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

WEEK 2

[foundationmods]

Immediately Post-Death, December 2nd

[blutsauger]

[Well, that hurt!

Medic watches his own body continue to convulse in the chair with rapt attention. It's not every day you see yourself die, after all! He does wince a bit at Phil's reaction- he'll have to check up on him again later- and finds himself thankful that Snake and Ripley chose to cover Archimedes. His bird may be used to death, but this was different.

All things considered, though, Medic's ok with this. It's not like he's dead for good, really- he's still a ghost, and he's definitely gonna hunt down Satan again and ask for his life back when he gets a chance. Majority share on his soul, after all.

Medic's just about to try tapping Phil on the shoulder when a voice stops him in his tracks.]

(Did you really have to chose such a violent method of execution?)

[. . . That voice is painfully familiar, and Medic looks around, both hopeful and concerned. He shouldn't be dead- that's not right- what's going on here?]

(Down here, doctor.)

What?

[Medic looks down at his chest.

Oh.

There's a fucking face pressed against the inside of his uniform. A horribly familiar one. Medic unbuttons his coat and stares down at the disembodied head of the Spy attached to his stomach.

Dimly, Medic remembers attaching Spy's soul there years ago. He hadn't been thinking too hard about it, at the time.]

Oh, dear God.

(No matter how much you may hate this, mon ami, I promise you- I hate it so much more.)

[bladeisme]

[You know what? He was going to give Medic his tablet, give the whole speech and look sad -

but then he sees another face on Medic's torso, and just.

No.

No!!

He flings the tablet against Spy's face and leaves, hands raised in the air before he goes back to the lobby and screams incoherently on some couch cushions.]

[blutsauger]

[The Spy face curses in French at the impact, and Medic's a bit too fucking startled by the appearance of one of his friends in his god damn torso to actually try to catch the tablet. It clatters to the floor, and Spy's face retreats back into Medic. Thank fucking god.]

[perfeccion]

My, my. For a Shinigami, that boy can be so rude.

[Szayel appears from nearby, wearing not his stylish resort gear but something almost like a white version of what the young man had on. He picks up the tablet and hands it to the Medic] That was the Apprentice by the way. I’m sure he’ll come around.

Post-Puppy, December 4th

[blutsauger]

[Medic comes back from playing with the puppy just fucking covered in puppy bite marks. They hurt like hell! But he's happy. And he'd be perfectly content going about his day afterwards if it weren't for one thing-

"Maybe he asked the staff, "Hey, can I get a living black puppy that might be or might not be slightly mutated to fuck around with the living? I can? Cool, thanks.""

Overhearing that gave him an idea. And now Medic is tracking down the nearest staff member with a manic grin on his face.]

Excuse me? May I have, just, an entire flock of pigeons?

[foundationmods]

Of course! You'll find them in your room.

[They're there! They're living, but seem pretty chill with having a ghost take care of them.]

[blutsauger]

[Fuck! Yes!!!

Are there any abnormalities with the pigeons? Do they act like the rats, for example? And, unlike Archimedes, can they see ghost Medic?

Speaking of Archimedes, Medic immediately goes to Snake's room, picks up his Good Boy, and brings him to the new flock. Archimedes, for his part, is delighted to be held by his dead dad, and even more so to find all these new friends waiting for him!]

CHRIST I AM SO LATE ON THIS

[bladeisme]

[And, not soon after that -]

Ah, Medic. Someone contacted me with a message for you, if you're not -

[Stares at the birds.

Stares at Medic.

.......]

....Sshhhhould I come back later, or?

UR VALID

[blutsauger]

[Medic looks up from his birds, grinning.]

No, no, come in, don't worry, I'm just getting to know these little ones!

Friday Morning

[justonezero]

[And suddenly, there is a young boy in the lobby.

He appears some time after exiting the resort with his own murderer, legs immediately collapsing under him. A blink, and his hands scrabble for his face, his eyes, pink and wide and terrified as he reassures himself of their presence, of his ability to see.

They are. And he can. And, shaking, he curls up with a short whimper, the phantom pain of torn flesh, of gaping holes, of black fur and fang fresh in his mind.

And so, for the first time in his existence, Yoshi truly comes to know the feeling fear.]

[bladeisme]

[Ichigo didn't get to see the murder, but he had heard their conversation as they moved to the outside, out of the doors in the lobby.

He'd known this would happen, but - as always, he was helpless to stop it.

And, well. Knowing his two fellow dead people, they would be the worst to comfort a young teen after a traumatic death.

So a solid, comforting hand is placed on Yoshi's hand, Ichigo crouching in front of him, long strawberry blonde hair over his shoulders as he stays by Yoshi's side.]

It's alright, Nanase. It's over.

[justonezero]

[Yoshi flinches at the touch, head snapping up at the unfamiliar voice, confusion and terror on his face - not a state he ever showed before, not even seeing the corpses of others.

Are there any numbers in this world for him to read?]

TRIAL SPECTATING

[justonezero]

[Yoshi comes to the trial at Ichigo's urging, sleepy but otherwise back to "normal." He's figured out his place again, and now that his world has been righted once more, he's fine.

Or at least, that's what he thinks. But then Inaba speaks up and his eyes go wide, entire body freezing up.]

-Eh?

[bladeisme]

[Ichigo - smiles, and leans over to tap the table, looking over at Yoshi.]

They won't forget you, Nanase. I told you yesterday, didn't I?

[justonezero]

[Yoshi sits in silence for a moment, staring at Ellie blankly. Like his mind isn't connecting the dots. It takes him a while to actually draw his hand up, reluctantly tapping the table four times.]

Why are they...?

[He doesn't... get it. This isn't how it goes. This isn't the pattern.]

[perfeccion]

[Szayel just sits on one of the plush chairs in a distant corner, content to just watch today.

But then they have to get all "friendship" and shit about Yoshi. He rolls his eyes, but calls out to the boy;]

See? Listen to Kurosaki next time, would you? That fatalism isn't becoming.

[justonezero]

[It's okay. He's too busy having Feelings to be put off - or more accurately, it's hard to put him off even on a normal day as is.]

This never... happened before.

post-puppy realization

[blutsauger]

So.

[Medic looks over to Szayel and just fucking grins ear to ear.]

I believe you owe Archimedes an apology.

[perfeccion]

Ah...?

[He gives Medic a look that could wilt flowers]

And why would I do something like that.

TRIAL -- BARGHEST REVEAL

[perfeccion]

[Well, things had certainly heated up, haven't they? Makoto accusing Flat, then Akira revealing his role-gotten knowledge. A foolish move, perhaps, but one that had brought the adult Barghest out of hiding --

-- and put everyone at the trial in danger]

Now now, mongrel. We can't have it all end like this. [he removes his sword from his saya and holds it to his mouth] Sip, Fornicaras...!

[then he swallows the sword. His transformation into his released form goes a bit faster than usual, but is no less... disturbing.

With the barghest revealed, a thin purple tentacle with a needle-like end emerges from under his "dress" and whips out toward the monster wearing Flat like a pair of pajamas --

-- only to be blocked by an unseen force]

What...!?

[justonezero]

[Why did he have to see that with his own two eyes.

Yoshi is, for the record, hiding behind Ichigo because HE IS A USELESS GARBAGE CHILD AND SHOCKINGLY, SEEING THE WOLF IN ACTION AGAIN ISN'T GREAT.]

[perfeccion]

[AVERT THINE EYES, CHILD]

[blutsauger]

[Medic looks up from throwing another paper plane.] How's that working out for you? [Medic didn't even bother pulling out his Ubersaw; if they weren't allowed to tell the living anything they learned, why the hell would they be able to fight the monsters?]

[perfeccion]

[he pulls the tentacle back, growling] Rrrrrrggghhhh....! I thought I might at least be able to slow it down...