[SRP] Graveyard Trespasser

[Strifeling]

Inwardly, Yolotl cringed, feeling awkward and uncomfortable and not sure how to extricate herself from the situation. Sepulchre hadn't picked up on the hint. If the mare had indeed grown up here, abandoned, all alone, Yolotl supposed that made some sense that Sepulchre wouldn't understand social cues.

Yolotl stared at Sepulchre's skull, wondering if she should take pity on her. A little conversation probably wouldn't hurt too much, and she didn't have plans of coming back here anyway if she could help it. Yolotl still wanted to leave as quickly as possible, but a part of herself felt guilt, shame, and a little self-loathing at being so quick to judge another individual, even in her own discomfort. She considered things for a moment, shifting her weight from one foot to another.

"Well... I'm looking for a particular plant. Atropa belladonna? Deadly nightshade? I was told I could find some here." Yolotl started walking past the other mare, but gave Sepulchre a wide berth when she did so, sparing a glance at the gleaming scythe.


Yolotl Word Count: 174  

[Strifeling]

Sepulchre, intuitively sensing what seemed to her an opportunity for company and conversation, turned around and trotted forward to catch up to Yolotl. She increased her pace to match the kirin mare's.

"What does it look like?" Sepulchre asked, skull facing Yolotl as they walked beside one another. "Unfortunately, I don't know all the plants by name, but I know where everything grows here and I can find anything! The crows might help too, if they want to." Sepulchre looked up as they passed a mausoleum. A black crow sat atop a cross, looking down at them both. It fluttered its feathers as it cawed at the two mares. Although the crow didn't say anything, Sepulchre recognized it as one of the unbonded familiars that frequented the area.

"The crows taught me which ones I shouldn't eat," Sepulchre added sheepishly. "When I was a filly, I didn't necessarily know what berries and plants were safe and which were poisonous." She paused for a moment, then stated, "I'm very grateful that they're here," referring to the crows. "They've probably saved my life more than once, on top of teaching me almost everything I know."

Sepulchre Word Count: 193

 

[Strifeling]

"Er, well," Yolotl hedged, stumbling over her words, "I'm in a bit of a rush to get back, so..."

"I'm also here to try and find other greens in the nightshade family, some herbs and other medicinal plants. If you don't mind, of course," Yolotl added quickly, glancing at the mare beside her. She hadn't expected to actually come across another living, sentient being here.

"The deadly nightshade plants have purple, trumpet-shaped flowers," she told Sepulchre, "and very shiny black berries." She spared a glance at the roses and leaves adorning Sepulchre's body. There were dark, glossy purple berries among them too, so dark they almost looked black. They looked like berries from the plant she was looking for.


Yolotl Word Count: 119  

[Strifeling]

"Oh, no, not at all!" Sepulchre responded immediately, and then mused, "Purple trumpet flowers, black berries... I'll need to think about it for a moment."

"Soquili and familiars sometimes come this way looking for things like that, so it seems. Why the rush? What other plants are you looking for? I'll go with you, I think I can help -- I know this place as well as... well, I've already mentioned I've lived here my entire life. If something's here, I'll know where to find it. Why exactly are you looking for them?" She eyed Yolotl from her wings, silver eyes swiveling.

Sepulchre Word Count: 102

 

[Strifeling]

"Uh... well... I'm not an apothecary, at least not currently. But I know of a group of traveling healers and herbalists, and they're short on supplies and gatherers at the moment so they sort of... conscripted me for my help. I have some familiarity with plants," Yolotl told her.

"Honestly, if there are useful plants here, I'll take what I can get and what you're willing to give me," she continued. "It wouldn't hurt to have some extra supplies, especially with how things are now."


Yolotl Word Count: 85  

[Strifeling]

"With how things are now?" Sepulchre echoed, interested, "What do you mean?" She awkwardly paused. Sepulchre wasn't sure what else to add, having never left her home or seen the outside world. The crows hadn't brought any recent news to her, either. "Is there something going on? Out... beyond the cemetery?"

"Of course, I don't mind, I'm willing to help. It's not like many soquili come here anyway, so there isn't exactly a huge demand for any plants or much or anything else from here," she added, "And in any case, it's usually the other way around, with outsiders bringing cultivated flowers here to pay their respects..."

Sepulchre Word Count: 107

 

[Strifeling]

"Well... usually they harvest their supplies earlier in the season, but it's been harder this year. Items are harder to find; there are fewer fungi, and there's a greater need, plus my friends are behind schedule," Yolotl replied, "It's been an unusually tough year for everyone. Not to mention, as I said, they're not only behind schedule but short of free individuals to help. We haven't been able to trade with our friends from far away or from the ocean, either, because everyone's been so scattered and busy and there isn't really a surplus to trade away, only services to trade at this point."

She paused, then turned to face Sepulchre head-on, still walking. I realize it's a personal question, but... why are you here? Why do you stay if there really... isn't anything to do or anyone to take care of?"


Yolotl Word Count: 142  

[Strifeling]

As she listened, Sepulchre's brow would have furrowed -- if she had one. Instead, the additional eyes on her body swiveled and blinked, focusing on Yolotl as the other mare explained the situation outside Sepulchre's cemetery home. Her little cemetery -- granted, it wasn't actually all that little, but it was her whole world in her life thus far -- was her isolated little patch of land, hidden away from prying eyes and most visitors. It was a world of its own, self-contained and lonely.

"I didn't know things were like that, outside," Sepulchre admitted, averting her skull towards the ground, "It seems like it's been a struggle. Here, the earth provides everything."

Sepulchre remained silent for a moment. She wasn't sure how to answer. How could one leave their home, after all? There wasn't really anything outside for her. "There is something here for me to do," she replied, voice soft, "I take care of the graves, after all, even if no one comes by most of the time. I can't really leave my home... I'm drawn here. There isn't anyone for me to take care of outside, either." However, Sepulchre's voice was uncertain, as though she was trying to convince herself and not the other mare.

Sepulchre Word Count: 208

 

[Strifeling]

There was an awkward silence and the two continued walking, unsure what to say. Finally, Sepulchre broke the silence.

"Do you have someone to take care of? Back where you are from..."

Sepulchre Word Count: 32

 

[Strifeling]

"What?" Yolotl started, surprised. The question seemed a bit personal, but then again, she had asked Sepulchre personal questions too.

"What do you mean, someone to take care of back home?" she repeated Sepulchre's words.


Yolotl Word Count: 35  

[Strifeling]

Sepulchre tilted her head sideways, moving her skull so that her bony orbits faced Yolotl. "How did you mean it? Isn't that what you asked me before? Why I stay?"

She stumbled over her words, "I mean, a family? A real one. Not that the ravens aren't my real family, but... You know..." her voice trailed off, uncertain.

Sepulchre Word Count: 58

Posted October 31st at 9:29pm Mountain Time -- October stats

 

[Strifeling]

Yolotl's ears pricked and she looked towards Sepulchre, alarmed. "I don't have children, if that's what you're asking," she said hastily, trying to shut down this course of conversation. If she did, she didn't think she'd let them come into contact with soquili like Sepulchre. She looked like something out of a nightmare.

Yolotl tried to steer the conversation to a more benign topic, away from family. "I mentioned before that I know some healers. I'm actually trying to join them, but I don't have the skills yet to qualify, I think. I grew up in the jungles; that's where I'm from. I was pretty young when I got separated, so I don't remember much."

Belatedly, she realized this opened new avenues of conversation to Sepulchre, and she didn't really want to head down these topics with a stranger, either. This was exactly what she had hoped to avoid earlier. She decided to change tactics.

"You know... I don't think it'd hurt if you left this place for a while," Yolotl said, gesturing with her hoof to the general vicinity. "I'm sure the crows could manage if you left for a few days, maybe even a moon cycle or two -- especially since this graveyard is so old and isolated, not much would happen. I'm sure things would be fine."

Yolotl usually had better social grace; under normal circumstances she wouldn't be so brazen with a stranger, but she hoped Sepulchre would take the bait and distraction.


Yolotl Word Count: 247  

[Strifeling]

"Well..." Sepulchre's voice trailed off, and her ears flattened back against the voluminous waves of hair on her head. Inwardly, Yolotl breathed a sigh of relief. The distraction had worked; Sepulchre was too focused on Yolotl's suggestion to leave the cemetery to continue inquiring about her family, companions, and childhood. Just as well for her, but Yolotl did feel a bit guilty, because now she was pushing Sepulchre to that same level of discomfort.

Finally, Sepulchre said, "It's not like others want to see me, anyway." She stopped walking, and Yolotl had to turn back, looking over her shoulder.

"I know it's uncomfortable to talk about. And I know I'm probably a bit naive," Sepulchre added, "Maybe very naive. And certainly sheltered. And I have many other flaws. But I'm also not half-witted. Your reaction to me isn't the worst I've gotten, and I'm sure there are far worse still." She hung her head low.

"Other soquili prefer to avoid me, and I know that. I don't think there's anything I can do about it."

Sepulchre Word Count: 175

 

[Strifeling]

'Ahhh,' Yolotl thought to herself. So there was some self-awareness here. She eyed the other mare, aware that she was being awkward herself, and somewhat regretted the turn in the topic of conversation.

She didn't really understand why, but she felt the need to continue. Something compelled her. Yolotl wasn't sure if it was pity, discomfort, or something else.

"Do you even know what it's like out there, though?" Yolotl looked towards Sepulchre, expectantly.

Yolotl continued for the hell of it. "How do you know you can't do anything about it?" She realized, belatedly, that her response was somewhat aggressive but continued anyway. "You're missing out on a lot. Don't you think it's a shame?" she continued.


Yolotl Word Count: 117

Posted November 30th at 11:46pm Mountain Time -- November stats  

[Strifeling]

Sepulchre stared back at Yolotl, blankly, both with her empty sockets and the extra eyes on her wings.

"No, of course not. How could I possibly know?" her voice wavered a little bit, and she seemed to back away and shrink down. She ruffled her wings and then folded them more tightly against her body, as if trying to protect herself.

"A shame? What exactly?" Sepulchre lowered her head and almost seemed to turn away, and for a second Yolotl felt some guilt at the other mare's state -- timid, shy, reclusive and alone.

Sepulchre Word Count: 94

Posted November 30th at 11:49pm Mountain Time but not for stats