mun? obsessed? nah.... (ParaNorman spoilers)

[nomorebedtimestories]

You bought this, to go on your wall? ... it's... u-um...

Did you have to get the one that says "It's all fun and games until someone raises the dead"? I-I said I was sorry about that! I... I'm sorry.... I was...
... The Judge and the others, they're all okay now, right?
I.... I hope they were able to be at peace too...

... !! A-and a book? There's... a book?
It looks just like...

... I used to love that story. My mommy would read it to me all the time. 
It was my favorite... until...



Until those HoRRiBLe pEOpLe kept using it to try and pUT Me tO sLEeP, just because ThEY DiDN't waNT mE To WAkE uP!!

... !!!



Oh no, n-no, I'm sorry! I... I didn't...!
I didn't mean to... I'm so sorry...

Comments

[nomorebedtimestories]

[She wipes her face, glancing up at him. She seems to be a bit better now, looks like your encouragement is helping at least a little, Morty.]

Other ghosts...?
Um...
I saw and talked to lots of them, when I was alive.
But that scared everyone...

[burning_brass]

Well, I know a few ghosts myself. They live in little balls like these...

[He pulls out a Pokeball and sends out Gengar. It's his oldest, after all, and probably the best with kids.

So Aggie will be greeted with a shadowy-looking critter with big red eyes and a toothy grin.]

Aggie, this is Gengar. Gengar, Aggie.

[nomorebedtimestories]

[Aggie gasps and staggers back, highly startled at the sight of the Gengar. WHAT IS THAT THAT'S NOT A GHOST THAT'S LIKE A SCARY MONSTER THAT WANTS TO EAT HER.
Not that she'd have to worry about being eaten, seeing as she's already dead and all, but STILL.]

[burning_brass]

[Morty's expression changes quickly when she jumps back, and even Gengar looks concerned, that grin, amazingly, disappearing for a moment. It mumbles something with an apologetic tone, even if it just sounds like Gengar gengar gen.

Meanwhile, Morty's about at the point of hitting himself. Of course she wouldn't know what Pokemon are.]

It's okay, he's not going to hurt you. Sorry, I forgot you probably wouldn't have seen anything like that before. He's harmless, really, I promise.

[He's going to pay for the 'harmless' remark later, but right now he's just trying to reassure Aggie.]

[nomorebedtimestories]

... H-He's really a ghost...?

[She slowly, carefully steps toward Morty and Gengar again. Morty seemed like a nice person, who wouldn't want to frighten her. Even his "ghost" friend seemed to look sorry that he caught her by surprise. So she tries not to be afraid, despite Gengar's shadowy appearance.]

[burning_brass]

He is. It's... a different kind of ghost, I guess, from what you're used to. It's hard to explain.

[Meanwhile, Gengar is attempting to give her a smile that isn't its normal giant toothy grin. How well it's working is a matter of opinion - besides, it's hard to look reassuring with big, red, glowing eyes.]

[nomorebedtimestories]

I... didn't know there were other kinds of ghosts.

[She can't deny, Gengar is pretty creepy looking, but he doesn't actually seem so bad. It's rather clear he's not trying to scare her. She does her best not to be worried, though it is rather strange to try and think of such a creature as harmless.]

[burning_brass]

Gengar's kind might only exist where I come from. We don't have very many human ghosts.

[Gengar holds up a stubby finger in front of its mouth and winks at her before creeping around behind Morty - and suddenly disappearing into his shadow. Morty either doesn't notice or pretends not to.]

[nomorebedtimestories]

Did he... used to be a person...?

[She wonders, if that's what Morty meant by that; that wherever he's from, not all humans stay looking like humans after they become ghosts. If they become like Gengar...]

...? Where'd he go?

[It looks like Gengar just vanished into Morty's shadow. Did he really...?]

[burning_brass]

No, that's one of the things that make the kind of ghost he is different. He was actually born a ghost. I know that makes no sense, but it's how his sort of ghost works.

[He blinks and looks around a little.]

He's gone? Hm. Well, he likes to hide in someone's shadow, then jump out and scare them. He thinks it's funny. But I'm not sure that would work with you...

[Does she even have a shadow? Meanwhile, there go Gengar's eyes opening in Morty's shadow, and a flash of a grin before they're gone again.]

[nomorebedtimestories]

[Aggie isn't sure what to say in response to that. It really doesn't make much sense.
All she can really think is these other kinds of ghosts must be very different. She has a difficult time trying to think of what it'd be like to have always been a ghost, though. It sounds so strange. Even though she's been dead for 300 years, she still remembers what life was like. More since Norman helped her.
A shadow is something she definitely doesn't have. Though other then that, you might think she was just a normal little girl in a Puritan dress, if it weren't for her constantly being surrounded by a bright green ghostly aura.]

That's a mean trick to play...

[burning_brass]

He doesn't really mean any harm by it, but it is a little mean. Some ghosts like him like to play around with illusions, though, so I suppose it could be worse.

[Speaking of which, here comes Gengar out of Morty's shadow, leaping... right onto his head. The idea is probably more to entertain Aggie than anything else, even if Morty's stumbling around now. Mostly because Gengar's managed to push his headband down over his eyes.]

[nomorebedtimestories]

[Perhaps surprisingly, that actually makes Aggie let out a little laugh, watching Morty stumble around in a rather silly way with Gengar on his head. To her, what Gengar actually did didn't seem mean at all. It reminds her of something like when you run up to a friend and give them a big surprise hug. It looks like Morty and Gengar must be really good friends.]

[burning_brass]

[Laughing is good, and Gengar grins before helping Morty fix his headband and hopping off his shoulders. Morty's grinning, too, and glances down at Gengar.]

You were planning that, weren't you?

[Gengar just shrugs and winks at Aggie.]

[nomorebedtimestories]

[She giggles again, when Gengar jumps off and winks at her. He must be nice after all.]

You seem like really great friends.

[burning_brass]

[Morty laughs a little and reaches down to ruffle... well, it might be Gengar's hair, or just the spiky stuff between its ears.]

We've been together a really long time; I met him when we were both kids. A lot of my family's worked with ghosts.

[nomorebedtimestories]

Can only you see him?

[Well, only Morty and the others in his family who can see ghosts, she thinks he means. Other Prenderghasts besides her had her "gift" as well.
After all, someone had to read to her every year... for three whole centuries.]

[burning_brass]

Hm? No, it's just that it's sort of a thing. Some families where I'm from are like that - I have a friend in Violet City whose entire family trains birds. He inherited his from his dad.

[He's skirting around the whole concept of Pokemon, mostly because he doesn't want to have to explain it to a ghost he's pretty sure can't be much more than ten.]

[nomorebedtimestories]

... Ghost birds?

[That happens to be what her eleven-year-old (or perhaps technically three hundred eleven-year-old, though not much growth happens in death) mind puts together from what Morty implies, since affiliating with ghosts is fairly different from affiliating with birds. At least it is where she comes from. She doesn't yet have any way of being aware how similar the two practices are in Morty's world.]