[[open post and announcement: no mourners, no funerals]]

[ravkanwitch]

[cw: discussion of death!]

Nina knows that word of Shen Yuan's death has been slowly spreading. She tried to put out a general warning of danger right after it happened... but she's not sure how many people were warned by it. She wasn't in the right mind at the time, after all. This time, she's more careful and collected. With SecUnit's help, she's alerted and gathered everyone who's interested for an important announcement in the lobby of the mansion. Despite all appearances of bossiness and stubbornness - all quite true - Nina has never been in charge of anything so serious. Kaz, Zoya, and the King himself; she followed their lead. As people slowly begin to gather and she attempts to compose herself, she wonders why she decided to put herself up to this.

Deep breath, Zenik. Pretend that - well, that this is pretend. She's back in the orphanage as the official greeter, making an important announcement to all the other children. She's the governor of a small town, making sure that all the citizens are aware and prepared. It does have to be her, after all. She's playing a crucial role in everything. She also doesn't want anyone else to carry the emotional load.

"Hi," she tells everyone gathered, trying to paste on a somber but not-too-morose expression. "Thanks for coming. I'm sure some of you have heard part of this announcement already and I'm sorry that it took so long to pass this information onto everyone else... but there was an incident not too long ago. We're not sure what caused it, whether it was the house or whether it was an individual, but... Shen Yuan is dead." There's most likely a reaction at this point and Nina forges onwards as confidently as she can, pitching her voice above the hubbub.

"But there is a way that he can return. We're sure of it. We're just trying to figure out the details, which might take a while. If you want to know more about that, you can ask Magnus, but I'm not sure how much he can tell you. Also, if you encounter any signs of Shen Yuan's spirit, you can talk to--" Here she meets Aleksander's eyes almost instinctively; this line of conversation is something she's purposefully kept from him. "You can talk to myself. Or... to Lan Wangji. ...That's all. Thank you."

A confident start but slightly deflated by her last few sentences, Nina steps back and allows for conversation to happen. If anyone would like to speak to her, she's looking much less strained and grim than she has in a while.

[[Feel free to post a single comment reaction and/or start a thread with Nina in the comments!]]

Comments

[sagramore]

Sagramore goes to her immediately. "What meanst thou, he can return? Nina-- any signs? What means that?"

(He looks, frankly, like a wreck: exhausted, eyes bloodshot, his usually neat beard unkempt. He's only been hugely drunk the one time, but he's also been sleeping terribly, and too muddled with grief to take much care of himself; anything he's eaten has been at Laertes' direction.)

[ravkanwitch]

Nina immediately opens her arms folds him into a hug; she needs it as much as he does. "Magnus came to Luo Binghe and I with... with some information that he remembered. It's really promising, Sagramore."

[sagramore]

He hugs her back tightly, as tightly as he can. "Canst thou say what it is?"

open for threading!

[summerdude]

Magnus shifts Sunny off his shoulders, wandering over so that he can stand next to Nina and answer any questions. Sunny he deposits next to Drosera so that they can entertain and/or soothe each other; after giving Nina a half-hug, he settles in to help Nina with any comers who might want to talk to him.

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji is keenly aware that Nina will not want to speak with him directly. He has made a tiny sacrifice of his own; to keep Nina safe, he has done away with their slowly-budding friendship. He treasured it, but he treasures her wellbeing more. He will have to accept the trade.

To Magnus, however, he goes without hesitation. He catches Magnus' shoulder in his hand and squeezes it.

[summerdude]

Magnus smiles exhaustedly up at him. "Hanguang-jun," he says, and leans against him.

[wickedwit]

"Magnus," Claudius says as he steps to his side, brisk and purposeful. It's more purpose than he's moved or spoken with in quite some time. "Tell me everything."

[summerdude]

"Claudius!" Magnus is glad to see Claudius moving with purpose. They've been spending time together working on Hanguang-jun's garden lately, because Hanguang-jun is homesick and sad, and Claudius has also been sad and distant, and Galahad has been sad and worried and training extra hard, and Magnus figured the best solution to all the sad listlessness going around was to put himself and Jack next to Claudius while Galahad is off training (so Galahad can worry a little less), while working on a task with Claudius that he enjoys, for something that can make Hanguang-jun a little less homesick. Mostly what this has accomplished is making Magnus worried about Claudius too, actually.

He's felt kinda weird, not telling Claudius about his other gardening adventure. He feels particularly weird about the fact that he's still keeping it under wraps. "Sunny had a good idea, that's all."

[biteybaby]

To say something reminds someone of home is normally a good thing. A comforting meal, for example, can often remind someone of home, if that meal is prepared in a similar way to how one's father used to prepare meals. Music can often remind someone of home, if it is a style of music their family would often play at get-togethers. Someone's laugh can remind someone else of home, if that laugh is reminiscent of the laugh of a treasured loved one who sadly has since changed their name and moved to another town to escape the authorities after a series of highly falsified newspaper articles was published.

In Sunny's case, however, saying this meeting reminds her of home is not a good thing, but instead is a very bad thing. Sunny has gotten used to hearing about people being killed, whether in a fire, by poisoning, or leeches. What does not remind her of home is the idea that somehow this person might be able to come back.

Sunny wonders if it is possible for one of her parents to ever come back.

It isn't. But she wonders it regardless.

She gives a quick bite to Drosera's leg as a way to say, "I will be right back", before crawling back over to Magnus and placing a comforting hand on his kneecap.

[summerdude]

Oh, sweet baby Sunny. "You know," Magnus tells her, patting her hand. "You're the real hero here."

[vineleaves]

If Magnus looks closely he will see the little flower he gave Dionysus the other day, still intertwined with the rest of his usual vine leaves. Dionysus goes over and gives Magnus a hug as well. “Do you need anything, and is there anything I can help with?”

[summerdude]

"Nah, Uncle D, I'm good," Magnus says, exhaustion written all over his face.

[tallyyoungblood]

Shen Yuan is dead? The totally nice man Tally'd met at a party not long ago? Fear strikes her hard and fast, making her heart race. People don't just die like that. In her world, the real world, sickness has been nearly eliminated, and accidents and violence are very rare. Shen Yuan hadn't run away to the Smoke and been hunted down by a Special. He'd just been minding his own business.

It sounds like he can come back via... what, magic? It's a relief to hear that, at least, but that's Shen Yuan. Tally is a mortal. A mortal with ceramic bones and a beautiful face, but a mortal nonetheless. She's come close to death many times--and come back more alive than ever each time--but that's been against the laws of physics, not some nebulous and mysterious force.

Well, she thinks to herself, her mind crystal clear. At least this is utterly bubbly-making.

[ninth_cavalier]

Gideon makes her way over to Tally, through the press of shocked and grieving people. She's trying real hard not to have flashbacks of all the fucking parlor scenes, all the questions and fuck-all answers, after each death at Canaan House. People spouting theories with a knife behind their back, not ever really meeting each others' eyes. "Whirlybird."

[vineleaves]

He will get to any important questions later. His first and most important task is to go up to Nina and give her a very big hug.

[ravkanwitch]

Nina hugs him back easily, squeezing him and holding the hug for a minute or two. Once she pulls back, she just simply tells him, "Thank you".

[ninth_cavalier]

Gideon hangs back while others approach Nina for answers. Sagramore looks terrible; he must have been close with the poor dead stiff. She wants to catch up with him, too, but he's not the one holding together the house of cards right now.

Once there's a break in the receiving line, she jogs up to stand next to Nina and knock their shoulders together. "Yo," she says quietly. "You okay?"

[ravkanwitch]

It's been a lot and it's all been very heavy. Navigating Luo Binghe's grief with him, the intensity of the argument with Lan Wangji, trying to do the right thing, trying to find her own answers, and trying to give others answers. Nina looks at Gideon with something close to relief.

"Can't you tell? I'm in my element," she replies, making a very weak attempt at a joke.

[wickedwit]

After speaking with Magnus, Claudius takes a slow, deliberate breath. He can envision the weak qi cycling through his middle dantian and his lower dantian, or his sympathetic nervous system slowing down, slowing the release of chemicals that make him want to fight or flee this. However he explains it to himself, he feels anchored once more. He feels like the lights have come on, on an empty stage of his body, and he can inhabit it like a real place. He can think without all his thoughts screaming at him.

In Elsinore and the courts abroad, Claudius always found ways to skillfully cover up truths while offering condolements. He had plans that revolved around addressing the need for public mourning, while hiding his involvement in the king's death. He could fall back on that easily. But his priorities are clear now: to attend to everyone in this room. To scan everyone's expressions and cycle through, offering comfort to those who look saddened, answers to those who look lost, and standing with those who need the shared silence to process what they've heard. Rather than resort to broad strategies, he focuses on the person in front of him.

He thinks of it as politicking, but the feeling's clear: he's worried. This is his community, one he wants to keep safe. He offers every assurance he can, and it's as much to reassure himself.

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad's sole focus, throughout this meeting, has been Claudius. For as much as the world has been damaged by Shen Yuan's death, there's a certain unreality to it for him -- if he doesn't keep reminding himself that it happened, it almost feels as if Shen Yuan is just somewhere else, somewhere Galahad can't find him. But Claudius is here.

He doesn't say anything, but he slips his hand into Claudius' and squeezes, doesn't let go.

[lightbearinglord]

At Nina's meeting, Lan Wangji doesn't speak with Claudius at length. They've both taken the time to ask Magnus their questions. He has his own role there, a role for which Lan Wangji would be ill-suited. Claudius can talk to anyone; Claudius can work through the implications of Magnus and Nina's news about Shen Yuan's promised return with the other residents. He can smooth tempers and weave hope out of words. So Lan Wangji restrains himself from occupying his friend's time. They don't always need to speak aloud to communicate -- that day with no translation proved that. All he has to do is put a hand on Claudius' shoulder, look once at Magnus, and silently agree that they will confer later.

Later comes more quickly than Lan Wangji anticipated that it would. There is newfound urgency to the necessity of contacting Shen Yuan's spirit. He should have done it the day of his death. The next, at the very least. When he slips a hand into his qiankun pouch, intending to summon Wei Ying with a messaging talisman and ask for him a spirit attraction flag, he discovers two things. Firstly, he finds that there is already a spirit attraction flag amongst his belongings. Secondly, his fingers brush the dried peony bookmark he carries with him everywhere. Sentimental, wearier than he has any right to be, he rubs his thumb along its surface. That is when he discovers the third thing: a piece of neatly-folded paper. It does not belong to him. He draws it out and, when he unfolds it, recognizes Claudius' handwriting, or at least the way that the mansion transmutes Claudius' handwriting for him.

None of this alarms him unduly until he reads the contents of the note. Thereafter, abruptly and significantly alarmed, he goes to search for Claudius, the note held tightly in one hand as if he might forget its existence without the minor exertion of holding onto it.

Open for threads!

[temnota]

Aleksander listened to the announcement with every appearance of calm but anyone with a gift for reading body language and expression would able to see through the facade. He was extremely angry and it was only through sheer force of will that he was keeping himself composed.

Shen Yuan was dead and he had not seen it coming. He had no official capacity but he could not help but feel he had failed their community by not being aware of any potential threats. Was it reasonable to think that way? Probably not but that was the thought that rolled over and over in his head. He had anticipated and foreseen so many other threats - why had he not seen this?

And now there was the revelation of Nina's ability. He had known she was Grisha but not her order and it seemed that she was something else all together - as unique as he and Alina had been. The Corporalki was the Order of the Living and the Dead but for all of their gift to deal with the human body, their talent was focused on the living. There had always been whispers and rumors about Grisha whose powers affected the dead but he had never met anyone who actually could until now.

He had so many questions about the range of her powers and just what she could do but he kept them to himself. This was not Ravka and oversight of Grisha was no longer his concern. He understood why she had not told him and respected her privacy. If she wanted to tell him more, he would listen and if she did not, that was all right. He could live with not knowing.

He stood off to the side, gathering his thoughts. It was difficult not to leap up and start organizing things but he had resolved that he was done with all of that. Power had led him nowhere good and there was others who were capable of stepping up and doing better then he ever had. He was prepared to offer advice and help where it was needed but not to take charge. Not ever again.

[lightbearinglord]

Some time later, after Lan Wangji has spoken with Magnus and checked briefly on Claudius and Galahad, he approaches Aleksander. There are often several things on his mind, and today is no exception, but when it comes to Aleksander, Lan Wangji has two clear aims in mind. The first is to be certain that Aleksander is well -- as well as he can be. The second is arguably more mercenary, but he is bitterly reluctant to give up on his investigations.

He gives Aleksander a polite bow. There is some comfort in the ritual of it amidst all their turmoil.

[vineleaves]

Dionysus makes his way through the crowd, checking up on everyone, making a mental note of whoever he might not see here to check on them too. He doesn't know who all may or may not have been close with Shen Yuan, so he has no frame of reference to know who might be missing due to just not showing up, or who might be deep in mourning.

Death is a part of life, unfortunately, for the vast majority of people. No matter how precious they may be to you, most people's lives will eventually end. Dionysus has been through this before, so many times, from so many different sides. He has been the one mourning, he has been the shoulder to cry on, he's been both at the same time. He feels almost like he's on autopilot, making sure everyone is taking care of themselves, trying to judge who might need something they aren't asking for, that sort of thing.

At least this time, there's hope. He doesn't know what the plans are, but he trusts that Nina and Magnus know whatever it is they're talking about.

They're too young to have to be dealing with this, but it's not like Dionysus' way of bringing someone back would work here.

How are you holding up? Do you need anything? Can I help? He's asking it over and over, but it feels almost like a purpose for him here. What's the point in being the one to survive if you can't put that experience to good use?

[recognizance]

This, as it happens, is the first SecUnit's heard of any resurrection scheme, and naturally its first impulse is to call bullshit. Dead humans are dead. Even constructs can be thoroughly killed, and they're built to be repaired; humans are like wet leaves in comparison, there's nothing to them. Nina shouldn't be trying to soften that truth, she'll just hurt them more in the end. Murderbot thought she was smarter than that.

But then it thinks about the actual literal fake zombies swarming out of the woods. About its room changing when it isn't looking. About Magnus, who's apparently a walking, talking MedSystem in addition to all the glowing and plant-influencing. About the Mansion's whole everything, if it comes right down to it.

It wasn't friends with Shen Yuan. (As far as SecUnit's concerned, he was just a vaguely annoying human with terrible taste in romantic partners and a basic knowledge of electronics.) But he got killed on SecUnit's watch: whatever got him was something it should have been able to stop. It hates losing humans, even inadequate humans.

Standing in the far corner of the room, where it can slip away unnoticed, it watches everyone's reaction through the drones' tiny cameras, frowning to itself.