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

I. Arrival

[kokytos]

[ Hey Omi. Steven was nearby already, so he's just here to greet everyone as they come out of the blood pool. It's fine. ]

Me neither.

[ Hey. ]

[housewolf]

[Now that he's all the way out-]

What were you expecting?

[kokytos]

Someplace a lot more... tormenting, probably, since I expected Hell. And also, not still saddled with you lot and the game's responsibilities.

As it is now, though, it's mostly just a whole lot of nothing.

[housewolf]

[Yeah, figured it wouldn't be that easy.]

I was expecting a lot more nothing.

What responsibilities do we have here?

[kokytos]

None, technically.

But if we keep indulging, apparently we can make things better.

Sorry you're dead, Omi.

[housewolf]

... Make things better how, exactly?

Sorry to you too.

[kokytos]

The beds were practically slabs of concrete when I first arrived. But over the week, at some point they got a bit more comfortable.

[ When will Steven drop Omi the bomb about the FOOD HERE. ]

[housewolf]

... Makes sense death wouldn't be great.

[kokytos]

Mm. Though, if we're in some kind of "middle ground", then it's better than being honest to God dead or ceasing to exist entirely, no?

[ Middle ground, as in -- not life, nor true death. They appear to be someplace else. ]

But either way, it looks like we'll be here for a little while more.

[housewolf]

I guess so.

[He's thought about death a lot, but the whole afterlife part- that's just new.]

Any ideas on how much longer?

[kokytos]

None. Though given how our situation is still linked to this game we've been playing, I assume at least until however long it takes for the main stage to finish. If not longer.

[ He nods once at the crystal displays, showing what's happening to the still-alive. ]

[housewolf]

Not much of a time frame. But it's not like any of this has been especially clear cut to begin with.

[He'll watch for a while, gaze catching on Gojou before looking away.]

[kokytos]

It's as they say... play and find out.

[ Steven does notice that. Not much escapes his observations.

He just puts a hand on Omi's shoulder. ]

At least it wasn't him first. He's a good guy.

[housewolf]

... Yeah. I'm not sure what I would have done.

[He knows exactly what he would've done.]

Alright... As long as we're here, might as well make it nicer. Let's... despair, I guess.

[kokytos]

[ He snorts a little at that. ]

Come on, I've already had so much of this despairing bullshit. You're going to add onto that? [ It's a harmless statement. What else would Omi be feeling right now? ]

[housewolf]

[He laughs, but it's a tired little thing.]

Alright, pick your favorite sin.

[kokytos]

I want to be Sloth. Fuck everything, just not have to care about all this for a while.

[housewolf]

You know, that sounds great right about now.

[kokytos]

The facilities and utilities aren't that great... yet, but they're passable.

I think you definitely deserve a long nap.

[housewolf]

[Gojou... Somehow he feels worse about Gojou being alone than actually dying, and he doesn't want to examine that too deeply.]

Yet. Let's see if we can make them any better by taking one.

Which way to a bed?

[kokytos]

[ Steven points Omi his way towards the residential building! He'll also point in the direction of the clothing store and grocery store too, while at it. And because it's Omi, and he knows how much the man loves cooking, he will warn him beforehand: ]

The food here isn't great. You can find just about anything, but they're all very flavourless. It got slightly better midway through the week, but.

It all kind of tastes like talc.

[housewolf]

[He sighs. Deeply.]

I'm really feeling that despair indulgence right now, Steven.

[kokytos]

I know, I thought you might hate it.

But like I said. It did actually get better in the middle of the week, so who knows.

[housewolf]

You're right, and I do.

I'm ... gonna take a nap. Want to join me?

[kokytos]

Haha. [ It's not very humourous, but it's something. ]

Why not, if it'll make you feel better to not try to sleep alone.

[ It'll just be for a little bit, but he pities the circumstances around Omi. He's a good guy. ]