petoskeymods | DEADLAND

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deadland

DEADLAND

[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?]

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[Lance watches this closely, holding his breath, fists clenched tight at his sides and teeth grit. He knew something like this would happen -- why wouldn't it? Red had warned him -- Shiro died horribly. Suffering imensely. None of this is a surprise -- at least in theory.

Even when Pastor Dan shoots him and Red screams, it all feels far away. He feels like he should be screaming too, but instead he just feels himself crumbling looking at the agonized confusion on Shiro's face. He can't -- if he moves, if he reacts at all, he doesn't know how the rest of it is going to unravel.

He speaks bitterly, voice hoarse.]

... how much more is there to this.

[Okay, Lance doesn't want comfort. Fine. That's fine. It's not like this place and these people scream Niflheim Empire or anything. It's so obvious what they're doing though. Something violent broke out of containment and now they've left wounded prey to bait the trap.

He's on edge and afraid and he knows it's just a memory but he can't stop himself from reaching for a knife that's not there, teeth on edge.]

I don't think you want to watch this.

[Then to Lil and the others.]

Any of you.

No, we need to see this.

[ Well, Boa feels he has to at least. After all the cruelties that they have witnessed or experienced in camp, how could he back away from this now? It's a memory that might still give them some kind of answer, no matter how brutal it might be. ]

[Last chance to close your eyes, everyone.]

[Some time passes. It’s hard to tell just how long, because it feels like the memory is on fast forward for a bit. But by the time it slows down to ‘normal’ speed, it’s clear that something’s still wrong. Yelling and hisses of pain can be heard coming from the cell, as well as...the broadcast system? It’s coming through the speakers in the hallway.

Dan glances over to Red, who is sitting against a wall with her knees drawn up close. She has a haunted look on her face, and only moves when she notices Dan looking at her.]

How long until we can rescue him?

[Dan does not answer.

Instead, a haunting moan and wet footsteps can be heard. Dan quickly moves to shush the group, keeping them well around the corner and out of sight of the door. Shirogane’s words become more insistent and panicked all of a sudden.]

Okay, it’s in here, come get me out now!

[Dan rounds the corner and starts running down the hall to the door.

For a brief moment, the sight of a horrible rotting body can be seen slowly shambling into the cell. Each step it makes leaves behind a black mucus. Shirogane is visible as well, backed up against the far wall of the cell. He looks past the monster and sees Dan running at him, and a relieved look spreads across his face.]

Dan-

[And then Dan grabs the cell door and swings it shut, locking Shirogane in there with the monster.

That is when the screaming starts for real.

Dan looks back and sees the remainder of his team standing there, having seemingly watched his actions. The other three look like they’re about to be sick, probably because the sounds of the screams and moaning from the cell are very much audible. Nobody’s shut off the loudspeaker yet. But Red looks downright mortified, and she just sinks to the ground as she covers her mouth with her hands.

Dan finally reaches up to his earpiece.]

Containment successful. You can turn off the speakers now.

[The speakers go quiet, but Dan can still hear the muffled screams due to his proximity to the cell.

He walks over to Red, and places a hand on the top of her head in what looks almost like a comforting gesture.]

Remember: Secure. Contain. Protect. That’s our job here.

[Red’s whole body is shaking, but somehow she manages to nod. Then Dan turns his attention to the others.]

We need to go to decontamination now. Don’t touch any black puddles you see along the way.

[As the memory fades and everyone returns to the camp once more, the sound of Red quietly repeating ‘secure, contain, protect’ to herself over and over again can be heard.]

[ In a sick way, Floe was expecting something nastier, visually. More blood and gore, after the various things they'd witnessed in camp. But the screaming? The screaming is somehow so much worse than that. She claps a hand over her mouth, horrified, as the memory plays out. By the time they all fade back the ghostly campsite, she's trembling slightly...with anger. ]

That...that bastard-! He didn't even try!

That was never part of the plan, Floe.

[It's cold. He knows that. It's the only way he can make this okay. One life for many. Hadn't he thought the same thing about Chloe?

Gods he felt sick.]

Well it SHOULD have been! They could have done something! You heard what Red asked- even she thought they would try to help but instead he just, just-

Why the hell couldn't DAN be the one to go in there if it was that important, huh?! What gave him the right to just pick somebody else to die?!?

[Talcott flinches, looks down and away. He doesn't want to have an argument for her, he doesn't want to have to try to say it was better one die so that the other survived. He couldn't even be sure that was the truth of the situation.

But it's not as black and white as she is yelling at him that it is. You can't always save everyone. Just like they couldn't save Cape Caem or Galdin, Dino or Auntie Monica. There's not always a neat solution to these things.

He understood why Dan couldn't be the sacrifice. That would be like Cor sacrificing himself for the Crownsguard. It's not fair but it's the way things have to be.

He can't blindly agree but he doesn't want to disagree. So in the end he just remains silent, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy.]

Holy shit!

[Is there really anything to be said? This is horrible. Awful, cruel, and senseless, from what he sees. That guy was sent to his death, and Pastor Dan ensured it. Red is also taking it pretty badly, it's impossible not to feel bad for her.

Kanji is speechless after just those two words]

[Lance takes deep breaths, and to those paying attention to this kind of thing, it's obvious he's counting himself through them. Five seconds for inhaling. Five seconds for exhaling. He was prepared for this, right? This has been plaguing him for a week -- what the fuck had Shiro died for? This is his answer, so he's not going to flinch away. He's not going to break. He's going to watch all of this and know once and for all, what he's going to do about it. How to feel about it.

The initial cries of pain make him wince. But he's still okay. Still fine. Still breathing in mechanically.

Shiro's panicked cry for help is harder to listen to. Lance's shoulders shake visibly, and he takes a step forward like he thinks he can help or do something to make it stop. But it's just a memory; he knows he can't do anything, this all exists in the past, out of reach, fixed in stone.

But like a goddamn idiot, he thinks -- just for a fleeting second -- that maybe this all ends like an accident. Like maybe Dan's running towards the door to actually save Shiro from whatever's inside the damn room and...

That'swhen he screams b\ecause that's not what happens. He catches the glimpse of that rotting monster and Dan keeps moving in the wrong direction. Away from Shiro as the screaming gets louder and louder. Lance doesn't even realize he's screaming in tandem.]

No... no... no, Shiro!! Go BACK! Go BACK AND SAVE HIM!

[He tries to run towards the door, but it's out of sight, and whatever else Dan has to say in the rest of his memory just goes completely over his head. He drops onto his knees, staring at the ground.

The memory is over and yet... that doesn't seem to be registering.]

Edited 2018-07-26 03:17 (UTC)

[Lance goes down and Tal is there in a heartbeat. They've been through this before, from both sides, they'll make it through this again. He grips Lance's shoulders, nudges him to try to get him to look up.]

Lance... [Soft, worried. But after their talk earlier he's a little wary of just dragging Lance into his lap again, no matter how much he wants to.]

[The hand on his shoulder gets him to look up immediately. Too quickly, actually -- like he's reacting out of hypervigilance, and it takes Lance a few more seconds to snap out of it a little. The tension in his shoulders doesn't lessen by much though.]

I can't. [He swallows then clarifies.] We can't talk about this right now. It's fine - I knew. I already knew. [His hands are still fists by his side.] I'm fine. [Because he has to be.]

Edited 2018-07-26 07:30 (UTC)

[If it were a different time Tal would argue. But he can't right now. Sol has more to show them and this, as huge as this is, needs some time to process, some distance. Lance doesn't need to be "fine" forever but for right now he needs to be functional.

So he just squeezes his shoulder, lets his thumb stroke one, soothing pass along his collarbone... then makes himself drop his hand before it's too much and Lance can't make himself be fine, before he oversteps the boundaries they're still feeling out between them.]

Okay... for now.

Lance!

[ Her own anger is one thing. But Lance's reaction is impossible to ignore, and it pushes everything else aside for the moment. The way he screams, the way he collapses- it's the too-familiar sound of devastation. Floe was already close by from the beginning of the memory, and she's there now; sinking to the ground by his side and gripping his arm tight in an attempt to...she doesn't know to what. To keep him present, if nothing else. What can you do or say for something like this...? ]

[As soon as Floe grabs his arm, Lance looks over at her. There aren't any tears for better or for worse, but he just looks so... tired. And even then, he still tries to force a smile for her sake. It doesn't last long though.]

...you know what's messed up? After all this time thinking about going home once we get out of here ... I'm starting to think I can't.

[Sol flinches when they hear Lance screaming like that. There's not much they can do for comfort, but it looks like others are helping Lance, so they decide to go with a general apology.]

I'm sorry...when I ate Dan's soul I gained his memories, and I thought they might be helpful here. They're all really rotten people, like I showed you. They think they know what's right, which is why it's hard to get them to change.

[Something about Sol eating souls to gain memories feels important, like everyone should remember that.]

[Shirou was definitely here the whole time and did not only just show up]

When did you eat Dan's soul, Sol?

Not too long after he died. It was before Lillith got here. He was mad and didn't want to face anyone.

I'm sure he was. Hopefully he didn't take too much of that out on you.

[She had been wondering... but honestly, she was too glad to not see him to really question it]

When did he started... to worship you?

About seven years ago? So maybe eight years after he came here the first time.

...oh! I can show you why he came here in the first place!

Sure, let's see it.

That might give us more context for... the other things you've showed us.

That's a good idea, actually.

Okay! But, um, should I keep Lance out this time?

[Since he. Looks a little broken.]

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RESUMING MEMORY LANE

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