warmheartedly: (a cup of ghost powder;)
clara ❝ spooky grandma ❞ seville. ([personal profile] warmheartedly) wrote in [community profile] undergrounds2015-06-02 09:17 pm

oh dear; oh dear (open post)

JUNE 4; PLAYGROUND

There's a playground. Well, there a lot of playgrounds across the city. What makes this one right next to Coffers' Shop a bit more special than the other out there is this: Accidents.

It's not unheard of playgrounds to have the occasional accidents. It's who is the heart of the possible problem for this one.

Parents love it for the fact it's so safe for their kids there. They can drop their rowdiest youngsters at that spot and never worry about a scratch or bruise by the time they come back to pick them up.

Other adults though? The ones who shouldn't be lingering around or have too much interest in watching the kids? If you're not a babysitter for any of the children, there's a strong chance something may happen to you. Especially if you have an unfortunate reputation among the regulars there. At least the occasional sharp trip or tumble to the ground won't harm you that badly. A scuff or bruise but nothing too serious.


JUNE 5; GRAVEYARD (MORNING)

This part of the cemetery doesn't get a lot of attention. Compared to the ornate statues of angels weeping or grand mausoleums, the humble headstones and markers pale in comparison to them and often get little attention.

The row of tombstones here all belong to a small family, the (supposed) only surviving member studying not having quite enough time to pay her respects to the family she barely remembers. As a result it gets no notice, not attention besides the groundskeeper who keeps weeds off all the grounds.

Yet, in the early hours, some passerby may notice a trail of petals from a patch of wildflowers, outside of the cemetery, leading to the tombstones. This happens now and then. Not enough times to be reported on but enough times that the groundskeeper, if asked, will mention he's no longer surprised by the presence of tidy bushels of flowers on the graves. Someone is only paying their respects for them. There's no harm in that.

Plus he has no interest in going near it during these times. Not when it's so eerily cold that it makes his teeth chatter and his body shake if he's only a few feet from it. The coldness, in his opinion if ever asked, is the worst when near the one that happens to be marked FRANCISCO SEVILLE.


JUNE 5; COFFERS' SHOP (AFTERNOON)

... Is the shop chillier than usual? It seems to be with how when someone enters and they immediately shiver, rubbing their arms to ward off the chills.

The air-conditioning is strong but never this strong.

Those who go here regularly, from customers who come by everyday to and employees themselves, are having a hard time focusing on their works as they shiver and struggle to get the usually reliable free wi-fi to work on them or to get the coffee machine to cooperate for this one cup.

If asked if this happens a lot, some will say yes and some will be unsure but there's a general agreement in the air that this is not normal. The source of the coldness is hard to explain. The coldest spot changes from near the counter to the furthest corner or right outside the door.

Almost like it was... moving on its own.

[ OOC: Or make your own scenario in your comment! Prose and brackets welcomed! ]</td></tr></tbody></table>

alethiological: (Lady Janet Glamis (d. 1537))

i see dead people

[personal profile] alethiological 2015-06-04 05:23 pm (UTC)(link)
The fun thing is that most people assume Hunters go around beheading people for paychecks. The truth is that's just the high-risk end of the pool. A lot of it is just writing reports, or taking up observation posts, or just looking into a situation to see if it's worth something more. It's just questioning witnesses and abusing the human weakness of feelings to get out more than they meant to.

The coat is different. Same with the unforgiving presence and the stern look. The groundskeeper is dismissed with at least the illusion of manners (Thank you for taking the time from your job. Of course, sir, anytime) but there's still that annoyance. It's just flowers, nothing malignant, being a Rank 1 is irritating, he hates these jobs, might equalize it just on principle-

Except. The names. The entire aura flakes off into nothing upon reading it.

Seville.

He doesn't even turn around. The cold doesn't bother him, locking joints are normal of course- But just the same, he knows she's there.

"Your husband?"
alethiological: (Agnes Bernauer (d. 1435))

realtalk i got this tag and just went OH NO really loud they're too cute

[personal profile] alethiological 2015-06-04 08:00 pm (UTC)(link)
He always assumed she was an old hand at the ghost thing. Comparing her and Aradia talent-wise is night and day, so her husband being deceased? Not a surprise. Old age conquers everyone at some point or another. The husband is not surprising. The son a bit moreso, but there's always something. Illness, accidents, bad luck, prey.

He doesn't ask.

So it's only at the spooky comment does he turn back around. There's none of the usual 'I'm sorry for your loss' or 'why didn't you tell me' or 'at least you're still here' that most people snap off. They're trite appeasements. A sad facsimile of empathy, because people think that by saying how much they care, it means they actually do.

Her expression isn't brought up either.

"What? Like flowers appearing from nowhere? Or a woman standing in your peripherals and gone when you turn? Sounds like a classic ghost story."
alethiological: (Frederick Bywaters (d. 1923))

hopefully your dogs were more sympathetic than my cats

[personal profile] alethiological 2015-06-05 05:44 am (UTC)(link)
Ten years? And the assignment said it might be malignant? Wow, Hillingdon is filled with dumbs, there is no longer any regret to be avoiding them. The guilt isn't dismissed, but at least it's ignored, and her gaze is followed to the graves when she speaks. Her granddaughter might be the only one left. No wonder she stays.

A shame about the graves being untended though. It's half-distracted when he takes out his phone and takes pictures of the two graves in question.

"Better they have courage contests here than somewhere dangerous." God knows they do that enough in other areas of the city. It's probably how the fae get half of their kids to kidnap. "However, you should tell them stealing is wrong. Next time leave a memo stuck to the flowers."
alethiological: (William Wallace (d. 1305))

good puppies <3

[personal profile] alethiological 2015-06-05 07:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Clara doesn't ask, he doesn't explain, simply tucking the phone away again once everything's saved. It'll be a good project to work on when he's bored at the office and throwing pencils at people.

The suggestion however earns the usual cracked smile. He is not a good measurement on whether something is 'mean' or not, so that part goes unacknowledged. "You're a ghost story, remember? Maybe appear to one of them and just keep saying they're your son and you both need to go home. They'll immediately assume you're trying to spirit them away," the emphasis is punctuated with one hand waved through the air, the universal gesture of 'stupid magic nonsense', "Or some other ridiculous trope."

See, that is too mean.

"The angry frowning face is perfect. Keep it."
alethiological: (Jòn Rögnvaldsson (d. 1625))

they're good woof best friends 4am alarm clocks is what they do

[personal profile] alethiological 2015-06-10 09:53 pm (UTC)(link)
There's a slight smile at the agreement, just from the mental image. Clara, of all people, trying to play up the horror story ghost. The woman who seems incapable of anything except positive thinking. Add on the fact the kids would buy the terrible act as legitimate. It's perfect.

Though the smile falls off at the unsaid question with, "Doyle's a hack."

It's distracted, because there's no way to properly answer it. It's a very precise line of separation; defined by the coat and gloves and the heartless monster act. A difference between a surname and a title, a person and a concept, but mostly importantly it was that one defined rule. Keep business and home as far apart as possible. It's a compartmentalizing that works perfectly.

Up until moments like this. Where it'd be easy to refuse to answer, except it's Clara. She's a good person. He's legitimately fond of her. Dodging the question is unacceptable, and it always just felt wrong to lie to her.

"Fifty quid. Investigate the headstones in question for supernatural activity; observation, resolution, file report. Low threat level, priority dispatch unnecessary." The entire statement is more directed to her husband's headstone than to Clara, with a specific brand of monotone she's never encountered before. It might be just frigid enough to match the cold air she leaves with her tricks, "Rather standard procedure.

"I've been trying to clear the more ridiculous backlog. This one, it's obviously just a visitor, but it's paranoia layered on top of the yearly notion that you have something to do with the disappearing kids. Except that's obviously the Fae. Only idiots like Them would keep thinking otherwise."

It's brittle and unfeeling and could almost be confused for an entirely different person. But more importantly, gives enough context clues for Clara to answer her own unasked question.