Work Text:
At this time, Hu Tao is reminded that she's the only living person on the gravesite.
She flipped through the pages of her textbook, but nothing she read registered to her. Instead, Hu Tao was occupied by a hum, always at this time.
And once the sun decided to peek over the horizon, the humming disappears and so too does Hu Tao leave.
The humming is soothing, but as much as she's curious she doesn't bother searching who or where it's from. It's not that she's afraid of what she'll find but moreso that once she finds out it'll disappear.
"Have you been sleeping well?" Her grandfather grabbed Hu Tao by the shoulder, staring at the dark circles under her crimson eyes.
Hu Tao blinked but smiled nonetheless. Without saying anything, the visage of her grandfather disappeared once she fixed her gaze.
"I'm fine," she thought to herself, yawning as she packed her bag to leave.
One particularly windy night the breeze decided to taunt her and knock the hat off her head, Hu Tao lurched to grab for it, but like an unsolicited miracle the hat rolled down into the dark crevices of the gravesite.
"Aiya," Hu Tao pinched the bridge of her nose, grabbing a flashlight as she walked around to find her hat. "I can't lose this, too," she mumbled, the wind turning into a howl as it danced along with the tree leaves.
She hovered her flashlight in every direction, careful to not disrespectfully step over the graves. After wandering around she found her black hat resting atop a well-kept grave adorn with fresh flowers, displeased at her hat disrupting what would be a rather peaceful scene.
As she stumbled her way to grab the hat, she looked up at the headstone with etched letterings in the stone: "BARBARA PAGE"
Sighing as she grieved her apologies to the stone, she placed the hat atop her head and looked up only to meet someone's face.
Hu Tao blinked for a moment, ready to say that visiting hours are over but noticed that the girl leaning against the headstone had a translucent figure. Blonde pigtails, pale blue eyes, and Hu Tao is close enough to see the pink tint on their face which Hu Tao could have mistaken them as being alive. The person stared back at Hu Tao, and just as quickly as she appeared she disappeared without a trace.
Hu Tao held onto her hat and turned away, heading back to her station.
"Cute," Hu Tao thought to herself, before smacking herself and quickening her pace, "Wait, is that something I should say about a dead person?"
Hu Tao arrived at her gravewatcher's station once again but stopped in her tracks when she noticed the girl from last night sitting on the counter. Hu Tao decided to ignore them the best she could, plopping her backpack down as she clocked herself in.
The blonde ghost continued to sit calmly, yet she stared at Hu Tao as she tried to do her homework.
Ignore, ignore, ignore. Hu Tao was now clicking her pen aggressively as she tried to write down notes for her class, but her head was so preoccupied with ignoring the other.
And as the night dragged on, Hu Tao heard the humming once again but this time louder. As she looked up, there it was, the ghost leaning against the wall humming to herself in the same melancholic tune all this time.
Hu Tao gripped the pen, staring at the ghost as she listened closely. Without realizing it, Hu Tao tried to hum along, though raspy which may have caught the ghost's attention.
"You can see me, can you?" now her eyes were wide as if full of wonder, but Hu Tao's keen enough to know there's no life in them.
The brunette nervously chuckled to herself, "Yeah," she managed to respond.
Barbara Page, that was the ghost's name. She wore flowy clothes that covered her body, most likely a conservative person before she passed. The way she walked had pep in her step, though she would gently float too as Hu Tao discovered.
Hu Tao walked around the grave, and Barbara continued to follow.
"What are you doing?" she asked, hands behind her back as she leaned over.
"Making sure the grave isn't in shambles or anything while I was gone," Hu Tao sighed, hovering her flashlight over the gravestones for the umpteenth time to make sure nothing is missed, "lately there's these group of people calling themselves the 'Treasure Hoarders' who's taken a liking to graverobbing," Hu Tao tried to laugh, though held disdain by the thought, "honestly if they wanted to make quick cash they should look for honest work like me!"
Barbara seemed alarmed, "G-Graverobbing?" she stammered, holding her hand over her face to cover her concern, "What would they want to do with the bodies..?"
Hu Tao flashed the light over Barbara's face, cackling at the misunderstanding, "No, silly, they aren't stealing bodies," though she raised a brow to think about it, "well, ideally, I hope they aren't," this didn't sedate Barbara at all, "I think they're just stealing items found in the casket and reselling them. Hopefully, I don't have to deal with something like that anytime soon," the brunette shrugged as she marched around.
Barbara hovered over, ultimately displeased, "Why would someone want to do something like this, though?" she sighed, "If they knew that Lord Barbatos is watching, they would think twice before acting," Hu Tao eyed the strange ghost, though not too surprised that Barbara may have had a religious upbringing with how she's dressed.
Throughout the night, they continued to talk about minuscule things as the young ghost offered company to the lone gravewatcher, but as dawn began to make way Barbara's body flickered like a lightbulb. And with that, Hu Tao packed up her belongings and clocked out.
After a few weeks, Barbara has become a highlight to Hu Tao's work experience.
"Today in class," Hu Tao rambled as she leaned back into her chair, "the assistant teacher caught Xingqiu reading off of something while taking a test," Barbara sat atop the counter, as usual, listening in on the brunette's story, "Miss Keqing was ready to throw out his whole test on account for cheating, but it turned out Xingqiu was reading a romance novel instead! He didn't care about cheating on the test at all!" Hu Tao cackled, thinking back to the events that unfolded earlier.
Although Barbara was chuckling along, Hu Tao noticed that it sounded cold unlike her usual singsong tone.
"Hm, sorry, am I boring you?" Hu Tao placed her head atop her palm, looking up at the petite ghost.
"Huh?" Barbara was caught off guard as she waved her hands, flustered, "You're not boring me at all! Sorry if I seem out of it," she mumbled, clasping her hands together as her gaze, though soft, was as distant as her thoughts.
"What's the matter?" The part-time gravewatcher asked.
Barbara fidgeted with her hand, finally breathing out as she glanced over at Hu Tao, "Sorry, I know it's a bit selfish since I'm already dead," she smiled weakly, "but... hearing you talk about your friends, classmates, or life outside of this graveyard..." she shook her head as she tried to wave it off, "ah, it's nothing, forget I said anything!"
Hu Tao paused for a moment, "Is it because I keep talking about myself?" she rubbed the back of her neck, albeit confused with what she did wrong, "Well, I guess I should try to be more considerate..."
Barbara lowered her head, "No, that's not it," she swayed her legs back and forth, closing her eyes as she reminisces about another time, "it's just, well, hearing you talk about people reminds me that I didn't have friends when I was alive." Hu Tao was slightly taken back, surprised that a girl like Barbara could say something like that.
Hu Tao tried to wave the worries away "Friends are subjective, but I consider them good mates," then her brows furrowed as confusion began to take shape, "But seriously? You're not mistaken, are you? There's no way you wouldn't have any friends,"
Barbara scratched the side of her face as she chuckled tensely, "To be fair, I didn't go to a public school like you,"
"First time I'm hearing about this," Hu Tao nodded, kind of understanding.
"Mhm," Barbara's arms rested at her side as she leaned back, seeming a little more relax, "the only person I was closed to was my older sister, but since our parents divorced when I was young I hardly got to spend time with her either." her legs continued to sway, back and forth.
"Ah, family troubles," Hu Tao wasn't a stranger to that, but she decided to hold her tongue about it, "So, just your sister? Wasn't there anyone else?" she continued to sound doubtful but tried to not be condescending either.
Barbara laughed as she shook her head, "I suppose the sisters at the Favonius Church, my father, and lord Barbatos played a role while growing up," she hummed, before snapping when she remembered something "ah, though I guess there was this boy name Bennett who visited the cathedral often, though we hardly exchanged anything."
Hu Tao isn't a very sympathetic person but something in her chest pang while listening, inching her free hand over to Barbara's hand though it couldn't do much but phase through as a chill run up her fingertips, "Then I'd like to make the executive decision to be your first friend," she spoke mindlessly.
Barbara flushed at the notion but didn't move her hand away, instead opting to smile, "By all means, go ahead," she hummed once more, but it sounded more uplifting than her previous murmurs.
Hu Tao arrived at the cemetery earlier than expected, deciding to eat her packed dinner at her station before clocking in.
She paused in her step, looking around the site to notice a tall figure, blonde ponytail and business attire with poor posture. Hu Tao could have easily ignored the woman, knowing well everyone comes to mourn, but she couldn't help but notice that the lady was standing in front of Barbara's grave.
Curious, she walked forward anyway. "Hey there," Hu Tao chirped, "visiting hours end by 8 o'clock, I advise that you..." she noticed that the stranger continued to look at the headstone, motionless and void of any humanity. Or that they were extremely exhausted.
Hu Tao leaned over to tap the other's shoulder, snapping the taller back to reality as she fwip her head, "A-Ah," she seemed embarrassed being caught off-guard, rubbing her eyes in which Hu Tao noticed seem puffy, "are you here to pay your respects?" she fumbled, dishevelled blonde hair that goes against her professional attire.
"Kind of," Hu Tao put her hands around her back, "but I'm also the security here, and if you don't want to be fined for loitering then you should head out," Hu Tao comically warned, plastering that awful grin of hers when meeting strangers.
The stranger seems startled, looking around the cemetery as if noticing that there is no one but them, sighing in retreat, "I see," she rubbed her temple before giving a smile herself, similar to that of Hu Tao's, "I must have lost track of time. I hardly get to visit since I'm constantly drowning in work," she touched the headstone to wipe off the dirt.
"Well if you want," Hu Tao kicked the dirt under her foot, "in the future, you should go visit the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour so you can plan your casket right next to this one."
The taller's eyes of familiar blue turned that to alarm, then confusion before a nervous laugh came through, "I-I suppose that's a plan," she scratched the side of her face, "if work doesn't keel me over, I suppose I can make time for something like that..." Hu Tao couldn't tell if they were serious or playing along, but all Hu Tao returned was an awkward smile.
Finally, the lady left and the sky that was once honey turned purple, and with that Barbara showed herself leaning over her headstone looking right at Hu Tao.
"I take it that's your sister?" Hu Tao pointed at the exit, though the woman in question left way before.
Barbara sighed before nodding, "Yep, that's Jean alright," she tapped her finger atop the stone, "she hardly visits, but it's not like I can fault her..." she mumbled, though it didn't stop her expression from looking saddened.
Hu Tao scratched the side of her face, unsure if she wants to pry further or let Barbara vent her frustrations before her stomach began to growl. Barbara perked up, furrowing her brows as Hu Tao rubs the back of her head childishly, "I didn't exactly eat dinner yet," a dry laugh escaped.
"Well you should!" the ghost pouted, "You're going to pass out before the sun rises!"
"It's fine, I packed my dinner with me anyway!" Hu Tao smacked her bag, turning her heel as to head to her station, "I bought spicy dried fish, you want some?" she decided to offer.
Barbara per usual followed the gravewatcher, though seem tantalize with the offer as she nodded happily.
"Good," Hu Tao marched through the freshly cut grass before humming to herself the tune that Barbara taught her, "by the way, you should tell me more about yourself," she smiled, though more genuine this time around, "since it doesn't seem you'll disappear anytime soon."