Cemetery Visit, Encounter with Time Whisperer 1/1/2014

[18:40] * GreenHoof trots towards the cemetery, though his still-tender left hindhoof makes it look more like a fast limp. The green pony’s effort seems more than necessary to visit a dead man, but to him, it was an appointment he felt he was already late for. He had visited the grave of the guard who’s life his actions had cost the life of before, but this visit to Mind High’s resting place held more importance to Hoof. It was the first day of the new year, the first one which the deceased pony would no longer be able to experience. More importantly, the recent events had made Mind’s death weigh more heavily on his conscience than ever before. Hoof felt selfish for visiting more for his own sake, as if the act would somehow absolve him or make him feel better, but he decided to shove away that uncomfortable line of thought. As he limped through the rusty gates, he continued down the rows of increasingly numerous headstones, noting ones who’s names inscribed he recognized and giving them a small nod in greeting. His heavy brown cloak fluttered in the chilly breeze that made the stallion’s teeth chatter. Eventually, he found the one he sought, slowing down as he approached. Hoof stops in front of the headstone, standing as tall as the little stallion could a respectful distance from it’s base. He just stands there for a long ten seconds, taking a deep breath of frigid air through his nostrils, before reaching into his saddlebags with his mouth and pulling out something: a poorly put-together bouquet of dried out ‘california’ poppy flowers. Holding it in his teeth, he reverently places it at the foot of the headstone.

[19:06] <Time_Whisperer> Unbeknownst to the stallion who was preoccupied with flowers and the grave, a lonely figure was drifting in the same direction where he was... A pegasus mare of dark navy blue fur and golden eyes was veiled in snow white overcloak-of-an-uniform and gauntleted boots. The nimble mare was strolling past graves like a ghost, easy and quiet on her steps with attention fully submerged somewhere deep inside of her with only her bloodshot eyes blinking occasionally from wind.... the mare's stupor, however, vanished the moment corner of her eyes spotted... someone. Someone, somewhere, 'there', that spot towards which she was heading, prompting her to stop in her tracks. Her face was hidden underneath the dark scarf together with most of her head, all protected from cold unforgiving winds. The mare stays in her spot for several good seconds, before she silently slinks forth towards the figure, quietly sneaking behind him and stopping a good meter away... quiet as a ghost... and not bringing the busy stallion's attention to herself... just a ghost... [Stealth vs Perception - Stealth wins.]

[19:08] * Time_Whisperer stays wordlessly silent where she was... just... staring through her face's opening, doning snow white attire which normally would've merged her together with snow fields around them... but not as close as this. The quiet veiled mare was not there...

[19:13] * GreenHoof folds his ears back, thinking back to the day of Mind High's death. Hoof sat down on his haunches, a forlorn look on his face as he imagined the other pony's body laying underneath where he was, with the same slit throat as when he had last seen him. It should've been himself six feet under instead. If the witch's mind cast spell had worked on him, Mind High might have been able to escape the hostage situation instead of Hoof. As he contemplates that day, no feeling other than regret welled up. The little stallion let his head fall and his eyes close, a sad sigh escaping from his mouth. "I'm sorry..." Hoof spoke quietly to the dead pony.

[19:18] * Time_Whisperer continued to stand where she was, staring at the back of his head... or perhaps simply blanking out into space with her disfocused gaze. This wasn't quite how she expected to spend her day, the... little intermission that she decided to take, given that nopony would attend a school house during a day such as this. Most of them were resting and recuperating from last day, but she? She went to bed rather early... prompting
[19:19] * Time_Whisperer stayed where she was with blanked out expression, not quite noticing or really minding to acknowledge the fact that he haven't noticed her yet... heh... minding... ugh.

[19:34] * GreenHoof picks his head up and opens his eyes, which were watery from the cold and... other reasons. Hoof looked down at the headstone, trying to hold the now-combining feelings of guilt and regret from getting the better of him. What he did was hard to think about under normal circumstances, but facing it in person, the direct results of his actions, right in front of his face, staring at the headstone that would not be there with those words inscribed if not for his mistakes, made it much more real, much more immediate. Hoof started to say something else, but his voice quickly cut off with a gutteral clenching of his throat, prompting him to squeeze his eyes shut to prevent tears of guilt from running down them that would freeze in the cold, unforgiving wind. For a good minute, he struggles to maintain himself, giving cut-off sobs and whimpers as he falls back onto his plot and clenches his eyelids, before finally controlling himself. Sniffling and wiping his eyes with his hooves, he starts to just read the words on the headstone, over and over in an obsessive repeat, until his gaze stops comprehending the words, eventually just staring at the headstone as if his eyes were piercing through it to something far away, his jaw hanging open slightly.

[19:43] * Time_Whisperer didn't move or say anything... for her it was somewhat surreal to stare at this certain one from behind, this particular space, just like that. Whimper and sobs were making her day, her thoughts at present - distant... they were taking a vacation, a mandatory 'rest' so to say, leaving the shell standing behind. This wasn't the time of a day, or a month or a year... perhaps she should've listened to her--... He knew that that she would be here, Volt, yet.
[19:44] * Time_Whisperer unconsciously takes a silent step back

[19:49] * GreenHoof stands there for a while, his mind going blank as thoughts and feelings leave, staring blankly at the headstone. If Hoof could notice, it'd be a peaceful feeling: no pain, or guilt, or regret, but due to the nature of such instances, being aware of the bliss would kill the moment. Eventually, however, a particular gust of ice cold wind hits him, waking him from his entranced state with a sudden jolt.

[11:11] * Time_Whisperer remained still where she was for duration of their stay, wincing a bit from the cold wind that hit her exposed eyes, the difference between temperatures and aching redness making her squint them shut.

[11:13] * Time_Whisperer blinked several times with tears rolling out, probably from the chilly wind or some other reason... She could always visit the place some other time, yeah... Slowly, the veiled mare began to silently turn away.

[11:13] * GreenHoof sighs, giving one last respectful bow to the grave before turning around to leave, only to see a heavily wrapped up pony not far behind him. The stallion jumps, yelping in surprise. "Ack!"

[11:14] <14Time_Whisperer> <Time_Whisperer> !roll 1d20+2
[11:14] <14Time_Whisperer> <GameServ> Time_Whisperer rolled 1d20: 18  <Total: 18(+2) = 20> [>stealth roll | lel]

[11:15] * Time_Whisperer stopped for a second at the yelp, but her white attire fully consumed the shiver that went through her spine. Without answering or anything, the pony resumed turning away from the green one and the gravestone.

[11:16] <14Time_Whisperer> Hoof could probably notice that she was very light, nimble on her steps, moving almost silently without disturbing the snow enough to produce crunches.

[11:19] * GreenHoof stands there for a second, catching his bearings. The familiar white cloak of that type of pony sent a shiver down his own spine, and the weight of the dagger strapped to his forehoof became more apparent. Hoof stayed still for a moment as he watched the figure start to move away, making him narrow his eyes at the ghostly sight. The little pony limps after the whitecloak, calling out timidly. "H-hello? Are you... okay? I'm sorry..."

[11:30] * Time_Whisperer didn't stopped in her tracks, breezing quietly away from the green one.

[11:30] <14Time_Whisperer> Observing equine's shape from the back, the green pony could only see the white tailess shape with snow white cloth streaming down along the wind fluidly with each step, ending in visible edges of leather boots... or gauntlets.
[11:30] * Time_Whisperer murmured something back to him, quietly, but didn't turned her head away.

[11:41] * GreenHoof folds his ears back at the pony (though in the back of his mind was starting to question if it wasn't a ghost, though the leather boots kept his mind from entertaining that thought much). Hoof's expression turns to something more worried as he continues following the being timidly. "Please..." He says barely above a whisper, "D-don't leave cause of me..." He mutters pleadingly

[11:47] * Time_Whisperer stops in her tracks in a quiet crunch in snow, mumbling out with a tiny feminine voice, muffled by the scarf on her muzzle "... I won't disturb you, mister."

[11:51] * GreenHoof frowns, catching up with the mare. He tucks his tail between his legs under the coat, something about the voice arousing guilt. "I was just leaving. y-you don't have to go, m-ma'am." Hoof offers quietly before continuing towards the gate.

[12:00] <Able_Tome> The mare stopped in her tracks again... the only features that were giving away her gender being voice and probably a small shape... though there were several stallions in the town who were even smaller. Watching the green one continue out of the cemetery, the dark blue pony kept her eyes move away, "...", not quite sure what she should say... These days it was difficult for her to be assertive or sure of what she wanted to do and as such, her golden eyes silently tracked him for some time... silently, until she mumbled back, "Thank you for flowers, sir..."

[12:03] <03GreenHoof> [12:02] <03GreenHoof> !roll 1d20+1
[12:03] <03GreenHoof> [12:02] <14GameServ> GreenHoof rolled 1d20: 15  <Total: 15(+1) = 16>

[12:05] <04Able_Tome> 5Catching up the glimpse of that voice... it was rather familiar, something that reminded him about the clinic and that one time, but... it was definitely less assertive and coarse.

[12:11] * GreenHoof stops when he hears the voice, the feelings of guilt when she spoke suddenly explained. She was visiting the same grave as him. Facing away from her, the stallion's eyes widen as the image of the mare's identity formed in his mind. Oh god... her voice. It was drained. Defeated. Hoof could only imagine the turn the lady's life and psyche must've taken after the loss of her lover, her family. The reality of his actions stared him right in the face, the effect it had had on someone else's life. Hoof stood silently for a moment, squeezing his eyes as tightly shut as he could to hold himself together and not grovel at the mare's hooves. After a few seconds, he continues towards the gate, muttering quietly back to the mare. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

[18:01] * Time_Whisperer breathes in and out through her scarf as the green one continued to move away, listening and watching the wind blowing gusts of white particles into air, down from graveyard's small hill, "It's o-okay...", she said quietly, "You were just doing what you were told to do..."

[18:08] * GreenHoof stops again, clenching his teeth. "N-no..." Hoof says quietly, turning around to face her, "If I let them keep-..." Hoof starts with a slightly louder voice, but cuts off and just shakes his head and turns away. "S-sorry..." he mutters again, tucking his tail between his legs and continuing for the exit gate.

[18:13] * Time_Whisperer 's quiet voice grew up a bit, if not becoming slightly colder "Running away with a 'no' won't do y-you any good, sir.", she exhaled with a shudder and turned away from him to face the gravestone... the mare didn't waited for too long and proceeded to approach Mind's spot, drifting away from the green figure.

[18:18] * GreenHoof continues for a bit, slower, as he mulls over the mare's words. She was right, but, what could he possibly say? Try to convince her why it was his fault? That wouldn't do. Hoof stops and turns around but doesn't move closer to her, standing still and watching the mare silently, ready to quickly turn around if she looked back in his direction.

[18:24] * Time_Whisperer silently moved closely to the snow covered gravestone, stopping closely to it and... oddly admires the view if one could say it so. The ghostly pony stayed where she was for several seconds, before she brings her hoof up to her hooded head and slowly pulls the cloth off, revealing the dark blue fur and a long dark mane which she let loose, her ears springing up.

[18:27] * Time_Whisperer stepped closer to the stone, stuffing her hoof underneath the overcloak as she murmured, "Hi Gregory....", she pulls out somewhat of a little, twig-made broom, and proceeded to clean the stone off that snow, "Two and a half years, huh..."

[18:32] * GreenHoof stays where he is for now, watching silently as she pulls the hood back and lets her features show. As he watches her clean the grave, he becomes lost in the scene, the sadness of the situation being tucked away for the moment. She didn't seem angry, or even sad. She just seemed to accept the situation, which, if he hadn't been concentrating on watching her, would disturb him the most.

[18:40] * Time_Whisperer carefully swipes particles off the the top, letting them fall down and cover a bit of the dried poppy, though noticing that some of it got covered, she attempts to direct next swipes away so that the snow would fall behind, clumsily doing so with her hoof, "Vance is alright, though lately he's been having nightmares again. Heh."

[18:47] <Time_Whisperer> "We've had a little gathering with Des and Phil the other day. Guys got all tipsied up again and Des proceeded to tell his spooky stories.", she snrked somewhat and with a heavy swish, "It's, like, that goon always lives in his Halloween merryland." The mare breathes in quietly and moved on to the stone's side, "If only it would've been like that *sigh*... He had a very nasty trip."

[18:49] * GreenHoof frowns, hearing the mare speak to her loved one. The stallion turns around and heads off to exit the cemetery, partly because he couldn't take the sight anymore, and partly out of respect to give her and the one she lost some time alone. His head hangs low as he limps out the rusty gate, his vision blurred by his leaky eyes. He whimpers quietly to himself as he sets off for home, wishing quiet 'blessings' to Time Whisperer as he walks.

[18:58] * Time_Whisperer doesn't looks back or anything and simply brushes snow off the stone... it would've been 2,5 years since they met during an afterparty... yes yes...

__________________

[18:56] * GreenHoof limps up his porch, his mind weighing heavy from the scene in the graveyard. There was nothing to take from it he didn't already know, but something about staring the reality of the situation in the face, the curveball his actions threw in the lives of those around him, made everything seem more... real. The stallion whimpers pathetically as he enters the home and makes his way to the couch, ragdolling onto it limply and curling into a ball. He grabs one of the pillows and brings it to his chest, burying his face into it and letting his tears and sobs flow.