video;

[upatbat]

[The camera starts up in a dark room, and after a second or two, a flickering flashlight comes on, held under the chin of one high school freshman. She’d look way spookier if she hadn’t done her hair and make-up in pink, but she’s at least putting effort into her tone of voice.]

You knooow… A school this old must have some ghost stories, right?

[She grins at the camera and winks, all sunshine and sparkles. Who cares that the school’s not even at the hundred year mark yet? Aki sure doesn’t. It seems like a good way to distract from the gloomy atmosphere people are carrying around here lately, anyway.]

We do that kind of thing in the Summer in Japan. Americans do their ghost stories in the fall, right? Halloween’s only a few days away, anyway, so why not? Now’s the perfect time for it. It’ll be fun, so come on! Tell us your best story, and if yours is good…

[Her grin widens, and she dims the flashlight for effect.]

Maybe the ghost in the hedge maze outside will get distracted and won’t find his way inside.

[The video ends right then, ominously. She totally just all of made that up, but if it gets a reaction, that’s fine by her.]

Comments

[tatatarata]

Shouldn't ghost stories be kinda boring to someone who can just go around pretending to be a ghost?

[upatbat]

No way! I've liked ghost stories since long before I got my powers.

[She shakes her head.]

Besides, I'm not actually dead. It's totally different.

[tatatarata]

That doesn't mean you can't play tricks on people.

[Look at that mischievous grin. We're pretending this isn't the only smile icon I have.]

[upatbat]

[That gets her grinning back. Takane, you secret sneak.]

Well... I guess that's true. Ghost stories have to come from somewhere, right?

[tatatarata]

[The Ene personality had to come from somewhere.]

Can you disguise yourself in your projection form or whatever, though? Because too many people around here knowing your powers might ruin it.

[upatbat]

[Sweet Devil is playing somewhere in the distance, I just know it.]

Probably? I mean, my projection looks like whatever my real body looks like, same clothes and everything. So, I guess if I wore a mask, it'd still work.

[tatatarata]

Then I guess you're set.

Just don't pull anything on me. I already know to expect it.

[upatbat]

You're expecting that kind of trick, but you don't really think that's all I've got in mind, do you?

[Danger, Will Robinson, danger.]

[tatatarata]

There are a lot of things I can do to your computer in retaliation, you know.

[upatbat]

Hey, that's a little extreme, isn't it? This was your idea in the first place!

[tatatarata]

Pranking me first is still basically asking for it.

[upatbat]

That's unfair! If you do that, I'm going to have to prank you even worse.

[Escalation is the only way.]

[tatatarata]

Then you'd have a war on your hands.

[She's...maybe a little too competitive. Whoops.]

[upatbat]

...Nah, I'd rather not.

[That intensity's a little much for Aki. She doesn't want this to escalate to changing grades and such.]

Maybe we should just target someone else instead.

[tatatarata]

Well that was the original plan anyway.

[upatbat]

...Whatever, if you say so.

[SHE DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT.]