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

[summerghosts]

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

[seekingsunrise]

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

[kitchen_witch]

[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?

[summerghosts]

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!

[diesifkilled]

Sure, let's see it.

[seekingsunrise]

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

[kitchen_witch]

That's a good idea, actually.

[summerghosts]

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

[Since he. Looks a little broken.]

[seekingsunrise]

If he wants to see, that's his right. I think... maybe seeing this through to the end is the only thing he's got left.

[summerghosts]

Okay...

[Lance can come or no, but either way it's memory time!]

[This memory, like all the others, is specifically from Dan’s point of view - as he walks down a sparse, brightly lit hallway - one that could almost be mistaken for a hospital corridor, if not for the faint traces of stains against the white paint here and there.

There’s a few moments of uninterrupted walking before the viewpoint suddenly jostles - and Archer soon walks into view, stride long but not hurried.]

Hey!

[Dan seems to be unable to keep himself from speaking - and he’s clearly angry, even as Archer stops in mid stride and looks over his shoulder at the camera, not even bothering to turn around all the way.]

What is it?

The fuck do you think you’re DOING, just pushing by me like that?!

[Archer looks slightly unamused, but keeps his expression neutral.]

I’m doing my job. I’m on my way to another site, and this is the quickest way there.

Through me?! Without even fucking asking me to step aside?

I wasn’t aware I needed your permission to walk, sir.

[The harsh sarcasm at the end seems to send Dan over the edge, as he steps up to Archer and forces him to turn around, apparently not caring one bit about how Archer could easily kill him if he wanted to.]

Listen here, you little shit! I did not go through ten years of service to get fucking talked down to and pushed aside by a goddamn video game character!

[Archer gives a smug grin, which should look pretty damn familiar to some of the audience.]

Actually, I believe it was a visual novel first.

I don’t GIVE A FLYING SHIT! You will treat me with the level of respect -

I don’t have to. My level of clearance is much higher than yours, Ciesluk.

BULLSHIT!

[Archer gives a small ‘tsk’ and calmly takes Dan’s hand off of his shoulder, as if removing a bug.]

It’s the truth - though trust me, you shouldn’t go snooping around trying to find the specifics. I’m sure they’d reassign you to a particularly nasty SCP if you pushed too hard.

I’m not going to believe the fictional characters printed by that goddamn machine are higher up in the Foundation than I am!

And that’s probably why your clearance is only C-class, Agent.

[Archer turns around, not bothering to look at him this time as he starts to walk off.]

You’ve wasted enough of everyone’s time, Ciesluk. Go have your tantrum somewhere else instead of a hallway where more important people go through.

[The memory ends as Dan explodes into a multitude of curses - English, polish, and german - all aimed at Archer’s uncaring back.]

[That memory is a short one though, so it ends after that, and everyone is back with Sol once more.]

He didn't listen to Archer and he got sent here.

[diesifkilled]

...He's such an asshole.

[Not that Shirou is even all that mad at Archer because seriously, Dan deserved it.]

[kitchen_witch]

...

How is it everything we learn about that man makes him worse and worse?

[seekingsunrise]

Some people are just like that I think.

[love_seriously]

[ Okay so. That was actually almost funny, despite coming off of the last memory, because seriously, fuck Dan. But Floe still has a few questions. ]

Okay, so he was a total jerk since forever. But how did he go from that to... [ Waves her hand vaguely. ] ...the way he was when we got here? He seemed pretty happy about something that was supposed to be a punishment.

[summerghosts]

Um...that's my fault. I'm not so good at keeping myself out of people so it kinda makes them do weird stuff.

Like, I don't want him to worship me. But I care about myself and want to stay alive, and that was in his mind too. So his way of 'keeping me alive' was to worship me and talk to everyone about me.

[Yeah, it's weird.]

[diesifkilled]

So basically, he tried to find out something he shouldn't have and got fed to you as punishment.

That's the kind of people we're dealing with.

[summerghosts]

Pretty much, yeah.

Most of the adults I end up eating don't like them much either, for the same reasons.

[diesifkilled]

Yeah, can't really blame them. I mean, we already knew they weren't exactly nice people, but...

[It's disgusting. How are people like that supposed to be protecting the world?]

[summerghosts]

I guess it takes bad people to take care of the even worse things out there?

[Like seriously, Sol is tame compared to other SCPs out there.]

[diesifkilled]

...It might work for the really bad things, but obviously not for everything. Otherwise they wouldn't have messed up as badly as they did here.

[particlebarrier]

[Lance is quiet; he's been quiet for a bit after that godawful memory. But he does speak up again at this point.]

That doesn't have to be true.

[It makes sense for Sol to think it, but Lance is reminded again of Allura, Coran, Keith. PIdge, Hunk ... and Shiro, working together to fight the Galra. Genuinely good people fighting off a plague on the known universe. Even so, his tone isn't argumentative or defensive, it's just quiet and pensive.]

I'm sorry. you have to be stuck with these kinds of memories. [And this bleak worldview.] ,,,,And thank you for those answers about Shiro. I... it hurts because he didn't deserve to suffer like that, but... not knowing what exactly he died for made it a lot worse.

[love_seriously]

I...guess that makes sense?

[ Thinking about how enthusiastic her own zombie is about "The Lord", but, hm. Still weird. ]

But geez...that's the way these guys treat their own people...not to mention how they treat people like us.

[summerghosts]

I know, it's not really safe for any of you out there. This world isn't very nice. I've seen lots of better ones in other people's memories.

[love_seriously]

How are we supposed to fight against these guys? If we want to get out of here with you and everybody...there's gotta be a way, but...

[ But damn if the odds aren't stacked against them so completely that it looks hopeless from here. ]

[summerghosts]

I'm sorry, I really don't know. I want to help too, but I don't know how. All I can do is turn things into coral and catch souls.