Graveyard | Afternoon | Sunday | March 27

[therewaslife]

Lurking around in a graveyard on a cloudy, dreary day seemed to fit the typical stereotype Bod had seen in many a movie. The only other thing he needed was a dark trench coat and sunglasses to complete the illusion. Unfortunately, Bod was not up for fitting stereotypes today. His jacket was a light brown and his umbrella was bright pink (he'd thought it better for walking at night).

The ground was wet beneath his boots as he walked along the aisles of tombstones. Occasionally, he'd stopped and said hello to a person or two, guessing them there and going about their day even if he couldn't see them. He'd left flowers on graves that looked untended or lonely and said a few kind words for those that had been gone longest.

Now, he was just standing idly in between two tombstones, looking thoughtful and mellow, at least. Being in a graveyard tended to do that to him. It was sometimes why he didn't want to leave.

[Open place in town so open post if someone's around the graveyard]

Comments

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

"Is this something you do often, Nobody?"

At least for Chrono, it was practically requisite for him to randomly show up from behind a tall headstone when there was someone else lurking around the graveyard. He tilted his head at the boy, curious about seeing him again, though not entirely surprised.

[therewaslife]

"As often as I can, yes," Bod said, turning to smile at the other man. "At least once a week but sometimes more if I'm feeling the need for some familiarity and calmness. Hullo, sir."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

"Hello," Chrono nodded in response to Nobody'd greeting, looking toward the path into the cemetery made of the flowers the boy had deposited here and there that weren't there before. "Is this just a weekly visit, or an extra one?"

[therewaslife]

"Weekly," he answered, nodding. "I hadn't had the chance to come down here at all this week so, of course, I pick the cold, dreary day. It's like a scene straight out of a horror movie, really."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

Complete with a demon and everything...

"Luckily," Chrono offered, "I'm not in much of a horror movie mood. I clean this place up, so really it would just be making more work for myself..."

[therewaslife]

"I'm not a huge fan of them myself," Bod agreed with a slight nod. "I can understand see the point and thrill of them but knowing what I know, they tend to get most everything completely wrong. It's a bit off putting."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

Chrono, despite himself, snorted slightly. "I haven't watched many films, to be honest," he said, "but, I think, whatever the media, they tend to get a lot of things wrong in that respect."

[therewaslife]

"Indeed," Bod agreed with another nod. "I do enjoy movies but not really the horror genre. I prefer things like comedy and animated. They're mostly lighthearted fare that doesn't make me think too much. It's nice not to do that sometimes."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

"Most of my film experience has been limited," Chrono mused, thinking on how new it really was, as far as entertainment went. "It hadn't really hit its stride back when I spent most of my time with humans, and then, when I lived here, my...friend had....really bad taste."

America's Next Top Model, whhhhyyyy???

[therewaslife]

"I prefer reading above anything," Bod shared idly. "I watch television sometimes but I'd rather read a book than do anything else. They tend to inspire more creativity in me than watching movies and television."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

Chrono nodded. "I would suggest the stage, but, really, the whole world is a stage..."

Which was totally a phrase in the underworld before Shakespeare stole it, really!

[therewaslife]

"I've seen a few plays in m time," he replied, nodding. "I enjoyed what I saw, most definitely. It must take quite a lot of bravery for people to act without any sort of safety net. It's quite impressive."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

"Interesting you should say that," Chrono mused, sitting a little on a headstone. "I find most people are acting through their entire lives as a safety net..."

[therewaslife]

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean," Bod admitted curiously. "I haven't heard that particular idea from anyone else before."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

Chrono smiled distantly. "A lot of people," he offered for an explanation, "when you met them, aren't really the people they truly are, but, rather, they're a person they want you to think they are. Not everyone, of course; I definitely have known some people who couldn't be anything but themselves no matter how hard they might try. But most people play a part in life, put on a play for the people around them...I am a cynic, though, so that might just be me."

[therewaslife]

"And what do you think of yourself?" Bod asked curiously. "Are playing a part or are you showing your true self?"

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

"I'm trying to show more of my true self," Chrono allowed honestly, with a faint smile, and a knuckle rubbing at one of the nubs where his horns used to be. "It feels like it's been a really long time, though, so I'm not sure I even remember who that is."

[therewaslife]

"Honestly, I wouldn't know if I'm showing my real self or playing a part," Bod admitted quietly. "I don't know if I know my real self. I don't know if I've found it yet."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

"Usually, if you don't know," Chrono offered, "then you're probably not acting. It usually takes effort to hide who you really are..."

Or at least a group of nuns with supernatural powers to change your shape and bind your power...

[therewaslife]

"Well, I've hidden myself before," Bod shared, shrugging. "I had to hide myself for safety reasons but I'm not doing that anymore. I don't know if that would quite qualify but it happened."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

It was now Chrono's turn to be curious.

"Safety reasons?"

[therewaslife]

"Yes," Bod said, nodding. "A man killed my family and he had to kill me as well. Due to that, I had to stay hidden, learn the skills of the graveyard and keep myself hidden just to make sure I wasn't killed."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

"I'm sorry about your family," said Chrono, in the tone of a person who was sincere, but had trouble mustering up too much sympathy as someone who lost quite a bit more. "Why were they trying to kill you?"

[therewaslife]

"There was a prophecy that I was someone important that might bring the downfall of their society," Bod explained. "Honestly, I don't really understand it all myself still. It was confusing and overwhelming all at once."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

"Ah." Chrono nodded. "Prophesies. Downfalls of society. That's...usually where the trouble starts. It didn't turn out that this man was your brother or anything, by any chance, did it?"

[therewaslife]

"No," Bod said, shaking his head. "No, I only have a sister and she was killed along with my mother and father. If I have a brother, I don't know about him."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

"Just wondering," said Chrono, shaking his head to brush it off because he certainly wasn't going to get into any sibling troubles he'd have in the past. They'd be there all evening. "You were very young when it happened?"

[therewaslife]

"When they were killed, I was just a baby," he said, nodding. "But, I lived under the safety of the ghosts and the graveyard for nearly fifteen years. The man who had to kill me, it took him awhile to find me because of the ghosts and my guardian."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

"What happened once he did find you?" asked Chrono, knowing there was at least a little bit of relief in other people's problems.

[therewaslife]

"There was a confrontation and I made sure he wouldn't bother me again," Bod said, sounding confident. He had no idea if the Jacks would make their way back but they hadn't yet. "I disposed of them."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

Chrono made a soft grunting sound, glancing over his shoulder a little toward the church.

"May I ask how?" he wondered.

[therewaslife]

"I didn't kill them," Bod said quietly. "I just incapacitated them. Two of them were trapped in a very dangerous place, one of them I left in an empty grave and the other one..."

Bod paused, trying to best figure out how to describe the Sleer. "The other one is gone."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

Chrono made that sound again. Even when you did kill them, they still sometimes came back.

"That can be difficult, when they're just...gone..." he noted.

[therewaslife]

"Because of the lack of closure?" Bod guessed.

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

Chrono nodded. "Someone raised by ghosts should know not even death can be a complete closure," he said. "I hate to be a complete cynic, but I speak for experience that even when you think you're finished with something, there's always a possibility that there's still time for something to change."

[therewaslife]

"No, you're right," Bod allowed, nodding. "I don't think they're completely gone. I think they've gone into hiding, gone underground despite assurances to the contrary. I just can't live my life constantly paranoid that they're coming back for me. It won't be much of a life."

[timedemon.livejournal.com]

"No, it wouldn't be," Chrono agreed, gaining another small smile. "You sound like someone I used to know; she wouldn't let anything stop her from living life, really. I envy you humans that."

[therewaslife]

"Thank you," Bod said, aiming a shy smile down at his feet. "I figure that if so many people risked themselves to keep me safe then I should repay that favor by not letting anything hold me back now that I can live."