GRAVEYARD.

[guestservices]

GRAVEYARD

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today...

...to be super dead. No, did you think you were getting a funeral? Sorry.

When you wake up, no matter how you died, you'll find yourself all in one piece, inside of a fairly large box that upon further inspection may in fact be a coffin. However, throwing the lid off isn't too difficult, and as you step out of your own grave, you'll find yourself standing in a cemetery behind a large mansion, where an iron gate stands between you and the entrance. Thankfully, the moment you approach, dirty and tired as you are, the gate swings open, and you're allowed immediate entrance into the mansion.

The mansion itself is a little dusty, and the furnishings are vintage at best, but... hey, it's home. Why don't you explore a little?

★

FIRST FLOOR.

★ On the first floor is a parlor and sitting area. On one of the tables is a phone, which as of Week 3, Saturday has a dial tone and can be used to contact hotel staff. In addition to that is a kitchen stocked with food - not to mention a large wine cellar full to the bursting with every kind of wine you could imagine. Vintage!

★ Walking down a long hallway, you'll find a laundry room with a washbin and a washboard, a few closets full of dusty old clothes, a large library, and an ornate dining room with a crystal chandelier.

Of note, the dining room in particular has a very tall wall of what look like portraits to one side. If you walk closer, however, you may notice that the portraits are moving - and appear to actually be holding black and white images of your friends (and enemies?) back in the hotel, so you can monitor their activities. That's nice!

★ At the very end of the first floor hallway is another door - this one is locked with a padlock. It has a message painted on the door.... Don't dead? Anyway, it seems you can't check just stroll in there! From the looks of it it would be ill-advised to attempt to break in. Occasionally there are muffled shrieks coming from beyond the door. Hmm!


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★

SECOND FLOOR.

★ On the second floor of the mansion is a series of bedrooms. Just like the hotel, you'll find a room already booked with your name on a nameplate on the door - and a portrait of yourself, as well as your hostage, hanging just above the nameplate. The inside of the rooms are simple - a bed with red covers, a desk with a typewriter, and a small bathroom with a toilet and a clawfoot tub. Provided that you didn't give your belongings away, you'll find all of them on your bed, waiting for you upon your arrival.

★ A dumbwaiter sits at the end of the hallway of bedrooms. Inside of it is a typewriter, and a golden bell labeled as Virgo's. A small sign above the dumbwaiter says: PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT STAFF BY LEAVING A MESSAGE. VIRGO MAY ALSO BE SENT A TIP AND RUNG. PULL THE LEVER TO PRESS SEND. - STAFF

It seems you can reach out to the hotel staff by leaving a message or ringing the bell, though your options are limited for the latter. Sure enough, a lever in the wall next to the dumbwaiter is currently set to the "down" position. Push it to "up" and watch your message disappear.

★ Beside the dumbwaiter is one last bedroom. This room is marked with a plaque that says "Dream Suite", and has several familiar constellations decorating the door. Occasionally, when you ring the bell by the dumbwaiter while thinking of a member of Hotel Staff on the living side, the corresponding constellation on the door will light up, and you'll feel as though you should walk in. Inside, there is a line of comfortable beds. Lie down in one, and you'll have a dreamlike "in person" audience with the NPC you had attempted to contact.

★

OUTDOORS.

★ Outside of the mansion is a small garage. The ground here is worn down and thin, and you can almost make out what look like railroad tracks embedded in the dirt. Inside of the garage is a rattly old car that moves along those little railroad tracks, from the garage to the mansion front, and then back all the way around to the cemetery.

★ The cemetery where you first awaken is a direct copy of the cemetery outside of the hotel - right down to the placement of statues, mausoleums, and the creepy atmosphere. Your grave remains after you wake up in it, in case you want to take a dirt nap.

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N̸A̵V̴I̶G̶A̶T̴I̴O̸N̷.̷

█ LOCATIONS █ STATUSES █ PROFILES █ AUDIENCES
█ REPORTING █ PRIVATE CONVOS █ MURDER

Comments

[sageguidance]

[ If only he was in a better mood, Alphinaud would actually laugh. Sieghart does get the faintest hint of an amused smile, though, if perhaps a little strained. ]

Yes, if you'd believe it. I heard the food was terrible.

[ercnerd]

[Sieghart's smile widens. That's a good start.]

Believe me when I say that the mansion is an improvement. We have actual ingredients here, and Souji to cook them.

[sageguidance]

Hah... I do believe you. I've not heard any favorable things about the daycare, so I do promise not to complain.

[ercnerd]

[The only thing is that the bear was so much friendlier than Virgo is.]

What's that? It may be an improvement, but that still doesn't make it ideal. If you want to complain, nobody's going to stop you.

[sageguidance]

[ ... ]

I... I don't know.

I do not have it in me to do so, to speak true.

[ercnerd]

Then don't.

[He doesn't say it unkindly. Ultimately, the choice to voice discontent or not is Alphinaud's.]

. . . I'm curious, though. Do you remember who did it?

[sageguidance]

[ His gaze falls, but: ]

Yes, I do. I was not able to evade him for very long, but it was long enough that I had very much seen who pursued me.

[ercnerd]

[It was clever, what Alphinaud—but so was the culprit, from the looks of things.]

Who was it?

[sageguidance]

... Diluc.

[ercnerd]

So it was him . . .

[sageguidance]

Indeed, though I could not say why.

I had not exchanged words with him before.

[ercnerd]

Whether you're a friend or enemy doesn't matter. If it was the shadow at work, I barely knew Flayn, and Clementine cares about Cloud.

[That is, assuming that Diluc acted under the shadow's influence. Time will tell.]

I wouldn't think too much about the why for now.

[sageguidance]

... I—I suppose you are correct, though it is difficult not to.

[ercnerd]

I suppose not.

[Everyone processes their deaths and the aftermath differently. Sieghart folds his arms across his chest.]

By the way, did you ever receive my letter?

[sageguidance]

[ He looks up, slightly confused. ]

A letter? No. I've received no such thing from anyone.

[ercnerd]

. . . You didn't get anything at all? Not even something without words?

[sageguidance]

[ he's thinking REALLY hard, but only ends up shaking his head ]

Was I supposed to...?

[ercnerd]

Hmm . . . Well, it was only a possibility. Don't worry about it.

Did anyone ever mention hearing from us?

[sageguidance]

[ ...? well, ok. ]

If they had, it was not with me. I had not considered the possibility, as back in Wiwaldi, there was only that scroll the dead could use to communicate.

[ercnerd]

I asked Virgo for a means of correspondence on my first week here. They set out a box to collect typed letters. I didn't pen one under your name, but I did submit a handful.

[sageguidance]

Oh. I see...

I am uncertain, then. Mayhap I ought to pen one of my own requesting that they give us some sort of sign they have received such letters.

[ercnerd]

Oh, that's an idea. I knew bringing this up to you would be the correct choice.

[sageguidance]

[ He looks mildly surprised at that. ]

Erm—yes. Though they may expect that we are able to view them from where we are, I think it would be best if we could confirm it for them, as well. As far as I recall, however, there is no way for them to respond to us...

[ercnerd]

There's no need for a response. As long as we receive a sign in return, that should be sufficient communication for the time being. But confirming that we can observe them is a good idea.

[sageguidance]

[ a nod ]

Quite. I shall write my letters on the morrow, then.