tampered | (no subject)

Entry tags:

oc - laruna troven

(no subject)

When; Saturday Night
Rating; G
Characters; Laruna

water_wine_wizard and if anyone wants to stop by.
Summary; Laruna's at the cemetery lighting candles and talking to the dead.
Log;

She entered the cemetery a few hours after dark. Earlier in the day Laruna had scouted it out and tried to find a good place to at least just maybe sit and watch. She wasn't worried about anyone or anything bothering her. That was just her natural cockiness.

Now, wrapped up in tightly in a coat she found a seat next to a large rock. She carefully places a candle on the rock and then lights it. It'd taken her a while to get the candles right, but she did. She knew she would.

After letting it burn for a bit she sighs and scrunches up on her seat. "It's weird, you know? I've never done this alone before. Alec and Wolf have always been here with me to talk to you. And now I'm alone. I'm sure if he could, Alec would be here... but it doesn't look like it's one of those times where he can come and visit.

"I wish I could show you around this place. It's amazing! The people are amazing. The things here are amazing. You wouldn't believe it. I've been here for almost a year now and I'm still surprised."

She fidgets and plays with a loose string on her coat.

"I've made some nice friends. There's Jimmy. We're ... friends. Good friends. Alec would say we're not dating dating, which is silly. I think you'd like him. He's got a son named Tommy back home who he misses a lot. And there's Chekov. He's ... He reminds me of Wolf a little. Always so interested in everything science and technology. He's been to the stars. In a ship he says. I'd like to see that. But we can't here.

"Perhaps some other time."

There's another sigh. "I miss you. And... I miss Wolf and Alec too."

And she just talks as the candle burns. Telling the air, or if anyone is there, everything she could think of that's happened.

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Jimmy's there, too, with the candle she'd left him by his door earlier that day. He doesn't notice her, at first, so wrapped up is he in lighting his candle and staring at it for a long time, trying to think of what to say. Finally, he speaks quietly.

"Ange, I... I dunno, Laruna said this was the kinda thing they did where she was from, 'n she suggested that I do it, too. So here I am. Talkin' to you, even though you've never been around here 'n never will be. I miss you. I think a lot about how I..."

He sighs, brushes his hair out of his eyes, shakes his head. This isn't easy. He's not sure he can force himself to do this. "... anyway," he finally says, "I'm sorry. I know it doesn't matter now, 'cause you ain't here, 'n you can't hear this, but I guess this is for me, anyway. It's my fault. Everythin' that happened to you, it's my fault. 'n if I could go back 'n change it, I would, I'd..."

That's about when he looks up and realizes that he's not alone here, that Laruna's across the cemetery from him. He doesn't want to disturb her, so he simply sits quietly with his own candle, wondering if she'll notice him.

She notices him a few seconds after he does her, as she brushes some hair from her face. Catching his eyes, her hand freezes in place and she gives him a tentative smile. It makes her feel a lot better to see Jimmy there. Just to not be so alone out here.

He raises his hand to wave at her a little tentatively. He can't smile right now, he just can't, but he nods at her in acknowledgement. It's nice to see that he's not the only one here. When she'd explained the tradition to him, it had immediately made sense.

He doesn't know whether she's done lighting her candle and speaking to whoever or whatever she needs to speak to, so he just waits with his candle, wondering if she'll approach him, wondering what he'll say if she does.

She's nearly done, but she picks up her candle, carefully keeping it lit. Cautiously she approaches Jimmy and waits just outside the circle of his candle light to see if she could come further. It's an odd bit of a dance, but once must be careful.

"Hey."

It's an acknowledgement, at least, of her presence, and probably an indication that he doesn't mind her coming closer, if she's so inclined. He doesn't know whether she wants the company right now, but there're very few times when he'll turn down company, especially at a moment like this. Being alone with his thoughts for too long is far too depressing.

"Hey," she says back.

Taking it as an invitation she sits down next to him, carefully placing her candle so it doesn't topple over or anything like that.

"You got the candle."

"Yeah, I did."

He looks back at the candle, nodding ever so slightly, before looking at her again.

"Thanks. It was nice of you, y'know, to do that."

"Well... I didn't think you'd mind. And I said I would. I'm glad you came. It's... lonely here. And dark."

She used to there being hundreds upon hundreds of people and candles out tonight, not just her and him.

"Yeah, it is. But y'know, it's not so bad. It's kinda nice 'n peaceful, too. Gives you time to think."

That seems like a good opportunity to wrap his arm around her, though, and pull her a little closer, because if she's feeling lonely, he can understand, and while he might not be able to do a whole lot to help that feeling, he can at least provide some affection. That's one of the things he can manage.

She leans up against him, leeching warmth, and appreciating it.

"Yes, think and talk. I didn't think it would feel right being here and not at home... and part of it didn't, but it was still comforting."

"And that's what's important, right? That it makes you feel better, 'n makes you feel closer to whoever you're talkin' to."

He rubs her upper arm comfortingly for a moment, finally realizing just how chilly it is out here. It's easy to ignore that kind of thing when you're too busy talking to the dead, who probably aren't listening anyway.

"Did it work for you?" Laruna isn't sure she wants to know the answer to that, but she still has to ask.

It's too bad Laruna's not a fire wizard. She could do something about it. Instead she wraps her fingers into his.

"I guess it made me feel a little better. A little. There's still a whole lotta shit I've never said, never gotten the chance to say... dunno if I ever will. Did it make you feel better?"

He hopes it did. She'd been the one to encourage this, after all. He wants it to be better for her, because she'd gone to all the trouble to make the candles and tell him about the tradition.

"Yeah. It did. Though I'm surprised Alec didn't show up."

She has to admit that. He could be so random sometimes.

"Don't think it works that way around here, even if Alec is kinda a special case, from everythin' you've told me about him. It'd be nice if it did, though."

It'd be nice if people he knew from home could show up, too. He's got Al here, and that's great -- nothing better than having a friend who actually knows what being from your time's really like -- but what he wouldn't give to see some other people.

"I know. It's just so random. At least you're here."

And at least he has people from home here. She doesn't have anyone except for Alec's occasionally random visits.

"I'm glad you're here, too. I mean, I know we could disappear at any time, but shit, I really don't wanna think about that. You're one of the good ones, y'know? The people I like havin' around."

There're actually quite a few of those in the City. He's been lucky. It's another reason he doesn't truly want to go home.

"Me too. I really don't know what I'd do if you vanished."

She pauses. "Well, I'd light a candle for you."

"I'd light a candle for you, too, kid. But let's hope it doesn't ever come to that, okay?"

He knows that, eventually, for one of them, it will. They can't stay here forever. There're people who've been in the City for years and years, but nothing's eternal.

"Yeah. Good, I'm glad."

It's not something she wants to think about. Beyond maybe trying to figure out a way to take Jimmy home with her.

Jimmy and Tommy because a kid shouldn't be without his father and mother.

Maybe she could talk to Alec.

"You got any plans for tonight? Other than this, I mean?"

It's not Tuesday, but he doesn't feel like she should be alone tonight if she doesn't want to be. They've always been good at comforting each other, and at avoiding thinking about things that shouldn't be thought about.

"No, I don't. I was just thinking about going home and reading."

She laughs softly. She wouldn't find the company amiss at all, especially tonight.

"You wanna come back with me? You can still read there, but y'know, some company might be nice."

And frankly, if she did just want to come back to his apartment and read and cuddle, he wouldn't mind that, either. Being alone's always been hard for him -- if he has to do it for too long, he goes a little crazy.

"I'd like that, yeah."

She really would like to cuddle and read... not really in the mood to do anything else, for once.

"I think I left a book at your place, right?"

"You probably did, but even if you didn't, I got about a million books back there that you'd probably enjoy."

He does a lot of reading in the City. Most people wouldn't guess it to look at him, but he's got quite the soft spot for literature.

"I know. It's like you're raiding the library and forgetting to return everything."

"Hey now, I'd never steal books from the library."

He may be a criminal, but not returning library books is just morally wrong. Even he has his limits.

"Of course not. You're a good man."

Killing people = Aokay

Forgetting to return library books? Now we're talking evil.

"Damn straight I am. I don't even get any fines, that's how good of a guy I am when it comes to books."

He stands up, wincing a little at how cold it is and how stiff his leg is. "C'mon, let's get home."

"Yeah, sure." She helps him stand a little before picking up her candle.

"Good-bye," she whispers and blows out the flame.

Despite having been away from her family for a few years now, this is the first Christmas season Tosh has spent alone. Even while she was away at uni, the holiday was always spent with her parents. And after joining up with Torchwood, while there was usually something work-related going on, there were still decorations and maybe drinks, an exercise in camaraderie.

There are a few people she knows well enough to give gifts to this time, but it still feels strange. Like she isn't the one gone missing, but rather everyone she ever knew. Which might be why she chooses the graveyard for a walk. She doesn't know the people buried here, but it's quiet and peaceful, and a reminder of people she's lost.

As she walks, she notices a flickering light, and naturally moves toward it. It isn't until she's only a few paces away that she realizes she's disturbing someone else's memorializing.

"I beg your pardon," she whispers, thinking that perhaps if she's been quiet enough, the woman might not even realize she's there.

"Hum?" Laruna looks up and glances over her shoulder. "Oh... it's all right."

She gives a bit of a smile. "I was just telling my mother about the City."

Tucking some hair behind her ear she turns so that she's facing the other woman. "I'm not used to it being so ... empty on this night back home. Company is welcomed."

Tosh takes a step nearer, since the woman seems to welcome her company. "I think we must celebrate different sorts of holidays. Where I come from, this isn't one for visiting with the dead, it's more for visiting with family and friends who are around you."

So, yeah. For a lot of people in the City, it probably is a very empty time.

"Did you lose your mother?"

"I'm the only person from my world here, so yes, we probably do." There's a sad quirk of a smile on her face. Amused but lonely. "And usually I do have my family around me... but, like I said, it's just me here." A quick shoulder shrug.

"Yeah. When I was thirteen."

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