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GRAVEYARD PT. II
GRAVEYARD
The world is black. And then you blink at your plate.
A portion of your favorite dish greets your eyes, albeit in a form you may never have seen it in before. Encased in a thick, wobbling layer of multi-colored gelatin, the food you know and love now sits suspended in its protein-based enclosure as an eccentric re-imagining of the dish. Furthermore, it only takes a glance to see that the rest of the dining table's spread shares this same theme, as every single dish, sweet or savory, finds itself victim to a jiggling Jell-o jail.
Still, you won't have much time to take this all in before a quiet, high-pitched giggling makes its way to your ears, only crescendoing in volume the longer you sit in this oh-so-familiar dining room. It doesn't take much to find the source of the sound either; unlike the other side, this place is absolutely teeming with fairies to the point where the fluttering of their iridescent wings is clearly audible behind the din of their laughter. As you come to your senses, dozens and dozens of beady eyes watch with their tiny faces stretched out in a wide grin, before speaking in unison.
"Welcome, we can't wait to serve you!"
As the fairies erupt in raucous laughter all around you, at least one more thing is readily apparent: however you met your end, your body is completely whole again. You also have company at the table with you, although whether it's desirable company or not may depend on the circumstances surrounding your death.
In any case, there's nothing stopping anyone from leaving the dining room and roaming freely as usual, and most of the same areas that were available to you on the other side are still present here, albeit with some differences. And though your life may have been stolen from you, it still looks like you have a part in this tale, somehow, someway.
So, will you let your story finish here, or will you write your own ending?
[Welcome to the Graveyard! This is part 2 of the GY post for Weeks 6 and 7. The previous post for Weeks 2-5 is linked above. Please also view the GY doc linked above for a full rundown of the basics. You may also still submit for items and gacha rolls using the GY shop post.]
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[Good mourning, Jack. A small bird sits on the table. No emotion is showing on his face, but you can tell one thing.
This is not a happy bird.]
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[Jack cocks his head, looking for all the world like a mirror of a bird on a table. He's watching Pericles with open curiosity, and doesn't seem particularly on his guard.]
Though I see the Professor is in a terrible mood this morning.
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And, of course, it means I am still able to observe what happens wis the living, every now ant again.
[His eyes narrow slightly, but only for a moment before returning to normal.]
Tell me, is zere a reason you chose to betray the group? Or dit you merely find it amusing to watch us suffer?
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But it's good to hear that we may still observe them. I would perish out of curiosity otherwise.
[Smooth-flowing chatter like a stream. He's still looking curiously at Pericles, expression bright and unchanging.]
And, before I answer your question, may I ask one of my own?
Just what is it that I have betrayed, pray tell?
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[And at the question, Pericles tilts his head.]
Do you take me for a fool? We saw the trial. Not only dit you kill vone of the people I care about, but ve know what else you've done.
I woult make an allusion to Judas, but I doubt you or Fareed would be aware of such infamous traitors wis the differences in our worlts, unless you became interested in literature recently.
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What makes us so different, in that regard -- or are you simply angry because I chose the incorrect target, in your eyes?
[Now he laughs, quietly but heartily; there's a cold note in it that Pericles probably has only heard at the last trial, maybe. His smile is equally devoid of warmth, something shadowed and ironic about it.]
I will say this to you again: it is terribly funny to call the caporegimes traitors, when we were never loyal to anyone in this world but Hamelin. Neither you nor Edelgard nor anyone else seems able to settle on what loyalty is supposed to look like, nor to what group, nor to what individual.
You keep killing them, after all.
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So I suppose I shoult not care about formalities such as zat and simply be honest entirely. Myself at least a few ozers are doing zis partially because of who you chose to kill.
Zat does not change my villingness to harm you in the slightest.
[At this point? Almost anyone else he would've simply shrugged and said 'Sucks to be them' or the more eloquent equivalent.]
A dictionary woult define loyalty as a feeling or attitude of devoted attachment ant affection. So I suppose you are correct in the regard of not having been loyal to zose also helt captive by Ze Piper and forced into zis situation.
Still, unfortunate of you to betray yourself. You coult have hat potential allies by not joining Ze Piper's side. Ones villing to assist you wis whatever difficulties you have back on your own worlt zat caused you to make a wish. There are several zat I alone I have been able to assist wis, if not take care of entirely.
Instead, you chose a sadist, and fount out ze hart way zat he is not against killing zose he is done using. Ant, of course, zat your own wish vill never be granted.
A shame, truly.
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[That seems to be perfectly sincere? Pericles is the first one in line, it seems, but either way Jack doesn't seem especially surprised, or discomfited; he doesn't really change his composure but seems to thoughtfully consider all of the rest before--
Bursting out laughing. His laughter is clear and bell-like and entirely too cheerful, even if there is still that cool edge to it, like the shine of snow on a sunny afternoon.
Once he's mastered himself:]
Oh, Pericles! You do know how to tell a good joke, don't you? I was not aware you liked to talk about the power of friendship to this extent, but I suppose it must be the influence of those you would call yourself loyal to. Wonderful, wonderful. Completely absurd.
I will tell you why, then. My wish isn't something that can be granted by anything or anyone or any power in my world, and it is something I doubt can be granted by any power in any other -- but it truly doesn't matter.
I never expected Hamelin to spare me should it come down to it. I followed him with that understanding, and I do not regret my choices.
CW: Threats of Eye Gore
The laughing doesn't even get a reaction out of him. At this point, he's pretty sure about half of the blondes in this place were insane. Fits of mad laughter were almost to be expected, especially after McGillis' reaction to Jack's conviction were witnessed.
The comment about the wish raises an eyebrow, but it's down quick enough before he responds.]
Perhaps time here has changed me, I vill give you zat. Zough I can at least see zat zat change has done some goot. Raser than blindly obeying the whims I felt so I coult obtain a treasure more likely to kill me, I can now acknowledge vhat I truly was. Somesing zat you still are.
Someone zat every worlt is better off wisout.
[Harsh words to speak about himself, but it isn't a lie, as far as the bird is concerned. He'd done terrible things-such horrible things-all for that treasure. And if what he could tell from Jack now meant anything, the previous bird and the man before him were a bit too similar than the Professor Pericles that existed now.
But. That wasn't here nor there. There were actually important things to focus on.]
I suppose it does not matter, zen. Not vhat you wished for, the possibility of it being granted, or your lack of regret in aiding zat drecksau wis whatever it was he vanted. There is only vone sing zat currently matters in zis moment.
Have you ever experienced losing an eye?
probably cw: eye gore in general?
[Jack is serene now, after his laughing fit -- maybe that's something else he and the famiglia on the other side have in common now, as calm as he usually is, and that's really funny now that he's here -- but that also means he's back to watching Pericles closely.
He doesn't seem shocked, or offended, or any of those other emotions; it's as though the words simply slide off of him, or perhaps they reflect away from him like a meager paper letter in rippleless water. Slowly vanishing.
He seems like he might have more to say -- but really, there's no sense in drawing all this out. Actually, he seems to perk up a little once the strange little ultimatum comes, and his answer is clear and immediate.]
That's one thing I have not experienced, though I've heard a great deal about it! In that case, might I request the left? Or will you be taking both?
CW: Vague Eye Gore for the rest of the thread (probably)
But unlike you, I know how to grow and improve, raser zan stick to self-destructive ant ultimately stupid decisions for my life. And vhile I have been able to make somesing better for myself, I will not be surprised if you are left here to suffer wis your...'family.'
I prefer both, sank you very much.
[The parrot flies into the air, claws very close to Jack's face.]
Say goodbye to the visible worlt, Vessalius.
[And with that, a sharp claw quickly goes to each of Jack's eyes, ready to puncture.]
cw: eyegore fade to black! that is totally a pun!!!
It's really a pity; I feel you had a little better insight before. But you seem to have taken a liking to blinding both yourself and others. It doesn't really matter much to me, but we all dream in different ways.
[For now, for perhaps the second time today he takes a deep breath and braces himself.
...
Ah, he does still remember exactly how to close his teeth on a scream, how to forcibly hold himself so as not to simply thrash away and increase the damage or make the wound too wide or messy; this isn't a pain he knows but a pain that perhaps he should remember, and he holds on to that as well.
Darkness, but he's seen darkness far, far deeper than this.
A long, breathing, wheezing pause. But he smiles, a little bloody rictus grin of pride, somehow.]
Well, Professor... What will you do with them...?
CW: Still Vague Eye Gore, + Vein Stabbing
Struggles. Screaming. He didn't pay it any mind. Only getting the job done-and he did.
Hearing Jack's question, he looks back at the man. He can't see it, but his expression has gone back to one with no emotion.]
Eizer use zem as fertilizer for a garden, or send zem down the nearest toilet. I am not vone to take trophies, ant I see no reason to deprive schiesse like zis a place it belongs.
[He land back on the table just for a second before going back in the air, from what Jack can hear, before a weight is on his right shoulder.]
Too bat the rest of you cannot join zem.
[And that's when Jack will feel a claw stabbing into his jugular vein.]
cw: death by throat stabbing!
So concentrated is he on sorting the matter of not laughing about Edelgard (as a bird?), or the other matters on his mind, that Jack almost misses the rest of the sequence.
That weight on his shoulder is familiar, though ironic, this entire thing is ironic, and perhaps the rest of his stay here will be like this too; maybe it will be like a way to tell the time, a way to figure out where he is, a way to--
Well, it's fine, really. The sudden feeling of the claw is a surprise but he doesn't jump or flinch, just laughs a half-laugh before it bubbles away into oblivion. It's perhaps for the best that this all stops here for now, and resets. They are all learning things today.
Eventually, Jack Vessalius is dead. Again!]
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All the bird could do was take his prize and fly out of the room with a comment.]
Enjoy your stay in Hell, Vessalius.