eastbound | un: moonage daydream (audio)

[Not one of the voices she was calling to, but-]

You were looking for her?

[ After a moment of nervously eyeing her pendant, finally - a response. ]

Er. Well, yes.

[ Then, rather hastily. ]

And hello Eleven, how are you?

[ Nothing to see here. ]

Well enough..

[But not to be distracted-]

Why are you looking for Hatisse?

For a few reasons - I was keen to see if there was anything of note inscribed on her tomb - especially about fire.

[ She hadn't been especially covert about that particular theory, it isn't anything he hasn't heard before.

Then - very quickly. ]

And there are a few relics from Arha to lay to rest there. His spirit's final request.

[He hums through a sigh]

Be careful.

[ Somebody had it pointed out to her how unwise it was to talk. Which is good, because he won't be able to detect any hints of sheepishness in her voice. ]

Of course! I'll see you soon.

( Don't mind him, just never showing face again, also contritely trailing Wei Wuxian's.... 'adventures.' )

Bring a curse breaker.

Between the three of us, we ought to be able to sort it.

[ She hopes. ]

( You are doomed. )

Ought you.

Heard, but sticking to writing, so as not to be heard in turn. Hatisse's that far back? Fascinating. So few of the Doxes that's not even as far as I would think... we have a lock on the one for the bones, too?

Oh good idea.

The bones are meant to go to the left of Hatisse, the name on the tombs matches the one in my notes from the spirit.

Have you got your silencing talismans? Finding a spot to dig is going to be noisy.

Yes, and Lan Zhan's are even better, though I won't demand him to assist in this as well as what he's already doing. I'll ask—but my wards are ready, long as we get them up on the relevant walls around where we're... digging... can we dig here?

Honestly after looking around I'm uncertain if there's anywhere to dig here, though I think I might be able to use a vanishing spell on the stone. Perhaps we can make a space to lay them to rest.

Do you have Arha's things?

Edited 2021-10-23 01:52 (UTC)

They're in Lan Zhan's care. As for... burials, have you observed how bones are treated here? We may be able to mimic that?

I might just be able to transfigure things so that they blend right in. It's worth a try.

Try, and if not, we'll proceed to our next course of action. Right now I'm navigating around a cluster of guards and touring citizens...

[ After a few minutes of waiting to make sure the coast was clear. ]

I think this might work! I'll need to vanish a few more to make room, especially if we've got to restore the box's size but we're in business!

The restoring will be necessary, but brilliant work, Lily! I should be there soon, these guards are... I believe they're talking about a... oh.

Well then, we have some patrons of the nightly arts here.

You really ought to talk to Hermione about one of her screaming codpieces. It might spare you from these awkward situations.

I'm pretending to weep on this tomb while discretely vanishing stones and I think the box will almost fit!

Edited 2021-11-05 21:54 (UTC)

Huh. She's making what now? Would it go with half skirts, do you think?

Great work, keep the tears flowing, I'll be along before much longer!

I'm not sure if they're her invention or supplied to be her cover story. Nonetheless, people are very unlikely to rub something that's screaming. It might help.

I've got almost it! Of course, I've got to get it covered up. There's got to be something I can turn into stones in my bag.

Have you got to play for them before we finish the burial?

I'll suppose it depends on the type of screaming, but yes, one hopes it to be a deterrent.

I... may, yes, so. Sliding out of this area, and hah! I do see you, please work with me on this.

( because when he approaches, it's with clear footsteps, and a hand that lands on her back, pat pat. )

There, there. Perhaps I can play, in honour of those passed?

( this would be horribly presumptive if she were actually someone in active mourning right now. )

Oh, you're so kind. He loved music.

[ Lily leaned forward, nudging a little stone into place over the top of the partially obscured box before affectionately brushing a hand over the name on the tomb.

Raising her hands to her face as a lady without a fan might, to shield him from the sight of her reddened eyes as a lady might, she sniffled and hid a smile behind her palms. ]

Thank you, good sir.

[ She did her best to sound mournful yet grateful as she turned back to the tomb she was half draped across to resume grieving while trying to transfigure odds and ends from her pockets into stones so that she could continue the work of burying the small box. ]

Of course, it's my honour.

( To play for the dead, indeed, and two; the one of whose bones they send to the ground here, and the one to whom she drapes over. Wei Wuxian pulls Chenqing out, readies himself, and plays, to send spirits onward, which totally is fine in a mausoleum, right? )

[ He played and she worked between feigned shoulder-shaking sobs of mourning. Nudging stones into place and tucking the box away, until the carefully laid stones she had used a vanishing charm to remove had been replaced by newly transfigured rocks. ]

There we are. Rest in peace my darling.

[ Lily hadn't given much thought to how his music might affect other spirits lingering around the place, but all seemed peaceful as she sniffled and turned back to him, her wand disappearing into her dress as she reached up to dab her eyes, sparing him a brief, but pointed glance. Another job well done. ]

( Wrath does not respond, but he does appear beside Lily shortly after she sends the message out. He did not teleport. He's simply inhumanly fast and could follow his senses directly to her. He has already learned a great deal about doxes living hundreds of years (after learning the names of previous doxes and seeking them out), a district of Taravast that fell into the water killing many sorcerer's at once five years ago. )

This is it?

[ Straightening with a start when he halted beside her without her noticing his sudden approach Lily looked to Wrath and gave an earnest nod. After checking her notebook, and looking left and right for approaching guards she spoke in a quiet voice, obviously excited to have finally reached the tomb of Hatisse, after piecing together the story for such a long time. ]

This is her. No eye carvings anywhere but– [ Again Lily, the portrait of caution checked to make sure they were still left to their own devices. ]

Do you think you'd be able to find out anything from it? I can watch your back.

( Wrath's gaze narrows as he looks at it more closely, stepping nearer to it at what she says. There are currently no people around at all to witness what he does next. )

If anyone comes near, make any comment you wish about the tombs.

( He'll hear her even from within. )

Give me a moment. ( And with that, there's black shadows that wrap around him, sparkling with gold. It smells like smoke before it disappears along with Wrath. )

[ Lily barely had a moment to nod in acknowledgement before Wrath appeared to vanish in a twist of shadow and a glint of gold.

Head down she spared a glance to either side of her before trying to appear as though she were sketching some aspect of the tomb in the notebook she held in front of her, listening hard for approaching footsteps while silently hoping she would hear none.

Just when she was sure he would come back any moment someone did approach - an elderly scholar with his hands behind his back seemed lost to his thoughts meandering by. Lily stepped out of his way, bobbing in a small curtsy as she had learned to do from all these weeks going to court. ]

Excellent lighting to sketch stone here in the tombs.

[ She had no idea what she was talking about, and the gent didn't seem to care smiling and making a noise of acknowledgement as he shuffled past, but better to warn Wrath that someone was venturing by, than have him do his smokey apparition out of nowhere and shock the stranger to death. ]

( Wrath had been a moment from leaving when he hears her words, which stays him within these incredibly tight quarters with a corpse. He has certainly had better ideas in his eternity than groping a dead body inside of its own tomb for information that is likely barely valuable.

So he grimaces, but then gives it a few moments.

Then appears beside Lily after a moment. Miraculously, his hair appears to be perfectly in place. His clothing is somewhat dusty and wrinkled, however, which he openly makes a face at and then sighs as he brushes at his shoulder. He cannot be seen like this. )

I suppose I should have expected no less from a tomb...

What did you find?

[ Lily had startled slightly, her posture stiffening when Wrath reappeared, but she was hardly put off enough not to turn to him curiously. She had been following this trail of details after Hatisse for too long not to be just a bit excited about what he had seen. ]

A body- I would assume hers though I have no frame of reference for what she looks like. The body itself was strangely conserved as if she passed recently. ( They are both aware that isn't true. The dustiness within the tomb itself is proof of that. ) But she is missing body parts.

( Don't ask how he learned about that. )

Her eyes?

[ The whole business sounded utterly grim and ghastly, and while she would have normally been repulsed by Wrath having gained this rather ghoulish bit of knowledge, it was far too intriguing. ]

( Wrath knows what she must be thinking of. Body parts have power especially the body parts of someone who is already full of magic. He lists the body parts out methodically like one might list out a grocery list: )

Eyes, tongue, left ear, and right hand.

Kept in the Attaryl tower, maybe.

[ Lily paused and considered the list of missing parts before giving Wrath an odd look. ]

Left ear, I can't figure that one out.

I am not certain how magic works in this world, however-

( He is intimately aware of how magic works within his own world, and that is enough to give him hints as to why her body parts may be currently missing. )

Her body is full of magic, which means any of her parts would be... a powerful ingredient.

[ While her thoughts had turned towards the possibility that the pieces of Hatisse were being used as powerful items, making them into ingredients drew a grimace from Lily. ]

Full enough to preserve her, or is that something else at work? The magic of her Attaryl sisters?

Edited 2021-11-08 21:57 (UTC)

It's difficult to say.

( He can't pull apart the pieces of it well enough. )

I would bet on something else at work. There is a reason her body would be preserved like this, body parts missing. If it were the Attaryl, they must have some method of opening the tomb to fetch the parts of her they want - all without being discovered.

[ As Wrath spoke of the Attaryl being able to retrieve pieces of Hattis without disturbing her tomb Lily looked back at Hatisse's grave, frowning thoughtfully, her mind returning to the dead woman's missing eyes. ]

I don't suppose you recall if any of the undead witches we've encountered are missing parts of themselves. You know, if it wasn't utterly gruesome business I'd almost wish there was another Attaryl interred around here to look in on as comparison but–

[ Lily glanced back to Wrath and shrugged before her eyes fell to a bit of dust still clinging to his shoulder. She smiled apologetically before lifting her wand subtly, using a wordless vanishing spell to remove the last few specks. He had already been very generous with his time, she didn't think she could ask more of him in good conscience. ]

I do not remember seeing another with missing parts nor one so perfectly preserved. Is there another near?

( Wrath does not mind seeking, but it was also difficult to actually fit in the tomb he'd just been in. His gaze drops to the wand as she casts her spell, and his mouth parts briefly. Inwardly, he is cursing his own magic for being so damned powerful and then being utterly useless in terms of something simple like cleaning or mending a tear in the fabric of his clothing. As it is, he appreciates it. He may no longer be near Hell where any problem with his clothing would reflect poorly on him and the power he wields, but it is difficult to shake what has become instinct. He feels more comfortable like this. )

...Thank you, Lily.

I think I saw a few tombs with similar sigils a few sections away in the eastern part of the building if you think it's worth looking into.

[ Concealing her wand again Lily shook her head, smiling politely. ]

No need. Thank you for indulging me this little trip. I hope one day to return the favor.

I expect one day you will.

( Wrath is aware the group shares information with one another freely, openly. However, he comes from a place where such favors are not given freely. Everything, including knowledge itself (especially that), has its cost. )

It is important to test the theory instead of making assumptions. Evidence is required for that. Give me a moment.

( And then he is gone again in the same way he had left before. )

[ Well, he wasn't wrong, and his blunt observation got a little chuckle and a nod out of her, though before she had the chance to respond Wrath was off again.

Blinking in his wake Lily looked back to the tomb of Hatisse, studying the carvings until Wrath returned to tell her what he found out. ]

( It is not long before he returns with the shadow and gold surrounding him again before it falls away. )

They are not preserved in the same way. They are decaying as one would normally expect of corpses based on the time they have been dead. It appears Hatisse was a special case.

I can't say that's surprising.

[ After another look around she uses her wand to dust off his other shoulder. ]

Thank you for checking. I fear I have more questions than answers now.

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