3rd (lack of) sleep note. Audio at three am but left on the network as always.

[11calls]

[Alex doesn't sleep. It's a problem. So, when she doesn't sleep, she reads the network. That's probably a problem too. But for now, she's focusing on one thing. It's a thing that she probably shouldn't focus on, and that Strand would shake his head at, and it's three in the morning but Alex's chipper, canadian ready for radio voice comes out anyway.]

You know what I love? Ghost stories. It's so weird how there's ghost stories that seem almost universal. Well, [You can hear the smile in her voice here.] Earth-versal I guess? But things like the hitchhiker in the dress that you pick up and then drop off somewhere or she disappears and it turns out that she'd been dead for years and it couldn't have happened. Or the ghosts of children who move cars from where they were tragically killed.

Or dark ladies or monks or banshees that warn of impending doom. Or ghost battles that happen hundreds of years after blood was first spilled on the soil.

[A beat.]

And let's not forget about vengeful ghosts who are going to get you for something you've done wrong in life. There's too many of those to even talk about.

But what I want to know what ghost stories are like in your worlds. You can even tell me your favorite fictional ghost story. Mine is Hamlet. It used to be "A Turn of the Screw" but a friend ruined that by calling it "the best case for apophenia in fiction." So it's not fun anymore.

[And then she laughs.]

Don't worry, I promise not to call anything you've experienced here apophenia. We've all seen way too much for that.

And just in case you don't know, I'm Alex. Alex Reagan.

Comments

[11calls]

Wow. So what kind of things can you do with it?

[thestarling]

Magic? That's two different questions: what can I do with it or what can be done with it. One of those is significantly larger than the other.

[11calls]

How long have you been doing it?

[Alex definitely has her reporter hat on, sorry Peter. But she lets out a sheepish laugh after a moment.]

Sorry, reflex.

[thestarling]

About a year, give or take. Supposedly it's about ten for a full apprenticeship, so.

[11calls]

Wow. So it's definitely quite the serious commitment to do.

[thestarling]

To say the least. Can't say I regret it, though.

[11calls]

I probably wouldn't either, if I had the chance to do actual magic.

[thestarling]

Exactly. The magic is worth it.

[11calls]

So how does doing magic work with being a cop?

[thestarling]

We handle magic-related issues. Uses of magic to breach the Queen's peace.

[11calls]

It's both kind of awesome and frightening that there's enough of them to actually have a person on them full time.

Or two people I guess, counting your boss.

[thestarling]

There's a whole magic community, at least in London. Someone's got to keep an eye on things.

[11calls]

Wow. How many magic based incidents do you guys have? On average?

[thestarling]

Hard to give an average when I've only been at it for a year.

[11calls]

Sorry, still thinking like a reporter and that they're be stats and things.

[thestarling]

You're a reporter?

[He probably should have guessed that, actually.]

[11calls]

Yep. That's my job both here and back home.

[thestarling]

I'll be sure to practice my no comments.

[11calls]

[That makes Alex laugh.]

Well, then I'll have to work on being my most charming self to get you to talk.

[thestarling]

Good to know. Though I'm pretty sure I've already told you all the interesting bits.

[11calls]

See, people always think that, and then I start asking them things anyway.

[thestarling]

I thought that was just how reporters worked.

[11calls]

Well, there is that. But especially me.

[thestarling]

I'll keep that in mind.