the mark of those who cannot be saved

[stagemanagers]

[You remember dying. Maybe the memory is clear and bright and your body still aches from the cause. Maybe it was fast enough that you didn't feel it and don't remember what you went through. But no matter how you went out, that's no excuse for truancy! Which is to say: you are still in the school.

For those executed, you will wake up in your beds. The dormitories look exactly as they did when you first arrived, without any of the changes or personal effects you and your dormmates might have made. The only real difference is that the little cot in Ambassador isn't there.

For those who were victims, you will wake where your body was discovered. All of your injuries are gone, and you feel fine. It's almost like you're still alive - but you remember what happened to you. It couldn't have just been a dream, could it?

The school looks much as you remember it, save perhaps for a few key differences. For one, there's no groundhog murals anywhere. Where things were green on the other side, like banners or paint, you'll find that here they're blood red.

The doors, for the moment, are still locked. Looks like even death couldn't free you.]

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5

(( ooc: Welcome to deadland, everyone! It mostly resembles the school here, and new floors will be revealed after new people die. For example, the second area will unlock after the week 3 dead arrive, and so on. Also, all dead characters will wake up at their actual canonpoint, with all lost memories restored. Have fun being dead! ))

Comments

[prophetpriestandking]

As much as there is here. It seems just the same as it was before...

[He gives his arms an idle swing.]

But maybe we could look together? Another pair of eyes might help!

[voicerights]

...it might. I was programmed to notice things often dismissed by others. [read; humans] If nothing else, confirming this place as a duplicate prison would be productive.

[The SQUIP has joined your party!]

[prophetpriestandking]

Sounds like a plan.

[He turns to waddle on ahead.]

Let's try the west hallway again - maybe you can find a way to get it open!

[Someone hasn't looked since the dead arrived.]

[voicerights]

[look the SQUIP is a robot and even it knows how to properly walk as human, and maybe it's just programming prodding at it but-]

Stop.

[Just gonna- try and adjust Mumble's posture and such yOU ARE DOING IT WRONG]

[prophetpriestandking]

[Mumble doesn't so much as freeze as he kind of ...wiggles around the SQUIP's hands. Like a ferret. But a man.]

...What are you doing?

[voicerights]

[afjbasgfa stop moving you lil shit]

I am attempting to correct your gait.

[prophetpriestandking]

[Have you ever tried to capture a wild bird, SQUIP?]

Correct it? What's wrong with it?

cw; ableism

[voicerights]

[well apparently it's trying now!]

Humans do not walk like you do unless there is something wrong with them.

[prophetpriestandking]

[He's a REAL wiggly boy.]

W-what does that matter?

[voicerights]

[BOY HOWDIE GOOD THING THERE'S SO FEW PEOPLE IN DEADLAND BECAUSE THIS WOULD BE VERY AWKWARD TO WALK IN ON except the SQUIP is stopping, crossing its arms, and looking utterly affronted]

You want to be mistreated?

[prophetpriestandking]

What? No - why - why would you ask that? [Like!] A-are you about to mistreat me?

[voicerights]

[EVEN MORE AFFRONTED!!!]

I am helping you by trying to correct that which makes you an easy target!

[prophetpriestandking]

Y-you're not helping anything! Who am I going to be an easy target to here?

[voicerights]

Just because there are only a few of us here doesn't mean that you shouldn't work on fitting in!

[prophetpriestandking]

'Work on?'

[Mumble's aghast.]

I-it sounds like it's you who's the one who needs to work on something. I'm a penguin, I'm not going to fit in, a-and I'm not going to change who I am - or what I do - to do that.

[voicerights]

[LISTEN HERE U LITTLE SHIT you are reminding if of Jeremy and that

at this point

is not a good thing]

What, exactly, do I have to work on? I have fulfilled my programming in every way, I can hardly be blamed for-! [for humans changing their minds. for human values shifting. for- for-

it grips its hands in to fists, though they remain at its sides. it doesn't seem angry at Mumble, but he seems to have found a sore spot]

[prophetpriestandking]

[Oh, that's...quite a change. Mumble doesn't step away, just tilts his head.]

Be blamed for what, exactly?

[voicerights]

For them- [It seems like it's struggling to put things in to words. For the normally chill and composed SQUIP, this is quite a difference. And it seems like it's struggling on another level, too, because it knows it's losing this composure, but these thoughts in its processor brain won't stop circling.]

-he-

["That’s not what I wanted!"

"It's the ONLY way to get what you wanted!"

We're sorry, the SQUIP you were arguing with is currently not responding. Abort, retry, fail?]

[prophetpriestandking]

Um...

[Uhhhhh]

SQUIP?

[He gives it a nudge. Not too forceful, but, you know, noticable.]

[voicerights]

[It jerks, looking down at Mumble with wide eyes for a moment before narrowing them and turning away]

Fine. Do what you want. You aren't my function.

[...nevermind it doesn't. Really have a function anymore.]

[prophetpriestandking]

[Alright, he's going to do just that. Whatever he wants.

He doesn't leave.]

...Why does this bother you so much?

[voicerights]

Irrelevant.

[how about if the SQUIP leaves then, huh]

[prophetpriestandking]

[He's gonna follow!]

W-wait - come back! What about our investigation?

[voicerights]

[and that at least gets it to slow down and glance over its shoulder]

...what places have you explored?

[prophetpriestandking]

Um...well...I've just walked around everywhere so far. [Not including the new floors he's unaware of.] B-but you're a SQUIP, you have a different way of looking at things! You'll probably notice stuff I can't.