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It wasn't often that she took breaks from her planning and plotting of life improvements for Kimeti and Kiokote, but today, Ghost Orchid had heard a rumor that the fabled Ghost Thistle had been spotted somewhere in the vicinity. Desiring to meet another Kimeti with "Ghost" in her name, she had set off in search of the Kimeti she'd only heard stories about. She'd had absolutely no luck, at all, in locating the specter of Ghost Thistle, and her hopes were beginning to crack painfully quickly. She slumped down on a bed of moss, dropped her head to her forelegs and let out a most piteous wail: "Why does nothing go right?"

The dark-coated doe cocked her head at the blinding buck standing in front of her, then bent to sniff the flower he'd given her. She did appreciate the gesture, and it was a lovely flower.

"Well," she informed him somewhat tearfully, "I have been searching this entire day for Ghost Thistle, you know, the one in the stories? We share something in common, and I wanted to ask her how she had felt about it, especially now that she is a ghost! I heard a rumor this morning that she had been spotted several times around here, but I've had no luck finding her, and Kimeti keep laughing at me!" The volume had grown, until at the end, her voice was loud enough to scatter birds from the tree under which she was resting.

"Well, that's very contrary, and crosswise to my purpose!" Ghost was rather indignant, and much put out that she had been looking for the ghost and it might have popped out and said hello had she not been.

.....And then her manners kicked in again, and she turned wide, mortified eyes to her current companion as she gabbled some form of apology. "Auugh, I'm, oh, oh dear, I'm so sorry about that, normally I don't scream at perfectly kind strangers and, and, really, really sorry about that! And the flower, yes, thank you for the flower, it's lovely and it cheered me up!" Verily she wanted to stand and band her head against the tree trunk like she did when she was stumped with a plan, but that would be awkward.

"Umm. I'm Ghost Orchid." It was short and rather blunt, but Ghost was not really a master at conversation on her best of days, and nigh on incomprehensible on her other days.

"Hi, Soul." She gave him a watery smile."Well, I wanted to ask her how she felt about having 'Ghost' in her name. Sometimes I feel like a ghost, all drifty and unattached, even to the Swamp itself. I went out into the grasslands once, to study how the Ache felt so I could try to come up with a remedy other than 'Return immediately to the Swamp', and didn't really feel anything for several days. So I wanted to know if she, Ghost Thistle, I mean, had ever felt the same. If she felt, well, off, somehow." It wasn't something she was keen on speaking about, but it had set her off a bit, and she really did owe the kind Soul an explanation.

"It's quite an unsettling feeling, this being adrift. I don't really like it, and it feels...wrong, somehow. I wonder if it's the Motherfather allowing me to feel the anxiety that I think treating the Ache would produce. If this is so, I'm not sure I'd want to make others feel like I do." Ghost sighed and looked toward the sky. "That's why I was hoping Ghost Thistle would answer my calls and help me."

The quiet offer makes Ghost perk up considerably, which may or may not bode well for Soul, poor fellow. When Ghost has ideas and willing (or unwilling, it never really matters) cohorts, trouble generally ensues.

"Really? Thank you! I was thinking that if I didn't find her here, where she's been spotted so often, then I might locate her mound and try a ritual I've come up with that might let me call her! With your help it shan't be a problem at all!" The joy in her voice was rapidly giving way to calculation and muttering as she tried to recall the things she thought would be needed for her "Calling" of Ghost Thistle.

"Well, it's nothing too, too horrible. A bit of leaves, a few rocks, maybe some blood--mine, of course, since I want to connect with her--probably bones and thistle. It may also involve mushrooms, once it's all set up. So! Shall we go gather the necessary items?" The now-chipper doe was up on her feet and all but quivering with the need to try her ideas. Maybe Soul would listen to soe of her other ideas, as well?

"Yes! Wait right here, I'll be back shortly!" With a laugh that sound much darker than she had intended, Ghost shot off into the forest, returning quickly to the cave where she had gathered a particularly sharp rock for carving, an empty turtle shell full of leaves and flowers, and a small stone charm she'd gotten from a doe who had been passing them out. She duped everything into the shell and picked it up, ready to head back to find Soul and set off for the Mound and look for the mushrooms(just in case, of course).