GRAVEYARD

[cartesio]

The other side...?

Have you started feeling at home in Cartesio yet? The town has offered you every hospitality that its citizens could think of. They love every corner of this town and they want you to feel the same. Have you accepted Cartesio into your heart yet?

Then it should be comforting to wake in your hotel room. A ceiling you have gotten used to, the warmth of a blanket surrounding you, your own breathing... and silence. All-encompassing silence.
It perseveres when you leave your room, it perseveres when you leave the hotel... Cartesio is quiet because there is nobody in Cartesio who could be making noise. It's a ghost town.

There is only you now, you think. And then, just as you've given up, a noise comes to your ears. A voice, unmistakably. It's time to follow it.

As of Week 5 you may see random objects and buildings of any size flicker. For milli-seconds they seem to glow on and off, blur around the edges, even distort a little. It only happens for a moment at a time, but it happens fairly often.

Welcome to the Cartesio Graveyard. Your character has woken up in a version of the town that is devoid of citizens, but there do seem to be a few people around. Time to explore the mysteries of the other side. For a more thorough OOC guide, we have compiled an FAQ.

Links

Graveyard FAQ
Living Community

Comments

[doublelammy]

[okay wait WHAT THE HELL]

...Franzy?

[She approaches him, utterly baffled.]

What... what are you doing here? We're... we're dead, aren't we?

[silvertongueheir]

[Ah yes, she doesn't know.] I lied when I said I wouldn't go for the motive. [A sigh.] I thought I could save Sakura, at least.

[doublelammy]

You were... trying to bring Sakura back with you? Or leave with her...

[Despite all appearances, though, Millium is actually quite perceptive, once the initial clues are given to her. It doesn't take her too long to piece together this mystery from there.]

...'cause you figured she'd never get a medal on her own? Is that it?

[He's not exactly wrong, if that's his line of reasoning... sure, Sakura would never approve, but Millium's not really in a place to judge in that regard.]

...um. Does... does that mean you're the one who...?

[Guess who never saw her assailant?]

[silvertongueheir]

[He nods slowly, but realizing she might not be able to see it clearly enough since he's still lying on the park bench, also says out loud:] Yes. She's too kind for those missions.

[However, he sits up at her second question.] No! I-I went to the park, and met Azura there. I gave her a chance to fight back, but I was the one who won in the end. I-I hated being accused of killing you.

[doublelammy]

And way too nice to do the other thing that'd get her one. [She nods once.] ...I get it.

[Sakura wouldn't approve, but, well. Sometimes, people just won't do what's best for them, no matter what. Sometimes, people don't leave you with much of a choice. Millium understands that.

As to his second point, she looks visibly relieved.]

Oh, thank the goddess. I really didn't wanna think it was you... I mean, it's not great what you did to Azura, but you can work that out with her.

[But...] ...as for me, though... d'you know who did?

[silvertongueheir]

[Arceus, she's just so...accepting of it. Damnit, Millium, you're such a nice girl.]

...Olympia. She feared that if she killed anyone else, you would be the one to expose her. [A pause] Oda killed her before the execution, and that made him count as a culprit too. So...it's likely you'll see him around as well.

1/2

[doublelammy]

["Nice" is maybe not the correct word. "Worryingly adjusted to horrible tragedy" might be closer.

When she gets her answer, a couple of expressions flash across her face. Shock, at first. Something that might be anger, next, until finally... sadness.]

...I guess that's fair. I mean... she was probably right, but...

["But I thought we were friends." That sentence goes unfinished.]

2/2

[doublelammy]

[Because there's that other half of what Franciscus has to say.

Her expression goes blank, her voice as flat as it can go.]

He did what.

[silvertongueheir]

Lots of people care about you, you know? A large percentage of them were ready to fight her once she admitted what she did. I confessed to try and redirect some of that before things got worse. I thought they'd calm down, but I guess it was different for him. [A pause] If I thought I could, I would have tried to just finish her off in the courtroom myself.

CS2 spoilers because does it ever stop? no. no it does not.

[doublelammy]

But... but...

[She sounds more like a child than ever, now, as if she's arguing against the unfair ruling of a parent rather than the harsh reality that... well, one of her parents has just died for her.]

That doesn't... I'm not worth that! [It isn't even self-deprecating, really, just angry.] Dazai needed him!

I didn't want him to just turn around and be Crow all over again...!

[silvertongueheir]

[He lifts his head, looking tired.] I know. He did it late enough I didn't notice him until it was too late.

[doublelammy]

[Millium hangs her head with a frustrated sigh, tears stinging at her eyes again and ugh she is going to have the worst headache later.

She just walks over, plopping herself down in the spot Franciscus has freed up on the bench by sitting up.]

It's not your fault. There are other things that are your fault. What Oda did, that's on him.

I just... I thought, maybe this time, things would be different.

[But that's not fair, is it, to expect revenge not to win out? After all, it did for her, as well.]

[silvertongueheir]

[Okay you know what? She's right here, he's going to pull her into a hug. It's still somewhat awkward, but definitely heartfelt anyways.] We can still try and break the cycle. Tomorrow, I'm going to check on the new places. Maybe there'll be something there that will help us communicate better than song titles and limited characters.

[Watch the next event force them to communicate through emojis.]

[doublelammy]

[It's okay. She can work with awkward. Her most important person is Jusis "How Do You Eat An Apple, I'm Too Rich For This" Albarea. This is probably more than she's ever gotten out of him, honestly.

She hugs back.]

...Okay. Lemme know if you do, okay?

I'm gonna try wrecking the motel rooms a little. See if I can't get some messages over. Since they got the blood n' slashes n' stuff...

[silvertongueheir]

[He nods.] The damage to the buildings was because of Baukgou. I wonder if I could do something similar with flowers...though I'd have to grow a lot of them.

[doublelammy]

Ha... that's not surprising at all. Bakky is Bakky, even when he's ghost Bakky.

Maybe! Maybe it's not just breakin' stuff, but changing stuff? It's worth a shot.

[silvertongueheir]

[He nods.] ...hopefully I'll find something worth signaling them about.

[doublelammy]

I think anything's probably good.

I mean, obviously, anything that can help them is better, but even just lettin' em know we're here prolly isn't a bad idea.

[silvertongueheir]

[He nods again, finally letting go of the hug.] I suppose covering up whatever graffiti the townspeople apply to the hotel will be for a good cause as well. [Can't paint the wall if it's covered in plants.]

[doublelammy]

Oh, yeah, that's a really good idea!

I wonder... you think you could grow enough vines n' plants n' stuff to cover up some of the windows on the lower level? Maybe kinda form a net to protect 'em from the rocks?

[silvertongueheir]

[He looks thoughtful.] I probably could, but I worry it could come off as hostile. Since I imagine they would still want to look out their windows.

[doublelammy]

Hm... maybe. Dunno how safe it is to even get near 'em, though, with the way things were when we checked out.

Can't imagine things got better.

[silvertongueheir]

[A slow nod.] It wasn't good, from what little I saw and heard.

[doublelammy]

Yeah... I really wish I could say that's surprising.

[She sighs and hangs her head.]

It sucks, too. Most of our people that are left over there don't want anythin' to do with most of the stuff Sarge kept makin' us do... and they're the ones takin' the consequences.

[silvertongueheir]

Hopefully they can get out of whatever place he sends them to this week without further harm. [Slight sigh] I'm sure they'll think of some way, at least, but it depends on whether they can work together.

[Thank Arceus for Hawks.]