate.... Ipswitch."

[Jacoby Michaels]

The idea of casting a spell on her had never crossed his mind. Jacoby could often be brash, sure, but he supposed that was to living people. Jacoby was merely a natural curious person. He was always seeking knowledge, always trying to find understanding - even though he felt he'd never find the latter. And as he stared at the now formed spirit, he was certain she could see every emotion pass his face. It was strange how his expression usually remained straight, but for the occasional smile or laugh around coworkers and those he really did care about - but when the prospect of his career taking a shift due to the possible death of an important piece of his career crossed his thoughts, it displayed that emotion of fear, paired with confusion.

You certainly are not. Well, that was nice to know. It was always reassuring to know that you were not going crazy, wasn't it? He breathed a sigh of relief, eyes remaining on her as she came closer. There was a smile on her face. How strange it was - even for a Wizard - to stare at a ghostly apparition. The curiosity was certainly there. Curiosity about who she was, who she had been, why she was still here. "You know who I am?" he asked, "So you know Hecate? You do look a lot like her. Is there a reason for that? Like, relation?"

[cyprus]

"Were you watching you life go down the tubes in the space of a few seconds? Jumping to conclusions is never a good thing." even though she wasn't in a solid looking form her features of when she was human still were prominent, such as the way her eyes shone in light. Diamonds on water. "I learned that lesson long ago before I perished."

She tried to stifle a soft giggle at his inquiries, then stared to go around him and behind him and turned around facing his back. "Does the chaos at the Ipswitch Family Reunion ring in your memory, child?" she asked.

She turned around and drifted away from him about ten feet towards a window and looked out a few moments before turning around again. "Not everyone can see me, and with some it is better they know I am not here, even as a spirit for now." she put the back of her fingers, hand in a loose fist, to her lips a few moments. "I know you are an Auror. Hecate betrayed several things to be inadvertently from her mind. You see... I had to tell someone to cease their useless violence without just showing up out of the blu. I possessed Hecate for this purpose... because she resembles me so strongly and the man I needed to get through to found her to be a reminder of me. It was logical to use her if he was paying some attention to her."

She knew what she was saying was setting herself up for him to get... upset. After all she was manipulating people. "I saw many things in her mind. I saw she was happily married, I saw she had family issues that ran very deep. I saw her life at the job and have at least seen all the faces of the Aurors, but only a few I recall the names of... such as yours, Jacoby." she said. "As to relation, the only relation I have to Hecate is through marriage. Being the Ravenclaw part-vampire's grandmother, you can see where I lay in the twisted Ipswitch family tree. I am grateful for Hecate planning to adopt Rayne as her own to relieve the girl of the burden of having such a sire as that foul worm Markus. ...I wish I could have stopped her..." she thought allowed in lament. "But no, nature it seems likes to play tricks on people and make them look so much alike."

[Jacoby Michaels]

"I might have been," Jacoby said, smirking slightly at the thought. Well, if Hecate died, that would mean a new head of the auror department. And it was no secret that Jacoby didn't take well to change. "I suppose you're right," he admitted, eyes still on her, taking the situation in. His curiosity hadn't disappeared. Quite the opposite, in fact. It had grown. He saw her go around him, facing his back before she spoke again. The Ipswitch family. He thought for a moment, remembering Airous. "It might," he said, "What of it?"

The fact that she called him child made him wonder how old she was. Or rather, would be. But was it rude to ask a ghost when she died? Was it something that you just shouldn't do? Whatever the case, Jacoby was still Jacoby and he didn't let the question linger long before it drifted past his lips, "How old, exactly, would you be?" Tactless, maybe. But it was Jacoby. He watched as she drifted toward the window, seeming to stare out it before she spoke again.

"Do you choose who can see you and who can't?" He asked, "Or do they choose you?" He frowned, realizing the question didn't make much sense. He nodded in some understanding as the other explained how she knew who he was. It was strange. If she were not a spirit, he would have left, having felt disturbed by the admission. However, because she was a spirit, the disturbance was moderate. Watered down by the curiosity. "So, you know of many of the aurors then?"

Manipulation wasn't something that upset Jacoby, really. He had his own game of manipulation occasionally. Often, actually. If anything, the idea of what she'd done was... interesting. Right as he had asked his question, she continued to speak, already answering it. "You must know a lot about her, then," he noted, a statement rather than a question. "I think I can see. It certainly is twisted," he paused before adding, "Though, I suppose my own is, as well," he tsked silently, looking up as he added, "It's really hard to believe your only relation to her is through marriage. I guess, nature really does like to play tricks."

[cyprus]

She giggled at him and shook her head. "What of it? Well. Let me just say I am part of that chaos through an unfortunate tie of bloodlines. One Markus Ipswitch decided my daughter was an easy target. As as to my age..." she continued. "I am old enough to be your mother, If I were 19 when I had you. 49 years I have lived as human and spirit. I don't plan to go anywhere anytime soon." she wouldn't tell him how she died unless he asked. Although he'd probably find out eventually. Heck he might even be planning to confront that vampire Elisha sometime when he found out who he was.

"It works both ways, in a way. Sometimes you can be so emotionally blind you cannot see what is right next to you. For now I choose to not reveal myself because it is still too soon... for one person..."
She nodded. "Just some information. I can't retain it all. Being dead has side effects, sometimes I forget things easily, others I dont."

She sighed. Twisted was an understatement, she realized. "Yes, Nearly her whole life story. I cant believe she is of the same blood as Markus... he is too corrupted with venom in his heart, it shows in his eyes.... but yes. The short time I was married to Rayne's grandfather is where the link ties me into the tree. My granddaughter is directly related to her."

By how curious he was acting, she had a strong feeling he was going to ask her many more questions. how everything went down, why she died, what happened to her daughter, why was she left alone by Elisha... she didn't mind talking about everything. It made her feel like she wasn't dead, but was still wholly alive and having a conversation with an old friend about how life was. She came closer to him and looked directly into his eyes. "Such curiosity... I can see in you what drove me when I was growing up to find out about witches and midevil times... never drown that flame. It only chains you down."

[Jacoby Michaels]

He heard her giggle and wasn't quite sure how to respond. Curious he may have been, but he was still Jacoby. And Jacoby was a man who lacked a bit where some social graces were concerned. He furrowed his brow as he stared at her, listening to her repeat his question before going on to explain. It had taken him a minute to completely recall the event that had taken place. He met a lot of people in his line of work, it wasn't easy to remember all of them. Markus, however, was a bit easier to recall. For it had been Airous who had called him. He smirked at the mention of an unfortunate tie of bloodlines before saying, "I know all about unfortunate bloodlines," with a slight snicker in his throat.

"I'm not sure I understand the tie completely, however," he admitted, eyes drifting for a minute. The chill of the season no longer seemed to be bothering him. Whether it was because the temperature had risen some or because he'd begun to ignore it, he wasn't entirely sure. His gaze fell on her again when she disclosed her age. "Only old enough to be my mother?" he asked, "I would have thought a bit older," he confessed. He wondered if he shouldn't have said that out loud. Well, too late now. "Why don't you plan on moving on?"

He thought about what she said. It confused him for a moment, and he was sure the expression on his face showed such confusion. Finally, he said, "Too soon?" not sure what else to ask, or how to ask it. Which was rare for Jacoby. "Well, some people forget things easily even when alive," he said with a light chuckle. "Unfortunately, we can't control who we are related to. And many of us have corruption in our tree," he frowned at that thought, taking a brief pause before he continued. "From my meeting with him, though, I think I can understand your... disdain," He smirked when she looked into his eyes, speaking of his curiosity. "I crave knowledge is all," he replied, "I suppose that is, in many ways, a form of curiosity. I wouldn't drown it even if I knew how."