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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.]
II
I see, thank you for the warning. Anything else I should know?
[ His voice sounds as melancholy as ever, nothing new there. ]
no subject
[It takes Jack a little while longer to register just who he's talking to, it appears -- he sort of looked up, narrowed his eyes vaguely at plumage through the lab goggles, and then went back to his bench without blinking nor missing a beat.
It's perhaps a little comical to watch him concentrating so much when normally (if there is such a thing as normal now, with him or anyone else) he would be bungling or fumbling at least something -- something inconsequential and not-quite-destructive enough.
When you get good enough at hiding, it becomes a reflex.
Still, for a moment he considers Nageki, before looking back down to finish his motion. He was in the middle of something, after all.]
... Would you prefer to speak outside? I'm afraid the tea is cold, but it may be more comfortable.
[Less explosions, maybe. He had to think about it for a moment, but he's got the spirit.]
no subject
If you have any questions, I suppose. I'll be leaving this room either way--blowing up this room wasn't my plan coming here.
[ When he turns slightly to leave, he'll make it obvious why he's keeping his distance: those are definitely cinnamon hearts in that cloth. ]
no subject
[There's a brief chuckle at the sight of the cinnamon hearts but he doesn't seem especially alarmed or anything -- he's not so bad at containing things that their mere existence would somehow set something off. Besides, they are one of the less dangerous candies around here.
It takes a few moments longer but at length Jack comes bustling back out, having shed all of his outer lab layers and now back in just a plain shirt and a pair of trousers in the usual boutique style. His hair is still pinned up; it's rare to see him this unadorned.
He double-checks the tea set first, but doesn't bother with it after that -- seems it really has been out for a long time.]
I see we had the same idea, though. Are these your weapon of choice nowadays?
no subject
[ Tempting as it is considering how he's had a bad feeling about this place since the week he saw it, they still need the factory, so he'll hold back.
He'll wait patiently outside, readjusting his bag to repack the hearts in--now that they're not in an environment where they could get set off immediately, no need to keep it out. Since that doesn't take long, he'll spend the remaining time before Jack appears readjusting his now ever present red scarf, making sure nothing's missing. ]
...I nearly gotten eaten by a sightless worm, so I decided explosives would be a good distraction if it happens again.
no subject
Ahh, that's right, you never did like this place much? I was quite shocked to learn you were trying to destroy the books, you know -- but it seems these candies may be even more useful on this side than they were back then.
[Not that that precluded them being used for murder and mayhem -- but murder and mayhem has come to have rather a different meaning here, after all. And so it will continue... it really is just arson week after this.
Jack, for his part, has learned a few lessons in his trip to the graveyard, but none of them has been murder or arson is bad, apparently.]
But what is this about a sightless worm? Are the insects more dangerous here as well?
[Man, they thought the pillbugs and whatnot were bad, but yikes??]
no subject
[ Of course, both of them gave up on that plan once Mister William revealed that the books were still around anyway. Somehow. It's almost funny how differently he treats the candies now, even if it's just in a more necessarily evil sort of way. ]
When we were trying to get one of special crystals last week, there was a...exceedingly large worm guarding it. Thankfully we managed to grab it and run after incapacitating it with salt.
[ He really wasn't expecting that with how peaceful the other two puzzles he took part in were. ]
In general though, I wouldn't say the insects here are more dangerous. That worm was an outlier and shouldn't be counted.
no subject
[Things really are so vastly different on this side -- though in Jack's case they actually haven't changed all that much. He isn't particularly an explosives expert even now, but he's at least comfortable in the lab, after his own fashion. It's certainly nowhere near his first time playing with fire, even taking the Fountain F Chronicles into account...
Somehow, he looks progressively more amused the more they get into this can of worms, though.]
Ah. The crystals, of course -- would get more difficult with time; that is how seals are meant to work, so I imagine they would need to work that way here as well? [why is that a question, who would know] But that would explain why we were suddenly told to put salt absolutely everywhere.
I can't say it has led to a great deal of results on the other side...
no subject
[ Not that he'll elaborate on that, already putting a lid on thoughts of experiments and flames. ]
It probably doesn't help that we have different rules compared to the other side. What works for us doesn't necessarily work for the other side. And Ferry's liable to censor any letters we write that give out information too freely.
[ Frustrating really. At least they put as much as they could coded in the word search. That's probably the most candid they could get when it comes to information. ]