undergrounds | One Year Deader (Backdated)

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One Year Deader (Backdated)

AUG 2; CEMETERY (EVENING)

After an eventful day, Clara has the night to herself which she puts to good use for herself.

Technically Clara isn't supposed to be 64-years-old today. She shouldn't be here at all. A cold got her back then, a nasty one that she couldn't shake off thanks to her delicate health.

She was supposed to be gone a long, long time ago but here she is, defying expectations of life itself as she continues to linger on and see the passage of time continue marching on. She's around to see the dates she continues to hold dear to her heart come and go time and again: Her sons' birthdays, Antonio and Maja's deaths. In a few short months she'll be celebrating her wedding anniversary (by herself, of course) and Magra's 20th birthday.

Right now? She's including the celebrating her own birthday.

So, at evening, when Henrique is taking a well-deserved break from his job by taking a nice long sleep in his shack, Clara has set up a little 'party' that can be found at the family plot of gravestones that is supposed to be her final resting place along with Francisco and Antonio.

She did her best to make it look festive! No need to make it look depressing and gloomy after all. There are a few things she hopes can brighten up the place at this hour of the evening: Half-used scented candles she 'borrowed' from the coffee shop, relit them again with some of Henrique's matches. A few streamers from an employee's party at the shop, carefully decorated around her tombstone and her husband's and son's. There's a small cupcake too! Right on her marker, a little thoughtful gift from Bianca who had visited by earlier.

Most importantly to her there were flowers scattered across the grounds. Much as she wanted to add sampaguitas, they weren't native here in London, of course, so she was more than happy to use the wildflowers that were near the cemetery to add a burst of colours.

… She hopes no one will consider this a sinister activity.

[ OOC: Feel free to have known about this little party/birthday or just stumble upon it! Prose and brackets welcomed!]

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"Hey, Miss Clara! Am I late?" Heiji was carrying a large spray of flowers in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. Though technically Clara couldn't eat (he was pretty sure), offering food and drink to the departed was a well-known enough tradition that he didn't think it'd be too weird.

The flowers consisted of Gerberas, lilies, carnations, and a few he didn't know the name of. He set them down on top of her tombstone.

"Heiji! You're not late at all." He's just in time, actually.

She's just finishing up lighting some of the candles that still needed attention. Give her a minute or three is all. She's just figuring out how to hold the matches long enough without dropping them and causing a fire. The ghost gloves have been tucked away next to her gravestone, the itchiness getting the best of her.

Whatever annoyance and frustration she may feel over her current limitations, they melt away when she spies the lovely bouquet being set down on her grace.

"Oh! Those flowers are just so beautiful. Thank you. Remind me to get you a party favour in the future, okay? It's only fair."

Mab arrived a little bit after Heiji, in a swirl of snow that melted before it hit the ground. Because that's how she rolls. She stepped through the gate and let it close almost instantly behind her then strolls over to Clara and Heiji, dress sparkling in the candlelight in dark shades of blue. She stopped at Clara's grave and set a small jet bracelet on the grass in front of her headstone. The cameo housed a lock of her daughter's hair she'd made Grimalkin collect when the child had gone to the hairdresser for a trim. It was only appropriate to give the woman something as she was doing a great service for the Lady.

She nodded at Heiji and then turned her full attention to the birthday shade. "Clara, you are looking well." And she was as Heiji had taken away her irritation with him gift.

"Aww, don't worry about it," he started, only to stop as Mab arrived.

"Wait -- what're you doin' here? You guys know each other?" He couldn't quite bring himself to believe that Mab cared about unbirthday parties (unless revenge was being served cold), but... Clara, what on earth had you gotten yourself into?

Seeing the other fae she's both familiar and friendly with has Clara's face light up in joy, giving a cheerful wave hello at the sight of her. Whatever she may have gotten herself into, she seems to be quite willing in it. She doesn't seem to be afraid or nervous at the sight of the unseelie. Oh no, she seems downright flattered to see the woman here.

"Ms. Sommerset! I'm so glad you could come." Clara turns her attention back to Heiji, gesturing the two to one another. "I spoke of her before to you, Heiji. I think. We bumped into each other when she was in Harrow."

Now she's glad more than ever that Bianca had left a few snacks during her quick trip to here. They're mostly sweets but refreshments were refreshments to offer as she quickly makes her way to her decorated tombstone to pick up the box. "--Oh! Is this bracelet for-- It's so stunning. I-- I'm honoured."

Well Heiji's expression was certainly worthwhile. Let him stew and consider why Mab would attend a ghost's birthday. She smiled a little and her teeth flashed. She continued Clara's explanation as the ghost moved to pick up the bracelet. "She is really quite industrious. I think we will have a wonderful relationship."

She turned to Clara and nodded. "I am pleased that you like it. I understand Jet is traditional." At British funerals in the 1800's but Mab's a little behind the times and not so good with social mores either. She doesn't point out that the locket opens, Clara will figure it out at some point and there's no real rush.

Why... did Clara look so cheerful about it, though? Seriously?

"Was she the one warnin' you about powers sweeping into the city and changing things?" Because if so, he was apparently worried about nothing. What kind of name was Sommerset, anyway? Sounded like some prim and proper British lady that drank tea and rode on trains. i.e. not Mab. As long as Mab wasn't going to try and hurt Clara, he supposed there wasn't too much harm...

"Kinda funny comin' here and seeing your own tombstone, huh? Is Henrique takin' the day off?"

Because Mab seems so nice in Clara's opinion! Look, she even got her a bracelet and everything for her little birth/deathday. Isn't that just thoughtful?

While she inspects the bracelet for its details, always a fan for those sort of things and this is a type of bracelet she's never seen before, she can't help but smile in concern and fondness at the mention of poor Henrique. "In a way, yes. Someone else is covering his shift and he isn't as thorough. He's resting since he's been preparing for the rougher times now with Halloween only two months away. Getting ready for all the haunting tours and things like that."

Meaning she'll be buckling down in hiding from witches or ghost hunters. Any more attempts to contact her or bind her to one place during the most 'haunted' months of the year? No thank you. "It's good to see that one of you didn't have a trouble getting here. I had no idea the fae can travel through here like that all willy nilly! I thought it was only for emergencies."

To be fair: Her only experience of such portals was during an escape from a rogue vampire's nest.

Mab gave Heiji a long look like she could hear him judging her alias in his head. Then she returned her attention to Clara who this gathering was for and looked pleased she was admiring her present. She had no idea who Henrique was, likely someone back at the coffee place.

"Doors can be opened between to compatible places in the realms." She replied with a soft shrug. "Care should be taken when doing so."

"Oh, yeah, almost forget about Halloween!" He grinned widely; Heiji had never actually experienced Halloween in a country other than Japan, where it wasn't exactly the huge honking deal it could be in, say, the U.S. What would it be like in the U.K....?

"Poor guy's gonna have to pull out all the stops to keep the place nice and tended! Although I bet it's fun for the kids."

From her experience, Halloween was nothing more than an excuse to be extra silly and go to places like cemeteries and haunted house and abandoned places without a care in the world for what others thought. It was a bonus for most that pumpkin was a theme attached to October along with asking for sweets and dressing up no matter one's age.

"The poor man is going to run himself ragged here at the cemetery but he's not the one I'm worried for this year," she says, used to Henrique's cycle now. He's been taking care of this part of Highgate for the last ten years. He'll be able to survive this Halloween.

Close as she is to discovering it, it'll take a minute or two before she discovers the 'surprise' since she's preoccupied in her conversation with the two fae. More so with the current subject she finds herself discussing with them. "I'm not sure why but this year the kids have been rather reckless. I overheard them the other day when visiting Tonyo over there and they were passing by. Some are heading running off the Tower Hamlets' cemetery or the part of Highgate cemetery located in Islington. Some sort of dare they're pulling."

Meaning she can't keep an eye on the rascals and prevent them from getting harm with how far those two places are from her own cemetery. Going Harrow to Haringey alone had been demanding. Traveling from all three places, back to back, is impossible for the month thanks to her visit at the beach.

Given how active the vampires have been and how those places are their territories -- Well, Clara likes to think she has good cause to be nervous for the boys and girls' well-being.

Ahh the grounds keeper. Well at least she could make a determination based on the conversation. Halloween though. It took her a moment to remember some of the humans celebrated Samhain with Halloween. All Hallows eve. An important day in the witch and fae community as well and a favorite for the wild hunt.

It is interesting that children would go to the cemetery in an area that has high vampire activity. Perhaps the more than occasional disappearances adds to the danger. "Human children?" She asked after a moment. Unless someone asked a favor to make it worthwhile she wasn't going into vampire territory on Samhain. But she should at least show she felt something for the human children who might act so foolishly. Though cemetaries would likely have higher security on such an evening at the very least.

Excellent job, Mab, A+ pretending-you-care skills. Heiji frowned.

"You worried about Islington? They ain't supposed to target kids, though, right? Or is that more of a 'guideline' than a real rule?" And even if it was a rule, he supposed not everyone followed it.

"Kids do dumb things all the time, but if they're really gonna be doing something dangerous..." He looked at Clara, who probably had a better handle on the pulse of childish plans than he did.

"Well-- They're not exactly children as in toddlers." Most are in middle school at this point or are about to get into high school. They're still children in her eyes. More so if they're being this careless and foolhardy. "I like to think the security there will be enough to shoo them away but..."

The vampires have been a little tense," Clara admits to them as she recalls some of the things she's seen. Patrols, violently scaring witches and werewolves away from their established areas on certain nights. A 'little' maybe too generous. They were very tense. "From my understanding, there is a rule for that but I suspect it's more of 'try not to get caught' rule. Especially since I heard whispers of needing 'new blood' -- Whatever that means."

This is where Clara wrinkles her nose and shudders a bit, her area becoming cooler thanks to the sudden spike of negativity form her. New blood means only two things and she doesn't like either of them. "I thought you two would be interested in hearing about this since don't the fae have some areas closer to their place?"

Close-ish, at least. The faculty has been buzzing about the arrival and establishment of both Courts, wondering aloud why the fae are here and making bets on what they want -- the running bet, it seems, is that they want to convert London as a new source of energy of something magical for their use. She saw nothing particularly wrong with it. The fae have been peaceful so far, not causing fights or getting into trouble. Besides the worry of making deals and such, the fae have been very nice in her opinion. She wonders why everyone seems so tense around them.

Mab has plans, don't screw them up with sarcasm inner Heiji.

They're all children to her, she's far older than Clara so it makes some sense that if Clara thinks they're children from her perspective, Mab should think so as well. She does narrow her eyes at the idea of the Vampires being tense though. The needing new blood sounded more like recruitment to her.

"Yes, they're close by. They have been mostly harmless up to this point but perhaps I need to pay closer attention."

"'New blood'? That does sound like they're planning on doin' some recruiting." Maybe the fae were making them nervous? Not that they had any real reason to have a beef with what the fae had been doing thus far -- they hadn't even touched Islington's territory.

"Listen, if you need help lookin' after some of those kids, I don't mind pitching in... but maybe the best thing to do would be to try the non-supernatural route. You know, to get them off the streets. If there was some scare goin' around to make parents think their kids would be safer at school parties or at home, then we wouldn't have to worry about tryin' to keep the vampires away from them, right?"

Of course, manufacturing imaginary scares was not necessarily the most law-abiding of actions to take, but since they weren't allowed to tell the public of supernatural dangers at large...

Clara shudders at the idea of an recruitment done by the vampires. From what she understands of them, it won't be pretty or easy for whoever is on the receiving end of it.

"If you could-- Please. I mean both keeping an eye on them and finding a way, any way, to keep the young ones from trouble." Even if it meant scaring them because scaring is caring, kiddies. It never hurts to be careful in the up coming months. Clara isn't sure why but she can feel it in her ghostly bones: Something is in the air.

And it isn't even Halloween, proper, too. Oh!

"Thank you either way and look at me being a Fussy Fanny! I didn't even offer you two refreshments." Not wanting to make them think of work or duties at a party of all things, Clara quickly spooks off to her tombstone and picks up the small plate of storebought cookies Henrique had made for her grave. It's something he did for all the graves he personally took care of, hers recently after noticing people looking after it themselves. "Have some, please!

"I promise you won't get bound to here or anything," she jokes, most likely referencing the belief that eating food offered by the fae can have strange consequences. She's reading it up on some things or someone is helping her do so thanks to her limited access to a lot of things.

Mab watched them quietly. Heiji looked like he genuinely might help but he wasn't especially eager to do so from what she could see. She was spared from having to decline her assistance by Clara remembering etiquette. Etiquette was always helpful.

She manages to lift the plate which is impressive actually. "You are stronger than I remember." Mab murmurs, taking a cookie politely because lets face it, Clara would never do anything to any of her food. It wouldn't be polite. Her lips quirk up a little. "Are you enjoying your birthday? And how is your daughter?"

"Cookies, huh? Thanks!" Heiji took one and started munching away at it. How very grandmotherly of Clara to have someone on hand. He laughed, however, at Clara's follow-up.

"You guys sure have weird ideas about the fae. But yeah, how've you been?" Certainly he thought Clara would have mentioned something if Magra had taken a turn for the worse after that vampire fiasco, but things seemed to be humming along.

This isn't the first birthday (deathday?) celebration for Clara that Cooper has attended. He rather enjoys holidays of any occasion. They help the years pass by quicker. It's both a little morbid and sweet, which fits with Clara's personality just perfectly. Cooper's brought along some beer for those still among the living. He cracks the first one open and pours it out on the grave, saying a few words in Gaelic as he does so. Some may think it a crude gesture, but the sentiment behind it is a genuine one.

"Greetings," he says, nodding his head towards the star of the occasion, Clara, and looking around at the folks that have already arrived.

"Cooper!" She greets him when she has the chance to speak with him, all cheers and smiles. "I'm glad to see that Henrique and his improvised alarm system didn't give you any trouble. He's been so on edge lately."

A bit of her fault, really. The past month has been rather wild since it involved disturbed graves. "--Thank you also for the gesture, by the way. I'm sure my husband would have been very appreciative of it like how I am."

Really, she means that. Clara can't help but think if Cooper had met Francisco the two would hit it off with each other. In terms of drinking and being so busy with work. ~~Along with getting into fights but she never knew that bit from either.~~

"You learn a few tricks on how t'be quiet after livin' so long." Being a predator, it came natural to Cooper, so long as he could keep his mouth shut. He gives Clara a warm smile. It was nice to be able to see her without having something else on his mind. The past few months had been so eventful that it was nice to just kick back and spend some time with friends.

"Old tradition that is." He'd picked it up at some point during his travels over the years. "Glad you liked it. Not often I get t'do it for someone who's still around to appreciate the gesture."

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One Year Deader (Backdated)

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