[WEEK 1 GY POST: Bring out your dead]

[purrtagonist]

[he awakens with a start in his bed in the House of Hearts, long after the investigation has concluded. the first thing he does is bolt upright, hand flying to the side of his head where Croix's blow knocked him unconscious, then to his right eye which is. . . huh. completely whole again. his heart hammering madly in his chest is evidence enough that he isn't dead (he. . . thinks?), so after one or two steadying breaths to reorient himself, he slips out of his bed and through the front door]

[he meanders for a bit. everything in the Hare's Abode looks exactly the same, and there are people milling about everywhere, talking about the evidence they found, the bodies they found. it's probably a good thing he has yet to go to the market and see his own, uh. head, honestly. but no matter who he runs into, no matter how hard he shouts and waves his hands, no one seems to notice him, which is. . . well. disconcerting.]

[for the fellow dead? Akira can be found standing outside the Timeshare, staring at the bloody footprints as he twirls his cat mask around his finger. look ma, no mask!!]

[his expression is blank. unreadable. shoulders tense, posture stiff. let's dead person party guys!!]

Comments

[nonidentity]

[When Ferim awakens, he assesses the situation, determines it peculiar, and moves on. This dimension is beyond his jurisdiction; he has no understanding of its mechanics. And as someone whose existence is tenuous and fragile, the alterations of his consciousness mean less to him as they might to a human.

He makes no attempt to interact with the living, observing silently (as he has for years, really). Though his mask is off, his face is still covered by his hood, because. Yeah.

When he sees Akira, however, he pauses.]

[purrtagonist]

[Ferim notices Akira first, since his attention is mostly focused on those bloody footprints right now. yeup]

[but then he tilts his head and catches sight of another person-- someone who doesn't look quite as. . . ghostly and spirited as the others-- and he's immediately swiveling on his heel to face him, expression going slack in surprise]

. . .

Hoodie?

[can you hear him!!!]

[nonidentity]

[...]

I had thought that with your determination, you might surpass the obstacles of this place, but I suppose overcoming death is a challenging feat.

[so yep, can definitely hear akira.]

[purrtagonist]

[YIKES. that feels like a barb, even if Ferim didn't mean it as such. he doesn't flinch, though. he just. lifts a hand, curls it into a fist, and taps it against his chest]

Heart's still beating. It's not over yet. [. . . his words are wry, but not accompanied by a smile, even as he takes a few steps towards his fellow ghostly companion] I overcame death once. I'm sure I can do it again.

[nonidentity]

... Perhaps. That is something humanity is capable of, after all.

[He knows that well.]

[purrtagonist]

[his mouth twitches. much better]

Right. We're just playing the game from another angle now.

[loathe as he is to call their circumstances "a game." he stops twirling the mask, placing it on top of his head so he doesn't have to, you know. carry it around, even though he doesn't quite feel like wearing it]

Have you take a look around yet?

[nonidentity]

To a degree. I have not had the chance to observe things in-depth yet.

[purrtagonist]

Me neither. I woke up in bed, and then immediately came here.

[for. . . whatever reason?]

I ran into a bunch of people on my way here, but none of them could see or hear me. [a pause, and then, lightly] Makes me feel pretty ghostly.

[nonidentity]

[Well, Ferim is super used to watching people without them knowing, but he usually does it from another dimension.]

I cannot say what is going on. This place works in a way beyond my knowledge.

[purrtagonist]

It's beyond mine, too.

[haa. . . he slips his hands into his pockets and kicks idly at the ground]

Maybe there's no point in us asking questions with no answers right now. So how about this--

[a pause]

What happened to you?

[nonidentity]

The woman known as Croix chose to put an end to my existence.

[Thinking of himself as "killed" is strange, when he's never been properly alive to begin with.]

[purrtagonist]

[and that's when Akira's expression immediately darkens, his hands balling into fists in his pockets. tch]

Did she tell you it was to "save something?"

[nonidentity]

... I see you met a similar fate. Yes—she spoke of "justice" and wanting to help everyone return home.

[purrtagonist]

She's full of shit.

[he says bluntly, not bothering to mince his words]

That "justice" she spoke of? The Queen's justice; not her own.

[cheerfulgoth]

[The first thing Esther feels when she wakes up is that her head is clearer than it had ever been before. No voices, no constant feeling of being watched...just peace]

What did I do now...?

[She remembers going out at night, following a voice. How could she have been so stupid? Dazed, Esther exits the house she belonged to, looking around. There are a lot of wispy forms. Knowing from experience approaching ghost-resembling stuff can't lead to anything good, she stays away from those]

...Akira?

[It's him? For a moment she forgets the silly nickname. What's going on now? She approaches Akira, hurrying]

Tell me I didn't get myself killed, please. I can't believe I could have been so stupid...

[nonidentity]

Indeed, her words, and how she spoke of wanting no harm to befall "innocents", seemed contrary to her actions.

[purrtagonist]

[he stops, because that is someone calling his name. someone actually noticing him, for the first time since he woke up]

[he whirls around]

Esther?

[he also forgets the "dark" before her name]

I-- [h. . . hm. how does he answer that] What happened?

[purrtagonist]

[he shakes his head]

I don't know what it is she wanted to save. But despite her role? [a derisive snort] Obviously, whatever it was isn't the people here.

[SINCE]

[HE HAS DONE LITERALLY NOTHING]

[AND HAS NO ROLE]

[AND SHE KILLED HIM ANYWAY???]

[cheerfulgoth]

I...okay, no time for panic. Let me think.

[Remember what she did...]

I think what happened in that smoking place messed up my head, because I was hearing voices. I heard one of someone I know, so...I went to look for them. Stupid, right? [She's really upset with herself. She should know better than putting herself in danger, what's wrong with her?!] So I went to that small library, and in there...

[...]

...someone attacked me from the back. I couldn't see who it was. I'd like not to talk about what happened next.

[It was Mejojo. He attacked her and left her to get pelted with books because getting hit with an axe freaking sucks, so of course she was going to scream]

[nonidentity]

[He nods, lowering his hood (because fuck this i don't wanna keep using hooded icons).]

Well, it doesn't matter to me. [Because his life doesn't matter?? Even though yeah, he too was completely innocent.] It is unfortunate that you were a victim of her goals, however.

[purrtagonist]

[ha]

That'd only be true if my story ended when she wanted it to end.

[and obviously? there are still so many more chapters to go. he doesn't consider himself her victim-- he can't. not now]

[purrtagonist]

[jesus. he'd wonder if Croix was responsible for her death too, but those circumstances sound so starkly different than his and Ferim's that he isn't so sure. and, of course, he won't ask her to elaborate on what happened next]

Esther-- [EVERYTHING IS SHITTY] -- I'm sorry.

[nonidentity]

[He blinks. His existence is over, one way or another, and he's always been prepared for that fate, so he can't empathize with Akira's feelings.]

Nevertheless, you seem displeased by her decision.

[purrtagonist]

[gives him a sort of "NO DUH??" look]

[his next words are extremely dry]

No. I'm not displeased at all. I mean, I only got stepped on maybe three times total during her entire interrogation? The handcuffs weren't so bad. And the axe looked pretty friendly--

[#salt]

[nonidentity]

[Spoilers.

Ferim doesn't understand sarcasm.]

I was not aware humans enjoyed those sorts of things. Is it customary to be stepped on more than three times during an interrogation where you are from?