WORLD -1

[monoguests]

[...huh, didn’t you die? Well, maybe you didn’t. You might wake up feeling like you just woke up from a really vivid nightmare that you can still sort of feel the effects of or something… sure, you’re still in your old cabin, but maybe you can go out and see everyone?

...except when you go out, while it seems like the same old camp, things are a little… strange and pixelated. Also, the walls seem to have come down, but if you try to cross the barriers of where the walls were, you’ll find yourself right back at your cabin door.

Welcome to World -1, kids. You’re probably going to be here a while… and you may not actually be alone, either.]

[OOC: Welcome to the wonderful world of post-death sidequesting! "Sidequesting," you may ask? Well... you'll get an explanation soon enough.]

Comments

[tsungeonsanddragons]

[Okay. So. Apparently the Afterlife, if that's what this is, looks just like the camp except a helluva lot more creepy. G R E A T. Just what she wanted to see. Still, there isn't really much else to do except explore, so she decides to do that. Better than letting her mind wander.

...besides. If Dark Pit was here, then maybe...maybe he was here as well. It's just a guess, of course. She's not even sure where to look, but once she's on her feet she keeps walking. Walking to find her friends. Walking to get away from what she's done. Walk to find a reason to all this.

Eventually, she spots something. It's far away, but it...kind of looks like a person. Without wasting any time, she dashes over toward the body, stopping abruptly when she recognizes it.]

Yomiel?!

[theothersissel]

Huh? What?

[He looks up, eyes narrowing behind his sunglasses. At first, it seems like a mirage. He simply can't be seeing what he's seeing. It can't be true. He didn't see her die, but she was dragged along as well, and...]

[No. He has to be hallucinating. He shakes his head, grasping his head.]

What is this?! Why am I seeing this...??

[tsungeonsanddragons]

[...not the reaction she's hoping for. In fact, it's the extra opposite. Without even thinking, she runs over to him, kneeling down by his side and shaking him.]

Yomiel? Yomiel! It's me, Clair!

[theothersissel]

No no no, you're dead, I'm...you can't be alive, that idiot bear killed you too...!

[He kind just doesn't know how to explain the shaking, though. He can't really truly feel it, but the pressure is there.]

I...are you real?

[tsungeonsanddragons]

Your timing is as impeccable as ever.

[As tactful as ever.]

But yes, I'm real. As real as everything else here, anyway.

[theothersissel]

...

[He doesn't know why she's here. It's impossible. He stares at her as if expecting her to disappear. She doesn't.]

[So if he's here, and she's here...what is this, some sort of demented afterlife?]

[He suddenly reaches out and grabs her by the shoulders, shaking her - his voice is filled with anger.]

Why the hell are you here? Why did you do something like that, huh?! I did all I could to stop you from pressing your own damn button!

[tsungeonsanddragons]

[Not this again. Just seeing him again hurts as much as it feels good, but doing this...fighting with him...it hurts. She almost doesn't want to start again, but she does.]

And what, leave you to die on your own? Live, just so I could see everyone I love drop like flies? You think that's mercy? That you were doing me some big favor by trying to stop me?! Even after every single stupid thing you did, I couldn't afford losing someone else I care about!

[theothersissel]

You could find other people to care about! I was doomed from the second I killed her, you didn't need to throw away your life for me...!

[He can't stand it. Another person's life he's responsible for taking away. Why? Why does this keep happening to him?]

I've already died on my own, it's not like I needed you to help me along with the process, Clair!

[tsungeonsanddragons]

And you could've not killed her!

[Yet again, her hands are shaking.]

None of it makes any sense! Even if you were dead back home, Monobear brought you back! You had a body! And you had me, and the rest of our friends! So why kill her?! Why did you risk your own happiness?! NONE OF IT ADDS UP!

[theothersissel]

Because that's what I do! I ruin things! I-I saw that video and I...I wasn't thinking. I just acted on instinct, you know? I've been killing so many people to just cover up what happened to me, and I...I was like a machine, Clair. I realized that I could never escape those ten years of darkness, even if I was alive, and I just...acted. I killed her, like it was nothing, because that's what I was used to doing.

[He shudders.]

Being alive didn't give me the happiness I wanted. It just reminded me of how broken I actually am. And all of those people, you, you couldn't...you would never be able to fix that.

[tsungeonsanddragons]

But you don't have to escape your past! You can face it! In the end, you told everyone! And I still...

[Oh no. No, not again. She can't let her emotion take over.]

I...I still loved you! And I still care about you now! Just because you're broken...doesn't mean you can't be fixed...

[Boy. Where did she hear that from.]

Don't push me away, Yomiel. Not again.

[theothersissel]

Why, Clair? Why do you love me, huh?

[He lets out a strained laugh, looking her in the eye.]

There are better people out there...and here I am, just a dead man. I mean, look-

[He grasps her hand, pulling it towards his chest.]

Nothing. No heartbeat. I can't even feel pain anymore, Clair. And that's the type of guy you want to be with?

[tsungeonsanddragons]

Would you just shut up. I've had enough of the self-pity. I let myself drown in it, but I'm not going to let you suffer the same fate.

[Even if she can't feel his heart beating, she knows he's not a soulless monster. Pulling her hand away from his chest, she uses it to grab his hand and hold it tight.]

Besides, if you didn't want me getting attached, you shouldn't have kissed me back. Shouldn't have returned my advances. Deep down, you knew you wanted to be happy. Knew you had a shot. For a while, you had hope. Granted, we both lost it for a while, but...we're here now. Together. We can make this work.

[theothersissel]

...

Yeah. I did. I did have hope, for a while, that things would work out, and...

[Well, he messed that up, for sure.]

You'd do that for me? Stay together with me, even when we're both dead?

[tsungeonsanddragons]

Of course. Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on you.

[Though that last bit is said playfully. Or as playfully as she can manage. HOW DO YOU LIKE GETTING TEASED, JERK.]

[theothersissel]

I guess I do find myself in trouble more often than not, huh?

[There's a small sliver of a smile on his face. Just a teeny tiny one.]

...I'm sorry, Clair. I shouldn't have done that. Any of that.

[tsungeonsanddragons]

[The cutest little smile.]

You're right. You shouldn't have. But...you're not the only one at fault, here. I did some downright stupid things as well. Following along with you was probably one of them, but...I couldn't let you be alone any more.

[Her smile falters, as she looks away.]

And...I suppose Alastor's right. I am a coward. Or at least I was.

[theothersissel]

I wouldn't call you a coward, but...I mean, I can't say that it was the wisest decision, either. But the past is the past.

[He sighs, his hand squeezing hers.]

I guess we just have to...move on, I suppose.

[tsungeonsanddragons]

Yomiel...

[Holy Miltank. That's like...the nicest thing he's ever said. Maybe even the most romantic. She nods quickly in response, squeezing his hand again in return.]

You're right. The only thing left to do is keep moving forward. It might not be easy, but...we can make it through this.

[theothersissel]

[He nods, pushing himself off the ground. He brushes off his suit jacket instinctively, before turning back to her.]

Alright, so...uh, you wanna go find out what's going on?

[tsungeonsanddragons]

I ran into Dark Pit on the way here. He told me that he'd explain later. For now, though, we should be resting.

[theothersissel]

[He kind of looks awkward when he hears that last statement.]

If what I think happened to me is true, then...er, well, I don't know if I'll be able to. Rest, that is.

[tsungeonsanddragons]

...I don't quite follow. Is this related to your current body?

[theothersissel]

Yeah. Before I came here, my body was more like a husk. Like, it worked fine and all, but sleeping and breathing? I couldn't do that.

It might be the same here...I mean, the lack of heartbeat, that's not really a good sign.

[tsungeonsanddragons]

Oh...

[Oh boy, here comes another rousing round of "find the right words to say".]

I see. That's fine, then. Even if your body's like a husk now, it doesn't change how I feel about you. [...gosh that's actually of embarrassing. Um.] So don't. Worry.