Tethers [IC]

[Sei]

There's really no good way to explain it. It isn't very romantic, profound, or even maybe sorta poetic. No. It's just that one second you're doing your thing... Minding your business, as you would... And then all the sudden you're in a room. No explanation. No kind of transition. Just "poof". Ass in seat. In a room. With no idea how you got here.

At first glance, it looks like you're in some kind of conference room. No décor. A single podium up front just to the right of a projection screen. No projector to be found... And a single table off to the side with food and drink that looks like it came straight from a corner store. Whoever set the table didn't even bother to take the stuff out of the bags... Finally, your seat of choice: your standard fold-out chair. That being said, all the chairs seem to have been meticulously spaced and organized into neat little rows. The same however cannot be said for the various people currently sitting in them. While others look as if they've been paralyzed by fear, others look as if they're about to fall out of their chairs and die of a heart attack.

You're disoriented, to say the least. With two significant parts of your memory being smash cut together, many things come to mind. Many of which don't particularly help. But as you sit there and try to collect your thoughts, your mind gives you pause and directs your attention back to the front of the room. It's there that you spot an odd looking girl. One who definitely wasn't there just a second ago...

She stands there, beaming with confidence as she eyes the crowd. A pair of small black horns protrude from here head and a pair a demonic looking wings extended from her waist. On there own, it looks as if she's wearing some kind of costume. But, given that the rest of her outfit consists of something more like streetwear, you can't tell just what exactly what such a costume would be going for. In a word, she looks a bit outrageous. Yet she stands there with nothing but supreme confidence as a haughty grin forms on her face.

"Ahem...Salutations~!Or good day... Whatever it is you people say nowadays..."

Speaking out over the confused mumblings of the group, the demonic looking girl calls for everyone's attention. With a bit of flair and some exaggerated motions, she pulls everyone's eyes onto her person and skillfully directs people to a small badge placed on her chest. On it, three simple words: Acting Goddess- Lili.

"Today I stand before you all to deliver some rather pressing news. And that is...You all are deeeeaaad~ D-E-A-D. Doneso. Kaput. And you didn't even make it to 30...Such a shame."

Just like that the strange looking girl says something that sounds incredibly stupid when you repeat it over in your head. Not necessarily because it sounds wrong... Rather, it strikes you as incredibly tone deaf and ignorant of the gravity of her own words.

"Now I know that this might be an incredibly confusing and troubling time for some of you. Many of you might even have questions. But please-! Lets refrain from losing our minds and doing something we might regret~ Please, take this moment to collect your thoughts and possibly calm down a bit. If you'll direct your attention to the snack table on your left, I have taken the liberty to provide you all with a number of comfort foods and refreshments!"

Silence hangs over the room as everyone takes a moment to digest "Lili's" words.

"...Seriously?"

Naturally, it doesn't seem like everyone is going to have the same reaction.

[Rafflesiac]

Sylvie Williams
Purgatory?

One moment, I'm on the Kawasaki en route to quintuplets, very next moment I'm in a squeaky metal folding chair in an intensely beige conference room. Very weird, very confusing - but given the last few moments before the poverty chair and poverty refreshments, have to admit, it's a lot better than it could be. How though? Normally it'd be a hospital right, with hospital gowns and CNN and significantly fewer Gray's Anatomy stars in the broom closets. No leathers either, I'm in street clothes somehow. And there's a midget on the stage. Cute, maybe an M going by the choker, definitely cute, apparently God? Acting God. Replacement God. Temp God? God has temps?

You'd think an omnipotent dude would shell out for real hors d'oeuvres instead of single-serve UTZ potato chips but hey, religion's been overrated for millennia. Honest shocker that there is a God though, figured after death there was just nothing instead of a college recitation. Wait, if there's a God, does that mean there are angels? And devils? Or is this God not God God but some other God? I mean, those wings are wiggling. Pretty weird for a Capital G to have devil wings. At any rate, I've got a lot of questions so I may as well ask them.

"So, Lili - cute name by the way, I like it - I get the dead part, but what's the rest of the deal here? You judging me? Do we eat the Cool Ranch Doritos to get recycled into samsara and the Nacho Cheese ones to go down the afterlife rabbit hole? Are you single? Is there a different, busier, more important God or something who didn't give you the budget for real chairs?"

[Mormarth]

Johnny Miller

It was like I'd just woken up from a bad nightmare into something that I knew from experience would end up being much worse. One minute, darkness, filth and the smothering heat of the desert, next, a clean-cut conference room that looked like any other I'd spent far too long in getting told things that I already knew by people who were paid to tell me that I was not working enough.

Feh.

I eyed the still bagged up snacks with skepticism, at least they didn't look like they'd been just popped out of a freezer. Though, they weren't what was really drawing my attention.

That'd be the smug-looking chick at the front of the room, preening like some precious puss, just looking at her made me tired and wary, and an unseen force drawn from experience pinned my arms down.

Also she had horns and wings, which was new, but I wouldn't put it past some bugshit contractor.

She rambled through some greetings and opening words which I tuned right through, so much self-congratulatory white-noise, though I noticed the name tag.

Though, I did garner some rather important news from it, that what I had just experienced was not a nightmare, but, in fact, was quite real.

That, or Ashton Kutcher's about to pop out, bottom-line, the nausea I felt was quite real.

What I'd been through was pretty startlingly realistic, which just lead me to believe that either I was still dreaming, or it was real.

Public Affairs wouldn't go to nearly this much effort.

Not for maintenance.

She, 'Lili' according to the nametag, gestured extravagantly towards the aforementioned snacks and offered them in some manner of tone-deaf emotionally retarded 'condolence' for the recently deceased.

I hung back.

"Not exactly too interested in the snack bar," I mumbled, "Don't think my stomach'd stand it very well."

Probably some water or something in a minute, after I take a second here.

Don't want to be stuck cleaning up my own puke, because then someone else'll puke, and then it'll be 'Hey, Miller, clean that shit up'.

I'd had much better things to do with my time, damn it!

[hero]

Murakami Rinna


"...?!"

When I come to, I find myself in an unfamiliar place, one that oddly resembles the school's assembly room, except it's clearly not. Even though I have no idea how I ended up here, there is nothing that makes me feel like I am in danger. Maybe it's the way the room has been neatly arranged, as if this were an special occasion of sorts, or perhaps it's simply the presence of other people in a similar situation all around me. The only thing that does not match is my slightly agitated breathing. Did I just wake up from a nightmare...? Strange, the last thing I can recall appears to be a memory from an ordinary school day.

---Ah, it's O.K. Relax, take a deep breath and focus.

There's got to be a reason why I came here. It's rare for me to fall sleep in the middle of something important, but I guess fatigue can do that to you. I've been studying like hell for midterms. That said, I am not the sort of person who would arrive at a place and suddenly feel clueless as to why I am there... Or am I? The truth is, I am beginning to doubt myself. No matter how hard I try to collect my thoughts, no reason comes to mind. I look for an answer in the faces around me, however, all I find is confusion. My mind immediately dives into the worst case scenario: We've all been kidnapped.

But again, that really doesn't make sense. I haven't been bound to the chair and it doesn't look like I've been brought here forcefully. The atmosphere of the room makes it feel warm and welcoming, we are the ones who do not fit in this picture. Yes, for all I know, I could simply stand up and leave...

"Ahem...Salutations~!Or good day... Whatever it is you people say nowadays..."

Our attention suddenly shifts to the front of the room where now a little girl stands. She's wearing a strange get-up with some weird accessories to boot, but one can't deny she looks rather cute. One can only assume she's the host for whatever is going to take place here. Maybe we were brought here to watch some kind of performance...?

"Today I stand before you all to deliver some rather pressing news. And that is...You all are deeeeaaad~ D-E-A-D. Doneso. Kaput. And you didn't even make it to 30...Such a shame."

It's not that I don't believe her. I am actually innocent enough to believe things that are clearly lies and sometimes people make fun of me because of it. But this time... I just can't. I mean, it's absurd. Unlike anything that happened so far, this announcement is the first thing that feels absolutely surreal.

Yet, to my surprise...

Little by little, people begin to buy it, some being nonchalant about it. They must be playing along with the performer, I am sure that's the case. But... A part of me can't simply remain silent and not point out the critical flaw in that argument. It's okay, I tell myself, Lili looks quite competent, so she must have a counter-argument ready for skeptical people. It will be fine, my interruption will not ruin her show.

"But, how is that possible? we're here, breathing, and well, I can't speak for you guys, but I am hungry. If that's not enough of a proof we're alive, I don't know what is."

I am willing to help you out Lili, I really am! But you'll have to make it feel more real, or you're going to lose the audience real fast-!

[Bylackbre]

Wallace Ladon

I rubbed my face a bit and felt relieved to have some feeling of warmth since I felt like I was frozen upon waking up in the room. If what the smug looking girl at the podium said is true then I guess I really was feeling deathly cold just now. Maybe looking

There didn't seem to be any set pattern among us that were sitting when Lili, wait wasn't there a mythological figure with a similar name somewhere, spoke to us besides of course all of us being dead. Despite feeling alive and well regardless of Lili's claim that I am dead, my back and knees still felt sore from the plane crash as I got up from my seat to try and see what these refreshments actually were like and to quench my thirst. As I walked to the refreshments I tried to remember what happened but beyond walking away from the wreck I couldn't remember much so it must have been something afterwards that did me in.

"You'd think for a goddess she could have gotten some better refreshments." Needless to say I wasn't that surprised to see that the refreshments weren't that great and figured I can hold out a little longer on eating but getting something to drink wasn't negotiable. "Well at least the water bottles look to be bigger than those cups of water they had on the plane," I said to no one in particular as I got myself a bottle of water and stopped a second before grabbing a second one and returning to my seat.

"You can have this one if you want, I figured you might want something to drink if you were thirsty like I was and figured I might save you a trip." I told the person whose chair was closest to mine as I passed the, the unopened bottle before redirecting my attention at Lili.

"Quick question but your badge says that you are the 'Acting Goddess' and by acting in reference to theater or the legal definition meaning you're only a goddess because you are filling in the position until a replacement can be found?"

A creeping suspicion started to form in my gut that there is more at play here than this being a simple 'congrats on joining the dead' party.

[Draconic]

Anthony Mathers
Budget Heaven, but Cheaper
Half-past Nil

The last thing he remembered was indescribable pain in his chest as he desperately tried to breathe. So, he figured he must have been rescued. Rescued from what, he wasn't really sure. His head felt like a morning in London. Not that he'd ever been there to know what its mornings were like.

“Ahem...Salutations~! Or good day... Whatever it is you people say nowadays…”

“Uh… hi?” he said, “Where am—”

"Today I stand before you all to deliver some rather pressing news. And that is...You all are deeeeaaad~”

“WHAT?!” he shrieked, garnering exactly zero attention from the other people around him while the very insensitive person in front of them continued talking about his—or their, apparently—untimely doom like it was an activity on a cheap weekend vacation.

“D-E-A-D. Doneso. Kaput. And you didn't even make it to 30...Such a shame.”

Ooohhh, that chipper tone… this girl was asking for it!

He’d never wanted to punch anyone so much in his entire life. Actually, he might never have felt the urge before. He couldn’t really be sure. It was kind of unsettling.

“Now I know that this might be an incredibly confusing and troubling time for some of you. Many of you might even have questions. But please-! Lets refrain from losing our minds and doing something we might regret~ Please, take this moment to collect your thoughts and possibly calm down a bit. If you'll direct your attention to the snack table on your left, I have taken the liberty to provide you all with a number of comfort foods and refreshments!”

This so-called goddess was clearly either a really nasty piece of work, supremely incompetent, or just a straight-up idiot.

This may have had something to do with why her badge said ‘Acting Goddess,’ rather than, say, ‘Full-Time Goddess.’

Her current position definitely didn't come with a pension or dental. This cheered him up a little. He was now despondent instead of paranoid.

It suddenly occurred to him that Interesting Things™ happened in The World™, and he’d lived almost a third of his life completely unaware that anything actually could happen to him. In fact, it had been his entire life. Sonofabitch! His already lousy mood soured even further.

It was coming back to him now that she had mentioned it. The party for his floor supervisor’s niece. He remembered tripping over something, falling, getting tangled in what was probably a hose, and then it just sort of faded out. But he woke with the sensation of not being able to breathe, so… had he drowned?

Seemed likely.

Fuck.

Well, if he was dead, he didn’t have to sort about calories or sugar intake, so he figured he might as well take one of the sodas and a 3 Musketeers bar. He just knew that he’d pay for this in some way… actually, this in mind, he immediately put the food back without opening them. If this wasn’t some wildly elaborate prank—which he hadn’t completely ruled out quite yet—then he had to assume that this ‘goddess’ was much like the gods of most mythological pantheons and had a colossal who and a penchant for testing unwitting humans.

“Okay, fine,” he muttered, waiting out the first few other ‘victims’ to finish talking. “Exactly what did I trip over? And why did no one rescue me? I’m assuming I drowned, so I have to assume in turn that it was in a pool. I must have been struggling or splashing or something. I was at a house party, for god’s sake! How the hell didn’t anyone notice?!”

[Airen]

Cecilia Knox
Somewhere

"..."

One leg crossed over the other, the lab-coat adorned form of a certain high-school teacher seems to have pulled herself together quite nicely... At least in comparison to most of the others around her, rather than embracing the light sense of nausea that seemed to be pervading the room, the dark-haired young woman simply sits with one leg crossed over the other, one hand held under her own chin as the other lightly pats at the back of her head, as if searching for a wound that should be there but was not...

Yes...

Rather than go straight into denial, or moving to verbally slap this so called Goddess for saying things that are pretty blatantly stupid -in context and tone if nothing else- Cecilia Knox simply accepts it after a moment, following a path of more rational thought into the insanity of what might as well be some sort of dream or hallucination, conjured up by her dying brain...

That's right, in some ways...

She could believe she had died, of course, it's not like she remembers the moment itself per say, but...

Stairs.

Yes...

She had certainly been shoved down a particularly lengthy flight of stairs by a familiar hand, one that shouldn't have been dangerous in the slightest, but had proven itself to be a snake in the grass the moment she had turned her back on it...

"Heh..."

Head injuries are always notable in their effects. She could remember a tremendous pressure on the surface of her skull, and the cold of what she could only assume had been concrete, but...

Really? She had managed to die there?

"What a pain in the ass..."

Having finally decided her own thoughts on the matter, the teacher stands, one hand going into her pocket in the usual way, before making her way over to the table with the snacks. It's absolutely lazy, a poor showing from what was either a divine being or a hallucination of a divine being, but either way she isn't too impressed, still... Old habits die hard, and while seeing as how she was apparently dead, the old snack urges were probably pretty pointless to deny any longer...

So she doesn't.

Pushing some of the bags aside, and taking the table as her seat, the clearly-annoyed woman radiates a tired air as she returns to her usual pose, one leg crossed over the other, but one hand rummaging through the bags of food and soda at her side.

"Alright so, we're dead. Guess that's one way to start the morning, this actually magic? Or are we all having a collective hallucination in a hospital room somewhere? Forced government drug tests are all the rage nowadays."

All in all...

Being dead was quite the confidence booster.

[Cheetose]

Kou Hayasaka

Huh? Where am I? When did those cute girls stop steppi---

“Ooooooohhhh”

With my vision now clear, I looked down, only for it to be obscured by something again. Somethings, rather. The melon sized, soft looking objects could only be…

Breathing heavily from the obscene thoughts, I can’t resist copping a feel and indeed, it was quite the heavenly experience as my fingers sank slightly into the ginormous marshmallows.

"Ahem…”

Eh?

Tearing my eyes away from the wondrous things on my chest, I realize that I’m actually not alone. Yes, it appears that I’m sitting in some weird room surrounded by a bunch of ragtag dudes and some cute looking girls dressed in all sorts of clothes. Must’ve been people from all over the place, or maybe I just ended up in the middle of some low quality cosplay exhibition or something.

"Today I stand before you all to deliver some rather pressing news. And that is...You all are deeeeaaad~ D-E-A-D. Doneso. Kaput. And you didn't even make it to 30...Such a shame."

Ah, So I am dead...Well, I’ve no regrets, this already looks like more fun…

Looking up on the podium in front of us now, I spot the person who was talking, a flat chested girl calling herself “Lili”. So...Loli Lili?!

A goddess with some weird accessories. Is she cosplaying a demon or something? Or is she just stupid?

Well, whatever.

“Hey Pettanko Goddess,” I speak up as she finishes her explanation, “Got a mirror somewhere?”

Indeed, there was something lot more important than refreshments. Who gives a damn about food, that can wait until later! Hell, it’s not even actual food. Or served properly. It’s just some bags of potato chips and soda, goddamnit!

“I want to see how cute I am.”

[zikari8]

Shinonome Hikari

“D-dead?”

I was at a complete loss for words. One moment, I was having a normal day like any other, and next I found myself in this conference-esque room with a bunch of strangers and being told that I was dead. There was too much to process. It felt like someone had thrown a textbook at my head.

For a few moments, I just sat there stunned, trying to comprehend my surroundings from the unprofessional-looking demon girl to the (somewhat appealing) snack bar. Honestly, I would love to come up with a clever remark, maybe something snarky about the indigent state of the afterlife in relation to the lack of faith in modern society, but I’ve got nothing. I was just too flabbergasted to speak.

Others in the room, though, seemed less perturbed and that realization made me feel uneasy. Some began to talk and address the goddess in front, while others got up and sampled the snack bar.

Oi! Why are y’all being so cool and active about this? We just died! Don’t start talking now, I haven’t calmed down yet. Am I the only actually surprised? Am I the slow one? Am I the weird one?

Feeling left out among strange strangers, I merely slunked into my seat and pulled down on the paper bag covering my head.

Oh! I still have my paper bag. That’s good. As long as I have that, everything will be fine.

[Twelveseal]

Micah Grey
Somewhere Strange
Now, I guess?


My head is killing me… The first thing that comes to mind is my mind itself, since it feels like someone hit me with a warpick right between the eyes. Trying to piece together what came before and what comes after will have to wait. I drive the heels of my palms into my eyes and try to focus on the feeling of cold metal on my ass.

_{“Migraine?”} My voice is as faint as usual, but it sounds strained even to me. The headache almost keeps me from noticing that I feel like I might puke.I take a couple of slow, deep breaths and focus my mind on something other than the pain. Where am I? How did I get here? What exactly is this place? Think. Question. Observe. Occupy your brain, Micah. Distract it.

I look around, taking things in as subtly as I can. A dozen or so people in drab room, like a conference room for a small company. Cheap seats and cheaper food, and no decoration to speak of. A projection screen, but nothing to go with it, either on the table or built into the walls or ceiling, and…
My blood pressure immediately jumps. I can feel my heart start to race.

^“Door?!”

This is wrong! How did we get here!?! I can’t find any way in or out of the room. No doors. No windows. No seams in the floor, the walls, the ceiling. It can’t be… not like this. No, it wasn’t like this… I pressure my mind through the slowly fading headache. How the hell did I get here?!
The last place I remember being was at home, in my room, trying to lock my door before Sarah could get it open. Why I was in such a hurry to keep my sister out isn’t coming to me. Instead, all I’m getting are scenes from Hirschherz. The school, the glittering castle, people that were like family. Classmates that weren’t. Memory’s jumbled… Something… not… My ears didn’t pop, so it couldn’t be what I was hoping for. The more I think about it, try to recall what I was doing or how I got here, all I get is a blank. Was I drugged? But why? No one knows… at least no one who didn’t live through it…

Is… Is this something from the other side?

I don’t know what to think right now. Someone’s clearly brought me here for something. What, I don’t know, but all I can do now is wait and watch. I try to stop fidgeting in my chair. I’m not a little girl anymore, even with the extension.
I look around the room one more time, not expecting to seeany changes but…

There’s a girl there. A…

My jaw is hanging open, I know. My eyes probably look like an owl’s behind my glasses.
Horns.
Wings.
Ears.

Hard to see.
Glasses fogging.
I take them off and wipe them on my shirt. I check again.
I repeat the process for good measure.
Yup, still there.
I think my heart beat a little bit faster.
Huh. I guess her name is Lili… and an “Acting Goddess.” So in other words, she’s not a goddess at all, but might be the representative of one. Or an imposter. Does that make here Lilith? I should probably be worried by this, but I can’t keep those negative thoughts running right now, despite how I usually feel.

It’s not the same.
She’s not the same.
But it is at the same time. I can feel myself relax, even though my heart is still pounding. There’s an itch growing, but I can’t scratch it. Not in public, so I give up on controlling the fidgeting and just let my thighs rub.
A little.
I’m pretty sure everyone’s busy watching the loli, so I don’t think anyone will notice.

Two years, and now, finally, here… I’ve got no clue what’s really going on, but am I interested? Yes~ This is a very good sign, door or no door.

"Ahem...Salutations~! Or good day... Whatever it is you people say nowadays..."

_"Ummm…" She's really cute, so I end up feeling even more shy than usual. Should I say “hi,” or…

"Today I stand before you all to deliver some rather pressing news. And that is...You all are deeeeaaad~ D-E-A-D. Doneso. Kaput. And you didn't even make it to 30... Such a shame."

_{“Eh? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?!”} Wait, what!? Since when have I been dead!? This is death? I’m… No, wait. That might make sense… I think back on it and try to remember again what happened. This time, I get something. Some quality time to myself in my room. And then that troll sent me that fucked up link that starts blasting… ugh, yeah. People and animals shouldn't... Then there's those footsteps on the stairs, rushing to mute the damn video, trying to lock the door before Sarah could walk in on me and that thing. A power cord, my feet, the corner of my desk saying “hi.” Maybe… I am dead. Still, I feel like I’m missing some important piece of this scenario… Ugh. My head’s still foggy. Not thinking right just yet.

I guess I can believe what she has to say, though I might not when my brain cooperates later.

Did she really have to be such a bitch about it, though?

”Now I know that this might be an incredibly confusing and troubling time for some of you. Many of you might even have questions. But please-! Lets refrain from losing our minds and doing something we might regret~ Please, take this moment to collect your thought sand possibly calm down a bit. If you'll direct your attention to the snack table on your left, I have taken the liberty to provide you all with a number of comfort foods and refreshments!”

I don’t trust her enough to take her up on the suggestion, despite how she looks. Besides, I still feel kind of queasy. Instead, I just shift in my seat a bit, my ass sticking to the now warm metal.
Wait.
Oh.
Ohhhhhhhhhhh…
_{“Oh fuck.”}
I was just about to go to bed. I was just doing a little stress relief first.
I adjust the long, loose shirt I use to sleep in, pulling it down as far as it will go.
I now know what it was I was forgetting. What I was missing.

_“Pants.”

[RacingeR]

Yamashita Kazu

“Ugh…” The phantom pain of having his chest caved in hadn’t quite settled yet. Although he had found himself in a (very anticlimactic) conference room, and being somewhat confused, Kazu remained silent while the rest reacted, going over his final moments.

Different to most others, he didn’t have any trouble processing the simple fact of his death. Perhaps it was because he’d stared at death valiantly in the eye, and had gone down swinging his fists against an overwhelming threat, knowing very well that he was going to die.

Or perhaps it was because in hindsight, attempting to punch out an oncoming truck had been a stupendously stupid idea.

Either way, Kazu quickly accepted that he was dead. And he wasn’t one to reject the offer of free food either. Along with some others, he walked up to the table and started stuffing his cheeks at the speed of light.

Man, dying took a lot of energy out of him.

“Hsg, dwhdn dwh fwoodr.” He said to the woman that had annoyingly enough chosen to sit on the table, but he failed to transmit his message, instead spraying half-chewed pieces of food everywhere. He swallowed, and tried again.

“Hey! Don’t throw the food!” Kazu said, annoyed, then looked at the uh… chibi deity? Dwarf deity? Gremlin deity? Let’s go with loli for now.

“So? What happens next?” He said, emptying a bag of doritos and quickly moving to the next. He looked around him again, noting the many… details of the room he was in for the first time.

“Wait…” His eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Are you perhaps the goddess of poverty?”

[Vritra]

Monday
A strange place with a variety of strangers


Tap…

Tap…

Tap…

The subtle sound of finger upon flesh, a tell of mind methodically organizing and chaotic and unrealistic information that despite the serene mask that he wore upon his face.

Death of oneself, a day of brooding thoughts and clashing inconsistencies, a gathering of mismatched people, ‘gifted’ snacks, HIGHLY questionable fashion (a generous label). It was rather a lot to take in but giving into indolence was a path that befit only fools and those beyond care, he hoped he wasn’t the latter and yet despite his yearning he wasn’t the former. Believe only half of what you see, and none of what you hear for now he would simply watch and think. Pulling up his leg to rest it upon his seat to provide a perch for his head his eyes continued to silently scan the world around him.

Knowing as much as possible was always useful in case of any troubles that required a …resolved approach.

[Sei]

A Conference Room With No Doors (Hell?)
A Quarter After DEAD

Wallace Ladon

​​A simple little gesture. No real idea why you would bother doing such a thing. But, then again, it's not like there's no reason why you shouldn't have. After all, you're already dead (allegedly?). You can't really imagine things getting that much worse. It's just a water bottle. An extra bottle of nice, cool refreshment for your neighbor. Yes. Indeed. It's just a simple gesture of kindness.

But...

"Ah... I see... So you and I are dead...W-w-well...At least we have each other in this troubling time..."

Despite the fact that the water has already exchanged hands, you can feel a crushing weight slowly bearing down on your now clenched fist.

You hadn't noticed it before, but it's unmistakable now. The person next to you has an unpleasant, desperate aura. Her eyes are dead- befitting of her new status- and she's sweating more than a marathon runner in the middle of summer. She smells like a well-used locker room... And as if that wasn't enough, she hasn't stopped mumbling to herself with that same monotone acceptance this whole time.

"T-Thank you... For being kind to me..."

You'd like to think to yourself that a part of you instinctively said to avoid direct eye-contact at all costs. The second the bottle left your hand, some wise hamster in your head said to immediately turn away and change focus.

"You're...very kind..."

That same hamster is currently screaming that the plan isn't working.

With each word that passes the girl's lips, you can feel her slowly inching her chair oh so much closer to yours.

Mistakes might have been made...

***

Cecillia Knox

You make yourself a seat on the table as you comfort yourself with the spread of junk food. Others who come to the table to peruse the weak selection either shoot you annoyed glares or do their best to just ignore you. Not that it matters to your really. You're all in the same boat and you've all got to deal with this news in your own ways. No matter how crummy a joke this all is.

However, through it all, there is one person that does catch your eye. A young man- decently tall in height, likely in his early twenties.

At some point, he'd simply walked up to the table without so much as a word or glance at you or anyone else. Perhaps that's why he seems to be going relatively unnoticed by others. But now that you've set your sights on him, you do find his actions a bit curious.

"..."

He doesn't do much. Really, he's doing nothing at all... But it's strange.

Without making a single comment, he steadily works his way through all the different items on the table. Picking a bag of chips up here, a bottle of water there, and setting them down almost as soon as he lays eyes on them. Not once does he keep something in his possession to take with him to eat or drink. He does this for all of thirty seconds before placing the final item down. It's at this point that he notices your eyes and returns a quick glance. Even still, he says nothing.

Having finished what he seemingly came to do, he turns around and starts walking back to his seat. At the same time, you look down at the half-eaten bag of Lays and ask yourself "The hell is up with that guy?"

[Sei]

Everyone
A Box With No Escape

The unusual hostess does her best to smile and grin through it all, but it's obvious that it's all an act. The more forced her smile becomes, the more visible the veins in her forehead appear. Still... For whatever reason she keeps it up, even if only a little bit longer. But you can practically hear her patience crumbling beneath the weight of voluntary ignorance.

"So, Lili - cute name by the way, I like it - I get the dead part, but what's the rest of the deal here? You judging me? Do we eat the Cool Ranch Doritos to get recycled into samsara and the Nacho Cheese ones to go down the afterlife rabbit hole? Are you single? Is there a different, busier, more important God or something who didn't give you the budget for real chairs?"

"But, how is that possible? we're here, breathing, and well, I can't speak for you guys, but I am hungry. If that's not enough of a proof we're alive, I don't know what is."

"You'd think for a goddess she could have gotten some better refreshments."

“Hey Pettanko Goddess, got a mirror somewhere? I want to see how cute I am.”

“Are you perhaps the goddess of poverty?”

Each time she hears or sees something that she doesn't like, something in her expression quickly tips her off. Whether it's a slight furrowing of the eyebrows or a twitch of the eye, she's one of those people. Her head lowers ever so slightly and her fingers curl into fists at her side. Yet her guests continue to move around the room- berating her status and hospitality- feeding the ruckus. It doesn't take long before the girl's smile completely fades. Naturally, once someone stops trying to be someone who they aren't, their true colors shine through.

"Mmmm… Maybe I should just erase them all after all... Not like the big wigs would notice if sixteen souls went missing. At worst I'd just have to do a damn report."

Lili's expression eases up as she muses to herself. The once forced smile becomes that of a sadist as she turns her nose up at the crowd. Clearly, her own proposal becoming more and more appealing. Unbeknownst to her, maniacal laughter escapes her lips.

Fortunately for all of you, this idea is halted before it can reach fruition by the appearance of yet another person. In contrast to Lili, this person looks a lot more normal. Professional even. The way she carries herself through even a few simple motions give the impression of a woman mature beyond her years. To top it all off, her pure white hair seems untouched by even the smallest speck of dust and her deep blue eyes challenge the identity of the clearest skies. If Lili is a devil, this girl is clearly an angel.

"Mistress Lilith," The new girl gently rests a hand on Lili's shoulder. Her soft voice cuts through the noise like a finely tuned song, "Please don't do anything that would jeopardize your paycheck."

Lili's smile fades away once again. This time, it's slowly replaced by an expression of creeping panic with a tinge of feigned ignorance. Much like a child caught in the act.

"After all, it would be a shame if someone had to go back to cup noodles for a month."

Incredibly threatening words fired from the purest of smiles...

Lili does not say anything. She can't say anything. All she can do is stand there before that deceptively merciless smile and her lip begins to tremble and her eyes well up with tears.

The demonic hostess audibly sniffles, "But...But Mari... They don't realize how nice I'm being to them!" Pointing to the snack table, Lili explodes into full-blown tears,"They don't realize just how much of my food budget I had to spend getting them this feast!"

And before anyone can even respond, the green-haired devil starts to wail. Doing her best to hide her tears, her friend comforts her by patting her head.

…

In the midst of all this, no one seems to have found the door this new person walked in through.

***

Some time later, Mari has managed to calm things down a bit. She has single-handedly managed to get everyone calm, organized, and seated while simultaneously getting Lili under control. With the demoness now quietly pouting at her podium, Mari stands ready at the opposite side of the projection screen. Giving the room a once-over, she nods to herself , clears her throat, and begins addressing everyone.

"Now that we've managed to get things settled down somewhat, I believe proper introductions are in order."

Mari turns slightly an motions towards the sulking devil.

"First off, this is Mistress Lilith. As I'm sure most of you can tell by her appearance, Mistress Lili is a devil that works here at the Afterlife Company. However, due to various circumstances, she currently isn't acting as a devil. I don't want to burden you all with too much information at once, so I would just like to ask that you all look beyond her appearance and think of her as a benevolent goddess."

Upon hearing these words, Lili's eyes drift to attend to the ground. There isn't the slightest bit of love in them. In fact, something tells you that if she were to say anything now...it would probably be along the lines of "eat shit and die." So much for first impressions.

"As for me, my name is Mari Benevola. I'm Lili- Mistress Lili's long-time friend and aide. Though I suppose you can think of me as something of an assistant."

You're pretty sure she just fumbled her words there.

"Now I'm sure that all of you have your own questions that you would like to ask us. At this time, we would like you to please field any questions or concerns concerning your situation. Once everyone has a better understanding of things, we can then move on to why it is that we've gathered you here today."

Enthusiasm in her eyes, Mari pulls what appears to a sheet of paper out of her pocket. But once she holds it out in front of her for all to see, it becomes apparent that it's actually a sheet of stickers... Gold stars to boot...

"I ask that you please ask your questions one at a time and wait until the first person has been addressed before asking your own~ Oh! And please tell us your names so that we may get to know you better!"

Shooting her hand up, Mari is clearly trying to set an example.

"Now now~ Who wants to go first~?"

Lili can be heard groaning over to the side.

[Rafflesiac]

Sylvie Williams

Ah, I recognize that twitch in her eye, those balled fists, those gritted teeth. That's retail right there, in all of its soul-crushing, impotent hatred and despair. The cackling's a little much though. Damn, I took the completely wrong approach in that case; being that obtuse is absolutely shameful. Well, I did bite it like a minute ago, so I guess I can forgive myself just this once.

Mari, huh? Another cute name, though she's as suit as Lili is scene. Downright angelic even; is she actually an angel? Hey, maybe I can- nah, save it for later, patience, patience. Still, a suit? And paychecks? The afterlife is surprisingly banal. Okay, not surprisingly so. Life, afterlife, more of the same really. And now things are turning into a kindergarten class.

I stand up from the too-small chair, puffing out my chest as I stretch my limbs to work some life back into them. A confident saunter takes me to the refreshments table, where I reach past a 6.5, maybe a 7 doctor for a bag of Sour Cream and Onion. As I walk toward the front, I open the bag and eat a few chips, savoring the oils and salts that flow with each crunch; when it comes to flavors, you really can't beat green.

"Please to meet you Mari, you can call me Sylvie!" I smile brightly, lips lightly shining from the oil. "Mari, that's like Mary the Virgin, but spunkier! I'll get the obvious question out of the way for everyone: Do I have to do anything now that I'm dead?" My gaze flickers toward the depressed devil drooped on the floor. "Oh, and I can't forget to say that these chips are delicious! When it comes to something like this, It's nice to have a taste of something delectable." I suck the salt off a finger.

[Bylackbre]

A Conference Room With No Doors in Hell, Limbo, or Somewhere Inbetween

Wallace Ladon

Well what better way of celebrating the fact that you're no longer dead than somehow find yourself in a situation where instead of a foot in the grave your hand will be the one in it instead. I thought to myself sarcastically as the hamster in my mind tried to help me brainstorm a way out of the 'unintentional side effect' of me being generous to one of my fellow formerly deceased.

I am more than certain that whoever this girl was before dying, probably someone who was often overlooked and would attach herself to whoever didn't turn a blind eye to her, is still coming to terms with the fact she is dead and someone decided to be nice to her after she was released from death's grip. Now if only she would release her death grip on my hand. I'm pretty sure I had more feeling in my hand when it went numb after the plane crashed in the freezing snow covered mountains than right now. I felt the hand crushing my own was definitely smaller than my own so maybe breaking my fist and expanding my hand would break her hold but the hamster in my head screamed that it would only risk giving her a better hold of my hand if I did that.

I shifted my head and face so that whoever was dead set on returning my hand to the grave couldn't see my face and tried to see if anyone could lend a hand. I tried to give a look that conveyed the message of: 'I didn't mean for this to happen please help me somehow.' The people I tried to get help from it was the girl who used the doritos analogy, the guy who apparently died at a pool or something if I heard correctly, the guy who grabbed a water bottle before me, and the girl who used the sensation of hunger to justify feeling alive. I couldn't tell if any of them got the message and were about to try and lend a hand or not when I heard Ms. Death Grip's chair audibly scoot closer to me.

Okay it is either I do something now or end up stuck like this for the rest of our time and seeing just how badly this situation can get, I thought as alarms went off in my head.

I quickly swung my whole body around in my seat with enough force to break the grip and nearly fall out of my chair but I managed to turn the chair around with me. I extended my nearly crushed hand and my other one out and took hold of a hand belonging to the person behind me who happened to be a girl hiding her face behind a paper bag.

"Nice to meet you and sorry it had to be under these circumstances. My name is Wallace, Wallace Ladon, and it is a pleasure to meet you and I know being alive after dying is pretty shocking so if you need help with anything or want to talk just feel free to ask. So what is your name?" I asked and spoke all of this while trying to convey a look that was supposed to say that 'I am sorry if I startled you and can you please help me' and hoping she can see me through the bag so she might understand the look I was trying to give while hiding it from the other girl. I hated using this girl like this but I just hoped she can help get the girl attempting to murder my hand and almost share a chair with me to redirect her attention to someone or something besides me. If you can just help me I promise to be more than willing to lend you a hand in the future.

"Mistress Lilith, please don't do anything that would jeopardize your paycheck."

Hearing a new voice come from the direction of the devilish paperpusher, if her comment about paperwork I overhead was anything to go by, I turned back around but made sure that I was a safe distance from the killer gripper so that I can pay attention to the new development. Wait she said her name was Lilith, I guess my hunch about it sounding like a certain mythological name was right.

I think I saw some three musketeers or a payday bar on the table earlier and while I usually pass on those I will be more than happy to get up and grab one if this girl scoots closer again or tries to make my hand lose circulation once more.

[Sei]

Everyone
Even in death, stuck in a meeting

Mari nods her head in recognition of one Sylvie's question. The look on her face shows that it's the obvious one she should have expected. Perhaps that's why she's able to seemlessly transition into an explanation.

"Well... To make a long story short, under normal conditions we would be sending all of you on your way to Heaven right now. However... Due to... "Circumstances"... The waiting line to properly move past the ethereal gates in unreasonably long at the moment. If we were to try to do such a thing now, all of you could be waiting in purgatory for the next couple of months."

The professional air around Mari wavers for a bit. By nature, she's probably trying to sweep away some details in order to preserve the intergrity of her company. Sadly, this is the unfortanate life of an office worker trying to move up in the world. Lili on the other hand...

"Long story short, some interns got trashed at this wicked party last night. Got their hands on the threads of fate. Killed tons of people in one day. Like the entirety of the black plague tons. Pretty sick shit, really."

There are just those kinds of people who are sitting at the bottom of the food chain who don't give a damn about the company's image.

While Lili has a good laugh to herself, Mari tries to regain her composure. The green demoness uses this opportunity to regain the spotlight.

"But fret not my virgin dead! For all is not doom and gloom~ In recognition of your untimely deaths, we here at the Home of Eternal Sleep, Migration, and Damnation present you with a special offer."

There is a brief pause as Lili speaks with all the flair and motion you've come to expect from her at this point. No one really seems to respond to this. But because Lili has committed to all this extravagance, she can't back down. And she knows this... So the result is her standing on stage- holding a pose of appeal to no applause.

"...Home of Eternal Sleep, Migration, and Damnation?"

A confused blonde teen reluctantly raises her hand in question. Confused by the long name.

And to answer immediately...

"H.O.E.S.M.A.D. …"

The boy who was the very first to speak fills in the blanks for her.

While visibly sweating, Lili slyly smiles. There is a slight bit of pride in her face as she eases out of her prior pose and tries to conceal a deviant smile.

"Best vote I ever won. Those stuffy old geezers never even saw it coming."

An audible sigh escapes the crowd. The very same young man from before making his annoyance well-known.

"Great. I don't know what's worse. The idea that this is all some big, elaborate, dumb joke... Or the idea that god is not only flat and poor, but also a petty troll."

In an instant, Lili's eyes lock on this boy with pinpoint accuracy. A murderous aura slowly seeping out from the front of the room.

"Don't make me hurt you, boy."

[hero]

Murakami Rinna
A Conference Room With No Doors


The moment I saw Lili's smile fade, I realized. I instinctively knew, in the back of my head, that everything up to that point had not been an act.

There are a lot of things that do not make sense and a lot more than I just can't seem to understand, but if there is one thing I am certain of, it has to be the fact that this meeting appears to be a lot more serious than I anticipated. Whereas a moment ago I needed to find someone's support to convince myself that this is an elaborate joke, whereas a moment a go my biggest concern was finding out how on Earth I ended up in this room, now all that remains is me and a very simple, yet confusing question:

---Did I actually die...?

I have no recollection of it ever happening, but the majority of the room has already assumed that their previous lives have ended. With every second that goes by, it becomes more and more apparent that they aren't playing along with a farce, rather, they've just come to accept their fates with an ease and courage that I could never muster. What kind of lives must they have lived, for them to feel so detached to them?

The what if comes next.

I cannot, I definitely will not believe that I am dead, but... What if? Lately, my life has been mostly about living my highschool life to the fullest. My schedule was so tight that I rarely had any time for myself or my family. I didn't care much about the latter, I was too distracted with teenager things, however, now I cannot help but wonder... Mom, dad... Are you okay...? Even though it's probably been 'only a few hours' since I've last seen them, I already want to run to them and give them a hug.

"..."

Enduring the ghastly pain in my chest, I take a deep breath and make one final attempt to focus. I've always been a 'good' student and I've always been taught that there is always a way out of things. So whatever the case, there must be a way to go back home, where I belong.

And yet, I find the mystery overwhelming.

I...

I will honestly won't be able to move forward until I know for certain whether this is a bad dream or not, whether this is an act or not, whether I am dead or not. So when the chance to speak arrives and I subconsciously raise my hand to claim a turn, the first words that come out of my mouth are...

"Can you prove it...? That everything you are saying isn't just a bad joke?"

No matter how many similarities this place might share with an ordinary room, if this is some sort of waiting room for the dead, there has to be something that separates it from reality, besides a glaring lack of visible entrances. And they are supposed to be goddesses, right? Then they should be able to perform miracles and what not.

If they can't do that much, then this is just a farce, and I should focus on finding a way out. We're sixteen versus two, there is a good chance we can overpower them if they turn out to be average kidnappers.

"... I-I'm Rinna, by the way..."

I add as an afterthought, mostly out of politeness.

[Draconic]

Anthony Mathers
Budget Purgatory, But Cheaper
A Quarter After DEAD

People could die because a bunch of supernatural interns got drunk at a party? Well that's a scary thought. Anthony decided to at least try not to dwell on it, but in all honesty, he really wasn't feeling like himself right now. The corporate desk jockey in him has the urge to correct her complete lack of adherence to her company's policies for workplace behavior. Because if this angel was anything to go by, they must have something like that. How could she be laughing?! She was practically begging for a contract termination!

"But fret not my virgin dead! For all is not doom and gloom~"

"Oh, really? Joy," he grumbled to himself as the infuriating demoness continued running her mouth.

"In recognition of your untimely deaths, we here at the Home of Eternal Sleep, Migration, and Damnation present you with a special offer."

This girl was already driving him crazy. He almost dreaded to hear what she was going to 'offer' them.

Oh. He was kind of embarrassed that he hadn't realized the company name was an acronym until that kid brought it up... The acronym itself, of course, only further demonstrated that Lilith had a completely juvenile sense of humor. He really hoped that this demon was a younger demon who was named after the mythological figure, and not the Lilith. He didn't care for the implications of that possibility.

"Great. I don't know what's worse. The idea that this is all some big, elaborate, dumb joke... Or the idea that god is not only flat and poor, but also a petty troll."

Anthony decided he liked this guy. He summed up this idiotic demon (good god, how was he thinking these things like they were normal?!) in two sentences. As the girl decided to threaten the poor guy with physical? violence, he decided to take stock of his surroundings and the people nearby.

He was in a conference room. There were no doors, and no windows, and he felt trapped, yet somehow felt like he could probably leave whenever he wanted. He also got the distinct impression that doing so would be a very bad idea, however. The people in the room were a diverse bunch, he could say that much. Some of them, like that kid who offered the frightened girl next to him a drink, seemed okay, even if the snacks had to be a trap, of some sort. And then there was the pervert who's prompt reaction to being told she was dead was to start fondling herself in a way that didn't even make sense for a normal woman. Yep, staying away from that one.

Oh well, as long as they were introducing themselves, he might as well take his turn.

"Hi…?" he said uncertainly, not even sure people would even pay attention. "My name is Anthony Mathers. I'm a twenty-seven-year-old office worker at Clay & Clay Holdings in New York, and I somehow only just fucking realized that nothing surprising or interesting ever happening to me throughout those twenty-seven years isn't normal. I also only just realized I hate monotony.

"Also, Mari, Lili, could one of you please answer my questions from before? Threads of fate aside, if you were even serious about that, What did I trip over, and why... how didn't anyone notice me if I was struggling in a pool?"

...

Why was he being so polite? Well, at least he could say with certainty that he was still himself. And maybe if he called Lilith by her preferred nickname she'd calm down, or at least answer him.

[Airen]

Cecilia Knox
Somewhere

"Empty your mouth before speaking kid."

While she had intended to sit in relative silence for the most part -while returning raised eyebrows to annoyed glares- those that choose to interact directly with the teacher seem to draw enough of her attention that she at least bothers to talk to them about it, even so...

They are blunt words that lack her usual warmth, or rather, she's no longer in the sort of mood to coddle those younger than herself; she can't help but correct the behavior when she sees it anyway, but the sheer bluntness and simplicity of her words was designed to end the conversation at her correction of the undesirable behavior, in other words...

She seeks to shut down any meaningless conversation immediately; making friends with the others wouldn't change the fact that she had apparently died because the world's divine powers were total trash at doing their jobs...

Still...

While she didn't intend to talk if it wasn't strictly necessary for her to do so, one of her fellow 'victims' comes up and acts in such a bizarre way that the teacher is almost flabbergasted for a moment... Picking things up one by one, holding them for around thirty seconds before putting it back down, putting his -probably unclean- hands all over everything without a second thought as to how gross that was, yeah...

While a part of her is still listening to the words of the divine failures, the majority of her psyche devotes itself to a much more petty mission in the end, namely...

"At least eat one of em you damn sampler. If you're hungry or feeling the post death depression you should eat. Or are you just picky? Nothing good enough for you?"

She ties the Lays bag closed with one hand, before lightly pelting the horribly inefficient projectile at the back of the man's head, more of a poke than anything, considering how the bag was mostly air.

But that's neither here nor there.

"It's a bad habit that I can't allow. Just touching everything and walking away, that's a basic food safety failure. Come on now, being dead doesn't mean being sloppy. Adults should be an example for kids."