Lily let out a sigh, waiting as the laughter slowly faded and her wonderful... amazing girlfriend who she never felt she truly deserved moved into give her some form of physical affection, it always came after, a caress of the cheek, a kiss, a hug, something. As Alice leaned in it hurt, it hurt for Lily to bring up her hand to stop her.
"Listen... Alice there's... something I need..." A pause and then a sigh. "Something I need to talk to you about."
Lily winced, looking at the pained look in Alice's eyes. She was making it sound worse than it was, she always did that. She didn't know how to properly broach a subject.
"It's not that bad I swear! It's just... I got accepted for a scholarship in England."
It was quiet for a while, only the buzzing of the lamp above them that lit them up on the dark streets of their home town. That home town that so often felt like it was going to suffocate them both.
Finally Alice spoke. "I thought... we... I thought that..."
Alice slumped, and Lily winced again, she could see all the small movements that Alice made, the way she swallowed dryly, attempting to hold back the tears that were forming in her eyes.
"We agreed on New York, Lil... I... are you..."
Before she could even scrap the words out of her throat Lily screamed. "NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT! I... I just...it's a really great opportunity, it would take me all over europe I could study some of the greatest architects to ever live!"
The two stared at each other, before Alice pulled Lily into a hug. "It's fine, this... we can make this work. Video calls, and maybe I can find something out there as well and... I don't know but we'll make it work!"
Alice wasn't sure who she was trying to convince, herself? or Lily? It was all so much, she held Lily tight, she didn't want her to see the tears that were falling, it felt wrong, to feel this way, selfish. This was great for Lily, she could escape this awful town, she could... the words burned as she thought them, as she thought about Lily meeting some charming refined British lady, of being swept off her feet by someone who had traveled.
Afterall she thought, she was just some girl that was lucky enough to share the same backwater town with the most amazing woman she'd ever laid eyes on. She took a deep breath before pulling back to look at Lily. Putting on her best smile as she ran a thumb along the girl's face.
"I still remember when I saw you get out of that truck, I thought you were going to be another army brat who thought she could do whatever she wanted cause her dad was some military bigshot."
Lily laughed, it was a pained laugh that came out with her own tears. "And I thought you were going to be some country bumkin who'd tell me how I was destined for hell just because I liked women."
Alice laughed, a smile forming on her face, before she pressed her head forward, pushing it against Lily. And then in the weakest and smallest voice she spoke.
"Promise... promise me you won't forget me, I'll be following right after you first chance I get so promise me..."
Lily placed a hand on Alice's head. "Don't worry my Starlight, I could never forget you, I'll wait and wait, and if you take too long I'll drag you out there myself."
Alice giggled, and looked up at her, before leaning up, and of course Lily leaned down, pressing her lips against Alices. And then the world crashed, sound and pain erupted in their bodies, dirt flew and steel groaned as the truck slammed into them, breaking the street lamp their bodies falling down the mountain, as a truck chased after them tumbling down itself.
Everything was dark, Alice couldn't see but more importantly couldn't feel. She felt like just thought floating in an endless void. And then suddenly it was bright, so very bright, as she suddenly felt her body again, the sudden snap and rush of feeling made her retch, bile spilled upon white flooring and then a sound of disgust was heard.
Alice looked up to see the source, a woman devoid of color, it was unsettling. She could barely make out her features, both because in some way she felt blurred, and on another everything was so overwhelming white. It hurt her eyes to stare anywhere, and before she knew it the bile was gone and the woman was sitting in front of her looking over a clipboard.
It was silent, deafeningly so, and the smell was... clinical. It felt so uncomfortable, Alice shifted in place unsure of what to do before she finally began to speak, only to be cut off, quite literally once the woman began to speak Alice had lost hers. The words died in her throat.
"Alice Hawkins, Midgard, Human, Adult."
The words came monotone and exact, Alice couldn't tell if she was asking a question or stating facts.
"Reason for reincarnation..."
A snort, and then a groan. That was weird, so far this woman hadn't shown any personality at all, just like the room around them.
"Love."
The woman sighed, and placed down her clipboard.
"A rare reason, but not my first."
Alice realized the moment she could talk, and quickly did lest she lose the ability to again. "What's going on, who are you, what do you mean reason for reincarnation, wheres-"
She lost the ability again, and Lily's name burned in her throat, her chest twisting as her mind raced thinking of their last moments.
"[Calm] yourself."
The first part of her words felt... different, heavier. Alice felt her entire body calm in an instant.
"This is The Other, I am a Conductor, beings throughout their life do many things, these dictate what happens when they die. Most simply pass on, their story ended, the worst, the ones who break The Charter are sent to The Field, those who have impressed The DIrectors are given another life. The reason is what you did to be chosen on a whim."
It was a lot of information, an overwhelming amount of information, and finally Alice felt she could speak again. "Is... is Lily here as well? Was she chosen?"
The woman... seemed surprised. At least Alice thought she did, a slight widen on eyes, and then a frown.
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She picked up her clipboard, flipping through papers.
"Ah, how curious. Yes Lily Hale, died at the same time as you. Now that is very rare indeed, for both of you to have died and both be selected for the same reason... must be the workings of that Old Witch."
Alice didn't know why but she couldn't hear the last part, as if she wasn't allowed to.
"I apologize, I am getting off track, it is... unprofessional. Yes, Lily was chosen. She is being processed by a Conductor, no I cannot tell you more, her processing is private just as yours is. Now, let us get onto that process."
The woman pulled a page from her clipboard, and then held it up.
"[Animate]"
Once again her words felt heavier, as the paper twisted, growing larger before becoming transparent and floating beside the woman. There was a tug of a frown on her face before she gazed over to floating paper and spoke once more.
"[Play: The Next]"
Suddenly the paper began to glow with a kaleidoscope of colors as a... little cartoon figure took shape.
"Well Howdy there! I bet you have allll sorts of questions beyond those that your wonderful Conductor has already answered! Here at The Other we do our best to be proactive in our service to all Passengers! So sit back while ol' Watcher here tells you everything you need to know! To start off, sorry but you're dead! Done! Over! Passed on! But that's alright! I'm sure wherever you come from you have all sorts of stories about the afterlife and rivers that lead you to the next realm! Wellll they're all fake! Ha Ha Ha"
A prompt appeared on the screen
"But don't worry! Because you're one of the lucky few to be selected by one of our glorious Directors! Now you might be asking, well Watcher! Who are these benevolent Directors?! And to that I say... DONT ASK!! You see, your small minds couldn't possibly comprehend them. Just know they're running everything! Now sport! Gettt ready! Because you get to PICK. YOUR. WORLDDDDDD!!!!"
As the figure spoke the words a graphic of Pick Your World faded in above it with each word.
And then it began to speak further, as various scenes flashed across the paper.
"What will you pick! Do you want to be a dashing noble exploring the frontiers of space?! Or perhaps a charming mage unlocking the secrets of magic! Maybe even a daring mercenary trudging through the gunk of a cyber city! We got it all! Want to fight dragons? Hack corporations? Run corporations??? Build your own kingdom, run your own dungeon! We have all that and more! So tell me Passenger! What do you want!"
There was silence and Alice felt she could finally breath, talk, think. It had been far more overwhelming than the woman. The figure stood there, frozen but staring at her, she felt as if it was real, alive, watching her, judging every microexpression she made.
"I..."
What did she want? Sure she had thought about it a thousand times, what kind of life she could live if given a second chance, but that had been mindless daydreams, now that she had the chance? What did she want... "Lily, I want to go where Lily is going."
"Alrighttt processingggg... processing... hm, I don't seem to have that, could you rephrase that!"
The figure had actually responded, she had assumed it all some weird pre-recorded thing.
"Lily Hale, she's going through this right now as well, I want to go where she goes."
Silence. It filled the room like smog, felt heavy, as this cartoon figure stared at her, and then it frowned.
"Listen I don't know what kind of game you're playing here-"
The figure began to speak with an edge in its voice, before the woman spoke.
"[Pause]"
The entire figure froze in place.
"Your request is odd, I shall move it up the chain, please wait."
Then the woman stood up, and walked off, the click of heels echoing in the silence as Alice sat, staring at the cartoon figure. Despite the... pausing, she still felt as if its eyes were actively watching her.
Miriam cursed internally, not at the girl no her request was pure, sweet even. She cursed at this stupid system, she had complained time and time again that the Watcher was outdated and even off-putting. But her concerns were always filed away under noted. She walked through endless white halls that gave no perception of how far you had walked before finally coming upon a Red door.
She approached, and knocked exactly once, before putting her hands behind her and taking a step back and then she waited, time didn't function in The Other, she knew that, but still she felt as if a lot of time was passing. She thought back to the girl, to her file, she understood how stressful this must feel. Finally the door opened and Miriam's eyes widened. She quickly bowed as a woman with red skin and curling horns stepped out.
"Forgive me Director, I had assumed I'd be speaking with an Administrator not you."
A laugh, Poet she hated that laugh.
"Do not worry so much Conductor Miriam, I found your case quite interesting, after Conductor Diane came with a similar issue."
Footsteps, Miriam was being circled, like prey.
"I've Written a new Script for these two, feel free to offer it to our newest Passenger."
Miriam slowly accepted a paper being offered to her, and then the door shut closed. Miriam let out a sigh of relief. Directors were... dangerous, they worked off whims, with only the Poet being above them but they had not been seen well... since the beginning. If something in her mind didn't so insistently tell her that the Poet was real she would think it myth.
Miriam returned to Alice, holding a face of non-expression. She handed the paper over to Alice wordlessly.
Alice looked it over, the paper had big words at the top that said Star Crossed Lovers, it talked of how they would lose their normal choices in the reincarnation but in return both would be transported to the same world, albeit they would need to find each other, the paper was very clear that it was as much a test as a second chance. Prove they could fall in love in another life, that they could find each other once more.
"It does require approval from Lily Hale, would you like to offer it?"
The words felt heavy, and then Alice nodded.
"Ple- please."
She rasped out. The Woman nodded, and walked off once more. After what felt like an eternity the Woman returned.
"Passenger Alice, your Script has been approved, your world, start, skills will all be randomly chosen. I do hope I was sufficient as a Conductor for your time here in The Other, and do hope that you find joy in your new life..."
There was a pause, and then an uncharacteristic smile.
"I will be rooting for you, to find your love."
And with that everything went dark again, Alice felt slimy... and odd, as felt... like she was falling? being pushed? It was strange, unnerving even. And then she attempted to call out, hearing... squeaks? and then she felt herself be caught, and she felt the instinct to grab hold of fur.
It was all very disorienting, but knowledge entered her mind, and she knew what to think to understand, she closed her small eyes and thought
Name: Alice
Race: Newborn Bat (Tier 0)
HP: 5/5
Mana: 0/0
Strength: 1
Dexterity: 2
Constitution: 1
Intelligence: 1
Wisdom: 1
Charisma: 3
Luck: 0
Skills
Echolocation 1
She... she was a bat, she had been reborn as a bat, how... how was she supposed to find Lily like this!?