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

[fogey]

Are you going to stab me?

[ just asked like that, upfront. he doesn't think she would, or could besides. ]

[withsadness]

If I have to.

[But no, she doesn't want to. She'd rather not. And of course, he'd definitely be able to evade her easily with his teleportation powers. It's just...well, she knows what she's willing to do.]

[fogey]

[ five does stop moving, anyway. he's not eager to see what memories she's hiding, hadn't entirely planned on looking. there's a part of him that wants to know more about the people around him, but he hadn't intended to seek out the vision of the death of a child.

but he says, ]

Then do it.

[withsadness]

[Despite her unflinching resolve, Mary still doesn't move. She grinds her teeth, something flashing in her eyes. Sorrow? Regret? Shame?]

But I don't want to have to. Do you want me to have to? Five...five...

[Mary's knees buckle. She lets out a strangled cry of frustration and jabs her palette knife down into the cracks between the cobblestones as hard as she can.]

[fogey]

[ maybe it's answer enough -- or would be, if she weren't a child -- that he still stands, doesn't move. if he'd wanted her to have to, he'd go for her grave now. ]

What I want, is not to waste time with threats. If you're going to attack me, do it, and if you won't, don't. Which is it going to be?

[ honestly, he knows. her response a moment ago is answer enough, too. ]

[withsadness]

I don't like to hurt my friends!

[Mary all but folds in on herself, grinding the end of the blade into the ground, loosing the cobblestone, just trying to let out whatever feeling that made her lift that knife to Five.]

But if anyone sees, I won't even have friends! I'll be all alone again! Please don't leave me all alone!

[fogey]

[ he comes closer, at last, moves to crouch down to her level. it's twice in only a matter of days, that they've done this; children have no place in beacon, jesus, if there was ever any doubt. ]

I'm not going to go looking at anything. That, I can promise you. [ callback to the last time: he wouldn't make false promises to her. ] You don't have to hurt anyone, Mary.

[ christ, but he knows that feeling, but i don't want to have to. shouldn't be worn on someone as young as she is. ]

[withsadness]

You'd really promise that?

[As Mary looks up to meet Five's face tears start to spill from her eyes once again. Why is all of this happening? Why now, and why so soon, when she had been starting to feel so at ease?]

I'm scared. I'm so scared of doing something bad, and, and...everyone hating me. I don't want to be hated.

cw: child abuse

[fogey]

[ he can't, of course, even begin to guess at the kind of things mary's been through. she's mentioned the fire, but that's all; nothing of the circumstances she's so afraid of, what could bring on this kind of reaction.

but she says, she's scared of doing something bad. she says, she's scared of being hated.

number five was, of course, raised by reginald hargreeves. the man had no love to give his children, no warmth, no support. and didn't they all wonder, at some point or another, if they'd done something wrong? vanya most of all, naturally, treated like the outsider in ways that had made him angry even as a child. but not a single one of them benefitted from hargreeve's affection, and all had to wonder, if they'd just been better, or done the right thing, would he have loved them?

it's been a long, long time since five was a child in that house, but it'd take a lot longer for him to forget. ]

That's not going to happen.

[withsadness]

[Mary doesn't think to thank him for the sentiment, even if it's thanks that she feels. She hiccups, a bubble of frantic laughter escaping her. He says it with such conviction, its hard not to feel just a little assured. She hasn't scared him yet. He hasn't run away or cursed her. He's right here, right in front of her.]

I'll never hate you, either.

[fogey]

[ he wants to say: don't make promises you can't keep. but this isn't about him.

sighs. ]

Now are you going to put that thing down?

[ the blade, or whatever. ]

[withsadness]

[Sniffling, Mary rubs her eyes and considers the palette knife in her hand. A part of her feels afraid to put it away, even if it's only Five. But after a moment, she stuffs it back in her pocket.]

Is that better?

[fogey]

Just try not to hurt yourself with that thing.

[ grumpily! not that he cares or anything, etc. ]

[withsadness]

I wouldn't get hurt by something like this, Five.

[C'mon, what does she look like? A small girl?!]

[fogey]

[ yes??? ]

You sound like my brother. He likes knives too.

[withsadness]

...do you think...

[It's odd. She's never thought about anyone liking the same things as her. Well, other than drawing.]

If I ever met him, would he be my friend, too?

[fogey]

[ he shrugs, considering that thought. diego's a lot of things, but he has a big heart. five would expect that'd extend to children, too. ]

Maybe. [ he has to hope they never meet, of course, but hypothetically. ] He's nice, Diego.

[withsadness]

[I'm glad we have a Diego reserved so this can become a reality.]

Diego...okay! I'll remember to be very nice to him, too, if I ever meet him.