☆ 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.

---

Comments

[theotherother]

[Yeah, he heard it all right.]

How the hell would it be more interesting?

[hawthorned]

Oh, let's just say that I'm tired of sob stories is all. It seems everywhere you turn in this dreary little hellscape, someone has some dumb little tearjerker about "h-how it wasn't really their f-fault" and that "they r-really had no choice" and I'm sick of it.

Is that so wrong?

[theotherother]

[Well, it was his fault and he did have a choice, but...]

You know, I'd think you'd be happier with that, rather than stuck with a bunch of cold-blooded murderers.

[He doesn't sound as thrown off by this as he did a moment ago. He's kind of got the gist of it, not the specifics, but...]

But then again, that's all bullshit, right?

[hawthorned]

Don't be silly, of course it isn't. I would have vastly preferred that while I was alive; I don't have a death wish, you know. But now that we're dead, I hardly see how being surrounded by cold blooded killers is going to hurt me.

[A shrug.]

But that's all besides the point. You really had me convinced it wasn't you who killed that sweet girl.... and you got away with it by killing Miss One, too. Truly, I'm shocked.

[theotherother]

[He'd point out that being dead doesn't mean you can't get hurt, but like she said, besides the point.]

I wasn't...

[He doesn't know why he even bothers explaining, but...]

If I could've found a way to get what I wanted without doing that, I would've. I didn't want to kill either of them. If Eliza hadn't come at me with that weapon...

[Not that it matters now anyway.]

[hawthorned]

[If Dahlia actually disliked Kaine, she'd deliberately obfuscate the point by twisting his words, but she doesn't dislike him... so congrats on that dubious achievement, Kaine.]

Mm, you were really going after Zack, weren't you? Strange how the butterfly effect works.. in failing to kill him, you indirectly caused him to do on a murderous rampage that led to two people dying....

Was that wish worth it at least?

[theotherother]

He would've done some fucked up bullshit like that anyway. Trust me, I know the type.

[He sees it whenever he looks into the mirror, but even he's not pathetic enough to actually say that one.]

And yeah, it was worth it. Especially now that I'm here.

[Assuming it wasn't all a lie anyway. He tries to not think about that possibility.]

[hawthorned]

Mhm. Sooner or later, something would have set him off. A hair trigger temper and no brains.... such an ugly combination of traits.

[She never did see why Miach was so fond of the guy in the end.]

Maybe you actually like that though. Telling yourself it was inevitable seems like it'd make it easier to sleep at night...

[That gets a bit of a giggle.]

But I'm not judging you or anything... if anything I'm pleased to hear your wish was worth it to you. I hope it came true.

[theotherother]

[He's just staring because it sure sounds like all Dahlia's done is judge people through this entire conversation. Well, partially because of the judging, but moreso because...]

...why?

[No seriously, why would she even care?]

[hawthorned]

[Deep Sigh.]

Should I go out of my way to wish you failed miserably then?

[A beat.] Or is this your way of reminding me that I had my heart ripped out of body?

[theotherother]

No, I...

[Okay, after the other thing.]

No, definitely not. I wouldn't want to remind anyone of something like that.

[hawthorned]

[A pause. She isn't glaring at him exactly, but there's a defiant look in her eyes.]

It certainly wasn't how I expected to die.

[If anything, it'd have been the gallows, but even that had seemed nonapplicable to her. After all, she was always just one step ahead of the fools around her. Or so she thought. Rather bitterly she continues:]

But I suppose that's what almost everyone says.

[theotherother]

From experience, yeah, that's usually how it goes.

[If someone told him how any of his deaths went, he would've probably just stared at them.

He feels like should say more, but what? Saying she didn't deserve that's pointless because it happened, it doesn't matter what anyone deserved. Saying they'll hopefully catch the murderer's no good either since it doesn't do them any good. And he's still not sure how he feels about some of the things she said earlier, so he's got nothing here.]

[hawthorned]

[Another moment passes and for a second she just looks tired, but that smooths over into more straightforward/cooler demeanor.]

What was the last thing you saw before you died?

[Revenge, after all, is pretty much the only thing that really matters anymore.]

[theotherother]

My arm.

[Hang on, he'll clarify.]

On the ground.

[hawthorned]

Attacked from behind then.

[She should probably have extended some platitude before diving right into that, but if Kaine's going to object everytime she does now, she doesn't see the point.]

You didn't hear anyone approach, I take it.

[theotherother]

Yeah.

[Not exactly the most dignified death for a superhero, but also somehow far from the worst.]

Even if I had, I wouldn't have thought much of it. There wasn't a motive, and nobody tried anything earlier, so it wouldn't have made sense for someone to attack me over it weeks later.

[hawthorned]

[She nods at that. Kaine's death hadn't made sense to anyone at the time. Not that the rest of the week made more sense as it progressed, but.]

I didn't see much either. They moved incredibly quickly... I saw a blur of pink and white. I made an attempt to blast them out of existence, but I suppose I should have stuck to your advice all along.

[She shakes her head with a quiet laugh.]

But that's not important anymore either. I'm going to work out who it was and do whatever it takes to end them and the mastermind, too. What will you do, Mr Kaine?

[theotherother]

I'll do what I can. I can't do anything about what I've done, but if I can keep more people from ending up here, then there's no other choice.

[He's given this some thought. He doesn't really know what to do other than look for places to put the keys, but that's something...right?]

[hawthorned]

[She'll raise an eyebrow.]

Isn't wanting to save people what got you into this tangled mess?

[theotherother]

Kind of.

[hawthorned]

[There's more she can say about this, but she opts to shake her head.]

Once a superhero, always a superhero it seems.

[theotherother]

Yeah, it's not the kind of thing that stops when you're dead.

[He just sighs because he wishes it did.]

At least that's what I'd heard before, turns out it's true. Go figure.

[hawthorned]

That seems more like a self-fulfilling prophecy if you ask me, Mr Kaine.

[Smiling angelically while she plays devil's advocate here:]

You could do nothing, you know... Some might even argue you've earned a rest.

[theotherother]

Yeah, who? I'm pretty sure killing someone and then killing a second person to cover my ass earns me the exact opposite of that.