GRAVEYARD

[fillerups]

GRAVEYARD

WELCOME TO DEAD

So you're dead! Wow. You died in a gas station, who do you think you are, Eleanor Shellstrop?

Anyway. You wake up! And... everything seems the same, actually. It's the same old truck stop as always, though the logos on the clothes seem to be clearer, now. It turns out the name of this place is... Squeak-ee's.

There's good news! Nothing seems wrong with you - however you died seems to be healed just fine. You're in tip-top shape, for now.

This version of the world seems... quieter, than the other. While you were alive, occasionally you'd catch the sound of chatter and people passing through the space. Here, it's silent, save for strange noises that come and go. There are no people here, just you and whoever else has died. It's empty. And sometimes, you feel that way too.

But there is a bastion of hope. The Wiffle House is a little warmer, a little brighter. There are shadows, here, in the form of people. Some of those figures might feel familiar, or seem that way, and sometimes? You can hear staticky, fuzzy wisps of words from these out of focus people.

Not only that, but you might notice that there's a door behind the counter of the convenience store. It was locked, on the living side, but here, the door is wide open. Inside of this room labeled SECURITY is a wall of screens! The images played on the screens are in black and white, and the sound isn't perfect - neither is the picture, as it occasionally statics out and vanishes, but it looks like the security system is up and running! Why not check out what the living are up to?

Otherwise, things just seem normal.

Oh, and - well. You know that cash register from the living side of this world? It's not a cash register anymore. Have fun with that.

The damn car wash is still locked, though. Unless...?

NAVIGATION

ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs | sᴛᴀᴛᴜsᴇs |
ᴘʀɪᴠᴀᴛᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴠᴏs | ᴄᴜʀғᴇᴡ | ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ ᴘʀᴏᴘᴏsᴀʟs

Comments

BEHOLD, SQUEAK-EE, LORD OF THE TRUCK STOP

[fillerups]

SALUTATION, {NAME}

You approach the Almighty Squeak-ee. He regards you with stiff and static glee. Take a fortune?

[fadetoblue]

[ he just...stares at the giant rat for a moment.

he will take a fortune. ]

WALKIE TALKIES

[fillerups]

[Your walkie talkie is here with you, at least!

...it's been set to channel 13, and you can't change it. But at least you can keep in touch with your other ghostie pals very easily!

Please post your walkie talkie communications here. Thank you!]

[hengtian]

[oh. huh, he's still got his walkie-talkie. well, why not.]

...I suppose I ought to check if these still work...

[everyone in the graveyard will hear this come over their walkie-talkie!]

W1 - ARRIVALS

[smokegun]

[

well!

that was traumatizing. thankfully, no one was there the first day for little miss iris (or maybe that was even worse...?) but either way, by wednesday, she's made a little camp for herself in front of the security screens. Wrapped in a Squeak-ee's Brand blanket, it seems she's been taking careful, careful notes.

and when people arrive, iris is the first to greet them - pink haired, cute and smiling like always, even if it's quavering a little, she curtsies to the new arrivals and says - ]

You too...? I'm so sorry.

... Let me get you a blanket, and something warm to drink. We'll start with that.

[fulminations]

[ Hm... He's frowning because he really did die from a mishap than anything else, which is quite boring and unfortunate. They were only starting to have fun?

Anyway, he sees Iris and gives her a smile. ]

Miss Wilson. While I'm glad to see you doing as you do, the circumstances... [ DEATH? ] Make it difficult.

Nevertheless, I'll take your offer. Thank you.

[ He is a normal tall man, though. If she takes too long getting the right size blanket, he will go find her. ]

W1 - TRIAL WATCH

[smokegun]

[ !

good morning everyone! iris is awake, she's made a piping hot pot of tea, coffee, and a few servings of waffles - and most importantly, she's heard the hubbub from the security screens this fine morning.

throwing open the door so they can see, she calls out: ]

Everyone, gather around. The 'proceedings', or what have you, seem to be beginning...? Let's pay close attention and see what happens over breakfast.

[aethertect]

[he's here! he's not eating or drinking anything, he's just curled up with blankets near the security screens. dude has been sleeping like... a lot, since he got here.

he doesn't say anything for now! but he is watching.]

it's midtrial but i want a top level anyway

[conflagratory]

[ i guess mcburn is here now.

he glances down at his hands, then around, looking a little bemused and the sighs. ]

Alright, who'd she kill?

[tresleches]

[Owen, who definitely paid 0 attention to the screen after an hour, mouth stuffed with sweets.]

Which one?

w1 execution watch...

[humblepie]

[almost posted this to the living side by accident that'd be funny

Anyhow, time to pull up a chair and watch the terrible proceedings which are about to begin. Riku's face is going to be stuck looking pensive because he is once again here at the monitors... looking pensive.]

This isn't fair to anyone.

[smokegun]

[ here is

a child. iris is listening to the proceedings from where she's kneading dough by the kitchen. ]

... Riri.... do you think what Shishi said just now is true? [ a fight to the death...? ]

w1 post-execution

[reconnective]

[oh.

okay.

first of all, ow? ow! getting hit and killed by a car is extremely unpleasant, so when he wakes up there's a startled noise as he sits up and pats himself down checking for damage. granted, there isn't any and now he's just...sighing.]

Not again...

[okay. up and at 'em. his first thing, unfortunately, is he's going off to try and find riku! listen he has a lacking braincell but not enough to realize he's dead and that means maybe riku's here? so he'll wander a little, calling out for his friend and probably missing that there are others around?

and weirdly, upon not finding him, he immediately ventures to the security room. he knows exactly where it is, so he's going to explore and look at the monitors

and see an image of his two best friends and

wait is that his body

how the fuck

what the fuck

also why is riku there

are those rat ears????

anyway...]

What is going on?

[help.]

[coinoperation]

[ this man with short brown hair probably looks like a random stranger from behind, but when he turns around in his seat... sorry, it is shamspeare. he's got a half-empty spiked soda in hand and has clearly been Going Through It this weekend. ]

You're dead and he's apparently not. Didn't get the details.

[hengtian]

[well.

this is stupid. shi wudu looks extremely displeased as he takes in his surroundings and stares at the rat. he debates hitting it for a moment, then rolls his eyes and turns away to wander off somewhere.

that somewhere is the convenience store. he's looking for wine, which is definitely more his brother's thing than his, but he really needs a drink right about now.]

[conflagratory]

[ no you should hit the rat, it'd be funny. ]

CARE PACKAGE TO THE LIVING? SUGGESTIONS?

[fulminations]

It seems like we can send something to the living side by placing it on the Wiffle House counter, so I had thought we could assemble a little package for them. Of course I know some of you feel scorned, so it's fair of you to put in some trash into the basket if you would like.

[ He doesn't care? He will make sure that it's Pretty, though. ]

In terms of something amicable, perhaps some hot chocolate blends? Or some bottles of alcohol. The quality in the truck stop leaves much to be desired, but.

[ Shrugs. ]

We can also make goodies ourselves if that would be preferred. It'd be thoughtful.

[coinoperation]

I do like the trash idea.

[ thank you for respecting his feelings, hyunjae continues to be the best ]

That aside, doesn't the shop have the same things available on both sides, free for the taking? I don't know that there'd be much point in sending them things they already have.

[ so yeah, making things would probably make more sense. he will just have no part in it!! ]

A THING

[fillerups]

[It's very sudden, when it happens: Squeak-ee's eyes flash an ominous red, and he starts to move within the glass case, raising an arm and slashing it back down stiffly. In his hand is a knife. Has that always been there? It's always been there.

At the same time, your walkie-talkies crackle to life to get your attention: ]

Do you want -̵̢̱̯͈͖͔͔͇̯̈́͜-̸̛̙͑-̴̥͓͖̳̖̼̯̤̠͆̂̆̆̑̈́-̵̠͙̾̈́̓̆̾̑̓͐̀͝-̵̰͎̥͈̱̐̆͋̀̾̌̀-̶̬̰̣̜̋̃̓̾͐́̓̔̚͝-̶̡̹͕̥͖̠͚̖̀̕-̴̬̭͈͙̏̑̃̀̌̓-̶̰̳̳͆͐̽͠? See Squeak-ee for more details!

[As you pass by the fortune-telling booth after this, sometimes the rat will just be standing still, regarding you with stiff and static glee. This is normal. Sometimes its eyes will be red and he will be making a stabbing motion with the knife. This is also normal.

Sometimes, when you pass within close range of it, you'll hear an almost mechanical-sounding voice - ]

d̴͆̔o̴̾̐ ̶̈̕ỳ̸̌o̵͒͝u̸͋̇ ̵̉͒w̵̩͂a̴̎͠n̵̺̄t̷̅̓ ̷̓͌t̶̒͌o̶͗̄ ̵͐͠g̴̿̆é̸̤ẗ̶͝ ̸͑̈́r̷̊͛é̸̈́v̶̉̇e̸͘̕ň̴̛g̵̈͗e̵͂̈?̸͒̄

[coinoperation]

[ y...es??? ]

w2, monday

[conflagratory]

[ hello it's your friendly neighbourhood mcburn.

he's just walking around the truck stop, ignoring the cardboard cutouts and weird solemn silence of the place. and then he stops, and pauses, staring rather intently at a Certain Door.

...

he starts walking towards it, pausing only to scoop up owen, with no context to the graveyard generall, or to owen who is now being carried like a sack of potatoes -- and then he vanishes into the dispatch room.

it's fine. ]

[tresleches]

What?

[Sometimes you're so startled you forget to be a bitch.]

week 2 - monday!

[smokegun]

[ amidst the chaos of whatever mcburn and owen are doing, at some point on monday, iris is standing with her hands on her hips, staring up at the ceiling.









because hanging off the ceiling, in all of his cardboard glory, is.... him ]

Really...?

[coinoperation]

[ looks up

sighs ]




How is that even staying up there?

[coinoperation]

a.
[ this week at the truck stop, there is a cardboard cutout of a nervous-looking japanese man with a mustache, wearing a very lovely red juliet costume beneath the wiffle house apron that's been thrown onto him. perched on his hunched shoulder is a charming (but equally cardboard) little calico cat in a bowtie.

shamspeare is, for the most part, actively avoiding his uncomfortably intense cardboard gaze, though once in a while he looks over to it with slightly narrowed eyes. ]


b.
[ elsewhere, there is a much... much less cute cutout of a short, heavyset man with light brown hair, a stubbly beard, and dark shadows under his eyes. somehow it is abundantly clear just from looking at him that this is an inveterate criminal who's probably shanked a few people during robberies, and he absolutely should not be trusted with a convenience store cash register. who hired this man??

...and yet, shamspeare's expression whenever he ends up looking at this ugly cardboard crook is a little... softer than usual, maybe? the fuck is this about. ]


c.
[ ...and then there's that damn sholmes cutout up on the ceiling. shamspeare lets out a yelp of surprise when it suddenly falls down to the floor right beside him, then huffs indignantly and gives it a little kick. ]

Ugh. Really, it's not even me you're here for.

[ GO FALL ON YOUR ROOMMATE INSTEAD!!! ]

a

[reconnective]

[it's been a day, so he's over whatever weird feelings he's had which means when he passes by shamspeare he's just...blinking in confusion for a moment.]

Hey. [a glance to the man. a glance to the cat. and then a glance to shamspeare.]

Someone you recognize?

[what's with the outfit?]

[reconnective]

a.)
[meanwhile at the truck stop, at some point somewhere...

...well, sora finds himself surrounded by four somewhat different cut-outs.

there's a dubious frown, and he just doubtfully pokes at the vanitas cut-out.]

This...is weird.

b.)
[you can also find him in the new break room that's been opened up! he may be living there? it's questionable, but if you enter the room he'll wave and gesture to the vending machines.]

Can I get you anything?

[what if he just ignores the rat stuff. what if.]

a

[coinoperation]

[ looking between the two blond dudes... ]

I didn't expect them to make two of the same person.

[aethertect]

[i just wanted to have this because i think it's funny but

hythlodaeus is wandering the convenience store with a grouchy-ass cutout following him around. he's chattering away, not seeming to mind that the cutout doesn't respond. he offers the cutout a bag full of corn nuts.]

You are welcome to whatever I find. No? Not much a fan, are you. Captious as ever.

[dude seems pretty chill here. he's dead and it's someone else's problem!]

this is stupid

[aethertect]

[if you are outside at any point, you will likely see hythlodaeus and sora examining a car. it's parked outside of the wiffle house, and hyth looks... skeptical.]

... This will be a challenge. [he is so big and the car is so small.]

[reconnective]

[it. it sure will be. sora's frowning in thought, arms over his chest as he squints at the car.]

Well...some cars are a little bigger, but maybe if you hunch you can fit? Might have a problem if you're the one driving though. [which is to say that hyth probably has better luck as the passenger so his leggies can stretch.]

[fulminations]

[ Well. There is a pale in color and friendly in nature rat that has made its way to the security room to watch this. ]

GIFT BASKET REACT

[fulminations]

[ well. ]

Were my pastries not appealing to the eye?

[ WHY THE POISON COOKIES ]

[tresleches]

She ate everything there.

[fionafancypants]

WHAT THE FUCK!

[fulminations]

[ WELL........... ]

Young miss... Welcome, though I am sorry to see you here.

[coinoperation]

[ well, he's back. ]

[aethertect]

Ah, better luck next time, friend.

[dependably]

[ the same as jester but internally: what the fuck ]

[fionafancypants]

... Hi.

[hira]

[ he actually seems kind of already well-adjusted to this and just ??? as he sort of? looks around? where the fuck? what the fuck?

he's just kind of. patting himself down cautiously. ]

[fulminations]

[ To be honest, this is fine. ]

Welcome, doctor.

A THING

[fillerups]

[The lost and found box in the dispatch office's lid opens of its own accord... investigate?]

[fionafancypants]

I guess I already died once today, right ... ?

[She will go ... take a looksie?]

[hira]

[ what's up gy, the rat told artemy he had to give advice so here's? an advice table in the graveyard's wiffle house? there's a tiny paper sign and everything that says HAVE PROBLEMS? GET FREE ADVICE, folded and propped up next to his coffee. he does not look thrilled, but that's what happens when ur dead and given such a stupid assignment. he's a surgeon, not a psychiatrist. so.

he is playing with a cootie catcher ig. what's good. ]

[tresleches]

[He's bloody, arm broken, head bleeding, and Cerberus chewing on his leg.

You know, like normal.]

What is that thing?

[fionafancypants]

[Gears are turning ...




just standing around and then suddenly ... she rips the head off of the Frumpkin plush.]

Sorry, Frumpkin!

[fillerups]

[ jester has this now i guess? ]