"Skill and survival are the only things that matter" [open]

[swordofajerk]

[There's a moment of disorientation, of feeling like he's slipping into (or out of) something, and then suddenly there is a Spectre in the middle of Limbo yelling and shoving the other Spectres nearby out of his way and reaching for something that should be on his hip but isn't and all he can thing of is he needs something.

Sword? Maybe? That feels right, he needs a sword. Where can he get one, why doesn't he have one, why does he want one, why the hell is he suddenly aware of the fact that he is dead?]

Dammit. What the hell is going on--

Comments

[mementomoritz]

Well, some people might prefer a badly-made sword to no sword at all. I have no idea what your priorities are.

[She just met him and all she knows about his personality is "swords", there's not really much room for assumptions at this point.]

Besides, the only other way I'm aware of to get a sword would be to accept the duty of becoming an Executor, meet with Rei to have her bestow on you the power to guard the afterlife itself, and just hope the form you take in battle comes with a sword included. Which seemed like a lot to start off with right away?

[BUT OPENING WITH "GOOD MORNING, YOU DIED" WAS FINE???]

[swordofajerk]

[Yeah, the man is giving her a Look again.

But also.]

Fine. Where is she?

[mementomoritz]

I'll just call her... [She pulls out her cell phone, snaps a quick picture of him, and sends it to the group chat captioned miss rei i found another one.]

[There's also an image description that says new eidolon, tall, dark-haired, REALLY wants a sword, because she wants to make sure Phoenix feels included.]

She'll probably be here soon!

[swordofajerk]

[He flinches against the flash of the camera, and he looks even more annoyed (a feat previously thought impossible).]

What was that?

[mementomoritz]

Oh, this is a cell phone! You can use them to send words and images over long distances, see? [Holding up the screen so he can see it.]

They're pretty useful, we can get you one if you want.

[swordofajerk]

[He gives it a cursory glance and then scoffs.]

I'll pass. If it's important I'll just find whoever it is I need to talk to, assuming there's more than you, me, and this Rei woman around.

[mementomoritz]

Oh, there's over a dozen of us at least! Which isn't a lot, when you consider the totality of everyone who's ever died, but it's still a lot more than we started with.

[swordofajerk]

And you are all...Executors?

[mementomoritz]

Yep! Executors are supposed to help protect the dead as they pass through the layers of Purgatory until they reach the bottom, so they can get reincarnated. It's a pretty straightforward system- but not the most efficient, if you ask me.

Then again, it's been broken for a while, so I might not have the clearest view. After all, I've never seen Purgatory working like it was really meant to- it'd be irresponsible of me to just assume it's never been any better.

[swordofajerk]

[A flat Look. Again.]

If you've never seen it working like it was "supposed to", why do you think it works at all?

[mementomoritz]

Rei says it used to, and I am choosing to take her word for it. Partially because I respect her, but mostly because we don't have any other concrete data and I have to start theorizing somewhere if I want to get anything done.

[Well, can't say she's not practical about it.]

[swordofajerk]

And she's the only source on how it's supposed to work?

[mementomoritz]

She's the only one of us who's actually been awake that long. But we do have confirmation from at least one other person about how the system works! Now, she did try to kill us all multiple times, so that's a bit of a personal conflict, but the other information checks out.

[Let's be honest, Medic stopped giving a shit about Esme the second Esme stopped being a threat to anything she personally cared about. Grudges and guilt are both things for people who aren't busy getting their science on.]

[swordofajerk]

I don't think taking the word of someone who apparently tried to kill you is a good idea.

[You, ma'am, are Batshit.]

So you're taking the word of one person no one can vouch for, and the word of a woman who tried to kill you. [A beat.] A...gain?

[mementomoritz]

The terminology does get really confusing, doesn't it... I've been working on some potential alternate terms! How do you feel about diapausation? I like the implications, but I feel like it might be a little clunky to say.

[swordofajerk]

I don't know what that word means.

YEET

[phantasmagorial]

[ Thankfully, Rei's been hanging around Limbo a little more than she usually would when they have a new Layer to explore, mostly because Avaritia kind of gives her a migraine if she stays there too long. So it doesn't take her too long for her to come and find Medic and their new ally, but the first words out of her mouth when she arrives, out of breath from having run the entire goddamn way– ]

I–I'm sorry I'm late! Or um– that I took so... n–never mind!

[ They haven't even exchanged a word and she's already gotten herself flustered. ]

[swordofajerk]

[And now he is sizing this girl up.]

Are you Rei?

[phantasmagorial]

[ Visibly intimidated, she pulls herself up to her full height. Which........... is not particularly tall, but she's doing her best. ]

Y–yes...! Has Medic already explained everything to you, then?

[swordofajerk]

She said you can get me a sword. That's the only thing I remember--needing a sword.

[So. No. No she hasn't, but in her defense the guy didn't really care to ask for details.]

[phantasmagorial]

[ There's a pause as Rei looks from Medic, to this new Specter, to Medic again and then back to Scary Sword Boy, as if hoping an explanation will be forthcoming. ]

Um... I–I don't know if I can promise it'd be a sword, but...

[swordofajerk]

I'm not sure what else it could be.

[Nope. No explanation.]

Whatever it is, I'm in. For now.

[phantasmagorial]

A–are you absolutely sure?!

[ SHE SOUNDS A LITTLE STUNNED ]

Do you know about the fighting and the Authorities and the Cogs and– a–are you really sure you want to agree so easily?

[ She feels bad enough asking for their help at all, and the last thing she wants to do is spring Executor status on someone who doesn't know the full story. ]

[swordofajerk]

She mentioned something about "fixing" Purgatory. Is that what you mean by cogs and authorities?

[phantasmagorial]

Yes. We're fighting our way down to the bottom of Purgatory so we can try and repair the Cogs of Renewal. If they've broken down, no one will be able to move onto their next life and... well, things need to be fixed. But it's not easy, and you could get hurt.