[Well. He can sort of tell this is about something more and, maybe, something about him, but he doesn't know what it is exactly. And he thinks Aquarius wouldn't tell him anyway.
Since that has been sort of what happens most other times.]
Hey. I brought something for you. Not just a picture of me as a kid.
[He leans up off the mausoleum so he can dig in the inside pocket of his jacket. Don't @ me I haven't submitted this yet because I didn't know if he'd do it here. Anyway, he pulls out some of the paper from the concierge.
It's all been folded a few times like this to form a sheath and a box. He has two of them! In Memory of a Beloved Sister and In Memory of a Beloved Mother has been written on one side of each of them.]
they're sort of just. kind of staring at them blankly like they aren't sure what to say. this goes on for a while. they're pretty much not moving while they process this.]
[He does the thing where he twists his wrists so he shakes them from side to side playfully. Lil tombies. He turns around to slip down away from the mausoleum. Gonna hunt a place to put them.]
Where do you want them? Got a hole in the top to stick the flowers in.
Yeah, but people say things and don't actually do them all the time. [pointing that out. but jason gets away from the mausoleum and aquarius follows after him.]
...somewhere in the back maybe where they won't be disturbed if this happens again.
Well, those people are stupid. And also? I am not those people. I keep my word. You made a deal with me, didn't you? If I say I'm going to do something, I do it. Wish the bad guys would learn that a little better actually. Like when I say I'm going to punch them in the face or shoot them.
Yeah, I appreciate your honesty more than anything. [they just say that and begin to walk forward, heading to a back corner of the cemetery. the spooky noises follow, slightly, but it's nothing dangerous. they eventually stop by a tree that's largely out of the way.]
Maybe here. Near the base where they're less likely to get crushed.
[He follows them to the back edge of the cemetery under the tree with all the spooky noises. For some reason, the fact they aren't freaked out about the noises makes him... less freaked out too.]
Not a bad spot.
[He kneels down and sets them carefully aside so he can
start digging in the ground with his hands. Not far. Just a little on the top.]
[it's just nice ambiance. but jason drops down into the dirt, and after a moment aquarius does the same. they use one gloved hand to start brushing aside dirt to help make the hole a little bigger.]
...hopefully it'll stay out of the way. Or people won't desecrate this place again on Thursday nights.
[He lets them help! Even if he wants to point out how wary they were before about getting in trouble. It's fine. Aquarius can do the second one while he takes the first origami tombstone and situates it in the groove.
He packs the dirt back around it to make sure it doesn't get toppled over.]
Who the hell took all the time to do that out here while I'm trying to do my job? To people's graves, too. Just shoot them like normal people. Is it the shadows? [It sounds mostly like he's talking to himself here.] I can't stand this place.
[listen they think that maybe if they're "helping a guest" it won't be so bad. so here they are in the dirt and digging holes for origami tombs.]
It's the graves that really pisses me off, actually. [they're? not happy? not happy!!] Seemed a little excessive though, didn't it? Should've left them buried and just dug other holes if you were hiding evidence.
[This doesn't surprise him after what they told him about, like, enjoying cemeteries. And he's alright with it. He's a little pissed too.]
Yeah. I guess they thought no one would want to exhume the graves. You know, banking on people having respect. A pretty smart move, even if it's kind of disgusting.
[He waits a moment, then puts the second paper tombstone in place.]
Then again, it did give us a weird picture of what's under the ground. [A side glance at them.] Some of the bodies being missing and all.
It is smart and I think that just makes me even more mad, actually. [if we're being candid here. jason puts the second tomb in place and aquarius begins covering it with dirt.]
...can't say I know much about what's going on there. The only time I meddle with anything here is when Orion and I are with you.
I'm trying to figure out if it's worth looking into, or if it's just something the hotel is doing on its own. On the island when we died, we woke up in a room underground with a bunch of coffins, kind of like a holding pen.
There was a hole on the island we never did anything with, so we didn't know what it was. But then the swords started throwing bodies down it later to hide them. They landed in there with us because the hole was ours. Royce was the first one. It's how I found out he was dead.
[Aquarius is valid. Jason thinks this is very valid. He lets them cover the other one with dirt. When they are finished, he pulls two peace lilies out of the inside pocket of his jacket. They each go into the holes in the tombstones.]
You know the hotel does weird stuff all the time. So...it might be best to leave it for now even though I can see why you'd want to look into it. Don't tell me you actually woke up in the coffins...what a terrible way to find out people are dead.
[imagining just being stuck in a room and corpses fall from the ceiling. lovely. they finish covering the tomb with dirt and sit back with their hands on their knees, watching him put the flowers in.]
...thank you, Jason. [it's so stupid and in the longrun it doesn't change anything, but it does sort of make them feel a little better so.]
We were in purgatory, so... You sort of just woke up standing in front of the casket looking at yourself in it.
[Haha.... Imagine. It's fine. IT'S FINE. He bumps Aquarius with his shoulder gently.]
It's hard being the one left behind. Sometimes you're angry, sometimes you're sad. Sometimes you feel guilty. You're left with all this... stuff weighing you down. It's real hard to slog through.
But it's alright to keep living when people are gone. It's okay to forget them, but it's also okay to remember them too.
Waiting for judgment... [its murmured to themselves as they shake their head. the bump sort of jars them out of their thoughts though and they look at him again. ]
...I spent a long time forgetting my mother. And then I did everything I could to try and remember anything. And B--[too close. too much.] My sister left on a trip with a few of the others. They promised she'd be safe and come back. That obviously didn't happen, even if she was thinking of me when she died. To not remember either of them would disgrace their memory. I want to remember. Always. Even when it's too much.
[...] Some people understand. Some don't. So when they do it...helps, a little.
[and now they feel like they said too much so they just go quiet again. ]
I get it. My dad was a piece of shit; he died in prison. My mom was sick. Not physically, but mentally. She did drugs most of the time because of it. Just us two, starving and being poor. I'm the one who found her dead; she overdosed. I thought she did anyway.
I found out she wasn't later because a sociopath had her as a hostage. So I went on my own. Don't know how old you are, but how you felt in what I saw... I'm guessing I was probably about your age. Anyway. You saw how that turned out. She was with me when the whole place blew.
[His hands are dirty, but he reaches out to take a hold of one of Aquarius's and jostle it lightly. Affection week, sue him. He uses the hand to pull Aquarius up when he slowly rises.]
You're pretty strong, wanting to remember. I'm going to have to look up to you, I think?
[they listen again. they don't really agree or disagree, letting jason tell his story and when he takes their hand they let it swing a little before getting up when jason stands.]
I think...you and I may be more similar than you think, actually. [but they take a breath and seem to compose themselves again.] It's not something to do lightly. But...I think it's worth it, in the end.
[they're a little flattered and baffled and don't know how to deal so there you go.]
they let this happen this time though, a vaguely disgruntled noise that's half-hearted at best.]
Sure. Guest relations, you know? [a pause.] Thanks for remembering.
[to. do this? to tell them about the cyoa? that they exist period? sure. it's been a long, busy day and his girlfriend's emotionally distraught. they are aware other people need jason's attention.]
[STOP THEY ARE NOT CUTE AND SOFT god they're both truly suffering under the weight of affection week. they do stay still to let him fix the hat though and seem to be staring up at him from under the veil before they shrug.]
You'd show up whether I wanted you to or not. [they just point this out.] ...you're consistent. It'd be dumb to break the pattern now.
[so. yes. but they will die before outright admitting it.]
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Since that has been sort of what happens most other times.]
Hey. I brought something for you. Not just a picture of me as a kid.
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...not that I don't appreciate the picture. But like what?
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It's all been folded a few times like this to form a sheath and a box. He has two of them! In Memory of a Beloved Sister and In Memory of a Beloved Mother has been written on one side of each of them.]
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they're sort of just. kind of staring at them blankly like they aren't sure what to say. this goes on for a while. they're pretty much not moving while they process this.]
...you...actually did it.
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[He does the thing where he twists his wrists so he shakes them from side to side playfully. Lil tombies. He turns around to slip down away from the mausoleum. Gonna hunt a place to put them.]
Where do you want them? Got a hole in the top to stick the flowers in.
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...somewhere in the back maybe where they won't be disturbed if this happens again.
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[He sort of jerks his head in a beckoning way.]
Alright. Show me where.
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Yeah, I appreciate your honesty more than anything. [they just say that and begin to walk forward, heading to a back corner of the cemetery. the spooky noises follow, slightly, but it's nothing dangerous. they eventually stop by a tree that's largely out of the way.]
Maybe here. Near the base where they're less likely to get crushed.
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Not a bad spot.
[He kneels down and sets them carefully aside so he can
start digging in the ground with his hands. Not far. Just a little on the top.]
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...hopefully it'll stay out of the way. Or people won't desecrate this place again on Thursday nights.
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He packs the dirt back around it to make sure it doesn't get toppled over.]
Who the hell took all the time to do that out here while I'm trying to do my job? To people's graves, too. Just shoot them like normal people. Is it the shadows? [It sounds mostly like he's talking to himself here.] I can't stand this place.
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It's the graves that really pisses me off, actually. [they're? not happy? not happy!!] Seemed a little excessive though, didn't it? Should've left them buried and just dug other holes if you were hiding evidence.
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Yeah. I guess they thought no one would want to exhume the graves. You know, banking on people having respect. A pretty smart move, even if it's kind of disgusting.
[He waits a moment, then puts the second paper tombstone in place.]
Then again, it did give us a weird picture of what's under the ground. [A side glance at them.] Some of the bodies being missing and all.
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It is smart and I think that just makes me even more mad, actually. [if we're being candid here. jason puts the second tomb in place and aquarius begins covering it with dirt.]
...can't say I know much about what's going on there. The only time I meddle with anything here is when Orion and I are with you.
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There was a hole on the island we never did anything with, so we didn't know what it was. But then the swords started throwing bodies down it later to hide them. They landed in there with us because the hole was ours. Royce was the first one. It's how I found out he was dead.
[Aquarius is valid. Jason thinks this is very valid. He lets them cover the other one with dirt. When they are finished, he pulls two peace lilies out of the inside pocket of his jacket. They each go into the holes in the tombstones.]
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[imagining just being stuck in a room and corpses fall from the ceiling. lovely. they finish covering the tomb with dirt and sit back with their hands on their knees, watching him put the flowers in.]
...thank you, Jason. [it's so stupid and in the longrun it doesn't change anything, but it does sort of make them feel a little better so.]
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[Haha.... Imagine. It's fine. IT'S FINE. He bumps Aquarius with his shoulder gently.]
It's hard being the one left behind. Sometimes you're angry, sometimes you're sad. Sometimes you feel guilty. You're left with all this... stuff weighing you down. It's real hard to slog through.
But it's alright to keep living when people are gone. It's okay to forget them, but it's also okay to remember them too.
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...I spent a long time forgetting my mother. And then I did everything I could to try and remember anything. And B--[too close. too much.] My sister left on a trip with a few of the others. They promised she'd be safe and come back. That obviously didn't happen, even if she was thinking of me when she died. To not remember either of them would disgrace their memory. I want to remember. Always. Even when it's too much.
[...] Some people understand. Some don't. So when they do it...helps, a little.
[and now they feel like they said too much so they just go quiet again. ]
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I found out she wasn't later because a sociopath had her as a hostage. So I went on my own. Don't know how old you are, but how you felt in what I saw... I'm guessing I was probably about your age. Anyway. You saw how that turned out. She was with me when the whole place blew.
[His hands are dirty, but he reaches out to take a hold of one of Aquarius's and jostle it lightly. Affection week, sue him. He uses the hand to pull Aquarius up when he slowly rises.]
You're pretty strong, wanting to remember. I'm going to have to look up to you, I think?
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I think...you and I may be more similar than you think, actually. [but they take a breath and seem to compose themselves again.] It's not something to do lightly. But...I think it's worth it, in the end.
[they're a little flattered and baffled and don't know how to deal so there you go.]
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[He laughs a bit, but nods and glances back at the little paper tombstones.]
I think you might be right. That it’s worth it. [He reaches out to tug their hat down like usual. Hehe.] Thanks for the cigarette.
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they let this happen this time though, a vaguely disgruntled noise that's half-hearted at best.]
Sure. Guest relations, you know? [a pause.] Thanks for remembering.
[to. do this? to tell them about the cyoa? that they exist period? sure. it's been a long, busy day and his girlfriend's emotionally distraught. they are aware other people need jason's attention.]
...guess I'll see you later?
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He is fond. Affection week, suffer. They are both suffering.]
Do you want to? See me later.
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You'd show up whether I wanted you to or not. [they just point this out.] ...you're consistent. It'd be dumb to break the pattern now.
[so. yes. but they will die before outright admitting it.]
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I know, but I'll hang out with you other times if you really want. If you miss me that much.
[He's teasing.]
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