talking to ghosts

[ninjavampire]

Who: Miggy & You??
What: Miguel stays behind to do dead honoring activities
Where: the Pole to start
When: Late October, Early November (Day of the Dead time)
Warnings/Notes: themes of mourning, though it can be lighthearted also

Miguel would be reluctantly absent during the action around Halloween. A strange enough decision, given his first instinct would be to throw himself into the fray as a distraction.

But as of late, he couldn’t hide that something was eating at him. The gloomy spell over his mood seemed more intense than months prior, burning away his patience and making short tempered remarks and the flashing of fangs more easy to let slip. He'd done okay keeping things somewhat under lock, but it was clear now something was definitely wrong.

And so, after some tense, but persuasive conversation just convincing enough to accept staying behind, Miguel finds himself idle on a quieter and lonelier Pole for a few days.

((prompts incoming - brackets or prose are fine))

Comments

Carving (open)

[ninjavampire]

He didn't consider himself the artsy type, but with a burst of inspiration and a strong desire to busy his hands and his thoughts, Miguel ends up on the work floor.

With his talons, he begins to use some wood blocks to carve rough forms out of the unused chunks. The claws on his hands were wicked things, making easy work of wood-shaving without losing any sharpness - but in this case, for something rather innocent.

He really was not an artist. The table is littered with aborted attempts to shake the rust off an abandoned hobby. The figures were mostly simple, cute animals - things a child would enjoy more than something Miguel would make for himself. A turtle, a rabbit, a parrot.

The third or fourth attempt would come out easier than the last, and he finds himself lost in the process of making.

Cempasúchil and Candy (Open)

[ninjavampire]

A portal opens up in the Relaxation Room close to Halloween night. Rather than frost, the gate shuts with a playful flurry of faintly glowing, golden flower petals. It appears to be the tail end of a very long and unexpected journey off the Pole. 

When Miguel's mask blinks off, he looks tired and a bit disheveled. In his arms are the fruits of his errand: an assortment of richly-colored marigolds and other flowers. One in particular had a faint glow, and its petals were a creamy pale color closer to bonemeal than gold. 

There is also a plastic bag of candy that most certainly garners some elfish attention when he sets his things down with a -Thunk- on a table. 

"Don't touch that. It's not for you." he snaps at a curious hand taking a chance with the sweets. The sudden, harsh tone elicits a peep out of three elves, tripping on each other in a snowballing comedy of errors. 

Offerings (Castmate/CR)

[ninjavampire]

On November 1st, the decorations are set in a nook of Miguel's nearly untouched bedroom. It was easily the most colorful thing in the sparse space, used only for the functional requirement of sleep.

The altar was a ring of marigolds on floral wire, with loose purple hoary stock and gypsophila flowers. Candles, a glass of water and the nicest of the carved wooden critters are arranged alongside a few other effects. Flower petals are also scattered in the corner - the whole thing was a mostly small and unassuming affair.

"Discúlpeme, mija..." he says to the picture-less arrangement. "If I carved the usual fruit, then the elves might sniff it out and try to eat it when I'm not looking. But I have this instead - easier to hide."

A locked and laquered box with hidden peanut marzipan and chocolate is set at the center. Despite the solemn nature of it, Miguel sounds lighter. Or maybe he's simply a little more at ease with himself at the moment.

* (( 'mija' is a term of endearment for a daughter. He's apologizing in a sincere but lighter way. ))

[favoritefearlesshero]

"I left out a basket of apples for them, it seemed to work as a distraction," Puss says quietly from the doorway. He's standing just outside the threshold, not going to enter unless he's invited.

Puss knows the ceremony. There's no mistaking that mix of smells, though Puss never had a home to put an ofrenda in. His life took him on constant travels, but the smell was the same everywhere in his home country. It's solemn and a celebration all at once, and it's hard to keep a lid on the feelings it stirs in him.

So he stands outside of Miguel's room, not sure how his presence will be taken.

Re: Carving (open)

[credit_not_blame]

Stacia doesn't hover at Miguel's elbow in her investigation, because that's a good way to get whacked by someone's funny bone by accident (or get deliberately elbowed if the person notices you and wants to teach you a lesson). It's very interesting though: Miguel isn't like Bunny, he's not into cute stuff. He's not even into cute stuff ironically. And he's doing this in the middle of the workshop and Stacia is nosy as hell, so she settles in to wait until he notices her.

She also starts eyeballing the wood carving tools nearby and wondering how likely she is to injure herself if she starts messing with them...

[orivodika]

Boba is still pissed that no one let him go on the mission. He's spent most of his time since then sulking.

He goes to Miguel's lab to tinker. He doesn't have a project now that he gave Branch the shock baton, but he's got plenty of things he can mess with. Unfortunately, the door's locked when he gets there.

He doesn't bother knocking when he gets to Miguel's room. He just opens the door and walks in.

"What are you doing?" His original question completely leaves his brain when he sees Miguel's setup.

[changechild]

Something is tugging at Need in a peculiar way. She splits her attention and investigates, peering through living senses, going from one mind to another as she gets closer. Mostly hopping between the perceptions of elves, and then - oh, yes, she knows this one. Miguel's made some kind of ancestor-shrine, she assumes, though she doesn't look into his memories.

That pull is still there. It's not remotely the same as that brand, which had constantly reminded her that Guts' soul was hanging there crying out to be eaten, it doesn't have that ugly aspect at all. Still it reminds her, in a comparatively friendly way, of things she's taught herself to ignore.

Deliberately she causes an impression of a presence that starts distant and draws closer, like she's something that can come into a room to stand behind and to Miguel's left, to look over his shoulder and see what he sees. Living people are often more comfortable if they think of her as having a bit more distance from them than she actually does.

:This is nice,: she says, with less edge than usual.

[ninjavampire]

He never quite entirely loses the strict lines of his face, but he seems softer. A little more muted and vulnerable than usual.

When he turns to the surprise visitor, he doesn’t look offended that Puss was there. So. That’s about as good a welcome as Miguel tends to give.

“Maybe with the candles, that’ll be enough to last the night.” he replies with more amusement than anger at the situation. The scent of candles and incense seemed to throw off the trail of treats.

“You’re back earlier than expected.”

The mission must have gone well.

[ninjavampire]

He reacts a little slower than usual, sucked in by the process of going through the motions over the past few days. Miguel stands straight and turns to face him, even-keeled despite the more solemn look about him.

“A ceremony from back home.”

He wasn’t a religious man, but doing all the preparations had its effects on him. A way to make remembering a little less painful.

“Did you want me to open the lab?”

He figures that’s why the kid sought him out - Lucky seemed to be possessed by a similar bad mood after being to told to stay on the Pole.

[ninjavampire]

There are few things less fitting than Miguel, with his deathly serious and measured mannerisms, using all his focus to finish the detail-line of a parakeet beak in his latest roughly hewn invention. There. Done (ish). Given he was used to doing this another material entirely, it didn't look too bad.

"Are you just going to sit there and stare?" The question comes out a little harsher than he meant to, probably. Although momentarily distracted, he was still in too foul a mood to perform politeness right away.

The cuteness of the critter held oh-so-delicately on the hook-ends of his claws dampens the effect, somewhat.

[ninjavampire]

Miguel also seems to have lost some of combativeness that made him even less pleasant to be around. He wasn't happier, per say, but the heavy weight inside has gotten a little lighter while going through all the motions of the holiday. At hearing the voice percolate in the room, the peaceful look on his face tenses up, though he decides to keep his eyes closed in thought.

"I'm going to assume you know your ghost manners." he remarks, and it's only half accusatory, with the other half daring to venture into something approaching humor. Not that Need seemed capable of eating candy or drinking water (wrong kind of ghost).

[changechild]

:It's tempting to say no, but I gave up my right to offerings a while back.:

The statement is a little uncertain because she has no idea. Hadn't there been a tradition of pouring wine or... no, wasn't it milk? over lykeblades once? Honeyed, or fermented maybe. Or was it blood? That is a faded path that trails right into one of the holes in Need's memory. She's pretty sure, though, that she's never asked or told anyone to do that for her. It wouldn't feel right - self-aggrandizing in a particular way that she doesn't like, something that would cost others and benefit only her.

She pauses, inflected by the more bittersweet tone of Miguel's grief as it is in the moment. :Should I let you alone? Something is calling me towards this, but I can ignore it.: Despite herself, a suggestion of concern makes it across.

[bestbrotherever]

Loki looks up from his reading and makes a mock pout of disappointment.

"You brought candy and are forbidding the elves from having any of it? Really, Spider-Man. That is unbecoming."

[ninjavampire]

“If I let one get a taste, then the entire pack will swarm in.”

Unbecoming Spider-Man will be keeping a close eye on the candy while he sets up some floral wire to form a ring. Another golden petal or two fall from where they got snagged in locks of hair.

This latest project of his seemed ridiculously low tech considering his usual subject of obsession.

“And like I said, it’s not for them.”

[ninjavampire]

Miguel stares at the gathered things as he mulls it over. There will be time to be alone. He’ll be lingering here all night, secretly hoping for some sliver of the joy he felt with Gabriella.

“It’s fine.” He decides. “It’s supposed to be a celebration, too.”

With all the strange things he’s suffered through, it felt deeply unfair that this was the one rule of the universe that seemed to stick. Made it hard to gather the energy to celebrate.

But at least two made it a little closer to that.

[changechild]

She waits neutrally for Miguel to decide. Need often seems to be impatient, but it's an affectation really. Shallow, the way her annoyance with most things is shallow.

:All right.: Not that she's a particularly good person to celebrate something with herself, but it seems like a good sign that he wants anyone here at all, however briefly. :...What is calling me? That doesn't happen often. Is there a psychopomp around waiting to tell me to give it up and rest already?:

She probably should wait to bring that up but she can only hold back so much of that paranoia, though in this case it's inflected with exasperation. Psychopomps and any other manifestations of Death she meets tend to be a little affronted by her existence. Even the Shadow-Lover, who treats it as a true friendly concern and not an in to telling her to pass on, always has to take a moment to ask about her burdens.

[bestbrotherever]

Loki shakes his head, smirking. "You do not know how to handle this without any stolen candy or hurt feelings? Let the wicked God of Mischief teach you a little."

He conjures a large bowl out of light on a table far from Miguel, then opens Lokispace and pulls out a large bag of candy, the type that stores sell for Halloween preparation. He whistles, then pours the candy into the bowl. "This is all for you elves, and there is more where it came from."

[orivodika]

Boba moves further into the room. The wooden carvings have caught his eye more than anything else. He's never seen those animals before.

"Yeah," he answers, clearly distracted from his original goal. "What's the ceremony for?"

He's attempted to covertly peer around Miguel to get a better look, but he isn't being all that covert about it.

[ninjavampire]

“A day for celebrating and remembering, among other things.”

Mourning. Feasting. Enjoying the company of the living and reflection of the lives of the dead. There were a lot of ways to do it. His did not involve much of a party.

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

Miguel makes for a substantial obstacle with merely his size, but he won’t stop Boba from going around him to look.

[orivodika]

When Miguel doesn't make any move to stop him, Boba moves around him. The flowers are pretty. Orange, white, and purple: lust for life, clean state, and... he doesn't know what purple means. Maybe it's reliability, like blue? Red is honoring a parent, maybe it's a different kind of honoring.

His brow furrows at the question. "Ghosts?"

His instinct to to say no, but it's a big galaxy. He thinks about the stories his dad would tell him-- about the kings that live in the stars. He thinks about the book filled with his father's voice-- about the millions of clones that wear his father's face.

Boba shrugs. "I don't know. I've never seen one."

[credit_not_blame]

"Yes," Stacia answers, as casually as if Miguel had asked his question with sincere curiosity. She props her elbows on the table and rests her chin on her palms for good measure. If he thinks he can make her feel shame for observing him as though he were a weird bug, he's got another think coming. And, really, she could have been far more annoying: "I considered running commentary, but decided to go for the ASMR experience instead."

Smile, smile, cute face; like she's never done anything wrong in her life.

"I definitely wouldn't have guessed 'woodcarving' as a hobby of yours, but it looks like you've done this before."

[ninjavampire]

Avoiding hurt feelings appears to be at the bottom of Miguel's priority list, because he responds to the display with a thinly concealed scowl from across the room that should have come accompanied with stormclouds.

"Thank you, Wicked God of Mischief." he says dryly, with a substantial note of sarcasm.

The rhythmic jingling of two dozen nearby elves dampens the effect of his sour mood, scurrying around his shins like a school of fish to get to the available free Halloween bowl! He doesn't seem to linger too long on Loki, at least, settling into his chair to get to his task. It's always business with this one.

The task at hand seems to be fairly delicate, involving wire and the orange-petaled marigolds. The odd luminant one seems to be set to the side for now.

[favoritefearlesshero]

"Indeed. Our plan played to all our strengths. Especially mine."

Puss's tone is quiet, but light. Ordinarily, he might not care if he gets under Miguel's skin, but not tonight.

"You should have heard me sing. And Branch was OK too, I suppose."

He takes Miguel's lack of animosity as an invitation to come inside. He stops when he's side by side with Miguel, and then takes off his hat...

And plucks an egg off his head. It's painted with a little golden vest. He very gingerly sets it on the ofrenda.

"...Don't worry. I shall take it back to my own room when I leave."

[ninjavampire]

"I had family that liked them. It was easier to eat and enjoy when it's made of fruit."

He sets the bird down, seeming to have run out of energy to be snarly. Miguel was used to speaking about the collapse of the world that took Gabriella with it, but he did his best not to show too much of that somber side. He couldn't afford to as the leader, he had to be strong for the others - or so he thought.

In front of Stacia, at least, it's not like he was going to be giving her orders the next day.

[ninjavampire]

"You must be picking up on Catrina's petals." he says. "This holiday has a guardian of its own here."

Meeting an actual Calavera Catrina brought to life was very much like meeting Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. The iconography and cartoons from fuzzy childhood memories suddenly manifest in physical form. Even after having hopped around the multiverse, it was a little surreal.

"The flowers lead spirits to where they need to go, so the story says." he pinches the stem of the bone-white marigold left among the others. Of all the flowers arranged together, that one had an undeniable supernatural allure to it.

Pondering, he figures it must be a lonely existence for a ghost to never have anyone acknowledge them. It isn't so surprising one would end up wandering to the wrong place.