synflux | ( semi-closed ) the ocean washes over your grave

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( semi-closed ) the ocean washes over your grave

WHO: to those who wish to pay respects.
WHAT: wriothesley's funeral.
WHERE: an abandoned beach at okinawa.
WHEN: 20th of november.
WARNINGS: death, naturally. will update as it goes.

Whether this is your character's first time at Okinawa or not, one can tell that the usual summery atmosphere on this certain beach has been changed out for a more somber tone for this occasion. Ishmael had even taken it upon herself that the beach has been cleared out of any debris and crabs so that there won't be an further messes nor sudden uninvited guests turning up. Of course, most of the work and preparation are all thanks to Ereshkigal, the esteemed goddess of death, who's made sure to comply to the couple's wishes to the very end.

The funeral is located at what appears to be the remnants of an abandoned beach resort, which has been spruced up and decorated in soft off-color whites. The beach has been provided with ample shading as well; huge umbrellas have been set up at various points on the shore for some much-needed protection, along with a peaceful view of the beach and the nearby dock that goes a little further out into the water.

It is meant to be a quiet affair, the distant crash of waves being the only form of music accompaniment. Though of course, it can't all be doom and gloom -- after all, funerals are meant to provide reprieve for the ones who are left behind as well.

MORNING

At the gazebo overlooking the shoreline, the first thing one notices upon arriving is a casket made of dark food, covered in plenty of flowers. In it is Wriothesley, fresh-faced and tranquil in his tuxedo -- perhaps looking a bit too tranquil that one would think he's merely asleep. Aside from some new scars here and there he looks relatively unchanged, now and forevermore, all thanks to Ereshkigal's hard work.

Near the casket is a small table decked in white cloth and more flowers, with various pictures of Wriothesley displayed thanks to March 7th's contributions. It's a memory table, though instead of a book, a tablet will be provided where one can still submit their memories with him before it can be saved into a hard drive and will be given to Tezcatlipoca for later use.

Everyone is free to take one more look at their friend, acquaintance, brother figure and confidante for the last time before noon strikes. For anyone curious enough to want to observe the proceedings around preparing Wriothesley’s body, this is taken care of by one of the local gods of death. For the occasion, Tezcatlipoca even looks the part, since he dons his formal regalia to preside over the process. As he speaks Nahuatl, he gently pours a jug of water over Wriothesley’s head, then opens his mouth to place a little green stone inside, underneath his tongue. He brushes his fingers against the makeup that covers the top half of his face to collect a little smear of it, then brushes it down underneath Wriothesley’s lips. It’s an extra, personal blessing, should it be needed in the afterlife. It’s all serious and meticulous, a sign of how even the chaotic god takes this process as important and worthwhile.

After these preparations are done, he simply asks for the tokens that will accompany him, and he takes them all off to be cremated.

EARLY AFTERNOON

In case anyone is feeling peckish while waiting for the ashes, fortunately there are some food available. Since Wriothesley had had a fondness for tea that's bordering on addiction, there will be a wide selection of teas available at one side -- along with cookies and biscuits which were actually bought by Ishmael in bulk at various convenience stores, but don't knock them out before you try them! There are even some leftover boxes of pocky that were brought along, but for the sake of this occasion, they're not spiked with anything. There is also coffee for those with a different palate, though they come in instant packets. Better than nothing, and they aren't too bad (in Ishmael's opinion).

Of course, there are also servings of sliced fresh fruit such as watermelon, mango, and pineapple along with coconut crab chowder if you want something a little more filling.

It will take a couple more hours before the main part of the event, and that means more time to kill. Ishmael isn't forbidding anyone to take a dip in the waters if they like, so long as they can come back looking fresh and new. There are also fishing gear provided, albeit in limited stock. Ultimately this is the time to catch up with each other, potentially gossip about the dead or even other people who come to mind -- it's all in good fun, at least until it is time to say goodbye.

LATE AFTERNOON

At last, when the sun is beginning to set on the horizon, it's finally time. Tezcatlipoca will have been staying the entire time to observe, but he simply returns with an urn in his hands to give to Ishmael. Ishmael then urges everyone to come follow her to the furthest end of the dock, the wind not too strong enough for the ashes to be cast as far as can be.

Here, Ishmael puts the urn on display and tells everyone that if they like, they are free to take a handful of ashes and scatter them into the waters. Whether or not they choose to utter their final words or not, it doesn't matter -- their thoughts will be carried off by the wind and the waves at the end of the day.

And with that, the funeral is over. Everyone is free to go home after this, or help in the cleanup of the venue if they're that inclined. Either way, they will all have to move on one way or another and they will have to do it together.

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[ ooc: hello! while this is reserved for the people who knew him, people can also be +1'd if they so desire! just mention it in the network post associated with this log right here. as always, have fun! ]

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[ about DAMN time.

"maybe" actually makes her laugh, more than a giggle or faint smile. more than she's been able to do all day. ]

You don't have to. I wouldn't do that to you.

[ she says through huffs of amusement. aaah, she needed that.

as long as it's not a detriment to his health. ]

[H-Hey! Gods are slow learners, okay??

It's so good to hear her laugh, lightening his spirit like the tinkling of chimes on the wind.]

That's why I love you. You're so good to me.

[Despite the laughter, he truly means it. She's nothing but supportive and encouraging, lenient when permissible yet stern when called for... Truly the best partner anyone could ask for.]

[ uHUH.

this time, she scoffs but it's still pretty amused. there's the flutter of butterflies in her gut, too. like she'll never get used to hearing three words in yato's voice. probably because she was sure, for a long time, she never would. ]

Because I won't take your booze from you.

[ she can hear it as sand solidifies to gravel and makes it easier to walk. almost as if reflecting the yield of her spirit, now stronger being held to her rock's side. back to normal. ]

Not like I did as a kid when Yukine-kun wasn't feeling good...

[To be fair, he thought there for a while he would never have the chance to tell her how he truly felt about her. So now that he has the opportunity to, he's gonna make sure she hears it a lot.]

What can I say? I'm a simple guy. Hehe.

[Simple. YEAH RIGHT. The only thing simple is how happy he is to just be by Hiyori's side, despite the circumstances. She always makes everything better just by her bright smile and indomitable spirit.]

Well, you were right to do so back then...

[ YEAH RIGHT!!!!

hiyori is the simple one!! he's... yato. ]

I was?

[ only if he was overdoing it. which it didn't seem like he was? hiyori was just being hiyori at the time. everyone copes differently.

though calling booze his ~medicine~ might've been overdoing it. ]

I just didn't like that you were drinking while Yukine-kun felt bad. Like you were enjoying yourself but... that wasn't really the case, was it?

[No no, she's just as complex as he is, only in a different way. At least he sees a kaleidoscopic personality when he gazes at her.]

Yeah. Because you're right again now. It wasn't that I was trying to enjoy myself. I was just drowning my problems in the only way I knew how. It was a shitty thing of me to do.

[He might not have been overdoing it, but he wasn't coping in a very healthy way, either. He should've been more attentive to Yukine's problems and done more to help him cope better.]

Even if it bothered me at the time, I'm grateful you cared so much as to go that far.

[ well, yato knows her best.

hiyori hums, brow furrowed. maybe, yeah, drinking while your kid is suffering like yukine was isn't the best thing to do.

but she was there to help and take care of his shinki. she liked being there to help. it wasn't pretending to be family, like kazuma said, they WERE family. they are. ]

Of course, I cared. [ it didn't seem like that much at the time. supporting yukine or scolding yato. it was the right thing, teenage hiyori thought. ]

You cared, too. You've always cared.

[And truthfully, she knows him best by now.

Though at the time he thought Yukine just needed space. He's never been very good at giving out physical affection, at least he wasn't until they started dating. Then he learned fairly quickly.

He wishes he could've done things differently, maybe done more for Yukine. But what's done is done and he's grateful to Hiyori for being another pillar of support to his shinki. To both of them. She's always been there, right from the start. Truly family. More so than his father, that's for damn sure.]

I don't think it would've been possible for you to not care. [As for him...] ...yeah. It's hard not to once you've seen a shinki's past.

[ fingers crossed.

it's not wrong to think he needed space. maybe he did, but hiyori went upstairs anyway. though all she really did was open the window for fresh air and hover around, worried and heartbroken as she listened to his tears.

knowing yato was feeling just as bad because of their connection.

hiyori shoots him a sheepish smile. he's not wrong about THAT, either. that does sound pretty impossible when it came to those two. or anybody, really. ]

A God's Greatest Secret... [ she murmurs, under her breath, almost a sigh. ]

I don't blame you. When I learned what happened to Yukine-kun... I finally understood why you cried after you named him...

[ to think yato's had so many shinki and saw all of their tragic deaths. ]

[It's so hard to tell what someone at that age needs during difficult moments like those. Sometimes even the kids themselves don't know and resent people trying to understand them. He's seen that enough.

He returns her smile with a soft one of his own, tinged with sadness as he nods slowly.]

Mmm. His death was one of the worst ones I've ever experienced... His terror, his pain... That's why I refused to give up on him, even if it killed me. I couldn't be another person to let him down.

...I'm sorry you had to learn that.

[ one of the worst...

she can believe it. trapped. suffocating. in pain. hiyori shakes her head at his apology. she... she wanted to know.

it hurts, still, years later. hurts like wriothesley's because he suffered, too. if his spirit was here, could yato name him...? but she couldn't ask yato of that. never. he's been through enough, too. ]

... You didn't give up on him, so Yukine-kun changed for the better. For both your sakes. He has you as a new father figure. One he deserved. You have him as a guide. One you deserve.

[ not the one he got in life. ]

Thank you for giving him a better resting place, Yato. I don't know where you took him but... I - I'm glad you did. I had to leave flowers where he was.

[And at such a young age, too. Accidents are one thing, murder by your own father, though?

No one deserves that. Least of all a kind, gentle boy like Yukine who loves his sister and people themselves.

If Wriothesley's spirit were here, Yato would name him, willingly. It might be torturous to know his agony in the end, but if it would've saved his soul, he'd be willing to go through it. He may not be able to handle the number of shinki Bishamon can, but he can still save lives.]

Yeah... I'm so glad we stumbled across him. For both our sakes. Even if he gets pissed at me at times, I think we work well together.

[His irreplaceable someone.]

You don't have to thank me, Hiyori... If anything I should thank you for doing that. And if it helps, he's somewhere beautiful, where his sister will be able to think of him.

[ hiyori manages a little grin. ]

Everyone gets pissed at you.

[ they do work well together. the best. irreplaceable. ]

I do have to thank you. Nobody else could do it...

[ nobody else KNEW. she starts to tear up again and looks over her shoulder, where wriothesley went.

it's beautiful, too. the ocean. ]

It helps. [ she met his sister. yuka.

hiyori felt a strange kinship. yukine's actual sister and herself. hiyori saw him as a little brother, too. ]

He should be remembered by people who loved him, too.

[That gets a sheepish, if somewhat strained smile from him. She's not wrong, really...]

Yeah, I know. [Hugging her tight against him, he pauses to glance back as well, expression turning remorseful.]

I'm glad. It's all I could do for him. Help him be remembered by the one person who cared.

[Glancing at her, his lips quirk up softly.]

Now there's two people who will always know of and love him.

[ what, she thought he LIKED getting reactions?

she blinks once he holds her closer, looking up at him thoughtfully as he looks down.

all he could do for yukine's past self. he does a lot more for him now. and it was more than anybody else could do. ]

Three.

[ she pokes his middle. well, more, with kofuku and daikoku. others, too. three though, for sure. ]

[He's gradually starting to feel bad about teasing people, especially the earnest ones like Ratio who genuinely try hard to enlighten his dumb ass.

Smiling still, he touches their noses together then their foreheads.

Hopefully he can be a good, if not dad to Yukine, then god at least. Grant him some measure of peace in the afterlife that he never got while he was alive.]

Heh, yeah. I meant you of the Near Shore, though. He deserves to be remembered by those who are still living.

[Brushing back some hair from her face, he kisses her softly.]

[ hmm. the trick is there's always a time and place for teasing. it's just not always, like he thought.

but it's not never, either.

hiyori breathes him in with his proximity. he always smelled so good when she was half-ayakashi. it's different now, but still good. it makes her wonder about his shinki's complaints.

absently, she kisses him back until they break away. ]

Maybe... when we drink, we can do it in honor of all of the dead...

[ wriothesley. yukine. kazuma. mayu. sakura.

everyone. ]

[And he doesn't need to tease to be remembered, which is a huge plus.

Moderation is the key, like in most things.

It probably was the ayakashi part of her that made him sMeLl NiCe but now it's more likely to be due to them being partners. They say that scent is one of the ways in which people decide who they like, after all.

Nodding, he sighs quietly.]

I think that's a fine idea. They all deserve a chance to be honored and remembered.

[They could even tell stories about their lost loved ones. He'd like to hear more about her grandmother, for sure.]

[ SMeLL NiCE......

it's something. it might just be because it's yato's. it might still be a little divine. scent isn't what made hiyori like yato, though.

well, it wasn't the ONLY thing. ]

It's a date.

[ half-joke, half-serious.

they can do that. since shinki were such a part of yato's life, too. hiyori wants to hear about all his shinki. they all meant something to him. ]

[Good thing it wasn't just his lovely aroma or he'd feel like a bottle perfume or potpourri, oops.]

Deal. We can do dinner and make it a real one, how's that?

[Candlelight not for romance, but for respect, something good to eat to honor them as well... It seems appropriate. Though his tales of shinki would probably be rather sad given how many he went through due to them not wanting to put up with him...]

[ yato deserves better than to be loved for JUST HIS SMELL from a half-ayakashi. ]

Dinner's a given. [ she laughs, breathlessly. ] But yeah. Deal.

[ shaking on it, even, as she reaches for yato's hand and clasps them together. they can leave a small offering where hiyori planted the sakura tree. planted there originally to honor the dead, first.

but the memories they have and he keeps close to his heart weren't all bad? ]

Edited (reee) 2024-11-27 06:52 (UTC)

[If it's Hiyori, he'd take being loved for his taste by a full ayakashi, honestly...]

Hehe, goody~ [There's that childish enthusiasm again, despite the grim subject matter.

He grips her hand firm in his, fingers intertwining. Leaving an offering at the sakura tree is fitting given how important that plant is to them both for so many reasons.

Because yeah, nothing is all bad or good. It's a mix of both, though there's always going to be a tinge of sadness in partings.]

[ in some au out there, exactly that happens.......

it's that childish enthusiasm, in these grim times, that hiyori loves most. light in the dark. happy ending during a tragic story. the inspiration to move forward, it gets better. yato is living proof of that. for all the hardship he endured, he can still smile and goof.

it gets better.

she grips back, making room for his fingers between hers, and they walk home.

one thing where there's nothing bad about it. ]

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( semi-closed ) the ocean washes over your grave

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