☆ WELCOME TO HELL, YE POOR SOULS.

[raisingproject]

Magical Girl Raising Project

Graveyard

The last thing you remember is dying. Whether it's by murder or execution, that's was all it. But surprisingly enough, you wake up in the hotel room that you were assigned in, as if you had never died to begin with. However, once you walk right outside, you'll start noticing that while this is the Town A you remember, there are some slight differences that you notice.

The first thing is the fact that while you can see those who are still alive, they simply cannot see you. In fact, they pass through you, as if you were a ghost. And spoilers: you kind of are one, now. The second thing is that sometimes, if you look at a building for too long or too closely, you'll notice that it fizzles a bit, almost glitchy.

But that's completely fine, isn't it? There is, however, one more thing to keep in mind: there are voices of other people, mumuring. Of course, these other people, unlike you, don't have a complete shape; they're just a silhouette of themselves, looking like static.

However: it wouldn't be Town A without an announcement, would it? Of course not. Hence why upon rearriving, there will be a message, typed out:

Welcome to the afterlife, everyone. This is a greeting message to introduce you to how exactly this works. You have the ability to send one message to the living a week, so choose your words wisely. Of course, there are limitations to what you can say! You cannot reveal the mastermind's true identity, even if you know it. You cannot reveal a culprit or a victim, even if you know it.

Also, all messages will be sent to all players during the trials. If there is no trial, the message shall be sent on Saturday. You may investigate as you wish. If you have any questions to ask of me, please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

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Comments

[partyleader]

[Sure enough.

Nanami hadn't been certain she would be able to pass through the door, but she was able to. Sort of a weird feeling, but she can't complain about how convenient that is, either.]

I guess... More than anything, I want to know why I'm here after I died. And... also, why you're able to see and talk to me.

[raisingproject]

I missed you too. [He echoes, and motions for her to follow him as he turns away. Without another word he walks but slowly, making sure he can keep her in his sight.]

Over two hundred years ago, I was part of the game here. Me and nineteen others. They're all gone now.

[All devoured. He pauses briefly to nod to a girl passing by with long hair and a sword at her side. 'How?' 'Later. Please.' 'Alright.' As she departs he turns back to her.]

I'm sorry. I tried to stop them. ...but I...I couldn't protect you.

[partyleader]

[She watches his profile as they walk. If she lets her thoughts linger for too long while her eyes are on him, she can still hear that terrible scream from the last trial of that game... Fortunately or unfortunately, his words call her back to the situation at hand.]

...Two hundred years ago? That... It was only a few weeks ago that I saw you! [The distress twists up her expression. Does time work differently here or something...?

But she shakes her head, frowning at him. Under better circumstances it would probably be a pout.] Hey... This isn't your fault. I chose to press that button, and Fav-san and his master are the ones that stuck us here. You don't need to apologize, Hinta-kun. You did what you could.

[crossingout]

Whenever someone dies, they become a spirit. Simple. And as for the second... I never had my powers taken away.

[raisingproject]

I just wish- [He cuts himself off, and steps into the park. There's a lot he wants to say but it's important to help her understand first. His lips twitch, as if he wants to smile when he spots the fountain. He takes his usual left side of the bench.]

Time doesn't work right here. Or I guess you could say we're outside of our timelines. For you it's been a few weeks, and for me,

[He looks down at his shoes and shuts his eyes, as his hands rest on his thighs.] A very long time. ...I was there when you played the game in the arcade. The whole time.

[partyleader]

[It's... not anything like what Nanami expected. She hadn't really thought much about what would happen after she died, and yet... It doesn't exactly surprise her; it's just unexpected.

But... The powers in themselves weren't a surprise, but the fact that Zange had them is a little unexpected to her.] And that power was... speaking to spirits? Do you know why you still have them?

[crossingout]

I do.

[ Her words are firm and clear, without any sort of hesitation. ]

After all, I was the one who brought you all here.

[partyleader]

[Her breath catches when she sees where he sits. Where they are. Something in her is glad she didn't go here when she was alive; it feels right that when she finally came here, it was with Hinata. Carefully, she takes her seat beside him. Not quite their bench, but it's as good as they can get.]

I guess that... makes sense. Maybe it even explains why everything here looks so broken down. [If it's been two hundred years, no wonder Town A looks like this.

But then her throat goes tight.

He... saw her? Hinata saw her breaking down. Screaming on the floor... Her nails dig into her hands, but it doesn't hurt. Nanami doesn't know if that's because of how much her heart aches or because she's already dead, but she doesn't spare a thought for it. Can't.] I'm sorry... Hinata-kun, I'm sorry, if I'd known I... [Wouldn't have played it while you were there. Would have tried harder to control how I reacted.] It... wasn't real, though, was it?

[partyleader]

...What?

[Nanami's mind slows, crawls to a halt as she tries to process this.] Why... Why would you bring us here?! Did you... want everyone here to kill each other? Did we do something to hurt you?

[crossingout]

Not on purpose. If I didn't bring people here, my world would have been destroyed.

[ Her voice is quiet, but also serious. ] My answer for the questions that follow that are "no". I have never, ever wanted people to kill each other.

[partyleader]

Zange-san... [Her feelings shift, heart starting to hurt in a different way.] ...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that without knowing.

Isn't there any other way to keep your world safe, though? If you don't want anyone to hurt themselves, then... What if there's another way we can find? A way for everyone still alive to go home and not kill or be killed anymore, you included?

[crossingout]

It's fine. I'm used to it.

[ Zange shrugs her shoulders. ] I need to end this game. If I can do that, then... I can keep my world intact.

[telecosmetic]

[Eliza looks up.] I...I...I'm sorry! I'm sorry I got you involved in this! Please, don't blame Recette!

[telecosmetic]

[Eliza blinks.] R-really? They're that powerful? We need to let everyone know that then!

[telecosmetic]

[Well, Eliza's heard Seraphina's testimony. And promptly shoved it into the same box where she shoved "Eddna," "Room 22," and "missing bone." Even so, she's hesitant to approach Nanami for a while. Still, she finally comes towards her.]

...Nanami...?

[raisingproject]

I guess.

[She really can't argue with that, given what her life was like when she was alive. Still, it's weird to be on this side of things for once.]

And honestly, I know all that stuff sounds really creepy, but it's all...harmless? Mostly.

[She's pretty sure, but it's one of those things where you never really know.]

It's just weird, that's all.

[She sounds entirely desensitized to the whole thing.]

[selfloving]

I think I reserve the right to blame whomever I choose, don't you think? [Her tone remains even.]

[selfloving]

[The keys are going to be coming up a lot in her conversations this week... One puts a mental pin in that, and in the scare quotes around "world."]

Save myself...[Heh.] I'd settle for staying dead in body and mind. Dead could at least mean dead in this place.

[telecosmetic]

[Eliza's brow wrinkles.] So what? Recette didn't place all six votes on you! Or make you fight to the death instead of do a tiebreaker vote! Or actually stab you!

Dr2 and dr3 spoilers

[raisingproject]

[He stares at his shoes and changes. Long black hair spills out over his back and the edge the bench. He looks over at her with red eyes. He opens his mouth to speak and his voice is fairly close to the one she heard in that last trial.] It's real, Nanami. All of it.

[crossingout]

If you want to stay dead permanently, that's no skin off my back, since I can exorcise ghosts. It's my job.

[selfloving]

[Now that's a surprise. Her eyebrows raise noticeably.]

All of those things were already yours?

[For the first time, her attention really leaves the meeting conversation and moves to the ghost. She's more interested in the rooms upstairs than what's going on in front of them right now.]

[raisingproject]

Some of them. I didn't have them when it all, but as things go on, you pick up stuff, some of it from home, if you're lucky, some of it not, if you're...not.

[She was lucky, apparently.]

The shirt's mine, the book's mine, I found the radio back home. The phone...I guess that's mine too even if I never actually took it with me.

[Continuing to just sound like the spooky phone is no big deal.]

This is weird, but as much as a creep as the guy on the line was...it's almost kind of comforting to have something from home.

[selfloving]

[One lifts her chin slightly to acknowledge what he's said. Cavorting about with ghosts...what a sad unlife this is. But she'll have to give this girl in the hospital a visit.]

I'm afraid that doesn't help me now. [She gestures with her hand at her very-dead self.] Anyway, it did its job. It kept us in one space for long enough.

[selfloving]

Good to know that one part of your story was true.

Then, by the time we're finished with this game, I'll hold you to it. It's the next best thing if I'll never see my world again.