GRAVEYARD ✨

[probe]

POPULATION: GHOST TOWN

You die - and then you wake up.

For a second, it feels as though you can't breathe, and then your head breaks the surface. You crawl out of a pool of blood and into a large, crystalline room. Moving images play across the crystal walls, and if you watch close enough, you'll realize that you're seeing the land of the living; a familiar space station with familiar faces. You can watch these images for as long as you'd like - there are several very large benches (as in, you have to climb them to sit on them) around the room for you to rest on while you do.

Regardless of how you died, it seems as though you're not quite gone completely. You're in one piece, at least. That's good news. However, your surroundings are not exactly what you remember.

When you exit the first room, a bleak, empty city sprawls out ahead of you.

The city itself is large. The framework of it seems to tower higher and higher than you can see, up into the black opal sky that shivers and curls every so often. A river entirely made of blood runs through the city, winding around buildings and ending at the crystal room. The most noticeable thing about the buildings themselves is the fact that thorny vines made of pure white steel dig into the walls and floor, cracking the foundations.

The residential building is worn down and old. It's two floors, and has a few small studio apartments built for one or two people to live in. The beds are extremely uncomfortable. It has a communal area downstairs, but the TV is broken, and the couches are torn apart. Sometimes, this building feels obscenely hot in temperature, and smells like rotten eggs.

The grocery store is your typical convenience store. There's a large selection of food in this area, but it all tastes the same - like chalk. On top of this, every so often there will be bloodstains on the walls, the floor, and the displays. They change in size and location, each time you enter the store.

The clothing store is thrifty in nature. All the clothes here are uncomfortable and scratchy, and don't fit quite right. While you're here, time feels... weird. Distorted, almost dreamy. As you're picking out clothes and trying them on (no money needed, just take what you want), you swear you can hear a gunshot in the distance.

Enjoy your time in this city, and remember...your story isn't quite over yet.

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Comments

[executeprogramming]

[HK has had little reason to interact with the Avatars aside from the one assigned to him, so for his first direct interaction with Despair it's best to make the right impression:]

Query: Will you simply regenerate when dealt lethal harm, as well? That is what was observed in the other location with your compatriots. [hmm]

[probe]

It is curious that you think you will be given the opportunity to learn.

[look, he has a few guesses why the robot would be asking these things, and as a preemptive measure-- he snaps his fingers, and hk will find himself drained of motivation. specifically the motivation to commit violence.]

There. I believe that will make for a simpler interaction.

[executeprogramming]

[you know this is probably for the best after the Kaz Incident, since that made him want to come find out what happens to the avatars, but rude that Grell gets to carry a chainsaw around and Kaz gets to...do whatever it is he likes to do probably]

Query: What is it that you mean by—

[funny thing about droids, unlike humans they are consistently monitoring and aware of what's happening inside their bodies and brains, so the change is immediately obvious to him]

Statement: What a novel feeling, to be without any desire to cause physical harm. It will be more difficult to fulfill the parameters of "indulgence" as laid out by the one designated Wrath.

Query: Has my performance not been of satisfaction to them? Have I not pleased you? I am always willing to improve.

[probe]

[they have rights until they try anything with despair, your local avatar is at least somewhat here to babysit. kind of. when they decide to.]

It will not be permanent. Long enough for my purposes, yes, but you will find yourself restored to your usual brutish self in time.

[roughly an hour.]

I am not particularly bothered by the course you chose, but neither would I say I am pleased. That is quite the difficult thing to earn, for the vast majority of you.

[executeprogramming]

[oh nice kaz gets an hour of rest]

Observation: It would seem that all of you possess some type of extra-natural ability than can influence others. I have heard of such things, although typically they do not affect inorganic beings such as myself.

Query: So what is it that would please you? I understand you are not my designated representative in these proceedings, but it appears that I will have some additional time on my hands.

[probe]

What would please me is if the lot of you were to avoid destroying this place, but given past history, behaving may well be too much to ask.

[he's tired. his claws tap idly on one forearm, before he adds:]

And it would please Wrath not to have your actions ascribed to them. Despite the name, they care little for it.

[executeprogramming]

Commentary: I should think they would be better suited to a different name, then, like Cowardice. However, it is not I who is in charge here.

Query: Is it that you are all still hoping to acquire the trust of these meatbags to some other purpose? They do seem to be performing quite nicely for you.

[probe]

And I should think that whoever created you made quite the mistake, in allowing an automaton to speak out of turn as it pleases. Do take care that you do not force me to remove that ability as well.

[that's all that he responds to, though, skipping over the rest of it. no more answers for bots today, it seems.]