When Eliot speaks, the ghost turns to stare at him, instead. It just... stares, which is horrible, but Martin forces his fear back down. There's no way to know if it understands them, but at the very least it is responsive to them, and it is continuing to demonstrate that it is rather... passive, actually, not malicious.
Martin frowns for a moment, wondering where that leaves them, what they do about it, when he supposes they might be going about it the wrong way. It may not be able to answer, but there are other ways to see if it undertands. He clears his throat and takes a faltering step forward.
"You don't really want to be here, do you?" he says, chasing a whim and hoping desperately that he's right about it. "Are you stuck? I mean... can you move at all?"
The ghost turns his gaping stare on him again for what feels like far too long before it drifts slowly back. It doesn't turn, just keeping its gaze on him while it floats away, inching toward the door.
Martin breathes out. "Okay," he says. "Well." So that's something. He could ask it to leave, but that would just put it in the hallway. And he's not certain it can leave the building, so...
"You know," he says as a thought strikes him suddenly. It's a bit terrible, actually, but he can't find the capacity to care just now. "If you have a complaint to register, I suppose you could approach the building manager about it." He faces the ghost, meeting its stare steadily. "He's down on the first floor. First flat on the left from the lobby, you really can't miss it. I can't promise he'll be very polite or helpful, but..." He shrugs. "He's technically in charge here."
The ghost just looks at him for another long span of seconds, having no expression to change or judge. Then, just as Martin's growing a bit worried this is too complex or ridiculous a suggestion, it turns around fully and drifts out through the closed door.
Martin stares at the door, then at Eliot, then hustles over to step out into the hall. He can't believe that actually worked, and he's going to follow it to make sure.
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Martin frowns for a moment, wondering where that leaves them, what they do about it, when he supposes they might be going about it the wrong way. It may not be able to answer, but there are other ways to see if it undertands. He clears his throat and takes a faltering step forward.
"You don't really want to be here, do you?" he says, chasing a whim and hoping desperately that he's right about it. "Are you stuck? I mean... can you move at all?"
The ghost turns his gaping stare on him again for what feels like far too long before it drifts slowly back. It doesn't turn, just keeping its gaze on him while it floats away, inching toward the door.
Martin breathes out. "Okay," he says. "Well." So that's something. He could ask it to leave, but that would just put it in the hallway. And he's not certain it can leave the building, so...
"You know," he says as a thought strikes him suddenly. It's a bit terrible, actually, but he can't find the capacity to care just now. "If you have a complaint to register, I suppose you could approach the building manager about it." He faces the ghost, meeting its stare steadily. "He's down on the first floor. First flat on the left from the lobby, you really can't miss it. I can't promise he'll be very polite or helpful, but..." He shrugs. "He's technically in charge here."
The ghost just looks at him for another long span of seconds, having no expression to change or judge. Then, just as Martin's growing a bit worried this is too complex or ridiculous a suggestion, it turns around fully and drifts out through the closed door.
Martin stares at the door, then at Eliot, then hustles over to step out into the hall. He can't believe that actually worked, and he's going to follow it to make sure.