Respecting the Dead

[Ichabod]

It was a dark and cold night, strolling through the cemetery. Ichabod was pulling his wheel barrow with his cleaning supplies. He had always hated the fall, with all the wind plowing and leaf falling, it made his job very tedious but he enjoyed the tranquility of the night and the graveyard. No one to pester him and the dead don't aggravate him.

He sighed heavily, dropped the wheel barrow to the ground and pulled the rake from his supplies. He set up his barrels and placed bags inside of them for the leaves. "Ok, lets get started." His voice was old and gravely.

He knelt down and pulled a beer from his supplies and took a pull from it and started to walk down to the corner of the graveyard so he can begin to collect all the leaves to the center. He started is job with great care, and determination.

Ichabod, being over 500 years old, has seen many people come and go from this world, some that he new personally, some that he didn't but after a few years of observation, even fewer people come back to pay there respect for there dead. That is another thing about why he enjoyed is job. He missed most of his human friends as they started to age and die so since he respected them in life so he though he would respect them in death as well.

[Canary La Muerte]

Twas maybe an hour or so into his raking that the white haired young woman entered the grounds, her flowing black skirt was lifted by her pale finger tips. Her black boots moved over the well cut grass and deeper into the tombs as she carefully, not one to step on graves. The long silken white locks flowed loosely about her body, swaying with the cold night wind and clung to her black knit sweater. In her other hand was a bouquet of mixed flowers, all different colors and wonderfully arranged. Her mind was focused on making sure she didn't step on graves, multi-colored eyes fixated on the ground that she didn't notice she was walking right in the man's direction.

When she did look up she was about twenty yards from him and she paused, swallowing hard at remembering she was out here alone but none the less she gave him a bright smile. "Evening." she dipped her head respectfully before moving on down a few more rows to a beautiful white marble head stone. She carefully placed the flowers into the ground holes that were for flowers before she knelt next to the grave and used her bare fingers to make sure the headstone was clean.

She hadn't stopped at just any headstone either, it belonged to the late Mrs. Kinzoku and former Principal of Kumorai High school. Drawing a deep breath after finishing up with make sure the head stone was clean, she just sat back and gazed at it. She never spoke to her... it was strange to come to a grave of a person you had never met and yet had a connection with so instead she just enjoyed the night air and the peace and calm about this place. Canary liked cemeteries... there were less people around to put into danger so she could lower her guard and really be at peace. The only things out here were the graves already dead and there was no issue with her abilities hurting any of them.

[Ichabod]

He man spotted the young lady as she walked into the cemetery. Ichabod is always being aware of his surroundings so when the woman spoke it didn't spook him but it was still a shock. He has seen her a few times but his supply shack but hasn't ever spoke to her but she always comes to the same grave every time. That person must have been very special to her in some way.

To be nice, he smiled lightly and nodded his head in greeting. Ichabod limits his speaking because of his deep and gravely voice. He was attacked many years ago and it damaged his vocal cords, he can speak as long as a normal person but because of the deepness of it, it tends to scare or unnerve others.

He continued his way through the raking of the leaves and coming up with a large pile. He will need to grab some bags soon enough.

[Canary La Muerte]

The night was so nice, even if the chill would cut every now and again through her knitted sweater. She stayed there for maybe fifteen minutes, just enjoying the night before she rose to her feet and gave a little stretch, dusted off her bottom, and started to head towards the cement pathway. She glanced again at the man who was raking leaves... he seemed lonely out here by himself. She hesitated, balancing on her toes a bit and then turned towards the man and started to head towards him again. It was rather often she did this... much to her adopted father's poor heart. Talking to strangers was one of the many things she did to give him heart attacks.

She clasped her hands together as she moved towards the man and put a big smile as she approached him. "Hi there. I'm Canary. Uhm... I've seen you here working around and I thought... maybe you'd like some company? If not.. I can go." she shrugged and gazed at him with her light blue eye, her bangs were in her face to keep the left dark blue eye hidden from most people's views but with the wind kicking up here and there it was easy to notice the heterochromia.

[Ichabod]

Sighing roughly, not from the woman but from this blasted wind. He wasn't getting anywhere with him work, it would be better if he burned it all and waited for next season for snow. Its a hell of alot easier to deal with than leaves. Ichabod watched as the young girl stood and made her way closer.

She spoke it sounded smooth and unwavering, other than the cold weather she seemed steady so she doesn't seem afraid of strangers. "Good evening, Miss. Isn't it a bit cold for just a sweater?" He spoke concernedly with his deep gravely voice. "and you may stay if you like, I don't believe I will be getting must work with all this wind blowing." He would probably have to ask the city for another tool to help him with his work. It may be leaves but they can be a pain some times.

He picked up his rake and strolled closer to the young girl realizing she was a little slip of a thing. Maybe a foot shorter than him but as he grew closer the wind grew as well revealing a discoloration of one of her eyes but no, it wasn't discolored its a different color completely. It is a rare sight but he has seen it a few times in the past.

[Canary La Muerte]

She glanced up at the night sky, thinking about the cold weather and laughed softly giving a slight shrug of her right shoulder. "To be honest when I left the house earlier today it wasn't as cold out. I wasn't planning on coming here but I had a little bit of a rough day. This place kinda gives me peace and calm. Not too many people out usually. I see you here from time to time when I come, don't I? You must be the caretaker. You do a really wonderful job." she gave a warm smile to him. She was a friendly thing and talkative as well, as her arms wrapped around herself. The night was cold but it still was a nice change.

The summer had been so hot and now with fall upon them it meant Aurelian would be making hot coffee and hot chocolate more! Sometimes she got lucky and he would make her favorite white hot chocolate with little bunny marshmallows. He always brought it to her in bed on the weekends whens he would sleep at his place instead of campus. He made her stay at school Sunday night through Thursday night unless there was a day off, but all other times she was home with him and she couldn't ever remember happier moments... unless she slipped up.

"I suppose the wind does tend to be in the way of your raking. You know you should hire a ward or something. Some of the kids at the school can manipulate winds and I bet they could whisk up the leaves and into the bags in no time flat! If you spoke to Aurelian Kinzoku he could probably make it an after school program for extra credits or something." she beamed at the idea, wanting to help the older looking man out.

[Ichabod]

He smiled slightly at her observation, "Yes, I am Ichabod. I am the Caretaker of this people, and Thank you for noticing but tonight seems to be rather windy and making my job harder than normal." He grunted as he picked up a handful of leaves and let them blow out of his hands to the other side of the graveyard.

He noticed her posture and gently took off his duster and laid it over her shoulders, "It isn't much but I should keep you warm for a time."

He chucked to himself about hired help, he was never the one to need much help with anything. "I am alright working on my own. I do not sleep much nowadays anyways. I will continue in the morning and I should be done by late afternoon."

He enjoyed his time with the dead as if he is able to hear them speak to one another. It was peaceful and he liked it but with the appearance of the young girl, it felt like a metal rod in an engine. It was outside of the normalcy of his life, with the way his life was he could take it either way at this point.

He nodded as he mentioned Aurelians name. "And if I requested assistance from Aurelian I would be out of the job. He would have his detention-bound students out here, then I would have to deal with them." He said pointing to himself and a mild laugh.

"But thank you though Dear Child. I am content with my gravestones and the night sky." he said as he waved his arm over the stones and pointed to the starry sky.

[Canary La Muerte]

Her face continued to smile as she listened to him speak, her ears picking up a slight accent but either it was muddled or she had just never heard it before. Of course she would never know that the man was so old it wasn't like he had originally spoke the English they spoke today so it figured that it would be slightly strange to her ears. Still it was nice as well. She refocused on the meaning behind the words and gave an understanding nod.

"Yeah I suppose that's true. Aurelian is my adopted dad... he tells me all the time about some of the things the kids get themselves into. I could only assume it would be a matter of time before some pyro set something on fire." she laughed and snuggled into the very warm duster. "Thank you for this though... it's much warmer." she sighed contently and focused her attention back on the man. He did look content out here amongst the graves and the star lit night sky.

"It really is nice out here. It's usually why i come out here too to be alone." She paused after she said that, blinking a bit and then laughed. "It's really silly right? I come out here to be alone and yet here I am talking to you." she pointed out the irony and sighed a bit at her own strangeness.

[Ichabod]

"Some elementals are much too cocky and when I have to teach them a lesson, thats when I call Aurelian in for assistance. They tend to go missing if they disrespect me directly." He stated sternly. He wasn't into the fight anymore but if he needed to set some people straight he will do what he must. He respected Aurelian and what he does. He should have the choice of the punishment.

Ichabod smiled happily at her assumption, "No, I do not think it is weird. There are very few people that still come out here at night. Some I have to run off for stupid reasons but more often than not it is a loved one paying there respects to a loved one, like you are tonight." He looked at the gravestone and turned silent. "Do you mind if I ask how you were related?" Indicating the grave.

[Canary La Muerte]

Her head turned towards the grave and she drew a slow deep breath. "That is Aurelian's mother... I hear before she passed she was very troubled." her voice softened quite a bit and she gazed out towards it. "He adopted me four years ago... and I never met her but still I just.. I feel this strange connection to her. He doesn't really talk about her.. and he never visits her grave." she swallowed hard, her eyes becoming a bit misty at just the fact that he didn't come to visit his own mother who had passed. But she knew there was a rift between them because whenever she mentioned her, Aurelian always grew very distant and that was something very rare between them.

"In fact no one comes to her grave. He has two sisters... they both don't live in state so they can't. It just seems.. lonely for her. Her husband is buried next to her too but still... to die a troubled ending just seems like.. rest would be harder even if it's all you wanted in the end.." her shoulders slumped a little and she turned back to the man giving a slight smile. "They are the closest things I have to grandparents though. I always imagined visiting grandparents when I was at the orphanage so this is as close as i can get to it."

[Ichabod]

He nodded finally understanding the connection to Aurelian and to this gravel. "I don't believe I have seen Aurelian come to the grave site." He understood losing people and its hard no matter who or even what you are.

He walked away and came back with his lunch container, he opened it up and pulled out a Avion Water Bottle for Canary and a beer for himself.

"In the respect of your fathers descendents." He opened his beer and made a gesture to the graves. "May they rest peacefully together." He took a small sip and turned to the girl, "And I am sure they would have enjoyed your company as much as you should have enjoyed theirs."

[Canary La Muerte]

She took the water from him to toast with it before cracking it open and took a slow drink. She gazed at the tombstone before giving a nod and smiled at him. "Thanks. I tried asking him once why he didn't come here... he just said it was another lifetime. I'm not really sure I get what that means but he said in ten or twenty years I probably will." she sighed softly, taking another drink of the water as the wind whipped around them again. "The words 'you're too young' tend to pop up a lot in our conversations." she scoffed softly, sulking over the matter a little as they stood there in the cold of the night. For a teenage girl to hear those words it was usually on dating and other things. For Canary it had been about larger things. She didn't date, she didn't party, she just did what was expected of her and then some. She had a lot of friends from school functions but she wasn't truly close to anyone but Aurelian.

[Ichabod]

Ichabod laughed out loud as he heard about her being too young. "Wait until you are as old as I am, you will then understand your father." His laughter subsided and began to think about his own past again and can understand where Aurelian is coming from.

"Though your father is not as old as I, he understands more than any human man should. He is still so young and has much more to learn even now. He looked down into Canarys eyes, "He is a very smart man, listen to him. I would have had a better life if I was that knowledgeable when I was his age." He smiled

[Canary La Muerte]

Her mismatched eyes turned to gaze up at the older male and she drew a slow breath. "I really do try but it's hard to understand him sometimes." she whispered as her hand reached up and brushed away some of her white bangs, pushing them to the left to cover the darker eye. "I mean... blood is blood. Especially after death. They should be remembered and should talked to. I have no blood I know of... I'd do anything to know my real family.." her voice softened and her eyes dropped a bit. Aurelian was a wonderful man and had taught her a lot but there were so many questions she had for the people she had never, and would probably never, know. Her past and where she came from was a mystery to her.

"He doesn't talk to his sisters much either... it's like he alienates himself from them sometimes. He tells me the younger one is coming back to town soon but I've never heard him talk to her. I think he emails her.." she shrugged a bit and looked back to Ichabod. "I would give my arm to have a sister or any sort of sibling to be close to.. I can't imagine having two and never talking to them. What about you?"

[Ichabod]

"There are many things that could make a family member not want to speak with or spend time with them." He thought back to his own mother and father, being of wolf-breed he had very little time with his family. At a certain age the cubs break from there family to start there own lives. "I am sure he has his reasons and he might resolve them, in due time. He is still a young man and has quite a bit of life to live to fix whatever may have happened in his past, but that will be for him to decide."

He thought quite a bit about her last question and the only thing he could say was, "I can't imagine it since I do not have any family members left alive but even before I was an only child." He visually saddened, "But I have lost many people in my lifetime" Ichabod passed is hand over the graveyard "Many of my friends are or were buried in this very graveyard." He seemed to fall into a deeper slump, "There are many days and nights that I wish I could speak with them but most nights I just hear the whispers of the town passing me back." He cleared his throat softly.