EVENT LOG: GRAVES

[inthenightmods]

EVENT LOG:
GRAVES

characters: everyone.
location: Bonfire Square.
date/time: July 12-19.
content: mysterious shrines appear and bring visions of death.
warnings: likely violence and potentially gore.

time to pay your respects.

It happens when no one is looking, when most of the town is asleep and the rest are inside. A makeshift cemetery has come to Beacon, taking up residence in the middle of Bonfire Square. Each monument, shrine, and altar is dedicated to someone who now resides here, a memorial of their previous life.

Some may be drawn by curiosity, others by fear, and some may simply have to pass through this strange graveyard to get to the Bonfire itself. Whenever a person gets near, the altars beckon with a mysterious urge— an urge to approach, and an urge to leave something behind. They will feel compelled to make offerings at the various shrines, but doing so has a curious effect; it causes one to experience the death of the person whose grave they've honored.

Whether you resist the compulsion or give in willingly (or something in between), you'll also have to wrestle with the fact that a grave exists for you. Will you let your death be known, or try your best to keep it secret? Destroying it sure won't work, as it will return— with a duplicate somewhere else in town.

However you choose to deal with this, one thing is hard to ignore— this a tangible reminder of your death, and the fact that it's probably permanent.

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Comments

ASLEEP; LATER IN THE WEEK

[withsadness]

[If you come to talk with her later in the week, you'll find that Mary's finally lost the stamina to keep up her watch. You could find her swaying, dead on her feet, the lantern beside her flickering dimly. She still looks so angry...but exhausted. So, so tired. Or maybe you've come at just the right time, and she's collapsed completely, breathing slow and even where she lays. No matter how hard she tried, eventually, her strength could only last so long. Behind her, the doll that holds her marker continues to grin its red-stitched grin.]

[callada]

[It's been several days now. He's been suppressing his curiosity about Mary because he's not sure he really wants to witness the death of a child. He had plenty of close calls himself back when he was younger than she is now. And Law came close, so close, more than once in those last few months. But he, and Law also, always pulled through in the end. She didn't.

But he wants to know, because she seems so much like him in some ways, and because he wants to know how to help her. He approaches carefully, quietly, with a package of little chocolates in one hand. If she won't accept it as an offering, perhaps she could use the pick-me up.]

Hey, Mary. Are you doing all right?

[withsadness]

[It takes Mary a minute to respond. Her eyes are distant and unfocused, because she can't sleep, she mustn't sleep. She blinks a few times, and as the words seem to reach her, she becomes guarded, remembering herself.]

...don't come any closer.

[callada]

[That's fine. He understands. He nods, then sits in place and crosses his legs. Not going anywhere, not for now.]

Have you been out here the whole time?

[withsadness]

[She nods. But he's sitting, which means he can't reach her grave, which puts her a bit more at ease once again.]

I have to keep it secret.

[callada]

[Her death, she means. That much is obvious. Has she succeeded so far, he wonders? Hopefully nobody here would be cruel enough to go against her wishes so long as she's here to keep watch.]

I'm sorry you died, Mary. I might not know how, but I know you shouldn't have. Everyone here went early.

[And she went the earliest of all. Two weeks of this has proven that to be true - there's nobody here younger than her.

He feels awkward just holding onto the pack of chocolates in front of her so while he stays seated, he opens the bag and reaches out toward her with it so she can reach in and take one, if she'd like.]

[withsadness]

[Mary hesitates--like she thinks she's about to be tricked. Or maybe she isn't sure that she should relax even enough to eat a chocolate. But...she does love chocolate. And Rosi's her friend. And he'd tell her if anyone else snuck up on her, right?

So, she approaches and sits across from him, accepting the gift.]

Even if someone wanted you to die? It still shouldn't have happened if nobody wanted you?

[callada]

[That's better. Yeah, he'll keep an eye out. For now, he sets the package between the two of them and takes one for himself. It's a weak substitute for a cigarette, but he'll take what he can get.]

It means the people around you were heartless. Not that you were worthless. I've seen it a lot of times, Mary. There's always someone out there who wants you.

[So much like Baby, but he's hesitant to bring the girl up. Yeah, she found herself a new, loving family all right, but his brother's love was always based on how others could serve him, and he decided she could serve him as a weapon. It's not really the comparison he wants to make right now.]

[withsadness]

[Mary savors her chocolate slowly, even though there's a whole package between them. Usually, she'd be much more exuberant, but, well, these aren't necessarily usual circumstances.]

Heartless.

[Repeating the word, she puts a hand over her own chest and frowns.]

If someone doesn't have a heart, they're not a good person?

[equinoctials]

[ Riku isn't here for her marker or its secrets, it's the fact that she's soundly sleeping on the cold and unforgiving ground. Suspecting the reason has much to do with why he's covered his own with a canvas drop cloth, the sight spurs him to wordless action.

He shrugs out of his jacket, placing it over her small shoulders, intending to - very carefully, lest she wake upset - turn her onto her back, his palm pillowing the back of her head.

It's one thing if she wakes and he half expects her to, but if she proves too deeply asleep, she'll be getting picked up off the ground. ]

[withsadness]

[Mary does stir, just slightly, but only turns her head more into his hand as he lifts her. She's so light, it's easy to to so--it looks like at least for now, she is indeed sleeping deeply enough not to wake.]

[equinoctials]

[ Just as he thought, she's completely exhausted. And as for the reason... Riku looks over at the marker and the doll there, narrowing his eyes. Whatever the purpose is to having these things here, he's already experienced first-hand the way well-meaning items left in their vicinity causes an unwanted intrusion into one's recollection of their death.

He isn't interested in invading her privacy, and obviously, she's not too keen on it either, if she's willing to go this far to protect it. Or that's... pretty much how it appears, from where he stands.

Riku brings Mary up off the ground with him as he rises. He rests her up against his shoulder, cradled by one arm so he can retrieve her lantern. ]

This is no place to take a nap, trust me. Let's get you inside.

[ By inside, he means the Invincible, not that it's where he rests his head, but it's warm, safe, and there are beds. ]

my heart is melted

[withsadness]

[He'll be able to get pretty far before the subtle movement of his footsteps stirs her further. Fortunately, at least for now it seems as if she can't quite remember why it is she was outside in the first place. Her arms automatically find purchase around his neck as she gets comfortable.]

Bedtime?

hard same...

[equinoctials]

[ Riku knows what it's like to be that tired. When exhaustion rests so deep in one's bones that every limb feels like dead weight, when the mind aches for rest. So he doesn't try to wake her, even when she stirs again and manages two meager syllables.

His breath puffs, amused. ]

Yeah. [ Definitely. Way past, given how hard she'd crashed. He takes care not to jostle her too much, though trying to manage the door handle with her lantern occupying his only free hand requires a bit of that.

Eventually, checking one door after another without finding an unoccupied room, he settles for an overstuffed armchair. She's small, perhaps something is better than nothing, and the last he can do is try to find her a blanket. ]

[withsadness]

[It isn't until he tries to put her down that the trouble starts. At first, it's just a small groan of protest as she attempts to keep her small arms wound around him. Still, she relents, curling up in the armchair as content as a kitten.

Then, all at once, her eyes snap open fully. She sits up, looking around, and begins to shudder as it hits her exactly where she is. Or rather, where she isn't.]

No--no, no! Nobody's watching! I have to protect it!

[equinoctials]

[ He had only just started to go look for something he could use to drape over her small frame, a blanket, anything. Mary's distress isn't a thing he can ignore. He knows why she's upset. What's more concerning is what might cause someone so young to be so protective of the marker mysteriously erected in her memory.

Does she already know about the visions? ]

Hang on. Mary, I found you asleep on the ground. If someone was going to do something about that thing, they would have already.

Is guarding it really that important to you?

[withsadness]

Yes!

[She jumps to her feet and nearly falls over again, her eyes darting around until they find her lantern.]

I'll lose all of my friends if I don't!

second encounter.

[sunborne]

[ daylight returns to mary's spot and, thankfully enough, he doesn't have an offering (seemingly) at hand.

but he does carry a blanket.

it's almost comical with how it's clearly meant for someone of actual human height. he holds it so gingerly in his much larger servos, as if worried it'll rip to shreds if he doesn't treat it with the gentleness he showed to it as he made a trip into the impromptu graveyard.

it's the same sort of gentleness he shows as he carefully, carefully, carefully lowers the blanket over mary's still-standing form. he had passed by earlier when doing other things but he had immediately returned to the invincible, scavenged around for something upon spotting mary. something about her still standing there, trying to put up a good fight against it all, makes his spark hurt.

he wants to help her somehow. this seems like a good first step. this next action might not be a smart second step but it's the good second step, in his opinion. ]

Hey, Mary? Mary? [ he knows better than to touch her. he simply kneels next to her, keeping track of her reactions if there are any. ] You're almost falling asleep on your feet here.

that other comment chain made me emo

[withsadness]

[At first, there is no reaction. Her eyes are so far away, her face non-responsive. But then there's a flicker of recognition and she comes to, just enough. Maybe surprisingly, but at seeing Daylight she doesn't immediately launch back into the defensive. She looks searchingly up at him.]

Huh?

[Oh. She quickly looks over her shoulder at her grave, relieved that it seems to have been untouched, and gives herself a headrush in the process that causes her to sway.]

I can't remember...I've been awake for so long.

buckle in because this thread is going to be /worse/

[sunborne]

Mary-!

[ now is the time daylight reaches out and touches her, trying to keep mary upright so she doesn't stumble or fall. he looks so concerned for mary as scoots closer, minding the fact he takes up a lot of space due to his size.

before he can think it through, daylight makes a suggestion to her, only meaning well: ]

You should take a break, Mary. You really oughta do that. Your lantern... [ daylight's optics drift towards it and his brow furrows in alarm, winglets hitching up at the sight. ] It's really dim and I don't think that's a good sign.

UGH!!!

[withsadness]

It doesn't matter.

[But at the very least, she lets him come close and guide her.]

I have to keep it safe.

[sunborne]

Then I'll watch for you.

[ daylight doesn't realise what he's saying until he's finished saying the words. for a couple of seconds, he's quietly panicking. he almost wants to take it back, realising how big of a responsibility this is and how it might not end well if he messes up.

but then he looks down and sees how young she is and- no. he can't take it back. he doesn't take it back.

in fact- he doubles down by saying, ] How about this? You rest and I'll keep a shift for long as it takes for you to get back your strength.

You don't even need to go anywhere. Sleep here if you want to. But, I promise, I'll make sure no one bothers your grave, Mary.

[withsadness]

...really?

[It's not even just the offer. It's that he'd let her stay there with him while he kept his promise, too. It's different from the way anyone else has offered to help. In her hesitation, it's clear that Mary's considering it. Really is tired.]

Can I ask you a question?

[sunborne]

[ he nods when asked, his expression gentle but certain.

and when the other question comes, daylight, once more, doesn't hesitate in his reply: ]

Sure. You can ask me anything. [ he says this gently as possible while he begins to settle on the ground, already reading for a long watch. ]

What is it, Mary?

[withsadness]

Do you ever worry that people will be afraid of you because you're different from them?

[A surprisingly deep question from someone so small.]