If Jiri had been bodily present, Ghost would have put her hands on his shoulders to weigh him down, maybe calm him a bit. As it was, the best she could do was sort of try to catch his wildly flailing arms with her arms. It didn't make it better. Definitely not comforting.

"He's got a point. Jiri is not a case of hiccups, but scaring him was still a good thought." She tried to placate both side and probably failed horribly. This thought was backed up by her own hand giving herself a smack.

"He~ey!"

> "If you were another body snatcher, maybe you could have mentioned that at some point."

Oh. She ducked away from the accusation. It- it's different! "You're more a psychic type. I mean, when you possess someone, you leave your body behind." She indicated exhibit A.

"This is fascinating to watch." Susan leaned on the counter and slid a cup of water toward the two in one Ghost. "But d'you think I could at least go find my room?"

"Oh. The packet. Your key." Uhh. Okay. Go for broke time. You'll see. It's different for me. I'm... not sure how much this'll help.

Ghost released her form and let herself pool around Jiri's body, taking her time seeping in through his nostrils and mouth and spreading out through the boy's body like a hand sliding into a glove.

Susan poured the water on his face.

Up, like a marrionette, Jiri's body jerked. Susan yipped and actually jumped back a step. The voice was still Ghost's.

"I did specify the face as off limits, didn't I?" His eyes remained closed. His lips didn't move. To those inhabiting the body, there wasn't any indication of feeling the water other than observing it moving through space to bounce off their current vessel.

Scaring me was never a good thought. Stop lying to children.

On that note, sure her possession was different. Sure. No need to spare his feelings at this point. Really.

...Okay maybe a little sparing of feelings would have been okay. Because suddenly they were doing that weird monochrome texture vision thing and they were seeping into his mouth and nose and he was aware of every alveoli  in his lungs and every vein and every artery in a way he'd never ever wanted to be. The dimensions were all right, but the fit was all wrong. He wasn't himself: he was wearing himself, like a wrinkled suit.

"Bad touch," Jiri said. In her voice. In his body. Oh god.

I think I need an adult who is not you.

The water didn't even register. Hydration was so very far down his list of concerns right now.

This isn't what it feels like when I possessed you, is it?

Because he was never using his power again if it was. He would drink all the coffee in the world, and never sleep again.

She was really, really messing this up. She didn't normally ghost someone without their permission. She also didn't normally ghost those who were in serious denial about their own powers. Add in the creep-factor of possessing your own body and... well...

I am so, so sorry. Please just- I'll make it up to you. I'm sorry. She felt like crying for how badly this was all going, but Susan needed her packet. Ghost could bang her forehead against a wall later. For now there were things that still needed doing.

"This way, please." Ghost was a bit rusty at this so when she motioned with Jiri's arm toward the administrative hallway, she forgot to hold his hand stiff. It flopped at the end of Jiri's arm like a limp noodle. Getting the body to its feet was always an adventure. Every body had a little different balance, and usually the person was awake and helping somewhat.

"That looks..."

"I know." Ghost cut Susan off before she said anything that might upset Jiri more. "I'm sorry."

The woman apologized. He wondered if she was one of those people who thought that apologizes made things better. She kind of seemed like she was.

I am just going to close my eyes now, Jiri decided. I am going to close my eyes and I am going to try to convince myself this is a dream because this is quite possibly the most horrible thing that has happened in my life. Thank  you.

Worse than this? Worse than this was realizing that she could still see. That his eyes really hadn't been in the loop from the beginning. That he actually, really couldn't tell if he'd succeeded in closing his eyes, or if they'd just stayed closed all along.

He was pretty sure they were moving (she was moving him) but he was doing his best to squeeze everything shut. Eyes and ears and crazy sensory input and brain. Ghost would feel a great deal of control over their movements. Their jerky, inhuman, abomination-like movements. He was pretty sure they even made it to Susan's packet.

Can we go to my room now? You can just leave me on the bed. I think I can show myself around later.

Because so help him, even if he kept possessing her for hours after this, he was not going to really be there.

They made it through somehow. Well. Ghost made it through. She deposited Jiri's body onto his bed and seeped back out the way she seeped in.

Did he... go back? Was he gone?

Ghost solidified and rubbed her arms until the goosebumps went away. Even she felt like she needed a shower after that. The elemental shot a quick text to Gemma about Jiri. Because that was bad and that kid needed a friend.