DEADLAND

[petoskeymods]

[Some time after your character dies, they will wake up in their bunk in camp. But something is wrong here, so very wrong.

Venture outside, and you will see that you're still in camp, but it's trapped in a foggy twilight. Time doesn't seem to pass, and it's quiet. Too quiet. No animals, no breeze, nothing.

The only sign of anything living is in the trees, where dozens and dozens of ghostly figures roam. Sometimes they might come into camp, but you'll probably have to go out to meet them if you want to talk to them. They all seem to be watching camp, but are shy and might flicker away if they're approached.

Finally, in the chapel in the lodge, there is a shadowy figure. It looks like a preteen, perhaps? Maybe 11 or 12 or so. But that's about all you can get from it at a glance.

But you're here now, and there are things to do. Where will you start?]

Comments

[diesifkilled]

How the hell am I supposed to know what Archer would believe? If it was me, I wouldn't need any convincing after all the evidence we've got! But apparently Mr. Heroic Spirit thinks he's too important for that?

[Don't get him started on how much Archer sucks. They'll be here all day.]

I mean, if I tried to cry or whatever he'd probably just think it was funny!

[kitchen_witch]

...He's you.

[She's still trying to get her mind around the concept]

And he seems to hate you a lot - what's the reason for that?

[Prompting questions to help jog ideas!]

[diesifkilled]

That's... complicated.

[He has so many issues, Lillith. So many.]

But you could say it's mostly a matter of ideals? He hates the things I believe in. Or used to believe in, before this camp.

[And oh wow, it sure is uncomfortable talking about your personal issues in front of everyone like this.]

[particlebarrier]

...How is he a "Heroic Spirit." Is that just a synonym for "jerk" in your world?

[Woops, this is getting slightly derailed here.]

[diesifkilled]

Have you read any mythology lately? A lot of legendary heroes have been jerks. As bad as he is, Archer isn't even the worst of them.

[It's a meeting, of course we're getting derailed. This is fine.]

[particlebarrier]

[Shirou, you're talking a dude who went to a school for astronauts, barely paid attention and then got kidnappyed by an alien spaceship to fight purple aliens. Of course he hasn't read mythology lately.]

Dude, I thought the point of being a hero was to save people, not drive them away by having your head up your butt all the time.

[diesifkilled]

[Sounds fake. Who doesn't spend all their spare time reading up on that shit, as Shirou presumably does based on his levels of knowledge?]

Definitions of heroism aside, Archer probably isn't a normal kind of heroic spirit anyway. It's not like I'd be likely to qualify as one under any normal circumstances.

[particlebarrier]

[Yes, good, get them back on track, Shirou.]

So that brings us back to what Lil was asking about. What happened to him? Do you know?

[diesifkilled]

Not really. I can make some guesses, but...

[particlebarrier]

[....Okay. So Shirou is going to be tightlipped and reluctant. And that's honestly understandable, but if this is their ticket to getting out of here, then he's gonna have to be a little less tightlipped, damn it.]

Do you need Usagi to hold you hand while you talk about it or something?

[diesifkilled]

Of course I don't!

[And Lance is getting glared at. Why can't y'all respect his delicate feelings more, gosh!!]

Fine, here's what I can guess about Archer: he lived according to his - my - ideals and tried to save people wherever he went. And since those ideals were impossible to reach, he probably had a very unhappy life. At some point, he made a contract with the world to become a heroic spirit after his death in exchange for a miracle. Then, once he died, he continued existing that way and got summoned into the world at various times to protect humanity or something.

If you want to know anything more about whatever he's been through, you'll have to ask him. Not that he's likely to answer.

[particlebarrier]

[Lance puts his hands up to his shoulders like "woah there, it's ok"]

.... yeah, I doubt he'd want to tell a sob story to a bunch of teenagers who just want to get the heck out of here.

[A sigh.]

That's why we're asking you about it, right? You're the one who probably understands him best, too. I'm sorry it's difficult for you to talk about though. I wish we didn't have to, but... he is the one that we have to convince somehow.

[diesifkilled]

[He sighs as well, brushing a hand across his face.]

I know, I know. And I want to do everything I can to help everyone. I'm just... really not sure what would work.

[particlebarrier]

Well we can't just give up either.

[diesifkilled]

[He closes his eyes for a moment, trying to think.]

I guess... I could try appealing to something that'd still be important to him after all that time? Something I'm never going to stop caring about no matter what happens.

[particlebarrier]

...Maybe. But if it's just an appeal to something that's just that true to who you are, he might just think Sol's purely accessing the memories you had up until you died.

It might have to be something like that in reaction to something Archer's doing... right in front of you.

[He rubs his head.]

If that... makes any sense.

[diesifkilled]

Hmm.

[Why does this have to be so complicated? Fucking Archer.]

That might be pretty hard to arrange. I mean, not only getting him to do something I can react to like that, but making sure I'm there for it.

[particlebarrier]

Yeah.... this is a bit convoluted, huh.

[Frowning.]

...He might do something at the trial on Saturday. As much as I don't want there to be a trial.

[diesifkilled]

[Having a trial on Saturday is kind of unavoidable, as little as anyone likes it.]

...Yeah. I'll try to do something at the trial, then.

[particlebarrier]

Well if that fails, I guess we can go back to the other plan of you crying around that guy next week.

[It's stated flippantly like a joke, but really... if they don't stop final protocol, they'll all be crying. Probably.]

[diesifkilled]

That was never a plan!

[Here's hoping they figure something out that doesn't involve him having to cry.]

[particlebarrier]

It is now.

[diesifkilled]

...I guess I'll just. Try to learn to cry at will by the end of the week.

[particlebarrier]

[....He's getting a shoulder pat.]

...with any luck you won't have an actual reason to be crying.

[diesifkilled]

I don't usually cry a lot even when there's a reason, so.