GRAVEYARD

[foundationmods]

[On the instant of your death, you're suddenly outside of your body - probably staring down at the remains it's become.

Yet, you're not alone. For all of you (except Szayel), a young man appears from behind you, his face set into a firm, yet sad, scowl. His shaggy strawberry blonde hair is pretty eye-catching, along with the black and white Shihakusho he wears and the large sword on his back, even as he gently tries to lead you back into the lobby and away from what was once your body. You can still clearly hear and see the living, if you want to try - but they can't see or hear you.

'Welcome to the world of the dead in this Resort,' he says, quietly. 'Looks like you're stuck here with the rest of us.'

He hands you a tablet, just like the one you had before. "You'll need this if you want to keep talking to them,' he explains, looking sad.

It looks like you've passed on, and yet...You still feel like you have a role to play in all of this.]

Comments

[blutsauger]

[Medic relinquishes his Death Grip on Phil and Ripley's hands. The rest of the vent party are still inside the vents, but he can check on them later, what matters is that Bennings is dead and he shouldn't be and Medic knew this would probably happen but that doesn't make it better-

It's been so goddamn long since death actually had any sense of permanence for him and Medic doesn't like the feeling. Sure, they're supposed to be able to get bodies again later- and Medic really needs to research that, himself, he doesn't trust any doctor but himself with his body- but if something goes wrong there, then that's it. No respawning afterwards; he can't even get a hold of Bennings' body to try to Frankenstein's monster it back to life. The lives of others should be in his hands, damnit, not some higher power.

Anyway-]

Bennings... Why are you dead??? I didn't even get to kiss you yet and you go and get yourself killed?

[winter1982]

[It takes Bennings a moment to register that Medic is actually talking to him. And that he can hear him. And see him.]

Sorry to disappoint you, Doc.

One of the.... guards? Cells? Whatever they are, one of them caught me. She killed me before I even had a chance to say or do anything.

[A pause.]

Are the rest of them still okay?

[blutsauger]

[Medic exhales slowly, rubbing at his temples.]

Then there was no chance. God's sake.

I had hoped that with you at least surviving that first execution, you would at least not have a target on your back with the mafia. But I guess that didn't matter, ja?

I don't know yet- they're still inside the vents. I'll do what I can to patch them up if they are injured, at least.

... Snake better be alright.

[winter1982]

I thought so too, but it looks like fate had other things in store for me. Cheating death three times is asking for too much, I guess.

I hope to god that he will be. And the rest of them, too. Those vents are a nightmare come true.

[There's only room for one stupid death today, and Bennings claimed that spot. No one else is allowed to die.]

[blutsauger]

Ah, three times is nothing. You should have had a chance to make it to millions of false deaths, my friend, there's no real feeling like it.

What was it like, in there? I never got to see it myself. Archimedes told me a bit about how it turns to meat the deeper you go, but he's never really been the most descriptive.

[winter1982]

You say that like you've made it to millions, Doc.

Meat's definitely one way to describe it, yeah. Disgusting fleshy, pink walls that were kind of warm. We also ended up near the Resort's... lungs, I think, because it felt like there was heavy breathing in our ears.

[blutsauger]

I have, actually! Respawn technology is a wonderful thing, my friend.

God. I wish I could see it for myself. Without, you know, the threat of dying permanently. That part is a bit of a downer.

(Yea, please don't go dyin' again while we're still grafted to ya. I dunno what the devil in this universe's gonna think of that contract.)

[Who said that?

Oh, just the fucking disembodied head of the Scout that suddenly pops out of Medic's shoulder.

Medic doesn't look phased.]

Look, he still doesn't have a majority share, I'm telling you, it's fine!

[winter1982]

Respawn technology? How does that even work?

I think saying that permanently dying's "a bit of a downer" is kind of....

[Oh.]

....an understatement......

[Oh, god, that's horrifying.]

That's a head.

[It might be rude, but he's definitely pointing at Scout, both disgusted and confused.]

Why is there a head?

[blutsauger]

Oh, its a bit complicated- Engineer's the one who knows it better than I do, but- Ah. Right. [Medic glares over at Scout.] Can all of you please learn how to wait until I actually warn people, first? This is getting irritating. (Oh, it's irritating for you? Doc, I'm the one who can't see or feel shit until I pop outta here! At least you get to walk around and talk to people, what if I wanna talk to the new guy?) Then you wait until I have the chance to tell him! God, you are so impatient!

[winter1982]

Tell me what exactly?

Because if you're planning on telling me about that thing, [gestures at Scout's head] I think you're a bit late.

[blutsauger]

That, ah, "thing" would be Scout.

(Real nice, Doc.)

I'm just using his phrasing, hush...

I, ah. Well. This doesn't get any easier to explain. I have seven human souls attached to me, and for some reason, now that I'm a ghost, they all manifest in the form of disembodied heads.

... Surprise?

(Hey, and before you start gettin' all worried, none of us hang around when the Doc starts kissing people.)

Oh my God, you are not making this better-

[Medic reaches up with practiced ease and fucking shoves Scout's head back inside his body.]

[winter1982]

[He drags a hand down his face. This is a lot.]

Seven. Why do you have seven?

No offense, Doc, but that's really weird.

[A pause.]

Glad to know that, at least.

The idea of kissing anyone while they have actual fucking heads coming out of their body like some fucked up chimera doesn't sound appealing at all.

[blutsauger]

I have seven souls because that's as many as I was able to gather! Well, technically eight. I traded the eighth for a pen. Well, yes, none of us are fans of that idea. That's why they are literally anywhere else when I'm around Phil.

[winter1982]

Good fucking god- A pen? Seriously?

[That's gotta be the dumbest reason to sell your soul.]

.... Does Phil even know about them.

[blutsauger]

It's not as bad as it sounds! That pen helped me kill the man who killed me, you know. He. Ah. Does not. [:)]

[winter1982]

I can't imagine how a pen would be useful for that, but I'll take your word.

Do Snake or Ripley know?

[Please tell him he's not the only one with this knowledge.]

[blutsauger]

It's a long story, and one that I'm pretty sure you don't want to hear right now when you're, ah, already reeling from the soul thing.

Hah... I kind of haven't told anyone that's not a ghost. And that's only because it's unavoidable that other ghosts will notice.