GRAVEYARD

[maladied]

THE MUSEUM

GRAVEYARD

LOBBY
THE LANDING. EXHIBIT #04
COMFORT. EXHIBIT #09
VIEWING. EXHIBIT #03
GARDEN EXHIBIT #--
???

So, you’ve met your end and regardless of your beliefs, the expectation is that is where things end. Rebirth. Damnation. Salvation. A simple black screen… None of those things happen; how (un)fortunate for you. How jarring it must be to have your last moments not be your final moments. On the bright side, all the injuries you’ve sustained are no longer present. You’re as good as new!

Now, whether you’ve met your end violently, peacefully, or something between the two, you’ll find yourself sat in front of a sprawling behemoth of a wall tastefully covered from floor to ceiling (where is the ceiling?) with various objects on display. All of them carefully and neatly framed or kept safe within a box attached to the wall. Not only that, but there are cages hanging from the “ceiling” that contain even more objects for viewing. However, other than the walls, the hanging cages, and the bench—there is no padding on the bench; only a cold, hard surface that does not give—you find yourself sitting on, the rest of this room is completely empty.

At least, after giving a survey of the area, it will be obvious that it isn’t an enclosed space. There is an opening to a hallway—hopefully. Only one way to find out. Spoilers, there are many, many, many other rooms that make up this place.

Oh, but just what is all out on display?

Well, it varies and depends on who is looking. The hanging cages contain skeletons of creatures from home. Whose home? Your home. It’s the same story for everything that has been framed. They’re all images, items, objects—things—from home. Your home. Fortunately, not everything is familiar as unfamiliar items are included in equal parts. How did they all get here? What are they all doing here?

Have you considered the similarities between a museum and a graveyard? Both are places where the living go to marvel at the dead.

EXHIBIT #04 - COMFORT

Likely the first room that you’ll come across after moving from the initial room. This room feels just as grand and just as empty as that room, but at least the walls aren’t covered in things from (your) home. Instead, there will be surfaces to claim, if you wish. Beds, sofas, couches, chaises lounge, bean bags, you name it—if someone could consider it comfortable then it will be present in all shapes, sizes, and variations. The only real catch is that each surface will be displayed individually and cannot be moved. Obviously.

Against one of the walls is a very small plaque that reads:

[ FOR DISPLAY ONLY – DO NOT TOUCH ]

Oops.

EXHIBIT #09 - VIEWING

What’s a museum without some sort of media installation, hm?

For this room, there is only one thing and one thing only—a projector. For much of the time the projector being on (you can’t turn it off. In fact, where is the projector?), it won’t be displaying anything but a white light on the blank wall opposite of it.

However, while the wall is blank, every so often it’s possible to hear faint voices coming from above. Especially during the night before—you know.

EXHIBIT #03 - GARDEN

It’s here that you can finally see the ceiling even if it’s still more of a “sky” than a true ceiling. Those with keen eyes will be able to tell that it’s an artificial sky, and, for those who are less aware, then how it randomly flickers should help with that. Or not. Regardless, the presence of a “sky” isn’t the only surprising thing about this room—it might not even be the first thing that goes noticed. Despite all the expansive and seemingly never-ending hallways that lead to rooms that are void of anything living, this room is alive. Somehow.

A small plaque on the wall will describe this exhibit as an “interactive” medium with gentle suggestions to not be too rough with anything. This exhibition will be a picturesque garden full of all kinds of flowers and plants with a small pond with lily pads and lotus located towards the center of the room. The only physical structure within this room is a very small and simple gazebo containing two chairs and a small table. Perfect for having afternoon tea—if that’s your kind of thing. However, if you were hoping to listen to any bird song, look at what animals have taken residence in the pond, or generally any other kind of life then you’ll be disappointed.

EXHIBIT # — ???

Nothing is on display in this room; all that is there is just empty walls, empty “ceilings”, empty floors…

The only thing that can be found is a small, simple white card free from any kind of writing. A completely blank card. If you try to take it out of the room, it will instantly disappear from wherever it was stored and return to the room.

BACK TO TOP

Comments

[renjou]

( damn the compliments he gave were so good but he's also morally bankrupt )

—And why on earth did you intend to do that?

[slacksnark]

[Haha! Yeah.]

Couldn't think of another reason why I'd be given my magecraft back and she was annoying.

[renjou]

You receive your abilities back, and instead of waiting to alert the others to discuss this matter, your first guess is that you ought to kill?

( Believe it or not, this is less severe than he could be. Compliment debt...

But it does cross his mind that, if Lynne had died, Zvei may not have. And he feels awful for that thought. )

This has nothing to do with being human or half. Your values are utterly reprehensible. I cannot imagine how someone can hold respect for that which is broken but disrespect a life mid-bloom, and for such arbitrary reason.

[slacksnark]

["I'm sorry, but I can't understand your kind of love"

Beryl looks a little subdued.]

... Yeah. Most people don't get it. I don't think I was born into the world for any purpose a normal human could understand.

[renjou]

( ... )

I am not human.

( He's not saying that to Beryl, sort of - if his thinking is like enough to a human's that Beryl draws that comparison, then simply asserting it matters not at all to Beryl, and that is fine.

But. He isn't. He's not, in any way. It matters to Yuki.

He exhales with sharp frustration. )

So I will tell you to explain it to me. You have told me thus: you received your abilities back; you assumed this was a suggestion you ought to use your "magecraft" to kill; you sought to kill Miss Lynne because she annoyed you. What does this all have to do with your "purpose"?

[slacksnark]

There's plenty of other people here that could've gotten their powers back instead, but it was me.

As far as I can tell, someone who thinks the way I do isn't made for anything besides breaking things. You see?

[What else is he supposed to do besides kill.]

[renjou]

( ... )

... Is that what you were created for? To destroy? Or is it that you see no other path before you?

[slacksnark]

I dunno, both? I'm not really interested in trying to be "better" if that's what you're getting at.

[renjou]

And why not?

( Though his tone is stern, the question is genuine. )

[slacksnark]

Why should I? What's in it for me?

[renjou]

Are you happy the way you are?

[slacksnark]

Sure!

[renjou]

( Sighs. )

That doesn't seem a wholehearted answer.

( But he's also not Beryl's therapist, and he's not going to tell Beryl he has an obligation to tell him what's behind the black psyche locks. )

If you were well and truly created to destroy, then I will apologize for a portion of my statement. You cannot help the purpose you were crafted for. In this same breath, I must assert that I was created to protect, and so what you do runs contrary to my purpose, which I cannot and will not defy.

( So he will offer some leeway here but, but mind that he considers it a fair arrangement. )

But if there is something you can change, ( whatever that may or may not be, ) I will insist that you try, even if it is impossible. There are things I would like to change about myself that are certainly impossible, but I will try regardless. I would like to believe it is not the possibility of change that matters, so much as the desire to attempt it.

[slacksnark]

So wait, hold on, are you actually for real some sort of human sized doll? Like you were actually literally created for some predetermined use?

[He thought that was just the monster transformation...]

[renjou]

( yuki has literally forgotten who he's told or who he's not, he's so used to people in his tiny little "social" circle back home just knowing, so he... pauses, then nods. )

Yes, of course. ( He was also assuming Beryl was literally made with some literal purpose, whatever that was. Full determinism!!! ) I am normally a doll made of something like porcelain, nearly a foot tall. I generally cannot move or speak. It is only when my master calls upon me for service do I achieve this size, but I am still a doll. That I am at this size all the time is unusual for me.

[slacksnark]

[Wrow.... How cool. He's literally the shell, the artifice of a purpose, created to not have a will of its own? Beryl's reminded of Mash.]

I see! That explains why you took me so literally. Like other humans, I was just sorta born, you know? Usually no one comes into this world with an actual predetermined purpose. In fact a lot of people struggle with the idea that no one can know what their purpose in this world truly is, or if they have a reason to exist at all.

[renjou]

( This conversation in Yuki trying to gauge Beryl is just the we're so over / we're so back graph repeating indefinitely, )

Then what has made you so certain you were "created" to destroy? Perhaps I do not have a right to speak, as I am not the same kind of creature you are - a living, breathing thing that was born without a particular duty to fulfill - but I would suggest that beings like myself exist to ensure creatures like yourself can experience each infinite possibility before you.

You need not confine yourself to a singular purpose, like me. You need only to live, and coexist.

( "Coexist" is important here... Let's not go around killing people bbgirl... )

[slacksnark]

[He leans back in his seat which I'm assuming they have here because it's 9 hours of trial.]

It's funny that this is the afterlife, because whenever I was in a new city for a job, the first thing I'd do when I was done with work was go to the local art museum. I ended up being pretty well versed in understanding art. But I never feel the sort of emotions art evokes in people, you know? They say making art, that act of creation, is an act of love. I can't understand such a thing. For me, love is only something in the past tense. It's in that act of desctruction.

So tell me, if you really want to help, what else am I supposed to do?

[renjou]

( Oh when Beryl puts "love" into the equation,

Yuki's expression seems to shift precisely when Beryl says that word, but he still seems contemplative. )

... Must you kill to destroy? And— must you destroy a thing completely? You were the one who said you disagree with the human idea of throwing away that which is broken. Once it has been broken, does it lose its appeal to you?

[slacksnark]

[Yuki you need to stop being so willing to have sympathy.]

Of course not. But people don't really appreciate being broken even if you spare them the killing blow.

[renjou]

( So few believe him when he says he's wired to be a talking teddy bear but this is what it is to be one, )

So you would like to break them, but you would like them to love you for it, in turn. ( :pepenote: ) ... But something can only be broken so many times before it's entirely gone. Even so, would you push your love until this final end?

[slacksnark]

What other option do I have?

[Like genuinely he doesn't know what else you'd have him do, man.]

[renjou]

You can change. For instance, I do not believe harming Miss Lynne has much to do with love, past tense or no.

( Did Beryl think he was getting out of this that easily—

But, he will continue: )

But you can focus your efforts on finding individuals who suit you, as well. There may be those who think as you do, or who can accept love expressed in that way, or who cannot be fully destroyed. It may be perverse, but it need not involve innocent people.

( yuki treating this like its an insane kink BUT he's trying to be pragmatic. Telling someone to just be different is useless advice, but he does not think Beryl needs to deadend himself, even if his style of loving is, frankly, terrible. And this is because Beryl mixed "love" into it - and, as a doll, he is particularly sensitive to matters of love. )

[slacksnark]

Oh no, don't get me wrong, I kill people for plenty of other reasons.

[BERYL THIS ISN'T HELPING YOUR CASE. But he actually considers this for a long moment.]

.... I don't know, Yuki. That sounds like a lot of work especially since as far as I can tell, the only people here are you, me, Zvei, Reiju, and the dumbass that killed me.

[But technically he hasn't shot down the idea....]

[renjou]

( we're so over it's so back we're so over--

He sighs sharply, arms folded in his sleeves. sTOP KILIGN PEOPL

...

He is thoughtful for a time. )

... If you can promise to be on decent behavior so long as I am around, and if you can promise it is done with love, I would not mind if you attempt to break me.

( Their injuries heal faster here and pain is weird here so? It's viable. This is frickt up but it's viable. )

I do not enjoy being broken, but I have been created to receive love. If what you say is true and genuine, then I would accept how you express it, as well.

( So, ultimately, there's a bit of a caveat - it really depends on if there's love involved during or long after. But if it is done with love, during the destruction, then ... love is love, all the same. This is what he was made for, and it is what he instinctively, voraciously seeks. )