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

[kokytos]

I hate this, get me out...

Romance interests never have any appropriate sense of anything. [ He is Disgust. He just looks at the nice watch they provided for him that's on his person and shakes his head. Unfortunately, this is geared to make sure everyone is interested in them in the weirdest way possible, so now the pair only look more intrigued at the notion that Grell may or may not be an actress with a dangerous flair.

Hopeless. He just gestures at Grell a little. ]

Well, as long as it ends this event, I'm down with whatever idea you've got going on in your mind at the moment. [ Except the big orgy, he mouths that silently with a squint. ]

[brightred]

[Steven. Do you really want to go along with whatever idea is going on in Grell's mind at the moment?]

Really, dear, where's your sense of adventure? [She's taking his hand now. You asked for this.]

I'm sure these lovely people wouldn't like to see you leave so soon. [She turns her attention to the npcs.]

You wouldn't would you? [They shake their heads. No, they'd both just love it if Steven stuck around for a while.]

[kokytos]

[ Ugh. Uuuuugh.

The look Steven has on his face is almost hateful for a moment, directed mostly at Grell, just a little bit inward at himself. But fine, if Grell is suggesting he stick around, either for some kind of foursome (threesome? Steven will decide how he's feeling later), or... if she's just going to end up committing violent murder.

It's not in the realm of things he typically does because he wants to, but enough in the realm of things he will do to get shit done.

So he smiles. It's got the air of "fuck this" energy written subtly under it, but apparently it just comes off as dangerous mystique. ]

While the night is still young, Miss Sutcliff, but not too late if you would. I have places to be.

[brightred]

You shouldn't have signed up for this if you weren't interested. [She shoots back.

Come on, there isn't any better place than this! says the man. The woman nods, shy again.]

You heard them. Enjoy yourself a little bit.

[kokytos]

I was enjoying myself perfectly up until this past Thursday, dead of the night, thank you. [ Nothing here is going to compare up to what promise he had up until his, frankly, extremely suckish murder. ] It takes a sort to be as carefree as you. But I can act well enough, so if that's what you want today.

[ Ever the smiling socialite, an easy persona he slips into once he sorts out his deadpan feelings. He's chilling out (forcibly), until he can smoothly extend a hand out to shake their companion pair's each. ]

What counts as "enjoyment" in a charity event?

[brightred]

I am an actress, Steven. [If she can't put on a bright face in the midst of despair, she couldn't call herself an actress at all.]

And really, with new friends as handsome as these, we don't need to be overly concerned with this event itself. I'm sure there are other, more interesting places we could go~

[kokytos]

Yes, we did discuss that, didn't we. [ He looks around the place. A nice grand hall, pretty and spacious. A balcony outside to look over the city, have a smoke or look out into the night. Otherwise, the hall doesn't seem exactly rife with privacy nor anything really... interesting. ]

I don't think we're needed here at this event. We could just take a walk outside.

[brightred]

[Grell takes the woman's arm, guiding her towards the outside.]

A walk in the moonlight sounds lovely. See, Steven? You can be romantic, when you put your mind to it!

[kokytos]

[ He gesture for the man to come along with, there's no thirdwheeling here. He doesn't take his arm, but keeps his body language open enough. ]

I'm not blind to the entire concept of romance, Miss Sutcliff. [ Pointedly with her surname. At this point, he could just call her Grell, but he doesn't. ] Though if it were going to be like that, then may as well match that Northeast, a little bit European. Like a walk along the river?

[ It's like the e-reader reads his mind, because that's exactly what they're going to get right outside the hall building. ]

[brightred]

[Grell always, aggressively goes straight for first names.]

Ah, how romantic of you~

Isn't he romantic? [Grell says, to the npcs, who both nod as they look over at Steven.]

[kokytos]

[ Stop the whole pushing for the romance bit. He gives Grell a look. ]

You may say that, but you're the one who suggested the outing to begin with. I'm surprised you'd have that kind of side to you, insisting so much on how romantic things are.

[brightred]

Of course I do! What's the point of a life that isn't filled with romance and beauty and drama!?

[kokytos]

You really were made for all the theatre, after all... [ He remembers their first meeting, where she was walking around on the circus tightrope.

That just prompts more questions about actress/theatre life from the NPC to Grell. Keeps you busy, doesn't it. ]

[brightred]

[And she'll chat with the npcs about theater, about different productions, melodramas and readings, performing in illegal theaters one night before they were shut down the next. She's very chatty, and thriving in the center of attention.]

[kokytos]

[ Once the odd attention is drawn off of himself for at least a little while, Steven ends up talking to the guy. He makes up some bullshit lie about being just an investor who's in love with the theatrical arts and is otherwise just a businessman, all of it rolling smoothly off his tongue. They talk idly, they talk about Grell and the woman and how starstruck she looks by Grell's reportedly illustrious history, they talk about the night. Now it really was feeling something a little more properly like a standard romance.

Since this is apparently how the pair ended up distributing themselves, Steven can tell the setting is gearing himself towards his current companion. Maybe if he just gets that little romantic kiss, their task will be done. To be entirely frank, Steven's deadass tired of overthinking things, so a good partway into the whole thing, he casually falls a little behind from Grell and her chatty aura, just around right.

Talk him up into a short and sweet kiss, just enough to have a taste. That's how bastard people always do it. Then keep walking after Grell and her friend, like nothing happened.

(LET'S HOPE GRELL HASN'T GONE SERIAL KILLER.) ]

[brightred]

[The woman and Grell are still walking, arm in arm. The npc is blushing, Grell leaning in to whisper something in her ear before they both glance back at the men catching up with them.]

Oh, there you are. We were worried you'd gotten lost~

[kokytos]

Not at all. We just took a moment to appreciate the nightscape.

Looks like you didn't mind, though.

[ Raising a brow. ]

[brightred]

Oh, we certainly didn't. Really, we can appreciate the nightscape just~ as~ well~ as you can.

[kokytos]

Alright, it's not a competition, Grell. [ Oh look, you DO get the first name basis. He says this with the driest of amusement. ]

[brightred]

Oh? It might be more fun if it were. What do you say?