Dragon Sign [IC/PG-16/Not Accepting]

Skaia · April 30

Dragon Sign

It had been the end in one way or another. Stabbed. Smashed. Poisoned. Burned. Shot. Though it had come in all shapes and forms the end had come to you in one way or another. And there was little waiting for you on the other side.

Simply the ever present sensation of floating. Drifting. Sinking.

You try to hear. You try to feel. You try to think. But there is little to make sense of, little to understand, and nothing that you can fully comprehend. Time presses on but you can not figure out how long this goes on for. An eternity? An instant?

As you drift in this oblivion a voice speaks to you. Perhaps you speak back to it. But you cannot decipher its words nor meaning, and thus any reply you might have made can be equally as understood. Yet, the voice continues. And it finishes. You begin moving. Rushing. Rising. And then -

BGM

Bong. Bong. Bong

The ringing of loud bells echoed throughout the ancient church, signaling that it was time to awaken to all those who had found themselves in it. Those individuals found themselves resting, sitting, in a wooden pew. The seats were all scattered about the floor, not lined up in any particular order though all facing forward. Once they opened their eyes they would be able to take note of several features of the building. One, the floor. Old, dark and wooden, same as the pews, with clumps of large, thick grass scattered about. Second the walls, shimmering as the light reflected off of the multicolored agate stone that made them up. Third, the stained glass window ahead of them.

The window ahead of them looked as if sunlight were flooding through it, shining downward into the room. And bizarrely so too did the other six windows, three on either side, in the room. Each had a blue background to it and each depicted some sort of creature or object.

To the left; a white bird with the edges of its wings shining like a prism, a gray wolf with arcs of yellow on and around it, and a purple orca with black where one would expect white.

To the right; a tree with brown trunk and green leaves, a silver gear with lines of green converging onto its center, and a black stone with cracks of red.

In the center at the head of the room it depicted a serpentine creature with antlers protruding from its head, coiled around a golden orb with a black center.

The final thing to note was there were no other rooms in this small building. And were they to look backward, they would see no door they could've entered from.

OOC

Spoiler

So, yeah, here it is. After a wild night of dying you guys are in a church and are now just waking up. To make things abundantly clear, you have absolutely no idea how you got here. Your memory would essentially go, you died, and then there was nothing, and then next thing you know you're here. Just to note as well, you also do not have your Dragon Signs yet. Any other questions you might have feel free to ask.

Doggo · May 1

The sound of a bell jolted Jocelyn awake in her seat. But nothing about that seemed correct. She certainly hadn't been sitting, much less sleeping. She'd been running more than anything, after a friend and straight into a fireball. The bells continued, each allowing another thought through. But there was a stifling darkness to it all. Death was not feeling like anything she'd ever thought of or heard about. She tried to move a hand at first and felt oddly restricted in its movements. She lifted it to her face through the veil of darkness and yet didn't feel it touch her face when it should have made contact. A few more thoughts of dying, but that couldn't be. She raised her other hand to the same invisible barrier about her face and after some fidgeting pulled up and suddenly light poured in from a series of stained glass windows.

"God, what the hell?!" JJ winced at the sudden flood of light. In her hands now rested the backwards deer head to the borrowed fursuit she had been wearing to the convention with her friends. That explained the darkness but... this was certainly not the convention center. It wasn't a hospital either which would have been the next logical place for her to wake up in. But certainly not in an intact suit. That should have been the first thing to burn. It was time to take in more of the scenery. First was her seat, a pew of some kind. That soon lined up with everything else she observed in the room soon aligned with the idea of this being a church, though none quite like any she'd ever seen. Not that she'd seen many churches to compare. "Look, if I'm dead just send me to hell, you don't gotta guilt trip me about never going to Mass." She muttered as she took the scenery in. She seemed to be towards the front of the room which prompted her to finally turn around in her seat and take in the fact that other figures were there with her. Standing slowly, as if expecting one of them to attack her, Jocelyn gradually backed up from her pew, keeping her eyes trained on the others. That was until she turned around briefly and her eyes landed on the designs present in the windows. The bird in particular captivated her enough she didn't take in the fact there wasn't an immediate way out.

"I guess you can waste a bit more of my time." she said with a soft smile on her lips. If this moment could last forever like that weird floating sensation seemed to it might not be so bad. But time was very presently marching forward here. Enough that each second lessened the soothing effect of the glass art. Irritation was mounting, just waiting for a trigger.

Tiamat's Circus · May 1

It was odd, to be honest. Throughout Marshall’s life, she had always heard people discussing and arguing over what ‘death’ meant for each person. Some believed you were placed in purgatory, awaiting judgment. Others believed you saw life yet again. Others still believed everyone would be placed in paradise, for having dared to work through this life. And yet, as someone who was very clearly dead - the pain and agony of feeling her bones rent from her body, piercing skin and organ alike as the uncaring iron steed marched forwards upon its destination - she wasn’t expecting nothing.

See, the way she figured it, when she died it would be extremely painful; and she certainly got that part right, the very mode of operation that she swore by being the death of her, it was ironic, really. She just expected the pain to last… Longer, as every cell, as every system in her body came to an end, each one slower than the last, as she was tortured in her last moment; every second stretching longer and longer as she died…. It wasn’t a bad thing to have been spared that, no, in all actuality she was quite thankful for it; that sort of pain and agony for a millisecond was more than she felt she could handle under normal circumstances, but this? This… Nothing? It wasn’t anything like she had expected.

Instead it was peaceful. Quiet, time to relax and reflect on everything. It reminded her of her job at times, during long stretches underground. Even if her job was stressful at times, forcing her to be alert and ready for anything - and everything - to go wrong… It still had its peaceful moments, when everything went right. This reminded her of that peace, yet… More so. There was no dull drum of the train-tracks. There was nothing to go wrong suddenly. It was just… Peaceful. There was nothing to bother her, save a slight incessant voice in her ear that she couldn’t understand, but was that really new? New York City was a rather diverse place, Marshall was used to hearing languages she couldn’t even begin to fathom in the background. Why should that disturb her peace? Her quiet, her rest?

No, that honor was reserved for the bells ringing outwards, prompting her to jolt forwards as she stretched her left arm towards whatever lay before her, grasping for nothing in particular as she took in a sudden breath. She could breathe again…! That was the first thing Marshall noticed, as her eyes burst open, right hand instinctively moving to pull her hat down so as to shield her eyes from the sudden light. Despite previously being dead, and as far as she could tell, formless, her eyes still hadn’t ample time to adjust from the void of nothing to this expanse of something. For a moment even, she briefly thought everything else had been a dream. After all, it wouldn’t have been the first, or last time that she was so exhausted from a shift that she had fallen asleep on a bench, only…

This wasn’t at all what she remembered the subway system being like, if she did, in fact, fall asleep. No, instead, as she stood up and glanced around, she was inside what appeared to be a church of some-sort, though, if it were one, it was certainly lacking in a few of the more important things for a church to be in possession of. After all, there was no podium, no preacher, and no door. Wasn’t that an issue for the church, given that at least where she was from, all they cared about was converts, converts, converts? How was the televangelist supposed to prey upon the unsuspecting if they hadn’t a door to come in with? They might as well-

She cut the thought off with a quick tug of her hat downwards, taking a deep breath as she forced her eyes shut once again. That’s not a fair assessment. She reminded herself, as she opened her eyes once again, taking a moment to analyze her surroundings for real this time, rather than through the lens of her biases. The first, and most obvious thing the church had going on, was the stained glass. In a normal church, one might expect to find something biblical, or relating to the religion at hand. But this wasn’t any religion that Marshall recognized, the iconography being foreign to her at best. The focal point, however, was clearly the serpentine figure around the orb; that much she could make out even with her limited knowledge.

The next thing of interest were the others in the room. At first, she thought she might have been the only one awake, until her eyes came to the figure in what had to be the strangest of the outfits who was speaking to… No one in particular, as they stared aloft at the stained-glass. Though Marshall was used to seeing all manners of life, she had to admit this was the first time she had seen someone in such a lovingly crafted… Mascot suit? Yes, that had to be it, a mascot suit. Eyes trained on the figure who continued to stare at the window, Marshall began at first to open her mouth to speak, maybe to ask a question, before she simply… Closed it, without a suit.

She wasn’t sure how to approach them first of all, given the stillness of the suit, and the fact that it - at least appeared - to be admiring the windows. There was also the fact that, if she woke up confused after a near death experience, and the other person had mentioned being dead, there was a good chance they were just as confused as she was. Both of these things combined to remind her that it was probably best if another, more charismatic individual, were to speak up first. That would make things easier for her, as she tried to piece everything around her together, and while she tried to keep her eyes hidden from the light; hand locking the hat in place.

Mr. Hyde · May 1

Bong. Bong. Bong

"JEREMY!" Drake opened his eyes with a jolt, his arms thrust out, as he reached out to that slow little tyke. But he wasn't there. In fact...he wasn't there either. And neither was that truck, the ringing bells almost reminiscent of the blaring horn. There was light, and beneath him was the familiar feeling of wood. He frequented parks, so it grounded him in a sense. But it wasn't an ordinary bench...but a pew. The kind you'd see in the churches all throughout his hometown. Drake stewed in thought for a bit, his face looking awfully befuddled as he tried to put two and two together. He sighed once he came to the conclusion, bending back with his hands behind his head.

"So that's how it is, huh? I kicked the bucket..." His thoughts went back to the living world. "I hope Jeremy's okay...I pushed him kinda hard..." Damn. He had so much more he wanted to do. What were Mom and Dad gonna think? Would they be proud of him? He hoped they wouldn't cry too much. He wanted to apologize for wasting their little miracle, but they'd probably berate him for even trying. He smiled at the thought. What, was he supposed to let Jeremy die? That wasn't who he was. He opened his eyes again, this time in a more tranquil state of mind. In front of him was a large stained glass window. It was so pretty, he could almost cry himself. The light shined throughout the room, illuminating it, along with the figures of others who were also coming to the same conclusion.

He stood to his feet, admiring the window some more. If he was about to pass onto the next life, he wondered if he should get to know the people accompanying him.

"You know, I'd thought there'd be a lot more Pearl, and a lot less...." Drake looked to the ground, "Cobblestone." He tried to make light out of this most grim situation. He couldn't help it. That's just who he was. Looking to the others once more, he raised an eyebrow. "So. Did you guys just die too? Or have you been here for a minute?"

Chaos Sonic · May 1

Darkness…no sound…no light…no warmth…nothing but the dark void of death.

This was what Gene Eric felt, his body, mind and soul adrift in the sea of the void. What happened to him? What made him be lost to the void's sea? Unfortunately Gene's thoughts remained and began to dwell on those final moments…for what else could one do?

Gene found himself leaving the local video store, a few bags in his hand. The contents inside being a few movies and even some comics and Manga that the store owner put aside for him specifically. He was a regular customer and of course, he and the store owner had a bit of a friendship going on to where this would be a normal occurrence.

With a smile on his face, Gene began to make his way to the bus stop in order to get back home…although he preferred not to. Yes, his mother was home making one of his favorite meals, but on the other hand…his step-father was also there. This thought alone made him shake his head greatly…what did she see in him, he would often wonder. If only things were different…if only…

"Help!!"
"Shut the hell up and just give me the purse, lady!!"

Gene paused, noticing a mugging taking place right before him, and the mugger making a beeline straight for him with a stolen purse in hand. He didn't want to get involved with this, so he was going to move out of the way…but…why couldn't he? Was he crazy? Gene just moved and attempted to apprehend the mugger. A move he would come to regret, as he wished he noticed sooner…

"Out of my way, kid!!!" The mugger shouted, in his hand, a knife being brandished.

Yet Gene didn't waver or move out of the way. That's the moment it happened…the mugger tripped over himself and fell forward towards Gene. The world in this moment fell into a slow motion state for him only…as he watched and felt the knife being plunged right into his chest. The two fell onto the ground, the moment the world began to return to its fast paced time frame. Gene looked down, noticing the lodged weapon in his chest cavity and let out a blood curdling scream for help as he tried to cling onto life…he was losing blood and consciousness fast…his vision soon became dark…and then…greeted by the cold embrace of death and the void.

BGM

It was what he thought, anyway…

The sounds of church bells of all things ringing and echoing around him…it prompted him to open his eyes finally much to his surprise. He was…still dead right? And yet, he found himself in a beautiful ornate church sanctuary…or at least it was at one point, the grass on the floor sort of tipped him off to that. It was complete with six stained glass images with the furthest one in the back…or front of the church.

Gene let out a soft groan, as he held his chest for a moment. Whether or not he died or if this was simply another dream he had…needless to say, his chest was still sore from it. …where…am I? he wondered, attempting to get up from his pew as he did what he could to survey his surroundings. The stained glass windows were a beautiful one to be sure…they had a very alluring sight to them and expanded the warmth the light gave in such a dazzling array of colors.

Though, aside from the ornate windows, Gene noticed no other rooms or even doors. How he and apparently others in here, got in, he knew not…but however it was…perhaps that would get them out.

"...what…is this place?" Gene finally muttered, taking his time to absorb the sights of these stained glass windows…and more specifically…the one depicting the serpentine creature with antlers. If his previous dreams he had of his fantasy world taught him anything, it was anything in the middle of a church was the most important.

"So. Did you guys just die too? Or have you been here for a minute?"

Gene looked over at the one individual who spoke up, before realizing what he said: 'Did you guys just die too'. Was that the binding factor that they all had and the reason they were here? "I want to say we may've all just died..." he responded first, his hand still holding his chest slightly. "...so does this make this heaven then?" Same time, the moment he spoke, he was hoping to whatever deity above that they wouldn't just look over him and just forget him. Hell, it was the afterlife, right? Maybe things would be better...right? Same time, another nagging thought was in the corner of his mind...and he wasn't sure if it was because he watched too many shows or played too many games...but he tended to ignore the idea.

LordCowCow · May 2

"This tastes weird."

It wasn't all that great as final thoughts went. Of course many people don't have the luxury of choosing what they'd last think before the end but Sabrina would have hoped for something a bit better than that.

Then again, was that her last thought? After all wasn't she thinking right now?

Sabrina hadn't really considered much about any sort of afterlife. Honestly she avoided giving it too much thought. Especially as, if there was one, a heaven and hell and all that, she had a terrible thought she knew which one she'd go to. Especially given...

But, really, what was happening? It all felt...hazy. And the there was a noise. A bell? Alarm? She hadn't been dreaming, she knew that, but this sure felt similar to waking up.

Sabrina looked around at the...church? It kind of seemed like one but not exactly. The floors were in disrepair, bits of grass sticking from it in clumps, and there wasn't any sort of entrance nor exit. She heard voices and soon realized she wasn't alone in the...building. Several others, some of them rather huge men, and one...in a deer costume, were also there with her.

She considered the moments that led up to this, that odd feeling from before, as her eye scanned the room again. This time seeing the rather specific and unusual images that were on the windows. Finally her gaze stopped at the most prominent one. Some strange fantastic beast curled around an orb.

All of it hit her in a rush. The death. The nothingness. Waking up here in this strange, almost otherworldly feeling, place. A single word came to mind and she let out a soft gasp. "Isekai"

Sabrina jolted to her feet then while her heart began to rapidly pound and she gave a couple excited hops as her emotions overflowed. She overheard one of the men saying something, "...so does this make this heaven then?"

Before she knew it she was hurrying up in front of everyone. Shaking her head Sabrina spoke up, or rather laughed, "Fufufu...That's not it at all." She said. Then, turning to the others, she raised an arm to put one hand up over her face and outstretched her other arm. "I know exactly what this is! For it was prophesied since my birth! We were sent to save this world from a great evil. Specially chosen to fulfill a grand destiny!"

As she looked at the group she grew nervous, and a slight blush appeared on her face, realizing just how many there were. "I...wouldn't have thought there to be so many but that doesn't change the truth! And the truth is, all of us," her eye looked towards the deer and she hesitated a moment before continuing, "a-all of us, were brought here. Brought here to be...heroes!"

Cheshire Toon · May 5

Percy was rather interested in finding out that no one had been right about death. There was no God that judged him for his poor bedside manner (the many upset patients who had assured him there was would be so disappointed), no dog-headed scale-toting man to weigh his heart, and certainly no skeletal ferryman to carry him down into the land of the dead. He was still fully conscious and in possession of his mental faculties as well, so his own personal theory of oblivion had also been disproven. Of course there was also a chance that he was stuck in some form of purgatory. Perhaps the particular vehicle Percy had chosen to deliver himself to the afterlife had—as some religions believed—prevented him gaining access to whatever could be found beyond.

Or maybe it was all bullshit. Percy wasn’t particularly bothered either way. The only thing that annoyed him was the fact that he was unable to share his findings and further delve into the matter, considering his formless state.

A few hours passed. Or possibly a few hundred years. Percy was extremely bored by the time a voice finally broke through the monotony. It was a language he did not recognize. Which was strange considering he spoke four languages conversationally, four more that he could speak well enough to get by, and a dozen more that he could recognize just by the sound. Perhaps it was Papua New Guinea? His linguistic skills had always been a bit unpolished in that region, but still, it didn’t seem right. Maybe it was some kind of angel language. Something a human was never meant to understand; that would explain why he wasn’t able to find even a dipthong that he could recognize. “Hello? Are you capable of understanding me? You aren’t, are you? Unsurprising.”

Percy felt motion for the first time in years. He was rising, up, up, and then… Bong. Bong. Bong.

Percy woke up with a start. He was feeling things again. Stiffness in his fingers and toes; pins and needles prickling in his right temple. A lingering scent of blood and gunpowder that faded from existence almost as fast as he recognized it. “Interesting,” he murmured. “But just because you revived me in a Church does not mean I will consent to being one of those born again Christians.”

He looked down at himself. He was wearing what he had died in: his lab coat and badge, a crumpled blue dress shirt with a loose yellow tie, and jeans and loafers. All the pockets he had were empty. That meant no cigarette, no lighter, and no cellphone.

His hand wandered up to his temple and… his skin was completely smooth. No signs of a wound that could be attributed to an acne scar, much less the entry wound from a bullet.

Percy pushed himself out of his seat. He noted that there were other people in the room. A tall man that looked like a body-builder with a smile that would keep an optometrist in business. Someone in a fursuit (he had once had to pull something out of the rectum of a man who had come into the ER wearing a fursuit so he knew the term), as well as a young woman in what looked to be the outfit of a civil servant of some kind. Then there was a relatively normal looking young-man being shouted at by a hyper little girl who had a very interesting take on the situation they were all in.

Percy ignored their conversation to approach the stained glass window that displayed the serpent. He wondered what kind of symbolism was involved with the image. Percy had no recollection of any kind of horned serpent with a golden orb in theology, though he would be the first to admit that had never been his favorite subject.

He turned to face the others. “I find it improbable that this is Heaven. More likely to be a form of Purgatory. Note the lack of doors and anyone to greet us.” Percy reached a hand into his lab coat pocket for a pack of cigarettes that wasn’t there. Drats. “Hmm… I wonder if there is a common thread between our deaths.” He pointed a finger at the person closest to him, the person in the fursuit. “I shot myself. How did you die?”

Edited May 11 by Cheshire Toon

yui · May 6

To call it sudden was an understatement. It was supposed to be a one-night-stand thing - far from uncommon in the open relationship between her and Collin - and the girl Abby had hooked up with said she wanted to do something unconventional. So the two left campus late that night, made a short stop by a convenience store for snacks, and while they were out and about...

"Look out!"

It and the monstrous truck horn was just about the only warning Abby had gotten, and it still wasn't nearly enough. By the time she'd heard the latter and turned to face the forty tons of steel and cargo barreling towards her, she was already face-to-face with the grill of the beast. The panic of a semi truck sliding in her direction wasn't exactly the last feeling she'd wanted to experience in this life, but it was now what she was stuck with. There was the horn, then the truck, then the impact. That last one sounded like it should be the most painful thing she'd ever experienced, but it was only painful in the same sense that a lightning bolt was bright. A brief instant of indescribable pain, as if somebody had set off a chain of explosives inside her body, but just as suddenly as the pain came, it was gone.

And then... nothing.

No sight. No sound. She couldn't even feel her own body, though she doubted she'd want to at the moment. Just herself, a void of nothing, and some sort of voice that wasn't hers. Whatever it was, she either couldn't make it out, or simply didn't understand what it was saying. It gave her time to think about what had happened, though. And for the panic to set back in.

That really happened? She'd been slammed by a truck? What was Collin going to think? He wasn't the jealous type, as was abundantly clear, but he was very much the protective type. He'd blame that poor girl, probably. And what about her? Not just what Collin might say to her either; she was just looking for a fun night out and witnessed a tragic case of vehicular manslaughter. And then there was the trucker who definitely wasn't getting out of this with his job intact. Oh no. Her parents. She almost didn't want to think what sort of legal fury they'd unleash on the trucker and/or his company once word got to them. This was all a mess. A terrible, awful, no-good mess, and it very much did not suit her. Getting caught up in it or worrying so much about it. But how was she supposed to not?

She died after all! D-E-A-T-H death! Was it too late to like, get a second chance? Try to bargain with the powers that be? Even as she asked that mystery voice, she remembered the language barrier between it and her. So that was no good. But it must have liked the idea, because once it stopped talking, Abby felt something. Like the feeling of going up on an elevator, but way faster. And then...

Bong. Bong. Bong.

A sound! And when Abby opened her eyes, sights! Old sights, but sights all the same. Some kinda church, occupied by a few other people in addition to herself. The stained glass was nice. She'd always liked this stuff, though she had to admit, she'd never seen windows quite like these ones. Antlered snakes? Wolves? A tree? An orca? A far cry to say the least from the usual images stained glass called to mind.

Must be a pagan church or something. They've got churches, right?

And then there were the people. Immediately, the one that stuck out like a sore thumb to Abby was the one wearing what was absolutely a deer fursuit. She had to give props for the dedication, but while she was far from an expert on theology, she was pretty sure becoming animals wasn't part of the pagan checklist. Eventually, one of them broke the silence. Some guy - pretty tall even by normal people standards - who seemed like a decent sort.

"So. Did you guys just die too? Or have you been here for a minute?"

"I want to say we may've all just died... so does this make this heaven then?"

"Fufufu...That's not it at all. I know exactly what this is! For it was prophesied since my birth! We were sent to save this world from a great evil. Specially chosen to fulfill a grand destiny!"

Oh, saving the world seemed like fun. But the way this girl talked implied this was a different world. And while saving it would be great and all, Abby would have much preferred to go back to the one she was in before her unfortunate meeting with a hydroplaning semi truck.

“I find it improbable that this is Heaven. More likely to be a form of Purgatory. Note the lack of doors and anyone to greet us. Hmm… I wonder if there is a common thread between our deaths.”

Say, hadn't Abby seen that guy before? Aside from being REALLY tall, she could have sworn she saw his face before. Definitely a doctor - he had the badge and everything - so someone that got brought up in a lecture perhaps? She couldn't quite make out the name on his badge from here though. She'd have to work that out later. Of course, that mystery was completely removed from her train of thought - a train that got violently derailed - when he continued speaking.

“I shot myself. How did you die?”

"Whoa, hold on, what?" Abby didn't mean to speak out of turn or anything, but the words just flew from her mouth before she could think to not blurt them out. But now she was already talking. Probably best to not leave it at that. "Shot yourself? Like, with a gun? You good, doc? Er... that aside, hi! Didn't mean to cut in line or anything, but hi, I'm Abby, I got ran over by a truck. I'm still a bit sore from the whole thing."

Chaos Sonic · May 8

"Fufufu...That's not it at all. I know exactly what this is! For it was prophesied since my birth! We were sent to save this world from a great evil. Specially chosen to fulfill a grand destiny! I...wouldn't have thought there to be so many but that doesn't change the truth! And the truth is, all of us...a-all of us, were brought here. Brought here to be...heroes!"

Gene stared at the young lady who spoke up...and her explanation...made sense. Surprising to say the least, but it MADE SENSE. He paused for a moment, thinking hard now. Oddly enough, THIS was the nagging thought in his mind and this individual expounded and said it aloud. "...an...isekai...?" he muttered, putting his hand to his chin before nodding slowly. "...so if that's...this is a heavy revelation..."

He glanced over at the 'prophesied child' and then began to make his way towards her. Though he paused in his stride immediately, hearing another person...a doctor...speak up...and oddly enough, the thing he ended with was the one that stood out the most. It was all directed at the person with the fursuit...poor sap, dying in such a state.

“I shot myself. How did you die?”

"Eh? Why in the...who opens up a conversation with just that alone?" Gene asked, almost dumbfounded. He was a bit speechless for a moment or two, though after the doctor spoke, the girl named Abby spoke up and said she got hit by a truck. "...the typical isekai trope..." he muttered, though it was loud enough for the 'prophesied child' to hear him. "Oh...um...I'm Gene. Gene Eric..." he said before rubbing the back of his neck. "I...got stabbed in the chest by a mugger." Once he did that, he turned towards the young woman and gave a bit of a wave. "So...you think we were sent to another world, isekai style?"

Tiamat's Circus · May 8

It seemed more people were waking up. That was what Marshall could tell as she held her hat’s brim close to her eyes, and her eyes trained upon the ground, simply… Listening, as they began to talk amongst themselves. One person seemed concerned about one of their friends, and then seemed to be… Disappointed, with their location; a feeling she figured that many of them were beginning to echo. This first figure then came to the same conclusion she had, given this wasn’t a dream. He wasn’t the only one, either. As he asked if they had all died as well, another replied almost immediately asking if that meant this was heaven. Another still replied, going off on their own tangent as they determined this to be some alternative world they were supposed to save.

This is when she would have spoken up, under normal circumstances; maybe suggesting that they lower their expectations, however, given that the speaker appeared to be a child, or at least young-spirited, that didn’t seem the… Kindest, response. Especially given the fact that, as they went on, they seemed to grow less and less sure of their surroundings. They were clearly stressed; the kind of rider that she might have asked a staff-member to keep an eye on, or to make sure they got to their destination safely. After all, it was of the utmost priority that subway rules and safety be prioritized at all costs during a shift.

But this isn't a shift. She had to remind herself that, as she continued listening to the group speak. Or perhaps, this was just the beginning of another kind of shift. The longest shift of my life, if you will. After all, there was no telling why they had been brought here together. It wasn’t out of the question that, in her after-life, she had been potentially brought along to act as a sort of guiding hand, or Charon-esque figure to make sure these souls pass along safely… Though, she doubted that was the case. Either way, it stood firm in her mind that she needed to remain focused and vigilant, as if this was a shift.

It was then that the strangest of the voices she heard came to speak. He was calm. Deathly so, she might add. It was an odd comment he made, murmuring something about becoming a born-again Christian; though, it wasn’t so much the content that made it odd, so much as his delivery. The actual content of it was amusing, even if a smile was the furthest thing from the expression on her face. No, it was the dry, detached way with which he approached the comment that made him stick out. His next comment was the one that worked doubly so to mark him as strange, his tone shifting to one a bit more analytical, more involved, more alive, even as he explained that he was dead; that he was the one to have offed himself. It was a strange comment, yet stranger still was it a way to phrase a question; especially as an introduction. Truly, Marshall may have found the only person less adept at dealing with people than she herself was.

She wasn’t the only one to come to this conclusion, as first the man who wondered if this was heaven spoke up, followed by one of the others, who she hadn’t heard speak yet, called out; exclaiming with a bit of distress for the previous speaker, who, judging by her address, was a doctor’s, own mental health. Marshall carefully raised the brim of her hat for a moment, catching a glimpse of the strange, scraggly, giant of a man who had shot himself, so as to confirm the newest speaker’s assessment: which was, of course, correct. She was then reminded why she had held the hat against her eyes to begin with, as her eyes once again expressed their disdain for the light, prompting her to tug the hat back into place as she returned to thinking.

The two speakers - the newest stranger and the man who wondered if this was heaven - spoke up again, each one giving their own causes of death. They also gave themselves names: Abby, who had been hit by a truck, and Gene, who had been stabbed to death by a mugger. Neither one of those deaths seemed glamourous, though one seemed a bit faster than the other; at least, on paper. She had to hope that, in either case, neither one of them suffered too terrible long.

It was then that a short silence followed. Normally, a silence such as this wouldn’t have bothered Marshall. After all, silences like these came all the time while she was working, namely when things were going well. But the Doctor, who hadn’t introduced himself, had asked a question; and judging by the other’s reactions, they were all expected to reply. “Marshall Wilton. I died… Doing my duty, I suppose.” She slowly lifted her hat, doing her best to work through the light as she came to stare towards the Doctor. “An older woman began to fall from the platform in the subway station as I was resting after a shift. A train was arriving, so I moved to catch her. I succeeded in doing so, but fell in myself, and arrived at this station as a result.” She explained, as if giving a report to the Good Doctor.

Mr. Hyde · May 8

"I want to say we may've all just died... so does this make this heaven then?" An average looking guy had answered his question. So dying was one thing they must have all had in common. A little bit of a morbid topic to start things off betwixt them.

"Fufufu...That's not it at all. I know exactly what this is! For it was prophesied since my birth! We were sent to save this world from a great evil. Specially chosen to fulfill a grand destiny!" Well she didn't seem too worked up about the whole situation. Destined, was it? Drake rubbed his chin at the thought. Specifically chosen? But why him? Why the rest of them? Was he all that special? His head was already starting to throb as he asked himself all of these questions.

“I find it improbable that this is Heaven. More likely to be a form of Purgatory. Note the lack of doors and anyone to greet us. Hmm… I wonder if there is a common thread between our deaths." Purgatory huh? He couldn't really see it. He wasn't an avid reader, but Dante's Purgatario was all he could really envision. And no way in Dante's Inferno did it look this pretty in his mind. He looked to the stained glass once again, stewing in his mind. So now there was only one question to ask to link all of their deaths.

"I shot myself. How did you die?”

"JESUS!" Drake unintentionally spat out the words. Even though the question was aimed at the person he didn't really want to notice at the moment, he wondered if he should answer himself.

"Shot yourself? Like, with a gun? You good, doc? Er... that aside, hi! Didn't mean to cut in line or anything, but hi, I'm Abby, I got ran over by a truck. I'm still a bit sore from the whole thing."

"Oh...um...I'm Gene. Gene Eric...I...got stabbed in the chest by a mugger. So...you think we were sent to another world, isekai style?" Not a good way to go. But what was that word he said at the end?

"Sorry about that man," Drake shook his head. This was a really depressing way to get to know each other. "But what the heck is an Isekai anyway...Some kind of trope?"

“Marshall Wilton. I died… Doing my duty, I suppose. An older woman began to fall from the platform in the subway station as I was resting after a shift. A train was arriving, so I moved to catch her. I succeeded in doing so, but fell in myself, and arrived at this station as a result.”

"I think you stepped off on the wrong platform then." Drake looked side to side of the building they were in. "Definitely ain't the subway you were looking for was it?" Yikes. Too soon? He felt gross after that one. "Guess I'm next. My name's Drake Davidson! Some kids that I coach...er...coached...almost got ran over by a car. I stepped in and made sure they didn't. Thought I was bulletproof after the war. Guess I'm not car proof. Haha." He let out a sad sort of chuckle. "So we've got 3 splatters, 1 stabbee, and one...uh..." He looked to the man who had yet to say his name, "Yeah..." was all he could muster. "Not really seeing a link here, other than the fact that we all died. Maybe at the same time?" He shrugged. His attention turned towards the rest of the anonymous members of this new church. "Don't be shy now! If we're gonna pass on together, might as well introduce yourself!"

LordCowCow · May 9

Sabrina was torn on how to feel about the response to her statement. For the most part they didn't really react much at all, maybe because of the general confusion, and only added her words onto the growing pile of theories. She flushed as she realized how silly she must sound to them. Upon looking again she noticed many seemed to be clear adults. Perhaps they thought she was just a dumb kid to be ignored.

The idea of that being her start here, too, sent a chill through her body.

And even then she took a hesitant step back as she noticed one of them approaching her. She couldn't be sure what it was he wanted and her mind kept bouncing between the uncertainty and her excitement of the situation.

She was thankful, at first, for when he paused to respond to the doctor-y man. Then what he had said actually sunk in.

“I shot myself. How did you die?”

She froze up a moment, eye flicking down to the ground, as the words washed over her.

Despite that he seemed to originally have directed the question at the deer person it seemed everyone else chimed in first (perhaps the deer suit made it harder for the wearer to notice they were pointed at?) and explained the situation surrounding their deaths. Each one that spoke up made Sabrina realize eventually they'd want to know her own story.

Before she could reply to that, though, the man from before completed his previous path and came up to her.

"So...you think we were sent to another world, isekai style?"

Did he really have to have said it like that? Sabrina looked around at the others. Checking if any of them caught the wording and were judging him based on it. It didn't look like they really cared but she couldn't be sure. That was why she hadn't actually gone out of the way to say it.

Still, she couldn't resist replying to him. "Fufu, of course this is another world, do you not feel the weight of fate upon thine shoulders? We didn't simply d...lose our lives, we were given a chance to fulfill a grand destiny!"

As her excitement grew she looked around at everyone. There were a few Isekai where more than one were sent over. Though it did make her feel a little less chosen-y when they were all in a group like this. But still, couldn't they understand? "It doesn't really matter how it happened right? We're here now and there's gotta be a reason! And the reason just HAS to be that we are supposed to do something incredible! I mean, I know it to be thus! The ancient blood inside my heart tells me so!"

Sabrina didn't realize that she was literally bouncing with excitement as she spoke. That is until she looked at the doctor again and her bouncing settled as slight embarrassment set in. He had asked something and most everyone but her answered. Still, she didn't really want to mention what happened to her. She felt uncomfortable voicing it. Especially after hearing the ways the others' lives had ended what with some doing something rather heroic. "A-ah, and my name is Sabrina Evert, ah! No, Dracona! I mean. Um...Never mind. And I, uh, don't...really...remember what happened..." her voice trailed off and she was surprised to find she hoped someone else would take the attention off her. Just for this moment.

Cheshire Toon · May 11

Percy could understand his statement being met with some degree of surprise. He knew that suicide possessed a taboo in the society he had come from; the society that they all seemed to have come from. Still, for a group of deceased people, they seemed to him to be rather sensitive when it came to discussing death.

He turned his gaze to the miniscule woman who questioned the cause of his death. Far below average height. Dwarfism? No signs of the typical physical traits. Perhaps CPP? I would need a medical history and family history to further determine.

“No, I obviously was referring to shooting myself with my polaroid camera. The flash set off an epilectic seizure that resulted in my death,” Percy deadpanned. “Yes, with a gun. Specifically the Glock 19 model with a nine millimeter bullet, sometimes known as a nine-by-nineteen.” He had absolutely no idea what the young woman was struggling to grasp about what he had said. He had thought he was very clear. “As for my well-being… I am under the impression I’m dead. Aside from that minor hiccup, I seem to be in perfect health.”

People started introducing themselves after that. Percy took note of their cause of death as they provided it.

Abby. Cause of death: blunt force trauma.
Gene Eric. Cause of death: severe laceration wounds and blood loss.
Marsh Wilton. Cause of death: blunt force trauma.
Drake Davidson. Cause of death: blunt force trauma.
Sabrina “Dracona” Evert. Cause of death: ???
Fursuit. Cause of death: ???

Percy had never believed in luck. That belief was dispelled by the group around him. The whole lot of them seemed to be incredibly unlucky—except for Gene, that boy was just a perfect example of more morals than sense. One in particular had peaked his interest for the moment, though. The young girl who had hypothesized that they were actually some sort of chosen heroes brought to this world for a second chance. Her bravado was at the core seemingly fake, but her excitement seemed genuine, and she was obviously lying in regards to not remembering how she died. Was it something uncomfortable? Percy felt a rare bit of sympathy stir within him. It seemed irrelevant to their situations anyways.

“My name is Dr. Percival Niklaus Byron,” Percy said coolly. “As for our deaths, outside of a penchant for playing in traffic, there seems to be no commonality. You raise a good point in regards to the time. I died at 11:02 A.M. on July 17th. What about you all?" Percy's mouth twisted at the ends into what could only be called a smirk. "And what, exactly, makes you so sure there has to be a reason for all of this Miss Evert... ah, no, Miss Dracona? It is my experience that entropy reigns supreme in most things."

Edited June 8 by Cheshire Toon

Doggo · May 20

However peaceful the stained glass art had made Jocelyn, the others awakening and talking was quickly draining the effect. Each movement, sound, stare, and word wore at her ever shortening temper. The one who would later introduce himself as Drake spoke first, and his so calmly asking if they were all dead ignited the spark of anger in the young woman. Gene next spoke, wondering if this was Heaven. Jocelyn knew it couldn't be or if it was she wanted into Hell. The most obnoxious voice yet came in the form of Sabrina, enthusiastically declaring the group had been brought her to be heroes. If this was her destiny she should have kept Jocelyn and the others out of it and just gotten to it. Percy, a doctor, was next and spoke casually about having killed himself. That set off a much stronger rage than all the annoyances thus far. Abby joined the too casual about the whole dying thing club which just kept the rage boiling. Marshall didn't do anything directly offensive but by this point Jocelyn had negative patience with everyone playing along with the pleasantries of introducing themselves and explaining how they died. Several of the others began talking again trying to find some commonality to all their deaths.

Through all this Jocelyn hadn't been unaware of the several strange looks she'd been given either. If a bunch of dead people had the gall to still be judgmental about a fursuit the woman was going to have to pound several heads in. Still she began taking it off as respectfully as her anger would let her. Somehow she doubted she'd be able to return it, but still it wasn't hers. Ripping it off would just be rude. One last deep breath as it was safely off and to the side.

And then Jocelyn snapped.

"Jesus Christ, what the fuck is wrong with all of you!?" She started abruptly to disrupt the conversation. "It's bad enough I get stuck in a church but it's not even fucking quiet? You shitheads think it matters how the fuck any of us died? We're dead! None of this should be happening. It's not a time for a meet and greet talking about how we bit it like it's a stupid ass college major." Jocelyn's rant began as she attempted to kick over a nearby pew. It was clear she didn't physically know what to do with her body at this point to express the anger she was feeling. Throwing something through the window she'd been admiring felt appropriate but nothing was readily at hand. Even a hymnal would have done the job but alas, this called for more aimed yelling. At Sabrina to start.

"Stop with the fucking destiny bullshit! I don't care how much weebshit you watched, we're not special, no one chose us, none of that shit! That asshole shot himself," she continued yelling and motioning to Percy. "And the rest of us are just unlucky fucks, not hero material. Goddammit!" Jocelyn interrupted her own thoughts not possessing the clarity to roast each person individually anymore. She turned away from the group and started hitting one of the walls of the building. "Just let me go to hell already!" Jocelyn yelled at whatever higher power was trapping her here in this infuriating situation. Burning forever was feeling pretty appealing next to this. She continued to mutter and scream obscenities while striking the wall to little effect. It was going to be a minute before she was ready to talk again.

Edited May 21 by Doggo

Skaia · May 20

As the group was gaining their bearings and trying to understand the situation they had all found themselves in, or finding a good wall to hit, their conversations, and guided fury, had been cut short. As it had when they had first come to their senses in this strange new building. The sound of heavy church bells rang once more. The first strike had echoed and reverberated through the room without warning or distortion, as if to simply announce its presence to everyone. Then, when the bell rang second the room had become lightless. Any noise that they tried to make would simply be garbled out, any movement met with heavy resistance in the air. The bell rang third, this time as if to punctuate the distortion they had found themselves in, being muffled and garbled as their own speech would. And with the fourth, everything returned to normal.

As they reassessed their situation the room had been largely the same. They hadn't moved from their spots and neither had the pews they had been sitting in when they first arrived. There were only two key difference to the room. To what they would assume the back of the room was, no longer was it just a wall of agate, and instead now replaced by a door made of wood not dissimilar to that which made up the floor. Though, this had no crack or holes in it and seemed reasonably sturdy. And more curiously there was something on the opposite end.

A chair at the head of the room, centered in front the picture of the serpent. And even more curiously, a bizarre young woman was sitting it in. Her long dark hair, parted on either side of her head by the antlers on it, ran down to the back of the chair. Were one to follow it, they would find something even more inhuman about the woman; a long scaled tail colored the same as her hair that broke into something akin to a tail fin at its tip. The woman made no comment about the others, in fact she made no comment at all. For she was asleep.

Furthermore, one final change had been apparent in all those who were paying attention to themselves or their fellows. On the back of one of each of theirs hand they would see the sudden appearance of a mark. Like a featureless tattoo depicting some kind of bizarre shape that seemed vaguely reminiscent of the antlered serpent head on the window before them. Continuing further down their arm a black line stretched itself around the top of their wrist on the hand that bore the marking. At the center of this line, another black one stretched down from it down a small part of their forearm, breaking into a circle in both the middle and endpoint of the line. Each circle as well was filled with a strange marking, which while it was clearly in a language none of them had ever seen the intent and meaning behind what these words were were bizarrely clear to them.

Spoiler

So yeah, much as I know youse guys would like to stay in this church until the end of eternity and just discuss your feelings there are other things to take note of now. I mean, you can still, but it's not recommended.

Also you have your dragon signs now I totally didn't forgot that when first writing this post no siree. If not entirely clear, the markings in the circles on your forearms are the rune grafts you have equipped. For reference this crude drawing of what some might call a human arm is vaguely - with some imagination required - what it's supposed to look like.

Be sure to hit me up for info on either of these things if you do interact with either of the things.

Edited May 21 by Skaia

Tiamat's Circus · May 21

Things proceeded largely as Marshall could have expected them to: those that hadn’t yet gave their replies to the good doctor, for… Well, for the most part. The first person to speak up after she had given her report was a man who identified himself as Drake, after making a bit of a horrendous pun. She would normally have laughed, or at least tried to force a quiet chuckle so as to not come off as hostile, but… Now didn’t seem the time. Instead, she simply gave a quick nod as he listed off his cause of death, which was eerily similar to hers.

Next was the one who seemed most excited about all of this, and also came off as the youngest. They explained everything with such a fervor that it was hard to find fault in their words, she could even almost believe them. After all, a teacher was much more convincing when they themselves were passionate about their work or job. The same could be said for this situation. The entire explanation was given with such fervor, that it was almost believable… Until it came to the moment of her introduction. It was solid at first, but the way she backpedaled reeled it in and gave Marshall an important reminder: Sabrina was a child, nervous, and trying to make the situation better than it likely was, as a coping mechanism.

She would need to keep this in mind if she wanted to properly carry out her duty, and see these people to their destinations.

The next one to speak again was the Doctor, who replied first with sarcasm, and then proceeded to introduce himself as Percival as he continued to piece things together, as it seemed was his modus operandi. It didn’t take long before he started posing questions, first at the group, then at Ms. Draconis. “Roughly 4:13, on July 17th; the 4:15 line arrived early, I believe.” Was Marshall’s only comment, allowing the others to answer his question.

Finally, as she had started to finally adjust to the light and new sensations, a barrage of sounds echoed outwards from the hollow expanse of the one who had worn the… Mascot suit, from before. She began by hurling insults at the group, even chastising them for having the gall to speak. The scowl on Marshall’s face could hardly have been more prominent in that moment than any other, though for once it took its place on her face not idly, but with purpose; as the woman in the suit had the gall to chastise the group for their need to speak.

That was particularly rude, wasn't it?

Had this formerly mascot suit-clad woman not ridden along on a subway, or stepped through a metro-station? So much is said of little consequence, but what matters isn’t so much what is said, but that there is speech to be had at all. Speech is a key matter to how humans exist. It is one of the universal truths, that humans communicate amongst one another; and this need is only made more apparent when humans are thrust into strange situations. Even if it seemed as if more important things were on the horizon, at the moment they each had little more to do than to speak, to ease their nerves, so why shouldn’t they? That’s the one common thread they all had, after all; they were all dead, and all human. Of course they were bound to discuss those facts amongst themselves, to learn more about those who were taking part in this experience with them.

Where did they get off chastising a child anyways? Of course the child would come up with some sort of theory about how this must be fate; naivety is the strength of children, after all! Would they react the same way if a child theorized that trains moved based on the magical powers of the conductor or their fireman? Would they react the same way when a child began to speak about Santa Clause? After all, that was all as real as fate and destiny, they were all lies children told themselves to cope, to relax, to believe the world is more magical than it is, after all. That’s what makes children the most human of all, those who tell themselves that magic is real so that they can hold wonder in all things, even death, as it was for this particular child. Would they deny this child too, that facet of humanity? Was this person even human themselves, or did they simply wear the skin of one now that they had lost the Fursuit?

…No, that’s… Too far.

Marshall shook her head. They were bound to be reacting to this all in their own ways, so the fact that one person had a mental breakdown, or threw a tantrum-- That was to be understood, expected, even. Perhaps it really was stranger that the rest of them had stayed so calm. It wasn’t fair of her, of all people, to question their humanity. Though she would have to scold them for yelling at the child later, now would be the worst time to do such a thing; it would only stick if they were fully conscious, and not in the throes of panic. Alternatively, it could stick far too hard, and burn potential bridges before they had time to build.

Additionally, it wasn’t as if she could move to do so right now either, as the church-bell began to ring once again. In fact, she even felt her hand grow as if attached to her hat for a moment, as the darkness overcame her. It wasn’t all that different from when she was dead, to be fair; but it was much more jarring this time, as it came with little to no warning. Even if it was signalled by the bell, there was no way for her to have known this would be the outcome. But as the fourth bell rang, she was surprised to find that…

She was still in one piece.

For a moment, she had wondered if this was the sort of thing where you were brought in and out of a dream with a familiar noise, so to be met with the same church - minus some minor changes - was a pleasant surprise. Letting her hand fall from her head, she cocked her head back slightly so that she could move it into a more natural resting spot. Even as she felt disoriented from the shift from light, to darkness, to light, she felt as if she had finally gotten used to the level of stimulus the church provided with its scenery. She was rewarded for this adjustment as well, as she found that the room had in fact changed. The door that she had so judged the disappearance of had finally appeared, and it was in much better condition than she had expected given the rest of the room. “...Maybe that’s where all their donations go.” She murmured, a very slight, forced smile springing to her face at her joke as she turned to see if anything else was in the room. And, luckily for her - so as to make that movement not wasted - at the other end of the room, she had found another change: a new person had appeared, this one really seeming rather…

Inhuman.

At least, in comparison to the rest of the group. Marshall’s first thought was one of confusion, followed by a second thought which was a line of logic that connected everything together: that this figure must have something to do with all of this, and that they might be one to talk to. Without a third thought, she approached the figure and gave a practiced salute: left hand firmly behind her back, right hand just above the rim of her hat. She wasn’t sure where she had learned it, but it was something she had ingrained to the deepest degree.

“...Greetings!” She shouted, using the voice she often found herself using when on any other shift, when it came time to address passengers from the intercom. “Apologies for the interruption to your slumber, but we appear to have stopped at an unfamiliar, and unexpected station!” She continued to shout, treating this very wake-up call for the figure like a command to stand clear of the doors. “If you were to be so kind, we would appreciate it if you could point us towards the station-master on duty, so that we could find the correct tracks to follow from this position!"

Edited May 21 by Tiamat's Circus

Mr. Hyde · May 22

"A-ah, and my name is Sabrina Evert, ah! No, Dracona! I mean. Um...Never mind. And I, uh, don't...really...remember what happened..." The girl who so righteously proclaimed that they were chosen for a greater purpose seemed awfully shy. But he did like her name! Dracona! Super cool choice in his opinion. Should he make a cool name too? Drakeona...yeah! Wait...no...copyright infringement probably. Dracona would sue for sure...she seemed the type.

“My name is Dr. Percival Niklaus Byron.” Drake didn't really understand a lot that came out of this guys mouth. He'd probably call him Doc for short. With a nod, it was decided.

"Jesus Christ, what the fuck is wrong with all of you!?" He recoiled back a bit at the girl's harsher tone. She definitely wasn't the bright side of life kinda gal, but he wasn't gonna judge her too harsh. Honestly, her reaction was the most reasonable out of all of them. Although...he'd still like to know her name.

He reached his hand out to her, trying to speak, but was suddenly interrupted by the ringing of a large bell. He could feel the quaking of the sound rumble throughout his chest. A second ring cast it's noise around the room, and with it, a blanket of shadow. He wanted to ask if everyone was okay, but he couldn't even hear the words escape from his mouth. All there was currently was this intense ringing. The third chime rivaled the second in intensity, and he almost found it hard to think. It felt like an eternity for the fourth bell to sound off, but after it had, everything was back to normal. Drake blinked a couple of times, looking to his outstretched hand.

"Huh...that's different..." He sounded somewhat confused. As his vision focused, he saw some weird symbol appear on his hand "You know, I've been attached to this hand my whole life...I would think I'd know if I had a weird birthmark or tattoo." Judging from the coolness of the marking, it was most definitely a tattoo. "Mom's gonna kill me..." He sulked, before perking up a bit. "Oh wait! I'm already dead! HAHA!" There he went again. Maybe it wasn't the best time for humor. That little lady in the costume might kill him twice over for even attempting to lighten the mood. But now his attention turned towards Marshall, who was now talking to some figure that sat in a throne in front of the painted window. And it wasn't just any figure! It was a chick! WITH HORNS, AND A TAIL!?

“Apologies for the interruption to your slumber, but we appear to have stopped at an unfamiliar, and unexpected station! If you were to be so kind, we would appreciate it if you could point us towards the station-master on duty, so that we could find the correct tracks to follow from this position!"

Drake ran up beside her, and nudged Marshall.

"Dude, that's a little rude! Interrupting a nap is like...against the Geneva Convention. Plus," Drake quietly made his way behind the chair, and pointed out the distinct horns and tail that everyone must have noticed. "Haven't you heard of a little thing called, 'Sleeping Dragon'?! I'm pretty sure we'd be toast if this thing woke up."

LordCowCow · May 23

Sabrina wasn't used to adults responding to her like this. Asking more questions, albeit in what looked to be a mocking manner, about the things she said. It was made even more awkward to her by the height of the man. She wasn't that much shorter than many men but the doctor was much taller than she was used to. It felt like literally being talked down to and she was torn between wanting to explain more and feeling ashamed of what she had said.

"I, uhh...." What could she say to that anyway? Still, she gave it a shot. "I, well, felt it...in...my blood." she said, voice trailing off as she realized what that must sound like to a trained doctor.

"Jesus Christ, what the fuck is wrong with all of you!?"

"Eep!" The girl in the animal costume finally seemed to respond and it was clear that she was angry.

"Stop with the fucking destiny bullshit! I don't care how much weebshit you watched, we're not special, no one chose us, none of that shit! That asshole shot himself,"

As she specifically targeted Sabrina the girl found herself shutting down. Staring at a spot on the floor as she trembled, memories of times before washing over her. The unexpected vitriol completely overwriting the excitement she had felt. "No...not here, not here too!" She wanted to shout but couldn't find herself saying the words.

She didn't even notice if anyone said anything else until suddenly the bells sounded and forced her attention elsewhere. Darkness took over and her gasp was drowned out by...whatever it was that had come with the bells. She didn't have enough time to process what was happening before it was gone. The room had changed, if only slightly, and there was yet another person in the room.

Person might not be exactly right. Or at least they certainly weren't human.

Sabrina stared with mouth agape at the figure who was resting in a chair. The girl sitting there took all of Sabrina's attention. The door, the mark, even the person who had been yelling at her, none of these registered in her mind.

In fact she barely even thought about the others in the room until... "Haven't you heard of a little thing called, 'Sleeping Dragon'?! I'm pretty sure we'd be toast if this thing woke up."

Which was when Sabrina let out a half-gasp half-garbled exclamation as her previous wonder hit her full force again. Sabrina moved forward and spoke up to the two who had approached the girl. "Fufufu, it is as I thought. M-my dragon b-blood tells me I have n-nothing to fear, f-for this being b-before you surely is, uh, kindred...a kindred spirit! No, I mean a....s-she's probably important somehow!" Sabrina was stammering. Voice shaking not from nerves but from pure excitement.

The strange, horned, girl stirred for a moment before finally opening her eyes. Sleepiness still present in her expression, the girl's half closed eyes looked at the two in front of her. Then after a second turned her head to look around the whole room. Then after a second longer she opened her eyes fully and smiled, “oh, hello there. Good morning.”

Sabrina rushed over, hesitating partway, before stumbling over herself to stand in front of the girl. "Um. Hi. Uh. Yeah. So...a-are you, er...well...areyouagoddesswhobroughtusheretogiveussupermagicpowersandfighttheforcesofevil?"

The girl stared at Sabrina for a moment with a blank expression on her face. Then as if she were hit a revelation to the meaning of Sabrina's words, her expression brightened again. “Oh, no. I am no goddess myself, that would be my lady, Ocean. I am merely her envoy. Who might you be?”

Sabrina couldn't contain herself as she jumped up and down and let out a high pitched "squeeing" noise. She knew it! She knew it she knew it she knew it! This was it! This was her true destiny sitting right before her in the form of a cute and strange dragon girl!

"I-I'm Sabrina Eve...Dracona Evert! Dracona! Well...I-I guess Sabrina is fine. And, um! I'm...w-wait shouldn't you know who we are?"

The girl looked up as if thinking on it for a moment and shook her head. Then, leaning in to inspect Sabrina's hand and arm (which made Sabrina notice, and gawk at, the mark for the first time) the girl said, “sadly my Lady didn’t see fit to give me any specifics. I merely know what it is you are and what you are meant to do.”

Sabrina moved closer, vibrating with excitement, her eye shimmering as she said, "a-and what's that? Heroes, right? W-we're heroes?"

“I believe the term she used was ‘Exalted.’”

Chaos Sonic · May 24

"Fufu, of course this is another world, do you not feel the weight of fate upon thine shoulders? We didn't simply d...lose our lives, we were given a chance to fulfill a grand destiny!"

Initially, Eric didn’t. Same time, any normal person probably wouldn’t at first. After all, they did just die, so why would any of them feel like the “chosen one” trope? All the same, however, Eric did tend to shrink back a little the moment the one in the mascot costume started shouting and raving. Still, this "Sabrina" or "Draconia" individual seemed...extravagant...more so than he would've thought someone was. Hell, he had his dreams to which he hid within and it's fantasy world where he was a hero, but she seemed to have brought that style and side of reality into the real world...or...at least the "afterlife" that this was.

"Stop with the fucking destiny bullshit! I don't care how much weebshit you watched, we're not special, no one chose us, none of that shit! That asshole shot himself,"

...aren't you just a ray of sunshine... Eric thought, sliding his hands into his pockets for a moment. At the same time though, did she have a point? Were they there just by happenstance or by "destiny"? He let out a slight sigh, deciding to slink back for a moment...until...

The church bells...they rang once more...chiming loudly just as they did when they first awoke to this location. One chime...nothing new... A second chime...the world went lightless... A third... Finally a fourth returned things to normal...or did it? A door now appeared at the very back of the church where once there was a wall. A way out, so now they could leave, but that wasn't all. A chair in front of the serpentine image...with a bizarre young girl sitting in it. This screamed heavy importance to Eric, if all the shows and games he ingested and enjoyed would be led to believe.

“...Greetings!”
"Haven't you heard of a little thing called, 'Sleeping Dragon'?! I'm pretty sure we'd be toast if this thing woke up."
"Fufufu, it is as I thought. M-my dragon b-blood tells me I have n-nothing to fear, f-for this being b-before you surely is, uh, kindred...a kindred spirit! No, I mean a....s-she's probably important somehow!"

"...just throwing caution to the wind? Yeah...somehow that's not surprising..." Eric muttered with another sigh. He looked down to the floor for a bit, before noticing something new: his hand and wrist. It now was adorned with some strange marking...and the more he tried to inspect it and figure out what it was, the more he was simply puzzled and dumbfounded by it. The young man thought it best, at least for the time being, to not worry about that but instead worry about the now waking dragon girl they had.

"a-and what's that? Heroes, right? W-we're heroes?"
“I believe the term she used was ‘Exalted.’”

Eric rubbed the back of his neck at hearing this. "Exalted? So just being a person held in high regard, so to speak? Huh...won't lie...if whoever called us here, led us to this 'afterlife' or whatever...if they're calling us 'Exalted'...I thiiiiiiiink they may have a sick sense of humor." he stifled out a slight chuckle before immediately clamming up. That would put him in the spotlight...which was the last thing he needed. It would be best to just go recluse mode and just sit back, listen and observe.

Doggo · May 28

Drake's approach seemed to only make Jocelyn more defensive as she physically recoiled from the outstretched hand though she took no actual steps back. But she didn't have time to even yell at the man, let alone try to swipe at his approach, before the bells began their ringing again. For a moment she thought she had died again as the lights went out and moving or speaking became nearly impossible. She certainly tried her hardest for that matter but nothing happened until after the fourth ringing of the bells. The same sad scene of bizarre church and obnoxious fellow dead was before her. Jocelyn nearly fell over from how hard she had been trying to move during the distortions. But soon after catching her balance she was able to take in the new door in the room. Wherever it led she was raring to go.

Though some attempt at humor interrupted her immediate departure. Drake was examining some sort of bizarre symbols that had appeared on his hands. Jocelyn would have happily broken the arm for him but curiosity took over as she looked over her own hands. A similar set of symbols had set up shop on her left hand and arm. Before having the time to cuss that out the others had taken to waking up the bizarre figure that had appeared in the room with them. The creature's words only infuriated her further because she'd have to put her foot in her mouth here. Some sort of god named Ocean, very creative, had supposedly called them there. They were given the title Exalted and the woman wanted nothing to do with anything going on here.

"Yeah, no thanks I'm getting the fuck out of here." She stated, dismissing further interaction with this supposed servant of a supposed god. Jocelyn moved swiftly toward the door, making no direct acknowledgement of the others or the horned girl. Apologizing to the weeb was just going to be annoying and she wasn't about to set out on some mission for anyone. Arriving at the door she readied to heave it open. "Next stop, anywhere but here." she stated still incredibly annoyed at the situation. But at least she wasn't screaming.

The outside existed, surprisingly enough. And in contrast to the brightly lit church, the outside was overcast. There was mostly grass anywhere one looked. Stoney dirty roads and wooden houses dotted the immediate area. Cloudy as it was Jocelyn could still tell it was day time. Eventually her eyes locked on about twenty feet away from the door. There was a young girl with light skin wearing clothing clearly made of animal hides. She had long messy black hair but most noticeably on to the top of her hair were a pair of wolf-like ears and out her backside a wolf-like tail. The girl had noticed Jocelyn as well and looked excited to see her with a eyes beaming.

"Goddammit." Jocelyn muttered in exasperation as she looked back to the figure and the church briefly and then back to the wolf girl. "You go to one furry convention..." she berated herself for her misfortune as she took her first step outside. Maybe taking the fursuit off had been a mistake. It would have been easier to not engage with anything going on behind a mask.

Skaia · June 2

The young girl looked curiously over to the boy who had made note of what the term she used referred to. Letting out a short chuckle, the girl said, "my Lady does have something of a sense of humor, though the term was not of her own creation. It was merely by the local's own beliefs that the term came into being. Though your fates were unfortunate you are now here blessed by her grace." As the girl was ready to keep speaking, she was interrupted by the continued frustration of the white haired girl. "Ah...Well, you see..." The dragon girl was about to inform her of where that door lead to, but wasn't able to speak much in time.

Turning back to Sabrina she said, "but yes. Ultimately, you are meant to bring salvation to the world beyond." She gestured over to the now open door.

As Jocelyn had noted there was a black haired girl with wolfen ears and tail standing not too far outside the church. In fact, she had almost seemed to be expecting something to come from that door, and her bright beaming smile had shown that her anticipation had been well answered. Jumping up and down a bit she shouted, "Rumi! Rumian! Look, look! They came, they're here! I was right!"

Walking down a side path now coming into view from Jocelyn's church door view, there was a boy garbed in the same kind of hide garment of a cowl around his neck and shoulders, pants and a long sleeve shirt. His skin was equally as fair as hers and he seemed to be the same age, if only slightly older. More curiously, his ears were curved like a deer's and he as well had antlers protruding from his head. Looking even closer at the two now and comparing them, the wolf girl appeared to be wearing shoes yet the boy simply had hooves. And whereas his hands were naked the wolf girl's wore gloves. "If you keep trying every time the bell rings it's not exactly impressive when you're right." He looked over to the door, his eyes narrowing as he examined the girl there, and then with a bit of wonder taking over his expression he said, "not a single feature out of place."

"I know right!" The girl then made a beeline for the door, getting extremely close to Jocelyn. Her face beaming she said, "oh, you're here, you're here! I kept checking every time and just like the legend said when the bell rang, you guys appeared! Oh - I - I've been thinking about this for so long that - uh, sorry I'm uh, uh...Rumian!"

"Calm yourself, first." The boy walked close behind her, though not being nearly as invasive. "Hello outlanders, my name is Rumian."

"And I'm Luca! And you guys must be the heroes from the legends right?" Looking past Jocelyn's figure and seeing even more people behind her, Luca's expression only grew more cheery as she looked back right into Jocelyn's eyes. And then, the rumbling of thunder could be heard.

Chaos Sonic · June 6

"my Lady does have something of a sense of humor, though the term was not of her own creation. It was merely by the local's own beliefs that the term came into being. Though your fates were unfortunate you are now here blessed by her grace."

Sense of humor? Gene really didn't enjoy the sound of that, if "Exalted" was a sense of humor thing from her lady...which seemed to be her...boss? He was still trying to get used to this, but he figured that was the best word to use in this moment. Either way, he figured-...

"Yeah, no thanks I'm getting the fuck out of here. Next stop, anywhere but here."

Right, the angry one. And she was the first one out of this little church. With a bit of a sigh, he watched the doors open after she walked out, before returning his attention to the horned girl, who now began to address Sabrina.

"but yes. Ultimately, you are meant to bring salvation to the world beyond."

"Guess you were right then..." Gene looked over at Sabrina, giving a small smirk toward her. "Still, if that's the case..." he paused, before closing his eyes. In his mind's eye, he could see exactly what he was: a heroic soul, wielding a sword and protecting those who needed it. This was the very dream he constantly had while he was alive...a peerless swordsman that laughs in the face of danger, dives headfirst into battle no matter the cost and a warrior of the people. He could feel himself tremble at first from this thought, that this was the moment his dreams would become a reality. In his mind, he reached out towards the version of him he always dreamed of, to which that version simply turned around and reached out towards him as well.

His eyes opened as a smile returned to his face. "If that's the case...then this world just made my dreams a reality in more ways than one." Gene said, looking at the horned girl. "We won't get very many answers just standing here like it's Sunday Mass...we should probably follow after the angry one." He gave a slight chuckle, not caring if others agreed or would follow, but he turned on his heel and made his way towards the exit. Maybe being dead was a good thing right now...his dreams...they'd finally come true.

Cheshire Toon · June 9

Percy was completely and utterly enthralled by the absurdity that was the woman in front of him. She was pretty, he supposed, but truthfully he was a terrible judge of beauty. He had studied and understood what was considered culturally attractive but had never personally felt any sort of pull towards another person’s physical attributes. No, what fascinated him were the antlers and tail, a combination of features that he knew very well had never existed in his world. Could this mean I am in a world where race is differentiated by more than just the pigmentation of skin and, if I’m being generous, minor genetic differences? Do she and I even share a common ancestor? Could the differences be more than just physical? His mind was racing at a speed that it hadn’t reached since years before a bullet went through it. For the first time in a very long time, Percy had found something that interested him.

He absolutely had to learn more.

The distance between the doctor and the chair was closed in a few lengthy strides of his gangly legs. Percy stooped so that he and the dragon-girl were eye-to-eye, a comical sight considering it left him nearly bent in half. “What are you?” he asked, his eyes glowing intently behind the round rims of his glasses. “Are you human? Are your antlers the same as what one might find on a deer or a moose?” He paused his rapid-fire questioning and tilted his head, his lips parted slightly as if he had suddenly recalled something. “If I were to pull your tail off, would it grow back?”

The girl sat there calmly as he went off on his questions, looking up and putting a hand to her horn at the one question before meeting eyes back with the man. “As I had said before I am the Envoy of my Lady. Beyond that I am unsure on the specifics but I believe it would be incorrect to call myself human or deer. My antlers are simply of the same kind as my Lady’s. As for my tail,” the girl thought about it for a moment, looking down to her tail before back to Percy. “I am unsure if it would grow back but I do not think it is possible to remove.”

Percy frowned. “Those answers are unsatisfactory,” he said. “Many lizards use caudal autotomy to self-amputate in the circumstance that a predator grasps their tail. Because of that they have developed the ability to regrow their own tails over hundreds of thousands of years. Why would you be different?” He leaned forward ever so slightly, causing his glasses to perch precariously on the tip of his nose. “One can assume your horns are a method of self-defense, implying you had some kind of predator at one point, lending credence to the idea of caudal autotomy. Unless. . . Some species use their horns to attract mates. Would you say that is more accurate?”

The girl seemed in wonder as Percy rattled off his information, before smiling and shaking her head at his question. "I do not believe they're for attracting mates, as I said they are simply a mimicry of my Lady's form. Though, truth be told I have never wondered why my Lady has antlers. And I feel there has been some degree of misunderstanding as well regarding my form, though I may not have been precisely detailed in my answers and for that I apologize." The girl bows her head in apology before raising it back up and outstretching her hand to shake. "I believe this will help provide a better explanation for my answers."

Percy stood up straight and reached for her hand. Handshakes were almost second nature to the man; as a physician he had started almost every conversation with one. This one, however, was not his typical handshake. “... I see,” he said, his outstretched hand now dripping with water. At the moment his hand had made contact with the Envoy’s, her hand lost all form and turned into water, before reforming a second later. “You’re a construct?” His mind was abuzz once again.

"Perhaps. I am uncertain of the specifics myself, as all I know truly was that I was created by my Lady to help you all along your journey. I am uncertain if I even possess a soul, so perhaps a construct might be the correct term?"

He dried his hand on his jacket and pushed his glasses back up. “While that only gives me many more questions I’d like to ask, I doubt you would be able to answer them, so I’ll get back to the main topic at hand. You said we were brought here to be the saviors of this word.” Percy loomed over the girl. He was not being intimidating or condescending, but the natural height difference between the doctor and the envoy was such that he was always looking down at her. “Why should I care about this world? What do I get out of it?"

Edited June 9 by Cheshire Toon

LordCowCow · June 9

Sabrina smiled as the girl, spirit, elemental, whatever she was made it clear what they were here for. It was true, it was actually true, no denying it! Everything she had done up until now...it was actually worth it! All she had...dealt with, all the feelings and all the struggles, it led her here!

She actually had a reason for being born.

They had gestured towards the door and Sabrina looked back and saw the angry girl storming off that way. Sabrina cringed a bit at the idea of going out. Reinforced by the anime fan guy speaking up as well, "We won't get very many answers just standing here like it's Sunday Mass...we should probably follow after the angry one."

Maybe he was right but...Sabrina hoped to put a bit more distance between them first. She couldn't quite understand why someone like that was here anyway. It sorta brought down the entire mood of the situation. But, she supposed, that sort wasn't unheard of in these things. Still, if someone was supposed to get close to the girl to act as a foil to her angry personality it wasn't going to be her.

Sabrina turned back and jumped in surprise at seeing the doctor just....right there. Without any regard for how strange he looked bent over like that. She took a few uncertain steps back as though expecting him to swing around at any moment. He seemed to be asking a whole lot of questions that Sabrina really didn't get. What was he trying to figure out? The girl was obviously magical what else was there to it?

Though she was glad to learn that the girl was apparently made of water. She had been so excited she almost hugged her which would have been really awkward and probably more than a little uncomfortable. Still she couldn't believe the words that came out of the man next.

“Why should I care about this world? What do I get out of it?"

What? How did he still not get it? Weren't doctor's supposed to be super smart? His question had such an obvious answer that Sabrina stared at him for a moment and wondered if he was joking. Could it be...he didn't have the same dream as she did? But then why in the world would he be here?

Sabrina started to panic at the thought. Both him and the other girl had brought an uncomfortable thought to her mind. She had assumed it was her heart and soul that guided her here but then why would people who didn't share her desire to be a hero be brought here too?

A surprised look crossed the water girl's face as it turned back to her original expression. “Oh my apologies, I had been under the impression my Lady’s gift was to serve as proper motivation, though I appear to have been under a misunderstanding yet again.” The girl bowed in apology once more before righting her position and putting a finger to her chin. She looked up, then past Percy, then back to his eyes. “I am unsure if this serves as proper motivation for you but, he also has antlers.”

"Huh?" Sabrina looked back at the door and saw two animal people in the doorway with the angry girl. She let out a gasp as she noticed them and realized that this place must have been even more fantastical than she had thought! She closed her eyes a moment, thinking about everything. Trying to figure out a conclusion that made sense to her. Maybe they just didn't know who they really were yet? Maybe they needed to uncover their true feelings still. She nodded to herself and opened her eyes again.

With renewed vigor Sabrina found herself confident enough to respond to the doctor. "It's not about what you get out of it! A hero, uh, heroes because it's what they're meant to do! It's who the are! And...and...and if you're here, then that means you must be a hero deep inside!" She followed it up with a muttered, "maybe reeeeally deep inside..."

Then a realization hit her and she turned towards the girl again. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry...um, w-what's your name anyway?" Sabrina blushed at having forgotten in her excitement to ask such a basic thing.

Smiling at the girl she said, “my name is River.”

"That's so cute!" Sabrina blurted out and then coughed awkwardly. "Um, well, nice to meet you River! Our meeting was the spark of fate and I, uh, I intend to...use that spark to, er, light the fire of my destiny! Don't worry I'll make sure to do my best to....bring salvation!"

Though...what did 'bring salvation' actually mean?

Tiamat's Circus · June 10

Though her attempted wake-up call had rang out on deaf, or rather asleep, ears, Marshall was pleasantly surprised to find that the others, who had reacted to everything their own way (even one of them scolding her for trying to wake the girl up), did their own due-diligence to wake up their own concrete lead. From there, Marshall found herself taking a step back from the group, just a bit, as she watched the excited, younger girl make most of the conversation. She seemed to be the most acquainted with everything at first, and so it felt natural to let her do the talking; even if it meant she would have to be ready to help if something were to go awry.

Luckily, nothing did, as she pulled her hat down to cover her eyes, and began to listen. According to the conversation between the young Ms. Dracona, it seemed she was correct about them being ‘heroes’, or at least, that being the intention that brought them here. Apparently, a Goddess named Ocean had brought them to this place, and referred to them as ‘Exalted’, a term that was often used to denote those with special qualities, and often had a religious undertone to it. That would have at least explained the church-back-drop, as hard as… All of this was to believe. After all, everything she was hearing was as far out of the realm of believability as one could reasonably get, and yet…

Being dead, Marshall didn’t find it adequate to question any of these details, yet.

Instead, she continued to listen as Gene took up the conversion next, voicing his concern about the term ‘exalted’, questioning if it was some sort of sick joke. While the girl laughed and remarked that her lady, Ocean, had a sense of humor, they weren’t the ones that gave their group the name the Exalted, rather it was the locals. This made a bit more sense, as Marshall began to put the pieces together: were they to be heroes, as Sabrina had suggested, there were likely legends or folklore that brought them to be summoned here. As such, these legends and folklore would need names, or titles to give to those who would come to fulfill the prophecy, ergo: the ‘Exalted’ were the heroes, something all but confirmed by the girl stating that ‘they were meant to bring salvation to the world beyond’, gesturing to a door where a… Curious sight was playing out.

But that could wait, Marshall had to remind herself, as there were still more questions to be asked.

Luckily, even as Gene seemed ready to leave, Doctor Byron found it fit to raise further questions. Though he initially focused a bit much on her physical appearance, going into detail on her biology, he eventually cut to the heart of an important question: what was their true goal? Even as heroes, most of them would need motivation, as simply being a hero to be a hero didn’t pay the bills. Indeed, that was a curious thing to consider: Why should they care about this world?

Would caring about this world make sure they were able to obtain their next meal, or fulfill them in some other way? Would saving this world’s inhabitants be any different from the doctor, Byron, saving another patient? Would it be any different than the countless times Marshall had pulled a little girl away from the edge of the platform, or stopped the train before an accident could occur? What assurance could they be given that they would even make a difference, and not be walking to their doom? That they wouldn’t be walking off the platform, so to speak, so that another can live again? What could be worth that pain again?

And yet, much to Marshall’s surprise, he received no… Real reply. He was told that ‘her lady’s gift’ was to serve as proper motivation, whatever that meant. She also gave some sort of suggestion about the antlers and wolf ears and other non-human qualities, that might entice the doctor further; but that was it, for the motivation. This was followed by a speech from Sabrina that, while cute, seemed a bit… Forced. Sure, a few of them had sacrificed themselves, but did that make them heroes, or fools who had thrown their life away?

Marshall shook her head. She was getting off-track quite a lot these days.

Clearing her throat, she stepped forwards after the construct, or girl, referred to herself as River, and Sabrina began to step away Marshall tipped the brim of her hat upwards with her right hand to get a better look at River, sizing her up and down. “Pardon Ms. River, but before we depart from this station, I have two more questions I would like to ask after having listened to your explanation!” She paused, waiting for a response, hand firmly gripping the brim of her hat.

River looked over to Marshall saying, “please, do ask. I shall answer to the best of my, unfortunately limited, capabilities.”

Nodding, Marshall tucked her other hand around her back. “You referred to ‘your lady’, who I suppose is this ‘Ocean’, having provided a gift of sorts.” Marshall began, eyes locked in on River. “For my first question, I would like to ask for further clarification on what this ‘gift’ is, if you don’t mind.”

Surprised the girl said, “how curious, I was under the impression you had all already spoken to my Lady, who is indeed Ocean, about this. But I believe the gift is “the actualization and reclamation of the soul.”” The girl paused as she thought about it for a moment. “I suppose that is not particularly clear but I was given no further information on it. I apologize again.” The girl bowed her head for the third time.

Now that, was an answer; though, not a particularly clear one. Reclamation of the soul, that was easy enough to understand. “So part of her gift, is likely our revival… Though whether that means here, as we are now, or in our world remains to be understood…” Marshall trailed off, thinking to herself as she very slightly to one side and then the other. “Then, I shall ask my second and final question: what does the salvation of your world entail?” She asked, narrowing her eyes ever-so-slightly as she asked. “And what would make us capable of achieving such a feat?”

Her eyes brightened as she stated, “oh I believe I can answer that more clearly. Though you may not have seen yet our world has fallen into ruin. This is due to the actions of several individuals who have sought the world's destruction. They are the “Accursed” and their “Lord of the Cursed.” To bring salvation you must defeat all of them and destroy each of their Great Curses.” As she paused, the sound of thunder rumbling could be heard again. “As for why you are capable of doing so it is for two reasons. One, because you are not from this world. And two, because you bear the sign of my Lady, which grants you the ability to combat such beings.”

"...I see." Marshall nodded, taking as much of that in as she could. It was certainly an odd request to make of a conductor, doctor, and whatever other professions were among them; to route out evil, and defeat enemies. Even stranger were the reasons she was given for why they might be capable of such a thing, and yet still, she found she could not argue. “...Yes, I see.” Marshall repeated herself, lowering her hat as to break eye-contact, before turning around to face the door. “Then I suppose our next step is through that door then?”

River nodded. “It may also help to answer your questions better.”

“...Thank you, River.” Marshall would wave with her right hand as she started off towards the door, tucking it behind herself like she had her left earlier; her pace neither slow, nor in a rush as she set off. After all, she not only had inhibitions about getting too close to the other woman, but also had the feeling that leaving anyone behind would be a grave mistake.

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