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

[perfeccion]

[the dead cells are cleaned up and Szayel is fed and energized. Unneeded clones have been dismissed in a puff of black mist. ]

I shouldn't have to remind you that we shouldn't split up. Immunity shouldn't be a problem, but getting lost in here is.

[relentlesslyonwards]

[A glance over to Szayel.]

We also don't know if it'll change at the wrong moment to separate us, so let's also stick close to each other for now.

So... shall we get going?

[Onwards?!]

[foundationmods]

[As they walk deeper into the brain, the dimness that they'd seen in their little fighting area darkens to a deep black - and yet, even in the low light, they can still somehow see the outlines of the walls.

They're going down a long corridor - no doors line the walls - but it's remarkably similar to the hallways in the resort proper.

Faint glimmers of light occasionally flash on the walls, like luminescent moss - and sometimes in those glimmers are flashes of color and voices echoing airily through the halls.

'Welco....']

[duskhound]

[...Well, that's mildly disconcerting. Looks like I might have to use the tablet as a makeshift flashlight too, just in case. But yes, time to make sure we're at close range with everyone else. With this level of light, if we lose sight of eachother it's basically over.]

...You're all hearing those too, right?

[perfeccion]

[it's dark. Quite dark. Szayel takes up the rear, and extends two of his tentacles in a wide circle around Rean and Ellie like a protective halo -- an easy enough way to ensure he can grab them if something goes sour. The other two tentacles he runs lightly against the walls of the corridor]

I hear it... and I see it. I believe these are synapses firing... memories, perhaps.

[relentlesslyonwards]

[While the lighting is a lot dimmer, the ambience reminds him a little of a spirit shrine. The flickering memories in the air don't really help with that, even if they manifest themselves differently from what he's used to.]

So it's not just me, huh. [His eyes land on some of the glowing spots on the wall.] Do we want to check those out a little, or should we just move on? We might be able to learn something from them, but I don't know if that should be our priority right now.

[duskhound]

Hmm... I suppose a quick glance wouldn't hurt, but like you said, we probably shouldn't spend too long on them.

[...Okay, in situations like this... Defer to the team leader. She glances towards Szayel here.]

What do you think we should do here? You're... probably the one with the most experience in this kind of situation, after all.

[perfeccion]

... Mmm. I believe we need to keep moving. If Mr. Reyes' condition is as unstable as Kurosaki has led us to believe, we need to reach him sooner rather than later -- or he may not make it long enough for the living to find him.

[he pauses] That said, I can focus on watching where we're going as we walk if you two wish to scan any memories we pass for useful information.

[relentlesslyonwards]

[A nod.]

That sounds like a good middle ground. Okay, Ellie, you want to keep an eye on the left side while I watch the right? That way we won't miss anything.

[Although he'll still keep an eye out on the front too because it'd be silly not to, but.]

[duskhound]

Got it, I'll watch this side, then.

[She'll also... keep the tablet mostly in front to help as a flashlight. If anything changes, we want to see it.]

[foundationmods]

[As they move, the voices and lights are faint - but they can definitely see them. They flicker intermittently, flashes of color and sound and shapes.

As they walk - and this hallway has been going on for minutes - the voices get a little louder, the voice of The Lady and something totally unfamiliar - and even a little brain breaking - speaks in a way you can understand.

'We'll be fine. We'll be fine. We'll be fine.'

'What if you're not fine? You've changed - and you're in pain.'

'It's - it's okay. We can still do what we need to.'

'Sweetheart...I'm worried about you.'

'It's okay, honey. We...'

The voices fade away as the hallway finally comes to a stop - opening up to gigantic area riddled with stairs and doors as far as the eye can see. Most of the stairs lead up into the murky gloom of the -

Wait.

Where...is the ceiling?

There's nothing but black up there, and the Stairs stand in the air, like towers holding something up.]

[perfeccion]

Hm... [Szayel brings the group to a stop.

Ah, their old nemesis.

Ftaires. ]

Now this is a pickle.

[he has doubts it will work, but Szayel casts out his reiatsu sense, trying to at least get an idea of which direction Gabe is in]

[relentlesslyonwards]

[Slightly brain-breaking indeed. He's pretty glad Sol was around to translate before because this is kind of unpleasant.]

I'm guessing those are the rats, huh...

[But as interesting as that bit is, there's something else more important and uh. Yeah, that's a problem.]

...Yoshi probably would've been pretty good to have around right about now, huh.

[duskhound]

...That was probably their real form, yeah... I'm not sure Yoshi would be able to help here, though. I mean, he said the resort reads as infinity to him, so I'm not sure he'd be able to find the right direction...

[As for Ellie... She's mostly going to double-check with the mapping app: Have we actually moved as much as it felt like?]

[foundationmods]

[On the map, it actually looks like they went in a circle.

As for Szayel, at first it's confused - the faintest trace feels like it's coming from everywhere, but then after a moment or two of feeling it out, it seems to be coming the most from The leftmost door, up a flight of stairs.]

[perfeccion]

[bleugh. It actually kind of makes him nauseated. But he keeps focusing and locks on]

I believe I can sense him. That door there, on the left. [he gestures at it with one of his tentacles] Let us proceed.

[relentlesslyonwards]

Got it. Would you be able to give us an idea of distance, too?

[Although with space so distorted here, it might not be possible but meh. Might as well ask as they walk along.]

[duskhound]

Umm... According to the map here... We went in a circle. While I can't rule out a difference in elevation, according to the map, this is right where we started.

[But yes, following along. Let's find him first.]

[foundationmods]

[The moment they enter the door, everything seems normal - And then they're suddenly falling through the air, wind whipping around them as the walls around them lined with doors speed by.

If Szayel is keeping his reiatsu sense clear, he'll feel that the direction of the reiatsu has changed - to The very bottom of this lined pit.

Just hope you're not going to fall here for hours...]

[perfeccion]

What happened to the floor?!

[HE DOESN'T LIKE THIS NONEUCLIDIAN BULLSHIT. He has a MILD PANIC. But only mild!!

He brings his wing tentacles forward, and the red fruits grow into long finger or feather-like projections. They lace together and form a protective ball around the three of them]

I think he's at the bottom of this shaft. This should break our fall.

[relentlesslyonwards]

Whoa!

[Goddammit, he's had enough random ass trap doors for a lifetime. Although this is probably less trap door and more 'fucked up space shenanigans' but oh well. The feathers(?) are confusing, but he won't complain if it keeps them safe.]

Well, I guess we'll see when we get there.

[duskhound]

[...Szayel never ceases to impress with the sheer variety of powers he has, seriously.]

We will, yeah... Still, with this, things should be a lot safer for us. At least until we reach the bottom.

[Free-falling sure isn't pleasant, though.]

[foundationmods]

[Thankfully, it appears they don't have long to wait - as the whistling suddenly turns into a harsh thunk as they hit the floor.]

[perfeccion]

[He's hax, Ellie, this is why he gets to be the boss.

boing!! The inside of Szayel's 'Telon Balon' is surprisingly springy! He lets them come to a bouncy stop before opening his curtain of tentacles and letting his personnel free.]

Phew... Now then. [he casts his senses out again, looking around the area they've landed in]

[relentlesslyonwards]

[That was a surprisingly fun landing...!? Not that he's actually thinking of that, but he's definitely thankful for Szayel's powers right about now.]

Thanks. I can't imagine how badly that would've gone if you weren't around.

[Time to look around too, although he'll check above them too for the heck of it. Does it really look like a pitfall or what?]