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lesmodsalouette) wrote2025-03-16 03:54 am
lesmodsalouette) wrote2025-03-16 03:54 am
Graveyard
Graveyard
The garden is still sprawling and green – despite having entirely lost all its riotous flowers and colors, along with any sign of wildlife or birdsong – though one thing stands out more than anything else: from Monday to Thursday, you can’t see the castle anymore. All that remains where it once stood (or perhaps, usually stands) is an incongruously large tree that towers over everything else and somehow looks larger and more imposing than the castle ever did. The tree’s branches are bare, without any hint of life nor leaf – however, on the weekends (that is to say, Friday through Sunday) a faint projection of the castle appears around it, cradling the only things that the denizens of this alternate garden can see in detail from the other side: the flurry of activity around the investigation, the circus-like dimension that holds the trial, and the mirrors and the grassy dimension that display the execution.
For those curious what the land of the living are up to, a mirage-like and upside-down reflection of the castle garden in its original arrangement can be spotted occasionally overlaying the sky. This strange illusion may sometimes show those in the garden on the other side, flitting in and out of view like stray clouds; but much like the weather, their appearance is mercurial – they cannot be reached and cannot be heard.
Water, Flower, Everywhere
The fountains remain active somehow, though their features seem to have eroded, obscuring the identities of the deities and the wings of the birds, cracking pottery down into nothing but worn shards and handles. At night, only maybe half the lights work (and here they are real candlelight, rather than magical), plunging most of the garden into crepuscular darkness. The trellis walkway looks quite overgrown (mysteriously, bamboo is taking over), entirely covering some statues and other features along its length, and it’s no longer walkable – a miniature canal runs the whole length underneath the arches, feeding into other new waterways around the garden that cut off footpaths seemingly at random. There are small footbridges here and there, but the lack of logic to the whole arrangement makes falling into one of the streams or canals a real hazard.
The waterways do all manage to converge at the pond by the pavilion – neither of which are all that soothing or classical anymore. The pond is only half-full, and entirely lacks water lilies or any dragonflies; its banks sit jagged above the dark waters, and perhaps that’s why the pavilion, too, is half collapsed down into it all. Gone are the curtains and ivies; only dead curling vines and half-collapsed columns are left, but there’s still someplace to sit if you put your mind to it.
Most of the flowerbeds sit fallow or overtaken by weeds – there’s signs here and there that someone might have tried to clear them out, but the bulk of the effort seems to have gone to the orchard by the gardener’s cottage. It might be more accurate to say cottages, given that there are a few of them dotted around that area for some reason. None of them are locked, but all of them have only minimal furnishings apart from the original; they’re also all provided with the full complement of gardener’s tools. Next to them, there are new saplings and half-grown flowering trees: some pear and apple, but also some not. There are new shoots in the kitchen orchard that have just barely taken root, the dirt recently turned.
The waterways do all manage to converge at the pond by the pavilion – neither of which are all that soothing or classical anymore. The pond is only half-full, and entirely lacks water lilies or any dragonflies; its banks sit jagged above the dark waters, and perhaps that’s why the pavilion, too, is half collapsed down into it all. Gone are the curtains and ivies; only dead curling vines and half-collapsed columns are left, but there’s still someplace to sit if you put your mind to it.
Most of the flowerbeds sit fallow or overtaken by weeds – there’s signs here and there that someone might have tried to clear them out, but the bulk of the effort seems to have gone to the orchard by the gardener’s cottage. It might be more accurate to say cottages, given that there are a few of them dotted around that area for some reason. None of them are locked, but all of them have only minimal furnishings apart from the original; they’re also all provided with the full complement of gardener’s tools. Next to them, there are new saplings and half-grown flowering trees: some pear and apple, but also some not. There are new shoots in the kitchen orchard that have just barely taken root, the dirt recently turned.
Hedge Maze(?)
The other most eye-catching feature is what once was an ornamental hedge maze: instead of being a tame height here, it has seemingly grown wild and completely unchecked, towering above the rest of the garden almost like its own overgrown mountain. The hedge walls go up and up and up, making it entirely impossible to see the center or even how far it goes despite the fact that sections of the hedges have also died, reduced to the branches underneath, bristling with interlocked thorns.
Part of it had even spilled over into the garden itself, huge gnarled branches spreading out like burnt-blackened fingers all the way to the edge of the pond – wherever the branches touch, even the greenery is withered, and any statues look more ruined than those in the rest of the area. As of the end of Week 3, however, the branches have retracted entirely and the way into the hedge maze has opened even more. However, there is now a storm brewing over what might be the center or the general area of it. Getting close to the hedge maze or any of the hedge(?) branches is... unpleasant, though it doesn’t usually go beyond a buzz of wrongness and a slight headache.
Part of it had even spilled over into the garden itself, huge gnarled branches spreading out like burnt-blackened fingers all the way to the edge of the pond – wherever the branches touch, even the greenery is withered, and any statues look more ruined than those in the rest of the area. As of the end of Week 3, however, the branches have retracted entirely and the way into the hedge maze has opened even more. However, there is now a storm brewing over what might be the center or the general area of it. Getting close to the hedge maze or any of the hedge(?) branches is... unpleasant, though it doesn’t usually go beyond a buzz of wrongness and a slight headache.
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[ Even if Sabo's probably one of the people who voted for them. No hard feelings, truly. ]
How's your neck feel? [ ... ] And, um. The rest of you. You got kind of... chopped and chomped, it seemed like.
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Well, it feels a lot better than it did the last time I remember it.
[ which isn't saying too terribly much given the state of that and at siffrin's question he'll slowly start to really flex all of his hands, fingers, and limbs. everything is sluggish but nothing bad. ]
The rest of me feels...a bit strange but overall okay. [ —wait. what? don't mind his double take. ] Chopped and chomped?
cw gore
Yeah. You were chopped up [ motioning to the neck and legs ] and tossed in with the sharks. Or most of you was. They found your head. It wasn't a very pretty sight at the carnival, either.
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and but when they tell sabo about what happened to him, rather, what became of his body, he doesn't have much of a reaction. he's not exactly shocked to learn that but well. ]
Oh, I see. So, that's what he decided on...
[ gears are turning in his head and probably not the ones that some might be thinking would be. ]
Wait, you were able to see us?
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[ ... How do they...
...
A point to the tree. ]
We can. Up there. Not all the time, but... when there's murder afoot, we can. The executions and stuff too. But we only know who killed Andrew, not you, like everyone else.
[ Then, a gesture to the sky. ]
We can also see you guys in the gardens up there, though. Like clouds. Passing by, never sticking long... The meeting, too. Some of us. Others connections weren't as strong.
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[ sabo will follow their movements as they explain the basics to him. it's... well okay. who is he to think of this being weird given literally everything that he has been learning over the course of the month. ]
That's... [ what is the "right" thing to say here. hmm. ] That must be very frustrating. Being able to see us but not being able to communicate with us.
[ well, not exactly "us" anymore. ]
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[ ... ]
I don't think it worked. Or if it did, um... Maybe we weren't clear enough about it. Yaman says that we're connected to something back in the castle, or we can reach out to it anyway, and last week we tried to send some words. We don't know who might've found them, though.
[ Alas. ]
You'll, um, meet him soon. Yaman comes to greet everyone. He's a nice guy, and a spirit like us. There's a couple others you can only see in reflections though.
[ (You
are
being
so
helpful!!!!!!!!!) ]
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Yaman...? [ it couldn't be, could it..? ] Such as Yamanbagiri Kunihiro?
[ what could be the odds. ]
Perhaps—are they a spirit that embodies a sword?
[ there's no way, right? but if it was, then what did that all mean. could they do something with this information..?? ]
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[ Was... that his full name?????
(You remember being told it, but it was awfully long.)
...
A nod!!! ]
Yeah. He isn't one anymore, but he was a talking sword for a while. Friend of yours, or something?
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also again, what the fuck is he supposed to do with this information??? why does this keep happening to me—naru??? closes my eyes and refuses to see anything. ]
I'd hardly call him a friend since I didn't speak to him, but he did speak to someone who helped me a great deal here.
[ he seems amused. ]
How interesting that we are on this side along with him.
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... ]
He... did say, that he has his own connection to that side, which is how he knows what The Witch is up to. But I just thought that maybe it was something that was always around, like the clocks.
[ Since there are so many. Siffrin's going to pour themselves a glass of wine too. It has the tang they don't like, but-- there's no champagne or anything sweeter as far as alcohol goes, and stars do they need it! ]
Um. You should visit the maze sometime, too. It's pretty off putting when you get close to parts of it, but... there's pieces of a past. His, I think. I'm pretty sure. Memories have a lot of weight here. Stories too.
[ ("I believe that you, of anyone, will be able to accomplish much and more."
...
You wonder if that's true. He put so much faith in you, in what he thinks you can do, and you... haven't done anything that matters, yet. But maybe you can now. You want to reach him.) ]
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[ he laughs to that. clearly, whatever discomfort that sabo had from his arrival has more or less melted away, or taken the backseat, as he focus on the here and now. thanks siffrin for giving him things to do with himself. ]
Yaman's memories, you mean?
[ memories sure do have a huge meaning in this place, doesn't it? sabo's going to chew on that a considerable amount, thank you. ]
I don't mind things that are off-putting. [ is it really too soon if he's the one making the joke? either way— ] I did put myself through something that most would never think to do, after all, but if this will help everyone out then what's a bit more discomfort.
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That...
... doesn't narrow down the list whatsoever. Siffrin recalls there being many difficult people. Actually, the whole castle... everyone's pretty difficult, that's why the carnivals end up to be such an act.
(You put it aside for now. If Sabo entrusted his wish to whoever he is, then it isn't something to worry about... unlike Hickey. You guess.) ]
That's what I think, too. I'd like to make myself a little more useful than clearing out the gardens of their dead plants, so I'm happy to help out however I can.
[ As fun as that's been!!!!!!! ]
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Well, for better and for worse, you've been here longer than I have and I'm more than here to land a hand in what you think might be helpful. If I'm still able to do something then I might as well, right?
[ no rest for the weary or dead or...any of that, apparently. sabo can't just sit back and trust that things are simply going to work out without allowing for some sort of back-up to exist. ]
Even if my wish will be enough to save everyone, we shouldn't count on things going that smoothly.
[ because when are things ever going to be that simple or easy? ]
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Another person who's expecting you to be responsible. Shape up, Siffrin! You've gotta do what you can! You can't disappoint anyone like you always do!)
If Siffrin seems nervous about the prospect of being the one halfway calling shots as far as help goes, they certainly don't broadcast it openly. More... in the way they stare off at the tree, at the tip top where new growth seems to have started to return, no comment on the first half. But the second-- ]
What'd you wish for? You don't have to worry about it not coming true. The Witch takes his contracts very seriously.
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He does, but I also know he isn't too sure about this wish.
[ yet sabo wanted to make this gamble. ]
I wished that he access the Akashic Record in order to give him the means to end these loops and save Norna. [ ... ] Well, I entrusted my wish to the person who killed me since they'd be the one who will make it.
[ sabo, at the end of the day, was simply just the "payment" for the wish. ]
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(Right. That came up during the meeting, but
frankly speaking a lot also did so you are
doing your best, aren'tcha buddy.) ]
And you trust that they'll do it, [ both of them, ] to the letter.
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I do.
It's risky and might not even work, but that can't be the reason why to not try.
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[ They'd noticed that, at the meeting. But it's amused enough, and Siffrin nods. ]
As long as there's something to try, there's a lead to follow -- and the same reversed. But you're right we can't put our eggs in one basket. Wishes... are pretty tricky, I think.
[ Always a catch, or... not exactly what someone's expecting. The metaphorical "mode of transport" from means to an end. ]
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[ he's working off the assumption that "raha" is some sort of nickname for "g'raha" as there is no one else that would fit the mold. sabo smiles all the same anyway. ]
They are, but if he was given his magic with the intent to make people happy—if he can grant this one wish then he'll be able to make plenty of people happy.
[ including ish, himself, and if one of those people also include sabo then he's not specifically calling that out. he'll take this opportunity to adjust how he's sitting on the ground to be more "proper" and really process his new surroundings. ]
I suppose we should start with the maze? Or what do you think?
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(... Maybe, something you said, too...) ]
We can. I'll lead you through. There's some points of interest, but one of them doesn't work anymore.
[ Odd way of saying it, probably, but-- they can explain when they get there. Up! Siffrin goes!
...
Sorry, Sabo. Get up yourself. The wine is coming with them, bottle tucked into Siffrin's arm as they sip gently at their drink. ]
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Doesn't work anymore?
[ he had heard about changes... they were all looking for them. could these be it? ]
In a good way or in a bad way?
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[ Sabo will understand when they get there.
The hedge maze is tall and unwelcoming too close to its unkempt walls, but Siffrin doesn't seem to mind; there's a distinct, distant feeling of oppression that would put off anyone with self-preservation instincts, and though they do become more quiet, keeping their single eye peeled just like the first time
they reach a fountain basin, burbling gently. ]
Last week... when I explored, it showed me something. Um. An interview, like...
[ ... Like...
...
No one had said anything about it, but... It'd happened, hadn't it? ]
Um. The coupon... wasn't in it, but... it was similar, to that.
[ Not exactly. Siffrin's memory also isn't ~stellar~ but. That's fine. ]
And then... another, after, with Yaman and others -- the others like him, I think -- singing a song. And then time stopped.
[ ... ]
You can ask... Tia, or Chu. They found it first.
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fortunately, he also gets his mind taken off of that when they bring up something that gets his full attention almost immediately. ( naru voice ) why do these interviews follow me wherever i go. how badly did i get cursed with this knowledge... EITHER WAY— ]
Another interview?
[ hmmm...he'll look at the fountain and try to see if there's anything to gleam from it. you know, other than being a fountain found in a land where everyone is dead. ]
If this functioned like the tarot card I received then it could the memories of the times that came before ours. [ he frowns. ] Ish did say that this wasn't his first time and that there had been others.
[ did all of them end up here...? seems a bit empty for so many supposed bodies that he went through. ]
Thanks Siffrin; I'll ask them more about this.
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Who can say. Thorns block their eventual path, where several new basins lay instead. One is murkier than the others. It may or may not have been licked; there is no evidence to either end.
Regardless, four profiles not unlike their plaques in the promenade remain just beneath the surface of the ice of, well, four basins, partially obscured by leaves. Siffrin will let Sabo read over them before-- ]
They're the spirits trapped here. We can't see them all the time, or touch them, but they're friendly. Um, as far as I've met.
[ ... A glance at the final basin. ]
That one works.
[ Whatever that means. ]
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