15corpses | WELCOME TO THE GAME.

WELCOME TO THE GAME.

[You have died. When you awaken, it's in your body back to the shape it was in before whatever it was that killed you - but not all is right. Nothing surrounds you but darkness as far as the eye can see. A girl's gentle voice speaks to you from seemingly nowhere. It is a voice you probably haven't heard before.]

It's all right...it'll be all right.

Please forgive me for this, but, you're in the True Game now. As you're now here, on this plane, I...took something from you. Something important. The thing dearest to you. It has to be taken, though, as it's your entry fee - it's one of your means of surviving this!

I promise, we don't mean to do anything terrible to you! But this Game is important, and you getting through it is, as well. You'll receive missions, and for the missions you complete, you'll be given points. The more points you earn, the closer you'll get to leaving this place. And then, when you do finally leave, perhaps you'll understand why you were brought here. You'll regain what you lost, and you'll know the truth.

So please...please survive! I have faith in you! You'll be all right!!

[Sure enough, as soon as she's done explaining and collects your fee, something important of yours is missing. It might be memories, an object, or even a person (that's not a Titled), but they are your collateral now. Your motivation for continuing your existence in this world. You black out, and when you wake again, you're back in the mall, in the bedroom you'd been assigned. You remember everything you'd forgotten while you were alive, although you might have re-forgotten it if that was your entry fee. At least everything here seems mostly the same.

However, there's a few new things to discover... your cell phone now lets you read the surface thoughts of everyone that's living, and imprint thoughts into their heads (except for Croix, The Chance. Maybe it's because she didn't have a power? Who knows.) You also have all the items and money you had when you were still alive, which will be useful, because you still get hungry and, we'll say you still need clothes, but that's actually debatable because you are invisible. Not to other dead people, no, but to the other people in the mall.

Yeah. That's a thing. This version of the mall is full of random people who are using the mall as a mall, and even working the registers - oddly enough, there's this one girl with pink hair who seems to work at all of the restaurants at different times. But no one can see you, except for the shopkeepers of food and clothing stores specifically. (Luckily, the Barcade counts as food.) The Titled can be seen going about their business as well, and you can follow them around and watch them, listen to their conversations. However, nothing you say or do can be perceived by them. Even using your powers goes unnoticed, no matter what you try to do with them. It's like you're in parallel worlds. So that's a little spooky.

Speaking of spooky things, there are also monsters in this version of the mall, though the living seem as able to perceive them as the Titled can perceive you, and even to you they are only barely visible unless you focus on seeing them clearly. But these monsters attack people - they attach to the mall-goers like parasites, however for now, they seem to be leaving the living Titled alone... they prefer to attack the dead Titled, and only the power you gained here seems to truly damage them. They also seem quite difficult to defeat on your own. If one of them happens to come for you, you'll need to find the others, fast. At least if you checked your phone, your first mission told you where to go!]

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[ Helena knew she'd wind up somewhere. She somehow expected it to be more dramatic than ending up right back where she started. This just feels like any old bad morning in the mall. Just that she's dead.

In a weird way, being dead is pretty underwhelming.

Helena swings her legs out of bed and gets up. She may be a hikikomori generally, but there's no use staying inside now when she can't even be sure what kind of world she's in. Further, if this is the mall... she should check out the place she opened, if nothing else. It didn't look promising at first sight and it frustrates her.

Looking kind of absentminded, Helena walks down the bedroom wing and out into... a very populated Yotsukoshi. ]

...huh?

[ Catch her then or at any place in the mall later, she is actually exploring for once. ]

[Dio is having a reasonable Tuesday morning. After breakfast, he's decided to patrol a different wing this time, after the Fun Wing has been under control during these first two days of its unlocking. He heads over and impales a couple targets with barbells, that kind of thing. There are a couple of injuries acquired in the process, so about fifteen minutes later he's walking out of Prime Time Care picking at a scab and looking into an angle that he can hide it with his top hat. When Dio scans again, the noise are not immediately bothersome. Which is almost more foreboding... are they going to surge all at once later? Have they gathered somewhere else? Did they really already leave to latch onto the titled's loved ones? This doesn't make sense. He's standing around in the open trying to figure out what he should do.

The subsequent surprise triggers not the scan but the sense of hearing. An elevator going ding. And out walks Helena. Not so unusual for her to go to the bookstore - and Dio has never found that especially interesting - but as the seconds tick by, something seems off about the direction of her gaze. The blankness of her thoughts. At every point prior, such thorough meditation is a type of detachment that even she has deemed impractical. But if he can't scan her... and there's this faint movement in the air that gives him the sense they're on the same plane...

Staring at the form unabashedly, Dio rolls up the sleeve of his coat and uses his index finger and thumb to punch his forearm repeatedly.]

[ Walking through a full mall without being noticed by anyone is really, really weird. She looks nothing like a prime fashion blogger now, with her bandage and her baggy clothing and bare feet, so even in Neo Yokio she'd be attracting a different kind of looks than normal... but this is just... nothing. She's a ghost now. In a different way than all these other customers appear to be because they were certainly not real while she was among the living.

An odd situation.

That gets significantly odder when one of the people around starts... pinching himself? And staring at her. These actions seem to be very much related. ]

....?

[ Helena stares in turn. It is pretty hard to not recognize this clothing because only one person has this kind of obnoxious taste, but... she's never seen this man before. Now seeming more confused than absentminded, she walks towards him, looking him up and down. ]

Did you win those clothes in a bet or something? Is Dio walking around naked now?

[ She's not sure if he can really hear her, but she doesn't have a lot to lose anymore. She's dead. She can say whatever to whomever. ]

Edited 2017-12-12 23:42 (UTC)

[The initial intense shock that paints his face after acknowledgement is more tinted with disappointment than anything else, though it quickly resolves into a situational petty anger.]

Seriously? That's what you're going with? Oh, I'd wager so much money, you fucking wish that I would--

[It's only several seconds into his reflexive resentment of a comment he considers sexual and demeaning that Dio realizes - first of all, she's actually talking perfectly common sense like she always does, and secondly that she hasn't identified him. He thwacks both his hands on his chest, indicating himself.] No, goddammit, it's me-- [And it's only after that he cuts himself off all over again like a complete idiot who only just realized the implications of them having this ongoing two-way conversation.] Wait. What the hell are you doing here?

[ That's a lot to take in. Helena's first reaction is to glance down her own body (looks normal) and examine a strand of her hair (also looks normal) to make perfectly sure that this afterlife doesn't simply bodychange everyone for shits and giggles.

She's still herself.

Dio is... this guy. Apparently. He certainly sounds like Dio - not strictly speaking, just the manner of speech - so Helena is inclined to very much believe so. ]

... no wonder you said you're miserable.

[ It's not an answer to his question, but it sure needed out. ]

[ But it's only a moment of levity before she returns to a more serious mode of conversation. She supposedly owes him a sort of explanation. Even if he's a murderer. ]

And I'm being dead. Obviously.

[ A sigh. ]

Sorry, I made everything sound a little more grand yesterday.[ She just... figured they could both use the resulting encouragement. Even if that may have been dishonest. ] I got tired of letting those gamerunners walk all over me.

Shit... [He fusses with the brim of his hat, as he always did in awkward and sad situations. Dio apparently has the nerve to express dismay at the news of her death, despite everything he had tried to do.] Then... where is it...?

[The explosion... he's not really sure what to ask. He almost wonders if Helena just experienced existential exhaustion and-- that doesn't make sense; she's too surprised. It's like the AB game rules, rattling around in his head too fast to process.]

[ As hypocritical as it is, Helena can't bring herself to feel negatively about the way he gets awkward when he processes the news. Even if it's extremely weird to see on this body of a total stranger. ]

The Life Coach got it. Lightning does not exactly blow her up, which would have been ideal, but she was very, very out cold when I was last among the living.

Turns out the executioner is completely immune to our powers though.

[ And then she shrugs, a little helpless, because there's nothing stranger than casually narrating how you died only ... well, how long could it have been? Only not much earlier. ]

[Dio doesn't know what to do with this information for a second. This person he deemed pure... tried to kill someone? But for the right reasons, knowing what would happen-- well, hell, philosophy can all come later; he acted that early Friday morning knowing that he couldn't afford the luxury of strategizing around the status of Helena as special. He pulls the sleeve back down and steps forward, very serious.]

That's awesome, but it might not be so cut and dry. She's no ordinary human. This Reaper, or something-- She can go back and forth at will. We need to see where she went.

[ That explains what the Life Coach meant when she said she's always in the mall. If she can go invisible ghost whenever she wants to, then.... Helena is kind of amazed by how lucky she got to even find her vulnerable at all. ]

I figured she wouldn't die, she said this whole dying thing isn't quite for her all along after all. Which is why I stole her phone and made a run for it.

[ She pauses again, feeling kind of frustrated with herself. ]

I was hoping there'd be something useful behind all those barriers, but I only managed to get to one.

[ And from all she saw, what lays behind it was really not useful at all. It stings. ]

[He lets out a long low exhale, like "damn". Torn between the desire to make her feel better (an inaccurate proxy for reasoning to improve her situation) with praise for her actions, and the reality of the disappointing limited results. Dio decides that exploration of the broken barrier is best left to the living.] Well, you know, if she catches up to you, I can still do that mind moving thing. Keep her far away from you. [He flexes, with an amicable expression that is not a smile.] I got a lot of practice here, actually. On those goddamn Noise.

[ Despite herself, Helena has to smile a little at this dumb boy-ish display. It probably says horrible things about her that being welcomed by a murderer in the afterlife actually makes her feel better. ]

If you can do that, then I can also still electrocute her. I'm not sure if she wants seconds.

[ And she's also not sure how much worse she can get now that she's already here. The golem presumably did this to her for a reason, this is the intended consequence. ]

And now you tell me what a Noise is, I hope.

[Dio doesn't miss a beat as he launches into a casual pissy rant.] They're these shitty little monsters that are floating around all over the place. If you stay still for too long they come and find you and try to kill you. Keep an eye out. ...also, when you kill them, you get more money for some goddamn reason. [JUST IN CASE SHE DOESN'T WANT TO ENGAGE IN THAT AMOUNT OF CAPITALISM... Dio uses erase and kill interchangably. He'll have to rethink that later.

He puts out his arm in an invitation to link elbows. This gesture is probably a joke, not least because he's now well over a foot taller than Helena and has made no effort to line up the heights of their shoulders, but if she takes it seriously in any physical form, there probably will be a light show.] If you want to go anywhere else, odds are I'll get the chance to show you.

[ Helena gives the raised arm a scrutinizing look, but ultimately winds up ignoring it. Dead or not dead, she has more self-respect than to throw herself at the next best flirty murderer physically. Also, what he said is incredibly distracting from any such frivolous considerations. ]

So, let me get that straight: we're dead, but we're a) still in a mall, b) still need money and c) still need to fight for our undead lives.

[ The incredulity in her voice rises with every word she says. She had assumed that if anything the afterlife would wind up being tormentingly boring (which she'd have no problem with per se) not that she'd wind up in a more crowded and thus more annoying version of the exact same kind of hell as before. Dying really isn't what it (presumably) used to be.

Helena puts a hand to her forehead as if to drown out an approaching headache. ]

This is such utter complete nonsense, such a farce, such... such... shit.

[ She wanted to say something harsher but ultimately the simplest word fits it best. ]

Can we go back to my room to talk? I'm already sick of being out here.

[ She'll explore her area later, it's been enough disappointments for the time being. ]

Yeah! Exactly! All those things! You still need money to fucking eat! Let me tell you, I thought my soul had finally escaped the prison of the flesh. Not just some profound metaphor anymore; literal salvation and actual paradise. But no.

[His arms have gestured here and there as he gets into this surprisingly irreverent description of serious philosophical concepts. Around this time Dio remembers how hard it is for outsiders to directly understand unless he starts from the beginning. He chills out and puts one hand into his coat pocket.] Noise are sort of drawn to groups of people in big open spaces. I've never seen one in, like, a shop, or especially not my own room. So, sure. Your room sounds great. We'll probably be safe there. [He presses the elevator button.]

[ That's uplifting news. It means essentially Helena can still be Hikikomori and.... well, food is another matter. Her charity money from the first minigame was very close to running out by the time of her death.

As they wait for the elevator to come to them, Helena glance's over at Dio's not-face, trying to figure out how such a man longs for spiritual salvation so much. Somehow, it's almost easier to imagine with this appearance, clothes ignored. He looks more like a staunch believer when he looks more... solid over all.

But also more wrong.

The elevator opens and Helena only starts speaking again as they step inside. ]

So, the most important thing you lost was your appearance?

[If she thinks the appearance belies his devotion more, then she'll probably think that the deep voice suits his conviction too, as Dio answers in a very cold tone. She's said something that offends literally every fiber of his being. He respects her previous attempts to respect him, though; he truly does. Helena has proven herself more than capable of abstract reasoning; he can securely detach himself from the present and attempt to teach her better, then pass judgment on just the end result. Therefore, he is not going to hit her. It's like that.] My genes.

[The elevator doors click shut.]

There's so goddamn much all of you don't know about me... [Sigh.] I'll tell you everything, Helena, but I'm warning you now, it might be hard to follow. [He's been looking at her, softening.] Did they take an entry fee from you too? You could always let me in on that on the way there.

[ A shiver runs down her spine as his tone changes so quickly. For all she calls him murderer in her head (and she does constantly, as if to remind herself to never forget), it's always been hard to imagine him actually doing. It's not hard right now, when she's locked alone into an elevator with him. Huh.

The momentary discomfort passes as quickly as it comes, lingering only as a bad aftertaste in her mouth. After a pause to gather herself, she nods. ]

Yes, they did, but even if I tried, I couldn't tell you too much about it. I'm simply lacking the memories to do so. You're probably familiar with the incentive we were presented this week? People we care about attacked by Noise...

I had someone on that fear-mongering image. I simply don't remember who anymore or why they matter.

Hmmmmmmmm. [He's frowning at her empathetically.] That sounds like a pain in the ass.

[This is another time Dio feels pretty relieved that he didn't have to face the later motives. The depiction of currency used on the moon was one thing easy enough to hide, but a realistic level of concern traced back to multiple faces just like his own, or a mysterious figure in that deemed-creepy cultist robe... He's staring at Helena, trying to imagine if there's any possible image that wouldn't seem suspicious, but his mind's eye doesn't demonstrate any vision that displaces his view of her. Oh, well. Dio will just casually keep trying to be supportive.]

I guess they didn't look like a family member or anything? I donno if you even have any, if they're your likes or dislikes... [He is suddenly reminded of his faint conviction that Kaz Kaan had better be a famous author.]

No, I remember my parents. It's not them on the photo for sure.

[ She doesn't sound especially concerned by the fact that her parents aren't even deemed important enough to her to be pseudo-hostage material. Helena is also fairly sure she doesn't have any siblings. She supposes that right now this is not something she can be sure of, but it still seems unlikely.

She shrugs. ]

I didn't even have any people on my profile to start with, did I?

[The elevator doors slide back open, and Dio steps forward, clearing his throat, covering any other type of expression.] Uh! Hmmm! I don't know! It's like you said at the trial, your world is really different from mine. Maybe Kaz Kaan's a country.

[He's continuing to walk decisively across the food court.] We're probably going to be talking for a long time. You want to get a drink of water or anything?

[ Kaz Kaan is a........ ? Dio seems eager to drop that topic however, so Helena deems it irrelevant to inform him that it's indeed a person name and not one that means a single thing to her. ]

If we can still consume things I bought before my untimely passing, then there's still a few snacks and drinks stored in my room.

Uh, I guess so? [His typical manner is less pleasant than the average person, and that carries through; Dio makes no attempt to hide the slight frustration he feels at the realization that he doesn't precisely know the answer to this question.]

I've been using stuff like my razor just fine. Thanks for sharing, then.

You're welcome.

[ Her reply is nothing but a casual formality to say, but it still feels like it comes out way too lamely. It's awkward to still have a bit of way ahead before they can get to what really matters, what she really wants to hear.

They walk past Cat Nya-Land in silence and as they do so, Helena remembers that is has been less than 3 weeks since they arrived at this mall and met. It feels longer to her, partially because most of her life in Neo Yokio feels like a lifetime ago, lived by a different girl entirely. She remembers everything now, the bombing, the escape (though that part is oddly unclear still), but all her memories from the mall seem far more pressing. How ironic that the place she hates so much seems to end up shaping her.

She's been in the food court often since Wake's death, but this time it's as if she can still smell burned crabs the closer she gets to Crab-O-Licious.

The first night and the first Friday morning, poignant memories that are anchored only a few meters apart. ]

... if we have to un-live in this consumption abyss forever, I'm going to run insane sooner rather than later.

[ Considering she voluntarily died, it might actually already be too late on that front. ]

Edited 2017-12-13 20:46 (UTC)

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VLR spoilers start here

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