chilldownyourspine

[chilldownyourspine]

“It’s really coming down out there.”

“I think we’re snowed in.”

“Come on, let’s play out in the snow!”

“I made a snow angel!”

“Ugh, I don’t want to shovel the walk.”

“It’s up to my knees out there.”

“Put on some gloves, you’re going to get frostbite.”

“SNOWBALL FIGHT!”

“I can’t remember the last time it’s snowed this much”

“I think the snow has the door jammed.”

“It’s a blizzard out there.”

“This house is on lock down. No one leaves until this storm has passed.”

“You can’t go out there! It’s a whiteout.”

“Can we build a snowman?”

“It’s too cold to be outside.”

“AH! Snow went down my back!”

“Let’s go sledding. Please?”

-gets buried by a falling pile of snow-

“Move over, you’re hogging all the heat!”

“Let me under your blanket.”

-crawls under blanket with-

“Cocoa?”

“We should go Ice skating!”

“I lost my boot in the snow!”

“I gotta say, skirts and knee high snow? They don’t mix well.”

“Go put on a coat!”

“Oh come on! I just shoveled and it’s already snowed over again.”

“It’ll look like a bloody murder, but I hear beet juice keeps the snow from sticking.”

“This is going to sound odd…but we may need to shovel the roof.”

“A sleigh ride in the snow! Oh, how romantic/fun!”

“Are you sure you’re bundled enough?”

“Everything is frozen over. I had to melt the doorknob just to get outside.”

“Wow it sure is cold.” 

-wraps arm around-

-cuddles up to-

[chilldownyourspine]

   Jeez, got a problem with the unliving?

[chilldownyourspine]

needsanexorcist​:

          “ AHA, I’LL BE sure t’ keep that in mind, “ he replied in response to the other’s so-called ‘tip’, trying to keep the displeasure at the words out of his voice. If this were anyone else, he’d have probably told them how he didn’t need any tips in his typical impertinent fashion ( after all, he was the best of the best !  Least, he’d been convinced of such until now ), but he got the feeling this was not the type of ghoul whose … wise words of wisdom should be taken lightly let alone rejected.

          He felt something recoil in his spectral form — a ghost’s equivalent of shivers going up one’s spine — as Snatcher decided to invade in his personal space, a feeling of discomfort rapidly sinking in. He was most certainly not a fan of being quite this close with this guy. ( And yes, he was aware that this was probably how many other felt when he did the same to them. Was this going to convince him to change his habits, though ?  Probably not. )

          Stretch attempted to keep his discomfort hidden, however, forcing a smile on his face, back remaining bent, tail curled up — overall appearing quite docile beneath the larger spectre. ( Which Stretch frankly found pathetic and humiliating, and he absolutely despised it. ) At the mention of him being a ‘high class ghoul’, he mentally cussed. ( This was always, always the problem with flexing your talent — it left you being highly sought after, usually by schmucks who could never hold a candle to ya’, but, of course, there was always that chance of someone who could actually give ya’ a run for your money showing up. And when that moment popped up, it always sucked. )

          He only allowed himself to straighten up a little as he responded, “ Well, I mean— I consider myself quite humble t’ really refer t’ myself as that, but, y’know, I’ve certainly had a lot o’ folks call me such, so there must be some truth to it, I suppose, yeah. “ He tried to toe the line between feigning a certain level of modesty and maintaining his confidence in his status — simply because he wasn’t sure which approach was more appealing. On one hand, too modest and he’d be risking getting figuratively trampled over, more than likely. On the other, he keeps up his normally rather boastful demeanour, then suddenly the guy wipes the floor with him. ( Basically, he was trying to figure out which way would be the most painless while still keeping some level of dignity here. )

          “ Er — Stretch, “ he corrected, sounding a little on the curt side, before promptly correcting it with an uneasy chuckle, “ It’s just Stretch, actually. Common mistake, though. “

▶ The grin on his face was less wide, instead opting for something closer to a smirk at Stretch’s words. He could practically smell the uncertainty... The weakness. Just how he liked it! Still, he was no fool; Snatcher understood he was marveled for a reason, as are most people. He wasn’t here to make enemies... Just to have some fun. 

   “ Oh, my mistake, then! ” Snatcher said, leaning his face real close to his. “ Though, with that nickname, one has to wonder why you have it... If I pulled you from top to bottom reeeeeeeeeeal hard and as far as I can, would you break apart into two ectoplasmic pieces, or would you be long enough so that even I could skip rope with you? ”

  He leaned back, cackling, seemingly amused at his own odd humor. “ AHAHAHAHAHAAAA! Oh, wouldn’t that be something? Then again, maybe you’re the one who does the stretching. After all, they call me The Snatcher for a very on-the-nose reason, but I’m not here to make assumptions! ” 

   Finally, he decides to let Stretch have his personal space, leaning against the bar’s counter, paying no mind to the other ghosts looking at him in wariness (or, more boldly, veiled annoyance). “ Ah, I forgot how good it was to go out and have fun! I mean, the terrorizing and gatekeeping of your domain is nice and all, but the living aren’t so lively, you know. Just toooooo serious. ”

[chilldownyourspine]

❦ Deal Sealed. | @needsanexorcist​

   ▶ Snatcher couldn’t help his guffaw at the reaction he’d gotten once the other turned around, so painfully smug and yet chilling to those who got to hear, most likely contributed to the deep echo of his voice. Snatcher didn’t normally stick around other ghosts, preferred being on his lonesome and with those who actually had souls he could take, but on the occasion he would partake in just a little socialization. 

   “ Why, thank you! ” he spoke with an air of self-importance, his noodle-like limbs moving to place a hand on his own chest. “ Y’see, it doesn’t matter how cliché the scare is, what matters is the theatrics. Consider it a small tip from me to you. ” 

   Snatcher stopped looming over him and instead twisted around, his body closing in on Stretch’s personal space as he got more eye-level with the unfamiliar ghost. (Sheesh, you’d think some would start gettin’ taller, huh? Oh well.)

   “ I don’t come around here often, so I get it, must be preeeeeetty startling to see someone such as myself, huh? Figured while I was out on th’ town, I would take some time to get to know one of the people around here that’s been claimed to be a high class ghoul! ” his perpetual grin never ceased, only stretching more at his face and even past his eyes. “ What do they call you, now? Stretchy, was it? ”

[chilldownyourspine]

                                       right from the START,                        you were a THIEF, you STOLE MY HEART                                       && I your WILLING victim

[chilldownyourspine]

   Casper seems to be sound asleep, definitely before any countdowns. He was never good at staying up during New Year’s festivities. Oh well. Maybe his resolution was to take a peaceful nap.

[chilldownyourspine]

Casper I want to wish you,Kat and Dr. Harvey a happy new year.

" Awww, gee, thanks! I just hope my uncle Stinkie doesn't end up nearly burning our home down, again. An' I hope my uncle Stretch doesn't try burning things period. " very tall orders, ones he knew weren't going to be kept.

[chilldownyourspine]

needsanexorcist​:

          “ … WHO THE FUCK is jerma nine-eight-five. “

   “ I keep gettin’ called Richie Rich, an’ I got no clue who that is. Welcome to the club. ”

[chilldownyourspine]

   ▶ One-line Starter Call for the wretched beast that is Sn.atcher! give that lil heart a click if you’re interested.

[chilldownyourspine]

needsanexorcist​:

          “ YEAH, WELL. NO wonder, “ he muttered in response to Casper’s stating that it felt easier to blame himself. “ I mean, ya’ ain’t exactly got the easiest— er. Ya’ ain’t got it easy. But it really ain’t your f— “

          The ghoul found himself freezing up a moment upon feeling the younger ghost wrap his small arms around his thin frame, violet eyes widening a little at the unexpected action. At first, he merely rested his hands on the boy’s shoulders, patting one of them with his mouth opening to tell him ‘kid, it’s fine, you don’t have to apologize,’ but found himself mentally faltering over Casper’s statement. ‘I think dad wanted you around.’ Hell, that might’ve been true. For all J.T.’s time spent telling him how he wished to distance himself from the family, Stretch was always the first person he called when he needed someone to watch Casper. ( Same’s true in life and in death, Stretch supposed bitterly, thougn shoved that bitterness aside just as quickly. )

          “ … Yeah, “ Stretch mumbled quietly, before proceeding to wrap his lanky arms around Casper, holding him close, returning the hug. ( It was always so strange how, occasionally, it felt as though he were holding a kid of flesh and blood. He knew too well it was all phantom feelings, and thus he usually ignored it, but this time he welcomed it. Seemed appropriate for the moment, y’know ? ) He curled up his tail in a motion that mimicked one pulling their knees up to their chest, and he rested his chin atop the boy’s head. “ I love ya’ too, kiddo. I care ‘bout ya’. I know I’m a bit of an ass, sometimes— “ And he was working on that, “ —but I do. “

          “ An’ listen— I know I haven’t exactly got the best track record with talkin’ ‘bout these things— “ That is, his typical outright refusal to discuss memories, “ —An’ this whole deal prob’ly doesn’t … really leave much encouragement, an’ thats completely on me, but— I don’t want ya’ thinkin’ you can never talk ‘bout this stuff ‘round me, alright ?  ‘Course, I can’t promise t’ know everything or nothin’ like that, but. “ It was not only an offer ( one which he was prepared to have rejected; he knew just about everyone else in the house was probably better to speak with than he was ) but also a promise — an incredibly bold one for him, at that; one that he knew he never would’ve made in the past. But the fact of the matter was, it wasn’t about him. Sure, Stretch could never promise that he’d exactly want to talk about certain things, but he didn’t necessarily have to, right ?  He just had to be willing to be there for the kid, that’s all. Which, undoubtedly, he most certainly was, if the fact that he was still around was anything to go by.

    ▶ The feeling of a returned hug was almost enough to make him tear up again, smiling as he was held close to his uncle. No, he was definitely tearing up now, especially with the verbal confirmation that his uncle loved and cared about him. Sometimes it felt a lot better to hear it than to simply know it from the things he did... Though, hey, he wasn’t complaining about the hug!

   A look of shock was soon upon his face, taken aback at what he’d just said. Was he... Saying it was... Okay? To talk about this stuff??? To... Remember around him? To talk... To him about it? He couldn’t believe what he had heard, but sure enough, it was true. His uncle was allowing Casper to be more open now. This was definitely new, he didn’t even know what to say.

   So, he decided to hug him tighter, sniffling. “ Thanks, uncle Stretch. You’re the best. ”

   ...He hoped that if his dad was watching, he’d be happier knowing they’d be okay.

[chilldownyourspine]

Casper your opinion on Kat and Dr. Harvey?

▶ " Oh, those two? They're swell! " Casper immediately brightens, clasping his hands together. " Kat's real tough, tougher than a lot of people would think, she's barely frightened by my uncles. Not many people can say that! Plus, she's one of my best friends ever. It feels like we can tell each other anything! "

His smile softens a little as he thought about Dr. Harvey. " Her dad's nice, too. I like him. Both of them have helped us so much, especially Dr. Harvey... Though sometimes, I dunno what he's talking about with his doctor-speak. He's good people. I'm glad they stuck around. "

[chilldownyourspine]

“you really don’t have to do that, not for me.” - for Casper

▶ Casper had been a little intimidated by this new stranger, finding his entire disposition like a 'cooler than you' aura, worried about startling someone so cool looking away. However, he understood that if he'd simply stayed away, his uncles might catch wind someone else was trespassing in their home, which would be even worse!

So, of course, he introduced himself, very surprised that the fleshie wasn't immediately ready to get out of there screaming. It wasn't a first, however, it was a rarity. Casper was pretty excited about it!

" Sure, I don't have to, but I want to! " Casper said enthusiastically, having offered his help in getting Riku out of the manor safely when he'd seen him exploring it cautiously. " C'mon! I'll show you the way out. You won't find anyone else to help you get back home around this place, trust me. "

[chilldownyourspine]

needsanexorcist​:

          HE REMAINED QUIET as the little ghost remorsefully explained himself, his own brows pulling together in a sympathetic manner that was not commonly seen on him. He gave a slight shake of his head, and eventually exhaled a gentle sigh. He dared to reach both hands out to his nephew, murmuring ‘c’mere’ as he gently picked the boy up, repositioning himself so that he was now in a sitting position, placing Casper on his ‘lap’.

         “ Look, nothin’ ain’t your fault, first off, “ he started, “ Pretty much all the crap you’re blamin’ yourself for ain’t anythin’ you could control — or, hell, anythin’ anyone could control, really. “ ( The fact that J.T. got carted away; the fact that he never ended up staying behind — just to name a couple. ) “ If anything, it’s … “ he continued that thought in a slight mutter after the pause, “ Prob’ly my fault you even think like that. “ Didn’t take a genius to figure that out; he’d always been the one to act like remembering their past lives had been a sin, the one spouting off that it didn’t matter ‘cause they were dead and life didn’t matter anymore. Or, to use the word that Doc used a few times during their sessions, he had always been the one to project his own disdain for how his life turned out onto the remainder of his family. And boy, was it being made evident in Casper in that moment.

         “ I’ll make this very clear — I don’t get mad at him because o’ you, I get mad at him for you. I know that might not sound like it’s any different but trust me, it is. But even ‘sides that, you ain’t the sole reason I get pissed at ‘im, alright ?  I mean, your dad an’ I … “ He paused for a long moment, his expression thoughtful, before shrugging his shoulders. “ Water an’ oil. I don’t wanna say we never got along, but we sure as hell never mixed. But, really, that’s a bunch o’ grown-up drama, an’ you’re a kid, an’ it really ain’t your problem. I mean, shit, he might be my brother but he’s your dad. I can’t stop ya’ from missin’ the guy just ‘cause I— “ He stopped himself there with another small sigh. It wasn’t his right to keep Casper from remembering anything let alone his own father all because he had a lot of unresolved problems of his own — simple as that. In many ways, he should’ve been grateful that Casper still remembered his own father in an existence where forgetting was so easy.

         He looked down at Casper with a frown. “ Is this— is this all makin’ sense ?  I know I’m kinda ramblin’ here. “

   ▶ Surprisingly — or maybe unsurprisingly, as at the end of the day, this was Casper — he let Stretch pick him up without much fuss, continuing to stare up at him with watery eyes that he wiped at with the back of his hand.

   He didn’t take any mind to his surroundings, silently listening to his uncle explain himself, but as Stretch spoke to him the chill in the air slowly turned into a more comfortable room temperature; the frost was soon to follow, beginning to melt away. 

   Yes, it wasn’t the most fun feeling in the world to once again recall your father and your uncle, two people you cared about dearly, had a less than perfect relationship. There was also the reminder of the awkwardness when he would overhear their squabbling. Yet when he heard Stretch explaining everything, he felt... Better. There were some things he didn’t understand, but maybe he didn’t need to.

   Casper took a moment to think, giving a sideways frown. “ A little bit... ” he said softly with a nod, hands balled in his own lap. “ Guess it was easier to think it was all just me makin’ things bad or complicated. ”

   The kid moves to hug his uncle suddenly. “ I’m still sorry about saying that I didn’t want y’ here. I’m glad you are, an’... I think dad wanted you around, even if he was kinda uptight. I mean, you an’ uncle stinkie an’ fatso fight all the time, but you all still love each other. An’ we fought just now, but I still love you. So... Yeah. ”

[chilldownyourspine]

needsanexorcist​:

          HIS BACK BENT under the admittedly true insults thrown his way, a frown pulling at his features and giving a visible, slight jolt at the raspberry blown his way. He rubbed the back of his neck, muttering “ Alright, yeah, I earned that one— “ before being cut off as the smaller ghost continued his rant. 

          He immediately felt that unpleasant thud in his form again at his words, an offended look finally gracing his eyes. ( ‘If you can’t care enough about me!?’ Oh hell no— ) His brows furrowed, letting out a “ Hey—! “ in protest before that, too, was interrupted because oh, Casper certainly was not finished. The spectre felt frustration rise in him again as the boy continued — how the hell could he suggest that Stretch didn’t care !?  As though the guy hadn’t stuck around for over a hundred years, taking care of the kid — as though he wasn’t the one that’d picked up most of the slack in place of his own brother who could never be fucked to come back for his own son—

           —And yet, in the midst of his own frustrated feelings, there bubbled a complexity of anxious and hurt feelings, the boy’s words prompting old echoes of his past to reach his mind. ( ‘I am GONE, you hear me, John !?  I ain’t ever wanna see your fuckin’ face again—’ ) He clenched his fists in a white-knuckle grip at these feelings, hands trembling at the exertion—

         ‘You can be just like him.’

          The words should’ve been enough to make him boil over once more — ( he wasn’t like J.T. he was NOTHING like J.T.; J.T. was irresponsible and a coward, could never commit— ) — but, to even Stretch’s own shock, his clenched fists slowly released, a deep, barely audible sigh exiting his nose, his shoulders relaxing. The frustration still somewhat remained, but it was no longer misdirected at Casper; no longer considering his words as a personal attack as he just had been. ( He’s a child. He’s hurting. He’s feeling unwanted, all thanks to you, ya’ dumbass. ) He uncoiled himself and finally allowed himself to approach the younger ghost, though purposely keeping closer to the floor in order to avoid towering the poor kid as he usually did. He stopped a foot or two away, still giving Casper his space, with one hand lingering in the air, tempted to extend to comfort the boy but refraining.

           “ Listen, “ he said firmly, though his tone still remained quieter than usual, “ It ain’t that I don’t care ‘bout your dad, an’ it sure as hell ain’t that I don’t care about you. And … “  He trailed off for a moment, then, after a brief thought, continued, “ An’ it ain’t even that your dad don’t care ‘bout ya’ either, alright ?  Don’t get any o’ that twisted, ‘specially that last part — the man cared ‘bout ya’ more than anything. “

   ▶ Casper continued to keep his eyes screwed shut, the slow feeling of guilt creeping up on him much like the frost that wouldn’t stop growing, no doubt going to make the already small space much smaller by expanding the wood when it would eventually melt and seep into its surface. At first, everything felt so justified to him, his uncle had crossed the line and he was making sure he knew that one-hundred percent. However, the more he thought about it and what he’d said... Well, he didn’t think he was wrong to be upset, but it felt bad. He didn’t want to be upset, certainly didn’t want to be arguing with Stretch like this either. 

   His ‘breathing’ was still unsteady, the odd phantom feeling of tears drying on his face giving him a mild sensory overload. It wasn’t often he cried, actually; Casper felt moments of sadness sometimes, that much was evident as he was a gentle soul, but he was good at taking things in stride. It’s what frustrated his uncles most about him, for it also contributed to his lack of passion for scaring. People would do him wrong and he would simply shrug it off or be annoyed at worst.

   Go figure the one time he stood up for himself and his feelings he’d soon begin to feel bad about it.

  An idle finger twirls, leaving spirals as it cut through the frost on the floor. He believed Stretch cared, really, he did! It was just...

  “ I know, ” Casper said, voice rough from both crying and his passionate outburst. “ I’m... I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been mean. I guess, when you said... That, it made me feel like... ”

   He turned to face his uncle, sitting on his knees and fidgeting with his hands while speaking. “ Like somehow, it’s my fault he’s not around, an- an’ I shouldn’t be giving him the time of day, or... Remembering. ” he said ‘remembering’ as if he should whisper, like it’s a forbidden word. “ But I... I can’t be mad at him. Especially when it is my fault. He got sad because of me. An’ he got... ” he swallows, feeling a sob come up his throat. He couldn’t even finish his thought, looking up at Stretch with those wide eyes of his.

   “ I just don’t want you to be mad at him ‘cuz of me, too. I don’t wanna cause any more bad things... I don’t wanna hurt my family anymore. ”

[chilldownyourspine]

needsanexorcist​:

          GOT A TONGUE as sharp as his old man’s, Stretch thought idly as soon as the words left Casper’s mouth and shoved the thought aside; now was not the time. It wasn’t often that the kid mouthed off quite like he did just then, but Stretch was relatively unmoved by the words — for one, he’d expected it ( it wasn’t as though this was the first time he was lambasted by his own nephew ), and for two, the boy had certainly earned his right to tell off his eldest uncle, so it was hard for Stretch to take offense.

          “ I ain’t here t’ make fun of ya’, “ he told him with a slight sigh in his voice, his tone surprisingly calm and lacking the usual hint of annoyance he might’ve had if this were any other conversation right now. Granted, this wasn’t just any conversation. He decided to pull his lower half through the floor ( mostly because he became aware how weird it’d be if someone caught it dangling from the ceiling ), coiling his tail around himself in that snake-like fashion that he usually did when sitting, though the coils were certainly tighter out of nervousness as opposed to the loose, relaxed state they usually took. “ I’m here t’— “ he started, then mentally fumbled over his words. Yes, obviously, he was here to apologize — it wasn’t as though he was friggin’ struggling to figure that part out. But it wasn’t enough to just say that he was apologizing — to simply say that he was sorry for running his mouth — was it ? ( There was a good reason why preferred actions for this sort of thing. )

          “ Look, what I said ‘bout J— … ‘bout your dad. It was completely out-o’-pocket, alright ?  I can admit that. I shouldn’t o’ put ‘im on blast like that. “

   ▶ Wasn’t here to make fun of him, what a rich sentiment. Casper almost couldn’t believe that Stretch was saying something like that, what with his track record. He’d always been prone to poking fun at others, including his own family members; in fact, all his uncles especially loved to poke fun at Casper for being so “soft” and not at all frightening, that he was far too kind for a ghost. So one can imagine why Casper assumed that Stretch would be there to berate his sensitive nature showing once more.

   His face showed disdain at Stretch’s apology; though the words “I’m sorry” weren’t exactly present, the fact it was an admission he did something wrong was enough to qualify when it came to someone such as his uncle. Casper’s eyes shut and his brows press together, silent as can be as to think of what he should do or say right now. Maybe he should give him the silent treatment! That’d show him, don’t even give him the satisfaction of hearing him say anything. It was a shame that Casper wasn’t too good at being quiet... No, maybe he’d leave! Yeah, just leave, let Stretch know just how much he screwed up. He huffed, realizing that was no good either, he was here first; why should he leave when Stretch was the one intruding?

   He turns to face Stretch, arms crossed and looking at him with scorn. “ Shouldn’t have? That’s the least you can say! You’re only ever a bully, y-y’know that? Just a bully who doesn’t care enough about anyone to think when he’s being a big jerk! ” he chastised, sticking out his tongue and blowing a raspberry at him before turning back around. 

   “ Well, I’m tired of it! If you can’t care enough about me, or my dad… M-Maybe I just shouldn’t care about you! How would you like it, huh!? M-Maybe I don’t want you around! Maybe I want you gone! So go away and leave me alone! ” his voice wavered and he sniffed, burying his face back into his knees. “ You can be just like him. ”

[chilldownyourspine]

cxnscience​:

“Oh, only a bit. A page or two. I really did mean it when I said I was just gonna borrow it, it’ll be back before you know it. Like it was never gone at all!” Jiminy is very meticulous about that sort of thing. Just because he’s an unwelcome house guest doesn’t mean he’s a criminal. He’s about to lift the book back up when he arches a brow, both incredulous and amused.

“That’s a, uh, a human myth, y’know. The whole ‘bugs are more scared of you than you are of them’ thing… I ain’t ever met a bug who was really all that afraid of you folks, but I suppose if it makes fellas with phobias feel any better then it’s rather harmless as far as lies go.”

But that’s besides the point. He clears his throat.

“What I mean to say is that I certainly wouldn’t mind a helping hand - besides, we’re already talkin, aren’t we? Bit silly not to bother meetin face to face at that point.”

   ▶ Casper nodded. He’d never actually loaned anything to someone before, in a sense more-so giving his items to any person that asked, thinking it was the nicer thing to do. It made sense that Jiminy would only need a little, though, so he supposed that letting him borrow it would be better than the burden of having such a huge thing around all the time. 

  He let out a sigh. Jiminy was clearly mistaken by why he had exactly said he might be frightened, but that was to be expected, considering he was hidden away.

  “ Uh... ” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck; it was a pretty neat fun fact about bugs, made sense since he recalled always playing with them when he was alive. At least he would be able to figure out if the same went for ghosts, huh?

  “ I suppose it would be kind of silly, right, right... Just... Okay, promise that you wont get scared? And leave? ” his small hands grip the side of the bed he was hiding behind. Alright Casper, just slowly reveal yourself, very calmly. No sudden movements...

  The little boy let go, floating upwards at a cautious pace, holding his hands behind his back. “ Uh, hey. ” he waved, smiling nervously.

[chilldownyourspine]

needsanexorcist​:

          LET’S JUST CUT to the chase: Stretch fucked up. Well, okay, he had a tendency to fuck up a lot in varying different ways, so let’s be more specific: He made Casper cry. ( ‘What, he hasn’t made him cry before ?’ ) Yeah, big shocker, but no, he hadn’t. For the amount of poking that he and his brothers did, the li’l glowworm was unsurprisingly thick-skinned. And sure, Stretch had his bad days where he’d be more short-tempered than usual, but he’d never ( to his knowledge ) said anything that was particularly insulting towards his nephew. And to be fair, he still hadn’t; he hadn’t said anything as a direct insult to Casper.

          He had, however, made a comment about the boy’s father that he realized shortly after he’d said it gave some rather painful implications for the young ghost. To make a short story even shorter, the topic of J.T. had come up — a topic which Stretch typically tried to avoid like the plague because it simply pissed him off to no end. He was normally good at shutting it down before frustration replaced his rational thinking, but the insistence to continue the discussion left his attempts unsuccessful. He should’ve said nothing — hell, he should’ve just left the friggin’ room entirely — but instead, he’d made a comment along the lines of ‘who gives a shit about him, the guy ain’t even here for his own kid.’ ( Not verbatim. Firstly, it was probably harsher than even that; more vulgar, too. Second, truthfully, Stretch had been so aggravated, so busy running his stupid mouth, that he couldn’t even recall his exact words — just the nature of them; the material that was most harmful. )

          Next thing he knew, the lights were bursting, hints of frost formed on the walls and furniture from the sharp temperature drop, and Stretch saw ( and heard — by god, did he hear it ) Casper sobbing, a sight which shocked him to his core. He didn’t have a heart, but deep in his spectral form, something had thudded in a way that felt incredibly unpleasant. And then Casper had fled, still clearly upset.

          What followed next was Stretch getting an earful from the other members of the household ( not all of it angry; but even the calm words held a clear tone of disappointment with his behaviour ), which he found himself eventually phasing through the floor to get away from it. He didn’t care if it made him look like a bigger asshole, seeming like he was avoiding the consequences of his actions — he knew he screwed up; he didn’t need anyone else to tell him that. He also knew that he needed to calm the hell down, and to do that, he needed to back away from the animosity he himself had caused. It would be a while yet before his brothers or the Harveys caught sight of him; he took care in avoiding them until he was able to get his shit together.

          Stretch was never great with words — even when he was actually trying to be nice, his tone and demeanour simply came off as rude and derisive. His apologies usually came in the form of actions as a result. However, he knew there was nothing he could physically do to solve the problem he created. He was gonna have to bite the bullet and talk to the poor kid.

          A long while had passed before Stretch had even dared go to the dingy, dusty room where he knew his nephew was hiding ( he didn’t bother asking himself how he knew; he just did ), but eventually, when there was no one else around to spot him doing this, he phased through the floor of Casper’s little hideout, pausing once his upper half was through. He coincidentally ended up popping in on the opposite side of the room from where the smaller ghost was. ( For the best, really; lord knows he wasn’t eager to see how the boy would react had he accidentally popped up right beside him ) He found himself absent-mindedly tapping his forefingers together, an expression of uncertainty clear on his features. For a moment, it felt as though his tongue were glued to the roof of his mouth, and he nearly felt tempted to bail on the attempt. Eventually, though, he simply forced himself to clear his throat, and finally spoke, voice much quieter than his usually loud tone:

          “ Um … hey. “ Pause. “ Can I, uh … may I come in ? “

   ▶ Don't be upset. Don't be mad. Don't cry.

   These words repeated in Casper's head when he felt a sinking feeling in what used to be his gut, remembering Kat asking him if he was alright and not much else; Only those words repeated in his mind as it began to cloud and fog, the pain of holding in tears being shown through his environment unintentionally, not recalling the sounds of glass popping and shattering (sharp pain) and the creeping frost growing (bubbling up)... A cold chill graced everyone as he finally let sobs rack his frame. 

   He didn’t stick around to figure out what else would happen.

  Casper hyperventilated as he scrambled in his flight, every part of the manor he passed growing cold and cracking light bulbs, frost creating hurried patterns along the windows as he rushed by.

   There had to be somewhere he could feel safe and think, somewhere where nobody would think to bother him or look for him; his hiding place had to be far away from everyone else. It was sure a good thing he knew this place like the back of his hand, guess that happened when you were stuck as a curious 12 year old, huh? Part of him wondered if his father had intentionally made little places he could hide away and explore in…

   Tears pricked his eyes again. Why did he think about his dad again? Why did his uncle have to ruin remembering?

   The dusty space might as well have been covered in faux snow, considering it was cold as a freezer inside the room he was huddled in, hugging his “knees” and burying his face into them. A layer of frost was around on the floor where he was sitting, making it creak and groan when it had begun to form and crawl through the old wood.

   A look of surprise was on his face a moment, not anticipating his uncle to have found him, let alone care to. How did he know he was here? He’d never told him anything about it. Well, that’s another quiet spot ruined.

  “ I don’t know, may you? ” Casper says in a cold, mocking tone, not looking at Stretch. “ Clear off and stop pretending you actually care about asking. Why don’t you cut to the chase and make fun of me for crying, you... You blowhard! ”