deleons | The Limbo Meme

Congratulations, you are dead.

You’re not sure how it happened, or maybe you are. Was it a hero’s death, or the desperate last moments of a coward? Maybe you died to protect someone, maybe you fell on your own sword, maybe you passed away peacefully in your bed one night, or maybe you were taken out by force. Whatever the reason, you are now neither here nor there, no pearly gates or brimstone in sight. This is what they call “limbo”, a liminal space made not to exist in, but to pass through on your way to a more finite destination. Even so, there’s no telling how long you might be stuck here, nor who you might encounter.

Directions:
-create a top level, either blank or with a prompt or preferences
-select a number, letter, or combination of the two from the lists below if you wish
-tag others and enjoy being dead
(OTA all canon characters and OCs)

Optional Prompts
How long have you been here?

1. Newly dead; You haven’t been here long. Maybe you don’t remember how you got here, or maybe you do. You might be scared, confused, disheartened, or even relieved. You’re not the only one drifting through this strange place, so maybe you should ask a familiar - or unfamiliar - face what’s going on.

2. Getting your footing; You’re not exactly a seasoned death veteran, but you’ve been here a while, and whether you like it or not, you’re almost starting to get used to this place - but when will it be time to move on? And who’s that new person who just arrived? That person in the corner has been here as long as you have, if not longer. Maybe you should talk to them.

3. A seasoned spirit; You’ve been here for years, or decades, or centuries. Perhaps you’ve learned how to drift in and out with how long you’ve been dwelling in this strange place. You could give a newbie some advice, or maybe ease the frustration of someone who has been here not quite long enough to accept what their existence has become - that they’ll become you. Then again, maybe you’re just angry you’re still stuck here at all.

What are you doing?

A. Asking questions; How did you get here? How did you die? Will you ever see your family or friends again? Is that one of them? When will you move on to the next stage? Who’s that weird guy standing in the corner over there? You’ve got questions and you want answers.

B. Facing your killer; You know how you got here, you know who’s responsible, but do you know exactly what you’d have to say to them if you saw them? Well, you better figure it out - they’re standing right in front of you.

C. Facing your victim; Well, this is awkward. At some point in the past, you made a decision, and now that decision has quite literally come back to haunt you. The person for whom’s death you are responsible is standing right in front of you, and they are probably going to want some answers

D. A familiar face; Maybe you’re new here, or maybe you’ve been here for years; either way, you’ve just seen a familiar face, whether it be a long lost loved one, or someone you never expected to follow you so soon in death. What will you say to them?

E. Wildcard; Go crazy! Any number of things can happen when your soul is trapped between dimensions. Strike up a conversation with a stranger, explore any strange new powers you might discover as a ghost, haunt one of the living, etc. The possibilities are endless!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...

[ They remembered. They remembered all those sneers and smirks, and the looks of contempt from people they had never seen before in their life. Turing wasn't quite so naive that they couldn't comprehend why, but they had never seen such a thing directed at them specifically before. It was...shocking, despite everything.

The next few pieces came in corrupted flashes, and whether that was thanks to the damage or their LIPS OS purposely hiding it from them thanks to their own subconscious thoughts, even they weren't sure. They had never really known what it was like to be hated. Now they knew. ]

Y-yes.

[ They pulled their head and arms closer to themselves, as if they were trying to make themselves as small as possible. ]

[No matter what Iwaizumi suspected, the confirmation from Turing is enough to make him want to vomit.

[Killed Turing. Sweet Turing. Kind Turing. He sees the small ROM curl in on himself and can’t hold back from reaching out and pulling them against his chest. He knows it might be of no comfort - why should it? They had been murdered. It was hard enough to be dead period, but Iwaizumi can’t imagine—- no, he doesn’t want to.

[He holds them against his chest, voice miserable when he says:]

That’s not right. That’s not right, that’s so fucking wrong.

Fuck, Turing...I’m so fucking sorry...

[ There was a quiet whimper from Turing at the sudden hug. While their shaking eventually began to subside, they still didn't pull away. Turing knew about the biological purpose for crying. Not only that, but not being able to cry had never seen like they had been missing out on much.

Now, that gap in their abilities was quite the empty one. ]

You... You don't hate me, do you Iwaizumi?

[ Honestly, it was a question they already knew the answer to, or at least they very much hoped they did. That didn't change what they wanted to hear, though. ]

What?

[Iwaizumi pulls away at the question, expression firm if only to reinforce his answer. He shakes his head.]

What the hell, man? Don’t talk like that. Of course I don’t hate you. Not for one minute. What even makes you think that?

[After all, Turing had never been anything but kind to him, probably one of the dearest friends he had back in that...place, wherever it was.]

You’re my buddy, Turing. I haven’t forgotten that. I won’t. Ever.

[ They flinched at Iwaizumi's harsh but still familiar after so long tone. Maybe they were wrong after all, maybe he felt the same as those people who had...dispatched them. Thankfully, the following words prevented their anxieties from spiraling further.

"Buddy." Hayden had called them their buddy. Alys too. They looked up, and gave the best smile they could manage under the circumstances. ]

Thank you. Perhaps this isn't right to say, but if we both have to be here-- [ A pause. ] I'm grateful that I have a good friend like you with me. I hope you can forgive me for asking such a question in the first place...

Turing...[Iwaizumi’s voice is pained all over again, expression matching. He pulls the little ROM against his chest again. He can’t help it. It’s hard enough to have to be here, but knowing what Turing’s gone through to meet him...]

There’s nothing to forgive. [And it’s true...This can be such a lonely place. Iwaizumi almost feels guilty at the sensation of being relieved to see someone he knows. He pulls away to look at him again.]

It sucks that you have to be here...Hell, it sucks that either of us do.

But I’m not going to leave your side, alright? I’ll stick by you as long as you want me to.

R-really?

[ Iwaizumi was so nice. Even after they'd said something thoughtless that was only based on their anxieties and fears instead of everything they knew, he was still understanding of them. It was all too easy to jump to the conclusion that other people saw them as an obstacle or worse and they just didn't realize it.

But that conclusion was wrong, right? There were people who cared about them. ]

Thank you... Thank you very much!

[ Turing practically launched themselves at Iwaizumi for a hug. They had gotten a lot of hugs already, but that meant little. ]

I will stay with you as well. That is... [ Turing shook their head, immediately discarding that thought. ] You won't have to be here alone.

[Iwaizumi stumbles backward just slightly as Turing launches himself, grabbing onto him tightly so as not to send them both toppling over. He's strong for a little guy, and the action itself is almost enough to make Iwaizumi start laughing, but...

[Then he hears Turing's last few words, and his throat goes raw instead.

[Turing is new here. Iwaizumi is not - at least, not so new as Turing is. He's been here a while - it's impossible to tell how long. And he's been alone. And he's been holding it together just fine in the face of that - after all, what choice does he have?

[Until now, when he feels hot, wet tears spring up in his eyes. He can't speak. He simply sinks back to his knees against the ground and hides his face in the cold, hard surface of Turing's shoulder, falling silent as his body begins to tremble with barely withheld sobs.

[To not be alone...Iwaizumi holds on impossibly tight.]

[ Oh dear. It only took one barely withheld sob for Turing's heart to break. Had they said something wrong? Maybe they really had hurt Iwaizumi's feelings with their question? It was, quite frankly, a miracle that they managed to keep their panic from leaking out like it certainly would have before. They were only saved from that by the maturing they had to do after leaving that mysterious void.

Nevertheless, they had to do something. Anything would do as long as it could make that sorrow a little smaller. He could hold on as tightly as he wanted to if that helped at all. ]

It's okay to cry.

[ They pat Iwaizumi on the back lightly. Would that even help? They hoped so. They wanted to be able to help others in the same way they had been helped in the past, and that went double for dear friends. At they same time, they were acutely aware that grief and sadness were particularly difficult emotions that were often pushed to the side in favour of something else. ]

It's okay if you don't want to, though... I'll be here regardless. Okay?

This whole time...[Iwaizumi makes a strangled sound - a sob slipping out. He doesn't let go of Turing.] I don't know what happened to me...but I haven't...there hasn't been anyone else...no one else...

[Thank God for that. He wouldn't want to see anyone else here - he tells himself that again and again, and yet, again, the thought of not being alone anymore...]

I shouldn't be happy you're here. I-I'm not, but I...I...

[ No one else... They squeezed Iwaizumi just a little more tightly. If their situations had been reversed, Turing wasn't sure how they would have handled it. They'd always had at least one friend around before they could really acknowledge any loneliness. Being totally alone for who knows how long was...well, they couldn't or even refused to imagine it. ]

I...I would be here regardless.

[ That was the fact of the matter, and their voice shook slightly as they admitted it. The situation was scary and unfamiliar, but there was one thing they were very sure about. ]

It's not your fault. I would rather see you be happy at my arrival instead of seeing you be unkind to yourself...

[ Guilt was a powerful thing. That was also something they were very sure about. ]

If you want to be happy about meeting a friend again, that would make me happy too.

The Limbo Meme

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