#Cleaning Gravestones

[vital-information]

“The queerness of Mother 3 is a complicated thing. It’s ever present but just how much is supposed to be played for jokes and just how much is to be taken sincerely remains unclear. At the center of this is our protagonist, Lucas. Lucas is an absolute softy, a total mama’s boy. He is not fast, strong, or brave. All of those qualities are held by his adventurous twin brother, Claus. When their mother, Hinawa, dies, Claus swears revenge and embarks on a journey, but Lucas just cries. He visits his mother’s grave daily. He’s not looking for adventure or vengeance, he’s just sad.

It’s through these early sections of grief that Lucas’s queerness begins to appear. He’s incredibly close with his mother. His father, Flint, is generally absent and when he is present seems more concerned with finding Claus than raising Lucas. Lucas is sensitive to a fault and in opposition with the world around him, one where boys play outside trying to tackle dinosaurs all day. As his village, Tazmily, leaves behind its early idealism in favor of a more commercial existence, its citizens become darker, more sinister. They’re meaner, harder, and also apathetic to the changes around them. The more they change the more it highlights how different Lucas is. He stays soft, he cares so much, he just wants to help.

…

Lucas’s greatest strength is his softness, his kindness. …In the final battle of the game we see him, alone, fighting a brainwashed Claus with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Claus launches attack after attack, but Lucas will not hit him back no matter what the player does. Instead Lucas can guard, he can heal himself, and he can believe in his brother. He can even cry a little.”

— Dave Tomaine, “Mother Is Mothering: Grief, Queerness, and Softness in Mother 3”

[entering--hyperspace]

Cannot imagine whatever is going on through Mr Leonard Echowatcher's head. You spend your life yearning for a world where you lived differently, where the day wasnt soaked in war, blood, and battle. Where you could envision a future where you have a partner and a family with friends to live gracefully with. But then you are given such opportunities only to find you were never taught to be gentle, you have a gentle, empathetic nature and yet the physicality of it is a stranger to you. You are expected to raise a child with gentle hands so that she saves the world, What does that even mean? How can you accept your growing love for your friend when you were never taught how to love, that intimate love is a luxury best left forgotten, there are no need for such things in war. He has to learn to become the things he wanted bc he grew too old to develop it naturally. He becomes a father to taimi fumbling his way into learning how to care and parent, he is defensive of Aurene bc he is from a culture where they arent expected to raise their own young and yet has to do so with a dragon. It feels like a test, He has to prove both to others and to himself he is capable of being a father, of nuturing, that calloused, stained hands can still be gentle. He has to accept that love is a terrifying leap of faith in vulnerability in order to gain a partnership that is considered a rarity. I love the idea that he spent 30 years yearning for things he thought he would never have and when he is actually given those opportunities (albeit admittedly through unusual circumstances) he has to learn how to actually live in them, becuase they were always just Concepts until now. Ohhhh my god Mr. Leo you are my everything

[mollywog]

She requested Oak to get the churchwardens to turn the leadwork at the mouth of the gurgoyle that hung gaping down upon them, that by this means the stream might be directed sideways, and a repetition of the accident prevented.

What Troy does hastily and abandons readily, Bathsheba does purposefully with intent to sustain.

[inthememetime]

I'm working on stuff for Funeral Rights, the sequel to Cleaning the Gravestones (read here!). Let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions!

Funeral Rites starts about 3-4 years pre-canon, when Vlad (Senior Lab Manager & Assistant CTO) receives a job offer that the family can't really afford to refuse as CTO of Axiom Labs in Amity Park, Illinois.

This kickstarts some plot, in which Vlad and Harriet end up trying (and probably succeeding) in gaining custody of Danny and Jazz for the following reasons:

They're both mildly ectocontaminated, which should NOT be happening

Yes, the bruises on Danny are probably mostly from his bullies, but some of them are bigger than a child's/teenager's hand, and Danny won't explain them

Both kids avoid being at home at all costs

Vlad's so-far buried trauma regarding the Fentons

Important to note: the Fenton parents aren't evil in this. They're misguided, neglectful, don't like to take the consequences of their actions- basically, they're bad scientists and bad parents, but they aren't intentional about it.

Cleaning the Gravestones was largely about blending the natural and unnatural, accepting that not everything can be understood, not going out of your way to hurt what you don't understand, developing and using support structures, and building both platonic and non-platonic relationships. It's also about learning to hide in plain sight.

Funeral Rites is going to flip a lot of that on its' head. It's learning where the line you cannot cross is. There's a breaking down of support structures (Danny and his parents, Wes and his dad, Dani, Katie, and their dad once they learn he's a murderer), and choosing what, if any, relationship to build back.

It's learning sometimes the secrets you keep for your family's safety can really bite you. Finally, it's about gaining closure: maybe not everything is perfect, or even close, but if you can at least pick up the rubble, maybe you can build something again. Above all: what really makes a monster? Is it being inhuman? Or something else? And how much of our destiny can we really rewrite?

Due to length, everything else under the cut.

Obviously, some things are different from canon. Vlad hasn't stewed in anger/hatred over the Fentons, he's (mostly) moved on. He and Harriet are (happily) married. They've got kids. So Vlad can't be Danny's narrative foil. That will be filled by someone else.

Walter Weston is an ally in this, unlike in CtG, where he was the primary antagonist. He's able to accept consequences, and feels a lot of guilt; he's eager to make up for his actions any way he can. Wesley is a lot like his dad 10 years ago, though thankfully isn't cursed by a spirit of madness.

Jazz is tired of being a mother at 13, and doesn't know how to fix things. She wants to be a kid, for once in her life, and the Chin-Masters family is promising to help with that.

Danny starts off with feelings of jealousy;

[eigengrauone]

I fuckign love cemeteries they should let me work at one

[mariasmemo]

Stone Monument Conservation

On Saturday, June 10, the MMA in conjunction with the Prospect Hill Cemetery, will offer our yearly stone monument conservation workshop.  In 2022, we cleaned the stone of Lydia Coffin Hussey. (Seen in image after cleaning - but before the solution does its real magic.)  Why?  Because the MMA has in its collection a small wooden marker which was likely discarded and found at the dump.  On it was a number and Lydia Coffin Hussey’s name written in pencil.  Likely, this marker was placed at her burial site until a stone could be erected – in order to mark her gravesite though it’s in a larger family plot.  With a little digging – in great part thanks Tuck’t In by Prospect Hill Cemetery historian, Paula Lundy Levy – we were able to glean some basic details about her. She married the Reverend Christopher Coffin Hussey – yes, Coffin was in both their names, small island – and they had three daughters – two of whom are buried in the lot.  One died at age 16; the other at age forty-four – she may have married or been single.  If she was married and died before her husband, burying her in her family’s plot makes sense.  (Sally Mitchell Barney – Maria Mitchell’s oldest sister – died before her husband. She was buried in the Mitchell family plot and her husband remarried.  When he died, he was buried in his second wife’s family plot.)

Lydia’s husband, Christopher, while raised as a Quaker would later become an ordained Universalist minister with parishes off-island.  He also was a collector of island stories and after his death, a book he was working on, was completed by Lydia and published in 1901. I believe Lydia may not have had a marker for a long time because she died before at least two – if not all three – of her children.  That may have left her with no one to oversee a proper internment.  In Tuck’t In there is mention that records show the stone was still not there in 2007 – but I believe the records are likely wrong as the stone is there.  Last year, we cleaned it.  This year we hope to clean the stones of her two daughters who are interred in the plot (at rear in image).

Please join us. Registration is necessary and available on the MMA website at: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Preserving-the-Monuments-of-Our-Ancestors-How-to-Properly-Clean-Historic-Gravestones 

Note: We utilize a special cleaner made for stone monuments and a proper conservation process.  One must be trained in such cleaning and in using the proper tools and cleaner. One must also have permission form the cemetery to clean a stone �� even of one’s own family – and one must never clean stones without permission from family members or descendants.  Of further note: in many places, gravestone rubbings are illegal – it destroys the stone.

JNLF

[aginggravestones]

Edwin M. Cole, 2015 & 2023

[geezerwench]

Grave cleaning videos spark fascination and outrage online

[silent-sentinels]

we're gonna go visit our grandma tomorrow, it'll be real chill :]

[calvarycemetery]

Grave Cleaning

Grave Cleaning Services in Tulsa, OK - Calvary Cemetery

Preserve the memory of your loved ones with our professional grave cleaning services at Calvary Cemetery in Tulsa, OK. We understand the importance of maintaining a clean and respectful resting place. Our dedicated team will meticulously clean headstones, remove debris, and ensure the area surrounding the grave is well-maintained. We offer various cleaning options to suit your needs and budget. Contact us today to schedule a grave cleaning and honor your loved one's memory.

For More Information On Grave Cleaning

[ilhoonftw]

the 'old newspaper on top of tall furniture' hack has to be surpressed by companies that sell cleaning supplies bc i hardly see it being mentioned all while tiktok cleaning influencers who are sponsored by scrub daddy try to convice you scrub daddy branded everything will save your life

[stlazarusgravesiteservices]

Website: https://www.stlazarusgravesiteservices.com

Address: 17 N 5th Avenue #1046, Beech Grove, Indiana 46107, USA

St Lazarus Gravesite Services specializes in the meticulous care of gravesites. Their offerings include tombstone cleaning, plot maintenance, and decoration services for various occasions. With a commitment to using gentle, environmentally friendly methods, they assure the respectful and professional upkeep of your loved ones' final resting places.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/St-Lazarus-Gravesite-Services/100091459401828/

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[robertjtiess]

My poem "Cleaning My Father's Tombstone"

Thank you for reading this.

Poem text link: https://allpoetry.com/poem/17542789-Cleaning-My-Father-s-Tombstone-by-Robert-J.-Tiess

[madeofmarblex]

timeline tag drop!

we have what we have when we have it. / timeline: undetermined. the finest. / timeline: the red room.  i made a name for myself. / timeline: before SHIELD.  agent romanoff. / timeline: working with SHIELD. rushman. natalie rushman. /  timeline: iron-man. nothing we were ever trained for. / timeline: avengers. a ghost story. / timeline: the winter solider. two little gravestones by a chain-link fence. / timeline: return to russia. i’m always cleaning up after you boys. / timeline: age of ultron. let's beat 'em into shape. / timeline: before civil war. i'm gonna regret this. / timeline: civil war. back to where it all started. / timeline: black widow. i’m not the one who needs to watch their back. / timeline: before infinity war. i’m done running. / timeline: infinity war. if i move on who does this? / timeline: during the blip. whatever it takes. / timeline: endgame. a soul for a soul. / timeline: after endgame.

[dcxdpdabbles]

For the Danny=Ra's Al Ghul thing. Danny comes from a world that only looks like ours on the surface level until you get alternate names like Lake Eerie while we have Lake Erie or the alternate histories like Pandora or even Vortex

Now in our world, Sherlock is used sarcastically whenever someone points out something obvious. Danny might come from a world where Sherlock Holmes isn't as popular and the word "Detective" is used in place of Sherlock. Cue him using that word often and using the same context when dealing with Bruce or Tim to really sell that he's an alternate Ra's

"No shit, Detective"

The words slipped from the boy's lips in such a deadpan tone that for a second, Bruce half thought he imagined it. There was one thing to be told that an alternative version of Ra's al Ghul was caught battling it out with Green Arrow; it was another to be confronted with a teenager who spoke in the confusing lingo of his kids.

Bruce had seen Child-Ghul lose his mind over Go-Gurt alongside his friends- the assassins so dangerous they all earned the nickname of demons- when they happened to come by it in a regular grocery store. They had appeared like normal teenagers visiting the United States for the first time.

In fact, Bruce had yet to be aware that he was observing Ra's. He had been running around Gotham attempting to find the visitors and had accidentally overlooked them because of their genuine glee at finding tubed yogurt.

Even Dick and Damian had seen the same group but also dismissed them. It was strange to fit a version of Ra's Al Ghul, who was happily using hoverboards in the park while his friends recorded the great mass murder thousands of years old.

Tim was the only one who figured him out on sight. Bruce wonders if that was due to his son being incredibly intelligent or if Tim's hatred of Ra ran that deep. If it was the latter, Bruce would bet that even in his next life, Tim would clock Ra's in a crowd.

Red Robin had tracked Child-Ghul and his crew to an old cemetery, where they had been busy cleaning up gravestones. They had even fixed up broken stones and placed the proper offerings for each person.

How they knew which person followed which religion in life was a mystery.

Tim suspected they were attempting to rob another grave. Maybe they had known the people buried there- with Ra's being as young again- or they were trying to do some weird magic thing to save the planet again.

Bruce wasn't so sure.

He observed that the highly trained children cleaned up the cemetery and occasionally had random bursts of dance parties between the graves. He didn't think they were trying to steal anything- instead, they seemed to be suffering from mental illnesses.

Sometimes, one of them would speak to the air, asking it for an opinion on a new grave site. They might have been just regular people in their own world- Bruce had encountered civilian versions of himself and his kids before, so why no villains?- but the idea that Ra's Al Ghul had meta powers, any version, made him paranoid.

It didn't seem possible that Ra's didn't abuse his powers somehow. What could the strangers possibly be doing if it wasn't for world domination?

He got tired of watching and waiting for answers that weren't coming. Batman would force the children to tell him. He waited until the Child-Ghul wandered far away from his group, a bucket and brush in hand, and he arrived at a giant moss-covered stone.

Bruce watched as he greeted the air before sliding to his knees and scrubbing the moss away. His form was all wrong.

That was not a perfect crouch or position that would generate a fast reaction in case he needed it. In fact, the way the boy curved over the stone indicated he would suffer from backache if he sat like that for too long.

The Ra's Al Ghul would never have been caught dead in a similar weakened posture.

Did that mean this version of Ra's had no formal training?

"What do you think you're doing? " He growled, stepping out of the shadows. The boy jumped a good foot in the air, checking another box in his theory of not being trained.

He watched as Child-Ghul spun around, brush held in a sloppy throwing form, before freezing at the sight of him. At once, the tension eased out of his shoulders. He didn't seem afraid of Bruce, which was rather strange.

He built this entire persona to intimidate people at first glance. Yes, he had redesigned himself after learning kids were afraid of him, too, but the original design survived long enough for him to wield his fear tactic as a weapon.

"Ugh, what do you think you're doing walking around looking like that?" the boy sasses, gesturing at Bruce's whole being. "You look like a three-year-old drew you."

That was.....a rather creative insult.

"What are your plans here" He demands, ignoring the comment.

The boy raises a brow. His face twists into an expression he saw on Ra's Al Ghul before, and for a moment, Bruce wonders if Tim had made a mistake. How could Ra's look so humble. "What do you think I'm doing with a brush and a bucket of soap water?"

"You're cleaning the gravestone."

"No shit, Detective"

The phrase was like cold ice water pouring down his back. His pronunciation, facial expressions, and body language were exactly like Ra's.

Tim was right.

"Why?" He demands, stepping closer to tower over the boy.

"If you don't get out of my personal space, Imaginary Vampire Grandpa, we will have a problem." Child-Ghul hisses at him. For a moment Bruce is reminded of Damian.

"Try me."

Child-Ghul's grin is sharp and mad as he yells. "Escort this man to the door!"

Bruce raises his fist, ready for anything, only to literally feel invisible hands grab at him, dragging him out of the cemetery. He is flung out of the gate with the watching teenagers snickering.

Bruce bites back a curse. Of course, a child version of Ra's has ghosts working for him. He'll have to call the Justice League Dark for this. He hopes Zatanna is the one who answers and not her husband.

[aldryrththerainbowheart]

Imagine visiting Jason's grave regularly, long after he's gone. Imagine you are the only one who returns to that place, the only one who can face that slab of cold stone with his name on it. You put flowers there on his birthday, a candle on the date of his death. You visit his grave to clean it and talk to him. But after a while, you stopped talking altogether. What's the point when no one answers? Imagine several years later, you revisit the grave but this time, an unknown man is standing there. He's tall, imposing, and deathly still like the gravestones around him. He has a hoodie on, so you can't see his face, but when he turns to face you, a pair of eerie green eyes glow from the darkness.