retellers | GRAVEYARD 2.0

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!graveyard

GRAVEYARD 2.0

GRAVEYARD

Well, that sucked.

But no matter what your death was like—whether it was something peaceful or traumatic, you'll find yourself waking in a completely white room on the floor. Small and empty, there isn't anything else there besides an open door to walk through. But before you do that, you'll probably notice that whatever injuries you may have had, including whatever may have been the death blow, are now gone. That's exciting.

Stepping out of the room, it seems that you're in a large... house? with three different floors. Everything from floor, ceiling to furniture is completely white, except for the drawings that are plastered to the walls in each room. These are all colorful, drawn in colored pencils and crayon, and resemble a child's drawing. The other notable thing are the windows. While they're present all around the building, looking out of them only shows TV static. Besides that, everything is furnished with the absolute bare minimum of each room.

The first floor is all typical common areas one would find in a house. There's a kitchen, living room area, laundry room, dining room, and a main hallway where the stairs are. There are also helpful drawings in these rooms that show the rooms much more lavishly decorated than they actually are. There's a door that appears to be the way to exit the building, it's locked.

The second floor consists of nothing but twenty bedrooms. Each room has one queen sized bed, an empty dresser, and an attached bathroom with only a sink, toilet, and shower. Like the first floor, each bedroom has drawn pictures that show it looking much more lavish than it actually does. Thanks for nothing, artist!

The third floor only has two rooms. One appears to be a home office with nothing but a desk and two chairs, one behind it and one in front of it. While there's blank pieces of paper and crayons on the desk, the note that was previously there is gone.

The other room is much larger, and it's completely empty save for the many drawings lining its walls— in fact, the walls are covered in them, much more than in any other room. On closer inspection, though, it seems like these aren't actually drawings? The papers seem to be showing scenes from the living area. Everything from inside the hotel to the areas beyond the bridge are visible here. However, when curfew hits on Thursday nights, they revert to being normal drawings! Except for the fact that they're all drawings of stick figures being murdered in various ways.

Well. At least there's plenty of things to draw with, if you get bored.

Also, a handy link to the previous post.

NAVIGATION

locations ₓ˚. statuses *+:｡ ic profiles :ₓo ic rules ･ﾟﾟ･｡ audience requests
murder proposals ｡✧o private conversations ･ﾟo｡ curfew ･ﾟ✧ memories

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[Ochako's father remains, holding her tight, and the scene morphs with a distinct passage of time. Ochako will feel a little older, a little closer to her current age, as the memory clears a path through the static, a hallway right off the same dojo, emitting the scent of fresh rice and pork and vegetables.]

[ as she pulls away, she's going to look for hikaru first, to see if she's still here. but she'll go follow the hallway, now that it's clear.

is it dinnertime? ]

[She will not see Hikaru, though there is a flash of that same orange light, like a line of fire following gunpowder, one that flickers down the halls and kisses at the wood as it goes before disappearing into the space beyond.

As she walks through the hallway, she'll find it's strangly open to the air, the sound of running water and a deer scare to her left. It's a cozy place, firmly traditional despite the skyscrapers visible in the distance.

The scent drifts in the direction of the home that sits just slightly apart from the dojo proper. It's getting late in the day, but there's a f̴̦̤̬̅͊͊̋͠ȋ̷̬̋ğ̴̦̯̙͕ȗ̸͚̰̤ͅͅr̵̰̘̤̍͝ë̵̛̱̪́̋̈́ leaning over some sort of textbook by the pond, easygoing and gentle if not a little dramatic as they sigh.

A̵̡͆̾͗̈́n̸̨͍̊̂̊ơ̴͎͐̓́ͅṭ̷̮̯̀̈́ĥ̵̝̗͒̑̚ë̵̮̘͙́̾̉̕͠ŗ̴͖̬̭͋̕͜ rides up through the property on a bike with a strangled, panicked yell, still in school uniform as they ditch their bicycle and dart straight into the dojo with very little grace, anxiety dripping out of every pore, very loud and even MORE dramatic than the one who now has burst into quiet laughter.

From the home, Ochako will hear a voice, first unfamiliar but then morphing into that of her own mother.

There he is. Hikaru, come help me, please.

Hikaru can be heard happily agreeing, the sound of clattering dishes and busywork starting up from beyond the open front door.]

[ caught in her surprise at recognizing her mother's voice - mom, she remembers her mom - ochako almost misses what she says altogether. a moment later, she's rushing to follow the sound. ]

Y-yes! I'm coming, Mom!

[She runs through the door, following the grooves of the home like she knows them by heart. The house smells of supper. She passes by a room with a kamidana, where a̶̗͇̹̝͗̂ ̴͙̘͓͑ẗ̷͚͓͇͈͈́̀̿̾̒ḩ̵̨͕̅̑ī̴̪̓͋ŕ̷̘͓̼̄̓d̷̛̰̘̦͖̝̓͗̊ ̶̢͕͒f̴̢̩̟͔̯̏̇ī̵͙͇̲͔͚͂g̶̗̪̤̿̕̚u̷̡̫̠̬̯̿́r̷̨̝̋̈̇̌͘ė̶͈̖̎͌̉͘ sits in prayer, not turning at the sound of her footsteps, calm and taciturn.

It is as she rounds the corner into the kitchen that she will see that same ghostly figure of Hikaru, dishing up rice into bowls, and Ochako's mother, portioning out meat and vegetables and pickled ginger.

Her mother will look up as Ochako enters, with a flicker to a woman unfamiliar for just a brief moment. But her smile is the same, her voice is the same.

Welcome home, Ochako.]

I'm back, Mom!

[ she beams, both at seeing her mother - recognizing her - and seeing hikaru there, with her. they're experiencing this together. if this is how she can help hikaru, ochako is more than happy to do so.

so she goes to help with the rice, as well. ]

Is there anything else that I can help with?

[Extra hands make for a happier kitchen.

Arms out, dear, we know the boys will be hungry.

She will gesture to the plates she's already laid out. Hikaru has a pair of chopsticks in her mouth, energetically gesturing with a nod of her head for Ochako to follow her. She is also trying to carry three bowls of rice at once. This seems fine.]

[ hm. maybe ochako will nab one of those bowls from her, just so she's not balancing so much at once. and, of course, she'll grab a few bowls too before following. ]

Coming, coming.

[OCHAKO YOUR BOWLS.....

They'll go off into a side room, attached to the room with the kamidana, with whoever the hell that is occupying the space before it. The space blurs, trying to reach into Ochako's mind to fill the space forgotten, to find someone calm and wise and respected.

Hikaru awkwardly sets her bowls down on the nearby table before enthusiastically taking her chopsticks out of her mouth, seemingly oblivious to the person in the other room.]

I'm glad you're staying for dinner! I don't get to have friends over all that much.

[There's footsteps through the front door, the Easygoing One saying good evening as they slip their shoes off. Again, the Realm reaches for an identity, finds nothing in Hikaru, and reaches for Ochako instead.

Two empty spaces. Who does she see? Who turns to see her, to say hello?]

[ shhh it's fine. is this person someone ochako will recognize? because if we're talking older and wiser, it's probably aizawa-sensei.

beside her... are probably izuku and tsuyu. ]

All you have to do is ask, Hikaru-san! We'll come visit whenever you like.

[wow i worded that poorly but we need three total bodies so that works! The only two empty spaces are the figure at the shrine, who now has the familiar dark hair of Ochako's beady-eyed sensei rolling down his back, and the figure who just walked through the door with that textbook in their hand, long hair and large eyes and clumsy hands nearly dropping the book as she beelines to the table. Hikaru doesn't seem to pay Tsuyu any mind, easily setting out the rice for her.]

Hey, did K̷̡̛̯̽̀͠ͅa̸̛͔͇͙̠̓̐̽̓k̷̨̐͆͝e̶̲͇̓ȑ̴̻͎ͅŭ̴͓̟̬̥̀͗́̐ͅ ever make it home?

[Tsuyu, her mouth already full of rice, nods vigorously. "Deku-san wrecked his bike against the pond again, but he's here."

From the shrine, Sensei lets out a long-suffering sigh, as if to say "of course he did."]

Deku-san...?

[ the name tugs at a memory, one she hasn't had for a long time now. but even though she can't place it, a reply tumbles forth as if she's never missed a thing. ]

He's always getting into some kind of trouble, isn't he?

["You can say that again." Tsuyu tosses her head back with a bit of a sigh. She flickers to someone else for a moment, to a boy with hair the color of chocolate and clothes a little disheveled, before turning right back to Tsuyu. "He needs to relax a little bit."

Sensei carefully rises to his feet to cross over to the table, standing very still. His face says nothing but his eyes say food is delicious, and there's a quirk of a smile.

"It's good to see you, Ochako-chan. Is your family well?"]

[ has she ever seen this man smile before in any way that wasn't absolutely manic? it's odd, seeing it now, but even so, ochako accepts it with a smile. this is for hikaru-san. ]

I... [ can't remember for sure, but she brushes it off, and goes with what her instincts tell her. ] They're okay. They're happy.

[ they were always happy, weren't there? no matter how hard things got, they never stopped smiling for her. ]

[He reaches to pat her on the head. For that same brief second, he is no longer her sensei, but a young man, tall and broad shouldered with straight-cut brown hair and a stern gaze.

It's good to hear. I hope they're telling you how much they love you.

There's the sound of rushing footsteps as someone else runs in, the flash of a highschool uniform and messy auburn hair that quickly turns to Deku instead, looking exhausted and sheepish as he kicks his shoes off at the door.

Hikaru only laughs brightly, bouncing across the room to throw her arms around his shoulders. He sighs, a long and mournful sound like it's the entire end of the world even as he messes up her hair.

Mom doesn't know I'm here, right? Please tell me she doesn't know yet.]

[ her reply is a whisper. ]

They do. They always do.

[ she can't dwell on it for long, because deku-kun is coming in. the flicker confuses her for a moment, but - this is hikaru's memory, after all. ]

She might...?

[ can hikaru confirm ]

[Hikaru just nods, as though she's unaware of Deku's obvious peril.]

She does. She was asking Ṁ̸̫̱̫̳̀a̴͈̖͠s̴̨̛͇͊͒a̷̟̙̭͋̍̈͠ŗ̷̩̙̗͕̒͑̂̆́ů̵̲͇̟̜͈̎͑ about it. Ummm... is your bike okay?

[Deku shoots an agonized look to Tsuyu who sticks her froggy tongue out for a second before shoving more rice in her mouth. Before he can whine further, Ochako's mother appears in the opposite doorway with her arms crossed. Tsuyu snorts and nearly gets rice up her nose, which makes Sensei quirk another smile as Deku goes to grovel with Hikaru being herded aside, gently settling down with her own rice bowl as Mom fusses.

The chatter starts to die down with an odd muteness despite the amusing moment, Hikaru handing Ochako a bowl and gesturing for her to sit down. Next to her, please! She pops some rice into her mouth, watching the scene play out with a flicker of exhausted confusion.]

Is... it weird, Ochako-chan, that this feels familiar?

[ ochako sits beside her, chews thoughtfully on a bite of rice, and lowers her voice before answering. the scene continues to play out before them, as she watches in fascination. ]

A little, but... it should be familiar, right? [ glancing over at hikaru, she adds with a smilie, ] I never had such a big family. But you did, didn't you?

...

I... did?

[The scene flickers. Her eyes grow soft, some of the confusion lifting.]

Oto-san left when I was really little, to train and become a better fighter. But I... I still had...

[Her... mother, right? Hikaru's eyes turn, and Ochako's mother steps away like an actor breaking character, leaving behind a rather tired Japanese woman with jet black hair, mid-lecture to the boy that is Deku but not quite Deku with the bright reddish-auburn hair, now shimmering in and out as Hikaru struggles to remember. Out of the corner of her eye, Ochako will feel a tug, of a memory of belonging, of being supported and cared for, whether with family by blood or by friendship.]

I... was happy, I think. Like this.

[ it's odd, to watch her mother step away like that - and harder still, to tear her eyes away. but this isn't her memory, so she forces herself to watch the lady who stays behind instead.

to hikaru, she nods. ]

Mm. It looks like a nice place - and they loved you a lot, didn't they?

[The scene flickers for a moment, fading.]

...Yeah. Yeah, they... they do.

[The bowl in her hands seems to vanish. Ochako will find herself kneeling, stone silent on the dojo floor, a shinai before her and her hands balls into fists against her legs. Her heart feels incredibly heavy.

She can hear D̵̛̩͕͕̣͂e̸̬̋̋̋̓k̸͚̺͑ù̷̢̞̮͍̾̈́͐̕ and Tsuyu worrying in the background, wanting to interject, dramatically wondering what happened. She can't tell them. She knows she can't.

It's her Sensei that breaks the gap, though it doesn't stay her Sensei for long, fading to someone less familiar. Like before, Hikaru mirrors her, an observer, her voice quiet as the young man reaches out to ruffle Ochako's hair with a stern gaze.

You won't say why you're sad.

The words alone will fill Ochako with a complicated, foreign mix of pain, of guilt, of regret that fuels a determination she can't quite voice.]

...Satoru.

...He's... he's my oldest brother. He's the one who helps run the dojo with Okaa-san...

[ she winces. these emotions... they're familiar, somehow, but ochako can't remember a time when she'd have felt them herself. she looks up at hikaru's brother, chewing on her lip anxiously before speaking. ]

I... don't want anyone to worry.

[ she glances at hikaru with concern in her eyes. ]

Is it the same for you?

[Her eyes close, as though she feels the weight of her brother's hand against her own head, before she nods.]

There's some things you can only really talk about with people who will understand.

The people I love... they try to cheer me up, when I feel depressed, but... I know they feel the same, that they cry when they're alone, and that they worry about me because I'm still so young.

I have to hold something for myself.

[Satoru gently smiles at Ochako.

That's alright. I won't ask you why.

People have to make up their minds for themselves in this world, Hikaru. Stick to your decision.

Hikaru simply nods, her fisted hand lifting to her eyes to push back tears.]

[ there's a nod of her own, reflecting hikaru's. ]

I know what you mean. Still... having that choice at all means you're pretty lucky, doesn't it?

...Lucky?

[Ochako's mind will flash to holding her phone after her loss, to holding back the waver in her voice, to the gentleness and pride in her father's voice over the speaker, regardless of what had happened.

Her hands stain red, and her heart will start to ache. But Tsuyu rushes up behind her, throwing her arms around Ochako's shoulders. "Satoru, leggo!" Her head pops on Ochako's shoulder, hugging her tight, even as she shifts out of view, to a man slightly younger than Satoru - eighteen, just barely an adult, a little disheveled but his hug warm. "I'm worried about her, you know."

Deku comes barreling in with a yell in a voice that isn't quite his, a face that isn't his, pushing the other boy in the face to nearly pick up Ochako on his own. He can't be much older than Ochako herself. "Hey! Hey, what about me, huh?? Dontcha think I'M worried sick about her, too???"

He then proceeds to plant his hands on her shoulders and quietly push back tears, a dramatic bravado as he tells her she can cry on him if things are really bad.]

...Masaru. And Kakeru.

[Hikaru's smile is nostalgic, pained, and she's started to cry more openly, the tears hot down her face. Her family. Her family. When did she... why did she forget? How could she lose something so dear to her?]

I'm... I'm so lucky, that my brothers care about me, Ochako-chan...

GRAVEYARD 2.0

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