video;

[feelslikeimspilling]

[ He'd not meant to hit the video function at first. He was simply fumbling around with his phone, half in a daze, half in a panic.

Spluttering, dropping his phone in his lap, hands shaking as they find their way to touch where the gaping wound to his throat should have been. Upon finding no such wound, and no scar or evidence there had even been a wound at all, Will picked his device back up again, holding it up to look at his own reflection in the screen. Raising his chin and tipping his head aside, searching his reflection. ]

I was... Where am I?

[ He'd never actually been inside of any of the Gods temples, let alone Hope's. So needless to say Will was having some difficulty in recognizing where he was. Flopping back onto the cool floor, his hands covering his face for a moment before he sprawled out. Will turned his head aside and noticed his fishing rod was laying down beside him. He'd had that with him when... When... ]

I ... I died? .... No, no... I was... Killed?

[ Looking into the screen, his eyes dashing and darting from side to side, deep in thoughts that were overflowing too thick and fast for him to contain. His brow furrowed and Will looked unsure as he spoke. ]

Is this a dream? I can't remember... I've lost all recollection of time and days... Am I still dreaming?

Comments

Video

[survivethis]

[When Jill saw Will appear on the network, she was quick to open a line of communication to respond.]

Will!

[Thank goodness he had come back. Yes, Jill knew the rules and had even died and returned once herself, but there was always an air of uncertainty. Now she knows how he felt when she took her life to save him. Not a great feeling.]

Are you at the temple? I'm on my way!

Video

[feelslikeimspilling]

Jill?

[Squinting, looking at the phone. So it was true. He was still in this cave? For a moment then, Will had thought that perhaps this was all some kind of messed up dream.

Rubbing his eyes, then his temples, Will shook his head. ]

I'm... I'm not sure where I am? I guess this is a temple?

[ Looking around curiously as he found his feet. ]

Jill, I don't even know what happened... I think I think I was murdered.

Video

[survivethis]

[Will is smart enough to figure it out, but that doesn't make it any easier to come to grips with.]

Yeah, I think you were, too. Dr. Lecter called me when he found your body by the river.

[It won't take her too long to get to the temple at the rate she's going, but he'll have to wait a short while.]

[action][WARNING: mention of violence and cannibalism]

[tablewithoutpity]

Hannibal has been spending most of his time sitting in Hope's temple, away to sleep, eat, take care of Will's pets, and prepare Will's heart. To be entirely honest, he had not expected Will's resurrection to take this long. He had first wrapped Will's heart in butcher's paper and set it amongst the other cuts of meat in the refrigerator. But when the third day came and Will had not returned, he has to decide what to do with his heart. He could have merely consumed it himself, a lonely and mournful dinner indeed. But the heart wrapped in butcher paper was rather like the heart that beat within his own chest. It was not his own, and it would be gravely inappropriate not to share it with his friend. So he took great pains to ensure that when (not if, because Hannibal was unwilling to even allow that to exist within his intricate imagination) Will returned, he would be able to commune with his friend in this intimate way.

As the days passed, though, that thought of if started to tease its way into Hannibal's mind. So many times had Hannibal attempted to kill his friend, entirely willing to bring an end to the man he loved. Yet every time Will managed to survive and return to Hannibal, much to Hannibal's great happiness. Yet now, when he succeeded in actually murdering his friend but not desiring his irrevocable end, would he lose Will forever? With every day it seemed more and more likely, much to his increasing sorrow. Not regret, not exactly, but certainly pathos. He sat in the airy, bright temple of Hope and wondered what would become of his heart if he did not have his Will to share it with.

He was lost in thought, standing next to Will as the river flowed past them, constant souls in endless, inconstant time. There was a sound, and then a voice, and Hannibal looked up to see Will upon the altar. Hannibal rose and moved toward his friend, the warmth of relieved joy spreading in his chest.

"Will."

[action]

[feelslikeimspilling]

Being dead was, well it was strange. Will had seen it happen here before. People died and Hope resurrected them, as good as new. But having it actually happen to him? Yeah, it felt very strange.

There was no dream, no life flashing before his eyes. Just the memories of his murder, the panic, the fear, the pain. Will was remembering it all as he lay there on the marble altar, moving to sit back up, letting his phone slide out from his hand. He couldn't handle people right now, there were too many emotions flooding through his head. Part of him felt guilty. Guilty that Hope of all people had to resurrect him when he'd so publiclay made his opinion of his unimportance clear. Perhaps he'd talk to him after this. Thank him for bringing him back or curse at him for not sending him to the afterlife, to Abigail...

"Hmm?" Did someone just call his name? Will looked around, spotting Hannibal just off to the side. "H-Hannibal!?" Stumbling, will slides from off the altar, almost falling, his legs like a fawn, all bowed and wobbling. Catching the side of the altar with a hand to steady himself. It was as if he'd woken from some, long coma like dream, his body not used to being upright just yet.

"What's... What's going on?"

Re: [action]

[tablewithoutpity]

Hannibal hurried his steps when he saw how unstable his friend's legs were, not wanting to risk Will cracking his head against the stone of the altar and dying a second time. When he got to Will, Hannibal put his arms around his shoulders, holding him steady, holding him close.

"There are no words that could hope to adequately express how much my heart rejoices to see you again."

[Video]

[amos_moses]

Hey, hey, you're okay.

[Amos's voice is soothing, quiet, an immediate response to the panicky tone he'd first heard.]

You've been dead. You're in Hope's temple.

Need me to come help you get your bearings?

[Video]

[feelslikeimspilling]

[ Will listened. He exhaled and set his shaking hands to his head. It was hard to believe, he was struggling to understand. He'd been dead... He was in Hope's temple... It sounded so simple but Will was in shock. ]

I've been dead? ...

[ He looked around. Felt his throat and tears started to well up in his eyes. ]

My throat was... It was slit...

[ Another harsh exhale as he covered his face with his hands. This was all just a terrible dream. It had to be. ]

[Video]

[amos_moses]

Aw shit, Wiil, hang on, 'kay?

I'll be there inna minute, it'll be alright. Just hang tight.

[Dismayed, Amos's walk picked up into a trot: he wasn't very far from Hope's temple at the moment, and thanked all the saints that he'd been rambling along instead of partying just now. He honestly liked Will and didn't want him to get into a panic. That was never fun and nott good for anyone.]

[hasitsthorns]

Will, [ she starts, soothing. ] You're not dreaming, but you did take a little nap there for a bit.

[ A dirt nap, from the looks of it. That doesn't sit well with Rose at all. ]

I don't know what happened, but. Looks like you got people on the way. I can stay on the line, if you want. Maybe help you make sense of things.

[feelslikeimspilling]

[ Rose's voice was indeed soothing. It was familiar as was her face. She was someone eh saw almost on a daily basis (depending on what shenanigans the Gods were pulling that is.) She was stability, a friend.

He nodded his head, tears filling his eyes from the shock and memories of what had happened. Will knew that he rubbed some people here up the wrong way, but he'd never thought that someone would want to actually dispose of him. ]

Please... If you wouldn't mind?

[ He wanted to keep her on the line. He didn't want to be alone and yet he didn't want to bother anyone. ]

[hasitsthorns]

[ Neither did she. It's actually... kind of concerning. While she's aware tensions flare (she need only look to Rey stabbing her as proof of that), she was pretty sure most of the cave dwellers would refrain from murder. So that does make her wonder exactly who had killed Will and why.

Whoever they were, she was going to find out and make sure they didn't dare hurt him again. Especially not with how distraught he was over it all. ]

Of course, dude. Not at all. M'here. [ she keeps her voice low and even. Rose is no stranger to dealing with those who have died and returned. She's actually been in his position herself. A few times over now. Not in Hadriel, but Haven. ] Just let me know what I can do to maybe make this all suck a little less.

[video]

[tongueamok]

You seem awake to me. And alive rather than dead or killed.

[As is the case with the disgusting necromancy these false gods practice.]

The result is the same, really.

[video]

[feelslikeimspilling]

[ Okay, a logical response, Will can work with that. Yes. It distracts him from his base feelings and emotions long enough to think about it realistically.

Will nodded, pursed his lips then pulled them between his teeth, giving a half smile. ]

I guess... Just, something doesn't feel right...It doesn't feel like it was real?

[ The pain or the memory of the pain felt real. The murder had happened but there was no physical evidence of it now. No scar or bruise. Not even a blood stain on his shirt. It was very unsettling. ]

[video]

[tongueamok]

I've never been necromanced before, but I expect that would be something you might feel from it, yes.

[Or at least that's the impression he's gotten a time or two from scrying the dead. Sometimes, it's so sudden that they don't realize it even happened.]

[video]

[mismanagement]

[Maketh has woken up in Hope's temple more than once, enough to recognize the interior easily enough.

Apparently this is Will's first time.

Her voice is perfectly even.]

Sit down. Breathe. You're in no danger there.

[video]

[feelslikeimspilling]

[ Of all the people Will expected would come to comfort him, Maketh was not one of them. However, her calm, even tone did exactly as it was aimed to do.

Will nodded and slowly went back to sitting down. Drying his face on the back of his sleeve, he knew how pathetic Maketh thought he was when he cried. Slowing his breathing and trying to compose himself as much as he could. ]

I don't want to be here...

[video]

[mismanagement]

[No one wants to be there. Maketh thins her mouth and doesn't say that.]

You'll live.

[More or less. She doubts that's a comfort.]

Shall I send Jill to get you?

video

[liveasmyself]

Mr. Graham?! Did a monster hurt you?

[Oh, this is terrible. She knew it was entirely possible for people to be injured and die here, but nobody wants it to happen to someone they know. She tries not to think of Wei, back home, pale and unresponsive on the stage.]

video

[feelslikeimspilling]

R-Ray?

[ Will recognized the young girl on the video feed. It had felt like forever since he'd seen her. Was he dreaming this? No, no this felt real. ]

No... No, I don't think it was a monster?

[ Well, depends on how you define a monster doesn't it? ]

[liveasmyself]

Then--what was it?

[And more important:]

Are you okay?

video;

[survivorsguilt]

[Ah, fuck.

To Ellie, Will is gentle. He seems kind of hopeless to her; tired all the time, doting on his pets, and teasing her. He seems like someone who hasn't grown side by side with death.

Seeing him like this hurts.]

You're not dreaming. They brought you back, Will. I'm on my way, okay?

video;

[feelslikeimspilling]

[ Of all the people that could have come to make sure he was okay, Will was pleased Ellie had responded. She was sweet, seen too much in her few years but that hadn't stopped her developing a wonderful spirit.

He nodded to her words. It would be nice to have her there with him as he came around a bit more. ]

Yea... I'd like that... Thanks.

[ Trying his hardest not to cry on the screen at her. ]

video;

[survivorsguilt]

[She wants to act nonchalant, to tell him 'pull yourself together, dude'. But she just can't, somehow. He feels too delicate. Ellie starts walking, fast-paced towards the temple as she speaks.]

Yeah, don't mention it. It's no problem, dude.

[Reassuring. How does she be reassuring?]

Uh- uh. Breathe deep, alright?

[Video]

[drabsolutelynot]

[Hannibal had contacted him about Will's murder, and had voiced concerns that Will might not return at all due his delay in coming back. As such Rosen feels conflicted, sadness for Will's suffering, pity for the state he now finds himself in, and that regretful sense of relief that he has returned when Rosen knows he should probably have hoped that Will would go home rather than return to this wretched place.

But alas.]

I am so sorry, Will.