An old man sighed placing his hands on his back; resting a broom against the entrance gate to the cemetery. It was early in the morning, but work had already began for him. Things were busy; seeing how the Oban festival was beginning today things were in full swing to make the cemetery look nicer. Many people flocked to the cemetery this time of year to pay respect for their loved ones.

It was chilly, as it was all the time now; he didn’t know how much longer his old bones were able to take this. Suddenly he heard a tapping on the gates; he looked up pushing is large coke bottle glasses up his nose. A smile spread across his lips, he recognized that purple haired girl. He shuffled over to the gates, unlocking them for her.

”Good morning Miss Valdis; we’ve missed you recently”

He shut the door with shaky hands; his grin still on his face. It had been a couple of weeks since he last saw this girl. She was such a nice one; so respectful and kind. It was a shame not more were like her….although he hadn’t a clue why the other grounds keepers referred to her as the devil child. He in all his years as head grounds keeper ever had a problem with her. In fact he enjoyed the young girls company. Unique and entertaining she was…she needed a little guidance here and there but over all her heart was good.

”How is school my dear, is it keeping you busy?”

Valdis yawned; she hadn’t been to the cemetery since school started, between the covenant attacks, her career, school, and the new miko duties she really had no time to do her own thing anymore. It was because of this lack of time that she was up at the crack of dawn walking down to the cemetery. She figured today and the next couple of days she could sacrifice the little bit of sleep she had to come down to help. She grinned dopily last night had been a fun night, she had her first sort of date, and they guy wasn’t a complete boob. Perhaps she would have to spend more time doing these ‘dates’ it was a refreshing change of pace. Plus the beach had been fun….even if it did end up with her stripping her clothes afterward. She walked up to the gate to the cemetery and knocked, giving a small wave to the old man who stood not to far on the other side.

”Hey Jiisan, Its been a little hectic lately”
She walked into the gate, taking a survey of what needed to be done. Valdis had often came to the cemetery and had so since she first came to Japan. She had met Jiisan within her first few visits, he had been the one to teach her Japanese, and he had been the one to help her come to terms with her mother’s passing. He found her antics amusing, and treated her like family. It was part of the reason why she frequently came to help the old man out.

”School is fine; I enjoy the musical extracurricular. It gives me the chance to understand how to compose pieces a little better, Rosa still has me beat in that area though.”

I grinned at him; grabbing the broom and taking over his chores.

”I’ve also been roped into working at the shrine up the street, Rei has taken an interest in me.”

Valdis continued to chat with the old man catching him up on events, he talked about his family and she worked.

The memorial for those who died in Sapporo attacks is somewhat unassuming toward the back of the cemetery. It isn’t as large as some of the families would have liked, but since it was all some had left, the greater military family community had set up shifts to clean it up. A few them would get there incredibly early to clean up before others would come and make it look nicer. Sophia planned to stay until about noon. She had done the job before last year. Typically a few people would start crying... she would start crying because other people were crying. It was an extremely emotional affair. However, she feels like she should be here that time to pay her respects to those who lost their lives fighting the same opponent. She tries not to think about future lives that could be lost before all was said and done. Those who would join the names on the memorial. That line of thinking led to tears and nowhere productive. Besides, wasn't she supposed to stop that from happening?

She locks up her bike outside the cemetery before heading inside. Her clothes vary greatly from her typical sense of style, being baggy and somewhat worn. She carries with her backpack full of cleaning supplies. After all, a good portion of her day would be pulling weeds and scrubbing stone clean.

“Good morning,” Sophia says to both Valdis and the elderly man. She looks at Valdis sort of curiously, “I wasn’t expecting you to be here. I came here to clean the memorial site. But I have no clue whether anyone else has shown up yet. Morning shift technically starts at 6am, so I a little early.”

He smiled and nodded understandably, Val was busy on a normal schedule especially for a teen who was suppose to being enjoying her youthful years.

”I would hate to know what counts as hectic for you”

He sat down on a nearby bench as Valdis took over sweeping the entry way, such a nice girl. It was good she was doing well in school; but it wasn’t a surprise. The child was a perfectionist when it came to anything that she did. Something which hadn’t come easy for her; he suppose by now with all her home schooling that she was a bit ahead of the curb so normal classes probably were easy for her. Only reason she had gone back was cause of that music program. It was shocking to here that she was working at the shrine though.

”She finally let you back? I thought you had been banned for the great pudding fiasco.”

He looked up when there was another young lady at the gates, he smiled and gave a curious glance to Valdis when the girl addressed her. Ah so she was making friends that was good to see.

”The graveyard doesn’t open its gates until six, but since you’re a friend of Valdis I guess I can let you in. Valdis is like unofficial staff here; she’s been coming since she was just a tiny little thing. Do you want to see pictures?”

He smiled at her, happy to meet one of Vals friends finally.

”My name is Reiji Okahito, I’m the head grounds keeper here, what might your name be little miss”

A chuckle escaped from her lips at his comment, her definition she supposed was skewed off of what normal high school girls would be. Her chuckling forming a full blown laugh when he mentioned the pudding fiasco. That shrine never smelt tastier…perhaps she should start sticking pudding cups around the priestess for old giggles.

”No she let me back in and is learning to love my antics now…imagine how boring her life had to be without me around all these years.”

She flashed him and impish grin. Though her attention was pulled when Little mouse showed up. She face palmed when Jiisan greeted her..only to find out he kept pictures….Which earned him a look of what the fuck…

”Jiisan…. How and where……and lastly no…”

She rubbed the bridge of her nose, she knew he kept pictures of his grand kids and such in there but why the hell was her picture kept. Though at least she could say she could understand the feelings of those that told embarrassing grandparent stories. Valdis walked over to the gate and let Sophia in, only to close it once she was inside.

“Ah. That makes sense for why they said 6am… My name’s Sophia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She laughs at the thought of a small child version of Valdis. “I have to say I am surprised that you haven’t tried to hide something like that away. I am sure they are very adorable though,” she says to Valdis. “I would like to see them but only if Valdis consents to it.” Some people got embarrassed by photos of their younger selves.

She enters the cemetery. It did seem like the kind of place Valdis would volunteer… if she was the kind of person to do volunteering. It fit the rest of some of her morbid fascinations. However, it did bring the question as to whether Valdis had lost anyone.

“I promise I won’t tell anyone else about your kiddie pictures,” she reassures Valdis.