GRAVEKEEPER.

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GRAVEKEEPER

Today, when Jason is in his bedroom, he will receive a message on his typewriter.

Are we interrupting? Well, whatever. Your presence is required at the moment. Hope you aren't afraid of the dark.

Immediately after he finishes reading the message, he will feel compelled to walk into the elevator, inside which a shadowy elevator attendant appears as a guide. Once Jason arrives at the destination, he will find himself standing just beyond the iron fence of the graveyard.

It feels particularly eerie on this fine Tuesday - a low wind whistles through the graveyard, rustling trees no one can see, and the moon is shining high and bright overhead.

Standing tall and proud is Orion, holding a shovel in their hands, the spade of it touching the ground. They don't seem to have much to say, simply glancing from Jason over to their companion. With them is Aquarius, seated on top of a gravestone to be just slightly taller than Orion. They, too, have a shovel in their hands, the spade resting against their shoulder.

"Thanks for coming," Aquarius says in a tone that implies they're aware it wasn't by choice.

Orion reaches into their uniform, and pulls out a sheath of papers, and speaks.

"...You've been tasked with an additional duty. Read the contract between the lines, but - keep in mind that there will be consequences if you choose to disagree."

RULES

1. The Gravekeeper is required to keep maintenance of the graves in the graveyard.
2. On Tuesday, the Gravekeeper will select one participant to remove from the hotel to ensure a proper fit to the open graves available.
2A: The Gravekeeper may occasionally have an additional selection made for them, per the discretion of hotel staff.
3. Interference can only be done through the tools of the Gravekeeper trade. The interlopers will not be aware of your interference.
4. The interlopers will be placed into boxes Thursday evening and dealt with accordingly.
5. On Friday morning, the interlopers will be released from their boxes.
6. The Gravekeeper must make their decision as to their power by Thursday evening.
7. The Gravekeeper is not to disclose that they are performing these duties. Discussing them with anyone other than authorized Hotel Staff, including the interlopers, will be considered breach of contract and will result in the death of ROY HARPER.

N̸A̵V̴I̶G̶A̶T̴I̴O̸N̷.̷

█ LOCATIONS █ STATUSES █ PROFILES █ AUDIENCES
█ REPORTING █ PRIVATE CONVOS █ MURDER

Comments

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[well. orion is polite about it.

aquarius is regretting the fact that jason has ever surmised their actual age because there's an indignant squawk and they immediately squirm in this hug. no!!! they're trying to push at his dumb, beefy arms but they are making no progress. they are trapped.


they allow this, begrudgingly. stupid jason.]

Easy to say now, dummy. [JUST. THE CALL OUT.] But I'd be pretty mad if you didn't live after that so...good. You're still okay?

[unrecked]

[This is the bullying they deserve. He doesn't let them out of the beefy-armed hug for a moment, but then finally relents. He even helps situate their dorky hat back.]

Yeah. Not gonna lie, it was a little rough. The dream was rougher. But... It's over. Now I can focus on business.

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[even in that extremely brief moment though they seem to like, settle. like they actually don't mind as much as they're letting on. but jason lets go and they sort of appear ruffled. like you know how cats look after you release them and then they immediately start grooming themselves like they're unbothered but how dare you.

anyway...]

...the dreams always seem like the worst part. You can't wake up from them, and even when you do you never know if you're really awake. [they seem pensive for a moment.] ...but it's over. We can keep going with whatever you decide this week.

[unrecked]

[Very cute. Aquarius needs some affection and love. PLEASE GIVE THEM THESE THINGS.

But he frowns slightly at the way they say this to him. HELLO? He's going to wallop them upside the head. DON'T BE ACTING LIKE YOU KNOW. He reaches up to put his hand on top of their head for a moment. He doesn't ruffle, but it's affectionate, reassuring.]

There's still enough of us that I'm throwing darts, but after last week... maybe I might land a hit.

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[anna, ready to leap through the screen for the aquarius defense squad. but it's affection week which means...yeah, they sort of lean into that without drawing attention to it. don't perceive them. also stop frowning and don't perceive that either, we don't have to talk about that.]

Yeah, you've got a point there. Any ideas of who you might decide on so far?

[unrecked]

[yes, my lines are blurry i'm sorry]

Not exactly... I feel like I'm always taking pot-shots in the damn dark. Why's it always so hard to protect other people? [This is rhetoric, but you know.] I'm getting too old for this.

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You're not that much--[hm. wait. never mind.]

I know it's frustrating. You only get one chance a week and if it doesn't work you have to wait for the whole cycle to play out. But, and I hate to say this, but your numbers are getting smaller. Less net, increased odds. Or something like that.

[unrecked]

[One of his brows raise at the cut-off. Yes? Not that much hmmmm? But he doesn't press. Aquarius is lucky he is feeling fond this week.]

I'm pretty sure I told you that from the start, dingdong. [A sigh.] I know. I remember. A little concerned more shadows might be running around now.

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[NO. they can't even reach the dirt to kick it at him so they just sort of perch on the gravestone instead. no bully.]

Shut up. [no heat to it.] That's possible, sure. So how much does that change your plans?

[unrecked]

[All the bully. He gives a lopsided smirk at the shut up. It fades a bit, and he shrugs one shoulder.]

Not much, I guess. I don't have a lot of options. I keep picking no matter how many shadows are preying on the others. I'm hoping it'll give me a better chance even if I don't like the end result of there being multiples.

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[there's a slow nod. for a bit, they're quiet. they don't actually have anything snarky to say for the time being, simply lost in thought.]

...something's going to stick eventually. It's just...strategy.

[unrecked]

Yeah. It is.

[He sounds mostly resigned, but maybe a little annoyed out of... like, frustration. It's four--no, five weeks technically, and he still doesn't have any kind of precise way to pick out who might have shadow STDs.

He is staring off into the space across the cemetery, looking pensive.]

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[...well.

it's affection week, and they're not as great with words as they usually make themselves out to be, so. there's a soft sort of bonk between jason's shoulders where aquarius's face is suddenly resting.

anyway. mood.]

[unrecked]

[This gets him to refocus. He glances a bit over his shoulder, reaches back to offer Aquarius's leg a reassuring pat.]

You worry too much. It'll work out. If it does, it does. If it doesn't, it doesn't. [He knows Aquarius would hate if he paid too much attention, so he just stands there as support. Doesn't bother them.] You know what's on the other side?

You don't have to say what. Is that why you're worried?

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[there's a grumble which is probably an answer lost somewhere in jason's back because he's (anna voice) a dorito, but they don't sit up. there's an almost-petulant swing of their leg, heel hitting the grave softly.]

...can we just leave it? [they apparently don't want to discuss it right now.]

[unrecked]

[Grumpy.

His chest swells a bit under their head as he sighs quietly, but he drops it.]

You want some pancakes?

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[grumpy.]

Are we stalling? [that's not a no.] Orion's pancakes are pretty good.

[unrecked]

Maybe. Maybe I'm just spending some time with the two of you.

[Affectionate week means Aquarius gets some disgusting, sappy honesty.]

They are. Kind of rival Al's. Don't tell them I said that, though.

[ORION IS LITERALLY RIGHT THERE]

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Why? [oh. that was said so immediately that they just. pause. and sit up a little so they aren't quite burrowed in jason's shoulders.]

...I mean that's fine, too. Secret's safe with me.

[ORION IS LITERALLY RIGHT THERE.]

[unrecked]

[Why the fck was that said so immediately, AQUARIUS? He hates that. But also? LOL MOOD. "You would say the same thing, and you have, Jason." No, why is Aquarius saying this!!]

I knew I could count on you. [He sticks his elbow back a bit and nudges them playfully.] I don't know.

Neither of you annoy the shit out of me, so. That's a start.

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[swatting at his elbow. noooo.]

Wow. High praise from Jason Todd. To what do I owe the honor?

[they seem to be eyeballing jason's back and shoulders though like they're debating jumping from their perch and making him carry them for pancakes. as punishment. "for what" being a bully.]

[unrecked]

[He snorts. Yes, jump on his back. He deserves it. Also, what's the point in all these muscles if he isn't using them?]

The bar is so low it's in the ground, but okay, smartass.

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...probably makes two of us. [but yeah. they scoot forward to kind of jump onto his back. this is now probably a sad time for jason to realize aquarius basically weighs nothing and they're easy to cart around. light but sort of dense. ]

Pancakes. Then your choice.

[unrecked]

[He makes an OOF but is Bat enough to catch them. He reaches back to hold them by the backs of the knees so they don’t slide away into the dirt like they want.

Also? He deeply hates how light they are. Like deeply. Because he remembers being that dried up when he was a kid on the streets. It worries him.]

You could do with maybe two plates of pancakes, I think.
[He carts them to…the cart.] Then my choice.

Right, right. Don’t rush me.

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[they sort of slump comfortably and let this happen, looking ahead across the cemetery. ]

I'm not that hungry. And I'm not rushing, I'm just saying.