[Scene: Living Room – Acceptance, Sort Of]
Later, Adeline resigns herself (temporarily) to being stuck. She reclines on the couch with an air of exaggerated elegance, one hand on her forehead like a damsel in distress.
Amara: [sitting beside her] "I've got to say, you're handling this meltdown pretty well."
Adeline: [sighing dramatically] "Dear, this isn't a meltdown. This is a highly contained outburst of frustration. There's a difference."
Leo: [teasing] "Looks a lot like a meltdown to me."
Adeline shoots him a glare, but it quickly softens into a smirk.
Adeline: "Fine. Perhaps I am having a minor breakdown. But don't mistake it for incompetence. I'll get out of here soon enough—and when I do, I'm taking that infernal board game with me!"
Jeremy: [smiling gently] "Until then, you're kind of stuck with us."
Adeline: [grinning despite herself] "Lucky me."
Despite her chaotic breakdown, Adeline manages to maintain her undeniable charm and humour, leaving the group both impressed and thoroughly entertained.
[Scene: Living Room – Adeline's Dilemma Continues]
Adeline is perched elegantly on the armrest of the couch, staring out the window with a mixture of annoyance and contemplation. Her translucent form flickers slightly, signalling the changes she's undergoing as part of the spirit realm's punishment for trespassing into the mortal world without proper authorization.
Adeline: [muttering to herself] "Of all the things I've had to endure—wars, scheming spirits, even your grandfather's terrible haircut—this is by far the most humiliating. Forced into a physical body, just because I stepped through the veil without filling out the blasted permission forms…"
Jeremy, sitting cross-legged on the floor nearby, glances up from his notebook with a smirk.
Jeremy: [playfully] "You did say the spirit realm has bureaucracy. Guess this is their way of making sure you follow the rules."
Adeline glares at him but quickly resumes her dramatic pondering.
Adeline: [sighing] "A physical body. How am I supposed to function in such a limited form? I'll need proper accommodations, of course—a personal space befitting a guardian spirit of my status."
Jeremy: "You mean a room? You can stay in the basement if you want."
Adeline freezes mid-rant, her expression incredulous.
Adeline: "The basement? Jeremy, darling, I am a sophisticated spirit. A basement is for misplaced furniture and forgotten gym equipment, not someone of my grandeur!"
[Scene: Basement – The Inspection]
Despite her objections, Adeline follows Jeremy to the basement to "inspect" the proposed living quarters. The space is cool and quiet, filled with old boxes, an unused treadmill, and some dusty furniture. Jeremy flips on the light, which flickers slightly before fully illuminating the room.
Adeline walks in slowly, her hands clasped behind her back, her expression a mix of judgment and curiosity.
Adeline: [wrinkling her nose] "This is… quaint. Functional, perhaps, but utterly lacking in charm. It doesn't even have curtains."
Jeremy: [shrugging] "It's a basement. Curtains don't really make sense here."
Adeline: [ignoring him] "And the lighting! It's atrocious. I'll need something softer, more ethereal. And the furniture… do mortals actually sit on these uncomfortable chairs?"
Jace: [poking his head in from upstairs] "Hey, the basement's perfect! It's got creepy vibes. Very ghost-appropriate."
Adeline: [rolling her eyes] "I am not 'creepy.' I am dignified. Elegant. And clearly undeserving of this dungeon-like space."