Found a fluff starter sentence thing and decided to roll with it. Hope you enjoy! :D

"Can you hold my hand?" I gave Lili a curious look as we stood before the cemetery gates.

"Isn't that what I'm doing?" I looked down toward our joint hands, my gloved one engulfing her bare hand with ease as we stood there together.

"I mean actually, Raz." It took me a second to compute, but I took my hand from hers and removed the glove from that hand before taking her hand in mind once more. "Thanks."

"No problem." I squeezed her hand gently before looking back toward the cemetery. It was a little bit on the older side, but it was obvious that the headstones there were well taken care of.

As a kid, my family would always tease me that I would be a mess when meeting my first girlfriend's family. Dion teased relentlessly that I would make a fool out of myself like I normally did as a kid.

I swallowed hard as I looked back toward Lili, who seemed to be contemplating the idea of actually going through with this.

But I don't think any of them anticipated me ending up with someone like Lili.

Nor the fact that meeting her mom meant adventuring into a cemetery for the first time.

"Are you sure about this?" I spoke softly as I rubbed the back of her hand with my thumb.

"I haven't been to my mom's grave since she was buried." She took in a deep breath and released it slowly before looking over toward me. "The last time her grave saw me, I was a snotty crying three-year-old. She deserves to see how far I've come." I smiled gently at the idea as a determined look took over her face. "Even more so, she deserves to meet you." She turned her head back toward the gates before reaching out to push her side open. "Now let's do this before I end up regretting my own decision." I couldn't help but chuckle a little as I followed her in. A small bouquet of flowers in my other hand, as she led me proudly to her mother's resting spot. I looked around the area wordlessly for a moment as I took in some of the tombstones and the little unique twists to each one.

"Are all graveyards like this or is this simply a Psychonauts thing?" I looked over toward Lili, who was leading slightly ahead as she shrugged.

"Psychonauts have great respect for the dead. Unless they're in Otto's brain thingy, at least." She kept talking as she tapped her thumb gently on the back of my hand. "Their tombstones are kept after by their families or at the very least, some of the lower agents. Those here gave their lives to save others or worked as major agents in the field. This area is to honor them, not let them be forgotten."

"What if the families wanted to do something else with their remains? Like the cremation stuff?"

"If the agent's family asks for their loved one, we don't stop them. Traditions and all are a thing to some after all." Lili gave me a curious look over her shoulder for a moment before looking back ahead of her. "Thinking about that, does your family have anything in mind when it comes to that stuff?" I tilted my head a little in thought as I went over the idea in my head.

"I know Nona said something about how mirrors are covered and clocks are stopped back in Grulovia. Something about how the first person to see themselves in a mirror after someone dies will be the next to go and that the stopped clocks help the soul get to the other side sooner."

"Uh." I shrugged my shoulders a little as I continued.

"Sticks are thrown in the path to the body's resting place. Even if it's some random spot in the middle of the woods. Something about how it keeps evil spirits from following lost souls."

"That honestly sounds like a darker version of how people throw rice at weddings."

"Americans have their rice, we have our sticks." I shrugged as a laugh escaped me. "You tell me which one makes less sense."

"Yeah," She drew out the word for a second as I continued to chuckle at the thought. "Not going to fight that one."

"Trust me, Nona can find you a million reasons why foreign traditions make no sense to her."

"Honestly would find it hilarious to listen to an old woman complain about Presidential turkey pardons." I gave Lili a confused look as we came to a stop at the very end of the little pathway in the cemetery.

"Girlfriend said what now?" She nudged and hushed me for a second as she gestured toward the grave right beyond the edge of the path.

"She's right there, idiot." I looked over toward where she was looking to see a medium-sized tombstone with a statue of a lily flower sprouting out from the top of it.

Rue Martindale Zanotto. Loving wife of Truman Zanotto and mother to Lilian Zanotto.

"Rue Zanotto," I spoke her name silently to myself, as if she could hear me from just beyond the old dirt path. "Please to meet you, ma'am." I smiled as I heard Lili giggle beside me.

"Always such a gentleman, huh?" She nudged me gently as her grip on my hand tightened ever so slightly.

"It's why I brought these." I held out my hand that held a bouquet of smaller flowers. "Always want to give a good first impression." Lili looked over toward me and gave me a gentle smile as she leaned her side into mine.

"From what dad tells me, she would have loved you." I couldn't help but blush a little as a goofy smile took over my face.

"I would hope so." We stayed like that for a moment before Lili slipped her hand out of mine to take the bouquet from me.

"Now, let's give mom a little bit of decoration with these, shall we? If we do it right, they might stay for a good bit." She went ahead and crossed into the little grave site as I smiled after her.

If you were here, Mrs. Zanotto, there are a few things I would hope for.

I moved to join Lili as she got down onto her knees to start digging the small patch of flowers a small hole to settle in right next to the tombstone.

I would hope you would know how much I care for your daughter. That you know just how much she means to me.

I slipped my glove back onto my left hand as I decided to help Lili with some of the digging.

But most importantly, I would hope that you're proud of her.

I smiled wide as Lili's hands grazed my gloved ones. The movement never caused us an issue as we continued to work together with the little bouquet.

Hopefully just as much as I am.