probe | GRAVEYARD ✨

GRAVEYARD ✨

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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[ law and his fucking deal to become part of the government :') sometimes you become "friends" with the enemy to get what you want. ]

I'll consider it a win then.

[ He just sits back. ]

I'll treat you to something nice, if you get to come by. Luxuries with no worries about those kinds of people.

Luxuries?

[ if he's sitting back then law will take a step back...or steven and lean into his chest/torso area...because height difference even when sitting. ]

Such as finer foods, gifts, and all of that? I can't say I've had that kind of treatment before.

I'm not much of a gifting person, but I could try if that's your language.

[ Be quiet it's a 3 inch difference, wow. ] If you wanted to try it, you could spend a day having the getting pampered experience.

[ it's still something!!! also hello? law is thinking this in the literal sense except that doesn't make sense either. ]

My language?

[ and honestly? he's frowning at that. being pampered seems....much..? ]

I'm not sure if I'd like that.

Yeah. It's a whole category of things called "love languages". A concept someone came up with, about what form of expression speaks best to you. "Gift-giving" is one of them.

[ He shrugs! ] Honestly? A lot of things about opulence is pretty gross. But as just a one-time experience, it could be fun. I know these things fairly well, so I know what to avoid.

What are the others?

[ guess law is learning what the languages of love are now and this is dangerous knowledge....closes my eyes. also i cannot believe steven is here to offer a pampering to law. ]

Do you? What kind of things would you go about wanting to avoid then?

Words, gifts, acts of service, physical touch, and quality time.

And anything overly wasteful, honestly. The rich really love doing that for some reason.

[ hmm. ]

If those are the choices I'd prefer "acts of service" and "quality time" then.

[ you know, if they're just going to talk about that? or even if not..... though it'd make sense for a tsundere, wouldn't it? ]

You picked that fast.

I wonder what mine are. [ He knows about it but doesn't know what his own are, apparently! ]

Did I?

Words are cheap unless there are actions behind it; I don't need gifts, and physical touch... [ hmm. ] I get my hands on people plenty by being a surgeon.

[ so you know, that leaves acts of service and quality of time. he doesn't explain the latter because hopefully it should be obvious??? time is something that is a luxury. he'd make a suggestion about testing them out and seeing which steven likes best but uh.

uhh..??? ]

...

[ He looks amused. ]

I think you're misunderstanding the assignment. It's about these actions coming from the people you love and care for, not just anyone in the world.

[ and.

this is where law will look confused himself?? all of the sudden?? because hello??? his kneejerk reaction was one that wouldn't be helpful in this situation.

h...hmm..?? ]

[ Hahaha. ]

How about I explain it better to you later?

[ SAVE ME FROM PAGE STRETCHERS I CANT DO THIS IN THE GRAVEYARD ]

[ ...we're not the worse pair at least. but hmmmmm....he's going to frown at that. ]

What does that mean?

What do you mean "what does that mean"? It means exactly what I said!

[ STOP JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE WORST DOESNT MEAN ITS NOT BAD ]

[ IT'S FINE........i'm sure no one is paying that close attention to it. ]

It means, why does it have to be later? What's the point?

[ Naru chaining me to this TL... me, crying... ]

Fine, fine. [ Since he's conveniently at the laptop, he'll Google and pull up the love language test. Or one of them, anyway. ]

They're called "love languages" for a reason. It'd be pointless if it counted for actions anyone did for you, or actions you did for anyone. Otherwise, every single surgeon in the world would have "physical touch" as one of their top languages, and I doubt that's true.

Also, it's not about how many people you touch, especially as a surgeon. It's about how much importance you put on people you like touching you, like through hugs and kisses and the like. In the case of "physical touch" examples, anyway.

[ yeah....... or if you're that afraid make it into an overflow in our catch-all. also for hilarity please... let it be this website. it may or may not be the first thing that popped up for me. ]

Alright, and this...is supposed to help?

[ he doesn't know the word for "web page" or anything close to it. i weep. he is also getting more skeptical about it all. ]

It's not like it's some kind of official test that defines you, but it could be for fun. You can interpret it however you want.

[ Steven opens two tabs, one for singles and one for couples (LMAO). Steven blazes through the answers. Sorry if you're not a fast reader, Law.
And he gets a blue endscreen. For both of them. ]

Well, I guess there you have it. Your turn.

Acts of service...

[ law's a faster reader but given the fact that this is a website and he's not going to be level of tech savvy he might be lost for a hot second or more with trying to read and decide for himself. ...not that he doesn't get the chance with his own results.

and when it's his turn, he's going to take much longer because wow! he has never thought of this before but eventually we'll get there and it's comical. (please look how high touch is ranked. it's so funny.) couples and as a single person because steven did the same??? ]

So, that means you like it more when someone does things for you?

[ and law is a simple man who just wants people to spend time with him.... ]

I guess so. I'm a busy man, normally... I guess the idea of people doings things for me is a nice thought. [ Also he's kind of a lowkey control freak I GUESS. ]

Quality time, huh? I can see that for you. And then physical touch and acts of service next, huh.

Looks like neither of us care all that much about presents, though.

[ law is a bit of a control freak but apparently spending time with him is more important. ]

Might as well suit us just fine; it's not as though there are plenty of "gifts" just out and about to be given away. [ which is not to imply that law would shower steven with gifts given the opportunity. ]

...and words affirmation as the choice second for you. [ ... ] I wouldn't have guessed that one.

Hm? Really?

[ About Law not expecting it. He glances back at the laptop screen and reaches out to tab back to his own results, just for posterity. ]

Well... I guess the notion of reassurance is nice.

Yeah.

[ ..... and. he's. just going to stare at steven for a while in contemplation...

hmmmm.....

then just...casually in the most sincere but blunt way possible: ]

I like it when I get to hear you laugh. Not that polite one you put on for everyone but the other one.

[ "when you're being a bit of a bastard" but it's nice week and he can't say that part. ]

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