007.

[gloomyapoplectic]

Characters: [AU1] Kanaya Maryam and you!
Setting: Floor 48, the graveyard floor, forward-dated to Dec. 2nd
Format: Starting action, but I'll change to match you! c:
Summary: Kanaya has some friends to say good-bye to.
Warnings: Language and mentions of character death. Par for the course with a Homestuck in Animus.

[Snow has already begun to fall and accumulate on the ground on this floor by the time Kanaya begins her journey through it. She's bundled -- or as bundled as she can be, with bits of her Hemobiologist garb slapped on underneath her usual coat and skirt.

The way her ratty cape flutters at her neck, she almost feels like she's back in her Land.

Kanaya's time here is divided and devoted to a handful of the graves. At some, she pens a message in the snow with her claw, to the best of her ability. To the Signless and the Dolorosa: Thank You. To the very first nullblood Karkat that she met: I Hope Youre Safe. To the Feferi of her universe: I Wish It Had Happened Differently.

On others, she leaves tokens. A simple swatch of bright red cloth for the alpha Terezi. A square of jade with her symbol embroidered messily on it for the alpha Kanaya. She has no offering for the alpha Vriska, but she does not have words, either. She instead settles for a crude representation of a spider in the snow.

A visitor could find her at any one of these graves. Or, most likely, they could find her at the last grave she will visit, kneeling silently before the more recent headstone of one brown-blooded Vriska Serket with not a word or a token to her name.]

Comments

[myblueskies]

[Romeo stopped at the graveyard on his way down to the cafeteria. He had only woken up that morning from being in his world, and he was trying desperately to keep his spirits up. Seeing his world all dead always made him sad, even if he told himself the bad people might be lying.

He wanted to see all his friends, and check they had been okay while he had been gone, but first he was going to talk to Molly.

It was really cold, Romeo had taken all the clothes he could find from his trunk, he was wearing his shirt, the jumper Ghirahim had made him, his coat which was too small for him really but still warm. He was glad the bad people had given him his hat, the only problem were his feat which were frozen quickly as he walked through the snow.

As he made his way to Molly's grave he saw Kanaya, sat at a grave. He stood and watched her for a moment though he kept a small distance, because if she was talking to her friend he shouldn't interrupt.]

[fuhgeddaboudit]

[Labrys didn't like to come here, strictly speaking. Surely no one liked places like these. But she came all the same, carrying a small handful of red flowers. The metal girl with the axe fixed to her shoulders paused a moment as she saw Kanaya, steps slowing and hesitating only a moment before she continued.]

[First things first; she walked to the grave marked 'Yukiko Amagi' and kelt down to lay all but one of the flowers on it carefully. It was a minute or two before she stood again, gaze moving upwards to the snow with a look something like awe and wonder. She moved slowly, either to be quiet or to marvel silently at the snow around her.]

[After pausing a second time, she approached Kanaya quietly...then laid the last flower on the brown-blooded Vriska's grave respectfully. It seemed to be the right thing to do; they were probably special to this person (one of Feferi's friends?) but there didn't seem to be anything they had to give.]

[gloomyapoplectic]

[Kanaya didn't seem to be aware for a while that she was being watched. She only turned to glance when she heard the snow crunching. She caught sight of Romeo, but he was probably not here to socialize. Not with her, anyways.

Her gaze lingers for a moment. She can't bring herself to speak, but she does raise her hand to him in greeting, offering a half-hearted smile.]

[gloomyapoplectic]

[The young troll is off in her own little world, only foggily aware of the other presence in the graveyard (it hasn't attacked her, so it must be another of the Tower's captives). She doesn't turn to greet them, as they probably have their own business to attend to in a place like this.

The red flower entering her vision causes Kanaya to start. It's stared at with small wonder for a few seconds before Kanaya turns to look at the other visitor.

It isn't someone she recognizes. Maybe she had met Vriska, though.

She keeps her tone polite and subdued.] ...did you know her?

[fuhgeddaboudit]

[Labrys shook her head, mechanisms softly whirring at the motion. Her own voice was quiet and respectful, despite the somewhat coarse accent.]

Ain't ever met her. But ya looked like she musta been a real good friend, so I thought I'd give her one. I got enough flowers t'spare, and I'm sure Yukiko wouldn't mind sharin'.

[gloomyapoplectic]

[Kanaya's expression softens somewhat. Looks like Labrys is right on the mark.

It takes a moment to sink in, during which she searches the other girl's expression. She apparently finds the sincerity she's looking for, because her mouth curves into a small smile.]

Thank you. [Her eyes return to the name on the headstone, but she continues to address her company.] She was a very good friend indeed. I am very fortunate to have known her.

[And to have had a second chance after Vriska left to fight the Demon, even if she blew it.]

[fuhgeddaboudit]

[Labrys smiled slightly, metal-cased legs bending to kneel down next to Kanaya.]

It's good ya got a friend like that, even if she ain't here. It's awfully screwed up that they put a place like this here...but ya know, I bet they're okay.

[myblueskies]

[Romeo gave a small smile back, and because he was Romeo and would never leave a friend without making sure they were alright approached her. He read the gravestone behind her. Vriska... someone he had known too... well he had known two of them.] Hello Kanaya

[attheclocktower]

[Xion visits floor 48 fairly often herself, a few shells from floor 10 in her hand. She visits each grave of her friends, brushes off the snow from the ones she's left already, then adds another shell to the pile.

Especially Roxas'. There was something just... traditional about it.

Still, she notices she's not the only one, on her way over to Roxas' grave. Maybe... maybe she should just keep to herself but... in the end she plops down nearby, wrapping her arms around her knees.]

A lot of your friends have gone home too, huh.

[wweh]

[Welp, Eridan's busy staring blankly at the grave of the other Eridan that was here, as well as the Dualscar one. Though he doesn't really look up when he happens to see (a) Kanaya out of the corner of his eye, not really paying any attention to the colors, just the shape. He begins thinking out loud, to hope that he actually catches her attention]

I wonder what he would a' thought a' me. A' course I would a' impressed him.

[chronomancer]

[While Kanaya writes on the snow on Feferi's grave, Eridan leans on the tombstone, quiet. Watching.]

Funny, isn't it.

[It's not.]

That of all things, they made a floor like this.

[gloomyapoplectic]

[Kanaya doesn't object to Romeo's approach, and greets him politely.] Hello, Romeo.

Are you visiting friends, as well?

[gloomyapoplectic]

[She bows her head a margin to instead look at the flower resting atop the snow. From what she's heard about being returned to home, Kanaya doubts that Vriska will be entirely "okay" with that.

But maybe she's still alive, somewhere.] I certainly hope so. Perhaps I will see her again some day. [Kanaya doesn't have much faith in that. But she's not going to say that out loud.

Instead, she turns her head to look at Labrys again.] You mentioned "Yukiko". Is that a close friend of yours?

[gloomyapoplectic]

[Kanaya isn't sure who her company is, but from the dejected body language, she isn't going to object. Even seeing the girl wrapped up that way makes Kanaya want to pull her cape closer around her.]

Yes. I am glad they are not trapped here any longer, but I wish their departures were not so abrupt.

[She has a lot that she never got to say.]

[gloomyapoplectic]

[She's not really expecting a voice. At least not at a normal speaking volume (a place like this seems to warrant murmuring, if not silence). From her kneeling position, Kanaya turns her head to look.

It's another Eridan, which is no surprise from his voice. But she doesn't know if she's met this one or not.

She can't see the grave he's looking at from this angle. Curiosity demands:] Who?

[gloomyapoplectic]

[Kanaya starts a little.

When she stares at Eridan, it's with eyes wide, as if she's trying to parse some kind of ghost -- or maybe it's more akin to being caught in the middle of doing something she shouldn't have been doing.

Eventually, she averts her eyes. Her response is mumbled, and with no small amount of bitterness.] Only if you have a subjuggulator's sense of humor.

[chronomancer]

In a place like this, what other type of humor is appropriate?

[He folds his arms on the stone, leaning forward with a smile that is not entirely there.]

[gloomyapoplectic]

[When he leans forward, she leans back. His smile is met with a look of wariness.]

I am glad you are apparently amused.

[She is not glad.]

[chronomancer]

No, you ain't.

[Eridan shrugs.]

What's the matter, hon? You used to be a better liar than that.

[gloomyapoplectic]

[She was not emotionally prepared for a remark like that. It's evident from the immediate hurt on her face.

The process of Kanaya trying to come up with a response is almost tangible. All she comes up with is:] What is that supposed to mean?

[chronomancer]

[It's odd, watching the play of emotion on her face and yet the anticipated flinch of regret never came. It was odd, and strangely liberating, having been bound by that for so long and suddenly realize it's not there anymore. Eridan's smile is empty and vanishes without a trace, leaving only the flat, unforgiving deadpan.]

What do you think you're doing here?

[gloomyapoplectic]

Attempting to achieve closure. It was to my understanding that people do that in places like this.

[She's on the defensive, and it's obvious from her tone. She's just trying to get over all this shit that's been weighing her down for over half a sweep now.

She'll probably never see any of these people again, so what else can she do?]

[chronomancer]

Closure.

[He couldn't sound more disdainful if he actually tried to put an inflection on the words, the deadpan alone was dismissive. He snorted, pushing away from the stone, walking past her towards the staircase.]

You're a joke.

[The snide remark, delivered just as he walked past her, sneer slowly bleeding into his face.]

[gloomyapoplectic]

[She looks like she's been slapped in the face.

It takes a second to sink in. By the time it does, Eridan is almost past her.

And then it hits her, the boiling anger at him having the shame globes to say something like that to her in this place. She can feel her heart begin to race as she turns on her heel to roughly take hold of his shoulder -- rougher than necessary to keep him from leaving, but the rage is coming up fast and she doesn't feel charitable enough to try and stop it.]

Are you ever going to tell me what I did to you?!

[For months he has been avoiding her, ever since that first debacle between him and Karkat, and she doesn't fucking understand.]

[chronomancer]

[And then Kanaya is staring at the barrel of a gun and temperature doesn't so much drop as pummel into negative numbers in a way the current climate can't even compare to.]

Get your hands off me.

[The safe clicks off.]

Now.